Fathers are an incredibly important part of God’s plan. God has created fathers to be leaders and protectors in multiple spheres of responsibility. In the book of Nehemiah, the fathers helped to build the wall around Jerusalem. The wall provided protection and security. Today’s father must build three walls in order to be successful in God’s purpose for their lives.
1. Build your personal wall
The personal wall of a father involves your character. Your character is the kind of person you are when no one is looking. In order to build your personal wall of integrity, you must build your relationship with the Father, God Himself.
1 John 2:13a (NIV) I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.
Knowing God, your heavenly Father, is essential to becoming the father God created you to be. Your model of a father is God Himself. To grow in integrity, you must grow in prayer and understanding God’s Word. Your personal walls must be strong to withstand temptation in today’s world. Last week’s revelation of the extra-marital affair of Senator John Ensign of Nevada and today’s revelation of an affair by Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina show what can happen when your personal walls are in rubble. You’ll make no progress in the other areas of your life unless you are building your life on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ.
2. Build your family wall
A strong personal wall lays the groundwork to build a strong wall of protection around your family. The essence of a biblical family is the marriage relationship between one man and one woman. So, a father’s first task in a family is to build his relationship with his wife.
1 Peter 3:7 (NIV) Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
This surprising verse reveals that if a husband has a poor relationship with his wife, his relationship with God and his prayers will be hindered. Also notice that for a strong family wall, both husband and wife must be believers and committed to the Lord.
The second aspect of building the family wall is to train his children in God’s way.
Ephesians 6:4 (NIV) Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
The father has the chief responsibility in the family to train and instruct his children walking with God. Children must come to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and then grow in that relationship by learning from their father’s example. All too many fathers fall short in this, either through not having strong personal walls or pushing off the training responsibility to their wives and church only.
3. Build your church wall
The final wall of protection that a father needs to build for his family and others is the church wall. Contrary to popular belief that you can go to any or no church at your own pleasure, God has one church in your area that He has chosen you to be a part of. When you as a father faithfully participate in that church family, God will protect and bless your family greatly.
1 Peter 2:5 (NIV) you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
To build your church wall, you must not only have a vertical relationship with Jesus, you must have a horizontal relationship with other believers in God’s family in the church. You help build your church wall through participating in ministry, not just being a spectator. When you take responsibility as a member of the church family, your wife and children will follow. The church wall is a source of great protection in today’s world and no believer should be without it.
Unfortunately, many fathers give building their job their highest priority which leads to great problems. However, when a father builds these three walls, personal, family and church walls, the rest of his life, including his job will prosper.
Listen to my June 21, 2009 message “Fathers – Builders of the Wall” (message notes).
A timely message which addresses some truly basic issues!
Hey, have you seen this news article?
New details about Michael Jackson’s Death Emerge
I was wondering if you were going to blog about this…
Pastor Walker: I do bulletins for my church and this was an awesome message that was perfect for Father’s day. I gave you all credit as the author.
This is a message my brother, my son, his friends, my husband and many other ministers, churched and unchurched men as saved and unsaved men truly need to hear. It blessed my heart and I pray your continual faithfulness to preaching the truth of the gospel. God Bless You, your Family and your congregants.
This message is very powerful. I am presently going through some rough times with my wife and this has brought more knowledge to me. God bless u pastor
My mother passed last year and I felt like giving up, but God saw me through. Today God spoke to me through a movie (Courageous) about God’s purpose for the Father. This message has added to the building, the resurrection of my faith.