[The following is a full manuscript of my sermon delivered on Father's Day, Sunday morning the 19th of June, 2016. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel, http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Today is Father’s Day, but sadly, there are too many people who can’t or won’t celebrate their fathers. Too many don’t even know who their fathers are. Too many biological fathers are absent from their children’s lives by choice. Society places less and less importance on an ever diminishing role of parenthood in general, handing over more and more of those duties to government.
But still, even today in the midst of this parental mess, there are fathers who care deeply about their children, who foster and nourish their lives, who look out for them and love them and do their best by them. Sure, they make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. And Jesus understood this. Listen and follow along to the words Jesus spoke as recorded in the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 11 verses 9 through 13, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible…
But still, even today in the midst of this parental mess, there are fathers who care deeply about their children, who foster and nourish their lives, who look out for them and love them and do their best by them. Sure, they make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. And Jesus understood this. Listen and follow along to the words Jesus spoke as recorded in the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 11 verses 9 through 13, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible…
9 “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11 “If a son asks for bread from any of you who is a father, will you give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will you give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will you offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
--Luke 11:9-13 (MEV)
Let us pray… Father God, we come into your presence this morning with great rejoicing as we celebrate the day set aside for our Fathers. With our Brother and Lord Jesus Christ we sing praises to You, and with Him we glorify Your holy name. Open our hearts and our minds to receive the message You need for us to hear. Happy Father’s Day, God! In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Author and humorist Erma Bombeck once wrote of her confusion over just what fathers do:
One morning my father didn't get up and go to work. He went to the hospital and died the next day. I hadn't thought that much about him before. He was just someone who left and came home and seemed glad to see everyone at night. He opened the jar of pickles when 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 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 he was never in 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. The funeral was in our living room and a lot of people came and brought all kinds of good food and cakes. We had never had so much company 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.
Those of us whose fathers have gone on home to be with God know just how much their leaving hurts. Those whose fathers are still with us: cherish them and enjoy every minute you have with them.
We all remember the story of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham was 100 years old when God gave him and Sarah a son, Isaac, promised to them because of their great faith. While Isaac was still a boy, God ordered Abraham to take the lad and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. With no hesitation of protestations recorded in Genesis, Abraham started out to do as commanded. Just as he raised the knife to take Isaac’s life - the son he had waited a hundred years for - the angel of the Lord stopped him, saying: “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.”
So was Abraham a good father? There can be no doubt that he loved Isaac, but he was willing to kill his son, without any questions or protest. How many of us fathers, if we heard a voice say, “Kill your child.”, would simply reply, “OK”, and go about the business of doing just that, no questions asked? But you see, Abraham loved God even more than his own son.
The Old Testament relates many stories of men whose paternal skills leave a bit to be desired. Isaac fathered twins and let the younger one fool him into giving him the blessing and birthright that should have gone to the older. That wily son, Jacob, fathered twelve sons of his own. He favored Joseph over the others so much that they turned on the him and sold him into slavery, breaking old Jacob's heart. And two of King David's sons tried to take the throne a little early, one by force and the other by scheming.
Fathers fare a little better in the New Testament, where they are often shown trying to get help for their children, taking them to Christ for healing. The little we know about Jesus' earthly father, Joseph, indicates he was a good father, teaching Jesus the law and the scripture as well as a trade. Joseph loved God and served well as Jesus' Dad.
We can all relate to these Biblical fathers, because we have all seen or heard of similar examples in our own experiences, and because… well… nobody’s perfect. Being a father is a tough job, one filled with many dangers and bearing tremendous responsibility. A father is supposed to be a provider, a protector, a leader, a guide, a teacher, a role model, and the Biblical foundation for the family, among other things.
But a father must not be prideful or pretentious. His leadership must be one of sacrifice, not of force. He must know when to be gentle and when to be firm. He must be able to deal with small, developing children without being condescending or hurtful. And like mothers, he must be able to figure all this out on his own because there are no instructions manuals.
We know of great fathers and those that are downright terrible. Some may dote too much over their offspring; others walked out of their child's life at a very early age and never looked back. While not all fathers care what might happen to their progeny, most of us, even if we aren't perfect Dads, only want what is best for our children and will make any sacrifice to ensure their lives are better than ours.
In verse 13 of our scripture reading this morning, Jesus shows us He understands this when He tells us, “Even though you are bad, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your heavenly Father give His Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”. In his letter to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul assures us that whether our earthly father has been present and active in our life or completely absent, we all have a Father in heaven who has willingly adopted us and calls us His children. Listen to what Paul tells us in the first 4 verses of the 8th chapter of Romans…
Author and humorist Erma Bombeck once wrote of her confusion over just what fathers do:
One morning my father didn't get up and go to work. He went to the hospital and died the next day. I hadn't thought that much about him before. He was just someone who left and came home and seemed glad to see everyone at night. He opened the jar of pickles when 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 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 he was never in 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. The funeral was in our living room and a lot of people came and brought all kinds of good food and cakes. We had never had so much company 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.
Those of us whose fathers have gone on home to be with God know just how much their leaving hurts. Those whose fathers are still with us: cherish them and enjoy every minute you have with them.
We all remember the story of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham was 100 years old when God gave him and Sarah a son, Isaac, promised to them because of their great faith. While Isaac was still a boy, God ordered Abraham to take the lad and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. With no hesitation of protestations recorded in Genesis, Abraham started out to do as commanded. Just as he raised the knife to take Isaac’s life - the son he had waited a hundred years for - the angel of the Lord stopped him, saying: “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son.”
So was Abraham a good father? There can be no doubt that he loved Isaac, but he was willing to kill his son, without any questions or protest. How many of us fathers, if we heard a voice say, “Kill your child.”, would simply reply, “OK”, and go about the business of doing just that, no questions asked? But you see, Abraham loved God even more than his own son.
The Old Testament relates many stories of men whose paternal skills leave a bit to be desired. Isaac fathered twins and let the younger one fool him into giving him the blessing and birthright that should have gone to the older. That wily son, Jacob, fathered twelve sons of his own. He favored Joseph over the others so much that they turned on the him and sold him into slavery, breaking old Jacob's heart. And two of King David's sons tried to take the throne a little early, one by force and the other by scheming.
Fathers fare a little better in the New Testament, where they are often shown trying to get help for their children, taking them to Christ for healing. The little we know about Jesus' earthly father, Joseph, indicates he was a good father, teaching Jesus the law and the scripture as well as a trade. Joseph loved God and served well as Jesus' Dad.
We can all relate to these Biblical fathers, because we have all seen or heard of similar examples in our own experiences, and because… well… nobody’s perfect. Being a father is a tough job, one filled with many dangers and bearing tremendous responsibility. A father is supposed to be a provider, a protector, a leader, a guide, a teacher, a role model, and the Biblical foundation for the family, among other things.
But a father must not be prideful or pretentious. His leadership must be one of sacrifice, not of force. He must know when to be gentle and when to be firm. He must be able to deal with small, developing children without being condescending or hurtful. And like mothers, he must be able to figure all this out on his own because there are no instructions manuals.
We know of great fathers and those that are downright terrible. Some may dote too much over their offspring; others walked out of their child's life at a very early age and never looked back. While not all fathers care what might happen to their progeny, most of us, even if we aren't perfect Dads, only want what is best for our children and will make any sacrifice to ensure their lives are better than ours.
In verse 13 of our scripture reading this morning, Jesus shows us He understands this when He tells us, “Even though you are bad, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your heavenly Father give His Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”. In his letter to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul assures us that whether our earthly father has been present and active in our life or completely absent, we all have a Father in heaven who has willingly adopted us and calls us His children. Listen to what Paul tells us in the first 4 verses of the 8th chapter of Romans…
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The Law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
--Romans 8:1-4 (NLT)
Paul says that the law handed down through Moses could not save us from our own sinful nature, so God did what the law could not do. He sent His Son to save us. We all know John 3:16, but do you remember the next verse in the Apostle John’s Gospel…
God’s plan to save mankind and the world involved sending His Son not as some invincible warrior, not as God Himself, in all His radiant glory, but as a man, in the fragile, destructible body of a man, a body just like the one that you and I wear. Jesus was one of us. He knew all about growing pains, indigestion, insomnia, even heartbreak. God did this so that His law could still be fulfilled for us, if not by us.
A little further on in Romans chapter 8, Paul assures us that if we follow the lead of God’s Holy Spirit, then we are the children of God - the adoption is complete. Now we can call God “Abba”, which is the familiar form of “father” in the Aramaic language of that day. It is like our endearments of Daddy, Pop, Poppa, Dad. I personally have a little trouble thinking of the Lord of all creation, the Maker of the universe and everything in it, as “Daddy”, but that is exactly what He wants.
Why? Because He loves us, and wants us to love Him in return. He wants us to be comfortable with Him, to realize that He cares for us as His own. Like any good father, God just wants us to talk to Him, to build a relationship with Him, to spend time with Him, to get to know and understand Him better.
God doesn't need us to tell Him anything; He already knows. The need to pray to God isn't His, it’s ours. We need to talk to Him, to share our daily lives with Him, to grow in our love for Him. Unlike many earthly fathers, our heavenly Father is never too busy to stop and listen to our problems, our cares, our concerns. He wants nothing more than to hear about our triumphs and our defeats, our gains and our losses, our loves and our heartbreaks. And unlike what earthly fathers may do, our heavenly Father will never abandon us or leave us orphaned.
Every child needs love. Every child longs for the love of their father. Great fathers love their children without reservation, under any and all circumstances, regardless of what the child does or turns out to be. Unconditional love is a mark of a great father.
Our heavenly Father is a great father. He loves us even when we ignore him, turn against Him, sin against Him. All He asks in return is that we love Him and Jesus and each other. What greater reward than to be loved by God.
Happy Father's Day, God! Happy Father's Day!
Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, Daddy, even though this is the day we set aside to honor our earthly fathers, we also recognize You as our heavenly Father. You love us so much, You gave up Your only Son that we might be granted eternal life with You if we only believe in Him. Thank You, Father, for giving us so much. You are truly a great Dad!
Hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, as we lift up to You our praise and our prayers spoken directly from our hearts…
Lord Jesus, You showed us just how good a father God is, and how many wonderful things He still has in store for us. Thank You so much for asking Him to adopt us, for Your sake, so that we can share in His glory forever. It is in Your blessed name, dear Jesus, we pray. Amen.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
--John 3:17 (NKJV)
A little further on in Romans chapter 8, Paul assures us that if we follow the lead of God’s Holy Spirit, then we are the children of God - the adoption is complete. Now we can call God “Abba”, which is the familiar form of “father” in the Aramaic language of that day. It is like our endearments of Daddy, Pop, Poppa, Dad. I personally have a little trouble thinking of the Lord of all creation, the Maker of the universe and everything in it, as “Daddy”, but that is exactly what He wants.
Why? Because He loves us, and wants us to love Him in return. He wants us to be comfortable with Him, to realize that He cares for us as His own. Like any good father, God just wants us to talk to Him, to build a relationship with Him, to spend time with Him, to get to know and understand Him better.
God doesn't need us to tell Him anything; He already knows. The need to pray to God isn't His, it’s ours. We need to talk to Him, to share our daily lives with Him, to grow in our love for Him. Unlike many earthly fathers, our heavenly Father is never too busy to stop and listen to our problems, our cares, our concerns. He wants nothing more than to hear about our triumphs and our defeats, our gains and our losses, our loves and our heartbreaks. And unlike what earthly fathers may do, our heavenly Father will never abandon us or leave us orphaned.
Every child needs love. Every child longs for the love of their father. Great fathers love their children without reservation, under any and all circumstances, regardless of what the child does or turns out to be. Unconditional love is a mark of a great father.
Our heavenly Father is a great father. He loves us even when we ignore him, turn against Him, sin against Him. All He asks in return is that we love Him and Jesus and each other. What greater reward than to be loved by God.
Happy Father's Day, God! Happy Father's Day!
Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, Daddy, even though this is the day we set aside to honor our earthly fathers, we also recognize You as our heavenly Father. You love us so much, You gave up Your only Son that we might be granted eternal life with You if we only believe in Him. Thank You, Father, for giving us so much. You are truly a great Dad!
Hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, as we lift up to You our praise and our prayers spoken directly from our hearts…
Lord Jesus, You showed us just how good a father God is, and how many wonderful things He still has in store for us. Thank You so much for asking Him to adopt us, for Your sake, so that we can share in His glory forever. It is in Your blessed name, dear Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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