Godly Fathers
(Eph 6:1-4) Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. -2. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; -3. That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. -4. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
(1 Tim 5:8) But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
Our subject this morning is Godly Fathers. Father is one word that the Bible uses over a thousand times. Every child deserves a Godly Father. Most men have the ability to impregnate a woman but only the Godly can be a real father. As we consider this message today, we ask you that are fathers to ask yourself - am I a Godly Father? Those of you that that may someday become a father, what kind of a father do you plan to be? And to you women and girls, what kind of a man will you choose to be a father to your children?
Our text tells us that as fathers we should not provoke our children to wrath, but that we are to nurture them and bring them up in the admonition of the Lord. As fathers, we are to provide for our own house. One of the big problems of our culture today is children growing up without the nurture and care of a father. There is no man to teach the child worship, values, and relationships. As a result many children are growing up in confusion taking for role models the many wicked and ungodly examples that abound in our time. The greatest breakdown of our nation today is the breakdown of the family unit and the greatest blame falls on the men that refuse be men. Fathers, it is your responsibility to nurture and provide for your children. Are your children blessed because they have you as their father? What kind of an example, role model, are you for your children?
Article, P. H., June, 1997: A Christian lady in a certain community had taken it as her ministry to periodically visit the men incarcerated in the city's prison. One day an inmate asked her. "Can you get a Mother's Day card for me so I can send it to my mom?" Word passed throughout the prison system and in no time, all of the prisoners were making the same request. In order to oblige them, she made a deal with a card company and got a big shipment of Mother's Day cards. Every single card was procured by the prisoners and sent to their moms. Not a single one was left. So, being a farsighted person, and knowing that Father's Day was just around the corner, the woman reasoned that it would be wise to order the same quantity of Father's Day cards. Three years later, not one card had even been requested by any of the prisoners.
Where had the Fathers of these prisoners been during their childhood years? Who was there teaching them to honor God? teaching them to honor their country? teaching them to love their neighbor? Every child deserves a real Father. One who takes his responsibilities seriously and does his best to bring his children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
(1 Tim 4:12-16) Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. - you be an example to your children. Show them how to live, how to give, how to worship God, how to honor God, how to have faith, how to love your neighbor. Let your example tell your story; do as you say and say right. -13. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. -14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. -15. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. -16. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
Let us turn to Deut. and review what the Bible tells us we should do. (Deu 6:1-7) Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: -2. That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. -3. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. -4. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: -5. And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. -6. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: -7. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
This was God's instructions for the Children of Israel when the commandments were given to them. They were instructed to keep the commandments of God and to teach them to their children. Many fathers in our time have abandoned their duty to learn the commandments of God much less, keep them, and even less teach them to their children. God is looking for fathers today that will turn to Him with all their hearts to serve Him and live according to His commandments. We are instructed to teach them diligently and in order to do that we need to first follow them diligently. Not only are we to teach our children, we are to train them - (Prov 22:6) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Training includes control - (1 Tim 3:4) One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (Prov 29:15) The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. Now I know that we live in a time when fathers and mothers do not correct or control their children and they are being taught that it is best. But, let me tell you that God's word plainly lets us know that a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. Don't take what I'm saying wrong. I am firmly against child abuse. In fact I'm so against it that I believe that parents should be held accountable for not correcting their children, for that in itself is child abuse of serious proportions. What a hard life the child has that has never learned to obey. Controlling and correction of children is not an easy matter. That is all the more reason that two parents are needed - a father and a mother.
Also there is a difference between punishment and correction. I have seen many children slapped around, jerked around, paddled, and punished in many ways without ever being corrected or controlled. Correction of children is a big job and no one can accomplish it without significant effort. That is all the more reason to grow up first before you bring children into this world. It is a big job to rear them correctly. They deserve better than many are getting out of our modern day parents. Father, are you doing your part to nurture and provide for your children?
Let us look at an example of a father who failed to nurture and provide for his children: (1 Sam 3:12-13) In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. -13. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. Now Eli was a priest of God but that did not give him an excuse to abandon his responsibility to restrain his children. In fact it would seem that he was all the more responsible as an example to the people that he served. Never the less he failed to Fulfil his responsibility and as a result the judgment of God fell upon him and his family. (1 Sam 2:22-25) Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. -23. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. -24. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress. -25. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them. From this passage you can see that Eli had no control over his sons. They paid no attention to him and continued on doing what ever they wanted to do. How many times have I seen similar cases where the children pay no mind to what they are told and just go on doing what ever they wish to do. Well God judged Eli's house and He will not let any one else go unpunished either - (1 Sam 4) And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek. -2. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. -3. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. -4. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. -5. And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. -6. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. -7. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. -8. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. -9. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. -10. And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. -11. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. -12. And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. -13. And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out. -14. And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. -15. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see. -16. And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son? -17. And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. -18. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years. -19. And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. -20. And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast borne a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. -21. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. -22. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.
What a tragic end for the sons of Eli, and their families. All because Eli did not nurture and provide for his children as he should have. How many of the tragic events of our time are also brought about by the lack of nurture and care of our children?
Thank God for every father today that will be a man and live the way God would have him to. To serve God, to nurture his children, to be the role model for his children, to show the world how to provide for his family and how to love his neighbor. If any of you that are listening today see that you have been failing God in your responsibilities as a father, let me encourage you to get started. Just because you have been wrong yesterday is no reason to continue on being wrong. Turn to God. He will pardon and help you to be the real father that your children deserve.
An example of a Godly Father - (Gen 18:19) For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. God said Abraham could be trusted to do justice and judgment. He would command his children. No wonder that Abraham was called the friend of God. How many today can be trusted to do justice and judgment? How many today can be counted on to command their children?
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