Being a father to follow

2 Kings 22:1, 2

Intro: David was a Godly man. And at least one of his descendants, Josiah, was just like Him. Josiah was the birth son of Amon and the grandson of Manasseh, both of these men were rulers of Israel, both refused to follow God. Well Josiah had every example lived before him on how not to follow God and on how to lead by selfish greed and lust instead of by the guidance of the Spirit of God. You may say preacher I’m confused, if Josiah was the son of Amon, why in the world does verse two say that David was his father. Well I’m glad you ask, you see the word of God is telling us that David (Josiah’s forefather) was the example Josiah chose to follow. That tells me somewhere along the way, this young man had a role model, someone that was godly and Josiah looked up to that person and learned the example of David. Because of this, there was now a leader on the throne of Israel that followed God and was led of His Spirit. Church as we all know today is Father’s Day, as such I would like to direct attention to my peers in the congregation. As fathers, God has given us an awesome responsibility, one that I hope no one here takes lightly. Part of that responsibility is being a role model, first to our children but also to others in our community and in our world. In this day big money, athletes and high profile musicians get the press as being role models, and by the way, they are failing miserably, as fathers we need to stand up, be counted and assume our place as role models. We too should look back at our role models we should want to be like the men in our families and church families that were Godly men. We should want our children to be like them following an example of Godly Spirit led men. Well this morning I want to take a few minutes and preach to you “Being a father to follow.” I want you to see what happened to Josiah when he had a father to follow.

V HIS PRIORITY - And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord,

(II Chronicles 34) Josiah cleans house, he purged Judah and Jerusalem from the Idols of the past leaders. He made dust of the images.

(Ill. We too need to take responsibility for what is brought into the lives of our children and families. I’m saying we isolate our children from society, but we are responsible for what influences our families and as such, we need to be aware of what is coming into our homes and lives. We need to take inventory of our lives and homes, determine what needs to be made into dust and get with it. It’s time we look at our priorities and determine if they’re in line with what God wants.

V HIS PATTERN - and walked in all the way of David his father,

God’s grace took over, here we have.

1. A young man who made a decision to follow God, against popular opinion. There were some powerful people left from Amon’s reign.

2. A young man who made a decision to restore the nation back to its foundation.

3. A young man who made a decision to be a man after God’s own heart.

V HIS PERSISTENCE - and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

Josiah could have followed many paths.

1. Superstitution; Amon left the opportunity to remain in idol worship. Today believe it or not, we do involve ourselves in superstitution. SUPERSTI'TION, n. [L. superstitio, supersto; super and sto, to stand.]

1. Excessive exactness or rigor in religious opinions or practice; extreme and unnecessary scruples in the observance of religious rites not commanded, or of points of minor importance; excess or extravagance in religion; the doing of things not required by God, or abstaining from things not forbidden; or the belief of what is absurd, or belief without evidence.

How many of our churches have turned away from teaching and preaching the bible, how many families have turned the lake, the mountain’s, their homes and even themselves into places of worship. I’m not talking about a vacation every once in a while, I’m talking about God’s people replacing Him or changing what He requires to meet their individual needs.

2. Profaneness; PROFA'NENESS, n. Irreverence of sacred things; particularly, the use of language which implies irreverence towards God; the taking of God's name in vain.

How many times have we heard or maybe even ourselves used language that doesn’t show God reverence. Why is it that we don’t have any shame anymore even to the point of repeating what someone else has said. How many times in our life have we failed due to temptation something that we know God will forgive and heal, but let me ask you something, how many times have we given ourselves over to the opportunity to sin.

Conc.: Well men I hope today God has spoken to us. Telling us and reminding us by example that we can be and should be role models, for our children and our communities. We have a nation that like Israel in the days of Amon has gone astray and we don’t start reclaiming it we too risk facing Gods judgment. But we like Josiah can turn things around, we can begin today destroying the idols in our life, turn to dust the things in our life that dishonor God. Beginning today we can do what is right in the sight of God, walk the ways of David and sway neither to the right or left. Staying on course, the course that is plotted by the Spirit of God through His Grace and secured by the Saving Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today if you don’t know Jesus as lord and savior you have an opportunity an opportunity to make a permanent change in your life and in the lives of your family. If you don’t know Jesus ask yourself this question what kind of role model are you? How can you model the right things if you don’t have them in your own life? Christian can you say that you’re the role model you’re supposed to be? As our musicians come, while we sing will you come.

June 19, 2004