A FATHER’S DAY PROMISE

MIKE CUNNINGHAM

FATHER’S DAY 2006

Last Thursday morning as I was driving over to visit with John Hong, I did so with a heavy heart. My sister Margaret had gone home to be with the Lord several days previously. My thoughts and prayers were focused on her children and other loved ones who would be attending the wake that afternoon and evening and her funeral the following morning.

Among my other prayers during the half hour drive to John’s home was the one asking Him to let me know the kind of a message He wanted me to bring to you folks this morning. Ever since leaving our worship service last Sunday I had been thinking about a follow up on the necessity of each of us to obey God and get rid of all our of our anger. However, between Sundays I am constantly seeking the Spirit’s leading concerning my sermons.

While John and I were looking at and pondering the spiritual truth contained in specific Bible verses which King David had written in the “One Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm, the thought occurred to me, and I was immediately convinced, not only what I should preach about today, but also the style of my delivery. I believe what follows is the best way I know of to remind each of us of something which is of paramount importance.

And so, this morning’s message will be saturated with Sacred Scripture about how we are to love our Creator God and each other.  At times I will be quoting from different Bible translations as well as personalizing and paraphrasing certain verses. It’s my hearts desire that every one who hears what I am about to share thoroughly savors and digests what I believe will be a spiritual banquet of advice to Christian fathers.

I have prayed that each of us, regardless of whether or not we are a father, become so nourished by this message, that before the service ends we will be strongly inclined to make what I am going to refer to as being, “The Father’s Day Promise.”

Speaking to his son or daughter, fathers ought to admit something the child may already know, and that is the fact that he that he doesn’t know all spiritual truth because God hasn’t revealed it to him or anyone else.

Deuteronomy 29:29 (ESV) ²⁹ “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Romans 15:4 (NIV) ⁴ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Psalms 1:1-3 ¹Tell your child that you want it to know that blessed is the man or woman, boy or girl who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; ² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he or she meditates day and night. ³ Such a person is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he or she does, they prosper.

Psalms 16:11 (ESV) ¹¹ The Lord makes known to His children the path of life; in His presence there is fullness of joy; in His right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalms 17:8 ⁸ Remind your child to pray to the Lord and ask Him to keep you as the apple of His eye and to hide you in the shadow of His wings,

Psalms 18:1 As for you their father let them know that the Lord is your strength. ² The Lord is your rock and your fortress and your deliverer, your God, your rock, in whom you take refuge. He’s your shield, and the horn of your salvation, your stronghold.

Psalms 18:25-27 ²⁵ Tell your children that God wants you to remind them it is to the merciful that He shows Himself to be merciful; with the blameless person He shows Himself blameless; ²⁶ with the purified He shows Himself pure; and with the crooked He makes Himself to seem tortuous. ²⁷ Remind your child that He saves humble people, but those with conceited eyes He brings down.

Isaiah 66:2 Share with your son or daughter that you are learning that the person God esteems is the one who is humble and contrite in spirit and who trembles at His Word.

Psalms 18:46 don’t ever forget to acknowledge the fact that because the Lord lives you can face tomorrow.

Psalms 19:1 ¹ASk your child to open his or her eyes and see how the heavens declare the glory of God and hoe the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Psalms 19:7-11 (ESV) ⁷ Father’s, share with your children how you have personally found the law of the Lord to be perfect, reviving the soul and how the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple and that ⁸ the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. Explain to them that the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes and explain how ⁹ the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever and how it is that the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. ¹⁰ In fact, they are more to be desired than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. ¹¹ Moreover, by them, you their father and God’s servant been warned and how you have learned from experience that in keeping them there is great reward.

At the earliest age possible tell him or her about the fall and its consequences. John 3:16 Introduce your child to Jesus. Tell him or her about how God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life.

Tell your children what Jesus expects of everyone.

Matthew 22:37 (ESV) ³⁷ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all of your mind and with all of your strength.

1 John 5:1 (ESV) ¹Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

Explain to your child how God intends this to play out in their own home.

Ephesians 5:25 ²⁵ Explain to your child, that God wants you to love your mothers, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

1 Peter 3:7 ⁷ Explain that God wants you live with their Mom in an understanding way, showing honor to her as the weaker vessel, since both their Mom and you are joint heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. Remind your child of what Jesus once told His disciples.

John 13:34-35 (ESV) ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 14:15 (ESV) ¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 14:23 (ESV) ²³ Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Matthew 10:38 (ESV) ³⁸ And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

1 Peter 1:22 (ESV) ²² Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

1 Peter 4:8 (ESV) ⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Corinthians 16:14 (ESV) ¹⁴ Let all that you do be done in love.

Proverbs 10:12¹² Caution your child that hatred stirs up fighting, but love covers all offenses.

Romans 12:9 (ESV) ⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

1 John 3:18 (ESV) ¹⁸ little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. In other words, walk the talk.

1 Corinthians 10:24 (ESV) ²⁴ Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

Philippians 2:4 (ESV) ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Point out these words of Jesus and the Apostle Paul, and ask him or her to read them to you.

Matthew 5:44 (ESV) ⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Romans 12:14 (ESV) ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Romans 12:20 (ESV) ²⁰“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

1 Peter 3:8-9 (ESV) ⁸ Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. ⁹ Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

Galatians 6:10 (ESV) ¹⁰ So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Matthew 25:34-35³⁴ Father’s remind your children about “Judgment Day” when the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

Hebrews 6:10 ¹⁰ Share with your child how, for his sake, you show love in serving other Christians.

Galatians 5:13 ¹³ Share with your child how God called you to freedom but you are not to use your freedom as an opportunity to wallow in the things of the flesh, but how through love we are to serve one another.

Romans 12:15 (ESV) ¹⁵ Share with your children about those times rejoiced with those who rejoiced, and how you have weep with those who weep.

Galatians 6:2 (ESV) ² Let them know that followers of Jesus are to bear one another’s burdens, and in doing so fulfill the law of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 (ESV) ¹⁴ Explain to your child that God wants His children to admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

Ephesians 4:1-2 (ESV) ¹ Make sure you tell your children how you continue to struggle to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. And that you are truly trying to:

Ephesians 4:32 (ESV) ³² Be kind to everyone, tenderhearted, and forgiving all people, as God in Christ forgave you.

Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV) ¹² Let your child know that as one of His chosen ones God wants you to become holy and beloved, full of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Matthew 18:15 (ESV) ¹⁵“Tell your kids that if your brother sins against you, God wants you to go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” Speaking of Christian brothers, show these passages to your son or daughter.

1 John 2:10 (ESV) ¹⁰ whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

1 John 3:9-10 (ESV) ⁹ No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

God wants husbands and fathers to be the spiritual leaders of their families. They must practice what they preach and lead by example. They are to love God with all of their mind and heart and soul and strength and their wives and children as they love themselves.

My observation throughout many years is that to what ever extent husbands and fathers relinquish their responsibility, confusion, often bordering on chaos, reigns. Open your Bible and ask your child to read God’s definition of love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (ESV) ¹ If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. ¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. ¹³ So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

As I mentioned in my opening remarks, I have prayed that each of us become so nourished by these passages we just heard, that before the service ends we will be strongly inclined to make what I have referred to as being, “The Father’s Day Promise.”

With God’s help

I will be patient with you because I love you and I want to forgive you.

I will be kind to you because I love you and I want to help you.

I will not envy your possessions or your gifts because I love you and I want you to have the best.

I will not boast about my attainments because I love you and I want to hear about yours.

I will not be proud because I love you and I want to esteem you before myself.

I will not be rude because I love you and I care about your feelings.

I will not be self-seeking because I love you and I want to meet your needs.

I will not be easily angered by you because I love you and I want to overlook your offenses.

I will not keep a record of your wrongs because I love you, and “love covers a multitude of sins.” [1]