Father’s Day - Our Heavenly Dad’s Army

What do Arthur, Katrina and Tina have in common?

Let’s play name that tune and find out.

1. The theme from Dad’s Army, starring Arthur Lowe (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfQwHb1pWPE ).

2. Walking on sunshine by Katrina & the Waves (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPUmE-tne5U).

3. He lives in you (from The Lion King) - Tina Turner (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZTLS1N-HaM).

So what do Arthur, Katrina and Tina have in common? They’re all helping me with my talk today.

Jesus gave his followers these final instructions and they are still 100% for us, his modern day followers too. So Jesus says to us: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (28:19-20).

Jesus said “Go and make disciples of all nations” (28:19). That means that Jesus wants all people, everywhere, to know him, to believe in him, to put their trust in him, and to follow him. Jesus wants every one of us to live life his way, God’s way, because it’s the best way.

And Jesus wants his modern day disciples and friends to be baptised. It’s been a joy to baptise Annie and Olivia today, and we pray that they will grow as disciples and friends of Jesus, and we pray that they will live life his way for the rest of their lives.

Jesus said, “Baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (28:19). So we’ve baptised Annie and Olivia in the name of the Father – in the name of our heavenly Father – in the name of our heavenly Dad; and every Christian becomes a member of our heavenly Dad’s army. He is the perfect Father and he calls us to fight!

God calls us to fight against injustice, against evil, and against the trials and temptations we face in life.

Every baptised Christian is a member of our heavenly Dad’s army; but we also baptise in the name of the Son – in the name of Jesus. A Christian will make waves in the world. If we’re following Jesus we won’t be able to keep silent about who God is, and what God has done for us. We baptise in the name of the Son because Jesus gave his life for us on the cross and because he shows us what God is really like. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). He is the only Son of God the Father – and so when we walk through life with Jesus, we walk in his son-shine.

We baptise in the name of the Holy Spirit because when Jesus ascended into heaven he left us with the gift of his Spirit, to fill us, to teach us, to help us become more like Jesus, and to be our comforter and counsellor (Acts 1:5, 2:18, Luke 12:12, John 14:16).

So when we’re baptised we become members of our heavenly Dad’s army. We walk through life in the son-shine of Jesus, and people know that we’re his disciples because he lives in us by his Spirit.

Does it mean that everything goes well for us? No, but God is with us every step of the way – just as God was with Jesus every step of the way through his birth, his childhood, his life, his work, his death and his resurrection.

I want to end with a film of the most amazing Father-Son team – Dick and Rick Hoyt. Some of you will know that Team Hoyt was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame in 2008. Dick Hoyt gives us a picture of what it means to be a great Father, and he also points us to his heavenly Father.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgd9DRcc91U

Dick is in our heavenly Dad’s army. He runs through life shining the love of Jesus who lives in him.