I have to tell you that when I
put my message together this morning, one of the things I always do is I tuck
the text into where I'm going to be preaching.
And this is Father's Day, and I happened to look down later and realize that I'd put it into Ephesians chapter 6.
And if you are thinking we're going to be in Ephesians chapter 6 this morning,
there's a high probability that unless I default to that, we won't get near it.
I want you to turn your Bibles this morning to Deuteronomy chapter 6.
And I want you to join me in prayer.
Father God, we pray this morning to ask that the Holy Spirit,
who our Savior told us, would be given to us as a gift,
as an enabler,
to abide with us,
to help us comprehend the beauty of the Scriptures,
to help us grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus,
to help us sing,
to help us be godly fathers and mothers
and godly young people and godly witnesses
in a wicked and perverse world.
Lord, we pray this morning that
our helper
would do just that
and help us
to perceive
beautiful things in the Word
that we might delight
in your wisdom,
that we might have a reverence and fear
for your person,
that we might have a humble desire
to grow to be more
like the Lord Jesus,
and that each of us,
recognizing that
you have appointed
specific tasks,
would be humble to receive
the direction that you have for us
in the arena
of life that you've placed us.
and Lord,
I do pray
that at the conclusion of our time
of studying the Word together,
that the thing that would be recognized
is the evidence of the ministry
of the Holy Spirit.
and I ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
As I take up Father's Day
this morning,
I think of the fact that
it's a day that's important.
It's a day that
really has
far more significance and weight
than you may realize,
and I have to confess
that I remember
when I first discovered
that I was a father,
I really had not given much thought
to the responsibilities
that went along with it.
Judith and I got married
June 27th,
and three months later
she came to me
and she says,
Honey, guess what?
And I had no idea
that what she was going to tell me
is that I was going to be a father
in nine months or so.
In fact,
Heather,
my oldest daughter,
was born
on our first anniversary.
anniversary.
And I had to learn
very quickly
to keep
a year's gap
between Heather's birth
and our anniversary
because I remember
at one point
actually going to preach
at a youth conference
and I ended up
getting the dates
rather mixed up
and it caused
a lot of anxiety.
But my wife
came to my aid
and she
let everybody know
publicly
that we had
a full year
of marriage
behind us
before Heather
had been born.
I had no idea
what went into
being a father
and the truth
of the matter
is that
I really
only afterwards
began to think
seriously
of what God
had to say
about the responsibilities
and studying
and it was an arduous
and has been
an arduous journey.
I can tell you
that I am not done
being a father.
I am father
to four children.
I am grandfather
to I think
am I right
thirteen
Heather
Todd
I don't know
I've got plenty
of them out there
so it's like
but we
are very thankful
for the blessing
of taking the word
of God this morning
and opening it up
and looking
and I want to tell you
up front
that what I'm going
to talk about
this morning
is not new
to any of you.
Well I hope
not new to any of you
but I have
no apology
for the fact
that we're going
to be reviewing
something that is
foundational.
I know
that those
of our congregation
that are officers
are responsible
for carrying
a firearm.
It's part of their
life and their duty
but whether you
realize it or not
they have to
re-qualify
with that firearm
at least three times
a year.
My son
who is in the army
has to pass
a physical test
every year.
In fact
as a captain
in the battery command
that he has
he had the
unfortunate responsibility
of dismissing
two soldiers
who after repeated
efforts at trying
to pass
their physical
PT skills
never did it
and they kept
on being
just kind of
shuffled off
and he eventually
had to say
you know what
the army
as much as it
dearly loves you
is not willing
to let you
continue being
a slug
and you're
dismissed.
So this business
of re-qualifying
is important.
I know that
those who are
involved in medicine
cannot kind of
rest on their
laurels and say
well hey what
I have a degree
that was minted
in 1994
and that's the way
it is.
They have to
continue to
re-qualify
and to review
and to remind
themselves of the
essential duties
that go with the
discharge of their
office and so it
is today that as
we look at the
subject of fatherhood
we're going to look
at basic passages
that talk about
some of the
absolutely foundational
issues to being
a father.
I confess
there's much more
that the scriptures
have to say
about the role
of a father
and I'm not
going to talk
about the fact
that a dad
is supposed to
be the breadwinner.
I'm not going
to talk about
the fact that
he is to be
the model of
loving for his
wife and his
family.
I'm not going
to talk about
the fact that
he's the family
protector.
But I am going
to concentrate
this morning
on just two
simple principles
and we're going
to rely on
those two
principles
for foundational
direction
in the duty
and the obligation
that a man
has when he
is a father.
So what are
those two?
Number one,
God calls the
man to be
the spiritual
leader in his
home and number
two, God calls
the man to be
the spiritual
intercessor in
his home.
Dad is to be
the spiritual
leader.
I want you to
look in your
Bible over the
passage that I
referenced early
in Deuteronomy
chapter 6.
Do you know
why we turn in
our Bibles?
Does anybody
know why?
It is so that
you yourself,
where you sit,
can look at the
Scriptures yourself
and be fully
persuaded that
what you are
hearing is not
what I think.
It is what the
Bible says.
And my obligation
and my responsibility
is to open it up
and make it clear
and make it plain
and help you
understand,
thus saith the
Lord.
And we are
looking at a
passage that is
fundamental to the
responsibility of
being a father.
Picking up there
in verse 4,
mark what it
says,
Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our
God, the Lord
is one.
Now, I want to
take a second and
have you think with
me that as this
great passage begins,
incidentally, if you
were a Jew and you
were a Jew who was
trying to get extra
points, you would say
this passage in the
morning when the
first break of dawn
and you got out of
bed.
You would say, it
was called the
Shema, hear.
That's the word in
Hebrew, Shema.
It would be, hear,
O Israel, the Lord
our God, the Lord is
one.
Incidentally, if you
really wanted to get
extra, extra points,
the last thing out of
your mouth as you
were dying would be,
hear, O Israel, the
Lord our God, the
Lord is one.
This passage was so
foundational to the
nation of Israel and
to their walk with God
that they valued it
supremely.
And here we have a
passage in which God
speaks to fathers in
particular and he says,
first of all, you
listen to me.
Hear, O Israel.
By the way, who's
talking?
The Lord our God.
Then he makes a
foundational theological
statement, the Lord is
one.
And in that, we have
the uniqueness of God,
we have the exceptional
characteristic of him.
Remember, he says, I am
who I am, foundational in
that little statement, the
Lord is one.
But then behind that, we
have a very interesting
statement.
Often when we think about
our walk with God, we
tend to break it down into
a matter of the do's and
don'ts.
Would you recognize
that?
This morning as I was
having my devotional life, I
was reading in the book of
Exodus and I happened to be
in Exodus chapter 20.
Does anybody know what
Exodus 20 is about?
Anybody tell me, what is
Exodus 20 about?
It's the Ten Commandments.
How many of you could
recite them with one hand
behind your back?
You should be able to,
right?
And I want you to think
with me this morning of the
fact that tendency is for us
to think about our
relationship with God as
being a matter of the do's
and don'ts.
That's not the way it is.
God wants us to understand
first of all that we are to
be in a relationship with
him that is governed and
controlled and colored and
influenced by our love for
him.
Here in the passage in verse
five it says, you shall love
the Lord your God with all
your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your
might.
How many of you are doing
well at loving him?
Don't raise your hand and
wait, I am.
That's not what I'm looking
for.
Truth of the matter is, is
that on our own we do not
love anyone very well except
who?
Who do you love well?
You're a little bit like that
wicked witch, remember?
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
who's the fairest of the…
Are you guys into Disney or
not?
What's the deal with you?
You know, it's like, hello,
go home, forget Frozen, go
back to the classics.
You know, it's like, okay.
We're a little bit like that
wicked witch.
Now I give my age away, I
suppose.
And, you know, here it's all
about me.
God says you're to love me.
And incidentally, the thing
that brings us into a loving
relationship with God is not
our own volition but the grace
of God that, first of all,
reveals his love to us by
telling us the truth about our
nature and how desperately
lost we are and then drawing
us to the cross and helping
us see at the cross the
unconditional, unchanging love
of God in Christ Jesus.
And we, having been saved by
his grace and having our hearts
changed, then have the ability
to love him.
And we grow in our love, in
particular, in proportion to our
understanding of his love for
us.
In this passage, it says there,
you shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your
might.
And as you look at this passage,
I want you to understand that out
of that then is to flow in verse
six, and these words that I command
you shall be in your heart.
You know what?
Listen to me.
If you really don't have an
intimate and affectionate
relationship with the Lord of
this universe, what he has to say
is not that important.
Agreed?
Several years ago, my wife said to
me, at one moment in our morning
conversations, she said to me,
honey, I'm concerned.
Now, that's always a warning for me
that something is coming of
significance.
Because Judith is not a chattery
individual, and when she says I'm
concerned and then paused, I knew
that I ought to pick up on the lead
and show some concern.
What are you concerned about?
She says, well, I don't know if you're
getting the early signals of
Alzheimer's or you're not listening to
me.
Now, the choices were pretty brutal.
I have an exceptionally intelligent
wife, and she had me cornered with that
statement.
I chose to confess that I wasn't
listening.
I think that was a fair
admission.
And what it reminded me of, in part,
was that, you know what?
When we really care, we really listen.
Would you agree with that statement?
When we really care, we really listen.
Why is it that mothers are the first
ones to interpret their children's
babblings?
You say to a mom, what did he say?
Oh, well, she understands, and it's not
just because she gave birth to him, it's
because she cares and loves that kid, and
she can understand because her heart's in it.
And God says, listen, you've got to love
me.
And then the words that I command you
shall be in your heart.
You see, as we look at this passage, the
thing I want you to understand is that
dad is to be the spiritual leader, and in
order to be the leader, he has to have an
interest and an affection in the Lord, but
also an understanding of his word.
Here's what God makes clear.
He says that the dad must know and care
deeply about what he's expected to teach
The remainder of this text really deals
with the responsibility that dad has of
being the spiritual teacher in his home.
But the starting place to what you teach
is not just acquiring the information.
It is having a relationship with the
foundational person of the universe and
having an affection for that person and
having a heart that wants to hear what he
has to say.
We live in a wicked and perverse world, don't
we?
I remember earlier this week just being
both frightened and sobered.
When I stopped at one point in doing some
research and I was on the computer and I
stopped and realized that it is so easy to
access things on the web that are just
absolutely perverse and wicked.
Do you understand that?
I went to YouTube and I have no idea what, here I am
telling you what I was doing on YouTube, but
spending time as I'm sitting there with my father
sleeping, I thought I would kind of find out long
range rifle shots at deer.
You know, important things.
And so I clicked on that and I'm scrolling down and
right there on the right side are pictures that are
absolutely wicked and perverse.
Now, thankfully, they're in these microscopic little
things, but it's like, whoa, you know.
You Google something.
Out of sincere interest to discover, and there in the
Google string, there are things that you, I don't want to
click on that.
Am I right?
You go to Fox News, you go to MSN, wherever you go, the
world is a wicked place.
But I want you to understand that the greatest challenge to
fatherhood today is not the wicked and perverse culture we
live in.
Listen to me.
The greatest challenge comes from fathers who are not deeply
committed and enthralled with God.
The greatest challenge to fathers today is fathers that are not
deeply committed and enthralled with God.
A father that is actually more engaged in baseball than he is
with his own devotional life, or a father that is more passionate
about boating on the weekend than he is in helping his children
grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ,
should not be surprised if at the end of the day he sees his
children go further into idolatry than he has.
And so as you look at this passage, let me help you understand that
the first thing that the Bible says to us is,
Dads, you are the spiritual teachers of your home, and you're
responsible to teach, but things come first in order, and before you
teach, you have to know, and you have to have the right
relationship with the Lord Jesus.
You have to have the right passion for the things of God.
And so ask yourself the question, what does your devotional life
look like?
Now, do devotions make men automatic saints?
What's the answer?
Get this, no.
But I will tell you something.
A daily devotional life is protective in a profound way.
Mothers, wives, if you see your husband's devotional life beginning to fall off,
guess what you know is beginning to take place in their life?
They're an accident waiting for a place to happen.
Now, what should you do when you see that happening?
Should you pick up the Bible and slam it on their chest in the morning?
You know, it's like, bang, get this done.
No, that's not my suggestion to you.
But try with prayer and a godly life to be an encouragement and expect the Spirit of God
to respond accordingly.
You look at that passage there in Deuteronomy, it says, hey, you've got to know the Lord,
you've got to love the Lord, you've got to know the Word.
And so if you're going to be effective in being the spiritual leader in your home,
your children should know about your devotional life.
They should know about it.
Let me have you turn to a passage that several months ago the Lord just really tagged me with.
In fact, if you were to go into my office this morning or tonight or this afternoon,
you would see it on the wall.
When I sit there and prepare week by week and spend time in the office,
there are actually three different things that are set on the wall across from me
so I can see them and they're reminding me of my responsibilities.
One is from John chapter 5 verse 39, and it says this,
how does this sermon testify to Christ?
Second thing is Isaiah chapter 50 verse 4.
Let me read it to you.
The Lord has given me the tongue of those who are taught.
Incidentally, this passage is a reference.
It is messianic.
It is a reference to the Lord Jesus.
The Lord has given me the tongue of those who are taught
that I may know how to sustain with the Word him who is weary.
Do you want, Dad, to be able to encourage, to sustain, to counsel,
to direct your son in the moments that are important?
Yes.
How will you do that?
Morning by morning he awakens.
I like that.
Morning by morning he awakens.
He awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.
Dad, I don't think it would be a bad idea for you to take that verse
and write it out with your own hand and post it on the mirror and ask the Lord to do what needs to be done
to help your devotional life begin to take upon the characteristics of this passage.
Will your children need your advice?
What's the answer?
Yeah.
Will they need your counsel and your encouragement?
Yes.
And so what are you going to give them?
Your rehashed experiences, many of which you wish you didn't have anyway?
Or would you rather that out of a heart that is enriched by the Spirit of God and by the Word of God,
you may bring forth the sweetness of the Spirit of God and the wisdom that is from above that your children may know how to walk uprightly?
Let me explain also that your children should see you frame life's challenges in the Scriptures.
Let me say that slowly so you can follow me.
Your children, we're talking about being the spiritual leader,
your children should see you frame life's challenges in the Scriptures.
In other words, when you yourself are challenged,
when things aren't going your way,
when there's a struggle and turmoil in your own life,
they should see you go to the resource that is eternally valuable, prized, and reliable.
I have to think about the passage in Galatians that I've recited so many times,
Nevertheless, what saith the Scriptures?
Paul, as he was arguing in the book of Galatians about the issue of the difference between law and grace,
when he wants to hammer it,
he recites something said by the Supreme Court,
God.
Nevertheless, what do the Scriptures say?
And so when you have opportunity to face the challenges of life,
what your children should see
is that the authority you rely upon is God's Word.
And by the way, do we always know what's in God's Word?
And the answer is what?
Come on, help me here.
No.
So what's wrong when you're not sure to say,
give me a minute, I want to think this through and pray about it
and find out what God's Word has to say about it.
Third,
your children should know that your genuine affection for the Lord and His people
is at the very heart of your being in existence.
Your children should know that your genuine affection for the Lord and His people
is at the very heart of your existence.
Is that what your kids know?
Is that what they respect about you?
Is that the thing that when it's all said and done,
when their last memories of you are pushed together in a very small pile,
will they say,
the thing I remember about my dad
is that he loved Christ.
He loved Christ's people.
I hate to use him as an example,
but he's the best one I know.
My dad is in a nursing home.
He has Alzheimer's.
There are days he's with us,
and there are days that he is not.
But several weeks ago,
stopped in to see him on Sunday morning,
and he said,
when do I get to go to church?
Do you follow that?
Let me tell you something.
That kind of heart doesn't happen by accident.
It happens out of a relentless pursuit of the things of God.
And so, Father,
I want you to understand that
your love will play out,
and your kids will know it.
Let me see one more thing in this passage
before we move to the issue of intercession.
Look at verse 7.
It says,
You shall teach them diligently.
Diligently.
Dad is to be persistent in his teaching.
Persistent in his teaching.
The Hebrew word actually means
to say it twice.
I know Pastor Andrew was
kind of gathering from our young people.
I'm going to tell a story here
and be embarrassed,
or have you embarrassed?
I don't know how it'll work out.
But anyway,
here I am doing ministry,
so I'd like to kind of find out
what some of the concerns
and questions are
that our young people have.
And he sent out a survey
and got all these different answers,
and then one of our youth leaders said,
Well, I thought we covered that this last year.
Well, yeah.
Truth of the matter is,
it's probably every one of those things
I've covered from the pulpit as well.
I'll never forget what Alistair Begg said
when I was at one of his preaching conferences.
He said,
Never underestimate the ability of your people
to forget some of the important things you've said.
And, you know,
it's given me great comfort.
You probably don't remember
that I preached this sermon back in 05.
Now, I want you to know
it's not the same sermon.
Because preaching relies upon
the ministry of the Holy Spirit,
and His ministry through me to you
and in you is different today than in 05.
Same spirit,
same word,
but different need today.
So, I want you to understand, Dad,
that if you're going to be effective
in this responsibility
being the family teacher of spiritual,
be repetitious!
Now, am I saying
just be redundant
to the point of ad nauseum?
How many of you know
that when we sing a song that we like,
we really get into it?
Do you understand that?
But how many of you also know
if we sang the same song
for about 30 weeks in a row,
I don't care how wonderful it was,
the first or second or third or fourth time,
eventually, guess what you would do?
You would tune out.
And, Dad,
you have to have a little bit of variety
in the way you approach the business
of being repetitious
in your teaching.
Pretend that it's a brand new thought,
because the truth of the matter is,
is your child,
your young boy,
or your girl
has probably
completely forgotten
what you had to say,
but bring it up again.
Again,
things that are important
are often said
over and over again.
And I've got to tell you
that the business
of being repetitious
with an inventive
and creative spirit
with an affection
for the outcome
is profoundly effective.
Well, let me come
to the second thing.
Dad is to be
the family intercessor.
Dad is to be
the family intercessor.
Here I am.
I am...
I'm an empty nester.
I've got to tell you,
it's a wonderful thing.
Judith and I enjoy
one another's company
in the morning.
And here's the deal.
We don't have to worry
about whether
anybody forgot
their barrettes
or, you know,
whether their hair
or teeth
are cared for.
We're just together.
Let's have coffee.
Let's sit there.
Let's pray.
Let's chatter a little bit.
It's fun, fun, fun.
But that doesn't mean
that I'm done
being a daddy.
This morning as
I was finishing up
my devotional time,
first thing I do
is I spend time
praying and thanking
the Lord
for the blessing
of knowing Him
and who He is.
and I pray
for my children.
And then I take out
and if you were
to look at
where I have things
together,
there is a watch care list.
How many of you
understand what
a watch care list is?
I use the watch care list
to kind of govern
my prayers for you.
This morning
it was Gibbs.
Actually,
it's Limkill now
since, Nathan,
you've taken over
that office.
I'm going to have
to change that
on my list.
But I'm praying
through the list
and praying for
each of the individuals
and intercession
is very, very important.
I want you to look
at a passage
that kind of amplifies
the importance of this
and turn back
if you would.
Well, turn forward.
You're in the book
of Deuteronomy.
Go to Job chapter 1.
Job chapter 1.
Job is a very
interesting book
that
has a lot to say
about suffering.
And what it has
to say about suffering
is that sometimes
we don't know.
But what we do know
is who God is.
Anyway,
in that context,
as the book
introduces Job,
you look there
in verse 1,
chapter 1,
it says,
there was a man
in the land of Uz.
Can you think
of any place
like Uz?
You know,
anyway,
there was a man
in the land of Uz
whose name was Job,
and that man
was blameless
and upright,
one who feared God
and turned away
from evil.
that is a fairly
good
picture
of a godly man.
Would you agree
with me?
The next little piece
we find out
about this godly man
is given to us
in verse 5.
And when the days
of the feast
had run their course,
Job would send
and consecrate them,
and he would rise
early in the morning
and offer burnt
offerings according
to the number
of them all.
For Job said,
it may be
that my children
have sinned
and cursed God
in their hearts.
Thus Job
did continually.
Do you know
what he was doing?
He was praying
for his children.
My wife and I were,
I don't know why,
but yesterday
we were talking
about my childhood.
It was very checkered.
I won't give you
the checkering of it,
but I will tell you
I made a comment
to Judith
that if it had not
been for the prayers
of my parents,
I have no doubt
that I would be dead.
Job prayed
for his children
every day.
Look at the passage.
It says that he got up
early
in the morning.
And as we look
at this text,
we find out
that the one
illustration
that Scripture
gives us
of Job's character
revolves around
his prayer life.
Listen to me.
Everybody look up,
please.
Your prayer life
says it all
about where you are
spiritually.
Do you understand that?
your prayer life
says it all
about where you are
spiritually.
And as we look
at this passage,
we see here
a father
who is interceding
for his children.
So what we take
from that
is that a father
is to pray
consistently
for his
kids.
You know,
we're not
consistent about
things we don't
care about.
Would you agree
with that?
How many of you
have said
on many occasions
I should
clean
the garage?
Or
your car
has become
kind of a
rolling disaster
and you
have seen
all kinds
of things
in the
cup holders
and in the
back seat
and you've
thought to
yourself,
I should
clean
the car.
You know,
here's the
fact.
If it's
important,
what?
We do it.
And so as we
think about this
matter,
I want you to
understand that
intercessory prayer
is essential.
It's essential.
Well,
let's see some
illustrations of
just how important
prayer is.
I'll recite one
I've referred to
a number of
different times,
but just to kind
of set the
frame,
in Exodus
chapter 17
verse 9
through 13,
we have
Moses and
he takes
the nation
of Israel,
some of the
select soldiers
and says,
hey,
go whoop on
those people.
He says,
I'm not going
to be there.
I'm going
to be on
top of the
hill.
And what
does he do
on top of
the hill?
He holds
up his arms.
He's praying.
Every time his
arms fall down,
his troops
suffer.
They end up
where Moses
sits on a stone
and Aaron and
Hur,
I believe,
are on one
side and the
other and they
hold his arms
up and the
battle comes
to their
favor.
I want you
to look at
another illustration
of the
significance
and the
kind of
passion that
should be
in your
intercessory
prayer for
your children.
Turn,
if you would,
you're in
Job,
but go back
to Exodus
chapter 32.
Exodus
chapter 32.
By the
way,
how many
of you
realize that
the nation
of Israel
was a pretty
perverse and
painful group
of people
to lead?
They just
loved on
Moses all
the time.
You know,
it's like,
Moses,
whatever you
say,
we're with
you,
we love
you,
we appreciate
the fact
that we've
not had
water for
three days,
but we
know God's
helping us
and he'll
care for
us.
No,
that's not
the way
they were.
And when
he goes
off to get
the law,
one of
the passages
I don't
understand was
that when
Moses was
gone,
remember they
came to
Aaron and
says,
hey,
we need
gods to
take us
back,
and he
says,
well,
give me
your rings
and your
earrings and
stuff,
and he
makes a
golden calf.
Well,
then when
Moses shows
up on the
scene,
I don't
know how
Aaron got
away with
this,
and I'm
not sure
I'll ask
when I get
to heaven
either.
But here's
the deal.
He says,
I threw
it into
the fire
and this
came out.
Anyway,
God says,
Moses,
let me deal
with these
people.
I'm going
to destroy
them.
And here
is Moses.
Exodus
32,
verse 31.
So Moses
returned to
the Lord
and said,
alas,
this people
has sinned
a great
sin.
they've
made for
themselves
gods of
gold.
But now,
if you
will forgive
their sins,
now look,
how many
of you have
a little
hyphen and
a space
in your
translation of
the scriptures?
Raise your
hand if you
have a hyphen
and a space.
Okay?
Do you
know why
that's there?
that is
an indication
of the
extreme
respect
that the
ancient
Hebrews had
for every
letter and
space in
the Old
Testament.
And in the
original
manuscript,
there was a
space.
I don't
know what
is in
that space
other than
probably a
little bit of
speculation.
How many
of you have
been praying
passionately for
something and
been overwhelmed?
Remember what it
says in the
passage in
Romans?
It says that
sometimes there
are things that
the Holy Spirit
prays with groanings
that cannot be
uttered,
right?
Our heart is so
caught up in
the depths and
the passion of
our concern for
someone that we
love that we're
choked off.
here's Moses
pleading for the
nation of
Israel that
they not be
destroyed for
their perverse
and wicked
heart.
And he comes
to this point
and he says,
listen, if you
forgive their
sin, they
can't say
anything.
But if not,
listen to this,
please blot
me out of
your book.
I've got to
tell you,
intercession is a
deep,
burdensome
plea for those
that you love.
And as we
read this
passage, it
reminds us that
intercession is
something that's
profound.
Well, one
other passage,
and we'll close
with this issue of
intercession and
remind ourselves
that it's what
Jesus is doing
for us today.
Do you know
that?
I love,
I do.
I love Hebrews
chapter 7,
verse 25.
It says,
he ever liveth
to do what?
What's he doing
for Tim Kenoyer
this morning?
He is interceding
before the Father
on my behalf.
He's interceding
on your behalf.
Does he know
how weak and
frail?
Does he know
where your mind
has been today?
Does he know
the struggle
you have with
idolatry?
He does know
all those things.
And what is he
doing?
He is there
before the
Father's throne
today, and he
is pleading
your case.
So here's what
I want you to
do, dads.
Remember?
The purpose
of preaching
is to tell you
what God
has to say.
Isn't that right?
My responsibility
is to open up
the Word of God
and say,
here's what
the Bible
has to say,
and this morning
I speak to you
who are fathers.
And I say,
you've got two
responsibilities
that I want you
to think about
this morning.
Number one
is the responsibility
of being the
family instructor
and teacher
in the matters
of righteousness.
Number two,
you are to be
the intercessor
before the throne
of God
on behalf
of your children.
So it's a
practical question
to say,
how are you
doing at both
those things?
It's a fair
question.
And this morning
as we think
clearly of what
God has to say,
it really comes
down to those
who are fathers
saying,
yes,
God,
I hear what you
say and I want
to be sincere
and righteous.
I want to do
what you've called
me to do
and I'm willing
to go on notice.
how many of you
realize it's one
thing to make
private decisions
that nobody else
knows about?
Do you follow
that?
Oh,
we've all
done that.
Yeah,
yeah,
if it works
out,
I think I'll
be a little
better at my
devotions next
day.
I want to
challenge you
this morning,
fathers.
God being my
helper,
I'm going to be
the spiritual
leader in my
home.
God being my
helper,
I'm going to be
the family
intercessor
in my home.
Let's close
in prayer.