Grace Awakening

ABRAHAM AS A GREAT FATHER. FINDING A BAD FATHER IS NOT HARD. – 1 Kings 22:52; the men of Israel, Psa. 78:8, 78:57, Jer. 9:14. These Scriptures, along with many others, give glaring proof that there are bad fathers all about. In our day, the bad father is not hard to find. They are everywhere. However, finding that man who stands out as an example of what a good father ought to be is a hard animal to track down. GOD DECLARED ABRAHAM AS GOOD FATHER. About 3,500 years ago, God looked down on Abraham and declared him to be a good father. If a person will take the time to look at the life of Abraham, the reasons for this glowing assessment become abundantly clear. Today, we are going to look at Abraham’s life and see God’s idea of what makes a great father. GOD’S PLAN FOR ABRAHAM A Great Dad Is A Man Who: IS IN LINE WITH GOD’S PLAN God’s call on the life of Abraham. He is called, at the age of 75, to leave behind home and family and set out for God, Gen. 12:1. As far as we know, there was no hesitation on the part of Abraham. He simply responded in faith to God and set out to follow Him. Abraham’s call was to be the Father of a great nation, Gen. 12:2. Abraham answered that call and followed the Lord. ABRAHAM WAS A MAN OF PRAYER. A MAN OF PRAYER Abraham was a man of prayer. This is seen in that every time Abraham moved, he erected an altar to God and there he sacrificed and prayed, Gen. 12:8; 13:4; 21:33. He prayed about many things, such as the impending demise of Sodom and Gomorrah, Gen. 18, but he also prayed about his children. AS A FATHER ARE YOU PRAYING FOR YOUR CHILDREN DAILY? He prayed about God’s promise of a son – Gen. 15:1-6 He prayed for the welfare of Ishmael – Gen. 17:18 There is, to my mind, no greater blessing that a child can have than to know that their father is praying for them! Fathers should make it a practice to pray for the children daily. Pray for their salvation, their protection, pray for them that they will be used of the Lord for His glory. Whatever the object, just be sure to pray for them daily! Let them know you are praying for them too! IS A MAN OF GREAT PERSUASION Of all Abraham’s accomplishments and achievements, his faith stands head and shoulders above the rest. Abraham is chronicled in the bible as a man of faith. In Gen. 15:6, the Bible says, "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." In Hebrews 11:8-11, 17, the writer stresses the faith of Abraham. Abraham’s faith was that which made him a child of the King, Rom. 4:22. He was persuaded that God’s way was above any other way. ARE WE REALLY A GREAT DAD? SUICIDE STORY. The father gave his son everything he wanted. He became a great doctor. Highly educated in this field. But the only one thing he failed to do is to spend time with his son and guide him in the things of God. This young son of his fell in love with a girl and happened to be his friend also fell in love with the same girl. He committed suicide. The father said I gave everything hoping everything will be okay. But what has happened? ASK,THIS QUESTION ARE YOU A GOOD FATHER? Men need to be aware that what our children see us do, they are apt to do as well. ( An old anti-smoking commercial from the 60’s showed a father and a son walking together. The father picked up a rock and threw it, the son did the same thing. The father whistled the son copied him. The father fished a cigarette from a pack and lit it up and began to smoke. The commercial ended with the boy looking from the father to a cigarette pack he found in the road. The message was crystal clear; what our children learn from dad, they will replay in their own lives!) ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A BAD FATHER. A man in Chicago made it a practice to stop in the bar for a drink or two on his way to work. One morning as he walked toward the bar in the newly fallen snow, he heard a small voice behind him saying, "Daddy, I'm A' coming in your steps". It was the voice of his young son as he tried to place his feet in his dad's footprints in the snow. The man cried out to the Lord: "Oh, God, if my boy is coming in my steps, by Your help, I'll track them in another direction." Dad put God first. Matthew 6:33 New King James Version (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Dad are you seeking God? Is your Child looking at you as Godly Father? Do you want your Child to be a great woman or man of God? Do you want to have Godly children and grand children? Well start now. Do not regret later. You will see your Children’s children blessed. Abraham was a man who enjoyed the great and abundant blessings of the Lord. God blessed him in many ways, including: Being the father of Israel from which came the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. He blessed him with a land called Canaan which became his and his descendants forever. 3. He blessed him with a son named Isaac to whom Abraham passed along the blessings of the Lord. Gen. 25:5, "And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac." That one verse tells it all! He received from the Lord and passed it along to the next generation. Isaac was blessed to have a father like Abraham in his life! ABRAHAM WAS MAN WITH A GRACIOUS PERSONALITY The incident which occurred between the herdsmen of Abraham and those of Lot, Gen. 13. Abraham was willing to allow Lot to take his choice of the land and Abraham would be content with whatever was left over. In chapter 21, there was a conflict between Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael. Again, Abraham displayed a gracious spirit and in spite of what were very difficult circumstances, he sought to be kind and generous to everyone involved, Gen. 21:14. James 3:23 James 2:23 New King James Version (NKJV) 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”[ And he was called the friend of God. Few men have ever reached the spiritual stature of this great man. However, men in our day could be more like him, and we could possess these qualities that he possessed if we would only allow the Lord to have His way and work His will in our lives! Let’s face it, we need godly fathers and men who will mold small lives into great ones for the Kingdom. We need men who will change society by giving the next generation great examples to imitate. Close: Are you what God wants you to be today? When we are the men we can be, our children will become the children they should be. They will be a blessing and the Lord for His glory will use them. They will be like this little boy who walked by his father and said, ""Papa, when you go to heaven, will you take me with you?" "Why, son?" the father replied. "Cause I want to go with you" was the child's simple, earnest reply. He loved his father, respected him and wanted to spend his life with him. That kind of love and respect is earned! It is not bought nor is it natural. It is the result of a father or a man who invests his life in the lives of children! I