What Makes A Father

What Makes a Father

Rev. Scott Epperson

6-17-07

ILLUSTATION.- Harmon Killebrew who used to play for the Minn. Twins said, “My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, ‘You’re tearing up the grass.’ Dad would reply, ‘We’re not raising grass, we’re raising boys.’”

Raising children is a job and a responsibility that can be likened to building it takes thought, carefulness, and the right tools.

We need our Fathers

QUOTE: Mark Twain said, "When I was a boy of 14 my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man learned in 7 years."

(Eph 6:2) Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

(Eph 6:3) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

We know that Jesus Christ was God in carnet, he was perfect and with out sin, yet he still chose for him self a Father to raise him, and to teach him, to be a example to him, to provide for him, to love him.

We must remember that Jesus Christ is our example of how to live and what it takes, and he makes it plain that we need our fathers.

Joseph- The EXAMPLE of a GODLY Father

Just Man- equitable

(Mat 1:19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

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(Mat 22:36) Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

(Mat 22:37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

(Mat 22:38) This is the first and great commandment.

(Mat 22:39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy

neighbor as thyself.

(Mat 22:40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Don’t be a legalistic father

Lived by the spirit of the law rather than the letter.

The letter said kill her, divorce her, she has committed adultery.

Temperance- he was not ruled by his feelings and emotions.

Talked to God

(Mat 1:20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

ILLUSTRATION: Many years ago a farmer had an unusually fine crop of wheat. Just a few days before the wheat was to be harvested, a terrible hail and wind storm came. The entire crop was destroyed. After the storm was over, the farmer, with his little son, went out on the porch. The little boy looked at what was formerly a beautiful field of wheat, and then, with tears in his eyes, he looked up at his dad, expecting to hear words of despair. All at once his father started singing softly, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in Thee.” Years later, the little boy, now grown to manhood said, “That was the greatest sermon that he ever heard.

Tell me dads. What kind of sermon are you preaching with your life?

Lead by Faith- Each time God spoke ( in his dreams) he acted immediately

Lead his family to God-

(Luk 2:41) Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.

ILLUSTRATION: Did you hear about the little boy who was playing on a Sunday morning while his Dad was in a lounge chair reading the paper. And the father said: “Son, get yourself ready for Sunday School”. The little boy asked: “Are you coming with me today Dad?” The man replied: “No, I’m not coming. But I want you to hurry up and get ready”. The little boy then said: “Did you used to go to Sunday School when you were a boy, Dad?” He said: “I most certainly did!” As he walked away the boy mumbled: “Yeah, and I bet it won’t do me any good either!”

Selfless - Notice the story is about Jesus ,not Joseph. What about his wants, his needs? Jesus died a the age of 33 and his father had already died, so obviously he did not have a long life.

He had a short life, yet it was spent for God.

(Pro 22:6) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Prodigals Father-

Patient

(Luk 15:14) And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.