Honor Your Father

Father’s Day comes after Mother’s Day. That’s so the bills for Mother’s Day will arrive just in time for Father’s Day.

Anonymous

Father’s Day and Mother’s Day are alike, except that on Father’s Day you buy a much cheaper gift.

Anonymous

25  The yearning of many men today to become good fathers is rooted in our past—we are all children who want our fathers. Something in us yearns to honor fatherhood.

Ken Canfield

The Heart of a Father (1996)

Ken Canfield

Children, Obey Your Parents (vs 1)

Teknon - children,

those youngsters who are under the roof of a parent.

Implies one’s old enough to understand this command, but young enough to still be living in the home.

Thirdly, this implies a Christian home.

Reminder of Mom’s Day acronym

B. eautiful - tell them they are beautiful!

L. isten - treasure what they teach you. Think of what they teach you as an expensive and precious necklace.

E. steem - value and honor your mom. respect her greatly. this comes across the greatest in your attitude toward her.

S. mile - take that frown and turn it upside down! When you look at your mom, give her a big, big smile and tell her you live her. This will warm her heart like none other.

S. erve - Ask you mom, “Mom, what can I do for you?”

Why?

The overarching idea of Covering and Headship.

Covering - protection

Numbers 30:3–5 (NASB95)

“Also if a woman makes a vow to the Lord, and binds herself by an obligation in her father’s house in her youth, and her father hears her vow...if her father should forbid her on the day he hears of it, none of her vows or her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand; and the Lord will forgive her because her father had forbidden her.

Fathers have the responsibility to protect you even from yourself.

We have the responsibility to help you grow to maturity in life and spirit.

Full spiritual maturity and giftedness.

Headship - authority

In order to do that, we have to set parameters and give the orders.

Just like the captain of a ship. The leader.

The result:

Dependency - Parents are paying for and providing the essentials.

Allegiance - Emotional security and loyalty.

It is the right thing to do.

Jesus is our example.

Luke 2:51 (NIV84)

Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

How? In the Lord.

In His strength. Ask God to help you be obedient to your parents.

Your obedience to your parents is in keeping with your commitment to Jesus.

Colossians 3:23–24 NASB95

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Gives the parameters on this that what is being asked of the child would be pleasing to the Lord.

It would be wrong for an adult to tell a child to lie for them.

A child would not need to obey in that situation.

Honor Your Father (vs 2)

From Deuteronomy 5.16

To Value Greatly

The antique road show.

This broadens the idea to adult children as well.

You may no longer have to obey your parents, but you still have an obligation to honor them.

Respect them

Consider greatly their advice

Hold on to their teachings

How Do I Honor?

H.onesty

O.bey

N.o talking back

O.blige them - do a favor for them. Help them with a task.

R.espect their opinion

This Commandment Comes With a Promise

That It May Be Well With You

If you listen, no spankings or groundings

You will be better off.

That You May Live Long On The Earth.

I brought you into the world, I can take you out of it.

(Days may be prolonged)

You will live a better, more productive, and more satisfying life when you heed the words of your parents.

It is improbable that an undisciplined person will live a long and enjoyable life. They will self-destruct.

A General principle that obedience fosters self-discipline, which in turn brings stability and longevity in one’s life.

Fathers

Do Not Provoke Your Children to Anger

Colossians 3:21 NASB95

Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.

Bring Them Up

To nourish, rear, feed.

to nurture, bring up to maturity.

To train or educate

In the discipline of the Lord

paideia - to instruct

instruction and training by act and discipline.

directing and correcting

would be incomplete without nouthesia

In the instruction of the Lord

nouthesia - admonishment

words of encouragement or reproof which leads to correct behavior

In both words there is an appeal to the conscience, will, and reasoning facilities.

You should want to do the right thing

Here’s why.

Why are mothers not addressed here?

Is it because their training methods are perfect?

Is it because they are always right? Mother knows best?

No, it’s because Fathers must remember the stewardship role God has given us.

We are given the responsibility of being the covering over our kids.

We are the ones responsible for making sure our kids are brought up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

We are responsible to help our children reach their full spiritual maturity and giftedness.

We are training future warriors and supporters

The goal for Fathers is not to teach personal preferences, but rather spiritual truths.

The goal is not parental authority, but passing on God’s authority to children.

The Ultimate Father’s Day Recognition

Matthew 6:9–10 NASB95

“Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:31–34 NASB95

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

What Would Honor God The Father?

Psalm 78:5–8 NASB95

For He established a testimony in Jacob And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers That they should teach them to their children, That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and tell them to their children, That they should put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments, And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Put your confidence, your hope in God.

Remember what He has done in the past and remember that He works in similar ways today.

Keep His commandments.

Don’t be stubborn and rebellious.

Keep your heart ready and open to receive from Him.

Be faithful to Him.

Closing Song: Good, Good Father