DISCIPLE-MAKING DADS (1 Thessalonians 2:10-12)
INTRODUCTION:
Happy Father’s Day to all our fathers this morning. I remember when I could cradle each of my three boys in my arms like it was just yesterday. The first time I held each of them I instantly loved them. Today I could not cradle them in my arms even if I wanted to but each of them has grown into young men that I am proud of and who I love even more than when I first held them. As my boys have grown so has my theology of God’s love for us grown; I understand a little more deeply God’s unconditional love for His children. My sons can do nothing to earn my love; I love them because they are my sons. My sons can do nothing that would cause me not to love them; I love them because they are my sons. As I thought about this love that I have for my sons I also realized that with this love comes great responsibility. God has entrusted these children into my care and as their father I have the responsibility of making them disciples of Jesus. I hope that I have done that and that I continue to carry out that responsibility toward my sons. This morning as we honor our fathers, I want to encourage the fathers here to become disciple-making dads. Though I will be addressing fathers this morning, these truths can be used by all of us to make disciples of those people in our lives whether we are grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters or just friends. Let’s pray and then get into our passage for this morning.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles this morning to 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12. In this chapter penned by the apostle Paul to the church he had planted in Thessalonica, he reminds the young believers of his pure motives and godly conduct when he came to them with the Gospel. Then he reminds them how he nurtured them and made them disciples of Jesus Christ. In the middle of chapter 2 in verses 10-12 we find some verses that can encourage us to be disciple-making dads. If you are able, please stand, in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along while I read.
1 Thessalonians 2:10-12,
“You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:10–12, ESV)[1]
It has been said, “It is easy to become a father, it’s a lot harder to be a dad.” In these three verses Paul gives us five truths that can help us be a dad, a dad that is making disciples out of his children. As Christian dads this should be our greatest desire in life, to see our children come to faith in Christ and then see that child go on to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, let’s look at these five truths.
TRUTH #1 – BE A GOOD EXAMPLE (1 Thessalonians 2:10)
The first thing that we are to be as a disciple-making dad is a good example. If we want to make disciples, then we have to be disciples ourselves and conduct ourselves as such. Paul says in verse 10, “You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers.” (1 Thessalonians 2:10, ESV)[2] Paul reminds his readers of the good example that he and his companions were among the Thessalonians. Paul calls them witnesses to their good example. Believe me your children will be witnesses to your example whether good or bad and God will also be a witness as Paul writes. Paul goes on in verse 10 to tell his readers in what areas they were good examples. First, Paul says they were good examples in the area of holiness. Paul says that they were holy as they were among them. Holiness is not something that we can put on and take off, holiness begins in the heart and permeates our whole being. Warren Wiersbe writes concerning the word translated “holy” here in this verse, “In the Greek, this means to ‘carefully fulfill the duties God gives to a person.’ Our word pious is close to it, if you think of piety at its best and not as some fake kind of religion.”[3] This kind of holiness or piety is living your life fully devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ and serving Him. This is the first aspect of being a good example to our children. Next, Paul writes that they were witnesses of his and his companions’ righteousness. As much as holiness speaks of our devotion to God, righteousness is the outworking of that holiness. It refers to integrity, uprightness of character and behavior. Doing everything with the knowledge that you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. This is not a self-righteousness, or a righteousness brought on out of duty to the Law. In Philippians Paul calls this a righteousness that comes from God. He writes in Philippians 3:4-11, “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:4b–11, ESV)[4] In these verses Paul says that righteousness comes through faith and it a gift of God. This righteous living is a desire to know Christ and to experience the power of His resurrection. This is a righteousness that is ours through our faith in Jesus Christ and it leads us to live a life of integrity and uprightness in all that we do. We are a good example to our children in the way we conduct business and go about our daily lives because we seek to do everything in a righteous manner. Finally, Paul writes that our example should be blameless. This refers directly back to holiness and righteousness. If we are living our lives fully devoted to God and doing everything in a righteous manner, then we will be blameless. We will be able to pass the scrutiny of our critics and some of our best critics are our children. They are the ones who see us day in and day out, and to them our lives should be blameless, without fault because of how we live our lives. But we must not be blameless at home only, but also in the workplace, in society, and in the world. We should be able to stand up to the scrutiny of the world and be found without fault because our righteousness is not shed when we step out of the door in the morning, but it goes with us in everything that we do. The first truth to being a disciple-making dad is to be a good example.
TRUTH #2 – CARE FOR YOUR CHILDREN (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12a)
The second truth in being a disciple-making dad is to care for your children. Paul describes his relationship with the believers in Thessalonica by writing, “For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you …” (1 Thessalonians 2:11–12a, ESV)[5] The key words in these verses that suggests caring is “each one of you” and suggest a relationship. As fathers if we are to care for our children then we must have a relationship with them. We must get as close as we can with each child. In order to make them disciples, in order to train and counsel them we must know their personalities; we must know what makes them tick and what makes them shut down. We need to figure out their likes and dislikes and find ways that we can do with them things that they like to do. Caring for our children requires that we spend time with them. That is the secret to disciple-making, it is spending time and then taking every opportunity during that time to show them Jesus.
This is an area that I will admit I struggle and that is to the detriment of my children. We must look for activities that we can do with our children to give them memories to look back on and say, “Wow, my dad really knew God and helped me to know Him too.” Make yourself available and approachable to your children, then they will know that you care for them and care about what they are experiencing in their lives.
TRUTH #3 – ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILDREN (1 Thessalonians 2:12)
In verse 12 Paul lists three roles that a father is to practice as he deals with his children. Three roles that we need to carry out if we are to be disciple-making dads. These three roles are the last three truths that I find in this passage for us as fathers.
Truth three this morning is that disciple-making dads need to be encouragers. In the ESV and the NASB the word is translated “exhort” but I believe that may be too strong a word as we understand exhort today. The Greek word is a compound word that means to call to the side, with the idea of coming alongside with instruction and insight in order to move someone in a specific line of conduct. We all need encouragement in our lives, we need someone to come alongside us and cheer us on. When we see our children struggling to do what is right and becoming discouraged, we need to be there to give a word of encouragement or a hug or to just be a listening ear. This is part of that being available and approachable to our children. This is the same word that is used of the Holy Spirit when He comes alongside us and exhorts us to keep the faith, to get back in the battle and then promises to be right there beside us and in us. Our children need to hear their dads say, “Keep up the good work, you can do it, I know you can get back in there and do your best and I’ll be right there beside you.” Another way in which we can encourage our children is to pray for them and let them know that we are praying for them. Dads, if we are going to be disciple-makers, then we need to be encouragers.
TRUTH #4 – COMFORT YOUR CHILDREN (1 Thessalonians 2:12)
The fourth truth is that disciple-making dads need to be comforters. The word comfort is closely related to the word encourage and is translated encourage in the ESV. As I already stated we need to encourage our children when they are doing well, but when they are having an off day, we need to be there to comfort them, which may mean we are nothing more than a shoulder to cry on or a lap to curl up in and be hugged. Many times comforting includes praying with your child, praying that God will give him or her the strength to make it through whatever it is they are facing. Comforting can also include sharing with your child that you have off days as well and how God helps you through them. Warren Wiersbe says that our comfort should spur our children on to activity. He writes, “Paul also comforted them. This word carries the same idea of “encouragement,” with the emphasis on activity. Paul not only made them feel better, but he made them do better. A father must not pamper a child; rather, he must encourage the child to go right back and try over again. Christian encouragement must not become an anesthesia that puts us to sleep. It must be a stimulant that awakens us to do better.”[6] Our comfort should build our children up and cause them to get back up and keep going in the strength of the Lord.
TRUTH #5 – URGE YOUR CHILDREN ON (1 Thessalonians 2:12)
Finally, disciple-making dads need to urge our children on. The ESV uses the word charge which has the same idea as urge. We need to be urging our children to live lives worthy of God. As disciple-making dads our greatest desire should be to have sons and daughters that are completely sold out to God. We want children who know what they believe and be able to stand by their convictions in the face of opposition. The verb translated “charged” carries with it the idea of bearing testimony out of one’s own spiritual journey. Sharing what you have gone through so that your children can avoid some of the pitfalls that you had to struggle with in your own faith. As the spiritual leaders of our families, we want to be able to train our children to walk worthy of the Lord and to give Him all glory, because God has called us into His kingdom and glory. Our spiritual walk should be an encouragement to our children in their spiritual walk.
CONCLUSION:
This morning I wanted to encourage you who are fathers to be disciple-making dads to your children. In this passage of Scripture we have discovered five truths that each father can use in being a disciple-maker. But not only fathers, but anyone making disciples. First, our lives must be an example to our children. We must live holy, righteous, and blameless lives before our children. When we blow it, we must be willing to admit and seek forgiveness of our families and our Savior. Next, we must care for our children, let them know that we love them and are concerned for them. That we are interested in their lives and their interests. Our care is also shown in making ourselves available and approachable to them. Third, we need to be encouraging dads if we are going to make disciples of Jesus out of our children. We need to encourage them in the faith taking every opportunity to teach them spiritual truths and to come alongside them and support them in their everyday lives and journey of faith. Fourth, we need to be comforting dads. Dads who can sympathize with our children, be there for them to listen to them, to hug them, to be a shoulder for them to cry on and most importantly to pray with them and for them as we encourage them not to give up, but to keep the faith and keep fighting the fight and be beside them in the fight. Finally, we need to be dads who urge our children to live lives worthy of God. To charge our children to go deep with God and we need to use our own spiritual journey as a testimony to our children of the power of God and the faithfulness of God in the good times and the bad times. As fathers we need to remember the responsibility that God has given us to be dads that are making disciples.
[1]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.
[2]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.
[3]Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S, 1 Th 2:9
[4]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016. (Emphasis mine)
[5]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.
[6]Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1996, c1989, S. 1 Th 2:9