The Model Father Series

Text: Matt 1:18-2:22, Title: The Model Father, Subject: Father’s Day, Date/Place: NRBC, 6/17/07, AM

A. Opening illustration: The perfect husband—ill file, tell about Nemo and his dad Marlin, “The most urgent domestic challenge facing the United States at the close of the 20th century is the re-creation of fatherhood as a social role for men.”—David Blankenhorn, Institute for American Values.

B. Background to passage: The story of Jesus begins with a very influential earthly father. Explain the early Jewish wedding traditions. He sets the bar very high as a model.

C. Main thought: Our text gives us four roles that Joseph modeled for us as fathers

II. BODY

A. Priest of his family (v. 1:19)

1. Even before Joseph and Mary were living together as husband and wife, Joseph was preparing to be the priest of his home. This word righteous means that he was diligent to observe the law, and that his life was pleasing to God. Only 3 other men spoken about as righteous. Four times in the first two chapters, Joseph did exactly what God said. God wanted a man who would place faith in a position of prominence in the family, and teach the family about the things of God.

2. Pro 20:7, Ps 37:21, Josh 24:15,

3. Illustration: Charles Francis Adams, the 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary. One day he entered: “Went fishing with my son today—a day wasted.” His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: “Went fishing with my father—the most wonderful day of my life!” Tony Evans’ father reading in the wee hours of the morning to satisfy his wife and his hunger for the Word. If both your parents worshipped with you regularly while you were growing up, there’s an 80 percent likelihood that you’ll worship God regularly as an adult. If only your mother worshipped regularly with you, there’s only a 30 percent probability that you’ll worship regularly as an adult. If only your father worshipped regularly with you, the likelihood that you’ll worship regularly as an adult increases to 70 percent! When the father is an active believer, there is about a seventy-five percent likelihood that the children will also become active believers. But if only the mother is a believer, this likelihood is dramatically reduced to fifteen percent

4. Men, as fathers you have an enormous amount of influence over the spiritual life of you children. Your wife and children need to see a man who is deeply in love with Christ, submitting to His word, and is shaping his life, actions, priorities, speech, and attitude around the person of Christ. Your represent Christ to your family. And you are to minister as Christ. But your actions must speak louder than your words. Can’t tell them one thing and demonstrate something else. Do you lead your family in prayer? Are you the one who encourages church? Do you teach the principles of scripture to your family? Are you making disciples/missiles at home? Could God entrust His Son to you? Accountability!

B. Provider of love for his family (v. 1:19-25)

1. Joseph began the husbandly job of providing love even before they came together, and continued after they came together. He was concerned about Mary’s embarrassment-explain. But then he took her publicly accepting the brunt of the shame. He put her interests first. The best expression of love is commitment no matter what. Afterwards publicly treating her with grace and restraint.

2. Eph 5:25, Col 3:21

3. Illustration: The largest number of collect calls are made on Father’s Day. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: “Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father.” On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers. “Honey...there’s Mommy, and Sarah, and Missy. Katie the dog is in the picture, and the sun, and the house, and squirrels, and birdies. But Sarah...where is your Daddy?” Harvard University, found that American parents spend less time with their children than parents in any other country except Great Britain. Even compared with their Russian counterparts, American fathers spend two fewer hours a day interacting with their children. 101 ways for a husband to show love to His wife…

4. The days of fathers who do not show emotion or affection are gone. You must be the leader of visible love. And I am not saying that you have to be mushy or cry a lot. You must teach your sons how to sacrificially love a woman. You must set the standard for your daughters as to what godly love really is. Children and wives spell love T-I-M-E. Husbands, when was the last time you got flowers for your wife? Left her a note? A gift? Took your daughter on a date? You won’t come to the end of life and wish you would have worked more, but spent more time with family.