Confession - From the Ashes Part 4

Luke 15:11 “To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons.”

Introduction

Tell them about the time I took Mama’s Buick Lesabre and hit the man’s mailbox. I dented up the back of her car really bad. There was no way to hide it but it was hard for me to come clean about it because I was afraid of the consequences. I waited to the next morning to tell her. It went something like this: “Uh Mom, I have something to tell you. I really messed up.”

I have messed up too many times to count

Admitting failure is difficult.

Confession/coming clean is not any easy task.

But, having a regular practice of self-examination and letting God expose our failures can help us to grow in grace and mercy. We CAN rise from the ashes of our past failures and bad decisions.

There is great news. When you confess your failures to God and let Him be involved, He promises forgiveness. And when we are forgiven we are free to live without hinderance or condemnation.

Welcome to Week 4 of our 6-week journey to Resurrection Sunday.

We have been looking at the life of Jesus as our example. After all, He is the best example that anyone could ask for.

He has shown us how to deal with temptation.

He has shown us how to be humble. and…

Last week He showed us how to spend time with the Father in silent contemplation.

Today we look at a wonderful story that Jesus told to His followers. It is the third in a list of things that were lost and then found.

There is the Lost Sheep — where the Shepherd leaves the 99 for the 1

There is the Lost Coin — where we learn that all of heaven rejoices when one sinner repents.

and today we look at the story that many of us might could relate to, it is the story of the Lost Son. (I remember this story having such a great impact on me while attending Cowboy Church in Darien with Bro. Bill Brown. I had Stephanie, my granddaughter with me. I just wept and wept recognizing God’s great love for me.)

Let’s look at the story as we read verses 12 and 13

We Waste It

Luke 15:12–13 NLT

The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.

EXPLAIN WHAT THIS MEANT

This is where many of our stories begin.

Somehow we believe that we know how to run our lives better than God does.

We take our lives into our own hands. We take everything He has given us, talent, skills, opportunity and we do what we want with it.

We sound like some rebellious teenagers sometimes. “You ain’t the boss of me; I do what I want!”

This is the place that the Prodigal Son found himself

He lived it up. He thought he was living large.

I got my inheritance and I am gonna do whatever I want.

He did it alright, he wasted everthing the Father gave him!!!!

You know how it is, you and I have done the same thing.

How much of your life have you squandered?

None of us can say we are innocent. We have all wasted what God has given us in some way or another.

Isaiah 53:6 “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.”

Just hold on, lets look a further

Not Worthy

Luke 15:14–20 NLT

About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” ’ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

The best day in anyone’s life is the moment they come to their senses.

Have you ever been so blind that you could not see what was right in front of you?

It is amazing when you recognize that your life will never be what is supposed to be apart from the Father.

There is no one too far gone, there is no place too far that God cannot reach.

You maybe are here or watching online and feel like you have strayed so far that God would not want anything to do with you.

Let me tell you that you can do what the Lost Son did. “Get up and return to the Father.!”

Look what he did:

He recognized how bad he messed up by hurting the father

He squandered it all

He realized there is nothing worthwhile away from home

He came back and confessed - his sin. (Side note: sin, has more consequences than you might think)

He said, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,”

What he did affected his earthly father and his heavenly Father

It is the same with us

But there’s more… Look at the Father’s response (THIS IS WHERE SOMEONE NEEDS TO GO UPSTAIRS: 1. GET READY TO END LIVE STREAM, 2. GET READY TO PLAY VIDEO

The Compassionate Father

Luke 15:20–24 NLT

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

Oh what a sight to see

This is possible for anyone! How do I do that? The answer is you turn from your ways and turn to Jesus. He paid the price so you can be reconciled to the Father.

This is the point in the service where we have to say “Goodbye” to our online audience. Thank you for being with us today. May God bless you!

For you guys here

Check this out!

https://youtu.be/viBKvhJW7IE?si=IzpBglPU7qGQpMJd

Closing

Where are you today?

Is there something that you need to confess?

Do you need to admit that you need to come back home?

The Father is waiting! Come back home.

Altar

Pray for people to receive Jesus

Pray for people to be open to confession

Pray for lost sons and daughters