Reversing Spiritual Consequences

Dr. Tony Evans says it's easy to be distant from the Lord without actually running away celebrating 40 years of faithful.

This is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, president of the urban alternative.

We all know actions have consequences today. Dr. Evans uses a familiar story to show us why in the spiritual arena.

Some of the worst of them can be reversed. Let's join God's family reunion wants to read with members of his family who have drifted from him. He has a term that reconnection that term is repentance. Repentance is the world to bring you back into fellowship, which opens up based on God's sovereign prerogative to address the consequences that chair created from him. Luke chapter 15.

We are told that the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to Jesus, to hear him teach that when listening to his message, but the religious leaders according to verse two describes the Pharisees saying this man Jesus received any actually with all that Jesus Christ was facing, and even low shipping with folks that mind to have been avoided Jesus to tell a couple stories he tells about a shepherd when one sheep goes and gets lost the Sheppard leave the 99 goes up one brings one back to been saved as a woman with 10 points she loses one. She turned on the light she just she sweeps in order to find the one point shepherd celebrates to bring back a shepherd. The woman celebrates when she finds the coin he makes the point that heaven rejoices when one repents that all the writers who do not need to repent.

Heaven has a party when a sinner comes along that is actually upon the glory when someone who is lost returns to the full, having stated his two illustrations he comes with, you know what has the prodigal son. Let's revisit this story today to see how it affects your fellowship with God and the possible reversals of consequences. You may be experiencing because of sin or those you know and love may be experiencing because of sin, I think you'll find some very interesting things in the story Amanda has two sons. Verse 11 says that young son comes to the father and said give me the share of the estate that falls to me, so he divided his wealth between them. The younger son, daddy says that I want my inheritance because I want to leave now may not seem like a big deal to you would be a big deal back then because the Jewish world. You only saw your inheritance when it was time for your father to die.

What this Bob is not much alive and the son says I like my inheritance now translation. I wish you would.

I wish you would be you living too long.

I don't want to wait for you die, I want to get him now you have a teenager like that.

Perhaps you would like that with your parents.

I got a get out. He can't wait to go to Do my thing is too many, will you tell me when I got to commune you tell me who my friends are telling me all that give me my inheritance so I can leave I want to be free and we gathered his things together. After many days he goes on a journey to a distant country where he squandered the state would lose living spin everything he had. There was a severe famine that occurred in the country and he began to be impoverished. That's what happens when we wonder far from God.

We take the time he's given us, and use it for sin or evil or rebellion. We take the resources given us and we spend it responsibly or illegitimately, he squandered the state with loosely.

That was his control, but it got worse because in the far country. Something happened that was out of his control. You can control the famine you can control the change of the economy.

You can control when the downsize happens in the company you can control all of that, so he was messing up stuff you can't control. You didn't tell him what happened.

Well, promises, feasting good thing about a famine promises you riches while meeting you to poverty and shouts of joy and good allows you to run in the pain. It says that enjoyment until it turned into enslavement or drug addict will feel good until the drugstore telling them what to do. That's with the far country is a very entertaining location with a price tag you not informed of anything so it is a far country. When you have wondered from God long enough, we wind up with regrets.

Things we wish were different decisions that we would redo if we could so things don't look good for our young man here but they get worse. Verse 15 himself out to one of the citizens of that country and he sent them into the field to feed swine and he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine's were eating and no one was giving him anything bad to worse run out of stuff is greenbacks have gone back comes a day work feeding pigs. They have to understand this Jewish boy feeding pics. That was an unclean animal. He had went to the beach as a worker feeding pigs desires to the path that the pigs were eating, which means friend can even afford McDonald because it got started thinking that I need is the food that comes in the far country.

If you bear long wind up in the garbage got worse since no friends gave him anything because when things go (friends discipline defines a hideout which is long and I can help you spend your money or piggyback on the coattails friends is that what you would long as you got a name and a reputation but not a famine hitch on that sin take its toll and reduce you when all of a sudden your homeboys in the home girls are on locatable on social media.

You have been on friend so friend is broke, destitute, famine, everything is just world has right beneath his feet. Verse 17 offers us a transition, but when it came to his senses when he came to his senses. Translation was not. It was on his word. He looked at himself and said self was wrong which they look at himself and said you some crazy, no man should appear feeding pigs watch this come to his senses until things got as long as you think in the far country you will work it out on your own to get to the bottom of the pit. Anything you are crazy.

Look at what you doing here, so go look at how your lifestyle has become. Now out here in this country so we said how many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread but I am dying here with home I will get up and go to my father and all salient, I have sinned against heaven and in your site. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

Make me as one of your hired men.

He says I will go back home to daddy. Daddy, I have sinned. I am no longer worthy. He was brought to a place of brokenness, God will let sin do you win until you crack till we get to the point where we recognize two low and to file all look at my circumstances.

Think it was his consequences that will come up until God will allow us to have consequences until we get tired of pig life. I'm going home. I'm going to confess my sin and my unworthiness to my father, Dr. Evans will come back in a moment with more on the difference between regret and repentance first so Tony is written a brand-new book called U-turns goes hand-in-hand with today's lesson. There are ways to reverse the consequences of spiritual failures you may have experienced in your life in areas like addiction, sexuality, financial responsibility and more including problems you may have heard were irreversible. U-turns will show you how to get your life headed in a new and healthy direction toward offering both the book and all 12 lessons in the U-turns series on both CD and digital download is her way of saying thanks when you come alongside Tony's ministry and make a donation to help keep these broadcasts coming your way.

Each day we depend completely on your support to keep the alternative on the station and this is one way we can show our appreciation. And if you want to learn even more about how God can work to redeem the negative consequences of decisions you made, or if you want to help others in this area you want to look into the companion U-turns Bible study kit and DVD. Dr. Evans is prepared to complement the material in the book and audio series. You can find out more and make all the arrangements@tonyevans.org or give us a call at 1-800-800-3222 where one of our helpful resource team members can assist with your request. That's 1-800-800-3222. Here's Dr. Evans with more of today's lesson shows this repentance first 20 so we got up and came to his father just have a discussion with himself about going back because that's what we do a lot of time.

I should go back I should return.

I should get out of the pit. No, he got out fruit of repentance.

On his internal decision validating that is internal decision was real while he was still a long way off. Verse 20, his father saw him, felt compassion for him, ran and embraced and kissed him. The father did not run to him until he saw him on the way back toward God, demonstrating Garrison's about repentance and the father will meet you before you ever arrive because he wants you to come home for you to come home come home but you gotta become the sunset of the father is 21 father I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son become what I did. Your name becoming what I did the resources I don't deserve the care you, me, but the father said to his slaves to bring out the best robe and put it on. Put a ring on his sandals on his feet and bring the fatted calf kill it and let us eat and celebrate who so he throws a party after he's convinced that he sent and returned home to Alaska when a party without a confession and that's a great end of the story except it's not the end of the story.

There is a second brother now verse 25. The older son was in the field and when he came and approached the house music and any sum of one of the servants verse 26 and began inquiring what these things could be said him your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he received it back safe and sound, and his father came out and began pleading with him, but he answered and said to his father for so many years I have been serving you.

I never neglected the command of yours and yet you have never given me a jungle gave him the father Gave me a bill so that I might celebrate with friends never did that for me baby at which you would look at what my brother did you see the father's response to the son, and he said verse 31 son son to. You have always been with me and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice for this brother of yours was dead, and has become alive was lost and is now do you remember what we just defined it to be physically dead. He was separated so's death in the Bible mean separation.

This brother was dead to the family separated from the fabric is a life that is has been a review is yours. Translation you could have had a party anytime you want one. In other words, brothers and sisters. There are two kinds of products that is a goal that are: secular private. This is the one in these church is the one he goes out into the world.

This is the one that believes God is the one I don't want have anything to do with faith is the oneness thrown the Bible way has no time for prayer and is out there just living it up and it the reputation is evidence that this is a saving product all but you can have a religious product. the religious prodigal is staying in the vicinity of the is now in the father's field still comes to church every sunday. she still sings in the choir.

he still serves on the usher board still around. they give the picture of fellowship with the father, never taking it back page of the relationship religious prodigal sleep. we have a hard time to the secular chronicles my own wickedness.

but god has allowed the children got to a lot of other boys and girls who stay in the placenta of the father never take advantage of what the father has charge, but they are disconnected from the question is what kind of prodigal are you, and my youngest son.

prodigal well just loose living or maybe a religious prodigal church but there's no relationship because the father says i sent dr. evans will come back in a moment with a touching story about 1 Man Who Made His Way back to God. Stay with us church white church Hispanic church. These describe a division among God's people failed to restrict the beautiful diversity and supernatural unity of his kingdom.

That's the challenging and home-field message Dr. Tony Evans brings in his timely book oneness embraced this powerful book reflects on matters of history, culture, theology and social justice from a biblical perspective in finding a church to lead the charge towards true racial reconciliation and put the gospel on display for all the world to see. Get your copy oneness embraced today.

You can request your copy@tonyevans.org and while you're there, don't forget to make the arrangements to receive those powerful resources I mentioned earlier Tony's brand-new book U-turns reversing the consequences in your life. The companion study guide and resource DVD along with all 12 messages from his current series on CD and digital download. The entire U-turns package can be yours when you make a contribution to help keep this broadcast coming your way each day of this is a limited time offer so don't put it off. Visit us today@20of.org to get all the details you can make your contribution and your request online at Tony heaven's.org or call our 24 hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 let one of our resource team members assist you again that's 1-800-800-3222 words like impossible or incurable. Don't apply when God is part of the equation, but tomorrow Dr. Evans will explain that seeing miracles happen is in some ways up to us right now though he's back with a final story about a man you may or may not have heard of his name was Robert Robbins. He lived in the mid-1700s evoked claims consultants is a Christian and he love the Lord, but he went into a far country.

He went into a dark place.

Many of you know what it is to have been close to the Lord and then go into a dark place. One day Robert Robinson was in a carriage young lady got in the carriage to go a journey where they were going and she was reading points. She came across a point that she did not understand, she turned to the stranger sitting next to her was Robert Robinson and said you understand this point first line of the poor and said come by fount of every blessing to my heart to sing thy grace streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. If you were raised in church with a hymnbook you know that some come by fount of every blessing to my heart to sing that pre-became a well-known he broke out into tears as he told the woman many years ago I was close to God, but I no longer work with young lady looked at him as tears flowed down Robert Robinson face. She said have you forgotten another part of your point that you wrote prone to wonder Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I know is my heart old taken sealant seal it for thy courts prone to wonder Lord I feel prone to leave God. I we are all prone to go into a dark place when he heard his own words, come back right there in the carriage. He recommitted himself to the alternative with Dr. Tony have proven alternative celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you