A Father's Day Message

I think it's kind of ironic that I'm up here preaching Father's Day and Adam

was up here preaching Mother's Day. Kind of reverse roles, you know.

But that's what happens. In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, father is a man

in relationship to his children.

A Google search of father in the Bible comes up as both a biological parent

and a spiritual guide, embodying authority, care, protection,

and the responsibility to nurture and lead his family in alignment with God's principles.

Whether you are a father or have a father, there seems to always be a struggle

between working to provide for the family and being present for the family.

One of my old favorite country songs is by Jamie Johnson called The Dollar,

and the story is about a little boy who sees his father go off to work in the

morning and then ask his mother, what does daddy do?

And the mother explains that he's going off to earn money so that he can provide for his family.

And the rest of the song talks about the little boy looking for his nickels,

dimes, and quarters, and pennies so he can buy time with his father.

The Bible frequently portrays God as the ultimate Father, emphasizing his role

as creator, sustainer, and protector.

In Matthew 6, 9, Jesus instructs his disciples to pray, Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name, highlighting both God's authority and the intimate relationship

he desires with his children.

In the Old Testament, God is depicted as the Father of Israel.

Guiding and nurturing his people, while in the New Testament,

Jesus reinforces the personal and relational aspect of God's fatherhood.

According to the Bible devotion titled Father's Day Reflections,

the answer to the human struggle of fatherhood can be found in the example of God our Father.

He loves us enough to spend time with us whenever we call on him,

but is also busy working on all things for the good of those he loves.

Isn't it wonderful to know that we have a father that is so busy but still has time for us?

Because as humans, that's what we crave, is time with one another.

Many of us have often said, I wish parenting could come with an instruction

manual. I don't know how many times I said that when my kids were little.

And I always felt like, I'm the oldest of three, so I felt like I was the guinea pig.

So I apologize to my oldest daughter for being a guinea pig,

but that's how it works. because, you know, it's just human error is what we learn on.

Well, it has, however, come with a manual, if you know where to look,

because God has ordained you in this role.

He's given you all the skills and resources to raise children who are God-fearing,

people-loving human beings.

So don't be afraid the next time you feel like you need a manual when you come

up with something in parenting because it's there and it's through God.

Many of Jesus' parables draw on the dynamics of family relationships.

Today's scripture deals with some of the situations many of you face as parent.

Although it's called the prodigal son, we can still learn about a father's love.

Luke 15, 11-32 There was a man who had two sons.

The younger one said to his father, Father, give me my share of the estate.

So he divided his property between them. Not long after that,

the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country,

and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country,

and he began to be in need.

So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country,

who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating,

but no one gave him anything.

When he came to his senses, he said, How many of my father's hired servants

have food to spare, and here I am starving to death.

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him, Father,

I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

Make me like one of your hired servants.

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off,

his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him.

He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants, Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him.

Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.

Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house,

he heard music and dancing.

So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.

Your brother has come, he replied, and your father has killed the fattened calf

because he has him back safe and sound.

The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.

But he answered his father, Look, all these years I've been slaving for you

and never disobeyed your orders.

Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

But when this son of yours, who has squandered your property with prostitutes,

comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him.

My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

Today's scripture is titled the parable of the lost son, but could easily be

titled the father's love.

It shows a contrast between the self-centered exclusiveness of the Pharisees

who failed to understand God's love and the concern and joy of God at the repentance of sinners.

The Bible teaches us that we are brought into relationship with God through the act of adoption.

Jesus didn't just save us from our sin. He saved us for a relationship with God.

Through the life and death of Jesus, his Son, and by the regenerating work of

the Holy Spirit in our hearts,

God the Father has adopted us as his children so that we can join the Trinity

in love and fellowship for all eternity.

Today's scripture teaches us three things about being a good father.

According to T.T. Crabtree.

The first is ideal fathers grant freedom. Freedom is a difficult and sometimes disastrous gift.

How many of you can think of times you get your kid have a little freedom and

it ended up in a bad situation?

The father in today's scripture actually gave freedom to both his sons.

The youngest requested his inheritance.

The father knew that according to custom, he could divide his estate between the two of them.

But he also knew the boys could squander their possessions. He could have easily

told them that he would hold on to it for them and invest it.

But instead, he gave the boys the freedom to do as they pleased.

The younger son did exactly as the father feared and wasted his inheritance.

There are many examples of children abusing their freedom, but that is the risk of being a parent.

A grandfather once told his grandson, God gives every person a rope.

Each person can choose what to do with that rope.

You can tie it to the rope on a bucket, put the bucket in a well, and get a drink of water.

Or you can tie the rope around your neck and hang yourself.

As a parent, you must have faith that God can intervene.

The second thing that Crabtree says ideal fathers do is to treat children fairly.

Some children test the justice system of a father, and I had many tests as a

mother with five kids, all with different attitudes.

They test you. The younger son, after wasting his inheritance,

returned to his father and asked to be a hired servant.

Instead, the father gave him sonship.

Some children test the disposition of a father. The older son,

who stayed with his father, became angry upon learning of the celebration in

honor of his younger brother and talked angrily toward his father when he came out to him.

Can you imagine how sad and angry this must have made the father to be spoken

to like this by his son i can think of times that my kids got angry with me

and said things that i know they regretted afterwards,

now i have a three-year-old granddaughter going on 13 that last time i disciplined

her told me she hated me and it hurts but then the next day they're hugging

you and kissing you and i love you, Grandma.

You know, it happens. It's human nature, but it hurts at the time.

But he treated the boy with kindness, and that's what we have to do.

Fathers should respond to their children with kindness. Ephesians 6.4 says,

Fathers, do not exasperate your children.

Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

The third trait of an ideal father, Crabtree says, is to provide an example.

Children need to see the example of a good and godly father.

Both sons in the story of the prodigal son observed love with no favoritism.

A father's relationship of trust in God is an excellent example for children.

A father who teaches obedience with patience and firmness can also give a child

love for God and faith in Jesus Christ.

But I want to talk about another side of this Father's Day. Parents deserve

respect from their children.

Ephesians 6.1.4 says, Children, obey your parents and the Lord, for this is right.

Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise,

so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.

Fathers, do not exasperate your children.

Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Now, I realize most of us in here are of the age of having children and grandchildren.

There's not too many children in the audience.

But think about it. We're all children.

Some of us are lucky enough to still have our parents with us.

Do you respect them? Do you honor them? Because I hope you do,

because the day will come when they're no longer with you.

There's still days that I want to call my dad and tell him something,

and I can't because he died in 2013.

But that urge never goes away to want to spend time with him.

Crabtree says healthy relationships only exist when both sides fulfill the responsibilities.

In the first commandment, honor thy father and mother, the Hebrew word honor

means to value or to treasure.

We are to treasure our parents. Unfortunately, when we are young,

we do not treasure our parents.

Boy, I can remember the retaliations I had. It's written, Children now love luxury.

They have bad manners, contempt for authority.

Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households.

They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at

the table, tyrannize their teachers.

Sound like the feelings of most parents today?

This was actually written by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates.

Children have always been children. And I think we were all reminded of that

when Andy was up here with children's time and Kayla and Kira were back there

playing rock, paper, scissors.

Children are children.

Why should children respect their parents? Because of their parents' sacrifices for them.

Parents work hard to provide food, shelter, clothing and luxuries for their children,

children should also respect their parents age and experience as parents they

have learned a lot through the school of hard knocks,

experience brings wisdom,

and unfortunately as children we realize that our parents did know better when

we become parents ourselves.

First Commandment also implies responsibility of children to love,

help, and obey their parents.

Some children are ashamed of their parents. The best children are those who

have unconditional love for their parents.

In ancient Israel, household duties were the responsibility of all household members.

I can remember as a kid growing up, our neighbors, they had nine kids,

and they all had their duties to do, and the kids couldn't come out and play

until they all had their chores done.

So after supper, I had to wait for them all to sweep the floor,

do the dishes, and all that good stuff.

But in today's households, this custom seems to have been reversed.

Many parents are working for their children. Part of growing up is to have parents

give rules and regulations.

Complete freedom leads to disaster.

And unfortunately, some of the school districts are finding that out.

The lack of parenting and home is creeping into the schools.

First commandment implies a result, so that it may go well with you and that

you may enjoy long life on the earth.

This doesn't refer to a person's lifespan, but to the nation of Israel.

It refers to your next generations.

You may think of it as the future of your family lineage. Failure to heed this

promise led to the demise of many nations.

Edward A. Gibbon in his book Decline and fall of the Roman Empire states several

reasons for the fall of Rome, including the steady increase of sexual immorality

and the dissolution of the Roman home.

It reminds me of the saying, it all begins at home.

Judges 2.10 says, After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors,

another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Thank you.

If you are struggling this Father's Day on how to be the best father or child

you can be, pray and read your Bible.

Christina Fox wrote in her five-day study titled, Like Our Father,

God does not leave us as he found us.

He teaches us how to live as his children.

Through his Spirit, he works in us to make us into the image of his perfect Son, Jesus Christ.

He trains us in righteousness. He helps us use our gifts for his kingdom,

as well as bear fruit for the kingdom.

Children aren't waiting for you to read a manual on how to raise them.

They're waiting for you to be active in their lives.

And no matter how old you are, if you're lucky enough to have a parent in your

life, You are reminded by the first commandment to honor them,

treat them with respect, and above all, love them.

That is what God our Father is asking you to do, not just today,

but every day, to respect Him, to love Him, and take time for Him because all

He wants from you is a relationship.

Dear Lord, we thank you that you are our perfect Father, and that Jesus Christ,

your Son, is our example to follow and that all you really want from us is a

true, defining relationship.

Help us to learn that through your word, that we may be that example to the

next generations and that our lineage and your kingdom are not lost forever.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.