that I've worn a good bit.
(Don't bother to add it up, I'll
be 62 this year.)
In
1949 when I turned 13
it seemed like most of my friends
in 8th grade
were closely following major
league baseball,
and especially during the world
Series.
That
year, the New York Yankees would win the World Series
That year they began a winning
streak of five years in a row.
But
they were already big winners
Between
1936, when I was born, and 1949,
the NY Yankees won right at 60%
of all the World Series.
The
Yankees were overpowering.
I thought they won far more than
one team ought to win.
I was not a Yankees fan.
probably because their record
just wasn't very good.
As
a matter of fact,
it hasn't been all that good
since then either
Beginning
with 1949
until the beginning of this years
baseball season,
the Chicago Cubs lost 4120 games
--that's more losses than any
other major league team.
I
guess that accounts for a teenage girl who saw my hat at camp
and said "The Cubs?!"
between a winning team and a
loosing team,
But I have a much greater
appreciation now
for the importance of a good
manager.
But afterward, he doesn’t go to
very many of the games.
He only shows up on the weekend;
and even misses some of those.
When
he's at the game,
he offers no help or direction to
his players.
He doesn't do the things that a
good manager should do.
He never makes decisions about
strategy.
He never gives signals from the
sideline
you know, those
signals to the pitcher or batter.
He never decides to use a
pinch-hitter?
He never signals the batter to
bunt
in order to
advance a man on base runners?
He never signals a man on first
or second
to try to steal a
base?
He never signals the batter to
make sacrifice fly
to permit the man
on third to score.
The
players look to the manager for leadership,
but he sits in the dugout,
watching cable TV.
"Do
whatever you think is best,"
he tells his players.
"I made sure you have plenty
of bats and baseballs;
The lawn here in Wrigley Field is
all trimmed,
and you've got
brand new uniforms.
I did my job, now go out there
and win."
Then
when they finish the year with a losing record,
the manager bursts into the
owner’s office and says,
"This is all your fault!
How could you let
this happen to me?
What did I ever do
to you?"
With
a manager like that team wouldn't stand much of a chance.
Many do not live up to their
responsibility to their families,
and as a result, their family
suffers as a result
maybe even falls
apart.
The
Bible makes it clear that the husband and father
is to be the spiritual leader of
his family.
The Spiritual Leader.
That doesn’t mean
he’s a bully, or dictator, or despot.
He is to be spiritual,
and he is to be a
leader.
and being a husband and father
is a very difficult role.
But
it can be done,
even when you start from scratch.
Let's
look in the Bible at how a man became
the spiritual leader in his
household.
He
did it leading by his own example.
The result was joy for him
and his whole family.
16
And it
happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a certain slave-girl
having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much
profit by fortunetelling. 17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying
out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are
proclaiming to you the way of salvation.”
When
Paul commanded the spirit to come out of her
they seized Paul and Silas and
dragged them
into the market place before the
authorities,
and (ordered) them to be
beaten with rods.
23 (giving them) many blows
(then) they threw them into
prison,
24 ... (where) the jailer ...
threw them into the inner prison,
and fastened their feet in the
stocks.
25
about midnight Paul and Silas were praying
and
singing hymns ...
and
the prisoners were listening to them;
26
and suddenly there (was) a great earthquake,
...
immediately all the doors ... opened,
and
everyone’s chains (fell off).
he
drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
supposing
that the prisoners had escaped.
28
But Paul cried out
“Do
yourself no harm, ... we are all here!”
29
And he called for lights and rushed in and,
trembling
with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas,
30
... (and) said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus,
and
you shall be saved,
you
and your household.”
32
And they spoke the word of the Lord to him
together
with all who were in his house.
33
And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds,
and
immediately he was baptized,
he
and all his household.
34
And he brought them into his house and set food before them,
and
rejoiced greatly,
having
believed in God with his whole household.
Here
are four examples the jailer set for his family
that helped him be the spiritual
leader of his home.
If
you want to give your family the leadership they need
—if you want to coach a winning
team—
these are four examples your
family needs to see in you. First...
Seek
first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Where
do the things of the Lord fit into your priorities?
"What
must I do to be saved?"
"Where
do I stand spiritually?
What
is my relationship with God?"
Some
men leave religion to their wives and children.
Some
parents send their children to church
and Bible school
to learn good
Christian values
but the lessons lose their impact
if the c