Easter - Risen: Reclaiming the Father Heart of God - Risen - Reclaiming the Father Heart of God, Part 1

Why do we celebrate Easter. I mean, when you boil it down. We all know the details of what actually happened. The issue is why.

Why exactly did Jesus come and what difference does it make ordinary people that's today welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge ship and the mission of these daily programs is to intentionally disciple Christians Bible teacher to cover short series called your heart for the next two programs to foster well-known parables and how that love led Jesus to make the ultimate sacrifice of 2000 years ago before we begin. If this is your first time listening to Living on the Edge or just want to learn more about us go to Living on the Edge.there you will find tons of resources on a wide range of topics, and countless programs for you to enjoy.

Or if you prefer. Shipping is also a great way to get plugged in with our ministry will have a Bible turn now to chapter 15. Today's talk working to go on a different journey. As I prayed and thought about what God would want you to hear and what he would want me to say, I realize that each year we talk about what I call the what of Easter, the history historical fact, but at least in my experience, I didn't drop believing in Jesus is my Savior but I did go to church.

In fact, I came more often on Easter and I kinda heard what I heard, the history, I heard the story, but I never made the connection so so why and you don't really get all the light from the from the Easter story, but if you could eavesdrop the very last night that Jesus was on the earth. He was praying and as he was praying it's it's one of the longest recorded prayers of Jesus and all the New Testament and he goes into the garden and he ask some of his close followers to hang with them. He's already sung him his wash their feet, they celebrated the Passover.

He knows that within an hour or so. He will be kissed by a close friend and betrayal.

I shall be taken away by a group and go through three unlawful trials throughout the night and in a matter of hours still hang upon across and I and this is his final conversation of length and depth with the father is found in John 17 a put it on the front of your notes and it reveals for us the why of Easter Jesus said this, he looked up toward heaven, and he prayed father, the hours come. Glorify your son that your son may glorify you for you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life that they know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I brought you glory on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do and now father, glorify me in your presence with the glory that I had before the world began, I have reviewed you to those whom you have given me that prayer asked really and answers three questions in the first question is simply what did he ask him what he asked was glorify the sun and the word glory can be one of those Bible words. The word literally means weight. It means to enhance the reputation of to make clear he's saying.

Father this last night. Know what I want you to do is I want you to let people see who I really am and why I really came so in order that they could see who you really are. The second question is why did he come he came to give eternal life in your in your notes and dark there could you to circle the word gave that he might give eternal life and and don't think of eternal life is a something like after you die eternal life begins. That's not what the Bible teaches. If you never knew what eternal life is.

He defines it eternal life is when you have relationship with the father. He says it's it's snowing the one true God and Jesus Christ whom he is sent.

His purpose was to remove every barrier so that you would have relationship in connection with your heavenly father and the moment you receive Christ he comes into your life and eternal life begins at that moment, and then goes on forever. Third, the question how did he do it and the answer is, he revealed what God is like.

Jesus came to reveal exactly what God is like. This may be one of the things we don't think about too much. In Jesus day. Almost everybody believes in God.

There were thousands of God's name. It was under Roman occupation. The Romans ruled, but it was a Greek culture but was a Greek culture that it conquered the world through Alexander and so they were Eastern gods and Western gods. Their work is much like I was in India a number of years ago and in one town there was a thousand gods in one town.

I thought that was a lot I talked to some people to go in and there's over a million gods and today there's all kind of gods. If you ask people do you believe in God.

Most people say yes, but they might refer to the higher power. They might say God is like the intelligent designer. I don't know what is likely some intelligent creature design some spirit being. Did this for others.

He sort of like a self-help genie and you know like there's these principles and visible principles of like mother nature in these created things and and you just live your life the best that you can in and that's God for others. See someone who's very austere and angry, and you need to pray five times a day and eat certain foods into certain things and you get on his bad side is not good if and for others it's like a principle of life like a water droplet multiplies in its God is in on everything and so you go through various renditions of life.

And if you're very fortunate, you might go to a higher level. Someday some people believe in God, while different pictures of what God is, that was true in Jesus day so Jesus came. Scripture says that no man has seen God at any time, but he Jesus has explained him or revealed him.

Jesus said if you want to know what the father's like if you've seen me, you seen the father. So I want you know the why behind Easter is Jesus wants to get clear for every single person, not some vague idea of a God or a belief in God, but a very very specific picture of God the God that created the God whose real limit give you an example of how important this is. I'm going to say a word and skin to be something that either. Most of you own or most of you drive and when I say this word just I want the picture of what you think about when I say this work. Okay, ready 1 to 3 car, what comes to my car, I'm going to guarantee at least in one mine immediately. Someone said Lamborghini right for some of you it was car rusted. I need a new one.

For others it was car, and you thought we got eight kids we adopted for more. It's a 15 passenger van. For others it was BM W. For others it was for others it was shabby.

For others it was sedan for others it was luxury.

How many people believe in car everybody when you say Carly can mean so many different things Jesus came that when you say God it would not mean all these different things that you think it is.

But once and for all people would know this is what God is like toes or output is quote in your notes is one of my favorite authors.

He says what comes to your mind what comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you and I believe that's true.

I mean, what comes to your mind when you say car if you got nine kids influences come with us. We have car and you get there with your nine kids and it's a Lamborghini you got a problem. You seem how you envision God to be is how you understand yourself. It's how you interpret the world it changes everything.

It's how you treat other people. If God is some sort of rendition of just invisible, lifeless, and personal principles and people are getting what they deserve. You don't help them. They're just getting what they got from a past life. If God is really angry and mad at everyone and you must be appeased in his or is a wrathful God, then you need to extend his wrath and eliminate anything or anyone that disagrees your view of God changes everything. So Jesus the why of Easter is he want you to clear specific picture of what God is really like.

Sometimes the most religious people in the world have the most warped view of God and ask if you will to open to Luke chapter 15 in the New Testament Matthew, Mark, Luke and Jesus is going to tell a story to make clear exactly who God is not as you get there.

The reason he's going to tell the story is that the religious leaders he is messing with their picture of God. They have a picture of of God who has the scales and the people that live like them in a squeaky clean. God really cares about anybody else are losers and Jesus is kind of messing with him because he hangs out with quote sinners and prostitutes and and that they tax collectors and their comfortable around him but they know he doesn't approve of their lifestyle, but he loves them and he accepts them and he doesn't talk at them or about them actually goes to there house goes to the coffee shop hangs out with them.

He cares about and the religious leaders called Pharisees are going in the businesses of this is not good. This doesn't make sense. And so Jesus wants to answer them in answering them. He's going to give a crystal clear picture of what God is really like, so that when we leave will know not just the what in the history of Easter, but the why and what you can learn is he's going to give a parable. It's singular, but inside the parable will be three quick stories and each story builds on the last one. The first one is about a lost sheep, the second one is about a lost coin, and the third one is about some lost sons. So follow along. But let me read the story and then will come to discover what was really going on and I want to help you understand today who God really is and how he feels about you. We pick it up in verse one is another tax collectors and the sinners were all gathering around to hear him, but the Pharisees and the teachers. The law muttered this man welcomes sinners and even eats with them.

Then Jesus told them this parable. Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them does not leave the 99 in open country and go after lost sheep until he finds it, and when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and he goes home and then he calls his friends and his neighbors together. He says rejoice with me. I found my lost sheep.

I tell you 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. So noticing your notes. Here's the pattern.

Something is lost, followed by an intensive search.

Something is found. And then there is a celebration or party. And then there is a snapshot in here there's a snapshot of heaven.

There's a snapshot that okay. What matters to a shepherd sheep.

If you lose a sheep. You go find in that day the boys and the men, their ears perked up when I heard this one because shepherding was a very common occupation.

Not only that, but if you are shepherd if you lost sheep.

You had to pay for it unless you can demonstrate wild animals killed and so in the back of their mind. They know that God is a shepherd member the 23rd Psalm the Lord is my shepherd, so all of a sudden you're thinking whatever he's talking about it. It's a lot like how a shepherd feels about sheep. They matter will do whatever it takes will so the ladies don't get left out. We have been the second story. This is about a coin or suppose a woman has 10 silver coins and loses one that she got 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 in the same way I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents now ladies if you have your wedding band and a diamond ring, whether it's small or large. It matters right and if you happen to be doing the dishes and you take off your ring in your wedding band and you do the dishes and rinse the slides here in the slides here and maybe goes down the disposal, and pretty soon you realize like hours later it's gone menu you tear the kitchen apart when you will these ladies in this day they would have 10 coins in a band around their head off and it was their dowry that each coin was college rock mutton was worth about one days wage and and so if you lost one of those. It would be like losing your your diamond ring or your wedding band and so what matters to a woman when she thinks about her marriage, let alone the financial cost she scours to this matters in which he finds his homeboy. She puts it back on. He says with that kind of intensity with that kind of passion, but that kind of desire, not just heaven. Is there a party, but if you want to know what the angels are doing. Here's the snapshot the Angels. These angelic eternal beings. They party they celebrate they sing when one person who was far away from God comes close to God has eternal life story number three, the parable of the lost son are literally it's a lost sons, Jesus continued there was a man who had two sons, the younger one said to his father.

Father give me my share of the estate, so he divided his property between them. 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 basically he took a Vegas trip after he had 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 as a citizen of that country to send into the fields to feed his pigs in a pure Jewish boy and your job is feeding pigs.

This is not good but it gets worse. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything to eat and so I'm he's hit rock bottom so it says he came to his senses and he said how many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving I will set out and I will get back to my father and this is what I will say 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 and then here's the part where the story changes. This is the part where the Pharisees are listening to the story and so far it's making sense and this is the part where their sense of justice in their religiosity and in their view of God gets absolutely turned around because they would think the story is okay son finally back you had enough.

I told you not to go. You don't measure up.

Well I'll tell you what, here's the way it works.

You know, servants live in the house hired like you just apologize to me, the hired people live in the village and you can live in the village and it will take about 15 or 20 years because I had to liquidate a lot of property. You can pay me back, and then we'll talk about what you can be my son again. That would be the Pharisees version what God is like is not what Jesus said Jesus changes their entire view of God but the father said to the servants quick bring the best robe and 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 this son of mine was dead he's alive again.

He was lost any sound. So they began to celebrate now.

Just before we talk about the younger son let's finish the story because there's an unexpected ending what we see is what we seem right. Someone is lost.

But did you notice that no one goes searching the father is waiting and looking, but no one goes and finds him. He comes to his senses. He turned repent means to turn around. He turns around and comes back. His father greets him an exception.

We'll talk about that in his older brothers out in the fields with unexpected ending because the older brother of the Pharisees and Jesus is going to say something very radical to them. Meanwhile, the older brother was in the field when he came near the house. He heard music and dancing, so he called one of the servants and ask him, like what in the world going on for your brothers come home. We were plotting your father is killed that a calf because he's home safe and sound. Notice the response. The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him, but he answered his father look all these years of enslaving for you never disobeyed your orders that you never even gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

But when this son of yours squandered your property with prostitutes comes home. You kill the fat a calf for him.

Father's response, my son. The father said you're always with me and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is now alive he was lost and now I found let's do just a little analysis and, look what's happening. First of all to understand the story and know the young son the young sons request is the basically I want my now and in Jewish culture. The oldest son got a double portion of inheritance and that was divided among the rest of he's going to get 1/3 of all the estate. The implication basically is.

I wish you were dead dad doesn't get. This is rejection. I wish you were dead. I don't want you I just want the stuff that comes to me under Jewish law. The father would not have to do that he could just kick them out of family.

But this father doesn't do that.

The implications for the father or social and economic number one he's embarrassed we can imagine when your kid says I don't like you. I don't love you. I don't want any part of you but I want 1/3 of your house. 1/3 of your 401(k) and you what you got three cars and taken one so he now is selling properties got a liquidate to get 1/3 of his resources to get the biscuit. So the father is really looking back then the sun hits rock bottom and he gets to the point Reese hopeless. He's morally, spiritually, relationally and financially bankrupt. He understands he's lost your keys. He's done his Vegas trip his life and working out. He's been he's tried it. He's done it.

He's been there and he realizes and this is this is nuts. I got my way in my way didn't work and so it says it comes to his senses and he returns home.

But while he is on his way home.

Apparently the father every day was looking and looking and then there's some things here that are very subtle for Jewish culture, but they make a big difference to us because Jesus is explaining God the father. He's not distant. He's not austere he's not angry he's not wrathful and so when he sees his son number and says he runs to meet him now.

They wore long robes. The only way you could run would be to lift your robe and run for a grown man a patriarch to show his legs would be embarrassing would never do that. And then when he greets his son what does he do he he interrupts his confession and he hugs him and embraces him. He says get the best robe and put it on will who has the best robe and the father's house is the father's robe and they said put a ring on his finger. What this this is like the way they did business then you have a ring a signet ring of family ring. It would mean your part of the family should be like if you're part of the family company.

They give you the company credit card the black American Express with your name on it.

Your part of the family again. If you are a slave you went barefooted, but it's getting sandals. He's a son and then rarely would have a big celebration, especially with meet the fatted calf would be.

I mean we only do this for liking of the 50 year anniversary and he just blows out the door and the whole town would be invited and the younger son expected to have to earn his way back to God to live in little village to pay him back over time to someday someone earn God's favor and Jesus is saying and that's how people think about my father and I came to explain. He's not like that at all. There's nothing anyone can ever do at any time to work their way back to God. It's grace. I love you. In fact, the father's waiting he's looking he's searching it was true then and it's true now, and there's some of us that we we went down younger son passed before we ever understood that God loved us, and for a lot of us, you know, we were on this bad bad path and we didn't want to come back as we thought. I know what I'm going here you know, arms crossed, toetapping God telling me you messed up and you live with so-and-so and had an abortion over here. Even through one marriage over here your bankrupt your house is upside down. What's the upside down because you were greedy then you did this and you nannying and we just we just medicate ourselves and we don't know there's a father who says I'm just looking for you to come back so that I can give you my robe of righteousness that I can make you a part of my family and seal it and I want you know that I love you not. If not, because your life will change but you don't clean up your life to get back in my favor. That's why Jesus came so that's how the story goes, listening to the chirping and the message you just heard is from our Easter series was reclaiming the father heart of God. For more information about this ministry or are many resources go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org which it before we sure this Easter message we heard from your wife Teresa who talked about our innate value to God through her series precious in his sight talk for a minute if you would about the connection between our identity in Christ and Easter. Dave, I just have to tell you I think there's a an amazing Segway is a new Christian. One of the very first verses that I memorize with second Corinthians 5 verse 17 if any man were of any woman is in Christ, you're a new creation the old things passed away behold all things become new and you have so often.

I think we are good at telling the story of Easter right you know awesome, fully man and fully God, God the son died in our place, was buried, rose again the third day, and he's ascended into heaven, and we get that picture.

But what we forget is it so that we have new life we have a brand-new identity were up brand-new person and I think we spent an awful lot of time talking about the story and the facts that is so important.

But we forget it's the birthing of a absolutely new person and that's really what being precious in his sight is all about is I'm thrilled we can offer this book and these affirmation cards during this season were really celebrating Jesus died for you. You died with him. You rose with him, you are a new person with a new identity. Now the question is how do you live that out fixture.

Well, I can't encourage you enough to get Teresa's new book precious in his sight, and a set of or affirmation cards that we bundled together. If you haven't thought of it already. These resources would make great Mother's Day gifts for any of the women in your life.

So be sure to place your order by April 29 to receive this bundling time for all the details, go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org app listeners tap special offers. As we wrap up I want to thank those of you who make this program possible through your generous financial support you gifts help us create programs. Purchaser time and develop additional resources to help Christians live like Christians. Have you been blessed by the ministry of Living on the Edge.

Would you consider sending a gift today. Call us at AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org app listeners tap donate your support is greatly appreciated will and selects time. This is to say thanks for listening.

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