Good morning everyone. I would like to greet Happy Father’s Day to all fathers who gives sacrificially their entire life to provide, to lead and protect their family.
Today, I’m going to share with you “The Duties Of A Father” but before I proceed at first let us pray
I. TO PROVIDE THE FAMILY
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
1 Timothy 5:8
The Bible is clear that a godly father accepts his responsibility to be a provider for his family. Decent men embrace this responsibility as an honor rather than a horror.
The real father loved his own family and because he loves his own family, he will be responsible to provide his family.
WHAT DOES THE FATHER PROVIDE FOR THE FAMILY?
A. A Godly Father Provides Spiritual Needs For His Children
This is a dad who can be found conducting Bible devotional with his kids, praying with them, singing hymns and praise, and answering their questions.
Even though loving mom, a secular teacher, or a Sunday school teacher or a youth leader might help train the child, the father considers primary responsibility.
In Ephesians 6:4 we read, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
B. A Godly Father Provides For The Physical Needs Of His Children
This point may seem obvious to all of us but what I have observed in our Filipino culture was distinct because I have seen some fathers provide marijuana, rooster chicken for the cockpit event, some fathers provide cigarettes and wine for their children.
I’ve seen a lot in the street children begging food to their father but unfortunately, their father gave the opposite, instead of food they gave them rugby.
Some children in our society are reaping bad fruits due to the negligence of the father of giving an exemplary life to their children.
Before sin even entered the world, Genesis 2:15 says that “the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
Take Note of This: Work is an act of worship, and men are supposed to work and provide for their families.
C. A Godly Father Provides A Relational Needs Of His Children
A wise father brings his children into a healthy church community (Simbahan not in tigbakayan). In the New Testament, Paul often uses the representation/symbol that the church is a family by spiritual, rather than physical, birth.
This web of relationships should support the parents in their task of training and cultivating their children in the Lord. Proverbs teach that a wise father selects his friends carefully.
Proverbs 12:26 says that “the righteous chooses his friends carefully.” Additionally, Proverbs 27:10 says, “Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.”
In other words, godly friends of all ages who love God and live righteously are wonderful influences upon a child.
II. TO LEAD THE FAMILY
Father leads the family
A. By Example In Godly Living
All fathers in the world are considered as a model of their family. Children are always looking up to their fathers in a way how they should live.
For instance, If the father is used to walk diagonally because he is filled with wine the children likewise will do the same. There is a saying “ Father like son.”
I want you to listen to this. Fathers do not expect good fruit from your children if you are not living an exemplary life.
The Bible suggests that in the end, those who bring trouble on their own family will inherit nothing but disgrace.
Proverbs 11:29
Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be a servant to the wise.
There was a man named Joshua a father and leader of his family and father to his children he promised the people that he would lead a good example to his family by serving the Lord faithfully and lead his family to do the same
(Joshua 24:15, NLT)
But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Father leads the family
B. By Disciplining His children
In western culture spanking, a child will lead you to file a case called “child abuse.” But here in the Philippines is different because our culture of disciplining that we inherited from our ancestor they used to get a piece of rod or stick to be used for our wrongdoing and we do oftentimes letting us bend down our knees on the floor with salt to make us realize our faults.
Afterward, our parents would be asking us why they did that because they did not want us to be a spoiled brat or a little monster when we grow up but they wanted us to learn correction from our mistakes and uphold the principles of living a righteous and godly life.
Proverbs 23:13-14
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.
14 Punish them with the rod and save them from death.
Proverbs 13: 24 Whoever spare/give up the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.
Proverbs 3:11-12
My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, DUTIES OF A FATHER
III. TO PROTECT THE FAMILY
Every father has a responsibility to protect those who are close to us. He knew how to protect his own family from the influence of evil activity in a society.
Here are the right things to do to consider as a protector of the family
1. A father protects his spouse and children by covering a word of prayer.
As the world experiencing pandemics due to COVID 19 people are advised to wear a face mask to protect us from acquiring a disease but we should also not forget to protect our family by covering them in prayer by the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen bah!
The Bible tells us that after Job’s children gathered for feasts, Job would rise early to make a sacrifice for his children and pray for them.
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.
Job 1:5 New King James Version
So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
2. Father protects his wife and children from bullying
I’m not talking about bullying in this world but harass by the Devil
Don’t you know that Satan is bullying us by putting fear, worries, pain, and tyranny on this pandemic period? He came into this world to bully and intimidate us.
Satan was putting doubt into our mind and hearts to waver our faith in God’s faithfulness but its time to fight back using God’s Word of truth to expose him that he is a liar and Beelzebub.
We cannot control the bully of the Devil in this world, but we can patrol ourselves in feelings to avoid getting emotional. God has given us a sound mind to control our emotions.
2Timothy 1:7
New King James Version
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
God’s own people were bullied by Pharaoh in Egypt under the command of Satan for a long time of 430 years. The Lord through His mercy and grace delivered His own people from dictatorship.
We need to tear down fear, worries, pain, doubt, and oppression through the lights of God’s Word in our lives.
3. Father protects his wife and children
To wrap up this message.
As a father work faithfully to raise my children and provide for their needs, they are setting a course of life that will continue into adulthood.
Proverbs 22:6 explains it this way: “train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This is not a promise, but rather a truism: training a child in a God-ward direction sets for them a healthy course of life.
Sadly, the converse is also true: a foolish father sets his child on the path of folly, and few turns from it in repentance.
Therefore, it is very important for a wise father and mother to get their child going in the right direction and by God’s grace to help the child continue forward in wisdom and holiness.