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Gen. 12:1-9
Intro.
A. On mothers’ day - discussed the mother of Samuel (Hannah); today the father of Isaac.
B. Mrs. John Bruce Dodd began the practice of honoring fathers in Spokane, Wash, 1910; it
caught on and in 1936 a National Fathers’ Day Committee was formed; celebrated third Sunday in June.
C. Abraham was chosen by God to be father of many nations (Abram - exalted father; Abraham -
father of a multitude).
1. He was chosen as father of many nations - because he was right kind of father to his own family (Gen. 18:17-19).
2. Fathers have a responsibility to sincerely try to be leaders to their families - not just in providing for material needs, but spiritual leadership.
3. Most of you never knew my Dad - maybe Billy Mikell, David Townsend, Darise McLoughlin.
4. My great-grandfather - William Lancaster Jameson (1792-1867); grandfather - John Lancaster Jamerson (he changed the spelling/was illiterate; 1863-1926); father - Lancaster John (July 16, 1892-Apr. 8, 1972). Born in Bell (grandfather in Lake Butler) - Fought in WW I (oldest brother, Charlie died in France, fm. pnemonia). farmed 40 acres belonged to him, 40 acres belonged to grandmother - considered running for sheriff of Gilchrist Co., but Dozier Browning decided to run and Daddy would not oppose him.
5. Picture him sitting on front porch - reading the large print N.T.; at night four sisters and I read the Bible, said our prayers and sang songs together (unless he pointed at one of us and everybody else stopped!). I could tell you more, but that would not be a Bible lesson - so will talk about a Bible example of a good father.
Body:
A. We remember him as a man of faith
1. Was once an idolater (Josh. 24:2,14,15).
2. His obedient faith demonstrated many times:
a. Leave homeland (Gen. 12:1)
b. Obeyed law of circumcision (Gen. 17:9-12,24)
c. Offered his son (Gen. 22; Heb. 11:17-19)
3. He was not perfect (Gen. 12:11-20; 20:1-12 - was half sister, which was wrong under the law of Moses, Lev. 18:6-9; 20:17).
4. Children need fathers who are examples of faith (not expect perfection, but consistent effort/sincere - not hypocritical).
a. Fathers who put the kingdom of God first (Mt. 6:33).
b. Do your children see you reading God’s word, hear you praying to Him, singing praises, serving in the Lord’s church?
B. He wanted children
1. He and Sarai had no children (Gen. 11:30). He asked that Eliezer - his steward/servant be his heir (Gen. 15:1-6).
2. Sarai came up with a plan to help God (Gen. 16:1-6).
3. When he was 100 and his wife 90 - God gave them a son (Gen. 17:17; 21:1-5).
a. No record of them praying like Hannah did (1 Sam. 1), but no doubt they did!
b. Children deserve to be born to parents who want them “a heritage of the Lord” (Ps.
127:3).
C. He loved his family
1. The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother! Not specifically stated, but obvious in his treatment of her.
2. God commanded and illustrated (Eph. 5:25).
3. He loved his son (Gen. 22:2) - It wasn’t Isaac God wanted - but Abraham. He had him!
4. Love - does not always mean that we give children what they want - they need to know what “no” means. Frightening thing to realize that children learn to respect the authority of God by first respecting the authority of their parents - especially their father!
D. He was influential
1. One reason he was chosen was that he might influence future generations (Gen. 18:17-19).
2. Impossible to comprehend the influence of Abraham - even today.
a. Mentioned twice in the hall of fame of faith (Heb. 11:8,17).
b. Through the seed of Abraham - Christ, we are blessed (Gal. 3:16).
c. By being in Christ - we are the seed (descendants) of Abraham (Gen. 3:29).
3. Fathers need to realize the great influence that we wield:
a. Our children will feel (generally true) about spiritual things much like we do
b. They will feel the same about family as we do.
c. Eternal destinies are involved - in our influence.
Concl.
A. Paul Harvey - “A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship in a child’s eyes. He is never quite the hero his daughter thinks. Never quite the man his son believes him to be. And this worries him sometimes. (So he works too hard to try to smooth the rough places in the road of those of his own who will follow him.) ....A father is a person who goes to war sometimes...and would run the other way except that war is part of an important job in his life (which is making the world better for his child than it has been for him)...Fathers grow older faster than other people, because they, in other wars, have to stand at the train station and wave goodbye to the uniform that climbs on board...Fathers are men who give daughters away to other men who aren’t nearly good enough, so that they can have children that are smarter than anybody’s.... ‘Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father’ (Prov. 17:6).”
B. You can have a perfect Father - if you will become a child of God (Gal. 3:26,27).
Intro.
A. On mothers’ day - discussed the mother of Samuel (Hannah); today the father of Isaac.
B. Mrs. John Bruce Dodd began the practice of honoring fathers in Spokane, Wash, 1910; it
caught on and in 1936 a National Fathers’ Day Committee was formed; celebrated third Sunday in June.
C. Abraham was chosen by God to be father of many nations (Abram - exalted father; Abraham -
father of a multitude).
1. He was chosen as father of many nations - because he was right kind of father to his own family (Gen. 18:17-19).
2. Fathers have a responsibility to sincerely try to be leaders to their families - not just in providing for material needs, but spiritual leadership.
3. Most of you never knew my Dad - maybe Billy Mikell, David Townsend, Darise McLoughlin.
4. My great-grandfather - William Lancaster Jameson (1792-1867); grandfather - John Lancaster Jamerson (he changed the spelling/was illiterate; 1863-1926); father - Lancaster John (July 16, 1892-Apr. 8, 1972). Born in Bell (grandfather in Lake Butler) - Fought in WW I (oldest brother, Charlie died in France, fm. pnemonia). farmed 40 acres belonged to him, 40 acres belonged to grandmother - considered running for sheriff of Gilchrist Co., but Dozier Browning decided to run and Daddy would not oppose him.
5. Picture him sitting on front porch - reading the large print N.T.; at night four sisters and I read the Bible, said our prayers and sang songs together (unless he pointed at one of us and everybody else stopped!). I could tell you more, but that would not be a Bible lesson - so will talk about a Bible example of a good father.
Body:
A. We remember him as a man of faith
1. Was once an idolater (Josh. 24:2,14,15).
2. His obedient faith demonstrated many times:
a. Leave homeland (Gen. 12:1)
b. Obeyed law of circumcision (Gen. 17:9-12,24)
c. Offered his son (Gen. 22; Heb. 11:17-19)
3. He was not perfect (Gen. 12:11-20; 20:1-12 - was half sister, which was wrong under the law of Moses, Lev. 18:6-9; 20:17).
4. Children need fathers who are examples of faith (not expect perfection, but consistent effort/sincere - not hypocritical).
a. Fathers who put the kingdom of God first (Mt. 6:33).
b. Do your children see you reading God’s word, hear you praying to Him, singing praises, serving in the Lord’s church?
B. He wanted children
1. He and Sarai had no children (Gen. 11:30). He asked that Eliezer - his steward/servant be his heir (Gen. 15:1-6).
2. Sarai came up with a plan to help God (Gen. 16:1-6).
3. When he was 100 and his wife 90 - God gave them a son (Gen. 17:17; 21:1-5).
a. No record of them praying like Hannah did (1 Sam. 1), but no doubt they did!
b. Children deserve to be born to parents who want them “a heritage of the Lord” (Ps.
127:3).
C. He loved his family
1. The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother! Not specifically stated, but obvious in his treatment of her.
2. God commanded and illustrated (Eph. 5:25).
3. He loved his son (Gen. 22:2) - It wasn’t Isaac God wanted - but Abraham. He had him!
4. Love - does not always mean that we give children what they want - they need to know what “no” means. Frightening thing to realize that children learn to respect the authority of God by first respecting the authority of their parents - especially their father!
D. He was influential
1. One reason he was chosen was that he might influence future generations (Gen. 18:17-19).
2. Impossible to comprehend the influence of Abraham - even today.
a. Mentioned twice in the hall of fame of faith (Heb. 11:8,17).
b. Through the seed of Abraham - Christ, we are blessed (Gal. 3:16).
c. By being in Christ - we are the seed (descendants) of Abraham (Gen. 3:29).
3. Fathers need to realize the great influence that we wield:
a. Our children will feel (generally true) about spiritual things much like we do
b. They will feel the same about family as we do.
c. Eternal destinies are involved - in our influence.
Concl.
A. Paul Harvey - “A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship in a child’s eyes. He is never quite the hero his daughter thinks. Never quite the man his son believes him to be. And this worries him sometimes. (So he works too hard to try to smooth the rough places in the road of those of his own who will follow him.) ....A father is a person who goes to war sometimes...and would run the other way except that war is part of an important job in his life (which is making the world better for his child than it has been for him)...Fathers grow older faster than other people, because they, in other wars, have to stand at the train station and wave goodbye to the uniform that climbs on board...Fathers are men who give daughters away to other men who aren’t nearly good enough, so that they can have children that are smarter than anybody’s.... ‘Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father’ (Prov. 17:6).”
B. You can have a perfect Father - if you will become a child of God (Gal. 3:26,27).