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Josh opened us up with the first half of the parable of the prodigal sons.
We have seen the younger son’s desire to leave the father…the famine he experienced…and his moment of clarity that this is not where he wants to do.
All of us in one way or another, have experienced the famine and lack of satisfaction that comes from a trying to build a life steered by ourselves..and without any thought for God or HIs guidance.
He however decided to come home..He comes back to His father…and His father recieved him with open arms.
But even though he comes to the Father we see in this passage there are things which hinder him from recieving & seeing God’s love.
We’ve taken some time and called you to reflect, now we want to call you to respond.
As we look at these things that hinder us from seeing and recieving God’s love..my call to you is to not to let them keep you where you are…but today, to respond, and to come to the Father.
Luke 15:21-32
What are the things that keep us outside of a relationship with God?
What are the things that can still keep us from God, even when we want to. 2 Things: Lies, People.
1.
The Lies that Keep us From Receiving the Fathers Love & God’s Response
2. The People that Keep Us From Seeing the Fathers Love & God’s Response
The Lies that Keep us From Recieving the Love of God
The Younger Brother
Lie #1- Shame- The younger son recognizes his wrong, acknowledges his sin..but says, I’ve messed up too much to be a son.
He comes in rags, and still smells like the mess he was in.
He asked for his fathers death, forfeited his inheritance and said, that he no longer wanted to be a son, or to be with the father.
So when he comes back, he doesn’t see himself as a son..he sees himself as the rags and filth he comes in.
He has done wrong, but his wrong has now changed his very perception of himself.
To where he says, I can’t be a son…I will be a servant.
His identity was no longer in who HIs father was..but in his own failure.
His own shame made it so that even when the Father embraced Him, he couldn’t recieve or see the love of God!
He had been in sin so long…He defined himself by it.
He says, I am worthy, I am not worth it.
“God Will Never Forgive Me”, It is the belief not only that you have failed but you are a failure.
Shame seeks to identity you with your worst mistakes.
Guilt says, I’ve done wrong and have messed up..Shame says, My mess-ups are who I am.
He saw the Fathers love, but He thought, I am not your son anymore..I have done too much to you, my past is too full of mistakes.
I’m here to tell you today, that if you have messed up so long that you feel like a mess up, that if you have failed so much you feel like a failure..if you are here and you just think..God can’t love me.
It is a lie.
Maybe you want to be loved by God, you want to come to God..but you feel too messy…youve done too much in you past that it has defined your present..it is not true!
Your decisions that you have made in your past matter…but there is one decision that can redefine everything.
Woman with the issue of blood, Mark 5…she pushes through, despite her shame, despite her being unclean..despite being that way for years..to just tough the hem of Jesus Robe.
She got to Jesus..and that decision redefined everthing about her life.
Hear me..your shame, mess, and mistakes is not wide enough, deep enough..or bad enough to hinder the love of God to you! Jesus love runs deeper!
Recognize this lie..and do not let it stop you from seeing and receiving the love of God today!
Come to the Father, recieve HIs love!
2Corinthians 5:17
You are not your worst mistakes..Coming to the Father will change you name and cover your shame.
Lie # 2- Servant- The younger son wants to come home, knows he messed up, and says, Maybe the father will let me work as a servant.
Maybe I can earn my place in the house by doing good things for him.
He comes back trying to repay his father.
We think if we come to God we have to work real hard to earn our place…and that then maybe God will be pleased.
We think that when we come to God Him being pleased with us will be on how well we live, and how we repay him with our obedience.
It is a belief that some how we have to earn our way back to the father.
Maybe you are here, and you want to come to God…but you think its too much work to be saved.
You say, If I get saved, that just means I have to work real hard to be saved and do my part..and then if I don’t do my part..God won’t do His.
It is this lie that says, “I can come to God and be saved if I do my part” And so we are afraid to come to God not just because of our shame..but because we know that even if we try to serve God..were going to fail.
And we think..I’m not strong enough.
We think that it is by our effort.
Just nothing you do thats so bad that keep God from saving you..and theres nothing so good you can do to earn Him saving you.
You’re not saved by trying hard..you’re not saved by being good..you are saved by surrendering and being His.
There is no shame so bad that can keep you from God..and there is no service so good that you can earn your way to God!
God’s goodness does not waver according to your bad or your good..God just is good!
God’s Response to those Lies
1.
The Father’s Robe- The father responds to his shame, and to his attempt to earn his place with this, “Bring quickly the best robe”.
He says wait, I have something for you.
The Father tells the servants to get a robe, a ring, shoes..and puts it on him.
He puts it on Him..so that the son no longer identities himself with his rags…his failures..but with the Father.
Why?
Because whose robe would have been the best robe..the Fathers.
The Father put his robe on Him…so that the son looked like Him.
Now when the son looked at his reflection..what does He see?
The Father.
Not only does the son now see himself differently…but now all of the servants and people who had heard about what he did…don’t see him the shamed son..see Him as the loved son.
He didn’t have his rags anymore..He had the fathers robe!
You see God, knows your mess..he knows what you’ve done..and
He says this..though you were ashamed of me, I am not ashemd of you..and though you brought shame on yourself....and dishonered me…I put my love and honor on you.
To every person today who says, “But you don’t know what I’ve done” “Get the Best Robe” God I’ve messed up, Get the best robe.
The Father does everything!
He covers you!
God has a robe of righteouness…through the blood of Jesus..for every shamed son or daughter.
Will you recieve it?
God doesn’t remove our old clothers and leave us with nothing on..he puts his best robe on you!
So no there is no shame that is so deep that love of God can not cover .
Mark 5, woman with the issue of blood..touch Just the hem..He gives you himself.
He doesn’t give you a part of it..He gives you it all to wear.
I’ll do you one better.
And if you will come to God,
2. The Father’s Name- The father says, this is my son.
And for those who say, they have to serve or earn thier way to God..listen to what the Father says…Luke 15:24
While hes still stinking, while he still looks like the mess He came out of…The Father..says this, my son was dead.
There was no earning, no working..The Father loved Him…gave Him a new Robe..and then brought Him back into the family!
There is not earning your way into the family of God, there is no mess that keep you from the Fathers love and no failure that can remove it!
God loves you because he loves you..because he loves you…you don’t have to try to be a child.
You don’t have to earn it.
He makes you his child.
All you have to do is recieve.
The younger son played no part in this..all he did was bring his rags and shame..God does everything!
The father doesnt shame him, or beat him, or condemn him..he offers him love.
Don’t let shame convince you that you are unsaveable or unloveable…don’t let this idea that you have to try real hard to keep your salvation or earn your salvation keep you from God.
You bring the mess…God will do the rest.
You have to recieve and trust Him..He will put the robe on you..He will bring you into His family!
He will give you a new name.
But the story isn’t over yet!
There is another brother..and in this we learn not only are there lies which keep us from seeing the love of God, but there are people who keep us from seeing it.
The People that Keep Us From God
The Older Brother
The older brother was so angry, and jealous of his brothers celebration he did not even come in.
He stayed outside of the party, and wouldn’t go to where his father was because of his self-righteousness.
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