Father

 Father

Church

Trusting God

Accountability

 Fathers

             Intro. Pg. 7-8

             Responsible for culture in home

“Under God’s providence, when a man and woman have a child they have kindled a spark that can never be put out.  That child, blessing or curse, will exist forever and ever.”

“The final responsibility for child-rearing is the father’s.  He cannot pass it off to the wife, he must lead.  He cannot pass it off to the wife, he must not react to her.  He must not blame her and he must not be led by her.”

Eph. 6:4 “Fathers, bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

 Masculine leadership means watching over the family without promoting and it means seeking information about children from his wife at his own instigation

Leadership involves respecting a wife’s limitations – 1 Pet. 3:7

“Whenever children are looking at their mother, they should see looming shadow of dad behind her whether he is home or not.” (same team not competition)

            Three Basic Duties

1)       Personal obedience yourself.  “do not provoke your children” – nothing undermines parental authority more than hypocrisy; when children see they are expected to be obedient to parents’ authority while parents themselves aren’t - the results disastrous.

2)       Intercession – who else is praying for your children?

3)       Instruction in God’s standards

a.        Deut. 6:4-9 à teach word of God w/o ceasing

b.       Many abdicate resp. teaching to whom?

                                                                                                   i.      Schools

                                                                                                  ii.      Day care

                                                                                                iii.      Televison/radio

                                                                                                iv.      Youth group

Commands to parents

1)       correct/discipline/train children

a.        Prov. 29:217

b.       In order have garden full of weeds not neces. to do anything, just let it go; same home filled grief

c.        What Biblical traits, character seeking devel son? Daughters?

d.       How are you going about it?

                                                                                                   i.      i.e. respect mother

                                                                                                  ii.      to work hard

                                                                                                iii.      respons.

2)       discipline/correct young children by spanking

a.        Prov. 13:24

b.       Man who does not spank his child hates him-lacks disc.

c.        Has destructive impact future course son’s life.

                                                                                                   i.      Is “time out” biblical?

                                                                                                  ii.      What do you spank for?  Wife agree? Kids know?

d.       Prov. 19:18 “Discipline  your son while there is hope and do not desire his death”

                                                                                                   i.      Refusal to disc. a child – while there is hope – is the same thing as setting one’s heart on destruction/death

                                                                                                  ii.      “Disc. your son in his early years while there is hope.  If you don’t you’ll ruin his life.”

3)       Deut. 6:6-7 You shall teach them diligently to your children.

a.        Brought up in an environment dominated by word of God

b.       When children not present in home – i.e. school – parents are still resp. for what being taught

4)       Trained in joys hard work

a.        Prov. 10:5 “He who gathers in summer is a son who…”

b.       Why should one man be ashamed laziness another?  Father respn.

c.        Disc. of chores, bed, dishes, etc.

5)       Trained to respect parents

a.        “honoring father, mother”

b.       Prov. 19:26 “A son who mistreats his father or mother is a public disgrace.”

Gen. 1:28 “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Ps. 127:3-5 “Behold, children are a gift from the Lord…”

Implications Fathers re:  children

1)       Gift, reward

a.        not penalty/burden reward

2)       Like arrows in hand warrior

a.        Weapons go where we cannot – artillery

b.       Good sons are like their father’s arrows hitting the mark the fathers aim at

c.        Must have children in hand when young or we develop crooked arrows

d.       Prov. 22:6 train up a child in the way he should go and when old he will not depart

e.        Puppies are cute, but if not properly trained can make life miserable when older – how much more children!

f.         What are your training goals

g.       Blessed is man full quiver

                                                                                                   i.      Known/know large family

                                                  ii.      “When sons and daughters are arrows it is well to have a quiver full of them; but if they are only sticks knotty and useless fewer the better

h.       not ashamed speak enemies at gate

                                                                                                   i.      “no one cares to meddle with a man who can gather a clan of brave sons about him”

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