Sermon Central
-
What Makes A Good Father?
Contributed by Jerry Flury on Jun 19, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: Being a good father is more than just bringing home a paycheck and meeting the physical needs of your children. It’s not enough just be a good father by the world’s standards; fathers need to be the spiritual leaders in their homes.
What Makes a Good Father
When asked what is a good father? One replier said, “A good father is one who provides and is always there when the child needs him.” 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us “… if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.” We live in a day in which many men have abandoned their responsibility of providing for their wives and children. But being a good father is more than just bringing home a paycheck and meeting the physical needs of your children. It’s not enough to just be a good father according to the world’s standards; fathers need to be the spiritual leaders in their homes.
I. A good father is an example of what means to be a man of faith.
A. Psalm 22:4-5 “Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to you, and were delivered; they trusted in You, and were not ashamed.”
B. From one generation to another, we pass on the faith, we are to point to Jesus Christ.
C. 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”
D. We need men who have both a knowledge of God’s Word and the conviction to follow that Word: Men of faith who aren’t afraid to live their faith before the world and in their homes consistently 24/7.
E. 1 Kings 22:42-43 “Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD:
F. Ken Hemphill tells the story of what took place at his church when he was pastor of FBC of Norfolk. He was out on the sidewalk welcoming people as they got out of their cars. About 3rd in line was a father & his teenage son. The father had a golf shirt on, and he evidently was dropping his son off at church while he went to play golf. The pastor could hear the teenage boy complaining and asking why he had to go to church. He replied, “When I was growing up my daddy took me to church every Sunday, and you are going to church as well.” Then the boy replied, “Well, it doesn’t look like it did you any good for you, did it?” - copied
G. Research has established that parents can have a significant impact on the religious beliefs and practices of their children. In one recent study it was found that fathers who frequently attend church (over three times per month), discuss religion at home, and are committed to their religion have sons who follow the same pattern concerning religious values and behavior. Interestingly, fathers who did not do these three things had an inconsistent pattern of influence over their son’s religious responses. - Dr. Michael Green, Kindred Spirit, Autumn, 1989
II. A good father exhibits purity and holiness
A. 1 Timothy 2:8 “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”
B. God wants us to be pure in everything we think, say, see and do. God is looking for a few good men who aren't afraid to strive to live holy lives.
C. Malachi 4:5-6 “5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
D. Someone has said:
1. When the Father is right the Children will be right
2. When the children are right the home will be right
3. When the home is right the nation will be right.
E. Proverbs 20:7 “The just man walks in his integrity: his children are blessed after him”
F. The greatest need in the world is for holy men who will not be bought or sold, who recognize sin for what it is and refuse to be entangled by its tentacles: men who will stand for the right when others do not.
III. A good father establishes boundaries
A. Proverbs 22:28 “Do not remove the ancient landmark Which your fathers have set.”
B. Many boys and girls grow up and never see their mom and dad set out a boundary line for their actions.
C. Proverbs 29:15 “...a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.”
D. The findings of an interesting study done on school children by “Focus on the Family” reveals that a group of educators decided to remove the chain-link fences from around the school playgrounds. They believed the fences promoted feelings of confinement and restraint. The curious thing they noticed, however, that as soon as the fences were removed, the children huddled in the center of the playground to play. Conclusion: Children need boundaries. (Dr. James Dobson).
