The Loving, The Lacking, And The Lost

I. Introduction

A. Being a father is an important responsibility.

B. I feel a little inadequate today to talk about fathers, but I have had a father for 22 years, and I have the authority of God’s word.

C. Fathers have a special talent. I think that a father can fix anything.

D. I believe that Joshua is a good example of a godly father.

E. We are also going to look at an example of what happens fathers fail to do that which God has called them to do.

F. Today we are going to look at the loving, the lacking, and the lost.

G. Before we do, lets read what God commanded the men of Israel in Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

II. The Loving Father(Joshua 24:14-18)

A. Joshua gathered all of Israel at Shechem.

i. This spot was important. It was the spot of Abraham’s alter, Jacob’s well, it was a spiritual center of the time.

ii. At the age of 110 he stood before the men of Israel and proclaimed with experience. He had walked with Moses for 40 years and led Israel in the conquest of Canaan for another 25 years earlier.

iii. Joshua had been in the wilderness for 40 years and still he proclaimed that his family would serve the Lord.

B. Joshua was the priest of the home.

i. A priest cannot function unless he is in close contact with God.

ii. It is the father’s responsibility to lead his family in the way of the Lord.

a. Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

b. The father should lift his family in prayer.

c. Job sacrificed a brunt offering for each of his kids, thinking that perhaps they had sinned in their hearts. (Job 1:5)

iii. Mothers should lift up there husbands.

a. Just as Moses in Exodus 17 needed Aaron and Hur to hold up his hands, fathers need someone to hold them up before the Lord.

C. Joshua had a plan for the family.

i. A father must not only be the priest of the family, but he must also have a plan for his family.

ii. Joshua’s plan was to serve the Lord.

iii. Joshua was prepared to stand-alone with his family. This was not the first time that Joshua was willing to stand. At Kadesh Barnea he had to stand in the minority.

iv. Joshua’s family stood behind him. It was if his family was saying, we sticking with you dad.

v. Fathers need a plan for the family that will unite the family.

vi. Joshua was a spiritual leader that united his family, prayed for his family, and planned for his family’s spiritual well being.

III. The Lacking Father (Judges 2:6-10

A. When a father does not do what God has commanded him, there are devastating consequences.

i. God command in Deuteronomy that fathers are to tell their children about him.

B. The fathers themselves followed the Lord, but they did not teach their children.

i. We are inclined to think that it is the children’s fault, however the Bible says they did not know the work, which the Lord had done for Israel. It did not say they knew and rejected.

C. We cannot sit by and watch our kids live their lives without Jesus.

D. If we don’t take the responsibility our children will a lost generation.

IV. The Lost (Judges 2:11-13)

A. Because their father’s did not teach them the ways of the Lord they were devoured by their pop culture.

B. When a father fails to teach his children about the Lord, the world will become their God.

i. Here the Israelites forsook the Lord, and they followed the Baals and the Ashtaroth.

ii. Today they watch horrible shows on television and go to ungodly movies.

iii. Fathers, there need to be rules put in place to protect your children from the dangers of the world.

iv. Josh McDowell has a saying, “Rules without relationship lead to rebellion.”

V. Conclusion

A. In order to be a godly father, we must know him.

B. What better way set an example to your family than by accepting Christ and getting baptized?

C. Come with your family and Join the church.