Groping At Noonday

Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 13 views
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
View more →

Read Dt. 28:15-29 and Prov. 4:1-27

Introduction

Rehearse the shootings at VA tech and then at NASA.

  • First matter is that of offering the all-compassionate Christ to those who mourn (Matt. 5:4). Be we cannot help asking, "why?" because that is the nature of humanity.
  • God did not especially hate those students who died (Luke 13:1-5).
  • But somehow we must also ask how to prevent yet another shooting of this type. An important answer to the question "why" is found in our first text (Deuteronomy 28). We are a society "groping at noonday."
  • A recent podcast encouraged fathers to raise mature sons such as Liviu Librescu -- a holocaust survivor -- who attempted to save students by holding his classroom door shut while the students jumped from the 2nd floor window. He was shot 5x and killed.
  • So, yes, mature sons on campus could have and would have helped ameliorate this tragedy. But who is going to raise such sons? This task falls exclusively to fathers - fathers who teach according to Proverbs 4. These things deserve a public airing.
    • Significantly, God places corporal punishment in the hands of parents, while at the same time forbidding absolutely that a child raise a hand toward a parent.
    • Prov. 13:24; Prov. 19:18; Prov. 22:15; Prov. 23:13-14 but
    • Exo. 21:15, 17; Lev. 20:9: Dt. 21:18-21
    • What about NT? Matthew 15:3-4.
    • Today it is often illegal to spank one's children -- and so we have a generation of angry, hostile, lost, self-mutilated, ignorant and vacuous bastards. And this is a testimony to the failure of fathers to be fathers.
    • When this modern egalitarian hatred for all who are superior in office manifests in murder and assault, it does not matter what motivated the killer. We meed justice, not psychoanalysis. And there will be no return to societal justice before there is a return to responsible fatherhood.

Five things about fatherhood that we must know:

Before we can be fathers, we must first be men.

  • A man is the image of God on earth. (Gen. 1:26ff; Gen. 2:8-9)
  • A man has a task, calling, purpose before God. (Gen. 2:15)
  • A man has a (single) wife. (Gen. 2:24)
  • A father, then, must be a man in subjection to God and his law (thus Deuteronomy 28:15); he must bring his calling to the throne of Christ and submit it to Him (Deuteronomy 28:16-20); and he must be a husband of one wife (Deuteronomy 28:30-32).
    • In a word, he must be a man who is the head of a household with a purpose under God.

A father holds a 3-fold office.

  • He is the gatekeeper for his family between them and the world.
  • He is a prophet, a priest, and a king before God and for his family.
  • His motto must be "To protect and provide" just as a policeman's motto is "to protect and serve."
  • He must command respect from his children not only for himself, but for their mother as well.
  • This means that father and mother must model that respect before their children.
  • A father must know and enforce God's law in his household.
    • This is exact opposite from oppression and legalism.
    • Enforcing God's law should increase joy in the household.

A father is compassionate (Psalm 103:13).

  • God describes Himself this way in Hosea 11:1, 3.
  • See how God is a father in Hos. 11:3-4.
    • Explain the analogy:
    • Holding a toddler by the arms as he learns to walk (go).
  • So Paul too describes himself as having the compassion of a father in 1 Thess. 2:10-12.

A father is jealous.

  • Jealousy has a quality of righteousness about it.
  • Thus God at Isa. 42:8 describes himself as jealous.
  • This sort of jealousy asserts proprietorship over the family. The father will not give any of his children to Molech.
  • See the context of Joshua 24:14-15 indicates Joshua's household will follow God because Joshua will teach God's commandments.
  • A biblical father will not send his children to Molech's schools, watch Molech's programming, read Molech's books, newspapers, and opinions or listen to Molech's music. NB: Lev. 20:2-3.

A father is active

  • He cares passionately for his children.
  • He pleads with his children to keep God's commandments, as in Proverbs 4.
  • He passes on the wisdom of previous generations.
  • He has no pagan idea of fate, chance, or fortune, but makes use of the means God has given to raise mature, godly sons.
  • Day by day, all day long.
    • Today the whole trend of society is in an opposite direction:
      • Against authority
      • Against manhood
      • Against Christianity
      • Against covenant
      • Against law
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more