Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday morning, June 18, 2000, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia. 

WHAT TO GIVE THE FATHER WHO HAS EVERYTHING

By Michael D. O’Neal                  Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church                  Albany, Georgia

Scripture Reading: Psalms 50:7-12

Text: Psalms 50:12

Psalms 50:12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

Introduction: Well, it’s Father’s Day. My family is always good to me on this day. They treat me like a king.

Of course, I tell them that I’m so poor that it doesn’t take much to make me happy. Someone once said, “Preacher, you’re hard to buy anything for.” Is that right? It’s not like I am loaded with this world’s material goods. 🙂

Does anyone think this preacher is “in it for the money”? 🙂 If so, then why don’t I have a car with more than four cylinders? Why don’t I have a house that wasn’t pulled in on wheels? Why is that all my food comes from the food bank, my clothes come from Goodwill, my tools come from yard sales, and my medicine comes from the flea market? I’m just teasing, of course. … Well, not about ALL of that, but some. Now you know what to get me!

But now, when you think about having a hard time picking out a gift for Dad, because you think he has so much, what can you give GOD for Father’s Day? He owns EVERYTHING!

I believe we ought to honor our fathers every day, and today is a good day to remember that. However, I think it is MUCH more important to honor our HEAVENLY Father, and today is an excellent day to remember that.

Those of us who are saved have been born again by the Spirit of God. At the moment we came to God as poor, lost, bankrupt sinners and put faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins according to the scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures, we became sons of God! Amen! Before we were saved, the DEVIL was our father (John 8:44), but now GOD is our Father!

Let’s think about what we can give our Father in heaven, as we honor HIM.

I. YOU CAN GIVE HIM YOUR LIPS

Psalms 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

Psalms 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

A. Pray to Him daily

1. Fathers enjoy being needed!
2. The most miserable dad is the one who gets his kids grown and feels like no one needs him anymore.
3. God tells us to call upon Him – Jer. 33:3!

B. Praise Him daily

1. I am convinced that the saints of God need to spend more time talking about the LORD and what HE is doing and less about their jobs, vacations, and the news!
2. Kids brag on their dads – “My daddy can beat up your daddy!”
3. Father’s Day allows Dad to get some attention that might otherwise go to the mothers.
4. By the way, this world is always talking about the wonders of Mother Nature. It’s NOT “Mother Nature.” It’s “Father GOD”!
5. God is the most neglected Father of ALL; let’s praise Him!

C. Preach His gospel daily

1. Jesus spent the entire 33 years He lived on this earth in speaking for the Father.
2. Shouldn’t you and I do the same?

II. YOU CAN GIVE HIM YOUR LIVING

Mark 12:41-44 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

The widow gave “all her living.”

A. Tell Him you will be His servant – Rom. 1:1
“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ … ”

B. Tell Him you will be His sacrifice – Rom. 12:1

C. Tell Him you will be His steward – 1 Cor. 4:2

III. YOU CAN GIVE HIM YOUR LOVE

Matthew 22:37-38 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.

A. Prioritize your love

1. God first
2. Others next
3. You last

B. Proclaim your love

1. To HIM – Tell God you love Him.
2. Do it often, especially in private prayer.

C. Prove your love

1. In your obedience to His word
2. In separation
3. In service
4. In soul-winning

IV. YOU CAN GIVE HIM YOUR LOYALTY

Deuteronomy 1:34-36 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying, 35 Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, 36 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.

Bob Jones, Sr.: “If a man ain’t loyal, he ain’t NOTHING.”

A. Be loyal to His word

B. Be loyal to His warfare

C. Be loyal to His work

D. Be loyal to His will

Closing illustration: Thursday morning I received an email from one of my pastor friends in another state. He writes, “Please remember a family in our church. This morning at about 2:30 one of our men went out into eternity. Last night he led our song service, and now he is in the presence of the Lord. He was 45 years old. Has two children in our High School and has been a very faithful member down through the years.

You have no promise of tomorrow! What BETTER day to get right with the Father, come back to the Father, or to actually become a child of the Father by faith in Christ … than TODAY?