Fathers Day

Proverbs 30:18-19
Joshua 24:14-18
Luke 15:11-32
Proverbs 30:18-19
18
There are three things that are too amazing for me,
four that I do not understand:
19
the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a young woman.
Joshua 24:14-18
14
Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the
gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in
Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to
you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the
gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the
Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my
household, we will serve the LORD. 16 Then the people answered, Far be
it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! 17 It was the LORD our
God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that
land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He
protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which
we traveled. 18 And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including
the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he
is our God.
Luke 15:11-32- Lost son.

Introduction
Today is Father's day - a day on which we look at the role
of fathers. Our image of a perfect father is someone we can
trust and who can tell us what is right and what is wrong.
Someone who can take care of us. Someone to answer our
many questions. Someone we can come home to when we
feel lost.
We all have or had fathers. None of them are or were
perfect. How we see our fathers is dependent upon the kind
of father they were and yet it is also dependent upon our
age.
I found an article called Father which shows how we might
perceive our father at different stages in our lives sometimes as perfect and sometimes as very imperfect.
This is what we might say about our father at different
ages.

at 4 years - "My daddy can do anything"

at 7 years - "My daddy knows a lot, a whole lot"
at 8 years - "My father doesn't quite know

everything"
at 12 years - "Oh well, off course Father doesn't
know everything"

at 14 years - "Father, oh he is so old-fashioned"

at 21 - "Oh that man is out of date. What did you

role not only to bring up your children as God calls you to,

expect?"
at 25 - "He knows a little bit about it but not much"
at 30 - "I must find out what Dad thinks about it"
at 50 - "What would Dad have thought about it?"
at 60 - "I wish I could talk it over with Dad once

understand what kind of a father God is to us all.

more"
4. Our fathers are not perfect although they may not be as
imperfect as we think. The truth may lie somewhere
between these two extremes.

but to also be the type of father that helps your children

I have come across many whose view of God is based on the

kind of father they had. If there father was legalistic they
see God as a God who demands a strict adherence to rules.
If their father was gracious they are better able to see God
as a gracious God. If their father did not remain faithful,
they have trouble trusting God because they fear that He
will desert them some day.

5. Being a father is an important yet difficult task. The

authority and role of fathers is being lost to the point that
some men even feel somewhat pushed to the side. Some
question their role in a changing world. The good news is
that we have a perfect model of what a father should be. A
model that calls us to respect our fathers and a model that

This morning I would like for us to reflect on three lessons

from the eagle, as we seek to hear what the Lord has to say
to us and to our fathers in particular this Fathers Day.
The eagles worth

those who are fathers can seek to follow.

The eagles work

The one perfect father is the one who is the father of us all

The eagles

- our heavenly Father - God Himself. God is perfect and

while our fathers are not, they too are called to be holy as
He is holy. Every father should seek to be the type of
Father that God is. In fact as earthly fathers you have a

Let us pray.

A female eagle has an interesting way of picking a mate.

She will pick up a twig and fly high into the air and drop
it. Male eagles will fly beneath her and try to catch the
twig. She will do this until a male has caught the twig
three times. They mate for life.

1. THE EAGLES WORTH

The eagle is the king of birds.
The eagle has swiftness of flight.
The eagle mounts high up into the heavenly sky.
The eagle is a symbol of strength.
The eagle builds its nest in high places, on the top of the
mountains.
The eagle has a powerful vision.
The eagle is a fierce fighter
In the Bible God is compared both to a father and a
mother. So today we want to think of God like an eagle
father.
How does a male eagle become a father?

This morning if you have had the experience of being

selected by a female to be her mate, then you are special,
because she has selected you above all the males that are
seeking to win her approval. You were able to demonstrate
that you are worthy, through your actions towards her.
From your actions you were chosen and for that you should
be proud.
You might be wondering why the female eagle dropped the
twigs; I am going to tell you.
The female eagle drops these twigs as a way of testing the
male for his ability to catch young eagles as they are
directed out of the nest for flight. You see when the time
comes for the young eagle to fly on its own the mother
eagle pushes her young out of the nest or she carries the
young eaglets on her back up high into the air and shakes
them off. It is the responsibility of the father to swoop
down and catch the young eaglets on his back until they
learn to fly on their own.

1. A daddy eagle should be one that is reliable,

dependable, vigilant, committed and I challenge all
fathers here today to aspire to be the best father
they can be mirroring the characteristics of the
father eagle.
2. I challenge the fathers to ensure that they remain or
become a symbol of strength in their homes.
3. I challenge the fathers to take their place as a the
visionary in the home, as the one who drives the
family plan.
4. I challenge the fathers here today to be like the king
of the birds in your household.
Solomon admitted in Proverbs 30:18-19 that the way the
eagle flies in the sky in one of three things that he finds
amazing and one of the four things that he does not
understand. Whenever the scriptures make reference to
the eagle it is always in reference to an imagery of
strength, protection and superiority.
In Psalm 103, we read: Bless the Lordwho satisfies
you with good as long as you live so that your youth
is renewed like the eagles. In Isaiahs 40:31, we hear
the words: but those who wait for the Lord shall
renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings
like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they
shall walk and not faint. In the book of Exodus (Ex.
19:4) , God speaks to the people of Israel through Moses

and says, You have seen what I did to the Egyptians,

and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you
to myself.
This morning fathers I would like to remind that your
family is depending on you and need you to take your place
and remember your WORTH.

B. THE EAGLES WORK

1. Prepare the nest with the female eagle
The father and the mother eagle mate for life. And
they work together as parents. While the father and
the mother both have their separate responsibilities,
still they must work together in the overall success
of the family. They work together to get the nest
together so that when the fledglings come they are
comfortable.
An eagles nest is a marvel of engineering. The pair
of eagles, will choose a location that is high up and
removed from other birds. In the crags of rocks or in
the branches of the tallest of trees, the eagles will go
to work building their nest which, when completed,
can measure five feet in diameter.

The nest begins with large branches and pieces of

trees being formed into a bowl-like shape. The pair
of eagles work together to build this first layer of the
nest with great care. Then, the eagles carry rocks
into the nest and anchor them in the branches.
They cover the rocks with moss, animal skins,
leaves, grass, and other soft, insulating materials, to
make a soft, warm place to incubate their eggs.
Once the eggs are laid, both the male and female
take turns keeping the eggs warm for the 35 days it
takes for an eaglet to hatch.
I remind the Fathers here, that although you take
the lead in the home, you must seek to work with
your wife, female partner to build that home, so that
it is ready to receive the children.
2. Provide for the family
When baby eagles are born, they are nurtured in the
nest and like all little baby infants their mouth is
wide open. They need to be fed. So the father and
mother eagle work together. They go out and a find
mice and rats and other forms of food and bring
them back and tear them into pieces and stuff it into
the mouth of their little eagles. They must be fed in
order to grow. And that goes on for quite a long time
until they develop in size.

If you did not provide for your family 1 Timothy 5:8

says - "But if any man does not provide for his
own, and especially for those of his household,
he has denied the faith and is worse than an
unbeliever."
Even as you nurture your children from day to day,
as father you should ensure that something is put in
place for their inheritance. By inheritance I am not
just speaking of physical but also spiritual. Proverbs
13:22 is a verse extolling fathers: A good man
leaves an inheritance to his children's
children.
This verse is in a part of the text that talks not just
about worldly wealth, or inheritance, but it also
speaks of the importance of righteousness and
discipline. A godly man's inheritance should consist
of godly things. A good man should leave a good
name, a life of righteousness as an example for his
children and grandchildren. We would all take
pleasure in earthly treasure, but we should also
aspire to leave an inheritance that will be the
intangible. By your example, you leave an indelible
mark in the mind of your daughter about men and

an opposite mark in your sons mind about who is a

man and a father.

While fathers have the awesome responsibility, remember

1 Cor 11:13, the head of every man is Christ, and the
head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is

3. Protect the family

As the baby eagles mature and grow they are protected
in the nest by the mighty wings of their parents, especially
the father eagle, as his wings tend to be bigger. Little
children generally do not worry about anything because
they trust their parents to protect them. God put parents
here to protect and care for the children. If we will
remember back to when we were children we will
remember that we did not worry about anything because
we trusted our parents to provide for us. As children the
only thing we worried about was having a good time. The
only thing we were intense about was having fun. That is
the reason children were so happy. And they focus on
having fun and what they're doing. That is exactly the way
the little baby eagles are. They are in that nest high up
there on the rocky mountain and the mother and the
father cover them with their wings and protect them.
I encourage the fathers to let your loving presence be felt
in your home, by taking your place as protector, so that
neither your partner nor your child/children will feel
insecure, at risk, or threatened.

God. This means that when the weight of responsibilities

come heavily on you do not worry about our security, "wait
on the Lord". To wait on the Lord means to put your trust
and confidence in God. If you wait on him and put yourself
under the shelter of his everlasting wings he will protect
you and keep you secure and grounded. Lean on the
everlasting arms of God Almighty and he will sustain you
to do your work.
This is what David had in mind in Psalms 91:1-4. He
who

dwells

in

the

shelter

of

the

Most

High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of

the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust." Surely he will save you
from

the fowler's

snare

and

from

the

deadly

pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under

his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your
shield and rampart.
4. Perform the role of Spiritual Leader
Like Joshua, you as father have the work of setting the
spiritual tone of your home. Joshua in Joshua 24:14-15
saw that the people were at risk of being unfaithful to God
and he made a declaration, no on behalf of himself, but on

behalf of this family in verse 15 he says: 15 But if serving

the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for
yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods
your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of
the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me
and my household, we will serve the LORD.
-

Spiritual leadership is not just about seeing to

the devotions and worship, it is also about

discipline and training of your children as

well as allowing them to make their own

mistakes as was the case with the Prodigal

Son in Luke 15.

- In terms of discipline:
Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you
peace; he will bring delight to your soul
Proverbs 13:24 He who spares his rod hates his son, but
he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your son, for in that there is
hope; do not be a willing party to his death
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 14:26 He who fears the LORD has a secure
fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.
Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children
to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord.

And how you relate to your wife

The first duty of a man to his woman, or a husband to his
wife, is to love (Greek word agape) her. Now, you might say,
"Well, that goes without saying! Move on to number two!"
Your wife probably wants me to stay at number one.
Because, often, what goes under the name of love has little
to do with love. The word 'love' has become a
misunderstood word. For example, people say, "I love my
job. I love my home. I love chocolate cake." Generally what
they are talking about is what those things do for them.
"The home makes me comfortable. The cake satisfies my
sweet tooth. The work satisfies my desire for a career." The
word 'love' has become a word to describe how we feel
about anything.
You see, an important element of love that we often miss is
that of ones willingness to sacrifice for the betterment
of someone else. The depth of love can best be measured
by your sacrifice, not by your enjoyment. So if when you
speak of loving your wife, you mean that she does a lot of
good things for you, then that is more about how she loves
you. To say that a man loves his wife is to talk about the
sacrifice that he is prepared to make for her.

Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your own wives, even as

also the Christ loved the assembly, and gave up himself for
it;"
Colossians 3:19, "Husbands, love your wives, and be not
bitter against them."
Ephesians 5:28-29, "So ought husbands to love their own
wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves
himself. For no one at any time hated his own flesh; but
nourishes and cherishes it, even as also the Lord the
church:"
1 Peter 3:7 - Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in
an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the
weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of
life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Proverbs 5:18-19 - Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice
in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let
her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated
always in her love.
1 Cor 7:3-5 - 3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty
to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The wife
does not have authority over her own body but yields it to
her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have
authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 5 Do

not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent

and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.
Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you
because of your lack of self-control.

THE EAGLES WISDOM

Finally I want to talk to you about another aspect of the
eagle and that is the molting stage. This is a time of
renewal and restoration for the eagle. Once each year the
eagle must go through the molting stage. They go through
this molting stage because their feathers become dull and
they lose their ability to go high in the sky. His beak also
becomes dull and not capable of hunting food. His talons
lose their strength and power. So what they must do is to
come to ground level and many of them never survive this
molting process.
They humble themselves and lie on the ground and pull
out all of those bad feathers. They also do the same thing
with their talons. They take their beaks and actually pull
their old talons off. And then new talons also start
growing. Then they actually scrape their beak on a rock or

something like that until it comes off and a new one starts
growing. By the time spring comes around they have
renewed their feathers, their beaks, their talons and their
strength. They are ready then to do what an eagle is born
to do. And that is to fly and be a fierce fighter. They are
ready to protect their young and to live high in the sky on
the tops of the mountains.
The eagle is wise. He knows he needs to humble himself.

grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore,

under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in
due time. (1 Peter 5:5-6)
God wants us and fathers in particular to humble
ourselves and confess our inadequacies, our sin, our
imperfections; confess that we really have no strength
without him, and then we can start that renewal process,
just as the eagle. God's people must learn to do that.

He knows he needs to take time out to care for himself

King David had to go through a humbling process. In

Psalms 103:2-5 he said,

He remains committed to the task of self-renewal, so that

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefitswho forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with
love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good
things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

he can be around to look after his family.

There is also a lesson in that for us and fathers in
particular. Many times we become lifted up with pride, we
become arrogant, and we feel like we are so sufficient to
the point that we don't need a thing or anybody to help
us. And sometimes we also forget that everything that we
have and can become comes from God. Therefore God
sometimes must put us through the molting process by
humbling us. Just as the eagle must come down to ground
level, we also must humble ourselves by coming down to
ground level. This is necessary in order to be renewed.
I believe this is what can be inferred when Peter said,
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one
another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives

Like the eagle God wants all fathers to submit and admit.
To submit to Him the greatest Father of all and admit the
faults and inadequacies, the challenges and issues that are
struggled with daily as you seek to fulfill your duty as
father.
God waits patiently for fathers to come to that place where
they admit that they need him, when they bring their tired
worn out selves, where they bring their battle worn talons

and their ineffective beaks and allow God to anoint them

with oil and heal and renew them.
Through the reading of scripture, prayerful confession,
thanksgiving and intercession you can access the wisdom
of God that will empower you to lead your family no matter
how difficult the times.
On this Fathers Day, remember:
THE EAGLES WORTH
-

The symbol of strength.

The visionary in the home, as the one who drives the
family plan.
The leader empowered by God

THE EAGLES WORK

-

Prepare the nest with the female eagle

Provide for the family
Protect the family
Perform the role of Spiritual Leader

THE EAGLES WISDOM

Recognition of the need for humility, self-renewal and
commitment
And apply them to ministry as father in your household.
Amen