WHY DON’T THEY EVER
SAY, “HI DAD”?
Father’s Day
June 15, 2998
Pastor Brian Matherlee
THE TOP TEN THINGS YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR FATHER
10.When he was your age, kids had to walk six miles to school in the snow and rain . . . uphill both ways.
9. If he had acted like you, his father would have knocked him into the middle of next week.
8. When he was your age, kids had to make their own fun.
7. You weren’t born in a barn.
6. When he was your age, he had to work for what he got.
5. You don’t wanna make Dad stop the car.
4. “Because I said so” is a reason that makes perfect sense to an adult.
3. You’d better stop crying or he’ll give you a reason to cry (like you didn’t already have one).
2. You’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached. And the #1 thing you learned from your father . . .
1. Money doesn’t grow on trees!
Bill Cosby had a comedy routine that talked about sons that achieve great things on the field of play. They score a touchdown and the camera zooms in on them and they say, “Hi mom”! Why not “Hi dad”? Dad’s the one throwing the ball, coaching, encouraging, practicing, etc.
Dads too often get a raw deal in our society. But not today—no, today, we acknowledge dad. Dad that is bigger than life when we’re small and indispensable to life when we are older.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He introduced an entirely new concept to the Jewish mindset. Jesus said, “When you pray” say, “Our Father”. Prior to this point the Jews knew God to be Father but did not refer to Him in this way. The familiar term Jesus used, “Abba” implied a personal relationship. Before, the nation of Israel had not experienced a familial relationship on this level. They had Moses; they had Joshua; the judges, kings and prophets. These were the ones they looked to for guidance God was giving.
God chose to represent Himself as Father. No other person has the power to display what God is like more than earthly fathers.
So I want us to see 5 powerful “Father” characteristics that, when found in the spirit of a Christian man, have eternal benefits:
1. Adoption
a. “He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” Ephesians 1:5
b. God’s desire was to be with us and He chose to make relationship possible. This spirit of love and compassion is a powerful one in the earthly father that sees the impact personal relationship has on children.
c. Scout masters, coaches, teachers, mentors, “big brothers”, etc. all can have an impact on the lives of kids. Your ability to connect in a familiar way and the demonstration of your interest by investing your time and effort opens the heart and life of a child to godly instruction.
d. Make the choice to build a relationship with your kids, or someone’s kids.
2. Forgiveness
a. Not enough can be said about this.
b. I’ve said it before and it bears repeating, we look most like God when we forgive and we look nothing like God when we don’t forgive.
c. A father that knows how to forgive teaches grace, compassion, and love. It teaches a child that acceptance is not based on performance or achievement. What kid doesn’t need to know they are unconditionally accepted?
d. But it is not a blank check for bad behavior. Dads can be most effective when they apply Biblical standards of tough love. The prodigal son’s father was ready to forgive but couldn’t implement that forgiveness until there was a repentant spirit in his son.
3. Tenderness
a. Harshness is not the measure of a man. Kid’s always like the “my dad can beat up your dad” routine. But tenderness is the measure of God’s kind of man.
b. Luke 1:78 tells us that God’s tender mercy through Christ makes people aware of sin and the opportunity of salvation.
4. Discipline
a. God is just to everyone but deals with each one individually.
b. Hebrews 12:10 tells us “God disciplines us for our good.” 4 principles are outlined in the verses surrounding this truth:
i. Discipline produces right living
ii. Produces peace
iii. It’s not easy (strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees)
iv. It delivers from spiritual ineffectiveness. (make level paths)
c. Discipline is more than correction or punishment. We must teach our kids the important things in life that keep us living in fellowship with God and others.
5. Joy
a. Do you enjoy life? You never hear the phrase, “she’s just like a big kid!”
b. Men have an ability to not worry about every little thing and enjoy the fun that God intended.
c. Most of us have experienced what happens to motorists when one of those huge graders goes to work on a highway repair job. When the machine is operating on a busy road, traffic is halted and the cars lined up in opposite directions are allowed to proceed alternately. A veteran operator of one of those big machines decided one day to try to relieve the tension that inevitably results from such a traffic backup. Consequently on both the front and rear of his grader a sign now appears, declaring, "The Road to Happiness is Almost Always Under Construction."
d. We need to teach our kids and families about making joy even when circumstances aren’t necessarily the best. Celebrate in good and bad.
e. Ecclesiastes 5:19-20, “Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift from God. He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.”
