Covenant - A Good, Good Father 6/21/20

Interesting statement that Jesus makes no one comes to the father except through him that passage. Is it unique one in as much as the disciples are wrestling with a difficult time John 14. If you want to follow along we'll take a quick look at it. Jesus meeting with the disciples at the end of his life just before he's arrested and taken away to be crucified. And here's what he tells them and listen to the language that he uses about God to comfort them. He says let not your hearts be troubled. I believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many rooms if it were not so what I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and we'll take you to myself that you may be where I am and you know the way where I am going Jesus thinks he's finished his times with a disciples and then move on to the next phase. They've been with him for three years. He's been teaching them all this time. But Thomas chimes in Thomas said Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him I am the way and the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through me if you known me you would have known my father also from now on you do know him and have seen him Philip said to him Lord show us the father and it is enough for us. Jesus went on. Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me Philip Whoever has seen me has seen the father. How can you say show us the father? Do you not believe that I am in the father and the father is in me. Quite often is I listen to people talk about the scriptures the Old and New Testament. They seem to place a stark dividing line between the god of the Old Testament and the god of the New Testament. They see Jesus Christ the son who came as one who is gracious and merciful but the god of Moses of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is Stern and perhaps even judgmental. What is Jesus stay here. He says when you see me the sun you see the image of my father when you see my heart for you. You see my father's heart for you as well. If you have seen me Thomas don't you understand then, you know the heart of the father who sent me. And the scriptures attached to this Jesus did not come on his own for God so loved the world that what he sent his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life God our creator Our Redeemer Our Father sent the son that we might be redeemed and for what purpose that we might be reconciled to our Heavenly Father. We might be reunited to our Heavenly family in the sense God the Father the one who loves us dearly the son who laid down his life. Our brother that we might be redeemed. It was a very significant true that Jesus shared with his here's a fact Not only would Jesus address God as father. But as you know, he would address him in a much more intimate way. He would call him all the daddy and you know, when the the first time of Jesus uses in that very unique and intimate expression is can you tell me the answer that question? I was a little bit surprised when I found it is well, it was just a few hours after this Exchange in the garden when Jesus prepared to lay down his life to redeem his brothers and sisters. He prayed this father Abba. Daddy, if it's possible take this cup from me, but if not, then not my will be done. But your will be done in the most desperate in trying moment in Jesus's life when he turned in the deepest possible depths of prayer to his father. He didn't call him oppa potentate or pug potty, but he said Daddy Abba Father help me in this time. Jesus Christ introduced this truth to us about the heart of a father who loves us regardless of whether our Earthly fathers model that or not and I'm grateful that mine did and I want to look a little bit more deeply and what Jesus taught about God as father and it comes to us from a very familiar story. What do you think is probably the most famous Story the Jesus told about fathers in his Teaching Ministry. What would you say? The parable of the prodigal son. It's a it's a story about what not. Simply a man and a boy who ran away. It's a story about the heart of the Lord for his children. So let's take a look at that story today as we see the love of God our Father for us as we run and try to hide far too often here with me to Luke chapter 15 verse 11 through 13.

These are the words of Jesus revealing the heart of the father who sent him for the sake of our Redemption. Here's what he said to the crowd. He told him the story. There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father father give me the share of property that is coming to me and he divided his property between them not many days later the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country and there he squandered his property in Reckless living. And when do you expect everything a severe famine a rose in that country and he began to be in need. So we went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country who sent him into his field to feed pigs. He was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said how many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread by Parry share with Hunger. I will arise and go to my father and I will say to him father. I have sinned against heaven. And before you I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants and he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off his father saw him and ran into him and ran to him. His father felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him and his son said to his father. I have sinned against heaven. And before you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants bring quickly the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate for this. My son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found and they began to celebrate. That was older son was in the field and as he came and drawn you and Drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing and he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant and he said to him your brother has come and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has received him back safe and sound. But he was angry and refused to go in his father came out and entreated him, but he answer his father. Look these many years. I have served you. I never disobeyed your command that you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came to has devoured your property with prostitutes, you kill the fatted calf for him. And his father said to him son. He were always with me and all that is mine is yours. It is fitting to celebrate and be glad for this. Your brother was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found at something that I think is very important to understand about the parable of the prodigal son is the story that that the surrounding events that take place is Jesus tells this story does not tell this somewhere alone on a field but he tells this story in the midst of a mixed crowd you had self-righteous Pharisees and religious leaders in the room and you also had prostitutes and tax collectors. Jesus was probably the only one that could have brought this disparate group together. The righteous minded religious leaders of Jesus's day. We're usually there to listen to his words to the bakery could critique or condemn him or denounce him as a heretic and yet son came with ears open to hear you think of Nicodemus who met with Jesus at night and said we know that you must be a man from God based upon what you do and in Jesus explain to him how he might see heaven. In fact, that's the very verse for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that Jesus gave to Nicodemus that night. but in addition to the religious leaders who gathered around Jesus particularly when he told the story they were also tax collectors and prostitutes the dregs of society the outcast those we've been rejected especially by the religious institution and dust by the heart of what is real was as it was a a theocracy at that time and yet the Gathering Around Jesus because Jesus spoke of a father who is very different than the one that they heard about from the religious leaders of their day and he said shares these stories with these men and women who were before him to do what To convey to them the heart of God for his children. And what is it that Jesus teaches here? We Begins the story with the prodigal. A young man who decided to ask his father for his inheritance, even before his father had died. How many of you guys tried that? I mean you guys ever routed through your dad's wallet before you went off somewhere. I've never done that. Have you guys done that raise your hand your on-camera? I cannot turn you guys in right but here the prodigal son doesn't simply steal from his father or something like that, but he goes to his younger son, and he asked his father to give me my inheritance now, you're no good alive to me. Give me what will be mine on the day that you're dead. The religious leaders who heard these words in the fair and the end even the the tax collectors and prostitutes would have been shocked at the hubris of such a young boy. It would immediately have recognized the boy that did not respect. His father did not respect his family and he was a great shame to them and would have been so in their generation even as in ours and yet remarkably the story takes a very strange turn what we would expect is for the father to say get out of here. You crazy kid get off my property and never want to see you again. But the father does exactly the opposite of the son his inheritance long before it's due long before it hit crew of The Wealth it once would when years had passed you must have sold some of his estate. Who knows what the market cap was it that day when he gave away half of what he had so that his son could search and seek a path to whatever he was looking for but his father chose to do that and sometimes his father's we have to make very difficult decisions. It doesn't appear that this man was flipping. He kept his eye on the horizon each and every day after his son left hoping and praying that he would return and I'm absolutely certain that he prayed for his son throughout those years each and every day and it here in this moment. He does something that we might think we would never do and yet this father who knew his son much better than we do decided to let his son go. but he might find himself and perhaps in the end find the Lord as he was about his journey to the sun leaves in an act of great surprise to all who had listened and immediately goes out and he spends his money on things that his father would never have approved of Reckless living with prostitutes according to his brother he spends all that he has and where a far-off country is unknown and worries anonymous. He basically breaks himself as a famine comes upon the land. He spent all the inheritance that his father had worked his entire life to get to gather. And they are in the midst of of great difficulty in that that moment of despondency. I'm sure the crowd that heard Jesus tell the story. We related that this young boy got his do it all the sudden the moment. We're told in the story that he comes to his senses. Hey realizes he's there in the swap with the pigs. They even his father's hired servants live better in the den disturbance that he served alongside of in the pig farm that he was currently found himself in remember, this is a Jewish boy pigs unclean animals. He should never have been there if we decide to go home any practices his speech I will arise and go to my father. He says in verse 18 and I will say to him I have sinned against heaven. And before you I am no longer worthy to be called your son treat me as one of your hired servants. Stop and think the broader context of the story. It's such a powerful story that we also art Randolph often are transfixed simply to buy the relationship between the father in The Prodigal and then later the older brother, but why is Jesus telling the story? He's telling the story to reveal the heart of God his Heavenly Father all those who were present both righteous and profligate. An intelligence tells this story he's talking about us as we've abandoned the father who cared for us so much has given us the live that we possess who's giving us the breath in our lungs the skills that we used to make the the money that we used to survive in this life and each and every one of us has turned our back and run away from our father. And you guys ever run away from home in your past raise your hand. If you ever ran away, did you want Sharon Tepper you ran away a really high if you are runaway? Okay, I ran away from home one time. I think my parents are probably watching. I'm glad you're not here in the building at the moment, but that they weren't they were terrible parents. They they were trying to beat me and do terrible things. And so I decided to run away one day. I think I was watching Saturday cartoons and my parents came in and said get in the car. We're going to Sears and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. And so I told them I am not going to Sears. No way. I'm staying right here. And of course is like a seven-year-old or something like that at the time. They said you're not staying here getting the car. I said if we're going to make me go then I'm running away and I went and got a bag and I left that was a smart decision. Don't you think and I can still remember today how that when I went around the block to the school that was behind our house on the other side of the block and it was a group of bushes that were there that I knew very well they were about this High there probably were this time. I was only seven years old. You could go through these little paths in the bushes. And so I snuck in one of the past and I sat down and in my little seven-year-old mind I thought to myself and it was kind of a moment when my heart sunk. This is where I'm going to live the rest of my life, but it'll be a good place for me. I'd seen Swiss Family Robinson and so I was familiar with surviving in the jungle many guys have seen Swiss Family Robinson before was not an awesome one. And so I sat there and I begin to think about what how am I going to get food? And where will my bedroom being what will I do and and then all of a sudden from afar I can hear someone calling my voice? IP route through the bushes now getting this is half a block away from our house. It would take you four minutes or so to walk there. I heard my voice being called. I looked up through the bushes and my father you all know. I'm Fred was walking up the sidewalk calling my name out Rick Ricky. My name is Ricky. Don't call me that my name is Ricky back then right Ricky Ricky. Where are you? I looked at him and in that moment of my seven-year-old might I wanted to run to him. But I didn't want to go to Sears and I was upset and angry and I decided nope. I'm not going to say a word and I watch my father walk all the way across the sidewalk calling my name as my heart really did spank inside of me and go off and around the block. I thought to myself that sit to clean break from them. Why don't know what happened next my parents tell me the rest of the story cuz this isn't in blazing In My Memory, but that's my dad was out searching for me and calling out my name apparently my mom heard a knock at the door and she opened up the door back at home and I was standing there and I didn't come in and I said Mom I'm here to get my mail. That's what I told and I'm not making that up supposedly that's how and knowing me is a little kid. I must have figured in the bushes. I got to get back home. Somehow. I got to have an excuse. I'm not going to apologize. I'm not going to say I'm sorry notice the difference between me and the prodigal son. Right? But I went back with an excuse and apparently she was worried enough that she let me back in will that damage? Sure. They're still trying to get rid of me at this point. But anyway, have you ever run away from home? Have you ever run away from the Lord? Are you running right now? Like that little boy hiding in the bushes in my experience as I saw my father coming. I I wanted to run to him because I knew he had my best interest in mind but in my pride and rebellious attitude, I stood firm and I refused the grace that he was extending if he came looking for me The Prodigal Son came to his senses and he went home and what we see and the moments that follow is a snapshot of the picture of the father who is in heaven. This is what Jesus right hand as he arose and came to his father as he made his way over the crest of the Hill the hill that the father had set his eyes upon day upon day. Perhaps month upon month what I told how long he was gone. We're told this that he saw his son there in the distance. Here's the image of the prodigal son's father hears the image of your heavenly father while he was still a long way off his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him and the son said to him. He begins his little recital father. I have sinned against heaven. And before you I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But notice the father runs to embrace him long before he even confesses his sin. In fact, it seems as if the father Interruption with a great embrace The father said to his servant bring quickly the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate for this. My son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found and they began to celebrate and rejoice. This is the story that Jesus tells to that crowd. This is the story that he would tell to us that when you think of God the Father think of Jesus and his heart because Jesus is heart is a snapshot of the heart of his father because he son is the image of the father. ABC hear the gracious love of God for those children of his who have run and hid are you running from God today. My hope is that you're not but even believers who know the lord. Well, there's times in which we hide in corners of our room Bryce a few months back began to hide and you go look for them in a room, even when he wasn't in trouble and another room and he'd be hiding somewhere. He's got a bunk bed and in the bunk bed, there's these shelves they're up on it. One time. I went looking for him. He wasn't there. I went to another room. I went back and all the sudden he laughed and giggled and he came out of a shelf that was about this big on the side of the he just kind of crawled out there and he started laughing, right? Even when we're in semi right relationship with the Lord far from being with a prodigal is we can hide from him when sitting gets the best of us and it even in those circumstances that we need to remember about the gracious heart of God to us is that he's open to embrace us if we'll come and repent and seek his face. Our God is a God who loves us deeply and loves us dearly and get the story of The Prodigal doesn't in there. As you know, even as the boisterous celebration that is taking place at the return of the prodigal son is a captivating all the servants and all the family and perhaps neighbors as well as they celebrate his great return the prodigal sons older brother returns from the fields and he hears all the loud sounds and songs in all the goings-on and asked one of the servants. What is he doesn't ask a family member what's going on? And what is he told your brother has returned and your father has killed the fatted calf. And give him a beautiful robe in a Signet ring and put shoes on his feet. And what's the older brother's response? I can't believe it. That kid was such a loser. He took half The Inheritance which wasn't even his to claim and father gave it to him which cost me so much. I thought it doesn't know anything. He refuses to come into the party to the father's got to go outside to say son. What's wrong. That's same father with such a gracious heart to his younger son with the same father with the same gracious heart to his older son. But how does his older son respond? I want nothing to do with you or your son. Is an amazing how two different people in one family can have different relationships with a relative two different Suns attitudes toward their father can be very different and that's exactly what took place here. This is the snapshot that Jesus gives to his hears God. The father is the same his heart for his runaway son is the same as his heart for his self-righteous son and get one is able to see his sin perhaps because of his poverty and his complete desperation and return with open hands and an open heart to submit to his father and enjoy his Embrace and the other self-righteously refuses to be a part even of the celebration of the reconciliation of his brother. It says we hear these stories Jesus obviously told them for a very important reason and that very room as he spoke. There were different types of sons and daughters present so much more like the prodigal and so much more like the older brother certainly the Sinners and prostitutes probably identified with a younger brother while the religious minded identified with the older brother, but those two images are models of each and every one of our hearts. It's a when you look at this story when you look at your father, what is your reaction to him? When you see the graciousness that God has poured out in the person of his son Jesus Christ to those who are from a far country with open arms without cost with no demand upon them a free brace that knows no impediment but is poor. Richly and freely even on the forest Outcast. How do you respond? Do you say praise God that I have a father like that? I'm so proud of him and so grateful to be a member of this family or do you think you might yourself? What is my father doing? How foolish can he be to give second chances to people like these? Clearly if you find yourself leaning more so in the latter category, which honestly one of the first times I read the story I was much more sympathetic to the older brother than the younger son, especially as a young man though. I had my day of running off as I shared with you guys, right and yet that son's heart was just as far away from his father as was his brother who had run away and it's back even more so because the story ends and the older brother does not repent and return we're left to wonder that the older brother in his self righteousness and is duty-bound life who believed he was doing everything right but had no relationship with this gracious and merciful father. Did it ever turn around or did the obstinately continue each and every one of his days growing farther away from the father and deeper and deeper into the mire of his own self-righteousness spelling much like the pigs. That is younger brother had stayed with so many years before Where do you fit in the story? It speaks to each and every one of us. I encourage you to search your heart and think as I think about this father this heavenly father who Jesus has revealed to us. How do I see him? Do I see him for who he is the gracious and merciful god who sent his son that I might be called a child of God, or do I see him from a skewed perspective? Do I misunderstand his love for me? Do I misunderstand his love for others to his father's day. And we celebrate our Earthly fathers knows who hopefully model God's grace to us. One of the greatest responsibilities that any person can have but if we look at those Earthly fathers, we can't help but think about the one who they are intended to reflect to us. The father who is giving us our very lives. I want to close with a verse of scripture that talks about the whole purpose of God in his call on our lives the purpose of the Redemption that Jesus Christ bought the purpose of that prayer in the garden Harbour Daddy. Can you take this cup from my hand? I don't want to go to this cross and die for this tropical brother not because I don't love him but because it's going to hurt. And a rap that you will pour out is going to be almost unbearable. But Lord father daddy. If it's your will all do it was the purpose of all that your posture Paul who knew very well what it was to be a self-righteous older brother who came to Christ when Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus Road these important words in Galatians 4. I want you to hear them as we close. but when the time had fully come God sent his son. Born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons God sent the spirit of his son into our hearts the spirit who calls out Abba. father so you are no longer a slave but God's child. And since you are his child God has made you also and Air. Isn't it remarkable truth? The God is not a far-off distant Creator who wants nothing to do with us? Who's the guy who created all things who created us intimately from the dirt of the ground breathing breath into our lives that we might bear his image that we might come to know him. And that very God sent his son to redeem us from the pit of sin that we had all willingly go into. When he even we would not come to our senses Jesus Christ came to bring us salvation. The last observation is this the picture of the prodigal son is a fascinating one and yes a picture of a father who stays at home and awaits his son's return but that's not ultimately the picture that we have in scripture of who our God is is it God did not stay in heaven. Hoping that we would come to our senses with the father told the son in concert with the Holy Spirit go to the far-off country. And find your brothers and sisters wherever they might be in whatever pig slop condition or self-righteous Temple. They might be located and when you find them tell them that I love them and pay the price for their sin and bring them back home that we might be reconciled again and that I have might called in my sons and my daughters. Father's Day is a great day to celebrate the father in your life. And I encourage you to do that. I think you Faithful father to hopefully a raising your children in the way of the Lord a celebrate today and enjoy it as you do celebrate the fact that we have a heavenly father that loves us far more than even our Earthly fathers could ever have modeled for us and he sent his son that we might be reconciled to him called his sons and daughters and call out to the one who made all of creation as we would call out to the one who gave us life Abba. father puts clothes in a word of Prayer Gracious and holy God we give you thanks for who you are we give you. Thanks for a day like today when we can reflect upon the great gift of fatherhood. For those of us who have had Godly fathers in our lives Lord. Thank you so much. We thank you for the way that they modeled faithfulness the way that they pointed us to you that we might growing and nurturing mature in the faith. We we thank you for those fathers who share the gospel with us and modeled it each and every day of Our Lives who who who who sent out a home that was filled with grace and not condemnation. Are we thank you. Also that for those of us who did not have a father growing up for those of us who are here who put our faith in you that you intervened that you stepped in because no earthly father can compare to our Heavenly Father. I thank you Lord for your role in the life of my own dad as you cared for a nurtured him for those many years and made him a godly man that he might model got me fatherhood to me and indeed to my sons as he serves as their grandfather and Lord. We thank you for those fathers who we love so deeply and dearly who are not with us will put their faith in you and are with you in that place your father's house where you went to prepare so many rooms because as you told your disciples you tell us I am the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through me. We thank you Lord that those fathers who we love who are not with us are safely in your arms, and we look forward Lord to seeing them again one day. You play all these things in the mighty name of our brother Jesus Christ because of the love of our father our heavenly father in Jesus name we pray. Amen. All right guys were joined together for our final song.