Outline

  1. My background
    1. Personal life—father
    2. Professional life—corrections
  2. Analogies to a man’s role in his family
    1. Taproot of a tree
    2. Anchor of a boat
  3. Man’s roles and responsibilities as given in scripture
    1. Leader
      1. Spiritual leader—Deuteronomy 6:4–9
      2. Intercessor in prayer for wife and children
      3. Exercise dominion (not dominance nor dictatorship, but being orderly and organized)—Genesis 1:26–30
    2. Protector
      1. Physical protection of family and home—Nehemiah 4:13–14
      2. Failure to protect family—Genesis 3:6–12
      3. Protect from false doctrine—2 Timothy 1
      4. Protect children from bad companions—Proverbs 13:20
      5. Protect wife from carrying burdens she should not carry
    3. Provider
      1. Provide a vision for his family that is aligned with scripture, and the focus is that they have a vibrant, growing relationship with Jesus Christ, His Word and His church.—1 Timothy 5:8
      2. Seek to develop good, strong Biblical character in his family.
      3. Provide a vision that they are servants with a very strong work ethic.
      4. Meet the emotional needs of his family by giving affirmation when they have done a good job, and pointing out where they could do better.
      5. Provide for his family’s future.
  4. Statistics bear somber witness to negative impacts on children from fatherless homes.
  5. Thoughts for consideration
    1. Man creates a void when he steps back from his roles and responsibilities.—Romans 1:18–32
    2. God the Father is the example of the perfect father
      1. He loves us unconditionally.
      2. He corrects, rebukes and instructs when it’s necessary.
      3. He is trustworthy.
      4. He leads.
      5. He listens.
      6. He is always there.
      7. He is patient.
      8. He is kind.
    3. Jesus is the example of the perfect man and perfect husband.—Ephesians 5:22-27
    4. As man refuses the roles & responsibilities that God designed for him, so his marriage goes, and as the marriage goes so the family goes, and as the family goes so the church goes, and as the church goes so the state goes, and as the state goes so the nation goes.—Men, as you take on these roles and responsibilities, even the small things can have a national impact.
    5. As men step back from their roles and responsibilities, they turn their families over to those things described in Romans 1.

What to do

  • Remember who we used to be before we were saved.
  • Remember that our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
    • God is the initiator; man is the responder.
    • God will pursue a heart if He desires to do so.
    • He can change the worst person we know—just as He did us.
    • He can restore and redeem them.
  • Pray for men, even the worst.—1 Timothy 2:1–4
  • Remember God’s desire is that none perish.—2 Peter 3:8–9
  • Remember God is patient with others just as He was patient with each one of us.

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