The God Who Pursues Us (Part 4)

You know I just love children. Perhaps nobody loves you more than I do. I have to say that's really perhaps love them as much as I do, but not more often on number four was born I was talking to a member of this church who shall be remain nameless, and I said you know if I could afford it. I would have a house full of them. May 9 is of Michael you do have a house full of stop own imprint can do that. And yet there is a phenomenon that at least it breaks my heart into when I hear parents say something like this. We want to do whatever our children want. We want to go. Whatever our children want to go. We make decisions on the base what our children like sadly, the consequences of this kind of thinking is beginning to be felt in our culture. I wanted to hear me right place. God called the parents to lead the children and not the other way around. And you know that get home to me not long ago when my grandson was visiting and he was just beginning to walk and he discovered that if he can hold onto your hand or your finger he can drag you around and he was just delighted that he could walk and he would get up early and so, though I am so those are time together and as soon as he gets out he grabs my finger in. He wants to walk and I walked with them for a little bit. Then we come into a landing and out of living room and that he realized for the first time that he could really get up the stairs one step holding onto my finger.

So he was proud of himself. So went down again.

Then he dried up again and then he went down again while still I got so dizzy.

I realized that God has not called me to be led by a 14 month old boy, I realize that in fact Stephen Ferrer laments this phenomenon that is happening in our culture, and he tells a story about a member of the British family royal family. Some years ago when he came to the United States and spent few weeks in the United States and when he went back he was asked the question what impressed you the most about United States. He thought for a moment that he said the way parents obey their children. In fact, I heard the story of a salesman who came in the door and he was knocking and a seven-year-old boy came and opened the door and that the salesman said can I speak to the boss of the house and the boy said to him, he said you're talking to him sadly that is the story in many a home in America today and today as we continue in this series entitled the God who pursues us. We come in Luke chapter 15 we come to this part where this younger son arrogantly haughtily and selfishly asks his father to give him his estate. The part of the estate that what he would've inherited after his father have died we saw in the last message how that in the context of the first century Middle East would be the most insulting thing that a child can tell his father because he was basically saying father wish you were dead. Why don't you hurry up and die. This preposterous attitude of this young boy actually remind me of a poster that was a long time ago. It went something like this. Attention teenagers are you tired of being harassed by your stupid parents act now move out, get a job, pay your own bills while you still know everything that's the story of this boy.

The word particle means rebellious extravagant sounds like the liberal politicians in our culture.

They are liberal extravagant with your money, but let me tell you that from 40 years of close observation of 40 years of watching not only in this culture, but in other cultures and I can tell you that extravagance with children creates particles that lack of boundaries and limitations around children create particles that absence of training and discipline in the home will create particles moms and dads listen to me. I am a father who made a whole lot of mistakes but I want to tell you if you want to be extravagant and give your children something that is uniquely genuine.

Give them time enough trinkets but I can imagine the smirk on this boy's face as he packed his designer Jerusalem genes and and and is design the Jerusalem shirts and and as he packed goes and the feeling contempt for his parents. Can you imagine that silly boy accusing his parents of being out of touch with reality and he and I can imagine his bitterness toward his dad's rules of going to church and doing his chores and cleaning his room and the Bible said. Jesus said it was only a few days after he got all the assets that his father gave to him that he sold them in a fire sale and converted them into cash in there with pockets full of cash.

He gets into his convertible camel pops the wheels and burns rubber for 30 feet and heads for the Big Apple and as he takes off he leaves behind a brokenhearted father. He leaves behind a scornful older brother and he leaves behind a devastated community, but articles not only affect themselves but they affect everybody around them whether their children to their husbands and wives whether their parents whatever they may be.

They leave devastation behind them. This boy thought that he disliked the slate clean. He thought that he brought all his bridges. He thought that he left no rights to claim and Jesus said that son scattered the money scattered the money. In fact, that's the word used in the New Testament or of the whole Bible is a farmer scattered seeds in the time of planting all over the land without necessarily very systematic, just spread them around. In other words, he was like spending money like a drunken sailor thinking that his money was going to bring him friends, thinking that his money is going to bring them happiness, thinking that his money was gonna bring him popularity, thinking that his money is going to bring him a status in society which he craved so much and it didn't work for a short period of time I was reading recently about a celebrity that was said in that article that the only friends she has of those that she bought and paid for. What a sad indictment on our society. Young people I wanted to listen to me. Be very careful. Be very careful of wanting to be with the in crowd. Be very careful of wanting to be accepted by your peers. Be very careful when you tried to do that because it is going to be very costly and I'm not talking about the money. When this boy's money ran out, he was dumped by everyone so called friend and you would think at that moment, he now says now that I'm desperate. I need to go home.

I better go back to my father but now it's too early yet you know why because his pride was alive and well. He hasn't been broken yet. He hasn't come to the point of desperation.

Yet because his pride would not allow him to go back. He's probably not being broken, and often, but not being desperate enough, and presumably he said to himself. He said I wouldn't go back there I go crawling back to my father asking for his forgiveness.

How can I go back to my live under his roof and eat my older brothers food. How can I go back to the narrow streets of the village where every finger is pointing at me I would never do that. No way what to make things worse. Furman hit the land in which he was most commentators think that was one of the cities in Syria is where he went.

Furman hit the plan where he was living, but the boy was not ready to give up his pride yet his pride was stopping him from coming to the father and so he gets a novel idea that he never thought about before, and that is getting a job, but why would a Jewish boy, do whatever job would he have indigent arsenic in the time of famine, banks and corporations were not hiring CEOs of the time and here when he gets closer to rock-bottom, not quite rock-bottom yet, but it gets closer for a Jewish boy to take a job feeding pigs would be like rich American kid has a job cleaning the sewer. Imagine that. Imagine that pigs in the Middle East. Back then, and even now, for that matter, not like the gentlemen farmers were raising hogs in this country.

They not anywhere near as clean. I mean, they fed those pigs every thing every conceivable garbage and trash that you can think off the knowledge that your imagination but in terms of a famine that garbage was in short supply of garbage to get to the pigs. So they were giving them dried parts not seen them. I know what they're like many of you might know this partner is carob using the carob and if you ever ate a current visit some edible ones there break your teeth with those particular pods were 10 times tougher than edible currents and verse 16 says the boy was even glad to get the pods, but he couldn't get enough of them.

In other words, the pigs were better off than the laws that's rock-bottom next.

He begins to think how much better off. The servants in my father's house. How much better off. The servants in comparison to my abysmal condition in which I find myself so he finally begins to swallow his pride. Here I was thinking about this and not thinking of the people that I share Christ with and the people. Many of you probably should Christ with you know what the number one reason why so many people whether their churchgoers are not but so many people who stay away from the loving arms of the heavenly father from the forgiving hands of the heavenly father from the warm heart of the heavenly father. You know what the number one reason is pride what they think they good enough just the way they are.

They think they don't need God. They think they don't need a Savior.

The good people and good people. Of course God is obligated to let them into his heaven that they don't need repentance.

They don't need forgiveness. He don't need redemption, the domain of that they don't need to bow before God in brokenness and humility. No wonder the psalmist said that a broken and contrite heart.

God will not despise because that's the only way you can come to God because none of us are good. None of us are good.

None of us are good enough for God and that is why my beloved friend listen to me. Only those who realize that they are sinners and they are desperate for forgiveness of the heavenly father. Only those who will come in brokenness and humility in repentance and faith and ask the father to forgive them through the sun only. They not only receive forgiveness in this life, but don't have it on the life with him that lie out of the pit of hell that you see in the movies and in the media that everybody when they die they go to this pleasant place called heaven.

No way. If they don't love Jesus. Now how can they live with him forever. They'll be like hell for them.

Verse 17 Jesus said when the sun came to his senses, he began to write his speech when he kept her senses coming to since this means that he snapped out of his stupor that is mapped out of his self focused blindness please him around in this one.

This was far more than just feeling sorry that he wasted the money. This is far more than just feeling sorry that he wasted his life. This is not just the feeling sorry that things did not work out the way he planned it.

This is not just feeling sorry that he had failed. No no no no not here, not in this context, but he realized that his sin not only against heaven, but against his father.

He realized that he brought degradation and shame to the good name of the father.

He realized that he is no longer arrogant that he is no longer prideful and he was no longer feeling that he deserves everything he was no longer feeling worthy to be called a son he was happy to be called a servant. He was happy to live in the servants quarters. In fact, he was very happy to have a servant master relationship with his father. In other words, he was totally and completely broken brother. There's nothing wrong with brokenness. It is only when you and a broken that God can put us together again in a far greater way and often God allows us, and he waits until we are broken as long as we've got our strength as long as we said we can do this as long as we put the flesh out there. God waits. He waits to see when there's more left home. He said give me all about when he came to her senses he said make me when he left home. He was a son. But when he came home he said make me a servant slave when he left home, he called with independence.

When he left home, he called a pleasure seeking. But when he came to his senses. He called it sin.

He called it for what it is he got what he wanted lost what he had and he was contented now for far less you know the Bible said in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 25 that sin is pleasurable for the season.

The sin is pleasurable for a time, for a time until STD and AIDS begin to ravish the body, it is pleasurable until the alcohol begins to fry the liver is pleasurable until the drugs begin to fry the brains, it is pleasurable until you realize that the whole lot of people paying a heavy price for your going to the far country there are three stages of sin. The first stage of the charm of sin.

The second stage is the contour of sin and the third stage of the consequence of sin.

The first is the charm the allure of the far country that Satan holds that shiny one for you and says here come get it.

Then there is the contour of me. I deserve this and worth it in the victim's mentality. And then there is the consequence the spiritual pigsty that beloved the only solution to sin and guilt is repentance. The only solution to sin, and the only answer to sin and guilt and failure is the father's home in the last message we saw how the father stripped himself of his dignity by running in humiliation to welcome his repentance and and we saw how this is a picture of God the father is in God the son, humiliating himself by hanging on a cross so that whosoever would come to him in repentance and faith, whomsoever, and asked for the forgiveness of their sins, they will receive it today could be the day in which some prodigal sons and daughters simpatico husbands and wives. Some, but articles father's and mother some but articles would come to the arms of the father. He is waiting for you but then there's something very very important here that the average reader is going to miss in the story and I don't want you to miss it. It is very very important. Listen carefully. It's about that encounter between unrepentant son and a forgiving father.

The father will not let the boy finish his speech. I have no doubt the boys a long way home and as he was walking home he was rehearsing his speech of living there when you meeting somebody got find your your your argument Brown ghostly thoughts and speech in your head when I see my father said in father, forgive me for I have sinned against you in heaven.

Father I'm not worthy to be called your son and in her as a father. Don't even call me a son father just with me with the servants, and he was going through that speech. In his mind when I see my father.

I would say this, and when I see my father on an operator say this now wanted to look at verse 21. The sun begins to make his speech that that this interior about another just look at it this is father I have sand forgive me and the father stops.

He didn't want to hear the rest of the speech is very important father's another. But what about the part medley one of your servants.

He didn't want to hear that the father did not. That was not necessarily sick, you know why because our heavenly father does not take servants and slaves. He only take in sons and daughters and sons and daughters you can serve God after you become a son.

You can serve God after you become a daughter, but he will look upon you as a slave he will look upon you as a servant, Jesus said, no longer do I call your servant but friends. God will not call you anything when you come to, but her daughter and a son is in the adoption process is not in the hiring of slaves and servants business is an adoption presents beloved, let me tell you something, the grace of God is not partial. The grace of God is not with measure the grace of God is irresistible the grace of God's unconditional and his offering it to you today. As soon as you repent and say father forgive me the rest of the speech was not necessary, but father, what about my past sins and what sins are you talking father to you all. What did you do seem to remember.

Listen to me listen to me. The devil will always, always try to remind you of your past sins, not your heavenly father, the devil will always try to harass you about your past sins, but not your heavenly father and Jesus wants you to know that the moment you say, father, forgive me to say that's enough all of your past present future sins are forgiven and forgotten.

In other words, there will not be held against you. That moment all of your sins. All of your failures.

All of your guilt not part of it all affect washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. Listen, God does not. God does not.

God does not. God does not. God does not say God does not he does not backup your sins on a computer hard desk and then keep it for safe form in storage for future references. He doesn't do that. No way you can say no way. The moment you say, father, forgive me. He erases the entire disk he no longer possible for him to use it against you because he said so he promised so he can no longer use it in evidence against you when you company and be a son be as how God works. You know why there are some people who have difficulty forgiving their spouses forgiving their parents are forgiving their children forgiving our friend or brother in Christ or sister in Christ have a hard time forgiving you know why because they have a certain measure of self-righteousness. They fail to remember that God forgave them, but the something else that's very important. I cannot conclude this part of the story without bring it to your attention. You notice the boy did not stop outside of one of the bathhouses outside of the village get showered and shaved and cleaned up now.

He did not go to some old friends and try to borrow some clothes so he can look presentable to his father. He didn't do any of that. Is he Jesus wants you to know that you can come to him as your tried to get and improve your life. Try to get better in order to please a phenomenon that doesn't work and that is why before you come to Jesus Christ and repentance and asking for forgiveness. All of your good works.

The Bible said is like a dirty rag. Is it even all the charitable work in all the good things that you before you become a daughter and a son Isaiah said slug. All your efforts and that is why the boy did not try to get cleaned up and dressed up and be presentable to his father listen to me when you come to Jesus Christ as you are. He cleaned you up here washes you out here dresses you up and he sends you on your way as a son and daughter and then you may do good work to please him, but not before they may be someone here today who say Michael I am so overwhelmed with guilt and I'm so overwhelmed with failure, so overwhelmed with grief from so overwhelmed with sin. I don't know the God can forgive me God promise to forgive everyone who come will you come to him when you come to him say father forgive me.

Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org@LTW.Ward