Father Knows Best

Happy Mother’s Day! What a joy it is to be together on this wonderful day as we honor God and celebrate moms!

This morning I am going to deliver a message that has a title that is a bit out of the box. In fact, when you here the title, you might even think that I have the wrong day in mind for this message… especially after watching that video that highlighted mothers of the Bible… mothers of faith. The title of today’s message is… Father Knows Best.

Now… I can already sense the guys in the room thinking “Ah yeah… that’s right. This is gonna be a GOOD message!” But hold on for a minute… back it up for a second and allow me to explain.

No, I am not referencing a 1950’s sitcom based off a radio show that came to life that was about a wise family man, Jim Anderson, his common-sense wife Margaret and their children Betty, Bud and Kathy.

Let’s go back to the video for a moment that spoke of motherhood in the Bible… and specifically who was at the center of the story with each of the spoken of moms - GOD. In each of those stories, the moms trusted God and God delivered. God… our heavenly Father… KNOWS BEST!

The message today is going to be a bit different… but I believe it is something we all need to hear and remember as parents and grandparents.

We are going to look at a story that is recorded in Luke chapter 2. This story focuses on a situation that takes place with one of the mothers mentioned in the video… Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Talk about a HUGE responsibility, right? Mary is the mother of God’s Son… and she and Joseph bear the responsibility of raising Jesus and caring for Him in His early years.

Parenting is a HUGE responsibility… but imagine what it would feel like to parent a child you know belonged to God! What would that feel like? What would that entail? What steps would you take to make sure everything you did as a mother or father lined up with how God wanted things to be handled? Here’s the deal, church… Mary was in fact raising God’s Son… but all children should be raised with the understanding that they belong to our heavenly Father!

Consider the act of child dedication. When we dedicate a child to the Lord, it is NOT a moment of salvation for the child, but it is in fact a recognition that the child is a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3)… and it is a commitment of the parents and the church to raise that child to make a decision to follow the Lord.

Now I understand there come moments when our children seem like less of a gift and more like a test of our patience! Kids, I’m not throwing you under the bus today… but there can be moments when you push mom and dad’s buttons! Did you know… that there was an instance in Scripture where Jesus… somewhat tested the patience of His mother Mary?

Luke 2:41-52 is where our story comes from. 41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Now… imagine for a moment not knowing where your 12 year old son is… FOR THREE DAYS!!! Mary and Joseph had gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and somehow when they began to travel home… Jesus took a detour. Somehow they got separated. they traveled for a day before realizing Jesus was not with them. What this means is… JESUS WAS THE FIRST HOME ALONE KID!!!

On day three, they find Jesus in the Temple and along with feelings of relief came the feelings of… well mom… you know the feeling I’m talking about! The feelings of WHAT WAS MY KID THINKING!

But something VERY important takes place in the dialog between Mary and Jesus and if you blink while reading it… you might very well miss it.

Mary drops an identifier statement… YOUR FATHER AND I… Mary and Joseph had been anxiously searching for their son.

But then Jesus says something that changes the whole situation around… Jesus says “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Jesus wasn’t speaking of Joseph’s house… He was speaking of God the Father’s house.

This statement is said as a direct contrast to what Mary had said. IT WAS NOT SAID TO BE DISRESPECTFUL. If Jesus meant to be disrespectful, then there would be no reason to include in verse 51 that Jesus was obedient to Mary and Joseph.

Here’s the deal… Jesus, although only being 12 at the time, was beginning to fulfill the higher mission that was given to Him by God the Father. He had come to earth to fulfill this mission and purpose: THIS WAS HIS PRIMARY DUTY.

What we are seeing here is remarkable… Jesus is embracing the will of the heavenly Father for His life. Although His ministry on earth did not begin for several more years, Jesus was heading in the direction He was meant to go. He was following the Father… for the Father, GOD THE FATHER, knows best.

Moms, dads, the greatest thing we can do for our children is teach them to trust the Father. The best thing we can encourage our kids to pursue or to chase after is the will or plan that God has for our children.

We all have in mind what we want for our kids… and I truly believe we ALL want the very best for our kids! The very best is GOD’S BEST and the ONLY way they will discover this is through a genuine relationship with God through the Son.

Mary and Joseph were used to Jesus being under their wing. They cared for Him, they were raising Him, they were doing all they could to prepare Him for what was to come… and here they begin to see Jesus step into that new chapter.

As hard as it might be… we must FULLY GIVE OUR KIDS to the Lord and do our best to lead our kids in the ways of God. “Pastor, why do you say that is a hard thing to do?” Because it means… we have to fully trust God… with our kids! We have to fully trust that God the Father knows best! And yes… there will come a day when we must release our children to pursue the path God lays out for them.

I don’t know where you might be in this process with your kids but today we are going to cover three quick points of what this trust in God looks like. Quick show of hands… how many desire for your kids to experience the best of what God has in store for them? Then similar to what Jack Smart preached on a couple of weeks ago… there will come a time when we must take our hands off so that God can get His hands on them.

Your Kids Must Know the Father.

Before anyone can know His plan… a person must first know the Father - God the Father. Before anyone can follow… they must know who is leading. Moms… I encourage you today… make sure your kids know the heavenly Father.

know matter how young or old your kids might be… no matter if they are in diapers or if they are changing the diapers of their own children… they will forever be your kids… and you will forever be mom and dad. No matter what age your children are… make sure they know God.

With all of the changes… with all of the chaos and uncertainty in the world… connect your kids with the one thing we can be certain of: God NEVER changes and God NEVER FAILS. As it seems like so much is out of control, God will forever remain in control. But a person must know God before they can fully understand these truths.

Let’s recall Why were Mary and Joseph in Jerusalem in the first place. Mary and Joseph were there to take part in the Festival of the Passover - the festival that referred to the sacrifice of a lamb in Egypt when the people of Israel were slaves. The Hebrews smeared the blood of the lamb on their door posts as a signal to God that He should “pass over” their houses when He destroyed all the firstborn of Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to let His people go.

This family made a point to be about the things of God. And through these experiences, Jesus was brought up in the ways of the Lord.

And when Jesus gave His answer to Mary… notice something very important. He refers to God as His Father… He has a personal connection with God. “Well preacher… of course He did! He was the Son of God!”

What I’m getting at is when it comes to our kids, they cannot live off the connection that God has with mom and dad… but they need to develop their own connection, they need to have their own experiences. Here’s the really cool part: all of us, everyone has the opportunity to know God on a very personal level.

Jesus wasn’t in His Father’s house because He had to be… Jesus was in His Father’s house because He wanted to be there!

Moms, the greatest thing you can do for your kids is point them to God. The greatest thing you can do is help them begin a relationship with the Father through His Son who is Jesus Christ.

In the 18ish years that you have your kids under your roof, what kinds of things do you want your kids to know and learn? We spend that time educating and teaching our children… but what is the number one lesson you hope they learn? I PRAY that lesson is to find and trust God. I pray that lesson is to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Before our kids can choose to walk the path that God has laid out before them… they must first know God. They must know of His love, His mercy, His grace, His sacrifice, His salvation, and His deliverance.

Keep your kids in church. Be diligent in making sure your kids are connecting with God in church and Sunday School.

Make God the number one priority. Place Him before sports, before school schedules, before leisurely activities, before anything and everything else. The pattern you teach your kid now is the pattern they will live out later.

If church is second to anything else to mom and dad, it will be second to everything else in the life of your kids as well.

Honor God in the home. Strive to set an example before your children while they live under your roof and beyond.

Learn to Let Go and Let God

This is probably the hardest part of today’s message. Remember, Jesus was realizing His higher calling in this moment. Jesus desired to be in His Father’s house. And although Scripture indicates that Mary and Joseph did not understand His response… Deep down I feel like Mary had to know that her boy was growing up. Why? Because of verse 51. She treasured this moment in heart. She didn’t want to forget it.

Parenthood has been the greatest blessing God ha given me in this life. But I realize, as I am sure many of you do as well, that there is coming a day when I must release my kids to follow the call God has placed on their life and I must trust God to lead them, to guide them, to empower them, to protect them, and to care for them.

I think in Luke 2, Mary could see this beginning to happen in Jesus’ life at 12 years old. A change was beginning to take place. And here’s what I want to encourage you in today… as hard as it might be to do… when it comes time… let go, and let God.

Everything I do as a parent I do for the betterment of my children. And I hope that through my actions and behaviors my kids see the love of God in me. I know I have failed in some moments, and I am thankful for God’s grace and help… but I pray that I am preparing my kids for that day when they let go of my hand… and take the hand of God. I pray their full trust will be placed in Him.

Today we see a lot of that happening. Not only is today Mother’s day, but it is also graduation day for many. It a day full of joy, happiness, celebration, memories… and trust. Moms… God knows what He is doing. Trust Him to guide and direct your kids when the time comes.

We’re going to go back to a Scripture I used last week. Proverbs 3:5-6. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Last week we used this Scripture to encourage graduating students to trust God as new chapters in life are beginning. Moms… and dads… as students reach and take hold of God’s calling on their lives… trust God to lead them and direct them in the call.

It can be hard to let go… but doing so is much easier as we let God. I believe Mary could see this change happening in her boy in this moment. And moms… I bet there are some here today that can see that process beginning in your own children. There is no one better to trust with your kids then the Lord. He will never let them down.

And moms… what about those whose kids are no longer at home? What about those whose kids have already made this change in life? TRUST GOD!

Pray for your kids. Encourage your kids to remain faithful to the Lord. Send them a Scripture, email them a devotion. Message them a worship song or an inspiring inspirational spiritual story. help them stay on the path God has laid out before them by placing your full trust in the Lord.

Father Really Does Know Best

Moms… we are super thankful for you! We wouldn’t be here without you, without your love and support without your encouragement and dedication… and without your trusting in God.

DON’T STOP TRUSTING IN THE LORD FOR YOUR KIDS. As rapidly as things are changing in this world, may your trust in God NEVER change. Every day your kids get bigger, may your trust in God increase. Everyday the challenges seem bigger, may your trust in God increase! And as your kids draw closer to the day they will spread their wings and fly… may your trust in God increase! God knows what he is doing… and He has a plan for your kids.

Do you trust His plan? Do you trust in Him?

God the Father knows best. And we would be doing our children a disservice if we did not do all we could to connect them to God the Father.

Help you kids to know the Father. NO MATTER WHAT AGE THEY MIGHT BE. They are forever your children, and you will forever be there mom.

As God the Father knows best, urge your kids to trust the Father and… learn to trust Him as well as you let go… and let God. God has BIG things in store and we do not want to do anything to keep our kids from missing what God has in store for them.

Moms, we are praying for you and believing for God to guide you today. And before we close, I do want to bring us to a prayer point this morning. Maybe you are struggling with trust. Maybe you find yourself having a hard time of letting go of something or trusting God to take care of the details. I get it… because you are mom means there will always be some form of involvement… but there comes a time or will come a time when you must fully rely on God the Father and trust the call He has given your children.

Today, we want to pray with you mom as you trust in the Lord and lead your children to do the same. Will you join me in this prayer?