Loving Father

FATHERS DAY FOR MANY IS NOT A GOOD DAY. THEIR MEMORIES OF FATHER ARE NOT GOOD MEMORIES. FOR TOO MANY, ESPECIALLY IN THIS TIME, THE MEMORY OF DAD IS AN ABSENTEE.

SHARE ABOUT MY LIFE GROWING UP WITH MY DAD. THE HARDSHIP, THE PAIN.

HIS WORK ETHIC, BUT ALSO THE ABSENTEE OF HIM. BAD CHOICES HE MADE- SMOKING, FAILED MARRIAGES, ADULTERIES.

THE CHOICES HE MADE WERE NOT THE BEST.

MOST OF THE TIME, WHAT YOUR CHILD SEE’S AND EXPERIENCES FROM THEIR FATHER WILL BE HOW THEY GROW.

BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE!

HERE ARE SOME STATISTICS:

68 million of our nation’s 94 million men don’t attend any church. This, in spite of the fact, that 86% of them grew up with some sort of church background.

Research has revealed that if a child is the first person in a household to become a Christian, there is a 3.5 percent probability that everyone else in the household will become Christians. Not very high at all.

If the mother is the first to accept Christ, the percent goes up and 17 percent of the homes will see the remainder of its members trust Christ.

But if the father is first, there is a 93 percent probability that everyone else in the household will follow.

WOW!! THE FATHER MAKES A GREAT DIFFERENCE IN THE HOUSE.

WE SEE THIS IN WITH THE JAILER. THE JAILER SEE WHAT THE LORD DONE THROUGH PAUL, THE JAILER BRINGS PAUL AND HIS FRIENDS TO HIS HOUSE, FEEDS THEM AND CLEANS THEM UP. PAUL PROCLAIMS THE GOSPEL AND SOMETHING HAPPENS.

Acts 16:33 ESV

33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.

ACTS 16:

THIS IS WHY FATHERS ARE SO VITAL IN THE HOUSE. GOOD AND BAD. WHATEVER DIRECTION HE LEADS THE FAMILY IS THE DIRECTION THEY WILL GO.

TODAY I WANT US TO LOOK AT A VERY KNOWN PARABLE.

THE PRODIGAL SON.

BUT WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THINGS FROM THE FATHERS PERSPECTIVE.

Luke 15:11–32 ESV

11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

LUKE 15:11-

FIRST THING WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND IS:

FATHERS, ALWAYS LOVE

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WE SEE THE YOUNGEST CHILD DID NOT MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS.

HE ALLOWED THE WORLD AND FRIENDS TO INFLUENCE HIM WITH HIS CHOICES.

THE FATHER IN LOVE ALLOWED HIS SON TO MAKE HIS OWN CHOICES.

READING THROUGH THESE PASSAGES, WE KNOW THAT THE FATHER TAUGHT HIS SONS WORK ETHICS, TO DO RIGHT, AND TAUGHT THEM THE LAW.

WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE THE SON KNEW HIS BIRTH RIGHTS, KNEW THAT HE WAS NOT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH PORK, AND KNEW THAT HE SINNED.

MANY TIMES OUR CHILDREN DO NOT MAKE THE BEST CHOICES, AND AS HARD AS IT IS, WE MUST LET THEM LEARN FROM THOSE CHOICES.

BUT ALWAYS LET THEM KNOW AND SEE YOUR LOVE THROUGH THOSE CHOICES.

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

This does not mean that they will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. But if you guide your child in the right direction, they will be convicted of the choices that they make and return to what they know is right.

BUT ALWAYS LET THEM KNOW AND SEE YOUR LOVE THROUGH THOSE CHOICES.

SECOND THING WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND IS:

FATHERS, ALWAYS FORGIVE

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THE SON MISSED UP, HE KNEW HE SINNED, HE WAS WILLING TO WORK FOR HIS DAD JUST TO COME BACK.

THE SON WAS NOT EXPECTING HIS FATHER’S FORGIVENESS.

AND YET, WHEN HIS FATHER SAW HIM, HE RAN TO HIM, KISSED HIM, AND REJOICED BECAUSE HIS SON HAD RETURNED.

I’M SURE THE TIME THAT HIS SON WAS GONE, HE WAS PRAYING FOR GOD TO WATCH OVER HIM, WORK IN HIS SONS HEART, AND HIS.

MANY TIMES WE READ THESE PASSAGES AND SEE HOW OPEN THE FATHER WAS. BUT THE SON BY ASKING FOR HIS SHARE OF THE INHERITANCE WAS SAYING “FATHER I WISH YOU WAS ALREADY DEAD”.

THIS IS A HARD THING FOR A FATHER TO HEAR. I’M SURE THERE WAS FUSTRATION, ANGER, AND HURT THE FATHER EXPERIENCED.

ONLY WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS IS PRAYER AND ASKING THE LORD TO HEAL AND SEEK FORGIVENESS.

IT IS NEVER EASY TO SEE YOUR CHILD STRUGGLE, KNOWING THAT ALL YOU CAN DO IS PRAY.

FATHERS, CHILDREN MAKE MISTAKES, THEY MISS UP. SOME ARE TEACHING MOMENTS OTHERS ARE DISCIPLINE MOMENTS. BUT ALWAYS LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE FORGIVEN.

THIRD THING WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND IS:

FATHERS, ALWAYS LEAD

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THE OLDER SON WAS UPSET BECAUSE OF WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE.

IT WAS NOT EASY FOR THE OLDER CHILD TO SEE HOW EASY IT WAS FOR THE YOUNGER BROTHER TO COME BACK AND TO THROW A PARTY AT THAT.

BUT THE FATHER LEAD BY EXAMPLE ON WHAT IT MEANS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.

”TEACHING MOMENT”

ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES WE CAN DO FOR OUR CHILDREN IS LEAD THEM IN WHAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT THEM. SET THAT EXAMPLE YOURSELF.

IF YOU EXPECT THEM TO FOLLOW THE RIGHT ROAD, THEN IT STARTS WITH YOU SHOWING THEM AS YOU WALK IT YOURSELF.

FATHERS- WE WILL NOT ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING. THERE WILL BE TIMES THAT WE FEEL THINGS ARE NOT GOING AS THEY SHOULD. BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER:

WE HAVE AN HEAVENLY FATHER WHO WILL NEVER FORSAKE US, WHO WILL ALWAYS LOVE US NO MATTER WHAT, A FATHER WHO GAVE HIMSELF SO THAT WE COULD HAVE LIFE.

STORY

A FATHER AND HIS SON WENT ON A FISHING TRIP. WHEN THEY RETURNED HOME, THE FATHER WAS TALKING TO A FRIEND AND AT THE SAME TIME THE SON WAS TALKING TO A FRIEND OF HIS. THE FRIEND ASKED THE FATHER HOW THE TRIP WENT, THE FATHERS RESPONSE, ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE, WORSE DAY OF MY LIFE. WE STRUGGLED GETTING THE BOAT READY TO GO, GOT TO THE LAKE AND HAD TO GO AND GET GAS, GOT OUT ON THE WATER LATE, AND ALL THE GOOD FISHING SPOTS WERE ALREADY TAKEN, FINALLY FOUND A PLACE AND THE LINES WERE ALL TANGLED TOGETHER, NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF BAIT I WAS USING, THE FISH WERE BITING ON SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THE SON WAS HOT, AND THE MOSQUITOES WERE BITING, AND WE DIDN’T CATCH A THING.

THE SONS FRIEND ASKED HOW THE TRIP WENT, AND THE SON REPLIED, BEST DAY OF MY LIFE. DIDN’T CATCH A THING, BUT I GOT TO SPEND THE DAY ALONE WITH MY DAD.

FATHERS REMEMBER, IT IS NOT WHAT WE DO OR WHAT IT EVEN LOOKS LIKE, IT IS THE MEMORIES AND THE THINGS THEY LEARN THAT THEY TAKE FROM US.