Sermon Tone Analysis

Happy Father’s Day!

What do image do we have of God? Do this for a moment...

Close your eyes.

Now, picture God… Granted He is spirit, and we do not have a detailed description in the Bible.

But, picture God, for a moment.

What do you see?

What image do you have of God?

Open your eyes.

What did you see in your mind?

For many people, thinking of God brings images of the glory of God shining, as He sits on His throne.

Usually the image is of an elderly, yet strong, stern, God with shoulder length, white hair, white flowing beard and a scowl on His face.

The image we have is of a God who is always disappointed in us.

A God who is just waiting to tell us what we are doing wrong.

A God who is anxious to punish us.

When we read in Exodus...

Exodus 32.11

We tend to read this passage and focus on punishes the guilty… punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.

Somehow, we skip over the compassion.

The Grace.

The slow to Anger.

The abounding in love and faithfulness.

Maintaining love to thousands.

Forgiving!

Why do we have the image of God that we do?

It may be because of the way we were taught.

Or, it may be because of the way we were brought up.

One of the common images of God in the Bible is that of Father.

He is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, in role within the Godhead, not that Jesus was ever born or created.

They are both, along with the Holy Spirit, from everlasting to everlasting, creator of all that is, fully God.

He is Father to Israel.

He is Father to you and me.

Peter latches on to this image of God as Father.

Please open your bibles to 1 Peter.

In the opening of his letter, Peter refers to God as Father 3 times.

1 Peter 1:1

But what does the bible intend to convey when it gives us the image of God as Father?

Does it mean to convey the angry, punishing God? Certainly the scriptures do speak of God as the Father who disciplines.

But how does the Bible put it?

But what does the bible intend to convey when it gives us the image of God as Father?

Does it mean to convey the angry, punishing God? Certainly the scriptures do speak of God as the Father who disciplines.

But how does the Bible put it?

He does discipline.

He disciplines those He… what is the word?

“Loves.”

How else does He describe it?

“As a father the son he delights in.”

Disciplines, but the heart and attitude is all important.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I believe when Peter says to live in ‘reverent fear’ in the context of calling God Father, he means we want to live pleasing to our Father who loves us and disciplines us for our good.

He delights in us and we do not want to disappoint Him.

The challenge this week is two-fold.

Big Question: How do you view your Heavenly Father?

This first question is for all of us.

We all need to examine our view of God.

We need to view Him as our Father, the one who loves us and wants us to have a tender, close relationship with Him.

The second question is for us men.

Secondary: How do REAL Men reflect the Father properly?

I wonder if so many have a wrong view of God, because of their fathers?

Though God intends the image of being our Father to convey one of love, compassion (, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”) and yes, loving discipline, do we view fathers differently?

If so, why?

Could it be because we ‘fathers’ have given a wrong impression?

We are failing to be REAL men, and others suffer for it.

There are a lot of ways we can give the wrong impression.

How we discipline.

How we show love.

How we show compassion.

How we respond to events.

Too many ways to address in one morning.

I don’t know about you, but I cannot handle working on more than one thing at a time.

So this morning we are going to focus on one way we can reflect the Heavenly Father, and thus give a truer impression of who He is.

One way we can be REAL Men.

Let’s pray.

What is a REAL Man?

We are studying through Peter, so today we will focus on one way Peter tells us to be REAL Men.

What is a REAL Man?

The world would tell us a REAL man is tough.

Don’t cry.

Take it like a man!

A REAL Man ‘takes a stand’ and lives ‘in charge’.

Don’t be a wimp.

Don’t let them push you around.

But what does God say a A REAL Man is?

A REAL man knows who and what he is, and lives accordingly.

Peter speaks to this briefly, yet powerfully in his letter.

Peter speaks to this briefly, yet powerfully in his letter.

As I read 1 Peter over again and again, I keep getting stuck on .

Who am I? Created by Him and for Him.

Created to be holy and righteous, in His image.

Chosen by my Father.

Set apart, made to be holy by the Spirit.

To be OBEDIENT to Jesus, and sprinkled by His blood.

Who am I? God’s chosen creation.

What am I? Set apart for God to be holy.

How do I live accordingly?

In obedience.

, , ;

I expect my children to obey.

Am I obeying?

I believe we men would do well to take this to heart, and help the next generations to better understand God as their Father, because they have seen good examples of REAL men who truly reflected God as Father.

There are a lot of instructions, but today, we are going to focus on .

To be a REAL Man, to set a good example of what our Heavenly Father is like, we men need to live in obedience to God, and treat our wives properly.

The children are watching, fathers.