Dynamic Life Baptist Church

Sermon Title: A Father’s Worth: What Makes a Father Praiseworthy

Sermon Text: Genesis 18:19

Sermon Purpose: To call the hearer to practice the principles of a praiseworthy father.

Sermon Proposition: There are 3 key characteristics of a praiseworthy father.

Introduction: Adam was the father of the human race. The legacy he left his children is original sin (Rom 5:12-14). One result of that unhappy inheritance is that most biblical fathers are failures. David is a premier illustration of an inattentive father who refuses to protect his daughter Tamar, to discipline his son Amnon or to be completely reconciled to his other son, Absalom (2 Sam 13). David is preceded by Eli (1 Sam 3:10-14), whose sons scandalize both the Israelites and God himself.

            Some fathers love not wisely, but too well. Abraham favors Isaac over Ishmael (Gen 21). Isaac in turn dotes on Esau rather than Jacob (Gen 25:28). When Isaac becomes the stooge in Jacob’s gambit to steal the birthright (Gen 27:1-40), he gets as much as he deserved. Jacob repeats the sin of his father by loving Joseph more than all his other sons (Gen 37:3-4). His favoritism brings envy, hatred, treachery and bereavement to the family. Eli loves his sons more than he loves God (1 Sam 2:29), and their deaths are a reproach to him for his sin (v.34; cf. 4:11). David rules over a family broken by incest and fratricide (2 Sam 13). If only he had disciplined Absalom as strenuously as he later grieved for him!

            Other fathers fail to protect their children from secular influences. Although Lot takes his daughters out of Sodom, he does so too late to keep the impulse toward sexual perversion from them (Gen 19:31-36). Achan traffics in stolen foreign merchandise, and his sins are visited upon his children (cf. Ex 20:5), with the whole family dying because of his spiritual neglect (Josh &0.

            The NT exhortation to fathers not to “provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:4 RSV; cf. Col 3:21) hints at the spectacle of the tyrannical father. Perhaps the clearest biblical example of the exasperating father is King Saul, whose volatile temper frightens both his children and their best friends (1 Sam 19-20).

            We also find the inept, bumbling father of popular literature in the Bible. Sometimes we find moments in which fathers seem to be incapable of any better response than passive anger while events transpire that are contrary to their will. Examples include Abraham’s dismay at sending Hagar away with Ishmael, whom he had sired in a bad decision (Gen 21:8-11), Jacob’s disapproval of events surrounding the rape of Dinah and the revenge that his sons exact for it (Gen 34:5-7, 30) and David’s anger regarding his son’s rape of his daughter Tamar (2 Sam 13:21). Other bumbling fathers are easily deceived by their children: Lot (Gen 19:30-38), Isaac (Gen 27) and Jacob (Gen 37:31-35). David mismanages his grief over the death of his son Absalom (2 Sam 18:33-19:8); Noah becomes a shameful spectacle to his sons as he lies naked in his tent in a drunken stupor (Gen 9:20-25); Jephthah makes a rash vow that dooms his daughter to perpetual virginity (Judg 11); Samson’s father allows Samson to order him around as though he were the child rather than the parent (Judg 14).

            Against this backdrop of the failure of fathers stands the image of God the Father, who exemplifies all those characteristics that the flesh-and-blood father lack: patience, kindness, firmness, attention. In fact, our very disgust with the failures of fathers stems from our intuitive understanding of what a true father should be, so that the negative character type inevitably brings with it, as a shadow entity, the positive. (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery; Ryken, Leland, Wilhoit, James C., Longman III, Tremper; InterVarsity Press; Downers Grove, Illinois;1998; pp.274)

I.          A  father worthy of praise realizes his God ordained purpose of discipleship. V.19a

Joshua 24:2 And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Your fathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, dwelt on the other side of the River in old times; and they served other gods.

            A.        A praiseworthy father takes responsibility for the welfare of his wife.

Psalm 128:3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. 4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD. . . 6 Yes, may you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!

            B.        A praiseworthy father takes responsibility for the physical welfare of his children.

Proverbs 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother;

Proverbs 4:1 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding;

                        Proverbs 6:20 My son, keep your father's command, And do not forsake the law of your mother.

                        Proverbs 13:1 A wise son heeds his father's instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

                        Proverbs 15:5 A fool despises his father's instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent.

Proverbs 27:10 Do not forsake your own friend or your father's friend, Nor go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

            C.        A praiseworthy father takes responsibility for the spiritual welfare of his family.

Job 1:5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did regularly.

Joshua 24:15 "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."

II.        A father worthy of praise realizes his God ordained practice of dedication. V.19b

Psalm 44:1 To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us, The deeds You did in their days, In days of old:

            Psalm 78:3 Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us.

Deuteronomy 6:4 " Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 " And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

III.       A father worthy of praise realizes his God ordained promise of destiny. V.19c

            A.        The destiny of planning and accomplishing redemption. (John 14:6, 21)

John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 12:50 "And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak."

            B.        The destiny of calling God “Father”.

Isaiah 63:16 Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

            C.        The destiny of raising future Godly generations.

Psalm 78:6 That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children,

Psalm 127:4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Psalm 48:13 Mark well her bulwarks; Consider her palaces; That you may tell it to the generation following.

Psalm 71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.

Psalm 79:13 So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations.

Genesis 7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.

1.         Fathers are to teach their sons to fear God. (Prov 1:7; 9:10)

            Integrity, loyalty, faithfulness, truth, humility, virtue