Honouring Your Father

How to Honour Your Earthly Father

Exodus 20:12

DATE: 16 June, 2002   AM         PLACE: BBC Blarney

 

I.         Introduction (Pr 30:11; Rom 1:30; 2Tim 3:2)

 

A.      The Bible has a lot to say about honouring our parents - especially our Dads

 

1.        There is something wrong with this current generation

2.        It began in the home

3.        It has to do with lack of respect, or false respect – only putting on an act

 

B.       What is it to honour?

 

1.        To respect, and reverence someone to whom it is due

2.        Like our parents, an older person, an authority, your husband, or your wife, and most of all, like God

3.        To respect from the heart – easy to honour with lips, but not heart (Mt 15:8)

 

C.       Why are they due such honour?

 

1.        Simply, it is because God says so (Rom 13:7; Ex 20:12; Mal 1:6; Eph 6:2)

2.        It makes for order in our homes, and in society (Lev 19:32)

3.        It enables people to begin to honour God like they should! If you do not know how to honour your parents, you will never figure out how to honour God – period!

4.        AND, it makes for a long, and blessed life – one that you WANT to live

5.        It is true, that a lot of Dads are worth shooting – but God has a plan

 

D.      Let’s look deep into an example we are all familiar with and see how to rightly honour our fathers – let’s look at the prodigal son, and his father!

E.       Two thoughts:

 

1.        If your dad is gone, this message will still help you relate to your heavenly Father, and may help you relate to your Mom, or other people you should be honouring – it works all around!

2.        If you are not a parent, you will be one day – be careful not to sow what you will reap later!

3.        If you are a parent, and especially a dad, realise how much like God the Father you are to be – how unworthy we are for the task!

 

II.       Message – Honouring Your Father (Exodus 20:12)

 

A.      Listen to your Dad – seek his advice (Lk 15:11,12)

 

1.        The world says run away – ignore dad and mom as soon as you can

2.        Yet according to the Bible, God not only gives a child to his or her parents, but also GIVES PARENTS to a child – for a purpose

3.        It’s for us to learn from

 

a.       Don’t pray about anything until you first ask your parents

b.       Seek their advice, no matter how old you are, or they are

c.       It is so honouring to our parents when we come to them, and treat them with REAL respect

 

4.        Evidently, the younger son couldn’t be talked to – had his mind made up

5.        That is where stupidity starts

6.        God says we are to be good listeners (Pr 1:5,; 12:1; 15:5; 23:22; Jam 1:19)

7.        Consider what your Dad has to say

 

a.       Just by listening you may earn the right to be heard – this is very important so that you can give him the gospel one day!

b.       You MAY actually LEARN something you never knew!

c.       God will work through unsaved authority

 

1)       King Nebuchadnezzar

2)       My Dad

 

B.       Learn from Him – He probably has more intelligence than you (15:17)

 

1.        Even most dead-beat dads can be learned from in some way

2.        They probably were told much of their lives “they would only be trouble someday” – and so they were!

3.        They probably are good at

 

a.       Fixing cars

b.       Working with their hands

c.       Fixing messed up gardens

 

4.        But nobody ever bothered to see what their dad could teach them

5.        This prodigal son ignored the great resource of his dad – thought the world could teach him better, faster, greater

 

C.       Lower Yourself – humble yourself – it’s not a fight you are in when you are in a family – most dads are NOT against their kids (15:13-20)

 

1.        It took a lot of humble pie to get him to go back home

2.        This prodigal son got himself into trouble with

 

a.       Pride in his abilities – he was a novice

b.       Rebellion against Godly authority over his life!!!

 

3.        He was now repenting and going back to where he lost it all to begin with

 

a.       He didn’t lose everything in the parties and gambling

b.       He lost everything the moment he decided to leave his home and family and father especially!

 

4.        When this young man lowered himself, he REALLY lowered himself

 

a.       I have done sinfully – not just wrongly

b.       I am unworthy – asking for mercy and grace

c.       Not demanding anything anymore (Cf 15:12)

 

5.        A father is greatly honoured when his son, or daughter takes their place

 

a.       A God ordained place – as a son, not the boss

b.       Birth order is important – under his older brother

c.       God is a God of order

d.       There is no honour in a home out of order!

 

D.      Love your Father (15:20,24)

 

1.        This son had been in the fanciest parties, and had bought the best of entertainment, but none of it compared to that hug!

2.        Now that he was home, it wasn’t out of order to hug his dad

 

a.       Don’t wait till Dad is in a coffin

b.       Don’t wait to say I love you Dad

 

3.        Now that he was home, it wasn’t wrong to cry with him out of joy

4.        Tell your Dad often that you love him

5.        Tell him WHY you love him

 

a.       Because he is your Dad

b.       Because God taught you finally how to love with Jesus

c.       I don’t care WHAT your daddy is like – LOVE HIM!

 

1)       God commanded it without exception

2)       That doesn’t mean you have to do everything he says, and praise him for every wicked thing he may get up to

3)       But you CAN love him

 

d.       Why DON’T people love their Dads? If you can’t love your Dad, you need to repent, and get your heart right with God!

 

1)       Because they can’t forgive them (Lk 23:34)

2)       Because they don’t know them – maybe too busy, or left them

3)       Because they DO know them too well (see Pr 19:11; Mt 5:44,45; 18:21,22)

4)       Because the love of God is not in their hearts (Rom 5:5)

 

E.       Lift Him – Encourage Him (15:21)

 

1.        Everybody needs some encouragement – especially Dads today

 

a.       TV portrays Dads as dim-wits, animals, stupid, ugly, numb to the world around them – affects how we see them!

b.       Music is only about boyfriends, and living together – no families

 

2.        If you have a Dad at home – thank him for being there

3.        If you have a dad that is saved – thank God for such a rare treasure

4.        If you have a godly Dad that is saved, and leading your home – get up on the roof and dance for joy praising God for such a miracle!

5.        Be a blessing specifically to him – how?

 

a.       Tell the truth to him always – you own him that

b.       Find something that you can praise your Dad about - Tell your Dad you think he is the greatest – believe it too

c.       Come home – don’t ignore your family

 

1)       Not for you to just come for your dinners and clothes

2)       Come home to be with and to love on your Dad specifically – just want to be with him

 

F.       Look after (Protect) what you have (15:22-24)

                                                                                              

1.        What you have may not be around always

2.        Three important things about the prodigal son

 

a.       He had the chance to go home – could have died before making it

b.       He had a home to go back to – some relationships are so ruined that there is no way back (too much pain) – yet the blood of Jesus can purge out every bitter memory

c.       His dad was still there – time is against us – his dad could have died in the years that the son was gone

 

3.        The things that drove the son from the father were never going to be allowed to creep in again:

 

a.       The glitter of the world – the lure and attraction

b.       The attitudes of the world – against parents and authority and home

c.       The discontent in the son’s heart – never would listen to them again

d.       The humiliation of being the younger son – he was just glad to be a son, with a dad at home to love and hug and follow!

 

III.     Conclusion

 

A.      All of this matches our relationship with God the Father

 

1.        We all were like the prodigal – running from God – are you home yet?

2.        Even after we are born again, we sometimes get like the prodigal again

 

B.       But here on Father’s Day, we need to repair some relationships at home, by:

 

1.        Listen to your Dad – seek his advice (Lk 15:11,12)

2.        Learn from Him – He probably has more intelligence than you (15:17)

3.        Lower Yourself – humble yourself – it’s not a fight you are in when you are in a family – most dads are NOT against their kids (15:13-20)

4.        Love your Father (15:20,24)  don’t’ wait – tell him you love him

5.        Lift Him – Encourage Him (15:21)

6.        Look after (Protect) what you have (15:22-24)