What's a Dad to Do
Notes
Transcript
TEXT: 2 CHRONICLES 34:1-3
TOPIC: WHAT'S A DAD TO DO?
Bobby Earls, First Baptist Church – Icard, June 16, 2002
BIBLE SURVIVORS SERIES – Message 31
Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us to pray, "Our Father which art in heaven...."
So often, our image or perception of God is shaped by our own paternal relationships with our own earthly fathers. If we have a loving, caring, nurturing earthly dad, then we usually are capable of a healthy, and growing relationship with our Heavenly Father. If our earthly relationship with our father is strained, difficult and damaged, then often, our perception of God as a loving, Heavenly Father is misunderstood or never experienced at all.
I say all of that to say this today, “Dads, your influence is critical to your child's spiritual development.
If a dad is impersonal and uncaring, one who will never intervene on the child's behalf, God is seen in that light. The child grows up feeling God is disinterested in his or her needs and can't be gotten close to.
If a father is a drill sergeant, demanding more and more and never showing approval the child feels unaccepted by God. This often results in an adult who is never sure of salvation. Having an authoritative figure in life that can never be pleased is often transferred to God who can never be satisfied. This person keeps praying over and over to be saved without ever having confidence of salvation. They think they can never do enough to please God.
If a father is seen as a weakling who can't be looked to for help God is considered to be incapable of helping.
NOW THE POSITIVE.
If a father is patient God is seen as patient, forbearing, and long suffering. If a father is kind God is thought of as kind and gracious. If a father is giving God is seen as supportive. If a father is protective God is seen as a shield and defender.
But hear this, instead of our concept of God being derived from our association with people such as our earthly father, the fathers concept of his role should be derived from the model set by our eternal Father God. The Lord God modeled fatherhood through His relationship with His own Son. When the Father spoke of His Son He did so in terms of endearment, "This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased."
For the importance of fatherhood to be restored in America we are going to have to recapture the importance of marriage. Americans love to get married. When we become as interested in staying married as in getting married the institution will prosper as God intends.
A Sunday School teacher asked children how many times should a person marry. Instantly one child responded, "Sixteen!"
The child was so certain the teacher asked how do you know. Replied the child, "The preacher said so at the wedding last week. 'For [four] better or for [four] worst, for [four] good or for [four] evil. That's sixteen."
Children have a way of putting things in perspective don’t they?
Erma Bombeck tells of one such child. This little girl loved her dad but wasn't quite sure what dads do. She tells her own story.
"I hadn't thought that much about dad before. He was just someone who left and came home and seemed glad to see everyone at night. He opened jars of pickles no one else could. He was the only one in the house who wasn't afraid to go into the basement by himself.
He cut himself shaving, but no one kissed it or got excited about it. It was understood that when it rained, he got the car and brought it around to the door.
When anyone was sick, he went out to get the prescription filled. He took lots of pictures ---- but was never in any of them.
Whenever I played house, the mother doll had a lot to do. I never knew what to do with the daddy doll, so I had him say, 'I'm going off to work now,' and threw him under the bed.
Then one morning daddy didn't get up and go to work. He went to the hospital instead and died. We had never had so much company and food before.
I went to my room and felt under the bed for the daddy doll. When I found him, I dusted him off and put him on my bed. He never did anything. I didn't know his leaving would hurt so much..."
Dads, those of you who voluntarily vacate ourselves from the lives of our children, need to understand, your going away hurts so much.
The little girl didn't know what dads do. Let's examine the life of one and learn some good things for all of us to do, but especially dads.
There are numerous studies showing the advantages of having a contributing dad in the home. In reality every home does not have one. If you are a child in a single parent home I want to encourage you by relating to the story of a child whose dad died when he was eight. He overcame this liability and an even greater one. His name was Josiah son of Amon, the evil King of Israel. His grandfather was Manasseh, also an evil king.
Billy Graham once preached a sermon entitled, "The Meanest Man Who Ever Lived." It was Manasseh.
To aid in overcoming the liability of not having a living dad and being the product of a home with a corrupt heritage, he chose a role model. II Chronicles 34: 2 spoke of "his father David." This meant a descendant of David. The David he modeled his life after
was the repentant David who was "a man after God's own heart."
At the age of eight he became King of Israel.
Don't give up on yourself if you are a fatherless child.
Don't give up on yourself if you have a vile and evil dad. Do as Josiah who determined to - - - -
I. SEEK THE RIGHT GOD “THE GOD OF HIS FATHER DAVID” v. 3c
David had many weaknesses and numerous failures. Josiah chose the lifestyle of David as a man back in fellowship with the Lord. It impacted him dramatically.
It has been determined that the most influential times in a child's life is between ages 30 months and five years and during early adolescence.
Current research shows three things in the lives of parents, especially dads, influence the faith life of children. Those who:
*Attend church at least three times a month,
*Discuss their faith at home,
*Demonstrate commitment to the faith
have children with values and behavior like their own. Conversely those who do not do these three things have children who are inconsistent in their lifestyle.
Research shows that the average teen in our churches spends only two minutes a day in meaningful dialogue with dad. Alarming as it is 25% of the teens say they have never had a meaningful conversation with their father. That is, a talk centered on the teens interest.
A study from Cornell University shows fathers of preschool children on the average spend 3.7 seconds per day in real contact with their youngsters. By contrast, kids today watch an average of 54 hours per week of T.V.
Previous generations have been laughed at for laughing at "Father Knows Best" and "Leave It to Beaver" the present generation is developing character while laughing at "Bart Simpson" and "Married With Children" that depict fathers as bumbling, befuddled, or beastly.
Perhaps you’ve heard this Dad, children spell love ---- "T I M E."
American fathers spend less time with their children than fathers in any other countries in the world except Britain. Today's American father spends 40% less time with their children than any previous generation.
Charles Francis Adams was a prominent 19th century political figure who kept a diary. One day he entered the following: "Went fishing with my son today --a day wasted."
His son Brook Adams also kept a diary and made the following entry on the same day:
"Went fishing with my father -- the most wonderful day of my life!"
Children value the time spent with their parents.
HOW TO TEACH A CHILD
I tried to teach my child with books,
He only gave me puzzled looks.
I tried to teach my child by word.
They passed him by, often unheard.
Despairingly, I turned aside,
'How shall I teach this child?' I cried.
'Come,' said he,
'Play with me!'
II. SET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER, v. 3C "HE BEGAN TO PURGE"
A.THE CAUSE OF CONTRITION(Verse 19)
Without a mirror it is difficult to determine how we look. The Word of God acts as such a mirror to help depict our spiritual condition. "Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord" (Vs. 14) and it was read before the king. When it was Josiah saw himself and his people in light of God's Word. When he did it caused him such grief that he spontaneously engaged in a custom of his day, he "tore his clothes" (Vs. 19). This was a sign of grief and remorse.
B.THE CONSEQUENCES OF CORRUPTION (Verse 21)
"THE WRATH OF THE LORD"
C.THE CONDITION OF CORRECTION (Verses 26, 27)
"YOU HUMBLED YOURSELF BEFORE THE LORD WHEN
YOU HEARD HIS WORD..."
III. SEEK TO SERVE THE LORD, v. 8c "REPAIR THE
TEMPLE"
Josiah rediscovered the Torah, which consists of the first five books of our Bible. He restored it to its proper place as God's guide for life for that era. It became the inspiration for reestablishing God's will in the life of the community.
Verse 27 explains why the radical transformation in the life of Josiah and the community was possible: "because your heart was tender."
This resulted in a devout spirit of self-humiliation before God (Vs. 27).
He engaged in a "purge" (Vs. 3c and 8). If being "salt" and "light" means anything it means being a purging and preserving agent in society. Dads take the lead. Purge your Internet viewing, your TV programming, and your reading lists. Lead by example. Let your standard for yourself be known by your children.
He evidenced devotion in that he determined to "repair the house of the Lord his God."
Dads, on this Father’s Day, how many of us need to do the same thing? How many need to humble ourselves today for the sake of our families, our children, and begin to seek to serve the Lord again?
How many dads here this morning are willing to set your houses in order by purging out everything that doesn’t belong in a Godly man’s life?
What dads today will say today with Joshua of old, “Choose you this day whom you will serve. Whether it be the gods on the other side of the flood…..but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Choose the right God, daddy. For your children’s sake, choose the right God. That’s what a Dad is to do!