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“Five Fatherhood Examples from the Father of Us All
Malachi 2:10

 

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Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost—June 21, 2015

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Malachi asks, “Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us?”  On this Father’s Day, let’s look at “Five Fatherhood Examples from the Father of Us All.”  You are invited to follow the sermon outline on the last pages of the bulletin.

Fatherhood Example #1)  Like your God, be a LOVING and FORGIVING father.  John says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”  Moses asks, “Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?”  And Isaiah answers, “O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” 

All humans are children of God by virtue of the fact that he created us.  But, like the sinful son in the parable of the prodigal, we all forfeited our birthright, our status as children of God, by our sinful rebellion.  The father in that parable represents our heavenly Father, and to him we must all confess like the sinful son in the parable, “I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

But, Paul says in Galatians, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”  Like the father in the parable, your heavenly Father gives you back your birthright.  As a free gift, he bestows on you the privilege once again of being his beloved child.  Paul explains in Ephesians, “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” 

On account of our Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrificial life, death and resurrection, your sins are all forgiven and you are welcomed back into the family of God.  Just like in the parable, when the father says to his servants, “Quick!  Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”  Like your God, be a LOVING and FORGIVING father.  The directions Paul gives for how Christians should relate to one another also apply to a Christian father’s relationship to his family: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you;” “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you;” “[Love] keeps no record of wrongs.” 

Fatherhood Example #2)  Like your God, be a GENTLE and PATIENT father, as Paul says in Ephesians, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”  In 1st Thessalonians Paul beautifully describes God’s plan for how a father should deal with his children: “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worthy of God.”  Not harsh or tyrannical, but “encouraging, comforting, and urging.” 

And, as for ANYONE who would in any way abuse or neglect a child, as we see too often in sickening news stories, Jesus gives the most stern warning and condemnation: “If anyone shall offend one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”  Little children cannot defend themselves; but their heavenly Father will defend them in the final judgment.  But, Jesus also has a wonderful promise for those who care for and devote themselves to children: “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”

Peter says of our heavenly Father, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  Like your God, be a GENTLE and PATIENT father, as Paul commands, “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged;” “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Fatherhood Example #3)  Like your God, be a PROVIDING and PROTECTING father.  Psalm 145 says of our heavenly Father, “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.  You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”  That verse is illustrated by the open hand of blessing symbolizing our heavenly Father in our stained-glass window. “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”

Providing for and protecting your family is one of your sacred duties as a father, as Jesus said, “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?”  Paul says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  Like your God, be a PROVIDING and PROTECTING father.

Fatherhood Example #4)  Like your heavenly Father, do not show FAVORITISM.  One of the saddest episodes in the Bible begins with this verse: “Now Isaac . . . loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.”  The Bible then recounts the tragic story of how this favoritism on the part of the parents tore apart their family.  And many families today are also torn apart by parents who favor one child over another.

But, Peter says in Acts, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism.”  Paul says, “For God does not show favoritism”; “And there is no favoritism with him.”  Like your heavenly Father, do not show FAVORITISM.

Fatherhood Example #5)  Like your heavenly Father, show love to your children by gently and lovingly DISCIPLINING them.  I think every parent would agree that the most difficult part of being a parent is discipline.  Yet, discipline is one of your most important parental responsibilities.  When discipline in the home breaks down, it eventually breaks down in society as a whole, and that explains a lot of what we are experiencing in our world today.  It is not “love” to let your children go undisciplined, for they will not be able to cope and survive in the world and they will have pain and sorrow in their lives.  That is why Proverbs says, “The Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father disciplines the son he delights in.”

Discipline is not a punishment that comes out of anger, but a correction that comes out of love.  As the book of Hebrews explains, “You have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.’  Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!  Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”  Like your heavenly Father, show love to your children by gently and lovingly DISCIPLINING them.

Psalm 103 says, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who revere him.”  As you serve the Lord in your sacred calling as a father, follow these “Five Fatherhood Examples from the Father of Us All.”  Amen.

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