The Fathers Fight! A father figure in your life is one of the most important things in life you can have. And if you will give me a few minutes, I will show you what I mean.
Genesis 14
8 And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim
9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of [b]nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five.
10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits, and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains. 11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions and went their way. 12 They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods and departed.
13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and they were allies with Abram.
14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants, who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.
16 So he brought back all the goods and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.
A father figure Abraham was in this story you cannot miss. How many of you know that when Abraham got Lot home to safety, he got the speech? Yall know what the father’s speech is right. I can hear Abraham now. Lot, I told you to stay away from those folk; next time I’m going to leave you there. Why do you have to be so hardheaded? I’m trying to help you; why can’t you see that? Lot said, hugging Abraham, I promise I will do better.
Abraham leaves Lot, shaking his head.
If it wasn’t for Abraham, Lot and his family would have lost their lives or been slaves for the rest of their lives. Sometimes I think our kids think we were born yesterday; we see what they think we don’t, and we also know what they think we don’t.
Joe, Matt, and Amber and Magin thought we had a drone following them day and night. But in actuality, it’s just the father’s fight for his family. His wife will say, "Honey, you’re too hard," and then when her way doesn’t work, she will say, "Do something.
The fathers fight; I am not going to discipline a child when she has already done it. The father’s fight means that when my wife has gotten ahold of you, I get the Band-Aids and the aloe vera. A good father knows to not get involved in every trouble, every fight, or every disagreement, but there are times when the only person who can help is dad.
Hannah has car fever; she wants a nice Camry with a six-speed transmission and a six-cylinder engine, and the speed odometer registers 160 on the sport edition with racing seats, not that she is going to drive fast. She doesn’t talk to my wife; she doesn’t talk to mom; she talks to papa. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t pay her payments. Hannah is a good girl; she works hard, has paid all her payments and insurance, and has never been late.
The fathers fight.
Do I have a father who knows about this fight? Hannah’s also wanting a muscle car,
1964 The first Pontiac GTO began production on September 3, 1963 [9] and was available as an option package for the Pontiac LeMans, available in coupé, hardtop, and convertible body styles. The US$295 package (equivalent to $2,780 in 2022) included a 389 cu in (6.4 L) V8 rated at 325 hp (242 kW) at 4,800 rpm with a single Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust pipes, chromed valve covers and air cleaner, a seven-blade clutch fan, a floor-shifted three-speed manual transmission with a Hurst shifter, stiffer springs, a larger diameter front sway bar, wider wheels with 7.50 14 redline tires, hood scoops, and GTO badges. Optional equipment included a four-speed manual transmission, a Super Turbine 300 two-speed automatic transmission, a more powerful engine with "Tri-Power" carburetion (three two-barrel Rochester 2G carburetors) rated at 348 bhp (260 kW), metallic drum brake linings, [8] a limited-slip differential, a heavy-duty cooling, ride, and handling package, as well as a tachometer mounted in the far right dial on the dash. [10] Some limited power features were available, as well as other accessories. With every available option, the GTO cost about $4,500 (equivalent to $42,460 in 2022) and weighed around 3,500 lb (1,600 kg).
Hannah, if you want one of these cars, be prepared to spend $60,000 to $140,000. The fathers fight.
How many of you remember your first car? Magin got her first car in a 4 door Plymouth Reliant K car, and none of the kids ever rode with us again. To us, Magin had a grandmother’s car; to Magin, she had a Porsche, and she drove the wheels off that car.
A father’s fight
Yall I have had a little fun, but I need to be serious for a bit. Most of the father’s fight isn’t intense, but the fight behind the scenes is intense.
When your wife looks at you and says, "Do something," she doesn’t mean pray. But to be a father who knows when he needs help, he always runs to the greatest father of all.
As a father, it is my heart to live worthy of the favor of God in my life. When I ask God for help, I want to know he’s got my back! I can’t tell you how many times I have cried tears to Jesus for my children, my grandchildren, and now my great-grandchildren. As a father figure in this church, I have missed more sleep crying to Jesus for this church. Waiting, watching, and praying doesn’t seem like much, but when the storm comes, it’s nice to know you don’t have to patch up your relationship with Jesus.
A father’s fight
Jesus entered the greatest fight he ever fought the night before his crucifixion. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed till his sweat became as great as drops of blood. Luke 22:41–42 (Common English Bible) 41 He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed. 42 He said, "Father, if it’s your will, take this cup of suffering away from me. However, not my will but your will must be done." Jesus took up the fight for the souls of men; the greatest fight fathers you will ever fight isn’t the money fight, the Mr. Muscles fight, or the knock you eye out Delilah fight.
It’s the fight for the souls God has given you. He gave you a wife; "fight for her" God gave you a son; "fight for him" God gave you a daughter; "fight for her".
As a father, it doesn’t matter what they aren’t, but what they are to me. They are mine. And when they are mine, don’t mess with them. It will cause you a lot of pain. Because we fight for families.
Mathew 23:37 New King James Version "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
Fathers, I ask you to come today around the front of the church with me, and I want to honor our fathers with an offering of prayer on their behalf.
The "father’s fight" is never-ending. Family, will you gather with your father and let’s offer prayer for the man God has put in your life? I
