Sermon Tone Analysis

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR FATHERS AND GRANDFATHERS

Καὶ οἱ πατέρες, μὴ παροργίζετε τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ ἐκτρέφετε αὐτὰ ἐν παιδείᾳ καὶ νουθεσίᾳ Κυρίου.

ETS: God instructs fathers.

ESS: Christian fathers will commit to giving Spiritual guidance to their children.

PQ: What is my role as a father?

U.W.: Principles

INTRODUCTION;

Dad, as your children look at your life, what do they see?

If you allowed them to

Make an honest evaluation of your life as a father; What kind of evaluation would you get?

In ; God gives us some guiding principles for fathers.

A - Background and command.

I - BE AN INSPIRATION, NOT A PROVOCATION () ()

A - Make sure you are a Christian.

1- Have you experienced the transforming power of Christ?

()

2- Are you resting in grace or attempting to gain heaven on your own?

(, )

B - Make sure you are maintaining a growing intimacy with Christ.

1- How would you characterize your personal walk with Jesus?

2- You are to be growing in Him.

(; )

C - Make sure you don’t demand what you don’t live.

1- Are you teaching your children one lesson with your lips, and another with your life?

with your life?

ILL : His Lesson (KMB pg.

209)

Joseph had been sent to bed by his mother for using profane language.

When his father came home she sent him upstairs to punish the boy.

"I'll teach that young fellow to swear," he roared, and started up the stairs.

He tripped on the top step and even his wife held her ears for a few moments.

"You'd better come down now," she called to him after the air had cleared somewhat, "he's had enough for his first lesson."

—Illinois Farmer

Guidance goes beyond words!

II - BE A TEACHER OF GODLINESS ()

A - Pray daily for your children.

1- For their Salvation.

2- For their Sanctification.

3- For their Spouse (or future spouse).

4- For their Service to Christ.

B - Teach them Biblical principles for living.

(,; )

1- The lessons are to be ongoing.

2- The lessons are to be lived out before the children.

a. Living in faith.

b.

Lordship of Christ

*Joshua:”As for me & my house.”

()

C - Give them Scriptural answers to Life’s Problems.

1- Teach them that God’s word has the answer to all of the problems we

()

D - Teach them to have a growing intimacy with Christ.

1- Through prayer, Scripture meditation, obedience.

2- Teach them that they belong to God.

* Give them to God – Samuel was given to God. (; , ; )

CONCLUSION:

* HIS GREATEST SERMON (KMB 213—14)

Many years ago a farmer had an unusually fine crop of grain.

Just a few days before it was ready to harvest, there came a terrible hail and wind storm.

The entire crop was demolished.

After the storm was over, the farmer, with his little son went out on the porch.

The little boy looked at what was formerly the beautiful field of wheat, and then with tears in his eyes he looked up at his dad, expecting to hear words of despair.

All at once his father started to sing softly, "Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee."

Years after, the little boy, grown to manhood, said, "That was the greatest sermon I ever heard."

The farmer lost a grain crop, but who knows but that that was the turning point in the boy's life?

He saw the faith of a godly father in practice.

—Sunday School Times

(BEC):

In Paul’s day, the father had supreme authority over the family.

When a baby was born into a Roman family, for example, it was brought out and laid before the father.

If he picked it up, it meant he was accepting it into the home.

But if he did not pick it up, it meant the child was rejected.

It could be sold, given away, or even killed by exposure.

No doubt a father’s love would overcome such monstrous acts, but these practices were legal in that day.

Paul told the parents, “Don’t use your authority to abuse the child, but to encourage and build the child.”

…

the opposite of “provoke” is “encourage.”

Fathers provoke their children and discourage them by saying one thing and doing another—by always blaming and never praising, by being inconsistent and unfair in discipline, and by showing favoritism in the home, by making promises and not keeping them, and by making light of problems that, to the children, are very important.

Christian parents need the fullness of the Spirit so they can be sensitive to the needs and problems of their children.

The verb translated “bring them up” is the same word that is translated “nourishes” in .

The Christian husband is to nourish his wife and his children by sharing love and encouragement in the Lord.

It is not enough to nurture the children physically by providing food, shelter, and clothing.

He must also nurture them emotionally and spiritually.

He must discipline them.

The word “nurture” carries with it the idea of learning through discipline.

It is translated “chastening” in .

Some modern psychologists oppose the old-fashioned idea of discipline, and many educators follow their philosophy.

“Let the children express themselves!” they tell us.

“If you discipline them, you may warp their characters.”

Yet discipline is a basic principle of life and an evidence of love.(note and )

Also, our discipline must be fair and consistent.

“My father would use a cannon to kill a mosquito!” a teenager once told me.

“I either get away with murder, or get blamed for everything!”

He must instruct and encourage them.

This is the meaning of the word “admonition.”

The father and mother not only use actions to raise the child, but also words.

In the Book of Proverbs, for example, we have an inspired record of a father sharing wise counsel with his son.

Our children do not always appreciate our counsel, but that does not eliminate the obligation we have to instruct and encourage them.

Of course, our instruction must always be tied to the Word of God (see ).