A Great Dad
6-16-01
New Community Church
I HEARD OF YOUNG MOTHER WHO WENT DOWN TO THE NURSERY AT A HOSPITAL AND FOUND HER YOUNG HUSBAND PEERING DOWN AT HIS NEWBORN BABY WHO WAS ASLEEP. THE MOTHER COULD TELL HE WAS CAPTIVATED BY THE SCENE AS HE STOOD THERE LOOKING AT THE SLEEPING INFANT. SHE WAS SO TOUCHED THAT FINALLY SHE TIPTOED UP BEHIND HIM AND SLIPPED HER ARM THROUGH HIS AND SAID, "HONEY, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?" HE SAID, "I JUST CAN’T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY’RE ABLE TO MAKE A CRIB LIKE THIS FOR $89.95." (Stever Malone--SermonCentral.com)
Fathers are interesting creatures. Here are the TOP 10 THINGS YOU’LL NEVER HEAR DAD SAY 10. Well, how ’bout that? I’m lost! Looks like we’ll have to stop and ask for directions. 9. You know Pumpkin, now that you’re thirteen, you’ll be ready for unchaperoned car dates. Won’t that be fun? 8. I noticed that all your friends have a certain hostile attitude. I like that. 7. Here’s a credit card and the keys to my new car. GO CRAZY!! 6. What do you mean you wanna play football? Figure skating’s not good enough for you, son? 5. Your mother and I are going away for the weekend. You might want to consider throwing a party. 4. Well, I don’t know what’s wrong with your car. Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies--ya know--that makes it run or something. Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay whatever he asks. 3. No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring. Now quit your belly-aching, and let’s go to the mall. 2. Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend. 1. What do I want for my birthday? Aahh, don’t worry about that. It’s no big deal. (Okay, they might say it. But they don’t mean it)
(Brian Mavis--SermonCentral.com)
There has ALWAYS been a great need for Dads. We might think they are weird by the things they wear or the lack of emotion they have. But they are essential in our homes today. What does the Bible tells us about what makes a great dad?
1). A great dad loves his children.
Psalm 103:13, “As a father has compassion on his children…” The word compassion is a word that means to love deeply & to cherish. Dads are to cherish and nurture their children. Mom’s you aren’t off the hook. You are to love your kids too. But, far too many dads aren’t doing this.
2). A great dad is fair to his children.
Ephesians 6:4, “And now a word to you fathers. Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them.
The NIV translation says do not exasperate your children. Don’t wear them out. Don’t nag them. Don’t make them hostile. Treat them fairly but that doesn’t mean you don’t discipline them. Just don’t unfairly punish them. Be reasonable. Children, that does not give us a right to tell our parents the Bible says you can’t make me angry. The Bible means unnecessarily make you angry. You and I both know that as kids we are going to do things that we were asked not too. So if we do something that deserves being grounded or spanked we have to take our medicine. Even if we don’t like it. (Quite frankly, I haven’t met anyone who liked getting a whippin.)
3). A great dad takes the time to train and instruct his children.
Let’s look at the rest of the Ephesians 6:4 verse. “Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.”
What kind of instruction? Moral and spiritual instruction. A better way to say this is to teach them absolute truth. Right from wrong. Good and evil. Heaven and hell. Morality & Immorailty. Does this mean that we are supposed to have the “sex” talk with our children? Well, does God have a purpose and a plan when it comes to sex? Then teach it to your children. Don’t let the world shape your kids views on sex. Let God’s word do that. Children, as long as you live in your parent’s home your response should be this: “Unless you tell me to disobey God, I am going to obey you. I may not always like it, and I may not agree with it. But I am the child, and you are the parents. I want to please and obey God by obeying, you.”
As we have briefly looked at these three responsibilities do you see why it is so crucial that Dads be the kind of dads they were meant to be? We have a generation of children who don’t know there right from their left because they had no fatherly influence in their lives who loved them, treated them fairly and taught them right from wrong. We have so many young people who have a very distorted view of God because their relationship with their earthly father was so messed up. It is hard for them to see that God is loving and patient and merciful.
Transition: One of the greatest characteristics I love most about God is that he is a Father to me. You and I both have two fathers. Our earthly father and our heavenly one. Here are some truths about God being our Father.
A.) He will always be around.
“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father…” (NLT)
He is not going anywhwere. Our heavenly father will always be around. He will never walk out on us or pass away. He is our constant hope. When we are alone we can trust in Him.
B). He is a Father to the fatherless and defender of widows
“Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy.” Psalm 68:5
Fatherless & orphan= used 10 times in the Bible.
Widow= used 11 times in the Bible. Almost every time these words are used it is in the context of God either looking out for them or he is giving instruction not to mistreat them.
God has a special place in his heart for children living in a fatherless home. Single moms you may not be a widow but your husband is not around for whatever reason. I want you to know you have a Great heavenly father in your corner. As a church we need to remember that. Unfortunately, in a lot of ways single moms and fatherless homes are looked down upon. As a church we need to embrace God’s love and concern in this area.
C). He loves you and I as much as he loves his Son Jesus.
“I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are—I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one. Then the world will know that you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.” John 17:23 (NLT)
The first word that Jesus uses in the next verse is “Father.” Jesus uses the word father six times in this chapter.
That’s how much he loves every single one of you. As much as he loves his Son Jesus. That means every way he deals with us he deals with us out of love. Even when he disciplines us.
D). You decide whether he will be your father or not.
In one sense he has every right to have ownership in your life. After all, he created you. But he will never force his way to be your father. He will never take you to court to make you recognize his fatherhood. You must choose whether or not you will allow him to be your father.
“Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. John 8:43 (NIV)
We can’t depend upon anyone else’s relationship to God. Just because your parents have a belief in God does not make you a believer of God. The religious people in this chapter thought that just because they had the right lineage they were accepted. Jesus changed all that. He said if God were your Father you would love me.
Illustration: This week I had the privilege to sit down with Jordan Drake and share what it means to be a Christian. He understood He needed to open up his heart and let Jesus come in. When he finished praying to ask Christ come into his heart his eyes welled up with tears. His mom asked, “Why are you crying?” He answered, “because I love Jesus so much.” We can give lip service to God being our father but until we have an encounter with Jesus we will never know what a relationship with our Heavenly father can truly be like. To know Jesus is to know God the Father.
What does all of this mean as we celebrate fathers day tomorrow?
· Dad’s & wannabe dads: you are crucial in the life of your children.
· The ultimate example of fatherhood is found in the person of God. (You want to know how to be a father—model after the heavenly father.
· Even if your father is not around you are still not alone.
“My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in.” Psalm 27:10 (the message)
May this Father’s Day be celebrated with a whole new perspective this weekend.
