"The Parable of the Lost Son"

Could we with ink the ocean? Fill. And every man, describing to write the love of God above with drain, Ocean Drive, North do stretch, from Sky to Sky. Oh love of God. How rich and pure? How measure this? It shall forevermore. Do it the same to me?

Welcome here. It's really good to see you all.

There's a lot of folks, I haven't seen here for awhile. Good to see you guys.

We we have the pleasure of having Eddie Vargas and his family here again this. Eddie's going to be sharing what kind of put on his car this morning. NRI in our service time.

No Doubt.

So we're going to be working to be getting together after the services after the service this morning. We're going to be planning and around noon and then give it about 15 minute break. After that, we're going to be coming back in here and having a special Q&A question and answer time where Eddie is going to be grilled by all of you guys. So ask him questions. Okay, for, for Eddie red, beet red.

All right, cool. Cucumber will see.

Lana got some good questions, so It'll be a good time but the the points of the Q&A is just to give you all a chance to get to know any of his family, did better, especially to learn a bit more about his perspective on on, where this church is going and end.

In regards to Summit bible church. So I encourage you all the plan on being there for a while afterwards. It's not going to be long. But plan to be here for the qnap, also, he can in your calendars for May 6th. That's going to be right after the services on the 16th, going to be getting together after the services again for a special meeting, if everything continues forward, as it has been so far, we're going to be coming together to

May 16th after the church services were going to be coming together for special business meeting to vote on Eddie and his family. All right,

Let's go ahead and pray with me and let's go ahead and pray as we open up our service time. And then I'm going in by Eddie.

Got so many friends and family. I pray that as we open up your word,

Especially.

I pray that you would,

Thank you for. Thank you, though, together, we can call the Family.

Thank you, brother.

Okay.

Hello everyone. Good morning. Why? We almost got a full house today?

A lot of first-time visitors here. Perhaps.

if you have your Bibles with you, please turn with me through Luke chapter 15, We're going to look at the parable of the lost son. I sure with you these Parables because it's kind of a spiritual Insight a window into my life and what God has done for me with me.

I'm now in my comfort zone. I'm speaking in English.

If you have your Bibles turn with me to Luke chapter 15 verse 11 111, 224. I want to see what God has to say.

A certain man had two sons and the younger of them said to his father, father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. So you divide it to them his livelihood and how many days after the younger son gathered, all together journey to a far country and they're wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But we had spent all there arose. A severe famine in the land and he began to be in one. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country.

And he sent him into the fields to feed swine. And you would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that that's why Nate but no one given anything. When he came to himself, but came to him said his senses. He said, how many of my father's hired, servants, have read enough. And I, and to spare, and I'll go ahead and perish with Hunger. I will arise and go to my father. And I will say to him, father, I have sinned against Heaven and Earth Before you, and I'm no longer worthy to be called your son, make me like one of your hired servants and your rose and came to his father, but he was, he was still a great way off his father, saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And he and the sunset to us to his father. Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight I no longer worthy to be called your son, but the father said to his servants, bring out the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand, in sandals on his feet and bring the fatted calf here and kill it. Let us eat and be merry for this son for this. My son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found and they began to be merry. This is the word of God.

Let's pray. Pray with me. Our father, give me your words and bless this message. How much to realize that we come into this world lost and without you help us to realize the errors of our fallen ways, help us to realize that without you life has no true. Meaning novice to surrender Our Lives to you and embrace, you like the loving, father, that you are. Soft in our hearts, to your word, in the name of your precious. Son. Jesus. We ask amen.

So this Parable actually has two stories, but for the sake of time, Ronnie going to focus on the one that pertains to all of us because not all of us are like the Second Son chapter 15 of Luke is unique because it encompasses three Parables that all go together. The main point of this. Parable is to show us how much God the Father loves, Sinners, who repent. If you're not familiar with Jesus Parables, his parables are very symbolic. Some Bible translations will call this passage the parable of the prodigal son. And I will refer to him as a prodigal son. And in case you're wondering prodigality means spending money or resources freely and recklessly kind of like our current government. But spending money recklessly is not the point. I am convinced that because God created us and, and is all-knowing omniscient. Knowing the beginning from the end, he writes certain pair of clothes illustrate that condition of the human heart. And because he knows all of human history. He sees this pattern play out and repeat itself from one generation to the next. This Parable. The father in the story is symbolic of God, the father and the prodigal son. Is symbolic of all of us in the beginning, when God created humans in His image and likeness, all I ever wanted was to have a loving relationship with his children. You wanted to express to us how much you loves us by creating us distinct from all the other physical entities on Earth, Adam and Eve were morally perfect. And without a sinful nature being created in the image. And likeness of God means that we have a unique status, the Hebrew term for image, signifies a copy. But it carries the idea of representation in the Hebrew term for likeness refers to a pattern shape or form and dust refers to something pattern after its original. We are to be like God to be in a relationship with him and to declare his glory to the world. So, well, God is King, Hickory has to be a little King on her. A mediator over all creation on God's behalf. So we are Gods, ambassadors God's Representatives. On this Earth. We belong to a Royal House Hood the house Hood. I'll be loving father, but this is much this is something that the prodigal son ran away from Endust forgot who he was much. Like all of us the prodigal son ran away from his true identity. The prodigal son had all the walls. You can possibly need with his father. He just tells us something very similar in John 14:2. What he says in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you so but I go and prepare a place for you. If you are a citizen of United States, we rarely think about how good we have it. If you live in a home with running water and sewer system, light heating air conditioning by the majority of the world's population. Most of the world would consider you to be quite wealthy. The prodigal son was not happy living with his father. He reached a point in his life where he wanted out My last message I told you that the prodigal son is a perfect example of being the third seed, in the parable of the sower, the sun is a child of the father. And the father is symbolic for God, the father. So symbolically is a safe child of God, but like many of us who live in the flesh. He was not content with just having a relationship with God. You want to experience the pleasures of this loss and perverse World. John tells us in 1st John 2, 15 and 16. Beloved love, not the world. Neither the things that are in the world or if any man loves the world, the love of the father is not in him for all that. Is in the world, the lust of the Flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the father, but is of the world. We are raised me postmodern culture. What does that mean? It means that our culture does not believe in absolute truths. So, when we questioned the absolute, the truth, the absolute truth of God and his word, and we send our children off to a government-run school where they are taught that. God does not exist. Is it any wonder that the Youth of today, want nothing to do with God. When their minds are saturated in a culture where all of their entertainment, their music, their movies, or video games, and all the people they admire. And idolize on TV are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Is it any wonder that your child wants nothing to do with your God? Paul tells us in 2nd Timothy 3 1 through 4. But know this that in the last days, perilous times will come for men will be lovers of themselves. Lovers of money, boasters proud blasphemer disobedient to parents. Unthankful Unholy unloving, unforgiving, Slanders without self-control brutal. Despisers of good trade. Headstrong hottie lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. but if that does not describe our pop culture and the so-called entertainment that comes out of Hollywood Adelina, what does You know, the parable of the Prodigal Son, always reminds me of my spiritual journey. When I was 13 years old, I had accepted Jesus Christ, as my personal Savior, and for the next three months of my life, I was on fire for God. I was given the gospel but I was ever discipled, sadly, that you was a year that I started High School. And The Superficial cares in the pleasures of this world started to choke the seed, the thorns and demons of this world manipulated my mind into thinking that God was not enough. I have started reading my Bible, but no one ever taught me how to read it or where to start? I'd attempted to read from the beginning of the book of Genesis and it was great cuz it was narrow, but when I get to Leviticus, I stopped by. So what is all these rules and regulations? I went to a Catholic church with my parents but the Catholic Church didn't teach me. The Bible didn't have pews, didn't have it. Even have Bibles in the pews, how you going to teach someone the Bible without? Bibles and became less and less important. Finally, I wasn't spiritually growing anymore and the many failed attempts of trying to win my lost friends over to Christ, the Demons of this world came and try to tempt me and deceive me and like the prodigal son. I had forgotten why the long to I had rejected my true identity in Christ. I had rejected the gospel But you say, well, what is the gospel? The gospel means. Good news. It is the life of Jesus. The Christ God gave himself God made himself a man. Jesus having the perfect blood of God took the wages of sin and death that Adam had given to us his offspring and he for our sins with his perfect blood on the cross. Jesus horrifically, died was buried and rose from Death to life to show the world to prove to the world that whoever believes in him would not die in their sins that we inherited from Adam, but haven't forgiveness and everlasting life with him. It is really great news because God has given us a second chance, but the following mind says, so what Jesus, and his gospel mean nothing to me. It means nothing to you because you haven't realize what's at stake, you want separation from God. So much God will give you suppuration when you're dying your sins and you spend eternity in hell God will give you what you ask for, in Eternal, separation from God. But until then, the pleasures of this, Fallen World will continue to deceive you. That's why God warns us in James 4:4. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Your culture tells you that you evolve from a monkey, you're nothing but an animal in the Demons of this world, with tell you that there is no Heaven. There is no hell. And there is no God and all that. You have to look forward to is Annihilation ilysm. Every suicidal victims dream but you asked, what is Annihilation lsim? It is that you're deaf. Your soul will cease to exist. In other words, you're so will evaporate into nothingness. You see the devil knows the absolute truth of God know he's not postmodern will go ahead and Whispering it in your ears. 1125. Speaking of Moses himself choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. The devil will tell you you know in order for you to enjoy life, you need to be free. Free from the burdens of your father. You need to run away away from God. You want to have some real fun. You need to go out and enjoy life and party with your friends just like all the Stars on TV. That's exactly what the prodigal son did. Luke 15:13 says and not many days after the younger son gathered, all together journey to a far country and they're wasted his possessions and prodigal living. God gives us further inside and says in Luke 15:30 that The Prodigal Son, squandered, his money on harlots. But you going to ask what why did the father even allow this? That is making the spiritual point that God gives Sinners the freedom to choose their course of iniquity. God gave you a free will in this life you must choose whether to follow the God of this world or to follow the god that made you. When we are young, what is the culture considered to be fun today? Like today I remember when I was a teenager, my worldly friends at the time wanted wanted to always go out. Let's go or not man, let's have fun there idea. Phone was going to a club, a dance to dance, or to a bar getting high, getting drunk and looking to hook up with someone, I wonder where they got that idea. I guess things only change after thousands of years, do they? But then we go listening to the Demons of this world in pursuing after the so-called pleasures of life. If you're a teenager or young adult and you are listening to this message, you need to know that Satan is after you And he's trying to deceive you a lure, you into a downward spiral of death. But what the demon spell to tell you is God already did the research for you. Got tells you in Ecclesiastes to one speaking through King Solomon and the Old Testament, I said it my heart. Come now I will test you with pleasure enjoy yourself. And what was the outcome. But behold this also was vanity, but you say what what is Vanity? Vanity means meaningless worthless pointless having absolutely no value leaving. You're so utterly empty Salomon figured out they chasing after the pleasures of this world was worthless, a Biblical principle to live by But you, but the young deceive mine says, I know I shouldn't be drinking and driving or trying these harder drugs but all my friends are doing it. And look at how much fun they're having or we stay. If your girl, I'm just hanging out with my girlfriends. Maybe we'll go out and have a few drinks smoke. A little, what's the big deal? And so what if I hook up with someone, everyone's doing it and it's not like I'm going to get pregnant and if I do, so what? I'll just abort it, I don't care. And the next morning you feel sick. Hungover, defiled and deep down in the pit of your. So you feel dirty. More, the worthless stuff you did last night and that is exactly how Satan will destroy you. He will get into your mind, he will manipulate your desires. He will Propel you into a downward spiral of sin, pain, depression, and eventually death. If he doesn't kill you with alcohol, or drugs, as or car crashes, or Leave You paralyzed, He will kill you with suicide and it will make you take your own life. But you going to ask me what how do you know? Cuz that is the life of a prodigal child. The God of this world only comes to kill and destroy. Jesus warns us in John 10:10. Speaking of Satan, the thief comes to steal and kill and destroy. But I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.

But how is the following mine? So easily deceive. Paul tells us in 2nd Corinthians 4:4 Satan who is the God of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe they aren't able to see the Glorious light of the good news that the gospel. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. The Father. The spiritual battle is in the mind. Paul also warns us in Romans 8, 6 and 7, what to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually, minded is life and peace because the Cardinal mind is enmity against God. We're just not subject to the law of God, nor in deep can it be The devil is after your Fallen mine, he will seek you out, tempt, you deceive, you and manipulate you like his little puppet. The prodigal son was blinded by all the lustful pleasures of this world. They have forgotten his true identity.

It is true worth can only come from God the father. When he, when we choose to run away from God, all we're doing is walking in the vanity of our minds thinking that we're going to find some form of pleasure and satisfaction in a fallen evil world. But in the end, we just end up. Feeling empty, sad unfulfilled. And without true meaning. The Prodigal Son symbolizes the foolishness of The Sinner trying to flee from God to whom she does not want to answer to.

But how do we get this way? Why are humans like that? Why do we keep running away from God? In order to find that out, we need to see where the first happened in Genesis chapter 3, Verses 1 through 5 guy tells a speaking of the fall of Man. Now the serpent who's the serpent Satan. He was more crafty than any other Beasts of the field that the Lord God had made. You said to the woman did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden and woman said to the serpent, what we may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden? Forgot.

But got but God said You shall not eat of the fruits of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. Neither shall you touch unless you die but the serpent said to the woman? Come on. Surely die. God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened. And you will be like God.

Knowing Good and Evil. Like you to notice something. What is the capital G and not a little G for God? Satan was trying to deceive them into thinking that they were missing out on something better. Why settle for being guys? Little King in this world why not be equal with God himself? I told them if they, if they disobeyed which is sin that they would surely die, Paul tells us in Romans 6:23 for the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ. Jesus, our lord So what happened? Adam and Eve took 8 in fell for sings lines, they had traded their innocence and the grace and the love of God for a lie. Instead of becoming a capital G God, like God himself their minds would be stuck in the pursuit of wanting to glorify themselves as little guy. You know, deep down in the heart of Satan, Satan was probably staying to himself as they saw them. Eat you foolish. Human. You had to go ahead and believe that God is Not Enough. You weren't content with the grace and love of God. You were contented that God making you the king of this whole entire world and you went ahead and believe me. So now I will go ahead and take over. I will take over the kingship and this world will not be my kingdom. Satan's kingdom, and I will be your God and I will rule over you. That is the state of all Humanity. Be coming to this world fallen and without God And their minds were no longer pure and innocent, but have become perverse and depraved just like Satan, man. Inherited a fallen and sinful nature bent on making himself is on God. Realizing that what Adam had become hiiraan. Like the prodigal son, he ran from the love and the intimacy that he had. Would God, the Father Genesis chapter 378 says at that moment. Their eyes were opened and they sent only felt at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves when they cool evening. Breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard, the Lord walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God, Among the tree. And sadly, we've been running away and hiding from God ever since. God does not leave us without hope. You know because love is a funny thing. True love God's love. Because true, love produces jealousy and jealousy, demands obedience, and obedience requires a sacrifice to be made. Is it going to tell me what? What do you mean? I don't understand. Well, I'll give you an example. Alright, I like this example. I have a three-year-old daughter named sailor, who I called gorgeous. She's my gorgeous, I gorgeous.

and if she catches me hugging and kissing one of my other daughter's, she gets really jealous and she says no on your gorgeous, let go of her, my popup, you're my papa, and she'll try to get her sister out of my arms. But she gets jealous. The Bible says in 1st, John 4:8, the God is love. And the Bible also says that God is jealous for our love.

In Exodus 34:14, God tells us for you shall worship. No other God for the Lord whose name is. Jealous is a jealous God. My little three-year-old daughter's love for her father. Producers in her a jealousy that the man that her father, sacrificed his attention his affection and his love for no other person, but her She wants all of me. She wants all of her father and she's not willing to share me with anyone else. there is a reason why Jesus in Matthew, 22 37 and 38 says, To all of us, the church. He said the greatest Commandment that God requires of us is that we should love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul. And with all your mind, this is the first and great commandment it. Is this powerful love that God has for all Humanity. It is this part of Love That compelled him to send his son and retrieve. What was once lost? Volume says that Jesus is the second Adam.

and yet God expresses his love with Parables to This is one of them, Luke 15 17 17 to 20 says, by. When he came to himself, speaking of the prodigal, the, how did he come to his senses? I had to break them. But how with Hunger, he said, how many of my father's hire servants. Have bread enough to read enough, and to spare. And I perish with Hunger. I will arise go to my father and I will say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I'm no longer worthy to be called your son, true Contrition, right there. Make me like one of your hired servants and he arose and came to his father, but when he was still a great way off His father, saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed them.

Prodigal son came to his senses and realize that he had been deceived. He realized that apart from God, this life is worthless. He realized that this that his only true work comes from his father, the god that made him. And while most Earthly fathers would have been Furious for having spent all of his wealth. Not this father. This father runs to see his lost son and brake system holes in tight and kisses him. got an embarrassing for some of your teenagers right to have your dad, kiss you I kiss my son. That's fine. You know. No one can see the heart of the father. I mean, one can see the heart of the father. In his son Jesus. Also because the two are one, he just hasn't Matthew 11, 28 and 29. Come to me. All of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart and you will find rest for your

but if I can, you please come You know, in this life, we only have two options. We're either going to believe the Bible, God's word, a book that has withstood the test of time. Or we're going to continue to believe the lies of the devil. In our culture and chase after the empty pleasures of this evil and perverse world. whatever Evangelistic message there is a call that we must answer to if you've been running away from God, Or you have never surrendered your life to God. Let today be the day of salvation. Let today be the day that you finally surrender your life to Christ. Jesus says in 14 John 14:6, I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the father, except through me. If you want to embrace the love of the father and the love that he has for his for Sinners who repent. Then, pray with me.

Play with me and repeat these words from your heart.

Our Father.

Forgive me, my God. Forgive me for being the sea.

Forgive me for running away from your love.

Forgive me for rejecting. My lord, your son.

I believe in Jesus.

I want to surrender my life to him.

Make me like one of your hired servants.

Grant me repentance.

And help me live my life for him. It is in his name, Jesus.

That I surrender to you.

Hey man. if you have prayed that prayer with me, then you need to tell everyone. Jesus says in Matthew 10:32, there for whoever confesses me before men him will I also confess before my father, who is in heaven

And after you tell everyone what you have done, you must come back and be the same bolt. Don't be like me who has never disciples and spent 14 years living as a prodigal, prodigal child.

if you truly meant that prayer, there is a big celebration happen right now. Okay, amen.

Thank you brother. Eddie.

15 minutes.

RAV4.

Piranha.

Our god, reigns.

Please stay.

and, Brother Eddie will be ready for. God bless your heart.

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