Trinity Baptist Church

 

Today I will conclude a series on family issues that we began on Mother’s Day. 

 

Every family has its own set of issues with which it has to deal. For some, it is getting off to a bad start, or being unequally yoked.  For someone else, it might be the pain of divorce or even the death of a spouse. 

 

Along the way I’ve tried to remind you that there is an “ideal” and there is “reality”. That is especially significant when speaking about the roles and responsibilities of fathers and mothers. Sometimes striving to be “ideal” causes us some guilt and despair. There is always the reality of our situation to deal with. 

 

This is the day we honor our fathers. It is interesting how Father's Day began. In 1910 there was a lady named Senora Dodd in Spokane, Washington. She was sitting in a church service on Mother's Day and as she was listening to a sermon about mothers, she thought about her father.

 

Her father was a Civil War veteran. Her mom had died early in life so for all of the years of her life and the years of her siblings, they had been brought up by their father. He was a very devout and godly man. She thought it would be a wonderful thing to have a special time to honor her father and all fathers.

 

 

Because he was born in the month of June, she was able to have a special day honoring her father on the third Sunday of June in 1910 in Spokane, Washington.

 

Fifty-six years later, in 1966, Lyndon Johnson signed the proclamation declaring that the third Sunday in June would be set aside as Father's Day, a day when we would recognize and honor and pay tribute to our earthly fathers.

 

I look over this building today and I must tell you it is a beautiful sight to see so many of you father sitting with your children. There is something special about a dad and his children when they are in church together. I heard about a fellow who was sitting with his dad in church and the offering plate was approaching. He said, "Don't pay for me, dad, I'm under five."

 

Then I heard about the little girl who walked out of the service after it was over and she said to the pastor, "When I grow up, I'm going to give you some money." The pastor said, "Thank you, dear, but why?" She said, "Because my dad says you are the poorest preacher we ever had."

 

I think one of the sweetest things I have heard was in school one day a teacher said to a little boy, "What's the nicest thing your dad ever did for you?" The little boy said, "He married my mother."

 

I think all of us would agree that the normal, natural thing is that every boy and girl should have a mother and also should have a father in the home. That is the ideal. Unfortunately, that is sometimes not the case. 

But that doesn’t meant you can’t be a good dad, who is pleasing the Lord in the way you are raising your children. 

 

When you read the Bible you find that it has a great deal to say about fathers. You will find many teachings and many directions and many words of guidance for fathers. You will find in the Bible many examples of fathers.

 

I think about Abraham who was father of the Hebrew race and also the father of the faith. I think about David who was a great king, but he was not a very good father. I think about Joseph who was the legal father of the Lord Jesus Christ. He seemed to be a rather strong, silent kind of man.

 

I think about the prodigal's father. What a beautiful scene it was when the prodigal son said, "I will arise and go to my father." It pictures to us the wonderful love of our heavenly father. The first impression your children get of God is what they learn from you as a father.

 

I want to talk about fathers today and I have chosen perhaps an unusual father. All of us know about Methuselah. He is known as the oldest man who ever lived. According to the Bible he lived 969 years.

 

Think about a person living for 969 years. Can you image? A very unusual man is this man Methuselah.

 

Did you ever stop to think about who his father was? His father is more familiar to us because we know the father as Enoch.

 

Enoch is known primarily by the fact that he “walked with God”. But there is something in this text which I have preached many times before which had really eluded me until I was studying it a bit more carefully.

 

In verse 21 it says that Enoch lived for 65 years and begat Methuselah. Then in verse 22 it says, "And Enoch walked with God after he begot Methuselah."

 

Have you ever noticed that before? It is specifically said in Scripture that this man Enoch began to walk with God after he became a father. You know, of course, that parenthood changes you.

 

Having children changes your outlook and perspective on life. Children come along and suddenly new parents begin to think more seriously about life choices and responsibilities. God bless you wonderful moms and dads for doing that. It changes things when you become a parent.

 

There is nothing like the new parents of a first-born child. It's so fragile. You don't breathe on the little one. It might crack. Oh, you wouldn't dare put the baby in the nursery. They would never take care of our precious little one. Then about the time the fourth one comes along they go to the nursery and say, "Catch!"

 

But it changes you. What man of us, when children have come along and we have become fathers, have not prayed a prayer something like this. "Oh, God, make me the father I ought to be. Oh, God make me the man for my sons and daughters I ought to be."

 

It seems to have been this kind of circumstances that caused Enoch to begin to walk with God.

 

I want to give some quick suggestions to the fathers in this building this morning which I hope will help you to be the dad that in your heart you want to be, based on the life of this man Enoch.

 

The first thing I want to say to all of your fathers is this.

 

 

The Bible says that Enoch walked with God. That means that Enoch got on the right path. It was a difficult day when Enoch came along. It was a society very much like our society.

 

In fact, it was a society that made it difficult to be the kind of man you ought to be. But when this little one was born, something happened to this man Enoch. The Bible says he began to walk with God.

 

That means he got on the right path. That means Enoch was saved. Enoch opened up his heart and his life to the Lord and received the Lord. Have you done that? Have you been saved?

 

The greatest thing you could ever give to that son or daughter is to give them a dad who knows the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior. Are you on the road that leads to heaven? Where are you leading your sons and your daughters?

 

The father is the spiritual key in the family. I have found that if you can win the father to Christ, chances are you will win the wife and the children to the Lord as well.

 

I am so thankful that my dad before me made a decision to trust Jesus as Savior and Lord. . .

 

You, dad, set the spiritual direction of your family.

Let Jesus Christ be the center of your life. Get your life on the right path. Make sure Jesus is the center of your life.

 

Some men make other things the center of their lives. Some men make their work the center of their life. You work is very important. I remember a statement I read by Peter Lynch. He said this. "No man, on his deathbed, ever regretted that he did not spend enough time in his office." Work is important but it is not the main thing.

 

Sports become the center in the lives of others. I heard about a guy that when football season was starting he went over to the television, looked at his wife and said, "Do you have anything to say before the seasons starts?"

 

Of course, all of us guys can identify with that.

Sports are wonderful and it is fine. But don't let your work, don't let sports, don't let other things be the center of your life. Let Jesus be the center of your life if you want to be the kind of father you need to be and the kind of wife that you need to be and the kind of mom you need to be.

 

In Philippians 1, verse 21, the apostle Paul said,

"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Be honest about it. What would you say right there.

For me to live is... What would it be to you? If you put anything there instead of Jesus Christ, you cannot say to die is gain. You have to say that to die is lost. Put Jesus in the center of your life.

 

Enoch got on the right path. We certainly have cause to believe that Methuselah also got on the right path. We certainly have cause to believe that Methuselah was able to lead his sons and daughters to know the Lord. You have a responsibility to those little ones.

 

Have you ever thought about it, when you bring a baby into this world, you have brought a piece of eternity into this world? You had everything to do with their being here and you will have a great deal to do with where they go after they leave here.

 

Your children have heart problems. Every one of you boys and girls has heart problems. The Bible says that all of those precious boys and girls are born with a sinful nature. Where did they get that sinful nature? They got it from you. All of us are born with that fallen sinful nature. All of us need to repent of our sins and receive Christ into our hearts and lives.

 

In just a few minutes I'm going to invite dads to come forward to receive Jesus as your Savior. Did you know that there was never a time that Methuselah did not know that his father was walking with God?

 

You say, preacher, you don't know the things I've done. You don't know how awful I've lived. No. I don't.

  

But I know this: I know if you will receive Jesus Christ as your Savior those little boys and girls can never know a time that their dad was not a Christian; never know a time that their dad did not walk with God on the right path.

 

That's the first word I have for all of you dads. Be sure you are on the right path.

 

Then it says he walked with God "after he begot Methuselah." That means you also need to,

 

If you walk with God that means you are going at the right pace. It means you are walking at the pace God is going. The Bible says, "Can two walk together except they be agreed." It means that you are living the way God wants you to live. It means that you are on the journey, walking the way God wants you to walk.

 

As those children begin to walk, you need to be sure that they are walking at the right pace.

 

I want to give you some practical things. I want to talk to you a bit about teaching your boys and girls.

Teaching them, getting them on that right path and then getting them to go at the right pace. You have a teaching responsibility as a father. There is more to being a father than just contributing a single sperm cell. You have a responsibility to lead those boys and girls to walk with the Lord.

 

In the early years, when you teach, they may not appreciate it as much as they should. I thought this was rather cute.

"When I was four years old I thought my daddy could do anything.

When I was five I thought my dad sure knows a lot. When I was six I said my dad is smarter than your dad.

When I was eight I said my dad doesn't know exactly everything.

When I was ten I said in olden days, when my dad grew up, things were really different.

When I was twelve I said, oh well, naturally dad doesn't know anything about that. He's too old. When I was fourteen I said, don't pay any attention to my dad. He's so old fashioned.

When I was 21 I said of him, Hopelessly out of date.

When I was 25 I said dad knows a lot about it but he should, he's been around a long time.

When I was 30 I said maybe we should ask dad what he thinks. After all he's had a lot of experience. When I was 40 I said I wonder how dad would have handled it. He was so wise.

When I was 50 I said I would give anything if dad were here now so I could talk it over with him.

 

Too bad I didn't appreciate how smart he was. I could have learned a lot from him."

 

They can learn a lot from you, sir. You have a teaching responsibility. The Bible says in Ephesians

6, verse 4, "Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

 

Teach your children. Get them on the right path. Get them going at the right pace.

 

There is the matter of time. It is important to spend time with your children.

That's a big issue with most of you men sitting here. I read some time ago that the average man spends anywhere from two to four minutes a day with his children. That's not enough time. I look over this congregation and I say you need to spend more time with your children and you will all agree with me.

 

But I have discovered something about men and dads. I have discovered that in America men and dads are tired. They are physically tired. They are mentally tired. They are emotionally tired. Some of you men will get up early and go to the job. You are under tremendous pressure. You have to work early and late hours. It's hard to work in that time. But let me encourage you, men, to find some time to be with those boys and girls.

 

We all remember Jim Bakker of PTL fame. Remember he went to prison and his boy, Jamie Charles, had a hard time. He got into drugs. He got into a rebellious lifestyle.

 

After Jim Bakker went to prison, his boy, Jamie Charles, went to the prison and spent a day with his dad. At the end of the day, here's what Jamie Charles said. "Dad, this has been the best day of my life. I've spent my whole life trying to get your attention. I wanted to just spend one day with you and have you to myself."

 

Men, don't find yourself in one of life's prison houses before you realize the things that really matter in life.

 

Enoch walked with God. He got on the right path. Dad, get on the right path. Enoch walked with God. That means he went at the right pace.

Men, go at the right pace. Enoch walked with God. That means

 

 

The Bible says that he walked with God and he was not for God took him. He went to heaven without dying. He went right into glory and he never died.

 

But his son, Methuselah died, according to this passage of Scripture. Who do you think was the first person that met Methuselah when he went through the gates of glory? I have a feeling that it was Enoch. Enoch, by walking with God, had led his son to the right place.

 

Imagine for a moment that you are going to a funeral. This funeral is your funeral. What are your friends, what are your acquaintances, what are your business associates going to say about you? More important than that, what's that wife and what are those children going to say about you? Where are you leading them?

 

I read a suicide note a number of years ago written by a girl who killed herself in the airport restroom in

Chicago. She wrote a letter and expressed appreciation to her evidently godly mother. But the last sentence she wrote before she committed suicide was this. "And tell my wicked daddy I'll meet him in hell."

 

Fathers, you are leading your children somewhere. When they go through the gates of death, will you meet them in heaven or will you meet them in hell?

 

Enoch walked with God and he was not. God took him. Methuselah lived 969 years and he died. Where did he go? He went to heaven.

 

A little boy came home one Sunday morning and as some dads do, dad had stayed home to read the sports page and watch the game. The little boy came home and he was kind of fiddling around his dad's knees and trying to get his dad's attention. Dad was watching the game.

 

After a while the little fellow just jumped up in his dad's lap. Dad held him and hugged him a little bit.

Then the little boy looked at his dad and said, "Dad, guess what the Sunday school teacher asked me this morning." He didn't even take his eyes off the game.

"What did the teacher ask this morning?”

 

The little boy said, "The teacher asked when we died where did we want to go." That got the dad's attention. He looked down at the boy and said, "Son, what did you tell them?" 

 

The little boy crawled up a little closer and cupped his hands around his face and whispered in his daddy's ear, "I told my teacher when I die I want to go where my daddy goes."

 

When your children die where are they going? Sir, when you die where will you have you led them?

 

Every head bowed.