Are Fathers Really Not All That Important

Are Fathers Really Not All That Important?
Lu. 11:9-12 ⁹And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. ¹⁰For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ¹¹If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? ¹²Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
INTRO. - Do fathers take a bad rap today? Bro. Braden mentioned in his class today, "Why is it such a big day for Mother's Day and not for Father's Day?" Are fathers really so unimportant? Did God relegate to them a second class citizenship? Does God want them to have a small role in our children's life? I think not!

Let me share some things with you before I get into the message…

A 17^th Century English Proverb says: "One father is more than a hundred school masters."

"Children of single parents are less likely to complete high school and more likely to have low earnings and low employment stability as adults than children raised by two parent families." - Columnist Christopher Farell, 1992

Teenagers who relate poorly with their fathers are more likely to partake in cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. When in a mother's home only it is a 30% higher rate.

Listen to the following statistics…

70% of juveniles in the state reform institutions
72% of adolescent murderers
60% of rapists
70% of long term prisoners

GREW UP IN FATHERLESS HOMES.

Children brought up in fatherless homes are have a higher risk of drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, suicide, poor educational performance, teen pregnancy and criminality.

These are but a few of the things that go on that affects our children and our society and our walk with the Lord.

What does this tell us? What God has known all along. One parent is not enough. And that fathers really are important in our lives.

First let me assure you…
Dads are not perfect - none of them

Let me share just a few examples. There was the Patriarch…
Isaac - Practiced favoritism that was divisive

His son…
Jacob/Israel - promoted jealousy that was destructive

Even the religious leader…
Eli, a priest - did not control his son's evil ways even at the tabernacle of God and his family was devastated.

1 Sam 3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. David's shortcomings as a father cost him dearly Amnon was not dealt with for the rape of Tamar- Absolom took his life
Absolom was lost for a good while - then forever
His life with his many wives brought him much problems - Absolom's sin in front of Israel.
ETC.
I won't get into all of our shortcomings (even mine) that we could look at, but we know they affect our children.

Let us also be aware…
Dads do not have all the answers

Abraham did not know where the offering would come from - but he trusted God

Gen. 22: ⁷And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? ⁸And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

We must know that there is some hope, when we realize…
Dads have learned some things

Learned that children remember hurtful mistakes - i.e. David

Pro. 13:1 A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. Learned the value of friendship - Pro. 27:10 ¹⁰Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
See the strength of hard work - Pro. 24-29-34 Pro. 24: ²⁹Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
³⁰I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; ³¹And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. ³²Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. ³³Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: ³⁴So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man. Understand the need for good nourishment - physical and spiritual 2 Chr. 13:20 And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

Know some things hurt in life - Lu. 11:9-12 ⁹And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. ¹⁰For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ¹¹If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? ¹²Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Many see the value of patience - Lu. 15:11-32 ¹¹And he said,A certain man had two sons: ¹²And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. ¹³And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. ¹⁴And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. ¹⁵And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ¹⁶And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. ¹⁷And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ¹⁸I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, ¹⁹And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. ²⁰And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. ²¹And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. ²²But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: ²³And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: ²⁴For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. ²⁵Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. ²⁷And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. ²⁸And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. ²⁹And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: ³⁰But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. ³¹And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. ³²It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. Many have learned to show their love - Lu. 15:20 ²⁰And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Yes, fathers are important in our lives. For too long we have told them they are not. For too long they have been willing to be left out of their children's lives. For too long they have allowed their livevs to be too full for not only giving time to the Lord, but letting their children see how important the Lord should be in their own lives.

Gary Marcum - East 38th Street Free Will Baptist - 061701am