Scripture Passages: Ephesians 5: 28 - 6: 4 & Exodus 3: 1-10 Sermon: “Doing As Father Does” 1. Fathers have taken a real beating of late. So many stories of dead-beat dads who refuse to be there for their children, financially, let alone in person. Many others are accused of being abusive, neglectful, unapproachable, aloof, stiff, and just plain unloving and uncaring. Today, however, I want to lift up the fathers who are doing their best to do it right. I want to lift up the ones who hate missing a child’s ball game for any reason. I want to lift up the dads who are glad to sit down and talk to six year olds and teenagers and find out what kind of day it’s been and what worries are on their minds. I also want to lift up those fathers who are trying to make amends for the times when they know they should have been there and weren’t. I spoke with one retired pastor and asked what he was doing in retirement to keep himself busy. “I’m making up for lost time,” he answered. “I’m spending the time with my kids that I should have been spending with them when they were little.” OK, so he wasn’t there when he should have been. How about a little credit for his having realized his mistake and his willingness to do what he could to make up for it. I want to lift up today the dads who are doing their best to do it right. 2. I also want to stick up for another father, our heavenly Father, who is also accused of being uncaring and missing when needed. People pray and don’t get instant responses and wonder if God cares. Yet, Scripture is full of stories to remind us of just how much He does care. When He tells Moses at the burning bush that He knows the plight of the slaves of Egypt, He is saying that He knows intimately. It means that every time the guard’s whip came down across another slave’s shoulder, God felt it too. God says He has come to get them out of there. He’s the ultimate SWAT team, ready to do all that is necessary to bring them relief and release. He loves us, and He understands and feels our hurts. He is no stranger and He certainly isn’t aloof. He’s the great Protector of His children. If our earthly dads could just look at the stories and do what our heavenly Father does for us, there would be no such thing as dead-beat dads. To all those dad who are doing their best, we say with gratitude, Happy Father’s Day! Amen.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 02:21:00 +0000
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