Father: Leader of the Band

What is God's design closely to Adrian Rogers on a whole is to be the music in the loop of laughter there is to be lullabies and melodies and the entire home is to be a set pray but I want to tell you, my dear friend that the father is the leader of the band welcome to love worth finding featuring the dynamic lessons claim, pastor and Bible teacher Adrian Rogers as we just heard from Pastor Rogers there is to be harmony in the home entire household is to be a symphony of praise worship and by God's design father is the leader of the band. Perhaps the most difficult and rewarding role.

A man could ever commit to his being a good dad. God's word gives five ways we can be the kind of fathers that God wants us to be. If you have your Bible turned out to Psalm chapter 128 as Adrian Rogers delivers an inspiring message. Father leader of the band about fellows listen to me, it is difficult to be a good man even more difficult to be a good husband but most difficult of all, and I think you would have to agree.

If you think about it is to be a good dad and yet most important of all this to be a good dad.

May I tell you that this Psalm tells you how you can be a good dad and a happy dad. Notice had begins blessed you see that you see the word blessed the Lord blessed there. In the Hebrew language is in the plural. It literally means, and I guess our best translation award blessed would be happy and it's not what he is talking to you about is how to have double joy blessed blessed happy happy.

But my dear friend if you don't do what's in this Psalm you're going to have double trouble. So if you like double joy if you'd like to be that kind of an dad that the Bible says, you ought to be and need to be.

I want you to tune in. Because I'm going to give you from this Psalm. Five ways that you can be that kind of a dad that you ought to be. First of all I want you to see the character that he lives the character that he lives. Notice in verse one Blessed is everyone doubly happy. Is everyone that what that fear with little or bad thing his way prime requisite for being a good dad is to fear God and to be happy is to fear God by many formulas for happiness. Would you think would begin this way.

Fear God. Most people think will happen is come from marriage or money on materialism are famous access our fitness.

But the Bible says happy is the man that fear the Lord. Now that doesn't mean there is read of God. I don't know the fear of God is pure and clean the fear of the Lord is just simply love on his knees, the one who loves God the best fears God the most and Anna good dad is to have a character so that he fears God and as a result of fearing God. He walks in the way of God. He shows it by the way that he led my dads are you listening dads.

There is nothing more important than your integrity you might fail in a lot of different ways but all if you just simply fear God and live with in integrity. You see, you cannot teach what you do not know you cannot come from where you fit in. You cannot give what you do not have. You must fear God you must walk in integrity what you want to be remembered for.

I was thinking as I was preparing the sermon what will my children remember me for first I thought they'll remember my sermons. Then I laughed. I can even remember and I don't remember my sermons do what I will my kids remember me for I want them to say my dad feared God, my dad and Walt in the ways of God.

That's what I want to be remembered for our first son was born.

Joyce and I were in school. I was working my way through school and we were living from hand to mouth, and I mean it was God's hand mouse.

It was so difficult and we plan to have a son while we were married. We had several children while we were going to school and we planned. I will plan to have a child and plan have a son, but was a silence. We just did it. We would've been happy with the daughter I have now five children.

We have one little boy in heaven would have two sons and two daughters, but our first son was named Steve and when that night when Joyce gave me that elbow.

I don't know why they always come in the middle of the night. She said Adrian I think it's time while I am telling you I had played football and on some other things but I was scared to death my heart with hope and she said Adrian are supposed to call the doctor and telling that we own our way and we live in a little house trailer folks.

We didn't have a telephone. We didn't even have a bathroom in that little house trailer we had a we had to go to the communal bass player and so I went out to the communal hall there use the phone. It was about two in the morning and it was locked so dear God, he can be long. I mean, I've got to use the phone. I this is an emergency. I went to my car and got a tire iron pried open the window and I support I get caught doing this. I'm in real trouble, but I mean this is an emergency and then I dived in the window and banged my shins and fell on the floor and ran to the phone and it was a payphone I didn't have anything God when I went back in the house looking for a nickel and back again and with nervous fingers and finally told Doc that's a doctor we're on our way. I remember waiting out there and having my way with matches by myself.

There after while they came in they said you got a son, and I remember seeing my wife and that boy as they wheeled past me and I looked at my own flesh and blood. I went back to that little house trailer got on my knees and I prayed like this I said Lord if I'm never preaching good sir if I'm ever faster, a significant church by never have any possessions. That's not the important thing will God.

I pray that this will will know that is Jesus.

I want my children to think that Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, with Jesse James voice compared to their dad, I want to believe in the God that I fear I will tell you something bad and being a dad is character that he live in integrity integrity. My kids know I have faults. I have a lot of men I could stand up and say dad has faults about the one thing they will do this in my dad's were you. My dad is honest. My dad loves God. I know that say that my dear friend, your children, meeting dad that fears God but dad walks with integrity now. Secondly, I want you to see not only the character that he lives, but the contentment that he learns look, if you will, in verse two for thou shalt eat the labor of buying hand happy.

Shalt thou be and it shall be well with the BC it happened BC as well.

Speaking of contentment.

He's talking here about a workingman goes out and laborers, and no matter what his labor may be whether he works from the neck up from the neck down.

He is a laboring man and he comes home, and each the fruit of his labor. There's something very wonderful about honest work.

There's something very wonderful about providing for your family and coming home and enjoying what God has given, and God has a way of taking care of the godly. You know the Bible says in first Timothy chapter 6 verse six for godliness with contentment is great gain. You know problem many dads they just simply not content. There's never enough these making 25,000.

He wants to make 35,000 making 35,000.

He wants to make 50,000 making 50,000 will 75,000 75,000 150,000 is never satisfied. They just simply come home and be happy with his family is always earning a living and forgetting to live a life by Jim Joyce and I we've had some heart aches without a lot of heart aches. We had a little boy did I and he died. One of those deaths right before that little boy had died.

We just moved our first church out of seminary and bought a few hundred dollars worth of furniture. We men weld our pharmacy could hardly call it furniture. While we were going through school and we had bought a little couch and low coffee table and I was grateful for when that little boy died.

I member coming back to that little house and looking at that furniture and when I looked at it, it would've had to have have improved to been counted worthy to be called junk. I will be honest I want to document it was nice nice piece of furniture. But I thought I thought how soon and Shaklee's is that Chuck compared to my baby boy compared to my baby boy and I think at that time I had remind myself about it from time to time but II saw that time. How absolutely all the things of this world in comparison to the things that really count. I'm not against having nice things I want nice things and I hope you have nice things when Joyce and I made up my mind. Then, and we discussed it with one another made about that we would never get upset over the loss of anything material and that we would never truly own anything that we may have title to and someone may say that yours. But we made up my mind that it is not ours.

We are only stewards and their friend that has given us a freedom and liberty and life not to own anything you see lesson is a an ideal band number one there is my dear friend, the character that he lives and number two the contentment that he learns and then number three look at it here companion that he loves look in verse three by wife shall be as a fruitful line by the sides of the line house wife like a fruitful line know what does a line do well Levine just grows up the wool and it is fruitful. It breaks out in clusters of grapes and God describes a wife this way as a fruitful vine that means she is a faithful wife because she clings to him just like a vine clings to wall. He is her support and by the way a husband is to be told wife what a wall is to align.

He is to be the support he is to me the strength that a rocklike strength and she's to have that tenderness and she's to put on her tendrils had she is to cling to him. She is to be a faithful wife and she's to be a fruitful one is that characterize your wife by the way, the next time you criticize your wife's judgment. Remember she married you a faithful wife playing husband P strong subplot and a fruitful life. That's what this verse three says, by the way, my dear friend.

Thank God for children Bible says just looking for some before this one here in Psalm 128. Look at your will.

In Psalm 127 verse three low children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward, and then verse 128 verse three and by wife shall be as a fruitful line.

These these two Psalms are put side-by-side the Psalms on the home and what they tell us my friend. The children are not a burden. Children are a blessing. I've been impressed today that those who mostly should be having children. The ones who mostly not having children and the reason that a lot of our young yuppies don't have children today.

Is there trying to accumulate and they read all these things in good housekeeping and so for how much it cost to rear child how much it cost to put one in college and this in Latin friend. It does cost a lot when you're looking at a guy suffering from mild tuition. It does cost a lot but let me tell you something. The Bible says that children the heritage of the Lord, that you well. Much of my job is not your car that's not your well.

People say well children make a rich man, poor no they make a poor man rich rich man can take his money to heaven.

I'm taking all my children to heaven is a children all the heritage of the Lord. And so here's a faithful father not only is the character that he lives in the contentment that he learns but the wife that he love us. She's like a fruitful vine a faithful wife and a fruitful wife, and then number for the children that he leads the children that he leads look in verse three again and I children like all of plants corralled about by table children.

Like all of plants did you know that the all of it is a symbol in the Bible of fruitfulness and righteousness Psalm 52 verse eight. Put that in the margin. There they psalmist said, but I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.

I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever you want your children to be like green olive trees and the house of God, trusting in the mercy of God.

That's what is talking about like olive trees. Now let me take something bad, listen to me. Your wife is like a vine. Your children are like all of plants. What is that tell you will think both must be cultivated. That's what I mean if they're not like sticks and stones like a vine, like all of us like a plan.

Why is the day that understands, therefore, that it is his duty and privilege to cultivate his wife's love and her needs and cultivate his children and their needs. Below what the curse today is it's not juvenile delinquency is not a generation gap out to you my dear friend what the curse of today is, it is not primarily working mothers. It is not the feminist movement we guys would like to show the blame away mate. What the 20th century curse is it is draw out dad's. It is draw out dad and his absentee dad let me take the affect is going to have on your daughter for a while. She's going to find it difficult to trust her heavenly father because she's going to think of her heavenly father in terms of her own father one last thing I want you to see not only the children that he leads. But I want you to see my dear friend, the contribution that he leaves the contribution that he leaves. Look, if you will, in verses four and following behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that fear of the Lord. Oh, what a blessing this is shall a man be blessed that their Lord, the Lord shall bless the out of Zion. Thou shall see the good of Jerusalem, all the days of thy life.

Yay thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon his room home. What a blessing that would be your children's children and grandchildren serving the Lord. This a pastor. I just feel so in an adequate will so to live friend by some reason. I'm glad for the Psalm just above this one.

Psalm 127 verse one that says except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it here so you can't do, God will do it and he'll do it in you. Listen folks, I don't know what kind of family you came from. I don't know what your background is there so many you were raised in a home with her was child abuse you were raised in a home with her was drunkenness you were raised in a home with her was greed and selfishness that many of you sitting here say.

I'd give anything I'm in your grown people in my bed. Just put his arms around my neck and tell me he loves me. I mean just that my dad would tell me he loved me well is supposed to know I love them the deepest need of your heart is for dad just a hug and say hi except for your good. II prove you but you like that and maybe have a dad like that but you listen to me, my dear friend somebody has to break the cycle. You can't do anything about your ancestors but you can certainly do something about your to send.

I mean, you can say maybe I didn't have that kind of home but thank God I got to church and I got a pastor and I've got the word of God and I can break the cycle and the Bible says in verse six I'll see my children. That is, I'm noticing a piece of God upon my children's children.

If you start in time. One father said if I had to do all over again. Here's what I do. I love my wife more in front of my children. I laughed with my children more at our mistakes and our joys I'd listen more, even to the youngest child, I'd be more honest about my own weaknesses and stop pretending perfection. I would pray differently for my children instead of focusing on them. I'd focus on the I would do more things with my children.

I would be more encouraging and bestow more praise I would pay more attention to little things, deeds and words of love and kindness.

And finally, if I had to do all over again, I'd share God more intimately with my family.

I would use every ordinary thing that happened in every ordinary day to point them to God. Dad's if there's going to be the music of marriage. You don't have to see to it that God is made you the leader of the band list. Father God I spoke in my own heart. Now I Lord I pray that you will bring this message home not only to me but to us. God give us better fathers. In Jesus name. What a powerful convicting message to dwell on today. You know I love worth finding. It's a great honor that we have come alongside, you would pray with you and for you.

Maybe dad today. You're really struggling in some area. If you can go to our homepage LWF.org/radio and scroll down to our prayer wall to find the option there to submit a prayer request or pray for others. This resource is one of our favorite ways to keep the ministry and the community praying continually for one another's needs.

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