1. John G. Paton was a missionary to the New Hebrides, in the South Pacific. He was born in Scotland in 1824, and he died in 1907.
2. Before going to the South Pacific, Paton worked as a city missionary in Glasgow for ten years. He began his work in the New Hebrides on the island of Tanna, an island inhabited by savage cannibals.
3. Later Paton worked on the island of Aniwa. He gave to the Aniwan people the first hymnbook in their own language, and he translated the New Testament into their language.
4. I am not going to say much about John Paton, but I would like to say a few words about John Paton's father, James Paton.
5. In his autobiography, John Paton describes his godly father as a great man of prayer. The eleven children saw their father pray and it made a profound impact on them.
6. In his autobiography, Paton wrote, "How much my father's prayers at this time impressed me I can never explain, nor could any stranger understand. When, on his knees and all of us kneeling around him in family worship, he poured out his whole soul with tears...we all felt as if in the presence of the living Savior, and learned to know and love him as our Divine friend. As we rose from our knees, I used to look at the light on my father’s face, and wish I were like him in spirit, – hoping that, in answer to his prayers, I might be privileged and prepared to carry the blessed Gospel to some portion of the heathen world" (Autobiography of John Paton).
7. When the time came for John Paton to leave home and carry the Gospel to the regions beyond, he had to walk 40 miles from his hometown to the train station.
8. His father accompanied him part of the way, and forty years later John Paton wrote,
           "My dear father walked with me the first six miles of the way. His counsel and tears and heavenly conversation on that parting journey are fresh in my heart as if it had been but yesterday; and tears are on my cheeks as freely now as then, whenever memory steals me away to the scene. His tears fell fast when our eyes met each other in looks for which all speech was vain! He grasped my hand firmly for a minute in silence, and then solemnly said: 'God bless you, my son! Your father's God prosper you, and keep you from all evil!' Unable to say more, his lips kept moving in silent prayer; in tears we embraced, and parted. I ran off as fast as I could; and, when about to turn a corner in the road where he would lose sight of me, I looked back and saw him still standing with head uncovered where I had left him gazing after me. Waving my hat in adieu, I was round the corner and out of sight in an instant. But my heart was too full and sore to carry me further, so I darted into the side of the road and wept for a time.
           Rising up cautiously, I climbed the dyke to see if he yet stood where I had left him; and just at that moment I caught a glimpse of him climbing the dyke and looking out for me! He did not see me, and after he had gazed eagerly in my direction for a while he got down, set his face towards home, and began to return, his head still uncovered, and his heart, I felt sure, still rising in prayers for me. I watched through blinding tears, till his form faded from my gaze; and then, hastening on my way, vowed deeply and oft, by the help of God, to live and act so as never to grieve or dishonour such a father and mother as He had given me. The appearance of my father when we parted has often through life risen vividly before my mind, and does so now as if it had been but an hour ago. In my earlier years particularly, when exposed to many temptations, his parting form rose before me as that of a guardian Angel. It is no pharisaism, but deep gratitude, which makes me here testify that the memory of that scene not only helped to keep me pure from the prevailing sins, but also stimulated me in all my studies, that I might not fall short of his hopes, and in all my Christian duties, that I might faithfully follow his shining example."
9. Surely we would have more men like John Paton if we had more men like John Paton's father!

I. GOD HAS APPOINTED THE FATHER TO BE THE HEAD OF THE HOME.

1. This is taught all throughout Scripture, beginning with Adam and Eve.
2. In Genesis 3:16, God said to Eve, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."
3. In Genesis 18:19, the LORD said this about Abraham, "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD."
4. That was Abraham's responsibility. This is what the Bible teaches -- the man is supposed to be the head of the home (cf. I Peter 3:1-7).
5. Matthew Henry said, "The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved."
6. A.C. Dixon said, "The husband is the head of the home and the wife is the heart of the home. Anything with two heads and no heart is a freak of nature."
7. First Corinthians 11:3 says, "The head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God."
8. The Bible teaches that the man is the head of the home, but this does not mean the woman is inferior to the man. God made the husband the head of the home, but that does not mean he is superior to his wife.
9. In fact, oftentimes the wife is superior to her husband in many ways. She may be more competent than the husband, more intelligent, better educated, etc.
10. And she may be a stronger Christian. Sadly many men are slackers!
11. From I Corinthians 11:3, we see that having one over us as our head does not mean we are inferior because God the Son is certainly not inferior to God the Father.
12. The Bible teaches the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are co-equal.
13. And the Bible also teaches that God the Father is the head of God the Son. God is a God of order. First Corinthians 14:33 says, "For God is not the author of confusion." And then in I Corinthians 14:40, "Let all things be done decently and in order."
14. God is a God of order, and this is the divine order: God the Father is the head over God the Son; and in the home, the husband is to be the head of the wife.
15. There is much confusion and chaos today because people have gotten away from the Bible.
16. First Corinthians 11:3 says, "The head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God."
17. And just as God the Son is equal in worth and value to God the Father, the wife is equal to her husband.
18. I heard a good illustration of this by Adrian Rogers, who for many years was the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Pastor Rogers died in 2005.
19. He said, "In football I played quarterback. The quarterback’s duty is to call the signals. Now let’s say the quarterback is not as good a player as his fullback. I played with a teammate, Ned, who became an All-American fullback. I didn’t make All-American, but I was his quarterback on the team. Ned was an incredible individual, but Ned didn’t call the plays. Who calls the plays on a football team? The quarterback. Does that mean the quarterback is a better player than the others? No. It just means that somebody has to call the plays. Who says the quarterback is going to call the plays? The coach. And the coach has a game plan. He says, 'This is the way it’s going to be done.'
20. "The coach instructs the quarterback. The quarterback calls the plays under the coach’s direction. Other players follow the calls—even though they may be better than the quarterback. The quarterback calls the play. It may be the best play; it may not be the best play. But it’s certain a team will do better if they’re all running the same play, don’t you agree? Someone has to call the plays. If the team wins the game, who gets the praise? All the players. But if the team loses and the quarterback has called a bad play, who gets the blame? The quarterback. Husbands cannot rid themselves of that responsibility. When God gives you the role of headship in the home, you can never give that responsibility away, even though you may delegate authority."
21. As modern society gets further and further from the Word of God, we are seeing more and more confusion, and the Bible's definition of the family has been attacked as outdated.
22. Recently a liberal organization said, "The traditional idea of family is outdated. Public policy should not support heterosexual, married, monogamous households with children."
23. Television and Hollywood promote "shacking up." And they are working hard to brainwash people into accepting so-called "gay marriage" and "gay families."
24. "Glee," "The New Normal" and "Modern Family" are just three of many television shows which promote these new perverted families.

II. CHILDREN ARE TO OBEY THEIR PARENTS (EPH. 6:1-3).

1. You can trace this all the way through the Bible.
2. Exodus 20:12 says, "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee" (5th commandment).
3. Deuteronomy 5:16 says, "Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."
4. Jesus said in Matthew 15:4, "Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death."
5. He said it again in Matthew 19:19; Mark 7:10; Mark 10:19; and Luke 18:20.
6. Colossians 3:20 says, "Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord" (cf. Ephesians 6:1-3).
7. Proverbs 30:17 says, "The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it."

III. IT IS THE FATHER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING UP HIS CHILDREN IN THE NURTURE AND ADMONITION OF THE LORD (EPHESIANS 6:4).

1. Sadly many fathers are not bringing their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
2. We have had many problems with teenagers climbing on our roof and trying to break in to our building, etc. I spoke to the police and they said there was nothing they could do because these trespassers are minors.
3. I asked why they don't bring these trespassers home to their parents, and the police said it is not worth the effort because the parents complain to the police!
4. "Nurture and admonition" means discipline. It is so sad to see boys walking around dressed like fools with their pants sagging, etc. I wonder: Where is the father?
5. It is so sad to see girls walking around half-naked, dressed like tramps. I wonder: Where is the father?
6. Each month, Sermonaudio.com sends us a monthly report of our sermons. One sermon that consistently shows up in the top ten sermons is "Feminine Modesty" by Evangelist Jim Van Gelderen.
7. He preached it here June 12, 2012 (one year ago). In that message he emphasized it is the father's responsibility to see to it that his wife and daughters dress modestly.
8. "Nurture and admonition" (Eph. 6:4) means discipline. Proverbs 29:15 says, "The rod and reproof give wisdom." Both are necessary.
9. Too many parents spoil their children. If the children want to skip church services or youth meetings, the parents go along with it. Some day these parents will realize they made a big mistake.
10. Some parents allow their children to spend hours goofing off with video games and the computer and texting, etc. but they never pray with them or read the Bible with them!
11. The kids are up late goofing off, then they oversleep on Sunday morning and miss Sunday School.
12. Or drag in when the class is nearly over.
13. When I was growing up, my dad wasn't even saved but he always woke us up for church, and we'd all go to church together as a family. My dad never missed church.
14. Billy Sunday knew a judge here in Brooklyn, who told him: "In the five years I have been on the bench I have sentenced 2,700 persons, and not one of them was a member of a Sunday School."
15. Luther Burbank was an American botanist, horticulturist, and a pioneer in agricultural science. Years ago, Mr. Burbank said this: "If we had paid no more attention to our plants than we have to our children, we would now be living in a jungle of weeds."
16. Many people here in Elmont have beautiful gardens but they also have wild and unruly children. They don't seem to care if their children climb all over the church roof. I wonder what they'd say if we all went over and climbed on their roofs!

CONCLUSION:

Evangelist John R. Rice preached often on the importance of a good Christian home.  I am going to read a letter he received from a man from North Carolina who was helped by his preaching and got right with God:

Dear Dr. Rice,

I will never forget what happened to me.  My father let the family go without strong Christian leadership. Then when I married, I let my wife do the praying.  If she wanted to teach the children, that was all right.  If she wanted to send them to Sunday School, that was all right.  I was busy.  I never led in family worship.  I never helped get the children off to Sunday School.  If they were bad, I said to my wife, "You attend to them."  I left the discipline and responsibility to her.  But I took the vow of Joshua with these men the other night when you preached at Winston-Salem.  "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).  Thank God, I have started to lead my family for God, to see about worship, to give thanks at the dinner table!  Now I help get the children ready for church and Sunday School.  Many things my wife will have to do for me, but I am taking the responsibility of being the head of the home for God.  Pray for me. I want God to help me be faithful.