Being a Good Father

Being a Good Father 3

June 17, 2007

Introduction

As we probably all know, today is celebrated as Father's Day. Father's Day is not a Biblical holiday. In fact, Father's Day is a rather recent addition to our list of holidays.

[This section was from a website which was copyrighted. Click here for the link: History of Father's Day

So Father’s Day is a rather recent holiday, but what does the Bible say about Fatherhood?

Body

I. Children are to honor their father and mother.

(Eph 6:1-3 NKJV) "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. {2} "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: {3} "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."

A. Father's must require honor of their children.

(Eph 6:4 NKJV) "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."

1. Godly fathers need to provide training in God’s word.

a. Taking time to read to them from the Bible, or Bible story books.

b. Discipline them according to the Word of God.

c. Teach them respect and obedience.

d. Be a friend and buddy, but always a dad first.

e. Always demand their respect, and act accordingly.

B. Honoring must include obedience.

(Eph 6:1) "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

II. Father's are to be honorable.

A. First and foremost, we must honor God by our example.

(Mat 18:6-7 &10 NKJV) ""But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. {7} "Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! . . . {10} "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."

B. The importance of the relationship between fathers and children as emphasized as the Old Testament closes.

(Mal 4:5-6 NKJV) "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. {6} And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.""

1. Father's are to take time for their children.

2. Father's are also providers and are a powerful image to children as to what their heavenly Father is like.

(1 Tim 5:8 NKJV) But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

3. The hearts of the children should also turn to their fathers.

Children need to be loving and respectful of their fathers.

III. Christian fathers must be Christian men.

A. Paul says that Christian men are to act like men.

(1 Cor 16:13 NKJV) Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

(1 Cor 16:13 NIV) Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

(1 Cor 16:13 NASB) Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

a. That doesn’t men “macho” men.

b. I think in terms of gentlemen.

c. I believe a dad should be a supporting dad.

Jonathan gave me this card: “Dad, because of you, I had all the Tools I needed to grow up to be happy and successful. – And don’t worry, I put them all back where I got them! – Happy Father’s Day! Thanks for always supporting and believing in me! Love, Jonathan.

So do we support and believe in our children?

B. We are to be loving as fathers.

(1 Cor 16:14 NIV) Do everything in love.

C. We are to lead by example.

D. First of all, Christian fathers are to be Christian husbands.

1. No greater gift can a man give his children than that of a solid Christian home that begins with parents who are committed to each other.

(Eph 5:25-33 NKJV) "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, {26} that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, {27} that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. {28} So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. {29} For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. {30} For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. {31} "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." {32} This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. {33} Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband."

2. A Christian home must have a solid commitment to God as its foundation.

3. A Christian home must have a committed love as its foundation.

a. The man loving his wife and being faithful to her.

b. The wife loving her husband and being faithful to him.

c. The parents loving the children and being committed to them.

d. When you have all of that, I’ve never know a case where children didn’t love their parents in return, at least when they are small.

IV. What is the joy of being a father?

A. It takes children who walk in the light to make father's happy.

(3 John 1:4 NIV) I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

V. We need to honor our fathers.

VI. We need to honor our heavenly Father with our total commitment and our lives.

Conclusion

I. If you haven’t honored your heavenly Father by being obedient to Him, there is not better time than now to do that.

II. If you need to rededicate your life to Him, there is no better time than now.

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