Luke 16:19-30 - The End of Lost and Found

I am going to start with the title of of the parable that I've given it is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and I titled this this message the end of Lost and Found simply because I got studying this passage of scripture and I've got looking into it. I realized that this was the end of a whole chain of thinking in a whole line of thinking that Luke has lined up for us really over the last I could go back 3 weeks. I'm only going to go back two weeks, but that Luke has lined up for us and there's a whole flow of thought here happening. This isn't a pair of or a parable that you can take in isolation. You really have to see it in the big picture of things. And I want to go back to a sermon that Jude preach two weeks ago. It was the sermon of the Lost coin in the lost sheep and and then on to the the parable of the prodigal son and that Jesus was out preaching to the lost sheep. He was out spending time with the tax collectors and sinners then he was preaching at seeking the lost sheep of Israel and when he did so you recall that the Pharisees came to Jesus? And they were chiding him for spending time with tax collectors and Sinners and in the Defence of his spending time with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus told them in no uncertain terms that he was seeking the lost sheep of Israel. He was seeking the lost sheep of Israel like someone seeks for a lost sheep. He was taking the ship of the lost sheep of Israel like someone seats for a lost coin. He was going out and finding the lost sheep of Israel and bringing them back into the full and Jesus defends his position by telling those two Parables and it's interesting to think about that. He was seeking the lost sheep. Why was he seeking the lost sheep? He was seeking Allah sheep because they didn't have a Shepherd the Shepherds over them with the leaders of Israel. The Shepherds over them were the priests the Pharisees described the Elders of Israel. They were the ones who were to be feeding. The Sheep of God. They were the ones who were to be feeding the family of God and they were lost.

Because the leaders of Israel were failing miserably at what God had called them to do.

Jesus go with on to tell the parable. Of the prodigal son and it's a horribly name title. When we call a. Judy brought this up in his sermon. It's a horribly named title for the sermon because it really is the parable of two lost Sons is really the parable of two kinds of lostness. You have an outward Rebellion that the younger son showed and you had the inward Rebellion. That the Pharisees showed and the Pharisees were living in God's house as God's leaders as God's representatives to his people as rebellious Sons with in God's house and they didn't know it they didn't even see what was happening to them and Jude and it off that sermon by saying my saying into To Us by asking us. What was the father going to do with this son? This is the son who accused his father of squandering his wealth on the younger son who have been living a life of sin and accused his father of being stingy towards him. What was God going to do with those with those people? What was God going to do with the older son? And then we flow from that into the parable of the unwise servant of the unwise Stewart the Stewart who had squandered its mass his master's wealth. And again, she pointed out that the that this unwise servant was the Pharisees the Pharisees were being unwise in their distribution or their management of the Master's property. And this is exactly where the Pharisees were at. The Pharisees were people who had mismanaged everything that God had given to them and and Jesus was now coming to them and confronting them for their mismanagement and that terrible did not outline or lay out what that mismanagement was. It just said that they had mismanaged that they had that they had squandered his the Masters wealth and they had they had used it and mismanaged it and God was coming to to basically fire them or cast them out from the management that they have been given. So this was the threat that God that Jesus issued to the Pharisees who were living as an older son in the father's house who had mismanaged the father's well, we're supposed to be there feeding the sheep and instead of feeding the Sheep. They were Miss managing the father's wealth what God had given them and so the parable that would go into today this parable of the rich man and Lazarus helps us to understand what the mismanagement was what that mismanagement and paled and then what the final outcome of that mismanagement is. And Jude mentioned last week. He said one thing he wanted us to keep in mind was that the times were changing?

the times in Israel for changing and there is nothing more important for us to keep in mind then. Thought this morning as well. The times were changing. There was a cataclysmic change coming into into place and into effect Here with Jesus coming into the world with Jesus now ministering and reaching the lost sheep of the lost sheep of Israel and the cataclysmic change that was coming into place here was the change from the old Covenant to the New Covenant the old Covenant was a blueprint of what the New Covenant with God Covenant was going to be the old Covenant was like a blueprint for a building it showed what was going to that the greater is showed a child with coming into effect in in time in history. And that was now taking place with comes with Jesus coming into the world. That change was now taking place the old Covenant was coming to an end and the New Covenant was about to begin.

and when Jesus came back

when Jesus came to establish the New Covenant He's found the people who he had set in charge of the old Covenant had squandered everything. They did that. He had given them they are done badly with what God had given them to do and out. One of those things that God had given them to do was to feed his sheep. And that's what we look at the passage this morning, and I'm going to read to you from Luke 16 verse 19 to 31. This is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. And this is how it goes. There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen who feasted sumptuously every day at his gate was late a poor man named Lazarus covered with sores who desire to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham side. The rich man also died and was buried and in the Hades being in torment. He lifted up his eyes. And saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side and he called out Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus to get the end of his finger into the water and cool my tongue for I am in anguish in this flame. But Abraham said child remember that in your lifetime that you and your lifetime received your good things and Lazarus in like manner bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish and besides all this between us and you a great Chasm has been fixed in order that doze. I would pass from here to you may not be able and none may cross from there to us. And he said then I beg you father send me him to my father to my father's house for I have five brothers so that he may warn them less. They also come into this place of Torment. But Abraham said they have Moses and the prophets let them hear them and he said no Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead they will repent and he said if they do not hear Moses and the prophets neither, will they be convinced if someone should raise from the dead? That's the reading of God's word for us this morning. And I want to talk to you a little bit about who the rich man is. I've already tipped my hand to that. I think the Richmond are the Pharisees are think the rich man are the leaders of Israel. I think they are the priests. I think they are the scribes. I think they are the fair varices. I think they are the Elders of Israel and in particular the elders and Pharisees and leaders of Israel who had squandered what God had given them and I think in this Parable Lazarus are the lost sheep of Israel Lazarus are the lost sheep that Jesus had been going out and trying to reach Jesus have been going out and preaching the gospel tube. They were the ones who were flooding into the kingdom is Jus said last week the ones who were taking the kingdom by violence. The ones are being violently in Courage to enter into the kingdom of God to enter into the New Covenant that Jesus was coming to establish and uphold. Why do I think that well, first of all, he's called a rich man. You called a rich man. I think for two reasons one is a physical reason and one and one is a material reason and one is a spiritual reason. They were rich men the Pharisees were wealthy people. They had lots of money and they had they had learned how to make money and they had learned how to how to earn money and they were wealthy people. But in reality, I think the greater story here, I think you could make this whole this whole passage about the dangers of wealth the dangers of material wealth, but I think you would be entirely missing the point if that's all you made this parable about

The Pharisees were Rich because they were in Covenant with the Living God. They had a covenant with the Living God and from that Covenant derived all of their life. Being in Covenant with God meant they were under the provision and protection of God. They were wealthy physically because they were in Covenant with God.

And the Covenant with God we don't understand what that means today. I don't think very well. We don't have a very good grip on what it means to be in Covenant with God and I'm going to stop here and I'm going to just talk a little bit about what the Covenant means of out what the Covenant meant when they said that they were in Covenant with God.

The Covenant had a five-fold aspect. It was a man actually described it this way first a covenant theologians have discovered that ancient Kings would make covenants with Nations that they conquered when they conquered a nation they would go in and they would make a covenant with the nation that they had conquered anyone who is remaining alive. They would make a covenant with them and that Covenant did five things it set them up today as an acknowledgement. So they they had to Covenant with the King that conquered them saying you are the king we acknowledge you as king. The Covenant did the second thing which was established Authority and established their their requirement to submit to that Authority and the king would also set up lines of authority through which they were to obey the king the king would set up other leaders under him here with all the subjects of the subjugated Kingdom. Would obey that King. And then the King number three would make stipulations. The king would give rules that they were required to follow and he expected these people who had been defeated by him to follow those rules. And on top of those rules, he would give sanctions for disobeying those rules and he would give sanctions also for obedience. If they obey these were the blessing this is what would happen if you obeyed and if you disobeyed this is what would happen and usually there was a means of if they had fallen into Disobedience there would be a means by which they could come back into Covenant with the king who defeated them. They would come they would be able to they would be able to follow a certain protocol to get back into Covenant with that King and finally Point number 5 in in a covenant in those ancient times point number five was there with a means of passing that Covenant on from your children to their children to their children and they were required to do so and there are many theologians out there who believe that this 5-fold pattern of the Covenant. Was adopted by ancient Kings from the pattern of Covenant that God makes with his people the pattern of the Covenant that God makes with his people you see the Israelites had come out of Egypt God had heard in his mercy and in his grace had a deer call for help. And he had come in with a mighty hand and delivered the people of Israel out of the hands of the Egyptians. And as soon as he delivered them. He became their God he became their King and Not only was he their creator. He was their King because he was their creator. He was their King because he was their savior. And God establishes in his Covenant with us. When car stops is coming out with us. He establishes as one as his creator. We do not belong to ourselves. We are owned by God and when he came in and he saved us when he saved Israel, he established himself as their Savior and as their savior, they were doubly owned their own because God created them. They were only because God saved them and God and saving them and bringing in it into a covenant with them. Became their God and God set up authority over them, which they were required. To submit to they were required to submit to God's authority to accept God as their creator but to accept God as their savior in their King as well. And God then gave them rules stipulations and rules and command that they were to follow and God expected them to follow those rules and commands. And then he gave them stipulations punishments for disobeying and he gave them blessings for obeying and he promised all of these things to Israel if they obeyed blessing if they disobeyed cursing and that if they disobeyed God would send His prophets to them to speak to them the truth of God to call them back into Covenant with him. Any Mercy he provided a way for them to come back into Covenant with them and in those days it was animal sacrifice. It was a sacrificial system that allowed them to see that blood was required to be spilled for their sins. Send to the people. I'm not to stay in Covenant with God.

They needed to repent. Did you receive the sacrifice that was offered on their behalf? to stay in Covenant with God and then God also establish a means by which that Covenant was passed on from generation to generation to generation circumcision was the means which God established for that to be passed on and the requirement of fathers to pass on to their children the knowledge of the Covenant of God. And the knowledge of God himself who would save them.

to be in Covenant with God

ways to be under God's provision and God's protection to be in Covenant with God was a life-giving thing. To be in common with a god of steadfast love and patience and kindness.

Was an amazing thing to have an amazing position to be in.

and the Pharisees had this and they squandered it. The Pharisees were known the Pharisees were the lawyers of the day the Pharisees were the professionals at the stipulations and the sanctions of the Covenant the Pharisees were the professional that understanding the law of God and understanding the sanctions of the law of God and the Pharisees at taking God's Loft and some point. They come some laws. They entirely missed the point. The Sabbath lot was one of those entirely missed the point of the Sabbath some laws. They raised higher than God required. They were acquired laws and rules that were higher than what God asked them to do in to be and usually it was those out weird laws laws like tithe and tithing on your mint and Dill and coming diving on the required to do that, but they help the help tithing is such a high regard because it was something that was easy and outward for them to do. Some laws, they lowered the law of divorce. For example, they allowed people to be divorced for whatever reason at all. Jude mentioned last week for for spoiling a meal. There was sufficient grounds for divorce in Israel according to the Pharisees. And some laws they ignored completely. I'll tell you one law that they ignore it entirely was the last commandment you shall not covet these were people who are full of covetous desires and they pretended like that law did not even exist. And in doing this and then in twisting and contorting God's law and rules and commands. They also taught others in Israel to do the same thing. And you had a nation who is entirely oblivious to the requirements in the standards that god require of Israel.

Because of Pharisees at twisted and contorted the law.

The Pharisees had squandered what God has given them and they had squandered the responsibility that they had to pass on the Covenant to the people of Israel. What a tragedy. What a tragedy and Jesus is now coming and he is warning the Pharisees. He is warning the Pharisees that they are like an olive. Shoot. That is about to be broken off from the Vine. They are about to be Covenant Ali.

Broken off from the kingdom they are about to experience Covenant Til Death from God and separation from God and how do I know that this is the Pharisees that they're talking about what says in the parable that the that the rich man was dressed in purple and fine linen there only several places in the Bible where purple and fine linen or talked about like this and it is in Exodus 25 to 39. All of the garments in the temple is Sasha's the ephod the curtains all of those things in the temple were made of purple and Scarlet Lennon and finally finally twined linen. This is telling me that this person is a ruler of the people of Israel that he is in a thority in Israel.

Incidentally, this is the only time in this come in the New Testament. There's only one other time that this purple and fine linen is brought up and that is brought up in Revelation in Revelation 17 and 18. You can look at it there. You can find in Revelation 17 and 18 Jesus Christ himself giving a prophecy related to I believe to Israel. You have the Harlot sitting on the Beast and I believe that the Beast was the Roman Empire you have the you have Israel sitting on the Beast. And they and he is calling them Babylon. He is calling them the great tour. Hey, guess what? She's dressed in? She's dressed in purple and fine linen.

dressed in purple and fine linen and I believe that very clearly hear the rich man. God is speaking about the leaders of Israel who have failed in their responsibilities to pass on the cabinet. Is people and as a result, his people are lost. And Jesus is coming in to save the lost sheep of Israel. And says that they feasted sumptuously that the rich man feasted sumptuously. This is all of the contorting and twisting of God's laws. They had done so that they would not have to change so that they could continue living a sinful lies that they were living and not feel guilty about it and they taught Israel to do the same. They taught Israel to do exactly that

They were full of selfish Indulgence you see in that terrible. The rich man sitting in his house feasting sumptuously on his table while Lazarus is sitting off to the side at his gate. Meg nordham ignored him entirely and I think if you turn with me to Isaiah 58, Isaiah 58 verse 1 to 6. Says this cry aloud do not hold back lift up your voice like a trumpet declare to my people their transgression to the house of Jacob their sins yet. They seek me daily and Delight to know my ways as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake. The Judgment of their God. They asked me of they asked of me righteous Judgement. They Delight to draw near to God. Why have we fasted and you do not see why have we humble ourselves and you take no knowledge of it the whole the day of your fat in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure. This is exactly what the Pharisees were doing. The Pharisees were fasting and praying and the lighting to have a relationship with God that they were living in Covenant with him. And they were doing everything for their own pleasure. They were twisting and contorting God's laws for their own pleasure and they were oppressing all of the workers. Behold you fast to Coral into fight and they hit with a wicked fist fasting like yours. This day will not make your voice to be Heard On High is such a fast the faster. I choose a day for a person to be humble at a day for a person to Humble himself. Is it to bow down his head like a reed to spread sackcloth and Ashes under him. Will you call this a fast a day acceptable to the Lord? Is this not the fast that I choose to loose the bonds of wickedness? to undo Stripes of the yolk oppressed go free and to break every yoke is it not to share your bread with the hungry picture Lazarus here? Is it not to share? Your bread with the hungry. And to bring the homeless poor. into your house

when you see the naked to cover him. Do not hide yourself from your own flesh.

How's the fast that the Lord required? That's the fast that the Lord wanted. I'm Israel. from the leaders of Israel come look at Lazarus to have pity on him. Have mercy on him to break the Yoke of his suffering. to give him life and had taken their relationship with God and they had squandered it. And in squandering their relationship with God and in squandering the Covenant that they had with God.

They squandered God himself.

You look at Lazarus. Let's take a quick look at him. He's poor materially poor living in spiritual poverty as well because the Israelites were keeping the Covenant of God contorting it twisting and keeping it to themselves. They were failing to preach the Covenant of God.

I did teach it to the people of Israel. The people of Israel lived in material poverty. At least many of them did some of them did it says here that they were laid at the gate. The Lazarus was laid at the gate indicating his helplessness that he couldn't even bring himself to the gate. He was laid at the gate by other people hoping to get something from the rich man. Hoping to find some help for his condition.

They were obvious. Their suffering was obvious to the rich man and the rich man new Lazarus even went after he died. He knew exactly who Lazarus was he knew his name in Haiti's. They were oblivious to the suffering of Lazarus in their own in their own life. It says that Lazarus was covered with sores. He was in need of healing. And he was longing for scraps the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. They were hungry and I would say he was physically hungry, but the people of Israel were spiritually hungry as well.

And then it brings up this interesting thought here. It says even the dogs licked Lazarus has wounds even the dogs were there licking Lazarus his wounds and I believe that this is a reference to the people of Israel who were in Covenant with God under a covenant of provision and protection with almighty God. And they were looking to Gentiles for help. absolutely pathetic

if we look at the name Lazarus. Lazarus is a is a contracture. It's a Hellenic conversion of the of the Hebrew name. I forgot now. I forget a lot. It's a contracture of a Hebrew name. That means god is helper. Lazarus indicates our Lazarus his name indicates that God himself would be a helper to them and hear you have Jesus coming into the scene of human history. Looking at Lazarus and meeting Lazarus has needs and the thing I want to point out here. In that one of the things I want to point out here and the rich man and Lazarus. His riches are not always a blessing. Sometimes they are a sign of the exact opposite. Sometimes riches are sign of the exact opposite the Pharisees were wealth wealthy people, but they were in poverty spiritually they were about to be cut off from the provision and protection of God. And it was no blessing to them to be rich. I want to point out. This is well with regards to Lazarus poverty is not always a curse. If it makes you ready. To look for Christ and receive him. Wealth is not always a blessing. And poverty is not always the curse. For Lazarus. It was a tremendous blessing because when Christ came on the scene of human history, they were ready to receive him. They were looking for him. They were hungry for him and they found Christ to be there Supply. And I believe here we're talking about death next because death comes to both of them death comes to Lazarus first. And it says that he is taking away to Abraham's bosom to Abraham's side. And I think in that we see a picture of Christ's death coming death on the cross. As a covenant till death as a death that god require on their behalf.

They were in Covenant with God and Christ had paid the penalty for their sin. And so they were in now a covenant relationship with God and they were taken to Abraham's Abraham's bosom. It says that were bosom in the Greek means Bay. It's a bay like a bay of water. I got a body of water that's in a protected Harbor just like a ship out on high seas. When when the Seas get rough. They come into the bay and they come into the bay to be protected From The Storm. And they come into the bay to refuel and to get replenished in to get to get food and they were they when they died they were welcome to Abraham's bosom and I would say that they were welcome to Abraham's bosom long before they died. They were welcome to Abraham's bosom when they believe Christ. And when Christ died for their sins and they believed him. They were welcomed into Abraham's bosom. And so they came under God's protection. They came under the Covenant of God's provision and under God's proof protection and they were spared from the wrath of God against Wicked sinful people. Because they were in protection of God's covenant. And then death comes also to the old to the rich man.

And they had been Covenant Elite if they continue to their unbelief and they continued in if the rich if prostate Israel will call them the rulers of his prostate is real those who followed the rulers of Israel into their apostasy if they remained in their pasta see and they refuse to repent and refused to turn their eyes to Christ and believe upon him. They were rejecting the offer. And God was making for them to stay in Covenant with him to stay under his provision and protection. And as a result.

They descended into Hades. They descended into hell.

I could go on a long time here about what it means to be in Haiti's and what it means to be. Is it really is it hell, is it the final condition or is it is it a condition where holding ground and there's all kinds of things that could be said about that, but I'm going to skip all of that today and I know that I'm probably going long already. I'm going to skip all of that today.

Because it is exceedingly important that we understand a couple of things.

once you die physically There is a fixed Chasm that cannot be crossed. You were negotiating will have no issue with God. It is a permanent condition.

It is a permanent condition to be in there is no negotiation and there is no relief it says about hell that it was a rain that he was in anguish and the rich man was in anguish there. Because he was in slang.

And there is no negotiating to getting out of bed.

Start a little technical difficulty there. Hopefully you can still hear me a thumbs up if you can still hear me.

the air was

I fixed Chasm between them. And there was no negotiating and no getting out and no relief from the flame that they were in and that's really the only thing I want to leave you with. On that with regards to death and the death that came to them. This is the tragic story of a people who had refused to repent who refused to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This was their end and it ended that way because they have been cut off Covenant Ali from God. They had been severed from the branch. And all those who believed in Christ continued on from the old Covenant into the New Covenant, they just flowed from one Covenant into the next all those who believed in Christ and receive from him. Received from him the grace and mercy that he supplied through his death on the cross. They remained in Covenant with God. And he went on to be in Abraham's bosom in the provision and protection of God for eternity. Whatever that looks like and whatever that means.

Let's get to some application here. How do we apply this? How do we take this and apply it to our lives? We need to understand this.

Israel had been in Covenant with God at that point from the time of Moses until the time of Christ coming into the world for approximately 1400 years 1400 years. God was exceedingly patient with Israel. He was exceedingly full of steadfast love and kindness for Israel for 1400 years. He put up with them. He put up with their Rebellion. He won't put up with their stubbornness.

We can understand this as well. God is exceedingly patient and kind and full of skypass love and kindness, but he is also exceedingly committed to his Covenant. And he is exceedingly committed to his standards. He will not lower his standards. And he is jealous for his people. To walk in Fidelity towards him.

Israel was on the verge of being broken off of having the Wild Olive shoot grafted in there was still a possibility for them to be saved. They could still act shrewdly as that manager did that you spoke about last week. There was still an opportunity to even at this late fade and with all of their Rebellion there was still an opportunity for them to ask rudely and to be spared.

How do we apply this to our lives? We've been living in the New Covenant now for almost two thousand years. My question to the church, is this where are we? Where are we at? Where do we stand with the Lord?

Is our concern and commitment to the Covenant? Even come close to God's concern for the Covenant. Are we concerned for keeping the Covenant that God has made with his people are we concerned with the stipulations of those covenants? Are we concerned at all? with the sanctions of those covenants the blessings and the cursed things that are ours if blessings if we obey cursings if we disobey are we looking to Jesus the way that we ought to are we taking the sacrifice that he has made seriously?

as it deserves we've been in Covenant with God for 2,000 years.

And I greatly fear.

Among God's people. Not just that. They're not just our church, not our church specifically God's people in general over the world throat around the globe. That we are not taken seriously.

the Covenant But he made with us through the blood of his son.

Paul warned the Pharisees that they were about to be broken off at they were all the branches about to be broken off.

Actually, he didn't warn them. He just told them that they were that the that the Israel at Israel had been broken off from covenant with God.

and then he said got the Wild Olive shoot was grafted into the vine. And then he said this very startling thing.

City of God did not spare the natural Olive shoot. He will not spare the the wild one either if they if they continue in Pride and unbelief. It's the same thing we can be cut off for exactly the same reasons as the Pharisees and apostate Israel with cutoff.

I don't think there is anyone here. I'm speaking of myself here. I cannot say. With any certainty that I have not mismanaged the riches that God has given me in the Covenant we have with him.

There are many ways.

I wish I have squandered The Riches of God. Which I have taken lightly his Covenant.

Which I have twisted and contorted his laws. So that I could continue in my sin.

Let it not be so.

Let us be people who take the Covenant of God seriously. What is the people?

who in Listen to Jesus who listen to the warnings of scripture who turn to Christ and look to him and him alone for their salvation.

And who look to him to save us from our sinful behavior and from our sinfulness?

It seems to me in these days. We are under this plague that we are under. God has Unleashed upon this world that we should sit up and take notice. It seems to me and these days that God is taking the globe by the Scruff of the neck and giving us a gentle Shake. to help us to see with one proclamation of a public official he can shut down the entire economy and your wealth can be dried up in a second.

candy vaporized in a moment But you are right in your freedoms can be taken away.

Those rights and freedoms. We have our purchase for us by Christ and Christ Alone. We are free people because of Christ and Christ Alone. God is the source of our freedom. It is what the Christ purchased for us and if we squander God's covenant with us if the church squanders his Covenant.

Those freedoms can be operated in a minute. Our freedom of assembly our freedom of religion our freedom to meet together our freedom to work wherever we want our freedom to go wherever we please. It can be taken away from us in an instant.

And we need to wake up Church. We need to wake up and hear. What God is saying to us through this plague that has come upon us? We need to take seriously God's covenant and here is one way that I want us to really as a church take seriously God's covenant. And it starts with fathers. And I say this on Mother's Day. Mother's this is probably one of the greatest gifts that the church can receive today is for fathers to take and listen to this. Message to take this to heart one of the lines of authority that God has established with his people. Is the family of which were fathers? Are they head of which fathers are responsible and I want you to see today in the day that we are in right now under this plague that we are under? The only real relationship that you have is your family right now. The only real relationship that the vast majority of the world has right now is the relationship they have with their wife and with their children.

and if you listen to the world They are predicting that they are going to be mass amount amount of divorce coming out of this because people are realizing being shacked up with their family there with the people that they hate.

They're with the people that they don't like the most. They're with their enemies in their own household. May it not be so for the church May being shacked up with your wife and your children. Not be a hardship for us.

in this time parents fathers in particular We need to be focusing our attention on her family's. We need to be considering the relationship that we are in. With God and His Covenant. Am I Faithfully proclaiming to my family? the Covenant of God

each of us who has children made these vows to the Lord if you are if you had your children dedicated in this church. Each of you made this vow to the Lord. Mike was the one who dedicated your children. You believe that this child you hold in your arms belongs to God. It has been entrusted to you by God who holds you responsible to raise them according to his word in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. So do you now promise that as God helps you you will teach your children the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the answer to that that you gave presumably was we do.

And it goes on and says will you pray for your child and with your child? Will you strive to be sincere examples of a man and a woman committed to following the Lord Jesus Christ so that in all of the years that this child is growing up in your home. They will see day by day. What living for Jesus Christ look like it sounds like will you do all that God teaches you to do and all that God empowers you to do through his Spirit working in you to bring your child to the true and saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

and the answer to that that you supposedly gave when you dedicated your children to the Lord is we will

it has been a great benefit to me over the last several years the cheapest Val before me and to review at Daily to review at week by week and has been a tremendous benefit to me to do so. It is also been a tremendous benefit for me to review my marriage vows. How many of you have listened to your marriage vows? How many of you have reviewed your marriage vows? This has been the practice of that I have undertaken for the last several years now and has been a huge blessing to me to review the vows that I have made to God Chris to you. Now take Barbara to be your lawfully wedded wife promising to love her to respect her to protect her and forsaking all others. Be her faithful husband as long as you both shall live. I do.

I Chris take you Barbara to be my lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold. From this day forward For Better or For Worse for richer or for poorer in sickness and in health in joy and in sorrow to love and to cherish until death separates us. And so now before God and these Witnesses, I promise you my faithfulness.

The only people that we are living with right now. The only people that we have a real relationship of vital relationship that is not a virtual relationship over a screen is our families. And husbands, we have a responsibility to lead them. Well.

We have a responsibility to keep the vows that we have made to follow God's prescription for raising children. And for living and loving relationship with their wives. And I don't know if any of you have many of you. I've given them a lot of thought lately. I have heard some people talking about living in a greater repentance before their families. This is a good step in the right direction. And I'm going to give to you in 1st Kings 8 verse 35 to 40 Solomon prayed this prayer at the dedication of the Temple.

And he asked us to pray that he asked the people of Israel to pray this prayer in particular when certain things happened in the land is as When Heaven is shut up in there is no rain because they have sinned against you if they pray towards this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins. When you flick them then here in heaven and forgive in and forgive the sin of your servants your People Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk and Grant rain upon your land which you have given to your people as an inheritance if there is a famine in the land if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or Locust or caterpillar if there's any means besiege them in the land at their Gates, Whatever plague whatever sickness there is whatever prayer whenever plea is made by any man or by all your people of Israel each knowing the Affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands towards this house.

Then here in heaven your dwelling place and forgive an act and render to each whose heart, you know, according to all his ways for you. You only know the heart of all the children of mankind. That they may fear you all the days that they live in the land that you are that you gave your father's. I think there is some direct application for that. And how was your approach God at this time? There is a direct application for us. It says that we are to turn to God's Temple that we are to what's the word he uses there.

Turn towards this place. The place that he was referring to was the temple and in the New Testament that Temple is Jesus Christ, we are to turn to Jesus Christ and I want you to see that Jesus Christ is not sitting there like this tapping his foot. When you returned to him when you realize that you have been squandering the Covenant of God living like a Pharisee and God's Kingdom in God's house. He is not sitting there tapping his foot with his arms crossed. He is like this. Wanting waiting longing for you to come home. And he will receive you. In and then it says turn to his place turn to Christ and pray and acknowledge the Lord. What does it mean to acknowledge the Lord? Needs to acknowledge the Covenant but you were in with him to acknowledge that he is your creator and your savior that you are required to submit to him that you do not own your life it belongs to him. To acknowledge that he has laws and commands that he requires us to obey and in the ways that we have broken those commands to confess our sin and turn to Christ and look to him for forgiveness, which he will graciously lavish on us and all understand all wisdom and understanding.

Return to the Lord and we acknowledge Him. And we turn away from our known sin those things that we know about we turn away from them and we repent of them and confess them and we seek the Lord continually to teach us the good way to walk in it bothers. You might be thinking to yourself. I don't even know what it means. To leave my family. That's okay. That's okay. What matters is you realize that there is a covenant that God wants you to be in and it starts with turning to Christ and Christ will fill you with wisdom and knowledge as you seek Him He will fill you with understanding of the tasks that you have to lead your family. Well. To show your family what Jesus is like who he is and what he has done for your family and for your children. And then trust in the Lord who knows your heart. To do what needs to be done? To teach you the fear of His. Holy name. And to walk uprightly before him. and that I think Is a good application for us and this time? to go forward with to turn to Christ to acknowledge the Lord and the Covenant that we are in with him to seek forgiveness for our sins and to look for him to lead us in the good way that we should go. You know the piece that talk around the town the talk at work is when is life going to get back to normal. My friends normal is the last thing we should be wanting. When is life going to get back to God that is what we need as what our nation needs more than anything right now. We need to turn to God. Will you turn to God will you give your wife and your children the best Mother's Day gift ever today and set your heart and your mind turn to Christ to show your family with the love of God is and what walking in the Covenant with him looks like will you seek him to help you do that? I pray that you will. Return to the Lord in prayer Heavenly Father we come to you and we thank you for the Covenant that you have made with us through the Precious Blood of your son. How much do not squander who lured and so squander our relationship with you the Lord make us ready to hear your word and to receive it to believe the Lord Jesus Christ and every word that proceeds out of his mouth and to seek with all of our hearts to live by it by Prince all and Christ name on them. May the Lord be with you.