Iliff and Saltillo UM churches
June 15, 2003
Father’s Day
“A Great Dad”
Psalm 103:1-13
INTRODUCTION: Today is Father’s Day. Anyone can be a father but it takes a special person to be a Dad. The title for today’s message is a “A Great Dad.” Just what are the characteristics of a great Dad? Dads come in all sizes and shapes. Some have dark hair, some gray and some no hair at all. Some are extroverts and some introverts. They come with different hobbies and interests and different careers. Some like to fish, hunt, ride motorcycles, and some like to build things. Dads come from many different directions in their thinking about things as well.
STORY: One young father was standing in front of the hospital nursery looking in at his newborn son who was asleep. The mother walked up behind him and was so touched by the scene. She finally tiptoed up to him and slipped her arm through his and said, “Hon, what are you thinking about?”
He replied, “I just can’t understand how they’re able to make a crib like that for $89.95.” (Steve Malone--sermon central).
Although fathers are interesting creatures, here are some things you will never hear them say:
1. “Well, how ‘bout that? I’m lost! Looks like we’ll have to stop and ask for directions.”
2. “I noticed that all your friends have a certain hostile attitude. I like that!”
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!”
4. Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.”
5. “Here’s a credit card and the keys to my new car. Go CRAZY!!”
Let’s see what we can get out of today’s scripture that applies to fathers today.
1. God’s Compassion: Psalm 103:13 says, “as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.”
The Message Bible says, “As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him. He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.”
Does your picture of your father or mother resemble the picture of God as described in verse 13? That he is compassionate and understanding toward us because he knows that we are made of mud? He understands our frailties. Another translation says that God is tender and sympathetic toward us like a father is toward his children. Sometimes we don’t picture God as someone like this who makes allowances for our frailties realizing that we are not going to do everything perfectly or have all the right answers for everything.
STORY: A man related how he had always had an uneasy relationship with God every time he prayed. He always pictured God as a stern, unpleasant figure who was always displeased with him. One day while he was shaving, he felt prompted to visualize what he felt about God.
In his mind’s eye he saw a majestic man seated on an impressive throne, robed in white with white hair and a stern, harsh look in his eyes. As he watched in wonder, the seated figure rose from his throne and walked over toward him.
Worried, he shrank back. But the figure came down to him and wrapped his arms around him. That one vision changed his entire attitude and helped him to realize how much God really loved him as a Father.
I think this story describes the word compassion.
None of us come from perfect homes. Many people today don’t remember their earthly father as understanding or compassionate. Some fathers may have been harsh, stern task masters. And some fathers may have been working all the time and didn’t pay much attention to their children. Others may not have been there at all.
One father said, “My prayer is that God will bless my children in spite of me and my blundering efforts.”
A stepfather asked for prayer. He said, “I am struggling with my stepson who I’m trying to love, but he will just not respond. It’s brought tension to the whole family. I’ve done everything I can think of.”
Maybe you have had some experiences like that. Divine compassion is that quality by which God as the Heavenly Father empathizes with human frailties.
A great Dad realizes that children are “made of mud” and makes allowances for less than perfect attitudes and actions. God’s love and compassion toward us is an example to Dads today. Ephesians 6:4 says “Fathers, do not exasperate your children. Instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” This means a great Dad will treat children fairly and not wear them out, nag at them, make them hostile. Don’t punish unfairly but be reasonable. Great dads follow the example of God as a father who realizes that we are “made of mud” and his grace makes allowances for these frailties. He is not the stern task master frowning on us just waiting to punish us unfairly.
2. Love spelled T I M E: Children need time. We devote time and energy to the things we value the most. Children conclude, “If you don’t have time for me, then you must not care about me.”
STORY: Danny
A family talked their mother into getting a hamster as long as they took care of the creature. Two months later when mother was caring for Danny the hamster she made some phone calls and found a new home for him. She broke the news to the children and they took it quite well but they did offer some comments. One of the children remarked, “He’s been around here a long time--we’ll miss him.” Mom agreed saying, “Yes, but he’s too much work for one person and since I’m that one person, I say he goes.” Another child offered, “Well maybe if he wouldn’t eat so much and would be so messy, we could keep him.” But Mom was firm. “It’s time to take Danny to his new home now,” she insisted. “Go and get his cage.” With one voice and in tearful outrage the children shouted, “Danny? We thought you said, “Daddy!”
I’m afraid Daddy wasn’t spending much time with his family. They were willing to take him to a new home!!!
In a survey of elementary children the top five things kids appreciated about their Dads were:
1. He takes time for me.
2. He listens to me
3. He invites me to go places with him.
4. He lets me help him.
5. He lets me say what I think
A great Dad, according to these children, takes time for me and listens to me. God is like that for us too. When we are worried, stressed out, frustrated over all of the daily things that occur, we can go to him in prayer at any time of the day or night and talk it over. We are not just talking to a blank wall--God is there. He hears and he gives us guidance and direction. He brings peace and calmness to our hearts when we don’t know what to do next. Psalm 103:2 says, “Praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all your sins
heals all your diseases
redeems your life
crowns you with love and compassion
satisfies your desires with good things
Your youth is renewed like the eagles.
When we spend time with the Lord making him a priority in our life, we find that he renews us and loads us with benefits.
A great Dad who spends time with his children will find the relationship becomes a two way street--each enriching the other’s life.
STORY: It was 7 year old Molly’s turn to pack the lunches for the family. She would put in the sandwiches, cookies, fruit in paper bags. One day, in addition to the paper bag she usually packed for her father, she gave him a second bag. Enclosed by duct tape, staples, and paper clips, the Dad in a hurry to get to work didn’t have time to ask her what was inside. At lunch time he was eating his lunch and remembered his daughter’s gift. Since it was too difficult to open any other way, he ripped open the bag and out spilled these objects:
2 hair ribbons
3 small stones
1 plastic dinosaur
A pencil stub
A tiny seashell
2 animal crackers
a marble
a used lipstick
a small doll
2 chocolate kisses
and 13 pennies.
Unsure of what she meant by this gift, he smiled to himself and then realizing the lateness of the hour hurriedly swept his desk clean, including the “gifts,” and put them in the wastebasket. He did this because “there was nothing I needed.”
That night as he sat in his lazyboy Molly asked, “where is my bag? I want it back. Those things are important to me.”
Oh, and Daddy there’s something I forgot to put in your bag this morning. She handed him a folded note. Unfolding the paper he read, “Daddy, I love you.”
Slipping out to his car, he drove to the office and frantically checked his wastebasket and found that it had not been emptied yet. Quickly he dumped it on his desk and sorted out all of the treasures. Just then the janitor came in and asked, “did you lose something?” “Yes,” he replied, “I think I’ve lost my mind.” The next day he asked his daughter to explain the meaning of the items in the bag and patiently listened as she explained each item in great detail. (source sermon central)
I think that day, he was a GREAT DAD. Don’t you?
3. Allowing God’s Plan to Unfold: How do you think you rate as a Dad? Are you a GREAT DAD because of God being important in your life? Or do you sometimes feel you fall short of what God has intended for you?
STORY: A man once said, “When I was ten years old, I was walking across a field not ten miles from this spot and I saw God. He was immense, head and shoulders rising up just beyond the tree line against the sky. And God said to me, “You and I will do great things together.” And what I keep wondering is, when is it going to start?
This man was in his late fifties, out of work after a lifetime of low-end jobs, long divorced, and isolated from his children. One would wonder how God could make such a promise and not follow through. But what if it HAD come true? What if this man’s life had been so full of small acts of kindness--like the hot coffee he shared with a lonely person in his tent at a cold, rainy campground that day. Perhaps God was laughing gently at the man’s nearsightedness to not recognize all of the GREAT little things God DID do with him in his lifetime. (Donald Chatfield). Wasn’t he after all a GREAT Dad in many important ways?
A Great Dad is open to allowing God’s plan and purpose to unfold in His life as the years go by no matter what that plan may be. Life may take many turns in the road. It may not be as you thought it would be. Your children may not grow up to fulfill your great aspirations for them. Your career might not have been spectacular. Verse 17 of this Psalm says, “but from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him and his righteousness with their children’s children with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.”
Dad’s you become great Dads by continuing to walk as God would have you walk in your ordinary daily life activities. You will be an influence for good not only on your children but on your grandchildren as well.
You can be a GREAT DAD. Happy Father’s Day.
