June 15, Father’s Day

Lesson: Mark 12.34

Sermon Title: Far and Near

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INTRODUCTION:

Puzzle^[1]

A guys calls his girlfriend and says, "Please come over here and help me...I have a killer jigsaw puzzle, and I just can't figure out how to get it started."

His girlfriend asks, "What's it supposed to be when it's finished?"

The guy says, "According to the picture on the box, it's a tiger."

His girlfriend decides to go over and help with the puzzle. He lets her in and shows her where he has the puzzle spread all over the table. She studies the pieces for a moment, then looks at the box, then turns to him and says, "First of all, no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to assemble these pieces into anything resembling a tiger."

She held his hand and said, "Second, I'd advise you to relax. Let's have a cup of coffee, then..." she sighed, "let's put all these Frosted Flakes back in the box."

No. 1 on Our List -- Literally! -- Submitted by Joan Flood

My father was completely lost in the kitchen and never ate unless someone prepared a meal for him.

When Mother was ill, however, he volunteered to go to the supermarket for her.

She sent him off with a carefully numbered list of seven items.

Dad returned shortly, very proud of himself, and proceeded to unpack the grocery bags.

He had:

one bag of sugar,

two dozen eggs,

three hams,

four boxes of detergent,

five boxes of crackers,

six eggplants, and

seven green peppers.

Watch the Wash, Dad...Submitted by Paul Diblasi^[2]

I decided to make myself useful and do a load of the family laundry. When I took the clothes out of the machine, I discovered -- to my dismay -- that I had also washed the watch my wife had given me while we were dating.

"Don't expect me to replace it," she said later with an obvious lack of sympathy.

By the time Father's Day rolled around, however, she had relented and gave me a beautiful new watch. Attached was a note with this stipulation: "DRY-CLEAN ONLY!"

I. We are impressed with the ineptness of men, father, grandfathers as they are portrayed in the humor for Father’s Day.

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MAIN BODY

I. There is another side to produced materials for Father’s Day.

A. It is to be found in a sermon Father’s Day Under-bearing Fathers in Homiletics Magazine for May-June 2008.^[3]

1. On Father’s Day, we thank our dads for being dads. But some fathers are giving fathers a bad name, and therein may lie lessons for all of us.

Father’s Day is usually a great day for dads to take a break C do nothing, take a nap, get some gifts, have a nice meal made for them. But some fathers in our churches are a bit overbearing with their kids: They need to learn that taking a break isn’t just a Father’s Day thing, it is a fathering thing. On the other hand, some fathers are a bit underwhelming: They need to be reminded that doing nothing might work on this day, but it’s no way to be a dad the rest of the year. The fathers, however, that many of us have hadCor the fathers that we areCfortunately were not and are not under-whelming, or over-bearing, but under-bearing. Like our heavenly Father. Read on. You’ll see what we mean.

a) The sermon talks about Underwhelming Fathers

Stephan B. Poulter is a psychologist and expert on parenting. He notes, AWe live in a society where fathers are often emotionally absent at home; they cede much of the parenting responsibility to moms. Children possess a natural psychological and emotional need for both parents to be present, and, when one isn’t, a negative effect can result.”

We’re generalizing here, but men tend to be more task-oriented and women, more relationship-oriented. This can be a good thing, but often it’s a bad thing. Too many fathers pour their blood, sweat and tears into work, ambition and career and have little time for God and family...

Not to be too hard on dads; but sometimes, this is the unfortunate reality. Preaching point? God’s not an underwhelming absentee God.

b) The sermon talks about Overbearing Fathers.

Remember the name Thomas Junta? No? What about the “Hockey Dad”? Court TV made him one of the most infamous sports dads ever.

Junta was watching Michael Costin run their sons’ youth hockey practice, which was supposed to be non-contact drill work. When the drills got a bit physical at the expense of Junta’s boy, he voiced his disapproval to Costin. Costin replied, “That’s hockey.”

Words across the ice became aggressive words in the hallway that became the most infamous hockey brawl ever. Junta pinned the 100-pound lighter Costin to the ground and pummeled him in front of the watching kids. Costin died two days later of brain damage, and Junta is still incarcerated for this overbearing paternal crime today...

Psychologists cite several reasons for the overbearing dad trend. One is personal ego: Daddy’s daughter isn’t up to bat, his self-esteem is. Another reason is fiscal. There’s tremendous performance pressure upon kids to counter massive college costs through athletic scholarships. It’s not just a high-school football game; it’s a college savings account...

Do American parents push their kids too hard for achievement? A rash of books and articles demonstrate that experts think so. But surprisingly, dads disagree. Recent opinion poll research shows that 62 percent of men think that most Americans aren’t pushing their kids hard enough...

2. Kids don’t need underwhelming fathers C emotionally absent dads creating voids of love for other people and pleasures to fill. That’s a great way to sacrifice your kid to their culture.

3. And they don’t need overbearing fathers C pushing them too much and putting requirements over relationship. That may mean you are putting your kid on the altar of your own needs and ego.

4. Again, we stress. Not all dads are like this. We hope, in fact, that they’re in the minority. Preaching point? God is not an overbearing God. God knows what we can bear.

B. What kids need the sermon concedes are Under-bearing Fathers.

1. Kids need under-bearing fathers.

2. Fathers that come behind them, beside them, beneath them and go before them.

3. Fathers that bear up the child, who support and encourage and lead by example.

4. These are fathers who parent by who they are and by how they relate to their kids.

C. The question that arises is how do you get to be an under-bearing father?

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II. The answer might be found in the experience of Jesus with the scribe.

A. When Jesus saw that the scribe had answered wisely, Jesus said that he was not far from the kingdom of God.

B. He was not far, but near, but still not in the present kingdom of God.

1. How do you get in?

2. That’s the question.

3. That’s the question that needs to be answered.

C. I remembered an old song: Dwelling in Beulah Land, with words and music by C. Austin Miles (Public Domain)

1. It is based on a text from Isaiah 62:4

"Thou shalt no more be termed forsaken; neither shall thy land anymore be termed desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee."

Isaiah 62:4^[4]

Thy land Beulah, means married. In the prophets, a desolate land is represented under the notion of a widow; an inhabited land, under that of a married woman, who has both a husband and children.

1
Far away the noise of strife upon my ear is falling,
Then I know the sins of earth beset on every hand.
Doubt and fear and things of earth in vain to me are calling,
None of these shall move me from Beulah Land.

Refrain
I'm living on the mountain, underneath a cloudless sky.
Praise God!
I'm drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry.
O yes! I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply,
For I am dwelling in Beulah Land.

2
Far below the storm of doubt upon the world is beating,
Sons of men in battle long the enemy withstand.
Safe am I within the castle of God's Word retreating.
Nothing then can reach me, 'tis Beulah Land.

Refrain

3
Let the stormy breezes blow, their cry cannot alarm me;
I am safely sheltered here, protected by God's hand.
Here the sun is always shining, here there's naught can harm me.
I am safe forever in Beulah Land.

Refrain

4
Viewing here the works of God, I sink in contemplation.
Hearing now His blessed voice, I see the way He planned.
Dwelling in the Spirit here I learn of full salvation.
Gladly I will tarry in Beulah Land.

Refrain

D. Beulah Land is living within the full scope of the love of God for us, and the love we have for our God, and the love for our neighbor.

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III. This love can be demonstrated in so many simple and practical ways.

A. Charlotte G. Alexander writes Thanks for the Soda, Pop!^[5] about the love of her father.

1. Before I took the old family car to college, my father loaded the trunk with soft-drink bottles filled with oil, coolant and transmission fluid. Sure enough, my car overheated.

2. Scolding myself for not listening to my father's instructions, I looked at the engine and saw how well he knew me. The oil cap was labeled Dr Pepper, the transmission stick, Coke, and the empty coolant container, Diet Pepsi. I finished the trip safely.

B. John Drescher ponders what it could mean if: If I Were Starting My Family Again

1. I WOULD LOVE MY WIFE MORE. In the closeness of family life it is easy to take each other for granted and let a dullness creep in that can dampen even the deepest love. So, I would love the mother of my children more and be freer in letting them see that love.

2. I WOULD DEVELOP FEELINGS OF BELONGING. If children do not feel that they belong in the family, they will soon find their primary group elsewhere. I would use meal times more to share happenings of the day instead of hurrying through them. I'd find more time for games or projects which all could join.

3. I WOULD LAUGH MORE WITH MY CHILDREN. The best way to make children good is to make them happy. I see now that I was, many times, far too serious. I must always be careful that I do not communicate that being a parent is a constant problem.

4. I WOULD BE A BETTER LISTENER. I believe that there is a vital link between listening to children's concerns when they are young and the extent to which they will share their concerns with their parents when they are older.

5. I WOULD DO MORE ENCOURAGING. There is probably nothing that stimulates children to love life and seek accomplishment more than sincere praise when they have done well.

6. I WOULD TRY TO SHARE GOD MORE INTIMATELY. We are not whole persons when we stress only the physical, social and intellectual aspects of life. We are spiritual beings, and if the world is to know God and His will, parents must be the primary conveyors. For my part, I would strive to share my faith with my children, using informal settings and unplanned happenings as occasions to speak of my relationship with God.

C. If you want your children to turn out well, give them twice the time and half the money.

D. This is the full expression of what it means to live in God’s love for us, and for our love of God, and to love our neighbor that includes our children.

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CONCLUSION:

IV. Released on June 11, 1991, one of the most talked about and popular albums is Natalie Cole's Unforgettable.

A. She has brought alive in her own unique style songs that her father, Nat King Cole, made famous.

1. In the very last song on the album, she sings a duet with her father.

2. Natalie Cole remains faithful to his style of singing.

B. On the dust cover, after she has thanked everybody (literally everybody), she signs off with this testimony to the unforgettable experience of paying tribute to her father:

“And finally, I thank God for every thing He has given me. I thank Him for everything He has taken away, and I thank Him for every thing He has left me. The making of this album has been a blessing and a labor of love for myself and everyone that has worked on it...This project has touched all of us deeply, and it has left a smile on my face that will not go away any time soon. I hope you feel the same. So sit back and enjoy, and, by the way,...thanks Dad...”

Natalie

V. Thanks Dad!

A. It is the best gift that we can give to our Dad’s on Father’s Day.

B. If thanks cannot be given in person, it can be given in loving memory.

Amen!

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^[1]Mikey's Funnies [funnies‑owner@lists.MikeysFunnies.com]

^[2]Retrieved from: Reader's Digest [RDHumor@newsletters.rd.com]

^[3]AUnder-bearing Fathers.@ Homiletics June-July, 2008: 49.

^[5]Retrieved from: Reader's Digest [RDHumor@newsletters.rd.com]