The Prodigal and the Perfectionist - Understanding Grace, Part 2

Have you ever wondered if Jesus was so good. What exactly made the religious leaders so angry that they plan to kill what actually do that they thought was worthy of death, it might surprise you. The answer is grace stay with interesting welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping Living on the Edge features the Bible to on the daily discipleship program.

This program continues a series of particle and the perfection know if you ask most people say Jesus was meek and mild is not the Jesus to tell us about effect when Jesus got done with the parable in today's teaching. The Pharisees was using know why that's where chips headed with part two of his message. Understanding grace from Luke chapter 15 now the tax collectors and the sinners were gathered around to hear him, but the Pharisees and the teachers of the wall, muttered this man welcomes sinners and even eats with them.

Then Jesus told them this parable notice singular suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them does he not leave the 99 open field and go after the lost sheep until he finds it, and when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and comes home that he calls his friends and his neighbors together and says rejoice with me. I found my lost sheep. They would all get that yeah I tell you application in the same way. There's more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent singular parable story number 24. Suppose a woman has 10 silver coins and loses one that she not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it when she finds it she calls her friends and neighbors together and says rejoice with me. I found my lost coin would be like a woman losing her wedding ring for interaction with a diamond on her wedding ring. It was worth about a day's wage very very precious to her in the same way I tell you, there's more rejoicing in the presence of the Angels over one sinner who repents Jesus continues third story singular parable, there was a man that had two sons, the younger one said to his father. Father give me my share of the estate.

So we divided the property between not long after that, the younger son got together all that he had set off for a distant country and there he squandered his wealth and while living after he spent everything there was a severe famine in the whole country and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to the citizen of that country. A Gentile who said into the fields to feed pigs.

The lowest job. A young Jewish boy could ever have belonged to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

Moment of truth when he came to his senses, he said, how many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death. I will set out go back to my father and say to him, father, I've sinned against heaven and against you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired men so he got up and went to his father. He's repenting.

He's come to his senses my way my stuff.

This direction is not right, I'm going to turn and go back to my father and I got a speech with three points right what happens. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son through his arms around him and kissed him. Now the sons going to start his speech the sunset in father, I've sinned against heaven and against you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. But in his three-point repentant speech he makes .1 .2. He doesn't get the .3 he gets interrupted, but the father said to his servants quick bring the best robe, which was his put it on and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet bring the fatted calf and kill it.

Let's have a feast and celebrate for the son of mine was dead is now alive he was lost is found to begin to celebrate the parties going to begin when they heard this story, they were flabbergasted. The disciples were flabbergasted but the Pharisees were steaming the camera lens zooms from the younger to the older and now we get the second son verse 25.

Meanwhile, the older son was in the field when he came near the house. He heard music and dancing Queen. This is a real party so he called one of the servants and ask him what's going on your brothers, come home, he replied in your father's kill the bad calf because he has come back safe and sound. The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out to plead with him but he answered his father look all these years I've been slaving for you and I never disobeyed your orders yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But this son of yours, not my brother but this son of yours who squandered your property with prostitution comes on, you kill the bad calf for him. Father's response. Again, completely culturally unacceptable. My son the father said you're always with me and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate and be glad, because the brother of yours was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is now found Jesus is explaining to two different groups. If you ever wanted to know what God the father is like this is the clearest, most powerful picture you'll ever get. And it's one parable with three stories. Let's walk through a walk-through fairly quickly. I just some observations to come to give you an overview and that'll make some points here toward the end. This is an incredible enter Jesus time culturally flabbergasted chapter of Scripture and you'll see this more and more. If you read the context which always loved to do some of you go ahead and read Luke 14 because it comes right before Luke 15 Luke 15 is really addressed to the Pharisees, but in Luke 14 that come to know who Jesus really is and that he makes this outrageous unless you take up your cross and follow me. You cannot be my disciples, if you look at the end of Luke 14. He actually goes on to say, unless you give up everything. You cannot be my disciple and then he follows that with salt is good, but if salt loses its case is not good for anything and so if you're Peter or James or John or one of the 12 in your following him in your thinking. Look at we left our house. We left our home to left her business left our finances. I mean, were not exactly very popular hang around with you we been kicked out of the synagogue's wedding and give up everything and what Jesus is going to teach us about the goodness of God and what is going to tell them instead of you guys looking at all this things you think you need to give up if you could grasp the grace of God you can understand what my father is like it would be like a multi-multibillionaire coming to you and saying I want you to give me the keys to your car and the deed of your house and your bank account and I'll take care of it for you okay and all either parcel out whatever you have, whatever you need and by the way I might just add a million or two or five or 10 here just because I love you. Would you be willing to trust me, that's the God that Jesus commitment right commitment.

This radical call of discipleship is entrusting who we are and all that we have because surrender commitment is the channel through which God's biggest and best blessings flow. It's the channel through which that grace. So, as he tells the story the disciples are getting up all meet there shop is the Pharisees culturally unacceptable.

Second, this not this is the only time in Scripture where Jesus tells three stories and one parable was to dramatically emphasize some essential something essential into his audience. A revolutionary truth about God. There's not superlatives in the in in the Hebrew language. In other words we use good, better, best.

That's not the Hebrew language when you want to make a point you would say good good good or like you'll notice in Scripture. When Jesus is making point José truly truly are some translations barely barely underlined. Get with it when the Angels are a couple claiming God what is holy, holy, holy. So the fact that he says he tells them a parable and there's 123 things he sang guys, there's nothing more important that you ever hear what I'm saying right now. Notice he goes on. Jesus wants us to know what God is like. That's what this is all about.

He wants them to know what God they have a marred view of God but the disciples and the Pharisees. Second, Jesus wants to understand the heart of the father. See if you think that God's arms are crossed and get with the program and you don't quite measure up. And, you know, here's the rules need to keep and have you done this and what about that you'll never trust God and that's not the God of the Bible got a performance.

Jesus ministered in a Middle Eastern peasant culture. Some of you that do little extra Bible study. The book is called of the cross and the prodigal or just Google. I put it I think on that on the back of the notes Dr. Ken Bailey.

He lived in the peasant cultures of the Middle East for 60 years taught at Hebrew University is one of most fascinating little books I've ever read that will go far deeper than I can in our time together. It'll give you a new lens of looking at what the world was like when Jesus was teaching even the urban and educated had their roots in the peasantry so so everyone understood what he was talking about his car like today, you could be in the city could grow up in the country but if I invited you. Let's just say I said I want you to our next Thanksgiving to come to my house. What do you assume will be the die when we can eat good tell me turkey and what else stuffing.

What else how do you know that you guys are geniuses.

How would you ever know that my wife has been prepared yet what's in American culture. What we know about thanks giving everybody knows rich people know that poor people know that white people know that black people know that you people know that any people know that right had Thanksgiving in America turkey what you need understand is even to this day. If you go to rural areas of the Middle East the cultural mandates and the boy that Jesus is talking is still true today.

How villages operate.

The role of the oldest son, the role of the elders. The role of who gets what when where why and how. And Jesus is cutting across some things that go very, very deep. The peasant culture, customs and traditions were known by everyone in the culture.

Everyone's on the same page here. He's saying some things that their minds are one being being being being being and we miss a lot of verses one or two, he says, Jesus welcomes sinners. He welcomes sinners what flabbergasted in anger the scribes and the Pharisees was a Jesus who claimed to be God and to be one with the father received sinners as friends. I'll tell you why just a minute Jesus was shaming and defiling God's reputation to the Pharisees got as high holy and other which is true but then anybody that didn't live up to their little box of righteousness.

Jesus said I am God, and one with the father. If you are one with God and your hanging out with these kind of people you are desecrating God's reputation.

It would be like someone going in and and I mean putting swastikas and in a church or a synagogue that held their angry there so angry they want to kill them. How can you welcome sinners notice it goes on he even eats with them eating a meal in the Middle East had the significance of a sacramental act signifying total acceptance and conferring a blessing in the Middle East.

If you are negotiating a contract or treaty. You never sit down and eat first because if you invite someone at your home in the Middle East and you eat within your saying were family. Therefore, if were family. You've been in my home. We shared a meal together. Therefore, I will protect you in their thinking. This man claims to be God and he's eating with prostitutes and client tax collectors and sinners.

I mean, they're just there like to point Jesus was saying yes that's what the father is like this act defiled. Jesus according to the Pharisees and in their mind.

That's why they were justified in wanting to kill them.

The word used here muttered is only used twice in the New Testament here in Luke 19, seven has a special prefix as you notice in the notes and the murmuring was through the crowd. They were stirring up public undercurrent of discontent and disapproval.

In other words, they are so upset, so angry there. Hate to hear this as he took you this to take him out. This is this is unholy. This is me this is this is the most and sub. The Pharisees are angry angry angry at Jesus action in this story this parable with the three parts is to address their misconception to address their view of God and why though their very religious there completely missing God.

Notice the progression of this chapter in the first story one and hundred right in the second story.

It's one and 10 in the third story is one into this. This is a master story teller sheet we all get right, and they rejoiced.

You don't even have to persuade people come oh yeah one in 10 masses Gen. one out of two super super precious really really important notice than the first one is out in the wilderness mean something's happening out there is lost way out there. The second is lost inside of the house in the third is lost inside of the home and so as you can see from the chart.

It's the picture God the shepherd, the woman, the father, the sinners, the lost sheep, the lost coin, the younger son and what will see is the religious sinners.

The 99 sheep. The nine coins in the older son in every story something very valuable is lost, something very very valuable is found in each one on their celebration celebration celebration and please don't miss the point. I mean it is. There's an excitement there's a joint sheet. I found the coin she's on the phone to come over.

It's unbelievable. It's amazing I found where was it was stuck in a crack in the door and you got a fighting and there was a party and there is dancing Hebrew is not a celebrate and he he's taking the story is bringing it now to the sons in the first son is will learn next time is found in how the father responds will be absolute opposite of what every elder or Jewish boy or disciple could ever even fathom or imagine that will give them a snapshot of God the father and the grace of God like never before.

And then he's going to turn the tables and he's actually going to speak to these Pharisees in ways and and offer grace even though they're trying to kill him. Jesus is teaching that sinners matter to God. Religious sinners and people that are far, far away from God and think there's no hope and that when one sinner, one person recognizes their need and says I'm far from God and I might be far from God. Read my Bible every day and going to church three times a week. I'm far from God because I know my living situation. My finances are a mess in the addictions that I have. This message is there is a father who's pursuing you and loves you. In fact here's what this it goes from hundred to 10 to 102 and actually comes right in this room. God says you matter you matter more than a sheep.

You matter more than money. You matter more than I love you I'm seeking you the Holy Spirit. Every single person that has personal relationship with Jesus Christ and his trusted his work on the cross. The spirit of God has been seeking and pursuing you and going to amazing lengths in bringing people into your life and circumstances and doing all kind of things. It got to the point where you saw that you had a need and you repented of your self-sufficiency and I don't need God. And I've got it together in my ways better than that's how much you matter but it doesn't stop the great majority of Christians I meet, get I'm saved by grace and then it's real subtle, but there's sort of this click and I'm going to now live my life out on the basis of some works mentality. God loves me. When I'm good. He doesn't limit when I'm bad college and when I read my Bible got does only what I don't know is there blessing to obedience. Of course, but you don't. Who would want to talk to someone who you believe has created you and died for you whose arms across his toes tapping and basically his number one thing is to point out how messed up you are, what if you woke up of God is for me. He's for me in my marriage. He's for me with my kids. He's for me in my single time you go to work and got us form.

He's for me on the freeway.

He cares about me. He wants to give power. He wants to give strength now working to learn. There's ways that you need to be humble and open to receiving. I did something this week as I was learning as I'm really excited because God is really speaking to me in some ways that are really fresh and and so I think was Thursday morning and I'm just part of this doesn't happen in snapshots. Nico, I get it in the sort don't get it.

Get caught up in myself. My old beliefs and so idea Thursday morning my journal. I just I just was jotting down sort of what I was learning, and if it helps. I hope it does because I want to get it from this concept in Moses's and his goodness passing in this picture to me in Monday morning and under pressure and when intended to be negative and when I'm resentful and when is wonderful as my wife and she has a day that does make me allege happy right thank you very much for your grace. Lord your disposition, your mood is one of joy and delight to see me you want to help me. You enjoy my presence in human terms you're always in a good mood when we meet here… Like that is a joy you want talk in the car you get up in the morning. He's in a good mood. He wants to see great to see a chip love to talk your countenance is a smile, a warm inviting smile of approval and welcome frown.

It's not just what what when I bring the awareness of the living got he's smiling at you, he's welcoming you. Your arms are open wide, inviting me to come near and to draw close. The embrace be protected be encouraged be close. You know, like when your kids are little and you do this in the front that's got back. He's not even standing he's actually pursuing you. It didn't stop just because your son or daughter.

Your hands are open or not closed, your hand is opening to point to what's available what's planned for me today. It's an invitation to partake of grace every day I meet with God and we start your day or in the middle of the day to Harper that it appears as if here's I got for you see this see her see that she can see this see the sense it's it's this new his other hand is his other hands like this, you know that person. That circumstance, that fear that anxiety. I will protect you.

God's hands are always like this here, here, your eyes are filled with compassion and mercy.

My sin mistakes and failure are met with your longings to forgive and remove any and all shame on about you but when I mess up.

I don't want to be around God because I think he's down what he just wants me to be as honest, when I sin just for some of us we just make mistakes.

We think it's like were not human. You make a mistake you forget something you say something you didn't mean to say you told him he would do it and you just didn't do it the promise God you wouldn't and you did. He meets my mistakes with compassion and longing to forgive and to restore and then finally you desire great things for me, and expect great things from me but your expectations are reasonable. You're mindful that I'm but dust magnificent dust made in your image, but dust and so your patient and your understanding with my struggles awesome God. For by grace you are saved through faith. That's not of yourselves. It's the gift of God not of works, you are what you are grace of God is good to be back. Just a quick reminder this message. Understanding grace is from his series, the prodigal in the perfection ships exploring the elusive concept of grace. Helping us discover the depth of God's love so crucial to understanding that our failures are never final when we bring them to him. Chip brings Jesus teaching to life.

Looking first at the heart of a merciful father and then his two sons one or prodigal, the other a perfectionist as you listen, you'll likely see a little of yourself in each of these guys.

The question is are you positioned to receive the grace your heavenly father is willing and able to leverage on you.

We hope you'll engage the question and continue the journey by digging into the messages of the series, the prodigal and the perfectionist to listen again or to check out the resource options go to LivingontheEdge.org call AAA 333-6003 or Special offers on the chipping roadmap. Hey, before I come right back and give some practical application to today's message. This is a word for men you're leading a men's group were you hang out with a bunch of guys or you're a pastor, associate pastor and what you know is when men are growing spiritually when men are leading their home. Great stuff happens and what you also know is it's a journey and it's really hard and is really difficult and so what I want you to know that's available in Father's Day's a good time is we put a little booklet together called the portrait of the father how to be the dad. Your kids need.

It's a quick read about an hour, maybe a little bit more. It's going to give you the four specific roles that God calls you and me to be as a dad, a priest, a leader, a lover and a teacher and I'll tell you how to do that with very specific ways.

Here's what I know. It was so hard to learn how to be a dad but as I learned, and as I got some other guys around me to help me learn my kids are different today, they came out completely different because God showed me what he expected of me and how he would give me the power in the grace to be that, dad. Perfect. No way.

But I made progress.

That's what I want for you and in fact we so want you to do it with others. We discounted it so that you can buy 25 1020 copies and get into a lot of people to help them to order your copy of Chip's new book, portrait of a father how to be the dad your child needs go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 and this trip just said, we've discounted this resource so you can get as many as you need. Whether it's a couple or four-year-old church.

We hope this book will encourage every dad to be the leader.

God is called them to be good to get your hands on ships new book portrait of a father before Father's Day go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 okay Chip, let's get to that application. You promised. As we closed today's program many of you that have known the Lord for many years.

I'm sure you nodded your head and said yes this is the prodigal son for the story many times it's a great parable. I'm so glad to be reminded that no matter how far off we find ourselves that God still really cares any of the fact the matter is there's other people listening today that they're hearing this and maybe they've heard it before and it's either too good to be true or it's just too hard to believe. I recently sat in a room is a man with small children wept in tears over an affair that he had and felt like God could never forgive them again. I have sat in a room with a very loving and kind mother who, in a moment of anger slapped one of her children in the face and felt like how can I live this way, and I've had more conversations with men who are stuck in the cycle of porn breaking the habit back in it breaking the habit back in it feel like there is absolutely no hope in. Here's what I want to tell you, God wasn't kidding when he gave this parable.

Here's the real key to experience God's power and his forgiveness when the level of shame and failure and hurt and despondency overwhelms you. Psalm one 4518 says the Lord is near to those who call upon him. Those who call upon him in truth there's anything we learn from the 12 step people with this until you hit rock bottom and stop playing any kind again and just come to God with the raw honesty tell them what you did. I mean, just get it so real get their hurt to get everything out.

God promises in a millisecond when you come honestly you'll meet you. Psalm 3418 says the Lord is near to the broken hearted and he saves those that are crushed in spirit. If we can forget the trying to earn his Savior pay him back going through all the Godfrey gave me. I can't forgive myself and just stop and become broken before God.

Here's the promise, your heavenly father will greet you and help you the way. This prodigal's father greeted him.

Notice it's when he turned around and just said I don't deserve anything.

Father I pray now in Jesus name to those who you are speaking so directly to right now.

Would they stop everything that they're doing, even if they have to pull off the road and would they cry out in honesty and get as real as they've ever been that they might meet your forgiveness, your love, your kindness and then would you give him the grace to tell their secret their problem to someone they can trust and take the first steps toward wholeness in Jesus name as we wrap up I want to say thanks to those who are giving regularly to the ministry of Living on the Edge you're making a huge difference helping other Christians live like Christians of your enjoying the benefits of Living on the Edge, but aren't yet on the team to do that today. You can set up a recurring donation by calling us at AAA 333-6003. Tapping the donate button or visiting us online at http://livingontheedge.org. Thanks for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do over all of us here, this is Dave Drury saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge