June 21, Father’s Day 2020
Pastor Troy Brewer, OpenDoor Church, Burleson, TX
1 John 3:1
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
IT’S HIS CHOICE TO BE YOUR FATHER
You don’t have to beg Him to treat you right.
You don’t have to try and be liked by Him.
You don’t have to wish He cared about you.
HIS HIGHEST CHOICE FOR YOU IS NOT TO BE HIS SERVANT, NOT EVEN JUST TO BE HIS FRIEND, BUT TO BE HIS KID.
So you can live in His house, receive His name and His inheritance that He has reserved for you.
When your flesh keels over and assumes room temperature, the place you will go is to His house. Why? Because His house is your house and your house is His house.
Why would God do that? Because it make Him happy. It brings Him pleasure to choose you as His child.
Luke12:32
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.”
We LEARN FROM HIM
WE FOLLOW HIM
WE CONFORM TO HIM
TODAY IS FATHER’S DAY
If the church is going to play a fatherly role in our society at large or community at home, we need to take on the heart of the Father.
OPENDOOR CHURCH SHOULD BE
THE HEART OF THE FATHER
IN THE HEART OF THE CITY
Three different layers all at the time and all of the characters traits I am about to define are True.
As God the father
As a good natural father
And as a church that takes on a fatherly role of influence in any community throughout the world
F-A-T-H-E-R: The Six Attributes of a Godly Father:
F-A-T-H-E-R
The “F” in father stands for Faithful.
Good Fathers are Faithful
FAITHFUL
“true or trustworthy in the performance of duty, the fulfillment of promises or obligations”
WHEN A FATHER IS FAITHFUL HE DOES WHAT HE SAYS HE IS GOING TO DO.
etc; constant”, and as “worthy of belief or confidence”.
In the Old Testament, ‘emunah,’ Strong’s # 530, means firmness, security, steadiness. The word has as its key idea faithfulness or certainty.
Vine’s defines it as “faithfulness, stability” and says it “exhibits God’s character as worthy of the love and confidence of man and assures us that He will certainly fulfill His promises as well as execute His threats against SOMETHING ELSE.”
When we say God is faithful, we mean that we can trust Him, rely on Him, depend on Him totally and without reservation. He will do what He says. He is constant and does not change.
TOTALY COMMITTED
SO YOU CAN TOTALLY COMIT BECAUSE HE IS TOTALLY COMMITTED AND YOU CAN PUT YOUR FAITH IN THE ONE WHO IS FAITHFUL.
Another important word in this connection is “chesed,” Strong’s # 2617. Literally it means “kindness” or “mercy”, but it is often used in the sense of “steadfast love”, “unfailing love”, and thus has a strong connotation of faithfulness.
The Bible is a story of God’s faithful work in His people.
Good fathers are faithful people. They are first faithful to God and trust God with their whole heart, soul, and mind. Good fathers believe in God’s promises, that God will preserve their families, and that our good Lord will provide their families everything needed for salvation.
Good fathers are reliable, responsible, and consistent. They work hard to “bring home the bacon” and provide for their family’s needs. Good fathers are also helpful in times of crisis.
I tell you something that is going on behind the scenes in every good father’s life.
They are dads when it is cool and when it is not cool.
Dads have to make hard choices and realize that popular decisions are not always the best decisions.
Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…
F-A-T-H-E-R
The “A” in father stands for Action
Good fathers are people of action
Good dads know how to get things done; they solve problems, and always rise to the occasion.
IF WE, AS A CHURCH, ARE GOING TO PLAY A FATHERLY ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE SHOULD BE KNOWN FOR.
GETTING THINGS DONE, SOLVING PROBLEMS AND RISING TO THE OCCASION.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT GOD THE FATHER DOES.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.
Good fathers are involved in their children’s lives looks out for their best interests.
Good fathers also instill a good work ethic in their children and teach by example. Children need to see hardworking fathers and good fathers challenge their children to learn through activity. Good fathers watch over their children and give them space to learn, grow and achieve.
JAMES ASKS THIS:
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works (ACTIONS)
1 Peter 1:13
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind
IT MEANS WE SHOULD PREPARE OUR MINDS FOR ACTION
We have a responsibility to get things done and to make a difference.
Responsibility isn’t a curse, it’s a blessing.
Newspaper columnist Abigail Van Buren wrote, “If you want your children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.”
“Few things help an individual more that to place responsibility upon him and to let him know that you trUst him.” – Booker T. Washington
Good fathers are active and engaged parents.
F-A-T-H-E-R
The “T” in father stands for Teacher
Good fathers are teachable teachers
Good fathers are teachers and prepare their children to enter adulthood and face the tough world around them. This means fathers give their children survival skills that will help transform them into successful adults. Unfortunately, most children do not listen to the advice of their fathers. In order to be good teachers, fathers must be credible and earn their children’s trust and love.
Ephesians 6:4
“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
F-A-T-H-E-R
The “H” in father stands for Hope
Good fathers offer hope to their families
Good fathers are a source of hope and inspiration for their families. Dads are the family’s pillar of strength and they are the ones who tell us things will be all right when tough times are around the corner. Even though dads complain, good fathers are optimistic and resilient because they trust God.
IN A CULTURE OF HOPE
HOPE FANATICS
GOOD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN
Constantly encourage them to pursue their passions, fulfill their dreams, and plan for their future.
“Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present.” – Clare Booth Luce
In contrast, good fathers are like the Father found in the Parable of the Prodigal Son; good fathers are forever hopeful and inspire their families to push beyond themselves.
F-A-T-H-E-R
The “E” in father stands for Eternity
Good fathers think about the biggest picture of all
WORLD VIEW
WE NEED TO LEARN AND DEVELOP SKILL SETS OF LIVING WITH AN EVER GROWING ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Although we live in time now, God created us for eternity. The writer of Ecclesiastes put it this way:
Ecclesiastes 3:11
“He has also put eternity in their hearts”
Therefore, we must learn to live for eternity, not for time. We are to live our lives in time with eternity as the backdrop. Because God is eternal, we cannot serve Him thinking in terms of time alone. And Scripture reminds us that our time on earth is brief:
An eternal perspective affects our priorities and our actions.
There is a reward coming!
If I don’t believe that, my hope is only in material treasures instead of heavenly treasures.
David, knowing he was tempted to hope in the material treasures of this life, asked God to remind him of this reality, to remind him that our lives are extremely short. Our lives are so tiny that David uses words like “fleeting,” “nothing,” “breath,” and “phantom” to describe man’s life.
F-A-T-H-E-R
The “R” in father stands for REPENTANT
Good fathers demonstrate repentance and turn from evil
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