Biblical Fatherhood

2 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. 3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

DADS - you are a LETTER - being read by your children…What are they learning?

And so TODAY - as we celebrate Fathers...

Let’s look at what makes a GREAT FATHER - a Biblical father...

And we’ll do that by looking to our Heavenly Father as our example...

The first thing we want to see today is this...

SLIDE: Biblical Fatherhood: Displays God to His Children

Biblical Fatherhood

Now - if we were going to look to God as our example of this…where would we turn?

Genesis 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

And God said: let there be light

And God said: let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters

And God said: let there the waters under the heavens be gathered into one place and let the dry land appear…Earth and Seas

let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed

And God said: let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. The Sun and the moon

And God said: let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth

And God said: let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds - livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth

Let Us make man in our image, after our likeness.

“And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good!”

Creation displays GOD…

See - God CREATED in such a way that Creation itself - CONFRONTS us with who God is!

Creation displays our heavenly Father’s - KINDNESS…GOODNESS - - we just saw that!

But what else?

Job 12:7–10 ESV

7 “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; 8 or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. 9 Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? 10 In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

LOOK around this says - Let Creation TEACH you about God - the creator of ALL!

Creation also displays God’s power and divine nature

Romans 1:20 ESV

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Jeremiah 32:17 ESV

17 ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

Creation also displays God’s authority

Job 38:4 ESV

4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.

Job 38:12–16 ESV

12 “Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, 13 that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? 14 It is changed like clay under the seal, and its features stand out like a garment. 15 From the wicked their light is withheld, and their uplifted arm is broken. 16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep?

Here we see this constant borage of THE AUTHORITY of the Heavenly Father…!

Creation also displays God’s love and faithfulness!

Psalm 36:5 ESV

5 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

Matthew 6:30 ESV

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

*how high is the sky? That’s how much He loves us.

Creation also displays God’s power

Isaiah 40:25–26 ESV

25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.

God’s power - on display - in creation

*Size of the sun - 1.3 million earths would fill up the sun.

And Creation displays God’s wisdom!

Proverbs 8:27–29 ESV

27 When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, 29 when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

And so in the beginning, God created...

and creation points to all that God is.

God has written "God" across the universe, that it might speak of Him.

And so - If that’s TRUE…then how does this affect earthly fathers...

(IF)...

SLIDE: Creation is a mirror, placed to reflect our thoughts and our worship back to the Person whose image Creation enables us to see.

Creation is a mirror, placed to reflect our thoughts and our worship back to the God whose image creation enables us to see.

THEN - the question for me as a dad is this:

Does my life as a dad, reflect the thoughts and worship of my kids back to the God who created their dad?

God’s Creation displays His Kindness and Goodness

Does my life as a dad teach my kids about the kindness and goodness of God?

I often will catch myself - whether I’m getting in a bad mood - I will often start thinking about HOW my attitude is AFFECTING my kids.

AND so as a Christian dad - I HAVE to view life - EVEN the trials of life…as God’s GOODNESS towards me!

And we say - “well good luck with that!”

And you might say - well WHY do I have to do that?

BECAUSE - it’s TRUE!

Romans 8:1 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

This says - that BECAUSE i’m saved - because I have faith in Jesus, fully trust Him as my Savior...

THERE IS NO condemnation - from God - toward me! REGARDLESS of my situation!

My faith in Jesus brings with it - ETERNAL SECURITY!

And THAT ASSURANCE of eternal security can help you - as a dad - get through the toughest of times!

It can allow you to get that phone call from the doctor, HEAR the phrase - STAGE 4...

And still allow you to say - Blessed Be the Name of the Lord!

Think of how that AFFECTS your kids!

They find out that daddy is really sick…and YET - Daddy isn’t ANGRY at God...

…he actually still praises God!

WOW - God must be awesome!

We mentioned it before - God’s creation displays God’s Authority!

THEREFORE - Dads -

Does my life as a dad display to my kids the authority of God?

Now this is really gonna be a 2-sided coin…for us dads...

It’s going to take us - DOING things that please God.

BUT ALSO...

TELLING our kids WHY we did those things...

Kids are KIDS - and they don’t always make the connection between WHAT we do and WHY we do things...

*Old Cleveland Municipal Stadium (walk-ways)

First thing - If we’re going to DO the things that please God...

then we need to know what pleases Him...

And we find out - HERE (Bible)

It’s going to take us - CHOOSING to read, study His word...

get to a bible study

Get under sound teaching of His word...

If we want our lives to REFLECT the authority of God to our kids…then we ourselves have to submit to His authority!

And we’re called to HELP each other with this - because it’s not easy

We also saw that God’s creation displays God’s love and faithfulness!

And so the question for us dads is -

Does my life as a dad display to my kids the love and faithfulness of God?

Listen - It’s one thing to love my kids...

It’s another thing to LOVE MY KIDS - with the Love of Christ!

Think of the LOVE of Christ!

**We often get excited when we make a WISE PURCHASE right? (VALUE)

**microwave has lasted like 11 years! (Sear Outlet)

NOW - think of the VALUE of the CROSS of Christ!

It can EARN you ETERNAL LIFE!!!! Happy about that? or does our pride cause us to say - EHH!

DADS - we have an OPPORTUNITY before us - WE “GET TO” live out these truths before our families!

And the GREAT thing about living these things out - DISPLAYING these things for our families...

is that DOING SO will lead to our next point today...

When we display God to our families and our kids...

SLIDE: Biblical Fatherhood: Draws His Children to God

Biblical Fatherhood

Now again - if we are LOOKING to God as our example...

Where do we see in Scripture - God DRAWING men to Himself?

First thing we need to know is that - BEING NEUTRAL is not an option in God’s economy!

No one is neutral!

The world isn’t - Neutral - when it comes to God!

Romans 3:10–12 ESV

10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Romans 8:6–7 ESV

6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.

The person that says - I am NOT A BAD PERSON - God will accept me because I’m nice enough...

THAT person is hostile to God - They are saying - I don’t NEED Jesus…I can GET to God myself!

But that person is actually against God...

Luke 11:23 ESV

23 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

There’s no - middle ground when it comes to Jesus!

We either FULLY trust Him alone as our SALVATION - or we are against Him!

And so KNOWING that the mind set on the flesh CANNOT submit to God...

We can conclude that IF we are to BELIEVE in Jesus…God must do something!

John 6:44 ESV

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

So - here we see God DOING something!

He draws mankind to Himself!

Have you sensed God drawing you?

Has your INTEREST in God perked up lately?

God the Father draws men to Himself...

THEREFORE - a QUESTION for us dads in here today is this...

Does my life as a dad draw my kids closer to God?

And the answer to this is going to tie directly with the answers to the other questions we’ve seen already...

If my life DISPLAYS God to my kids (family), and i also want to DRAW them to God as well...

then there’s something that we must do - to give meaning to what we’ve displayed!

And the answer is this - If we want to DRAW our kids (family) to God (Christ) - then we must FEED THEM the Word of God!

WHY?

Because living a MORAL life - won’t save our kids...

Morality alone can only change behavior, not the heart

As Christian dads, if all we do is live MORAL lives…but NEVER put that morality in context for our kids by explaining to them WHY we live that way...

The best we could hope for is changed BEHAVIOR in our kids...

But what should be our aim as DADS?

Our aim should be the HEART...

WHY don’t we swear dad?

WHY do we try to BE NICE to people who are NOT NICE to us?

WHY do we take food down to the poor downtown?

WHY do we help out at Night to Shine?

As Christian dads - We MUST answer those questions - VERBALLY - for our kids...

We’ve heard it before right?

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

But train them up how?

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

We want to speak LIFE into our kids do we not?

Well we saw last week that...

John 6:63 ESV

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Matthew 4:4 ESV

4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

THIS (the bible) is LIFE...

And our kids are fertile soil...

We plant seeds into our kids EVERY SINGLE DAY...

the question is - what are we planting?

What is GROWING - right now - in our kids?

BIBLICAL fatherhood entails sowing God’s Word into the lives of our kids...

And the REASON we want them to be drawn to God (Christ) is because of the RESULT!

SLIDE: Biblical Fatherhood: Delivers His Children From the Wrath of God

Biblical Fatherhood

We hear all the time about - The Gospel - the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ!

But in order for us to even VIEW the Gospel as GOOD NEWS...

We MUST understand the BAD NEWS…even for our kids.

Romans 1:18–23 ESV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

These verses speak to EVERY human that has ever existed - except Christ of course...

These verses tell us - that God’s WRATH is UPON all UNGODLINESS and unrighteousness of men...

Who BY their unrighteousness, suppress the truth of God!

Now - before we say - WELL - that sounds bad for THOSE people, but that’s NOT ME...

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

And so ALL men are in the same boat!!

*Facebook post (Pastor from Knoxville, TN) says - Those from the LGBT community should be executed.

We ALL deserve DEATH!!

We’re ALL sinners…AND

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

THIS is the BAD NEWS!!

The thing that separates us from GOD is - our SIN

If we do not confess our SINS to GOD, and say - “I NEED You…I’m a sinner”

Then that sin remains BETWEEN us and God, and His WRATH remains over us…READY to be poured out ON US when we die.

We MUST get right with God - and that DOESN’T MEAN - be a better person!

It means- SURRENDER - GIVE up trying to get to God by being GOOD...

The GOOD NEWS?

Jesus Christ!!

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:11–12 ESV

11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

The GOOD NEWS of the gospel is that THROUGH FAITH ALONE in CHRIST ALONE...

SALVATION COMES!!

Romans 10:13 ESV

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

SURRENDER - leads to eternal salvation

HUMILITY - leads to eternal salvation

TRUTH - sets us FREE and leads to eternal salvation

And when we’re set free - when we’re saved - we NOW come to have PEACE with God!!

Romans 5:1 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Do we want our kids to have PEACE with God?

IGNORING all of these things in life - pursuing EVERYTHING else UNDER THE SUN - leads to eternal damnation

This is the PLAN of God

and so - FATHERS - when our kids (families) read the pages of our lives, what are they being taught?

SUMMARY:

Biblical Fatherhood

Displays God to His Children

Draws His Children to God

Delivers His Children From the Wrath of God

Let’s pray

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