Intro:
A small boy said, “Fathers Day is just like Mother’s day, only you don’t spend as much on the gift.”
Illustration: family circus Sunday funnies. The little boy of the family is running crying mommy!!! If you looked closely in the cartoon you could see his knee was scrapped. He runs crying mommy for a few frames until he comes upon dad. He unexpectedly stops and say, “Hi daddy,” with little or no emotion and continues on his way, crying mommy!!!
Often in life as Fathers our children will pass us up for mommy or others. The one thing they do not try to find someone else to do is be an example to them of how to have a right relationship with God.
If both father and mother go to church, 72% of the children will also go to
church when they grow up. If only the father goes to church, the percentage
drops to 55%. However, if only the mother goes to church, only 15% of those children will go to church when they are grown.
Research shows that children take their spiritual lead from their Father. As we saw with the children on the Ramblin Road Trip. Life is full of choices so it is up to us as whether we teach our children to make right choices.
I. We must make the tough choice to be a man of God.
Joshua clearly shows us it is our choice.
Joshua 24.15 chose for yourself this day whom you will serve.
Austin L Sorensen, “A Child is not likely to find a father in God unless he finds something of God in his father.
A) Choose to be an imitator of God (Eph 5.1) (3 Bs of a daddy)
1) Be an active presence in your children’s life.
A survey of Elementary Children was conducted a few years ago. It indicated the ten most appreciated qualities for dads:
1. He takes time for me
2. He listens to me
3. He plays with me
4. He invites me to go places with him.
5. He lets me help him.
6. He treats mother well
7. He lets me say what I think
8. He’s nice to my friends
9. He only punishes me when I deserve it
10. He isn’t afraid to admit when he’s wrong.
Paying close attention to the survey you should have noticed that the top 5 involved time. Love to children is spelled T-I-m-e.
How unfortunate according to Dr James Dobson, child psycologist, that the average father spends less than 1 minute each day in face to face conversation with his children every day!!!
God actively seeks to have conversation with us every day.
His word says pray without ceasing.
Translated. Come sit down with you Abba, your Daddy and talk a while. Tell me your problems, your hopes, your dreams, your nightmares, tell it all. I’ve Got time.
How better to imitate the most perfect father of all time than to give our children time?!!
How can we imitate God’s love if we don’t sacrifice to allow our children to take part in our presence?
2) Be the picture of God’s love in your children’s life
1 John 4.8 God is love
a) Children learn who God is by how we are.
b) Children need to see Christ’s love in us.
3) Be a success
a) Determine to be a success God’s way
b) How to define success as a Father
4) Be ready.
a) What about us who cannot have children
It is in the barren times of life that God prepares you for a great blessing.
b) But those in the Bible that were barren did not have their wombs open until they submitted to God’s will.
Blessing always comes from obedience.
Bro Billy: When I have imitated God in such a way that my children see how real God is. It is not in giving them all they want but all they need. And children need God!!
Something that is missing in action in American homes today is a Godly father willing to take up the spiritual battle for their home and family.
It is time to call in the special forces of God and rescue the missing in action so that we can win the spiritual war for our families.
II. We must make the tough choice to be the head of our household.
A) Headship is often misunderstood
Genesis 3.16 “To the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your pain in Childbirth. In pain you will bring forth children yet your desire shal be for your husband and he will rule over you.”
Rule: maw-shal’ it carries the idea to rule have dominion reign.
1) Several commentators here say the same thing.
a) A sentence from God.
b) She is here put into a state of subjection: the whole sex, which by creation was equal with man, is for sin made inferior.
Dr Constables commentary on Ephesians
Paul addressed wives first. Christian wives are to be subject (v. 21) to their own husbands as an expression of their submission to the Lord Jesus. Paul did not say they were to be subject to their own husbands in proportion as
they are submissive to the Lord. In submitting to her husband, the wife is
obeying the Lord who has commanded her to do so. In this section Paul
was speaking of relationships in marriage as the context clarifies (vv. 22-
33). He was not saying all women are to be subject to all men, nor was he
saying that women are inferior to men (cf. 1 Pet. 3:7).
People often misunderstand submission. It does not indicate inferiority or
involve losing one’s identity and becoming a non-person. Some women
fear that submission will lead to abuse and or a feeling of being used.
Submission does not mean blind obedience or passivity. It means giving
oneself up to someone else.
We live in an ordered universe in which there is authority and submission
to authority everywhere (cf. Rom. 13:1). Authority and submission
relationships are therefore natural and necessary to maintain order. God
has authority over man (James 4:5). Man has authority over nature (Gen.
1:28). Husbands have authority over their wives (Eph. 5:22). Parents have
authority over their children (Eph. 6:1). Governors have authority over
those they govern (1 Pet. 2:13-14). Employers have authority over their
employees (1 Pet. 2:18). Spiritual leaders have authority over those they
lead spiritually (1 Pet. 5:2).
Submission means organizing voluntarily to fill out a pattern that
constitutes a complete whole. The word "support" is a good synonym for
the biblical concept of "submit." A wife submits to her husband when she
voluntarily organizes herself so she can complete her husband. A good
example of this is her cooperating with him when they run a three-legged
race. They have to work together to succeed. Submission is essential to
achieve oneness in marriage.
We must take precaution as to how we apply our headship.
B) Headship is often misapplied
Eph 6.4 Fathers (not applied to moms) (however there are times when moms must take the headship role because of absentee fathers.)
A) Don’t Provoke
Provoke carries the idea to exasperate by putting unreasonable demands on a child in everyday life.
You must get A’s, play sports etc.
1) It does not mean
a) Don’t discipline your children.
b) Ron Hoffman, “Children will get angry when you cross their will and enforce obedience as they are growing up. That is not provoking.”
2) It does mean
a) Not setting impossible goal for your children.
Illustration: Professional basketball player and son.
Every game the dad would from His point of view tell the son what He had done wrong and could do better.
Eventually the child exploded and said. Can’t you just start with what I did right.
We can’t expect sinful beings to be perfect God doesn’t that is why He sent His son to die for us!!
b) Instructing and Guiding children to do God’s will.
Headship is submission to God and His plan and acting lovingly under the authority that God gives.
I would define it as loving and leading God’s way.
The reason for most children being exasperated is a lack of adequate direction from their parents.
(So fathers, spiritual fathers or those who have to take up the spiritual father reigns. We must make the next choice.)
III. We must make the tough choice to instruct and discipline our children.
Daniel Webster brilliantly caught this point, “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”
A) Using God’s word to teach
1) Discipline in verse 4 carries the idea of directing and correcting the children.
2) Instruction: Carries the idea of correction by word of mouth including advice and encouragement.
a) What father or man for that fact does not like to give advice or encouragement.
b) Let’s encourage our children to follow God’s commands
Lets advise them on life according to God’s word
Then lets live that advice and encouragement out.
The advice and encouragement must come from a Christ centered life.
B) Illustrating God’s word to live
1) If we are to be imitators of God we must be a walking illustration of who He is
2) We must walk worthy of our calling.
3) We must walk humbly before God and man
4) Providing a picture of the perfect love God has for our children.
C) Disciplining when they disobey.
Conclusion: There are many tough choices in life to make. The most import of all of these is choosing to be Gods man, the head of your household, and choosing to instruct and discipline you children.
We can make such an impact in our children’s lives if we will imitate God by lovingly leading other. Instructing them to do according to God’s will and correcting them when they disobey.
Covenant to God and our children.
Join me today Fathers
Heavenly Father today I realize the heavy responsibility that I have as a father. I ask for you divine grace and strength to enable me to be all that You want me to be. Grant me wisdom to instruct and discipline my children. Help me to be firm yet compassionate. May I draw closer to you so that my children (grandchildren) will follow Your lead.
