Good News Week 25. A Godly Father

You realize in greater measure what manhood means - words like responsibility, strength, sacrifice, encouragement, support, character, integrity, wisdom, faith, love, they take on new and deeper meaning.

Life is precious.

Fatherhood is a gift.

Psalm 128:3 CSB

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children, like young olive trees around your table.

Peotic language of blessing and faithfulness and provision and future.

Fatherhood is a blessing.

And blessings often require something of us.

We are to steward well the blessings of God.

And as father’s we are to steward well fatherhood.

And as Father’s we are to rejoice in the blessing of fatherhood.

Every stage of fatherhood has it’s blessings and its challenges.

But every stage of fatherhood has its rewards.

And the older I get, the older my children get the greater my awareness of the temporal nature of each stage of life.

The worst part of getting older is that everyone else gets older too.

Its the nature of life until to New Creation arrives in fullness.

We are to steward the gift of fatherhood well in this life because this life isn’t the whole story.

To quote Theolgian N.T. Wright, “Theres life after life after death.”

This morning I want to take a few moments to look at some fathers in Lukes Gospel, and see what lessons we can learn from them as we strive to steward well the gift of fatherhood, not just for this life, but for the next.

Godly Father One: Jairus

Luke 8:40–42 CSB

When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Just then, a man named Jairus came. He was a leader of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’s feet and pleaded with him to come to his house, because he had an only daughter about twelve years old, and she was dying. While he was going, the crowds were nearly crushing him.

Luke 8:49–56 CSB

While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” When Jesus heard it, he answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.” After he came to the house, he let no one enter with him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother. Everyone was crying and mourning for her. But he said, “Stop crying, because she is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, because they knew she was dead. So he took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and she got up at once. Then he gave orders that she be given something to eat. Her parents were astounded, but he instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

A Godly Father Recongnizes His Need

There comes I time in the life of every father when we experience something that we can’t fix.

Carter at 1 month old.

Elleson having seizures.

But beyond physical health, as they grow older you realize you can’t make every decision for them.

They make bad choices.

You can’t fix everything.

Dads, we need help.

Jairus needed help.

He was desperate.

He was scarred.

He was powerless.

Jairus needed help.

Jairus needed Jesus.

A Godly Father Recieves Help

It would have done nothing if Jairus, after recognizing his need, didn’t recieve the help available.

Dads, we do not know it all.

We are learning as we go.

But as we go, it matters where we go.

Go to Jesus.

Go to godly people.

I know, it's important at to feel like you have all the answers, but you don’t.

Dads, we need help.

We need Jesus.

We need Christian mentors and friends.

We need to listen to godly counsel and advice.

Dads, let me give you a resource - AllPRODAD.COM

Practical, helpful, godly help.

We have a fatherlessness epidemic.

Children need fathers.

Children need engaged fathers.

Children need their dads.

They need their dad’s at their soccer matches and at their game consoles. (I’m still learning the game console part)

They need their dad’s prayers and their dad’s godliness example.

A Godly Father Sets A Godly Example

Jairus set a godly example.

Jairus was a leader in the synagogue.

Jairus was deeply religious.

Jairus modeled faith.

Jairus went to to church.

Jairus took his family with him.

Jairus served in church.

Jairus read scripture.

Jairus passed down his faith to his children.

Dads, the greatest inheritance you can leave for you children is an inheritance of faith.

You can teach them how to hit a baseball, how to catch a Pokemon, how to dribble a soccer ball, how to study, how to read, how to dance, how to drive, how to balance a checkbook, but if you don’t teach them how the to know God and make God known and to Fear God and Keep His Commandments, the whole duty of man, you have not eternally invested in them. You have not invested life in them.

Set a godly example.

Make spiritual deposits into their life.

Let your love be genuine.

Let them see a godly man at church and a godly man at home.

A godly mans give his children something to eat, something that satisfies the spiritual hunger.

Godly Father Two: A Man From The Crowd

Luke 9:37–43 CSB

The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. Just then a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, because he’s my only child. A spirit seizes him; suddenly he shrieks, and it throws him into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; severely bruising him, it scarcely ever leaves him. I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn’t.” Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long will I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.” As the boy was still approaching, the demon knocked him down and threw him into severe convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. And they were all astonished at the greatness of God. While everyone was amazed at all the things he was doing, he told his disciples,

A Godly Father Recongnizes The Spiritual Fight Against Our Children

The father says “a spirit seaizes him”

Listen dads, you are in a spiritual battle for the souls of your child.

The enemy is cunning.

The enemy is deceitful.

The enemy is a liar.

The enemy is still looking for ways to throw our sons and daughters into the fire.

The enemy is still looking for ways to destroy God’s good plan and purpose for our children.

We live in a time where the enemy is attacking the identity of our sons an daughters.

The enemy wants to confuse them because he doesn’t want them to discovery the beauty and purpose of their biological gender identity.

Boys, you were created a boy because boys image God in a unique way.

Girls, you were created a girl because you image God in a unique way.

Both boys and girls are equal in creation, authority, and purpose - but distinct in biology and physiology.

The enemy wants to destroy their hope.

The enemy wants to create self-hatred and self-harm.

The enemy wants them to feel alone and isolated and misunderstood.

Their is a spiritual attack against our children.

Maybe the fight is an directed against your children.

Maybe the attack is directed against you.

Maybe the attack is against directed your wife.

Malachi 2:15 CSB

Didn’t God make them one and give them a portion of spirit? What is the one seeking? Godly offspring. So watch yourselves carefully, so that no one acts treacherously against the wife of his youth.

Husbands and wives, God put a portion of His Spirit in your union.

God is fighting for you marriage.

God desires your marriage to succeed ever more than you do.

Why?

One reason is because is seeking Godly sons and daughters.

God is seeking a people for his own possession.

Dads, Honor your wife.

When you honor your wife you are taking out one of the most effective strategies of the demoic against your wife, children, and your family.

I first heard this list a few years ago from a pastor that was very poplular at the time, its a really good list, even if I don’t commend the pastor to you this morning.

This is part of the Spiritual Battle against the enemy.

Honor her maritally. Take a wife honorably. Establish right priorities, and be a one woman man–absolutely faithful to your wife.

Honor her physically. Be strong for your wife, not against her. Be protective of her and present with her.

Honor her emotionally. Be emotionally present and intimate. Take her on dates.

Honor her verbally. Speak honorably to her. Speak honorably of her, when she is present and absent.

Honor her financially. Provide for the financial needs of your family, organize your budget, and be generous towards your wife.

Honor her practically. Consider her needs and how you can serve her.

Honor her parentally. Be “Pastor Dad” by shepherding your children (praying with them, teaching them about Jesus, reading the Bible with them, etc.).

Honor her spiritually. You initiate and lead prayer, Bible, chats, church attendance, etc. Take responsibility for your church.

A Godly Father Takes His Children To Jesus

A godly father recongnizes that Jesus is the answer.

A godly father doesn’t give up when it seems that the prayers aren’t working.

A godly father carries his children to the feet of Jesus.

Listen dads, until you give your children to Jesus you are giving your children to the world.

Church matters.

Prayer matters.

Scripture reading matters.

Integrity matters.

Worship matters.

Some of you this morning are beginning to feel overwhelmed.

You mean I have to provide financially, work hard, invest time and energy, go to the ball field and pick up a game controller, honor my wife, AND go to church and be a spiritual leader in my home?

Yes. That’s what I mean.

And in your own strength that is impossible.

But there is hope!

A Godly Father Gets Help From the Heavenly Father

Luke 11:11–13 CSB

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

A Good Father Does His Best To Be A Good Father

Jesus knows that any father worth his salt does what he can to provide for his children, to love his children well, and to lead his children well.

But Jesus says that if you father being earthly know how to give good gifts to your children how much more does the Heavenlt Father know how to give good gifts.

Jesus here says the best gift is the Holy Spirit.

A Godly Father Asks For Holy Spirit Help

So you’re doing your best.

But you’re feeling overwelmed.

You're trying to be a good dad.

Trying to honor your wife.

Trying to lead your children.

Trying to provide for them physically, emotionally, spiritually, and you’re tired.

You don’t want anyone to know that your tired, but you’re tired.

Jesus has a word for you.

Ask your Heavenly Father to send help.

Ask your Heavenly Father to send you the Holy Spirit help.

The Holy Spirit is the “helper” the “comforter”.

That word description in Greek literally means “one who goes alongside”.

The Holy Spirit helps us be better Fathers.

Yes, the Holy Spirit help us be better Christians, but if we ask the Heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit will help us be better Dads.

Seek out Holy Spirit help.

You may be a good dad, but you can be a good and godly Dad with the Holy Spirit’s help.