| Introduction Father's Day in the US came into existence almost as an afterthought. A year or two after Mother's Day had become a national holiday, Sonora Dodd, from Spokane, decided that it wasn't fair that fathers didn't have their own day. So, she started celebrating Father's Day in honor of her father. Though she wanted it to be celebrated on the first Sunday of June because of her father's birthday on June 5, the other organizers chose to do it on the third Sunday of June. In 1972, President Nixon signed the law that made Father's Day a national holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Besides being created after Mother's Day, Father's Day is also a less profitable holiday. Families spend, on average, $50 less on dad's present than they do on mom's present. Father's Day gives us the opportunity to pause for a moment and consider what the Scriptures teach concerning fatherhood and I think 1 Thessalonians 2:8-12 will help us do that. Starting in 1648, the English pastor Jeremiah Burroughs published a series of six collections of sermons. Each collection had the word Gospelin it: Gospel Worship, Gospel Fear, Gospel Conversion, Gospel Revelation, Gospel Remission, Gospel Reconciliation. I want to follow in his tradition, at least his title tradition, and call this sermon today Gospel Fathering. I. Fatherhood Is not the Main Point of the Passage A. Paul is explaining why he hasn't come back to Thessalonica after being run out of town by those who opposed the gospel. B. He wants them to remember the way he served them. 2. How he gave of himself for them. 3. How all the accusations that are being brought against him are completely false. C. Yet, he tells us at the end of verse 11 that the things he did for the Thessalonians are things that are characteristic of the father/son relationship. D. So, we can learn from Paul's ministry to the Thessalonians some important aspects of godly fatherhood. II. The Goal of Godly Fatherhood Is That Our Children Walk Worthy of God, 12. A. All that Paul did while in Thessalonica had one, single goal in sight: that his spiritual children walk worthy of their God. B. Is this what really matter to us, fathers? 1. If every other dream we have for our children does not come to pass except for this one, will we be satisfied? 2. Conversely, if everything else happens exactly how we dream about for our children except for a worthy walk with God, is it ok with us? C. Fathers, everything we do as fathers must have the single goal of being instruments in God's hand to the end that our children will be found worthy in God's sight. 1. The only way they will be found worthy in God's sight is through faith in Jesus Christ. 2. So, our parenting of our children must be filled with the Gospel of salvation. 3. Sure, they might leave your house chewing with their mouths open, which is fairly close to being the unpardonable sin in our house, but they better not leave your house without knowing what the Gospel is. III. Godly Fathers Give Their Children not only the Gospel, but also Their Own Lives, 8. A. The Thessalonians were dear children to Paul, so he gave of himself to them and he was well pleased to do so. B. As fathers, that's the investment we must make: selfless, humble, happy giving of our lives to our children alongside the Gospel. 1. Not in a way that makes idols out of the children – they need to know that they are of secondary importance in the family. 2. But in a way that reflects the selfless, giving mind of Christ in Phil. 2:4-7. Phil 2:4-7– Letnothing be donethrough selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men. 3. The very phrase "as a father does his own children" implies individual investment in each child – literally "each one of his children." "To spare them he did not spare himself." John Calvin IV. Godly Fathers Work Hard to Remove Any Obstacle That Might Get between Them and Their Children's Faith in Christ, 9. A. Even though Paul had the biblical right to be paid for his work as a preacher, he chose to work very hard so that the Thessalonians could hear the Gospel more clearly. 1. The reason why Paul thought that being paid by the Thessalonians would get in the way of believing is not expressed here or in Acts. 2. But the principle is that Paul was willing to do whatever it took for the spiritual wellbeing of his spiritual children. B. Fathers, we must do the same hard work to remove any obstacle in our lives that might get in the way of our children believing in the Gospel. C. Will our children remember how we toiled and labored to preach the Gospel to them? 1. Not only by the things we said to them. 2. But also by the way we loved their mother, by the way we disciplined them, by the way we served our Lord's church? V. Godly Fathers Have a Clear Conscience before God and Man, 10. A. Paul appeals to the Thessalonians and to God himself as witness of his conduct and of his heart as he ministered to his spiritual children – two witnesses establish the truth of the matter. B. Will our children be witnesses of how devoutly, justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among them? 1. Devoutly – living in a way that is pleasing to God. 2. Justly – living in a way that is upright before others. 3. Blamelessly – from the negative side, not doing what is wrong. C. At this point most of us will say, "I blew it." 1. I have not been devout, just, and blameless. 2. I have been in the way of the Holy Spirit in my children's life. 3. I wasted all the years that I had them at home and now they are gone and I have very little influence on them. 4. There is no hope for me and my children. D. I want you to know that as long as the breath of life is within you and your children there is hope. 1. That is the beauty of the Gospel. 2. God's arms are always ready to receive anyone who comes to him in repentance. 3. If your children are still at home, ask the Lord to forgive you, ask your children to forgive you and start it over – it is not too late. 2 Pt. 3:9– The Lord is not slack concerning Hispromise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 4. If your children are gone and you really messed up, you can still repent and be forgiven by the Lord and you can begin being that grace-filled instrument, wield by the Lord in your children's lives. E. Not to repent, however, is to set our hearts on the destruction of our children. Pro. 19:18– Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death. VI. Godly Fathers Will Exhort, Comfort, and Bear Solemn Witness of Gospel of Jesus Christ to Their Children, 11. A. The Thessalonians know that Paul loves them because he spent himself in exhorting, comforting, bearing witness to the gospel – better translation than charge. B. He says that this is exactly what fathers do. 1. To exhort is to call to one's side with the purpose of helping – it includes the idea of appealing. 2. To comfort is to build people up by comforting them in times of difficulty. a. We often think of mothers when we think of comfort. b. But there is something powerfully comforting in the embrace of a father when you know that he has your best interest at heart. 3. To bear solemn witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to point your children to Christ imploring them to believe in the Savior. "Parents, consider the condition of your children, and the loud cry of their condition to you to endeavor their salvation! What an army of powerful thoughts at once now show themselves, to besiege your hearts and subdue them into a just care for the salvation of your children!... Instruct your children in the great matters of salvation. O parents, don't let them die without instruction!" Cotton Mather a. You can't bear witness to what you don't know. b. So, Fathers, know the Savior and know him intimately. VII. Application of These Truths to Those Who Are not Fathers. 1. You know what your husband must be and what he is (these two things might be different). 2. So you know what to pray for him. 3. After God, you are the most important helper in the life of you husband. a. This sermon gives you the direction in which you are going to submissively, graciously, and uncompromisingly steer your husband. b. Remember that you are the neck that turns the head and you have been called to further your husband's calling in life including his calling as a father. 1. Though we applied these principles to fatherhood today, they should govern all relationships in the church. 2. You are called to humbly give of yourselves to each other. 3. You are called to exhort, comfort, and bear witness to each other, removing anything in your life that gets in the way of others seeing Christ in you. 1. Notice that Paul refers to himself not only as a father to the Thessalonians, but also as a mother, 7. 2. At this point in your life you are called to be father and mother and all these we have said here this morning apply to you. 3. And we men of the church must carefully come along the fatherless and be spiritual fathers to them. 1. Take younger couples under you wings and teach them how to be this type of parents. 2. Mainly you older men who have been a Christian for a long time, who have experienced all the challenges of raising a family, and have face them in Christ, take a younger man under your care, and teach them to be this type of man. E. Older women – pray for the fathers of the church, pray for the fathers to be, pray that God would give us courage to be Christ-filled fathers. 1. I guarantee you that every one of your fathers wants to be this type of dad to you. 3. And we want you to know that where we have messed up, Christ hasn't – he is the perfect demonstration of what father must be. 4. When we fail you, look to Christ and pray for us. G.Fathers who are trying to figure this out, but who did not have an example growing up. 1. You have the Scriptures and the Spirit within you, don't hesitate to rely on him. 2. Partner up with a wise father and learn from him.
Our God is so good and so great. He is the ultimate Father and he will enable us to be fathers that bring honor to him and good to our children.
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