Finding the Fathers Favor
You, " said the doctor to his patient, "you are in terrible shape, you’ve got to do something about it.
*First, tell your wife to start cooking more nutritious meals.
*Stop working like a dog.
*Also inform your wife you’re going to make a budget , and she has to stick to it.
*in the evening, have her keep the kids off your back so you can relax.
Unless there are some changes in your life, you’ll probably be dead in a month."
30 days? That's not very long! "Doc", the patient said,
"this would sound more official coming from you.
Could you please call my wife and give her those instructions?’
When the man made his way home, his wife rushed to him.
"I talked to the doctor" she cried, "you poor, poor man, he said you only have 30 days to live".
Ill. What Makes A Dad
God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle’s flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it…Dad
I remember a lot of things about my dad
*liked to talk, never met a stranger (some say I'm that way)
*liked to drive fast
*only liked to eat places that had silverware on the table
*loved horses, I learned to ride when I was two
*was self made, self taught man, he was a smart man
*was the original McGyver, always had pliers, a pocket knife and baling wire close by and thought you could just about fix everything with them.
*tender hearted and honest, pretty much would give you the shirt off his back, never heard anyone say a bad word about him.(even 20 yrs later)
*never told me about Jesus, my mom did
Proverbs 22:6 NKJ
Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.
MSG. Point your kids in the right direction,
when they're old they won't be lost.
Fathers are suppose to be the spiritual leaders of the home and yet a large percentage fail to understand, just how important it is. They want to teach their children about everything else in the world, except the thing that matters the most.
How to love the Lord God with all their heart, body, soul and mind. And accept and be loved the same way in return, by the God they are loving!
When children are taught about the love of God, they are also and can't help but be, exposed to the Favor of God. A life long love of God, also includes the Life Long Favor of God. In turn which will Protect them and guide them with everything good, that God has to offer throughout eternity!
The devil has been hard at work attacking fathers all across the globe, for thousands of years,
Because he knows the word, he knows the significance of the word
and the significance of something that God instructs us to do.
Ill. Researchers from Switzerland examined whether parents’ religious habits were transmitted to their offspring.
They studied different variables, but one critical factor towered above the rest:
the practices of the father determine whether children grow up attending church or not.
And the results were somewhat shocking: the habits of the mother had almost no influence over their kids’ future devotion.
Consider these findings:
....When Mom goes to church regularly but Dad goes infrequently,
just 3 percent of their kids go on to become regular churchgoers.
....When Mom is regular but Dad never attends, just 2 percent become regular attendees.
Now, let’s flip the scenario, what if Dad is faithful?
When both Mom and Dad attend church regularly, 33 percent of kids grow up to attend regularly.
When Dad is regular but Mom only goes once in a while, the figure jumps to 38 percent.
Here’s the real bombshell: when Dad is faithful but Mom never attends,
44 percent of the kids end up as regular church attendees!
Bottom line: in spiritual matters, kids take their cues from Dad.
If daddy doesn’t go to church, chances are very slim that his children will become regular worshippers.
If the kids see religion as "Mom’s thing" they are more likely to become disenchanted.
But if Dad leads by example, children are twenty-two times more likely to become lifelong churchgoers
Are there exceptions, there are always exceptions to every rule.
I stand here today as an exception, one of the 2 Percent group
God has a plan for each one of our lives and He gives us every opportunity to walk in the plans that He has for us!
Some of us realize His plans for us earlier than others, the main thing is once you realize it, embrace and walk in it until it becomes part of the fabric of your soul!
Do I consider myself fortunate? Yes I do!
No earthly father is perfect, there is only one perfect father and that is our heavenly father.
The scripture tells of the importance of raising up children in the Lord, its all part of Gods great plan for each of our own lives.
If there’s anything that’s not stressed enough, by fathers and mothers as well,
is forming a relationship with God and developing, a Love and understanding for the things of God!
Deut. 6:5-9 MSG.
5. Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got!
6-9. Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.
This ties right in with our text, doesn’t it?
Proverbs 22:6 NKJ
Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Jerm. 29:11 NIV
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
How in the world, is any child ever going to know or realize anything about the plans God has for them, unless their taught about Him?.
The plans of God and the favor of God the Father, that is associated with each plan God has for his children. Will propel and help ensure success their whole life long.
Ephesians 1:13-14 MSG
13-14 It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.
Society is never going to teach them, society is never going to tell them anything, about their God given destiny,
Their spiritual inheritance that their entitled to, which is the Love of God in their lives!
Does all this ensure success in a child's life? Good question!
What I can tell you is Gods word never returns void!
I can also tell you there will be mistakes, detours, distractions and tears along the way.
And that pretty much describes life doesn't it?
I can also tell you if God says a child will not depart from His teachings later in life, you can believe it! Gods grace is always sufficient in every situation!
Luke 15:11-14 NKJ
11. Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.
12. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.
13. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
14. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
There is nothing worse than to be in want,
no matter where or what stage of life your in.
I don’t know of anyone who cannot relate to this story, who hasn’t tried their wings at some point in their life and failed
Was this part of the plans his father had for him?
Not hardly, No one would want this for their child!
Did this boy have a good father, yes he did, the father in this story represents God.
TBS. “But when he came to himself, he said”
*he had a suddenly moment, right then and there!
*he said wait a minute, I remember something I learned long ago
*he remembered something, his father had taught him when he was young
*he hadn’t thought about it for a long while, but he also had not forgotten it either, it was all coming back to him.
Had His Fathers plans ever changed for His son? No!
Had His Fathers Favor ever not been available for His son? No!
Psalms 23:6 KJV
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Had Goodness and Mercy ever left the boys side? No! They were ready at a moments notice to make the impossible, possible! In fact, it was the fathers favor and goodness that had kept the boy from perishing up to this point!
Even when the door was opened to feeding the swine in the fields, it was the fathers favor that opened it. Even though God wants the very best things in life for you, He is never going to force them on you, unless you ask Him to bless you with them!
Vs. 18. I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
19. and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
He was saying father please forgive me,
he didn’t think he was still worthy enough,
To be part of the plans his father had for him,
Thats what the accuser always wants you to think, but he found out differently!
TBS. His Father saw him a long ways off and when He did, He ran to him put a ring on his finger and let him know, that He had not forgotten about the plans that he had had for him,
Thats how God is, He never forgets about the plans that He has for His children.
We may forget, but God never forgets! Praise God!
And even though he didn’t deserve it, He still wanted to give his son the very best He had! And that’s how God is with everyone who comes and asks for forgiveness.
No matter what we have done, God still wants to give us His very best and He has always been that way with us. Willing to give His best, the moment we ask!
John 3:16-17 HCSB
16. “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
17. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
I believe every father wants to give their children the best that they can give to them.
Its often been said, there is no instruction manual for raising kids.
While there may not be one from A to Z, there is one called the bible that covers everything, from A to Eternity!
The story of the prodigal son, or daughter. All of us can relate, because at some point in our lives we have been the subject of the story.
As TBS. Surely goodness and mercy have followed us around all the days of our lives and we stand here today because they have. And God has been faithful to his word.
Just as the boy in the story received the favor of his father. We all have, time and time again received the Favor of God our Heavenly Father. Though undeserving, we still received it and God willingly has given and continues to give, His Favor to each and everyone of us!
I want you to think back in your life of every time you ever received a blessing. That blessing became part of your life, because the presence and favor of God had already been there before you arrived and delivered it for the exact moment you would need it!
Own story...God puts people in our path, wether or not we accept their help is up to us!
The plans to get His Favor there and delivered at the precise time and moment that you were needing it and ready to receive it, are so much more then you could probably ever think of or even envision, or comprehend the details that had to happen, just to make it happen!
Think for a moment, about all the other Alternate lives of other people, that God had to bless and shape, in order for your moment to come about each and every time, to receive His Favor in your life.
God is Nothing short of Amazing, because just like the Love He has for you! He stands ready to deliver it to you, every time you have need of it!
Just like the father in the story. He stands with open arms, ready to put a ring on your finger and a robe on your back.
Do you know Him? If you don't, you can! (Sinners pray)
Are you experiencing His Favor each and everyday? If your not, He wants you too!
(Prayer for favor)
Let us pray!
