Godly Father

June 21, 2015

Misc. Sermons

Godly Father

1 Samuel 12:16-25

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Introduction

I read of a young man going off to college:

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• Before I took the old family car to college, my father loaded the trunk with soft-drink bottles filled with oil, coolant and transmission fluid.
• Sure enough, my car overheated.
• Scolding myself for not listening to my father’s instructions, I looked at the engine and saw how well he knew me.
• The oil cap was labeled Dr Pepper, the transmission stick, Coke, and the empty coolant container, Diet Pepsi. I finished the trip safely.

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A godly father, our Father, knows us and knows just what we need!

Children need comfort...

• I read of a little girl who was frightened by a serious thunderstorm.

• As most children will do she cried out for someone to come and comfort her.
• “Dad!” she exclaimed...and he came running in to her.
• As he held her in his arms she said, “I know God will take care of us, but right now I want someone with skin on.”

Kids seek comfort!

• Moms give comfort pretty good but today as we honor dads we know that a godly Father will bring comfort too.

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When do you feel afraid?

• Maybe when you are in trouble.
• Maybe you feel afraid when you’re threatened.
• Possibly you know that you’re wrong and will be punished.

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Text

19 And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 1 Samuel 12:19-20

For our lesson today we will find the people of Israel, and they were afraid.

• Their fear was because they know that they had sinned.
• What had they done?
• They rejected Samuel’s in exchange for a king...just like the pagan nations.
• In reality they were not rejecting Samuel, but God.

In the middle of their fear they beg for Samuel to pray for them:

And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” vs. 19

Lesson

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Today I want us to look at Samuel and 3 different roles that took on as a ‘father figure’ for Israel.

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The Disciplinarian

It is not a job that I personally like doing but dads have to discipline their children.

“...we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them.” Heb. 12:9

Samuel was their judge.

• This was an important job because he told them God’s standard for their lives.
• From time to time he would have to tell them about God’s judgement...people don’t like that.
• Notice 1 Sam. 16:4 “Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
• Why the fear of Samuel?
• They knew that he spoke for God...both blessings and curses!

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A godly father will set a standard of right and wrong.

• Not based on their feelings or by the world’s standard but according to God’s Word!
• This means that we, at times, have to play the part of the “bad guy” because our children’s souls depend on us.

This was the type of ‘father figure’ Samuel was.

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A Guide

What else does a godly father do?

• A godly father makes sure his children know where boundaries are.
• Samuel did this as well:

“Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” 1 Sam. 12:24-25

• “Hey Israel, know where the boundaries are!”
• They are loving boundaries!
• God does not want to lose you or reject you...these are to protect you!
• In fact, your submission to these boundaries is a blessing for you.

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This is the type of guidance a godly father gives his children.

• He provides boundaries for them...boundaries found in God’s Word.

• They too are loving boundaries!
• A father doesn’t want to lose his child...these are to protect!
• Our submission to these boundaries is a blessing to us and our father/Father!

Being a godly father goes way beyond just the things that we say.

• What really matters is what we do!
• If we do not walk the walk in our boundaries, our kids will not when we talk the talk.
• Samuel challenged Israel to show how he had not shown a good example:

“Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” 1 Sam 12:3

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A Spiritual Leader

Godly father’s provide discipline, boundaries, and spiritual leadership!

• The Bible teaches and assumes that fathers will teach their children:

Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. Proverbs 4:1-2

• We teach all the time: at the dinner table, in the car, at church, in the morning and in the evening.

Our relationship with God has an effect on our children long after we die.

• In Genesis God declared:

“I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”  Genesis 20:5-6

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This is what some call the ‘umbrella effect.’

• If you live your life for Jesus your children receive a spiritual blessing that will last long after you die.

Fathers, God wants us to bless our children with our choices.

• He wants us to pass a spiritual inheritance along to those most important to us.

Conclusion

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I think we would all agree that God places a great importance on fathers in scripture.

• He places this emphasis because He is one.
• He is our father who art in heaven!
• It would be a blessing to us if we would reflect on who He is.

When the Rock Rolled: Reaching Different People

June 14, 2014

When the Rock Rolled

Reaching Different People

Acts 9:32-43

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Introduction

Medical mistakes are made from time to time.

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These few examples teach us something important.

• Dr. and nurses are humans too.

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• They are not ‘gods’...they are not infallible.

In Peter’s day things were different though.

• As long as he was around everyone was healed, and there were no mistakes.
• Acts 4 - a man cripples from birth was healed.
• Acts 5 - the sick are brought to the street so that the shadow of Peter would heal them.
• Acts 9 - Peter heals one and raises another from the dead...not a bad days work!

What is the result of these two miraculous acts?

35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

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Text

32 Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose. 35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Acts 9:32-35

The Apostle Peter had been engaged in an itinerant ministry.

• In this text we find him visiting the saints in Lydda.
• This is a largely Gentile city about twenty-five miles from Jerusalem.

In a little bit we will find him in Joppa.

• It is located on the seacoast, some ten miles beyond Lydda.
• This city is important in Bible history as the place from which the Prophet Jonah embarked when he tried to flee from God.
• Jonah went to Joppa to avoid going to the Gentiles, but Peter in Joppa received his call to go to the Gentiles!
• Because Jonah disobeyed God, the Lord sent a storm that caused the Gentile sailors to fear.
• Because Peter obeyed the Lord, God sent the “wind of the Spirit” to the Gentiles and they experienced great joy and peace.

What a contrast!

Lesson

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God cares for all people!

• In this lesson we find particularly how He cares for a few different groups of people.
• You may feel like one of these two individuals.

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I have nothing to contribute - Aeneas the paralytic

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• The first person we meet in the text today was Aeneas the paralytic.
• We don’t know how old he was or even how he became paralyzed.
• We do know that he had been paralyzed for 8 years...can you imagine?
• No one likes to be like Aeneas.
• We don’t like being inconvenienced for eight minutes much less 8 years.

He had nothing to contribute...no way to help!

• No way to help friends, if there were any.
• No way to help family, if there were still around.
• But God cared for him!

What I want you to see in this is that by today’s standard Aeneas was a ‘nobody.’

• In the eyes of our society he didn’t measure up.
• However, in the eyes of God there was value...He had made him!
• Maybe you feel like Aeneas...like an outcast or even worthless.
• You matter to God, He cares for you, He made you and will never forget you!
• How do we know? - John 3:16

The amazing part of this account is the result of this healing:

35 And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

• What happened here...because of Aeneas hundreds if not thousands came to know the Lord.

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I have a lot to give - Tabitha the helper

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• The next person that we meet is the exact opposite of the first.
• While she may not have know it or not she had made a significant contribution to society.
• She was a helper...but how?
• She made robes and clothes for those in need...poor people and widows!
• She loved doing good and helping others!

When she became sick and died she was missed.

• Some had heard about Peter and believed that he could raise her from the dead...why?
• This was a huge ‘act of faith’ on their part.
• Up to this point no Apostle had never raised someone from the dead!
• There had been a lot of healing but no resurrections...yet!

Peter saw the sadness of the widows and others who were sad.

• We so desperately want to keep those we love around.

• Peter got down on his knees, prayed...and then said, “Tabitha, get up.”
• And just like the paralytic she got up.
• Imagine the joy and the celebration of everyone there!

Just as we saw in the first healing something amazing happens following this raising from the dead.

42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

• Just like Aeneas, Tabitha, through God’s work in her, also led many people to faith in Jesus.

These two individuals were so different yet they had the same result.

• God cares for those who do contribute and those who can’t.
• Do not ever underestimate how God can use you and what can be accomplished because of you.

Conclusion

In each of these instances none of the parties knew what God was going to do.

• However, in time they found out what God was up to.
• This is how we can apply this lesson to us this morning.

We may not know how God is going to use us:

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• We may feel like we have nothing to offer others.
• We may feel like we have too much and poured ourselves into everyone.

We may not know the future, but we know who holds the future.

• We might not be able to see how it is that God is going to use us, but He knows.
• God will use each of us with whatever we have to give.
• He can use us to make a contribution to those around us.
• There is a place for everyone in the kingdom of God.

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• Sometimes those who think they’re nothing bring many to the Lord.
• Sometimes those who don’t know the impact they have reach the masses too.

Don’t be discouraged!

• When we live in submission to Him, His will will be made known!
• Start with faith...believe that God will use you!