The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder Lasser Bradley Jr. Please get Thousand tongues to see my great redeem. It must Bye. The glories of my government. The triumphs of his This is LaSerre Bradley Jr., inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace.
Children. Our heavenly Father save me. The ears was ungathered. Nesting bird or A star in heaven, such a refuge was given. Oh.
It's all No. What's in the new My ration is all. Oh yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
All the red links he spent in his mind. Yeah. Armsy bears. Neither I draw That's all. From the Lord, His children sever unto them His grace be sure.
And their sorrow's all. He knows. No We give breath for each day. Make them thought you should. Fred, therefore, since It is a love.
Loving purpose holy to preserve. Yeah. And pure and glory. We continue the message today entitled Fathers Who Give Hope. The text is Colossians chapter three, verse twenty one.
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
so in contrast to discouraging them, a godly Father will give hope. What should be the motive of the father we have already considered? and then ways that fathers can cause their children to become discouraged, obviously something that they want to avoid. and then we'll be talking about how the father does in fact Give hope. And then, if he's going to be reflecting the character of God.
not only consider the fact that God is love and he therefore is to be full of God's love and display that in his life and in his relationship with his children, but to consider that God is the God of hope.
So we're talking about fathers who give hope. If you understand that God is the God of hope, He's the source of hope, even when discouragements come, when difficulties have made life extremely challenging. You're not hopeless. You have hope because you know with God all things are possible. That God gives hope even in our darkest moments.
And so as you reflect Your relationship with your Heavenly Father, with God who is the God of hope. You're going to be positive. Optimistic. I'm not talking about being unrealistic, as some may be. I'm talking about Coming forward with a positive outlook, no matter what the troubles may be that are going on in the political world, no matter how much violence there may be in the world around us.
There is hope because our hope is in God.
Now you want to also Demonstrate that your hope As a father, is not in money. Not in success. If your child observes you today, fathers, what would be their reaction? If we were to inquire of them, What do you see in your father? You see that his focus is mainly on his job.
on making money. If a talks to us at all as a family. It's about some of his frustrations at work or maybe some of his successes. And his hope obviously is based on some things that are quickly fading. want to display the fact that Your hope.
is in the living God. And then again, God is described as the God of comfort. And sometimes it's necessary for fathers to be able to give comfort to their children. We think particularly of mothers. filling that role, but there's a place for fathers also.
To give comfort to their children in times that the children are encountering challenges and difficulties. And then To find our joy. In God. Psalm Four. Verses 7 and 8.
Thou hast put gladness, that is, joy, in my heart. more than in the time that corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for Thou, Lord only, makest me dwell in safety. The sound was just saying, The joy that I have in my heart is not that which comes from the reaping of a harvest, but it comes from God. Philippians 4:4 says to rejoice always in the Lord.
And again, I say, rejoice. Is it clearly seen? By your children. that you find joy in the Lord. That he is the source of the joy.
that you have which is lasting. It doesn't fade away because the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And so by setting an example in a godly walk. Let's go back in this third chapter of the book of Colossians And see how many things precede this exhortation. for fathers.
Not to fail their children. Not to provoke them to anger, but to give them courage. We begin with verse 12. Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved vows of mercies. kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering.
All right, here are some things that ought to be displayed in the life of every Christian. But if you want to be a father, who gives hope which is here expected of you in our text. You want to be one? who is full of mercy. Kindness.
You want to have a humble spirit. You want to be meek?
Now, that's not a quality that men generally think is one they ought to be concerned about. It's not talking about being weak. It's not talking about failing in your role as a leader. But having a meek spirit, long-suffering, Forbearing one another. and forgiving one another.
If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Above everything else then? Be sure that you are walking in love. One place that it's crucial.
who is going to be a godly Father. Mush. demonstrate that he loves his wife. It's disturbing the children. It's depressing the children.
If there is not Clear evidence. that the father loves their mother. And so You must above everything else. Put on the bond of perfectness, put on charity. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body, and be ye thankful.
The father is going to give courage to his children. He needs to have a thankful heart. If he is one who constantly complains, Nothing is ever quite right for him. He comes home from work complaining. He complains maybe because everything is not just as he would like for it to be in the household.
He complains about that. It was a little cartoon. that described a boss who was grouchy. with his employee.
So that employee comes home and is irritable with his children.
So the son kicks the dog. And then the dog runs down the street and bites the person that he finds, and it happens to be the boss.
So it's a vicious cycle. We need to avoid having an attitude. That will Stir up strife. A failure. to be happy.
In the Lord. to have genuine joy. failing to have a thankful heart. We'll Have a negative impact. But on the other hand, to be thankful To be constantly expressing gratitude for the goodness and mercy of God, His mercies are new every morning, and to express that, not just in prayer and mealtime, but to demonstrate.
I am thankful to God for his mercy. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do, do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him. We referred to this earlier as being The valid motivation. As a father, You have a tremendous responsibility.
An obligation before God. to be the best father possible. And in order to do that. You must keep in mind that whatever you do in word or deed, you do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
And then, husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them. The Godly Father. The Father who is going to be the greatest blessing in the life of His children. will always demonstrate the fact that he loves his wife. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
And then our text, fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 1 Corinthians chapter 10, the 10th verse says, Neither murmured ye, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer. God is not pleased with one who complains. But with one on the Other side of the issue is one who gives thanks.
Now don't eat me. Should he have a thankful heart, but a forgiving spirit? The production Left home. wasted his substance in riotous living. It seemed that as long as he had money in his pocket, he had friends and he had activities in which he could be involved, but he finally ran out of money and he ran out of friends.
He was hungry. He got a job. Keeping the pigs. That was about the lowest place that a Jewish boy could have had. Tending the pigs.
And he comes to himself. Because Why am I in this terrible squalor here? When there are hired servants in my father's house that have plenty to eat, and I'm perishing with hunger. I will arise and go to my Father. I'll say, Father, I've sinned against heaven in thy sight, and I'm not worthy to be called your Son.
Would you just make me as one of your hired servants?
Now, if you didn't already know the story, you might wonder: what will be the outcome here? And no doubt some fathers would say, Well If I had a prodigal son coming back, I'd say, I'm not sure I'm ready to take you in today. I'm gonna have to Be thoroughly convinced. that you have changed. Or he might lecture him about what Folly.
That he had wasted his substance, spent this money, and had nothing to show for it. Do you know will it happen? As this boy headed for home with a true, humble, repentant spirit, I'm not worthy to be called your son, he saw the father already coming in his direction, and the father was running. What a beautiful picture of grace. The sun had done everything wrong.
The sun was unworthy. But the father wanted him back. And the father was running in his direction. Of course, the real picture in that lesson is that we, all of us by nature, are the prodigal. We have gone astray, we've gone in the wrong direction.
But when we are awakened to the fact by the power of the Holy Spirit to convict us our sin and show us what we are, and we say, I need help and I need it desperately, and then the question arises in our mind, would God receive me? Such a sinner as I am. Having missed the mark so terribly, would my father receive me? And the good news of the gospel is that when you turn in that direction, after the Spirit of God has moved upon you and convicted you, you find the Lord is already. Moving toward you.
and received you. And if Prepared a great feast. Of course, that brother who had stayed home. was not happy about the situation. How could it be that the Father Yes.
Having such festivities over this no-good rotten brother of mine. He never had a feast for me like that. How could this be? And it just shows the attitude of Phariseeism, of self-righteousness. One that cannot possibly rejoice in the recovery of a sinner who has turned.
And come. to the father's house. May we never Entertain that kind of a spirit of self-righteousness, but rejoice. It says there's joy in heaven over one sinner that repents.
Somebody would say, Hold up, heaven, don't rejoice yet. Let's wait a little while and see how it turns out. But heaven doesn't wait. There's joy in heaven over one sinner that repents. May we think like heaven does.
and rejoice when we can see those evidences.
Furthermore, The Father that gives hope. Is building confidence.
Now the world says Don't discourage your child. They're in agreement with this from that standpoint. Don't discourage your child, but. build his self-confidence, build his self-esteem. But the scripture says Don't discourage your child, but build his confidence in God.
Not confidence in himself. but in God. You want to avoid anything that would destroy the child's confidence in God. And leave him hopeless and discouraged. I said, Well, how could I do that?
Well, by living an inconsistent life. by being one thing at church and another at home. This would bring about great discouragement. And then furthermore, The Father who is giving hope. We'll do so by presenting The gospel.
Think of the blessing of it. 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. As Paul writes to Timothy, he's rejoicing in the fact that Timothy had a mother and a grandmother that had instructed him, and that from a child he had known the holy scriptures, which were able to give him the knowledge, wisdom of salvation. What about you fathers?
You may want to. Teach your children. certain skills, which is all well and good. You want to teach them certain lessons that will be helpful along the way in life. about how to make a living.
But the most important lesson that you can present to your children Yes. to teach them the scriptures. The word of God. As Timothy was taught, able to make him wise under salvation. The message of it.
What what's the message that you're going to deliver? Paul said in 1 Timothy, 115. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.
Now somebody might say, well, that's going to harm the child. if you tell him he's a sinner. No, it's not going to harm the child to tell him anything that's true. The fact is, when you tell him he's a sinner, then you're going to admit. I'm sir, too.
I'm not putting you down, I'm just telling you here's the condition of the whole human race, that when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, the whole human family fell into a state of sin, corruption, alienation from God. But the good news is, there is hope for sinners. This is a faithful saint. Jesus Christ came to save sinners.
So while Paul felt to be the worst sinner, and no doubt felt it because he had been guilty of persecuting the church and consenting to have Christians put to death, I was counseling with somebody recently. And they were struggling over a sin issue and Question whether or not They can be forgiven. And I cited this example. of the Apostle Paul. And I said, Paul, Had been guilty of persecuting the church and putting Christians to death, and yet he was forgiven.
And they said, we'd never heard that before. We didn't know Paul. Had been guilty of such great crimes. And it seemed to give them hope that if he could be forgiven, they could be forgiven. And that's the good news of the gospel.
And then the success of it. In Acts 16, the 14th verse, Speaks of Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which are spoken of Paul. You have to remember, fathers. You have the responsibility of teaching your children. You present the gospel to them, but you have to be keenly aware that it requires the work of the Holy Spirit.
to open their heart that they receive it. The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, because their spirits have discerned. You may present the gospel to a child who, at that time, has not been dealt with for the Spirit. And they have no interest in it. It has no impact on them.
But you present it nevertheless. You sow the seed and you pray that God will bless. At some time to draw them to himself. To show them what they are by nature, bring them to the realization that there is no hope for them. apart from Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners.
Are you the kind of father that gives hope? What a blessing. To be a father. who is used of God. in giving hope.
What a blessing to have that kind of a father. And if you're blessed in that capacity, You ought to express your appreciation for him. And Everett Father here today. Ought to pray. Lord, help me.
to be the right example. For my children The follow. Craig and Dunn. Phillips. Recorded.
In this poem that thought. He climbs in my lap for a good night hug. He calls me Dad and I call him Bub. With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh, He snuggles up close and says, I want to be like you. I tuck him in bed and I kiss him good night, tripping over the toys as I turn out the light, And I whisper a prayer.
that some day he'll see He's got a father in God. Because he's seen Jesus in me. What will your children see? In your Daily walk. And your conduct.
In the way that you interact. with them.
Sons particularly. want to be like their fathers. Do you want your sons to be like you? Are there changes you need to make? to set the example.
to do the teaching. to do the listening. to do the encouraging. to do the things that need to be done. That you could say yes.
I want my son. to hear what I have to say and to follow my example. But fathers also need to have that close relationship with their daughters. and express their love. for them.
and to give them the guidance that they need.
Now any time I speak on this subject, I'm always reminded of the fact that there are so many. that feel a sense of disappointment. and deep hurt. Because they didn't have the kind of father we're talking about. I've referred to a couple of those examples of a man.
Who was This wrought even at an older age because his father had never Given him a word of approval. About a woman. who was deeply distressed because her father had never said I love you. I think of another counseling situation. A lady had been going to an organization for 12 years.
to try to find help. Her father was an alcoholic. He sometimes was mean. It sometimes beat her mother. He sometimes lashed out at the children.
I said, well, you've been going there for 12 years. How have you been helped? She said, I haven't. That's why I've come to talk to you. I said, well, what did you do at these meetings?
We all just shared how miserable we are because our fathers failed us. I said, Well, I want to tell you about the father. who is perfect. The Father who has never failed anyone. Our Father.
which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Not everybody can call him father. That those who by faith have trusted Jesus Christ. have been born of the Holy Spirit are in His family, can call Him Father. Jesus was very explicit in the 14th chapter of the Gospel of John.
I am the way, the truth, and the life. And no man cometh to the Father but by me. But you can come to this Heavenly Father by faith. And you'll never be disappointed in him. You can find the peace and joy that you would so much desire, far superior to anything that can come from an earthly source.
If you can say today that God is my Father, oh, how blessed you are. And to think that someday You'll go to live with him. Forever. The hymn says, My father is rich in houses and lands. He holdeth the wealth of the world in his hands.
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold, his coffers are full, he has riches untold. My Father's own Son, the Saviour of men, Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them. but now he is pleading our pardon on high. that we may be His when He comes by and by. I once was an outcast stranger on earth, A sinner by choice, an alien by birth.
But I've been adopted. My name is written down. an heir to a mansion, a robe, and a crown. A tent or a cottage, why should I care? They're building a palace for me over there Though exiled from home, yet still I may sing All glory to God I'm a child.
of the king. I'm a child of the king, a child of the king with Jesus my Savior. I'm a child. of the king. If you've had that experience of grace to come to know.
You're a child of the king. Not because of your worth, your merit, your works, but because of what Jesus Christ has done by his substitutionary death. If you've never confessed him. We give you that opportunity as we stand to sing. Mm-hmm.
Father is rich in houses and lands. Behold, What a comfort to know that even when a person has come from a difficult background, having a father who disappointed them and did not set a good example and did not nurture them and show love. that there is the Father above, our Heavenly Father, who can always be relied upon, who is full of love, who has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. I hope that you will write us, and until next week at this same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. My father is a king.
Father's own son. the same You're all men. Once wandered o'er earth and Stop pouring. Stop them. But now He is reigning in glory on high.
Repair. For the sweet life. And by I'm a joy. Of the king, a child. Of the King, with Jesus my Savior, I'm a child of the King.
The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder Lesseir Bradley Jr. Address all mail to the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45217. That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45217. I'm a stranger, yet still I may sing. All glory to God.
I'm a child. I'm a child. Child of the king, a child. Of the King, with Jesus my Saviour, I'm a child of the King.
