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Father’s Day - Honoring Fathers from Book of John

6/20/2015

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Honoring your father and your mother is one of the “big 10.” It was blazed into stone tablets by the finger of God. In the Old Testament we see that disrespecting your father or mother was so serious that it resulted in stoning (Lev. 20:9). In the New Tstament, we see Jesus show great honor and respect for God the Father—a relationship that is particularly brought out throughout the gospel of John. The apostle Paul writes that children are to obey their parents, and yet he also gives instructions to fathers to not “exasperate their children” (Eph. 6:1f). Fathers are to be honored for many reasons—first and foremost because they give us life (John 5:26). We can also look at the gospel of John and find many characteristics of God the Father that good earthly fathers also have as well.

  1.  A Father Affirms His Children.

    32 
    Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

    Matthew 3:16-17 (Jesus’ Baptism)
    16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

    John refers to Jesus’ baptism, but we have to look at the Synoptic gospels to really see the Father-Son relationship come out. In Matthew, for instance, when Jesus is baptized, his Father affirms him, saying “This is my Son! I love him! I am pleased with him!” This positive affirmation of children by their father helps give them emotional security all of their lives.

  2. A Father Works for His Children.

    John 5:17
    In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”
    Work is an integral part of most all fathers. Adam was put into the Garden of Eden and given the task to work it—and this was before the curse. This shows that work is a fundamental part of the role and identity of fathers, and through this work, he helps provide for his children. Paul says that someone who does not provide for his family is worse than an unbeliever (1 Tim. 5:8). So the role that Fathers play in working and providing for their families is an honorable one.

  3. A Father Loves His Children.
    John 5:20
    For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.

    John 15:9 
    “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
    Love in the New Testament is not bereft of emotion. However, it transcends emotion and is characterized by acts which promote the health and well-being of someone else. Just as the Father in heaven loves the Son, so earthly fathers are called to love their children by seeking what is best for them, and making decisions that are best for the family.

  4. A Father Models for His Children.
    John 5:19
    Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

    Jesus said that, as a Son, he can only do what he sees his Father doing. This principal applies to earthly fathers and children as well—which is a little scary, isn’t it? Fathers must set a good example in all that they do—in how they work, how they play, how they treat their wife, how they handle stress, how they handle finances, how they handle spiritual matters. On the positive side, being a good role model to one children’s can set them down the good path for the rest of their lives.

  5. A Father Teaches His Children.
    John 8:28
    So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.”

    Being a good role model is great. Children pick up on what is said and done tremendously. But there is still a call for direct teaching by fathers. Jesus learned what he taught from his Father in heaven, and children learn from the teaching of their earthly fathers. Fathers, when you open your Bible or your children’s Bible and you share with them God’s word, you have a powerful impact upon their lives—and are imitating God the Father.



What other characteristics of God the Father do you see in good earthly fathers?

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Father Knows Best? Sadly, Fathers Are Not Honored Today as They Should Be

6/20/2015

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Back in the 1950s and 60s there was a popular television show called “Father Knows Best.” In this show, Robert Young played the role of Jim Anderson, the father in the show’s Anderson family. 

Wikipedia characterizes the Jim Anderson role as “that of a thoughtful father who offered sage advice whenever one (or more) of his children had a problem. Jim was a salesman and manager of the General Insurance Company in Springfield, while Margaret was a housewife.” A to the Anderson family, “One history of the series characterized the Andersons as ’truly an idealized family, the sort that viewers could relate to and emulate."

While today there is a diversity of thought even among Christians as to what the “idealized family” ought to look like, there is no question that few positive role models of either fathers or families exist on television today. Whereas many of us grew up with shows like Family Ties, Growing Pains, and The Cosby Show, these types of shows are long gone. 

Furthermore, a modern day show entitled “Father Knows Best” would be a satirical punchline, for fathers/dads are portrayed today on television as lazy oafs and “not so bright” buffoons. The idea that “Father Knows Best” is utterly foreign and laughable in today’s society. And for much of recent decades, the role of fathers in children’s lives was written off as relatively unimportant. In custody battles it went almost without question that children should go with their mothers, rather than considering both parents equally. As Rodney Dangerfield would say, “Fathers don’t get no respect.”

This modern day view of fathers is in stark contrast to both historical and biblical views of fatherhood. Human fathers, while not perfect, are to be honored (Exod. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Eph. 6:2), as is our father in heaven (Mt. 6:9f). Fathers for all that you do, we honor you this Father's Day!

Why do you think that fathers are so little honored today? How can we show more honor and respect to fathers?       
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A Powerful Story of a Mother's Sacrifice - Joel Rosenburg's Wife in a WWII Concentration Camp

5/8/2015

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I am convinced more and more that the essence of preaching is the proclamation of the redemptive story--God reaching out to humanity out of his love, sending Christ to live and sacrificially die for us, and raising Jesus Christ from the dead. It is a story about God taking the blackest of life and bringing light into the world. It is about the restoration of hope through the cross.

We are not primarily preaching about morality or better behavior or better marriages--though following God can lead to these things, and they are important. Like Paul, we preach Christ and him crucified--the only story which has the power to truly change and transform our lives, our morals, our marriages, and our family relations.

So for me, no topical preaching lesson will have more impact than if it is connected to this redemptive story. That includes lessons like Mother's Day sermons. The story below tells of a mother's love for her child, which causes her to sacrifice everything for him.

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Solomon Rosenberg, his wife, his two sons, and his mother and father were arrested and placed in a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust of WWII. It was a labor camp and the rules were simple: As long as you can do your work, you are permitted to live. When you become too weak to do your work, then you will be exterminated.

Rosenberg watched his mother and father being marched off to their deaths when they became too weak to work. He knew that his youngest son, David, would be next because David had always been a frail child. Every evening when Rosenberg came back into the barracks after his hours of labor, he would search for the faces of his family. When he found them, they would huddle together, embrace one another, and thank God for another day of life.

One day Rosenberg came back, but he didn't see those familiar faces. He finally discovered his oldest son, Joshua, in a corner, huddled, weeping, and praying. He said, "Josh, tell me it's not true." Joshua turned and said, "It is true, Poppa. Today David was not strong enough to do his work, so they came for him."

"But where is your mother?" asked Mr. Rosenberg.

"Oh Poppa," he exclaimed. "When they came for David, he was afraid and he was crying. Momma said, ‘There is nothing to be afraid of, David,' and then she took his hand and went with him."

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That, my friends, is powerful. That, my friends, is redemptive. That, my friends, illustrates the kind of love that Christ has for us--a love so strong that he gave himself up for us. 

I would propose that what we find so good in mothers is that sacrificial, selfless love. It touches us because it points to that incredible sacrifice of Christ and the great redemptive story. Mothers have played an incredible part in this redemptive story, from Eve to Sarah to Tamar to Ruth to Bathsheba to Mary. And they continue to play an incredible part in this story in their lives of daily sacrifice. Mothers, we honor you for who you are and for who you so powerfully remind us of--Jesus Christ!

What stories in the Bible do you see that point to the redemptive roles of mothers?

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Ideas for How to Approach Mother's Day Sermons/Messages and Make Them Redemptive

5/4/2015

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Note: I am indebted to Scotland missionary JR Sheets for a discussion that we had today on how to make Mother's Day sermons redemptive. He suggested and we discussed together some of the approaches listed below. Thanks, JR!

Mother's Day sermons and the like can be challenging, I think. We want to address the topics that members and guests have on their minds on this day (there is nothing worse than having people show up on the Sunday before Christmas, for instance, and hearing a sermon on where Cain got his wife!). And the Bible does talk about mothers. However, other than Proverbs 31, it does not address really motherhood in an extended topical form, which is what many people are looking for on these days. So how should we approach this?

I believe that the role of the preacher is in large part to tell the redemptive story/Story of Redemption in each sermon as much as possible.

We are not there to preach mere moralism (though the redemptive story will lead to a higher moral standard), or just to highlight/give honor to different groups (though this can be a part of the redemptive story).

We are not there to merely give out knowledge or textual insights (though this can happen, if it is helpful to the message).

We are there (even on Mother's Day) to preach and proclaim the redemptive story of Christ throughout the ages.

With this in mind, how can we make Mother's Day and other types of topical sermons "redemptive?" Well, the most obvious answer to me is to show how, for instance, mothers fit into God's redemptive plan. Here are some ideas/passages to consider:

  • Highlight the creation story, including Eve, the mother of all living; show how Eve made mistakes, as all people (including mothers) do, but that God worked through Eve as well to bring about the redemption of all through the offspring of the woman (Christ)

  • Highlight Abraham and Sarah--showing how Sarah made some mistakes (in Egypt, with Hagar, impatience, laughing at God), but that God blessed her anyway and eventually fulfilled his promise by giving her Isaac as her son (God's timing is perfect in motherhood, even if we cannot always see it clearly), and that through one of her descendants (Jesus), all peoples would be blessed (Gen. 12:1f)

  • Highlight the women/mothers found in Matthew's genealogy (Hagar, Tamar, Ruth, Bathsheba); they were associated with scandal and messy family relationships and family strife--and yet, God redeemed their lives in this world, and also used them to bring about Christ into the world

  • Highlight Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was also associated with scandal (a perceived illegitimate birth), and the amazing fact that God trusted a mother to raise and nurture the Son of God!; (Luke notes that Mary cherished what was revealed to her about Christ)

  • Highlight John's version of the crucifixion, and how at the cross Jesus gave Mary the mother of Jesus to John to be HIS mother, and John to be HER son; at the cross and through Jesus, a Christ-centered community is formed, bringing together mothers and son, fathers and daughters, brothers and sisters, grandparents and grandchildren--at the cross a family is formed for those who have none, and this family is stronger than any human family

To this I would simply add that many mothers feel guilt and feel inadequate in their role in the raising of children, juggled with being a wife or single parent, or working parent. They also may feel hurt or pain at their children having gone astray, and may even blame themselves. And if they cannot have children or have lost children, this is devastating.

The essence of the gospel is God taking all of the ugliness and stain of this life--all of our mistakes and sin and pain--and making it into something beautiful and redemptive at the cross. And God can do this for mothers as well. This is a biblical, redemptive message that shows mothers their part in God's story, which can give them help and hope. So, this Mother's Day, let's honor mothers for their role in bringing about Christ, the Savior of the world, and share the great Story of Redemption.

What are some passages on mothers that you see as being part of the Redemptive Story? How would you approach Mother's Day?

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    Author

    Dr. James Nored (Doctor of Ministry, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a preacher, evangelist, church consultant, writer, and missional leader located in Fairfax, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C.

    James has served as a lead preaching minister, out-
    reach minister, worship leader, and more in Churches of Christ (300-700 in size) in the Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Dallas, & Washington D.C. areas, and he has given seminars around the country--helping churches grow using Next Generation strategies.

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