OceanSide church of Christ

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I AM RESOLVED

As A Father to…

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    To be resolved is to be determined.

 

B.      The only one who can make you resolved is you.

1.      You have to make up your mind.

2.      You have to be determined.

3.      You have to be the one who sets your mind in a certain direction.

 

C.     Our theme for this year at OceanSide is:  “I AM RESOLVED…”

1.      This morning, we want to present a lesson that revolves around our theme.

2.      We also want to speak to our father since we did not address them on Father’s Day.

3.      The title of our lesson is:  “I AM RESOLVD AS A FATHER TO…”

 

I.                   TO FEAR GOD

 

A.    The Bible teaches us to fear God in many places.

1.      Psalm 2:11

 

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling…

 

2.      Proverbs 3:7

 

Be not wise in thine own eyes:  fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

 

3.      I Peter 2:17

 

Honour all men.  Love the brotherhood.  Fear God.  Honour the king.

 

B.      This is one of the most important traits that we can possess.

1.      Fear is respect and awe and honor for God.

2.      This fear is rooted in our understanding of who God really is.

3.      Fear causes us to:  bow before God, listen to God, and submit to God.

4.      It is the fear of God that will cause a man to fill his home with God:  Bible study, worship, prayer, and service to God.  Every attitude, word, and behavior will be like God.

 

C.     A father truly understands Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes 12:13.

 

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God, and keep his commandments:  for this is the whole duty of man.

 

II.                TO ADD TO MY FAITH

 

A.    Faith is the most basic ingredient of the Christian life.

1.      Faith involves what we believe to be true.

2.      Faith involves our conviction, the things we will stand for.

3.      Faith is why we seek to be who we are.

4.      Faith is essential to pleasing God (Heb.  11:6).

 

B.      But, faith is not the only ingredient that is necessary in our Christian walk.  Peter exhorts us to add seven things to our faith (II Pet. 1:5-7).

 

And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

 

1.      Peter is exhorting us to grow.

2.      He is encouraging Christians to evolve

 

C.     Dads you must not become satisfied with where you are in your Christian life.

1.      Sadly, it seems like we all seem to get stuck in a groove in our Christian lives.

2.      We don’t digress, but we do not progress.

3.      NOTE:  The possibilities for growth are unlimited when it comes to our spiritual man.

a.      We can be dwarfs, or, we can be giants.

b.      In Scripture:

1)      Stagnation is condemned (I Cor. 3:1-2; Heb. 5:12-14).

2)      Growth is commended (II Pet. 3:18).

 

III.             TO TEACH MY FAMILY

 

A.    Patriarchy was a time when God spoke directly to the fathers of households.

1.      The father would communicate God’s truth to his family.

2.      He was also the priest over his family, offering sacrifices on their behalf.

3.      NOTE:  Fathers truly felt the burden of being the spiritual head of the home.

 

B.      Fathers are still considered the spiritual heads of their families by God.

1.      Several times the Bible says that the man is “the head” of the home (I Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:23).

2.      As the head, fathers have the obligation to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).

 

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:  but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

 

3.      Question:  Do fathers feel the burden of spiritual leadership as much as those faithful patriarchs of the Old Testament?

 

C.     Some of the problems we have with spiritual training in the home.

1.      Expect others to do the training (the church) instead of doing it personally.

2.      It is sporadic rather than regular.

3.      It is broad and general instead of being specific and intense.

4.      It is neglected and excused rather than being very intentional.

 

D.    Abraham needs to stand out as an example to all fathers (Gen. 18:19).

 

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice, and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

IV.             TO HONOR MY VOWS TO MY WIFE

 

A.    When we were married, we made promises to our spouse. We promised to love, to honor, to protect, and to remain loyal to them till death do us part.

 

B.      Fathers, we need to remain loyal to these vows as part of our duty as fathers.

1.      To forsake them will bring trouble to our homes.

2.      To forsake them will bring destruction to our homes.

 

C.     When vows are not honored, often the children are the ones who are harmed the most in the process.

1.      Immediate effects:

a.      What role did I play in this problem?

b.      One or both parents are not around as much.

c.       The child takes on parental duties.

d.      Financial struggles become part of life.

e.       Fighting continues between the parents.

f.        Which one of my parents do I choose?

2.      Many feeling of the child are wounded.

a.      Trust

b.      Security

c.       Belonging

d.      Hope

3.      Behaviors are a struggle.

a.      Deep seated anger

b.      Academics suffer

c.       Behavior problems

d.      Crimes

e.       Drug and alcohol use

f.        Premarital sex

4.      Health issues

5.      Relationship struggles: co-habitation, divorce

6.      Complications with second marriage of parents:  step-parents, and step-siblings

7.      Grief is never over:  holidays, parties, sporting events, graduations, marriages, births of children, funerals (the ex’s must constantly come back together and leave again).

 

D.    Three verse to keep in mind as fathers.

1.      Romans 7:2a

 

For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth…

 

2.      Ecclesiastes 5:4

 

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools:  pay that which thou vowest.

 

3.      Ephesians 5:25

 

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.

 

 

 

V.                TO EAGERLY PRACTICE DISCIPLINE

 

A.    Fathers need to be convinced that discipline works if it is applied effectively and quickly.

1.      Effectively (Prov. 23:13-14)

 

Withhold not correction from the child:  for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.  Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shall deliver his soul from hell.

 

2.      Ecclesiastes 8:11

 

Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

 

B.      When it comes to discipline, here are some things fathers must not do.

1.      Do not turn all discipline over to your wife.

2.      Do not threaten discipline and fail to carry it out.

3.      Do not discipline with uncontrolled anger.

4.      Do not say “yes” to everything your child desires. 

5.      Do not fear to use the rod if necessary.

 

VI.             TO REFUSE SATAN’S TEMPTATIONS

 

A.    We hear often that Satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (I Pet. 5:8).

 

B.      If he can bring down the head of the home, he can do great damage to all in the home, the church, and society.

 

C.     When did huge problems enter into David’s home?  It was when he refused to say “no” when tempted by the sight of Bathsheba.

1.      The sword was constantly drawn within his home.

2.      Two of his sons rose up in rebellion to take his throne.

3.      One of his sons committed adultery with his wives.

4.      The child born to David and Bathsheba died.

 

D.    Each of us must learn to resist Satan.

1.      James 4:7b

 

…resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 

2.      We must resist him steadfastly in the faith (I Pet. 5:9)

3.      We must say:  “Get thee hence Satan” (Matt. 4:10).

4.      We must say “no” immediately and really mean it (II Tim. 2:22; James 1:13-15).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    We have looked at several resolves that need to be made by Christian fathers in this lesson.

 

F          Fear God

A         Add to Your Faith

T          Teach Your Children

H         Honor Your Marriage Vows

E          Eagerly Practice Discipline

R          Resist Satan’s Temptations

 

 

B.      Being a father means must more than producing a child.

1.      It means that one steps up and becomes a man.

2.      It means that one seeks to be a godly man.

 

C.     May God give us fathers who seek and follow their heavenly Father!