Amazing Love (Part 3 of 7)

The when a young man who we know was the prodigal son finally realized he'd gone completely astray.

He did more than just acknowledge his guilt. He came to his senses. He returned to his father and admitted that he was utterly lost and in need of mercy today on Truth for Life weekend. Alastair beg teaches us how this story demonstrates God's amazing love the young man lost his money losses freedom luster self-respect, but he refuses to dehumanize himself and he decides to stay hungry. The hunger in his soul to keep him thinking and it keeps in section that you this morning thinking in section I tell you, for those of you who are thinking and searching the Bible makes it very clear that sin provides no ultimate satisfaction. This is what we long to say to men and women broad road really does lead to distraction unison just be a nice center with your fingernails got and clean with your comps, starch and white with your initials monogram on the cop with your office tightly and yet in the very core of your being. This upper middle-class finds no ultimate satisfaction is like drinking saltwater. It cannot eventually satisfy sends ability both to interest a person and to satisfy a person very quickly runs out, the liar can never get to an end of his lines, the proud, and never get to the end of their pride, the better you then the veteran's there is no ultimate satisfaction and said it's a stupid idea and that's why we labor this into our young people. Pragmatically, this is a dumb way to go.

This is a silly way to go. Don't go this way.

Father giving a portion of goods it falls me. I don't want to hear this anymore. I want to hear about the law. I don't want to hear about the framework of life. I don't hear about the principles don't want to hear about God first. I don't hear about Jesus just give me some cash and let me get out of here son is a broad road to lead you to distraction.

I frankly don't care and I frankly don't believe you let me go and in the pigsty.

He discovers that his problem is not that is run out of food but that he is run out on his father, that is run out on food, but it is run out on his father, is now discovered what Augustine that other great prodigal made so perfectly clear and if you've never read the confessions of an guest Augustine Penguin classic is useful you find it in in any decent bookstore and Augustine the midst of it all, says you have made us for yourself, oh God in our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you. For this reason all of our attempts to live without God ultimately creates or is in existence that is poor and is a shoddy substitute for all that God intends. If you and I trying live without God, no matter how good we may try and get it. It will not deal with that central angst within our souls. For Pascal Rivera stupid is that God shaped void within the core of man the same way that you may be a very successful medical person here this morning you give injections. There is immediate benefit to that you don't know why you're doing in your heart is restless your teaching that you began with a straight flush of enthusiasm to change the world through these kids. These kids are telling you your lessons that you thought were brilliant, our average and your abilities unless you really remember. And worse than that your say it's the point of all of this is restless until you find your rest and go to CDN or the MP3 player music and you lying in bed and you look up at the ceiling and you say I'm restless, Sheila, God made you for himself and you turn your back on. There's none that seek after God. No, not one is gone astray by our very nature. We are prodigal sons and daughters. The only question is the extent to which we have drifted from the father's house. No matter how far you try to run from his father's home.

He couldn't shake his father from his mind no matter how far we try to live from God. We still live with a residual awareness of his existence and also of his interest in us, and even the most atheistic in our world have been prepared to acknowledge that Sartre, the French philosopher who was himself an avowed atheist declared on one occasion that God does not exist.

I cannot doubt but that my whole being cries out for God. I cannot deny the ultimate die llama my soul cries out for a God that I believe does not exist now to get a progression in this young man's life up there in verse 13 he got together all he had in any spend everything verse 14 and then at the end of 14, he began to be in need and then in verse 15 he got a job and then in verse 16 he longed to eat pig food and then in verse 17 he came to his senses.

I love that little phrase and when he came to his senses.

I said I like it better in the King James version.

What is and when he came to himself because it fits the 21st century quest to know you talk to people and cafés and is a were you doing is I'm trying to find myself, as you yourself, I'm talking to yourself nor myself so is that whether say I do. They never let themselves or the cells they may think in light of another cell. Even though identity identity as a result of being a party girl or they try to create identity as a result of me in the Atlantic hero or they try to printer density is a result of being a good time. Charlie. But when they're on their own so we will see him look at myself as a will. This is a good journey. Let me tell you a story about a kid who was looking for himself what story the guy live a really big house five times a dog he went out and he thought he could find himself hear hear hear hear and actually got himself in a real mess. He was completely in the pigsty the situation and and he came to her senses and begins himself, who was a world where is this Dallas seat and coming to himself. He was gripped by the real state of affairs is absence of food was only an indication of the fact is starving to death was only an emblem of what happens to a man or woman when they turn their back on God the father. So having not made any attempt to try and fix himself up in the pigsty.

He determines I'm going to set out on one of the back to my father. I'm just going to flat out said to look. I sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm not worthy to buy back in here is her son.

Maybe they make me as one of your hired servants statement isn't. I will go back to my father and I was say to him.

Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you, let me answer your question.

Has there been ID time moment in your life where you made such a journey where you went before God in the silence of your own home in the privacy of your own car in the driveway of my friends house in your dorm room late at night I would enough feeling like yourself as you wrestle with your own restlessness and suddenly you came to yourself all about alienation from God.

All of that alienation from others. That sense of angst and alienation from yourself suddenly coalesced and you said you know this makes perfect sense to me now. I am completely disengaged from the God who made me and the reason that I'm here is because I determined that I would be. I decided I would not listen to the promptings of others and God is common sought you out. You reach the point where you said, I've sinned against heaven and in your sight before every one of your answers yes to that. Let me make a distinction for you and your mind. What this young man is doing here is not expressing a sense of his awareness that he lives in a community of lostness.

This is not a young man who is saying you know everybody's messed up when I messed up to. This is not a young man who say you know there are a lot of people and made a hash of the lights and I made a hash of my life as well and I'm frankly unprepared notice to admit it, my name is George and I'm a drunk. Okay fine, but that's not the same as saying my name is George and I have sinned against heaven and in your sight and I don't deserve to live in your house. My name is Mary and I used to be a religious is not the same as saying my name is Mary and I never told you this before father, except in the church, when everybody was saying. I just said it with a but never just one-on-one you and me. I never ever told you I've sinned against heaven and in your sight and I actually don't deserve to be one of your children this young man is not expressing a generic sense of sin he is expressing the fact that he and his individuality is lost and is guilty, delivered on and if you have would you not because you do not become a member of the family of God en masse. You are not. Maybe one with Christ, and some set of generic sweep through the community.

God has no grandchildren you not come to Christ through the genetic input of your parents. It is a personal encounter. It is a personal awareness and it is a personal appointment with God. Have you done the Heidelberg catechism which I'm sure none of you reading this week but some of you come from a background where you did read it and you should be thankful that you did because it is a wonderful piece of work. The Heidelberg catechism asked the question, how many things is it necessary to know that you may live and die happily to good question is not because were all going to die, die happily what I need to know so that I can die happily number one the greatness of my sin and misery. Number two how I am redeeming from all my sin and misery. Number three how I am to be thankful to God for such a redemption of the young man was in no doubt here. He said I am starving to death.

My father is my only source of help I can take refuge in my friends. I certainly can take refuge in my circumstances I really got nothing to say as I go back down the road. Nothing to plead in my defense, I've nothing to offer. I've nothing as a basis of self justification deed is portion of heart is a reminder to all that the manner the woman who desires to go to God, trusting in their own dignity or making excuses instead of confessing their sins is in no condition to receive the father's forgiveness, not that a conviction of sin is something that we work up as a means of acceptance with God, a conviction of sin is something that God works within us, according to his mercy find us saying nothing in my hand I bring in simply to your cross I cling and make it come to the for dress and helpless come to the for rest and follow life to the fountain fly wash me Savior I got a picture of wretchedness you see in this young man is closer all torn his shoes off his feet. He stinks from the pigs. What is he going to say what are you going to say I don't let the fight you live in a $600,000 pigsty convince you that you're not in a pigsty or even a plead in your defense, I'm one of the back and I'm going to say to my father have sinned against heaven and against you.

Your moral law is the law of your heart. When I sin against your law I sin against you.

I need your forgiveness father. In fact, I think I can count on it. The only thing the ball uses the extend of his father's welcome, but he's pretty sure that if he goes back you'll be okay as MacLeod the Scottish theologian puts it masterfully. He says the prodigal went back to his father primarily because he was tormented by a guilty conscience, but because he was driven by the hope of never see Jesus said to you again this is one of the prodigal went back to his father, not primarily because he was tormented by a guilty conscience. You can be tormented by a guilty conscience lady Macbeth was tormented by a guilty going to go down this box get us out of here. She was tormented by a guilty conscience, Macbeth goes to the doctor.

Have you know physic that can take care of this patient is not present you're on your own stuff I can patch you up, but I can deal with the conscience of a man I can bring about this restitution.

This guy could have been as guilty as a light, he could have stayed as guilty as he felt for the rest of his life living in a pigsty with his friends coming by and dropping off sandwiches to seven years to come you like I had a great future guy had tremendous potential. He lived in a pigsty for all these years. He's as guilty as sin.

He knows he is. But somehow, that is managed just a short up, he's managed to just fine. I think there's a couple priests coming in and undo services for them in the pigsty. I can get up and he can get out. Why is he would've been prepared to say you see I've sinned, and the reason he felt able to see absent is because he was trusting in his father's nursing a problem with many who come to these worship services upon site is not that you don't know that you're guilty of sin, not even just in a genetic way, but in a personal way. Because the word of God is come home to your hard enough you know I broke God's law.

I don't love him with all my heart I haven't served him as I shoot, I am offended against and there is bitterness in my soul and so many things. The windscreen of my life is not just get one or two cracks in it is just shot you on the problem with that. But why is it the young come to God because you're afraid because the context out of which you have, has only been able to tell you how guilty you are and what it is offered to you as a means of solving your guilt has not done so you going back to it again and again and again and again. Maybe if I take more maybe if I have more minibikes and more.

Maybe if I do more than that will deal with this guilty going to do when your conscience. It can, so the story you need to hear is not the story of a father standing at the end of the driveway with a gigantic big stick, waiting for his boy to come back on the road by the story of a father who stand in the end of his driveway with his arms stretched out wide and welcome. He says that's my son is my boy a minister once dealt with a young fellow who was who had run away from home and in order to help me to come to the parable of the prodigal son in the Canada Council and Garden State licensing know what will bite your father and see if he doesn't kill the fatted calf to welcome the boy have been the minister went back the minister so I'm a couple weeks later, on the street. He said did you go back to your dad's.

I did he reply did you say sorry yes I did set the nuclear filing Notice of the boy enjoyable near Gilda prodigal son, and we understand she don't ever ask God to give you what you deserve. He may give you we can only ask God to give us what we don't us his mercy and his forgiveness is compassion in his life how deep the father's love for us so fast beyond all measure that he should give his only son to make a ranch is treasure so verse 20 got up and went to his father. He got up and went to his father.

I just keep a picture in your mind will come back to it.

You can see his back now as we shoot this movie would be looking at them in this pigsty nares up and he is just begun to move. He's going back to his father.

How about you becomes your senses.

You come to yourself as you venture father said, I have sinned against heaven and in your site are no longer want working to remember your family just taken you on an old book to read.

It tells a story of that get the story of born again the story of Chuck Colson 1974 post Watergate a fantastic story.

It is and read there of how Colson and all of his superlative academic abilities captain in the Marines, the hatchet man in the Nixon administration and all of the chaos of Watergate goes over to her friends house and the friend gives him a copy of mere Christianity and he takes mere Christianity new reads the chapter on pride and nails and write to the wall.

He thanked his friend for the evening and he gets out into the car. He sits in the car and his friends driveway and he turned the key in the ignition and he puts it in drive and he can't move the reason he can move it because the tears are crushing down his cheeks and right where he was.

He said I didn't know any evangelical prayers. I do know any prayers at all.

Sitting right in the driveway with the tears running down my face. The big top hatchet man said Lord Jesus Christ. I am a mess. See whether you came to himself. He went to his father about arms.

That's the last all of heaven and all of your future is hidden, just to that powerful reminder that whatever our background when we go to the father honestly can our need for help. He responds with amazing love and forgiveness listening to Truth for Life weekend with Alistair Begg. Please stay with us. Alister will be back in just a minute to close with prayer. If you identified with the prodigal son as you listened to today's program. Perhaps you recognized your need for mercy.

We want to invite you to watch a helpful video presentation that explains God's plan for salvation will find the video online that TruthforLife.org/story the story of salvation that's presented in this video is a message that were committed to sharing the Truth for Life.

We teach from the Scriptures. Every day of the year so that God's word will go out and be heard by as many people as possible. It's our sincere hope that many who hear this program will come to trust Christ for their salvation. In addition to teaching the Bible. We carefully select and recommend books to help you grow in your faith. This is the final week and were offering a book that provides a blueprint for building a life according to God's wisdom, the title of the book is living well and it examines what the book of Proverbs has to say to us and helps translate the instruction in Proverbs and practical advice for our daily life. Living well walks us through what the Bible has to say about a wide variety of topics. Things like dealing with money, relationships, work so that we can live in a way that may go against the grain of popular culture, but will ultimately be pleasing in the eyes of the Lord, you can request your copy of living well by going to Truth for Life.org again that's Truth for Life.work. Now here's Alister to close us again in prayer, you may want just from your heart to say something like this to God this morning, but I recognize that I am weaker and more sinful than I was ever before prepared to admit and I'm realizing now that in the Lord Jesus, I am more loved and accepted than I had ever dared to hope. I thank you for paying my debt for being my punishment for offering me forgiveness turn from my sin and I receive you as my Savior.

But I pray that you will accomplish the purposes of your word in each of our lives today. We all see ourselves in this boy were all actually at some stage on this journey will either running away or finding ourselves to be in need coming to our senses, determining to go back. Having gone back, whatever it may be Lord take us where we are on the journey and draws to yourself with the wonder of your outstretched arms may grace, mercy, and peace from God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit rest upon and remain with each one. Today and forever. Amen Bob Lapine so much for joining us today.

Hope you can listen again next week and this will continue this message in a series called amazing love Alister will talk about how our broken relationship with God can be reestablished Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life or the Learning is for Living