Loyal, OK

 
Pastor Leon Seaton

Take Time To Be A Dad

Scriptures:  Genesis 21:1-13; 22:1-12

 Phil LeMaster, Cane Ridge, Tennessee writes, “I had accepted the call as senior pastor of a large congregation that had recently erected a huge, state-of-the-art building resulting in major debt. Feeling the pressures of my new responsibility—and with a strong desire to impress my parishioners—I hit the ground running. I was in the office early every day, and almost every evening I was out shepherding the flock or reaching out to potential church members.

“My wife, Teresa, was very understanding, but our two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Mandi, was perplexed by my absence. Mandi loved for me to read to her after dinner each evening—a practice I continued in my new position, with one caveat: I would sit on the edge of my recliner with her seated by my side and read a quick story or two before rushing out for another night of harried activity.

“One evening Mandi said something that jolted me back to reality about my role as a father. I had sat down with her in my recliner—once again on the edge, ready to quickly read and run. While I was reading, Mandi interrupted me, patted the recliner seat, and said, "Scoot back, Daddy, scoot back." She knew on those rare occasions when I wasn't going back out that I would relax, sit back in my recliner, and leisurely read stories to her heart's content.

“Her words pierced my soul as I understood what she was really saying: ‘Please slow down, Daddy. Make time for me!’ Appropriately chastened, I scooted back.”

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And so it is in the life of every parent – both moms and dads; So much to do, so little time. However, my purpose this morning is not to chastise us, but to celebrate the wonderful responsibility that God has given us.

Abraham is called the Father of Faith. He earned that designation the hard way. It is not an honorary title, but an earned degree.

1. God told him to leave everything including his family – to go to a far country. God only revealed the designation after Abraham started on the journey.
2. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations that trying to count all of his children and grandchildren would be like counting all the stars in the sky or the grains of sand on the beach.
3. Then God waited 25 years to let him have a son…when Abraham was 100 years old and his wife was 75 years old.
4. In their haste to have a son Sarah had given Abraham Hagar as a concubine so he could have a son. They were beginning to think that God was not going to come through on His promise. We all know that sometimes God is not as anxious to get things done as we are. (I think He does this so we will know that we have experienced a miracle.)
5. Abraham did not have a “favorite son.” When Isaac was born Ishmael, Hagar’s son, was 13 years old. Sarah got jealous, so Abraham had to send them away. However he got the Lord’s blessing for doing so.
6. When Isaac was 13 God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son on the altar. Thus we see that Abraham had to sacrifice both boys. However, God restored each one to him, and made great nations of each of them “because they are your sons.”

Acrostic for FATHER:

F – Faithful. Abraham was faithful to God. He was also faithful to his wife. He made mistakes in both relationships, but God redeemed him. His major mistake with God was the birth of Ishmael. His failure with Sarah was in telling the king that she was his sister.

Abraham was also faithful to his family. When his nephew Lot got into trouble, Abraham rescued him – and the city in which Lot lived.

A – Approachable and available. James 3: 13- 18: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.   But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”

After Isaac was weaned his dad gave a party to celebrate the event. He was an involved dad.

T – Thoughtful, Thankful, Teacher - Titus 3:1, 2 “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”

Colossians 3:16  "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

H – Helpful, Honesty/Integrity. Abraham helped his son find a godly wife. Of course that is not a custom today. Most of our children would really resent our picking out their future spouse. However, we do have a powerful influence over the decisions that they make because of the values we teach them. As you know, telling children how to think will never work. Spending time with them, monitoring their activities and being careful with the books, magazines, TV programs and conversations in our home will influence them forever.

E – Encouragement. Imagine for a moment that you are Abraham. You and your son Isaac are walking up the mountain where you intend to tie up your son and sacrifice him on the altar. Genesis 22:7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Abraham answered, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. That, my friend, is the gift of encouragement. He didn’t slam the boy with the ugly truth, he encouraged him to believe. We need to teach our children the same thing… “God will provide.”

R – Responsible.  Biological (and adoptive) moms and dads have tremendous responsibilities.  But there are also spiritual moms and dads.  St. Paul considered himself to be a spiritual dad to Timothy.  We all know that there are irresponsible and dysfunctional parents out there.  As believers we need to be willing to role model godly lives every day.

Abraham raised his children in the reverence of God.  As parents we have the responsibility to teach our children both reverence and obedience to God.

When we pray and read the scriptures in front of our children as our personal devotions, we are teaching far more than words can say.

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To the best of my knowledge the members of our church family all have strong homes with good dads. For this we give thanks to God! I believe that the heart of this message may be this: each of us can become spiritual parents to members of the community.

If you had good parents it is easier to be a good parent yourself.  However, some parents simply do not know what to do.  They have problems with bad habits, they may not know how to cook, or they may have to work long hours to make ends meet financially.  God may be calling us to adopt those families.  Oh, not to make a big deal of it.  Just take them a loaf of bread… share a meal with them… visit with them… invite them over for a meal.

Or as Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself!”

General Douglas MacArthur once said, “By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder -- infinitely prouder -- to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle field but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, ''Our Father Who Art in Heaven.''    www.congressionalmedal.com/DouglasMacArthurQuotes.htm