The Lutheran Hour
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"You Should Know"
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Text: John 3:9-10
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Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed! Today, our heavenly Father tells us what we should know. And among those things, nothing is more important than these sentences of salvation, which move us from death to life by the blood of Jesus Christ.
The night was dark. The boy was small. There was a full moon, but heavy clouds shut out the light of both moon and stars. An eerie glow was the light by which the boy with his father walked along the swamp’s narrow path. The passageway was narrow, just wide enough for one. The father had walked the trail in the past and so he led the way for his inexperienced son. His orders had been simple-just one sentence, really. Dad said, “Son, stay behind me and stay close.” So, past the clutching vines and tree branches that took on the shape of horrible, clawing hands, they walked. Dad knew what was in the darkness; the boy didn’t. But he stayed behind his father and stayed close. Together, they finished their march through the marsh. That father knew his job was to lead the way. The day was bright. The boy was small. The snow had fallen from heavy clouds and was so brilliant you had to squint to see. The walking was wearisome. Dad had needed a drink or two with his friends. Giving orders for everybody else to stay home, he started out alone. He blazed a new trail through the heavy snow. Only as he approached the tavern did he turn at a noise made behind him. There was his son. Far too small to break through the snow by himself, the boy was, with proud confidence, matching his small stride with that of his father. Together they finished their march – but not at the bar. Dad turned back and carried his son home. That father should have known his job was to lead the way.
A Father’s Day sermon, absolutely-but a Father’s Day sermon that talks of things everyone should know. The Bible is filled with wonderful things, simple things, wise things, obvious things that everyone should know, but very often don’t. Adam and Eve should have known. After all God had told them there would be catastrophic consequences if they ate from the forbidden tree (Genesis 3:6). The children of Israel should have known they shouldn’t forget the wonderful things the Lord had done for them (Judges 8:33-34). King Saul should have known that God’s rules apply to anyone, no matter his or her rank (1 Samuel 28:8ff). And in the New Testament, Nicodemus should have known that God wants to reform, recycle, and restore His people through the blood of Jesus Christ. Now, before I go any further, let me give you a few facts. First, Nicodemus was a prominent member of the elitist group called the Pharisees. Unlike many of his friends who hated the Savior with a passion, Nicodemus had been impressed by Jesus’ miracles. He was so impressed that one night he came to the Savior to have some questions answered.
As he talked with the Savior, Nicodemus heard some wonderful things. He heard simple things. He heard about many things which God thought everybody ought to know. Like what? Well, things like: God loves you. Most religions don’t teach that, you know. You may take the love of God for granted, but most religions worship a god that demands you please him, appease him, and work your way to perfection. Nicodemus found out the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, simply loved him. Indeed, He loves everybody. No, He doesn’t love your sins, nor does He love it when you try to ignore Him or try to elevate your will over His. But God loves you. He loves you so much that He sent His Son into this world to save you. He loves you so much that He sent His Son to live for you, carry your sins, and die for you upon a cross on a skull-shaped hill outside Jerusalem. That death should have been yours. But it won’t be. Why? Because God loves you. And that night, Nicodemus heard the purest explanation of God’s grace ever spoken. That night, a single, curious Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus heard a sentence that has changed history, shaken the foundations of hell, and ended Satan’s grasp upon sinful souls. Jesus said, “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” Listener, that’s something you should know. If you learn nothing else out of this sermon, if you hear nothing else, you should know this: God sent His Son to save you from sin, death and hell. If you believe that truth, you are free. If you ignore or reject or despise that truth, you are still in sin and remain enslaved by Satan. You should know. Everyone should know.
Fathers, and now I’m speaking especially to you and all whom God has entrusted with the spiritual care of little children, you should know in this world of hatred, prejudice, injustice, and sin, your little ones need this divine simple truth first shared with Nicodemus. They should know beyond any doubt or question, “Jesus loves them.”
Today, in all too many places, fatherhood is calculated not by God’s standard but by man’s measurements. Today, society says a man is a “good father” if he makes enough money to shod his offspring in the most sophisticated styles, treat them to the most tasty tidbits, and give them every toy, game, doodad, thingamajig, doohickey and thingumabob their little one can point to and say, “I want.” No longer does a good father worry about keeping up with the Joneses. No longer does he agonize because little Billy and Bonnie say, “But, dad, everybody’s got one.” No, our contemporary concern is, “Does the house have enough storage space to secure all the stuff that has to be salted away after it’s discarded and the newness has worn off?” But, you should know, God says that’s not enough. Many of you, listening to my voice, grew up with an old-fashioned father who was stern, strict, serious and just a little scary. You know the kind of father I’m talking about. He said (and check out how many of these statements you heard growing up) things like: “Were you raised in a barn? Close the door.” Did he say things like “You didn’t beat me. I let you win.” Did he say, “Don’t worry, it’s only blood.” Did he say, “Don’t you have any normal friends?” How about, “I told you, keep your eye on the ball” or “Who said life was supposed to be fair?” or “You call that a haircut?” How about, “This will hurt me a lot more than it hurts you.” Did you hear, “If you can stay up late to party, you can get up early for church,” or after you’d had a heart-rending experience, “There’s a lot of fish in the sea.” Most of us have heard, “Don’t make me stop the car. If I have to stop the car, you’re going to regret it.” One my dad used: “If you don’t remember anything else I’ve said, I want you to remember this.” Were you smiling at the list? My children are. At one point or another, they’ve heard almost all of those words. Well, nowadays, that kind of father is old-fashioned, obsolete, and retired. A new father, a fashionable father, an enlightened dad has taken his place. Today, being a “good father” means you are a spectator. You allow your children to find their own paths, to grow up without preaching about right and wrong and talking about that which is pure and perfect. In regard to faith and truth, you avoid talking about Jesus or dedication or salvation or anything else. Want some news? God says you should know you can teach your child how to throw a ball, swing a bat, cast a fishing line, and drive a car, but if you haven’t taught your child about Jesus, it’s not enough. God says you should know you can be non-directive, non-assertive, and totally timid in just about any arena, but if you don’t direct your children to the Christ, you’ve failed.
Are you among those who think being a good father is teaching your children how to use a hammer and saw; how to wield a gun and clean a deer without spoiling the meat? God says you should know that’s not enough to be the kind of father I want. Some might believe not losing your temper when you’re talking to your children makes you a good father. God says, “You should know an even temper is nice, but not enough.” Do you love your children? Good! But, you should know even that is not enough. As wonderful as all of these things are, they fall far short of what God would have Christian dad’s do.
You should know, the greatest challenge, and opportunity God gives fathers is to have these men teach their children how much God loves them. In the Old Testament, the Lord was very clear. He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:5-9). In the New Testament in Ephesians, the Lord said, “Fathers, do not frustrate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
Sadly, that’s not the way things are. Here, let me explain. Have you ever called somebody on the phone and had a voice say from the other end, “I’ll connect you.” On the other end of that long wire, the lady punches a button. On your end, you begin to wait-and wait-and wait some more. Then it sounds like the line has gone dead. Temporarily, you hope. You wait for a voice, for somebody. And you wonder if something, anything will happen.
You should know, on this Father’s day, there are hundreds, thousands, millions of children right now, community children, church children, possibly your children, who have been trying to place a spiritual call to their fathers and have been put on hold. These children are waiting, hoping. They want their fathers to teach them about Jesus – but all too often nothing happens. Some of these children are ready to give up and hang up. Others have decided to try and find their own answers. And dad, who really does love his wife and children, who really has worked like crazy to give them all they need; who really wants what’s best for them is mystified and confused because things aren’t working out. You’re wondering what went wrong? Something seems to be missing.
About two years ago, I read an article about some young male elephants in an African game park. In human terms, we would call these elephants, adolescents, teenagers. Now the article zeroed in on the fact that these adolescents had gone nuts. They were doing some very un-elephanty stuff. They’d been ripping at the rhinos and trashing and trampling the tourists. It took a while, but park officials thought they finally figured out why these elephants ran amuck. As newborns, these elephants had been taken from one game park where they had been at risk, and were transferred to a new park. It was supposed to be a new home, a safe home. This park was supposed to provide everything an elephant could ever want. It was a pachyderm’s perfect paradise-except for one problem. The father elephants, the bulls, had not been brought along. These young elephants had grown up without a grownup model of how an elephant should behave. Spiritually, the same can be said, for many children. They have everything their little hearts desire, but they’re growing up without any spiritual example.
Maybe this will explain. A little boy was grilling his mother with a million questions. “Mom, you say the stork brings babies?” “Yes,” mom answered, taking the easy way out. “And the Lord gives us our daily bread?” “Yes, dear.” “And Santa Claus brings us presents?” “Yes!” There was a pause; a very long pause. “Mom?” “Yes.” “What do we need daddy for?” There should be an answer to that question. You should know what that answer is. Great, Christian daddies are needed to tell of Jesus.
You should know a great Christian father is one who wants his children to know, and there is no teacher better trained to tell them, that God is a God of love. A great Christian father is one who is committed to telling his children that the Triune God is powerful enough to separate the waters of a sea and saved His people is also able to heal a sinner’s soul of the deepest spiritual scars. From their fathers, children need to hear of a Savior whose hands are gentle enough to pick up little children in blessing, and strong enough to wield a whip and send sellers and scoundrels scampering from His Father’s house. Our children ought to know, and we should be the ones to tell them, that Jesus loved them enough to take their punishment without protest; was courageous enough to be crucified for them without complaint. Our children ought to know, and we need to be the ones to tell them, that Jesus was the Son of God, the Savior of the world, but He was also a real man, an example, the only perfect example of what God wants His people to be. It is not by accident that Paul, searching for the best example of husbandhood wrote, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). To give as Christ gave. This is the lesson our children should know. These are the lessons that should be shared when fathers sit at home and when they walk along the road, when they lie down and get up.
Now fathers, I know most of you agree with what I’m saying. But, I also believe many of you are thinking, “I don’t know how. I can work a calculator or a computer or a snowmobile or a jet ski but I just don’t know how to talk about religion. I’m not good with words.” Well, if that’s the way you feel, I’ve got two things to say to you. First, years ago, Nicodemus, a respected man, a wise man like you, found he also didn’t understand Jesus’ teachings. Rather than staying that way, he made up his mind to get some answers. That’s why Nicodemus went to Jesus and took a night class. Nicodemus learned about Jesus, and love, and God’s gracious sacrifice. Nicodemus felt it was that vital. He went to Jesus and said, “Teach me what’s important.” It was the beginning of the most notable night of his life.
The second thing I wanted to share is an encouragement: Fathers, do the same as Nicodemus. It’s that important. If you are a Christian, go to the Bible; go to your pastor; go to a Bible class; go to the church and find the answers you need. Nicodemus learned, and you can, too.
And, if up to this moment, your language has been peppered with profanity, if your social life has been scandalous, if your example has been far from exemplary, know that a rebirth is possible through the Redeemer. You can become a great Christian father. You can point your children to the Savior. You can, by the Spirit’s power, keep your promises to your family even when it is inconvenient. You can be a great Christian father by bringing, not just sending, but bringing your children to regular worship and spiritual time with their Savior. You should know there is no job you will ever tackle, no position you will ever fill more important or more eternal than pointing your children to the Christ.
“Daddy, how much do you make an hour?” That was the question from a six-year-old. Dad replied, “Nobody knows that, son.” “Daddy, tell me. How much do you make an hour?” The father picked a figure. “Ten dollars an hour. I make $10 an hour.” “Dad, could I buy an hour of your time, please?”
Dads, you should know, your children need your time. They need your example. Most of all, they need your witness to the Savior. If Lutheran Hour Ministries can help you in that God-given, heaven-mandated duty, we are ready to do so. We are eager to provide assistance. Call the number we will give before the end of this broadcast. Call today. Your children are following in your footsteps. Where will you lead? We pray you will lead your little ones, God’s little ones, on the right path. They should know, from you, the path that leads to the Redeemer. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for June 15, 2003
ANNOUNCER: We’re on the subject of Christian fatherhood. I’m Mark Eischer. Joining me once again is Pastor Ken Klaus. A listener writes, “I’m a new father hoping to find a good role model for fatherhood. Where should I look in the Bible for such a thing?”
KLAUS: Mark, first we need to say this dad is starting out right. He realizes being a father is more than just being there for laying the keel and launching the ship. He knows Christian fatherhood has responsibilities. He’s also a man who’s looking for answers in the Bible. He’ll find as the years pass, the Lord’s Word has a great many answers for the questions he and his family will encounter.
ANNOUNCER: Where should he look first?
KLAUS: Well, I think the book of Proverbs 1:8 gives this advice to children: “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction. Do not forsake your mother’s teaching.” I think those words assume that fathers have something they’re supposed to share with their children.
ANNOUNCER: And what is it fathers are to share?
KLAUS: The Bible answers that, too, in Deuteronomy 6:6-7. God says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, when you get up.” To that Old Testament command, is added that of Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, don’t exasperate your children. Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” In the Lord’s plans, fathers are to be the spiritual heads of their homes, leading their children by word and example to a deep relationship with the Savior.
ANNOUNCER: That sounds like a big job.
KLAUS: Mark, recently I heard an expression that says, “A child is not likely to find a Father in God unless he finds something of God in his father.” That quote doesn’t come from the Bible, but it’s true. If a father is an active believer in the home, there’s about a 75 percent likelihood the children will also become active believers. On the other hand, if only mom is a believer, that likelihood is dramatically reduced.
ANNOUNCER: But that’s not saying mothers are unimportant either?
KLAUS: Not at all – never say that! It’s saying fathers are also important. Fathers need to know their children are God’s children, with a body and a soul. Too many fathers are limiting their duties to teaching their children about sports and taking care of the children’s physical needs.
ANNOUNCER: But that’s not bad, is it?
KLAUS: Not at all. 1 Timothy 5:8 says, “If anyone doesn’t provide for his relatives and especially for his immediate family, he’s denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Fathers are to do their part in providing physically for their children, but they also need to be examples of the spiritual, as well.
ANNOUNCER: And that’s hard to do, isn’t it?
KLAUS: It is. As a father, it’s easy to grow complacent and say, “I’m doing just fine – better than my dad and anybody else I know.” It’s also easy to get depressed and say, “I should be a better dad but I fail again and again.” It’s tough – so tough, Mark, that I never answered the listener’s original question.
ANNOUNCER: Come to think of it, we didn’t. Well, how about an answer now. In the Bible, what father sets a good example for Christian dads today?
KLAUS: We’ll run through the list. Adam? – no, he fell into the first sin. Noah? – he got drunk. Abraham? – he became a little too doting on his son. Isaac lied about his wife. Jacob played favorites with his boys. The priest Eli, didn’t discipline his sons. King David – let some of his children get away with murder. It gets difficult, Mark.
ANNOUNCER: So are we saying the Bible has no examples of great Christian fatherhood?
KLAUS: We’re saying there are no perfect examples other than the heavenly Father. He’s the only Father always ready to listen, always caring, always just, fair, merciful, ready to sacrifice for His children. After that, any other father is going to place a poor second.
ANNOUNCER: Why do you suppose that is?
KLAUS: I think God wants us to know that He’s far above us in everything, including fatherhood. He wants fathers to say, “Lord, I know I should be a better father, but I can’t on my own power. Jesus, grant me a repentant heart, forgive me, strengthen me through Word and Sacrament. Give me direction, wisdom and power.”
ANNOUNCER: How would you sum this up?
KLAUS: Well, I recently talked with a pastor who asked his Sunday school pre-schoolers to draw a picture of God. He was going to use it as an illustration in his Sunday sermon. The children tackled that project with enthusiasm. They drew rainbows and men with big hands. Finally, one girl showed a picture of a man dressed in a suit and tie. She explained, “I don’t know what God looks like, so I just drew my Daddy instead.” That’s an awesome responsibility.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. The next Lutheran Hour message is titled, “I Don’t Wanna. Do I Hafta?”