World's Greatest Dad

Hebrews 11:7 KJV 1900

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

World’s Greatest Dad

I don’t know how many dad’s are like me. When i set out to do something that might earn me “dad points”, Murphy’s law sets in. I look at men like Bro. Simpkins who can build and construct. Men like Bret Sylvia who can fix and repair…And in my mind…i can do all of those things to…but when I set out to do it…it just doesn’t come out like it did in my mind.

Here’s to all the dads out there like me that are just doing the best that we can do love and nurture our families...

I found a story that I think may have been anonymously written by one of my childrens teachers.

The story goes that the teacher was grading the child’s homework. As the progressed through the pages and problems, she became increasingly appalled at the incorrect answers. Finally, in exasperation she exclaimed, “I don’t know how in the world it is even possible for one person to make so many mistakes.”

The child happily replied. “But it wasn’t just one person…my dad helped!”

illustration: Talk about a few things that I remember about my dad that I thought were incredible qualities that nobody else’s dad possessed.

His biceps…even though he even cut the grass in a suit, there were times when he would come out in his white t-shirt and he would flex...

His ability to shoot a 3-pointer. If you left him open, he was going to hit 6 or 7 out of ten.

His preaching

I found a few stories of men that the internet nominated for “World’s greatest dad status”.

Yu Xukang, lives in a remote area of the Szechwan provnice of china. His son was born with such severe disabilities that none of the nearby schools were able to accommodate his needs. Every morning, he wakes up, places his son atop his shoulders and walks him the nearly 5 mile trek to school and then repeats to bring him home. It is estimated that he has walked over 1,600 miles over the years, to ensure his sons education.

Or the child that had to undergo emergency, life-saving brain-surgery, leaving him with an embarrassing scar on his head. Dad, came alongside his son, by having matching incisions leaving him equally scarred as his son.

A strong candidate has to be the dad whose blind daughter wanted badly to join the other kids in the Easter Egg Hunt. And so, dad put his innovation to work and created the worlds first beeping easter egg.

The irony of the idea of the word’s greatest dad declaration, is that when you go to buy the mug…there is a whole shelf of them. How can there be so many of the World greatest dad’s?

The truth is that the World’s Greatest Dad isn’t a certain man…but it is a man that possesses certain qualities.

While there are things that we, as men, do in this lifetime that endear us to our children…buying puppies, building tree houses, trips to Disney…those are not the qualities that I preach about today....

But I want to look at the life of an old Testament patriarch. A man of great qualities and convictions. A man that made a few very difficult decisions that would forever change the lives not only of his family, but the future of humanity.

Hebrews 11:7 emphasizes the heroic life of this man names Noah when it declares that Noah prepared an ark to the saving of his family.

The first quality of this man…that I believe qualifies as the World’s Greatest Dad:

The bible says that Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations ,and Noah walked with God.

Obviously, my desire today is to preach in such a way that would compel us as men to rise to the occasion…and that word perfect…that is an intimidating word. Even to the most confident and self-assured dad among us.

Personally, if perfection is one of the qualifications of being regarded as “the worlds greatest dad”, then I am out of the running.

But the Jamieson, Fausset Brown commentary of the Bible summarizes vs. 9, when it simply says that Noah was sincere in his desire to do God’s will.

Dad’s…you may be like me and Murphy’s law set in every time you try to reline the weedeater.

Perhaps, like me, the best move that you can make when attempting to build a tree fort for your child, is to outsource it.

But I want to commend every dad that is in the house of the Lord today. I may break more things than I fix…but dad, when you live your life day in and day out with a sincere desire to do God’s Will! When you let your children watch you put the Kingdom of God first in your life…when they hear you talk about the goodness of the Lord. When they hear you express your appreciation for the church and for the things of God....

Dad, every time they see you walk into the house of God and raise your hands…you are saving your family!

Every time they watch you walk to an altar and watch you bow your knee before the Lord…you are saving your family!

Every time they hear you tell the truth…Every time they watch you honor your wife....you are saving your family!

In this hour, we need men that sincerely desire to do God’s Will…

2. Genesis 6:12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah,

2. The second quality of the World’s Greatest Dad… “Noah heard from God”.

The fact that Noah heard from God was so vital. Had Noah been too busy to hear from God…his family would have perished. If Noah had been too consumed with other voices to listen to the voice of God…this family would have died in the flood.

In the midst of an evil day, where the world had become so filled with violence that God repented that he made man, Noah heard from the Lord.

I want you to know that God isn’t speaking to everyone. Those that are propagating evil, violence and corruption are not hearing from God!

Noah first demonstrated that he sincerely desired to do the Will of God, before God spoke to him.

Dad’s we must hear from God in this hour!

We can’t just be led by emotion.

We can’t just be led by what everyone around us telling us to do in this hour…we must hear from God!

3. (don’t say it yet…consistency)

Genesis 6:3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

120 years from the time that Noah heard the warning of rain and the command to build.

And for 120 years, noah built the ark and noah preached righteousness.

He had no community of believers…he had no praise team to encourage him. No other preacher too strengthen him.

But for 120 years…surrounded by wickedness. Mocked and ridiculed.

And there is no evidence that for 120 years…the time between God giving him the warning of rain and the instructions for the ark…no evidence that God spoke to him again until it was time to get on the ark.

Yet, Noah just continued to build and he continued to preach.

consistency....

This attribute of the World’s greatest Dad is one that we can all seek to emulate.

Seeking to be consistent.

Consistent in the house of the Lord!

A consistent prayer life

Consistent in the Word

A consistent attitude out outlook!

I know that for me just having 3 months away from the church, i found it difficult…but 120 years Noah just continued to be consistent.

I could continue to pull examples from the life of Noah…A father who saved his family from destruction…but I will end with this final point...

Hebrews 11:7 NKJV

7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

4. Noah put his family before the World

Noah prepared an ark for the saving of his family, by which he condemned the world.

Noah…you have a choice…you can choose the world, or you can choose your family!

To condemn is simply to pass judgment upon. The antonym of condemn is approve.

Now…wether Noah built the ark or not, God’s judgment was coming…it wasn’t as if Noah’s building the ark is what brought destruction upon the world...

But every day that Noah went out there and hammed boards together, he was reminding the world that God was displeased with their sin.

Noah had two powers in his hand…approval and condemnation…and he had two groups of people before him. His family and the world.

I will approve of one and condemn the other.

Either I will approve of my family…but building this ark so that they can be saved..or I can approve of this world, and condemn my family!

Too many parents are trying to approve of both…trying to approve of the world and still save our families...

Dad’s we cannot approve of this world and save our families…We have to choose one…which one will be our priority?

Will we build for this world and condemn our families....or will be build what God has called us to build and save our families.

Well, I don’t want to be judgmental…I don’t want anyone to feel condemned…I don’t want to be too narrow minded....and in so doing, we approve the world and condemn our families.

No…Not so!

Dad’s of Living Hope..put your families first! Don’t you be afraid to put your foot down and say “not in this home”.

Come on Noah…you’ve got a boat to build…Mom wasn’t called to do it…shem, ham and Japheth werent called to do it....

Closing statements...

Listen to me…this is why for nearly 2 months I got in this pulpit in the midst of fear being propagated by every media outlet and every political voice....and I preached faith...

Because if you are going to possess the qualities of the World’s greatest dad…a Dad that is going to sincerely desire to do the will of God…a dad that has the ability to hear from God....A dad that is consistent…A dad that puts his family before the world....All of that is contingent upon the first 3 words of hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah”

We must be men of faith!

We must be men that walk by faith!

We cannot be fearful men in this hour!

We must be fathers that lead our family by faith!

I’m going to close with this illustration....

There was a dad that was helping out, as his wife was sick at home…and so he brought his son into work with him in his office for the afternoon.

The child was restless and continually asking questions and wondering how much longer it would be until they were able to leave.

So, looking around his office, he saw a magazine with a large map of the world on the cover. 

He got an idea.—  He removed the map, and then patiently cut it up into pieces.

The man explained that he needed to finish up his work and that as soon as he would done, they would leave…but he needed just a little longer to be able to focus

He explained that it was a map of the world, and that by the time he could put it back together, his extra work would be finished, and they would be able to go home.

Surely this would keep the child busy for a while, he thought. 

About 10 minutes later the boy came to the man and said, “Okay, it’s finished. Can we go now?”

The man was surprised, saying, “That’s impossible. Let’s go see.” 

And sure enough, there was the picture of the world, all put together, every piece in its place.

The man said, “That’s amazing! How did you do that?” 

The boy said: — “It was simple. On the back of the page was a picture of a man. When I put the man together the whole world fell into place.”