Father’s Day ‘05
1. Take a moment to think about your family.
2. If you are young person, how many brothers and sisters do you have?
3. If you are an adult, think about the number of children you have or would like to have.
TODAY WE WANT TO LOOK AT SOME MEN WHO WERE FATHERS. SOME OF THESE MEN ARE WELL KNOWN BIBLE FIGURES AND OTHERS ARE SOMEWHAT OBSCURE.
a) Whether well known or not, all these men had something in common.
b) They fathered many children.
c) If we were to turn to 2 Chron. 11:21, we would read about Rehoboam.
d) Rehoboam was Solomon’s son; he became a king and he had more than one wife.
e) Not only was Rehoboam a king and a polygamist, he was a father.
f) He became a father many, many times.
g) 2 Chron. 11:21 says this king had 60 daughters and 28 sons—he fathered 88 children.
h) If they did birthday parties back then, that averages out to 1.69 parties per week.
2) Rehoboam was not the only man who was dad to a lot of children.
3) Gideon was a Hebrew who served as a deliverer for the nation of Israel.
4) We read about him in Judg. 8:30.
5) Gideon had “many wives” and “70 sons.”
6) For many, having 10 children is unthinkable. 20 is beyond the imagination.
7) 40-50 is too hard to fathom. Imagine being the parent of 70 or more children.
8) A third father who had a huge family was king Ahab.
a) Ahab was a very wicked ruler; he married Jezebel.
b) Ahab also had 70 sons (2 Kgs. 10:1),
9) Before Ahab came into power there was a deliverer (judge) in Israel named Ibzan (Judg. 12).
10) His job as a deliverer lasted for 7 years.
11) Before he died he fathered 30 sons and 30 daughters (Judg. 12:9).
12) A few verses later in this same book (Judg. 12:13-14), we read of a man who had a smaller family - 40 sons.
13) 2 Chron. 13:21 directs our attention to another father: a king who had 14 wives.
14) From these women came 38 children.
15) Judg. 10:3-4 records the details of another man who helped bring 30 boys into the world.
16) 1 Chron. 4:27 tells of another large family and I want to read this passage – READ.
a) This statement is describing the Israel tribe of Simeon (verse 24).
b) At least in this tribe, large families were not the norm.
c) Yet, this man had 22 children; I am unaware of his having more than one wife.
17) David (1 Chron. 3:1-9) and 19 sons, 1 daughter, plus an unspecified number of other children.
18) 1 Chron. 25:5 tells of another man who had 14 sons and 3 daughters.
19) 17 kids sounds like quite a few until it is compared with men who had 70 or 80 children (by multiple wives).
20) There was also Solomon who had 1,000 wives—he must have had a bunch.
ALL OF THE MEN JUST MENTIONED ARE ALL RECOGNIZABLE OR KNOWN FOR BRINGING MANY CHILDREN INTO THE WORLD.
a) What these men did reminds us of an important fact on this day.
b) Fathers are usually known for something.
c) About a year ago I heard someone (not from here) make a comment about his dad.
d) The son’s comment involved his father’s physical strength.
e) According to the son, his father was one of the strongest men he had ever seen.
f) He claimed his dad could lift more weight than 4-5 men combined.
2) Other fathers are recognized and known for other qualities, both good and bad.
3) Perhaps a father is known for compassion, encouragement, wise counsel, or some special skill.
4) It sad to say, but there are fathers who are known for having bad qualities.
5) Today I want to set forth some qualities a man might be known for in his family and/or elsewhere.
6) We would hope that a father would be known for honesty.
a) Integrity counts; uprightness is a mark of a good man.
b) Rom. 12:17 says “provide things honest in the sight of all men” (KJV).
c) Honorableness is a divine command, and this trait should typify fathers.
d) A related passage is Col. 3:9 – “lie not one to another” because the old way of life is gone.
7) Along with integrity we would hope to see a man who is impartial.
a) Most if not all of us have heard the recent verdict in the Michael Jackson case.
b) From what the jurors said, they sought to be impartial.
c) It was their intention to consider the evidence and make a decision.
d) A good quality for fathers and all others is fairness; being equitable and just to all.
e) James had something to say about this in Jas. 2.
f) The inspired writer spoke of a situation where people were assembled together.
g) In came a person with wealth and perhaps prominence; that person was given a good seat.
h) At this same service came in a poor man, and everyone could tell he was poor.
i) The poor man was given an inferior place to sit; perhaps the worst seat in the assembly.
j) James said God was not pleased.
k) Great fathers are known for honesty, fairness and justice.
8) A third ingredient to being a great father is humility.
9) James also dealt with this topic a little later in his book (Jas. 4:10).
10) He spoke of “humbling” ourselves so God would “life us up” at a later time.
11) There are fathers who are known for lacking the quality of humility.
12) I once remember a preacher who either didn’t have much of it or didn’t let much of it be seen.
13) He was one of those fellows who had been everywhere and done everything.
14) Another Christian finally turned to him one day and said,
15) “To see and do all that you have done would require a dozen lifetimes.”
16) As fathers we should be known for humility, being impartial, and honesty.
17) Fourth on our list is being people who keep commitments.
a) Throughout the Bible we reading of lying, covenant breaking, and making false promises.
b) We probably all know at least one person who is known for not keeping his or her word.
c) If a certain type of person promises us something, we know the promise will likely fail.
d) We can be known as people who do our very best to fulfill what we promise or agree to.
e) If we give our word, we do all we can to follow through with what we said.
f) In ancient times the Jews had fancy and complicated ways to make promises.
g) They were experts at “finger crossing.”
h) James said “let your yea be yea and nay, nay” (Jas. 5:12).
i) He taught Christians to do their best to do what they promised.
18) Another thing to be known for is endurance.
a) Throughout time we have examples of people who quit.
b) Even in the Bible we read about quitters.
c) There were Christians who quit living a faithful Christian life.
d) We have examples in our world of employees abandoning faithful service.
e) There are various examples of unfaithfulness in families.
f) People simply “give up” at various times.
g) How many children want to look at their father and say, “My dad was a quitter”?
h) We know Timothy was a younger preacher, but we do not know if he had a family.
i) We can say this young man faced some serious difficulties.
j) 2 Tim. 2:3 has Paul telling him to “endure hardship as a good soldier.”
k) Paul had not quit and he told the young evangelist to keep going.
l) The military analogy in the letters to Timothy is relevant for our day and time.
19) Many times the soldiers in today’s armies are well equipped.
20) Soldiers may have air-conditioned vehicles in combat.
21) Service members even have some remote-controlled weapons.
22) It was not that long ago when soldiers even in this country faced many serious hardships.
23) Since armies were first formed, scores of soldiers have had to suffer and endure great difficulties.
24) Disease, frostbite, lack of food, family separation, and life altering wounds have been some of the perils.
25) Paul used these kinds of things to tell a young man “endure.” Stay with the faith.
26) Endurance is a great quality to be known for if we are a father.
27) Even in one of Jesus’ parables we see the idea of endurance.
28) When Jesus spoke of the parable of the sowe,r He described seeds that did not last.
29) The “good soil” had seeds that endured.
30) Fathers that leave a good lasting impression are often those who reflect purpose in life.
a) A man can be known for knowing what is important and seeking it with all that is in him.
b) Jesus offered some help in this area.
c) He said to seek first the kingdom (Mt. 6:33).
d) Peter (2 Pet. 1:10) said to make our “calling and election sure.”
e) I have had grown children say to me, “My Father was a faithful Christian.”
f) This was what their dad was known for, and this was what children remembered in the later years.
g) Dad may not have been a college football player or even graduated high school.
h) He may not have had the most elite job or many worldly goods.
i) Maybe he wasn’t the brightest guy in school.
j) Many dads have been known for living the best Christian life they possibly could.
k) Children look back on this accomplishment with a great sense of satisfaction.
31) Related to this is the word “obedience.”
a) As I think back on many years of conversations, grown children have told me something else.
b) Several times someone has said to me, “My dad obeyed the gospel when……”
c) A lot of children remember the conversion of their father and it has made lasting impact.
d) Influence from a father’s conversion or faithful Christian life is extremely powerful and influential.
e) It is almost always the case that fathers are known for something.
f) Today is a good day to remind dads that we want to be known for the right things.
g) For the fathers who have made this choice, well done.
32) What ties all the points made today together is a desire to learn about and follow God.
a) If we make this choice, we should expect it to have some impact on our children & others.
b) No matter who we are, our life makes some type of impact on others.
c) Is it the right impact? Is it leaving a Christian impression on others?
d) If not, there is still time to change. Today is the time to make the right choice.
e) We begin the process by becoming a Christian just as the Bible describes.