Mark 4:26-34  -  Sowing Good Seed - Father's Day 2006

How many know the day of the year when the most phone calls are made? Mother's Day. On mothers day everyone wants to call home and talk to mom…Guess what happens on Father's Day? The most collect Calls. That's ok though. Dads like to be needed. Men do not get upset by this. But we do need a time to honor our fathers. Dads don't get much respect nowadays.  A doting father used to sing his little children to sleep. He even learned a few lullabies to lend some variety to the task. This was something he could do at night to help his wife out. And he kept up this task until one night he overheard his four-year-old give her younger sibling this advice, "If you pretend you're asleep," she said, "he will stop that awful singing."

Garrison Keillor, on his "Writer's Almanac" on National Public Radio reminds us that Father's Day goes back "to a Sunday morning 1909, when a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd was sitting in church listening to a Mother's Day sermon. She thought of her father who had raised her and her siblings after her mother died in childbirth, and she thought that fathers should get recognition, too. So she asked the minister of the church if he would deliver a sermon honoring fathers on her father's birthday, which was coming up in June, and the minister did. And the tradition of Father's Day caught on, though rather slowly. Mother's Day became an official holiday in 1914; Father's Day, not until 1972.

Father's Day is just not as big a deal as Mother's Day. Mother's Day is a huge deal. Forget Mother's Day and you'll be in the dog house till Father's Day. We need to honor our fathers more and so this morning, let's look at the importance of fathers.

In our lesson from Mark, Jesus says "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how..."  Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of God and about our Heavenly Father who plants seeds in our lives. And we can learn much about being a great Father by looking at our Heavenly Father. And raising good children is much like scattering seed upon the ground.  There are no guarantees in either raising children or planting seed. A farmer can do all the right things and still lose a crop. So can parents. The farmer can till the ground at the right time, put in the right seed, and irrigate and fertilize according to the textbook. But that does not guarantee a crop. Some of you have learned the hard way that there are no guarantees. All we can do is our best and then pray to God for the results. And good fathers are so important in this process.

Father's hold a very special place in society… A much higher place than they are given credit for today. For instance, how many of you have seen a commercial or TV show that actually makes dads look intelligent? Most cast fathers as the family idiot, who can't figure out how to take care of the kids, how to run a load of laundry, or clean the toilets without specific instructions from mom. Sadly, many men today also neglect to see the importance of their role as a father. As a result, their kids are growing up in unbalanced and dysfunctional households. In fact 39.6 % of the children in America are going to bed every night without their father in the home.
Fathers need to be reinstated to the level of importance that God intended for them! In fact, there is very strong evidence which points to the fact that the reason American morality and spiritual integrity is at such an all time low is because of the declining value placed on the role of the father in today's society. When dad is undervalued, so is a right relationship with Abba, our Father in Heaven.

What do we learn about fatherhood in this passage and in a thousand other passages in the Bible? First, our heavenly Father provides for us. He gives us each day our daily bread. Well, earthly fathers are the same. They provide for the needs of their families. Dads work hard to keep families fed, housed, clothed. That is the command of scripture. 1 Tim 5:8, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Most dads take that seriously. Dads are not always as tenderly emotional as moms, but they show practical love for their family in how they provide financially for the family.

One night a wife found her husband standing over their newborn baby's crib. Silently she watched him. As he stood looking down at the sleeping infant, she saw on his face a mixture of emotions. He would stand back, shake his head and say, "Amazing," while smiling from ear to ear. Touched by his unusual display and the deep emotions it aroused, her eyes glistened with tears as she slipped her arms around him. "A penny for your thoughts," she whispered in his ear. "Isn't it amazing!" he replied. "When you take the time and really look close, how can anyone make a crib like that for only $45.99!"

What else does a great dad do? We learn from God not only to give material things to our families, we need to give them ourselves. Because men are hard wired with the desire to provide for their family and make a good home for their children, there's a constant struggle to maintain a balance between the giving of our time and the giving of our things. In addition, our culture of greed and those of us who have bought into that culture, well, we want it all. Families want dads who bring home lots of money so they can have all the things we want. Then families want dads who spend more time with the family. We want it all. And many dads are caught in a no win situation. God's example is that He provides for our needs, but our greatest need is to be with God. Just to be with God. Dads, our families need the material things we provide, but they need us also. When grown, your child will not remember that new toy you bought her, but she will remember the days you spent together. Dads, the greatest seeds you can scatter upon your family is your time. Even if that means less money. Give your time.

God provides for our needs. God gives us time to just be with Him. God also leads us in discipline. Proverbs 3:11-12, “My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” A dad provides discipline because he wants the best for his children. However, hear me clearly—there is a wide difference between discipline and mere punishment. The Christian Family Movement of the past two decades has pressed for more discipline in the home, but many misunderstand this and think only in terms of punishment. What is the true meaning of discipline?

Discipline comes from the word disciple—one who is taught. Discipline is about teaching, showing, coaching our children into a way of life. In the movie, “Remember the Titans,” the coach pushed those students to the brink of their abilities. Some accused him of trying to ruin them and break their spirits. But by pushing them - he made them stronger. It prepared them for a difficult season of football - and in the end they won the championship because the coach showed them a way of discipline. Too many dads have misunderstood the meaning of discipline in the Bible. Discipline is not mere punishment when things go wrong. Discipline is a way of life shared in the family to make things go right. Discipline is not saying, “Because I'm the parent and I said so.” Discipline is saying, “Because this is what is best for all our family.” Discipline is not telling children what to do. Discipline is showing kids what to do by our own example of living a higher, more excellent life.