WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.800 If you were raised in a home with a godly father, you need to thank the Lord for that. 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:19.960 ! That is not common. It is rare. Consider these statistics. 24 million children, that's 34% 00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:29.859 live absent of their biological father. About 40% of those have not seen their father in 00:00:29.859 --> 00:00:38.260 over a year. 50% of them have never set foot in their father's home. What does that mean? 00:00:39.040 --> 00:00:46.240 That means there's a lot of missing dads, a lot of absent dads. Depending on the circumstances, 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:53.280 there's a lot of sorry dads. Number two means we have to take up slack. It means the reality 00:00:53.280 --> 00:01:00.340 is that there's a desperate need and the spiritual impact of godly men helping lead children to 00:01:00.340 --> 00:01:09.599 be godly could be overwhelming. What would a son, what would happen to a son or a daughter 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:16.519 whose father suddenly felt seriously God's call upon him to be a godly leader? 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:22.919 It could change our lives. Nehemiah challenges us as he challenged those who were trying to 00:01:22.919 --> 00:01:28.239 rebuild the walls of the city and faced a lot of opposition and difficulty along the way. 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:36.199 And he said in Nehemiah chapter 4 verse 14, do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is 00:01:36.199 --> 00:01:45.780 great and awesome and fight for your brothers and your sons and your daughters and your wives and your 00:01:45.780 --> 00:01:55.019 homes. Men, that's what we must do. In the society in which we're in, in the strain in which happens 00:01:55.019 --> 00:02:02.560 upon us, that comes upon us, we need to fight for our families. In Luke, the prophecy and the ensuing 00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:09.759 birth of John the Baptist is recorded. It is a prophetic announcement made by Gabriel the angel. 00:02:11.359 --> 00:02:19.019 And the angelic messenger of God says something that is easy to pass over. However, if you see it, 00:02:19.020 --> 00:02:28.660 when you see it, you realize what a heavy matter it is to God to have good godly dads. I want you to 00:02:28.660 --> 00:02:34.379 see that this morning. It's in Luke chapter 1, beginning in verse 13. It says this, but the angel said to 00:02:34.379 --> 00:02:41.600 him, do not be afraid, Zachariah, for your prayer has been heard. And your wife Elizabeth will bear you a 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:49.219 son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his 00:02:49.219 --> 00:02:56.280 birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he'll be 00:02:56.280 --> 00:03:03.079 filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel 00:03:03.079 --> 00:03:10.919 to the Lord their God. And he will go before them in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of 00:03:10.919 --> 00:03:20.479 the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:30.379 a people prepared. I want to be clear, John's mission, primary mission as the gospels share, was to prepare 00:03:30.379 --> 00:03:39.699 people for the coming of the Lord, to help them to recognize when Christ came that he in fact was 00:03:39.699 --> 00:03:47.500 the Messiah. That was John. He was the forerunner of Christ. He was the proclaimer, the heralder that 00:03:47.500 --> 00:03:54.399 came through before him saying, Christ is coming. Prepare your heart. Repent. The time has come. 00:03:55.119 --> 00:04:02.280 It was his job to do that. But in the process of doing that, for that mission, God enabled him, 00:04:02.280 --> 00:04:11.620 it says, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children. It's in that heart change 00:04:11.620 --> 00:04:23.259 that lives are changed, that homes are changed, that families are changed. Dads have to step up, 00:04:24.220 --> 00:04:29.939 even if it means for us to look back. Let me explain what that means, because the word there, 00:04:29.939 --> 00:04:40.000 turn, literally means to make to turn towards. Now that's not good English, but it's good Greek. 00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:50.500 And the reality of what it means is, it was John's job was to help dads crane their neck back 00:04:50.500 --> 00:04:58.639 to where they belong, to make sure they focused on what they need to focus on. It gives the idea 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:06.339 of something that is forgotten, something that is left behind, which means that God's concern 00:05:06.339 --> 00:05:13.199 was that there had been a turning away of the hearts of fathers for the children. But God's burden 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:19.779 was that they love again. Now what a need we have today for that. It is a burden of the Lord to our 00:05:19.779 --> 00:05:28.899 hearts, to have our hearts in love with our families and toward our families. We live in a world that is 00:05:28.899 --> 00:05:36.479 pumping prosperity, work all hours of the night, whatever it takes, play ball, some other recreation 00:05:36.479 --> 00:05:46.599 until we drop, going and going and going. And if we're not careful before long, we'll neglect the very 00:05:46.600 --> 00:05:53.180 children that live right under our noses, even though we're dressing them well and even though 00:05:53.180 --> 00:06:07.580 we're playing them hard. So how do we, as the scripture refers, take the turn? Let's stop, look back a 00:06:07.579 --> 00:06:18.579 minute and focus on what we are to do. And by the way, yesterday is gone. 00:06:22.180 --> 00:06:28.339 There's nothing you can do about yesterday. If there's unforgiving sin from yesterday, you need 00:06:28.339 --> 00:06:34.379 to ask the Lord to forgive you. You need to repent of it and never do it again, whatever it is, 00:06:34.379 --> 00:06:48.319 in any scope of life. Yesterday is gone. You can't fix yesterday. Today is a new day. And if God 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:54.899 gives us breath, tomorrow will be another day. And we can do something about that. So don't, 00:06:54.899 --> 00:07:02.879 don't lick your wounds this morning. Don't lament about something that you messed up on, that you 00:07:02.879 --> 00:07:13.500 really can't do anything about. Instead, let's look back so we can look ahead. How do we honor the Lord 00:07:13.500 --> 00:07:21.219 and take care of our kids? When I say our kids, I mean not only my own children, I mean the children 00:07:21.219 --> 00:07:28.540 that God has placed all around us. If you came from vacation Bible school just a couple of weeks ago, 00:07:28.540 --> 00:07:38.060 little rogue rats running everywhere. And what I noticed in a black light kind of setting where I 00:07:38.060 --> 00:07:46.939 couldn't even see their faces, they looked pretty eager to listen. And the response of that, as I 00:07:46.939 --> 00:07:52.540 shared earlier, was, as I shared a couple of weeks ago, was, was that many of them were celebrating the 00:07:52.540 --> 00:07:58.360 fact that God had given them salvation and they were sure to check that and others were continuing to 00:07:58.360 --> 00:08:12.060 talk to you. How do we stop and look back and focus on what we're to do? Give your children time. 00:08:13.660 --> 00:08:19.720 Give them time. Again, not only your children, but other children that God has placed around you. 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:29.300 The most precious thing that you can give your children is not toys, not ball, not trips, not education, 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:38.920 not luxury items, but your time. They must have your time. And don't tell me you don't have any that's 00:08:38.920 --> 00:08:47.879 available because we each have 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It's not really about 00:08:47.879 --> 00:08:54.039 availability. It's about the economy of time and how important it is and how we spend our time. So what are you 00:08:54.039 --> 00:09:04.200 doing with it? A few years ago, Dawn and I attended a timeshare seminar. We, we did some of those early in our 00:09:04.200 --> 00:09:11.159 marriage and, and really considered it when we didn't have any money to do anything with. But thank God we didn't do that 00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:17.459 at the time. But, but we, we attended a few years ago and I'll be honest. We attended for the free nights. Okay. 00:09:20.179 --> 00:09:31.139 We listened to the spiel and, uh, it was interesting. Their biggest pitch was, you need to do this for your 00:09:31.139 --> 00:09:46.000 family. It was a nice place. They had a lot of good ideas. And they said, your family is worth this investment. 00:09:47.980 --> 00:09:55.019 Now don't misunderstand me this morning. There's nothing wrong with taking vacations, staying in nice places. 00:09:55.799 --> 00:09:59.720 Matter of fact, there's something wrong with not doing it. You need to, you need to take time off. 00:10:01.139 --> 00:10:05.120 And there's nothing wrong with buying property and there's nothing wrong with RVs and there's nothing 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:10.720 wrong with timeshare. Man, I've benefited from other people's blessings and I am very appreciative 00:10:10.720 --> 00:10:15.139 of it. You know, I mean, I am. So there's, there's nothing wrong with it. 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:22.939 However, don't you dare tell me that you have to do that to have time for your family. 00:10:22.940 --> 00:10:36.100 If what you're doing is setting aside a week or two weeks to spend time with your family, 00:10:36.760 --> 00:10:38.880 you're not doing enough. 00:10:41.080 --> 00:10:47.200 It don't take an exotic location to spend time with your family. It don't. Nothing wrong with 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:53.879 spending time with your family in exotic places, but that's not what it takes. As a matter of 00:10:53.879 --> 00:11:01.000 fact, even if we do that, if that's all the time that we spend, it's not enough. The greatest 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:07.180 investment we can make in our children is our time. But not only that, give them preparation. 00:11:07.920 --> 00:11:13.160 Give them preparation. In other words, raise them up. Raise them up in the love and admonition 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:18.399 of the Lord. Unless a father walks before his son showing him how to be a man of God, 00:11:18.439 --> 00:11:24.059 he's going to have a hard time knowing how to be a man of God. And unless a father walks 00:11:24.059 --> 00:11:29.199 before his daughter showing him what a man of God is, she'll never know what to look for 00:11:29.199 --> 00:11:36.759 to find one. Stu Weber wrote in his book, Tender Warrior, he shares a story of a 16-year-old 00:11:36.759 --> 00:11:45.039 boy who wrote an essay on what is a man. And for this 16-year-old boy, his father had abandoned 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:49.519 him and he never had experienced the warmth of a truly understanding man in his life. And 00:11:49.519 --> 00:11:57.480 so he wrote this. He said, a real man is kind. A real man is caring. A real man walks away 00:11:57.480 --> 00:12:04.779 from silly macho fights. A real man helps his wife. A real man helps his kids when they're 00:12:04.779 --> 00:12:12.220 sick. A real man doesn't run from his problems. A real man sticks to his word and keeps his 00:12:12.220 --> 00:12:20.120 promises. A real man's honest. A real man's not in trouble with the law. That's pretty good 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:25.879 wisdom from a 16-year-old boy. Let me tell you how the Shema puts it in Deuteronomy chapter 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:31.419 6, verse 5-7. It said, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all 00:12:31.419 --> 00:12:35.860 your soul, and with all your mind. And these words that I command you today shall be upon 00:12:35.860 --> 00:12:40.080 your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children. And you shall talk of them 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:44.460 when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you 00:12:44.460 --> 00:12:52.580 rise. In other words, prepare them and make them ready to make Christ the Lord of their lives. 00:12:52.580 --> 00:13:01.660 I had the opportunity this week to meet with a mother and her 8-year-old child who was at 00:13:01.660 --> 00:13:11.900 camp and began to ask questions and wanted to talk to me. And so she came in and I began 00:13:11.900 --> 00:13:19.840 to share with her what it meant to give her life to Christ. And I got a little card that 00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:25.379 that kind of takes us through that. And it begins by saying that all have sinned and 00:13:25.379 --> 00:13:28.379 fall short of the glory of God. And I said, have you ever done anything wrong? You know, 00:13:28.920 --> 00:13:35.240 sheepishly said yes. And I said, well, your mother has too. You know, so have I. But, you 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:44.379 know, we've all done wrong. And we need to acknowledge that. We have a need there. And God wants us in 00:13:44.379 --> 00:13:49.279 the right relationship with Him. But when we do wrong, it separates us from God. Matter 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:54.299 of fact, next scripture, the wages, the cost, the penalty of that sin is death. In other 00:13:54.299 --> 00:13:58.299 words, it separates us from God. And I drew this chasm. Many of you have seen me do that. 00:13:58.580 --> 00:14:02.820 Draw this chasm and write sin in the middle. See how this separates us and we can't come 00:14:02.820 --> 00:14:11.900 back to Him on our own. We can't do that. But the gift of God. And if I, if I give you 00:14:11.900 --> 00:14:24.620 a gift, what am I expecting in return? She's right. She said a thank you. She's right. She's 00:14:24.620 --> 00:14:28.660 definitely right. Because if we're bartering, if I expect a gift from you because I gave you 00:14:28.659 --> 00:14:38.139 that's not a gift, that's a trade. But a gift is something that's given. I've had people 00:14:38.139 --> 00:14:43.600 be generous and give wonderful gifts and I couldn't respond to that. I can't barter with 00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:48.679 that. You know how to respond to something like that. My mother told me a long time ago, 00:14:48.740 --> 00:14:54.579 she said, you just need to say thank you. And then thank the Lord for it. And so now regardless, 00:14:54.580 --> 00:15:00.660 I just say thank you. Because, I mean, how do you, you know, do I cry? Does that help? 00:15:00.820 --> 00:15:06.040 You know, how do you, how do you show how much appreciation you have for what somebody 00:15:06.040 --> 00:15:11.879 does? Say thank you. So when God gives us this gift, what do we say thank you with? We 00:15:11.879 --> 00:15:18.879 say thank you with our lives. And God demonstrates His love for us that while we were yet sinners, 00:15:18.940 --> 00:15:21.700 He knows us. He knows us. He knows what we've done wrong. 00:15:24.580 --> 00:15:32.259 He died for us. And that if we'll confess that Jesus is Lord and we'll believe in our 00:15:32.259 --> 00:15:38.100 heart that God raised Him from the dead, that we shall be saved. It's a commitment that He 00:15:38.100 --> 00:15:43.280 makes to us. If we'll commit to Him, He'll commit to us. And everyone who calls upon the 00:15:43.280 --> 00:15:48.320 name of the Lord shall be saved. And as often happens in a conversation with somebody like 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:52.680 that with an eight-year-old, she might have been like some of y'all this morning, already 00:15:52.679 --> 00:15:58.799 lost some interest halfway along the way, you know? And so picking up on that, I took 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:07.299 that card like I most commonly do. And I told her mother, I said, this is what I want you 00:16:07.299 --> 00:16:13.159 to do. I want her to nail this down and know what she's doing before she ever does anything 00:16:13.159 --> 00:16:21.679 for the Lord. I said, so take this card home. And every day, every night, whenever it's convenient 00:16:21.679 --> 00:16:29.319 for you, 30 seconds to two minutes a day, not, don't belabor the point, don't bore with your 00:16:29.319 --> 00:16:36.539 theology, you know? 30 seconds to two minutes go over one of these verses. Just start at the 00:16:36.539 --> 00:16:43.839 top of this page and explain it. The next day, 30 seconds to two minutes, go through the next 00:16:43.839 --> 00:16:49.419 one. There's five verses on this sheet. I want you to write down two more. John 3, 16. 00:16:50.179 --> 00:16:54.620 First John 1, 9. We confess our sins. He's faithful and just forgives us of our sins. And He cleanses 00:16:54.620 --> 00:17:00.240 us from all unrighteousness. I said, that's seven. I'll take you a week to do. Just 30 seconds 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:06.819 to two minutes a day. You'll miss a day or two, by the way. And when you get done, start 00:17:06.819 --> 00:17:15.240 over and do it again. And when you get done, start over and do it again. Just a verse in 00:17:15.240 --> 00:17:23.940 one. Before long, that child will begin to finish your sentences. She'll know where you're going. 00:17:23.940 --> 00:17:30.279 Now, God's already drawn her or she wouldn't have been asking questions. She didn't come 00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:37.420 up with that on her own. Romans 1 tells us that. God's drawing her. And as she becomes 00:17:37.420 --> 00:17:45.519 more attuned to the gospel message and the salvation message, she'll be drawn that much more. 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:56.319 And I will tell you that in the coming days, weeks, possibly months, that little girl will 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:03.480 probably make a decision for the Lord. I've never seen it any other way, quite honestly, in 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:13.660 ministry. To just trust the Lord and good godly parents talking of those things when they sit 00:18:13.660 --> 00:18:28.120 in the house, when they walk by the way. That's in the car. Cut the radio off. When they lie 00:18:28.120 --> 00:18:40.100 down. When they lie down. Prepare them and make them ready to make Christ the Lord of their lives. 00:18:40.099 --> 00:18:50.219 Listen. Listen. We cannot make that decision for them. It's not our decision to make. But we 00:18:50.219 --> 00:19:04.679 can usher them to Christ. Give them preparation. Lastly, give them love. Many fathers are afraid 00:19:04.680 --> 00:19:10.940 to show love. They're afraid to love. They're afraid to show love. And what it produces in 00:19:10.940 --> 00:19:16.820 response can be unlovely. Men, I want you to hear me this morning. You need to love your 00:19:16.820 --> 00:19:24.640 children affectionately. Don't be afraid to give your child a kiss or a hug. Many boys grow 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:31.360 up not knowing how to be tender because they never saw a man tender. Many girls grow up going 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:38.500 too far too early because they never had healthy, proper affection from their fathers. And so 00:19:38.500 --> 00:19:47.179 show them affection. I want to warn you, we have allowed perversion to redefine affection. 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:55.319 And we need to take it back for the gospel's sake. Now many fathers are afraid to show healthy 00:19:55.319 --> 00:20:02.740 affection to their children. Or maybe they were never taught. Men, hear me. You can hug your 00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:12.200 son. Many girls spend years searching for affirmation, searching for acceptance, searching for affection 00:20:12.200 --> 00:20:20.240 because they never consistently received it from their fathers. Healthy, godly affection is 00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:29.140 needed. So love your children affectionately. Second, love your children verbally. Let them hear it. 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:40.299 Men, it's the macho thing never to say I love you. And that's of the devil. It's also of the devil 00:20:40.299 --> 00:20:43.180 to tell too many people you love them. But that's a whole other sermon. But 00:20:43.180 --> 00:20:50.700 the great theologian, Reba McIntyre, 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:55.299 sang these lyrics. 00:20:57.640 --> 00:20:59.600 The greatest man I never knew 00:20:59.600 --> 00:21:02.000 lived just down the hall. 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:06.420 And every day we'd say hello but never touched at all. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.440 He was in his paper. I was in my room. 00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:12.759 How was I to know? 00:21:13.400 --> 00:21:14.519 He thought I hung the moon. 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:19.120 The greatest man I never knew came home late every night. 00:21:20.360 --> 00:21:21.799 He never had too much to say. 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:24.180 Too much was on his mind. 00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:26.820 I never really knew him. 00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:29.779 And now it seems so sad. 00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:32.460 Everything he gave us 00:21:32.460 --> 00:21:34.660 took all he had. 00:21:34.660 --> 00:21:38.400 Then the days turned into years 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:41.120 and the memories to black and white. 00:21:42.060 --> 00:21:44.360 He grew cold like an old winter wind 00:21:44.360 --> 00:21:46.140 blowing across my life. 00:21:46.980 --> 00:21:48.660 The greatest words 00:21:48.660 --> 00:21:50.400 I never heard, I guess I'll never hear. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:52.860 The man I thought 00:21:52.860 --> 00:21:54.600 could never die has been dead almost 00:21:54.600 --> 00:21:55.100 a year. 00:21:56.340 --> 00:21:57.680 Oh, he was good at business. 00:21:59.080 --> 00:22:00.660 But there was business left 00:22:00.660 --> 00:22:01.100 to do. 00:22:01.099 --> 00:22:03.879 He never said he loved me. 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:06.619 I guess he thought I knew. 00:22:10.879 --> 00:22:12.519 I don't want my kids 00:22:12.519 --> 00:22:14.599 to ever wonder 00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:16.679 if their daddy loved them. 00:22:17.159 --> 00:22:19.099 And I don't want your kids 00:22:19.099 --> 00:22:20.559 to ever wonder 00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:22.480 if their daddy loved them. 00:22:23.740 --> 00:22:25.219 Show your love for them. 00:22:26.059 --> 00:22:27.579 Act out your love for them. 00:22:27.579 --> 00:22:29.699 And love them verbally. 00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:32.319 Say it to them. 00:22:35.059 --> 00:22:36.200 As well, 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:39.779 love your children cheerfully. 00:22:41.700 --> 00:22:44.480 Love them with the love of the Lord. 00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:45.700 Laugh. 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:46.880 Be silly. 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:47.559 Have fun. 00:22:49.140 --> 00:22:51.420 The video of me dancing with Abby 00:22:51.420 --> 00:22:52.960 in the daddy-daughter dance 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:54.580 has been seen by too many people. 00:22:54.579 --> 00:22:59.460 She asked me nine months ago 00:22:59.460 --> 00:23:00.099 at least 00:23:00.099 --> 00:23:02.119 to do a fun mash-up dance 00:23:02.119 --> 00:23:02.619 with her 00:23:02.619 --> 00:23:04.359 for the daddy-daughter dance. 00:23:04.980 --> 00:23:05.779 And I said, 00:23:05.879 --> 00:23:06.759 get it to me soon. 00:23:08.399 --> 00:23:10.379 And in classic Abby fashion, 00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:12.919 I got it about 24 hours 00:23:12.919 --> 00:23:13.720 ahead of the reception. 00:23:13.720 --> 00:23:17.680 We were to keep it a secret 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:18.420 from her mother. 00:23:19.180 --> 00:23:21.140 And so I could not watch it, 00:23:21.299 --> 00:23:21.779 the video, 00:23:22.039 --> 00:23:22.819 and listen to the music 00:23:22.819 --> 00:23:23.680 in front of her. 00:23:24.039 --> 00:23:26.720 And so most of the instructions 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:27.980 that I was instructed 00:23:27.980 --> 00:23:28.980 about the songs 00:23:28.980 --> 00:23:30.420 was listened to 00:23:30.420 --> 00:23:32.319 as I drove back and forth 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:33.720 between Pickens and Clemson 00:23:33.720 --> 00:23:34.960 in wedding preparation. 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:38.799 I would have been 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:39.500 a whole lot better 00:23:39.500 --> 00:23:40.240 on the dance floor 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:41.000 if I'd only known. 00:23:44.620 --> 00:23:46.100 But that's what she wanted. 00:23:47.819 --> 00:23:49.120 And there's nothing wrong 00:23:49.120 --> 00:23:50.160 with that fun dance. 00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:54.460 Dudes, I want you to listen to me. 00:23:55.480 --> 00:23:57.079 Don't always be the straight man. 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:00.559 There's a time for serious 00:24:00.559 --> 00:24:03.660 and there's a time for fun. 00:24:03.660 --> 00:24:05.600 And don't always be the fun guy 00:24:05.600 --> 00:24:06.380 either, by the way. 00:24:06.460 --> 00:24:06.880 But anyway, 00:24:07.880 --> 00:24:09.580 work at these things. 00:24:12.259 --> 00:24:13.540 I'm going to give you a disclosure. 00:24:14.860 --> 00:24:16.600 You're not going to get it all right. 00:24:17.540 --> 00:24:18.300 You're not. 00:24:19.820 --> 00:24:21.120 You're going to drop the ball. 00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:24.480 You're going to mess up. 00:24:28.420 --> 00:24:29.900 But let's work at it. 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:32.320 Diligently in the Lord. 00:24:33.660 --> 00:24:34.779 And we'll run the risk 00:24:34.779 --> 00:24:36.019 of being a Hall of Fame dad. 00:24:38.759 --> 00:24:39.700 In 1993, 00:24:39.980 --> 00:24:40.800 they remodeled 00:24:40.800 --> 00:24:43.040 the Baseball Hall of Fame 00:24:43.040 --> 00:24:44.019 in Cooperstown, New York. 00:24:45.700 --> 00:24:47.320 And when they were remodeling it, 00:24:47.480 --> 00:24:48.820 some workers removed 00:24:48.820 --> 00:24:49.960 a display case 00:24:49.960 --> 00:24:53.120 and found an old photograph 00:24:53.120 --> 00:24:55.000 tucked behind the case. 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:59.079 It was a photo of a stocky, 00:24:59.140 --> 00:24:59.940 friendly-looking man 00:24:59.940 --> 00:25:00.839 in a baseball uniform 00:25:00.839 --> 00:25:02.319 that had Sinclair Oil 00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:04.319 written across the front of it. 00:25:05.579 --> 00:25:06.720 Stapled to the picture 00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:07.400 was a note 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:09.799 that said, 00:25:09.940 --> 00:25:11.059 you were never too tired 00:25:11.059 --> 00:25:11.759 to play ball. 00:25:12.619 --> 00:25:14.000 On your days off, 00:25:14.059 --> 00:25:14.900 you helped build 00:25:14.900 --> 00:25:15.839 the Little League field. 00:25:16.579 --> 00:25:18.619 You always came to watch me play. 00:25:19.299 --> 00:25:20.980 You were a Hall of Fame dad. 00:25:20.980 --> 00:25:23.400 I wish I could share 00:25:23.400 --> 00:25:24.579 this moment with you. 00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:27.059 And a reporter 00:25:27.059 --> 00:25:29.660 got a hold of the story 00:25:29.660 --> 00:25:30.480 and researched it. 00:25:31.799 --> 00:25:33.019 The man in the picture 00:25:33.019 --> 00:25:34.059 was Joe O'Donnell. 00:25:35.099 --> 00:25:36.460 He was a great hitter 00:25:36.460 --> 00:25:37.400 in that league 00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:38.120 that he was in 00:25:38.120 --> 00:25:38.860 in his day. 00:25:38.859 --> 00:25:40.079 And he died 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:41.179 at the age of 50 00:25:41.179 --> 00:25:42.240 in 1966. 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:44.899 And 22 years later, 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:45.899 his son, Pat, 00:25:46.039 --> 00:25:46.779 slid the note 00:25:46.779 --> 00:25:47.459 and the picture 00:25:47.459 --> 00:25:49.119 behind the display 00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:51.599 in a private induction ceremony 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:52.299 for his father 00:25:52.299 --> 00:25:53.099 in the Hall of Fame. 00:25:55.399 --> 00:25:56.899 After Pat was located, 00:25:57.579 --> 00:25:59.399 his story was shared 00:25:59.399 --> 00:26:00.099 and he threw out 00:26:00.099 --> 00:26:01.799 the first pitch in 2009 00:26:01.799 --> 00:26:03.679 in Cooperstown 00:26:03.679 --> 00:26:04.439 on Father's Day. 00:26:05.379 --> 00:26:06.459 And that note 00:26:06.460 --> 00:26:08.100 and that picture 00:26:08.100 --> 00:26:09.759 and that explanation 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:11.559 is on display 00:26:11.559 --> 00:26:13.360 in the Hall of Fame 00:26:13.360 --> 00:26:16.180 in Cooperstown, New York. 00:26:17.660 --> 00:26:18.700 Now, I don't care 00:26:18.700 --> 00:26:19.539 that my daughters 00:26:19.539 --> 00:26:21.700 ever do anything like that, 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:24.059 but I want to be 00:26:24.059 --> 00:26:24.920 a Hall of Fame dad. 00:26:27.120 --> 00:26:28.380 And I want you to be. 00:26:29.960 --> 00:26:30.480 How? 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:33.220 By giving them time. 00:26:33.220 --> 00:26:36.259 By preparing them. 00:26:37.420 --> 00:26:38.640 By loving them. 00:26:40.019 --> 00:26:41.240 And as the text says, 00:26:41.360 --> 00:26:42.700 turning your heart 00:26:42.700 --> 00:26:44.700 toward your children. 00:26:46.759 --> 00:26:47.819 And with an effort 00:26:47.819 --> 00:26:48.640 to do that, 00:26:48.779 --> 00:26:49.900 mixed in with the grace 00:26:49.900 --> 00:26:50.559 of God, 00:26:51.559 --> 00:26:53.579 we might just be able 00:26:53.579 --> 00:26:55.579 to be Hall of Fame dads 00:26:55.579 --> 00:26:57.860 for our children. 00:26:57.859 --> 00:27:00.619 that's my prayer 00:27:00.619 --> 00:27:01.399 for you today. 00:27:02.479 --> 00:27:03.439 And it's my prayer 00:27:03.439 --> 00:27:04.219 for me as well. 00:27:05.719 --> 00:27:06.199 You know, 00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:06.899 that starts 00:27:06.899 --> 00:27:07.719 with a personal relationship 00:27:07.719 --> 00:27:08.199 with Christ. 00:27:09.259 --> 00:27:09.859 Because, Dad, 00:27:09.919 --> 00:27:10.379 there's nothing 00:27:10.379 --> 00:27:11.139 you can share 00:27:11.139 --> 00:27:12.039 with somebody else 00:27:12.039 --> 00:27:13.019 that you ain't got yourself. 00:27:16.599 --> 00:27:17.740 And some of you know 00:27:17.740 --> 00:27:20.679 the greatest burden 00:27:20.679 --> 00:27:21.819 that I have in ministry 00:27:21.819 --> 00:27:25.199 is that there might be dads 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:27.920 and husbands 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:31.180 that come to church 00:27:31.180 --> 00:27:32.779 just following their family 00:27:32.779 --> 00:27:37.420 and never quite 00:27:37.420 --> 00:27:39.360 take in the message 00:27:39.360 --> 00:27:40.019 themselves. 00:27:44.220 --> 00:27:45.319 It is a nightmare 00:27:45.319 --> 00:27:45.980 for me 00:27:45.980 --> 00:27:49.640 that somebody 00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:50.220 could sit 00:27:50.220 --> 00:27:51.799 and listen to me 00:27:51.799 --> 00:27:53.200 preach multiple times 00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:55.200 and never give 00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:55.920 their heart and life 00:27:55.920 --> 00:27:56.580 to the Lord Jesus. 00:27:57.400 --> 00:27:58.360 There's only so much 00:27:58.360 --> 00:27:59.279 I can do about that. 00:28:01.120 --> 00:28:02.039 But I'm telling you, 00:28:02.120 --> 00:28:02.279 men, 00:28:03.080 --> 00:28:04.660 women, 00:28:06.100 --> 00:28:07.080 boys and girls, 00:28:07.620 --> 00:28:08.940 if you've never 00:28:08.940 --> 00:28:09.860 given your heart and life 00:28:09.860 --> 00:28:11.100 to the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:28:11.660 --> 00:28:13.299 I'm thankful today 00:28:13.299 --> 00:28:13.740 that everyone 00:28:13.740 --> 00:28:14.420 who calls upon 00:28:14.420 --> 00:28:14.920 the name of the Lord 00:28:14.920 --> 00:28:16.180 shall be saved. 00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:17.360 He'll take you 00:28:17.360 --> 00:28:18.080 as you are 00:28:18.080 --> 00:28:18.759 and make you 00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:19.759 what you need to be. 00:28:20.340 --> 00:28:20.960 Don't wait 00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:22.360 until you get it fixed. 00:28:22.359 --> 00:28:23.959 You won't get it fixed. 00:28:24.279 --> 00:28:25.039 You can't. 00:28:26.099 --> 00:28:27.639 You were made for Him 00:28:27.639 --> 00:28:28.259 and you've lived 00:28:28.259 --> 00:28:29.059 apart from Him. 00:28:29.159 --> 00:28:29.699 There's no way 00:28:29.699 --> 00:28:30.740 you can fix this yourself. 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:33.679 Today, 00:28:34.399 --> 00:28:35.859 as we stand and sing, 00:28:35.939 --> 00:28:36.699 if God's leading you, 00:28:36.719 --> 00:28:37.219 you come. 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:38.659 Pastor, 00:28:38.719 --> 00:28:39.599 I need to give my life 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:40.619 to Christ today. 00:28:42.099 --> 00:28:42.759 Maybe you're here 00:28:42.759 --> 00:28:43.659 and you've done that privately. 00:28:43.779 --> 00:28:45.099 You've never done it publicly. 00:28:46.759 --> 00:28:47.859 And the reality is, 00:28:47.939 --> 00:28:48.759 by Jesus' example 00:28:48.759 --> 00:28:49.599 and by His commission, 00:28:49.699 --> 00:28:50.219 He tells us 00:28:50.219 --> 00:28:51.319 not only to make that public 00:28:51.319 --> 00:28:51.919 but to do that 00:28:51.919 --> 00:28:52.439 through baptism. 00:28:52.599 --> 00:28:54.480 And if you've never done that, 00:28:55.599 --> 00:28:56.240 you've missed 00:28:56.240 --> 00:28:57.539 the first step of obedience 00:28:57.539 --> 00:28:58.720 after a private decision 00:28:58.720 --> 00:28:59.379 for Christ. 00:29:00.899 --> 00:29:02.139 And you need to do that. 00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:04.299 You come. 00:29:04.419 --> 00:29:05.419 We're not doing it this morning 00:29:05.419 --> 00:29:06.419 but we'll line it up. 00:29:06.679 --> 00:29:07.359 We'll talk about it. 00:29:08.379 --> 00:29:09.559 Maybe God's drawing you 00:29:09.559 --> 00:29:10.819 to Pickens First Baptist Church. 00:29:10.939 --> 00:29:11.399 I'm thankful 00:29:11.399 --> 00:29:12.899 how God is moving 00:29:12.899 --> 00:29:13.700 in this church 00:29:13.700 --> 00:29:14.200 and moving 00:29:14.200 --> 00:29:15.259 in the lives of many. 00:29:16.299 --> 00:29:17.259 Just spoke to someone 00:29:17.259 --> 00:29:18.259 before the 9 o'clock 00:29:18.259 --> 00:29:18.879 worship hour 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:20.320 about the possibility 00:29:20.320 --> 00:29:21.260 to join this church 00:29:21.260 --> 00:29:22.880 and how God continues 00:29:22.880 --> 00:29:23.500 to move. 00:29:23.600 --> 00:29:24.680 It's just a blessing to see. 00:29:24.820 --> 00:29:25.440 And so if God's 00:29:25.440 --> 00:29:26.800 drawing you this morning, 00:29:26.900 --> 00:29:27.920 I encourage you to come 00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:29.300 as God leads you. 00:29:29.340 --> 00:29:30.400 We'll guide you in that. 00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:33.220 Maybe you're here 00:29:33.220 --> 00:29:34.020 and whether you're a dad 00:29:34.020 --> 00:29:34.640 or a mom 00:29:34.640 --> 00:29:37.800 or a knucklehead kid 00:29:37.800 --> 00:29:41.220 and you realize 00:29:41.220 --> 00:29:44.260 the family dynamic 00:29:44.260 --> 00:29:45.780 is not what it needs to be 00:29:45.780 --> 00:29:46.400 and some of that 00:29:46.400 --> 00:29:46.980 is your fault. 00:29:46.980 --> 00:29:49.900 And today, 00:29:50.900 --> 00:29:52.160 you say, 00:29:52.220 --> 00:29:52.420 Lord, 00:29:52.860 --> 00:29:54.420 I want you to help me 00:29:54.420 --> 00:29:55.880 to be what I need to be 00:29:55.880 --> 00:29:57.180 for my family. 00:29:59.000 --> 00:30:00.000 And I'm thankful 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:02.420 that He'll forgive you 00:30:02.420 --> 00:30:04.640 with repentance 00:30:04.640 --> 00:30:06.920 and He'll lead you 00:30:06.920 --> 00:30:08.819 from this day forward. 00:30:10.200 --> 00:30:11.360 Let's be diligent 00:30:11.360 --> 00:30:13.480 with what God's invested 00:30:13.480 --> 00:30:14.940 to us. 00:30:16.860 --> 00:30:18.140 Not just for today, 00:30:18.860 --> 00:30:20.120 but every day. 00:30:20.920 --> 00:30:21.460 Lord Jesus, 00:30:21.559 --> 00:30:22.140 I love you 00:30:22.140 --> 00:30:23.980 and I thank you, 00:30:24.140 --> 00:30:24.299 Lord, 00:30:24.420 --> 00:30:25.099 for the love 00:30:25.099 --> 00:30:26.099 that you have for us 00:30:26.099 --> 00:30:26.940 and I ask today, 00:30:27.079 --> 00:30:27.599 dear God, 00:30:28.960 --> 00:30:29.579 you'll lead us 00:30:29.579 --> 00:30:30.539 to simply be obedient 00:30:30.539 --> 00:30:31.259 to follow you 00:30:31.259 --> 00:30:33.380 any way you'd have us 00:30:33.380 --> 00:30:33.779 to go. 00:30:34.440 --> 00:30:35.180 In Jesus' 00:30:35.360 --> 00:30:35.960 precious name, 00:30:36.079 --> 00:30:36.319 amen. 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:36.480 00:30:36.480 --> 00:31:06.460 Thank you.