I John 2:13  I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
14  I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

Today is marked on our calendars as Father’s day. According to the internet, Father’s day did not have the same appeal that Mother’s day had. One report stated the reason being that fathers do not have the same sentimental character that mothers have. Several reports stated that it was a woman in Spokane, Washington who went to several different venues to drum up support for Father’s day. She was one of six children who were raised by a widower and she wanted a way to recognize fathers. She was successful in her endeavours and on June 19, 1910 Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day.
Fathers have a very important role to play in the home and in society. The Bible teaches that God created the man first and then He made the woman. The Bible also tells us that God held the man responsible for the fall.
Many times, in society, fathers are depicted in a less than honourable light. They are shown as being unstable and not that bright. They are depicted as being incapable of making wise decisions and needing to be directed by their wives.
The Bible says that God created the woman to the help meet for the man. We tend to combine the two words “help meet” into helpmeet. God tells us that the woman is that help that is meet for the man. God knows that the man needs help. There are many ways in which the man needs help. It is very clear that humanity would not have increased if God had not created the woman. A man cannot bear children. I recently read of a man who was not allowed to donate blood because he refused to answer the question of whether he was pregnant or not. Who ever insisted that he answer that foolish question, needs their head examined.
Some men can function well without being married, but God’s general design is for the man to have a woman as the help meet for him.
The passage we have at the opening, speaks of a very important aspect of fatherhood. Fathers must be the leaders in their homes. Fathers need to be saved in order to be proper leaders in their homes. There are many fathers who do not know how to lead. Many fathers are very insecure. If a father does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, he will not know how to lead his family. Wives need to be submissive to their own husbands, but they are not always that way. The father needs to know how to guide his wife and children in the right way. Fathers are not always submissive to God, but they need to learn the importance of that.
As we see in our text, fathers need to know Him that was from the beginning. Fathers need to know the true God (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit). Apart from that, fathers do not know how to establish a proper home. There is nothing more important for a father than being able to help his family to see the importance of knowing the true God.
Building relationships with the children is important. You cannot build a good relationship apart from knowing the true God and guiding the family in the right way. This life is so short. Eternity is a long time. No good father wants to see his children go to hell.
We see in our text that when the father knows the true God, he can help his sons to overcome the wicked one. As the father walks with the true God he will learn humility and he will learn faithfulness. He will be able to show his children the importance of a right relationship with the true God.
Every child will need to choose whether to follow the true God or not. The pull of the world is always there. Sometimes children will desire the world above all else. The father needs to be convinced of the truth and be able to walk in such a way as to help his children to see that this world is passing away. The things of this world will never satisfy anyone who makes them their god.
Godly fathers follow their heavenly Father. Our heavenly Father tells us that in this world we shall suffer persecution. Jesus taught His disciples many things. He prepared them for the persecution they would face when He would not be with them. The book of Acts shows us that the apostles faced strong opposition to the truth. They needed to be grounded in the faith in order to stand in the midst of that opposition. They needed to understand that having fun cannot be the basis of life.
Peter and John stood for the truth when commanded to give up speaking the truth. Paul stood before king Agrippa and boldly declared the truth to him. This took place after he had been in prison for two years on trumped up charges. He would spend another couple of years as a prisoner because politics was more important to king Agrippa and Festus and others.
Paul did not need a diversion to deal with the challenges he faced. He needed to be well grounded in the faith to be able to show others that this life is short and the place where we know we will rest and be rewarded is in heaven. Seventy, eighty, ninety or even one hundred years seems like a long time to us. Eternity has no end. God created the land and the water. Some of the disciples were fishermen and they made their living fishing. Jesus called them away from that and promised to make them fishers of men.
Peter was discouraged after his denial of Jesus Christ and he led some of the disciples back to fishing again. Jesus met them on the shore after they had fished all night and caught nothing. He told them where to find fish and when Peter realized it was Jesus, he left the fish and the net with the others and swam and ran to meet Jesus. Jesus gave Peter a challenge at that time. Peter was displeased that Jesus put that challenge to him three times. Peter needed to think about where his priorities were. He needed to see where real value was.
Peter was a changed man after Pentecost in Acts 2. However, even after that Paul still had to rebuke Peter for causing division among the saved Jews and the saved Gentiles. Galatians 2 records that account.
Peter needed to see what was important and he needed to build his life on the truth. There are opportunities to enjoy God’s creation when we put God first. When we put God first we have a different perspective on what it means to enjoy God’s creation. We value souls more than anything else. We want to see others know God’s peace first and foremost. When that is in its rightful place, then other things will also have their right place.
Paul challenged young Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. Paul encouraged Timothy with the crown of righteousness that was awaiting all those who love Jesus’ appearing. Paul wrote those words from prison. Timothy could have looked at that and said, I don’t want that. I want to “enjoy” life. We know Timothy did not take that route. We cannot truly enjoy life until we settle the matter of Who God is in our lives. Lost people will never understand this. Lost people need to have their eyes opened to see real value. Only God can open their eyes. He gave us His Word to show us many of His blessings. He provided the only way for us to have our eyes opened to see His many blessings. That way is through the new birth.
Today is Father’s day. It is the day when godly fathers should take their children to a good church that will help them to see the importance of knowing the true God. The apostle Paul knew that God would reward him at death. He was also rewarded with God’s peace in his earthly life even though he spent many years as a prisoner. He did not miss out on anything important. Festus, Felix, king Agrippa and many others missed out. No one will be able to redo their life after death. The time to choose life is now. The blessings of following God are for now and for all eternity. The pleasures of sin last for a season, but the torment of hell is for eternity.
Fathers, choose carefully and choose wisely today!

Joshua 24:15  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Pastor Bartel