Title: Making the Most of Our Relationship Lesson 6 “Turning the Hearts of the Fathers”
Text: Luke 1:11-17
Introduction: READ EXCERPTS FROM “HEART OF THE WARRIOR, A BATTLE PLAN FOR FATHERS TO RECLAIM THEIR FAMILIES.” Beginning at page 97
-- Would you agree that Satan is attacking our homes in America?
‒ How does the reading make you feel?
‒ Does the article sound familiar?
‒ Too close to home?
**Let me begin by saying that today’s lesson is one that has already touched my heart.
-- What a need we as fathers have to become more spiritually minded!
-- Here are just a few rather pointed questions to all of us dads?
-- When is the last time you prayed with your children?
-- Do you ever talk to your kids about God, love and emotional things?
-- Have your children ever seen you cry?
-- When was the last time you read Scripture to you children?
-- There are probably hundreds more questions that could be asked.
**This morning, I want us to hear the charge of our heavenly Father concerning dads.
A. John the Baptizer’s mission. (Luke 1:17 NIV) "And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.""
-- John’s mission according to this text is two-fold. To prepare the way for Jesus and to ”Turn the hearts of the fathers to the children.”
-- The emphasis is upon the father’s heart.
-- Many children never see the heart of fathers and grandfathers.
-- Many times we want to put on this gruff exterior.
-- Children’s hearts are influenced by the actions of the fathers.
-- Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
-- God’s warriors do not battle with ruff and tough tactics.
-- God’s battle is for the hearts of men and women.
-- And the battle for hearts begins with a battle of love.
B. Paul in Ephesians 6:4 ”Fathers, do not exasperate (frustrate, rile or anger) your children, but instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
-- Fathers we are ultimately responsible for bringing up our children.
-- When we stand before God in judgment, we will answer to Him for the way we have taught and instructed our children.
-- Listen to Deuteronomy 6:6-9 “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give to you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.”
-- How often I have heard this scripture read and them proceed to tell the audience that this is not literal.
-- The Jews took it quite literally.
-- If it helps that we literally write things on ourselves or our things, then, so be it.
-- We must begin to point the way for our children toward the word.
There are at least two things we need as fathers to begin taking back our families for God.
1. Take the responsibility of spiritual leadership that is ours.
A. From Adam onward, men are placed in spiritual leadership roles.
-- Men are to be elders, deacons, teachers, preachers.
-- The home is no different.
-- (Ephesians 5:22-23 NCV) "Wives, yield to your husbands, as you do to the Lord, {23} because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. And he is the Savior of the body, which is the church."
-- 1 Corinthians 11:3 “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”
-- Men like the idea of head, but it’s time that we as men took that charge from God seriously!
– Too many men are content with letting their wives take the spiritual leadership role. Mainly because it takes work for us to take charge!
B. So much of what we teach our children is spiritually insignificant. (May be important in some aspect of life, but ultimately is spiritually insignificant.)
-- Our kids are taught from day one, get a good job, college, make ‘A’s’, be loyal to your team...
-- These are all OK in their own right, but we need fathers pointing the way to heaven before they point them to being the best ball player.
-- As a matter of fact, point them to heaven and they will be the best they can be.
-- Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God....” Matthew 6:33
-- Proverbs 22:6 still says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not turn from it.”
-- It’s time we got back to teaching our kids to “Hunger and thirst after righteousness....” because until they do, they will never be filled.
C. Dads, I ask us again--when was the last time our children saw us reading the scripture, praying, or teaching the gospel?
-- It is our responsibility to our children to show them these things.
D. When is the last time our wives saw us take charge in spiritual matters?
2. Take back our responsibility that is ours to become active not passive in spiritual things.
A. Jesus said, “If you love me keep my commandments.” Matthew 7:21.
B. James said, “...Faith, by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (James 2:18)
-- How desperately do I, as a father, need to believe and obey those verses!!!
C. What has happened to our “take charge” attitude when it comes to spiritual things.
-- It seems so easy to stand and be counted in other things.
-- I see fathers many times on the ball field, at work, in general conversation that talk all kind of things.
-- Statistics, politics, job related topics
– I remember a dad whom I asked to teach a teen Bible class one time. His response was, “I can’t get up in front of those kids and teach. I’m too shy.” The next day I saw him coaching on a ball field and doing a great job at teaching baseball to them.
– What is the difference”
– Bottom line, “We do that which we are interested in and we like.”
– His problem like others is not in ability, but lack of desire to want to teach and help in spiritual thing.
-- But, what has happened to the advice giving, scripture quoting, God-fearing, father who is willing to challenge his children and grandchildren to do right?
Conclusion:
To get his goodnight kiss he stood beside my chair one night,
And raised an eager face to me, a face with love alight.
And as I gathered in my arms the son God gave to me,
I thanked the lad for being good, and hoped he’d always be.
His little arms crept ‘round my neck, and then I heard him say
Four simple words I shan’t forget--four words that made me pray.
They turned in a mirror on my soul, on secrets no one knew.
They startled me, I hear them yet; He said, “I’ll be like you.”
Dads, let me ask us this. When you die, how will your children remember you?
‒ Will they think of one who was always running off to work, to play golf, or to a friend’s house?
‒ Or will they remember a man who took time to show his love?
‒ A man who took time to read the Bible with them and pray with them?
Life is passing so quickly.
‒ What are we spending our lives on that which outweighs a loving relationship with our children?
‒ When they look back at our life will they remember that we met the deadline, got the contract, and paid the bills or will they remember that we took time to laugh and play, and sing and pray, and teach them God’s way?
I have a feeling that there are some of us as men that need to respond to the Lord’s invitation.
-- Why don’t you come and show your children what real manhood is all about?
-- Hide your ego, and submit to the one who is over us.
-- Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and watch how He will lift you up.
