PSALM 128

Good morning, and happy Father’s day. When Mothers Day coincided with the section of Revelation that spoke about the mark of the beast, did not believe it was appropriate that would be an appropriate subject for Mother’s Day. Today is Father ‘s Day, and it coincides with the section of Scripture on the Battle of Armageddon. I did a topical on Mothers and Godly Women on Mothers Day, and today I am addressing all the men here, and in particular husbands and fathers.

1 ¶ <<A Song of degrees.>> Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.

2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.

5 The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

Before the fall Paradise was man's home; since the fall home has been his Paradise. --Augustus William Hare (1792-1834), and Julius Charles Hare (1795-1855), in "Guesses at Truth."

If you want to build a house, you need a blueprint that shows the design of the house and the necessary materials. No one in his or her right mind would consider building a house without a blueprint. And yet while we wouldn’t think of building a house without a blueprint, many people, even Christians, go about building their homes with no idea of God’s plan for marriage or childrearing or the kind of “materials” that are necessary to build one that will bring glory to His Holy Name.

Before I speak to the men this morning, let me say in general that Psalm 128 is showing us an ideal, but as we all know, we don’t live in an ideal world. Some homes have already been torn apart by divorce leaving a single mom or dad trying to hold everything together. Others are in mixed marriages, where the husband is hostile or indifferent to the gospel and the wife is trying to provide spiritual training for her children. If your family is far from the ideal, don’t despair. It doesn’t mean that God won’t bless you. Whatever your situation, God wants you to fear Him and walk in His ways

Husbands, fathers and every young men who one day will be married and have a family, I want to say right up front that a non negotiable foundation for building a godly marriage and raising godly children is waking in the fear of God. God’s eye and blessing is upon the family that walks in the fear of the Lord.

And men, according to the Scripture, the father of the family and husband is the rudder of the family, the compass for direction, the thermostat that regulates the atmosphere in the home. The father is both the law give and the grace giver.

Thus, a satisfying home is based upon the fear of the Lord. As Joshua said in the OT, Josh 24.15 as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

• For the man that fears God, serving God in the house that is under his care is not an option, it is a commandment. We will see in our Psalm this morning that a godly man is to lead his family in fearing the Lord. He is to lead by example.
• We will see this morning saints that The Holy Spirit does not bow down to the “spirit of the age” or “feminism”….Eph 5 clearly tells us that the husband, the man is called to be the head of the home. Husband, father, despite all of our weaknesses, we need to own up to the fact that God has called us to be the spiritual head of your home then stop making excuses and be a man and lead!
• Men, as much as we might not like to hear it, we cannot escape being examples to our children, either for good or for bad. It is important that we live out our Christianity in our attitudes, words, and actions in the home. Our children need to see the fruit of the Spirit in us, especially when we’re under pressure? A great deal of what our kids learn about everyday life comes from watching our example as dads. Scary, isn’t it! None of us have the luxury to say, I am not into that example thing dude. Yes you are….

The word blessed is also translated happy. Connect the dots of Scripture men; the blessed man, the happy man, is the man that fears The Lord and walks in His ways.

What is the fear of the Lord? I define it as a healthy respect and reverence for God stemming from the knowledge of God and resulting in obedience to God.

• Thus the fear of The Lord is one that cultivates an attitude of respect and reverence that results in an action (obedience).
• The fear of The Lord of course comes from knowing Him. You cannot have the fear of The Lord if you are not born again. The proper fear of the Lord stems from understanding something of His greatness, power, and absolute holiness. Our God is the eternal God who spoke the vastness of the universe into existence.
• As we have seen many times in studying the Word of God together, every time a man, even a righteous man, gets a glimpse of God in the splendor of His holiness, he is stricken with fear.
• Because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, none of us could even dare to draw near to this holy, powerful God if He had not also revealed Himself as a God of love, who mercifully made provision for our sins in the death of Christ. Now He invites us to draw near, but we must always do so with reverence and awe.
• Thus, the fear of God is the corner stone of all blessedness men. The blessed man is not the man that sings that popular Frank Sinatra song, I did it My way….the blessed man is the man that submits to Yahweh. This fear of the Lord is the first fountain of holy living and marital and family life.
• In terms of home life, a man who fears God will not use God’s Name lightly or name in vain. He will not joke about God or be flippant toward God or His Word. He will rid his home of any trashy magazines. He will not watch trashy TV shows or videos. Positively, he will take the initiative in leading his family in reading God’s Word, in prayer, and in a commitment to church life and ministry.
• Men, it is idle to tell your children to walk after the things of God if you or I refuse to fear God and choose to walk after the flesh, or do things my way.
• CHS: “if the heart is joined unto God, the feet will follow hard after him. A man's heart will be seen in his walk, and the blessing will come where heart and walk are both with God.”

Verse 2. Thou shalt eat of the fruit of thy labors. Happy (blessed) shalt thou be.

• God is the God of laborers, and Christian men are to be examples of hard work. God has not called the husband/father to eat the bread of idleness, but to provide for his family according to the will and blessing of God. Though we are in God's hands we are to be supported by the strength that He gives unto us to labor with our own hands.
• Yes, God will give us daily bread, but it must be made our own by labour. Note here that the man that fears God will find happiness in the vocation that God has provided for him. The happiest state on earth men is found in working as unto The Lord and not men.
• The man who fears God is content in the providence of God. He isn’t griping about how hard life is or complaining about all the bad breaks he has received. He isn’t grumbling about how hard he has worked. He is happy. It is well with him. He’s a cheerful, pleasant man to live with. The key to his happiness is given twice, so we won’t miss it: He fears the Lord and walks in His ways (vv. 1, 4). This man’s happiness doesn’t come from circumstances; his joy is in the Lord.

Brothers being a father and husband is a huge calling and not one that is to be neglected. Gentlemen, to a certain extent, God holds us PRIMARILY responsible for the spiritual condition of our families. Too many Christian men today are abdicating or ignoring their responsibilities as Fathers and putting the brunt of providing for the family and nurturing their children to their wives.

· 1 Timothy 5:8 says, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

• Unfortunately, too many men, including professing Christian men, express their role as father exclusively in terms of financial provider. The fact is children are not looking for financial provision; they are looking for love, guidance, and a role model for what it means to be a man.
• Providing for your family, however, means much more than simply putting bread on the table. It includes the provision of all the elements of a Christ-like home: teaching and modeling God’s Word in an atmosphere of love, grace, patience, loving discipline, understanding, and encouragement. This would also include modeling biblical values, priorities, and pursuits.
• A man who pursues financial success to the disregard of his home will end up with poverty in his soul. A man who follows God’s blueprint for the home will end up with prosperity in his soul.

Happy shalt thou be. John Wesley said that the man that fears God and joyously obeys God will be happy in Him.

• The Lord Jesus is a deep sea of joy: Let your soul shall dive in and shall be swallowed up in the delights of His company. Allistar Begg
• A God fearing happy dad is most likely to have a God fearing happy wife and children.

God promises that It shall be well with you.

• It shall be well with thee while thou livest.
• It shall be better with thee when thou diest.
• It shall be best of all with thee in eternity. Matthew Henry

Verse 3 Thy wife. A helpmeet was needed in Paradise, and assuredly she is not less necessary out of it. He that findeth a wife findeth a good thing. It is not every man that feareth the Load who has a wife; but if he has, she shall share in his blessedness and increase it.

• Good wives (godly, Spirit filled) are gifts from God and expressions of His kindness and goodness to man.
• A fruitful vine in that hot Mid- Eastern climate is one that produces something refreshing and nourishing for others. A godly wife and mother will not be a lazy, self-centered, aimless woman if she is married to a godly, God-fearing husband because, and as a rule of thumb, her God fearing husband will inspire a wife to be industrious and productive.
• A man that fears The Lord is a man who is blessed if he has a wife that fears The Lord and walks in His ways. That husband is a blessed man indeed. She is a fruitful vine, and a faithful housekeeper; her chief ministry and focus is the home.

Thy children. Contrary to popular notions, children are not interruptions to the good life, they are blessings from God that make life good.

• Children were designed by God to be the fruit of a godly union between a husband and his wife.
• Children described as “olive plants” around the table. These olive plants are not mature trees, but little shoots that grow up around a mature olive tree. They will someday replace the parent tree, continuing to bear fruit after it is gone. Dad, you are primary responsible to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of The Lord.
• Some dads are not outgoing or good at communicating with their children and may ask, what should I talk to my children about. Father’s, dads, a good place to begin is by going to the book of Proverbs and read every one of the hear my son conversations. They are loaded with the wisdom of God on who to hang around with, the kind of girl to avoid, how to be hard working, etc.
• I heard a shocking statement by a old pastor last week. He said that he came to the conclusion that the vast majority of Christians were raising their children to be good kids….do good in school, do not get I trouble with the law, do not do drugs or drink, do not have sex outside of marriage and if you do, protect yourself. Parents our responsibility before God is to raise God fearing, Christ loving children.
• You may say that whenever we do that, they get mad….let them get made for a week or month or year…they will thank you the rest of their lives if they really love Christ and appreciate you.
• Again dad, we must lead by example and precept. A little girl was out in the yard where her dad was working after a rainstorm. She stepped exactly where he stepped and called out to him, “Daddy, if you don’t get mud on your feet, I won’t get any mud on me!” A dad and his son were climbing a mountain and came to a difficult part. The dad stopped to consider the best route up. Behind him, his son called out, “Choose the best path, Dad! I’m coming right behind you!”

Verse 6. Children’s children- The man pictured here is a happy old man, enjoying God’s blessing as he sees his grandchildren following the Lord.

Proverbs 17:6 states, "Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers."

Ps 103:11 As heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy towards those who fear Him. 13 Like as a father pitieth (shows compassion to) his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

• God created fatherhood in His own image. Men, good fathering points to God. It points children to God, it points wives to God, it points coworkers to God, it points fellow church members to God, it points relatives to God.
• The main purpose of fathering is to reveal the fatherhood of God. The main purpose of being a husband is to reveal the love and kindness of Jesus Christ.
• There are three basic and key ingredients of a successful father in the home: Leadership, Love and Loyalty.
  • Leadership in the family in Spiritual and moral values which sets the course of the family for life.
  • Love that is not only stated, but shown and passed on to the Children will set the course of the family for life.
  • Loyalty that sets the stage for trust and builds relationships that are strong for the times of testing that are sure to come as the family matures.
  • Proverbs 20:7 states, "The Just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him."
  • To all fellow grandfathers in our church family….listen to Psalm 78 Ps 78:5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
    • Parenting is meant to declare the wondrous works of God in such a way that they learn to set their hope in God, not money, not fame, not religion.
    • Parenting is meant to tell children to love God, to serve The Lord, to obey God and leave all of the consequences to Him.

Men, old and young, married and single with or without children…my admonition to each and every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ is this…the time is short….Jesus is coming soon…above all things, cultivate a deep, intimate relationship with Christ and one another, and pour your soul into your married and family for the glory of God. Devote your life to something that will out live you.

This Father’s Day – as you think of your earthly father or the father of your children – think of the One who loves you more than any other. Think of the One who tells us in His Word that we can call Him “Daddy” (Romans 8:15). And think about what you can do to show Him your love in return. God Almighty loved you so much He sent His Son to die in your place (and thereby pay the required penalty for your sins), so He wouldn’t have to live without you for an eternity. And what does He require of you in return? Jesus, Himself, said the ‘greatest commandment’ – the one thing God requires of us is that we “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37).