Father’s Who Fail Faithfully
Passage: Acts 2:37-40; Acts 16:30-34
A couple of years ago when we are at Marc and Natalie’s wedding, my best friend who is a pastor was there and he was talking to our son Reed who at the time was anticipating the birth of his first child, Kohen. And my friend said, “Reed, you are going to be a terrible father.” And then he smiled.
What would you think if I said to Mike Brummel, “You are going to be a terrible father.” You might think I was being a terrible pastor to say that. Especially on Father’s Day, especially when he is excitedly looking forward to his first child.
Why would I ever say such a thing and besides how would I know he is going to be a terrible father, maybe he will be a great father? Let me give four reasons why I know that.
First, I know because of personal experience. I was and still am a failure as a father. My oldest and youngest sons are here this morning and I don’t mind at all confessing I have been and still am a failure as their father.
Second, I know because all the fathers I know think they were failures as fathers. All fathers are sinners, all fathers remember their sins as fathers, and every father lives with a nagging sense of failure at fatherhood. That is why I don’t say, “You have failed” I say, “We have failed.”
Third, I know because Jesus in effect says we are failures.
Luke 11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
Jesus calls me an “evil father” and I am OK with that, coming from Him it is a strange comfort, that despite that, He loves me and hears and answers my prayers, He doesn’t treat me as my sins and failures deserve, but gives even more than I could ask or imagine. When Jesus speaks the truth to me about me, it draws me to Him.
Fourth, I know because every example of fathers in Scripture is an example of failure. When we look through the pages of Scripture at the fathers all we see are bad examples.
Abraham’s sin with Hagar brought division and strife into his family.
Lot’s sins against his two daughters while living in Sodom.
Isaac’s sin of favoritism brought division and deception into his family.
Jacob’s sin continued the dysfunction introduced by favoritism.
Eli’s sin of failing to discipline his sons lead to gross immorality in his sons.
Samuel’s sin in failing to discipline his sons.
David’s sins led to adultery, murder, treason, treachery, anger, hate.
All failures, all leading broken, dysfunctional families.
We are not alone in our failure as fathers. My father was a failure as a father, and his father before him. I am a father-failure and I dwell among a host of father failures.
Paul is brought to the Areopagus, and he is brought in front of the Areopagus. The Areopagus is both a place and a group of men, a public place where these men debated and deliberated.