Fathering Like The Father
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Fathering like The Father
What are the criteria for the perfect speaker on Father’s Day
Someone old (in their “golden years”)?
Someone experienced - has lots of kids?
Has all the right answers for every situation?
Has perfect kid(s)?
Physically strong?
Super intelligent?
Who has the qualifications of a perfect father?
1. God has all the qualifications
2. Jesus taught us to think of God as “our Father, who art in Heaven”. (Matthew 6:9)
How does God demonstrate good fathering?
1. He is committed to His children
2. He communicates with His children
3. He is a great provider
4. He sets boundaries
5. He is attracts and delights His children
6. He disciplines His children
7. He forgives His children
Let's look at God's example and find ways to imitate Him.
Be Committed
God made a commitment to save and love us before the dawn of creation.
"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—”
Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV
What can I do to follow God's example?
Before you get married, before you have children, make sure that you are 100% committed to successful completion of the mission.
Commitment says “We are in this together no matter what!” Not “Let’s see how things go.
There are benefits from commitment
Uncertainty and ambiguity causes stress, anxiety and fear.
But..........“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
1 John 4:16-18
Speaking about commitment reminds me of a story I heard:
Four men are in the hospital waiting room because their wives are having babies. A nurse goes up to the first guy and says, “Congratulations! You’re the father of twins.”
“That’s odd,” answers the man. “I work for the Minnesota Twins!”
A nurse says to the second guy, “Congratulations! You’re the father of triplets!”
“That’s weird,” answers the second man. “I work for the 3M company!”
A nurse tells the third man, “Congratulations! You’re the father of quadruplets!”
“That’s strange,” he answers. “I work for the Four Seasons hotel!”
The last man is groaning and banging his head against the wall. “What’s wrong?” the others ask.
“I work for 7 Up”.
The 7-Up dad will certainly need to be committed to his family.
Be a communicator
Immediately after creating humans, man and woman, God gave them some instructions:
“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”” Genesis 1:28
What you do to follow God's example?
Talk to your children and instruct them
Read the Bible with your children
Pray with your children
Talk with and listen to your wife frequently
Eat dinner together
A recent consumer survey conducted by the Eckrich brand, a product of ConAgra Foods, found that only 40 percent of American families eat dinner together only three or fewer times a week, with 10 percent never eating dinner together at all.
Be a Provider
God demonstrated what it means to be a supreme provider by creating a universe that we can live in. He worked for six days creating everything that exists, and building a beautiful Earth for us to live on. (For meditations on God's creation, visit @godscreatedworld at Instagram).
“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.”
Genesis 1:31
What can I do to follow God's example?
Work hard to supply your family with the things they need
Balance work and home life to ensure your children and wife are able to fulfill their calling
Teach your children generosity by example
Set boundaries
God sets boundaries. Among the first instructions that God gave to man and woman He included one simple instruction:
“And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”” Genesis 2:16-17
What can I do to follow God's example?
Keep an eye on your children and keep them safe from harm.
Set limits on cell phones, social media, internet, games, etc.
Impose curfews
Be attractive to your children
Even at His most angry moments Jesus was attractive to children.
“Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ ” The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.” Matthew 21:12-15 NIV
Jesus drew children to Himself.
“People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16 NIV
What can I do to follow God's example?
Make time to be with your children and have fun
Be patient and compassionate
Discipline
“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” Proverbs 3:11-12 NIV
What can I do to follow God's example?
Discipline your children and teach them what is right and what is wrong.
Forgive and be forgiven
After an illicit affair with Bathsheba, after murdering her husband and after being indicted by the prophet Nathan, David was quick to express remorse and ask for forgiveness.
And God was quick to remove his sin.
“Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” 2 Samuel 12:13 NIV
There were life-long consequences but David's relationship with God was healed and healthy again.
What can I do to follow God's example?
Forgive your children
Forgive your father
Receive forgiveness from God
Closing comments:
If you have never started having a relationship with God then please consider talking with God right now and ask Him to become your Heavenly Father.
"Dear God, I am a sinner and I need a savior and a helper. I cannot do the things that I know I should do and I am far from you. But I know that You sent your only Son Jesus Christ into the world to teach us about your fatherly love, to demonstrate your love and to die on the cross to be a final and complete sacrifice for my sins. And then He rose again to demonstrate your power to give us eternal life. Please forgive me, take me into your family and keep me safe and able to obey you, by the power of your Holy Spirit. Let goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life and then bring me safely home into your loving presence forever. Amen."
-Bro. Norm Richardson