“What’s a Dad to Do?”
Heb.12:1-11/various Father's Day June 18,
2006 Play audio
Fallout of Faulty Fathering in the Last Times
• current events examples of deteriorating order:
terrorists, gangs
• last times symptoms - disobedience to parents,
selfish, loving pleasure (2Tim 3:1-4)
• OT predicted prophet who would turn hearts of
fathers to children (Mal 4:6)
• Honouring parents basic commandment, so things go
well (Ex 20:12; Eph 6:1-3; Deut 5:16)
Pro-active Provision
1. love each child as a ‘favourite’: God as Father /
Son; Isaac / Jacob / Joseph (Jn 3:35; 5:20; 15:9; 16:27; Gen 25:28,
37:3f)
2. bless your children: God / Abraham, Isaac / Jacob
(Gen 12:2; 27:27f,38)
3. train, instruct, share God’s commands: Jesus
obeyed Father; parents to impress God’s commands on children; bring up
in training & instruction of the Lord (Jn 14:31; Deut 6:6-9; Prov
1:8; Eph 6:4)
4. provision of physical needs: give good gifts; to
not provide is to deny the faith (Mt 7:9-11; 1Tim 5:8)
5. praying & interceding: Job, David, Jairus
pleaded earnestly (Job 1:5; 2Sam 12:16; Mk 5:22f,36)
Re-active Reclamation
1. encourage, not exasperate: comfort & urge;
discipline not arbitrary; example not hypocrisy (1Thess 2:11f; Eph 6:4;
Col 3:21)
2. reason with them if differ: father & elder
brother of Prodigal (Lk 15:28,31f)
3. rebuke & restrain: Jacob & sons, Eli &
immoral sons (Gen 34:30; 1Sam 3:13f; 1Sam 2:17,22)
4. punish wrong actions: punishment ‘with rod’ /
timeouts, produces harvest of righteousness (Mt 15:4; Ps 89:30ff; 2Sam
14:33; Prov 13:24, 23:13f; Heb 12:7ff)
5. forgive & restore: father of Prodigal confers
embrace, clothes, ring; God compassionate as a father with his children
(Lk 15:20,22f; Ps 103:13f)
The Importance of Involvement
• decision of fathers to ignore or be involved with
children has significant long-term effects
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