Unquenchable Love

What church are different locations here in the trial and the many of you that are joining us by lifestream, whether at home. Home group or with your drive around in a car will welcome all of you. We are a church that meets in many different locations of the weekend because of coded but as were beginning to come back and regather in person. Hopefully the amount of those locations will be decreasing even as our numbers are increasing. But it is good for all of you. Once they walked all of you as we are together again. Here is one church, I get to start with some good news again this morning. You will have already heard from your campus teams that over 3400 people made a commitment last week to be a disciple making disciple to live as a worshiper as a family member is servant as a steward and as a witness. What they did not tell you is that over 300 of those were first-time decisions of people to trust and follow Jesus over 300.

Yes, you should put your heads together not likely that is amazing is 300 people that are going for me and spectator the actual disciple of Jesus. When you think about the amount of people that gather as route on the weekend the crowd is not not who really belongs to Jesus are those who work living this disciple making disciple soap like you heard from your campus pastor or someone from your campus team.

There still time for you to make that commitment. If you have not yet wants to go to summer church.com you can do that anytime today or you could even touch the word commit right now. 33933. If you will do that then we will immediately get back with you and it's very easy.

I know some of you say your little bit like me. I'm a little skeptical, to be totally honest with you, and you like why is this even important. I don't need to fill anything out to actually be a disciple to actually be serious about following Jesus. Here is why it is important from time to time for us to take stock and to renew our priorities and I would say that this is probably not. Probably it is definitely the most important priority of all and so I will say without hesitation. If you were all in with Jesus and you are not ashamed to admit it, I want you to make this commitment at this church is your church now. If you are unclear about whether you're all in or not. You're not really sure what you want Eunice checking things out. By all means don't do this, but we want everybody who considers themselves a part of this church who is serious about following Jesus to do this. Whether you been a Christian for 15 minutes or 15 years as we emerge here from lockdown. This is a really good way for us to reset and to recalibrate okay with 15 if you catch Bibles this morning. I hope that you brought up with 15 open them up, turn them on whatever you got a good 15 one of Christian history's most famous paintings is Rembrandt's return of the prodigal son Victor here I actually put up three but many don't know about this painting is that this was actually Rembrandt's second painting of the prodigal son, the first Rembrandt did in 1637 when he was only 30 years old and that version of this picture Rembrandt places the prodigal son in a brothel. The colors are bright. He's got this elated look on his face and drink in one hand and a beautiful woman on his lap and you look closely, they say you can see that Rembrandt painted his own face as the face of the prodigal in the second version, which I have here picture for you which is one that Rembrandt painted at the very end of his life was in fact his last painting his last statement to the world about his life. It is clear that by this point in his life.

His view of the story had changed the mood of this version is fundamentally different in this. When everything is dark. The colors are muted and you can feel the brokenness of the prodigal, and in the light in the picture directs you to that. The overwhelming compassion of the father and the first painting, the focus was on the prodigal in the second, the focus is entirely on the father most interesting to me, perhaps, is that is the fact that in this second painting. Rembrandt does not put his face on the returning prodigal biographer say that that was intentional and that was because Rembrandt doesn't want you and me looking at the painting say no luck look see that one there.

That's Rembrandt know he wants us to see ourselves in the story and he wants her focus not to be on the prodigal.

He wants it to be on the compassion of the father. You see this story is the biography the one you look at today is the biography of every single person in human history. Put into a pair of it is the story of our relationship with God. It is your story again look 15 to begin in verse 11. Verse 11 shows you that the story has three main characters. There is a younger son he's the one that we typically call the prodigal. There is an older son who has a very important role in the story that we sometimes overlook.

And then there is the father a couple of things that people usually get wrong about the story first. They think the main character is the runaway son, but the main character as Rembrandt realized is the father. The father is mentioned no less than 12 times in a span of 20 versus second thing they get wrong is that they think the word prodigal means runaway. That's not what the word prodigal means prodigal is an old-fashioned word that means reckless or wasteful. The prodigal spends and spends until he has nothing left. The word prodigal only appears one time in the story and it's a reference to the sun blowing all of his money. What I want to try to show you today is that when you see the bigger point in the story, you will realize that the word prodigal applies just as much to the father as it does to the son because the story is about the recklessness of God's love as extravagant as is the younger son spending even more extravagant is the father's love and redeeming, but verse 11 verse 11 there was a man who had two sons and the other of them said to his father. Father give me the share property is coming to me in the story Jesus gives you a picture of the anatomy of sin and analysis of sin.

Sin almost always has three distinctive elements right. The first is a desire for independence, the sun does not want to be in the father's house. The sun does not want to be under the father's guidance and care and protection. He doesn't want to be under the father's rules for years.

I've explained to my own children, that the essence of sin is revealed and how you spell the word. How do you spell the word sin SI in the middle letters I send is when I want to be in the center. I want to be in charge� I want to make the rules, not him my way, my desires, my glory, this boy thinks my ways are better than my fathers. I am the wisest. The second element of sin is a demand for instant gratification. A demand for instant gratification. The sun does not want to wait for his inheritance.

It's all coming to them anyway but he wants it now. Quite often people get tangled up in sin because they can't wait for God's timing. I gotta have it all.

Right now or I cannot be happy you're the writer of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament identifies this this demand for instant gratification as the reason that a lot of people forfeit eternity in heaven uses the Old Testament story of Esau to illustrate that Esau was the firstborn son of Isaac, and he comes in from hunting one day and he is powerful hungry, so his conniving younger brother Jacob offers to give him a bowl of porridge. If Esau would yield to him the rights of the privileges of the firstborn. Now this was a colossally stupid trait you are trading your entire retirement portfolio for a cold beer, but in an incredible act of insanity.

Esau does it in the writer of Hebrews uses this to illustrate what many people do with their eternity, particularly with their desires for sexual immorality. They sacrifice the eternal on the altar of the temple. They give away eternal life and happiness with God for a temporary thrill that doesn't last long and doesn't really satisfy anyway so your second part of sin is this demand for instant gratification. The third element in the most serious element of all is a desire for the father's death, desire for the father to be dead. The father is an obstacle to the boys freedom.

It's not that he hates his dad is a man. It's just that his dad represents an obstacle to doing things his way and so we once in Gaul right in saying give me my inheritance is like. I wish you were already dead.

He wants his dad's stuff but he doesn't want his dad.

You know, there are few things more painful than a parent could ever experience. But every parent knows that there comes a point when it is useless to try to to force an adult child to do something that they don't want to do so. Verse 12 a broken heart.

The father divided his property between them, which leads us to our first point, God loves you when you break his heart see the shock of the story to the Jewish audience is that this father does not respond well Jewish fathers in that they were expected to respond back in Deuteronomy 21. The Jewish law, so that a boy that did such a thing should be stoned to death.

This kind of rejection. This kind of arrogance and pride ungratefulness. This kind of rebellion Jewish losses was worthy of death, even in those situations where they family did not carry through with the sentence Jewish community performed a ceremony called the Zaza because as I which literally meant cutting off in which they would declare the rebellious boy to be dead to them and no one in the community would ever speak to them again. The shock of the story is that this father does not respond that way he lets his son go and instead of pursuing him in anger.

He opens up his hands and he gives his son the inheritance literally. In Greek the word for inheritance of the word bios is very life.

This was more than given the boy little money, but he let the boy go, even though it tore his very soul. Verse 13.

Not many days later, the younger son gathered all that he had a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless. There's your word prodigal in reckless living and we have spent everything a severe famine arose in that country and he began to be in need. So he wets and hired himself out. One of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs he was longing to be fed with the pods of the pigs. Eight.

No one gave him anything. Number two God loves you as you wander in the darkness. God loves you as you wander in the darkness. This young prodigal's new life started out swimmingly sin always does these in the far country right he's away from the father.

He's away from the restrictions. He's away from the guidelines where he enjoys now everything that money can buy sin always starts out this way it's parties and freedom and excitement but then the wind changed, which they always do.

The money ran out. The friends left. Then came the brokenness, the loneliness now this young man who'd grown up in privilege and promise is reduced to begging his new life ends with him taking the lowest job in all of Israel feeding pigs pigs were unclean. They were defiled, and there we find this boy sitting in the pan with the big dirty defiled hungry so hungry that he sharing food with the page wondering how in the world that got the better you are this weekend, maybe sexual sin has led you to a series of relationships where you can barely even look at yourself anymore. It's a pornography addiction seem to start out harmless enough and now it's got you in a place that you don't even know how you got there. Maybe it's alcoholism or its drugs. When you've lost your job. You're losing your family during debt you're listening to me right now from prison. That path you chose all the money in all the excitement all the thrills it promised so much but has not led where promised the pleasures of sin or real, but they only last for a season. Eminem who typically don't hold a lot during sermons be acknowledged recently as this. Gotta be careful what you wish for. Always wish for this but it's become more of a nightmare than a dream or take Billy eyeless to the number one album in 2019. At only 18 years old she said recently in an interview famous trash. Why is it because the more famous I got the less I enjoy my life. The beaver explained recently even a lot of money close cars, accolades, achievement awards, and I was still unfulfilled verse on how lonely some of you probably heard that it which explains that journey. Maybe that's where you are this weekend you're in the far country. There's a good news. God loves you as you wander in the darkness is never stop loving you.

She's almost read the story and in split screen on one side of the screen is the son and his reckless living on the other side, though, is the father who's never looked away. The sun doesn't realize it, but at that very moment that he is eating with the pigs.

The father is looking his direction. Loving him thinking about him. He's never stop using. Many people assume that God loves them only when they return home and only after they cleaned up their lives.

That is not true.

God loved us while we were still sinners. While we were wandering in the far country you got good news for you this weekend.

Your sin did not cancel God's love for you. We live in a cancel culture.

You offend me. I cancel you sin did not cancel God's love for you right now he is looking for you right now is longing for you to come home and I Hosea door God says through Hosea my people are bent on turning for me, but I just do evil. There bent on doing evil there addicted to doing evil that all they do is think about how to get away from it all they do is resent me all they do is stay angry at me. So what is God respond with. I'll show you who's God know per se how can I give you up, Ephraim. How can I turn you over all Israel, when you were doing evil when you were actually worse. God says not just doing evil, but bent on doing evil when you're addicted to it.

It was then that God cried out. How can I give you up when you are your worst. That's what he loved you the most, miracle of miracles are sin did not cancel God's love for us. It's almost as if it made him love us more. He loves you while you wander in darkness, and the three God loves you as you brings you back. God loves you brings you back for 17 when he came to himself how many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread. I perish here with hunger. I know I will arise and go back to my father now saving a father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants, and he rose and came to his father. One thing you may not notice about the story. It looks in the story like the sun just up and decides to come home on his own but that's not true. You see the third.

This is the third of three stories in which Jesus talks about God's love for sinners. The first is a story about a lost sheep Shepherd, Jesus said, had 100 sheep and one my missing Shepherd couldn't just cut his losses and rejoice in the 90 and nine, yet he left the one, even though it probably would've made better sense.

Just pay attention to the 99 that the shipper couldn't do that. I read up a business book recently that explained that we tend to focus too much on business that we lose, not realizing that usually it would be more profitable to focus on developing what we have left than it is trying to go after will be lost. And I suppose that is usually good business advice, but that does not work when you love the one that you lost. You have to find you can't be happy when it's lost. In fact, the Shepherd in the story has more joy over the one that your claim number 99 that are there healthy and fruitful and multiply. That's how God feels about you. Like the Shepherd he is out looking for you right now he is calling out to you the second story Jesus tells us about a lost coin that same situation woman's got 10 coins that you lose one somewhere in her house similar to the previous story should just rejoice in the nine she has left you pulled apart the house piece by piece under the rug and she takes her questions out of the sofa and she gets over closing dumped all the pockets and check the washing machine and dryer until she finds out lost one unit of feeling when you lose your credit card. You can't be talking to the other sex you have in your wallet got up on the one that lost the desperation this woman feels for the coin. The climax of Jesus trilogy.

In this is the story about the loss on the nature of love that adjusts doesn't stop. He can't give up several years ago, Rick Langston was one of early pastors younger son Michael who just disappeared one day nobody were he was even having a tough time in school and the one getting along at home within one day he was just up and all his parents frantically called around but nobody had any idea where he was. Rick said he remembered his son talking. I wanted to run away to New York City so he and another one of our pastors. David Thompson jumped into a car and drove all night up to New York City or Shiraz. New York City is a humongous place so when I got to the edge of the city, they stopped. They prayed and they split up.

David headed over to Times Square and when times were about where would Michael go in Times Square.

We went into the McDonald's and there sat Michael called Rick and he said simply that I found some Rick told me he said I never heard three sweeter words and all of my life.

I found, by the way, Mike is now married and he is like Megan oblong drawer downtown campus in the service foster parents of the service terms are very well indeed, but the point is, this is the desperation that God feels for you when you were lost, he can't be happy until he finds you again.

You'll see it illustrated as much in this final story, but he is seeking you to select Shepherd goes out looking for the cheaper the woman goes out looking for the lost coin. He puts things into your life to call out to you to wake you up. Sometimes it's a memory that you can't shake. Sometimes it's up conversation that just comes out of nowhere.

Sometimes it's pain a broken marriage, a severed relationship, a lonely heart of failed career thought once with a professional athlete here in the area who was one of the most promising young athletes around here just signed a multiyear, multimillion dollar contract with a professional team that he and some buddies had hopped on the some motorcycles going out to have some fun.

Yet an accident where he shattered his leg in multiple places beyond repair is contract stipulated that if you hurt himself while riding a motorcycle.

His contract will be null and void. That meant that in the space of just a moment he had lost literally everything.

We were sitting together the Mad Hatter in downtown Germany.

He told me to tears in his eyes he said, as I lay there in that hospital room all to think it's why would God do this to me is a mother thought was I can't believe I threw away my entire career for a few seconds on a motorcycle. He confessed to me there, sitting there in a coffee shop that he had not been walking with God. But this accident and forced him to rethink some things and that's when you come into our church. That's when I had met him. So there we sit in the middle the Mad Hatter in downtown Durham.

I looked at him I said hey man, I don't mean to speak to boldly or presumptively, but I don't think you should interpret this as God's anger at you I think you should interpret it at his kindness to see you said I can't believe I threw away my entire career for a few seconds on a motorcycle.

But what if God was waking you up before you throw away your entire currency for a few seconds and the spotlight, remember him sitting there saying I get it I get it I get it now understand what God is trying to say to me. I asked him what man you want to give your life to Christ he said here, so why not explain him how he could pray to receive Christ. I'll never forget as he reached across that table, unprompted, and grabbed both my hands and started to pray, not in a quiet voice, but the whole place of the Mad Hatter turned into like a little prayer places this very well known to be professional athlete prayed and gave his heart to Christ as one of those amazing events that I've ever been a part of not typical for that Mad Hatter crowded downtown Durham. By the way Sen. for many of you that's exactly what he has been doing and you maybe this weekend.

He's put you flat on your back like we say around here sometimes to that you would finally be looking in the right direction.

Hey listen I'm I try to be too mystical, but you understand that it is not an accident that you are here today if not an accident that you are listening, you might've felt like it was a random invitation or random invitation from a friend or that friend kept texting you this link and you will like fine just to get you off my back.

I'll click it I'll watch it for two minutes. That way I can say I watched it, but now you're still here and you're still listening. CS Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia.

The best one of those global horse and his boy in him that when Lewis tells a story of a boy running away, but throughout the entire journey as he runs away from his dad he hears footsteps the occasional roar in the distance. CS Lewis said that he was putting in the story form. In this book, how he CS Lewis experience God pursuing him. He said God was whispering to me in my pleasures telling me there was something more God was screaming at me in the desperate feeling that I had in my pain. Can't you see this happening right now in your life loves you. She draws you back that's what you're experiencing right now. She loves you she draws you back before God loves you he wraps you in his arms. God loves you as you wraps you in his arms. It says verse manager oversight is where we are on the story while he was still a long way off, his father Solomon felt compassion ran couple things here. First of all that work, compassion might be my favorite recordable if you been around some of you for me to tell you what is important.

The record split on essay like that on purpose because it's degrees onomatopoeia. I'm out of here where word sounds like what is splash trash supplied mountain means an emotion from the balance like your got down here. They arises spontaneously smooth out your essay.

I'll see you Saturday supplied not not everybody home to don't service RE/MAX blog not evidence. I direction you're not saying it right.

It's a compassion that is just comes from the deepest part of who you are.

It's almost like you can't control it. This emotion this father feels comes from somewhere deep inside of it. You have to think about it. It's almost like a reflex.

It's instinctive. This is not a calculated all right what's the right thing to do here kind of decision. This is what is naturally in the father's heart all throughout the Gospels we find that phrase in Jesus was moved. He was overcome with compassion's blog he was.

He was even it was moved by compassion and he sealed the people and he taught them. It was the most natural gut reaction to Jesus had in the presence of sin and suffering destroy the woman who touched Jesus in Luke says that that Jesus felt the power go out of them. Almost like he wasn't even cognizant of it when it happened almost like you wouldn't control it like it was a reflex of Haldane Oreland explains this is is a love that cannot be held back when he sees his people in pain so this a few weeks ago. The story of Jesus healing the man and his friends lowered through the roof before they can even open their mouths words of reassurance and healing just came tumbling out of Jesus's mouth. It's his natural instinct he is love and kindness all the way through some of the most natural thing to him when he sees someone that he loves and pain is. His heart is just overcome with compassion you say wait a minute Doug but doubtful wrath about sin. Yes, but the point is that is not his first instinct and emotion is first instinctive emotion is compassion. I need you to understand is what he feels for you this weekend were notices that were ran, grown men in those days do not run even our day. Grown men don't usually just run in public easier. Grown men running to the mall because he just committed a crime or some I try to commit a crime against him was especially true in those days. Running was considered undignified. Furthermore, men of stature. War roads.

Roads are not good for running.

Nobody was a marathon. The full ankle-length robe to run this man would've had to lift up the front of the robe and expose his knees with something like a big deal to us. But in those days I was considered a nakedness is considered shameful if the father seems oblivious to all of this be so overcome with compassion for his son, but he's forgotten everything else. Example always like to use hears Jimmy Valvano 1983 when Nancy stayed did the incredible won the national championship after Lorenzo Charles: airball shot my dear Wittenberg to this day maintained it was a pass on to start you watch taking the side and then Lorenzo Duncan at the buzzer, then buzzer goes off and puts all items of run around like a crazy person that he looks insane, but things he didn't care.

He didn't care what if you Saul. And that just a glimpse of the excitement, the God we feel if you came home. Father embraced in many kissed him begin to whisper in his ear. Assurances of his love my wife Veronica tells a story, but she wanted away from God. During high school years grown up in a Christian home or love really cold and she is again to wander in cannot go to college. She decided that was to be her break. She was gonna leave Christian faith behind the she went to UVA that first semester and she said I just was. This is me walking away from Jesus. She said the next couple months and got invited by a friend going to Christian ministry retreat. She said I'm not even sure why went but I'm positive that I was tricked into going like I do something about your the beach and some friends and the next thing you know they go by the speaker and singer.

There also, she said at the end of one of the talks, the subject of which she cannot even remember said the speaker asked the attendees to pair off and pray for one another bronchus I never met the girl sitting next to me. We never had even a single conversation but she began to pray out over me exactly what was going on in my life. This girl verbalized in prayer thing she would've had no way to know my fears, my questions my sins and then she began to pray the love of God into my life bronchus that I felt completely exposed. I knew in that moment that God was confronting me, revealing my brokenness speaking is love whispering his love into my ear. I was completely undone.

God had demonstrated to her that he knew her every secret and loved her anyway. I'm telling you is that if you stop right now you listen, Tony, that is what God is whispering to you this should know right now you think this is me and Tony are right as you speaking to you.

The son said to him, verse 21, but I've sinned against heaven and before you no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said it was serviced by the way you notice that the sun never got there was a prepared speech. He planned to tell his dad about this plan to become a servant to work out the debt is that success shot off and says the service was 22. Bring quickly the best robe and put it on and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet and bring the fattened calf and kill it and let us even celebrate for this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost now is found that they began to celebrate number five God loves you as he baptizes you with grace and makes all things new, gives her son three gifts. The first is a robe and not just any robot away the best robe, which by the way, the best robe to belong to the father. That means the dad was giving the son his own garment ring. This is a symbol of the family authority is immediately the sun is being restored to his status as a son with all the rights and privileges thereof. Sandals sandals were a sign of wealth servants in those days, did not wear shoes in the house, only son. In other words, not only did the father withhold punishment. The father bestow gifts is the greatest word in the English language and the word that separates the Christian message from every other religious message in history. Grace God not only withholding from us the anger that we do deserve but also showering us with multiplied goodness that we do not deserve the punishment, there's not even a word of mention of who pays for the sun's reckless living. There's no talk about either. By the way, the father had already given the sun his full share of the inheritance which means that all these new gifts are coming out of his own stores, the father absorbs the debt. Where's the shame seems been removed.

The only scene in the story is experienced when the father lifts up his robe and runs after the boy. You see, this story gives us the smallest glimpse into how Jesus would save us on the cross.

The cross was Jesus running after us covering us in grace. They are at the cross, Jesus would take upon himself our shame. There he was going to be beaten and spat upon them and not the Romans always crucified criminals in public places to humiliate them. People walk by Jesus and taunted save yourself miracle. Boy was I got think of you as my beloved son, now does it there at the cross Jesus absorbed the cost of your sin sin Encarta penalty. But just like the father in the story Jesus did not require that payment from you as the nails were driven into his hands and his feet. He was absorbing in your place, that penalty into himself. He was wanted for our transgressions, and Bruce from my iniquities paying the price so that I could be at peace with God.

All we like sheep have gone astray return every one of us to our own way of the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Interestingly, the part of Deuteronomy 21 that I quoted earlier where it says that rebellious son should be stoned. Right after that I'm willing right after you run the 21 says everyone who hangs on a tree will be considered cursed by God. It almost seemed like a random insertion we could talk about one thing and it's only throwing this other thing seems random now on the side of the cross.

We know that is not random. Moses was prophesying some 1200 years before Jesus that all of us like the prodigal son begin to reject our father and all of us working to bring that curse of death on ourselves and Jesus was going to come and be hung up on a tree to suffer the curse and shame that we had incurred he was going to have sore our person pay or penalty at the crosses were Jesus took off the garments of our sin and clothed us in the robe of his righteousness out of his own closet. The cross is where Jesus placed on our finger. The ring of a new life to as many as received him, then he gave the right the authority to be called the children of God, and that includes the authority by the way for you to overcome sin and evil by his power means the power to put your family back together means the power to escape the curse of the addictions of stamp all that belongs to Jesus now belongs to you. The crosses where he put on our feet. The sandals have a privileged position with the father to the wing come boldly into his presence like sons not like service you see at the cross, God made him who knew no sin to become sin for us. He made the one who had not departed to be as one who had departed so that we might be made the righteousness of God in him marvelous grace of our loving Lord Grayson exceeds our sin and our guilt yonder on Calvary's mountain out port there where the blood of the lamb was spilt golf. The cross had never happened.

This whole parable would be just a quaint little story about a dad's love for his kid. When you read this story in the light of the cross you see that God is the true prodigal God is the one who spent himself recklessly and extravagantly ran to you who embraced you and kiss to include you in power and the grace bottle MOC. This is the second but in Jewish culture. It was the responsibility of the older son to go out after wandering younger son this whole parable Jesus is asking the Pharisees want you doing that, Jesus, and coming to earth watches plays a part of the older brother also went out after the lost son. Even the taking, even taking the death penalty, the younger son deserves, but the main point that I want you see all of this lesson is that this whole story from start to finish is paid in the love of God, God loved us when we rejected him. He loved us when we wandered he loved us when he brings us back. He loves us as he baptizes with grace. A lot of times people talk about salvation as if it's this calculated theological transaction debated that he did know that he didn't pay is not a calculated theological transaction is God's heartbroken pursuit of you that is what is saturated the whole thing from start to finish. He knew you and loved you before even the foundation of the world's love. Dane Ortman says not like a lightning strike in your life, it just occurs at one point your conversion.

It's like an avalanche like an avalanche of start and just builds throughout your life and the deeper you going to send the crater. It is for you� Feel for you this morning. Which leads me to two final quick things before we close. Number six, God loves you.

You're too proud to receive his grace. 25. What's this now his older son was in the field and as he came and drew near to the house. He heard music and dancing because one of the servants and asked for the things Matt and the servant said to him your brothers come home and your fathers kill the fattened calf because he's received him back safe and sound for 28 but he was angry and he refused to go with. So his father came out and entreated him but he answered his father looked these many years I have served you and I never disobeyed your command. If you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours comes home who is devoured your property with prostitutes you kill the fattened calf for him over in the spirit of the way my family okay so one person was not happy that the sun had come back to what and had my son raises hand and said that it calf as a guess that is also true is not exactly what I was thinking about the fatted calf certainly had a bad day, but Sycamore the older son because he was angry. 31. He said him son, you're always with me smile ensures it is fitting to celebrate and be glad for this. Your brother was dead and is alive.

He was lost and is found eldest brother on the surface looks like the opposite of the younger son right. He's a good boy but there's a subtle detail that you don't want to overlook this older brother is also outside of the house. Father has to go out to him also touching a lot in common with the younger brother both want the father's things, but neither really wants the father both want the father's inheritance, but neither wants to be like the father.

This older brother doesn't want to be with his dad. Either he resents his father's grace and he has no desire to be like him who is Jesus directing the story what we know.

The occasion for him telling the story is that action tells us in chapter 15 verse two.

It said that the Pharisees and scribes were complaining.

This man welcomes sinners and eats with them. This story is Jesus's response so that the Pharisees don't understand God's love for broken people because they don't see themselves as broken, but they are what Jesus is teaching here is that there are two ways that you can stay separated from God to waste one you can run off to the far country like the younger brother and just give yourself to reckless sin.

The other way to stay separated from God is to stay near the house of religion and use rule keeping the cover up the fact that you're not like God and you don't really love him in some ways the religious brother is worse off is always the younger brother knows that he needs redemption, the pride of the older brother keeps them from seeing how truly broken. He is, he's a stranger living in the house. See, the Bible says all of us religious are not rich are not culture are not educated or not, are hopelessly broken on the inside and not of our religious deeds can change that. That Jesus said religion just makes like a whitewashed clean and polished on the outside but full of rotten flashing dead men's bones on the inside and the more you try to clean yourselves up the religion since throwing yourself on the grace of God worship make things my second daughter. I probably should not tell the story that and I get permission, I will tell you her initials were names Allie when she was four. She just disappeared in bathroom for a long time now you have a grown man despairs about them for long time. It's not a big deal. Documentary magazines in every couple hours. No problem. But when you're four years old. That's an issue. So our friend Stacy who was babysitting at the time the little bit worried so she went over the bathroom door and she put her ear next to what and she heard crying. She said she opened the door and she almost gagged because there was Allie standing there beside the toilet with sorry if this is a little gross, but poop everywhere on her arms on the sink base. They said I don't understand. Mom got on remaining seasonality just standing there crying saying I tried to clean myself up but try to clean myself just what religion is. Everything you do has mentioned that you go apologize Allie later. Sorry to list them on self-deprecating the point is that religion never works. What you need is a change of good news for you religious people.

God loves you. Also he wants to give you the stories and invitation just the story never resolves this cuts off abruptly in verse 32. Whatever started to 16 you left asking what exactly does the older brother decided that he receive his father's invitation to come in, or does he stay outside of the house.

You don't know because the stories and invitation Toll Brothers telling older brothers of the grace of God is for you. Also loves you even when you're too proud to receive his grace stands ready to receive you the moment you are humble enough to admit that you need them cast off your idolatrous and ridiculous pride and just confess that you are as broken and needy as the prodigal in the bar country and receive his grace for you and we get a moment will cure you of that arrogant smog condescension that makes you feel better than other people will make you fundamentally different person that leads me to relax.

You can choose and say outside of God's love.

You can choose to stay outside of God's love.

Like I said the store never really resolves because you can stay outside of God's house.

Yes, God's love is overflowing and it's never ending, but he won't force it on you sales out of the house and you choose is love when choice does not have bring his judgment on you. In this verse from last week. Just like the song is 17 the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, not as a prodigal father, not as a father going after laws son or daughter. This time flaming fire, he will inflict vengeance on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord. They will suffer the punishment of eternal away forever present. If you will receive God's grace to suffer the worst kind of eternal judgment.

Here you tell you that is not one Lamentations 333. He does not fling from his does not from his heart. Read the children of men rather than affliction don't come out of his heart what he wants from his heart is to save you is hardest to bring you home and wrap you in his arms up mercy on you think you got shoes that is not to force it on you. The most important question about your life that you will ever answer is simply are you going to come back to the father and receive them. What you see today that that's never happened to you right now. Ever seen Jesus bow your heads and you would all of our campuses in your homes, drive a car, you told her and saw the road right now and just take a moment you ever seen Jesus� come home come in and you say something like that young sunset. I have sent not ready to come back to my father when you receive a gift that is given you the gift of the robe of his righteousness. The ring is been a new son or daughter of his right now to say Lord Jesus, I received your grace in yourself stating your own words, Jesus, I'm coming home. I'm receiving your offer is the same if you prayed that right now we are praying and every heads about nobody's looking around right now to taking the phone now your phone now don't you text the word ready Re: 80 wine 3933 names appear on your screen up with a number of their next word ready, 33933 as you're doing that some of them asking this.

Your life needs to hear this message right after I Jesus explain this to understand grace and receive ranch is extended.

I can tell you for sure want to think about you this weekend. Either God is calling you a whole race propelling you outwardly go after dollars of our country so mass this you know that you know Jesus who in your life as God put on your heart. We love ask a question on here is your one shot have one person that they're reaching out to and praying for trying to share the love of Christ. If you're a Christian who shown one or 11 moment is right for them right now and even pray about asking them to listen this message and discussed praying to be a place swing and overpowering race marvelous rates lost sons and daughters would come home that we would go out with the father with our true older brother Jesus is God. We decrease save your receipts and sayings might increase pray in Jesus name