See also: Father’s Day Message: The Ultimate Father!
June 17, 2007 Father’s Day Message
Title: A Passion for God Text: Deuteronomy 6:4-16
Introduction: On this Father’s day I am going to be preaching to the men of our congregation. Much of the message is applicable to all, but I will specifically be addressing the men. Men, what are you passionate about? (Confession – Fishing on Sunday morning when my Dad was visiting me – Jesus said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Mathew 10:37). Our allegiance, love, and devotion are to be to the Lord Jesus Christ – First!
Proposition: Christian men should be passionate about their God – the Lord Jesus Christ!
Transition: I would like to make 4 observations about a passionate love for God:
I. Men – Passion for God is based upon your
knowledge of Him: vs.4 – “one LORD”
Y@hovah, yeh-ho-vaw’ – (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:–Jehovah, the Lord. First use in the OT – Genesis 2:4 “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.” Last use in the OT – Malachi 4:5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:” LORD – 6079 times in OT
Illustrate – Can you be passionate about something or someone that you do not know? Tammie was just one of the girls on my rotation of lunch dates until I started to get to know her – I soon forgot all the other girls and was only asking her out by the end of my senior year.
II. Men – Passion for God is revealed by your all
consuming desire for Him: vs. 5-6
A. The extent of the desire – vs.5
“All thine heart” “All thy soul” “All thy might”
B. The emphasize of the desire: God’s words in your heart – vs.6
Application: A personal time in God’s word on a daily basis – Leading in family devotions!
III. Men – Passion for God is communicated by your
continual talking about Him: vs.7-9
A. Teach diligently – implies careful effort, consistency, and perseverance
Heb. – shaw-nan’ a primitive root; to point (transitive or intransitive); intensively, to pierce; figuratively, to inculcate:–prick, sharp(-en), teach diligently, whet.
Illustrate: Knife and whetstone
B. Teach constantly – throughout the day – every teachable moment!
C. Teach specifically – The Word of God – vs.8-9 from “these words” in vs.6 – Commands – vs.1-2
Contrasted – all the other things we talk about
IV. Men – Passion for God is protected by your
heeding the warnings from Him: vs.10-16
“Then beware” – The previous verses (10-11) present a dangerous condition where we need to be on guard
A. Don’t forget your God – vs
B. Fear (Reverence) God – vs.13
C. Have no other gods – vs.13b-15
D. Don’t tempt God – vs.16
Conclusion: Do you have a passion for God? If not, why? I urge you to turn from the distractions of this world and turn your eyes upon Jesus . . .
Magnify! 