Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

(Father's Day) One of the things that every child longs for is time alone with their dad.

If you're counseling with someone and you ask them about their dad, most people will inevitably say one of the following two things right out of the gate.

They will say, "My dad always made time for us.

He worked hard, and he had a lot of responsibilities, but still he'd end up at my ballgames or he'd just grab me and we'd go fishing or he'd take me out to do our special thing so that I knew he loved me and was there for me."

Maybe they didn't get as much time as they would have wanted, but they knew that their dad made an effort to take an interest in them.

The other thing you hear a lot is something along the lines of, "My dad was just never there.

He worked all the time or he golfed all the time or hunted all the time, and we just didn't talk much.

It seemed like the only time he talked to me was when I had messed up or disappointed him in some way.

Even when he was home, everybody just kind of left him alone."

And, I think we describe our dads this way because we realize that there are a lot of different things and a lot different people that are competing for a dad's time.

There's work and responsibilities and a wife and siblings and parents and hobbies.

So, if dad has time for us, in the middle of all of that, if dad has time for you, then you realize your worth in his eyes.

This morning, Jesus is going to teach his disciples about the character of his Father.

He is going to teach his disciples that his heavenly Father doesn't just care about them generally; He cares about them individually.

And, as a result, they have a responsibility to emulate the Father's character in their relationships with one another.

And, I think we describe our dads this way because we realize that there are a lot of different things and a lot different people that are competing for a dad's time.

There's work and responsibilities and a wife and siblings and parents and hobbies.

So, if dad has time for us, in the middle of all of that, if dad has time for you, then you realize your worth in his eyes.

This is one of the things that I've had to learn over the last year.

As SE has gotten older and I've wanted to play with her more, I've realized that GK feels more and more like she has to compete for time with her dad.

Now, I think it's a good lesson for her to learn that she's not the center of the universe.

That's a good lesson for every person on earth to learn, but I think it's equally important that she learns that her dad has time for her and that he wants to know her personally and individually.

She needs to know that I don't just care about family in general, but that I care about her specifically.

This morning, Jesus is going to teach his disciples about the character of his Father.

He is going to teach his disciples that his heavenly Father doesn't just care about them generally; He cares about them individually.

And, as a result, they have a responsibility to emulate the Father's character in their relationships with one another.

God’s Word

Read

Pursue the ‘Little Ones’

"little ones" It refers to those who have believed in him with a childlike faith in submission and dependence upon him.

In our passage this morning, he explains what happens when one of these 'little ones' strays from the flock.

He's explaining what must take place in the life of the Christian community when it appears that a brother or sister is falling away.

Do Not Disdain Jesus’ Church

“do not despise one of these little ones” In our text this morning, Jesus is continuing to teach his disciples about how they are to relate to one another within the Kingdom God.

That is, He is teaching them about their life within the church with other Christians.

This is who He means by 'little ones.'

And, Jesus tells his disciples that they must not ‘despise’ these ‘little ones’ in Jesus’ flock.

Your bible may say ‘do not disdain one of these little ones.’

The point of what Jesus is saying is that there is never a time in the life of one of his disciples in which they are in a position to look down upon another one of his disciples.

There is no place for superiority in the Church of Jesus Christ.

It does not matter if you know more about the Bible.

It does not matter if you’ve been a Christian for far longer.

It does not matter if you have been 100 mission trips and your brother zero.

It doesn’t even matter if your brother or sister is in the midst of sin.

You have no right to disdain or despise one of these for whom Christ has died.

Remember that Jesus is saying this to a group of disciples that have been arguing with one another about who is the greatest in Jesus’ eyes.

A rivalry has broken out among the disciples, and they are comparing themselves to one another.

And, all this does within the body of Christ is create feelings of contempt and superiority.

“their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven” Cross-bought sinners are not positioned as to loathe one another, but to empathize with one another.

After all, we are only as good as the cross has made us!

And, we bring reproach upon the cross of Jesus Christ when we make one of the ‘little ones’ it purchased and redeemed to seem as though they are less valuable and less worth saving than we are.

Jesus says, “Do you not realize that God so values every, single one of his ‘little ones’ that He demands his fleet of angels to protect and care for each one!

He looks them face-to-face so that they might understand how highly He values these ‘little ones!’

Cherish the Church, Glorify the Cross

APPLICATION: Every person within the body of Christ has great value in the church.

You cannot cherish the cross if you do not cherish the Church.

For it was the cross that proved the Church was worth redeeming.

Cherish the Church, brothers and sisters, and bring glory to the cross!

When you find yourself 'disdaining' or 'despising' those in the church, remember the price that was paid!

When we find ourselves becoming at odds with one another and the roots of disunity begin to spread, let us remember what price that was paid for our brother and for our sister and for us, so that we might bring glory to the cross!

Cherish the church!

Cherish your brothers and sisters!

And, bring glory to the cross!

Cross-bought sinners are not positioned as to loathe one another, but to empathize with one another.

Our natural reaction is to think increasingly more lowly of someone the more that we know them.

We begin by saying, "This person is going to become one of my closest friends!

And, after spending just a few dinners together, you say, "I really like them BUT...." Or, "I just would have never imagined...." This is not the reaction of empathy but disdain!

Surely, you realize that people do, or at least could, say the same about you!

The Relentless Shepherd

“go in search of the one who has went astray” To explain in greater clarity the value of each ‘little one’ in the Kingdom of God, Jesus tells a parable.

It’s a parable that explains to us not only our value in the eyes of God, but also our responsibility in loving one another and fellow children of grace.

And, the picture that Jesus paints of his heavenly Father is a beautiful one.

O, on this Father’s Day, to hear such a description of our heavenly Father is such a challenge to me!

He says that his heavenly Father is like a Shepherd who has one hundred sheep.

This is a modest flock, and the Shepherd is keeping diligent watch over every one.

As He counts through them and realizes that He is short, the Shepherd does not cut his losses and move on.

One sheep, one ‘little one’ is not an acceptable loss in the eyes of the Shepherd.

And, one child, one disciple, one ‘little one’ in the church is not an acceptable loss in the church of God!

And so, the Shepherd goes in pursuit of the one missing sheep.

He is relentless in his pursuit of this tiny lamb, and when He finds him, He celebrates!

He brings in the mariachi band and the balloons and the hummus, and they party, man!

And, what is He saying?

God, our heavenly Father, is a relentless shepherd!

He will not turn a blind eye to our straying!

He will not deem us an acceptable loss!

He will pursue us with all of the power and resources of heaven that we might be restored in the flock of God!

Emulate the Character of God

Emulate the Relentless Shepherd

Jesus is calling us to emulate the character of God within his church.

He is calling each one of us, not just our pastors, to be relentless shepherds within the Church and to go after one another with the passion of the cross.

Not a single person here is an acceptable loss, church!

Not a single person!

Every, single member of Iron City Baptist Church matters in the Kingdom of God, and we must not allow ourselves to deem them, even in their sin, as an acceptable loss.

Jesus is calling us to emulate the character of God within his church.

He is calling each one of us, not just our pastors, to be relentless shepherds within the Church and to go after one another with the passion of the cross.

Not a single person here is an acceptable loss, church!

Not a single person!

Every, single member of Iron City Baptist Church matters in the Kingdom of God, and we must not allow ourselves to deem them, even in their sin, as an acceptable loss.

Holiness Matters