Deuteronomy 6:4-12; Ephesians 6:4
Introduction:
1. Satan’s first battleground in his war on humanity is the home.
2. The home was God’s first institution for mankind, and every other is only as strong as the families of which they are comprised.
3. By attacking the home, he can maximize the carnage on all humanity.
4. Fathers are a key element in God’s fortification of the home.
Discussion:
I. The War on Fathers
A. Pop culture has attacked fathers for decades: how many tv shows, movies, etc. have portrayed fathers as bumbling idiots?
B. Sadly, many men have given supporting evidence of their thesis while others have been disengaged from the process.
C. This is an affront to the wisdom of God in designing the family.
D. Devaluing fatherhood has had catastrophic effects on society.
II. Father Absence (Fatherhood Initiative, National Center for Fathering)
A. Data from CDC, DOJ, and DHHS shows the dire consequences:
1. 63% of teen suicides
2. 70% of juvenile incarcerations
3. 71% of high school dropouts
4. 85% of youths in prison
5. 85% of children with behavioral disorders
6. 86% of rapists
7. 90% of homeless and runaway children
8. 90% of children living in poverty
9. 100% of gang members
10. 4x the rate of poverty
11. 7x the rate of teen pregnancy
12. 2x the rate of infant mortality
13. 3x the likelihood of carrying guns
14. 3x the likelihood of drug involvement
15. 2x the rate of obesity
B. Once again, the wisdom of God is vindicated, and the foolishness of sinful ideas is exposed (1 John 3:20; Psalms 103:14; Jeremiah 1:5).
III. God’s Marching Orders to Fathers
A. Fathers must practice spiritual headship in pursuit of godliness above all else (Genesis 18:19; Joshua 24:14-15; 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12; Timothy 3:4, 12).
1. This requires passing the knowledge of God and His will to them (Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:6-7, 20-25; Psalms 78:4).
2. Knowledge transfer is insufficient; we must train/nurture/nourish them to spiritual maturity (Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6).
B. This begins by being a proper husband (Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Peter 3:7).
1. Boys often become the kind of husbands their fathers are.
2. Girls often accept from their husbands what their fathers gave.
C. A father’s primary purpose is well-rounded, godly discipline (Proverbs 3:12; 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15, 17).
D. But fathers cannot just be cold, dispassionate disciplinarians; we must be compassionate (Psalms 103:13-14; Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21).
IV. God Our Father
A. The impact of the kind of fathers we are goes beyond the physical impact of the statistics named above.
B. God is often referred to as our Father in the NT (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; 3:26; 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:3).
C. If we imprint a negative view of fathers on our children’s minds, we do terrible harm to their relationship with God our Father.
Conclusion:
1. Like mothers, fathers have a tremendous responsibility in the home.
2. God created humanity as male and female for a reason, and every time we lose sight of our purpose/function, bad things follow.
3. Fatherlessness has wreaked havoc on our society, and the worst consequence of all is so many souls never knowing God our Father.
4. To all the fathers who are out here striving to be what God wants you to be, we love and appreciate you.
5. More importantly, your heavenly Father loves and appreciates you too.