Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

A New Start Series:

We began a new series a couple weeks ago on the first Sunday of the new year called ‘New Beginnings’.

In that first message we started at the beginning.

In that in order to have a true new start, it has to begin somewhere, and that somewhere is the salvation found in Christ.

So we looked at a message centered around salvation called ‘Ye Must be Born Again’.

Words that Jesus spoke unto Nicodemus in Joh. 3.

In that message we had:

‘Ye Must Be Born Again’ - Salvation: Joh.

3:1-21

An Examination (Of Nicodemus)

He was a Religious Leader

He Recognized Jesus’ Authority

He Reached Out to Jesus

He Needed Redemption

An Education

The Duality of Life

The Necessity of Spiritual Birth

The Analogy that He Gave

An Explanation

The Source of Salvation

The Singularity of Salvation

The Simplicity of Salvation

One of the main points that we tried to make was that although Nicodemus was a good man and learned religious leader - he still needed Redemption.

He still needed Jesus.

You can be a good person, you can be a learned person - but you still need the Salvation that Jesus offers.

You can turn over a new leaf

You can decide to make some changes in your life

But unless the foundation is sure, whatever is built upon it will not last.

As the song goes ‘On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand - all other ground is sinking sand’.

Salvation is essential for a ‘New Beginning’.

But it’s not exclusive.

There are plenty of Christians who need a fresh start as well.

There are plenty of Christians who have the foundation right, but somewhere along the way, the building that rests upon it has fallen into disrepair.

(Ill.)

There’s many houses that over the years begin to fall apart - whether it be from the elements to which it’s exposed, or it wasn’t properly maintained… They have a good foundation, but they are now in need of Restoration.

They need to be brought back into the proper state.

It’s possible that the house in which has been built is not what it should be in the first place, and is in need of complete Renovation.

Whatever the state of you Spiritual House is, there’s something that we can learn from today’s Scripture and message that will allow us to get that New Beginning if you desire it.

Today’s message is taken from a well known passage of Scripture known as ‘the Story of the Prodigal Son’.

Jesus tells us of a man with two sons - the younger one who fell away from the Father, and the older one who remained faithful and consistent.

As you see, we didn’t read the portion concerning the elder brother as it has no bearing on the focus of the message here today.

Today we’re examining the relationship between the Father and the younger son, the decisions that were made and the end that came to be.

In this passage we find a beautiful picture of the topic of the day which is Restoration.

NOTICE: I said this is a wonderful picture of Restoration - not Salvation.

This is not an image or illustration of someone who doesn’t know the LORD and is being born again - it’s a picture of someone who is backslidden and is restored from that backslidden state.

The Difference between Salvation and Restoration lies in the relationship between God and man.

Remember Jesus’ words ‘Ye must be born again’ in relation to Salvation.

According to Jesus we must be born again Spiritually.

Then we read explaining this in Rom.

8:15-17 “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

This son was a son - regardless of circumstance or placement.

He was a son in the house - and he was a son in the pig sty.

He was a son when obedient, and he was a son when he was disobedient.

This is a point that needs stressed.

I believe there are so many Christians out there who can’t really appreciate their Salvation - and by proxy what Christ did for their Salvation - because they still struggle with the STATUS of their Salvation.

(Am I saved, am I lost?

Did I mess up bad enough to lose it?)

The Fellowship with the Father was strained, but the relationship never changed.

When we fall away from God our fellowship with Him is strained, but the relationship never changes - that’s we we can confidently say ‘IF saved, ALWAYS SAVED!’

The first point that we want to examine is the Son’s Decisions

I.

The Son’s Decisions

Notice that everything that takes place, does so based on the Son’s Decisions.

The Catalyst for the Separation, and the Reconciliation are decisions by the son.

I point this out for two reasons:

To place blame where it rightfully belongs

You straying from God is not God’s fault.

Many people try to take bad things that happen in their lives and use it as an excuse to forsake

To recognize the power the ‘sons’ of the world have to restore what has been broken.

In other words, Christians are where they are in relation to God solely because of the decisions they make.

God doesn’t hold anyone at arms length.

God does not hold some people back and others He allows near.

The Bible tells us: Rom.

2:11 “For there is no respect of persons with God.”

Many Christians have a close relationship with God because they’ve made decisions to spend time in His Word and in prayer.

Others have a distant relationship with God because they decided those things weren’t important.

We’ll touch more on this in a minute.

But in looking at the Son’s Decisions, we need to first recognize His Wealth.

His Wealth (v12)

There’s a few things that we need to point out concerning this young man’s wealth.

First, the wealth that he had came from his Father.

Secondly it was a gift (‘give to me’)

I have said time and again that every one of your blessings that you enjoy - past, present & future - are by the Grace of God.

Jam.

1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

From the health that we have to the wealth that we enjoy.

The homes, cars, opportunities.

Family & every blessing we enjoy - they are all derived from the Goodness & Grace of God.

We see his Wealth was by the Grace of his Father.

Secondly, we see His Withdrawal

His Withdrawal (v13a)

‘His Journey’ - His Decision

As mentioned in the introduction - this journey was HIS.

It wasn’t the Fathers.

It wasn’t because the Father was mean to him.

It was because the son decided that pleasing his flesh was more important than pleasing his Father.

Church we need to recognize as Paul did the truth concerning the flesh:

Rom.

7:15 “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” Rom.