The Grace to be Thankful

Have your Bibles with you not turn with me if you would like to obtain were starting verse 25 and going amply verse 32 is older son was in the field and as he came and drew near to the house. He heard music and dancing, and called one of the servants and ask what these things meant and he said to him, your brother has come in. Your father is kill a fattened calf because he is receiving back safe and sound, but he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and treated him but he answered his father look these many years I've served you, and I've never disobeyed your command.

Yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends when the son of yours came, who is devoured your property with prostitutes you kill the fatted calf for him.

He said him son, you are always with me and all that is mine is yours, was fitting to celebrate and be glad for this. Your brother was dead and is alive.

He was lost and is found spray heavenly father we come before you tonight praising you and thanking you, not just because this is a special holiday that we set aside each year to to thank you. We thank you because of who you are. We thank you that you are a God who loves us and loved us deeply heavenly father we have so much to thank you for we thank you for the provisions that you give us that we might live this life. We thank you for the wonderful families Lord that you have bestowed upon us last night. Lord Cindy and I went to the funeral of Kenny Simpson man that worked. Here is our as our youth director for a couple of years, a man that I love very much and Lord is 50 theory five-year-old man.

It was his time to go to be with you and it just reminded me last night.

So much of how much we need you of how much we need the blood of Christ, to wash away our filthy sins to put us in a right relationship with the living God, that we might not only know you hear but that we might know you and love you through all of eternity. Help us heavenly father denied as we look at this young man who was angry at Grace help us heavenly father that that might not be true of us that we might love your grace, that we might appreciate your grace, that we might revel in your mercy, and the Lord. The people that we are around, day by day might see the truth of the gospel in us got indirectness through this passage keep my lips from era. It is in the holy and precious name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. You may be seated.

When I was in my former church I preached a funeral service for 90-year-old man this 90-year-old man had just come to Christ five years earlier than that when he was 85 and that man when he came to Christ was absolutely field with joy. I enjoyed being around him after he came to Christ because he was just so filled with excitement and enthusiasm. Felt good to be around this man had been a drunkard had been in the adulterer he been a liar he had been an absolutely deadbeat dad a few days after his conversion stop by my office.

He had tears in his eyes and he said Doug Mason. I feel terrible. He said my children hate me.

He said I call them up and and apologize to them for my life and what I've not done any set I call them up and and I wanted to talk to them about my salvation. I told him that I was say and he said they didn't want to hear it and he said they told me that I don't deserve having that I deserve hail. And if I did not go to heaven. He said they said that would not be fair.

Five years later I preach this man's funeral and I use the text in Matthew chapter 20 verses one through 16. You remember the story it's about the those laborers in the vineyard.

It was a man who owned a vineyard, and he started hiring me on the come and work for them on that particular day and one a group of men started at the early hour, and I worked all day is another group of men that came in about three quarters of the day and they work for the rest of the day.

Another group of men came in. He hired them. I worked for half a day. Another great payment they worked for about 1/4 of the day and then one last week came I work for just about our and after they'd all work. The day was finished the guy that owns the land, gathered them together, and he paid them all and he paid them all the exact same thing and the people the labors that had worked a long day. Got my head and I said wait a minute. This is not fair we share with you versus 13 to 16. From that parable, but he replied to one of them friend I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for the in areas take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last workers I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose, with what belongs to me, or do you begrudge my generosity. So the last will be first in the first will be last. The message of this parable is this our salvation is all of grace is all of grace.

No one deserves it. The thief on the cross was just as forgiven as the apostle Paul was forgiven I said let congregation that day. This man wept over his failures as a husband as a father and as a man.

He hated what he was before and I said I'd never seen anybody so grateful. Is this man was for his salvation in Luke chapter 7 verse 47 the Scripture says that he loves please forgiven much loves much. Jesus said that I said to that congregation. Let me encourage you to praise God for the grace that save this man and we need to understand that if you're a Christian today you received grace to be saved in the same way that he received grace to be saved and you need to understand that the blood of Jesus Christ washed away all of his sins in the same way he washed away all of your sins denied will look at a man who has actually gotten angry at Grace. We don't know his name. We do know that he was the elder brother of the prodigal son. When the prodigal son finally repented and when he a finally just got his senses back when that happened, he decided to go back home anyway, back home with intentions of the of the of see a lot of change take place. He went back home.

He didn't go to be a member of the family, but he went to just be a servant in his dad's home.

He realized that his life it is life had an aunt and actions had been terrible offense to his father. He had taken his inheritance and he squandered it on riotous living had taken that inheritance and squandered it on prostitutes.

He was a hardheaded hard hearted rebel and a man that was determined he was going to live his life the way he wanted to live it doing.

He wanted to do and he essentially said to his father.

I don't love you.

I don't want you in fact I would just assume you'd be dead. So what is this young man do. He went off to where the Scripture refers to as a far country. He was there for several months and then all of a sudden his money ran out, and what is money ran out, so did his friends. It was a hard time during that time and hard to find a job soon. Looking for a job couldn't find one. And finally found the farmer who gave him a job slot slop in the halls or feeding the pigs. One day he was working feeding those pigs and they had them right there in the pan in front of the and when he looked down in the in the pigpen.

He saw the slop the pigs slop it look good for him to him because he was so hungry.

Finally just hopped in the pigpen and he grabbed a piece of slop underneath one of those pigs I can you saying why cannot slop off and all the stench that was on it and stuff it in his mouth, trying to feel his hungry belly. The Scripture said it was there and that pigpen that he came to himself and he said I will arise and go to my father before even the servants in my father's house and have not had much better off than I do now you know the story.

He was headed for home at Long Rd., Home finally turned the corner, he could see the house and who was there at the gate but his dad's dad was there. He looked down the road and as he had probably had done every single morning as every morning he would go out he pray that God might bring his son back. This time he looks and he see somebody coming he doesn't know for sure that it's his son. He thinks it might be.

His heart jumped up in his throat.

He so excited any state. He squints his eyes again looking down the road and there comes his son. He recognizes the wall. He recognizes the way that he moves his arms and what did he do that in.

He reached over and he grabbed the gate and through the gate open and then he ran. I imagine he was probably all starved up with arthritis and in stopping then slowing down. He ran and he tackled his boy right there in the road and the casting and he loved owning but this is a parable and you know a parable is filled with pictures and symbolism and the picture of the father of the prodigal son is a picture of God the father, and I don't know if you realize it or not this is the only picture that we have in Scripture where God ever got in a hurry is amazing picture to me the holy child that God ever gets a hurry is when a sinner is genuinely repentant and is broken before God I love this particular story book and is kind of an un-interesting story.

It's an unusual picture of God for how many times have I thought to myself I wish God would hurry up and do something that I want him to do. You know for 2000 years we as New Testament Christians have been waiting and wanting the Lord to hurry up and come back a second time for the first coming of Christ. I waited 4000 years. In order for Jesus to come that first time how many times he gave been in a situation where you just wish God would hurry up and and do something to get something done because it wasn't happening fast enough for you folks. What we find that here is there is a time when God gets in a hurry when there is a sinner who is broken sinner who is genuinely repentant sinner who is ready to follow in his face, and thank God for forgiveness. God runs to us with mercy and acceptance. Most of you probably know, Eddie Davis, Eddie Davis is a good friend. I love to hear until his testimony. Hey, said that his testimony is this, he was listed on the radio one night to a song. Mercy came running in right in the middle that song, the Lord just grabbing just drooling to himself.

He said when he pictured God running after him with open arms. He said that was it. It was over. He said he couldn't help just fall down on his face and submit himself to the loving arms of his Savior.

I love this parable because it's filled with mercy. I love this parable because it's just replete with the grace of God, you know, we look at God and we see his attributes. He is a holy God is a just God is omnipotent, he's omniscient, he's omnipresent and I love those attributes about God. They forced me to get on my knees before him, and to fear him like our all to not tell you what. I'm glad that's not all that is. I'm glad there's another attribute. I'm glad there's attribute of mercy.

I'm glad that we have a God that runs to us as sinners who desperately needing the father's attitude here shock the prodigal son. And after you hit, hugging son gets up is what you meant that no no I'm not expecting you to take me back into the family. I don't deserve to be part of the family. I'm just asking you to make me as one of your hired servants.

It was like the father never even hurting the father start screaming back to the to the servants to get a row for his shoulders put the family signet ring on his finger and kill a fatted calf for this is my son.

He was dead and now he's alive. He was lost and now he's found in immediately the party began, there was one person there that miss the party one person there that didn't go.

Who was that that was a elder brother. It was the elder brother where Wasi's look at verses 25 to 27 as older son was in the field. As he came and drew near to the house. He heard music and dancing because one of the servants and ask what these things meant and he said to him your brothers come in your father's killer fatted calf, because he is received him back safe and sound. The other brother was out in the field working is not a bad thing and he was faithful, and he was conscientious and he was working.

I tell you what I I wish more people in America had that strong Puritan work ethic.

Nothing wrong with that but the situation here. It is this what I sense here is a young man a young man who's just out of touch with his father's heart he hears the music and ears of the party and it's going on has no idea what's taken place finally goes to one of the services was going on here and in the service that you hadn't heard your brother is come home and your dad to a party forming your brothers come home is a situation where a servant in the house you the father's will. Better than that his own son.

The elder brother's relationship with his dad is shallow and superficial at best. He serves his dad out of a sense of duty. He works hard. He strives to do right, but it's absolutely joyless. Why is it joyless because he has no real affection for his father. He doesn't desire to know what's in the father's heart.

So the elder brother is not there at this Thanksgiving party because he's out of the loop. He has no idea what's going on in his father's heart only ask you this. If you are reading this passage for the first time you got end of verse 27 what kind of reaction would you've expected the father.

I mean, this elder brother to have.

I think I would've expected him to have a reaction much like the father I would expect him as his brother thought to just run over there to him and tackling the jump on him and hug his neck and say praise God we been praying for you. What a wonderful thing. This is the heading back would glad you hear, hear and get to work with me.

I think they that I'd expect something like that is not what happened. Mark Otero said the following about the elder brothers reaction is that you install the news would've followed with a heartfelt reunion of two brothers as far as he figured it could never lay eyes on his brother again is as good as dead. Come to think of it. The fact that his younger sibling ever had the nerve to come back began to muster up some deeply negative feelings. The prodigal basically told dad he was as good as dead by asking for his inheritance before there was any talk of funerals while he ran off to live with reckless irresponsibility, who bore the brunt of responsibility, but big brother. How could dad even consider throwing a party for a son that treated him so shamefully, not to mention head of the ever letting step 1 foot on the estate at all. It was more than he could stand his hearty appetite seemed to fade away with the news.

A celebration over his brothers returned to the family farm. It was repulsive and he wanted no part of this unscheduled party.

He refused to go in the house to welcome back, his brother, no forgetting and no forgiving would come from him.

Somehow the father sees and uses the older brother is not coming to the party and so the father went out to meeting. I think probably do an attitude adjustment and he walks over to his son. I can imagine put his arm around her shoulder. They walk off to the side. He says said son, don't. Don't be like this son don't don't do this. This is your brother and I've been praying and praying and praying and God is gloriously and wonderfully answered my prayer going to the party get in the ballgame here and as he says that all of pleading of the father proved to be too much in the elder son could not bear it any longer and it was like a dam broke and all this frustration and all this bitterness came flying out of his or pouring out of his heart, all the emotion the scale back for several months now probably going back further than that bubbly several years. What is his problem. He resents his father's forgiving attitude is brother's been acting like the north side of the southbound mule and he's been embarrassment to the family because of his brothers laziness because of his brothers incompetence. His workload is doubled, and unlike that is brother's been out partying and and throwing his inheritance away. That makes them mad elder brothers frustrated because he knows that the brother should not of gotten any inheritance is not right for get him to have any inheritance.

The inheritance was not supposed to come until after the father died, the younger brother didn't want to wait for that. So he was essentially saying is that all my inheritance nail a said I would rather you just be dead because I don't really love you what I really love is my stuff as well elder brothers not happy.

He resents his brother and he doesn't want his father to accepting back into the family.

He doesn't want his father to forgiving so here's the question how can a truly blessed person like this. How can a truly blessed person the ungrateful, the elder son, here is used by Jesus to draw us a picture of what the Pharisees were like the Pharisees were up to me.

A group of men who were unthankful and deeply unappreciative.

They believe that their work somehow made made God over them.

That put God in debt. What we do, God should be appreciative of us. They should be in debt to us and they hated when God would have mercy on the center let's look at what made the elder son act like he did at three points here. Number one he was performance driven.

Look at verses 28 to 29 with me but he was angry and refused to go away, and his father came out and treated in but he answered his father look these many years I've served you, and I've never disobeyed your command. Yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. This verse uncovers much of the reason that the elder brother lacked joy. What what is it mean to be performance driven. I think there are several elements in that number one. He was marking time. He was marking time. He said all these years. Dad had been serving you to remember that we do that knowing we had a time clock. We count up her hours we do something for God, and we expect to be rewarded for it and that all happen soon. We expect that out of often times when I'm doing marital counseling.

One of the Caesars, the husband or the wife will get upset and get kind of frustrated and husband wife will start trying to deal with that by telling what all they have contributed to the marriage and every time that happens I think and write the first rent is chapter 13.

What is that that's love chapter in a taken write a verse five is some of the translations.

I like it translated this way it it says this true love doesn't keep lists true love doesn't keep list so so what does that mean for us.

It means if you do something good for someone forget about it. If you do some good for somebody don't gloat over it. If you do something good for somebody, don't expect a reward right now but just do it. Praise God for the privilege of doing it and then move on. Then move on.

But don't don't mark time and in my clearest art number two. The older brother tracked behavior.

PA said I never transgressed hey he just kept up with his behavioral action legalist have a tendency in doing that, that they like to keep a list not only of what they do, but also of what they don't do ever heard people like that.

Good Christians who say well I don't smoke, drink cursor to and I will go out with girls who do while does that make you a Christian.

I don't think so because I got to dioxins at home and I don't do that either, but they're not believers.

Folks Jesus dealt with this in the sermon on the Mount is that you think you're right with God because you're not physically fornicating because you're not physically committing adultery. He said, but I tell you, if you even look up on a woman is to lust after her committed adultery already with her in your heart you think you're right with God because you haven't physically murdered somebody but I tell you if your bitter way of hatred in your heart, then you've already committed murder in your heart. He said you say you haven't stolen.

Have you ever hurt somebody's good name stolen their good name by gossip.

The older brother was tracking his behavior. Yes, our behavior does matter, folks, and it matters a lot.

But Jesus said it's deeper than that.

God measures the heart and guess what. None of us measure up. Thirdly, the older brother felt entitled.

He felt entitled. He said to his father. You kill a fatted calf or my brother, but you never even gave me a goat. I had a friend that used to work with social services and is his responsibility to go out and deal with the welfare cases and he been working there for 35 years and he said Doug it was amazing. He said 35 years ago.

He said the the welfare recipients were totally different than they are now. He said 35 years ago. He said they were kind and they were courteous they were polite and said they were very appreciative and they were very humble.

He said they don't like that today. He said today there ketamine their testy hey he said that there angry there demanding and there totally in appreciative and also why is that and he said because the government is to help them that that the government owes them something.

They taught them that they believe that nail and he said they they deserve a handout. The government tells them simply because they have to put up with living in America now know that there are some people that are sick so people that are disabled.

That certainly need welfare their situations where I praise God that they're getting that kind of financial help so many of the time. So much of the time that there people who can work.

They just don't want to work and it seems to me that most of the time it's those people that those people that are the ones that have attitude Paul told us how to deal with that in in second Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 10 he said, those who don't work don't eat, they older brother was far from being a pushy welfare recipient. But he still had an attitude that said father you own me so first he was performance driven. But secondly he was possessions blinded in verse 31. The father said to him all that I have is yours. And that's an amazing statement since daddy I have is yours. He wants him to understand that every time I read this parable when I get to this point I think about King David. Think about King David when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. He took the wife of Uriah the Hittite. One of his most faithful and loyal man and then he ended up having Uriah the Hittite put to death. Nathan comes touring the prophet, and licenses. David got a story to tell you he still telling the story about a man that's got a little ewe lamb and what amazes me about that story is that David hears that story. He understands what Nathan is saying, but he so spiritually blind to his unselfishness that he doesn't even know that Nathan's talking about him.

We read you versus one through six and in for a second Samuel chapter 12 the Lord sent Nathan to David.

He came to him and said to him, there were two men in a certain city. The one rich.

The other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds with the poor man and nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and brought it up and he grew it up with Eamon with his children used to either this morsel and drink from his cup and line his arms. It was like a daughter to him there came a traveler to the rich man he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or heard to prepare for the guest who would come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb he prepared it for the man to come to wing, then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man and he said to Nathan as the Lord lives, the man it was done this deserve to die, and he shall restore the land fourfold because he did this thing because he had no pity. David could have had any single woman that he wanted in Israel, but he didn't see how blessed he was.

So he went after someone who was forbidden and went after someone who did not belong to him. Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they haven't found it, but because the because they haven't stopped to have learned how to stop and enjoy it. Alexander the great was intent on conquering as many countries as he could. They conquered one particular country and after the conquering one of the AIDS center and what we don't do next is a well working to conquer this country than we can the country conquer that country. There was a go if you conquer this other country and aid said touring will wait a minute what happens when we conquer the whole world and he said will then will just sit down and enjoy our sales and aid said touring and why don't we do that now and just forgo all the preliminaries.

That's a great question.

When we do that nail, let me ask you this question. The night are you possessed possession possessions blind are you possession possessions blind. Do you realize what you have, Dr. John beer dealer said that he is convinced that Americans have no clue as to how blessed they really are the listener. This will statement he makes. Here, most blessings are taken for granted.

If you woke up this morning with more health and illness. You are more blessed than 6 million people will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger battle the loneliness of imprisonment. The agony of torture or the pains of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment arrests, torture or death, you are more blessed than 3 billion people in the world. If you have food in the refrigerator close on your back a roof overhead, a place to sleep. You are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank in your wallet. Spare change in additional employees. You are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. What if you had to put a price tag on your other blessings. For example, if you bought a new Ford escort. It would cost you between 13,000 $18,000. If you took that same card.

The junkyard sold it off one piece at a time at junkyard prices it be worth over hundred thousand dollars. I've read that the human body with market prices on all our minerals and compounds is worth about $0.47.

If you took the same body so that offer parts. How much would you be worth look at me at what you're willing to pay and the time of the tragedy to restore something you are currently blessed with coronary artery bypass surgery $15,000-$20,000 heart transplant 210,000 gastro intestinal surgery 15,000 fertility treatment, 40,000 kidney transplant 42,000 liver transplant 15,000 bone marrow transplant hundred 6000 lung transplant hundred 5000 that was written back in 1990. So imagine what those prices would be today.

John Piper wrote one the most important books that I've ever read entitled, desiring God and that book is teaching us how to be joyful in God. The theme of that whole book is this God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him and John Piper quote, say, a parable that that Jesus told in Matthew chapter 13 verse 44 and he is pounding on the subject that we are not to to serve God out of a sense of duty, we read that parable to you. Verse 44 the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Tell you what happened here is a man walking through another man's field and as these walking trips that there is something sticking out of the ground. He just stumbles over it thought what the world is that he goes back and checks it out. It looks like some kind a little handle and so he starts, digging out from around it he digs and digs in peace discovers all of a sudden this is a chance and so he digs little bit further.

He realizes he can lift the top up the list the top of that chest in his field with silver and gold and all these precious stones. He cannot believe it. This must've been put here by some man did decades ago many centuries ago, and he buried it and hoping to come back and get it and maybe died nobody else knew where was in there. It was so what is he do to get he gets the dirt recovers it back over to get some leaves and covers it over and then maybe some some dead branches and covers that over so it won't look like it's been moved versus anybody's been around it and then he runs home as fast as he can.

He takes everything he's got any sales at all and then he goes running back to the guy who owns the field and he buys the field from that man. He pays for it right there.

He spent all of his money and he bought that field. What could make a man sail everything he has. Here's what could make a man sail everything he has something that is worth much more than everything he has an inverse 44 we are told the motivation sales and for joy over it he didn't dread selling his stuff. He didn't feel like it was a burden to get rid of everything that he had why because he knew what was coming. He knew what he was going to get in exchange for it, brothers and sisters. That's how were to look at our relationship with God. So what if I have to repent. So what if I have to turn for my sin. So what if I have to quit loving this world. What am I gonna get. I'm to get Jesus the King of Kings and the Lord of lords. I'm going to get Jesus and I'm to be with him for all of eternity. I will be with them brothers and sisters I can do that with joy.

I can do that with joy, with no regrets with no sadness with no burden why the calls I'm getting Jesus, I'm getting Christ and nothing, nothing is better than that. I can approach my salvation with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

That's with the elder brother is missing so the elder son was unthankful.

First of all because he was purpose driven second because he was possessions blind but thirdly because he was relationally distant in verse 30. He described his younger brother this way to his father. He said this son of yours my mama used to do that. I do some stupid or break something or hurt summer just mess up and she see what your daddy gets home, so would be sitting around Eaton and sheets and meet to look over.

Dad said that's me tell you what your son did today totaling disallowing and disallowing any of the fact that that I was her son is whale.

That's what this guy is doing is not saying this is my brother hey Sam this is your son, dad, what is that might be resentment.

It might be arrogance, but whatever it is it stinks. Look at the father said towing verse 31, 32, he says son, you're always with me and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make Mary and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.

The father still in the elder son, there's no need for jealousy that there's no need for resentment.

There's no need for anger, while not, here's the reason because his love was deep enough to fill up bosons, whales don't ever think that God is cheating you because his blessing somebody else.

You see, God has enough grace to go around enough grace to go around if you're not experiencing a blessing that you think you should have. Maybe that's grace because God knows exactly what you need and if you got that thing that you think you should have. And God knows that you don't need it and it is not going to be good for you and you get it is going to do nothing but harm you, instead of do you good don't you listen adjacent rows advice to us in the light of the elder brothers attitude. He says this, nothing to give us such true pleasure is the conversion of souls came in okay it makes angels rejoice in heaven and automate Christians, rejoice on earth. What is those who were converted work lately.

The vilest of the vile, what is they have served sin and Satan for many long years and wasted their substance in riotous living.

It matters nothing has grace coming to their hearts. Are they truly penitent and they come back to their father's house are they new creatures in Christ Jesus are the dead made alive in the lost found these are only questions we have any right to ask if they can be answered satisfactorily. Satisfactorily we all rejoice and be glad little whirly if they please mock and sneer at such conversions little self-righteous if they will murmur and find fault and deny the reality of all great and sudden changes. Let the Christian who reads the words of Christ in this chapter remember them and act upon them. Let him. Thank God and be Mary letting praise God that one more soul was saved, letting say this. My brother was dead and is alive again. It was lost and is found. Thank you Jesus thank you Jesus for the cross. Thank you Jesus for the discipline that you bring into my life when I see him to get out your will. Thank you Jesus for the comfort did you give me when I'm hurting. Thank you, dear God for securing my place in heaven. By allowing your only son to die on the cross and shed his perfect, sinless, spotless blood for center like me in all things give thanks to spray all heavenly father we thank you and we praise you tonight for everything that you've done for us and done to us. We ask heavenly father that you help us as we go through the next few days that we might not be obsessed with turkey and football but Lord, that we might be obsessed with Jesus. Father, help us, that we might be a people who understand that our salvation is all of grace that our salvation was purchased by God who loves us so much that he was willing to allow his son to die for people who did not deserve that grace. Heavenly father now as we get ready to prepare for the Lord's supper, we would ask father that you help our hearts that we might have a deeper and sweeter understanding of what this meal is all about.

May we rejoice in it. May we enjoy it. May we experience your presence. We love you, not Lord. Thank you and praise you for your love and goodness to us and we asked this prayer in Jesus precious name. Amen