What do you think when you hear the word Father? For many of us, it will be different; it will be based on experience, or lack of experience, with the person that we called Father growing up. Whatever the experience, Father is a position given to men that holds a very high responsibility, and should be honored. Exodus 20:12 (KJV) says, Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. God was so serious about this, He repeated it again in the New Testament. Ephesians 6:2-3 (KJV) says, Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. How we honor our fathers can have a direct effect on what happens to us personally on the earth; it can determine if things go well or not.

As we look at our society, we can see that there has been a definite attack against the father by the enemy. This is not a new attack; it’s an old attack. Exodus 1:15-16 (NIV) says, The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” Notice, the enemy was after the male babies, because if you are going to destroy a people, you have to take out the males. Again, this didn’t stop in the Old Testament; it continues even into the time of Christ. Matthew 2:16 (NKJV) says, Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. This is the hatred of the enemy manifested.

Of course, the trend continues today through abortion. If a male makes it and is born, the attack is then to try to take him out of his position as a father. Because if you can take the father out of the family, you can destroy the family. It’s better for the mother when the father is in the house; it’s better for a son when his father is in the house its better for a daughter when her father is in is in the house; it’s better for a daughter when her father is in the house. The father is the spiritual covering for the family.

1 Corinthians 11:3 (AMP) says, But I want you to understand that Christ is the head (authority over) of every man, and man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ. If you take the Father out, it’s like removing the roof from the house. Things come in and things happen that shouldn’t happen. I want to admonish every wife and every child to honor, respect, and support the father in your house. He carries a major weight of responsibility that might not be visible to the eye. He goes through spiritual attacks that were meant to hit the family, but his presence, his prayers, and his faith shield his family from the storms of life.

The word to the men of this church this year was Take Your Position. It’s not just about having the title of Father; you have to walk in it. One of the things the enemy has tried to do is silence fathers, so the man does not have a voice. Remember, it was the silence of Adam that caused his wife Eve to be deceived by the serpent. If he had spoken up, Adam could have saved the human race. God judged the Priest Eli’s house because he did not speak against what his children were doing. 1 Samuel 3:13 (KJV) says, For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. You see, the enemy knows the father’s voice carries weight in the realm of the Spirit. He knows that God is going to back the words of the father, so of course he wants him to go silent.

Proverbs 4:1 (KJV) says, Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. Fathers, the best thing you can do for your family is to cultivate a relationship with the Lord; not just in church, but outside of church. Children do not so much do what you say; they do what they see you do. Ephesians 5:1 (AMP) says, Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]… Children imitate, and you are their example; you set the pattern. Fathers, who you are is what you will pass down to your children.

As fathers, we have a responsibility to the next generation to pass down a spiritual legacy. Our children need us; society needs us; this nation needs us. Proverbs 13:22 (AMPC) says, A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner [finds its way eventually] into the hands of the righteous, for whom it was laid up. A father has the ability to affect two generations after him. What we pass down will determine if our children are in position to receive the inheritance of the Lord. So Fathers, today we celebrate you; we encourage you; we cheer you on as you walk in your position as a Good Father!