Dad.... the most important part...

Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  1:10:45
0 ratings
· 155 views
Files
Notes
Transcript

Celebrating Dads!

Father’s day is a special day. It is a day that we set aside to celebrate, encourage, and pour out our love on our fathers....
In her book, What is Fatherhood? Martha Bolton writes:
Fatherhood is.... getting to go anywhere you want for Father’s Day…getting to drive your family there....and even....getting to pay the bill!
It’s getting up in the middle of the night to see what that noise was outside…when you’d really rather stay in bed and hide, like everyone else!
It’s the getting to buy all those toys you wanted as a child, and never got.....
It’s catching yourself watching cartoons when no-one else is home,…and enjoying them!
It’s biting your tongue and remembering to be the good example when someone cuts you off on the highway..... (Don’t throw me under the bus Allessa)
It’s playing Santa at midnight on Christmas Eve… then paying for the privilege at 22% interest for 36 consecutive months!
It’s assembling toys that require one screwdriver and a nuclear physicist to assemble!
It’s prying for…hoping for…and anxiously looking forward to the day your kids will be out of the house and on their own....then trying to postpone it for as long as possible....
It’s carrying sleepy kids into the house when you’re too tired to carry yourself.....
Yes.... Fatherhood is sometimes a thankless job of… fixing kites…breaking up fights…wiping up spilled milk....
It’s dental bills…broken bones… and skateboards.....
That is why today.... We celebrate you Dad!!!
Today, we have a couple of “special” gifts:
Gift #1 — For the man who never underestimates the power of letting your light shine:
The Braun portable “1 million candle”.... ummmm, ok… 175 lumen…folding, rechargable work light....
[This man has the most adult children living at home.... if anyone needs their light to shine it’s him!] (Carl)
Gift #2 — For the dad who understands the importance of keeping a level head:
The Pittsburgh 2-in-1 magnetic laser level....
[I don’t know anyone who has a more level head than this man, no matter the situation] (Ray)
Gift #3 — For the man who needs the occasional ego booster:
Franklin Sensor’s Professional Stud Finder...
“Imagine how excited dad will be when he places it on himself and it says ‘Stud Found!’”
(Richard)
It’s good to be a man, isn’t it, men? “Why?” You women may be asking?
(I found a list)
top ten reasons it’s good to be a man:
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat!
A 5-day holiday only requires one suitcase.
When clicking through the channels. You don’t have to stop at every shot of somebody crying.
Guys in hockey masks don’t attack you.... unless you’re playing hockey!
Michael Bolton doesn’t live in your universe!
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
You can admire Clint Eastwood without starving yourself to look like him.
Gray hair and wrinkles only add character to men.
If another guy shows up to the party in the same outfit, you just might become lifelong buddies.
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected!
Happy Father’s Day, men!
Let me ask you this ---
What day of the year are the most phone calls made?
(Mother’s Day)
On Mother’s day, everyone wants to talk to mom....
Guess what happens on Father’s Day..... The most collect calls...
It doesn’t seem that Father’s Day has the same priority as other holidays does it?
Think about it for a minute..... Go into any store, and ask the clerk, “Are you ready for Father’s Day?” You will almost always get the same response....
That “sideways glance” followed by: “Sure, I guess.” You can tell that for most people, Father’s Day just isn’t that big of a deal.
Mother’s Day…on the other hand....
Mother’s Day is a huge deal.... Forget Mother’s Day, and you’re in the dog house till Father’s Day.... If your wife doesn’t put you there, your friends and neighbors will!!!
People hold Mother’s Day in as high esteem as Independence day, Memorial day, Christmas..... And the Church is no different....
Literally every church I have been a part of has fallen into this category..... Mother’s day is a salute and celebration of how amazing…awesome…fearless… strong.... and beautiful mothers are.....
and that’s all well and good.....
But Father’s Day turns into a “Roast”..... With Pastors outlining everything dads do wrong, and what they should be doing, rather than celebrating what they are doing right!
It’s more like a “boot camp” for dad then a celebration....
So, today dads.... I want you to know this one’s for you!
We love you....You are important....strong…capable…we thank you and we give you our love!
I pray that this message encourages you…informs you…and equips you to continue being the men…the Fathers that God has called you to be....
Mothers....women…don’t turn your ears off..... Too often that happens on Father’s Day.... This message is actually for you.....
I think way too often we think that men need to hear direction from God, and women don’t need to hear the same thing, but that simply is not true..... You need to hear what God has to say to men…you need to hear what His role for them is.... because that will enable you to better live within your role, amen?
Fathers hold a special place in society... a much higher place then they are given credit for in today’s world.....
Think about it..... How many of you have seen a commercial lately that actually makes dads look intelligent? How about sitcoms? “Teen” shows? Disney programming?
When was the last time you saw a program…other then “lifetime” maybe…that celebrated men’s role in the family?!
There was a time when fatherhood was celebrated as much as motherhood....
What happened?!
Most commercials…TV shows…Movies.... cast fathers as the family idiot....who can’t figure out how to take care of themselves…let alone the kids…do laundry…wash dishes…etc.... without specific instructions from mom!
There was even an “Alexa” commercial during the Superbowl last year that cast this message..... “Mom” had to leave instructions (reminders) for dad on “Alexa” so he would know what to do..... It even ended with “Alexa” telling him “You’re doing a great job!”
What? Could he not do it without her? Is there really something wrong with the idea that dad is capable?! Why is there an innate need in our world to make dad out to be the weak, incapable, “needy” parent?!
There is a sad truth here —
The American society seems to see fathers as expendable parts of the family unit.... The message that seems to be being sent is that dads are nothing more than sperm donors and dead beats.... or worse....simply a bank account for mom and the kids!
In courtrooms across America, divorced dads barely have a fighting chance of obtaining custody of their kids, or even being allowed to be a significant part of their kids lives, much less having the opportunity to be the spiritual leader of their household.
Sadly....because of this…many men today also neglect to see the importance of their role as a father themselves....hence the term “dead-beat dad.”
This is a troubling fact that we ALL — men and women — need to face.... This world does very little to encourage and equip dads.... at every turn, dads are told how much they cannot do, cannot accomplish, are not fulfilling their role, are failing … and yet they are expected to somehow “rise above it”…to over come the negative and find their place in the family.....
It is a circular problem, and…Church… we are failing!
We are failing our men…we are failing our women....we are failing our families..... and as a result....
Our kids are growing up in unbalanced and dysfunctional households.
According to Fatherhood.org:
— 1 in 4 children grow up without fathers (2018 census) --- that means that out of 19.5 million kids, just under 5 million kids are living with absentee fathers. (if I have my math right)
— 47% of those children are likely to live in poverty
— AND, are more likely to suffer from abuse and neglect....
— more likely to suffer from health and mental issues....
— 279% more likely to be involved with drugs and crime....
— struggle with education, behavior, addictions....
Rev. Dean Morgan — “I would like to suggest to you that the reason this world and the reason this nation and the reason the Church is in the condition it is in is because of our fathers. Fathers who don’t have their hearts turned to their children. Fathers who have never put their arm around their child and told them that they love them. Fathers who never showed their emotions in front of their children. Fathers who have never taken their children to church or sent them to Sunday School and didn’t go with them. Fathers who walked out on the family. Fathers who have never led their children in prayer or never prayed with them. Fathers who have time for everything in the world but never have time for their children.”
Now.... Let me say this before we think this message is condemning men.... Most of us fail in this area, because the world is stacked against us! We are a part of these statistics.... We never had a role model ourselves to teach us how to be a father....
This is why Fathers need to be reinstated to the level of importance that God intended for them!
The evidence points to one fact.... the reason American morality and spiritual integrity is at such an all time low is because of the declining value placed on the role of the father in today’s society....
When dad is undervalued, so is a right relationship with our Father in Heaven.
Fathers....let me tell you.... (and mothers hear this)… You play an extremely important and vital role in our families and in our nation today.
(if you hear nothing else today, hear that..... mothers, encourage your husbands! Their not “baby daddies” They are Fathers)
Colossians 3.
Colossians 3:18–21 NRSV
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart.
In terms of authority, God place the Father as the head of the household.
Dads, thats almost scary isn’t it?!
You see... the father is charged with the responsibility of looking out for the best interests of the family: financially, spiritually, and socially.
Moms....I need you to hear this.... It is not your responsibility! God did not place that burden on you! Step back…support…encourage…and trust your man..... Let him take responsibility!
If he is not stepping up, encourage him! If he falls down, lift him up! Don’t beat him down…defend him…you are his shield against this world! You are his strength…don’t let him fail, and even more....don’t be the cause!
Let me tell you.... When a man becomes a father, he isn’t given some sort of rulebook on how to conduct himself… No one tells a man how to manage his household....how to raise his kids…how to be a good husband and father.... So, cut him some slack!
Allow him to make mistakes.... to learn... to grow…to change.... Men do not need you to nag, they need you to trust them…to encourage them....to honor them…to stand with them....that is how they know you love them!
Colossians 3:18 NRSV
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
That is what “being subject to” is....honoring, encouraging, and empowering fathers to be fathers....husbands to be husbands…men to be the men God has called them to be.
It is honoring there God-given Role as the Father of the house.
I promise you, when you allow dad to fill his God-given role, you will find a peace and rest that you have not known.
Let me tell you — Women cannot teach men how to be men…Moms cannot teach boys how to be fathers..... Women cannot teach men to be husbands....
Dads only learn how to be dads from two sources:
From their dads (and we have already discussed the issue there)
From their relationship with God....
This is why your “living” the example is so important men!
One pastor shared this: “I remember the sense of strength and protection my father exuded. He was always looking after his family. And while he never had the same tenderness that mom had, he showed his love equally as powerfully to us kids.”
I read his words, and I can’t help but think, “I wish I had that!” (you see, I never did....) I think people often misunderstand the love that we have as fathers, because we don’t express it as they think we should, or we don’t know how to express it....
“People often look at dads, and they think that dads don’t love their kids as much as moms, because they are not emotional or endearing, but....fathers have the same capacity to love as any other spiritual being. It’s just expressed in different ways.”
God designed Dads to love in different ways
For some it is a big bear hug as opposed to an endearing one… or “picking on” each other…or giving gifts... but for every one of them God designed them to guard and provide for their families.
I don’t know a single Father who doesn’t strive for those two things!
This pastor goes on to explain how, as a child, his dad made him help cut and haul firewood, and how that task taught him discipline and developed character in him as he worked side by side with his dad.
There is no denying the fact that “good men learn how to be good dads from healthy father-son relationships” amen?
But.... What does that mean for men like me, men like the over 40% of kids who have no father-son relationship? Where do we turn?
Jesus Christ.
Dads, I have good news....I found our “Rule Book”.
Christ is our example.... He is our father to follow.... He is our source of the ultimate example of what it means to be a father.....
The greatest thing we can give our children is a legacy of Christ’s love, and to be like Jesus in the way we manage our household....
When Peter was confronted by the Temple tax collectors, and He asked Jesus how they were going to pay their taxes, Jesus sent him to get a coin from the fish’s mouth, proving the God the Father is a provider....
When Christ fed the multitude — not once, but twice — He gave us the example of a father who provides for the needs of His family, and He commands us to do the same.
1 Timothy 5:8 NRSV
And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Mothers hear this — Dads have the awesome responsibility…the burden... of providing for our families. Even when you do not agree with us, it is our burden and our responsibility..... Our egos are wrapped up in that....in our employment....our ability to provide.... We are truly ashamed…even when we don’t show it…when we are unemployed.
That is why bankruptcy affected me so dramatically back in 2003.... I couldn’t provide for my family.... I had failed.... I wasn’t being a father, I was being a failure.....
Ladies....let me tell you....in those times, the last thing your husband needs is to be condemned by you.... He loves you too much! What he needs is your love…support…and trust…as hard as that might be!
You see — The brunt of the responsibility to provide for the welfare of the family rests on the husbands shoulder.
And that is true whether we look at the world’s view or God’s view!
Dads are always striving to maintain a balance between providing for and spending time with their family....because it is an expression of their love.
Scripture teaches us that there has to be balance in our lives. Because men are “hardwired” with the desire to provide for their family, protect their family, and make a good home for their children. There is a constant struggle to maintain balance between giving our time, and giving our things.... especially in this fast paced, materially demanding world....
Men…that is why we must constantly look to God for guidance on how to manage our families.....
So ask yourself — While there is provision is there abundance?
Let me tell you — God always places greater emphasis on the time we spend together with Him. Sometimes we need to take inventory, and simplify our lives in order to invest more time into our families.
So, Fathers.... While there is provision, is there abundance?
Your time is more valuable than all the material possessions you can give....
Fathers express their love through time and provision.
They also express love through discipline.
One of the most difficult things for my kids to understand was/is that when I disciplined them it was not me desiring to be mean....to make their lives hard…to hurt them.....but an act of love.
Jesus rebuked Peter, “Get behind me satan!” Seems harsh, but it was said in love, not wanting Peter to be lost in the old way of thinking.....
Discipline is difficult, it is received as a bad thing, but it is the fruit of Fatherly love. Dad has to discipline because he loves his children.
Proverbs 3:11–12 NRSV
My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
The discipline of a father sets the whole course of his families lives on fire. Children raised in the discipline of a strong and loving father have greater discipline as adults, and become greater contributors to society....
Discipline is the act of a father urging his children to live the right way.
In “Remember the Titans,” the coach pushes the students to the brink of their abilities… Many people today would accuse him of abuse…of mistreating the kids… of trying to break their spirits and ruin their dreams.... but — by pushing them, he made them stronger...
The truth is, if he hadn’t pushed them, they never would have pushed themselves.
In the same way, a father’s discipline makes the family stronger.
Dad expresses his love through protection.
A dad places himself in the way of trouble to protect his family. Jesus gave us the greatest example of this — He laid his life down to save us.
The father has the duty of laying down his life, his desires, his personal interests for the sake of his family. I do not know a father out there who does not do this on a daily basis, and the best thing is this — his family does not even know it.
It’s not about the reward, its about the family....
Dads are the first line of defense for the family. And, that makes them the first area of attack by the enemy.... because he knows if he takes out the leader, he takes out the family....
And, he does it most often by using the family....by using mom, kids, relatives, in-laws,.... to beat down, to rip up, to destroy instead of lifting up and encouraging.
Dads.... I need you to hear this..... the greatest expression of love you can give to your family is the legacy of salvation.
Ephesians 6:4 NRSV
And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Proverbs 22:6 NRSV
Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.
A dad who loves his family will do his best to lead them in the way of the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 2:11–13 NRSV
As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.
Mark 8:36 NRSV
For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?
Dads…you are extremely important people in our lives, and in the Kingdom of God. We are charged with protecting, providing for, and interceding for our families.
We have the power to shape our families and our society by the way we live everyday. We are the first line of defense, and are commissioned by God to bring the Gospel message to our families.... not just with words....but with the way we live our lives everyday....
Fathers…it is up to us! We are God’s commanders, God’s knights, God’s frontline soldiers.....
Notice what John the Baptists task was:
Luke 1:17 NKJV
He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Why did John focus on the Fathers? Because a father’s role in the life of his children is vital to their development..... Boys need fathers to teach them how to be men, and daughters need fathers to teach them what a men is, and how to love their husbands....
Families…and society…functions better when fathers commit themselves to their God-ordained role, and women support, encourage, and (for lack of a better term) allow them to do so....
It is proven that when a child is saved first, there is only a 3.7% chance of the family receiving salvation. When the mother is saved first, that number moves to 17%, but when the father is the first to receive salvation, that number jumps to a 93% chance that the entire family will be saved....
And let me tell you this.... those numbers are the same when speaking about families remaining in the Church and committed to following Christ.
Moms.... How important are you to the lives of your children? Now....consider this.... The father’s role is even more important… How much stronger would your family be if they were equipped — not just by the Church — but by you to serve in that role?
Dads....the way we live our lives matters.
We have a tremendous responsibility to our families and to the Kingdom....
The blessings that come to our families when the father is present are innumerable....
Let us pray for our fathers.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more