When the Fun Stops for Parents, Part 2

When a family functions together in unity, mom, dad, sons and daughters. There can be times of uproarious laughter and fun and seasons of deep satisfaction and reward. What happens when the idyllic family becomes not so perfect in chaos takes over. That's the question Chuck Swindoll tackles today on Insight for living whether you're married, single, divorced an active parent or the during grandparent will engage in a study that promises to yield practical wisdom on child rearing. Today's message as part of the classic biblical parenting series and we begin with print soul world is many things are father and we are living to see what changes can occur places that once were strong to preach the Scriptures have become weakened because of the system of the world that has slipped in this world is a hostile place.

We hear of it. Every day we suck in our breath but we also acknowledge our father that this is your world and you are carrying out your purposes. In it and threw it. You are in the sovereign control over it. In spite of the evil that exists.

Our God is in the heavens. He does what he pleases.

So teach us to live in the tension of an evil world, remembering that all things occur out of your plan and purpose, though much of it doesn't make sense in this life.

We realize when we are with you and will all come together. I pray for those among us who are either themselves rebels on the run.

They have in their family. One who is in that category speak in a very special way to those on this occasion as we learn from the truth of a story, our Savior told which is this timeless as it is true, but a stirring, stirring reminder, this is our father of all of us in our journey on this earth, how we can easily identify with this boy and how great it is to witness the grace of father to welcome him back. And not only to forgive him but to restore him to a place significance and dignity in the home and family. I pray for all those today who at this very moment, find themselves distant from you and I ask that you would draw them to yourself as only you can do. I pray also God for every father in this place, and for the role he fills not simply in the life of his family and his children, but is community and in this world that has lost its way.

I pray that you would raise up godly men from our midst and use them in significant ways, not just fathers but all men. I pray that you would cause this world to realize what you can do in the life of an individual holy dedicated to you speak to us in whatever area of need. We may have this day and bring encouragement and hope, especially those who were broken and bruised and lost is in the name of Jesus, our Savior, whom we worship today and all God's people said amen to search the Scriptures with Chuck Swindoll sure to download it, searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.or/studies and other message called when the funds stops for parents. When rebellion occurs, it isn't cute or humorous or just the stage that I don't matter that we cast off.

Is all active mischievousness when it reaches the place where there is no room for correction or reason or negotiation or counsel when other children are being negatively affected by the rebels in the home, making the family miserable.

It's time to release the to the consequences that will follow. That's at the heart of the story Jesus tells in the 15th chapter of Luke.

You carry a Bible with red letters. You will see all of the story is in red. Jesus is telling this story because there is no proper name mentioned, it may very well been another parable an imaginary story. On the other hand, one wonders if Jesus knew a family was going through this in rather than embarrassing the family by giving names. He simply tells the story tells the story of the family.

This family is soon to be in pain because the father has to exert tough love. Here is the story not just of the prodigal son but of a very wise and secure father. We read of the story beginning at verse 11 where the man really has two sons, and you need to understand ethnically and culturally in that day in the Jewish home. The father's inheritance would be passed along to his two sons if there were just two two thirds to the older and 1/3 to the younger it would happen either when he retires or when the man dies and was possible for a father simply to act on it. When neither had occurred so that before retirement, or perhaps at a given time. When the children reach a certain age. The inheritance is then given to the children in this case, the younger son is the one who steps up and rather impudent. We said so many words give me my inheritance. Now that so without an argument without a sermon we read. He divided his wealth between them. So the older son gets two thirds in this young rebel gets 1/3 the next several words intrigued me when I read.

Not many days later, the younger son gathered everything and went to a distant country before I go further let me mention that probably it was Gentile country because of the mention of swine later on. Swine were never found anywhere near a Jewish home so he went a long ways away. You don't need his dad was dad's friends or somebody the dad may send to spy on things in his way. He wants to get get out here and is often follows the decision of a prodigal. He needs a few secrets that nobody else needs to know. After all, I'm old enough to handle it. I got the money to finance so he goes to a distant country and their Jesus says he squandered his estate with loose living. They probably started by picking out a brand-new red gold chariot with special chrome wheels that'll work about stallions at the bullet make it feel like a hotshot and he prances his way into a distant country and he looks the part before long. Other people know you got money and he finds his real fine pad up with a nice view of the water outside and before long he got his apartment for friends and loved to eat and drink and be merry along with some women.

That'll do whatever he wants them to do with and his passions kick into high gear. His companions were fast and shallow. His appetites are clearly out of control is money finally runs out and his friends bail on them. The laughter fades to silence, and before long he can't make the payments on his apartment in life gets tough and wouldn't you know it recession hits were familiar with those Army in this case is called a famine and were not familiar with that we maybe someday there's nothing to eat. There's nothing to buy.

Even if he had the money and he realizes for the first time that proverb's father quoted to him is true the way of the transgressor is hard. Proverbs 1315 and 1318 poverty and shame will come to him who lacks discipline all that comes home to roost. If you've ever been there. You don't need any further explanation. Not only does he have the presence of those Proverbs in his mind.

He's now facing the absence of the one who had meant the most to him in his life. His father, the absence of his father is almost more than he can bear is an eloquent statement right here in this story at the end of verse 14 he began to be impoverished the Greek word means to be completely deficient to lack to come short of what made matters worse. He had no one to blame but himself.

Where did that money go that sounds like that proverb my dad used to quote to me. Riches make themselves wings, they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. For those dollars go word overshadows and I'm hungry tonight story unfolds in such a way that we are intrigued. He went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feeds. Why really.

You being Gentiles can't appreciate it. But if you're Jewish you know exactly exactly how deep reading that job was knee-deep in pig slop and excrement awful awful job to go to every day along with a stomach that doesn't stop growling the loneliness that follows every night and I notice at the end of verse 16.

After saying he would gladly have eaten what the pigs ate but nobody gave him anything and anything you know what else is eloquent is the absence of the father. No messages are being sent from home. No little gifts with more money, not even spies around to tell the father how things are going.

He is on his own. He is up against it.

That is exactly what he needed exactly what it would take the father knew that here he is in this pigsty and every night going to bed hungry and suddenly listen to it.

A light goes on, we read of it in verse 17 he came to his senses when I parents come to me and tell me the tragic story of what their son or daughter is going through with their great temptation to go and relieve them. Because after all, the girl is now turned to prostitution and the boy also was selling his body in some awful scene in the back alleys of the big city and I've had those people come to me to in their story, which shocked what they're willing to do just to be able to put food in their system.

He came to his senses that tells me listen closely. He's been out of senses. I tell parents who are at with the end what is going on is a temporary insanity you want to reason with your son but there's no room to reason you want to counsel with your daughter but there's no ear to hear the Council said and I have a friend whose life that happened. The young woman became a prostitute in Los Angeles.

As a matter of fact before she came to an end of herself. A friend went to plead with her to come back to her husband and to her children and she refuses there is an insanity that accompanies this kind of lifestyle rebellion is as the sin of divination and insubordination is as idolatry.

It captivates you it holds. Who would you finally cognizance it's this boy when he came to his senses began to talk to himself how many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread die here with hunger. He's remembering back. He remembers how much food was even left on the table after the meals.

He remembers that the hired servants got more than he will ever Living worries living in the memory of all of that folds in on him and he says I am here I am dying with hunger, job his entire streets. Menopause here and warn any parent listening right now.

Do not rush to their rescue. Do not go. Do not check up. Do not wait for them for Christmas did not celebrate the birthday and begged him to come back for it, let them go.

Let them go and in the loneliness and a of the hunger and the misery they wake up this temporary insanity. If you're not careful will make you a little crazy. It may take your child failing in school being expelled from school getting arrested. Spending time in a prison living in the streets of abuse and perversion, it may result in the child getting a sexually transmitted disease.

Years of aloneness and attempted suicide and you wait when you pray that they will come to their senses. Not until the young adult hurts enough will that young man or woman come to the census. Let them go. Leave them alone. Don't stop praying you will weep. You will twist and turn and bid you will you get sick I been there and some of you are there none of what I share today is theoretical. What if the boy doesn't know is that the father was up day and night praying, pouring out his heart, asking God to bring his son to his senses. I learned years ago a line that I've used on occasion pain plants the flag of reality in the fortress of a rebel pain plants the flag of reality in the fortress of a rebel flag is been planted. The light comes on the scene that follows is one of the great scenes of restoration.

My love it. Every time I read it. It speaks to me in a fresh way he came to his senses. Verse 17 of what happens what he thinks now very realistically like doesn't seem that much fun that far away from home.

Hunger is never enjoyable and friends like that, who needs them nowadays come back to his senses. Verse 18 I will get up and go to my father and I will way way way way look at that, but I will get up and go back to my room is not the room is going back to get up and go back to my home where there is more than the wintering and then there's a cool breeze in the summer. Note on my going back to my home. Why would you go back to my friends my job neither one. I will go back to my father. I will go back to the one with whom I have that relationship. I love that I will go back to my dad who had the talk with me.

Those few hours before I split I go back to my foot there isn't even the thought that he can't.

He knows his dad. He knows his dad loves him that love never stops.

By the way it goes on and on. Even even when it is spurned. Who knows how many restless nights. The dad spent praying himself through the wee hours of the morning.

Who knows how often he went out early in the morning and the mist drawn and looked out from the porch at the horizon to see if there might be his boy.

There are not words to describe the heart ache and the tension between the lovable father and the better judgment of this wise man to the boys as I get up and go to my father so he practices a speech is what I'm noticing father, I've sinned against heaven and in your site I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired men there's shame and guilt tripping from that statement.

I am so unworthy. I was so undeserving. You will even owe me a roof over my head, but if you will please grant me a place back in the shed were the hired servants are just that so much better than this is what I'll do. Verse 2007 good luck to preach. This is our moment right now, folks, this is the moment we got up and he came to his home.

Note capos neighborhood. No taped to his room. Note came to his father came to his father. His father his father and while he was still a long way all areas of the porch. What he does love it when it was still a long ways off, his father saw him and felt compassion. The first response rather than mom on a show that would never, put him in the corner for the next three years he will be on probation for at least six months where he gets in a mood for my table so no no race in the story.

Father feel complacent for many ran and embraced him as parents is a temptation to rescue the prodigal, rather than waiting patiently and allowing pain to do its work. You're listening to Insight for living and Chuck Swindoll study in Luke 15 titled when the fund stops for parents to learn more about this ministry.

Visit us online@insightworld.org check is here is an important closing comment. But first, as we conclude another week of Bible study together. I'll take a moment to tell you how much it means to Chuck and all of us at Insight for living. Whenever we receive your feedback.

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