Dads are Shepherds Psalm 23 Parkdale Grace Fellowship Fathers Day AM, June 21, 2015 Malachi 4:5 6, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." Many of you men sense God s Spirit calling you to trust Him to lead you to be something much more in your role as a father than what you have seen played out by the majority of dads you ve seen. The family is the cornerstone of society. It has been said that as goes the family, so goes the world. It can also be said that as goes the father, so goes the family. This is the way God has designed human society. The character of the church and of our nation depends on the character of the family. If spiritual life and worship dies out in the family, it cannot be maintained in the church. (Charles Hodge, quoted by Vodie Baucham Jr., Family Shepherds, p. 18) If spiritual life and godliness is going to ever be restored in our churches and in our nation it will have to begin with a revival of spiritual leadership in our homes. And this must be led by our fathers. The role of men in their families is so important that God honored it by conferring upon us His own title, Father. We are the governors and guides of our families, and the way we lead has far-reaching implications, our leadership will profoundly influence the direction of our family, church and nation. (Voddie Baucham Jr., Family Shepherds, p. 11) Fathers we cannot let the enemy cause us to underestimate the importance of our role of spiritual leadership in the home. Malachi 4:6 concludes with the dire consequences when fathers fail to capture the hearts of their children and to lead them the Lord will strike the earth with a curse. Men across our nation have abandoned their God-given responsibility to provide moral and spiritual leadership in their homes, schools, and Sunday schools. Today, the father is missing from many families. On average, North American fathers give each of their children a mere three minutes of undivided attention each day. Only 41% of today s children will grow up in an intact, two-parent family, and nine times out of ten it is the father who is missing. The lack of a male role model at home is compounded by the lack of male role models at school. 85% of elementary school teachers are women. (Unless otherwise noted, all statistics and quotes are taken from Weldon Hardenbrook s, Where s Dad?: A Call for Fathers with the Spirit of Elijah, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, John Piper and Wayne Grudem, eds., 1991) Sociologists have pointed out that today, for the first time in the history of humankind the overwhelming majority of little boys and little girls are being raised solely under the direct authority and supervision of ladies, from the cradle until adulthood, with almost no male input whatsoever.
2 For most boys their fundamental training is coming exclusively from women their mother, the Sunday school teachers, elementary school teachers, day care personnel, and increasingly even their sports coaches are women. Thus, boys are exposed to the continuous authority and teaching of women whom they do not naturally imitate, but they are expected to accept and practice their guidance. They have almost no mature male influence and guidance in their lives. This plague of missing fathers is creating a society of young males who are confused about their identity, about their sexuality, and about their responsibility, they have no idea what it means to be a man, and they end up lashing out in frustration. Our land is increasingly filled with angry, frustrated, isolated young men who no longer know who they are. Young men who have grown up with no involved male role models to follow. Absent and disconnected fathers also take a toll on their daughters. When dad is absent from a young girls life there is an unmet need in her life that often leads to her seeking male attention from other places. Usually they find a poor substitute for dad s love in the dating scene where, all too often, they end up victimized by a young man who takes advantage of their need for male approval. Some psychologists believe that most teenage girls who become sexually active are subconsciously trying to compensate for affection that should have come from Dad. And when Dad is not actively involved in raising and training his kids he loses their respect. Fathers were created by God to lead, nurture, provide, protect and train their families. We cannot remove or disable such a vital component of the family without there being tragic consequences. The Bible describes the kind of society that results when fathers fail to give spiritual leadership in their homes: 2 Timothy 3:1 5, "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. [This indicates that these kind of people will also be in the church, pretending to be godly.] And from such people turn away!" That last line, is one of the reasons many parents choose to home school their kids. If we are to turn away from that kind of influence, many parents are not comfortable in turning our kids over to these kind of people, authorizing them to mold and shape the hearts and minds of our kids in the ways of the world. But there is a promise that carries great hope in Malachi. The Lord has sent a prophetic voice calling out to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. To turn the hearts of the fathers means to restore their hearts. It implies that something has been lost and damaged but the message of the prophet is intended to heal and restore the lost relationship between fathers and their children. I pray that this congregation would increasingly be characterized by this spirit of the prophet Elijah. God is seeking to turn the hearts of us fathers to our children; will we yield to His call? Maybe you are feeling frustrated or inadequate, How can I be a good father? I don t know how? Maybe you never had a good role model for a father and you see yourself making the same mistakes. The good news is that you don t have to have had a good role model in your life.
3 In fact, the father who is keenly aware of his own inadequacy has greater potential than the father who feels confident that he can do the job because truly successful parenting can only be done by the power and enabling of God s Spirit. God is the perfect father and if you trust Him and yield your life to Him, He will be, through you, exactly the kind of father that your kids need. The Biblical pattern which God has established is that fathers are called to be shepherds to our families. Let s look to the 23 rd Psalm to see what the good Shepherd is like. This Psalm illustrates the role of the Father caring for His children using the metaphor of a shepherd caring for his sheep. As we read through this psalm keep in mind that this describes how the Lord will minister through your life toward your children when you are yielded and trusting in Him. Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." This can truthfully be re-stated to read, The Lord is my father; I have all that I need. This speaks of a relationship that you value and are glad to talk about Hey, did you know that the Lord is my Father? Over 100 times in the gospel of John, Jesus is recorded talking about His Father. He always spoke highly of His Father. John 10:29, "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father s hand." Constantly in the gospels we are told that Jesus was engaged in conversations with His Father. They spent much time together and were very close. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Fatherhood is providing for the over-all well-being of your family, both physically and spiritually. Psalm 23:2, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters." Just as a good shepherd provides a safe place for his sheep to sleep, plenty of good grass to eat and water to drink, being a good father includes providing a pay cheque and a roof over your kids heads. Unfortunately many fathers stop here and think that they have done their job if they have provided food, clothing, a nice home and spending money for their family to enjoy. This is only verse two of the psalm. If you feel that you are struggling to meet this basic need of your family don t lose sight of the fact that as a father your dependence needs to be on the Lord who will meet your family s needs. It is important to teach and demonstrate to your family that your dependence is upon the Lord to provide. Lead your family in praying to God to meet your needs. And teach your family to live by this Biblical principle: 1 Timothy 6:8 9, "And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition." A good father does not encourage or cultivate in his family a lust for riches. Psalm 23:3, "He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name s sake."
4 He restores my soul a good father encourages his kids when they are brokenhearted, discouraged, or shy or lacking confidence. He also ministers to his children by praying for them. Dads, lay your hands on your kids and pray with them when they are facing hard times in life. Fathers we need to be our kids fan, cheering them on when they are performing in a play, a concert or in sports. Whenever possible be there encouraging them as they take on life s challenges. Look at the way the Father was there supporting Jesus at His special events: Luke 3:21 22, "When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased. A father also leads his children in paths of righteousness. He leads by example and he leads by instruction. Fathers, we are to teach our children the gospel and the word of God and how to live by the word and by the Spirit. God has given fathers the primary responsibility to evangelize and disciple their own children. This responsibility cannot be handed off to anyone else. Mothers are to help, but we Dads have been given the main responsibility for training our kids in righteousness. Ephesians 6:4, "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." Proverbs 3:1 2, "My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; 2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you." Proverbs 4:1 5, "Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding; 2 For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law. 3 When I was my father s son, Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, 4 He also taught me, and said to me: Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth." Proverbs 4:10 11, "Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And the years of your life will be many. 11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths." Dads it is our responsibility to be reading the word of God to our family and explaining it to them. This is not an option. If you feel that you don t know enough to teach your kids then you need to study your Bible, pay attention and take notes in church, and above all pray for God to enable you to teach your kids. If we are not teaching the word of God to our kids at home Sunday school will be an ineffective waste of time for them. God will not let you get away with neglecting your responsibility. God will use Sunday school to supplement what you are teaching at home, and God will use Sunday school to teach kids who don t have a Christian father, but if there is a Christian father who is neglecting his responsibility to evangelize and disciple his kids God does not use the Sunday school in your place. Our kids (especially our sons) will have no interest in what is being taught in Sunday school if it is not also being taught by dad at home.
5 Psalm 23:4, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." Fathers, part of our role is to be used of God to protect, discipline and comfort our children. We cannot protect our children from facing difficult experiences but we must train them and discipline them so that they are well equipped to wisely navigate the hazardous path of life. Notice that the shepherd is there with his sheep when they face danger. He is there to guide them and to show them the way to go. Our kids learn how to safely navigate dangerous territory by following the example of their fathers. Fathers there in the valley experiences to protect their kids and to pray for them. We need to prioritize our family s well-being over our career. As a father, God has placed us dads into a position of spiritual authority in our homes and it is an authority that God Himself backs up and even the powers of hell are forced by God to recognize the spiritual authority of a father over his kids. Look at Romans 13 and notice that this passage is speaking of all authorities, not just government authorities this passage includes the authority of a spiritual shepherd over his family. And I believe it is an authority God has given to protect the family from even demonic powers which seek to harm the family. Romans 13:1 4, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil." Fathers, God has given us the authority and spiritual power to protect our families from demonic attack. We need to pray daily for the protection of our family with confidence that this is a God given role that He will back up. When your kids are under demonic attack and are being drawn away by the enemy, Christian dads, more than any other person, we have been given, through our relationship with Christ, the authority and power to take a stand in prayer against the work of the devil. When fathers are exercising their spiritual authority in leading their family that brings an amazing umbrella of protection over the family. But when we fail to exercise our spiritual authority and leadership in the home it leaves our family much more exposed and vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. Now if there are kids in a family in which the father is not giving spiritual leadership the Lord is still their shepherd and He will care for them, Psalm 68:5, "A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation." But who is teaching them to trust in the Lord and to listen to His voice? Who is modelling that for the kids? Praise the Lord for godly moms who take up the slack, but mothers do not wield the same spiritual authority as fathers especially not when there is a father who is spiritually passive, he leaves his family vulnerable.
6 We the church have a responsibility to, "Defend the poor and fatherless," Psalm 82:3 Psalm 23:5, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over." Here, though we live in a wicked and depraved world; though we are living in perilous times, a good father is faithfully preparing daily a table of spiritual food for the sheep in his family. When the sheep are injured and wounded the shepherd anoints their head with oil he ministers healing. Fathers, pray for the healing of your kids, and when necessary call upon the elders of the church to join with you in praying for your kids. My cup runs over. This speaks of an abundance of blessings and joy that come to the child whose father is engaged in their lives like this. We all know how much more motivated we are in life when our father is in the stands cheering us on. Fathers, God has designed our relationship with our kids in such a way that they do so much better in life when we are fully engaged with them especially when we are fully, spiritually engaged with them. But when we neglect our role as father our kids are greatly disadvantaged especially in their spiritual walk. Look at the impact of a good family shepherd on the life of his sheep: Psalm 23:6, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever." Now I fully realize that this is talking about the Lord as our shepherd, and we dads can never take the place of the Lord, but we have been given the role of modeling and exemplifying the love of the Heavenly Father to our kids. We are to let our kids see and experience the life and love God the Father at work through our lives as we are yielded to Him. Dads, let us pray that our kids would indeed experience the Father s love through us. May this congregation increasingly be characterized by the spirit of the prophet Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Fathers, God is seeking to turn your heart to your children; will we yield to His call? Copyright 2015 by Parkdale Grace Fellowship Permission: You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.