Thomas Leach shared the following sermon :
A small boy's definition of Father's Day: "It's just like Mother's Day only you don't spend as much."
Definition of a father... "A father is a man who carries pictures in his wallet where his money used to be."
Paul Harvey's definition of a father... "A father is a thing that is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic.... A father never feels worthy of the worship in a child's eyes. He is never quite the hero his daughter thinks, never quite the man his son believes him to be, and this worries him, sometimes. Therefore, he works too hard to try and smooth out the rough places in the road for those of his own who will follow him...Fathers are what give daughters away to other men who are not nearly good enough, so they can have grandchildren who are smarter than any body's is. ." --Paul Harvey
When God created man and woman, He said that it was good. He made them in His image and in His likeness. He put the wholeness of who He really is and divided it between the both of them. Together Mother's and Father's are a fine balance and representation of God! God reflects a side of his nature and identifies with women! 1. Unconditional Love 2. Extreme Patience 3. Deep Pain and Self Sacrifice 4. Nurturing Care
Men are so different!
One night a wife found her husband standing over their baby's crib. Silently she watched him. As he stood looking down at the sleeping infant, she saw on his face a mixture of emotions: disbelief, doubt, delight, amazement, enchantment, skepticism. Touched by this unusual display and the deep emotions it aroused, with eyes glistening, she slipped her arm around her husband. "A penny for your thoughts," she said. "It's amazing!" he replied. "I just can't see how anybody can make a crib like that for only $46.50." feb98
The lost art of fatherhood...
According to David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values in New York City and co-founder of the National Fatherhood Initiative:
*Forty percent of American children currently do not live with their biological fathers.
*Seventy percent of juveniles in state reform institutions grew up with one or neither parents.
*Forty-three percent of adult inmates grew up in single-parent homes, mostly without dads.
It has been said, "A child is not likely to find a father in God unless he finds something of God in his father." Recently a pastor asked a preschool class in a Sunday school to draw a picture of God. He intended to use them as an illustration for his Sunday sermon. Toward the end of class, the children were excited to show him their work. They came up with rainbows and men with big hands. Finally, his daughter showed him her picture: a man with a suit and tie on. "I don't know what God looks like," she said, "so I just drew my daddy instead." What an awesome responsibility.
No father is perfect! Father's you are great people of influence in the lives of those little ones.
God through His Word models for us the picture of a great father.
Text: Luke 15:11-32
I. A Father's love physically provides for his family.
In the story of the prodigal son, you see the picture of the heart of Father God. You see in this heart that this father was one that provided well for his family.
Both sons had bright futures with personal promise and fulfillment because of their father's provisions.
Provision: "Mommy, if the stork brings us babies, and Santa Claus brings us presents, and the Lord gives us our daily bread, and Uncle Sam provides us with Social Security, why do we keep Daddy around?" jun98
It is the most natural thing for a father to take on the responsibility of providing for his family. It was so understood that it was a part of the teaching of discipleship.
Text: Phil 4:19
II. A father's Love is protective!
It is the kind of love that loves and let us goes! However, runs to the aid when necessary!
A man told this story about his teenage daughter, Misty. She was waitressing at a restaurant when we showed up with a group of friends. Soon we became engrossed in our food and conversation. Meanwhile, a man at a nearby table, probably 15 years Misty's senior, began flirting with her. She ignored his request for her phone number, but he persisted. Finally, she stopped what she was doing and leveled her gaze at him. "Do you see that man?" she said, motioning toward me. The patron turned in our direction. "That's my dad," Misty continues. "We have the same phone number. If you want it, get it from him."
However, not over protection! Therefore, our heavenly father is also protective!
III. A Father's Love is Authoritative
Notice that the father does not request a celebration he announces one and it happens.
His voice is rather authoritative.
Our bark though is really worse than our bite! The lion was proud of his mastery of the animal kingdom. One day he decided to make sure all the other animals knew he was the king of the jungle. He was so confident that he by-passed the smaller animals and went straight to the bear. "Who is the king of the jungle?" the lion asked. The bear replied, "Why you are, of course" The lion gave a mighty roar of approval. Next, he asked the tiger, "Who is the king of the jungle?" The tiger quickly responded, "Everyone knows that you are, mighty lion" Next on the list was the elephant. The lion faced the elephant and addressed his question "Who is the king of the jungle?" The elephant immediately grabbed the lion with his trunk, whirled him around in the air five or six times and slammed him into a tree. Then he pounded him onto the ground several times, dunked him under water in a nearby lake, and finally dumped him out on the shore. The lion--beaten, bruised, and battered--struggled to his feet. He looked at the elephant through sad and bloody eyes and said, "Look, just because you don't know the answer is no reason for you to get mean about it!" jan98
IV. A Father's Love is forgiving
A father's forgiveness is not prolonged!
It gets right to the point and moves on!
Notice that through out the entire time of his son's absence seek him for revenge or rescue. It does not matter what you have done. It does not matter how long you have done it. Now he does not take things lightly but if you truly come, seeking forgiveness it is yours.
God give you always a second chance.
Thomas Edison was working on a crazy contraption called a "light bulb" and it took a whole team of men 24 straight hours to put just one together. The story goes that when Edison was finished with one light bulb, he gave it to a young boy helper, who nervously carried it up the stairs. Step by step, he cautiously watched his hands, obviously frightened of dropping such a priceless piece of work. However, when the poor kid got to top of the stairs he accidentally dropped the bulb. It took the entire team of men 24 more hours to make another bulb. Finally, tired and ready for a break, Edison was ready to have his bulb carried up the stairs. Edison gave it to the same young boy who had dropped the first one. That is true forgiveness
God the Father is like that. He is continually giving us chances after forgiving us.
V. A Father's Love influences.
The younger son had discovered his true identity only in his father's house. His father had loved him enough to allow him to discover that for himself.
Now the older son did not value the identity he had so the father is tenderly teaching him.
Provides a role model.
Forgiveness, Trust, Acceptance, Guidance, wisdom.
Conclusion:
God made a real balance in the family of expressing His nature reflected through father and mother.
Men are you fulfilling your role as God intended.
Your love is really needed in your family and in the world today to truly represent God.
Kids need the love of their dads just as much as they need the love of their mothers. Marcy Lawrence of Richfield, Minnesota tells about one of her best friends in high school, Sue. Like many girls at that age, Sue had a steady boyfriend, and they saw each other several times a week. In addition, at night, when he would leave and back out of her parent's driveway, Sue would always flip the front-porch light on and off. When her father asked the reason, she explained that it was her way of saying, "I love you."
A year after her high-school graduation, Sue decided to move into an apartment. One evening, as she pulled out of the driveway with the last load of her belongings, her father stood, somewhat emotional, at the front door, switching the porch light on and off, on and off, on and off. Dads, how do you sons and daughters know that you love them? How do you show it? How do you communicate it? One of the greatest gifts that you can give to your children is the knowledge that they are loved, fully and unconditionally by their father.
In addition, there is some extra payoff when fathers openly and genuinely love their children...their children will find it much easier to relate to a heavenly Father, and to appreciate his love and acceptance...so dads, give your kids love...lots and lots and lots of love.
After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor once again slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit, and gave a very brief introduction of his childhood friend. With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit to speak, "A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific Coast," he began,
"when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to Get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright, and the three were swept into the ocean." The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. He continued, "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life ... to which boy he would throw the other end of the line? He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!' he threw the line to his son's friend. By the time he pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beyond the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered." By this time, the two teenagers were sitting straighter in the pew, waiting for the next words to come out of the old man's mouth.
"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son. How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us."
With that,
the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as Silence filled the room. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice story," politely started one of the boys, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."
"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, and he once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? However, I am standing here today to tell you that THAT story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me...
You see...I was the son's friend.
