Listen to my Words- A father's last

Intro

FUNNY DAD JOKES:

Top 10 Dad Jokes

Why couldn’t the bicycle stand up on its own?

It was two tired.

When is a door not a door?

When it’s ajar.

A priest, a pastor, and a rabbit walk into a blood donation clinic. The nurse asked the rabbit “what is your blood type?”

“I am probably a type O” said the rabbit.

Why can’t your nose be 12 inches long?

Because then it would be a foot.

What do you call a thousand rabbits walking backwards?

A receding hairline.

I am thinking about changing my career and becoming a mirror cleaner.

That’s something I could see myself doing.

My house got robbed and one of the items missing was my limbo set.

I thought to myself, how low can these guys get?

What did the daddy spider say to the baby spider?

You spend too much time on the web.

There are three types of the people in the world.

People who can count, and people who can't

We are so thankful you have all come to join us today on Fathers . I cant think of a more appropriate way to celebrate our earthly fathers than to come to gether and worship our heavenly father.

INTRO:

How many of you remember some advice that your dad gave you as you were growing up?

3 times I recieved advice from older men.

1st. When I was young my dad told me “When on the farm always look for electric fences before you Pee.”

I had to learn that one the hard way-and all my dad could say was “see I told you!”!

2nd - as a teen ager I remember my dad telling me to “Never ask someone to do something you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself.”

3rd- When I became a preacher i recieved some more excellent advice- He said “ remember when you are preaching if you don’t strike oil in 30 minutes stop boring!”

BIG IDEA: “What Advice will your life leave your children when you are gone”

Today I want us to look at some advice that a father left His son before he died.

The dad of our story-

grew up as a shepherd- the poorest occupations of their time

He spent most of his life out in the fields with the sheep learning outdoorsman skill, like hunting, and foraging, and survival skills.

as a kid he ran down and killed a lion who had stolen one of his sheep.

another time a bear came and he ran after the bear and killed it so that it would not hurt his sheep

as teenager He willingly stood up to a mighty warrior named Goliath- a giant no-one else in on all of Israels army would be willing to face

he fought and won hundreds of battles and he killed thousands of men.

This dad was a manly man- I mean he WAS A MAN!!

The Son

He had a much different childhood

He Grew up in his mom’s castle

he was tought by the best teachers in the land

He had unlimited wealth available to him

- he would have had any possession he desired

He never fought in any battles

He never killed anything especially not bears or lions

everything was always provided for him

In all appearances He was the opposite of His dad.

And now in our story this manly man king named david is giving His son Solomon some final fatherly word’s of adviceadvice.

OUR TEXT: 1 kings :2:1 When David was close to death, he told Solomon his son: 2:2 “I am about to die. Be strong and become a man! 2:3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish [NET]

A Father’s Spiritual Legacy

vs1a “1 When David was close to death, he told Solomon his son: 2:2 “I am about to die

King David understood that as his own life was coming to an end He had the opportunity to give his son spiritual wisdom to help him be a man.

DAVID WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE WAS LEAVING A SPIRITUAL LEGACY FOR HIS CHILDREN TO FOLLOW

as fathers’ We have been given many roles and responsibilities towards our children

God has entrusted us to raise our children in the Lord.

Dad’s are Teacher

Proverbs 22:6 “Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

God charged the dads’ and the moms in this world to teach their children the things of God- He didnt charge the schools nor church, and deffinetly not culture to train the children but the parents

As father’s God has called to teach spiritual truth to our own children.

Dad’s are Providers

2 Tim 5:8 “But if someone does not provide for his own, especially his own family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever”.

Being a provider is more than just bringing home the bacon.

As dads, it’s our responsibility to make sure our family’s needs are addressed and that we provide for Those needs.

it’s who we are are called to be as dad’s

Our inner drive as men should be one that is always wanting to provide for our families.

We should always have the desire to be a provider for our wives and our children.

Dad’s are Discipliner

(Proverbs 13: 24 “13:24 The one who spares his rod hates his child, but the one who loves his child is diligent in disciplining him.”

Just like Christ disciplines His children when they sin because he Loves them, We as dads must discipline our own children because we love them.

We discipline our children because we want to help them correct the sin in their lives so that when they are older they will be able to stand firm on God’s truths.

DADs we have an amazing opportunity to impart spiritual good to the next generation through our children. We have the ability to leave a spiritual legacy for our kids to follow.

We are raising up the next generation of community leaders. the next generation of church leaders. the next generation of Disciple makers for Christ.

We need to understand as dad’s that this takes time, it takes effort, and it takes energy to do it well.

In order for you to leave a spiritual legacy you have to lead your children spiritually now.

Here in our text this morning we have King david- A man after God’s own heart.

a man who sought to follow God with his life,

He is a dad who led by example, and who spiritually investing in His son Solomon.

And Now in this passage king David gives his son, Solomon His final words of fatherly wisdom before He dies.

A Father’s Spiritual Charge

vs. Be strong, and become a man! 2:3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish”

David’s final charge to His His son

as david looks back at his life and remebers all that he has accomplished and all that God has done in and through him, tthese are the 3 things that He wanted to challenge his son with.

Be strong, Act like a man, and do the Job God has given you to do!

Be Strong, and become a man

David’s first charge to his son is to be Strong and become a man.

I don’t believe that david takes this charge lightly.

David was a man of great internal strength.

He grew up learning about the the mighty men who followed God and what they accomplished when they trusted in God alone for their strength,

He would have heard the stories of Moses who wrote in Exodus 15 :2 “ The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 15:3 The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name.”

He would have remembered What God told Joshua before he lead the Israelites into the promise land to conquer its inhabitants

Deut. 31:23 ‘The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.”

David didn’t just read about this God centered strength but In 1 Sam 17:34-37 We see David lived his life according to this strength

1 Sam..17:34-36 “David replied to Saul, “Your servant has been a shepherd for his father’s flock. Whenever a lion or bear would come and carry off a sheep from the flock, 35 I would go out after it, strike it down, and rescue the sheep from its mouth. If it rose up against me, I would grab it by its jaw, strike it, and kill it. 17:36 Your servant has struck down both the lion and the bear.”

As a young shepherd boy- David ran after a lion that snatched one of his sheep grabbed it by its main and killed it with his bare hands

This passage also says he did this same thing with a wild bear.

Like David I had an encounter with a bear, While I was hunting in my tree stand 2 years ago in Northern Mn, two bears started to fight and the bigger bear chased the small er bear up a tree. Unfortunately, for me I was sitting in that tree! Now unlike David I didn’t show much strength. The only strength I had was in how loud i was screaming and kicking at the bear. I had no intention of running after that bear when he went back down.

Even as a boy David understood that God was sovereignly in total control over his life. and that He was the source of great strength for those who followed him.

David didn’t just fight a lion and a bear, but the story in 1 Sam 17 goes in vs 37

“David went on to say, “The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

David was speaking about the Goliath

for 40 days the Israelite army was held up in a battle against the Philistines.

The Philistine Giant named Goliath who stood almost 10 ft tall, would come out each day and challenge Israel to a one on one fight. He would say that if any Israelite could defeat him then the philistines would be their servants, but if you defeated the Israelite than they would be the slaves of the philistines. the bIble tells us that David as a teen age boy came to the battle and saw this giant making fun of His God and said I will go and fight him. and that is what he did.

He defeated the giant and brought victory to his people.

David’s strength didn't end there as a teenager

in 1 Sam. 18 We read that as a young man, David went and killed 200 Philistines so that He could marry king Saul’s daughter.

As king David defeated The warriors of Jerusalem, The entire philistine, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and on one occasion- 11 Sam, 10 tells us that He led the charge in defeating over 40,000 Syrians in one battle..

This mighty warrior David spoke often of where his strength came from , He understood that to truly be strong meant that you must be completely dependent on the Lord for your strength.

Listen to his words of strength

1Sam. 30:6-”David was greatly distressed..." "But David found strength in the Lord his God."”

Psalm 27 “The Lord delivers and vindicates me! I fear no one!

The Lord protects my life! I am afraid of no one!

27:2 When evil men attack me to devour my flesh,

when my adversaries and enemies attack me, they stumble and fall.

27:3 Even when an army is deployed against me, I do not fear.

Even when war is imminent, I remain confident.

27:4 I have asked the Lord for one thing- this is what I desire!

I want to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life,

so I can gaze at the splendor of the Lord and contemplate in his temple.

27:5 He will surely give me shelter in the day of danger; he will hide me in his home; he will place me on an inaccessible rocky summit.

27:6 Now I will triumph over my enemies who surround me!

I will offer sacrifices in his dwelling place and shout for joy!

I will sing praises to the Lord!

27:7 Hear me, O Lord, when I cry out! Have mercy on me and answer me!

27:8 My heart tells me to pray to you, and I do pray to you, O Lord.

27:9 Do not reject me, Do not push your servant away in anger!

You are my deliverer! Do not forsake or abandon me,

O God who vindicates me!

27:10 Even if my father and mother abandoned me,

the Lord would take me in.

27:11 Teach me how you want me to live;

lead me along a level path because of those who wait to ambush me!

27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies,

for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me.

27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience

the Lord’s favor in the land of the living?

27:14 Rely on the Lord! Be strong and confident!

Rely on the Lord!

David is saying to the new young king- Find your strength in the Lord and you will find success in your life.

“Be strong, ACT LIKE A MAN”

Act like a man

I’’m reminded of what my Dad would tell me when he was about to leave home for a trip, “ While Im gone you are now the........... “man of the House”

David is telling his son- YOU ARE NOW THE MAN OF THE HOUSE NOW ACT LIKE IT!

I believe the Apostle Paul tells us what it means to act like a man in 1 Cor. 16:13-14

.1 Cor. 16:13-14 ”Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong. 16:14 Everything you do should be done in love.”

To act like a man means you “

Stay Alert- Be ready and be watching-

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.’

Act like a man means that you are watching and ready to protect your family from the attacks of Satan in their lives.

Stand firm in the Faith-

We don’t let this world and its culture and it’s agenda turn us away from the truths of God’s word.

To act like a man -dad’s -means we stand firm on the truths of Scripture no matter the cost.

Show Courage

We need manly courage more than ever before in our churches today-

We need men to stand up and lead godly christ centered lives that are not swayed by this worlds philosophies and the worlds selfish wisdom.

To act like a man - dads- means that we have courage

Be strong

just like we already studied from the life of David-

to act like men - dad’s -we need to be strong in the lord. We need to understand that any strength that has the power to change lives comes from God alone.

Act in Love

We need to understand that true manliness is completely bathed in love-

1 Cor. 13:4-8 “Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. 13:5 It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. 13:6 It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. 13:7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”Love never ends.”

to act in love means that you put aside your own pleasures, your own glory and your own desires so that you can serve others.

You see when David gave his son Solomon these final words “ Be strong and act like a man,” he was telling his son. Look at what my life accomplished through God’s strength and follow my example.

TO act like a man - dads- we need to bathe all of our action sin love.

The Job the Lord Gave you

 When David was close to death, he told Solomon his son: 2:2 “I am about to die. Be strong and become a man! 2:3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish [NET]

Do the job God gave you!

As the king of Isreal David and his son Solomon would have both been familier with the law that God gave the children of Israel.

David in his final words is giving his son spiritual wisdom -He is saying be strong act like a man and follow God.

As the King of God’s people -God had given David many laws, regulations, and promises for Him to follow. In the Old testament times God was very clear. If you follow me I will bless your kingdom.

The Bible tells us that although David sinned many times He chose to follow after God with His life.He did the job God assigned to him- He understood this command that God had given Him as a king.

To be a Good leader isn’t just strength, It isn’t just being a man, but it is following after God.

It’s living with the understanding that God is in control and that it is all about His glory and not our own.

As Dad’s we have a job assigned to us!!!! and that is to be the spiritual leaders in our homes.

God has called us men to a job

Love and lead our wives spiritually

Eph. 5:23- gives us God’s desire for the roles in a family- “ it says The husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church”

This verse is NOT giving the husband the ultimate power over the wife but giving a great responsibility to the husband to lead his family spiritually

Col. 3:19- Husbands love your wives and do not be harsh with them,

Train our children in the Lord

Eph. 6: 4- Fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the Lord.

Serve the Church

1 Peter 4:10 -Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

Dad’s understand that God has called you to spiritually lead your family as Christ leads His church.

When we love our wives we exemplify Christ and His church

When we teach our children we exemplify Christ and His church

When we serve one another we exemplify Christ and His church

When we as men do the job God has called us to do it brings glory to God because we are fulfilling the role He has given us as men.

David’s charge to His son was be strong and courageous, Act Like man, and do the Job God has called you to do.

Trans David goes on in our text this morning to tell Solomon the natural result when we follow God and do the job we are called to do.

A FATHER’S Spiritual PROMISE

 When David was close to death, he told Solomon his son: 2:2 “I am about to die. Be strong and become a man! 2:3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish [NET]

“Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to Accomplish”

David was a man after God’s own heart- He lived a life that followed God and this was an example to his son. and What He is telling young Solomon here is look at my life, look at the kingdom God has given me and look how God has blessed me and my kingdom because I followed Him.

He is telling Solomon If you want this kind of success in your life you must follow my example - Be Strong, Act Like a man, and follow God in all you do!

Men- How do we leave a legacy for our kids to follow?

By having courage to stand up when the sins of this world creep in to steal our children’s hearts,

By being a man who is- Staying alert, standing firm in our faith, showing courage, being strong. and bathing everything we do in love for others.”

By following God’s instructions, and by obeying his commands for our lives.

Dad’s the best gift you could ever give your children is an example of someone who follows After God no matter the cost!

The Big Idea Again:

Dad’s What Advice will your life leave your children when you are Gone? Be Strong- act like a man and follow God!

It’s never too late to begin a legacy of following Jesus for your children and those who come behind you!