Being A Father Is A Gift From God

Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning,  9:30am Stream

06/17/22 (3rd Sunday Message)

 

 

{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}

 

Today’s Title:

Being A Father Is A Gift From God

 

Today is Father’s Day!

 

The day we honor our fathers.

 

Many of us may have fathers who are still here.

 

Many of us may have fathers who are no longer here.

 

But today is a day we honor them.

 

Not just fathers and grandfathers…

 

But father figures:

 

 Step fathers:

 

  I know people who have stepped up to help raise other children as their own.

 

Mentors:

 

Coaches:

 

Any male who has had a positive impact on the life of another.

 

We don’t thank you as much as we should for all you do.

 

But TODAY we say, “thank you.”

 

You make an impact that goes beyond what you know.

 

Not JUST because you’re a present father.

 

But because you are a believer.

 

Proverbs 14:26

26 He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.

 

Not only do YOU men have a secure fortress because of what you believe…

 

Your children will have something that will be a safe place for them as well.

 

What you do for yourselves benefits others…

 

Children Are Blessed Because Of Their Fathers!

 

God honors families because of you.

 

God honors generations because of you.

 

Proverbs 20:7

7 The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him. 

 

Fathers, Your Children Are Blessed Because Of YOUR Faithfulness To God!

 

So let’s ask a question:

 

What Does Fatherhood Look Like?

 

If you ask anyone in the role…you’ll get different answers.

 

Fatherhood looks different to many different people.

 

Let’s look at some traits of fathers from the bible.

 

These traits are based on scripture.

 

These traits are representative of being the type of Father God would want us to be.

 

Are we doing all 4 of these?

 

What does the bible say?

 

Let’s look at 5 things Father’s do according to the bible.

 

4 Biblical Traits Of Fathers:

1. Fathers Lead 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 train our children in the way they should go.

 

We are to make sure our children grow up in an environment where they can learn about God.

 

Ways We Train:

1. Teaching Our Kids About God

Do you talk about God in your home?

2. Bringing Our Kids To Church 

Just like in school, are they learning with other believers their age?

 

Here at GLC, we have age appropriate messages for young children.

 

If they’re older and in here…you can talk about the things we share together.

3. Letting Our Kids Lead In Prayer

Do your children know how to pray?

 

Give them opportunities to pray over the food for everyone.

 

Teach them to pray for you when YOU are sick.

 

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.

 

“Impress them on your children.”

 

Teach and train your children.

 

Joshua 24:15

15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

 

“As for me and my household…”

 

Fathers make sure the Lord is the head of their home.

 

Fathers…make sure to LEAD your children.

 

Thank You To The Fathers That Lead Your Children!

 

 

4 Biblical Traits Of Fathers:

2. Fathers Support And Encourage Their Children

 

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.” 

 

This is in reference to the spies who went to the promised land and saw the spies.  They were terrified of them.

 

God says he carried us as a father “carries his son.”

 

Carry means to support

 

When our children are little…we have to carry them because they can’t walk.

 

It’s a standard the Lord uses to set…

 

Even though our children start to walk on their own…we still should support them.

 

Whatever the endeavor.

 

School activities.

 

Sports…

 

Life in general.

 

Your children are blessed to know when the world turns against them…their mother AND father are there to support them.

 

Not JUST mom.

 

We dad’s have to step up if we aren’t.

 

Thank You To The Fathers That Continue To Support Your Children!

 

1 Thessalonians 2:10-12

10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 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.

 

as a father deals with his own children…

 

Encouraging…

 

Encouraging Words That Go A Long Way With Your Children:

I Love You

I’m Proud Of You

You’re Doing A Great Job

I Believe In You

 

It’s amazing what a little encouragement would do to someone.

 

It’s amazing what a little encouragement could do to some of our kids today.

 

Thank You To The Fathers That Continue To Encourage Your Children!

 

4 Biblical Traits Of Fathers:

3. Fathers Discipline Their Children

 

Proverbs 13:24

24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. 

 

Proverbs 3:11-12

11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

 

 Discipline means to correct.

 

 We don’t see our children doing wrong and allow it to continue.

 

Not if we love them…

 

If We Love Them, We Will Discipline Them!

 

This is similar to training.

 

and this is ALL part of helping.

 

We Are To Be A Help To Our Children

 

With all these father “dos,”

 

Here is a father “do not.”

 

4 Biblical Traits Of Fathers:

4. Fathers Don’t Bully Their Children

 

Ephesians 6:1-4

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. 

 

What does exasperate mean?

 

It means to “irritate and frustrate” intensely.

 

This doesn’t mean your children won’t get irritated.

 

This doesn’t mean they won’t get frustrated.

 

This doesn’t mean you have to be perfect.

 

But it does mean you should be conscious.

 

As Fathers We Should Be Aware Of How We Appear To Our Children

 

Sometimes we don’t know when we’re getting on others nerves.

 

Sometimes we do.

 

Scripture tells us NOT to give them intense feelings of frustration or irritation.

 

Ephesians 6:1-4 (AMP)

CHILDREN, OBEY your parents in the Lord [as His representatives], for this is just and right. 2 Honor (esteem and value as precious) your father and your mother—this is the first commandment with a promise—[Exod. 20:12.] 3 That all may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth. 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. 

 

As people, we all have egos.

 

As men…we can have egos.

 

We can sometimes feel challenged by our children or other young people.

 

In our dealing with them…we as the ADULTS.

 

…as the MENTORS.

 

…as the FATHERS.

 

We cannot provoke our children.

 

We cannot irritate our children excessively.

 

Because it creates resentment.

 

The Problem With Some Of Our Kids Today Is They’ve Been Made To Resent Their Fathers

 

Some kids really feel that their fathers don’t like them.

 

Some have been teased or neglected to the point where they feel bitterness to their Fathers.

 

This is why WE have to do different.

 

Those kids grow into adults…adults who lack confidence.

 

 …adults who are broken…

 

 ….adults who could possibly do the same thing to their own children.

 

But WE are to be different…because those people need love.

 

Hopefully WE as believers aren’t treating our children that way.

 

If You Make Your Own Children Bitter Towards You…It’s A Sin! Let’s Fix It!

 

Let’s get back to restoring father/son relationships.

 

Let’s get back to restoring father/daughter relationships.

 

Let’s get back to the other 3 things the bible says.

 

Let’s get back to training…

 

Let’s get back to supporting…

 

Let’s get back to encouraging…

 

Because WE are important.

 

WE make the difference in the lives of so many.

 

For what you all do…we thank you.

 

We love you.

 

But never forget…God has a big work for us.