6-17-2018 Happy Father's Fight Judges 2:6-12
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Introduction:
The father of five children had won a rather expensive toy at a raffle. So he called his kids together to ask which of them should have the present. "Who, here, among you is the most obedient?" he asked. "Who never talks back to mother? Who does everything she says?" The Five small voices finally answered in unison. "Okay, dad, we know, you get the toy."
Today is the day that we honor fathers. It is proper we honor our fathers, and our mothers, and this day in June is set aside for us to honor the fathers in this country. Why? We are to honor our fathers, not because it’s a holiday, not because it’s a tradition, not because there are sales going on all over the country, but because God said so.
In all seriousness, we are to honor our fathers, and our mothers, and this day in June is set aside for us to honor the fathers in this country. But we are to honor our fathers, not because it’s a holiday, not because it’s a tradition, not because there are sales going on all over the country, but because God said so.
In fact, He commanded us very specifically in ,
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Notice that the bible doesn’t say, honor only good moms and dads. It doesn’t say, honor them only if you agree with them. It doesn’t say, honor only the right ones. It says, “honor your father and mother.” And so, today, we ought to honor all fathers.
So I want to speak directly to the fathers here today. However, if you’re not a dad, don’t fall asleep just yet, because we all can benefit from what I am about to speak on—we all just might need to hear this: We are involved in warfare here today, and the battleground is not in a foreign land such as Iraq or Afghanistan. The battlefield is actually in our homes and in our hearts. And what is at risk is not our land so much, and it is not just our freedoms we may lose. It’s a bit more important I think. I fear that the biggest thing at stake is our children.
And it is not too radical to call it warfare—it is a real war, it’s an important war, and in this country, we as Christians are currently losing the battle. Children are turning from the faith in record numbers. It’s as if as soon as they leave home and go to college they leave the church. And if you don’t believe me, look around here right now. Ask yourselves : how many children do we have here at Grace Baptist Church? And lest you think that its only a problem here, it is true in all churches all over this country. Children in numbers, never quite seen before in America, are turning away from church and from YHWH.
Transition:
And although these record numbers might be new to America, it’s not really new considering world history. It’s the same as been happening over the course of time even in the scriptures. I want to look at a brief Biblical account this morning that’s going to be our passage for the remainder of the time we have today. It’s in the book of Judges chapter 2
And it is not too radical to call it warfare—it is a real war, it’s an important war, and in this country, we as Christians are currently losing the battle. Children are turning from the faith in record numbers. It’s as if as soon as they leave home and go to college they leave the church. And if you don’t believe me, look around here right now. Ask yourselves : how many children do we have here at Grace Baptist Church? And lest you think that its only a problem here, it is true in all churches all over this country. Children in numbers, never quite seen before in America, are turning away from church and from YHWH.
And although these record numbers might be new to America, it’s not really new considering world history. It’s the same as been happening over the course of times in the scriptures. I want to tell you a brief Biblical story this morning that’s going to be our guide for the remaining time we have today—and I’ll be brief. It’s found in the book of Judges in the Old Testament. Genesis, exodus, Leviticus, numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges.
Scripture Reading:
The nation of Israel has finally entered and now occupy the promised land. However, it wasn’t a completed victory, because when they went in, they didn’t completely follow what YHWH commanded, and so instead of conquering all of it, they instead just settled into some of it along side the previous occupants of Caanan. And the verses just before what we’re going to look at, they were visited by "The angel of the LORD” and told that they didn’t obey what YHWH told them so clearly, and vv.4-5 tell how they repented of it. With that as the context, let’s read our passage this morning:
6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. 7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. 9 And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger.
Once Joshua and his generation passed away, the next generation immediately turned their back on YHWH and worshiped the gods of the peoples around them. Today, in 2018, they don’t have the patience to wait for mom and dad to pass on. Instead, they turn away immediately, and worship the god of television. They worship the god of comfort. They worship the god of convenience. They worship the god of this world. They worship the things of this world.
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
We all live in a culture that celebrates turning away from the God of the Bible. From current court cases, to the news broadcasts, to popular movies, it’s now okay to make fun of Christianity, because it’s rendered impotent, it’s not relevant. “It might have worked for mom and dad, but it’s not for me.” The younger generations in America truly believe Christianity is now powerless, ineffective, ineffectual, inadequate, weak, feeble, useless, worthless, futile.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
Do you realize we live in a culture that celebrates turning away from the God of the Bible? From current court cases to the news to popular movies, it’s now okay to make fun of Christianity, because it’s rendered impotent, it’s not relevant. “It might have worked for mom and dad, but it’s not for me.” The younger generations in America truly believe Christianity is now powerless, ineffective, ineffectual, inadequate, weak, feeble, useless, worthless, futile.
Do you realize we live in a culture that approves of turning its back on God? From court cases to tv to popular movies, it’s okay to make fun of religion, because it’s not important, it’s not relevant. It worked for mom and dad, but it’s not for me.
Transition:
Well, let me tell you this morning dads, and moms, and grandparents, you are in the spiritual battlefield right at the front lines. This is a war that we are forced to be a part of despite our reservation. This morning, I want to give you some ammunition against the prince of this world to fight for our children, and we are going to look briefly at a few tools that will help us to do so. How might we win the war? The three ways Pastor James Buchanan offers this morning I’ll give to you: First...
I. With our words
I. With our words
Just as we saw in the video at the beginning of this service, The Shama “Hear O Israel our Lord is one...” Then there is the specific commands in verse 6 and 7
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
We have to first talk to our children. Be involved in their lives! Tell them about God, and teach them about the Bible—how to read it, how to use it, and how to live it. Tell your children your testimony about how and when you were saved. Share daily what God has done for you, so that your kids can share it with others. The question then becomes dad: Are you sharing it with your children, what God has done for you this week, this year, your life? You need to teach them, you must.
According to Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper a book by several authors, Dr. James C. Dobson of Focus on the Family tells of a study done in the 1970s to determine the amount of interaction between fathers and their small children (around preschool age). First, the fathers were asked to estimate the amount of time they spent each day communicating with their child. The average answer was about fifteen to twenty minutes. Next, microphones were attached to the father so that each interaction could be recorded. The results of this study were shocking to say the least: The average amount of time spent by these middle-class fathers with their small children was thirty-seven seconds per day. Their direct interaction was limited to 2.7 encounters daily, lasting ten to fifteen seconds each!
How could we ever expect our children to turn to Christ and remain in Christ with less than 37 seconds a day teaching them of the timeless truths of scripture!
Can with the Shema be fulfilled in less than 37 seconds a day? Do you want to know how much time the culture—babysitters, cartoons, songs have with your children? 37 seconds does not come close combating the world’s influence. Spend time with your children; tell them about Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, and about the Bible!
Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
: Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
Don’t let the schools be the only thing that instruct the children. Don’t even let this church be the only thing that instructs your children. And that’s not me badmouthing the children’s ministry of this church, but mom and dad, we are not and cannot be responsible for raising your kids spiritually. We should and will help you, but when the bible tells us to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”—that’s not to the church, that’s to the parents in the home.
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
Don’t let the schools be the only thing that instruct the children. Don’t even let this church be the only thing that instructs your children. And that’s not an indictment on the teaching ministry of this church, but mom and dad, we are not responsible for raising your kids. We will help you, but when the bible tells us to Trainu a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it—that’s not to the church, that’s to parents.
So Dad’s, how are you doing with your words? Are you fighting?
Transition:
So Dad’s, how are you doing with your words? Are you fighting? how about...
II. With our time
II. With our time
Robert Schuller, pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, once said that he chose to fail so he could succeed. He said, "I chose to fail at golf, because I wanted to succeed as a father." It was known that he loved golf immensely, but he knew that he could never devote adequate time to his job, his hobby, and his family . . . so he proudly gave up his hobby.
How are you doing with your time? We looked at , but let’s look again at verses 7 and following:
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
7-
Dads, do you want to know what is important in your life today? Look at your first couple hours of your day and that’s what is important. Sadly, many fathers demonstrate by how their time is spent that they love their jobs, and their hobbies. They love their entertainments, and their comfort. And certainly, if you asked these same men if they loved their children, they would say yes, but their time spent doesn’t usually compare.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Dad’s, do you want to know what is important in your life today? Look at your daytimer, your palm pilot, your schedule, and where your time is devoted to, that’s what is important. Unfortunately, many dads say that by their time they love their jobs. They love their hobbies. They love their entertainment, their comfort. If you asked them if they loved their children, they would swear to you that they do. But their time doesn’t match up.
Some fathers have bought into the thinking of this world— that I’ve got to keep working and working and working so I can provide for them the fun stuff this world has to offer, and yes, providing for family is important and biblical,
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
8If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
but I think that we can easily go way beyond what is necessary.
There’s a story about a little girl who drew a pretty picture. She went in her dad’s office. Crawled on his lap. And said, "Daddy, come and see my picture."
I read about a little girl who drew a pretty picture. She went in her dad’s office. Crawled on his lap. And said, "Daddy, come and see my picture."
office. Crawled on his lap. And said, "Daddy, come and see my picture."
And the dad said, "Not now, honey. Dad’s busy." About 10 minutes later, she came back again. Crawled on his lap. And said,"Daddy, will you come see my picture now?"
About 10 minutes later, she came back again. Crawled on his lap. And said,"Daddy, will you come see my picture now?"
"Daddy, will you come see my picture now?"
And the dad got frustrated. And said, "Can’t you see I’m busy? Don’t bother me right now. I’ll come and look at your picture later. When I’m ready."
me right now. I’ll come and look at your picture later. When I’m ready."
A couple of hours later, the dad came out. And he said to the daughter, "Can I see the picture now?" And the girl said, "Sure." And it was a picture of her and her brother and her mom standing on the lawn. With the family dog. With big smiles. On a sunny day. But the dad noticed that he wasn’t in the picture. And so the dad said, "That’s a nice picture, sweetheart. But how come I’m not in the picture?"
I see the picture now?" And the girl said, "Sure." And it was a picture of
her and her brother and her mom standing on the lawn. With the family dog.
With big smiles. On a sunny day. But the dad noticed that he wasn’t in the picture. And so the dad said, "That’s a nice picture, sweetheart. But how come I’m not in the picture?"
picture. And so the dad said, "That’s a nice picture, sweetheart. But how
come I’m not in the picture?"
And the girl said, "Because you’re not around us, you are always working in your office, daddy."
Time is a gift you get and you give that you can never get back. You can give money, and you can always make more. You can give gifts, because you can always get new things anyway. But once time is given, it never comes back. Time spent has a full proof way of revealing the priorities in your life. If we want to win the war for our children, we must invest time.
Transition:
So, as Dads, moms, grandfathers, grandmothers, we use our words to fight, our time to fight, and then we fight...
III. With our lives
III. With our lives
is a revealing passage of the effect of our lives upon our children
18 seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”
YHWH fulfills
The way you live your life will be a direct reflection of how your children will grow up. There’s a popular song, “Cat's in the Cradle” It goes like this—
My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you, dad"
"You know I'm gonna be like you"
There are at least two popular versions Harry Chapin's original version & Ugly Kid Joe's version
In Harry Chapin's version, the chorus changes from "when you coming home, dad?" to "when you coming home, son?", as the child grows up, and the situation changes from a busy father neglecting his son to a busy son neglecting his father. In Ugly Kid Joe's version, all the choruses use the same words with a subtle change from "When you coming home? Son, I don't know when", to "When you coming home, son? I don't know when."
I can see that now, even in my youngest daughter, my kids sometimes say and do things I do. They’ll repeat words I say, even when arguing with mamma. Therefore, I’d better be the right kind of dad, because they will mirror me even at church.
I can see that now, in my son. 17 months old, and he desires to be like me. He’ll repeat words I say, he’ll repeat things I do—he loves me, and at this point, he wants to be just like me. I’d better be the right kind of dad, because he will mirror me.
It’s kind of like this situation—A little boy was caught swearing like a sailor. "Young man, where did you learn to talk that way?" said the boy’s mother. The boy looked at his father and said, "Well, Dad, should I tell her?"
speaks of a king of Israel named Amaziah.
And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done.
What kind of example are you setting for your kids? You words may say some things about you, but your life declares who you really are. Are you fighting the war with your lives?
So What?
So What?
We have familial responsibilities. Life isn’t always what we want, and it isn’t always what’s best, and it isn’t always pleasing to God, but it cannot be an excuse to neglect the most important job as a father—fight for the faith, be a teacher of the Gospel. There are some of you here this morning who have fathers who failed at their responsibilities, or maybe not even there ever for you? How can you honor your father, even when it’s difficult? How can you go through life without a good father?
Let me tell you that God calls the church his family. And here this morning, there are lots of good, godly dads. I would suggest to you fatherless that you adopt a dad here. Someone you can look up to for advice and help, and you’d say, “I think you’d be a good dad.” And dads, if someone comes up to you and says that, respond as a spiritual father.
God gives us a blueprint for fatherhood all over His Word, because He is the perfect father. He loves us, He gives His Son and His Spirit to us, He expects us to follow him, and he prepares a future for us. These are things we can do for our children.
If your father is gone, if you didn’t have the relationship with your father that you would have wanted, you can take comfort in the fact that God is your father, and he is exactly the kind of father you want and need, Not as a tyrant, but as a gentle, loving, caring father. He loves you, and He will help you experience familial fulfillment in this life and for all eternity, if only you will repent and put your faith in Him. Do that today, will you?
Conclusion:
Well, it was a typical scenario of young boys debating whose father was the best. This discussion highlighted who their fathers knew. The first boy started the debate by claiming his father knew the mayor. He was soon topped by the second boy who said, "That’s nothing. My dad knows the governor." The stakes were getting pretty high, and the eavesdropping father wondered what his young son would say about him. The little boy shot back, "So what! My dad knows God!"
Would your child say the same thing? May our children always be able to say, "My dad knows God!"
God gives us a blueprint for fatherhood, because he is the perfect father. He loves us, he gives to us, he expects us to follow him, and he prepares a future for us. These are things we can do for our children.