Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Today is Father’s Day.

According to the dictionary, Father’s Day is “the third Sunday in June, a day on which fathers are particularly honored by their children, especially with gifts and greeting cards.”

It’s a day for celebrating our fathers and showing them how much we love and care for them and how grateful we are for their love and the special influence they have exerted in our lives as their children.

Though not everyone can celebrate this day as much as others can, I am so grateful for the father that the Lord has blessed me with.

He has nurtured my life and brought me up in the way of the Lord, for which I am eternally grateful.

Yesterday, my sister and I celebrated him by giving him a meal at his favorite restaurant and a special gift.

And so from DPCC we all want to say Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers listening today and let you know that we celebrate you as well in the Lord.

As we look at Ephesians 1:1-6 today we join in eulogy with the apostle Paul as we contemplate the marvelous person and work of our heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and find even greater cause for celebration today!

I. Praise God our Father!

“blessed”

Definition of ‘blessed’: blessed, praised, praiseworthy, pertaining to being worth of praise or commendation.

Used exclusively of God and Christ in the New Testament!

“chose us”

BDAG Definition: ‘chose’: (2) to make a choice in accordance with significant preference: (c) w. indication of the purpose for which the choice is made

“before the foundation of the world”

purpose: that we should be holy and blameless before him.

“predestined”

BDAG Definition: ‘predestined’: decide upon beforehand, predetermine, of God