A GOOD FATHER – JUNE 19, 2022

A. GOD IS THE BEST FATHER

• 2 Corinthians 6:18 – … And,. “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,… says the Lord Almighty.”
• Quote from Billy Graham: “A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”
• I Thessalonians 5:12,13 – But we ask you, brothers, to acknowledge those who work diligently among you, who preside over you in the Lord and give you instruction.

 Examples of Good Fathers in the Bible

• 1. Abraham
  • Genesis 12:7 – The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.”Genesis 13:14 – The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. ¹⁵ All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. ¹⁶ I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.Genesis 15:5,6 – …And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”Abram believed the Lord, and it was credited to him as righteousness.Romans 4:18 TPT – Against all odds, when it looked  hopeless, Abraham believed the promise and expected God to fulfill it.
  • Genesis 18:19 – For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.

• 2. Joseph
  • A Man of Influence: Following the Master, Leaving a Legacy
  • Genesis 49:22 – “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. (Influencing others)
• 3. Joshua – Standing Strong for God
  • Joshua 24:15-24 – And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Courage is contagious: “When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” Billy Graham

Joshua 24:21 – And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord!” ²² So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord for yourselves, to serve Him. ”And they said, “We are witnesses!” ²³ “Now therefore,” he said, “put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel.” ²⁴ And the people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!”

B. QUALITIES OF A GOOD FATHER

• He is a Righteous, Godly Man who loves God’s Word
  • Psalm 1:1-4 – Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
    Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; ² But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he^] meditates day and night..
  • Psalm 112:1 – Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! ² His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.³ Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
  • Psalm 37:23-31 – The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;
    ²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand… ²⁵ I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. ³¹ The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.

• A good father is not lazy, he is: responsible, diligent and a hard worker
  • Proverbs 14:2 – In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
  • Proverbs 13:4 – The soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. 

• A Good Father is Strong and Courageous 
  • Joshua 1:9 – “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened and do not be  dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
• He is Stable
  • James 1:12– Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
  • Jeremiah 17:7 – Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.⁸ For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river,
    And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green,
    And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

• He is a Caring, Compassionate Father
  • Psalm 103:13, 14 – As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
    ¹⁴ For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
  • Ephesians 6:1-4  ^…And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
  • Colossians 3:21 – Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.(Do not embitter your children lest they become discouraged.)
• He is a man of kind, encouraging words
  • Proverbs 16:21 – Speaking sweetly to others makes your teaching even more convincing. Wisdom is a deep well of understanding opened up within you as a fountain of life for others. …23 Winsome words pour from a heart of wisdom – adding value to all you teach. 24 Nothing is more appealing than speaking beautiful, life-giving words!  For they release sweetness to our souls and inner healing to our spirits.
  • Billy Graham: “Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love.”

• A Memory Maker –  He Spends quality time with his kids!
• A Respectable Father
  • Proverbs 17:6 – Grandchildren are the crown of aged men, And the glory of children is their fathers [who live godly lives].
  • Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
  • Billy Graham,  “A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone.”

• A Protective Father
  • Proverbs 14:26 – In the [reverent] fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will [always] have a place of refuge.
• A man of Integrity
  • Proverbs 20:7– The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.
• An Unselfish Dad
  • From a handicapped son…
  • “If there is anyone I will never forget in life, then it’s certainly my dad. Talk about love, care, availability, dependability, discipline, and nurturing a child in the right path; I can boldly say that my dad did his best.

• A Good Father is a Motivator, Coach and Friend
• He is a Compassionate Father
  • Psalm 103:13,14 – As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. ¹⁴ For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
• He is a Father who Trains His children
  • Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
  • Ephesians 6:1-4 – Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: ³ “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” ⁴ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
  • Proverbs 13:24 – Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

• He is Involved
  • Deuteronomy 11:18-20 – Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
• He is A Joyful Father
  • Proverbs 23:24 – The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.

Challenge to all Sons & Daughters from

• King Solomon… In Proverbs 1, Solomon, a man of wisdom, sets out to teach a young man how to live. He shares two very important principles that people should follow. These are: to fear God and honor your parents.
• Proverbs 1:7-9 – The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; ⁹ For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.

Be a person of influence…let your influence go over the wall…like Joseph.

Be a person of faith who really trusts in God…like Abraham who believed God against all odds…

Be a person with a strong spine…like Joshua who led the revival from worship of  idols, back to the Living God.