Sermon Central
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Learning From A Father’s Failures
Contributed by Byron Sherman on Jun 22, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: Eli failed to have a positive influence on his sons Hophni & Phinehas. Fathers have the responsibility of being positive influences on their children. But what responsibilities can be undertaken to accomplish this? To have a positive influence on your
LEARNING from a FATHER’s FAILURES—1Samuel 2:12-36
Father & son/Open cockpit ride thrill ride/Bartered price/Not 1 word or high price/Loop-Dive-Turn-Climb/ “You almost won!....‘Cause I sure felt like hollerin’ when my boy fell out!”
A Father’s Failure!
Need:
Responsibilities/Role/Disobedient/Misdirected/
Homosexuality—Whatever trips your trigger.
Sex OK—Don’t get caught
Products of Evolution—Society—World
Eli failed to have a positive influence on his sons Hophni & Phinehas.
Fathers have the responsibility of being positive influences on their children.
What responsibilities can be undertaken by fathers to influence their children positively?
5 directives of having a positive influence on your children.
1—To have a positive influence on your children....
APPLY RESTRAINT(3:13-14)
Explanation:(3:13-14)
3:13-14—“For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves & he did not rebuke them. “And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.””
Man is Head of household=Responsibility
Children left to themselves are a danger to themselves & others.
We may be blinded to sin/Restraint must be applied.
Hophni & Phinehas shouldn’t have been allowed priestly duties but family ties were basis for service. Therefore the application of restraint was of greater importance.
This is why many businesses fail with the original visionary. The children don’t share the vision & the vision is not incorporated into the working orders/by-laws of the business. Thus detrimental business behaviors go unrestrained when the visionary passes, also killing the business.
Eli—“All bark & no bite” — “All talk & no do”
Argumentation:
Prov. 22:15—“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.”
Prov. 23:13-14—“Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.”
Prov. 29:15—“The rod & rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.”
Illustration:
Loaded 18-wheeler/I-26 Down mountain/Speed must be checked every 5mph/If unrestrained, certain disaster!/Runaway truck ramps along way/No excessive measures needed if restraint applied all along the way/APPLY RESTRAINT
Don’t spank/Govt. says physical punishment is child abuse & cruel/BUT There’s a vast difference between spanking & hurting a child!/APPLY RESTRAINT
Application:
?You a positive influence thru APPLIED RESTRAINT?
?You have a Positive Influence on your children?
2—To have a positive influence on your children....
Be DILIGENT with DISCIPLINE(:22-25)
Explanation:(:22-25) Too Little-Too Late/Consistent
:22—“Now Eli was very old; & he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, & how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.”
:23—“So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.”
Eli did express concern for his sons’ actions. He is hearing the concerns of others. He calls their “dealings” “Evil.”
:24—“No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD’S people transgress.”
Eli expresses his disappointment but there are no teeth in his disappointment. No consequences for such action. The decision is left up to Hophni & Phinehas. Just the restraint of a corrupted heart, which is no restraint at all!
:25—“If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.”
:2:17—“Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.”
*Call sin... Sin—But be Consistent over time!....
PROCRASTINATION of punishment condones sin....
What is the IMPLICATION?—Time is essential w/ children!
Eli confronted sons only when confronted by those outside family.
Now to be fair, sometimes our children are involved in the likes of which we are unaware.
Eli chided them but left the decision completely up to Hophni & Phinehas. ?They are adults by this time? Eli was the high priest & had direct supervision over them & was responsible for grooming them to take his place.
They were directly responsible for representing God’s design to the people.
Too Little-Too Late doesn’t cut it.
Argumentation:
Prov. 19:18— “Chasten thy son while there is hope, & let not thy soul spare for his crying.”
“Chasten”—roy yaw-sar’—To chasten, discipline, instruct, admonish.
There will come a time when a child will be completely independent & ungovernable!
Prov. 13:24—“He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.”—Careful, steady effort.
“Spares”—Ksx khaw-sak’—To withhold, restrain, hold back, keep in check, refrain.
“Disciplines”—rowm moo-sawr’—Discipline, chastening, correction.
“Promptly”—rxv shaw-khar’—To seek, seek early or earnestly, look early or diligently for
