Fathers, The Priest of the family
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Fathers, The Priest Of The Family
Fathers, The Priest Of The Family
Observations of a Priest and Pastor
Big Idea - God has called me to be a priest in my family
Begs the question,
How are Fathers the Priest of their Family?
In the Bible we see 3 broad different roles in the O.T.
We see Prophets, Priests and Kings.
The Prophet would challenge and direct the people. God calls dads to challenge and direct.
The King would rule and protect the people. God calls dads to lovingly rule and protect.
The Priest would minister and be a Shepherd to the spiritual needs of the people.
God calls dads to spiritually shepherd his family.
Today we will discuss dads as shepherds. We will do this by looking at Eli’s life.
Prophet - direct and challenge to follow God
King - Lead and administrate
Priest - Minister spiritually
If you are unfamiliar, read about him.
Honestly - If you are completely unfamiliar, that tells you that you are not reading through the Old Testament.
Eli was The High Priest that served and was a judge over Israel after Samson died. He did a lot of good & we will learn from that. He made some mistakes that we will learn from as well.
1. I must be passionate for the worship of God
(Eli valued the worship of God.)
If you are here today as a dad you probably have a value for the corporate worship of God.
Nationally Father’s Day is one of the lowest attended Sundays in the year. Your attendance shows at minimum your value for spirituality.
How do we know that Eli valued the worship of God?
-Young woman named Hannah came to the Tabernacle yearly to worship with her husband.
-Hannah could not have children, God had closed her womb.
-A large part of a woman’s value in Bible times was their ability to have children, especially boys.
-At the tabernacle Eli saw Hannah praying. That’s good. However, she was praying with lips moving and no sound coming out. In Bible times that was strange. They would commonly pray out loud or silent, but never just lips moving.
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”
-Thinking Hannah was drunk, Eli confronts her.
I Samuel 1:12-
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.”
I samuel 1:12-14
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”
I samuel 1:12-
-Thinking Hannah was drunk, Eli confronts her.
-She corrects him and tells him her situation.
-He then blesses her.
-Hannah promised God that if God gave her a boy, she would give him back to God.
Eli didn’t want the worship of God spoiled. He took it seriously. He took action.
Why? He valued the worship of God.
APPLICATION??? … We worship together at church.
How we live our life is to be an offering to God.
2.
Eli confronted Hannah who he thought was drunk.
, Eli thought Hannah was drunk and confronted her about praying at the Tabernacle intoxicated.
2. Eli valued his sons immediate happiness over the worship of God.
Vs. 17, Eli blesses Hannah’s prayer
2. I must love the worship of God more than the desires of my children.
(Eli valued his sons immediate happiness over the worship of God.)
(Eli valued his sons immediate happiness over the worship of God.)
Eli’s 2 boys grew up and became priests. They worked under his leadership.
The 2 boys started abusing their position.
-The bible allows for priests to take a certain cut of the animal for their meal. This is part of how active priests were provided for. This was good. The people giving the offering were happy to give this portion to the priests as God instructed.
-Eli’s 2 boys wanted a more choice cut of meat, that was to be given to God. When the person giving the offering refused to disobey the Bible - Eli’s boys would threaten to take it by force.
This ruined the sacrificial worship experience for the worshiper. This stole from God’s glory.
Then Eli found out - his 2 priestly sons were sleeping with female Tabernacle helpers. Word was out that the 2 boys were not living holy lives. This hurt the worship of God.
Eli confronts his sons. His sons don’t listen.
Here was Eli’s problem - instead of expelling the boys from the priesthood, he let them continue with no change to their behavior.
When it comes to the worship of God Eli confronts, but will not discipline.
Now, Eli becomes responsible.
God sends a prophet to confront and send a curse on Eli - part of it reads...
29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’
I samu
2:22-25, Eli confronts his sons about their very serious sin, but will not discipline them and protect the worship of God. vs. 29 “honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest part of every offering of my people Israel.”
***
Eli had greater affections and loyalty to his sons than to God and His glory.
Jesus, who is willing to leave father mother sister brother on account of me...
While Eli was right to confront his sons, he was not willing to shield the glory and worship of God from their sin. The people suffered and God’s worship was stolen because Eli was more concerned with pleasing His sons than pleasing God.
What Eli should have done at minimum was expel his sons from the priesthood.
What the sons deserved biblically was to be executed.
-When my child sins I must not only confront him, but I must discipline him.
-Example, Scott Wallace always being fussed at, but never disciplined. The 2 times a year he would actually get a spanking he would squeal like a stuck pig. He was disliked by all the people in the neighborhood because he would steal and destroy others property.
Parents (Dads) when your child disobeys or sins you must bring discipline. Don’t leave it to mom to discipline. Bring the discipline that is consistant.
Eli’s sons stole from the sacrifices offered to God (2:15) and had sex with female temple helpers (2:22). This didn’t happen overnight. This trajectory started early in life. The boys would disobey, but would then be met with only confrontation and no discipline, no consequence.
They needed consequences given through discipline at an early age.
Eli’s sons were allowed to think and act that the worship of God’s people was not important.
As parents, we have to impress on the hearts of our children that worshiping Him is important. How do we disrespect the worship of God?
- I must love the worship of God more than the desires of my children.
-We come to church only when we feel like it.
-We come to church only when we feel like it.
-We regularly allow other events to separate us from worshiping with God’s people.
-We make commitments to ball or dance knowing ahead of time that these things will take us away from the worship of God.
-We allow our children to think it is ok to sleep in and not worship with God’s people.
-We falsely believe that if we make our children attend church we will turn them off to God … When in reality by not insisting that they go - we show them that is really isn’t all that important.
***Parents and grand parents , I want to be clear about parenting.
-There is not a formula that you can follow that will guarantee your child will be godly. You can be a perfect parent and your child can still reject God. There are plenty of broken hearted parents in this world that did all the right things and have children that walked away from the Lord. Why? Because when it came time for that child to make the Lord their own - they chose not to. They went their own way. This means that you and I are not in control. We are not in control of our children’s hearts.
-However, There are many things you can do to point them to the Lord. These things give your child the opportunity to say “Yes” to Jesus. Very regularly one of my prayers for my children is “Help Alissa and Karis say “yes” to you today. There are days or seasons that they clearly say “yes” to Him. There are days or seasons when they clearly saying “no”.
-If you don’t point your children to Jesus, they won’t have the opportunity to say, “Yes” to God. So we are intentional about pointing our Children to Jesus.
We are not looking for moral behaviorism.
We are looking for transformation of the soul by the living God.
Dad’s one of 20 things you as a parent can do is love God and your children so much that you do everything you can to make sure they are in corporate worship on Sunday morning.
-If you have a teenager, youth group on Sunday Night.
-If they play or practice ball or dance over church, they will see through your actions what you believe is really important.
-When you choose attending church and worshiping with God’s people to His praise over ball … and your young person hears you say to your coach in a loving and respectful way, “Please know that I support the team as much as I can, but tending to the soul of my child will always be my first priority. Therefore practice & games on Sunday is not an option for our family.
Dad’s - at the end of your life, when you are laying in your bed, doing inventory over your life - you will not say - I wish we had gone to one more practice or had one more game. You will say, It was great to stand next to my child and worship the Savior.
Transition - What else does Eli show us about Fatherhood
3. I must take advantage of a second chance.
Eli took advantage of a 2nd chance
Do you remember Hannah that Eli thought was drunk while she prayed?
Samuel
She brings her son Samuel to Eli.
Samuel will grow up a prophet was on of the top 10 spiritual leaders in the Old Testament.
Who spiritually fathered Samuel? Who discipled Samuel? Who taught Samuel about God’s greatness, God’s power and God’s holiness? Eli
Samuel saw the terrible mistakes that Eli’s sons made. Samuel learned what to do and what not to do from Eli.
Eli raised this little boy to manhood.
Eli raised one of the greatest prophets in the O.T.?
How? Eli took advantage of second chances.
Scripture reference?
There are men in this room that think it is too late to spiritually father anyone.
Some of our men in this room have kids and today needs to be a redo for you.
Some of our men in this room have kids and today needs to be a redo for you.
It is not too late, if you will look for a second chance.
How do you take advantage
If you have an adult son, it is not to late to share with him your transformed life. God will use it.
Transition - What does our passage show us about the Gospel
If you have grandchildren - they are your second chance.
If you are a father with Children or grandchildren, today is a day of rededication to being a spiritual priest to your children. Today begins your second chance.
Transition - How does this passage point is to the Cross?
4. God is not a God of second changes, but a million chances
God can redeem our broken situation.
It reminds us of this - that even after we have spoiled an opportunity
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
L:am 3:21-23
Gospel
Listen to what the Lord says about your sin.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
Pardoning iniquity - Forgiving sin
Steadfast love = Proven by the Father sacrificing His son on the cross.
Begs the question,
How are Fathers the Priest of their Family
In the Bible we see 3 broad different roles in the O.T.
We see Prophets, Priests and Kings.
The Prophet would challenge and direct the people.
The King would rule and protect the people.
The priest would minister to the spiritual needs of the people.
Dads are called to all 3 rolls:
Prophet - direct and challenge to follow God
King - Lead and administrate
Priest - Minister spiritually
Transition - Today we are going to look at a Priest’s life named Eli. If you are unfamiliar, read about him.
Honestly - If you are completely unfamiliar, that tells you that you are not reading through the Old Testament.
Eli was a Priest that served after Samson died. He did a lot of good & we will learn from that. He made some mistakes that we will learn from as well.
Vs. 17, Eli blesses Hannah’s prayer
2:22-25, Eli confronts his sons about their very serious sin, but will not discipline them and protect the worship of God. vs. 29 “honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest part of every offering of my people Israel.”
***
Eli had greater affections and loyalty to his sons than to God and His glory.
Jesus, who is willing to leave father mother sister brother on account of me...
While Eli was right to confront his sons, he was not willing to shield the glory and worship of God from their sin. The people suffered and God’s worship was stolen because Eli was more concerned with pleasing His sons than pleasing God.
What Eli should have done at minimum was expel his sons from the priesthood.
What the sons deserved biblically was to be executed.
-When my child sins I must not only confront him, but I must discipline him.
-Example, Scott Wallace always being fussed at, but never disciplined. The 2 times a year he would actually get a spanking he would squeal like a stuck pig. He was disliked by all the people in the neighborhood because he would steal and destroy others property.
Parents (Dads) when your child disobeys or sins you must bring discipline. Don’t leave it to mom to discipline. Bring the discipline that is consistant.
Eli’s sons stole from the sacrifices offered to God (2:15) and had sex with female temple helpers (2:22). This didn’t happen overnight. This trajectory started early in life. The boys would disobey, but would then be met with only confrontation and no discipline, no consequence.
They needed consequences given through discipline at an early age.
Eli’s sons were allowed to think and act that the worship of God’s people was not important.
As parents, we have to impress on the hearts of our children that worshiping Him is important. How do we disrespect the worship of God?
-We come to church only when we feel like it.
-We regularly allow other events to separate us from worshiping with God’s people.
-We make commitments to ball or dance knowing ahead of time that these things will take us away from the worship of God.
-We allow our children to think it is ok to sleep in and not worship with God’s people.
-We falsely believe that if we make our attend church out of respect for the worship of God that we will turn them off to God … When in reality by not insisting that they go - we show them that is really isn’t all that important.
***Parents and grand parents , I want to be clear about parenting.
-There is not a formula that you can follow that will guarantee your child will be godly. You can be a perfect parent and your child can still reject God. There are plenty of broken hearted parents in this world that did all the right things and have children that walked away from the Lord. Why? Because when it came time for that child to make the Lord their own - they chose not to. They went their own way. This means that you and I are not in control. We are not in control of our children’s hearts.
-However, There are many things you can do to point them to the Lord. These things give your child the opportunity to say “Yes” to Jesus. Very regularly one of my prayers for my children is “Help Alissa and Karis say “yes” to you today. There are days or seasons that they clearly say “yes” to Him. There are days or seasons when they clearly saying “no”.
-If you don’t point your children to Jesus, they won’t have the opportunity to say, “Yes” to God. So we are intentional about pointing our Children to Jesus.
We are not looking for moral behaviorism.
We are looking for transformation of the soul by the living God.
Dad’s one of 20 things you as a parent can do is love God and your children so much that you do everything you can to make sure they are in corporate worship on Sunday morning.
-If you have a teenager, youth group on Sunday Night.
-If they play or practice ball or dance over church, they will see through your actions what you believe is really important.
-When you choose attending church and worshiping with God’s people to His praise over ball … and your young person hears you say to your coach in a loving and respectful way, “Please know that I support the team as much as I can, but tending to the soul of my child will always be my first priority. Therefore practice & games on Sunday is not an option for our family.
Dad’s - at the end of your life, when you are laying in your bed, doing inventory over your life - you will not say - I wish we had gone to one more practice or had one more game. You will say, It was great to stand next to my child and worship the Savior.
The Cross and Eli
Leave father, mother sister and brother on account of Jesus.
In the past when Israel went to war, they would take the Ark of God with them. This was a symbol of the presence of God being with Israel and that Israel was trusting God. God’s presence and His work would save Him.
There was a battle with the Philistines. This time was different. The Ark was brought out as a good luck charm by Eli’s wicked sons. It wasn’t a symbol of faith and God’s power. Israel was using the ark of God to force him to fight for them. There was no faith, trust or love of God.
When we engage God, it is never on our terms, but always on His terms.
If He is going to be your savior it is by trusting Him, giving all of yourself in faith to Him.
Like God’s presence fought for Israel in past battles. He did for them what they could not do for themselves … God has fought the spiritual battle for us by being present on the Cross.
God will not be used as a lucky charm - only to be brought out in an emergency.
God wants you to follow all of Him now.