Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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It can be a problem for many people today to describe God as Father.
Some never knew their father, others were abandoned by theirs, and still others were abused.
For these people the term ‘father’ carries a lot of negative feelings.
The truth is that our earthly fathers are human just as we are and even the best of them are far from perfect.
Any human father is only a shadow of true fatherhood.
Today I want to focus on what it means to have God as our Father.
To call someone father implies a relationship, a very close and special relationship.
It is not an abstract concept but a person.
It means family.
At its very best it means, providing for, protecting, teaching, and loving.
In our passage for today Jesus is saying that such titles as Rabbi, father, and teacher, are not to be used to confer privilege or status.
Our earthly parents gave us physical life, but only God our heavenly Father gives spiritual life.
There are a few things I want to address at the beginning:
Not everyone’s father
The first thing is to realize that while God may be called everybody’s father in some sense, He is not everyone’s Father in the sense Jesus is speaking of to His disciples.
Although we are all created by Him and God loves all people, to call God our Father is to be in special relationship with Him.
In speaking to those who did not believe Jesus said:
Jesus’ Father by nature
Jesus stands in a unique relationship to God the Father.
He is the eternal, the only Son of God.
He came to us so that we could meet His Father, be adopted into the family of God, and relate to the almighty God of the universe in an intimate, personal, concrete way as sons and daughters.
Our Father by adoption
For us to be able to call on God as our Father we must be part of His family, and we are made part of that family by God adopting us as His children.
This adoption becomes ours when we believe in Jesus Christ.
We receive all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities as members of the family.
God’s parental care
God is the perfect parent.
Never will abandon, neglect or abuse.
He always wants what is best for us and knows exactly what that is and how to achieve it.
Who God is as Father
In heaven
Everywhere
All knowing
Gracious and merciful
What God does as Father
Forgiveness
Blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ
Gift of the Holy Spirit
Helps us become more like Christ
Promises
Never forsake us
Provide for our needs
Discipline
Our response
Just as earthly children imitate their parents, we as God’s children are to seek to imitate Him.
Love
Live for his glory
Obedience
Care for one another
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