Father’s Day

Temple Baptist Church - 6-18-2016

Joshua 24:14-25

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  Father’s Day normally takes a back seat to Mother’s Day and I have no problem with that.  We need to make much of our precious wives and mothers because of their great importance to the family structure.  We make much of the ladies and need to do so because we love them and are proud of them.

 

B.  This is Father’s Day and today we will exalt the man and praise him in the position that the Lord gave to him. 

 

1.  He is the glory of his children - Proverbs 17:6   Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.  (Daddy, you are so very important in the lives of your family and especially in the lives of your children!)

 

2.  He is the head of his home - 1 Corinthians 11:3  But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.  (The father is the spiritual leader and as goes the father, so goes the home!  Weak fathers = weak homes.  Strong fathers = strong homes. Spiritual fathers = spiritual home.)

 

a)  He is to take that responsibility seriously!

 

b)  The wife is to willingly give him that headship.  Dr. B. R. Lakin used to say, “Some husbands are so henpecked that they roost on the foot of the bed at night.”  America needs some men who are born again with a strong spiritual backbone who will begin to lead their family.

 

C.  Only time and eternity will show the real importance of men in both the family and the work of the Lord. Every Family Needs Three Homes:

 

1.  They Need A Heavenly Home - Acts 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

 

2.  They Need A Church Home - 1 Timothy 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

 

3.  They Need A Christian Home - Ephesians 6:4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

 

D. The Importance of the Men - “A child is not likely to find a father in God unless he finds something of God in his father.”  I thank God for the men in our church!  Good men, godly men, faithful men.

 

1.  We have fathers in our church and

 

2.  We have father figures in our church (you are one or the other)

 

3.  We Need Fathers Who Fear God – **Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 - Ecclesiastes 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

 

a)  Clean Men (Free from bad habits) - Psalms 19:9  The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

 

b)  Moral Men (Men of character) - Proverbs 8:13  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

 

Proverbs 16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

 

c)  Wise Men - Proverbs 9:10  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

 

4.  We Need Fathers Who Are Faithful To God - Psalms 22:4  Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

           

a)  Faithful To The Lord – Men who are willing to serve.

 

b)  Faithful To Fill The Gap – Men who are willing to stand.

 

c)  Faithful To Help The Church – Men who are willing to spend time.

 

E.  In our text, we find that wonderful testimony of Joshua as he declared to the people that he and his house would serve the Lord.  

 

1.  Joshua is well known in the Bible for his unwavering faith, commitment, and fearlessness in battle.  Joshua 10:12  Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

 

2.  Joshua was a man of God!

 

Dear Lord, Please Give Us Some Joshua Fathers!

 

1.  Joshua Was A Man Of  Unashamed Conversion (Saved and know it!) – (Joshua means Jehovah is salvation.)  Joshua 5:15  And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

 

Joshua 8:30   Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,

 

a.  God, Give Us Men Who Are Not Ashamed Of Their Salvation - Philippians 1:20  According to   my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.  (Let the world know that you are saved and love the Lord!)

 

2 Timothy 1:12  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

 

b.  God, Give Us Men Who Are Not Ashamed Of Their Associations - 2 Timothy 1:8  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner:             but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;  (Love and spend time with God’s people!)

           

2.  Joshua Was A Man Of Unblemished Character (Saved and show it!) – Joshua 11:15   As the LORD commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

 

1 Corinthians 16:13   Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

 

a.  God, Give Us Men Who Are Sober – “watch ye”  (Spiritually discerning.)

 

b.  God, Give Us Men Who Are Steadfast– “stand fast in the faith”  (Doctrinally correct.)

 

c.  God, Give Us Men Who Are Strong– “quit you like men, be strong”  (Unwavering.)

 

3.  Joshua Was A Man  Of Unwavering Commitment (Saved and owe it!) – Joshua 23:1 (Joshua is an old man and still committed.)  Judges 2:8  And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.       

 

a.  God, Give Us Men Who Are Sold Out To God - Philippians 1:21   For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  (Serving as an example to others.)

 

b.  God, Give Us Men Whose Families Are Sold Out To God - Joshua 24:15   And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.  (Serving as an example to the home.)

 

Happy Father’s Day!  I love the men of this church!  Be a good Christian and then you will be a good Dad!  God bless!