Gtcotr/ss061525
Psalms 68:5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
Throughout the scriptures we see an undeniable concern voiced by God for children in general but more expressly for those who are without fathers. Fathers are designed and intended to be dominant influencers in the lives of children.
I often encourage parents to consider they are not raising children but rather they are raising adults. Parents are given a precious and special time in a child’s life when they are totally dependent. This impressionable period called childhood is designed to give time to shape and mold their futures.
To be raised in a safe and sane environment is God’s hope for every child. I am not suggesting the circumstances necessitating single parent experiences dooms a child to unavoidable failures. However, statistics reveal just how important a father is to a home and to the health of the family.
According to research published by an organization called No Longer Fatherless: (www.nolongerfatherless.org):
- · 85% of juveniles in prison come from fatherless homes.
- · 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.
- · 90% of all homeless and runaway children come from fatherless homes.
- · 60% of youth suicides come from fatherless homes.
In June 2024, AmericaFirstPolicy.com reported that fatherless families are 4X more likely to live in poverty, and girls raised in a fatherless home are 8 times more likely to experience teen pregnancy.
Studies confirm 1 in 4 children living in the US today live in a home without a father. Not every situation can be settled by simply positioning a man in the household. And it is not always a choice as well as the sad fact that some men simply make things worse.
This morning I don’t intend to direct this message at homes without a father. Rather, today’s message is intended to impact fathers … men who still have a chance to impact the life of a child. Today, I want to talk to fathers and to those of you who are willing to pray for our fathers and encourage them to be what their sons and daughters so desperately need.
When God could have been anything, He chose to be a Father. God called Jesus His Son, Jesus called God Abba Father.
Mark 14:36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
God has chosen to adopt you. He sees you as His children and Himself as your Father.
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
There is no higher calling than to be like God. The privilege of being in the place and in the position of God is an honor and a gift given to us men by God Himself. If you have been chosen to be a father, you have an image to uphold. Children often imagine God is a whole lot like their daddy.
No child chooses to be born, and no child chooses their father when they are born. Choosing your father is the individual responsibility of every adult when they come to the age of accountability. The burden of choice sits squarely on every man and every woman. Each person will choose the Father they will honor in life much in the same way they choose to follow either God or the devil.
Jesus knew the children of God and the children of the devil saying in John 8:44 “You are of your father the devil …” because you are acting just like him. He is a liar and a murderer and you’re more influenced by him than by God.
Both the spiritual and the natural courses of life follow much the same pattern. Up until the age we begin making our own decisions, our fathers are pretty much given to us without our permission. After the age of accountability, we choose.
So fathers … if we hope to be chosen and continue to be a father to our children later in life, there are some God qualities we need to have in place in our lives. Here are a few to remind us:
- · A Father loves his children and tells them so.
- o By what he says.
- o By what he does.
1 John 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! …
- o God is proud to call us His children, and He wants everyone to know.
- · A Father is kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving.
Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
- · A Father will never abandon his family.
- o This gives the family such added security.
- o Our children should always be able to depend on us saving them and saving the day.
Hebrews 13
5 … For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
Allow me one moment to speak to children, of which we all are.
No father wants his children to end up fatherless, but some of that responsibility belongs to the child.
In Luke 16 the account of the prodigal son shows two children with two different attitudes making life choices. It is important to realize that our choices have consequences not only for us but also for the whole family, both now and for the future. When choosing your father … choose well.
Choose God first and honor Him, when you agree with Him, and when you don’t.
And fathers; I leave you with an admonition from the prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
