Abraham Fit to Be A Father

An Expression of divine Confidence

Genesis 18:19 ESV

For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”

God made a choice and His choice expressed His confidence in Abraham

Abraham’s Faithfulness

Abraham’s Obedience

Abraham’s Consistency

God chose Abraham for a specific purpose. This refers to an intimate and personal relationship that has an end in mind.

God chose you as well to train and to teach you how to be the dad of your children.

If you are a father or one day become a father, it is because God has confidence that you will raise your sons and daughters to know Him.

It does not matter how old you are and it does not matter how late you have come to God, you have influence in your children’s lives and you should use it.

I met several Christians who were led to Christ by a former drug lord.

A few years ago, when I was working in a Mexican Prison we were sharing the gospel and I was told that the head of one of the largest drug cartels in the world had been there for a time.

This prison housed the worse of all of Mexico’s bad men. They were assassins, drug smugglers, human traffickers, kidnappers, you name it these men had done it and worse.

So this man, the head of one of the largest drug cartels in the world is arrested and sent to this federal prison. And there in that federal prison, a small church had begun.

They met under a tree daily for prayer and Bible study. A few churches would come in with food and Bibles and a local pastor would lead the study. Maybe 20-30 men would gather. Some had accepted Jesus as their savior and were now living as Christians in the prison.

One day, this leader of the drug cartel decided he didn’t like this group of Christians. He wanted it stopped so he began to harass these believers, he had other men who knew of him and his reputation to harass them too, and even the guards were enlisted to try and break up this small group of Christians.

But we serve a mighty God. One who is not limited by prison walls nor is impressed with how bad you may have been.

Then one day, he went over to try and break up the bible study once again only this time, and I will quote him as he said it, “God grabbed me!”

He heard the message of the gospel and it got inside of him and when it did, it changed him. He was saved, he became a believer and from that point on he used his influence to change lives.

In the prison with other men and the guards he would witness and testify to what God had done for him.

When his wife came to visit him, he led her to the Lord. Then his two sons were led to the Lord and because of his witness, the church inside the prison grew to several hundred and because of his witness, his family became followers of Jesus too.

It is never too late to begin influencing your children with the gospel!

But look again at what the passage says to us. Abraham was chosen because he would

keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice . . .

2. The implication here is that Abraham will direct, teach, insure that his children and the members of his household follow the right path.

The implication here is that Abraham will direct, teach, insure that his children and the members of his houshold follow the right path. Dads are needed to put their children on the right path of life. They are needed to guide the steps of a child into fellowship with God. They are needed to help keep that fellowship alive as the child grows. A disinterested father is one of the primary reasons a young man or woman will forsake their faith as they move into adulthood. If your son has seen in you a very cavalier approach to your faith, they will have a tendency to adopt that same attitude.

Fathers are needed to put their children on the right path of life.

They are needed to guide the steps of a child into fellowship with God.

They are needed to help keep that fellowship alive as the child grows.

A disinterested father is one of the primary reasons a young man or young woman will forsake their faith as they move into adulthood.

If your son or daughter has seen that your faith isn’t important, that God’s word and will are unimportant, they will have a tendency to adopt that same attitude.

Look at Joshua’s heart regarding his role as spiritual head in his home.

Joshua 24:14–15 ESV

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua understood the importance of taking the role of father and household leader seriously.

He determined to serve the Lord.

Have you as a father decided that your home will be a home in which God is welcome or have you abdicated your God ordained role to someone else?

Do you allow the church men to influence your children?

Do you allow teachers at school to influence your children?

Do you allow the street to influence your children?

Look again at what God said about Abraham.

Command his children

Keep the way of the Lord

Doing righteousness and justice

This is literally means Abraham would set up a guard to protect his home.

As husband and father you guard and you protect your family with the life you live and the choices you make.

This is literally to set up a guard to protect a lifestyle.

What we model on the journey of our lives is most often caught by our children rather than taught.

Abraham, was a model of faith and belief but he was also a broken.

He did not do it all perfectly.

None of us will, but we serve a God who is watching; what we lack he will make up.

Where we fail, he can restore and when we let down, he is always faithfully helping to bring our children into a relationship with him.

God wants a relationship with our children. We as fathers or mothers must join Him in His work of bringing children to a place of trust and faith in God and The Lord Jesus.

The amazing thing is that in spite of our failed attempts and our struggle with sin, God is and always has been directly interested in our children and He wants us to lead them into the paths of righteousness.

A man who models God's ways, who lives his life by values that honor God and will not violate those values will have a greater impact on society and the world than the greatest political advisor, or the most wealthy of any nation.

A man who models God's ways, who lives his life by values that honor God and will not violate those values will have a greater impact on society and the world than the greatest political advisor, or the most powerful financier.

"The greatest political storm flutters only a fringe of humanity, but an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children will literally alter the destiny of nations." –GK Chesterton posted on Focus on the Family website

Today, men are needed more than ever to set a standard of righteousness and godly living.

We must take our stand, make a commitment to live for Christ and model Christ before our families.

Honesty

Integrity

Commitment

Hard work

Tenacity

Men who practice these values will find themselves valued by the world, the church and by God.

Men who practice these values will change their children’s lives and the world around them.