Fathers, Your Legacy Is at Stake
What type of legacy are you leaving your children? This uncomfortable question should make every father pause and examine his heart. In today's world, where ungodly influences assault our families from every direction, fathers must understand the devastating consequences of failing in their God-given role.
The sobering truth is this: godly parenting does not guarantee godly children, because everyone must choose their own relationship with God. But this reality doesn't excuse us from our responsibility to be intentional, godly fathers.
Learning from Biblical Examples - A Father and Son's Contrasting Legacies
The Bible provides us with powerful examples of both good and bad fatherhood. One of the most striking contrasts comes from the story of King Hezekiah and his son Manasseh - a tale that reveals biblical lessons from King Manasseh's failure that every father today must understand.
King Hezekiah: The Godly Father
Let's examine one of the most remarkable father-son contrasts in Scripture. King Hezekiah stands as one of Judah's greatest kings - a man who truly feared God and led his nation in righteousness.
"And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan." - 2 Kings 18:3-4 (KJV)
When the mighty Assyrian army of Sennacherib threatened Jerusalem with 185,000 soldiers, what did Hezekiah do? He didn't panic. He didn't strategize military responses. Instead, he spread the threatening letter before the Lord and prayed:
"O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth." - 2 Kings 19:15 (KJV)
The result? God sent one angel who killed all 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a single night. That's the kind of father Manasseh had - a man who sought God first in every crisis.
King Manasseh: A Cautionary Tale of Wasted Privilege
Despite having the most godly father in Israel's history, Manasseh became one of the most wicked kings who ever lived. The biblical lessons from King Manasseh's failure teach us that privilege and godly upbringing don't guarantee godly children. The Bible records his rebellion:
"And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them." - 2 Kings 21:2-3 (KJV)
Manasseh didn't just reject his father's godly example - he systematically destroyed everything his father had built. He rebuilt the pagan altars, reintroduced idol worship, and even "made his son pass through the fire" - sacrificing his own child to false gods.
Modern Fathers Face the Same Spiritual Battle
The Idols We Build Today
Before we judge Manasseh too harshly, we must examine our own hearts. It's easy to beat up on ancient kings until we consider the idols we've erected in our own homes:
How many hours of overtime is necessary for your job or your business?
Have you reared up the idol of success in your child's life?
Is your identity tied to their sports achievements and academic performance?
Does your child's performance determine your mood for the day?
We can take things that aren't sinful and make them into idols. Your home gym, your farm, your hobbies - any of these can become "groves" where you worship something other than God.
The Modern Sacrifice of Children
Manasseh "made his son pass through the fire." You might say, "Preacher, I'd never sacrifice my child!" But really?
How much time are your children consuming with activities that have no spiritual value? How much content are they scrolling through that's burning out their young minds? By the time children are eight, nine, or ten years old today, many have already had their consciences seared by inappropriate content.
We can bring our kids to church on Sunday and let them pass through the fire on Monday.
The Entertainment Deception
Parents must be discerning about what entertainment they allow in their homes. When we normalize witchcraft, divination, and occultism through movies, books, and shows - calling it "just entertainment" - we're following Manasseh's example of introducing spiritual darkness into our families.
The Bible is clear: "And he used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger." - 2 Kings 21:6 (KJV)
Becoming a Hezekiah Father
1. Don't Waste the Time God Gives You
Use every day as an opportunity to invest in your children's future. The best legacy you can leave them is the time you've spent with them - not just being present, but being spiritually engaged.
2. Be the Spiritual Leader God Called You to Be
Pray with your kids
Do family devotions
Create a home atmosphere that honors God
Remember that "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine" (Proverbs 17:22 KJV)
3. Be Intentional, Not Just Informational
Know your children's hearts, not just their schedules. Don't lead through lectures or punishment, but through humility and your own example of repentance and growth.
Don't ask them to grow until you have been willing to grow.
4. Fight for Their Hearts Because You Love Them
Don't fight for your children's hearts because you're afraid of the world. Fight for their hearts because you love them. You must love them enough to battle for their soul and spiritual strength.
The Hope of Redemption
Even Manasseh found hope. When he was captured and imprisoned in Babylon, "when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God." - 2 Chronicles 33:12-13 (KJV)
No matter how far you've fallen, God's grace can restore you. It's never too late to repent and bring your family back to God.
Man Up, Fathers
The responsibility is on us, fathers. We can't control our children's choices, but we can control our faithfulness as fathers. Sometimes godly fathers raise rebellious children. Sometimes ungodly fathers raise godly children. This mystery doesn't excuse us from our calling.
Be the father your children need you to be. Be intentional. Step up. Man up.
As they say down at the ranch: cowboy up or get in the truck.
Your children's eternal destiny may depend on the legacy you choose to leave them today.
🎧 📖 Want to hear the complete message with all its passion and biblical depth? This powerful Father's Day sermon delivers life-changing expository preaching through verse-by-verse Bible teaching that will challenge and encourage every father. Listen to the entire sermon here! https://youtu.be/fY - You won't want to miss this convicting and hope-filled message!