Mentoring Men for the Master

THE INDISPENSABLE ROLE OF THE FATHER IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LIFE – THE HOME

What is the most important University?  Some would say, Harvard, Duke, Carolina.  No, by far the most important University is “The University of Life.”  What is the University of Life?  It is the HOME.  Why is this University so important?  It is important because your children are about to enter a heathen culture which hates God, and unless they have attended the “University of Life,” they will be devoured as millions are today.

But What Are The Requirements for the “University of Life?”

  1.  The University of Life Must Have A President – According to Deut. 6:1-10;11:18-21, it is the Father.  A secular university without a president is a disaster, so it is with the “University of Life.”  Who qualifies?  No mention is made of education or intellect; the only requirement mentioned is that the father must love Jesus with all his heart, soul and strength.[1]  Others may have more education than you do, but nobody can love kids  better than their father.
  2. The University of Life Must Have Professors – The leading professor is the president or father aided by his wife.  The chief requirement is to love Jesus with all your being, which will enable you to love your children likewise.  There is one thing that will destroy the success of the professors:  being a phony (Matthew 15:5-8).  Example:  175 years ago a Jewish father said to his family, “We are leaving the synagogue and joining the Lutheran church.”  His son asked, “Why?” and he replied, “I can make better business contacts there.” The young man knew his father was a phony and he went out and rebelled against all religion and became the father of Communism, Karl Marx.  Quote:  I asked an outstanding church youth minister this question, “What is the greatest hindrance you face in attempting to lead your youth in living godly lives?”  He replied, “Hypocritical parents.” 

The most serious problem in America today is phony fathers.  First, most fathers are interested in everything except leading their children:  sports, sex, TV, business, but they have forgotten their first God-given responsibility – the godly up bringing of their children (Ephesians 6:4).  A leading psychologist from Meninger Clinic said, “If the father is not the head of the family, there is chaos.”  The late comedian Lucille Ball was asked, “What’s wrong with the home?”  She replied, “Papa is missing.  If Papa was there, he would straighten out the mess.”  With mothers working and fathers not functioning, America’s chief babysitter is the “One Eyed God” called TV.  When a drink is served on TV, ten to one, it will be alcohol.  All sexual activity is outside  of the bonds of marriage.  Are you surprised what kids are doing today?

  1. The University of Life Must Have Pupils – They are none other than our precious children (Psalm 127:3).
    1. They must be enrolled very early in life. The great Catholic Educator Xavier said, “Give me a child the first 7 years of his life and I don’t care who has him after that.”  That is the reason Hitler took the children out of  the home and enrolled them in state schools. For years the emphasis in the USA has been on the Federal government educating our children.  Illus:  a mother came to her pastor and asked, “When should I begin the serious spiritual training of my child?”  Pastor, “How old is the child?”  “Five years old.”  The pastor said, “You are five years late.” 
  1. The University of Live Must Have A Planned Curriculum – God commands that the Bible be the text book in the home.  Teaching the Bible requires more than a 5 or 10 minute devotion each day.  It must be a way of life.  Our text says the Bible must be taught 4 ways:
    1. First, there must be a DEMONSTRATION of the Word in the lives of parents. God says, “Bind the word on your hand and put it on your foreheads.”  Translated, that means  the thoughts of our hearts must be controlled by the Word, and the deeds of our hands are to be done according to the Word of God.

If we expect our children to:

Always tell the truth, we must always tell the truth.

Control their tongues, we must control our tongues

Control their tempers, we must keep our tempers

Keep themselves pure, we must keep ourselves pure

Pray and trust God, we must pray and trust God

Internalize the Bible, we must internalize the Bible.

Respect others, we must respect others.

Love the church and its leaders, we must love the same.

Live by the Golden Rule, we must live by the Golden Rule.

Be faithful, we must be faithful.

Tithe, we must tithe.

Be kind and generous and giving, we must be.

  1. Secondly, there must be CONVERSATION about the Word. Little ears are always listening.  We are always talking.  Are we talking the Word of God?  Or are we talking about people.    You know why many children drop out of church as soon as they can.  Because they come to church on Sunday and hear the preacher preach and they go home for Sunday lunch and they have “roasted preacher.”
  2. Thirdly, there should be VISUALIZATION of the Word. Let me ask you a question:  If I got the key to your house this afternoon while you were out for lunch and went into your house and snooped into every corner, would I be able to tell it was a Christian home?  I look in the refrigerator, I look in your magazine rack, I look on your walls.  Hey folks, I have been in a lot of homes, about the only thing religious was a Fat Buddha they bought from the Far East.  There ought to be Scripture mottos, Christian tapes, Christian hymnals, Christian books.  God says, “Put the Word on the door post of your house.”
  3. Fourthly, there should be APPLICATION of the Word in the home. In the every day course of life, apply the Word, so the children will see how relevant it is.    A little sparrow jumped up in our back yard and  I said to David when he was 13, “You see that sparrow?  Did you realize that Jesus said if that sparrow suddenly fell dead that He would see it?  Then Jesus went on to say if He would care that much for the sparrow, how much more would He care for us?  Within 24 hours I heard David using that truth I taught him.

The best time to apply the word is:

  1. Meal time – 1 Tim. 4:5
  2. Bed time
  3. Traveling time – Psalm 121:8
  4. Good times – Bad times – 2 Tim. 4:2
  5. Special Seasons – Ex. The star over the cross.

If there is a DEMONSTRATION, CONVERSATION, VISUALIZATION, AND  APPLICATION, there must be a SATURATION of the Word of God in the life of the Father.

Our Pledge to the Bible is the Pledge of SATURATION.

Summary:  The command in Deut. 6 is clear.  “Thou (fathers) shall teach them (the Scriptures) diligently unto thy children…” “talk of them when thou sittest…” “speak of them when thou walkest…” “Gather the people…and children…that they may hear…and learn…and fear…and do the words of this law.”

Significant is the Divine order.  God’s perfect pattern for education in His Word is succinctly established:

  1. The ear must hear
  2. The eye must see
  3. The mind must understand and learn
  4. The heart must respond in reverential trust – (the fear of God)
  5. The individual must act – the hand.

Conclusion:

  1. If you and already the head of your home continue on, and the Holy Spirit will make you more and more effective.
  2. If you are trying and struggling and feeling frustrated, stop trying and start trusting. Never give up, this is a battle you cannot afford to lose.
  3. If you have never begun to be the head, fall to your knees, ask God’s forgiveness and rise up to begin, step by step, to assume your God-given responsibility and the Holy Spirit will join you in your adventure.

 

 

[1] Love is not a mysterious feeling, but an act of the will.  We choose to love God and others no matter how we feel.