Built to Leave a Legacy.  A Father's Influence.  A Father's Heart.  God's Promise of Restoration.

1. Joseph the Builder
   1. "Is not this the carpenter's son?"  Matthew 13:55
   2. Not one word Joseph spoke was recorded in scripture.
   3. His actions spoke Loud.
   4. Joseph was a Righteous Man.  Matthew 1:19
   5. Joseph Obeyed God  Matthew 1:24
   6. When God warned him to flee to Egypt, He Obeyed
   7. When God told him to return, He Obeyed
   8. A Good Father listens to God's voice and acts on it
   9. Obedience is one of the greatest gifts a father can give his family
   10. Joseph protected his family  Matthew 2:13-14
   11. Joseph was a Builder
       1. He built houses
       2. He built furniture
       3. He built tools
       4. But his greatest work was building people
       5. The word translated "carpenter" is the Greek word:τέκτων (tekton). When people hear "carpenter," they often picture someone building kitchen cabinets or framing houses with lumber.  But tekton is broader than that.  The meaning of Tekton: A builder, A craftsman, An artisan, A construction worker, someone skilled at working with wood, stone, or other building materials.
2. Joseph's Greatest Legacy  Matthew 13:55-56
   1. Jesus, James, Joseph, Simon, Judas and sisters.
   2. A Father never knows how far his influence will reach
3. Joseph Taught More than a Trade
   1. He taught God's Word.
   2. He taught God's Ways.
   3. He taught by what he lived.
   4. Joseph led his family in Worship.  Joseph took his family to Jerusalem every year for the feasts.  Luke 2:41
   5. Shannon L. Adler says, "A father's greatest legacy is not what he leaves TO his children, but what he leaves IN his children!
4. A word to Children and Teenagers
   1. Honor your father and mother.  Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1-3
5. The heart of a father.
   1. While he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, had compassion, and ran to him.  Luke 15:20
6. The world's problem is dishonor.
   1. A culture that loses honor eventually loses its way.
   2. Honor starts at home.
7. God's promise of restoration
   1. "He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers . . ."  Malachi 4:5-6

Joseph teaches us the influence of a father.

The prodigal Father teaches us the heart of a father.

Malachi teaches us the desire of our Heavenly Father.

God wants hearts tuned toward one another.