Sermon for Fathers Day 2019
Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:21, 1 Corinthians 4:2-4
Before I dig in, I feel like I need to start by acknowledging that not everyone has, or had, a good father, or father figure, for many different reasons. Sadly, this is the result of a fallen, sinful world. To those who did not have a good example of a Godly father, I want to encourage you. Psalm 68 4-6 tells us that God is the father to the fatherless. And that He places the lonely in families. Seek His heart. Because I also want to challenge you men to be ready to be fathers to your own children, or to fill that role for someone who needs you to be that father.
As I address fathers today, I am not talking to only those men who have had children by blood or adoption. I am talking to anyone who fills that role of a father figure: Dads, Step-Dads, foster Dads, Grand-Dads, Uncles, and any man who has stepped up and mentored children or young adults. You see, I know first hand how important these men are, when Dad can’t be there.
Men, we have a job to do. And it is NOT for the faint of heart. We are instructed to raise our children, to disciple them, in the ways of God. In the passages in Ephesians and Colassians we readily read that wives are to obey their husbands, and we have no problem reminding our children that God wants them to obey their parents. But, for some reason we want to ignore those verses after those others. You know, the verse that tells husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church, and then the one that tells us dads not to provoke, exasperate, or discourage our children.
Why do I mention husbands loving your wives? Because that is part of teaching our children. How we men treat the lady we have promised to love sets the standard. We teach our sons how they are to treat a lady by how we treat our wives, or girlfriend (in the case of single dads), and our mothers. By this we also teach our daughters how they should expect to be treated by a guy.
Finally, we must set the standard in our walk with God. Men, do we know Jesus, or do we only know of Him? Have we met the LIVING Christ, the Saviour? Or have we just heard of Him, but think eh, he was a good teacher? Are we faithful in our commitment to God, and to our relationship with Christ? Do we obey when the Holy Spirit speaks, or do we insist on our own way? Do your children see or hear you pray? Do you ever pray with your children. Do they see you pray with your wife? Guys, if you’re single and dating, do you pray with your girlfriend? Are you setting the standard for your children? Do our children find us faithful?
Dads, please allow me speak to one more thing. We have all failed at times. Some worse than others. At least that is often how we see it through our human eyes. And we often find it easier to ask for forgiveness from God, and maybe even our children. We may even have forgiven our fathers for their mistakes and shortcomings. But, we have refused to forgive ourselves. It’s time to forgive. Whether it’s a hurt from your own father, or another father figure, or if it is yourself, it is time to forgive. Forgiving doesn’t mean that the wrong was ok. But it does mean that you are letting go. Letting go of the hurt, and the pain, and you are releasing whatever the wrong was to God, so that He can dispose of it. And when satan tries to remind you, and he will, because he is like a crooked attorney, but when he does, remind him that the Judge, the Chief executive has pardoned you, and that you have asked, and allowed Him to pardon the wrongs done to you. It is the only way to be free. And it is yet another way that we set the standard for our children.
If you don’t already know my Jesus, I invite you to let me introduce you to Him.