Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

I’m thankful for Lynn’s sermon last week.

It stirred up an awe for God and reminded me that while it takes faith to believe in a Creator, it takes a good deal more to believe that such a finely tuned universe could happen without one.

The same God who designed the cosmos, designed you.

He gave you personality, talent, and time.

What are you doing with it?

I read recently about a dad who took his teenage son to a cemetery as asked him what he observed.

He noticed that some were “ancient” (1800’s), husbands and wives were buried together but they didn’t die at the same time (wondered if they had been lonely), and he noticed that some lived short lives (some shorter than his own).

His dad pointed out that between the birth date and death date was a little dash: “The whole of your life on earth comes down to that tiny little dash.”

After a little while, the teen said: “What makes a good dash?”

What Makes a Good Dash?

These verses are prime devotional reading and have much to say about what makes a good dash.

One or more parts of it may be what you need to hear today, but I will limit my comments to the last two verses.

Read Heb 13:1-8

We would do well to spend more time remembering and carefully observing, rather than dashing through our dash.

I wish, in these days, that professing Christians remembered and considered a great deal more; but we live in such a flurry, and hurry, and worry, that we do not get time for thought.

give careful thought to those who have been godly spiritual leaders for you; who spoke God’s word and lived it out

imitate - copy their faith

2. Faith is more than mental.

It is more than what a person believes or does not believe.

Faith is something a person lives.

It is active.

It is something that can be imitated.

There seems today to be an aversion to copying anything.

We want to be original.

Words like “copy” and “imitation” are synonymous with fake.

It’s not fake; it’s faith.

Childlike faith - to do what the grown-up does

We need to pay attention to those who are grown-ups in Christian faith, and then do more of what they do.

Grown-up faith: Bob Waller a man of the Word, Kirk Hayes a man of prayer, Minnie Lamb a woman of action (Ps 5:3), my grandmother Lois a woman of conviction, Hermon Edwards a man of grace and generosity...

Are you living the kind of life that is worthy of imitation?

Take some time to reflect on those in your own experience who are grown-ups in the faith, start copying.

Childlike faith imitates the faithful: A friend of mine passed away a couple of years ago and I was touched by something his wife shared about their oldest son (10 or so).

He asked if he could wake up early to sit in his dad’s chair and read the Bible—just like he remembered his dad doing so many mornings.

Conclusion

For all of the faith-giants that we look up, the time comes when their dash ends (as far as earthly life goes).

But the basis of our faith and hope remains because the same Lord Jesus Christ that we saw in them is still with us—always with us.

He never leaves us or abandons us.

Are you living life in, with, and for Jesus—in the imitation of Christ?

That is what makes a good dash.

And only He can lead you to life beyond the dash.