A Father’s Love
Sunday Morning
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream
6/20/21
{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
Today is Father’s Day!
To every Father…
To every male role model…
To every male mentor…
To every male who has had an impact on the life of someone else.
We salute you today.
We respect you today.
I say to every guy who has had an impact,
As some are called “father, pops, dad, uncle” who had no children.
and…
Because not everyone who has Fathered a child walks in the role of “Father.”
So for you and all you do.
So we salute you.
Because you are needed!
You are important!
You are vital!
Not only for what you’ve done…
But also what you are doing!
Today we will talk about what the bible says about Fathers.
We’ll see the impact that Godly fathers and men have.
So what does the bible say about Fathers?
This goes for Godly men also.
So if you don’t have physical children…
This can still apply to you.
Fathers According To The Bible:
- Fathers Teach Their Children
Proverbs 22:6
6 Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.
We are to help train up children.
We are to help shape the lives of our youth.
We are to help point them in the right direction.
The bible says when they’re old they won’t turn from it.
Looking at all the things going on in the world…
There hasn’t been a lot of teaching going on.
There’s more we have to do…
Thank You To The Fathers Who ARE Having An Impact On Our Community!
There are many of us who are thankful for the male role models in our lives.
We can look at the world and wonder where all the other fathers are…
But today I want to thank you for helping to train others.
I want to thank you for the work you are doing.
If you are a NEW father…
If you find you have an influence on someone’s life.
You are to help train that young person.
There are too many growing up without fathers.
How Do We Train Our Children?
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
How does the bible say we train?
We Impress God’s Commands On Our Children
What does that mean?
We Talk About God Constantly!
We make sure our children know there’s a God who loves them.
We make sure our children know they’re accountable more to God than to each other.
But one more here…
Deuteronomy 6:9
9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
What does this mean?
We Make Sure They Grow Up In A Godly Home!
It’s cool to talk about God.
It’s cool to bring them to church.
But what about when at home?
We make an impact at home also!
There Are 7 Days In A Week. A Godly Father Helps Make Sure They Hear About God Everyday!
Do we have bibles in the house?
Do we have the word in places where our kids can see it?
Do we have our kids pray?
What kind of music do you play in the house?
Fathers You Make A Difference!
What type of difference does it make?
The bible says it creates a foundation they won’t leave from.
2 Timothy 3:14-15
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of…
…we know those who thought us to it.
Be it a father…a male figure…a female figure.
Fathers we should have SOMETHING to do with that.
Verse 15
15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
From infancy…
From youth…
From the time you “were a child.”
You were trained.
And what we were taught…
was able to make us wise for salvation through faith.
The Effort You Give Helps Teach Wisdom And Shapes Our Children’s Faith!
You are important!
You make a difference!
It’s not just the pastors role.
It’s not just the mother’s role.
It’s not just someone else’s role.
It’s OUR role!
Fathers According To The Bible:
- Fathers Encourage And Comfort
1 Thessalonians 2:11-12
11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
This says we encourage and comfort our children.
We Encourage Our Children
This one isn’t hard right?
Many of us spend time encouraging our children.
We want to see them be the best they can be.
We want to nurture their gifts.
We want to help them be better than where they are.
But that’s not exactly what the bible says.
Verse 12
12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
…to live lives worthy of God.
We Should Encourage Our Children To Honor God
As we are learning about OUR purpose,
We should be encouraging our children to learn about THEIR purpose.
We should be teaching them and encouraging them to walk in the gifts they have!
We should encourage them to fear God.
But we should also do it with care.
The scripture says to COMFORT our children.
When it comes to comfort…we have to make sure we “comfort.”
Many times people will talk down on others as a form of helping them to get stronger.
People use “tough love” as a way to make someone better.
“You want someone to have “tough skin” so you spend time making fun of him.”
“That’s what you get!”
“You’re gonna be sorry just like…”
We have to make sure we don’t antagonize our children.
That’s not how we help them to grow.
Ephesians 6:4
4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Exasperate…what does that mean?
Ephesians 6:4 (AMP)
4 Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord.
This means we must be careful how we deal with our children.
We have to be careful to use care with our children.
Not Using Care Today Creates Trauma In Their Lives Later
We sometimes forget the mental trauma that WE have had to deal with in our lives.
Many of us have yet to heal from issues we had with our parents.
Some of us are unwilling to admit there are things that need to be dealt with.
Fathers…we have to WORK to make sure WE don’t make those same mistakes.
What does this mean?
This means we have to use care.
Even if it’s a truthful statement.
We have to speak the truth in love.
We have to show care.
We shouldn’t knowingly hurt our children.
If We Won’t Take Pride In Physically Hurting Our Children, We Shouldn’t Take Pride Hurting Them Mentally Either!
How do we do that?
Physically:
Constantly showing them we’re stronger than them.
Using physical means to make them feel inadequate.
Physically abusing them.
Not being there for them when they need you.
young children NEED you.
Mentally:
Not admitting when we’re wrong.
Not respecting their point of view.
Saying things you know will hurt to prove a point.
Fathers, mentors, spiritual leaders, male friends, guardians etc.
Not everything “factual” needs to be said.
If we spend too much time offending our youth until the resent us…
what point have we made?
We Have To Take Care In Raising Our Children!
Why?
Colossians 3:21
21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
We can’t bring them up if we’re causing them to become discouraged.
If we discourage them…and they leave the faith.
That’s on us!!
Church Hurt Is A Real Thing
You’ll have those on one side suffering from church hurt.
A lot of times you’ll have some arrogant person thinking they “won” the argument.
We can’t do that to our children!
Our children are the future!
Jonathan is my future!
Anyone who looks up to me as a father figure is the future!
I must work to encourage the future!
Not crush it!
The final thing for today:
Fathers According To The Bible:
- Fathers Support And Protect
Deuteronomy 1:29-31
29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”
We see the example…
God will fight for us.
God carries…
“as a father carries his son.”
Why Do We Carry Our Children?
We first carry our children before they are able to walk.
We can’t put them down because they can’t do anything for themselves when they’re infants.
We provide support our children before they can support themselves.
As Fathers We Support Our Children
Especially when they can’t support themselves…
Matthew 7:9-10
9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
Our children need us!
You Are A Support System!
They need you!
Those who look up to you need you
Why else do we carry our children?
We carry our children as a show of protection.
Deuteronomy 1:30-31
30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, 31 and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”
It says God will fight for you…
As he did in Egypt.
As the example…God protected when Israel couldn’t protect itself.
As Fathers, We Are To Protect Our Children
As a father, YOU are a source of protection for your child.
If you’re inside the house:
you see a dog or animal come up on your child.
do you not run to help them?
or do you watch and see what they do?
We must look out for our children!
Psalm 127:3
3 Sons are a heritage from the Lord,
children a reward from him.
Your children are a heritage!
Your children are a reward!
What you have!
Those who look up to you are sent from God!
You Are A Source Of Stability For Our Children
When our children hurt themselves…
They run to a parent or loved one.
They need to feel secure.
They need to feel protected.
That need doesn’t change just because they get older.
The way it shows itself does.
recap:
Men…you are needed.
You are important.
You are appreciated.
The role you offer is needed and important.
Our children need you!
Those who look up to you need you!
The future needs you!
Why?
Fathers According To The Bible:
- Fathers Teach Their Children
Fathers According To The Bible:
- Fathers Encourage And Comfort
Fathers According To The Bible:
- Fathers Support And Protect
Let’s honor the men in our lives who have been influential.
Fathers,
Role models,
Spiritual Fathers,
Uncles,
Mentors,
Anyone!
Why?
Because they are awesome…
And our lives wouldn’t be the same without them.
