Abraham_living by priorities

Abraham

Living by Priorities

There are so many things in life that can distract us from the most important. There are many things pulling at men that require their time, their energy and their money. So it  stands to reason that we must have men who are willing to prioritize their life. Abraham was such a man. He was willing to live by the right priorities.

I.       Fathers Need to Stand Before the Lord (Genesis 18:22; 19:27)
 “Stand before the Lord” is a phrase used of Abraham in a couple places. There are three distinct actions that describe one who stands before the Lord. All of them should characterize the men here today.

A.        Intercessor
In these passages Abraham is interceding for Lot and his family, imploring the Lord to save them from the destruction about to befall the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. Jeremiah 15:1 refers to Moses and Samuel interceding for the nation of Israel.

Dads need to be intercessors.

ILL: When I was young I could hear my father praying for us in the basement of our home.

B.         Worshipper (Jeremiah 7:8-10)
Children need fathers who truly worship God from the heart. Not men with deceptive words.

C.         Servants of God (1 Kings 17:1; 18:15; 2 Kings 3:14)
Elijah who was one of the boldest of OT prophets was said to have stood before the Lord as a servant. Elisha was said to have stood before the Lord. They were bold, they were brave, they weren’t afraid of anyone.

Young boys are looking for heroes. They gravitate to men who are real men that don’t back down. When you serve God you have to have backbone. Nobody ever remembers a wimp, but they do remember heroes.

ILL: Mike McCaskill’s dad was his hero

II.    Fathers Need to Put God First

A.        God is more precious than anything else (Genesis 22)
Abraham was tested and proved that to him, nothing was more precious than God. In return God showed Abraham that he was Jehovah Jireh, God will provide. Imagine the lesson than young Isaac learned that day.

B.         Kingdom Seeker (Matthew 6:33)
Your enthusiasm in life ought to show that God and His kingdom are most important. What do you get most excited about in life? What kind of goals do you let your children know you have?