Dad Come Home

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to another word-filled message by David Entry. Preaching is the means by which God manifests His word and nourishes our spirits.

[0:12] May the life of God enter into you and you as you listen to this message. Be blessed. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Today is a special day because today is Father's Day.

[0:24] And David Dedication and I feel particularly inclined to teach something on fatherhood. Let's all say fatherhood.

[0:36] Fatherhood. Can you please say it again? Fatherhood. Yes. The title I was able to give to today's message is kind of unconventional. But the title for today's message is Dad, Come Home.

[0:52] Dad, come home. Say Dad, come home. Dad, come home. Or say it again. Dad, come home.

[1:02] Can we hear all the ladies say, Dad, we need you home. Dad, we need you home. Dad, come home.

[1:15] Hallelujah. In the book of Matthew chapter 1 from verse 18, the scriptures make us to understand how an angel appeared to Mary and told Mary, you're going to have a child.

[1:29] And Mary said, I don't know any man. So how can I conceive? And the angel said, this kind of child that is coming, you don't need a man for the conception.

[1:40] However, when you think about the deliberation or you think about the dialogue and the events, then you wonder, if she didn't need a man for that child, why did the angel wait until Mary was engaged?

[1:58] Before the angel came and interrupted her, the smooth flow of her life. And so actually, from verse 19, when Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

[2:19] They are not fully married. The reason why they are not fully married is in Jewish tradition, a marriage ceremony takes about a week, and it is culminated with the marriage act.

[2:33] And so after that particular moment, the husband will come and show the white sheets to the public or to the parents that your daughter was a virgin, and that seals the marriage.

[2:46] And so if you are not married, marriage is not considered marriage until it's consummated. All right. And so they were not yet married, but they were engaged.

[2:57] Bible used the word espoused, engaged to be married. And so if they were fully married, then Mary wouldn't have been a virgin. But this one who was going to be born, God wanted it to be unambiguous, clearly that there was no involvement of man.

[3:13] However, because of the value and the place fathers play in the lives of everyone, God said that even though I didn't need a man for the conception, I need a father for the upbringing.

[3:33] So Joseph was thinking of putting her away. The angel appeared to him in a dream. He said, Joseph, from verse 20, Matthew 1, 20, said, Joseph, don't do it. Don't do it. Because that which was conceived by Mary is of God.

[3:46] So because God needed Joseph home. God needs fathers to be home.

[3:58] Fathers play such an important role in life, such that anytime anyone tries to marginalize the role of fathers, it tends to bite back hard.

[4:09] In Malachi, can you imagine, the last verse in the Old Testament, before the New Testament comes in. The last verse in the Old Testament. Let's look at it.

[4:19] Malachi chapter 4, verse 6. Before the Old Testament book ended, let's listen to how it ends. It says that, talking about God from verse 5, God is talking about I will send Elijah, I will send a prophet and all that, John the Baptist.

[4:37] But verse 6 says that, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children. And the hearts of the children to their fathers. Why? Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

[4:54] He said, I'm sending a special prophet. That's the last thing that was said in the Old Testament. Before Jesus' story began. He says that, I'm sending my prophet and his assignment is to bring restoration, restore the hearts.

[5:08] Connect is talking about hearts, not presence. So I'm talking about coming home. I'm not talking about just physical presence. Because we all know you can be there physically. But very absent on your iPad.

[5:23] You are in another world. Yet home. He says that, I will, he said that to connect the, and he says that he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to their children.

[5:38] And the hearts of the children to their fathers. Other than that, it will not be good. Other than that, it says, a curse will inevitably, invariably be what will be experienced.

[5:51] That is why the devil likes interrupting family lives. Because when the family life is interrupted or interfered with, it opens a door for the devil to be able to step in comfortably and do his job.

[6:07] But that will not be your testimony. I said that will not be your testimony. And so, in Ephesians, in Exodus chapter 20, verse 12, when God was giving them the, what theologians call Decalogue, the Ten Commandments.

[6:25] Part of the Ten Commandments, he says, let's all read the verse 12 together. Is that okay? We all read it out loud? All right. Let's read. Let's go loud. Loud. Honor your father and your mother that your days may belong upon the land which the Lord has given you.

[6:42] God has a lot to give you, but as to how you will enjoy it, has a lot to do with the way you relate to certain key people in your life. I discovered that very early.

[6:52] And I make sure that I never hurt my father, my natural father or spiritual father. I wanted to be in his good heart. God says that honor your father and your mother so that you will be able to live long.

[7:11] So then, if you dishonor your mother and your father, you cut your life short. You know there are people who are alive, but they are dead.

[7:24] There are people who are alive. They are driving a nice car, but there's no joy in their life. The life in them is gone. They are just existing, coasting in life. They are dead, but they are alive.

[7:35] When the relationship between father and children or mother and children, parents and children is broken or is dishonored, it brings an untold hardship on a whole generation.

[7:51] In Ephesians, Ephesians picks it. And actually, Paul takes it a little further in Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 6 verse 1. He said, children, obey your parents in the Lord.

[8:01] Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? I don't hear you. Why? So I don't understand why you call yourself a Christian and you are insulting your mother.

[8:14] You call yourself a Christian and pray. My mother is a witch, so I hate you. You are a wicked woman. My father is an irresponsible father. So, listen, one day I discovered, even if your father is a Buddhist, he's still your father.

[8:30] He's your father. He said, children, obey your parents in the Lord. For this is right. Then he goes on, the key one, verse 2. Honor your father and your mother.

[8:41] Let's all say that together. Honor your father and mother. Please say it louder. Honor your father and mother. I'll be surprised if you don't say it. It tells me something. But let's say it again.

[8:52] Honor your father and mother. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with the promise attached to it. God gave several commandments, but none of them had the promise.

[9:03] The only one, the first one with the promise, he said, mother and father, honor them. And it comes with the promise attached to it. Verse 3. Look at verse 3. Honor your father and mother, which is the first one. That it may be well with you and you may live long.

[9:17] See, there's a difference between living just long and it's not well with you. There are people who have been in hospital for five years. They can't even move. So you are alive, but it's not well with you.

[9:30] But I said it will be well with you. Your business will be well. Your family will be well. Your studies will be well. Your health will be well. Your finances will be well. He says if you want it to be well with you, honor your father and your mother.

[9:47] Say hallelujah. Hallelujah. Now, I want to take this time to just talk about just a few. I've just written about just a few. I know there are more, but there's a few key ones. Types of fathers.

[9:59] Types of fathers. We have different types of fathers. But they all are fathers. One, we have what we call which everyone knows like that natural biological father.

[10:13] Okay. Biological father is a father. We have biological father. We have the non-biological father like if you are an adopted son. You grew up with your dad, but that's not your biological father.

[10:28] You don't carry his genes. But still, it's your father. And heaven recognizes that. Got it? Because fathers, heaven recognizes fathers.

[10:39] So biological father, non-biological father. And we also have stepfathers. Stepfathers also fall under the category of non-biological father. But stepfathers, sometimes they may not be the one who raised you, but it's your mother's husband.

[10:55] And so, by default, becomes your stepfather. Married to your mother. We have stepfathers. And then we also have the fathers of nations.

[11:06] So we talk about the founding fathers of America, founding fathers of country, fathers of nations. They laid the foundation for the success of the nation. They are fathers.

[11:18] They are also fathers. And these ones, they all need to be honored and respected in certain dimensions and capacities. And then when it comes to spiritual terms, we have spiritual, quite about four categories of spiritual fathers.

[11:31] We have the first category, the spiritual father, like the one who got you born again. All right? There are some of us here, someone led you to Christ. You were somewhere living your own life and someone met you, spoke to you about Christ, and got you born again.

[11:47] Possibly even took you through basic discipleship and helped you in your basic discipleship. That is a spiritual father. All right? And then there is, what will you have?

[11:58] Church father. A church father is, like, you see the children coming to stand here. You are such a wonderful father. It's because of the seats and the position I occupy in this church.

[12:10] I tend, by God's grace, God has given that privilege to be the father of this assembly. You understand that? So when you go to, like, other churches, like KICC, Pastor Matthew is the father of that institution.

[12:27] However, in local churches, there are pastors who are in charge of local churches, and they occupy the role of, like, a father. All right? It is different from direct spiritual father.

[12:39] So there may be people who are part of this assembly. I am their spiritual father by virtue of the local church. But as to when it comes to the one who they report to directly, spiritually, who feeds them, who guides them, who is putting them, I may not be their spiritual fathers.

[12:55] So you can't say that I can't just claim that everybody in this church, I'm their spiritual father. It's not. It doesn't work like that. I may be a spiritual father over the church, but not necessarily spiritual father over every individual.

[13:10] Yes, I'm a spiritual father over a lot more people in the world, but it doesn't mean everybody. Right? Because the spiritual fathers help you in ministry. They guide you in life.

[13:20] They play kind of a greater mentorship, direct personal role in your life. You understand that? So this is another, also a type of fatherhood.

[13:32] Actually, I combined the two together, the church father and then spiritual fatherhood, which has to do with, so normally you hear me talking about my spiritual father. He didn't get me born again, but I grew under him.

[13:43] He guided me. I submitted to his authority directly, not like just because I'm a church member, directly. And then finally, under spiritual fatherhood, we can also talk about the fathers of a spiritual movement.

[13:57] So sometimes the holiness movement, the faith movement, or the charismatic movement. There are certain individuals God raised to spearhead something.

[14:08] They are like pioneers, but they are categorized as fathers. Like Charles Wesley, John Wesley, John Calvin, Martin Luther.

[14:23] These are fathers of the Reformation. The Reformation that brought such a great change in Christian life. So these are a few types of fathers I would want to mention and restrict myself to.

[14:36] Now we go on to, so what is the role? I just want to give you the points quickly, and those of you who are taking notes, you can make notes of all this. What is the role? What's the role of fathers?

[14:47] What are fathers supposed to do, which makes them so important? To the extent that, like Pastor O'Reilly said, God actually describes himself as a father.

[14:58] When Jesus came, he constantly referred to God as his father. He said, father, even on the cross, he said, father, father, forgive them. Father, father, why have you forsaken me?

[15:10] When he taught, the disciples came to him and asked him that how should we pray. He said, when you pray, say our father. That's the opening comment of prayers. Our father, there needs to be a father.

[15:21] So who is a father? What does a father do? And then that will lead us to, what does it mean when a father has no home? And what will bring a father home? I thought the wives would say amen.

[15:33] Amen. The women can you say amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Someone say, daddy, come home. Daddy, come home. You didn't say it. Say, daddy, come home. Daddy, come home.

[15:44] Number one, the role of a father is to provide. The role of a father is to provide. In Proverbs chapter 13, verse 22, let's look at it from the screen.

[15:59] Proverbs 13, 22. I like, he says something quite, he said, a good woman. Let's read it together. A good woman lives. Let's read, let's go.

[16:17] A good man lives an inheritance to his children's children. But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. So a good man lives an inheritance.

[16:27] The father is supposed to provide. He's talking about inheritance. He's talking about physical provision. See, physical provision. It does not mean that the father must have all the money, but it's in every father.

[16:41] See, there's a difference between fatherhood and paternity. Boys can father a child. Paternity. Paternity. But it takes a man to raise a child.

[16:54] That's fatherhood. So it says that provision, let's not say provision. A father is supposed to provide. Provide what?

[17:06] Provide anything physical that will help the family. That will help the, that is needed. For instance, I was made to understand when I was growing up, that is a man's responsibility to put a roof on the head of his wife and children.

[17:21] Until I came to UK. But in the real places, the men, there's nothing wrong when resources are coming in the house through the woman.

[17:44] There's nothing wrong. Usually, it's better through the man. Usually. I know women will say, no, it doesn't matter. I mean, I want to provide for myself.

[17:54] Which one would you prefer? You go out with your man to eat at a restaurant. Which one would you prefer? If he's paying and opening the door for you, or you paying and opening your own door, which one would you prefer?

[18:08] So stop behaving like me. I don't mind. I'm okay. You are not okay. You are not okay. Do you know what? It is intrinsic in every natural woman to be loved, protected, and cared for by the man they love.

[18:25] Yes. If you say, if you're a woman and you say, I don't need that, something has been switched off in you.

[18:39] Yes. So, Pastor. Something is wrong. Something is switched off, and we need to pray it back and turn it on. Now, it's not the volume of provision, but just basically making sure your wife and your children are okay.

[19:00] It's only in certain parts of our world where a man, you can have children with seven different women, and you don't even care how they are growing. You are not a serious guy. All right, let me not go into that.

[19:13] No, it's not a sign of manhood. It's not a sign of... Maybe you grew up, you were made to think that it's manhood. It's not a sign of manhood. It's not a sign of manhood.

[19:24] Manhood has to do with shouldering responsibility. Shouldering responsibility. Making sure. Shoulder know dad will take care of it. Even if you don't have it, you will go heaven and earth to make sure for the sake of your children, I will take care of it.

[19:39] That's right. Thank you. Clap for fathers. Clap for fathers. I think I need to move on from there because I'm going to have a feeling uncomfortable.

[19:56] So a father is to provide, all right, there are seasons in life. There are seasons in life. The problem is if you don't have it in you to want to provide, then there's something wrong with your fatherhood.

[20:11] But if you have it in you, but seasons. You know what I mean? Seasons. Particularly in London. Seasons.

[20:22] That's okay. Because that season will pass. And a better season is coming. And what has always been in your heart will come to fruition. So I'm talking about a heart condition.

[20:33] I'm not talking about a hand condition. It's a heart thing I'm talking about. A father is to provide, provide materially and physically. Not just that.

[20:43] A father, according to Genesis chapter 18, verse 19, God said, I know Abraham because he will command his household. A father is supposed to provide direction for the family, vision for the family.

[20:58] He knows that this is where we are going. This is what my children are supposed to be doing. And he's there to urge them on, encourage them, instruct them, and guide them, and direct them. And he has a sense of purpose, a sense of direction, a sense of vision.

[21:13] He doesn't just say, well, I don't think I, all right, let me just go and live here. Anywhere that shows. My mom said we should live here, so I'm going. My sisters have been saying that living in Peckham is better than living in Camberwell.

[21:23] All right, then let's move. No, no, no. A man does not do that. A man has a plan. A man has a vision. A father, a father I'm talking about, has a vision, has a plan, knows where they are going from A to B.

[21:35] When they are at A, he knows that, no, that's not where we are supposed to be. So even though they may be there temporarily, he doesn't feel comfortable. And he keeps telling his children, he keeps telling his family, we are going there.

[21:46] Bible said Abraham, he was moving from city to city. According to Hebrews chapter 11, from somewhere verse 9, 10, 11, it talks about how Abraham was moving from place to place, and he died in tents.

[21:59] Because he had not settled yet. He dwelt in tents. But God said, this is the father I'm looking for. He will not settle with anything. He will not settle for the status quo, but he will settle for the vision I put in his heart.

[22:11] He will pursue the vision. Bible says that Abraham, he was looking for a city, whose builder and founder was God. And until he has found it, he never settled. He lived in tents, from tents to tents.

[22:24] A father provides direction, provides vision. This is where we are going as a family. This is what, listen, listen, when the father is there, and does these things, your daughters cannot easily fall to any man at all.

[22:42] Stop chasing the man, fighting the man, because he's my daughter, you can't come around him. No. Push stuff in your daughter, and it's not anybody at all who will get the attention. Yes. I know you clap, but that's, I understand.

[23:04] Say fathers are blessed. Fathers are blessed. Oh, one of the things that moves my heart is when I see a father and his children, taking them to school, taking them to nursery.

[23:15] Sometimes we go to the mall, and I'm with my wife, and usually, it's natural instincts for a woman to want to push the pram. But I feel good.

[23:26] I say, man, let me just push it. I feel just good pushing the pram. I feel good carrying the baby on me. I mean, I just want my daughter to know that dad is there.

[23:39] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. You can't, it will be hard. Unconsciously, that's where I'm going to. A father is supposed to provide materially, provide direction and vision, and provide discipline in the house.

[23:56] Provide guidance and discipline. There's a difference between punishment and discipline. As a matter of fact, in Hebrews chapter 12, Bible clearly states that a good father chastises or discipline or corrects the child whom he loves.

[24:15] So, discipline naturally stems out of love and a sense of responsibility. So, these are some of the three things that a father must provide. So, a role of a father is provision.

[24:27] Someone say provision. Say it again, please. Say provision. Number two, protection. Protection. Protect your family. Protect your wife.

[24:39] And if you don't have a wife, protect your family. Protect them. Have you noticed that many good fathers, if something tragic happens to their family, their child, it devastates them.

[24:56] When, because, because they couldn't protect it. Like David. David and his men, according to second Samuel, they went to fight. When they came back, the enemy has ransacked their camp and taken their goods and their wives and children.

[25:09] Their goods that they took were not a problem, but their wives and children, Bible said, this man of war, they all broke down. It's like a cry. And then they took capstones. See, in times of people's crisis, if you don't take it, they will channel blame to the wrong direction.

[25:25] Most of it, it's normal. It's normal for human beings to find something to blame in times of crisis. So, if there is flood somewhere, people will say, if they can't find anyone to blame, they say, if there is God, why?

[25:41] But when the sun was shining, they didn't say, oh God, thank you for the sun. When 9-11 happened, people were questioning, why God? Why all these things God?

[25:52] But the years the Twin Towers stood, those people didn't say, oh God, this is amazing. God, you are good. Now, what I'm trying to say is that in the time of crisis, people always look for someone to blame.

[26:06] But it's natural to want to blame. And so, when the crisis hits, David's men, these are trusted men, they're not David, they went to war. But when the crisis came, they took up stones and said, we are going to stone you because of our children and our wives.

[26:22] When you take away a man's family, a father, a man who is a normal father, when you touch his family, you touch his existence. Because the father is there to protect.

[26:34] So, there are many men, let's say, they go to the beach and something happens, unfortunately happens to their wife or their son or their daughter they are not able to live normal again because they feel I let my child out even though they might have not been around.

[26:47] That is the father's instinct speaking. So, fathers are there for protection. So now, can you imagine when we deny fathers their place at home, we are denying the family certain levels of protection.

[27:01] I'm not talking about he taking a gun. There are all kinds of protection, emotional protection, physical protection. Have you seen sometimes, I drive, I drive, not sometimes when someone wants to cut in on you and all that.

[27:15] A man's instinct, sometimes when you see a woman, maybe she can even drive better than you, maybe it's a police officer or drives, you know, the police cars, but he thinks he's a woman so you just, it comes to a natural instinct but you see a man or you go, maybe a woman is, maybe a slight accident, a woman comes out of the car and then this young man is screaming and then all of a sudden a man steps out.

[27:37] He toes down. You understand? So, so men bring all kinds of protections on the table of fathers and that is the role of a father. Please, let's not be in a hurry because of our current frustration or economic situation or political outlook.

[27:54] Be quick to kick men out of the home because we will buy now but pay later dearly. And you know how we pay? We pay, the community, the society pays. It's not just individuals.

[28:06] Society pays. I want to show you some of the importance of the fathers quickly. The role of a father, so the father must provide, must protect and number three, must love. The father brings love to the table.

[28:19] That's why the Bible says that husbands love your wives. One great man was asked that what can I do? I think someone, no, someone asked Madam Teresa years ago that what can I do to bring world peace and to make life better.

[28:34] Madam Teresa told him, can you please go home and love your wife and children? One wise man said, the best discipline a father can give to his children is by loving their mother.

[28:49] A father brings love to the table. I'm not talking about emotions. When my book talks about love, he's not talking about just the emotional bits. He's talking about their commitment and unflinching commitment and you'll do anything to make sure they are laughing and they're happy.

[29:09] Love. Putting yourself in harm's way for their interest, that's love. Doing anything to cover their flaws, cover their mistakes, that's love. So a father is supposed to provide, a father is supposed to protect the role of a father and a role of a father is supposed to give love.

[29:25] Number four, the role of a, let me add a little bit to the love. See, when love is in place, it helps, when a father's love is in place, it helps a clearer and a proper estimation or definition of those members of the family.

[29:40] I'll explain it. If I love my daughter the way I'm supposed to love, my daughter tends to have a proper estimation, a healthy estimation of herself. If I love my son the way I'm supposed to love him, it's invariably my son ends up having a proper healthy estimation of himself.

[30:00] Now, it doesn't matter, I can get it through the computer and no, it doesn't work like that. It doesn't work like that. Have you seen a computer getting pregnant with human beings before? It can be.

[30:13] You cannot buy an app to get you pregnant. There's actually nothing, you know, in virtual fertilization, IVF, it's just fertilization.

[30:27] But there's nothing like test tube babies. No human being can be conceived in it. So IVF, after they do the, they pick the egg and the, no, not the egg, they pick the egg and the sperm, they try, they fertilize it and then implant it in the womb of a healthy, normal human being.

[30:49] In the womb. That's IVF. So it takes human being and you can't, okay, let's get two female eggs, do something to it and it becomes a male, add it, and then we can't.

[31:02] You can't do without men. Life can't go on without fathers. It doesn't matter how you look at it. Sometimes, fathers can be funny. Sometimes fathers can, listen, brothers and sisters, particularly if you're a young lady and you are at war with your father, you are at war with your future.

[31:23] You are at war. What you need is the smile of your father even if he doesn't know how to smile. You have to believe God. If you are praying, pray that God for my sake, so a smile that belongs to me in his heart.

[31:34] don't join your mother to fight your father. It's a battle you can never win. You join your mama to fight your dada, hey, you can never win because it says that it will not be well with you if you dishonor your father.

[31:53] It will not be well. It doesn't matter what he did. Dishonoring your father is tantamount to failure in life. Hallelujah. So number four, the father determines the strength.

[32:05] Okay, fathers determine the strength or the greatness of a people. Great Britain was great not because of the queen or the king.

[32:17] Great Britain was great because of the great fathers in Great Britain. Great fathers protect the strength of a people. So maybe a particular group of people, ethnic minority or ethnic groupings or whatever group of people, depending on the influence of fathers, the strong fathers tend to keep, I hear this, is it the gypsies?

[32:42] Is it gypsies? Some of those guys, you see them like that but you can't break their ranks. And it's not the women, it's the men. The fathers within, they are strong and you can't break their ranks. And so what I'm trying to say is that good fatherhood, strong fatherhood, the job of a father is to be so strong and give the strength of the future, strength to the future of the people.

[33:03] So can you imagine when our fathers are being effeminated, when they are breaking down, that means that the future is at stake because it takes fatherhood to protect the strength of the people for the future.

[33:15] The last one, the role of a father. It's very important. I like this one so much. Genesis chapter 49 verse 1 and 2. Let's look at that quickly.

[33:27] Genesis chapter 49 verse 1 and 2. Bible talks about how Jacob, someone say Jacob. Jacob was, Jacob was nearing his grave.

[33:38] He was an old man, an old man, very weak, about to die. And Bible, he had to strengthen himself and sit down because he said, I've got an unfinished business. I've not finished my business.

[33:50] He was dying, but I said, I can't go. So he sat down, called his sons, gather together that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days.

[34:02] He's just about to prophesy and issue blessings. He said, I carry something. I can't go to my grave with it. So when it was time for him to die, he said, hey, there's an unfinished business. Bible said, he's strengthening himself and sat down.

[34:15] Bring me my sons. Bring them to me. I have to impart. Verse 2. I have to impart something. Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob and listen to Israel, your father.

[34:31] Then he began to declare, issue the blessing, what you will be, what you will be. That is what has defined the destiny of various tribes in Israel up to now.

[34:42] Father, start up. Father, tell me who I am. Don't just leave me in my frustration. Tell me who I am. Daddy, who am I?

[34:54] It's in the dirt. Who am I? Sometimes the person may not be spiritual, but there's something they are supposed to issue out of their inner man. Watch this. It comes from their inner man, their soul.

[35:07] According to Genesis, Bible says that Jacob, Isaac told Jacob, I think Genesis 26, said, bring me something that I love and let me eat. in Genesis chapter 27, verse 4.

[35:19] Genesis 27, verse 4. Isaac told Esau, he said, make me savory food such as I love. Let's all say that together. Such as I love. One more time, please.

[35:29] Such as I love. Make me the one I love. Why must it be the one you love? And bring it to me that I may eat and what is my soul? My soul may bless you before I die.

[35:42] The blessing is not coming from my head. It's coming from my inner man. But you need to activate the joy. That's why it's not good to offend the father. That's why it's not good to grieve a father.

[35:53] When somebody operates in the father position in your life and you grieve him, it chokes the flow of the blessing. He said, bring me, let me eat. My heart will be happy and I cannot.

[36:04] My son. My son. No force of hell can stop that blessing from manifesting.

[36:17] And instead of doing that, you are running around looking for prophets to prophesy about your life. Whilst the thing you are looking for is in your dad and he just takes a good relationship or trying to honor him, please him, do something, say something to him that dad, I love you, that you are the best a young boy went to school and they asked him, his father saw a piece of paper and they said, who is your hero, greatest hero in life?

[36:43] And his father saw his name. So his father went to the boy, he said, boy, you wrote my name, I'm so happy, I'm your greatest hero. Well done, my dad, come on, my son, come on, give me. He said, dad, because I couldn't spell Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[36:56] I just put your name. There are people, oh, oh, there are boys on our streets who are angry because dad was not there to tell him, son, you are champion, you are worth better, you are better than prison.

[37:22] Dad was not there and they are angry. Any little thing you do, the outrage, you'll be shocked. Why is this young boy behaving like this? He said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

[37:36] No, the boy, the boy is angry from home because when he needs dad to affirm him that he's busy doing his own things, minding his own business, forgetting that that is why he's around.

[37:52] Dad, come home. Dad, come home. Your boys need you. Dad, come home. Your girls need you. I know you don't like their mom, but come home. Someone shout, Dad, come home.

[38:09] Dad, come home. We need you. We need you. That blessing is in you. Issue it out. Come home. Let us please you. So what takes dad away from home?

[38:21] There are two ways of being home. Physically away, or physically present, but, you know, disconnected. Sometimes, he motions. Men go through what TDJs call he motions. Usually, women don't understand those motions.

[38:36] He motions. He's there. He's frustrated. But he won't talk. When a woman is frustrated, men, you will know. You will know. But a man can be so frustrated and still quiet and going up and down no more choice.

[38:53] And you wouldn't know that he's dying on the inside. He's dying on the inside. But you wouldn't know because men are wired in such a way they don't just talk. They are suffering. Things are going on by own talk.

[39:05] And one day, we wake up to realize that the energy is gone out of him. He's alive. But dad has become different. Dad has become unresponsive to normal things he used to like.

[39:18] And dad has retired. But he's still around. Because the thing goes on for a long time. Sometimes dad leaves home. Many husbands, many fathers I'm talking to right now have left home.

[39:31] They are home there but physically they are living in their iPad. They are living in their iPhone. They are living on their computer. Not that they are doing anything bad. Some men listen, God told me I told Pastor God told me as I prepared that I should say that when you get home leave the work aside.

[39:51] Stop working when you get home. Some of us don't work home. That's okay. It depends. But you must understand that there must be a cut off time where you can't be home and still be working.

[40:03] When you have a family you are home and you are still on the stock market checking. Checking. Your wife says oh can we take the children to a place? Okay you guys do. I'm coming. I'm coming. Hey. You are home but you are not there.

[40:17] Dad. Dad. Dad. Come home. I heard Oral Bet say this story about a young boy. They were on a table dining table with parents and a lot of some visitors and the boy wanted butter and he kept saying can you pass me the butter please?

[40:33] They were adults were chatting. They couldn't hear him. Can you pass me the butter? Can you pass me the butter? Out of frustration he jumped on the dining table pass me the butter!

[40:43] Yeah! Dad. Don't wait until it gets to that before you know that that boy is crying for your attention.

[40:56] Don't wait. Don't wait. All the money you are running after is necessary. Some people say I'm just making all this money just to make them happy. It's right because of the provision syndrome the provision desire the provision the being built provision mindedness orientation it's right but if you don't take care you may not be able to draw the line.

[41:18] So God said tell somebody that leave the work when you get home it's enough. Stop working when you get home and be home. Be home.

[41:30] Be home. All my time. I heard the story someone sent a whatsapp message recently about a boy whose dad is busy. Very busy and I think one day the boy asked dad so how much do you earn?

[41:44] An hour. And he said I earn 100 pounds an hour. Something like that. And that works hard around the clock. Works hard around the clock. So one day he came home and this boy said dad can I have 50 pounds?

[41:57] Can you just give me 50 pounds or so? And the dad said what are you going to be 50 pounds for? Come on go to your room. Go and sleep. The boy went very sad. So the dad after realizing I'm paraphrasing I don't remember exactly the detail but after realizing he went to the boy and he said I'm sorry for speaking to you like that.

[42:12] Why were you asking for what do you need the 50 pounds for? He said I've been saving money I've been able to save 50 pounds and I just wanted an extra 50 pounds so I can buy one hour of your time. I just need one hour from you but I know it's 100 pounds to get you.

[42:32] And suddenly like scales fell off the eyes and realized how remote he's been from his home. Your work has become like a remote control even when we get home.

[42:46] We are like that man me inclusive I get home and I'm still picking calls I'm still checking because my work is actually around the clock but thank God that it's not supposed to be like that.

[42:59] No work is supposed to be around the clock. Even God when he was creating the earth he didn't create it around the clock. He didn't create it around the clock. So what is it that we're looking for? That we are working around the clock.

[43:10] For who? What does a man gain? If he gains the whole world and loses his soul. Hallelujah. So dads are no home.

[43:20] Quickly the things that drive sense dads home. Out of home. Number one failure. When a dad fails in life feels that he hasn't achieved for some reason they get disconnected from themselves.

[43:33] So they are home but they are not there. They are brooding over past failures. You see I shouldn't have taken this step. I shouldn't have done this business and now I've lost everything.

[43:43] I'm a worthless father and sometimes you are not confident about your children because when they meet other children you are thinking they will see the fathers of these other children and they prefer them. No. That forget it.

[43:55] Leave it. You failed or it doesn't matter. Pick yourself up. Your children want to know that you are that strong dad. It doesn't matter what you don't have. You may not be able to take them to Honolulu or Hawaii for a holiday but they like it.

[44:09] You took them to the park in Wandsworth Park just to go and sit there and have your own picnic and draw some coconuts around you like coconut tree and you are having fun with them.

[44:26] It's worth it. It's worth it. Someone say dad come home. Failure. Number two reason why dads have left home one failure number two rejection.

[44:37] What men can't stand many women don't know men can't take rejection from people they love. When a man feels that he's ignored he's not really accepted it makes him shut down.

[44:50] That is how come sometimes if he hangs around the wrong women who give them a false sense of acceptance they fall for it easily. So you see a responsible man has fallen to waitress at some backstreet greasy spoon shop.

[45:14] But you understand what I'm saying? All the woman has to do is what do you want to look forward to you coming what can I save you? I'll be in a minute.

[45:27] And he sits down and says this woman is so nice. It's the devil who is being nice to you. Because he's out of home. He's home but he's not there.

[45:39] Some other things are engaging his attention. Because sometimes men feel unaccepted. Especially it happens very commonly in middle ages. When a man hits his middle age sometimes they feel they haven't achieved what they have to achieve and their family have become like their sons and daughters teenage years.

[45:57] It begins to hit them and they begin to feel actually my wife doesn't really appreciate me. Yes, because sometimes your wife can see the way you have not been you've been naughty you've been stubborn you've done things. However, wives, if you don't want to lose that father because you need him, you need him.

[46:14] Other than that your children will go and stand receiving awards and say, I thank God for my mama. I thank God in their hearts they knew that I need that still. They know, they know, they know.

[46:25] we all know, listen, my dad died about 12 years ago. I still miss him. Yes, I need my dad.

[46:37] In spite of all the way I've been jumping around, I need my dad. I need my dad. But you just move on because he's not there. You just keep going. You just keep going.

[46:48] And men want to be accepted in their home. They want to feel that my wife accepts me, my children accept me. Sister, stop telepolluting the man to his children.

[47:00] So sometimes it makes them leave. I've seen separate situations like that in my office where you are talking to your father. He feels that, you know what, whatever I say doesn't matter in the house. He's a woman. Because she earns more than me.

[47:11] Well, whatever I say doesn't matter. And you know, they resign. They leave you to run the show. It's not good. Someone say, dad, come home. And then so failure drives them away.

[47:22] Rejection drives them away. And then grieve. When they are grieved because of things that have happened in their past. Their dad left them or their mom left them or something. They are grieved.

[47:33] It makes them disconnect. Number four, ambition. You are working so hard. You are trying to gain everything. It will get you disconnected from home if you don't take care. You are so ambitious.

[47:44] You are trying to be like Saddam Hussein. You are trying to be like, when you see the way Putin is wielding power, you also want to be a mini-putin. You are working so hard to extend that you are disconnected from home.

[47:57] You want to be a football star even though your legs are not strong. You are home. Your legs look so skinny like chopsticks. Your children need your attention.

[48:10] Your wife needs your attention. You are so ambitious. This thing will not even take you anywhere because everybody knows that you can't get it. Sometimes over-ambition can get men, drive men from the house.

[48:22] Even though they physically may be there, they are gone. Or physically they may go because they think it's better out there. They love what they are doing and they leave home. But they don't know. God made the men for home.

[48:35] Don't stay out there. My mom told me a prophet, no bed flies and stays up. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

[48:45] No. No. No. And then finally, the biggest of them all, the last one is dishonor. It's the big one. When you dishonor a man, you lose him.

[48:58] When you dishonor a man, I realized that after sitting over a lot of wives in counseling, I realized that many wives, it's very easy to see the flaws of their husband. Because husbands seem to have more flaws than wives at home.

[49:13] I am I the only stranger here? Husbands seem to have too many flaws at home than the wives. You know, what they should see they don't see. And so wives then begin, wives then begin to, hmm, look at him.

[49:31] And the worst thing you can do as a wife is to honor another man better than your man. It's a disgraceful act. you understand?

[49:55] I tell people, stop killing me in your house and everything pastor said, everything pastor said. Your husband is talking to you, keep saying pastor said, what do you mean? Leave me alone.

[50:10] Leave me alone. You are putting me in trouble. You are putting me in trouble. Leave me alone. Am I going to equal?

[50:24] Am I going to equal? Tia, leave me alone. Hallelujah.

[50:44] When a man feels dishonored, it takes a lot to get him back on track. Because he feels like did you hear why the Bible says, wives, wives, submit your and then respect your husband.

[51:00] Because it's a man's thing, it's ego to know. That's why sometimes they're trying to get their cars, get all, so that people can respect them. So in your house, if a man is dishonored in his house, it's dangerous.

[51:15] It's dangerous. So many Christian sisters look at their husbands before he even leaves. they lost him a long time ago because I know my husband is a Christian.

[51:26] He's cool. He's cool. Nothing. He can't be doing anything. He's a very good man. Meanwhile, not to justify irresponsible behavior, but meanwhile, he's dying on the inside.

[51:44] And other things are beginning to compete for his attention, for his affection. Because anything that will promise him honor, he will easily fall for it. The same way, anything that promises a woman admiration and protection and love, she will easily fall for it.

[51:58] So, it's happening. Before your very eyes, dad is going. He's going. He's going. Because he's hurting.

[52:10] My wife does not respect me. How can a Christian woman look at your husband and say you are a foolish man? How? How can a Christian woman look at your husband and rain barrages of insults like tones?

[52:24] A husband said, pastor, what my wife told me, kill something in me.

[52:38] Pastor, my wife, and many, many husbands keep telling me, you don't know my wife. Yeah. Because women are very good in church. You know why?

[52:58] Because women are genuine worshipers. They easily flow. Even if there's a problem, a woman can work herself out and worship. What else a man is calculating?

[53:11] So, you look at the worship, you check. Many of the young brothers who have gone for her sister because she's very fiery. Only later on to realize that character, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

[53:23] Because as for a woman, worship is not very expensive. I worship, you finish worshiping normal, and then she will go and fight and steal somebody's boyfriend or husband or something.

[53:36] And it's normal. Say mercy. Quickly, how do you get a man back home? Number one, respect the man. Number two, similar to the respect.

[53:49] In Malachi chapter one verse six, he said, if I be a father, where is my honor? If I be a father, where is my honor? Do you see that? A son honors his father and a servant his master.

[54:02] If then I am the father, where is my honor? Honor a father and naturally you are in a church and you don't honor the father of the house?

[54:14] And yet you want the blessing on him to come on you? You go see about it. So if the devil wants to catch, especially in this time of fasting, the devil wants to catch you from your blessing, he has to sow a seed in your heart that can dishonor your father, spiritual father, your man of God.

[54:30] And that is so simple. You are done. You are done. God will still be using him, but you can't get what God put in him. Bible says Jesus could not do many miracles in his hometown because they did not honor him.

[54:42] Even though he was doing so much somewhere else. So dishonor can disengage you or disconnect you from divine supply. Honor.

[54:53] Number one, respect. Number two, honor. Only three. I'll give you only three. And number three, cover. Respect, honor, cover. Say cover. Cover. Say cover. Cover.

[55:03] In Genesis chapter nine from verse 20, an amazing story. I don't have time to get to read the text, but it talks about Noah and his sons. Noah was comfortable, so he planted vineyard.

[55:14] Say vineyard. Hey, when people, when you begin to get successful, you are beginning to go into trouble. When you begin to get successful, you are beginning to get into trouble because now you have your own two cars.

[55:26] Now you have, previously you jump on the train. Now you have a Porsche car so you can afford to pick someone from their house and drop them at work before you go where you are going. You started with good intentions.

[55:39] A pastor friend of mine told me, he said, you know, when pastors become a bit prosperous, it becomes more dangerous, we call it riskier. Because he said, you know, you know of a certain pastor, he paid a ticket from overseas for a certain woman he met on the internet.

[55:54] Paid the ticket, booked a hotel for her, she flew, came, spent some days in the hotel, he would go and see her, and then finished, and then went because he could afford it. Noah planted vineyard, and then he began to drink, he made wine, the vineyard was doing well, then he drank of the wine and was drunk.

[56:18] Someone asked me, when we were doing building projects, someone asked me, pastor, are you not going to do, like, because of the way you work hard, are you not going to do, like, a small chamber, bed? I said, I put bed in my office.

[56:32] I said, no, I don't want a bed. Actually, guess what? Why, even the shower there, which I don't use anyway, just for aesthetic knowledge. Why should there be, why should a shower be there?

[56:43] Maybe after preaching, you are sweating. Go home. Go home. Go home. Why do I need a rest room in an office? Don't you have a home?

[56:54] If you are so prosperous, you can afford a rest room in your office, then you can have a home to rest there. Daddy, come back home. Dad. Noah planted vine, started drinking because I think he was doing well, and then he got drunk.

[57:09] He got drunk and went to lie down like that in his house, naked. And so one of his sons came in, said, hey, dad. And he went and told the other siblings that come and see dad.

[57:25] Hey, he's high. You don't want to see this. This is fun. Instead of covering his father's nakedness, he went to advertise the father's nakedness.

[57:37] Every father has got closet. When you get close to people, you will discover that, hey. So you two, you are like this. You two, you are.

[57:50] When they are far, they are like gods. So they come close and you realize, hey. So they come inside your tent.

[58:02] When the woman was walking far, she looks so much to them. She comes close and removes the wig and says, hey. The hair on it.

[58:14] It's like African football pitch. And now you are taking her for granted.

[58:27] But when she was afar, those other women you had married, you let them come close. You realize some of them are worse. Let me finish this, please, please.

[58:40] I got this sound. Noah, Noah's son went to see his father's nakedness. And instead of saying, I have the privilege to come that close to notice that this man is just human. He didn't cover it.

[58:54] The third thing is, cover a father's nakedness. He will love you for life. And then you'll be able to unload the things that God has put in him for you.

[59:05] Without sweat. He went and displayed. His father woke up from, and the other brothers came back. One, Pastor Charles, can I have you, please? So they took a garment, a cloth.

[59:19] One held the other one like this. And then they went backwards. They said, we don't want to look at our father's nakedness. Two reasons. They don't want to see. And then they held it like this so that others can see from outside. And went and covered their father's nakedness.

[59:32] When his father woke up from his drink, from his sleep, and realized what Shem has done, his son has done. He cursed. He said, curse be the son. Instead of blessing, instead of blessing, curse.

[59:47] But he blessed those who covered his nakedness. I pray for you that any tendency that would drive a father away from you, may God expose that tendency and clear it out of your territory.

[60:03] I pray that, I pray for every father who has been driven out of home by various different circumstances. I pray that God is bringing you back home. God is bringing you back home.

[60:13] God is bringing you back home. In the name of Jesus. Amen. Thank you for listening to this message by David Entry. To hear more from David Entry, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

[60:27] You can also subscribe to Karas Church on YouTube. Don't forget to share and subscribe to our podcast so you're always up to date. Be blessed. Sp Randall Sp Dart Sp나�ly Spare He He flagship Pl unst Spend St Cover Forum Josephpowered對啊 Jeanк