1.I am of
the belief that Fatherhood is a branch of service.
a.Unlike
the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or the Coast Guard fatherhood is a branch
of service all its own.
i. I live
to serve my God.
ii. I live
to serve my family.
iii. I live
to serve my church family.
iv. I live
to serve the lost.
v. I live
to serve the world.
b.Society
brings confusion when it says, “serve yourself”, while God has instructed us to
“serve others.”
i. Society
says abandon your family, God says embrace them, console them, protect them,
honor them, provide for them, teach and train them, and lay down your life for
them.
ii. Society
says work, work, work and give your children everything they ever want and that
will be what’s best for them and I’m here to tell you today that is simply not
enough.
c. Wives,
children, and families need 3 things for a family’s success.
1.Face
time. Physical. Emotional.
2.Faith
time. Spiritual. Eternal.
3.Future
time. Rewarding. Your family will always need you.
a.I have
to be engaged in all of these for it to work.
b.The way
you treat others is a direct reflection of the sincerity of your relationship
to Jesus Christ.
c. Speaking
kind to your bride, in every thing give thanks.
i. Easy to
say so hard to do!
d.So
difficult when the stresses of this life surround you and never quit.
e.So
difficult to do when the worries, cares, and concerns of this life continually
badger you.
4.They say
that, “If a child is 15 years old and younger they will do what they are told.
5.If a
child is 15 years and older they will do what you have shown them.”
d.Key word
here that I hope is ringing out in your brain and heart…TIME.
2.The
dominant testimony, the greatest witness I have to the entire world of my love,
my service, and my commitment to Jesus Christ is in, to and through my family.
a.My
family knows the real me.
b.My
family knows the real struggles, the real weaknesses, real issues, then loves
me in and through them.
c. If the
world can see me love them, respect them, encourage them, equip them, provide
for them, serve them, then they will see the love of Christ being modeled.
d.If the
world just sees me hate them, disrespect them, mistreat them, ignore them,
abandon them, and put everything else first beside them then how will they ever
see the love of Christ modeled to them?
i. Early
Christians were confused as being so much like Christ their enemies coined the
phrase “Christians” as a demeaning stereotypical phrase term used in hate.
ii. We have
men who could never be confused as being Christians.
iii. As a
matter of fact there wouldn’t be enough evidence to convict some of jay walking
let alone Christ following.
iv. That is
not going to be me!
1.If
loving God is a crime I’ve decided I’m gonna be an “Outlaw.”
2.I want
to be confused with bearing the image of the Son.
3.Hate me,
demean me, be confused with my conduct, and stereotype me all you want…I’m a
son.
4.I’m a
Spirit Filled, Christ following, bible believing, and world changing
“Christian.”
John 1:14, 17 “14
So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing
love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father's
one and only Son. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing
love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.”
· Christ
modeled with His words, His prayers, His life, His walk, and to His family how
to live the Christ life.
3.What
does that look like for you?
· God
planted a seed in the ground by the name of Jesus Christ His one and only Son.
o I love
all people but I would never, could never sacrifice one of my children for any
of you nor for the world.
§ I am
that selfish.
o I
believe I am speaking for God the Father when I say don’t ever talk down to any
other human being, “Those are my children.”
· God gave
His Son to us and we say wow what a sacrifice He made but God the Father, Jesus
Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit say, “Wow what an investment we made.”
o God
said, “I’ll give up my only Son”, Jesus said, “I’ll lay aside my immortality,
put on mortality and lay down my life for the entire human race.”
o Then the
Spirit of God said, “I will live in them and them in me and will empower them
to tell the world of this great gift of salvation.”
· Adopted
by the Father as if we are all, His one and only sons and daughters.
o Being
born into the family means the benefits of the family are mine, the blessings
of the family are mine, the reputation of the family is mine, the inheritance
of the family is mine and the responsibilities of the family are mine.
o God
loves His family beyond service, beyond performance, beyond gifting, and way
beyond what He can receive from them.
§ God’s
love for His children is immeasurable, incomprehensible, infinite, everlasting,
merciful, and perfect.
§ I’m
telling you of the Father beyond all Father’s this morning.
Illustrate
Here: Video Hoyt team: Together
In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted
to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been
paralyzed in an accident. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when
we’re running, it feels like I'm not handicapped."
As of April 2014, the Hoyts had competed in 1,108
endurance events, including 72 marathons and six Ironman triathlons. They had
run the Boston Marathon 32 times. Also adding to their list of achievements,
Dick and Rick trekked across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in
45 days.
Rick was once asked, if he could give his father one
thing, what would it be? Rick responded, "The thing I'd most like is for
my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once."
Dick 74 Rick 52.
· For over
37 years, he’s been his son’s hands, feet, and closest friend.
· Much
like our Heavenly Father, he’s refused to let circumstances beat his boy.
· It’s not
always been easy . . . But their “souls have sculpted” because of the
challenges they’ve faced together.
4.Fatherhood
is the absolute privilege of my life.
o I love
being Tara’s husband and the father of Alec, Chase and Madi.
§ It’s my
ultimate calling!
Malachi 2:14-16
“You cry out, "Why doesn't the LORD accept my worship?" I'll tell you
why! Because the LORD witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were
young. But you have been unfaithful to her, though she remained your faithful
partner, the wife of your marriage vows. 15 Didn't the LORD make you one with
your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly
children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your
youth.16 "For I hate divorce!" says the LORD, the God of Israel.
"To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty," says the
LORD of Heaven's Armies. "So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to
your wife."
· “Guard yourself; always remain loyal to
your wife” means to have the same commitment to marriage that God has to His
promises for His people.
o Our
passion should be reserved exclusively for our spouse.
o Some
people change jobs, mates and friends, but never think of changing themselves.
o That’s a
problem in our society today with men so selfish, so arrogant, so prideful, so
addicted, so ready to flirt with every demon that hell would desire to throw at
us.
§ Laying
down all that they have built for a moment of sin that would last only a season
but cost them a lifetime of punishment.
Galatians 6:9 “So
don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for
we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.”
· What
price are you willing to pay for your family to know you have a heart for your
house?
Malachi 4:5,6
"Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful
day of the LORD arrives. 6 His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to
their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will
come and strike the land with a curse."
Illustrate here: Fatherless Stats.
o What
price? God paid His price in full. What about you?
o God is
here to help you dad you just have to lay the pride down long enough to see,
hear, and experience Him.
· I’m
astounded in this technological age we have guided missiles but so many
misguided men.
o Everyone
wants direction but no one wants correction.
§ What
kind of dad are you?
§ Heart
for the house dad?
§ Player
dad?
§ Weekend
dad?
§ Absentee
dad?
§ $ dad?
· Not just
any dad will do.
· Kid's
lives are enhanced by dads who are emotionally present, validating, & able
to comfort in times of distress.
o Not
dismiss themselves in the hard times or to their own wants and desires.
1 Peter 3:7 “In the
same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with
understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is
your equal partner in God's gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your
prayers will not be hindered.”
· If a man
is not considerate and respectful of his wife, his prayers will not be heard,
because a living, vibrant, passionate relationship with God depends on right
relationships with others.
· Your
relationship with God is paralleled with your relationship with others.
· Paralleled.
Matching. Same as.
o We have
Fathers whose cars are dressed better than their children.
o Father’s
hobbies that get filled with finances and focus while their children starve for
affection, affirmation, and attention.
o Father’s
who choose to abandon their wives, children, and God.
o Father’s
more concerned about their personal image than the family name.
§ Don’t
shame your family.
§ Don’t
shame the family of God!
o Father’s
who will contribute to the moment of passion but not the lifetime of
commitment.
§ That
just makes you a coward.
· I’m
talking about father’s who will lay down their lives for the lives of their
children or for others children.
· These
are men in God’s eyes, and these are men in my eyes.
Ephesians 5:25 “For
husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave
up His life for her.”
Ephesians 6:1 “Children,
obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing
to do.2 "Honor your father and mother." This is the first
commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother,
"things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the
earth." 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you
treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that
comes from the Lord.”
· If you
don't deal with your mess at home...you'll bring that mess into the church.
o Strong
men build strong homes.
o Strong
homes build strong churches.
o Strong
churches build strong communities.
o Strong
communities build strong cities, etc.
1 Corinthians
13:4-7 “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or
rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no
record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices
whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is
always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
· Your
childhood father.
o Absentee
Father.
o Abusive
Father.
o Long
distance dad.
o Unknown
Father.
o Uncaring,
selfish Father.
o Substance
abuse Father.
o Workaholic
Father.
· I’ve
asked God a billion times why my father couldn’t hold himself together for me.
o Wasn’t I
enough?
o Where
was the model of Christ for me?
o Where is
the model of Christ for me?
· God
finally spoke to me on this and declared that He took me on as His own special
project.
· I am His
son and that what my father was unable, unwilling, to model out, He would model
out for me.
· He has
continued to send Fathers into my life to model Fatherhood.
Psalm 68:5 “Father
to the fatherless, defender of widows-this is God, whose dwelling is holy.”
· Pastor
Mike why did God call you to the fatherless? Elijah? Curse?
Deuteronomy 28:1-10
"If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all His commands
that I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the
nations of the world.2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the
LORD your God: 3 Your towns and your fields will be blessed. 4 Your children
and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be
blessed. 5 Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. 6 Wherever you
go and whatever you do, you will be blessed. 7 "The LORD will conquer your
enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they
will scatter from you in seven! 8 "The LORD will guarantee a blessing on
everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The LORD your God
will bless you in the land He is giving you. 9 "If you obey the commands
of the LORD your God and walk in his ways, the LORD will establish you as His
holy people as He swore He would do. 10 Then all the nations of the world will
see that you are a people claimed by the LORD, and they will stand in awe of
you.”
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