Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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*The Reward of Being a Father with a Purpose*
(This sermon was preached at the Church Picnic in the Park on Father’s day.
This time, instead of calling the children to the front for a children’s story, I went out on a limb and asked all the dads in the audience to bring their lawn chairs, and come sit “up front”.
It worked like magic).
*Psalm 127:1-5*
*Ill.**:
*The cover of our bulletin today
has been years in the making.
I’ve observed David & his son Kevin at Church picnics for years.
In 2002 I took a picture of them –
it’s one of the cutest pictures I’ve ever taken,
and I’m very proud of it.
It was also at the church picnic.
It’s a shot of a father and son,
Taken from the back.
They are both wearing the same
Paraguayan national soccer team jersey
and they’re walking down a trail hand in hand,
absolutely carefree and talking about “who knows what”.
They are totally lost in time
and giving each other their undivided attention.
Two years later I took this photo
that you see on the cover of today’s bulletin.
It’s the same father and son duo.
Still the best of friends.
And if you look at the picture closely
you will see the words “#1 Dad” on David’s forehead.
And, the $1,000,000 smile says it all!
He is the #1 Dad for that young boy right there and then!
There’s no doubt about it!
Today we celebrate “Fathers Day”.
We give thanks to God for the dads in our life.
And as we praise God for the gift of godly fathers,
we are fully aware that not every person
has had the benefit of having a dad,
that truly deserved the distinction of being “#1 Dad”.
But, for all the dads out there
who truly and honestly seek the distinction
of being a godly example
and dedicated caregiver to your children,
this message is especially dedicated to you.
(Everyone else is invited to listen in as well
and to share in the blessing
that we want to give to all our fathers today).
The *Purpose* of this Sermon is first and foremost
to encourage all the fathers here
by reminding ourselves of the divine and high purpose \\ of our calling as a dad.
* *
*I want to read Psalm 127 as the text for our meditation today:*
/ 1 Unless the LORD builds the house, \\ its builders labor in vain.
\\ Unless the LORD watches over the city, \\ the watchmen stand guard in vain.
/
/ 2 In vain you rise early \\ and stay up late, \\ toiling for food to eat— \\ for while they sleep he provides for those he loves.
/
/ 3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, \\ children a reward from him.
/
/ 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior \\ are sons born in one's youth.
/
/ 5 Blessed is the man \\ whose quiver is full of them.
\\ They will not be put to shame \\ when they contend with their enemies in the gate./
*Content: *One of my favorite images of a father is found in these verses.
It is the image of the Master Archer, God Himself, drawing back the arrow in the bow and releasing it with great skill and precision and purpose to find the target that the Archer has chosen for this particular arrow.
Kahlil Gibran, writes the following poem /On Children/ \\ \\
/Your children are not your children./
/They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
\\ They come through you but not from you,/
/And though they are with you yet they belong not to you./
/You may give them your love but not your thoughts, /
/For they have their own thoughts.
\\ You may house their bodies but not their souls,/
/For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, /
/which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
\\ You may strive to be like them, /
/but seek not to make them like you./
/For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday./
/ You are the bows from which your children/
/as living arrows are sent forth.
\\ The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,/
/and He bends you with His might \\ that His arrows may go swift and far./
/Let our bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;/
/For even as He loves the arrow that flies, /
/so He loves also the bow that is stable./
* *
*Feelings: *How many of you who are here today are fathers?
Let me see your hands…
Let me ask you:
how many of you can say with total certainty,
that you know exactly what God’s plan is
for your children’s life?
How many of you could say to your child,
“I know the purpose of your life,
and I’m going to teach you, my daughter~/my son,
what that will is”.
I didn’t think so…
Our children have to find their own purpose in life,
don’t they?
I don’t know God’s full will for my children.
I might have a general idea and a sneaky suspicion
That God wants them to live their life to the fullest,
And to be a productive and respected member of society;
And that they would love God and their neighbor.
That much I know!
But, exactly how they are going to achieve that
I have no clue…
They have to figure that out on their own.
I’m just the bow that has been drawn back
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