June 17, 2012

You've probably seen this Subaru commercial. In 33 seconds it senses the heartbeat of a father. The most instinctive thing a dad wants to do is protect his family.

Watch and enjoy:

http://youtu.be/2qf8OGLqE1s

Modern fathers do a good job of protecting their kids in just about everyway possible - except spiritually. Considering it is the spiritual part that is going to live forever, shouldn't that be the highest priority for protecting?

In case you are wondering how to do that, Paul gives some good instructions in Ephesians 5:22-6:18:

"Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to  make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,  because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.    Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

That is a lot of Scripture and it is certainly worthy of serious study. But in the interest of time on this Father's Day 2012, allow me to summarize the truths of it for you.

To protect your family:

Live In His Protection - "put on the FULL armor of God"

Every day you are under spiritual attack by the Enemy of your soul. All day every day he comes to kill, steal and destroy. If you are not protected you will be defeated. When you are defeated how can you protect your family?

Lean On His Power Through Prayer -  ^"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people."

Be sure you maintain a continuous conversation with your Father. Pray for strength. Pray for supplies. Pray for His Spirit to fill you. Pray for safety for your wife and children. Pray for success in your efforts for the Lord. Pray for your friends at work and let them know they can count on you for prayer support.

Love Your Wife - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"

One of the best things you can do for your family is to love your wife with a sincere sacrificial love. Serve her needs. Shower her with affection and attention so she feels secure in your love. Serve the Lord with all your heart so she can trust you and respect you. Make it easy for her to submit to you because of the way you submit to the Lord!

Lead Your Children Well - "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

Live a godly life before your children and set a spiritual example. Always be aware that more is "caught" by them than is "taught" by you. Fathers are ALWAYS teaching because kids are always watching. But be particularly alert for those teachable moments when you have an opportunity to share Biblical truths with them.

 

Most of all, make sure your children have received Christ as their personal Savior through faith.

It is nice to buy a safe car for your child and surround them with other safety items and products. But giving them a Subaru will not get them to heaven. Only you, their earthly Father, getting them connected to your Heavenly Father will provide them the everlasting safety they desire and deserve!



June 16, 2012

In our study of Ephesians we are learning what it means for a men of God to "fight right." First, you must stand guard clad in the Armor of God.

Second, you must serve your wife.

And, third, you must shape your Children

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise — “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”  "Fathers,do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:1-4

 

A.     Demand Their Obedience, V.1

Demand they obey you.

Demand they obey their mother.

Demand they obey God.

Demonstrate obedience to God. 

B.    Demand Their Respect, Vv. 2-3

Clear expectations and boundaries – family mission statement

Clear example – show them what it looks like

Clear execution – show them how to do it

C.    Disciple – Don’t Dictate, V. 4

Discipline according to principles – set up guardrails and teach them to “drive safely”

Discipline positively not negatively – “Say NO in order to say YES to better things”

Demonstrate disciplined living

Guys, your kids need you more than you know. They need you more than they even know! God wired each of us to need a father – earthly father AND Heavenly FATHER.

Much of what is wrong with our American culture can be traced back to the failure of FATHERS. LISTEN TO THIS:

HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS – IF POOR FATHERS CREATED THE PROBLEM THEN GOOD FATHERS CAN HELP TURN IT AROUND!

THINK ABOUT THIS:

MEN – IF YOU HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND YOU WIN THEM BOTH TO THE LORD AND BRING THEM UP IN THE FAITH – AND BOTH OF THEM RAISE TWO CHILDREN IN THE FAITH AS WELL AND THAT PATTERN CONTINUES THOSE TEN GENERATIONS ALONE WOULD PRODUCE 1,024 FAITHFUL BELIEVERS.

IF THERE ARE FOUR CHILDREN IN EACH GENERATION WHO BELIEVE AND PASS ON THEIR FAITH THAT 1,024 BECOMES 260,000 FROM YOUR FAMILY ALONE!

SAY THERE ARE SIX CHILDREN IN EACH GENERATION THAT NUMBER GROWS TO OVER 10,000,000 JUST FROM YOUR DESCENDANTS!

LOCAL CHURCHES LIKE OURS WITH GODLY MEN LIKE YOU WHO COMMIT TO BEING COURAGEOUS HUSBANDS AND DADS ARE THE HOPE OF THE WORLD!

WILL YOU COMMIT TO STAND STRONG IN HIS ARMOR AND FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY?

WILL YOU SERVE YOUR WIFE – WINNING HER TRUST AND RESPECT AND LAYING DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR HER?

WILL YOU SHAPE YOUR CHILDREN IN THE FAITH AND MAKE SURE THEY COME TO KNOW CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR?

WILL YOU BEGIN THIS MORNING?

June15, 2012

^"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—  for we are members of his body.  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:21-33

Here are some very troubling statistics that reflect what is wrong with America

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.

90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.

85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)

80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)

71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (National Principals Association Report)

Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are 40% less likely to repeat a grade in school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are 70% less likely to drop out of school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to get A’s in school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to enjoy school and engage in extracurricular activities.

75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes – 10 times the average.

Researchers at Columbia University found that children living in two-parent household with a poor relationship with their father are 68% more likely to smoke, drink, or use drugs compared to all teens in two-parent households. Teens in single mother households are at a 30% higher risk than those in two-parent households.

70% of youths in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Sept. 1988)

85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Fulton Co. Georgia, Texas Dept. of Correction)

I think we have to honestly say that much of what is wrong with our culture today is a failure of fatherhood!

That is sad news. BUT, it also means there is hope for our nation if courageous men of faith will arise and become the husands and fathers God has called them to be!

A courageous men of God stands guard over his family by putting on the full armor of God daily so he can withstand the unrelenting attacks of the enemy!

Also, a courageous man of God serves his wife (5:21-33). The best thing a father can do for his children is love their mother with a godly love.

What does that mean? How does that happen?

Earn Her Trust, Vv. 22-24

A man of God serves God with such passion and integrity that his wife can learn to trust him.

He will walk blamelessly before her and be a man of his word. He will place her need ahead of his own because that is what God calls him to do.

His love for God will humble him before the Lord and help him humble serve his wife.

Earn Her Respect, Vv. 25-30

A man of God will not only serve the needs of his wife but he will stand guard over her spiritually, providing a spiritual cover for her. He will put on the armor of God every day and fight like a man for his family earning the respect of his wife and his children.

When a godly man serves his wife and sacrifices for her, she will grow to respect him. She will love him more deeply since trust and respect are the foundation upon which love is built. And she will trust and respect him because she will feel secure in his demonstrations of love for God and for her.

Eliminate Competing Loyalties, Vv. 31-33

Commitment means being "all in". Commitment means having no "plan B".

Commitment means loving her in the same way you love yourself and care for your own needs.

A man of God is fully committed to God and his marriage. That means he consciously and intentionally chooses to eliminate all competing loyalties. Every thought, every emotion, every temptation that comes against him he defeats with the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation and the belt of truth and the shield of faith!

There is nothing wrong with our nation that couldn't be cured if men would just fight right!

Men, will you commit to serve your wife today? Will you earn her trust and respect by the way you serve God? Will you love her as you love and care for yourself?

 

June 14, 2012

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:10-18

I'm sure you have noticed how easily things that are significant become familiar to us. The challenge is to always keep the "main thing" the MAIN THING.

For example, this familiar portion of Scripture about the armor of God is so important that every time I study it I come away with something new. But just recently I recognized something that should have been obvious. The context of this treatise on spiritual warfare comes at the end of a teaching on marriage and parenting (Ephesians 5:21-6:4).

Duh! Think about it! Where do most of your spiritual battles come from? Marriage and family relationships, right?

Because I live in the world of preparing 35-40 minute sermons I tend to focus on the micro and often miss the macro. Maybe that is an occupational hazard. But, anyway, recently I saw the context for this spiritual warfare teaching. I am going to challenge our dads with it this Sunday because it shows how to fight like a man - a man of God, that is.

God's plan is for the man of the family to be the warrior for the family and that means putting on the armor to stand guard against the relentless evil assaults against his personal integrity, his marriage, and his children.

When you put this whole teaching together it looks something like this:

Serve Your Wife - Ephesians 5:21-33

Shape Your Children - Ephesians 6:1-4

Stand Guard - Ephesians 6:10-18

Take some time today and read this portion of Scripture in this context and see if it makes sense. Then take the challenge to fight right!

June 13, 2012

^"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:1-18

Did you put on your armor today or did you forget you are in a war?

You face a powerful and relentless enemy who never rests. He constantly attacks on several fronts with the singular goal of defeating you so he can destroy you!

This important portion of Scripture is no doubt familiar to you, as it is with me. It is a reminder that you are in a daily battle for your soul and your eternal destiny. And it identifies the true enemy of your soul and how powerless you are in resisting him in your own strength so that you will understand your need to take up the spiritual weapons that accompany your salvation.

You have:

1) The belt of truth - the soldiers belt held all his armor and weapons in place for the battle

2) The breastplate of righteousness - this piece of armor protected the soldier's heart

3) The shoes of a soldier - light, flexible, nimble assisting him in his mission as a soldier

4) The shield of faith - to knock down the fiery arrows of the enemy

5) The helmet of salvation - this guards the soldier's mind so he can think clearly in battle

6) The sword of the Spirit - the only offensive weapon is the Word of God

Essentially, this portion of Scripture promises that if you will put on your armor every day you can win the spiritual batttles. If you forget or fail to do so will doom you to defeat. It is that simple.

Let me up the ante on this already important Scripture. Not only are you fighting for your own spiritual survival, but if you will back up to the previous section, Ephesians 5:21-6:1-4, you will see that you are also fighting for your marriage and your children!

As often as I have read and studied and taught and preached on Ephesians 6:10-18, I had never noticed it's larger context - the spiritual battle is waged against you AND your marriage AND your family!

With that in mind, let me ask you again, "Did you put on your armor today?"

How about your armor?

June 12, 2012

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23

Reading this Psalm gives you an insight into a day in the life of a sheep. I am not sure you ever had a desire to see life through the eyes of a sheep. Personally, I have never paused in the middle of a busy day and wondered, “What would a sheep think of this?" You probably haven’t either, but when you consider that the Bible compares you to a sheep it might be of some interest to you.

From this moment forward, should a similar thought flash through your mind you will have an answer. According to this beloved Psalm a sheep faces each day concerned about: hunger, harm, harassment, and hereafter.

Incidentally, I have known a few humans who worry about the same things.

Fortunately, for this sheep, he has a shepherd who worries about those same things for him. Do you have a shepherd like that? If you are worried about those things, you probably don’t!

Sheep are grazers. Grazing is great as long as there is plenty of grass. But a flock of sheep will tend to overgraze an area until all the grass is gone. Because they are too timid to move far from where they have grazed, they would starve themselves within a matter of days. Hunger is a concern. No one wants to go hungry, even a sheep!

A good shepherd leads his sheep to green pastures each day and then stand guards over them as they graze on lush green grass. After a few days of learning they can trust their shepherd, they cease to worry about hunger anymore. That is a good day!

Do you have a shepherd like that? You could!

Sheep are defenseless. They have no way of protecting themselves against predators and they can’t run fast enough to get away. So, if they have no shepherd to guard them they will become lunch for a wolf or cougar. So, along with daily concerns about hunger, they worry about harm coming to them!

But if he has a good shepherd, that shepherd is on constant guard watching for predators. Should one attack, he is armed with a staff and a rod with which he can ward off the beast. After awhile the sheep learns he doesn’t have to worry about harm when he is with his shepherd.

The fact that the sheep lays down is significant. They are so timid and flighty that they will not lie down unless they feel completely safe from predators, parasites or pests. If flies or gnats or bees are buzzing around them they will not lie down. When you see a sheep lying down he is either dead or he is feeling completely secure! In that case, it would be evidence that he has a good shepherd who cares enough for his sheep to keep him free of harassment!

Once he has been relieved of his concerns over hunger, harm and harassment, a sheep’s worry turns to the hereafter. What will happen tomorrow? Will he be hungry? Will he be harmed? Will he be harassed? Not having to worry about today will not keep him from worrying about tomorrow. Know the feeling?

But, once again, being under the care of a good shepherd over time, the sheep will come to trust his shepherd so much that he ceases to worry and is content and comfortable following his shepherd anywhere!

Life through the eyes of a sheep!

What does it have to do with you?

It IS you! That is, if you know the Good Shepherd. If not, you know hunger, harm, harassment and concerns about the hereafter.

When you follow the Good Shepherd – life is good and your future is your friend!

June 11, 2012

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philppians 1:21-22

The barnyard animals loved their farmer. He had taken good care of them for many years and made their lives very pleasant. He loved them and in their animal way, they loved him.

One day they were discussing how blessed they were to be owned by such a kind and generous man. It was decided they would honor him to show their appreciation. They all readily agreed and began to brainstorm on the best way to communicate their appreciation for him.

Finally they came upon an idea that pleased them all. Since the farmer arose early every morning to do his chores they knew that he loved eating a good hearty breakfast. So, to thank him they thought they would prepare a breakfast in his honor.

"How shall we do it?" one of them asked.

"Well," said the hen, "I will gladly contribute a half dozen of my delicious eggs!"

"Great idea!" said the cow, "I will give milk for him to drink and cream for Him to make butter for his biscuits."

The hog was strangely silent. The hen and the cow looked at him indignantly and the hen challenged, "Hey, hog! I am giving eggs for our farmer's breakfast and the cow is gladly contributing her milk. How about if you donate some ham and bacon!"

This simple silly story about the barnyard animals illustrates the difference between involvement and commitment. The hen and the cow were willing to be involved but the hog would be committed. They would be giving from themselves but he would be giving himself. That is a big difference! That is commitment! Involvement costs you something - but commitment costs you everything!"

Paul in saying, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" is saying, "I am committed not just involved!"

How do we know that he is committed? We know because he is willing to die. He was willing to pay the cost. Paul loved God more than He loved life itself.

What about you? Are you involved or are you committed? How do you know? How would others know? How would God know? What price are you willing to pay? Do you love God more than you love your own life?