What we believe series - Part 2
Our Loving God – January 13, 2007 Luke 15:11-32
(Acknowledgements: Work of Dr. Henry Schorr, CSC Church, Calgary AB)
Introduction
o Last week we looked at God’s holiness and justice. Today were going to look at another characteristic of God, His love
o When I was a teenager futurists predicted by the year 2000 the number one issue we would face is too much idle time
o “The futurists said the 21st century would be a leisure-based society?”
o Let me ask you, what are you doing with all your free time?
o We are becoming fanatical in our pursuit to save time
o The changes in technology – electronics, cell phones, computers and the Internet were supposed to give us more free time
o Futurists predicted the average work week would be 30.0 hours weekly
o Denny’s restaurants experienced a dramatic increase in revenues bye advertising your dinner would be served in 10 minutes or you would eat free
o Dominoes pizza advertised pizza delivery in thirty minutes or it was free
o The CEO of Dominoes’ pizza said we don’t sell pizza we sell delivery
o And if you have ever tasted Dominoes’ pizza you would have to agree
o Fast food places, drive through banking or Internet banking, and pay at the pump stations have been designed to move us along faster
o The news of the world comes faster
o When I was a child it could take a week to find out about the assignation of a political leader like Bhutto
o Now we know the same day or within hours
o Cell phones with videos capture abuse and atrocities worldwide in lightening speed
o We pay big bucks to buy faster computers not because we need them but because we want then
o All of this speed hasn’t helped meet mankind’s deepest needs
o What happened to all the leisure time we were promised?
o Instead of a leisure-based society what we have today is a society filled with choices. “The problem is we don’t know how to choose” And when we choose we look for advice in all the wrong places
o That is true for many issues
o But when I think of love and how to love there are too many inappropriate choices
o We live in an instant society
o Instant family, instant jobs, instant society, and of course we want an instant mature church. And don’t forget about the instant love life
o Are you getting the idea that true love is a hard commodity to find
o My purpose this morning is not to get us to move slower, although at times that is a good idea
o My purpose is to some light on what the Bible has to say about what true love is
o Mother Theresa once said that North America, unlike poorer nations of the world, does not hunger for bread but love
o People on your block suffer from feeling unloved, unwanted, and hopeless
o They feel empty inside. Have you ever felt empty inside?
o We look for love in all the wrong places
o That is a fundamental reason were so hurried these days
o Were running, looking for love
o Some run from bar to bar, vacation resort to resort, from one man to the next as two of my sisters did, from job to job, from investment to investment, looking for the next high
o If you think about it, this crazy sex driven society is a reflection of mans deep longing for intimacy that God created him to have
o They give themselves to others sexually and inappropriately. Why
o Because people are longing to hear that they are wanted, desirable, special to someone else
o Others are running away from God himself, the very source of love
o Running away from God, from wholesome relationships, and from the church that Jesus died for, from a past they would like to forget
o All motivated by a craving for genuine love
o The point I want to address today is this
o Until we know God, follow his counsel, and embrace his love for us we will continue to be unfulfilled in life
o We will continue to look for love in all the wrong places
o Our souls must find rest in God and in God alone
o The Bible says we love God because He first loved us
o It is really through knowing God, the author of love, that we know what love is all about because God is the source of love
o Were continuing in our series called ‘What we believe’ so let me ask you this what do you believe about God’s love
o Do you believe that God would laugh at you and reject you because of your past?
o Love is the most popular attribute about God yet it is the most misunderstood
o 1st John 4:16 says that ‘God is love’
o It does not say love is God
o There is a big difference there
o Supposing you have a female dog
o You could say my dog is a girl
o But you wouldn’t turn that around and say ‘my girl is a dog’
o Well you might but if you did you would be dead
o There are all kinds of ideas and misconceptions about God’s love
o This morning lets consider what the Bible says about the love of God
o Jesus gives us this story to help us to understand God’s love
o In this parable the younger son got a little cocky
o He had stars in his eyes and his hormones were out of control
o He wanted to taste fine wine, women and song
o The youngest son demanded his inheritance early
o So he strikes out with pockets full of cash
o He ends up living in the fast lane
o He is in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong people
o Remote place, booze and wild women
o He blows it all
o He becomes destitute
o Now we do not know how many years he was destitute
o But one day while feeding pigs he began to come to his senses
o He decided to come back home and ask for mercy
o His Father was thrilled he was finally home
o This story is a reality for many pastors in the ministry. I had a pastor named Steve. I loved Steve and Sally. They took the role as lead pastor of the church we attended. I served as an elder with Steve. Their youngest daughter Jane went off the deep end. She got involved in drugs with a young guy. Her life was in shatters and so was her dad. I was amazed that he even preached some Sundays. Despite all the hardships he was experiencing the knives of criticisms were out. Steve loved the Lord, the church, and his family. He always stood looking, waiting for his daughter to come back. Some years later she moved to Texas. She wrote him emails saying she repented, joined a local Bible church, and a study group. Steve was elated. He flew to Texas to surprise her. Do you know what he found out? It was all a pack of lies. She wasn’t in a church at all. She was shacked up with a 45 year old man. The love for his daughter was unbelievable despite the heartache in that man’s life.
o The second godly man who went through this was Allan. Allan was a great preacher who could have you laughing in a jiffy. When we were at the Billy Graham School of evangelism Allan was asked to speak on the spur of the moment due to another speakers cancellation. Allan gave an amazing message. Before he gave this message he told us the true story of his adopted daughter. At 16 she ran away and became a prostitute. As he spoke she was facing murder charges in the Vancouver area.
o Both these men knew the love of God the Father. Both these men and their families knew the pain of a lost child. Perhaps you also know that pain this morning
o Perhaps you are that lost empty person. God loves you. God is there for you
o The passage we read earlier is normally called The Parable of the Prodigal Son. But I want to give you a new picture for this passage. We often see the story only about the youngest son who was wayward and returned. There are two lost sons. But that is just one side of the story
o It isn’t the just the Prodigal’s lostness, wasting all his money on wine, women and song in the far country; and it isn’t the elder brother’s complaining and jealousy that stands against him. What counts in the parable is the father’s unceasing desire to find the sons he lost—both of them—and to raise both of them up from the dead.
o This morning I highlight four things we can learn from the sons. Then we will conclude with the Fathers message of love.
1. Don’t be greedy and self-centred ( Be generous)
o Our character is developed by God’s power and grace working within us. But that is only one side of the coin. The other side is a conscious decision we make to bring our mind, heart, and actions into line with God’s will.
o Both sons made a conscious decision with their minds to exercise greed, to claim their rights
o We always run into trouble when we claim our rights. I know what I need. I know what I want. And I demand it now. I will not wait on God to meet my needs. I demand it now, today, and not tomorrow.
o One of the qualities of a godly character is a generous heart, not a demanding heart. Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive. Both sons were greedy. Both stood before God with all the resources they would ever need.
o The younger son’s decision was obvious.
o He simply disregarded the plan of the Father
o He said its Coors or Miller time
o Can you fathom a parent’s pain whose child comes to him and essentially says, “I wish you were dead” so I can live my life my way?
o I want now what you have not yet in your wisdom chosen to give to me
o The son knew what he had coming
o The law reminded him (Deut. 21:17)
o The Father had told him
o The eldest son derided him
o Hey don’t forget Junior, I get two thirds and you get one third
o After dad dies, in case you get any ideas
o But the youngest son chose to live a greedy party filled life against God’s counsel
o But what about the older son? How was he greedy?
o While the youngest son got his one third of the cash the older son got to manage the farm
o His greed was evident when his brother repented and returned home
o His dad threw a party for the younger brother
o And the older brother, the second prodigal is royally ticked off at the Father
o After all he is running the farm now and the Father never consulted him
o Look pop, I’m in control of this budget, not you
o Why didn’t you give me a party (sound me centred doesn’t it)
o The truth of this story is we all have been prodigals in one sense or another
o Are you like the younger son who wastes the Father’s resources?
o Are you like the older son who’s a controller, jealous of the Father’s lavish love for the younger son who returned?
o Both were greedy and self-centred
o It’s a warning to all of us (Luke 12:15 NIV)."
o Don’t be greedy. Be generous.
2. Don’t be foolish (Be wise)
o Both sons rejected the counsel of the Father
o It’s inferred in the story that the Father advised the youngest son not to do go away and squander his resources
o The story pleads with us to accept the counsel of God and the Bible and choose life over death
o The youngest son rejected the Fathers counsel
o The results were catastrophic
o Now we read the story and relish in the Fathers love, acceptance and kindness towards the youngest son
o And so we should
o But don’t we have the me first attitude of the youngest son
o We live in an Independent world in North America
o What I do is my business and nobody else’s
o But that is not what the Bible teaches
o Yes there was forgiveness for the youngest son
o But make no mistake about it we reap what we sow
o In the Korean church everything is broken down into small groups, what we call HOME groups
o They hold one another accountable in these groups
o In the small groups they have accountability questions like:
o How much time did you pray this week
o Did you pray for your pastors
o Did you pray for your unsaved friends
o Did you give your tithe to the church
o Did you share your faith with anyone
o Who and when
o Did you read the Bible
o You get the picture
o I am beginning a study with several men in the church called ‘The Man God Uses’ by Henry Blackaby
o Andrew and I met this week on Tuesday at 6:30 AM (also John N.)
o Blackaby points out in the study that ‘one act of obedience can be the signal to thousands of others who have been sensing God is up to something in their lives’
o On the other hand let me point out that one act of disobedience can destroy the lives of countless others
o Your little sister and brother are watching
o Your co-workers are watching
o Your children are watching
o The prodigal was forgiven but he did suffer the consequences
o There was the lost years that were gone
o There was lost health
o There was lost money
o There was the lost relationships
o There was bitterness from the older brother
o The older son also refused to take the Fathers counsel
o The Father told the oldest son to join in the celebrations
o His response, forget it
o I refuse to celebrate with that useless son of yours
o I really wish he were dead
o I really wish he hadn’t come back
o The Father says "I have one recipe for you older brother. Stop labeling people I am redeeming. Go in, embrace your brother, and join the celebration. That is enough. Just be quiet about your complaining spirit. You came in here already in hell
o I reached out to you in the clutches of hell itself
o I welcomed you to come and join the party. But you think you’re too good for us. And you refuse to join the party.
o Are we like the older brother who refuses to celebrate? (Luke 15:7)
o Do you know how we break our Heavenly Father’s heart?
o We do it every time we refuse His counsel in our lives.
o We flee legitimate authority and freedom and become slaves
o God is nor necessarily looking for people of vast influence or position
o God is looking for obedient people of Calvary, for a church who will serve his purposes (Ezek. 22:30)
o God is looking for people of integrity who will stand in the gap for Him
o Are you such a person?
o Could your earnest desire for obedience to God open opportunities for the gospel and spur a revival in this area? I think so.
o It could happen, not because of your potential, but because of your obedience and God’s ability
o Don’t be foolish, be wise and obedient
3. Don’t be unloving. Be loving
o Well you get the point that the youngest son showed no love nor respect for the Father
o But neither did the oldest son
o He showed no love for the Father or his brother
o But look at the love of the Father
o He is watching, waiting for the youngest son to come back
o He runs toward him
o The Father overflows with mercy; his guts are flowing out; his gives his very self
o Rejoice, bring out the fatted calf, lets have a party
o This son of mine has moved from spiritual death to life
o I am disturbed by some of the well meaning counsel I hear from other Christians
o This is the typical situation
o You have a son or daughter who is raised in a Christian home
o When they are 19 or 20 they struggle
o They are rebellious and into the party scene
o The first advice you get is ‘if they are not going to listen to your rules then throw them out’
o Sometimes it comes to this
o But hear me out friends
o God says ‘I have rules for you dear friends’
o How many times did you break my rules and sin against me?
o I never kicked you out
o I forgave you every time you asked me
o Love your son or daughter the way I love you
o The Father is also loving toward the older son
o The father goes out in the courtyard to plead with the older son.
o He reaches out to him to raise him from the dead.
o He never gives up on either of them. God says to him, "Look, Billy (let’s call the older brother Billy), what do you mean I never gave you a goat for a party?
o If you wanted to have a filet mignon dinner for all your friends every week in the year, you had the resources.
o You manage this place Billy.
o So Billy, why don’t you come to your brother’s party?
o Because you’re greedy and judgmental
o Your have no mercy and grace toward your brother
o As a result you fail to see your own need for repentance
o Be loving Billy, not unloving
I want to suggest three ways we apply this to our lives:
1. God’s love is available to all
o In this parable something of great value was missing
o Father loved both sons
o Father kept looking until the youngest came home
o God focused on the one son who was disobedient and immoral
o God also focused on the second son who was hard hearted
o God was saying everyone matters to me (Ps. 145)
o God’s love extends to all
o John 3:16
o You have never locked eyes with anyone who does not matter to God
o The truth is were all prodigals
o Were all in need of the Fathers love
o God’s love is available for you.
2. God’s love is personal
o While God’s love for the world is there you can personalize it – God loves me
o There was a story of a priest who was walking by a peasant
o The priest noticed the peasant was deep in prayer
o The priest looked down at the peasant and said ‘you must be close to God’
o The peasant looked up at the priest and said ‘Oh I struggle with feeling close to God’
o But I know that God is very fond of me
o I wonder what our lives would be like if we really understood how deeply God loves us, how God is deeply fond of us
o Regularly looked in the mirror and said ‘I am the one that Jesus loves.’
3. God’s love is eternal.
o God’s love never ends
o Jeremiah 31 says I have loved you with an everlasting love
o When King David’s life was threatened he penned these words “but I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever (Psalms 52:8 NIV)
o God’s love is eternal
4. God’s love is unconditional
o God’s love is not fickle like human love that gives up when the
going gets tough
o God’s love, an agape love, is based on a decision to love
regardless of how you act
o God loves us as we are
o The sons from a human point of view deserved shunning and punishment
o Neither deserved the love of God
o Father was forgiving; there was no solemn lecture
o Were the ones who block forgiveness; not our loving heavenly Father
o God’s arms are always extended to you
o We are the ones who turn away
o Were the ones who refuse to extend mercy and forgiveness to others
o When you turn back to God he receives back his most valuable possession, you
5. God’s love is free
o Less we misunderstand it is also costly
o Let’s be honest
o We struggle with God’s free gift of eternal life
o We want to do something to earn it
o The older son said ‘dad all these years I obeyed you, yet you never gave a party for me. But when good time Charley came home you threw a lavish party. The older son was upset because he thought the Father was unjust
o But God, as we learned last week is never unjust
o God is graceful
o Grace is God’s free gift of eternal life to anyone who asks for it
o We resist that
o I met a Christian who said ‘I don’t like the Johnny Come lately’, the guy who becomes a Christian on his deathbed. It doesn’t seem fair
o What he was saying is Johnny should have to pay for his sins
o The problem with that theology is none of us can pay for our sins
o The Bible says that ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’
o Religion says pay for your sins
o Religion says ‘do.’ Do this and do that.
o Christianity is not a religion
o You cannot do anything to save yourself
o Christianity is spelt DONE
o This means that what you could never do for yourself Christ has already done for you on the cross.
Conclusion
o Let me conclude by telling you this true story. There was a young girl who was dying with a rare blood type
o She needed a complete blood transfusion or she was going to die
o They found the right match
o It was her only brother, a four old boy
o When they asked the boy if he was willing to be a blood donor for his sister he looked sad
o Then tears flowed down his face
o He nodded yes
o After talking gently to the boy they found out he had misunderstood
o He thought that when he gave his blood to his sister he would have none left
o He thought he was then going to die
o I know a savior who willingly gave all his blood for you
o He willingly died for you
o Like the Father in the story he is looking for you to come home, to come to him
o Will you?
Concluding prayer
I know the Holy Spirit has spoke to some of you this morning. We have been praying for you. You hear the gentle voice of God’s Spirit saying, “Come. Come just as you are. I will forgive your sins. Right now, very quietly, just between you and God, you can say, “Dear Lord, I admit my emptiness. Forgive me for trying every other way. I thank you that you died on the cross for my sins. Jesus, I thank you that you were raise from the dead. I ask you to forgive my sins. I have broken your commandments. I accept Your forgiveness and free offer of eternal life. And with Your help, Lord, I’ll follow You. With Your help, I now commit my life to You.
Others of you are in deep pain. Say, Jesus, please heal my broken spirit. Jesus, just heal my family. The pressure is unbearable. I need you Lord Jesus. I need you today. Amen.
