The Limitless Influence of a Father
THE LIMITLESS INFLUENCE OF A FATHER
Genesis 18:16-21 ESV
Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.
Fathers have limitless influence in the family and society. The moment you remove the rightful influence of fathers in the family and society, it will easily implode. Is this too much a claim?
The problem today is that America is fast becoming a fatherless generation--and there is no sign of slowing down.
A study on “Children in Single-Parent Families by Race” by the US Census Bureau 2020 (Data end: 2018) shows disturbing information about the total population per race and the total of fatherless children.
American Indian - 53%
Asian and Pacific Islander - 15%
Hispanic or Latino - 41%
Non-Hispanic White - 24%
Two or more races - 40%
Black or African American - 65%
Indeed, America is hanging on a balance because fatherlessness is a real pandemic.
According to David Blankenhorm, Fatherless America: Confronting our Most Urgent Social Problem said,
"Fatherless is the most harmful demographic trend of this generation. It is the leading cause of declining child well-being in our society. It is also the engine driving our most urgent social problems, from crime to adolescent pregnancy to child sexual abuse to domestic violence against women. Yet, despite its scale and social consequences, fatherlessness is a problem that is frequently ignored or denied. Especially within our elite discourse, it remains a problem with no name."
The consequences of fatherlessness among children are devastating. There are research and studies made about it. The Top-5 consequences are:
Poverty. In the US, fatherless children are four times more likely to be poor than those with both parents living with them.
Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Fatherless children have greater risks, according to the Dept of Health and Human Services.
Physical and Emotional Health. Fatherless children have more behavioral problems to deal with for lack of a father-figure. In fact, these kids are prone to more sexual activities and teenage pregnancy.
Educational Achievement. Fatherless children have a higher academic disadvantage, with lower grade points than those who have both parents.
Crime. There is a strong co-relationship between fatherlessness and crime. This means if a group of people who have a higher rate of fatherlessness, this group also has a high percentage of crime and will more likely go to prison.
What does this finding mean?
Regardless of how you feel, the problem of fatherlessness would become a significant factor in the rise and fall of America, including other nations who suffer the same pandemic.
That is why, if a godless movement or a government wants to destroy a society, all they need to do is to redefine the traditional concept of the family. And the most effective way of destroying the family is to emasculate men and remove the idea of fatherhood and a good family man. The moment you successfully destroy the “fathers” or “fatherhood,” you can then set loose a generation without a sense of authority. When you remove the peaceful warrior and defender in the family, you can create anarchy.
Now that we know that fathers have a strong influence on the stability or destruction of any society, is there hope? Yes, but it would not be easy.
Before I go deeper to our main text, I would like to lay down two theological truths that would serve as a foundation for my message on fatherhood. As a Christian, I believe in these self-evident truths:
Truth #1: God the Father is “The Ultimate Model for Fathers.” One of the most distinct revelations of God about himself is “God the Father.” This theology is so important that Jesus used the title “the Father,” at least, forty times (40X) in John’s Gospel. This concept of God as the Father is so prominent in Christian theology.
Truth #2: Being a father is a spiritual calling. It is more than just having children born out of our biological makeup. Being a father or the idea of fatherhood is, in essence, spiritual.
If we want to truly understand our calling as a father, we need to see our lives and roles in the light of our heavenly Father’s nature.
Therefore, the limitless influence of fathers rests upon our heavenly Father’s limitless influence. It is not because of us, but because of him that we have unlimited influence at our disposal.
Fathers, if we allow ourselves to be channels of our heavenly Father’s qualities, then, there is hope for our families.
Our wives will be blessed and truly happy to have faithful husbands and fathers to their children.
Our sons will learn to follow our godly fathers and would consider it as a high calling.
Our daughters will pray for men who have fatherly qualities when they choose to marry.
Our families will remain the solid foundation and model for stability in every society.
Our grandchildren will receive a living legacy that speaks beyond our lifetime.
That’s why this message is for everyone listening. And, if I may say, being a good husband and father is the new sexy.
Now that we have that overarching truth of God as our ultimate model, what possible responses can we make today?
I. DISCERN GOD’S PLAN AS A FATHER (vv.16-18)
If you want to be a great father, know your Father in heaven--and get familiar with his great plan.
From Genesis to Revelation, we can clearly see God having a bigger plan. When Adam and Eve fell into sin, God gave them the first Gospel (proto evangelium).
“I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen 3:15)
From Adam as the first human father, the “offspring” or seed would be traced through a lineage or genealogy of “fathers.” So, in God’s overall redemptive plan, fathers have key roles. One of the most significant “fathers” on earth is Abraham.
God called Abraham when he was still without a son. He moved out of the city of Ur with his wife and close relative, Lot and his family. When they reached the Promised Land, they became so prosperous that they had to go on separate ways and grow. Abraham stayed in Mamre, and Lot chose to live in Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 13).
One day, God visited Abraham to confirm his promise to give him a son, Isaac, the promised son. According to the Bible, “And the Lord appeared to him [Abraham] by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him” (Gen 18:1-2).
The phrase “The Lord appeared” is called “theophany” in theology (theo = God + phainein = to show). It means a visible manifestation of God. The eternal God who is not confined by time and space “entered” time and space. The “three men” are very mysterious. Some Bible scholars said it is the manifestation of the “Trinity.” Some said, God appeared with two angels. We can’t cover it extensively this time. At least one of them is God or Jesus Christ.
As the story went in our main text, “Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way” (v.16).
While Abraham was closing in or while walking with them as they moved out, “The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? (vv.17-18). What was God trying to hide? Here’s the “secret” plan:
A) Sin is to be punished, regardless of how you feel. God will ultimately deal with all forms of wickedness, including injustice. When God said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what am I about to do?” he considered whether Abraham would be able to handle the truth. God acted like a father who is weighing how much information he should disclose or not. Will God tell Abraham the truth that he is going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sins?
B) God set his salvation plan through Abraham’s offspring, Israel. We are familiar about God’s promise that Abraham would become the father of Israel, “a great and mighty nation.” Abraham’s story is part of God’s story of salvation.
What was the relationship between God’s plan to punish sin and his vision for Abraham to become a father of a great nation and in whose line the world would be blessed?
C) Salvation is through Jesus Christ, who was born in the line of Abraham. There’s an interesting phrase that said, “all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.” Did you know that the word “blessed” actually means “kneel” in the original language? This sovereign plan of God is an indication about Jesus Christ, in whom all knees shall bow (Phil 2:10).
If God has a plan, we need to know and understand that our calling as fathers are set in a bigger blueprint by our Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father knew what he was about to do. Do you know what you are “about to do” and why?
Our heavenly Father saw a vision for the future. Fathers, do you also reflect the same characteristics of a father who has a clear vision for your family and your children’ children?
Also, our heavenly Father planned that through Abraham’s seed, the world would be blessed. Fathers, are you part of our Father’s master plan of blessing the world through Jesus Christ?
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith (Gal 3:7-9)
Today, the world needs fathers who can discern God’s plan and live a Gospel-centered life. We need Christlike men because they are the ones who can channel God’s blessings to their families and eventually to the nations.
II. DO GOD’S PURPOSES FOR FATHERHOOD (v.19)
God’s plan and purposes for Abraham showed us some principles of fatherhood.
“For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him” (v.19).
God chose Abraham. What does it mean? When God “chose,” it means he made himself known to the person. It is also an expression of confidence for his consistency, faithfulness, and obedience
God commissioned Abraham to be in charge of his family. The word “command” signifies leadership as a commander in charge of someone or others. There is a focus on the authority of the one appointed as the leader, in this case the family or household.
God commanded Abraham to keep the Lord’s way in the family. The idea of the word “keep” is that of a guard or a watchman. There is a strong connection of this word in the message “The Watchman of the Family,” by Ptr Jerry Lepasana.
Here, keeping the way of the Lord is a two-way street or two fold:
“Righteousness” - means “to be straight.” In non-biblical terms, it connotes conformity to an ethical and moral standard. Spiritually speaking, this righteousness is based on God’s standard, not human norms.
“Justice” - Our primary idea of justice is the exercise of the government, especially the judicial branch, “to judge” cases. But here, justice means quality of being just, akin to being righteous or morally upright.
You must understand that there is a wide gap between our understanding of “justice” today and the context of Abraham. During their time, they do not have our modern-day government functions. The “fathers” acted as rulers and arbiters to facilitate judgment on various cases, of which some Arabs and indigenous people in the desert still observe today. That is why they must live a righteous and morally just life, or else they would just be hypocrites.
What are the implications of this biblical context in our times?
Fathers, we must live with a righteous life. I'm not saying you're going to be perfect, because even Abraham was not perfect. In fact, in Gen 20, Abraham lied to King Abimelech to save his life (It’s like throwing his wife off the bus). But despite his shortcomings, his faith in God made the difference. Through faith, he was justified as righteous (Romans 4:2). The same is true for us who have been justified by faith in Christ (Romans 5:1). You have to trust in what Jesus Christ has done at the cross to make you righteous before God.
As fathers, we must practice justice within our household. Justice must start from our homes first. We need to raise a generation with the right sense of justice and do it the right way.
Both righteousness and justice must go together. Righteousness without justice will lead to indifference. Justice without righteousness will lead to tyranny. Live with righteousness and justice.
III. DEAL WITH GOD’S PREROGATIVES (vv.20-21)
Have you observed this problem?
When a minority who seeks justice gains control of the majority, human history shows us that the oppressed could easily become the oppressor. That’s how human nature dictates. Self-righteousness will be indifferent to the social ill, and extreme justice will lead to more tyranny and oppression. As fathers, we should not be blinded by the raging deception of Satan to engage us in a minefield and have us at the crossfire.
We must understand that total righteousness is only possible in Christ Jesus, and perfect justice belongs to God. And if God is going to deal with wickedness, it is going to be absolute and terrifying.
Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know” (vv.20-21)
What does it mean? This clear picture means God is watching over cities and nations. Once they reach the point of no return, his judgment will come. When the “outcry” reaches the tipping point, judgment will come. When the wailing of the oppressed, the sound of sorrows, despair, and pain reach God’s throne, he will deliver the punishment.
The angel of the Lord said to Lot, “For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it” (19:13).
We live in such an evil time of modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. People may want social justice, but they never desire to live a righteous life. Do you want real justice? Then, revenge is not the answer because vengeance belongs to the Lord.
If God’s righteousness is going to use your measurement of justice, will you be justified? Or you will be found as guilty as the oppressors.
If you are going to stand before God today, and he will apply his perfect justice, who will stand?
People cry for justice, but they don’t care when they loot, steal, and destroy people’s lives, properties, and businesses. Angry mobs cry out for justice, and yet they could not even define what is right from wrong. They want justice for others, but don’t want to do justice on their own, when fatherlessness has endangered the lives of abandoned children who are exposed to more sexual exploitation, poverty, drugs, and crime. Where are your fathers?
The biggest danger in any society is to have a fatherless generation who do not have a slight idea of righteousness and twist justice into their own whims and wickedness. But every society has its tipping point. When a nation or society has reached the peak of its wickedness, God will bring his justice--and that’s a terrifying situation.
As fathers, I pray that we will lead in response to God’s impending judgment in our society like Abraham. Seeing that sin will receive its consequence, Abraham prayed for Sodom and Gomorrah. He also interceded for his family and loved ones. By God’s mercy and grace, he rescued Abraham’s loved ones, Lot and his family, from the perverse culture of their generation.
I believe the most powerful men in this world, men who have limitless influence, are the God-loving, Christlike, and Gospel-centered fathers. May God keep our spiritual calling strong and secure in the midst of this world of coward, absentee, and emasculated fathers. Will you take the stand?
-Dr. Glenn Plastina