Like Father Like Son 1 Corinthians 4:14-17

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1 Like Father Like Son 1 Corinthians 4:14-17 Happy Father s Day to all of your dads, granddads and future dads out there! I don t know what you are planning or if someone else has already made plans for you today, but I hope it is a great one. It is always nice to be able to spend time with your families on these special occasions! Let me ask you a question today did you know that we dads are a strange breed and no comment from the spouses? We have our own way of doing things that are manly and to veer from that set path just doesn t work for most of us dads! Dads and you moms as well, have you ever had that moment when you did or said something to your child and then you realized that you heard that phrase before!!! You then realize that you have become just like your dad or mom because that is the exact terminology they used when you were growing up!! No matter how hard we try to be different from our parents there are just some things (both good and bad) that seem to creep into our own personalities and we end up imitating our parents! Perhaps you know some of these sayings that my dad used on me: Go ask your mom Don t make me stop this car! If you don t stop crying I ll give you something to cry about! As long as you live under my roof! Sounds like you had the same dad I did!!! Though we naturally pick up traits from both of our parents it is also great to know that we are children of God! Let s read 1 Corinthians 4:14-17 before we move on!

2 1 Corinthians 4:14-17 Paul s Appeal and Warning 14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. Paul is writing these words to the Corinthian church which was very troubled and though there were true believers they had a whole lot of growing up to do! In this passage Paul is not speaking to them as their teacher but as their father. Notice what Paul writes in v.21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and a gentle spirit? Isn t that something your dad might have said to you when you were growing up? Do you want a spanking or are you going to straighten up? The key verse in this passage is v.16 which says, Therefore I urge you to imitate me. Imitate me walk as you see me walk speak as you hear me speak. Paul writes this in chapter 11, 1 Corinthians 11:1 1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. Paul knows he is not perfect but like a good father he is telling the believers to follow his lead and do their best to imitate Christ in word, thought and deed. Like father like son! Even God the Son imitates God the Father. Jesus tells Philip in - John 14:9b, 9 Jesus answered: Don t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father?

3 Like Father like Son! All of us who call ourselves Christians are to imitate Christ but I want to slant this towards us dads, granddads and to those who will one day become dads. The most important trait or characteristic of Christ that we should imitate is His love. Let s look at some different aspects of how we can imitate His love: First of all, we - Imitate His love for God. Jesus was asked which of the commandments was the greatest and he responded with this in Matthew 22:37, 37 Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. Jesus spent concerted time with His Father He prayed and spent time fasting before starting His public ministry and call His disciples. Dads, granddads and future dads we are to imitate Christ. The greatest commandment is no different than anyone else s as we must make God our top priority. We must fight to protect our time with God in worship, prayer, fasting and studying His Word. If you children or grandchildren are imitating you dads and granddads are you showing them what it looks like to love God? Next, we are to - Imitate His love for His Bride. Jesus loves and adores His Bride, the Church! The concept of marriage is written about all through the New Testament. It show us how the marriage of a man and wife and the relationship between Christ and His Church are closely intertwined. Men, your relationship with your wife is the example showing everyone what Jesus love looks like toward his Church! Paul shows us this clearly in -

4 Ephesians 5: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing [a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church 30 for we are members of his body. 31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. [b] 32 This is a profound mystery but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. If your children and grandchildren are imitating you are you showing them what it looks like to love your bride. Are you giving them a good example of what Jesus love for His Church looks like? The last thing is to- Imitate His Love for Others. Compassion Jesus had compassion for people. He displayed that compassion so many times in the four Gospels that it would take too long to tell you this morning. Let me share just a few from the book of Matthew: Matthew 9:36 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 14:14 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Matthew 15:32 32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way. Jesus was moved with compassion for the Samaritan woman; for children; for those who were hungry and thirsty, for the sick, lame diseased and blind; for sinners and tax collectors; for the people of Jerusalem knowing they would ultimately reject them.

5 Jesus loves people ALL people!! We are to imitate His love for other people. Jesus says in - John 15: My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one s life for one s friends. 1 John 3: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. If your children or grandchildren are imitating you, are you showing what it looks like to love other people? Let me share this poem with you called - A Father s Love : A father is respected because he gives his children leadership Valued because he gives his children time Loved because he gives his children the one thing they treasure most - himself! My challenge to you dads, granddads and future dads is this: Live out God s love every day (even on those bad days), show it in your actions and your reactions and be that reflection or imitation of love! Let us be like father like son. Referenced Scriptures from: New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide