Lack of Fathers

I am one of those people who must confess that I at times envy other brothers who talk about having an older brother in the Lord, usually a pastor that mentored them. I don't mean, they said something or just spent some time around but they were poured into and because of that they avoided a lot of pitfalls that most learn by experience.

I can't count the times I have begged God for a mentor, and to a degree dead men have been my best mentors. Apart from that I like many others have sought to take the best from those I have been around, unfortunately I've had to drop a LOT of what I've seen or heard from others because it did not line up with the scriptures.

The theme Don't Waste Your Life is incredibly powerpacked and praise God that Piper has even challenged retired men to waste their lives on entertaining themselves. Yet I would wish and I believe scripture would coincide that the greatest thing older men could do is to scoop up younger men and pour into them. How many young fathers, single men, and even high school students need older men to warn them of the vanity of this life, to tell them not to go the way of this world, to tell them how to give themselves more to their family and church rather then their 'career goals'.

I love practicality, I love it when men get real simple and tell it like it is. This is ultimately why I love the preachers I do because they don't just throw out great concepts or regurgitate the same popular reformed ideals without confronting the problems. This is why I love Voddie Baucham, because when it comes to daily life, he tells it like it is. I listened to a sermon a couple of days ago concerning discipleship by Brother Voddie that I wish every leader would not only listen to but seek to put into practice. Rather then proposing the typical forms of 'doing' discipleship, Brother Voddie just simply explained the text (TITUS), concerning older women teaching younger women and (this is KEY) WHAT they are to TEACH them, and showing how the requirements of an elder are actually the characteristics that ALL men should be striving for; what separates the elder is that he is exemplary in these things (he is an example of these things).

Allow me to pause on that thought: An elder is an example of these traits for other men, hmm is that the case? Oh how we need biblical eldership! Where may I ask are the MEN who are known for their PASSION and HOLINESS? Can you think of many men in your church over 40 who have a presence about them, who are marked by a solemn fear of God?

When it comes to discipleship, Pastor Voddie is on point; as he points out that 'maturity' is not an age thing but a conformity thing. In Pastor Voddie's 'traditional' church model (not age segregated) these things come a lot more easily because it has not been complicated by a plethora of programs that have been put in place to 'FILL IN THE GAPS' of what should be a natural flow of true Christianity. Isn't it funny that most churches start as the so-called family integrated church, that most mission churches around the world start that way? There's a sense of intimacy, a sense of 'family', easier to see the growth around you and no one's missing out. Then we have to make it complicated and constantly spin our wheels to force what came much more naturally. I add this to make the point that it would surely be practical and a great blessing for many young people to grow up in an atmosphere where they learn from the older.

It should come as no surprise that young people reject the instruction of the older, because most have been trained to believe that they need specialized teachers (some young cool guy who has no more wisdom then a donkey). I can't help to think 'and what does that mean?' when I hear someone say they are or have been a youth pastor.

The generation GAP that needs filling is not, missing young adults who are being stolen away by the Emergent church, because soul damning heresy CAN NOT snatch out of Christ's hand, His elect. The GAP is at the end of the scale, older men and women who can and will teach younger men and women how to pursue God, how to order their families, how to biblically fulfill their roles as husbands, fathers, wives, mothers and servants of God.

Concerning what a good father is (biblically) I've written a couple thoughts here