7th September 2014 Notes for today s Fathers Day sermon by Simon Keith 1 Think of the example of your own father. What is something that sticks with you? 2 What does fatherhood mean to you personally? 3 What does God have to do with fatherhood? (John 1:10-13) Read Proverbs 3:1-4 4 What are words that go with wisdom? 5 What does it mean to bind these virtues around your neck and write them on your heart? 6 What is the result of living wisely? DAY 4: Read Proverbs 3:5-12 7 What is the fear of the Lord? 8 What are the things in this passage that give further meaning to this concept of fear? 9 Can you give an example of when you or somebody else has trusted the Lord s wisdom rather than their own? 10 What is the result of living wisely? 11 How does God discipline us? 12 What does it say about our relationship with him when he does discipline us?
Fathers Day 2014 - Proverbs 3:1-12 Opener: Euphoria at Aidan s birth Brought down to earth by Bob (Heather s grandfather) He s got a long way to go. Now I wonder if he was talking about Aidan or about me! I certainly have learnt a lot in the last 10 and a half years (+2 extra kids) I still have a long way to go. But today I get to talk about some of my greatest passions: fatherhood and God. What does God have to do with fatherhood? Rather a lot really: 1. He IS a father! Jesus Father (closeness in John s gospel. Also in the other gospels, baptism and transfiguration: This is my son, whom I love; this is my son, with whom I am well pleased. You can feel that fatherly pride pouring out of heaven! 2. He is a father! Our Father! John 1:12-13 - to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 3. He invented fatherhood and he CARES how it is done. (Eph 6:4 - Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.) God thinks fatherhood is so important for his people that he tells us how to do it. And that last bit I think is the most important part of a father s role in the family. bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. There are many important parts to fatherhood: protecting, promoting, providing dad jokes. But bringing kids up in the training and instruction of the Lord: it doesn t get any more important than that. Today I want to think about the advice given to and by fathers in the Bible not just my advice This is not just GOOD advice to you but GOD advice to you. This is old advice for modern dads. This is old advice that will still ring true long after you and I have gone.
If we re mining the Bible for wisdom: good practical advice on how to live, no richer vein than Proverbs. King Solomon, writing to his son, but by its inclusion in the Scriptures, applicable for all of us. King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. I m sure you all know the story of how he asked God for wisdom, and God gave it to him by the bucketload. His wisdom was so famous that people would walk from other countries to hear him speak! This wisdom that he writes to his son is precious. It is wisdom from God. And it is wisdom for us today. So what is this wisdom? We only have time for a little taste today and I want to look at it under two headings that are two sides of the same coin: Learn the value of wisdom/ teach the fear of the Lord. Part one: v1-4 Learn the value of wisdom 1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, 2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Illustration: Dad again: could have sd, don t get drunk and fall over/ don t sleep around/ don t get arrested. Instead: remember whose servant you are. Aw man! But how many times did it work! He was just reminding me to be wise, to love God and be faithful to him. Learn the value of wisdom: that s the big message of the first few chapters of Proverbs. Teaching/ commands/ instruction It s a bit like starting a healthy food cookbook by saying: learn the value of healthy food. It even promises long life and nourishment! The thing about wisdom: you hang onto it. If you know it s good advice, you don t just smile: that s nice! then do what you thought best anyway! You learn it, practice, it shapes who you are. It means when a situation comes up that doesn t quite fit the advice, you have the right kind of thinking to direct you. My Dad: you know the right thing to do [frustrating!] but I did know the right thing, because he had taught me how to think wisely. What else goes hand in hand with wisdom? V3 - Love and faithfulness. These are God s characteristics. Application: Dads/ grandads: teach wisdom Show in yr life that you are faithful to God. Look for teachable moments (speed limit) Be faithful to yr wife and affirm her publicly: that s how your son learns how to treat his wife. If your kids/grandkids are still young enough for you to read them stories, do it. Read the Bible with them. Read other stories you can discuss with them to see if the characters are wise. But remember: the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, which is where we are headed now. Bind them around yr neck/ engrave them on your heart: If a man is wise, his life will be marked by love and faithfulness. He doesn t ditch his wife for a younger model. He loves his kids even when they make it hard! Love and faithfulness: it s God s way through and through. It s how he is described Love is at the heart of the commandments: Love God/ love your neighbour.
Part two: v5-12 Teach the fear of the Lord 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. 8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. 9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. 11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom it s a theme of the wisdom books of the OT, esp Prov and Psalms. [explain fear of the Lord] Fear is mentioned here. In v7, But these other things go with it: Trust in the Lord s wisdom v5-8 [builder and architect who is the architect of your life?] Honour God with your wealth v9-10 [if you give yourselves first to God, whose money is it anyway?] Submission to God s discipline 11-12 [The most beef-headed footy player knows that he answers to the ref and the judiciary would be a fool to reject their discipline! All things that come from seeing yourself in the right perspective before God. Illustration: I want my kids to have the best kind of life. I do my best to teach them to live the right way because I want what s good for them now and when they are grown-ups. I want them to give the best possible start to my grandchildren. Fitness journey I was setting a bad example! Had to turn that around Application: Live it! Model it! Teach it! - Does God get a look-in with your decisions? Do you model praying for wisdom? - Are you generous toward God with your wealth not just scraps? - Do you accept God s correction putting his word into practice and turning your life around when you know you have stuffed up? Being a dad is about the most outrageous privilege in the world! We have the best model in our heavenly father Through Jesus we have been made God s children and take on the family likeness of love and faithfulness. Let s keep on encouraging one another and today, especially the dads. HAPPY FATHERS DAY!