Mark 9:14-27
Dad’s Duties

There are several texts that I find myself during to regularly. When
I think of fathers, I turn to this text because it so clearly
illustrates the role of a father.  A father, like everyone else, has
many hats.  As we celebrate Father’s Day today, let’s consider that
topic.

I. The father is the provider.
    A. I believe this is probably the most universally accepted role
        of the father.
    B. However, by using the term "provider," I do not mean just of
        money.
        1. Wisdom
            a. Of all the things the father provides to his family,
                this is the one the Bible emphasizes the most.
            b. The whole Book of Proverbs was written to help get
                this truth across

Proverbs 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of thy
father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

            c. Wisdom is not just advice.
                (1) Wisdom is perspective. It is seeing things as God
                     sees things.
                (2) While nothing gives wisdom like the Bible, it
                     does every young person good to see wisdom acted
                     out in life.
                (3) The best people to do that are a child’s mother
                     and father.
        2. Truth
            a. Truth and wisdom are different.
            b. Truth is the honest facts.
            c. Our society proves the adage - "If you tell a lie
                often enough, people will believe it."
            d. Our world is filled with liars today.
                (1) Politicians, educational leaders, news reporters,
                     news anchors, and preachers overall are a
                     dishonest lot.
                (2) They have spoken their lies so often, many
                     believe them.
                     (a) They have told us there is no God and man is
                          an evolved animal.
                     (b) Spanking is abuse and homosexuality is in the
                          genes.
                     (c) Recreational sex, recreation drugs, and
                          recreational drinking are all all right.
                     (d) There are multiple ways to heaven.
            e. Dads, we must (1) Do the research and second (2) Give
                our children the guidance they need.
        3. Counsel
            a. Counsel is the application of truth.
            b. Life is made up of the decisions.
            c. A life of bad decisions will produce a bad life.
                (1) Fathers, our children need to know more than
                     Hunting, football, and sports.
                (2) Mothers, they need more than chores and studies.
                (3) Parents, they need more than education and making
                     a living.
                (4) They need to know how to make a life.
            d. Being able to give someone the counsel to make the
                right decisions is important.
            e. It will come out of the overflow of your own wisdom
                and knowledge.
        4. Correction
            a. This is our least favorite role, but it is important.

Proverbs 23:13  Withhold not correction from the
child…

            b. Within our means of correction is spanking.
                (1) Spanking is not the first tool for correcting,
                     but it is necessary.
                (2) Verse:

Proverbs 13:24  He that spareth his rod hateth
his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him
betimes.

        5. Kindness

Psalm 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his
children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

            a. Strong defines the word "pity" as MERCY, COMPASSION,
                LOVE.
            b. I continue to preach that men and women are different
                and have different roles.
                (1) Even the way men and women love is different.
                (2) Women have a gentler love, a more lenient love,
                     a more forgiving love.
                (3) Men have a tougher love, a more accountable love,
                     a more responsible love.
                (4) Together, a mother and father can teach their
                     children the whole spectrum of love.
            c. Sadly, some men never catch the importance of tender
                love.
                (1) They only learn and teach their children the
                     toughness, the accountability, the
                     responsibility of love.
                (2) These kind of lessons learned without tender love
                     can make some good workers, employers, and
                     citizens but they also make some hard-hearted
                     adults.
        6. Protection

Matthew 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman
of the house had known in what watch the thief
would come, he would have watched, and would not
have suffered his house to be broken up.

            a. One of the roles men take the most serious is that of
                protector, and it becomes increasingly evident that
                protection is needed in today’s world.
            b. But the greatest danger is not from vandals or
                marauders.
            c. The greater threat is from the spiritual thief, Satan,
                who desires to steal the soul of your loved ones
                while he ruins their life.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to
steal, and to kill, and to destroy….

           d. Have you safe guarded your children’s soul?
           e. Have you safe guarded your children’s life?
               (1) Have your children been robbed by drugs, gangs,
                    sex, violence, alcohol, tobacco, vice, greed.
                    lust, anger?
               (2) Have they lost their purpose, purity, reasoning,
                    innocence, health, will?
               (3) Fathers, it makes no sense to pat ourselves on the
                    back about being armed and ready to protect our
                    children from some puny man while we are letting
                    the devil pillage our home at will.
            f. Fathers, we need to get our children to Jesus for the
                preservation of both their soul and their lives.
        7. Needs
            a. There is no doubt that a father is to supply the
                material needs of the family.

1Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own,
and specially for those of his own house, he
hath denied the faith, and is worse than an
infidel.

            b. Because of sin, doing so takes up most of our time.

Genesis 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou
hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and
hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded
thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed
is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou
eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth
to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the
field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,
till thou return unto the ground; for out of it
wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust
shalt thou return.

            c. Just don’t let it take all of your time.
                (1) A full belly and an empty heart is a bad
                     combination.
                (2) You’ll end up with an x-wife who has custody of
                     your children and your riches.
        8. A father provides help.
            a. This is a big hat to wear.  Dads are supposed to be
                able to fix anything.
            b. Moms kiss the bruises, but dads fixes the things that
                are broken.
            c. Dads, be careful that we are the ones who fix the
                life’s broken things not the ones who break life’s
                things.

II. But every father has limits.
    A. The text demonstrated that.
        1. This man’s son was sick and the father wanted to fix it….
        2. But he could not.
    B. Every father has limits.
        1. Even if he is good at several of the father’s
            responsibilities, he is likely to fall short in some of
            the others.
        2. Then there are those things, like this father, in which a
            father simply has no control.
    C. Even though this father was limited, he was not useless.
    D. He knew God.

III. A father who knows God is the best father a child will ever
      have.
    A. I am still speaking of what this text demonstrates as the role
        of the father.
        1. Fathers should provide wisdom.
        2. Fathers should provide truth.
        3. Fathers should provide counsel.
        4. Fathers should provide correction.
        5. Fathers should provide kindness.
        6. Fathers should provide protection.
        7. Fathers should provide the needs.
        8. Fathers should provide help.
    B. If a father knows God, he can get the help that other cannot.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.

    C. To get this kind of help means a man must have three things.
        1. He must have the knowledge of who God is.  There are many
            doors with herolds who claim their door is the right
            door.
            a. There is one doors whose herold claims there is not
                God.
            b. There are many doors each with their own herolds who
                claim their doors are the right doors.
            c. There are even some herolds who claim they are the
                right door.
            d. I stand as one in an army of decreasing herolds to say
                that Jesus is the only Door.
            e. Do you research, Dad.  I have no fear that you will
                ccme to the same conclusions as I.  But hurry.  Your
                children will grow up quickly and you will lose the
                opportunity to guide them.
        2. He must have the key to knowing God.
            a. It is not just a matter of finding the right door.
                There is also the matter of opening the Door.
            b. There is one key with two sides: faith and repentance.
        3. He must have some experience in opening that door.  When
            we need help, we won’t have time to find the right door,
            let alone the key to open the door and the time to figure
            out how the key works.  We need that right now.

Dads, don’t take my word for it.  Do your own research.  I have not
fear that you will come to the same conclusions that I have.  There
is a God.  Jesus is the Door.  Faith and obedience is the key.  And
you and I need to get into His presence today and take our children
with us.

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