April 23, 2017 - Good, Good Father

We are continuing or actually beginning a sermon series on knowing god and we're starting with Luke 15, which is a core passage in scripture about the character of God and I want to challenge us a little bit this morning because there's some passages and Luke 15 is likely one of them that we are so familiar with we kind of have this snapshot in our mind of what Luke 15 the prodigal son is all about it's kind of a completed picture and her mom we know that we know the deal and so we kind of expect here's what this is about but I want us to come to be open and realize there may be new things that we can learn from this passage in James 1 James says when we look into scripture he Compares it to looking at our own reflection in a mirror and what he saying is we revealed as we were flagged up on the truth of scripture and some more than just saying, well, I want to learn about the character of God or I know what this passage is about. I want to invite the invite us this morning to spend some time thinking about where we fit. In this passage where we fit in the story, I want us to reflect upon ourselves because that's part of what looking into the truth of scripture is supposed to do it supposed to reveal us when we look in scripture. So let's begin by reading Luke chapter 15 beginning and verse 11 going to verse 32 Jesus's teaching to a large group of those who've been following him those outside the kingdom those outside the faithful and Israel, but also the leaders who are frustrated with him and watching him closely and so he teaches in this context. He says there was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father father. Give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them. Not long after that the younger son got together all he had set off for a distant country and their squandered his wealth and wild living after he had spent everything.

Excuse me, after he spent everything there was a severe famine in the whole country and he began to be in need. So we went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to feel his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said how many of my father's hired men have food to spare and here I am starving to death. I will set out and go back to my father and say to him father. I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired men. So I got up and went to his father.

but while he was still a long way off his father saw him. And was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son threw his arms around him and kissed him. The sunset hymn father I have sinned against heaven and against you I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said for the service quick bring the best robe and put it on him put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet bring the fatted calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found so they began to celebrate.

Meanwhile, the older son was in the field when he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the service and asked him what was going on. Your brother has come here apply and your father has killed the fatted calf. Because he has him back safe and sound. The older brother became angry. and refused to go in so his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father look all these years. I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders yet. You never gave me fever in a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes on you kill the fatted calf for him.

My son the father said you're you're always with me and everything. I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again he was lost and now is found.

This is what Jesus taught in this setting and Luke 15 when everyone was watching and waiting and listening and wondering what was Jesus going to teach under the critical eyes of the Pharisees and under the listing years of those who felt they had no hope in light of God

A lot of folks including you and me. I suspect if we reflect a little bit upon herself in response to the story fall in a couple of categories. There's folks who think maybe like The Prodigal Son the problem with the world is it mean it's them it's those condemning types. That older brother of mine who's a prude and a goody two-shoes and I'm going to stay home and Obey Dad and Dad who says everything has to be done. Just though look just give me my money now so that I can go out and enjoy life. You guys are a bunch of sticks in the mud. Just I just want to go party and have a good time. I'm in me. It's all you people who don't know how to cut loose and have a good time. You don't know what the good life is. You don't know how to live life. amen There's some in that category and then there's folks that think like the older brother problem with the world is not me. It's those in moral types. I'm not the problem. I stayed home. I did everything that my father asked me to do never disobeyed him. I'm one of the good guys. The problem in this world is those people who don't follow the rules those people who just live selfishly just for themselves. Everything would be good. If we could just be us those of us to get it who know how to behave who know how to treat other people who know how to follow the rules. Can you see how most folks Including you and I I suspect. Attempted to slide into one of those two categories about how we see the world. That's our worldview concerning morality. That would have been the worldview. I think concerning morality during Jesus time. And I think it's the dominant human world you it's the way we think is human sweep. We pick one of those two categories and Jesus comes and says guess what both those categories are wrong. There's a whole new view of God and morality and the world first of all the wrong because both views avoid achy truth, which is taught in this passage in which is needed in our lives. And that truth is repentance. Think about the two perspectives when you when you think about each person They're either saying basically about life. I obey or God loves us just as we are and both of those worldviews lead to the conclusion. I don't need to repent. Look, I'm a good God-fearing person. I go to prayer meetings every time they have them. I read my Bible. I put money in the offering plate. What am I got to repent of I'm not the problem. It's not me. It's all these immoral people out in the world. I don't have anything to repent. Or the other view is you don't want God loves us just as we are no matter what we do. We don't have to do anything. Nothing at all. I don't need to repent you see how both those views avoid the core truth In this passage or one of the portraits in this passage repentance itself.

Both sons are lost. Is another truth that we need to look at this passage and see with fresh eyes. It's not just the prodigal son. That is lost. The older brother is lost. Both of them are alienated from the father. Too often we think of this just as a flat story about the lost son. And we don't even think about the older son and his own lost minutes in this passage part of that because we think of saying is simply rule-breaking but sin is not best understood as rule-breaking but simply is choosing self over God think of Frank Sinatra. I did it my way. That's the essence of since it's not simply failing to keep a rule. Jesus said too many of the leaders and Pharisees. You keep all the rules, but you miss me and God the Father entirely. So when we think of Stan is purely either keeping the rules are not keeping the rules then we're stepping down a dangerous path of misunderstanding. Later, that's exactly what the older brothers all about how I kept the rules even though he's showing his father. No respect. Just as alienated just as a strange from the father as the son who said Give me my inheritance now, I'll go on my way is the elder brother. They're both separated from their father and part of the reason is because of the way they think about saying is simply keeping the rules are not keeping the rules. Send is essentially about saying I'm going to do it my way my way not God's way my way about this staining the relationship with God the Father not keeping or not keeping the rules one way or another the younger brother's request to get his inheritance was technically okay, but relationally

A young man could make that request. I know one day you're going to die and everything's going to be divided. I know my older brother get more than I do, but I'm going to get some and I don't want to wait for that day. I want you to give it to me now. So we'll go to the embarrassment Troxel roll-up will be doing an auction part of the property be sold off now in front of the whole Community son. Demanded his inheritance now. It's as if he saying you know what I just assumed you'd be dead father. I really don't want you in my life. I don't want you to rule me or tell me what to do. But I do want the blessings of you in my life. I would like the stuff that comes from you. I would like those things, but I don't I want to do it my way my way. I'm going to live my life my way, but I would like to receive through the things that I want. So technically it was an okay thing. He wasn't breaking a law for say in Jewish culture, but relationally And there is the sin. And through the entire Old Testament Israel would frequently go down that path of misunderstanding and think of relationship with God as being all about keeping rules and they would say if we keep the rules and this other Nation doesn't were your people and they aren't and goblets and profit after profit and say don't you understand you might keep the rules technically but if your hearts are far from me, then you're not my people even even occasionally raise up a spotlight on someone who wasn't in Israel who had a heart for God and say this person this person is getting it right in this room would say we don't understand we don't understand. Prophet after Prophet would try to show to them. It's about the relationship. It's not about a simple matter of keeping rules or not. Keeping rules. Look at what God says in Hosea 6:6 He says to Israel through the prophet for I desire Mercy not sacrifice and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings. So Israel was faithful and loyal keeping. Hey, we're doing the sacrifices. We're doing the offering. We know what you want. We don't go to church every Sunday will be there. Every Wednesday night will put money in the offering plate. But as for the rest of our life, I did it my way, right? I'll pay my dues. But I want to make my own decisions about what I do with my money for my time or my career. Do not call any of my children to the mission field. They're mine. I'll do it my way God I'm doing the things you want. I won't be there for you owe me. We got a system. I figured it out.

Israel had that sort of perspective and with a broken heart. Pleated to Hosea. Here's another translation of that verse. I don't want your sacrifices. I want your love. I don't want your offerings. I want you to know me.

You realize that God would rather me love him directly and fail miserably at keeping rules, then keep all the rules and keep him at an arm's length.

You realize that? Who'd you rather be married to?

Somebody who kept all the technical Rules of Marriage. Hey, there's nothing anyone that Community can say that I'm doing wrong in this marriage, but I do not want to sit in the room with you in the evening at our house. I can't even be near you. I'm following all the rules. No one has anything to say about about us our marriage, but I just please don't want to be with you. What would you prefer? would you rather have somebody who just you came in the room and they just said

good to see you. Good to see you. And how did you pay the electric bill forgot completely about it, but I'm so thrilled to see you. Hey, did you do that thing that we're supposed to do we signed up a whole I forgot I didn't know. but

Happy to see you. Would you rather have somebody who got some of all the rules in the proper etiquette of marriage wrong? But lit up when you came in the room? Or somebody who did all their parts right but really just did not care for you very much.

The God says Israel. And I don't just want you to get the sacrifices right in the burnt offerings, right? I want you.

Until the sin of the sun isn't some little simple rule-breaking is that he says to the father. I don't care about a relationship with you at all. If you'll just give me the stuff. You provide so that I can be on my way. I'll go my way younger brother one, Jerry said was trying to get control by leaving and disobeying and the older brother was trying to get control by staying and I'll bang and they're both lost their both alienated from the father and they're both saying I would like your things, but I don't want you. You see that same Spirit the older brother when the father comes out not going in that son of yours. I love you. Everything I have is yours not going in. You see the Same Spirit. Look I obeyed you stayed here and obeyed you for a reason so that I could do it my way. So that I can have the stuff that I will have earned it and I will can shoot I will choose to do with it what I want to do with it. Elder Brothers got the same sin in his heart. What the prodigal son does?

On right now and says whenever you try to get control of your life by going away from God you end up giving control of your life to other things. I want to look at a longer quote by him and I really want you two to listen and think about this cuz I think he does a great job of helping us realize what it means to be lost.

Too often. We think I'm not lost. It's those other people out there that are lost the ones you're getting everything wrong. I know how to keep the rules. I know how to do certain things. Right or we think I might be lost that matter. God loves everybody just as you are whole thing. I'm not going to worry about that at all. But it's important to realize there's a meaning. the language of being lost being separated from God now on Wars look whenever whenever we try to get control of our life by going away from God we end up giving control of Our Lives over to other things that he continues.

This is my own little side. No, not him. But whenever whether the control is salt by proper religious Behavior or by leaving God in the rearview mirror, you still end up lost because you're working against reality itself because there's only one God there's only one Creator you have only one father. He made you he made you for a purpose. He's provided Redemption for you. He created you to know him a relationship. He created you for good works Ephesians 2:8 says it so whenever I go in opposite directions, I'm working against reality itself. I'm lost Because I'm working against the way I was created the function of the way. God made me now and continues. He says home is the center of my being where I can hear the voice that says you are my beloved in whom I am well pleased. He continues Jesus made it clear that the same voice that he heard in the Jordan when God spoke. This is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased or Mount Tabor can be heard by me. He makes it clear that there is a home with the father. But if I decide to keep control if I go out into the world, I will keep running around asking everything. Do you really love me? Do you really love me? I give all the power to the voices of the world. It is the world that defines me then there's a couple more slides but you see the wisdom of what he's saying here. God has created us to be in relationship with him to know him as our loving father and he has done everything to restore and provide that relationship and when we make the mistake of thinking no, no, no, I can find my life elsewhere and we were jet the father and go away like that prodigal son or even stay next to the father, but it's not about relationship. It's about doing certain things to get what we want. We're still doing it our way. When we do that. We're lost and we give power in our heart and in our lives two things of this world. So that we're constantly saying the things of this world. Am I enough am I enough we say to our career? Am I enough have I succeeded? Can I feel good about my life? We State our families Give me meaning and give me identity would put too much pressure on our spouses and our children took to make us who we are we worried about how we look am I thin enough I've gained too much weight does my family look good enough cuz I want this reflection of me. I want them to look the right way by Church. Look good enough. Go to the right Church. Do I have the right?

We start to give things in this world voices in the world control over our hearts so that we become anxious. I mean anybody here ever deal with anxiety. If you don't raise your hand you're lying.

You ever worry? You said why you worrying? your heavenly father

takes care of the birds Don't you think he's going to take care of you? Well, you see Lord. I taken my trust out of the heavenly father and I placed it in the things of this world. And so I worry about those things. I worry about my my physical appearance. I worry about my bank account. I worry about my career. I worry about my reputation.

We become lost. God Longs for us to be found and they be restored I give all the power to the voices of the world. It is the world that defines me. Then he continues the world's love is full of ifs. Yes. I love you. If you are good looking if you are intelligent if you are well off if your educated if you have connections if you are productive endless IFS Do you see the deception of the world? Lures us away from the confidence of being the child of the father of resting in our status of being his beloved. instead of having that confidence to walk to life the world Whispers And lures us away so that we're constantly anxious and worried about all the what ifs Meanwhile, the father Waits on the porch for us just to give one glance back toward him so that he could say I'm here. This is the truth. You are loved and provided for by me now and continues he says and it's not too hard to know when I've left home spiritually resentment. If I ever have resentment issues. Ever look at somebody else and just like Hakeem and break everything have to go right for you. Yeah. Yeah. I know you got that promotion.

Jealousy, same thing right desire for Revenge lust greed and vision rivalry all or obvious signs that I have left home that I'm letting the world Define me with its Love full of IFS. But when I'm home with the father that I can know I am the Beloved I can confront and consult and admonish and encourage without any fear of rejection or need of affirmation. I can suffer persecution without the need for revenge or receive praise without using it as proof of my goodness. You see what God is calling us to he's calling us to be home with him in such a way that all those anxieties of the world lose their grip and their power and we become transformed people who can receive praise and we don't have to hold on to it desperately and put a plaque on the wall. It's a look, you know, I'm somebody my name's on the phone with my name is in the phone book right? I'm somebody we don't have to have that desperation that desperation also leads us never to confront. Often do not stand up to Injustice or wrong because there might be consequences. That's my boss. Say something then and what if I lose my job. I mean because my job is everything.

Is it?

What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world whole world but loses his soul.

Does pleading with us inviting us down a path? That is the good life. That is the prosperous life. That is a life in which we can confront when we need to confront. We can encourage we need to encourage because our stability our foundation. Our identity is as in him as our father we can become agents of transformation in the world around us. Instead of those like Paul says in Ephesians that are tossed to and fro by every wind of teaching or fad of Doctrine. Am I enough am I enough am I enough it said we can rest in God the father and become the people he draws us to be noticed. Another thing here as we continue in this passage notice. The Father's Love is prior to the sun's repentance. When does the kiss occur?

Can go back and read it carefully. He doesn't even get to start his speech. I don't know about you, but I think psychologically we always picture the speech at least getting started because we want him to do something. Can't just forgive him. He has to at least start saying I am repentant. He's got the I'm no good. I'm sorry, I could trade hype it doesn't even get to say anything. Do you usually make the story about The Prodigal Son Well, he saved himself Good Ole American Ingenuity pulled himself up by his own bootstraps at prodigal son. Did yes, sir, figured out exactly how to roll up a good speech and went and he knew what to say in order to cause God. right Man is the center of everything. Be careful before we know it. That's our worldview. I did it my way. I got God to save me. I figured out what the mechanism was what the handle was the pool what the right words were to say and I got God save myself. Basically, we got the part of it stuff that I really

Easy, we slip out the Emissary just love that loves that love to whisper in our ears and get us thinking I did it. It's it's built into the human heart. I was changing one of her baby girl's diaper the other day. She's very independent and I was in a hurry as early in the morning and I was down on the floor my knees and had her right here and I snap both sides of the diaper raffle cicatape and she said she wanted to do what I want to do what I want to do it. That's it. I'm done. She looked me Square in the eye. I mean just make sure that we have eye contact looked me Square in the eye reaches down pulls one of the tapes off put it back says I did it.

Then I just started laughing and saying man. It's not just me is it it's every human on the face of the Earth that wants to say I'll do it my way. I'll do it my way. And God says you can you can't think about it. When is the Father's kindness first shown? Its first shown when the sun comes and says, I'd like my hair just now. Because a normal Jewish father would have said hold on a second while I get to servants and a stick. And I beat you until you can't walk and then this I'm serious and then we drag you out of the village and you're no longer my son. instead the father says Okay, Sun. Will sell off your part you can have money. The kindness starts there. We we we long to do it our way. And God says well, it's it's a dead end. But I'll let you try. And I'll be waiting here on the porch.

And in my love's never going to change it ever going to stop never going to cease. I'm not waiting for you to repent and then I love you. I'm not waiting for you to get it right and then I love you. I love you and so is on the porch and he sees the Sun and it's not about the sun. This should not be named The Prodigal Son this this Parable is about to run a father. That's what it's about. It's about the father God is the center of scripture. Jesus is telling this Parable to reveal the character of God, not the character of The Prodigal Son until this Parable to say, let me tell you a story about a guy who really figured out how to pull himself up by his own bootstraps. Let me tell you about this father. Who had two sons?

Swanson did this Teresa came to senses. The father was sitting on the porch as soon as the father saw him. He runs and he pounces on him as I like to say like Tigger and Pooh, right? Hugs and kisses his neck look at the scriptures. He hugs him and kisses him and braces him before he even gets a word out.

Romans 2:4 says or do you think lightly of the riches of his God's kindness and tolerance and patience not knowing that that kindness of God leads you to repentance another translation words it this way don't you realize how patient he God is being with you or don't you care can't you see that? He has been waiting all this time without punishing you to give you time to turn from your sin. His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. Is the kindness of God Scripture says that turns our hearts toward him. It's not that some of us are Just A Cut Above the Rest. Okay drive that thought from the adversary out of your head and heart right now.

May I just preach a little bit? You and I are no better than people who are not in church this morning.

Robbie

Quit messing with the way we think about stuff.

The problem is all those immoral people outcomes. Us it's all those other people out there. And the ones out there or just as wrong. When they say us all those condemning people in the church on Sunday morning, that's the problem. Guess what? We're all the problem. Because we insist on doing it our way.

It's the kindness of God, not our own thinking our own wisdom or on effort that leads us to repentance. So things are remember as we look into God's word James one says when you go into scripture look at it. Assess where you stand see what you look like in light of scripture. He doesn't say go to God's word memorize it move on. Go to God's word capture a truth about the character of God file it away so that you're more knowledgeable Christian and move on. He says look into God's word. And then he says don't be foolish. Don't go away not remembering what that word meant for you what that what you look like in comparison in the reflection of God's work till things to remember after we look at Luke 15 this morning. We are lost.

Okay. There's really no group of humanity that standing at the sidelines going. Those guys are lost. Sure. Hope they figure out how to find God. We all were all in a we're all that and a bag of chips, you know, we got it all together and we figured it out. They didn't it's all of humanity. That is lost without God. We are lost. That's one of the fundamental truth of this passage. Jesus preaching not only to the prodigals who say God could never love me. I've slept in the pits and eating the food of pigs. I betrayed my family. I've done everything that we were told was wrong to do. I did it. I embraced it. I went from amateur to Pro. I've got tattoos to show for it. Are we preaching to that person who says I could never be loved by God for saved by God when he tells the story about The Prodigal Son. Yes, you can the father Waits on the porch and as soon as your Insight, Kiss you and hug you bring the ring bring the Rope bring the sandals. This is my son. This is my daughter. But if you noticed he's also preaching that older brother. Also speaking of those Pharisees her standing around the outside going. What is he doing? He's constantly in bars and hitting with people and hanging out with prostitutes and tax collectors. And and now he's saying that God loves everyone.

When he tells the part about the older brother, he's compassionately saying here's how the father feels about you. And how does the father feel about the older brother? Loves him. Loves it. I love you. You've always been with me everything I have is yours everything. Is longing for the older brother to come in and celebrate Jesus the Same to those Pharisees on the outskirts. Look if you don't come in and party. It's your fault not gods. It has nothing to do with God God welcomes you his tremendous Grace and love extends down all the way down the direction of the prodigal road, but it stands in the direction of those who say I've got it all together. Is Grace extends to every one of us at every moment? And if we just turned toward him he longs to kiss us.

that relationship He doesn't want us to say look up all the rules, but don't get my face God. He's like I want to get in your face or slobber all over your neck. I want to pounce on you and cause you to fall on the ground and hug you.

Do you think I ever kiss the neck of my little baby girls?

I got her slobber on them think I would tickle them until they're like

imagine if I just said, oh no, I'll take care of you. But there's not going to be any touchy-feely stuff. There's not going to be any love or hugs get Imagine by said the Maggie look Maggie. I'm going to have room and board and shelter to hug me. Goodnight. And you imagine that? God the Father longs to show us that love to know that that's what the relationship is about do our kids ever do anything wrong.

Are those your Breakers? Maggie you left your shoes out. Again. That's it. Our relationship is completely over. Get out the house broken again in the gospels comparable after Parable. If Heavenly father's have some little sense of what it means to be kind and give and care for the children how much more so does your heavenly father your father in Heaven know how to forgive and be gracious and be kind. That's part of what we have to remember. Look if we think we are not lost. We're definitely lost. Its if we think we are lost but it's okay. We're still lost if we know we are lost and that is not okay. We've begun to come to our senses like the sun in the parable. And then if we remember we have a generous kind patient forgiving father waiting for us. We are coming to our senses. We are repenting. We are rethinking everything. We let go of those two paradigms and I'm going to bite the worship team to come forward. We let go of that thinking that says, you know the problem. Isn't me it's all those people out there who aren't following the rules. It's the hair down that says the problem in me. It's all those people who are obsessed with following rules. Jesus says repent and think an entirely different way. All have sinned and fallen short of the goodness of God of God's glory all none. on their own yet. God the Father Waits as soon as we turn as soon as we think maybe I could turn to God I could go to the van. I get my father's house moment. We even begin to believe the truth about him to trust him. He's Springs from the porch and Embraces us and Longs for us to have this relationship with him. Not based on rules. Not worried about how well I keep the rules and all around. I haven't really I never once in college. I better shut up and quit preaching what you guys will be. They tell me that they say Robbie. Here's the deal you call us up and then you make a stand there for 10 minutes while you preacher second sermon. I'll try not to do that. I remember in college once studying for the ministry in undergrad Ministry major one Sunday. I was sick next Sunday and we missed Church me and my roommate next time don't know if we were sick again or if it was just a nice day. We missed three Sundays in a row. I've never missed three Sundays in a row in my life. And I never how horrible I felt. I felt like I can't go into Ministry. Now. God will have nothing to do with me because I've missed three Sundays in a row again. That's like Maggie imagining that me as a father if she was like, I left my shoes out again. I'm just going to pack a bag and run away from home. I mean, I'll never get to eat again. That sort of thinking that says God's that's that the measurement of my relationship with God is all these little things that you do that Robbie. Did you do that? Did you get this done? Did you get that done? And instead the measurement is Grace and love I can never measure up. never for God so loved the world. We can save ourselves. So he gave his only son that whoever would believe in his incredible Grace and his goodness in his character revealed in Christ Hoover would believe in him would not perish. But have everlasting life trying to say to the Pharisees. He sang look around you you're upset because we're saving people you're upset because lost people being converted. You should be celebrating don't you speak but those who couldn't walk or walking don't you see that those who were playing for walking down the blind or sing those who were burning wood scent are being forgiven for the kingdom of God is here among you celebrate. celebrate

that's our invitation this morning. If you've never accepted Christ as your lord and savior, then then accept him this morning and let us celebrate with you that truth. The gods springs for the porch runs to you kisses your neck thrilled that you're home. And if you've made that decision already, then celebrate that decision that Christ. Is your savior? That he's your rock that you stand on him as foundation. Not your appearance. Not your bank account. Not your career. not anything else but on Christ and celebrate that so that we can more and more be transformed into the people that God Longs for us to be people who can love and encourage and give and serve and correct. With that spirit of God being our foundation.