Gtcotr/ss061823
Today
is a special day in the USA. It is the day we have set aside to remember and
pay respect to our Fathers. Perhaps you have been listening to me preach here
at Church On The Rock for the past 35 years, and have heard me say:
·
The
one thing God wants to be is your Father.
·
When
He could have introduced Himself as anything whatsoever, fire; lightening;
Santa Clause; a dragon; or the sun … He chose us to know Him as our heavenly
Father.
·
God
has designed life so that it is passed on by a father.
·
If
there is one thing the devil could do away with, it would be the father.
·
Hoards
of hell are assigned to minimize the role, the relationship, and the
responsibilities of fatherhood by lying to fathers and to families alike.
·
Being
a good father is the most like God any man will ever get the chance to be this
side of heaven.
·
The
sad thing is that many fathers and many families aren’t living according to
God’s perfect plan.
·
There
is no doubt that this one problem is the whole problem with everything in the
world.
· And the truth is, the fix can only begin with you.
Today is Father’s Day in America.
I have a Father’s Day pop quiz for us this morning. 200 questions. Lol, no, just kidding. There are only 5. The first 4 are easy true/false questions and the last question will be a simple yes or no answer. Are you ready?
1.
In the middle of the 10 Commandments, Exodus 20:12 says: “Correct your father and your mother, that
your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.”
a. True
b. False
False
2.
Proverbs 23:22 helps us to realize it is normal to stop listening to
your father and to be aggravated at your mother when they get old.
a. True
b. False
False
Proverbs 23:22 Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
·
The Hebrew word translated “despise” = “booz”
·
So I guess we shouldn’t despise them even if they drink too much.
3.
Proverbs 20:20 says: “If you insult your father when he deserves it,
you will be saving your family from great despair.”
a. True
b. False
False
4.
Ephesians 6:2&3 says: “Honor your father and mother,” which is the
first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live
long on the earth.”
a. True
b. False
True
5.
Are you honoring your father in a way that pleases God?
a. Yes
b. No
Before we answer that last question, I suppose it might be fair to see an example of what it means to honor someone. First let me say that honor does not mean to agree with or to support someone’s decision, lifestyle, or opinions. Honor is, however, a show of respect that will not allow us to embarrass, belittle, insult, or despise someone worthy of honor.
The honor given to a father by God is exactly like the righteousness given to a born-again Believer. (2 Corinthians 5:21) It is a gift of God and not earned as wages. We all agree it is a much better scenario when a Christian actually acts like one. We are told to honor our father without consideration as to whether or not anyone else thinks he is worth it. We cannot honor God without honoring those whom He has chosen to honor.
In order to get a biblical handle on this principle, let’s read an account from the book of Esther, chapter 6. (King Xerxes reigned 486-465BC; He was 33 when he began to reign; He married Esther when he was about 40; His palace was in Shushan, Iran; He ruled over the Persian Empire which included 127 provinces, about 60 nations, from India to Ethiopia; His most famous battle was in 480BC at Thermopylae against the 300 Spartans.)
(A quick review of the story of Esther leading up to chapter 6.)
Esther 6 NKJV
6 So Haman came in, and the
king asked him, “What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to
honor?” Now Haman thought in his heart, “Whom would the king delight to honor
more than me?”
·
That’s
a great question … “What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to
honor?”
·
Haman
represents so many of us who have operated in the flesh at times and allowed
our disagreements and disappointments and even our disgusts to become our
guiding light and justification.
·
Haman
felt justified in believing people would be better off without Mordecai. He
believed he was right, and Mordecai was wrong. But the king didn’t feel that
way.
·
The
question was ultimately, was Haman a servant of his own desires or was he a
servant of the king?
·
So
Haman answered, imagining the king was talking about honoring him.
· Haman told the king all the things he wanted for himself in life.
7 And Haman answered the
king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor,
8 “let a royal robe be
brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden,
which has a royal crest placed on its head.
9 “Then let this robe and
horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that he
may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback
through the city square, and proclaim before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the
man whom the king delights to honor!’ ”
·
This
is where it takes a turn …
· God has a way of turning things around – talk about a paradigm shift.
10 Then the king said to
Haman, “Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as you have suggested, and do so
for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king’s gate! Leave nothing undone of
all that you have spoken.”
11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”
This
story punctuates the Golden Rule spoken of by Jesus in:
· Luke 6:31 “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”
So, back to the last question:
Are you honoring your father in a way that pleases God?
Yes, or No? If the answer is yes … great! Keep up the God work. If the answer is no, you can change that right now by repenting and asking God to forgive you. Then you can simply begin treating your father, or the memory of your father in a way that pleases God. Give him the same honor you hope to be given by the King. After all, honor is a gift from God.
And every gift from God has supernatural power - it is given for a purpose. A God gift has a God goal. It’s a promise. And … don’t go home hating your life after you feel forced to do God’s will. Haman never repented. Get with God’s program. (Reference to the rest of the story in Esther 6)
Happy
Father’s Day to every Father and every Family!
