THE HEAVENLY FATHER: EVERY DAD’S EXAMPLE

Matthew 3:13–17 AV

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Intro: Ill. The context. As soon as the baptism of Christ is finished, the Father speaks from Heaven. God chose that exact moment to verbally associate Himself with his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. In the words which the Father spoke that day, we are given an example of how a godly father deals with his children. In this passage we can see an example that every dad needs to follow.

Now, don’t misunderstand me, just because you aren’t a father does not mean that the Lord doesn’t have a word for you as well. I believe that there will be truths, which we all can glean from this message. You may have never thought about it this way before, but today, I want us to look together at The Heavenly Father: Every Dad’s Example.

I. v. 17a THE FATHER IS NOT ASHAMED OF THE SON

A. Ill. “My Son.” This statement tells is that God is not ashamed of the Lord Jesus. (In fact, He is not ashamed of any of His children! Heb. 11:16.)

B. What an example to us human parents. Our children need to know that we are proud of them and that we are not ashamed to claim them as our own.

(Ill. Several years ago in Louisiana, a motorist saw something hanging from a tree. When he stopped to investigate, he found that it was the body of a young teenaged boy. There was no identification on the body. There was nothing but a note that said, in part, “Dear Mom and Dad, I am sorry I was an embarrassment to you.”)

C. Children need constant affirmation from their parents and will usually live up to your estimate of their worth! Therefore, be very careful how you treat your children. Be quick to let them know that you are proud of them, just like the Heavenly Father!

I. The Father Is Not Ashamed Of The Son

II. v. 17b THE FATHER ADORES THE SON

A. Notice that the Father calls the Son, “Beloved.” This means One who is dearly loved.

B. Children can live without many things, but love is not one of them! Perhaps the greatest gift a parent can give a child, besides the knowledge of the Lord, is the knowledge that they are loved unconditionally. (Ill. Now, it is easy for us to say that we love that way, but I am afraid that it is much harder to demonstrate!)

(Ill. One of the best ways for you to demonstrate godliness to your children is for you to love them unconditionally. That is, we need to love them like God the Father loves us—Jer. 31:3; Rom. 8:38–39. Nothing should ever be allowed to cause a rift in our relationship with our children!) (Ill. We all know of parents and children who are on the outs. That is never right and is a mockery of what God intends the family and the home to be!)

C. By the way, genuine love is not afraid to express itself! Tell them you love them and tell them often. They need to hear those three magic words: “I love you!” (Ill. How often does God remind us of His love towards us? Let us resolve to do the same towards our children! Not just them, but in all our family relationships!)

I. The Father Is Not Ashamed Of The Son

II. The Father Adores The Son

III. v. 17c THE FATHER ACCEPTS THE SON

A. Next, the Father says that He is “well pleased” with the Son. These words mean “to approve of.” God the Father looked at the man Jesus Christ had become and said, “I approve of you my Son!”

B. Now, we all know that our children might not turn out exactly like we expect them to. After all, who doesn’t live in a fantasy world when it comes to their own children? Our kids may make mistakes and they may get into trouble, they may not be as successful as you think they could be. They may not dress right or look like you think they should, or any of 10 million other things could go wrong with our ideals for their lives. However, if they are seeking to please the Lord, as Jesus was, then we need to accept them as they are and love them unconditionally.

C. There is a word here for children. If you are going to live like the devil, please do not expect your parents to place their seal of approval upon your live. It is unfair to expect it and a godly parent cannot give it. There will be love, but sometimes, love must be tough!

(Ill. Parents: You do your children no favors when you offer blanket approval to their sinful ways. Perhaps your disapproval is just the wakeup call they need!)

I. The Father Is Not Ashamed Of The Son

II. The Father Adores The Son

III. The Father Accepts The Son

IV. John 5:17–20 THE FATHER APPRENTICES THE SON

A. Jesus is telling those listening that since the Father loves Him, the Father includes the Son in His work and allows Him to be a part of His life. Jesus is merely saying that the Father is working, He loves the Son and shows Him what He is doing. When He shows the Son His work, that is the Father’s invitation for the Son to join Him in His activity. (By the way, that will still work today!)

B. The godly father takes the time to include his children in his life. He models appropriate behaviour before them, and more often than not, they will follow his example.

(Ill. It is as simple as this: If you want your child to, then you. This is the way the Bible says that it works, Titus 2:3–4.)

C. The greatest truth or lifestyle we can show them is to point them to the Lord Jesus Christ. Dads, have you made sure that your children are saved? Are they sure about you?

Conc: I do not think for a minute that any of us earthly dads will ever reach the level of love that the Heavenly Father exhibits for His Son. However, I think we could all do a better job of modeling the Father than we do. Perhaps as you have listened to this message, you have realized that there is room for improvement in your life as a parent, whether you are a mom or dad. Maybe you have lost children and you haven’t lived for the Lord as you should have before them and you want to pray for them today. Maybe you have never been saved. I want you to know that you can never be the kind of parent that you should be until you first come to know the Lord. I want to invite you to come and receive Him into your life. Whatever you need, I want you to know that the Heavenly Father is there to help you and make whatever is wrong right again! Will you come to Him this morning?