Father of Prodigals

Clay shooting...

ILLUST: Father humor? Boxing?

Fathers in the Bible

Not a lot of really solid, through-and-through examples

Best? Joseph (Mary’s), Adam?

Good moments, bad moments, ups and downs

Measure by how kids turn out? Careful...

Bible, though, is about ONE FATHER - And He repeatedly gives us fathers examples to model

Luke 15:11-32 - The Prodigal Son

Focus on the Father (lots of messages and points around other characters)

A Biblical Father’s Life

Reminder of parable - earthly story, heavenly meaning

This father had two sons, each unique, father to both

The father has multiple roles, responsibilities, actions - all to honor THE father

ASIDE: about 20 years ago, someone showed me that I had the PERFECT father, now that I was a born-again believer

I didn’t have the perfect earthly father

I was not, would not be, am not, the perfect earthly father

But I have THE FATHER, and I can model Him, with His help

Let’s look at this Father of these Sons

1) Teacher

Teaches:

The Word

From child’s young age on

This parable is told to Jews, knew the Law

It was the father’s responsibility to expose the kids to the Word, the teachings of Moses

See Deut 6:7

Deuteronomy 6:7 NASB95

“You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

He knew the importance of learning and following

And…the importance of discipline

(POINT: If you care...discipline will not work if you are not following Him yourself)

First and foremost, the father was to be living under the same authority of God’s teaching

Teaching was by precept (principle) AND action (showing)

Can’t expect child to live in a way you are not

TRUTH - If you live under God’s authority, it will be easier to teach His authority

2) Respects Autonomy/Independence

While teaching and modeling

Child comes to you, thumbs nose at you, demands freedom and for you to finance him being rebellious - how do you feel?

(This prodigal basically didn’t care if his father was dead, life was about him!)

Respects autonomy and independence, even if disagreeing

In the Law, the father could divvy the financial estate early, older brother got 2/3, younger 1/3

Here, the father deals with a demanding attitude - “I don’t want to wait!”

Father could have said NO.

Father could have compared son to his brother, could have shamed him into not doing this

But…father agrees to evaluate each child individually

ASIDE - this father, imperfect, maybe had his own shortcomings, faults, etc.

So instead of getting all preachy, he gave his son what he wanted

3) Allows for Consequences

Father knew what was possible; likely hard to let happen what could happen

He could have tracked him, stalked him, prepared to bail him out if something happened

ASIDE - for us - are we teaching and modeling? Are we willing to let them go, and live in an unsafe, tough world?

We don’t have much choice. If we don’t, they’ll rebel anyway. Better to say something like this commentator (quote):

4) Faithfully Refuses to Give Up

A father’s love refuses to give up or give in

This father didn’t just forget about this son. He’d have been praying for him, both while he was at home and when gone

I bet he reached a breaking point - “fine, I give up” - tempted to disown him

Father goes about daily activities, responsibilities

And he trusts God with the outcome

I can imagine this father looking out over the horizon, maybe daily, with hope - and then retreating to resting in the LORD, waiting on Him

We can worry about the world, Jesus has it covered

John 16:33 NASB95

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

5) Forgiving

Being forgiving starts with being forgiven

Fathers, have you been forgiven? Have you asked?

Asked Jesus - are you a believer, asking for forgiveness

Daily living - as in 1 John 1:9

1 John 1:9 NASB95

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

You may need to ask your kids, your wife, to forgive you

For not teaching them, disciplining them, inconsistency, anger, frustration, etc.

Then be ready to forgive them - they will need it, if not now, someday

TEACH - repentance and forgiveness

Start with God, then model it

This father embraces his son, rejoices

Luke 15:10 NASB95

“In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Angels rejoice over repentance, we should, too

6) Celebrates

Best robe

Ring (nearly giving power of attorney)

Shoes - children got shoes, slaves did not

Feast

Father doesn’t wait to see if son is sincere, if this is real

He celebrates with his son, family, others

Father knows the other son has ben faithful

Loves him just as much

ASIDE: Do you know how to love your children?

Do you know what speaks love to them? Each is different

Humble yourself and celebrate with kids the way it speaks love to them

This is hard, it takes work

YOU ARE DAD - Hard work is in the job description

When I compare myself with this father, I see where I need to learn, grow, change, develop, and lean on God through it all

Trying, like you dads, to get this done

7) Accepts Living with Uncertainty

How did this story, this parable end?

What happened the next day, the next week...

Father commends older son for faithfulness

Makes no demands on the younger brother - life goes on

In this world - I have no idea what to do, some days

Politics, morals, standards

No guarantees with our kids

Our job is to prepare them for kingdom living, here

Our job is to be parent now, friend later

Ambiguity, uncertainly, this is built into our earthly relationships

AND REMEMBER - God is God, we are not.

Certainty of the eternal world

Now, we talk guarantees

There is NO uncertainty with God

That is the best thing we, dads, can teach children

That, dads, we can model for children, young and grown up alike

CLOSE - Live now, be dad, knowing what waits eternally

So...

Do what you know God says is right

Stay in the Word - Know the Word (illiteracy is major problem)

Or get in the Word if you are not

Stay in prayer

Or start, if you are not

Be active in church - then kids will be, too

Love your child’s mother, your wife

Teach

Word (can’t teach what you don’t know)

Respect for mother

Work, chores

Prayer - pray for them, with them, show them you rely on the Lord

Pray over your kids, freak them out, it’s OK

THIS IS OUR JOB: Prov. 22:6

Proverbs 22:6 NASB95

Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Our kids may not always live by this “way,” but they will not forget that they were taught it, if they were.

Tough job, being Dad. That’s why God didn’t give the job to Mom. She has her own job. This training up, leading children to serve and follow Jesus, that’s on us.