Lessons on Fatherhood*

      My father used to say, "Do as I say, not as I do."  I ended up following this advice as I grew older. We can find this idea in scripture also as we will see. 

     The Ten Commandments address a principle of parenthood: "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." (EX. 20:12, see also Deut. 5:16). This commandment and fatherhood come with a blessing connected to them. Jesus assured His listeners that He came to fulfill the law and the prophets and promised that all would be fulfilled. He also warned: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat; All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." (Mt. 5:17-18, Mt. 23:1-4). Jesus explained that the scribes and Pharisees who were the religious leaders, had wrong motives as they put on the appearance of religious observance. They wanted to be seen as important and righteous by men and receive greater honor because of it. They wanted honorary titles like "rabbi" (meaning teacher) or being addressed as "master". (v. 5-7). Jesus said: "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." (Mt. 23:8-12, also see Mk. 12 and Lk. 11). The title of "father" was taken by those who sat on the Sanhedrin council, the ruling religious council in Jerusalem, in order to take charge of the interests of others. The religious leaders added burdensome commandments that must be followed, yet the LORD never commanded it. The leadership required things of the laity that they themselves did not do. Jesus, in the Book of Revelation, called these people Nicolaitans, meaning those who ruled over the laity, and said that He hated them. I have always practiced being a servant and exhibiting servanthood (see 1 Cor. 4:1-2, 3).

     The desire of the righteous is only good. The righteous are generous in their giving and are blessed, increased and favored as a result. There are those who withhold in giving, trusting in the riches in their hand, but they will fall even as the riches of this world fail them. The righteous are fruitful like a branch: "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise...the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more than the wicked and the sinner." (Prov. 11:23-31). Jesus said that it was hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Revelation tells us that those who trust in riches and flesh will be crying out to the rocks to fall on them to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. Jesus is coming and His reward is with Him, and we shall rule and reign with Him. The righteous are blessed in the earth.

     While the scribes and Pharisees above were given titles, honor and privileges by men for their outward appearance of righteousness, Paul the apostle of Christ wrote of his opposite condition. He was not honored by men, nor living in comfort, because he held fast to his faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 4:10-11). However, while others reviled him, Paul blessed them. While being persecuted, he suffered it. He wrote to his spiritual sons in the Gospel who yet lived in comfort and respect: "I write these things not to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet I beseech you, be ye followers of me." (v. 14-16).  Fathers in the Gospel like Paul and other apostles of Jesus Christ, carry a heavy burden. Even today, around the world, they are persecuted and martyred. How many would say that I am their spiritual father, although many became sons through this ministry? As Peter said when the lame man was healed through him: "Such as I have, give I thee." (Acts 3:2-8). This is a spiritual father.

     Paul, unlike the rest of the apostles, did not receive financial help from the church in Jerusalem because they did not accept him as an apostle. However, his ministry proved his anointing as an apostle. Those who had come to the faith and had been built up in the faith under Paul proved his calling as an apostle. (1 Cor. 9:1-6). Paul had to continue earning a living while he established churches in far places. He wrote that in scripture, even laboring animals are worthy to be fed and provided for (v. 7-10). He wrote to those to whom he had established and ministered to in Corinth: "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?...Do ye not know that they which minister about the holy things live of the holy things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?" (v.11-13). He said that those who preach the Gospel should live by the Gospel, that this was only righteous and just according to scripture. Paul and many other spiritual fathers learned to endure through lack, but this is not to the credit of the sons who have reaped their spiritual fathers' heavenly benefits.

     The prophet Malachi wrote the Word of the LORD concerning His priests' and His people's loss of reverence and respect for Him as their Father: "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name, And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?"  The LORD said that the priests and people offered blind and sick sacrifices to Him, inferior things that they do not want for themselves. Even earthly authorities, the LORD said, would be insulted by such offerings! The priests also pollute the holy things by having no reverence and respect for them. (Mal. 1:6-8).

     The law of truth was supposed to be found in the mouths of the Levites, God's priests, as messengers of the LORD to His people. When the Levites walked in the law and covenant, they "did turn many away from iniquity", however: "... ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD...For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me...in tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith...if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy..."" (Mal. 2:6-8, Mal. 3:6-11).

     Where are you being fed? The tithe is ten percent, and some give more than that. Some give nothing while coming to the table week after week to be fed. The tithe is unto the LORD, our Father, not to a man. I challenge you that if you are being fed here, listening to the Word, and haven't given, bring the tithe into the storehouse and prove God. 

*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 6/16//24 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on Dr. Stevenson's Facebook page. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook.