A Dad Like Paul

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12

I. What a Father Does

A. Exhort – Comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. It is to use your words to compel your children to do what is right depending on their situation.

Examples – Your son has a friend who is picking on another boy at school and trying to get your son to do it too. He comes to you and says, “Dad, what should I do?” You exhort him to do what is right and stand up to his friend by telling him that picking on the other boy at school is wrong because the Bible says we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. He may say that if he does that then his friend will not want to hang around with him and you exhort him again that he needs to do what's right no matter what.

Application:

B. Encourage - “para” to come along side. “mutheomai” to speak to someone. When you put them together you get, to speak to someone as you come along side of them. This is not speaking to them as their superior but as someone on their level. These are words that build up a person not in their “self-esteem” but in their esteem in the eyes of God.

Example – For instance your youngest daughter isn't as god at something as one of her older siblings. Maybe its math, piano, a video game, or some sport. She is determined that she is going to be better but just doesn't have the knack for it like brother or sister, so you put your arm around her and tell her that your love for her does not depend on how good she is long division or kicking a soccer ball, but on the fact that God placed her in your family and because of that, she will always be loved.

Or another one is that same daughter works really hard at kicking that soccer ball and you get as excited for her kicking it 3 feet as you do when her older sister scores a ten yardgoal. You give her a big hug and say, “way to go honey! I knew that you could do it!”

Illustration - John Trent, Ph.D., Vice President of Today's Family, Men of Action, Winter 1993, p. 5. I heard a touching story which illustrates the power that words have tochange a life -- a power that lies right in the hands of those reading this article. Mary had grown up knowing that she was different from the other kids, and she hated it. She was born with a cleft palate and had to bear the jokes and stares of cruel children who teased her non-stop about her misshaped lip, crooked nose, and garbled speech. With all the teasing, Mary grew up hating the fact that she was "different". She was convinced that no one, outside her family, could ever love her ... until she entered Mrs. Leonard's class.

Mrs. Leonard had a warm smile, a round face, and shiny brown hair. While everyone in her class liked her, Mary came to love Mrs. Leonard. In the 1950's, it was common for teachers to give their children an annual hearing test. However, in Mary's case, in addition to her cleft palate, she was barely able to hear out of one ear. Determined not to let the other children have another "difference" to point out, she would cheat on the test each year. The "whisper test" was given by having a child walk to the classroom door, turn sideways, close one ear with a finger, and then repeat something which the teacher whispered. Mary turned her bad ear towards her teacher and pretended to cover her good ear. She knew that teachers would often say things like, "The sky is blue," or "What color are your shoes?" But not on that day. Surely, God put seven words in Mrs. Leonard's mouth that changed Mary's life forever. When the "Whisper test" came, Mary heard the words: "I wish you were my little girl."

Dads, I wish there was some way that I could communicate to you the incredible blessing which affirming words impart to children. I wish, too, that you could sit in my office, when I counsel, and hear the terrible damage that individuals received from not hearing affirming words -- particularly affirming words from a father. While words from a godly teacher can melt a heart, words from a father can powerfully set the course of a life.

If affirming words were something rarely spoken in your home growing up, let me give you some tips on words and phrases that can brighten your own child's eyes and life. These words are easy to say to any child who comes into your life. I'm proud of you, Way to go, Bingo ... you did it, Magnificent, I knew you could do it, What a good helper, You're very special to me, I trust you, What a treasure, Hurray for you, Beautiful work, You're a real trooper, Well done, That's so creative, You make my day, You're a joy, Give me a big hug, You're such a good listener, You figured it out, I love you, You're so responsible, You remembered, You're the best, You sure tried hard, I've got to hand it to you, I couldn't be prouder of you, You light up my day, I'm praying for you, You're wonderful, I'm behind you, You're so kind to your (brother/sister), You're God's special gift, I'm here for you.

Application:

C. Imploring – comes from the word that we get our word martyr. It means to bear witness or to charge.

Dads you need to bear witness of the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done in your life and charge your children to do the same. There is little more powerful to a child than to hear his or her dad talk to them about how God has changed their life or what Jesus has been doing to change them and to make them better men. Your children also need to hear you telling them that need to love the Lord Jesus too.

Example – Your at a family gathering and as soon as the food is placed at the table people begin to eat. Your children look at you in horror because nobody has thanked God for it. You have a decision. You could have let it go and start eating too but instead you pull your children together and pray with them as discretely as possible. On your way home you bring the incident upand after exhorting them by telling them why you did what you did and then you charge them to do the same even when you are not there to help them.

Illustration – My father in law is very good at this. He looks for every opportunity to give glory to God among unbelievers not just because they need to hear it but because He loves the Lord and is not ashamed let people know.

Illustration – Orrville GBC 25 yearanniversary. My dad giving his testimony and praising God for what He had done in his life and how awesomely God had moved among them in planting that church.

Application:

I. What a Father Does

II. What a Father Wants

A. Walk – keep walking, keep doing good, keep living and putting in the effort

41.11 περιπατέωb; πορεύομαιd: to live or behave in a customary manner, with possible focus upon continuity of action—‘to live, to behave, to go about doing.’

Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament

This is you day in and day out way of doing things. Yesthere are going to be exceptions, but this is your default setting in the way you live. This is what you are known as.

Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of consecration. "To give my life for Christ appears glorious," he said. "To pour myself out for others. . . to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom -- I'll do it. I'm ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. "We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking $l,000 bill and laying it on the table-- 'Here's my life, Lord. I'm giving it all.' But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $l,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid's troubles instead of saying, 'Get lost.' Go to a committee meeting. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn't glorious. It's done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it's harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul.“

Application:

B. Walk Worthy of God – 65.17 ἄξιοςa,α, ον; ἀξίωςa: pertaining to having a relatively high degree of comparable merit or worth’

Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament

Our way of living needs to match God’s way of living. Paul wanted his “children” to compare their walks to God’s, not to the other people around them. It is easy to compare your life to others, but other’s lives are not our standard of conduct, God’s is.

[In a Washington Post Aritcle, Charleston gunman left racist manifesto on web site, authorities say, by Lenny Bernstein, Sari Horwitz and Peter HolleyInsays, Law enforcement authorities said the site belonged to DylannRoof, the 21-year-old man accused of gunning down nine people at a bible study in Charleston’s historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church Wednesday night, andreflected his views. The site also hosted 60 photos, most of which showed Roof. One photo, Roof is shown standing in front of a Confederate history museum in Greenville, S.C. Telephone calls and an email to the museum director were not immediately returned.

In another photo, Roof scowls at the camera on a beach, where he’s written the number “1488” in the sand. The numbers, according to the Anti-Defamation League, are a combination of two white supremacist numeric symbols. The number 14 is shorthand for the “14 Words” slogan: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”

The number “88” stands for “HeilHitler, according to the ADL, due to “H” being the 8th letter of the alphabet.

“Together, the numbers form a general endorsement of white supremacy and its beliefs,” according to a statement on the ADL’s Web site. “As such, they are ubiquitous within the white supremacist movement”]

Application:

C.Walk According to you Calling

1.Called into the Kingdom – the calling is ongoing. He keeps calling us to live this way.

Colossians 1:13–14 (NASB95) 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, andtransferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Ephesians 4:1 (NASB95) 1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

Application:

2. Called into Glory 79.18 δόξαa, ης f: the quality of splendid, remarkable appearance. You are being called by God to look remarkable, to be splendid.

Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament:

Colossians 3:4 (NASB95) 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Thinkabout that moment when Christ is revealed to the world and you are standing with Him. Live and feel today and everyday like you will live and feel on that day!

Application:

I. What a Father Does

A. Exhort – Comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. It is to use your words to compel your children to do what is right depending on their situation.

Examples – Your son has a friend who is picking on another boy at school and trying to get your son to do it too. He comes to you and says, “Dad, what should I do?” You exhort him to do what is right and stand up to his friend by telling him that picking on the other boy at school is wrong because the Bible says we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. He may say that if he does that then his friend will not want to hang around with him and you exhort him again that he needs to do what's right no matter what.

B. Encourage - “para” to come along side. “mutheomai” to speak to someone. When you put them together you get, to speak to someone as you come along side of them. This is not speaking to them as their superior but as someone on their level. These are words that build up a person not in their “self-esteem” but in their esteem in the eyes of God.

Example – For instance your youngest daughter isn't as god at something as one of her older siblings. Maybe its math, piano, a video game, or some sport. She is determined that she is going to be better but just doesn't have the knack for it like brother or sister, so you put your arm around her and tell her that your love for her does not depend on how good she is long division or kicking a soccer ball, but on the fact that God placed her in your family and because of that, she will always be loved.

Or another one is that same daughter works really hard at kicking that soccer ball and you get as excited for her kicking it 3 feet as you do when her older sister scores a ten yard goal. You give her a big hug and say, “way to go honey! I knew that you could do it!”

Illustration - John Trent, Ph.D., Vice President of Today's Family, Men of Action, Winter 1993, p. 5. I heard a touching story which illustrates the power that words have to change a life -- a power that lies right in the hands of those reading this article. Mary had grown up knowing that she was different from the other kids, and she hated it. She was born with a cleft palate and had to bear the jokes and stares of cruel children who teased her non-stop about her misshaped lip, crooked nose, and garbled speech. With all the teasing, Mary grew up hating the fact that she was "different". She was convinced that no one, outside her family, could ever love her ... until she entered Mrs. Leonard's class.

Mrs. Leonard had a warm smile, a round face, and shiny brown hair. While everyone in her class liked her, Mary came to love Mrs. Leonard. In the 1950's, it was common for teachers to give their children an annual hearing test. However, in Mary's case, in addition to her cleft palate, she was barely able to hear out of one ear. Determined not to let the other children have another "difference" to point out, she would cheat on the test each year. The "whisper test" was given by having a child walk to the classroom door, turn sideways, close one ear with a finger, and then repeat something which the teacher whispered. Mary turned her bad ear towards her teacher and pretended to cover her good ear. She knew that teachers would often say things like, "The sky is blue," or "What color are your shoes?" But not on that day. Surely, God put seven words in Mrs. Leonard's mouth that changed Mary's life forever. When the "Whisper test" came, Mary heard the words: "I wish you were my little girl."

Dads, I wish there was some way that I could communicate to you the incredible blessing which affirming words impart to children. I wish, too, that you could sit in my office, when I counsel, and hear the terrible damage that individuals received from not hearing affirming words -- particularly affirming words from a father. While words from a godly teacher can melt a heart, words from a father can powerfully set the course of a life.

If affirming words were something rarely spoken in your home growing up, let me give you some tips on words and phrases that can brighten your own child's eyes and life. These words are easy to say to any child who comes into your life. I'm proud of you, Way to go, Bingo ... you did it, Magnificent, I knew you could do it, What a good helper, You're very special to me, I trust you, What a treasure, Hurray for you, Beautiful work, You're a real trooper, Well done, That's so creative, You make my day, You're a joy, Give me a big hug, You're such a good listener, You figured it out, I love you, You're so responsible, You remembered, You're the best, You sure tried hard, I've got to hand it to you, I couldn't be prouder of you, You light up my day, I'm praying for you, You're wonderful, I'm behind you, You're so kind to your (brother/sister), You're God's special gift, I'm here for you.

C. Imploring – comes from the word that we get our word martyr. It means to bear witness or to charge.

Dads you need to bear witness of the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done in your life and charge your children to do the same. There is little more powerful to a child than to hear his or her dad talk to them about how God has changed their life or what Jesus has been doing to change them and to make them better men. Your children also need to hear you telling them that need to love the Lord Jesus too.

Example – Your at a family gathering and as soon as the food is placed at the table people begin to eat. Your children look at you in horror because nobody has thanked God for it. You have a decision. You could have let it go and start eating too but instead you pull your children together and pray with them as discretely as possible. On your way home you bring the incident up and after exhorting them by telling them why you did what you did and then you charge them to do the same even when you are not there to help them.

Illustration – My father in law is very good at this. He looks for every opportunity to give glory to God among unbelievers not just because they need to hear it but because He loves the Lord and is not ashamed let people know.

Illustration – Orrville GBC 25 year anniversary. My dad giving his testimony and praising God for what He had done in his life and how awesomely God had moved among them in planting that church.

II. What a Father Wants

Fred Craddock, in an address to ministers, caught the practical implications of consecration. "To give my life for Christ appears glorious," he said. "To pour myself out for others. . . to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom -- I'll do it. I'm ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory. "We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking $l,000 bill and laying it on the table-- 'Here's my life, Lord. I'm giving it all.' But the reality for most of us is that he sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $l,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. Listen to the neighbor kid's troubles instead of saying, 'Get lost.' Go to a committee meeting. Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home. Usually giving our life to Christ isn't glorious. It's done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at at time. It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it's harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul."