FBMB
Fathers Day
June 19, 2011
Father Lessons From
The Tape Measure
Selected
Intro.: Today is Father’s Day and I want to say Happy Day Dad! I trust that already, you have had a blessed day, or will have. For all that you do for your family may you be rewarded by your family and by God. I have prayed for that to be so. For some I know this may be a difficult day. Maybe your dad has already passed away, maybe you don’t have a dad who loves and cares for you, maybe you have not talked to your dad in years or maybe you have never talked to him - as others celebrate this day I pray the God of all Fathers will comfort you and make this day special in that way.
This morning we have a gift for each of the fathers present today so fathers would you please stand to receive your gift. I want you to have it now because I want you to hold it while I’m speaking. You may not be a note-taker but I want you to hold this gift in your hand and make some mental notes as I draw several parallels from that gift. Looking at a message Father Lessons from the Tape Measure. I want to begin with a story from the Bible.
Almost 3000 years ago an Israelite scribe named Shaphan raced excitedly into the presence of the most powerful man in Jerusalem. In his trembling hands he held an ancient scroll. His heart pounded as he carefully prepared to present it to King Josiah.
In retrospect, nothing could have prepared him for what he read because no one in his entire generation had ever been exposed to what he now held in his hands. The Book of the Law had been lost, but now was found.
As unimaginable as it may seem to our Bible-saturated modern culture, it is estimated that by the time the Scriptures were brought to King Josiah they had been lost for almost 100 years. The Word of God had not been read or followed for an entire generation. But everything changed when the Book found its way into the hands of King Josiah.
According to 2 Chronicles 34:18 before Shaphan gave Josiah the scrolls, he read their entire contents to him. Every word spoke pressed down on his heart like a crushing hammer. This was God’s standard, and Josiah realized it had gone completely ignored for nearly a century.
In response, the king grabbed his clothes and tore them in anguish. He was so deeply moved by what he heard that he ripped his royal robe in horror and remorse. For the first time in his life, he understood all that God demanded of him.
Then, in a decisive moment, he resolved to never let it happen again. You see, once Josiah possessed the Word of God, he realized that the Word of God must now posses him. He set out to change his entire world, starting with the world within himself.
In a special way the story of Josiah gives us hope. Though the Word of God had been lost in the Temple, it was also found there too. Oh that today, even this day, the church and especially on this day men and fathers would rediscover the rich blessings of the Scriptures!
Dad, as you hold that tape measure in your hands today I want you to think of three words and how that relates to your life as a father.
I. Legacy
A. What you hold in your hand has been around for over 140 years.
1. The folding wooden carpenter’s ruler was the pre-Madonna but the spring tape measure received its first patent in 1868.
2. That’s a lot of measuring, that’s a lot of tape measures.
3. For the average user tape measures don’t wear out generally.
4. Some of you who use yours multiple times in a day do need to replace it.
5. You might get a different brand, color, style but it’s still going to be some kind of tape measure.
6. POINT: The tape measure has outlived the inventor’s life.
B. Fathers, Men - Out live your life.
1. Invest in things that matter to God and then invest make a legacy that will last in your family and your grandchildren.
2. Make a legacy that will carry on in the lives of people in your church and community.
3. Outlive your life so that others can out live their lives.
4. Live your life in such a way so that it makes a difference for the Kingdom of God.
5. Illus: My spiritual family circle was completed this week.
6. This is your once in history opportunity so make it count for God and His church.
7. Don’t just do good with your life, do great.
8. “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay.” Acts 13:36
9. The modern language Bible might read, “David served God during his life and died.”
10. Those are the kind of words I want on my tombstone.
C. Here’s the sobering reality men – one of these days we are all going to die.
1. This is true for every person.
2. When we die people are going to talk about us at our funeral. Black preacher added, “and then put you in the ground, kick some dirt on you, go back to the church and eat fried chicken and talk some more.”
3. Question I have for the fathers/men – are you fulfilling God’s purpose in your life?
4. What are you doing on a daily basis that reveals your love and devotion for the Lord and will carry into the next generation?
5. Before we LEAVE a legacy we have to MAKE a legacy.
D. Dad, what will you leave your wife and children?
1. A box of awards, trophies and certificates?
2. A large house, beautiful car, expensive jewelry?
3. A boat, a set of tools or golf clubs?
4. All of those can be noble and commendable gifts in their proper perspective.
5. Wouldn’t it be so much better for a dad to leave a legacy that said, “he served the purpose of God during his life.”?
6. Outlive your life dad.
7. Make a legacy of something that counts for God so you can leave a legacy to others that will count for God.
8. Our second word is -
II. Standard
A. Most people are familiar with the common tape measure.
1. Most know there are different styles or forms of tape measures.
2. There are ribbon, cloth, wood, plastic, metal, fiberglass and today there is digital/laser types.
3. Some that are flexible, retractable, and some solid.
4. Some are industry created and some are self-created.
B. All are made with linear-measurement markings.
1. They all have some style (shape, color, design) of line markings that are used for measuring.
2. Some are standard, metric measurement, some have both.
3. Measuring from 1/32 up to several feet, even some several hundred feet.
4. The common denominator though is there is a standard.
5. When I measure for something at my house I can go to a lumber yard and expect the same standard of measurement.
6. When one builds a house they can expect distances between ceiling rafters and wall studs and roof pitch and floor measurements to be consistent. (STANDARD)
C. God has given fathers and men the standard to live by.
1. He has given us the Bible as the standard for our lives.
2. If you’re not a Christian father/man yet - there is a standard for you to follow to become one today.
3. There are not many standards for salvation, only one!
4. Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
5. If you are already a Christian father there is a standard for you to follow to live your life.
6. We don’t need anything else or anyone else to show or tell us how to live our lives.
7. God’s Word graciously does that for us.
8. God’s Word is the standard for all of life.
D. Two verse that teach God’s Word as the standard -
1. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:7
2. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 3:18.
3. This Standard (Bible) has been tried and tested for thousands of years and it still stands.
4. People have abused this standard, burned this standard, cursed this Standard, denied this Standard, debated this Standard, and even killed this Standard.
5. But every time this Standard has came back.
E. Fathers, Men – Use God’s Word as Your Only Standard.
1. Possess the Word of God, so that the Word of God can posses you.
2. Write God’s Word across your heart.
3. Let the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart be acceptable in the sight of the Lord and others.
4. This is pocket-size – carry God’s Word with you.
5. Be a man of the Word so you can be a man of your word.
6. Be a father of faith who lives and demonstrates his trust in a supernatural God before your family.
7. Read the Standard, live the Standard, follow the Standard, believe the Standard, obey the Standard, teach the Standard.
8. The last word that this tape measure can teach Father’s -
III. Transparency
A. The tape measure you hold in your hands is transparent in nature.
1. You can see in it and you can see through it.
2. You can see the flexible tape extend when you pull it and you can see the inner spring working to retrieve the tape.
3. It is fairly clear, it’s lucid.
B. Dad – when your child(ren) look in you and through you what are they seeing?
1. Do they see someone who is telling or showing God?
2. Is there more than one picture – one that is one way on the outside but on the inside it is something totally different.
3. As Josiah heard the newly found Word of God read to him and later held in his hands his transparency revealed he had been in the presence of a holy, living God.
4. He was broken over the holiness of God and his own sinfulness and he wasn’t ashamed to express it.
5. Today we need more men who will not live in secret what God has ordained for them to live in public.
6. For several weeks there has been a small group of men that have been meeting, praying, planning and doing just this.
7. Men who have become transparent, living out a purpose or ministry that God is calling them to.
8. Desiring to walk with God in front of their families and in front of other men.
9. So transparent that over the next several weeks a new men’s ministry is beginning. (Stay tuned more coming)
B. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount – “You are the light of the world. . .(wife, family, children) Let your light shine before men (world) in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14, 16.
2. Jesus is not advocating pride, He is not asking for us to be recognized for things we do. (kingship?)
3. He is teaching that a light was meant to be used in a way in which it would dispel darkness.
4. Jesus’ ministry here on this earth was to reveal and dispel darkness in the lives of people.
5. He taught his disciples to do the same thing.
6. Today he is calling fathers and men to do the same thing.
C. Dad – when was the last time you walked around the inside of your house and discerned spiritual darkness?
1. How long has it been since you stopped your own life, sat down with your child and the light of Jesus radiated into their life?
2. We have a tremendous responsibility and a marvelous blessing when we let our light shine.
3. Illus.: Sheridan wanting to write her story.
4. Dad – your life is a transparency for your children.
5. Moments like that for our children to see Jesus in us so one day we can see Jesus in them.
6. Let them see in you and let them see through you.
7. Make both of those areas the same.
Conclusion: Today as you and your family celebrate Father’s Day and make it special – I hope that you will learn from the tape measure. That you will allow these three words to challenge you.
• Make a legacy so you can leave a legacy that counts for God.
• Always follow & trust the Standard – the Word of God.
• Live your Christian life out-loud before your family.
