Fathers and Baptism

Father’s Day, like Mother’s Day, is always a difficult day to navigate as a pastor. Some of you, like me, have enjoyed your relationship with you father. He has, although imperfectly, taught me how to be a man, to love and care for my wife and family, and how to work hard.

Others of you, however, have not enjoyed that father-child relationship. Perhaps your dad was overbearing or abusive, emotionally distant or completely unhinged.

Still others have not know their fathers.

As a pastor attempting to shepherd God’s people, I always find it difficult preaching on these types of Sundays, which is why I normally stick with whatever biblical book or topic we are currently working through.

However, after receiving some feedback from some of you in the pews, I am endeavoring to adjust my preaching to some of your expressed desires. This Sunday is Father’s Day as well as a day of baptism. This affords us with an opportunity to reflect on the importance of fathers and that of baptism.

Fathers are a gift from the Lord for the leading, supporting, protecting, and shepherding of the home. We should not shy away from this biblical role. Men generally, and fathers specifically, are to be shepherds in their homes to lead their wives and children to the Triune God.

This morning, we will see the importance of fathers in the home, the impact of fathers in the church, and the image of baptism and God’s grace.

Even if your a not a father, we all have a role to play in the home, the church, and displaying the work of Jesus Christ as displayed through baptism.

I. THE IMPORTANCE OF FATHERS IN THE HOME- Deut. 6:4–9; Eph. 6:4

God created the family to have a father who leads, protects, and provides for the family, the mother to tenderly support and sustain the family and the home, the children to obey and honor the parents.

We see this in the opening chapters of Genesis and throughout the Old and New Testaments. We see examples of godly fathers and their impact on their children, and grandchildren.

We see examples of wicked fathers, too, and the damage not only on their progeny, but society as well.

Fathers are vitally important, because they are gifted and called by God to be the spiritual leaders of the home.

We can provide some application points for us all to consider.

A. Fathers should be devoted followers of God

Daily devotion to the Lord through Scripture reading, prayer, acts of service to God and humanity.

Every single man in this church should be devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

Think about this: if everyone lived like you do, would they truly know God, or not? Could people say, that man or woman follows Jesus Christ?

What if everyone read their Bibles, or prayed, or attended church, or followed through with their membership covenant like you do?

B. Fathers should lead their families in daily worship

Reading Scripture and praying together is something every family should do, all at the leadership of the father.

C. Fathers should serve in the church

A church with men should not lack for volunteers or servants in any areas.

When we look at the pastoral epistles, those letters we call 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, you see men convinced that a devout relationship with the Lord is essential to life, and serving God in the body of Christ is a negotiable. This brings us to the impact of fathers in the church.

II. THE IMPACT OF FATHERS IN THE CHURCH- Acts 10:2, 44–48; 11:14; 16:25–34

We could read all of these passages, of course, but for the sake of time I want to draw out some implications for this. In addition to passages such as Eph. 4, 1 Tim. 3, and Tit. 1, we see the impact of fathers in the church. Notice that in these passages from Acts the fathers’ conversions lead to the conversion of the household.

Cornelius led his family to embrace Jesus Christ. Fathers, in the home and in the church, have an enormous responsibility and privilege.

How many children, who were “raised in the church” have nothing to do with God when they grow up, do so because of an inconsistent father in the church?

How many children, who were “raised in the church” love God when they grow up, do so because of a consistent and godly father in the church?

How sad is it that a women’s Bible study can be packed, while a men’s Bible study is doing well when they have three men show up? There is nothing wrong with a women’s Bible study, by the way.

Strong churches are filled with men who take seriously the call to discipleship.

III. THE IMAGE OF BAPTISM AND GOD’S GRACE- Rom. 6:1–5

Although our focus is primarily on the importance of fathers in the home and their impact in the church, all who call upon the name of the Lord, who are saved by His grace, should follow with baptism, as Pete did this morning.

Paul unpacks the importance of baptism in Romans 6:1–5.

“Baptism is an Ordinance of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party Baptized, a sign of his fellowship with him, in his death, and resurrection; of his being engrafted into him of remission of sins; and of his giving up unto God through Jesus Christ to live and walk in newness of life.” Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, XXIX. Of Baptism, Paragraph 1

Baptism is a wonderful mystery, where the believer, as they are lowered into the waters, are united with Christ in His death. The brief pause while submerged in the waters serves as a picture of the union in Christ’s time in the grave. The raising of the baptized individual, like the raising of the Lord Jesus, demonstrates the believer’s new life.

G. I. Williamson describes baptism this way, “Baptism…simply expresses the verbal content of the gospel in non-verbal form.” In other words, anyone watching the baptism this morning watched a picture of the Gospel.

Sam Waldron helpfully summarizes the importance of baptism,

“Baptism is a symbol of both the blessings of the gospel and the saving response to the gospel.” Sam Waldron, A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, 412.

The blessings of the gospel are seen in Paul’s phrases such as:

Died to sin

United with him in death, united with him in a resurrection like His [Christ’s]

The saving response to the gospel is seen in Paul’s phrase:

we too might walk in newness of life

Pete’s baptism this morning provides a wonderful example for his wife, his two children, his family, and our church. It demonstrates the blessings of the gospel through a saving response of walking in faithfulness to Christ.

It also demonstrates the importance of the father in the home, where they are raising Loch and Mina in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. It proves how impactful a man willing to serve the Lord can be in the church.

Fathers, do you take your role in the home with grave sincerity?

Do you see the God-given responsibilities as being the priority in yours and the family you lead life?

Fathers specifically, and men generally, do you see how impactful your lives can be in the church?

Brothers and sisters, do you see the blessings and responsibilities of the Gospel?