The Danger of Decisionism: Why Fathers Must Lead in Grace, Not Pressure

• Fatherhood and Identity [00:05:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor asserts that all men, regardless of biological fatherhood status, are spiritually fathers and are uniquely created by God with a distinct identity and purpose.
• Leadership and Courage [00:06:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that fathers are built to lead, requiring courage that acknowledges fear but acts in spite of it, using Joshua as a biblical example of leading by example rather than just position.
• Family Dynamics and Standards [00:10:18 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that fathers set the tone and standard in the home, acting as protectors and governors, and must make public declarations of faith to establish accountability.
• Public Declaration and Accountability [00:12:49 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that faith must be public, not private, citing Joshua's declaration as the model for accountability and leadership.
• The Power of the Father's Blessing [00:17:14 ▶️ 📄]
  > Explains that a father's blessing is about imparting identity and authority, not just material inheritance, tracing the lineage from Abraham to Jesus.
• Identity vs. Inheritance [00:18:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > Distinguishes between birthright (inheritance) and blessing (identity), using the stories of Esau and Jacob to show how God transforms identity through spoken words.
• Reflecting God as a Father [00:26:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > Concludes that fathers are called to reflect God's character, noting that families view God through the lens of the earthly father's behavior.
• Identity and Sonship [00:25:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor urges fathers to identify as beloved sons of God, emphasizing that God's pleasure is based on identity, not performance.
• Reflecting God's Character [00:26:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > Fathers are called to reflect the Father's character, using Joseph as an example of someone who reflected God's grace instead of his earthly father's deceit.
• Redemption through Honor [00:30:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > Honoring imperfect earthly fathers is achieved by redeeming their name through reflecting the heavenly Father, illustrated by the pastor's personal story of his absent, alcoholic father.
• Running Towards Responsibility [00:33:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > Men are called to run towards challenges and family rather than hiding from sin, using the Prodigal Son parable to show the Father running towards the son.
• Divine Grace vs. Religious Tradition [00:39:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the Jewish tradition of 'Katsaza' (community rejection via broken pottery) with Jesus' subversion of the story, where the father runs to embrace the son before the community can reject him.
• Fatherhood and Spiritual Restoration [00:41:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor applies the parable to earthly fathers and the Heavenly Father, emphasizing that fathers are meant to 'run toward' pain and shame to protect and restore their children, just as Jesus did.
• Evangelistic Invitation [00:42:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor transitions into a direct call to action, inviting the congregation to raise their hands to accept Jesus, receive forgiveness, and enter a right relationship with God.

• Sermon Illustration [00:02:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about playing golf with a professional NBA athlete friend. He initially dominated the first 12 holes with 'smack talk,' but the athlete 'turned it on' for the next three holes, demonstrating that professional athletes are 'built different' with a different mentality. He uses this to transition to Michael Phelps, who trained 25-30 hours a week and ate 10,000 calories, further illustrating the concept of being 'built different' for a specific purpose.
• Sermon Illustration [00:06:27 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the biblical story of Joshua and the spies in Numbers 14. While 10 spies brought back a bad report out of fear, Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes and spoke courageously about the 'exceedingly good land,' demonstrating a different perspective and courage. Later, at age 80, Joshua made a public declaration of allegiance to God (Joshua 24:15) rather than a private vow, setting a standard for his household.
• Sermon Illustration [00:12:27 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the story of Joshua at age 80, who publicly declared his household's allegiance to serve the Lord, setting a standard that outlived him.
• Sermon Illustration [00:17:18 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor tells the story of Jacob and Esau, detailing how Jacob deceived his blind father Isaac to receive the firstborn blessing, and how God used this flawed lineage to forge His plan of redemption.
• Sermon Illustration [00:23:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references Jesus' baptism, where God the Father spoke to Jesus' identity ('This is my beloved son') rather than his works or inheritance, illustrating how fathers should speak to their children's identity.
• Sermon Illustration [00:30:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his alcoholic father who promised to pick him up at 10 AM but never showed up, leaving him waiting on the porch until his mother came out.
• Sermon Illustration [00:26:49 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the biblical story of Joseph, who was betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and imprisoned, yet rose to power to save them, reflecting God's character rather than seeking revenge.
• Sermon Illustration [00:34:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor retells the Parable of the Prodigal Son, highlighting the Jewish tradition of 'Katsaza' where the community rejects the returning sinner, contrasting it with Jesus' twist that the Father runs towards the son.
• Sermon Illustration [00:38:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the parable of the Prodigal Son, specifically highlighting the cultural tradition of 'Katsaza' where a returning sinner is met by a community throwing clay pots to signify rejection. He illustrates how Jesus 'flips the script' by having the father run past the community to intercept the son, preventing the rejection and offering restoration instead.

• Pastoral Charge [00:06:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > Verbally affirm leadership identity and point to oneself.
• Pastoral Charge [00:14:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > Fathers are commanded to stand up to publicly declare their allegiance to serve the Lord, and mothers are asked to clap.
• Pastoral Charge [00:14:59 ▶️ 📄]
  > The congregation is commanded to recite the declaration 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord' together aloud.
• Pastoral Charge [00:15:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > Fathers are instructed to look at their wives and verbally declare their service to the Lord, followed by applause.
• Pastoral Charge [00:25:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor commands fathers and men to pay close attention to his message.
• Pastoral Charge [00:33:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor calls the congregation to choose redemption over revenge by actively reflecting God's character.
• Pastoral Charge [00:44:24 ▶️ 📄]
  > Raise hand to accept salvation and relationship with God
• Pastoral Charge [00:44:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > Raise hand and give life to Jesus (specifically for online viewers)

[00:00:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:00:27] Welcome to Freedom House. Good to see everybody. Happy Father's Day. What an honor to be with you today. Got my beautiful bride here. Thanks for being with me today, Penny. You didn't skip church. You decided to come today. Got my daughter here, my son-in-law. Good to see y'all. Give it up for your campus pastors. Pastor Aaron. I keep wanting to say Pastor Matt. Pastor Aaron, Pastor Stephanie. You got to stand up. Make sure you say hello to them. Got a good friend, Pastor Innocence from in town. Decided to take a day off and
[00:00:58] come hang out with us, this beautiful family with us today. Got lots of people online. Let's give it up for all of our online streamers. Don't forget, if you're ever traveling, you can always join us
[00:01:09] online. Maybe you're at the beach in Aruba. Oh, here we go. We got North Carolina, South Carolina, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, South Dakota, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, and New York City. Welcome, welcome, welcome. So if you're traveling, maybe you're
[00:01:27] at the beach. And if you're ever at the beach and you want to take your pastor, I'm available.
[00:01:34] Pastor Aaron doesn't like the beach. I love the beach. I love the beach. You can always join us online. We are live every single Sunday. You can also catch up on all the messages. Check us out.
[00:01:46] Go to the YouTube or Freedom House and see all the old messages. And maybe you're going to take a staycation and travel all the way down to Ballantyne. Well, guess what? Got a campus down
[00:01:57] there. Maybe you want to drive all the way up to Lake Norman, got a campus. Maybe you want to go downtown, you know, go down, stay at the Ritz for a night or something like that on a Saturday night.
[00:02:08] Guess what? South end. We got campuses everywhere. We got more to come. Can we give God a big hand clap for Freedom House? Love all the dads. Wonderful that you're here today. For those of
[00:02:22] y'all that skipped church, we missed you. Angels were asking about you. You should have been here.
[00:02:26] A few years ago, I was playing golf with a good friend of mine.
[00:02:31] We were about equal on golf skills, and he is a professional athlete, played basketball professionally in the NBA, played for Duke, however that makes you feel.
[00:02:44] I'm from Virginia, so I went to VCU, so it really doesn't matter, North Carolina, Duke, I just make fun of all of them.
[00:02:50] So anyway, we were playing golf, and we were about equal, and I started kicking his butt bad, pretty bad.
[00:02:59] It was about the 12th hole, and so I started talking some smack.
[00:03:02] How many of y'all like to talk some smack every now and then when you're competing?
[00:03:05] I'm a competitor, and so if you're on the playing field with me, we don't pray, we talk smack.
[00:03:12] I'm a firm believer that God laughs at golf.
[00:03:16] He does not help in golf.
[00:03:17] I can promise you that, right, Randy?
[00:03:19] and and anyway we're playing it's about the 12th hole and I am just whooping this guy and I'm excited because he's a professional athlete and so I'm talking some smack and then all of a sudden
[00:03:31] it gets quiet in the golf cart and he changes like his demeanor changes everything about him changes in the next three holes he turned it on he did something that I you know I've only seen a
[00:03:46] few times, and I know this is what professional athletes can do. They are just built different.
[00:03:52] They have a different mentality. And this guy, and he kicked my tail. I didn't even talk to him afterwards. I got in my car. I drove home. I was crying. I mean, it was just terrible.
[00:04:06] They're built different. Professional, if you've ever hung around with a professional athlete, they are built different. How about Michael Phelps? Michael Phelps, one of the greatest swimmers of all time. He had three words that he lived by when he was training, eat, sleep,
[00:04:24] swim. He would train 25 to 30 hours every single week. He would swim eight miles a day. Hello?
[00:04:34] eight miles a day. I mean, I barely drive eight miles, and he swims eight miles a day.
[00:04:45] His body was built to swim. Okay, in order to keep up the training, he would eat 10,000 calories every single day. Just try that over at Pastor Aaron's house this afternoon. Just ask me for
[00:05:00] his address. He's cooking, so just make sure you visit him. He was built different, and Michael Phelps won 23 Olympic gold medals, just to let you know. That's pretty intense. Hey, dads. Hey, dads, look at me for a second. You're built different. God built you different. Fathers,
[00:05:19] whether you're a new father, whether you want to be a father. Matter of fact, every single man in this place, God has deposited something inside of you that's just different. You're different.
[00:05:29] God created you different.
[00:05:32] Matter of fact, fathers are built different to make a difference.
[00:05:36] And that's what I wanna talk to you about today.
[00:05:38] So whether you're a dad, you got kids right now, maybe you're an empty nester like me, they're all gone, thank God.
[00:05:48] Maybe you're a new dad, maybe you got one in the oven right now, you're ready for him to pop out, her to pop out.
[00:05:54] Maybe you never had children.
[00:05:56] Guess what, you're a spiritual father.
[00:05:59] Maybe you're young and you're not even married yet.
[00:06:01] Doesn't matter.
[00:06:02] One day you'll be a father.
[00:06:03] And I wanna speak to that.
[00:06:04] And I think if you're anybody today, you'll get something out of this message.
[00:06:08] But I wanna speak specifically to the fathers because you're built different to make a difference.
[00:06:14] Four different ways that you're built different.
[00:06:15] First of all, you are built to lead.
[00:06:19] Matter of fact, say it if you're a dad.
[00:06:20] Say, I'm a leader, I'm a leader, I'm a leader.
[00:06:22] Point at yourself, say, I am a leader, I am a leader.
[00:06:27] Joshua is probably the most underrated leader in the Bible.
[00:06:32] You know, when you study when Moses took the children of Israel out of Egypt, Joshua just kind of shows up on the pages of the Bible.
[00:06:42] And what we see about Joshua is he followed Moses everywhere, probably folded his clothes, probably picked up his trash when he dropped it, gave him some water.
[00:06:51] The Bible tells us that Joshua never left the door of the tabernacle.
[00:06:55] He was always in the presence of the Father when he was serving Moses.
[00:07:00] And if you read the story, Moses brings the children of Israel out of Egypt and they are right on the edge.
[00:07:06] This is the first time they went to the Jordan River and they were getting ready to go into the promised land, the Canaan land, the land that God had promised them 400 years earlier.
[00:07:18] And so Moses picks 12 leaders, 12 guys that are leaders in the families of the children of Israel.
[00:07:26] These 12 tribes, he picks the leaders of each tribe.
[00:07:29] Joshua happens to be one of them and he sends them into the promised land to spy it all out.
[00:07:36] But sadly, 10 of the spies come back with a bad report.
[00:07:42] They see all the people in there.
[00:07:44] Oh, it's good.
[00:07:44] I mean, the land looks good.
[00:07:45] It's got grapes and pomegranates and all kinds of great things to eat.
[00:07:50] And it's a land flowing with milk and honey.
[00:07:53] but we look like grasshoppers to them.
[00:07:56] Now, I don't know if they, it never says that they interviewed him.
[00:07:59] You know, what do you think about me?
[00:08:00] No, they never did that but they came back with this kind of idea that they couldn't do it except for Joshua.
[00:08:08] And I love what Joshua said in Numbers chapter 14.
[00:08:11] It says, but Joshua, the son of Nun, Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, who was among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes.
[00:08:19] They were mad, they were upset because they went in as well but they saw it from a different position.
[00:08:24] And this is what dads do.
[00:08:26] Because we're leaders, dads, we're able to see circumstances in a different way.
[00:08:31] And they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel saying, the land we passed through to spy out, it's an exceedingly good land.
[00:08:38] And if the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us.
[00:08:43] A land which flows with milk and honey.
[00:08:45] Only do not rebel against the Lord.
[00:08:48] Do not fear the people of the land for they are our bread. Their protection has departed from them. They're afraid and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them. Joshua was built different. Dad, you are built different. These
[00:09:04] other 10 leaders, they were positional leaders, but Joshua was the example of courage. And that's what it takes in this, in 2026 is if you want to lead, you got to have some courage. Courage doesn't
[00:09:19] not acknowledge fear, but it inspires in spite of it.
[00:09:26] Does it mean that we aren't afraid, Dad?
[00:09:28] Sometimes we are afraid.
[00:09:29] I mean, it's difficult.
[00:09:30] What we do is really, really hard.
[00:09:32] We got a career.
[00:09:33] We got to provide for the family.
[00:09:36] We got teenage daughters.
[00:09:37] Come on, somebody.
[00:09:39] They're hard.
[00:09:40] Kids are hard to raise.
[00:09:43] And then there was that wife you gave us.
[00:09:48] She's awesome in the name of Jesus.
[00:09:57] See, the faith of a father is a courageous faith.
[00:10:01] It's an overcoming faith.
[00:10:03] It's a leading faith.
[00:10:05] It's different than the mom's faith.
[00:10:08] He didn't leave from position, no, no, no.
[00:10:10] Joshua led by example.
[00:10:13] See, there's two things that a dad does, a father does, a man does when he leaves.
[00:10:18] Number one, he sets the tone in the family.
[00:10:21] Dad, you're the sheriff.
[00:10:23] You are the president.
[00:10:24] You are the general.
[00:10:25] you are the coach. So understand that. Now don't, don't go home and go, listen, honey, I am the president of this house because she is HR. She's the one that controls. She's kind of, you know, you may be the head, but she's the neck. If you know what I'm talking about,
[00:10:44] she helps things move around, but understand dad, you got, got, got built you different.
[00:10:50] You are to lead in the family. You are to set the tone in the family. We determine what flies and what dies in the family.
[00:10:58] That's our job.
[00:10:59] We're the protector.
[00:11:00] We are the guide.
[00:11:01] We are the governor.
[00:11:02] We are the one who protects the house.
[00:11:04] We're the one that comes in, swoops in.
[00:11:07] We're the ones that lead the family meeting when things need to change.
[00:11:11] Hey, we need to sit down and have a conversation about some stuff.
[00:11:14] We need to talk about some stuff that's going on in the world.
[00:11:17] We set the tone.
[00:11:19] Secondly, we set the standard.
[00:11:22] Look, it's better for mom to have to tone us down than to wake us up.
[00:11:28] Don't help me preach right now, ladies.
[00:11:32] Joshua set the standard.
[00:11:34] Fathers, you set the standard.
[00:11:35] You don't poll the family, you lead the family.
[00:11:39] Joshua didn't have a vote and go, how many of you spies really think we could do this?
[00:11:42] No, he spoke out in the middle of it.
[00:11:45] Some dads, sometimes dads, we just, we gotta do something a little different.
[00:11:48] We gotta lead.
[00:11:50] Later, when Joshua was put in charge because Moses died and he couldn't enter into the promised land, Joshua didn't make an internal vow of how he would lead his life and live his life no he made a public declaration now what's interesting about this is you got to remember
[00:12:11] that when when when they did not enter the promised land the bible says they went back into the wilderness and they spent 40 years in the wilderness and then after that 40 years a whole generation had passed away except for Joshua and Caleb they were the only two out of that
[00:12:27] generation that were entering into the promised land. So, so Joshua was 80 years old then. So he was 40 years old the first time they went in the promised land and then spent 40 years out in the
[00:12:38] wilderness. And now he's 80 years old. He lived to be about 110 years old. Now he's 80 years old and he doesn't make this. I love this. He doesn't make this declaration of what he's going to do
[00:12:49] and how he's going to lead his family, inner private, you know, because there's no such thing as an undercover Christian. Look, you're not just a Christian here in church, and then you're different when you go to your job. You got to make that public declaration. And that's exactly
[00:13:05] what Joshua did. And listen, here's the great thing about a public declaration. When you make a public declaration, that public declaration is the accountability that keeps us responsible to what we said. That's why you say it out loud. That's why you pray it out loud.
[00:13:26] And so Joshua didn't make a personal vow in isolation.
[00:13:30] He declared his household's allegiance in front of everybody.
[00:13:36] Listen to what he said in chapter 24, verse 15.
[00:13:39] And it seems, if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.
[00:13:49] Whether the gods which your father served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.
[00:13:58] And you know what he said after that.
[00:13:59] But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
[00:14:07] See, this is what separates us dads who are built different.
[00:14:12] We don't just act with conviction.
[00:14:15] We build it with the statements that we make out loud publicly, like Joshua.
[00:14:22] Like Joshua dads, this is what we do.
[00:14:24] we set the tone and we set the standard.
[00:14:26] Our faith isn't just for the here and now, it's for those who will outlive us.
[00:14:33] So let me ask you, dads, are you willing to make that public declaration right now, right here, today?
[00:14:39] As for me and my house, we're gonna serve the Lord.
[00:14:42] If that's you, I want you to stand up on your feet right now.
[00:14:44] If you're a dad and you say, I'm gonna make that declaration, I'm gonna make that public declaration, just stand up on your feet right now.
[00:14:49] Can you give them a hand clap, ladies?
[00:14:56] And I want you to say it with me.
[00:14:57] They'll put it up on the screen.
[00:14:59] Let's put it up on the screen. Let's all say it together. Ready? One, two, three.
[00:15:02] As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. One more time. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Come on, tell the devil. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
[00:15:15] If your wife is here, just look at her right now. Say, as for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord. Come on, let's give God a big hand clap for that.
[00:15:23] You may be seated. Proud of you, dads. Real proud of you. And let me tell you what happened as a result of that. In Joshua 24, verse 31, it says, Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua
[00:15:36] and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the Lord, which he had done for Israel. When you set the tone, when you set the standard, it outlives you.
[00:15:49] Amen. So not only are you built to lead, but you are built to bless, built to bless. You know, God's kingdom is built on his promise of a Messiah. The whole book, the whole Bible is a story of
[00:16:05] redemption. Now, here's what God could have done. When Adam sinned, Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, he could have gone, poof, past their innocence. He could have just been, poof, and just fixed it right then. Just start it over. Let's get rid of these two, get another two,
[00:16:20] we'll start it over. He could have done that, but that's not how he did it. Because God became a man, listen to me, to redeem man, he had to go through man in order to get there. Because God
[00:16:39] used a man to redeem man, he had to go through a man in order to get there. So here's what he did in Genesis chapter 12. After everything went down, he picked a man. He picked a father, Abraham,
[00:16:53] and he blessed him in Genesis chapter 12.
[00:16:56] Follow me now.
[00:16:58] He says, I will make you a great nation.
[00:17:00] I will bless you and I will make your name great.
[00:17:03] See, the father, God set in motion a plan of redemption through man.
[00:17:08] He was gonna use legacy and lineage in order to bring the Messiah into place.
[00:17:14] And he used a man, a father's blessing.
[00:17:17] Abraham has a son.
[00:17:18] You remember what his name was?
[00:17:20] Come on, help me out, church.
[00:17:21] Come on, Bible people.
[00:17:22] his name was? Isaac. And then Isaac had two sons. You remember his two sons' names? Jacob and Esau.
[00:17:30] Now with these two sons, you can see this biblical blessing. You can see the blessing of a father and how it reaches down into man and brings something out. Because this is what you were
[00:17:41] built to do, men. You're not just supposed to say things over your family for the sake of saying it.
[00:17:47] your words carry power. They carry authority. You draw out of your kids, you draw out of your family, the blessing, the redeeming power of God as you speak over them. And so through these two
[00:18:01] sons, Jacob and Esau, we see birthright is about inheritance, but blessing is about identity.
[00:18:09] Follow me now. See, Esau was the eldest son. If you know the story, Esau and Jacob were twins.
[00:18:17] Esau came out, Jacob reached up, pulled him back in and tried to be first. That's why they called his name Jacob, which means deceiver. And that's exactly what he did. As the story goes on, Esau
[00:18:31] is a hunter and Jacob is from Gordon's school of cooking. He's a great cooker. He's a great chef.
[00:18:41] he can make, he makes some good stew. And so one day Esau is coming back from a hunt. He didn't kill anything and he's really, really hungry. And he walks into the tent. What's that Jacob? He
[00:18:51] goes, oh, that's a new stew I made. This is the Maxwell translation, by the way. And Jacob goes, but you don't want any of this. He goes, oh man, I'm really hungry. And Jacob goes, well, I'll tell
[00:19:01] you what, I'll give you a bowl if you'll give me your birthright. If you'll give me your first son, because there was a special blessing, a special inheritance, you get two times, and a special blessing on being the firstborn son.
[00:19:17] Now, his name, Jacob, means deceiver.
[00:19:20] I mean, this sounds like a series on Netflix, doesn't it?
[00:19:23] That's crazy.
[00:19:26] And so Esau goes, ah, I'm really hungry, and that smells really good, Jacob.
[00:19:30] I mean, you really outdid yourself this time.
[00:19:33] He goes, oh yeah, this is good, man.
[00:19:35] And so Esau says, I'll give you my birthright for a bowl of soup.
[00:19:39] he didn't realize the power of it now if you fast forward rebecca knows that that jacob um is is the one who is to really get the blessing here and what's interesting to me is it's easy to read
[00:19:53] this story you look at and you're looking that that jacob is good and esau is bad but listen the story really isn't about them the story is about god forging his plan through man now this
[00:20:06] Listen to me, because sometimes we can look at our family and go, you know, my family is jacked up.
[00:20:12] Let me tell you something, God can still move through that mess.
[00:20:16] I mean, he can do, he can, I mean, through divorce and separation and all kinds of stuff and financial distress and all kinds of mistakes.
[00:20:26] I mean, look at the story.
[00:20:27] This is crazy for a bowl of soup.
[00:20:32] So now Isaac, who can't see, follow me here, is wanting to bless Esau with the firstborn blessing.
[00:20:42] And Rebekah says, hey, listen, listen, we're gonna sneak you in there, Jacob.
[00:20:46] So put some furry stuff on because Esau's a little hairy and make sure you smell like Esau.
[00:20:53] And so he goes into the tent.
[00:20:55] Isaac can't see him.
[00:20:56] And Jacob says, hey, dad, can you bless me?
[00:21:00] I'm Esau.
[00:21:01] And Isaac says, well, you sound like Jacob, but you smell like Esau.
[00:21:08] Come on over here, boy.
[00:21:10] And he lays his hands on him and he speaks the blessing of the Lord over Jacob, which was meant for Esau.
[00:21:20] Listen to what he said in Genesis 27.
[00:21:22] From the dew of the heaven and riches of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvest of grain and bountiful wine.
[00:21:30] He speaks to his livelihood.
[00:21:32] See, it's not just about inheritance, it's about identity.
[00:21:36] He says, may many nations become your servants and may they bow down to you.
[00:21:42] That's his position.
[00:21:44] And may you be the master of your brothers and may your mother's son bow down to you.
[00:21:49] All who curse you will be cursed and all who bless you will be blessed.
[00:21:53] He speaks to his livelihood, he speaks to the position and he speaks to his significance.
[00:21:59] so listen it's not just about how much money you can save up and give to your family when you die no it's about the identity that you impart into your kids and that's what the
[00:22:13] blessing is all about and so that's exactly what Isaac did he blessed Jacob now watch what God does because Jacob is still a deceiver his name means schemer later on in life Jacob is running
[00:22:31] from guess who? Esau. And he finds himself on the side of this river. He's got his head on a rock and he wrestles with God. This is how good God is. And because of the blessing of the father,
[00:22:45] he wrestles with almighty God and God changes his identity. He goes from schemer to Israel.
[00:22:56] and as a result of that change, that transformation of identity, Israel becomes the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.
[00:23:08] Later, where we see Jesus, the lineage of God come through.
[00:23:13] Isn't that amazing to think about?
[00:23:16] Father, dad, you are built to bless.
[00:23:21] When you speak into your family, not even just your kids, into your wife, You are speaking life and authority and power and identity into their lives.
[00:23:35] You have been given that authority to do.
[00:23:39] Look, you see it later in the New Testament.
[00:23:43] In Matthew chapter three, Jesus shows up on the scene, the Messiah, the Redeemer.
[00:23:49] And when he had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water and behold, the heavens were opened up to him. And he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove alighting upon him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, this is my heir to my throne. Is that
[00:24:08] what he said? No. He said, this is the one who holds all the power of heaven. Is that what he said? Hello, church. I think it might be on the screen right behind me, just in case you're,
[00:24:22] if you think it's a trick question. What did he say? This is my beloved son. He spoke to his identity, not his inheritance. He spoke to his identity. How do you do that, dad? What you say
[00:24:41] is I see something in you, son. I see something in you, daughter. I see something in this family.
[00:24:49] Look, all hell may be going on right now, but you say, because of the blessing ability that God has put on the inside of me, I'm speaking to something that may not be seen with my eyes,
[00:25:03] but I see it by faith.
[00:25:05] I see it by faith.
[00:25:08] You say, God made you for this.
[00:25:10] You say things like, I'm proud of who you are.
[00:25:14] Not what you do, but who you are.
[00:25:17] Don't be like Esau.
[00:25:18] Don't be like Jacob.
[00:25:19] be like Jesus. Walk in your position as a son of the most high God. Look, dads, look at me. Look at me. Fathers, men, look at me. Sometimes we need to be told that, hey, you're my beloved son.
[00:25:31] I'm pleased in you. Look, we've all made mistakes. We've all fallen short of the glory of God, but that's what your heavenly father is always saying over you. You're my son. You got this.
[00:25:44] I see something in you. I'm proud of you. I'm pleased with you. You know, God said this before Jesus had preached one message, healed one person, walked on any water. He hadn't done anything yet.
[00:25:55] And God was saying, I love you just because you're my son. Dad, father, God loves you just because you're his son. Sometimes you need to hear that. Sometimes you need to remember that.
[00:26:06] See, a father's blessing functions as an empowering force that encourages children to take risks and persevere, knowing their father's words and presence supports them. Dad, you're built to lead.
[00:26:19] you're built to bless. Thirdly, you're built to reflect. Reflect the father. We say this all the time here at Freedom House. What walks in the father runs in the family. What walks in the father runs in the family. Our families view God through the lens of who you are as a father.
[00:26:42] What are you reflecting? Are you reflecting God? Because that's what Joseph did.
[00:26:49] Joseph was one of the sons of Israel Jacob Joseph was favored by his father but he was betrayed by his brothers he was sold into slavery he was falsely accused by Potiphar's wife we call her
[00:27:04] Potiphar imprisoned thrown in jail rate but but in spite of all that in the middle of jail he's raised by God to the second most powerful man on the planet for the purpose of saving the very
[00:27:25] family who betrayed him in the first place. That's crazy. And the whole entire time that he's going through this, he's reflecting the character of God. He's reflecting the character of God.
[00:27:43] I mean, I mean, let's be honest. When you read this story, I know it looks great, but it is a drama. You talk about, you talk about a Paramount series. This is even better than Netflix. This is
[00:27:52] Paramount. This is huge. So at the end, right as Joseph is, and this famine is about to hit or has already hit, his brothers come to Egypt, not knowing that Joseph is the one who's going to
[00:28:10] save him. And listen to what happens. And listen to what he says in Genesis chapter 45. It says, then Joseph said to his brothers please come near me and they came near I am Joseph your brother he
[00:28:21] said the one who sold you into Egypt now if it were me okay if it were me I would have thrown him in jail right there on the spot I mean I'm just being honest don't be all holy on me looking
[00:28:33] at me with those Presbyterian eyes because you would have probably done the same thing you would have seen him the first time and you were gone I know who exactly who you're they didn't know who
[00:28:43] he was, but he knew exactly who they were. They walk in, can we get some food? I'm like, yeah, I'm throwing you in jail. Just for a little while, not the whole time. I would have probably bought
[00:28:52] them out later, but just throw them in there, put a picture of me in the cell. You know, maybe visit them every now and then. Hey, how's it going down there, guys? Toughing those stocks, isn't it?
[00:29:05] Maybe while I'm, you know, eating an ice cream cone or something like that, just to make them met. But that's not Joseph, because Joseph was reflecting the Father. And now, don't be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here because God sent me ahead of you to preserve
[00:29:20] your life. For the famine has been in the land these two years and there's going to be five more years of this famine. God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land
[00:29:33] and to keep you alive by great deliverance. Therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God. The entire time Joseph, thrown in the pit, sold into slavery. He was arrested falsely.
[00:29:50] He's reflecting the father. He's reflecting the father. Joseph understood that God was at work in his story. Dad, God is at work in your story. Father, God is at work in your story.
[00:30:05] reflect the character of God.
[00:30:08] Joseph could have easily reflected the character of his earthly father, Jacob, the schemer, but he didn't.
[00:30:17] Jacob was a deceiver.
[00:30:18] Joseph was honest.
[00:30:19] Jacob was a schemer.
[00:30:21] Joseph trusted God.
[00:30:22] Jacob was self-reliant.
[00:30:23] Joseph was dependent on God.
[00:30:26] You know, the Bible says, one of the 10 commandments, it says, honor your father and your mother.
[00:30:33] Now, for a lot of us, we didn't have very good dads.
[00:30:37] Some of us had some great dads, but even the good dads still had some imperfections, right?
[00:30:43] My dad was an alcoholic.
[00:30:46] My dad left my family when I was 14 months old, left just me and my mom.
[00:30:53] And it was tough, man.
[00:30:56] My dad would tell me he was gonna come pick me up all the time, all the time.
[00:31:02] I remember in suburban apartments, I would sit on the back porch and there was this big field that all the kids would play on.
[00:31:09] And I would sit, because my dad would say, hey, listen, I'm gonna come pick you up 10 o'clock on Saturday morning.
[00:31:13] We're gonna go have some fun.
[00:31:14] We're gonna do this.
[00:31:14] We're gonna do that.
[00:31:15] We're gonna do this.
[00:31:16] And I would go sit on the back porch.
[00:31:17] He said, 10, I'd show up at nine.
[00:31:20] I'd sit out on that back porch.
[00:31:22] 10 came, 11 came, 12 came, one came, three came, five came, seven came.
[00:31:28] He never showed up.
[00:31:29] My mom would finally come out and go, hey, Troy, she called me Troylet.
[00:31:35] You can't call me that, my mom can.
[00:31:37] Hey, sweetheart, he's not coming. Now, the Bible says that we're to honor our father and mother.
[00:31:52] How do you honor that? I mean, just being honest, how do you honor that? By redeeming the name.
[00:32:04] You redeem by not reflecting your earthly father. You redeem by reflecting your heavenly father.
[00:32:12] I'm going to say that again. You redeem the name. See, my dad, I pray he's in heaven. We talked about it right before he died. I believe he's in heaven and I'll see him one day in the
[00:32:28] future. But while I'm here on this earth, I'm going to redeem the Maxwell family by having people not connect my dad with that, but to connect my dad with that name. Are you following me. And that's what you do as a dad, is you reflect the father, your heavenly father.
[00:32:52] You honor your mother and father by reflecting the father. I don't seek revenge. I seek redemption.
[00:33:03] And we don't redeem. We redeem by reflecting. This should challenge us as dads, but also give us hope. My job is to reflect the right father. Dads, you were built to lead.
[00:33:16] you were built to bless. You were built to reflect. And then last thing, and then I'm done is you were built to run. You were built to run. And here's, here's what I want you to understand.
[00:33:29] You weren't built to run away. You were built to run towards. We got way too many dads that are running away, running away from responsibility, running away from stuff, problems, issues, challenges. Sin taught us to do that as dads, as men, to be passive, to step away from things,
[00:33:57] to remove ourselves. I mean, that's exactly what happened in the garden when Adam and Eve sinned.
[00:34:02] What does it say they did? They hid. That's what sin does. Sin says, run away from it, leave it.
[00:34:09] I love how Jesus talked about this thing called running in Luke chapter 15, because listen, dads, you weren't built to do that. You were built to run towards, towards family, towards responsibility, towards hurt, towards challenges, towards accountability. You were never meant to
[00:34:33] run away from it. No matter what you've done, no matter what, what has happened in your life, you were never meant to run away. You were meant to run towards. And so Jesus, because he's so,
[00:34:44] he's so incredible. What he does is he, in Luke chapter 15, he tells, he tells a story about three lost things. He's talking to a crowd of people, mainly to the religious people that were
[00:34:58] there. And he says, he tells the first story about a lost sheep. There was this guy, he had a hundred sheep and one of the sheep wandered away and, and the sheep walked away. And so the, the, the man
[00:35:11] went and found the sheep and he grabbed the sheep and brought it back and everybody's excited. And

[00:35:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:35:15] they're like, yeah, you found the sheep. Let's party. Let's have a big party. This is awesome.
[00:35:20] Woo. So we're going to have a party. Woo. Everybody claps in the crowd. Yeah, that's awesome. They

[00:35:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:35:25] found the sheep. Let's have a party. And the second story he tells is about a lady who lost a coin.
[00:35:33] Not just any coin. Most theologians believe it was a coin that was a part of the crown that she wore when she got married. So it was very important to her. It represented the covenant that she had.
[00:35:45] So she looked everywhere, tore the house apart, so excited. She invites everybody over. She has charcuterie, pulls the mahjong off. You know, they play some card games, all that stuff.
[00:36:03] Everybody's excited. Woo, we have a party. Yeah, everybody. Yeah, we found the coin. I found the coin, swept the house. We found it. And then he gets to the third story. He said, there was a man
[00:36:13] who had two sons. Now, when he said this, everybody that was listening would go, hey, I think I've heard this story before. He said, there were two sons and one of them came to his
[00:36:28] dad and said, I want my inheritance. I want you to give me everything. In other words, dad, I want you to die early. I want what's mine. Give it to me now. I mean, just kind of a sad situation
[00:36:41] to go to your dad and go, Hey, I want all my money right now that you're supposed to give to me.
[00:36:46] So he goes and says to, uh, he says, okay. And he does it. His dad gives him all the money and he leaves. The Bible says that he walks away and lives unrighteously, spends all his money on
[00:36:59] prostitutes, spends it all, every bit of it. Now, listen to me. And we've all been there. We've all heard stories that we've heard before, right? So you're tracking with this story. It's like when your friend has told you the same story eight times, you know what I'm talking about? You don't
[00:37:16] want to interrupt them and go, hey, I've already heard that story eight times. You just let him finished because he's excited about telling the story. I've done it. My wife tells me all the time. I've heard that. We actually had this little thing where we put our fingers on our cheeks where
[00:37:28] we say, I've heard this four different times. I heard this five different times. If you put both hands on there, it means we've done it a bunch of times. True story. Everybody's tracking. Jesus is
[00:37:40] telling the story. Son spends it all, has friends, parties, and then he runs out of money, runs out runs out of everything. He doesn't know what to do. So he goes and gets a job with a pig farmer,
[00:37:58] finds himself working for a pig. The worst thing a Jew could do in the world is work for a pig farmer, but he can't do anything. And he gets, it gets so bad. He is, he finds himself in the pig
[00:38:12] pen eating what the pigs are eating. Now, listen, remember everybody's tracking. Everybody's heard this story. Everybody knows what's going to happen. They know the end. They're like chicken the head, just like you are. Yeah, I know this story. I've heard this story before.
[00:38:32] He's in the pig pen and he starts talking to himself. Well, what if I go home? What can I do?
[00:38:39] He starts rehearsing what he's going to say. Now, let me stop right here because this is where the story changes. This is where Jesus flips the script. Everybody's tracking because there is a Jewish tradition. It's called Katsaza Jewish tradition. This is the story. Everybody knows
[00:39:03] the story because if you are a son and you leave the community and you want to come back after you have sinned, there's a tradition that happens. Not only does your family, in anticipation of
[00:39:23] your return, push you away, but the entire community waits for you if they know you're coming. Now, remember, Jesus tells the story, and it says that his dad is waiting just for him to return. Everybody's tracking with the story, but Jesus changes it, messes with them because here's
[00:39:49] what Kasaza is. The whole community, as they see the sun approaching, they all bring out these clay pots and these clay pots, they all hold them. And as he walks towards, this is, this is the
[00:40:03] tradition. This is the real story. This is the story everybody had heard growing up. When he tries to get back in the town. They stop him at the front, right at the edge of town. And they go,
[00:40:16] you are not welcome in this place. And they throw their clay pottery down. But here's where Jesus changes the whole story because he says that in anticipation of the son returning, the father runs towards the son. He runs towards the son. I mean, he runs and he, and he doesn't just outrun
[00:40:42] the son. He, he outruns the entire community because he wants to get between the community and his son to stop them from telling him that you are not welcome in this place.
[00:40:59] They all got pots in their hands. They're all standing there waiting. Yeah. You, you try to come back into town, but you are a sinner. You are worthless. And they take their pots and they
[00:41:09] throw them down on the ground. But as they're getting ready to throw it down, the father runs past all of them and stops them because fathers are meant to run toward never away.
[00:41:25] And as they're getting ready to say, you're not welcome here anymore, he stops them. He goes, no, no, no, no, no, no. Give him the robe, give him the ring, give him the sandals because you
[00:41:39] may not welcome him, but I do with open arms. Amen. Amen. Listen, dads, listen, dads. Sometimes we just have to overlook and outrun all the pain of our families in order to get in front of the
[00:41:59] pain and the shame and the guilt that our families feel because we are never meant to run away from it. We run right toward it. Just like our heavenly father did for you and me, that when we deserved
[00:42:13] hell, he came and stood in between and said, I will die for you. I will shed my blood for you because you will, you are always welcome. You are never meant to be broken, but I'm going to put you
[00:42:28] back together right now in Jesus' name. Amen. Why don't you stand up on your feet? Is this good today? You, man, you were built to lead. You were built to bless. You were built to reflect and you
[00:42:38] were built to run. Every head bowed, every eye closed. If you're here in this place, let me tell you, you have a heavenly father that is running to you right now. And his desire is to draw you
[00:42:48] right back. Just like pastor Aaron said, to draw you into a relationship with him. And he did it through his son, Jesus Christ. At every campus, every weekend at Freedom House Church, we always want to give you an invitation to get your life right before God, to come into right relationship
[00:43:07] with your heavenly father. I don't know what you've been through. I don't know what pig pen you woke up in this morning. I don't know last week, whatever it looks like. You know what?
[00:43:19] doesn't matter because Jesus took our sin, became our sin, shed his precious blood so that we could be washed clean and stand before our heavenly father, redeemed, changed, transformed. He wants to do that for you right now. Every head bowed, every eye closed. If you're here today and you
[00:43:43] say, I want that relationship. I want to make sure I get into heaven. But even, even more than that, I wanna make sure that I can live my life for him right here on this planet.
[00:43:55] I'm tired of the cycle I'm living in.
[00:43:58] Maybe you did that one time in the past, but you wanna rededicate your life.
[00:44:04] You have a heavenly father that's running towards you right now with open arms.
[00:44:09] You're forgiven, you're set free, you're transformed through the blood, through Calvary, through Jesus on the cross.
[00:44:18] He loves you and cares for you.
[00:44:20] I'm gonna count to three.
[00:44:20] If you say that's me, I want that relationship.
[00:44:23] Don't hesitate.
[00:44:24] Don't wait.
[00:44:24] Just raise your hand right here.
[00:44:25] Ready?
[00:44:25] One, two, three.
[00:44:26] Just raise your hand right here.
[00:44:27] Say, I want that.
[00:44:29] Amen.
[00:44:30] I see your hand.
[00:44:30] Thank you.
[00:44:33] Hands all over the room.
[00:44:34] If you're watching online, listen, you need to raise your hand right now too.
[00:44:38] Right where you are.
[00:44:39] Maybe you're sitting on your couch, drinking a cup of coffee.
[00:44:42] Raise your hand right now.
[00:44:43] Give your life to Jesus right now.
[00:44:46] Let's pray together.
[00:44:47] If you raised your hand, take that hand that was raised and put it right on your heart.
[00:44:51] We're gonna pray a prayer of dedication, a prayer of commitment.
[00:44:55] Church family, would you join with them as they make this commitment over their lives?
[00:44:59] Let's all say it together.
[00:45:00] Say, Heavenly Father, thank you for running to me.
[00:45:04] Thank you, Jesus, for shedding your blood so I could spend eternity healed and whole with you in heaven.
[00:45:14] Thank you, Jesus, for being raised from the dead.
[00:45:17] I believe, I confess, you are my Lord and my savior. I will worship you and I will serve you forever and ever in Jesus name.
[00:45:31] And all God's people said, amen. Amen. Have a happy father's day. God bless you guys.