Tribute to a Godly Father

I used my Dad as an illustration in my Father’s Day sermon today.  I hadn’t planned it, or even thought about it, but he was the perfect illustration of a man of God.  So often we use that term as an appellation for a gospel minister, and thereby falsely teach that being a man of God is something that is beyond the reach of the ordinary working man.

Of course, I would not say that Dad was an ordinary man, but he was not called to be a preacher.  I remember him saying once that if he ever preached a sermon, it would be on Hebrews 11, and would be about the first king of Israel, Saul, who should have been a part of that great Honor Roll of faith.  He even gave it the title, “The Man who Missed God’s Honor Roll.”.  I rarely preach from that passage that I don’t remember him sharing that with me.

And so today, as I came to this passage, speaking about Noah, a wonderful example of a godly father, I remembered a fresh experience that illustrated that God uses ordinary men to impact the lives of generations.

Just recently, we were able to fellowship with some dear friends from our college days, Lindsay and Barbara Poteat.  Lindsay shared with us that he had come to faith in Christ and had been mentored by a man who had ended his ministry on earth in Knoxville, Tennessee.  I only knew one pastor from Knoxville, and was surprised to hear that the man who had had such an impact on his life was the man I knew.  I was aware of this man’s location of service because my older brother, Reginald, had lived in Knoxville for a time.  But we had met Terry Taylor many years before in Bluefield, West Virginia.  He was in college and was in my Dad’s Sunday School class.

My first thoughts were - I would like to tell Dad - and then, I would like to tell Reg.  But then I realized, they already knew.  All three are now enjoying the thrill of heaven together.  I don’t know how much of an influence my Dad had on Terry’s life, but he had been one faithful godly man who had touched one, who had touched others, who was still touching others through his ministry.

And so my Dad was a perfect illustration of a godly Christian father and I used his testimony to challenge us to be Godly Fathers.

Thank you, Dad, for your faithful walk with God.