FATHERS DAY 2023 "Wisdom from Dad"

“WISDOM FROM DAD”

Exodus 18:1–26 (ESV)

1 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2 Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, 3 along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”), 4 and the name of the other, Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). 5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the mountain of God. 6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7 Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. 9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the Lord had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because in this affair they dealt arrogantly with the people.” 12 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

24 So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.

Title: “WISDOM FROM DAD”

Prayer: Giving thanks today for all the dads - Past and Present… and future, We thank you for the way Lord that you establish Fathers and Heads of Households to be a n extension of your strength, your mercy and your love. Bless the Fathers of Colonial Church Today, In Jesus name. Amen≥

****Healing moment: i want you to remember something here: Moses was a SON to Jethro. Jethro was his father in law. It was his dad. It Says that he went out to meet his afther in law & after checking on each others welfare, they went into the tent (or in other words, he was recieved as like FAMILY)...

This was a FATHER SON RELATIONSHIP> He didn’t work for it. we aren’t told that he had to do anything for this Visit— This wasn’t a business trip....advice. This is i believe a was of seeing the way God, the father, works in our lives

but here is where that breaks down: there is a big difference in the kingdom between a slave and a son. you have to CHOOSE today to accept what CHRIST has done, which is through his BLOOD, he has PURCHASED your SON-SHIP.

My Question today as your pastor is this: Will you walk in it?

Because the advice, the counsel, the WISDOM of the Father, Only works when you walk in it as a son.. walk it OUT as a SON. it doesn’t work if your not a son. it only works when you operate as a SON.

A son has RIGHTS. A son has authority. A son has a confidence,

Do you?

**********AND ITS MY PRAYER Today.. that whatever your Fathering looked like as a Kid - your perspective would shift from whatever that was, to what it TRULY CAN BE, which is ADOPTION INTO SONSHIP and a recognition - that WHILE I MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE BEST DAD.... I HAVE THE BEST DAD - my TRUE FATHER. GOD.

BACK TO OUR STORY: OUR TEXT FOR TODAY - MOSES GETS A VISIT FROM DAD.

MOSES IS IN THE WILDNERNESS & JETHRO HEARS THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE THAT GOD HAS DONE SOME AMAZING THINGS - HE ALSO HAS MOSES WIFE WITH HIM (HIS DAUGHTER) and his sons… and so He makes a visit - to BING SOME WISDOM as we’ll see to the life of his SON IN LAW - MOSES.

AND THERE IS SO MIUCH IN HERE FOR US TO UNPACK - BUT SUFFICE TO SAY THIS IS ALSO THE WAY OUR OWN FATHER, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, COMES INTO OUR WORLD AS A FATHER TOO.

(i hope you see the parralels here today).

Three things we see Jethro do… that i believe GOD does.. and fathers can do working out of his image and example:

1.FATHERS BRING BLESSING TO SONS & DAUGHTERS

fathers have an inbuilt thing inside of them to bless sons and daughters.

Exodus 18:6 ESV

6 And when he sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,”

he blessed him with family - also good news - but also material for sacrifice and offerings:

Exodus 18:12 ESV

12 And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

this is representative not just of material blessing but spiritual blessing.

Fathers when you PRAY over your family - today - when they hear you pray - when they see you taking notes in church - reading your bible you are bring a blessing into the lives of your kids & the next generation.

It doesn’t have to be material.... it can also be a smile, a hug, some time

fathers can bring blessing

2.FATHERS BRING CORRECTION (TO SONS & DAUGHTERS)

They help us figure out what is that we are doing wrong!

Exodus 18:13–14 (ESV)

13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?”

oh boy - i know what it feels like when dads watching you work… you know whats coming dont you!

(i can feel that whenever i am doing some work with my own father in law - i can see hes watching and hes making sure its right!!!)

here the correction comes:

Exodus 18:17–19 (ESV)

17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God,

Fathers have a way - through experience - of giving sons a daughters a short cut through some tough things. but sometimes it takes a willingness to 1)hear it as a son.... and 2)give it as a dad....

3.FATHERS BRING WISDOM (TO SONS & DAUGHTERS)

This is the same with God & His widely available WISDOm - but i love how in this story - JETHRO Brings WISDOM - Which makes a signficant difference in the life of MOSES.

HE POINTS HIM TO GODS BEST.

Theres a part in here that you gotta catch - 7 this is why Fathers, Godly fathers you have to step up and correct when its needed -BECAUSE ITS OFTEN WISDOM-- catch this, you ‘ll see it in the message:

Exodus 18:17–23 (ESV)

17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do. 21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

Fathers -- show us how to do things but they also have the ability to TELL US WHAT WE ARE DOING WRONG AS WELL!

They show us how to whatever we are doing - even better

Exodus 18:19–20 ESV

19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.

SO HE SAYS “keep doing what you are doing” .. or “what it is you are supposed to be doing”....

But here is how you make it better!

Exodus 18:21–23 ESV

21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

WISDOM COMES FROM FATHERS… !

fathers bring wisdom to sons!

WISDOM FROM THE DADS! (Met Del Dosio, Rich Mendez, Jeremy Robshaw)

SOME GENERAL QUESTIONS: Get conversation flowing.....

Whats the WISEST thing you remember your dad teaching you? (Do you remember getting any specific “wisdom for life” from your dad?)

Do you remember a time getting “CORRECTED” by your dad and being grateful He did?

Whats a time where you were really blessed by your dad? (material blessing, spiritual blessing - anything that really meant something to you)

Del:

As a father of boys - You have an army of young boys that are quickly becoming men - They How have you as a father encouraged wisdom in your sons? How gave you seen Gods wisdom grow in them?

also....How have you at times corrected them & pushed them towards GODS best?

Rich:

as a spiritual father - passing along wisdom - you now are helping veterans with PTSD and trauma and helping them get free - how has your fathering shifted now as you gelp the younger generation grow in God’s wisdom?

as a grandfather of 4 - How as a fathering with older children continue to be a voice in your kids lives even as they are grown?

Jeremy:

Father of teens - We need wisdom to raise teens, the in between years of middle school can tough as identity forms- how can these be years where wisdom is built into young people? How can someone parent MS/HS with Godly wisdom in your opinion & your journey

Jason: Raising smaller kids - your in the throws of it - what wisdom are you seeking to pass along even to young kids in this season?

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