Wanted: Godly Fathers

Introduction: Today is Father’s day, the day we set aside to honor our Fathers. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today and celebrate Father’s Day with my own father, which is something I haven’t been able to do for several years. If you will allow me just a moment of personal privilege I want to publicly thank my father for his love and support throughout my life. My father taught me many things as a child. He taught me how to throw a ball, how to hunt and fish, how to plant a garden, how to change the oil in my car, but most importantly he taught me love God and to love my family. He set a good Christian example for me to follow and for this I will be eternally thankful. Thanks Dad, I love you.

Have your children ever talked you into buying them something, even though you knew better? Well that’s what happened to one mother who let her children talk her into getting a hamster They promised to take care of their pet; to make sure it had food and water; and clean its cage. So she gave in and bought it. They decided to name the Hamster “Danny.”

Within two months, though, the mother was the only one taking care of Danny. One day Mom decided enough was enough; Danny had to go. She called the kids together to tell them her decision. One child said, “I’ll miss him. He’s been around here a long time.” The other child remarked, “Maybe he could stay if he ate less and wasn’t so messy.” Mom was firm, “It is time to take Danny to a new home.”

“Danny?” the kids screamed, “Oh no, we can’t get rid of Danny, We thought you said Daddy.”

Sometimes I think being a good father is the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to do. I’m sure I’m not the only one here this morning that feels that way. So I want to take a few minutes today to talk to those of you who are Fathers, especially those of you who still have children in your home. However, even though this message is a Father’s day message that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t apply to those of you who aren’t fathers. Because the Biblical principles that I will be sharing with you about godly fathers would be good for all of us to remember and put into practice in our own lives, even if you don’t have children or grandchildren. You see there are people in your sphere of influence that God wants and expects you to have an impact on. So I hope you will pay careful attention to what I have to share with you this morning.

Someone once said, “As the Family goes, so goes the nation.” Which I certainly believe is true. But I want to add even more meaning to that statement this morning by saying that, “As the Father goes, so goes the family.”

Twenty-Five years ago, Christian Author and writer James Dobson said, “The Western world stands at a great crossroads in its history. It is my opinion that our very survival as a people will depend upon the presence or absence of masculine leadership in millions of homes… I believe, with everything within me, that husbands hold the keys to the preservation of the family.”

All you have to do is look around you today to know that Dobson was right, and that things have gotten much worse now than they were 25 years ago.

For the first time in history experts are saying that 1 out of every 2 marriages performed this year will end in divorce.

With these things in mind I want us to spend some time thinking about the Biblical responsibilities of godly fathers. Let’s begin by reading Ephesians 6:1-4.

The invitation had barely started when a pastor noticed a 7 year old girl named Carol start down the aisle. He could see that she was crying, so as took her by the hand he leaned over and asked her what was wrong. She said, “I’ve been praying every night for God to bring my daddy back. I just don’t understand why he left us. I just want him to come home.”

Carol is not alone. Unfortunately more and more mothers are being forced to rear their children by themselves. In 1960, only 5 percent of the children in the United States lived exclusively with their mothers. By 1990 that figure had risen to 25 percent. Sociologists tell us that 40 percent of all the children born between 1970 and 1984 spent much of their childhood living in a single-parent home.

Some people would like to just dismiss these statistics as meaningless numbers. But I believe it is important for us to understand that whatever is causing the breakdown of the American Family is also tearing apart the moral fiber and foundation of our Nation.