What Shall I Leave My Son?

A Father's Day Sermon
By Greg Presley, “A Voice for Today Ministries” revised by Earl Presley.

TEXT: 1 Chronicles 28:2-21

INTRODUCTION:

David, seeing that he must name his successor as he lay on his death bed, named Solomon to be King as he had promised Bathsheba. In the presence of all the people he proclaimed Solomon King and charged him to do well by trusting God. Then David bestowed upon Solomon his inheritance.

David gave Solomon an unfulfilled dream of a temple for God; a sanctuary for worship. David had spent the latter part of his life gathering the materials for the temple and had made a blueprint by Divine Revelation as to how the temple should be built. These he left to Solomon.

David knew that Solomon would need more than his own power to accomplish this task, so he charged him to draw from the inexhaustible store of God. Solomon built the temple!

Wise in many things, foolish in some, King Solomon was a genius of economy and he brought prosperity to the land. He also was a political strategist and he brought peace to Israel by making compromising alliances with other nations, sealing these alliances with marriage to their royal daughters. In doing this, he laid the groundwork for the ruination and fall of Israel; the breaking of the covenant through Idolatry; and, in some measure, the crucifixion of Jesus--but that is another sermon.

Our attention today is given to the passing of the torch of leadership from David to his son. This text renders 3 important lessons for us on this Father’s Day.

I. We must leave our Children an unfulfilled dream.

“…I had intended to build a permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God.”
Because David had been a warrior and because of his sin with Bathsheba he was not permitted to build the House of God.

Similarly, Moses was not permitted to go into the Promised Land.

Martin Luther King, Jr. left this world with a great sermon and it was of an unfulfilled dream “I have a dream!”

John F. Kennedy left a dream that has been mostly forgotten “Ask not what your Country can do for you, but what you can do for your Country.”

II. We must leave our Children the resources for the task of fulfilling the dream. (28:1-19)

1. A complete pattern, vs. 11-18

2. A Divine pattern, vs. 19

III. We must leave our children the assurance that they can, with God’s Power, accomplish the task of fulfilling the dream. (Vs. 20-21)

1. God’s power is that ingredient which insures success. (vs. 20)

“…Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed for the Lord God. My God is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the house of the Lord is finished. (vs. 20)

2. The people of God are available to you when you do His Will. (vs.21)

“Now, behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levite for all the service of the house of God, and every will man of any skill will be with you in all the work for kinds of service. The officials also and all the people will be entirely at your command.” (vs.21)

3. The Hebrew tradition was to pass on a family craft to each son.
Jesus was a carpenter
Paul was a tent maker
Peter was a fisherman
My Family learned Upholstery

CONCLUSION: The WWII Generation let children choose their own dream. We have had 3 generations of children who sought to find fulfillment with no vision, resources, or assurance of success. As the home has broken down for the past 70 years, there are fewer dreams, fewer plans, and less assurance of success. I have watched young people abandon their dreams for personal aggrandizement for the last 25 years. I counsel adults’ everyday who feel unfulfilled due to poor career, spouse, and social choices.

The first order of business in these cases is to understand that an identifiable relationship with God is necessary for one to feel a part of creation. God’s will is an essential element in the forming of a vision, plan and resources to accomplish any dream. A vision of God’s will for your life is the first step toward the feeling of fulfillment that we all desire. Jesus said that he came so that man might have life, and have it abundantly. You have to have relationship with him to know his will for your life.
Beyond the individual is the ecclesia; the collective; the church.

1. We must leave our children the dream of a church that is a vital part of the community.

A. A church that pursues God’s Will as a congregation.
We must know God’s will
B. A church that lives God’s Will before the community.
We must reclaim our place in our community
C. A church that evangelizes by contacting the lost with a witness.
We must be intentional about spreading the Gospel
D. A church which believes that it can change the world.
We must look to the future

2. We must leave our children with the resources to accomplish this dream.
Facility, Faith, Tradition,
3. We must leave our children with the assurance that all this can be accomplished by God’s power in them.
We must propagate the faith.

4. Just like David found himself in our text; each one of us will confront what we are
leaving behind as our life on earth ends.
What do you want this Church to be like in 2020?

What dreams will you leave your sons and daughters?
Do you have any dreams?
How can we best equip them to realize the dreams we can only see in a divine vision?
Do we have a divine vision?
Are we able to transfer to them a sincere belief that through God, All things are possible?
Have we lived our faith in such a way that our children accepted it.

I believe that we must leave them a faith that permit’s the dream of a church united in Christ, responsive to His Will, and victorious from the beginning of time; A Church of compassion, love, and service. They must see we care, before they will care.

We must revitalize every program of the church to include the vision of where we want to go as well as where we have been. We must teach them to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost”, with the assurance that Christ go with us before, during and after their journey. Amen