Father’s Day Message: The Ultimate Father!

I have been reading through the Gospel of John again and am again amazed to see the relationship of God the Father with God the Son.   Back in 2011 I preached a message on Father’s Day entitled “The Ultimate Father”  that  explored the relationship of God the Father with God the Son as and ultimate example of Fatherhood..   I hope this message will bless you as you prepare for Father’s Day this year.  To God be the glory!

Link:  http://pastormarkworden.sermoncampus.info/main/main/10169954

Link  shown during the message ( pause message and watch this when indicated in the message):

This was the theme for last year’s Father’s Day Message!

We can never be reminded enough to look to  The Ultimate Father

Download: http://pastormarkworden.sermon.net/da/2743780

Playback: http://pastormarkworden.sermon.net/da/2743780/play

I could not agree more fully with the following from Desiring God:

View it in your browser.

Learning Fatherhood From the Father of Fatherhood

By Tony Reinke | Jun 16, 2012 04:00 am

In Ephesians 3:14–15, Paul prays, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father [patēr], from whom every family [patria] in heaven and on earth is named.” In the Greek it is easy to pick up on Paul’s patēr/patria play on words. John Stott chose to translate this phrase as “the Father from whom all fatherhood is named.” The ESV translation footnote makes a similar point.

God’s Fatherhood is the archetype of human fatherhood, a point made even more explicit in Hebrews 12:7–10. What that means for us fathers today is that we take our cues on fatherhood from the Father of Fatherhood, which is a great relief for any father today who was fathered by a sinful or absent father (which of course includes every one of us).

But what’s the point of this? In his most recent book, Douglas Wilson focuses one entire chapter (chapter 14) to a verse-by-verse stroll through the Gospel of John, highlighting every reference made to the Father/Son relationship. The book is worth its price for that chapter alone. At the end of his survey Wilson makes this summary observation:

The most obvious feature of the Father of Jesus Christ is His generosity. He is generous with His glory (John 1:14), with His tasks (John 5:18), with His protection (John 10:28–32), with His home (John 14:1–2), and with His joy (John 16:23–24). The Father gives (John 3:34–36). The Father gives His Son (John 3:16; 18:11); the Father gives His Spirit (John 14:16–17); the Father gives Himself (John 14:22–24).

Learning this about the Father who is a Spirit, who is intangible, should stir us deeply. He is seeking worshipers who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth — in short, who will become like He is. And what is He like? He is generous with everything. Is there anything He has that he has held back? And what should we — tangible fathers — be like? The question is terribly hard to answer, but not because it is difficult to understand. (Father Hunger, 204–205)

And that is a good challenge for me as a father because it makes me ask: from all the words that my children could use to describe me, would they choose generous? The answer spurs my attention to my Heavenly Father, the generous Father of all fatherhood.

____________________

Courageous!

It does take courage to do things God’s way.  It takes courage to follow God’s instruction on being a parent.  After viewing the new movie “Courageous”, Pastor Don and I concluded that we should encourage all to see this film about fathers assuming their God given responsibilities in parenting.

The following testimony is how God worked in my heart to become a better father:

While I was growing up, one of my favorite past-times was getting under-my-sister’s-skin.  In other words I liked provoking her to anger.   Even after trusting Christ at the age of 18, I still fell to this temptation but now felt convicted for my unkindness to the point that I would even ask her forgiveness.  It is amazing how knowing Christ as Savior begins to change us and better our relationships within our families!

Nearly 10 years later when I became a father, it revealed that I still enjoyed irritating people, though I was unaware that I was doing anything wrong.  This time it was my new baby daughter of just a few weeks old. Well, we had this new camera that had this automatic rewind and rapid picture taking capability, so I snapped a picture of our little one who was sleeping so sweetly in her car seat.  Nothing wrong with that!  But the flash kind of disturbed her rest, and she had a little frown upon her face.  So I snapped another picture, the bright flash glaring into her little face. She became a little irritated now, and I was so amused by her reaction that I snapped another one, and another one, and another one–until my baby daughter was wailing in helpless frustration.  She was crying and I was laughing.  I was laughing at the frustration that I had the power to arouse in another person.  I was laughing at the expense of someone for whom I was supposed to protect and tenderly care.   It was so easy to do—so fun—so wrong!

I continued to provoke—I called it teasing my daughter.  I did not really begin to change until about 6 years later when my wife encouraged me to find out what the Bible teaches about parenting.  At that time I was floundering as a father, had been abdicating my responsibilities, and desperately needed help.   The Bible had the wisdom and instruction I needed to be the father that God wanted me to be.  Two of the scriptures that particularly grabbed my attention were Ephesians 6:4 “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” and Colossians 3:21, “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”

I was deeply convicted of my unkindness in provoking my daughter to anger by those clear scriptural commands!  What a contrast to the nurturing father God wanted me to be!  By following the parenting practices of my ancestors, I was unwittingly discouraging my daughter.  I was neglecting to build a relationship based upon loving respect.  With God’s help I began to overcome the pleasure of provoking my daughter and instead began to lovingly train and correct her.  I turned back from a path that had been leading me to ruin and began traveling a path that has brought me tremendous joy.  God’s way made all the difference.

May God grant us fathers the grace to resist the temptations to provoke our children to wrath and give us the wisdom to train them for the Lord.

With Prayer, Pastor Mark

Note:  The Bible study that changed my life in the area of parenting is available on this blog by clicking here.   Please let me know if it has helped you.  I would love to hear specific examples of  how God has helped you through the Word of God to be a better parent.

Father’s Day Messages

Last year I preached upon God being our Father from the Lord’s Prayer:

Text: Luke 11:2-13
Title: God, Our Father
Download: http://pastormarkworden.sermon.net/da/2436981
Playback: http://pastormarkworden.sermon.net/da/2436981/play

This year I will be preaching about our Heavenly Father from  John’s Gospel:

Title: The Ultimate Father
Download: http://gbcdillon.sermon.net/da/2709312
Playback: http://gbcdillon.sermon.net/da/2709312/play

At the close of the message I showed a YouTube video of Derek Redmond and his Dad finishing the race in real RELATIONSHIP!

Play http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nifq3Ke2Q30

Blessings to  you in Christ, mark

Father’s Day Verses

Psalm 103:13, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.”

Proverbs 3:12,  “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

1 Thessalonians 2:11, “As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children.”

Ephesians 6:4, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

For a complete Bible study on parenting click here!

Father’s Day Message in 2010:
Title: What God Requires in Men!
Text:   Micah 6:1-8
Download: http://pastormarkworden.sermon.net/da/250057
Playback: http://pastormarkworden.sermon.net/da/250057/play

 

New Page entilted “Family Resources”

After talking to the new director of  “New Hope” here in Dillon, Montana,  I was inspired to create a new page for family resources.  I hope these resources will be a help to many.

Family Resources

Magnifying the Lord Through Fatherhood

These articles were originally written for the “Archer” a homeschooling news letter that we wrote for our church’s homeschooling umbrella school where I served as the principle for a few years (2002-2003).  It is my hope that they might be an encouragement to Father’s who are wanting to raise their children for the Lord.

Introduction:  The need for a  Scriptural foundation for parenting!

Post 1-   Establishing our goal in parenting – Proverbs 22:6

Post 2 – Reaching our goals in parenting – Proverbs 22:6

Post 3 – Teaching our children – Deuteronomy11:18

Post 4 –  The child’s role in being parented

Post 5 – The Father’s role in parenting – Ephesians 6:4

Post 6 –  The Father’s role in parenting – Ephesians 6:4 – Part two

Post 7 – The Mother’s role in parenting – Titus 2:3-5

With prayer,  Mark Worden

Magnifying the Lord Through Fatherhood

These articles were originally written for the “Archer” a homeschooling news letter that we wrote for our church’s homeschooling umbrella school where I served as the principle for a few years (2002-2003).  It is my hope that they might be an encouragement to Father’s who are wanting to raise their children for the Lord.

Introduction:  The need for a  Scriptural foundation for parenting!

Post 1-  Establishing our goal in parenting – Proverbs 22:6

Post 2 – Reaching our goals in parenting – Proverbs 22:6

Post 3 – Teaching our children – Deuteronomy11:18

Post 4- The child’s role in being parented

Post 5 – The Father’s role in parenting – Ephesians 6:4

Post 6 –The Father’s role in parenting – Ephesians 6:4 – Part two

Post 7 -The Mother’s role in parenting – Titus 2:3-5

With prayer,  Mark Worden

Parenting Article 6: The Father’s Role in Parenting – part two

The Privilege of Parenting              Article 6                        By Mark R. Worden

In the last Archer we began to look at the role of the father by analyzing Ephesians 6:4.  In the first part of the verse one can discern that fathers are to be vitally active in child rearing and also to be cautious and sensitive to the child’s response when disciplining.  Let’s remember and heed what the first part of Ephesians 6:4 says “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath”

Now let’s consider the last part of the verse that says, “But bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” From this statement we can first deduce that Fathers are to nurture and provide for their children with tender care. The word translated  “but bring them up” is translated as “nourisheth” in Ephesians 5:29 “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.” This brings to light a father’s nurturing role in the home.

Paul’s illustration of his father-like relationship to the Thessalonian believers confirms and elucidates the nurturing role and responsibility of a father.

“As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children.  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory” (I Thess 2:11-12).

A nurturing father will exhort his children, which has the idea of encouraging them and strengthening them to follow a particular line of conduct that will please the Lord.  A nurturing father will comfort his children which means to encourage and console the feelings so as to aid our children in continuing in a course of life that pleases the Lord.  And finally a nurturing father will charge his children which has the idea of holding them accountable to live lives that our pleasing to the Lord.

Secondly from this phrase, “But bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” we learn that fathers are to educate or train their children in the things of the Lord. The word translated “nurture” in this verse is translated as instruction in 2 Tim. 3:16, “ All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”  We need to teach our children what is right and then admonish them to do it.  The word “admonition” has both the idea of exhortation or training by words of encouragement when that is sufficient or by reproof or rebuke when required.  By words of encouragement and rebuke a father should help his children to put on wise character and put off foolish character traits.   The Book of Proverbs gives wisdom in understanding the way of wisdom and the way of foolishness, which each child needs to be taught.  The following is just a beginning example of how the book of proverbs can help you to know what to teach your children.

The Wise Course of Life	The Foolish Course of Life
1. Teach the Fear of Lord as the path of wisdom  Pr. 1	Teach concerning the entrapments and consequences of a life lived in worldly wisdom and rebellion to God and parents. Pr. 1:10 -33
2.  Teach concerning the child’s relationship with God. How they are to receive and apply God’s word and seek after wisdom, knowledge and understanding. “If – Then” statements teach the principle of sowing and reaping.  Pr. 2:1-11	2.  Teach concerning the child’s need to be delivered from relationships with evil people and the foolishness of sexual sins.  Pr. 2:12-22
3.  Teach concerning the child’s need to obey and keep their parents instructions. Pr. 6:20, 13:1	3.   Teach the consequences of disobedience. Pr. 15:5

May God grant us fathers the discipline in our own lives to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Parenting Article 5: The Father’s Role in Parenting

The Privilege of Parenting       Article 5       By Mark R. Worden

Having now covered the child’s role in being parented in the last Archer, it is now time to begin dealing with us fathers. God has a definite role that He wants us to fulfill in being fathers. Ephesians 6:4 seems to clearly outline the father’s role in parenting.

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: But bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

I. Fathers are to be vitally active in child rearing.

“And, ye fathers” It is often a common assumption in our culture that fathers take a back seat or supportive roll as the mother raises the children. However, scripture makes it clear that the husband (father) is the head of the wife (mother) (Eph. 5:21-33). The father, therefore, is responsible and should be active in child training. The husband as the head should work with the wife as a team in training the children, remembering that tasks can be delegated but responsibility cannot. It is pointed out specifically in Eph.6:4 that fathers have the responsibility for nurturing their children in the discipline and admonishment of the Lord. Furthermore, if a father seeks the office of deacon or pastor he is to be one who rules his children and house well (I Timothy 3:12). His children are to be faithful, not accused of wasteful living and insubordination (Titus 1:6).

II. Fathers are to be cautious and sensitive to the child’s response when disciplining.

“provoke not your children to wrath:” Verbal or corporal punishment should be done in a way that each child will not respond with a habitual deep-seated anger that causes them to lose heart or be without courage or spirit (discouraged).

Colossians 3:21″Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”

It seems that parents who discipline through teasing unwittingly discourage their children because they never really know what the parent truly is thinking. The parents’ expectations should be clearly explained to the children and also consistently enforced and held up as the standard of right conduct. In our home there are 3 rules of conduct or behavior which serve as the standard measurement of all behavior: Obedience, Honesty and Kindness.

If any behavior breaches one of these standards our child is disciplined. The book of Proverbs gives us wise counsel and understanding concerning the use of the rod in discipline.

A. Proper discipline is an act of the parents’ love for the child and should be done early (betimes – early / earnestly / diligently, or not put off.) It reveals a lack of true love to put discipline off.

Pr 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

B. Proper discipline strives to bring the child back from his natural course of foolishness (sin) to a life that reflects God’s wisdom and truth.

Pr 22:15 Foolishness [is] bound in the heart of a child; [but] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

C. Proper discipline is a parent’s responsibility and has eternal consequences for the child.

Pr 23:13 -14 Withhold not correction from the child: for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. 14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

Pr 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

D. Proper discipline is done with the goal of having wise children that will not bring shame but delight to you and the Lord. Discipline should not be done in frustration because of a lack of attention. It should be done out of the wisdom gained by spending time with one’s children and paying attentions to their ways. Inattention to children breeds abuse; either the child will be excessively disciplined or not disciplined at all.

Pr 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left [to himself] bringeth his mother to shame.

Pr 29:17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

May God grant us fathers wisdom to discipline and train our children in a way that is pleasing to our Lord. James 1:5 should be one of the promises that we cling to, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God , that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

Parenting Article Four: Understanding the Child’s Role in the Family

The Privilege of Parenting      Article 4       By Mark R. Worden

As I continued my study on parenting I began to look at what the Bible says concerning the roles of parenting for the different members of the family. Each role is clearly defined in Scripture and we will begin with the child’s role in being parented. (This section of my study was influenced by a sermon preached by Dr. Mark Minnick)

It is interesting that when God gave the Ten Commandments he specifically directed one command to the family. He did not address the father and the mother, as one might expect, but the child. The Lord said in Deuteronomy 5:16, “Honor thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

Dr. Minnick explained that the word honor literally means, “to be heavy, be weighty.” And that it has the idea to give something or someone their full weight or stature. He then went on to show from scripture what is not honoring to parents and what is honoring to parents.

I. What is not honoring to parents:

a. A mocking attitude,

Prov 30:17, The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

Deu. 27:16, Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

b. A cursing attitude,

Exodus 21:17, And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

c. A rebelling attitude,

Deu 21:18-20, If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

d. A striking action.

Exo 21:15, And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.

II. What is honoring to parents:

a. An attitude of fearing (respect) them.

Lev 19:2-3, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy. Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

b. An attitude of glorying in them.

Prov 17:6, Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

c. An attitude of listening to them.

Prov. 4:1, Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

d. An attitude of obedience toward them.

Eph. 6:1-2, Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

e. An attitude of caring for them in their time of need.

1 Tim 5:3 – 4, Honor widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.

These scripture helped me to understand how I was to honor my parents. I trust that they will help you and your children as well. May the Lord richly bless you as you honor your parents and gain the blessing and promise of God of a long live.