Happy Father's Day!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

"The Influence of a Father"
Sermon by Bro. Rick Taylor

Fathers have a profound influence on the family, therefore they have a profound influence on the church. And because they have a profound influence on the church, they have a profound influence on God's kingdom - as designed by God.

"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Joshua 24:14-24

Joshua's Instruction -

1. Fear the Lord (verse 14) "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7
2. Serve the Lord - Joshua instructed the people to serve God in sincerity and truth. In this verse, sincerity means entirely and wholly. Truth means faithful and stable. In other words, we should give God our all, ALL the time!
3. Put away false gods - Here, Joshua was instructing the children of Israel to put away the Egyptian influence and to beware of the influences of the world. He knew that the people of the world were going to try to influence the children of Israel to stray from serving God, and he wanted to make sure that they didn't allow themselves to be easily influenced.

Joshua's Intentions -

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 (KJV, emphasis added)

Joshua was the leader of his household and he made sure that his home and family were in the right spiritual condition, just as a father should. He knew that he had taught his family how they should live. He was confident that his family knew God and would serve Him. Joshua understood the influence he had on his family as the spiritual leader of their home, and he did not take his position lightly.

The People's Intentions -

1. They intended to serve God - "And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods; For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed: And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God... And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey." Joshua 24:16-18, 24
2. They forgot their good intentions - "And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel." Judges 2:10

Why did they turn from God? Because of the influence of their fathers:

Their fathers were disobedient

Check out Judges 1:21-36. God had instructed the children of Israel to go into the promised land and destroy all that lived there and take the land for their own. He did not want them to cohabitate with Canaanites because He did not want them to be influenced to sin against Him. But the Israelites did not obey God. They didn't drive the Canaanites out of the land and lived among them. In Judges 2:1-4, God sends the angel of the Lord to rebuke and warn the children of Israel -

"And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept."

As a father (or mother, or big sister, or mentor), the decisions you make effect the future generations. How are you influencing the future?