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This is a message given on Father's Day and it is based on Proverbs 17:6b.
Written Excerpts:
Proverbs 17:6 (KJV) Children's children are the crown of old
men; and the glory of children are their fathers.
Proverbs 17:6 (HCSB) Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of sons is
their fathers.
Psalm 112:1 (KJV) Praise
ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that
delighteth greatly in his commandments.
Introduction:
Three boys were talking together about what their father's did for a
living, and tried to outdo each other about how much money their fathers make.
The first boy began by saying that his Dad wrote a few words on a piece
of paper, sent them away and received $50 for them and they called it a poem.
The second boy, not to be outdone, said that his Dad wrote a few pages
of words, sent them away and received $200 and they called it a story.
The last boy was full of himself and said that his Dad wrote several
pages of words, read them out loud on Sunday morning, called it a sermon and it
took 6 people to go round and collect all the money.
Three boys were heading home from school one day when one started the
time-honored game of paternal one-upmanship. He said, "My dad's way faster
than any of yours, he can throw a 90-mph fast ball from the pitcher's mound and
run and catch it just after it crosses the plate!"
One of the other boys said,
"Oh yeah? Well, my dad can shoot an arrow from his bow and run to the
target and hold it up to make sure the arrow hits the bulls eye!"
The last boy said, "Your
dads don't even come close to being faster than mine. My dad works for the
government, and even though he works every day until 4:00 he gets home at
3:30!"
These are stories that show the typical competition kids can get into
sometimes in trying to prove that their father is better, stronger, or greater
than all the others. The passage of scripture that I want to focus on for a few moments
today gives me the same impression.
Prov. 17:6b “… the pride of sons is their fathers.”
As I meditated on this phrase, I asked myself the question, “What are
the qualities necessary in a father to cause his son (daughter) to be proud?”
Certainly there are a number of worldly and temporal qualities that
many children and youth admire in their fathers. There are many awards and
rewards that men can receive that truly make their children proud of them.
However, I came to the conclusion that the qualities that really matter
are those qualities that God desires in a man; those qualities that God says
that He will honor and praise; the qualities that God will reward, whether the
world does or not.
I started looking for scriptures that speak about men who receive honor
or praise from God. I found a few interesting passages that I believe provide
some excellent insight and instruction for all fathers who desire to be the
pride and glory of their children.
1. Children can be proud of
the dad that honors God.
1 Samuel 2:30 (NKJV) Therefore
the LORD God of Israel
Context: A prophet came to Eli the priest and told him that God was
rejecting his family from being priests because of the terrible sins of his
sons.
Honor = value, obey (in context here), etc. The same word used in the 5th
Commandment, “Honor thy father and thy mother.”
That literally means, to make heavy, i.e. to increase their influence.
There are so many other things that clamor for the attention and
devotion of all people, including fathers. It is so important for a father to
have the purpose to honor God in all that he does. If so, the scripture says that God will also honor him, and a man that
God honors is certainly a man whose children will be proud of.
2. Children can be proud of
the dad that maintains an intimate relationship with God.
Psalm 91:15 (KJV) He
shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in
trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Who is this person that God promises to answer, accompany, deliver and
honor? It is the one who “dwells in the secret place of the Most High.”
The man who lives in an intimate relationship with God will experience
the blessings of God. It doesn’t mean that everything will be “smooth sailing”
and that life will be easy, but it does mean God will protect him and deliver
him. But it also says God will “honor him.” A man that God chooses to honor
is a man whose children can be proud of.
3. Children can be proud of
the dad who serves God.
John 12:26 (NKJV) If
anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be
also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
Context: Jesus has announced that it is time for the Son of Man to be
glorified. He has talked about self-sacrifice and “losing one’s life to save
it; need for a grain of wheat to fall into the ground and die…”
We are living in a culture that has become so accustomed to the
consumer mentality that many people are only interested in God or the church if
they can be guaranteed that their wants and desires will be satisfied.
We are programmed by our culture to only invest in those activities and
efforts that will bring a good return back to us. “What’s in it for me?”
A life of self-sacrifice and committed service to God is the kind of
life that God will honor. It is also the kind of life that will cause children to be proud when
they witness it in their fathers.
4. Children can be proud of
the dad whose inward spirit and character matches his outward lifestyle.
Romans 2:29 (NKJV) but
he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that
of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from
men but from God.
(William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary) Those who
combine the outward sign and the inward grace receive God's praise, if not
man's… A real Jew is one whose character is such as
to receive praise from God.
Far too many people present one kind of attitude while they are in
church, but a totally different attitude when they’re at home or on the job.
They can be very pious and spiritual in church, but not so much at home or at
work.
Paul was talking about people whose outward conformity was not matched
by an inner spirit of compliance and humility toward God.
People who manage to put on a
good show of spirituality will receive the praise (and admiration) of men, but
only the man that has a heart of humility and a heart of love for God will
receive the praise from God.
This kind of man is one that a
child will be proud to call, “Dad.”
Conclusion:
I want to challenge all of the
men and especially the fathers here today to purpose in our hearts to be the
kind of men that God will honor and praise.
As long as God is pleased with
us and offers His praise, it doesn’t matter who else does.
Let’s close the service today by
singing the chorus: “The Family of God”
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