Run To The Father

Prayer

Introduce myself

speak of cr

speak about fundraiser and vashti

speak of future recovery home (need of property)

Psalm 82:3

3 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy.

When you think of your father or lack there of, what word comes to mind?

Elaborate on the different fathers the congregation mentions

Depending on your fatherly experience your vision of what a father is could differ from the person sitting next to you.

Story of two fathers

Story of a boy with daddy issues.

Story of my childhood

Growing up in my perfect brothers shadow

Longing to satisfy my father

father always calling me failure

never telling me he loves me or showing me affection

molested twice

thought this what a failure deserves

decides if he’s constantly told he’s a failure he might as well be the best failure he can be

covered confusion with immortality

drugs, alcohol, women, and partying

led to selling drugs

there are no good drug dealers

led to be a junkie

stole from family, friends, anyone

jail

prison

homeless

2nd Father (The Story of the Prodigal son)

Warren W. Wiersbe

We call this story “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” (the word prodigal means “wasteful”), but it could also be called “The Parable of the Loving Father,” for it emphasizes the graciousness of the father more than the sinfulness of the son. Unlike the shepherd and the woman in the previous parables, the father did not go out to seek the son, but it was the memory of his father’s goodness that brought the boy to repentance and forgiveness.

Luke 15:11-16

11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

In Rebellion We run from the Father!

Sin promises freedom, but it only brings slavery!

One son ask for his inheritance, one son takes his inheritance

Warren W. Wiersbe

The prodigal learned the hard way that you cannot enjoy the things money can buy if you ignore the things money cannot buy. “The far country” is not necessarily a distant place to which we must travel, because “the far country” exists first of all in our hearts.

The boy from the earlier story didn’t have to go to some far off land get mixed up with the wrong people and to loss everything.

Whether we’re eating with the hogs or living in the storage building or coming to church every Sunday you can be lost and in need of a Father.

There’s only one way to the Father.

John 14:6

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Luke 15:17-21

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’20 “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 him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

In desperation We Turn to the Father!

God will allow you to dig as deep a hole as you so choice till the hole is so deep you can’t climb out on your own.

It is in that lost moment of desperation, we turn to the Father.

Warren Wiersbe

He “came to himself,” which suggests that up to this point he had not really “been himself.”

We are all in recovery from sin.

Sin will keep you incarcerated. In bondage.

Until we realize we need a Savior we will stay in bondage.

Sin will take further than you want to go, cost you more than you want to pay, and keep you longer than you want to stay.

1 John 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Getting out of prison and coming home to my dad

Come to the place where your willing to do anything to break chains of addiction

Luke 15:22-32

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”

In Realization We Run to the Father!

When we come home the Father is right where we left Him with His arms wide open.

I believe that when a prodigal comes home there is a party in heaven.

Same dad from the first story waiting at the bus stop; son willing to work on farm for free but dad reinstated him as if he had never left

In this story the older brother welcomed him back as well.

who can you relate to the most in this story?

The father?

The Son?

The brother?

Most of us have had the an father figure in our lives.

Some have had fathers that were present but not present.

Others haven’t had fathers at all.

Dads we have to step up. It’s up to us to change the world.

Father’s day vs. pride month

18.5 million fatherless homes in america (america ranked #1 in the world in fatherless homes)

We should be protecting and affirming our sons and daughters. No wonder our culture is so confused.

These statistics come from christianpost.com and utah state university.

63% of teenagers who commit suicide are fatherless.

72% of adolescent murders are fatherless.

75% of adolescents in rehab centers for drug abuse are fatherless.

60% of rapists are fatherless.

85% of teenagers in prison are fatherless.

75% of the most cited school shooters in America are fatherless; just like the teenager who walked into Robb Elementary School to murder 21 people.

I’m calling on all men everywhere to step up and be what God has called us to be.

I’m going to take it a step further.

What if your present but not present?

how future recovery home will bring men back to their families

I’ve got a few more statistics for you and I’ll wrap it up.

3.5% of families get saved if the child is saved first.

17% of families get saved if the mom is saved first.

93% of families get saved if the dad is saved first.

We must love God.

Disciple our spouse..

Disciple our children.

Invitation

In the story earlier the boy didn’t have a good father. Therefore when he was told about a good perfect heavenly Father, he didn’t want any part of it. Because in his mind and with his past experience there was no such thing.

That is why we as men need to show the fatherless like the children of Vashti that there are good fathers.

So whats it gonna be? Are we going to change the world or get lost in the world?

What kind of dad are you going to be? Or are you the older brother? Or are you simply lost and wanting to come home to the Father?

Where are you at tonight?

Bow your heads.