Bow your head with me for a moment and pray. I'd like to commit this next few brief moments that we have together to the Lord. Heavenly and gracious Father, we are grateful for your mercies to us. Lord, we're so grateful for your word that does not leave us wandering to our own devices, but Lord, that clearly sets forth your truth, clearly sets forth your ways for our life. We pray now, Lord, that as we together go into your word that you would convict, that you would enlighten, Lord, that you would encourage, that you would strengthen our hand. Lord, thank you for your blessing, and I pray that you would bless this time together. Amen. I've only been married five and a half years, but in those five and a half years, I've come to one conclusion as a father, and that is that Father's Day is a little bit, well, it's rather Americanized. And so my desire in my family is to go more towards a Jewish, a Hebrew style of celebration for Father's Day. And this really does not have to do as much with necessarily biblical, but rather that Father's Day is a difficult day. So I'd like to really, instead of making it just one day, I'm trying to get my family, my wife and my children into this mode of making a father's days, you know, kind of a whole weekend. I'd be fine with a week celebration, but more than one day, definitely. Because truly, it is a difficult role. And I say that in jest, but it is certainly a difficult role, fatherhood. And as we look out in our world today, what do we see when it comes to fatherhood? We see mass, mass failure. And I know for myself, I gaunt myself in with the failure as I see often in my own life with my own children how often I fail. And as we go to the Word of God quite honestly we don't see a lot of a different picture do we? When it comes to fathers in the Bible we see again mass failure. We see snapshots of good fatherhood, but we don't see very many fathers that are consistently good fathers, that raise up great seed. Even the big names in the Bible, right? Abraham failed as a father. Moses failed as a father. David failed as a father. Jacob failed as a father. Failure after failure after failure as a father. in the Bible. Well, as I was considering, you know, where do we go for fatherhood in the Bible, I happened to also be preparing to lead our church through chapter 12 of the 1689 London Baptist Confession. We're going through that as a body, one Sunday a month, one chapter every month. And this particular month I was on chapter 12, which is the doctrine of adoption, covering the whole idea about adoption. And being the sharp guy that I am, I was sitting there going, Adoption? Wait a second. Kids? That means there's a Heavenly Father? That's where I can go for characteristics of a Godly Father. So this morning, I'd like to take us through some characteristics of a Godly Father that we find in God our Father in the scripture. This is not a comprehensive study. In fact, from when I originally prepared this, I've cut one, at least one out. So it's not a comprehensive study. But it's something that I hope that we can get started as we look at our characteristics of a godly father. And before we get going though, and before I lose all my audience I'd like to just make sure I'm addressing each group in particular here. For fathers, I know most of you, if not older than me, are certainly more experienced than me. So I'd like to speak to you first. Please don't check out. Because my desire here is not to express my experience, not to express the great things that I've come up with, but Lord willing, to go to the scripture and find what are the godly characteristics of a father that each one of us need to implement in our lives. For men, it doesn't matter what age you are. I don't care if you're two years old and can hopefully understand me. To older men, not married, please do not check out because the things we're talking about today need to be implemented in your life now. They need to be begun today. Don't think, oh, that'll wait till later. I know for myself, I had many areas in my life where, looking back, I wish I had focused on working on myself at a younger age, preparing, planning, thinking through the big questions. And then for everyone, men, women, children, old, young, please, as we go through these godly characteristics of a father, I want you to be thinking of this in relationship to your Heavenly Father. As we were studying the Doctrine of Adoption, the Doctrine of Adoption in the Westminster Shorter Catechism begins this way. It says, Adoption is a work of God's free grace. In fact, it is one of three particular graces that are expressed in the Catechism. as a benefit of all those who are effectually called. There's justification, there's adoption, and there's sanctification. And each one of those three in the Westminster Shorter Catechism began the same way. Justification is a work of God's free grace. Adoption is a work of God's free grace. Sanctification is a work of God's free grace. And grace, when we speak about grace, please remind yourselves, it's not this idea that we have in our culture today, which is this permissiveness, this license to do what we will, this kind of overlooking our sins or whatever. But grace is rather unmerited favor. Grace is the power and the will to do what is right. We often think of grace, or the culture thinks of grace, of standing in contrast to the law, as in grace permits and the law forbids. It does stand in contrast to the law, but not in that way. It stands in contrast to the law in this way only, in that the law we are unable to fulfill, but through grace we are able to fulfill the righteousness of God in our lives. We have the ability of God in our lives to fulfill his righteousness. And it's this grace, this ability to fulfill God's law in our lives, adoption is a part of. It's a work of God's free grace in every single one of our lives who have been called to God. So, remember, this characteristic of a godly father is not just for those who are currently fathers. It's not just for young men and men who aspire to be fathers. But this is applicable to each and every one of us here today who have been called by God, for we are adopted. We are turned from being the seed of the serpent to being the sons of God. And this is our Father who we are going to be talking about this morning. This perfect, perfect Father. The first characteristic of a godly father like I'd like to share with you this morning It's something that I briefly shared with the men last night. But a godly father delights in his children as God the Father delights in his children. Ephesians 1, 3-6 says this, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he, God, hath made us accepted in the blood." That word there, accepted, in the Greek, is not just welcome this general of acceptance, but rather it's to endure with special honor, to make it accepted, to be highly favored. To give you even a better idea of what this word really means, let me give you another example of where it's used in the scripture. It's used in Luke 128, when the angel comes to Mary and says to her, Hail thou that are highly favored. same same word there highly favored and so we are as it says here in Ephesians 1 having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted highly favored in the blood Now, we also know that God did not place his love on us. God does not delight in us because we are so delightable. Isn't that right? But rather, God loved us first. God loved us while we were yet his enemy. While we were yet at war with him, God placed his love upon us. 1 John 4.11 says, Herein is love, not that we loved God. but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. God the Father delights in His children. We as fathers must delight in our children. So what does this mean to us as men? First of all, I guess I'd like to express that this delight really begins in the heart. It's not just something that we put a show on. It's not just actions, but rather it begins in the heart. Our children know. They see right through all of our facade. They can see whether our delight in them is coming from our hearts or whether we're just doing it. And not that sometimes we have to start with actions. and let the heart and the emotions follow. But, the emotions, if we do not in our heart of hearts delight in our kids, we need to do something. We need to work on what is going on inside. And this is something that I constantly work on. Even this morning, I'm sitting there at breakfast with my lovely son, who I apologize for the rest of you that your children are not delightful like mine are, maybe. But, um, I have some of the most delightful children in the world. But he's sitting there. He's eating his tater tot. He's eating it with ketchup. My choice to give him the ketchup, I guess, but... He's eating it with ketchup, and what does he do? He goes to me, dabbing in my white shirt with his ketchup on his hands. And I could see it coming, I didn't stop him. I couldn't stop him before it was too late. And as he grabbed my shirt, I grabbed his hand and said, Gleisen. Over and over this has happened. But at that moment, I have a choice, don't I? A choice to delight in my son who just smeared ketchup all over my white shirt. I have to delight in my children. Delight in your children makes for contented children. Delight in your children makes for devoted children. What we just read in 1 John 4, 19, we love Him because He first loved us. We want our children to love us. We want our children to delight in us. We must, as fathers, delight in our children. And I shared with a man last night, I think this is, in my growing up years, this is something that has stuck out to me the most. When people ask what is one thing I could pass on that my parents did for me, it would be this. It would be that I never felt like I was ever in the way. I never felt like I hindered their real life. I never felt like I was secondary. They delighted in me all the time. They wanted to hear what I had to say, whether it made sense or not. They wanted to be with me. delight in your children makes for contented children and devoted children. We must put our children first. And young men, I'd like to especially emphasize this point to you, because as men, we're strong. We want to accomplish much. We want to get out there and get it done. And when it comes to children, there's often this barrier of getting it done and having somebody in the way. There's this real rub when we are focused on getting the job done, oftentimes, and more than in delighting in children. And it's a habit you've got to start building now, because it does not come naturally for us as men. And it's something also that you need to keep in mind as you are at work, as you are successful in the work that you do, as you put your heart and mind into it. children and raising of godly seed is the most important work that you could do. And so you must first of all be always keeping in mind, how can I delight in children? You know, and keeping in mind too that this work that I do, whether I go to work, whether it's a job I've, or a business I've started, this is secondary to what I will do at home. I want to give you one example on that real quickly, and that is the example of Eli, the priest. Okay, he was a priest. In our day and age, what is more exonerated than this idea of being a priest, being a pastor, leading a body? That's a high calling. However, listen to this, okay? Listen to what God said to Samuel about Eli. a man of God, a spiritual leader of Israel who failed with his sons. In 1 Samuel 3, 11-13 says, And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house. When I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him, that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity that he knoweth, because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not." Eli was going to be made an example to the nation of Israel so much so that the ears of those who heard it would ring. And why was this? Because he failed in his priestly duties? No, it was because he failed as a father. He failed as a father. Our highest calling in life, men, is to raise godly seed. Our highest calling in life is to raise godly seed. And that begins, I believe, with delighting in children. Not just because they're delightable, which many times they certainly are, but because it is a high calling. And God has called us to delight in our children. As God, our Father, delights in each of us. Also, a godly father establishes a good name for his children, as God the Father has glorified his name. Listen to these verses that talk about the name of the Lord. Revelation 3.12, Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is near Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name." One of the great privileges of being a child of God is that He writes His name upon us. It says a similar thing in Revelation 22, verse 4, "...and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on His forehead." God the Father has established and glorified His name to the nation, and He places that name on each one of His children. A name embodies the character and goals and strengths of a person, but it also, remember, includes their lacks, their weaknesses. But in the Lord we find these things, that the name of the Lord provides protection. Proverbs 18.10, The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run unto it, and it is safe. Also, by the name of the Lord we wage war, Psalms 118.10-12, All nations compass me about, but in the name of the Lord will I destroy them. They compass me about, yea, they compass me about, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. They compass me about like bees, they are quenched as the fire of thorns, for in the name of the Lord I will destroy them. Children of God, are we at war today? We are, aren't we? We are at war today and every day of our lives. And because of the name of the Lord, because of the name that the Lord has glorified, we will be able to wage war, and wage war victoriously. Fathers, we need to think about the name we're establishing. Young men, you need to think about the name you're establishing right now. I want to say a few words, I want to say three names, three labels, and I want to see what they come to your mind. So as soon as I say them, Um, shout out whatever comes to your mind, okay? Cadillac. Car? What else? Expensive car. Alright, luxurious car. That's what we think of when we think of Cadillac. What about Abe Lincoln? Honest. Present too, but honest is the thing I was thinking of. Honest Abe. What about this? Starbucks. Coffee. My own contribution to the world from the state of Washington. Ah, no, Starbucks, good coffee. Those names, those labels mean something. When people hear them, they think of certain things instantaneously. Man, we have to be establishing a good name for our children. We should be zealous for it. I don't know if any of you have read the great philosopher Louis L'Amour. But in one of his books, I read one time, I'm sure a long time ago, he's talking about the name of a man in the Western culture, back in the Wild West. And that one of the reasons these men were so zealous for their name was because often times when they would go to a new place, the name was all they had. They had to fight for that name. Maybe they didn't have a horse, maybe they didn't have money, But if they could get in and establish a good name, they could trade, they could borrow, they could barter on that good name. And for them, seriously, that good name was a matter of life and death. And maybe the whole duel thing wasn't exactly the way to fight for your name, but they were zealous for it, for it was a matter of life and death to them. And men, how zealous are we for our name? The name we're establishing for our children. two great names behind me, Craig. I love saying the name Craig, especially in Spokane, for people that know my dad, it means a lot of great things. My mom's main name is Christensen, and again in Spokane, Christensen has a lot of pull, a lot of meaning to it, a lot of good meaning, and I'm so proud of both of my names. Names can open and close doors for our children. Names give our children confidence, if they're good names. Men, we need to be zealous for our names. Young men, you need to be working on it right now. Even a child is known by his deeds, whether his acts are good and kind. We need to be working on it today. Are you going to be a great man? Are you going to be a man who they say, I know that guy. That guy came and shook my hand. He looked me straight in the eye. So a godly father delights in his children. A godly father establishes a good name for his children. A godly father is a refuge for his children, as God the Father is a refuge for his children. In Romans 8, 14-16, I'd like to read this passage. It says, and I think it was already mentioned here this weekend, but, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." Well why do I go to this passage to talk about a godly father being a refuge to his children? When we look at this chapter here, or this verse, it says, whereby we cry, Abba Father. That cry there is not just a simple, Abba Father. It's not a plaintiff cry. It's not a relaxed cry. It's not a half-hearted cry. In the Greek, it literally means to call aloud, to shriek, to entreat, to cry out. This is not just a simple, hey I need this. This is a begging, this is a life and death cry. In fact, the phrase Abba Father is only used three times in the New Testament. One of the times is a similar passage to this in Galatians, and the other time is in the Garden of Gethsemane. Mark 14, 33-36 says, And he taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy, and saith unto him, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful unto death, tarry ye here and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him, and said, Ava, Father, all things are possible unto thee, take away this cup from me, nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. God our Father, is a refuge for us. God our Father is who we can run to when we are in the most dire straits of our lives as Jesus did when he was sweating drops of blood. Proverbs 14.26 also says this, and the fear of the Lord is strong confidence and his children have a place of refuge. I'd like to submit to you a few key aspects or characteristics of being a refuge that is important for us as fathers to think about and that we see in God our Father. And number one is this idea of approachability. To be a refuge to our children, we must be approachable. Our children must know that they can come running to us at any time, any day, for any reason. I'm not talking about this approachability where we're on their level necessarily, or we're not talking about where we're on their level, but an approachability where they can come to us as their protector. Hebrews 4.16 says, Let us, as the children of God, therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. God our Father wants us to come run into Him. He creates an environment that we can come running to Him. He is understanding. He is patient. We must be approachable to be a refuge. We also, and this may sound funny that I point this out, but we must also be, a godly father who wants to be a refuge must also be strong and a source of power. A source of strength and a source of power. We don't necessarily, I mean, we may say, well, yeah, of course, a refuge, it's supposed to be strong and powerful. But we need to think about what does that mean for us. Psalm 62 says, and God is my salvation and my glory, the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God. We as men must be strong, and I'll talk about that a little bit more, but I'll just point the characteristic out for now. To be a refuge we must also be a source of wisdom. Psalms 19, 7-11 is talking about the Law of the Lord, a very familiar passage. The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise and simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned, and in keeping of them there is great reward. Our God, our Father, is a refuge to us because He is approachable, because He is a source of strength, and because He is a source of wisdom. Fathers, are we approachable? Do our kids know that there are certain times you just don't bother daddy? Whether it's reading the newspaper, whether it's eating your meal, don't ever try and hug me with your dirty hands. Our kids, do they feel like they can come to us at any time for any reason? Are we a source of strength and power? You know, I was serious. Fatherhood is a scary task. I'm learning that more and more. It's probably a good thing I didn't realize it as much as I did before I got married or so I might not have gotten married. But fatherhood is a scary task. It's huge because not only do we have to be a source of strength for ourselves in our time of struggle, but for our children, for our wives, for our entire family. We are the refuge for our entire family. Does that come naturally? No, we must be rooted in the Word of God, we must be drawing from His strength, we must be firmly rooted in the vine, drawing from His strength and power. We must also, to be a good refuge, we must also, as I mentioned, be a source of wisdom. It pains me when I see children going to their parents, going to their fathers in particular, saying, Dad, what do you think about this? And the dad has no clue what to say. Their children are crying out for direction in their life. Their children need help. They need their dad to be a refuge for them. And when they go, all they find is, I don't know, I think this, or they find a dad who's tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine. A dad who one day will give him this piece of advice and the next day this piece of advice. A dad who's not really getting the whole situation, does not have the wisdom of God in this situation. He's not a refuge and his children are out on their own when they should have their father there as a refuge. Start working on it now. This patience, understanding of approachability, again, doesn't come easy for us as guys. We get impatient pretty quickly. Being a source of strength and power, again, we need to be putting in the Word of God into our lives, day in, day out. And same with wisdom. Where do we get our wisdom from? It is from the Word of God, which gives us everything we need for life and godliness. Everything we need for life and godliness. A godly father delights in his children. A godly father establishes a good name for his children. A godly father is a refuge for his children. Finally, a godly father pities his children as God the Father pities his children. The idea of pity I love the definition, especially one word in it. Pity says to love, especially to compassionate. I love that word, to compassionate. To have compassion on upon, to love, to have mercy on. It has this idea of bestowing love of a stronger, greater vessel bestowing love on a weaker vessel. On somebody greater, watching out for somebody that's weak. that is needy. Psalms 103 verse 6 through 18 kind of has this idea. We see how God our Father pities us. Psalm 103 verse 6 through 18. It says, The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. So as we read through, we see how See how it talks about how weak and needy we are and what God does about it. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens is high above the earth, so great is his mercy towards them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass, as a flower of the field, that so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto his children, to such as keep his covenant, to those that remember his commandments, to do them. Verse 13, like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him, for he knoweth our frame, and he remembereth that we are dust. God our Father pities us. I'm not sure if it's going to keep raining or not. God takes pity on us in both our physical and in our spiritual state. Matthew 6, 26-30 talks about how He takes care of the fowls of the air and takes care of us even better. Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, how they toil. Neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, is not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" Because the Lord knows that we need Him to provide us even our daily bread. We're weak, we can't do it. We work hard, but there are a lot of things beyond our control. yet He provides us our daily bread. We talked already about how He's a refuge to us, even in our physical state. But then God also takes pity on our spiritual state. And because of our spiritual state, this state of weakness, this state of battling day in, day out with our flesh, the Lord has provided us with several things. God has provided us as a Heavenly Father who pities His Son, He's provided us with the Word of God. 2 Timothy 3, 16-17. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. It is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. He knows left to our own devices, right? We will fail. We will go astray. Jeremiah 17, 9 was quoted earlier this week about our deceitful hearts. So he's left us the Word of God that we may not wander, but we may know exactly what we are to do. He's given us also the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God to do several things for us. Number one, to show us the wisdom of God. Because not only has He given us the Word of God, but He's also given us the Spirit of God to help us to understand. John 16, 13-14 says, Howbeit then, when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you unto all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, But whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. And he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you." God has also given us the Holy Spirit to comfort and convince us of sin. John 16, 7-8 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him unto you, and when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." God knows our state. He knows our frail minds. He's given us the Holy Spirit to show us the wisdom of God. He's given us the Holy Spirit to comfort us in those times of trial. And God has given us the Holy Spirit to convince us of sin. That's a grace of God. He's taken pity upon us in our frail state to give us someone to convince us of our sin. Not something that we necessarily delight in per se, but as we see God's Word, we are grateful for His provision. God also takes pity on us and therefore He chastens us. We all are familiar, I'm sure, with a passage in Hebrews 12, verse 4, it says, You have not resisted unto blood, striving against sin, and ye have forgotten exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not thou that chasteneth the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. For if ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father chastened, if not? But if he be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our prophet, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of the righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Therefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, make straight the paths for your feet, lest that which is laying be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. God is in His grace because He pities us. He chastens us. Fathers, what does this mean for us? Well, the first step to pitting your child, right, we said it's bestowing love and mercy on a weaker vessel. We have to know the state of that vessel. We have to know the state of our children. If we don't know that they're weaker, we can't pity them. If we don't know their needs, we can't pity them specifically. We can't take care of where they are needy most. Fathers, we've got to be aware and connected. I work in a very typical American workplace where there's about four men and about 15 ladies. And unfortunately, one of the comments I hear every once in a while is a disparaging comment about a husband, about a father, and how out to lunch they are. And every time I hear that, I'm grieved. Every time I hear that, I want to go and shake that guy. Because that is so the opposite of what we ought to be. Not that it's not natural. I'm not denying that. I think it is something that we certainly, as men, some more than others, have to work hard against. But we must stay connected. We must be aware of every member of our family. What's their physical state? Do they need clothes? Simple things like that. Are they healthy? Do they need dentists? Do they need glasses? What are their physical needs? And then most importantly though, what is their spiritual state? And are we taking care of that? Are we teaching them the word? Are we teaching them those lessons that are real to them in their daily activities? Are we praying for our children? Are we chastening our children? Are we protecting our children from those influences that are out there to get them? Those influences that are much stronger than them. Those influences that we have to be the buffer between them and our children. Fathers, do we pity our children? So a godly father delights in his children. A godly father is a refuge for his children. A godly father establishes a good name for his children. A godly father pities his children. And lastly, I don't really have a per se scripture for this one, but I want to submit to you that a godly father is also a godly husband. A godly father is also a godly husband. We don't get to just do the father thing and then feel like we've made the mark, feel like we've done it. A godly father is also a godly husband. This year our homeschool organization in Washington State puts on a father-son retreat every year. And this year we had the privilege of having R.C. Sproul Jr. with us. And he asked us this question. He asked us, men, how many of you have ever wished for a better wife? How many of you have ever wished for a better wife? I have to be honest, I know that that thought has passed my mind, as I think if every one of us were really honest, we'd probably have to stay the same. And I think a large part of it has to do with our culture, and this individualistic society that we live in, where really we want each person to be able to take care of our problems. And you know, we get married and we think, I got my problems, I'm dealing with them. You got your problems, you deal with them. Okay, we're gonna work on this. You work, take care of yours, I'll take care of mine. But men, as fathers and as husbands, we don't have that luxury. As fathers and husbands, not only do we have to be all these things to our children, but quite honestly, we ought to be all these things to our wife as well. And so when R.C. Sproul asked this, he turned us back to Proverbs 31, and he pointed something that I had not really seen before. And he said, who was this Proverbs 31 addressed to? Who is this Proverbs 31 addressed to? We point our wives to it, we point our daughters to it, and we should, and it's good material for that. But Proverbs 31 starts out with saying that Proverbs 31 is written to Lemuel. It's written to the husband. And R.C. Sproul challenged us. Men, we want better wives. We need to nurture them and raise them up so that they can be this Proverbs 31 woman. And Ephesians 5, 25-27 really says this very same thing. It says, Husbands, love your wives even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having a spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." Husbands, we need to be diligently helping our wives, washing her with the word, taking care of her, not just letting her take care of her problems herself, but rather The buck stops with us on all of it. Children, wife, all of it. If there's a problem, we have to come back to ourselves. What are we doing? What are we not doing for our children and for our wives? So in closing, again, fathers, to be a godly father, we must delight in our children, must be a refuge, must establish a good name, we must be a We must pity our children and we must be good husbands so that we may be good fathers as well. Young man, don't forget these things. Work on them today. I challenge you. I know I wish I had. And everyone, I'll be blessed with a great and gracious father. As adopted children, no longer seed of the servant, but sons of God, he has been gracious to adopt us and to make us His children, we have the perfect Father, may we praise Him for them.