Welcome to Faith Chapel.
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My privilege to be here today.
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My name is
Poster Martin Fancher.
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I Pastor the
Defuniak Springs and Fort
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Walton Beach,
Florida, Seventh-day
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Adventist Churches.
It's my privilege to be
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here to share with
you a message important
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to my heart and I hope to yours,
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entitled the Father's love.
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I was recently
reading an article and ran
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across a mother
telling a story of
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putting her daughter to bed.
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As she put the daughter to bed,
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she told the story
of the Prodigal Son in
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her own words to the daughter.
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She wrote while putting my
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Four-year-old daughter to bed.
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I told her this
story about a boy who ran
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away from home.
Who finally squandered
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what money he had
until he didn't even
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have enough to eat.
Had to go live and eat
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with the pigs and
finally he went home
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to a dad who welcomed him home
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with open arms.
What do you think
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about that?
Well, the Four-year-old
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fought and fought
and finally came up and
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said the lesson we
learn is never leave
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home without your credit card.
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Well, that is a
lesson that we can learn from
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that story, but it's
not quite how it works.
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And I'm sure that
people wish it were that easy.
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Don't leave home
without your credit card.
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But when it comes
to salvation and the
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good news of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ
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I'm afraid it's
even easier than that.
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We're going to look
at how God wants us to
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live by comparing our
lives with that of two
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boys and their father
found in the Gospel of Luke.
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Let's take a look at
the first few verses here
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of Luke chapter 15
verses 11 through 16.
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Then He said: A
certain man had two sons.
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And the younger
of them said to his
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father, Father,
give me the portion of
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goods that falls to
me. So he divided to them
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his livelihood. And
not many days after,
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the younger son
gathered all together,
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journeyed to a
far country, and there
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wasted his possessions
with prodigal living.
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But when he had
spent all, there arose
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a severe famine
in that land and he
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began to be in
want. Then he went and
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joined himself to a
citizen of that country,
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and he sent him into
his fields to feed swine.
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And he would gladly
had filled his stomach
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with the pods that
the swine ate, and no one
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gave him
anything. Wow! You must be
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able to picture that by now.
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First of all before
we hold our breath here
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it was common place
back in biblical times
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for a father to
divide his wealth between
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his sons. But still
the sub text could easily
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be seen that the
sons didn't wanna wait for
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the father's
death. So he divides out
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his living between the two sons.
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He didn't just
give the one to the son.
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He gave to both sons
and the Bible tells us
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here that he went
into a far country and he
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wasted it on what the
Bible calls prodigal living.
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Well, the Bible doesn't give us
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complete description
of what this prodigal
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living is, but if we
use our imaginations I'm
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sure you'll feed
your some of that out.
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He simply wasted
his money, probably
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doing all the things
that he had wanted to
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do in his heart, but
felt compelled not to
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do, because he was
under his father's care
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or too often isn't that
how we lived here today.
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We want to live the
Christian life and do
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the things that we
want to do, yet in our
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hallow hearts there
maybe some wild oats
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we wish to sow,
but afraid to sow,
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because of the
circumstances we're in.
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But God said it's not
the outward appearance.
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The Lord looks on the
heart, so we can't fool
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God when we have these secrete
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thoughts and
desires. He knows the inner
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most desires of our
heart, as He knew this
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young man. And
this young man left his
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father and left
the country with his
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divided goods and
he spent, spent, spent
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until a famine came
up. And then of course as
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the Bible tells
us, he didn't even have
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enough to eat and
so he went and lived
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with the swine, the pigs to eat.
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What the pigs would
eat and of course we
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know pigs eat
what's leftover the scraps
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and slop. Doesn't
sound too appetizing
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especially in the
Jewish times where
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God has forbidden
them to associate with
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the hogs and the
pigs. Here he is sitting in
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there among them
waiting for the scraps
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to eat. Tell you
what, I don't know if you've
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ever considered
running away from
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home, but if you
ever did, hopefully you
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thought a little
far enough ahead then
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you pack a few things
and have a little bit of
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common sense, because it appears
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this youngster
didn't. But you know it's
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when we don't
have common sense that
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the common becomes uncommon.
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It's when we don't
have a direct idea of
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what we need or
know we need to do,
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when God can get a
hold of us and show
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us what He wants us to
do. If we are open to that.
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Well, the
story's not ending there,
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that's the beauty of
this. He would not only
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started this downward
track of sin well he was
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at home once the meals
were divided among him.
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He went ahead and
left the country and
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continued on this downhill side.
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He didn't learn any
lessons, he did not try
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to better himself
in fact and different
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verses of the
Bible show us that he got
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friends they
were not his friends.
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They were
friends because they were
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friends to his
money, and when he ran out
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of money, he ran out of friends.
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Well, let's take a
look as the story continues
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in verses 17 to
24. The Bible says, But
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when he came to
himself, he said, how
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many of my
father's hired servants have
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bread enough to
spare, and I perish
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with hunger. I
will arise and go to my
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father, and will say
to him, father I have
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sinned against
heaven and before you,
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and I am no longer
worthy to be called
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your son. Make me
like one of your hired
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servants. And he arose
and came to his father.
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But when he was
still a great way off,
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his father saw
him, had compassion,
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and ran and fell on
his neck and kissed him.
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And the son said
to him, Father I have
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sinned against
heaven and in your sight,
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and I am no longer
worthy to be called
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your son. But the
Father said to his servants.
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Bring out the best
robe and put it on him,
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and put a ring on his
hand and sandals on his feet.
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And bring the fatted
calf here and kill it,
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and let us eat and be merry.
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For this my son
was dead and is alive
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again, he was
lost and he is found.
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And they began to be merry.
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Isn't that a wonderful story?
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The father well
he was a far away off
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saw him in tender
pretty and loved his son.
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Oh! My favorite
expression in that text
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was where he came to his senses.
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Oh! I like that.
Isn't it always in
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the desperation?
And in the depths of
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our trials and tribulations that
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sometimes that
the only time that we
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truly come to our
senses. Oh! My friend God
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would have us
come to our senses much
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earlier, but
it's our stubbornness.
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It's our choice to
walk the way we walk to
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go where we want to
go rather than follow
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the leading of
God through the Holy
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Spirit to where
He wants us to go.
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But that's
alright, because God has
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made a way. If we
will humble ourselves
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and pray, He can deliver us,
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as He delivered this
young man to his father.
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The Bible tells us
there that as he came
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to himself he compared himself
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with the
servants. I heard one fellow
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to say that he would
rather be a custodian
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in heaven then a King in Hell.
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Well, I'm not so
sure that I want anything
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to do with hell,
but I certainly wouldn't
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mind having any part of heaven.
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Regardless of what job it is.
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Jesus says that the
last shall be first and the
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first shall be last,
to simply be in heaven
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to be with Jesus
Christ is the absolute
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ultimate price that we live for
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here on this
earth. This young fellow
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came to his
senses, compared himself to
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the servants there
that were working in the
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field and he said I
must go to my father
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and I must
apologize, I must tell him I'm
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sorry for what I
have done and I ask if he
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would have enough
petty to make me a
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servant in his household then at
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least I wouldn't be so hungry.
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Wow! To go from
the sun of this wealthy
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man to a
servant in his own home,
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but you know
what? When you come to
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your senses and you
realize our value to
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God and the exorbitant price our
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sin has placed
on the son of God.
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I would rather be
a servant in heaven
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then not make it
to heaven at all.
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The price that
Jesus paid for us was a
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restorative price
to bring me back into a
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saving
relationship with this son
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unknown at this
time was going to
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experience for
himself. The Bible continued
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by saying that he
went back, but the Bible
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interrupts the story
by saying well he was
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yet a long ways
away the father saw him
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and had tender
compassion for him.
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We call that
love, he loved his son.
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How did he know,
how did he know that
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the son was
coming home on that day.
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Oh! My friend I like
to picture it that, that
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father was out
there looking each and
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everyday praying
that this would be the day
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that his son comes
home. He never wanted his
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son to live. He
didn't want the family
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broken up, he loved
his son and regardless
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of what his son
had done, he loved him
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with the love that
only a father can have.
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Well, the father came
out, meet him out there.
00:10:45.84\00:10:49.43
Wouldn't even let
his son get through his
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speech, he got
started, but his father cut him
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off grabbing a hold of him.
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Hugging his neck and
restoring his position
00:10:57.22\00:10:59.98
in the family. Oh!
Yes it says go get him a
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new robe to put on.
That's the new coat.
00:11:02.66\00:11:05.14
He told him, go get
a ring to put on his
00:11:05.67\00:11:07.67
finger back in Bible
times as you probably
00:11:07.68\00:11:10.13
know the ring was
similar to what our
00:11:10.14\00:11:12.74
credit cards are
today. He can go to the
00:11:12.75\00:11:14.67
market and he could
stamp the family ring.
00:11:14.68\00:11:16.88
It was a signet ring,
it was a signing ring.
00:11:17.48\00:11:19.79
And it was very valuable and he
00:11:20.26\00:11:22.48
restored him to his
place in the family.
00:11:22.49\00:11:26.10
I was gonna say rightful place,
00:11:26.43\00:11:27.81
but it wasn't. We
had already squandered
00:11:27.82\00:11:30.54
his living. The
father was extending grace,
00:11:30.55\00:11:34.26
mercy and love.
Well, we don't even
00:11:35.08\00:11:38.90
have to get to the
end to realize that the
00:11:38.91\00:11:40.68
father here
represents our heavenly Father
00:11:40.69\00:11:43.21
in heaven who
seeks to restore each and
00:11:43.22\00:11:45.72
everyone of us to
our place in this world.
00:11:45.73\00:11:49.35
And let me tell you
it's not our rightful place.
00:11:49.58\00:11:52.17
We've sinned,
we've fallen short of the
00:11:52.45\00:11:54.20
glory of God. In
fact, one author put it this
00:11:54.21\00:11:56.48
way they said that
Jesus gave to us that
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which he deserve,
excuse me, Jesus gave
00:11:59.76\00:12:03.40
to us that He
deserves, so that he could take
00:12:03.41\00:12:05.49
on Himself that
which we deserve,
00:12:05.50\00:12:07.65
which means Jesus
gave me eternally and
00:12:07.66\00:12:12.57
the chance to live
forever and a perfect
00:12:12.58\00:12:15.40
robe of
righteousness to cover my sins.
00:12:15.41\00:12:17.75
And He took my sins to Calvary
00:12:18.09\00:12:20.70
and died for me. What
a trade? What a trade?
00:12:21.04\00:12:25.40
No one can put
a price tag on the
00:12:26.21\00:12:30.08
father's love as this
boy was about to find out.
00:12:30.09\00:12:34.55
He was being restored
to a position that was
00:12:35.58\00:12:38.90
no longer his in
this family except the
00:12:38.91\00:12:41.94
father gave it to
him. But the story is not
00:12:41.95\00:12:45.70
over with, before
we review once again.
00:12:45.71\00:12:48.45
We're going take a
look at the finishing
00:12:48.86\00:12:50.55
of the story, so
that we can see just how
00:12:50.56\00:12:53.26
this ends. Take a
look at Luke 15 verses 28
00:12:53.27\00:12:57.07
through 32, but he
was angry and world
00:12:57.57\00:13:01.69
not go in.
Therefore his father came out
00:13:01.70\00:13:04.49
and pleaded with
him. So he answered and
00:13:04.50\00:13:06.19
said to his
father. Lo these many years
00:13:06.20\00:13:09.15
I have been serving you, I never
00:13:09.16\00:13:10.77
transgressed your
commandment at any
00:13:10.78\00:13:12.38
time, and yet
you never gave me a
00:13:12.39\00:13:14.50
young goat, that
I might make merry
00:13:14.51\00:13:17.32
with my friends.
But as soon as this
00:13:17.33\00:13:20.24
son of yours
came, who has devoured
00:13:20.25\00:13:22.42
your livelihood with
harlots, you killed the
00:13:22.43\00:13:25.20
fatted calf for
him. And he said to him,
00:13:25.21\00:13:28.40
son, you are always
with me, and all that
00:13:28.41\00:13:32.14
I have is yours. It
was right that we should
00:13:32.15\00:13:34.88
make merry and be
glad, for your brother
00:13:34.89\00:13:37.81
was dead and is alive again,
00:13:37.82\00:13:40.62
and was lost and is found.
00:13:41.04\00:13:43.22
Wow! That kind of
seemed like it jumped
00:13:43.74\00:13:45.17
out of the wrong
place. We were no longer
00:13:45.18\00:13:46.73
talking about the
younger brother anymore.
00:13:46.74\00:13:48.54
We are now jumped
to the older brother
00:13:49.08\00:13:50.86
that's what the
younger brother must
00:13:51.17\00:13:52.87
have been thinking
about. What was left after
00:13:52.88\00:13:55.66
the father divided
his money among the two
00:13:55.67\00:13:57.51
boys; he had spent
all his money, the father
00:13:57.52\00:14:00.61
was now living
with the older brother,
00:14:00.62\00:14:03.09
because the older
brother now had the
00:14:03.40\00:14:05.12
reminder of the
money. And when dad restored
00:14:05.13\00:14:07.46
the younger brother to
the family, he restored
00:14:07.47\00:14:10.34
him to his brother's money.
00:14:10.35\00:14:12.84
Well, maybe that
explains a little bit
00:14:15.10\00:14:16.55
why when the
brother makes his way in
00:14:16.56\00:14:19.32
from the fields and
he hears this music and
00:14:19.72\00:14:21.60
he stops a servant
and ask what's going on.
00:14:21.61\00:14:24.33
And the servant
says oh haven't you heard
00:14:24.34\00:14:26.08
your brother has come home.
00:14:26.41\00:14:28.35
Oh! And that's
where we pick up the Bible
00:14:28.90\00:14:30.64
text there. He got
so upset, he refused to
00:14:30.65\00:14:34.96
go into the party
for his own brother.
00:14:34.97\00:14:36.66
Well, don't be
too hard on the older
00:14:37.58\00:14:39.99
brother yet. We
may find that we have
00:14:40.00\00:14:41.76
more in common with
him then one might thing.
00:14:41.77\00:14:44.20
But the love of
this father knows no ends
00:14:44.77\00:14:47.73
just as the love
of our heavenly Father
00:14:47.74\00:14:49.83
knows no ends.
Here love is for both
00:14:49.84\00:14:52.75
of these sons.
He wants them both
00:14:52.76\00:14:55.12
restored to this
family. And so he goes, he
00:14:55.13\00:15:00.03
leaves the party for
his own son and he goes out.
00:15:00.04\00:15:04.00
And the Bible
uses the world entreat.
00:15:04.54\00:15:06.57
He goes out to
bring his son back and he
00:15:07.18\00:15:11.36
speaks with him. And
the brother is so angry.
00:15:11.37\00:15:15.19
This older brother that he comes
00:15:15.20\00:15:17.44
out with this
speech. Now it's interesting
00:15:17.45\00:15:19.49
that he says
what's right on his mind.
00:15:19.79\00:15:21.92
It's a little
deeper then one might even
00:15:22.25\00:15:24.66
understand to listen
again in this context.
00:15:24.67\00:15:27.45
He says, lo, I have
been with you all this time.
00:15:28.03\00:15:32.75
And he said, I
have never transgressed
00:15:34.18\00:15:37.05
your commandments,
yet you never threw
00:15:37.75\00:15:42.76
me a party. And,
if it went there, that
00:15:42.77\00:15:48.29
wouldn't be so
bad, but he continues.
00:15:48.30\00:15:50.16
And he says but as
soon as this son of
00:15:50.39\00:15:54.01
yours came back.
This son who by the
00:15:54.02\00:15:56.67
way spent all his
money on harlots and
00:15:56.68\00:16:00.44
riotous living and
all this waste, you come
00:16:00.45\00:16:04.61
and you kill the
fatted calf just for him.
00:16:05.06\00:16:08.04
My friend I have read
the scriptures through
00:16:08.75\00:16:10.32
there in Luke 15
so many times and
00:16:10.33\00:16:12.55
I don't understand
where it says that he
00:16:12.56\00:16:14.21
spent this on
harlots or anything.
00:16:14.22\00:16:16.00
I begin to wonder if
maybe the brother had
00:16:16.40\00:16:18.91
a few oats of his own
that he wanted to sow.
00:16:18.92\00:16:21.55
I wonder if maybe he
was the legalistic son.
00:16:22.23\00:16:24.32
Being the older son
and he knew that the
00:16:24.33\00:16:26.10
younger son was
running away from
00:16:26.11\00:16:27.55
home and taking
the money with him and
00:16:27.56\00:16:29.25
though he wanted to do
that he owed dad a debt.
00:16:29.26\00:16:32.22
And he said I'm
going to be the son that
00:16:33.22\00:16:35.33
stays home and
takes care of dad.
00:16:35.34\00:16:36.76
But you know what
though he was there
00:16:37.02\00:16:38.78
in those fields
working his heart was
00:16:38.79\00:16:41.20
with his younger
brother. He wasn't there.
00:16:41.21\00:16:43.98
He was working on his
own farm for his father.
00:16:44.95\00:16:49.13
The very farm that dad gave him,
00:16:50.12\00:16:53.28
it wasn't for the
father to kill the fatted calf
00:16:54.69\00:16:58.06
for his son. That
fatted calf belonged
00:16:58.51\00:17:03.45
to this older brother.
It was his fatted calf.
00:17:03.46\00:17:06.03
In fact if anything
the father killed someone
00:17:06.04\00:17:10.82
else's calf for his
son. But the brother is
00:17:10.83\00:17:16.67
focused on his
younger brother that
00:17:16.68\00:17:19.56
wasted the money.
And he said it's just
00:17:19.57\00:17:22.78
not right. It's just not right.
00:17:22.79\00:17:26.71
My friend, each
and everyone of us,
00:17:27.21\00:17:29.59
each and everyday are
one of these brothers.
00:17:29.60\00:17:33.84
The story doesn't end
there, it can't end there.
00:17:35.20\00:17:38.40
It doesn't tell us
whether the brother
00:17:38.66\00:17:40.39
goes in or not.
But I think Jesus left
00:17:40.40\00:17:45.26
that
intentionally open, because from
00:17:45.27\00:17:48.46
time to time we
pick on these brothers
00:17:48.47\00:17:53.21
mistakenly we
don't understand that we
00:17:54.25\00:17:57.22
are one of these
brothers. And that it's our
00:17:57.23\00:18:00.46
heavenly Father
who has given us that
00:18:00.47\00:18:04.46
which belongs to
Him and it's ours.
00:18:04.47\00:18:07.60
There are too
many people waiting for
00:18:07.98\00:18:10.04
heaven to live.
When God says, I've come
00:18:10.05\00:18:14.88
that you might
have life and have life
00:18:14.89\00:18:17.03
more abundantly
right here on this earth.
00:18:17.04\00:18:19.77
Oh! This is not
as good as it gets.
00:18:20.42\00:18:22.35
But when you have
Jesus Christ it's not
00:18:23.51\00:18:25.87
going to get any
better until He takes us to
00:18:25.88\00:18:29.35
His house. And we
pray that, that day
00:18:29.36\00:18:31.97
will be very, very
soon. So the father is an
00:18:31.98\00:18:37.13
example to us of
what God is to us here in
00:18:37.14\00:18:41.59
these days in which we live.
00:18:41.60\00:18:43.64
Well, there are days
when I'm that younger
00:18:44.87\00:18:46.83
brother my friend.
There are days when
00:18:46.84\00:18:49.45
I've sinned and
I've walked away and I've
00:18:49.46\00:18:51.58
gone different
places and I've done
00:18:51.59\00:18:53.04
different things and
that doesn't make any
00:18:53.05\00:18:54.86
difference. The fact
is my heavenly Father
00:18:54.87\00:18:57.43
stood there
waiting for me to come home
00:18:57.44\00:18:59.17
to welcome me into the family.
00:18:59.96\00:19:01.22
He has said I'll
never leave you, I'll never
00:19:01.63\00:19:04.32
forsake you.
Those are words that we
00:19:04.33\00:19:06.94
live by. The older
brother, he stayed,
00:19:06.95\00:19:10.38
worked out in that
field. He pretended by the
00:19:10.63\00:19:14.94
way he lived that it
all belonged to his father.
00:19:14.95\00:19:19.15
Here the Bible is
clear that the father divided
00:19:19.65\00:19:21.84
it to the kids. So
there he was living with the
00:19:21.85\00:19:26.16
father, but not
accepting the gift of
00:19:26.17\00:19:30.19
the Father. Oh! We
just had more time to
00:19:30.20\00:19:34.54
go deeper into that
one little point if he
00:19:34.55\00:19:37.81
only understood that
he was in the presence
00:19:37.82\00:19:41.66
of his Father, but
accepted no gifts from him.
00:19:42.77\00:19:48.28
If we go to a
birthday party and you're
00:19:49.97\00:19:52.53
bearing a gift and
you hand it to the one
00:19:52.54\00:19:55.20
celebrating the
birthday and they never reach
00:19:55.21\00:19:57.78
forward to take it.
The gift maybe theirs,
00:19:57.79\00:20:01.13
because it's
brightly wrapped and has a
00:20:01.14\00:20:03.51
beautiful tag on it
with their name on it.
00:20:03.52\00:20:05.32
But if they do not
take it and receive it to
00:20:05.58\00:20:09.33
themselves, the gift
has not been received,
00:20:09.34\00:20:13.67
so therefore it
cannot be enjoyed.
00:20:13.99\00:20:16.41
And this older
brother was not enjoying that
00:20:16.88\00:20:19.04
which was his. The older brother
00:20:19.05\00:20:20.81
couldn't enjoy
what was his, because he
00:20:20.82\00:20:23.56
had not claimed
it. My friends, some of
00:20:23.57\00:20:27.28
you may not have
been out into the
00:20:27.29\00:20:29.36
world and done all
the things that one could
00:20:29.37\00:20:32.45
do out there. Those
things that separate us
00:20:32.46\00:20:35.22
from the love of
God. You may not have
00:20:35.23\00:20:38.34
been unfaithful and broken this
00:20:38.35\00:20:41.25
commandment or
that commandment or
00:20:41.26\00:20:42.86
your sins in your
eyes might not be that bad.
00:20:42.87\00:20:45.71
But I'm here to
tell you. It doesn't make
00:20:46.85\00:20:48.81
any difference whether there are
00:20:48.82\00:20:50.70
little sins or big
sins, because scripture is
00:20:51.03\00:20:53.37
clear, sin separates
us from the love of God.
00:20:53.38\00:20:57.00
It does, big or little
that relationship is broken.
00:20:58.34\00:21:03.14
Oh! We throw away
things in this day and
00:21:04.59\00:21:07.51
age when they break.
And we call it disposable,
00:21:07.52\00:21:11.51
the love of God is indisposable.
00:21:13.14\00:21:17.02
But there are
people that throw it away
00:21:18.04\00:21:20.29
everyday of the
week. Oh! My friends some
00:21:20.78\00:21:25.15
of them I don't think they do it
00:21:25.16\00:21:26.33
intentionally. Some
of them are not sure
00:21:26.34\00:21:28.66
they know what they're doing.
00:21:28.67\00:21:29.64
Otherwise I'm certain
they know, but they're
00:21:29.65\00:21:33.60
free to choose as you and I.
00:21:33.61\00:21:35.77
And I pray that we
choose the way that
00:21:36.45\00:21:40.37
restores the family. God
wants His family restored.
00:21:40.38\00:21:46.04
As we look at the
story of these two boys.
00:21:47.45\00:21:50.57
In some Bibles it's
called the story of the
00:21:51.65\00:21:53.22
Prodigal Son. Some
has suggested it's the
00:21:53.23\00:21:56.53
Prodigal Sons.
As I shared with you
00:21:56.54\00:22:00.26
earlier the true focus
is the love of a father.
00:22:00.27\00:22:05.69
Oh! My friends
it does not make a
00:22:07.21\00:22:09.58
difference if your
father did not love you.
00:22:09.59\00:22:12.44
You have a
heavenly Father that does,
00:22:13.63\00:22:15.63
if you're
fortunate enough to have an
00:22:16.29\00:22:17.71
earthly father who
loves you, then that's
00:22:17.72\00:22:21.63
a small picture
of what our heavenly
00:22:21.64\00:22:25.48
Father wants with us.
He want so much for us.
00:22:25.49\00:22:29.73
But how much do we want it.
00:22:30.84\00:22:32.69
All too often like
the young son, our eyes
00:22:33.67\00:22:36.80
are in another country,
they're in another land.
00:22:37.03\00:22:39.28
We talked about going to heaven,
00:22:39.52\00:22:40.97
but we glance over at
the things of this world.
00:22:41.39\00:22:45.72
The Bible tells
us that by beholding,
00:22:46.71\00:22:48.71
we become changed. And do what?
00:22:49.05\00:22:51.72
Whatever it is
that we're beholding.
00:22:52.89\00:22:55.53
That's why I love
that song that we sing so
00:22:56.68\00:22:59.14
often, turn
your eyes upon Jesus.
00:22:59.15\00:23:01.19
Look full in His wonderful face,
00:23:01.78\00:23:03.94
And the things of
this earth will grow
00:23:04.24\00:23:07.96
strangely dim in the
light of His glory and grace.
00:23:07.97\00:23:14.25
You wanna know why they turn
00:23:14.67\00:23:15.70
strangely dim?
It's because we're no
00:23:15.71\00:23:19.24
longer
attracted by that anymore.
00:23:19.25\00:23:21.33
It's because our
desires have been
00:23:23.09\00:23:25.51
transformed by of living vibrant
00:23:25.52\00:23:29.24
relationship
with Jesus Christ and
00:23:29.25\00:23:31.41
we've become more Christ like.
00:23:31.42\00:23:34.80
We will have no
desire for the things
00:23:35.78\00:23:38.76
of this earth that
separate us from God.
00:23:39.22\00:23:42.71
Oh! I would love to
think that the story
00:23:43.39\00:23:45.85
ends with the older
brother looking at the
00:23:45.86\00:23:49.03
father and
saying dad you're right.
00:23:49.04\00:23:50.75
You're right, I did
not accept this free gift
00:23:51.78\00:23:54.97
that you gave
me. You divided your
00:23:54.98\00:23:57.10
wealth I can do anything I want.
00:23:57.11\00:23:59.20
It's not your fault
in fact you did the right
00:23:59.21\00:24:03.02
thing by
bringing my brother home.
00:24:03.03\00:24:05.12
You did the right
thing and I picture in
00:24:06.22\00:24:08.62
my mind the older
brother going into the
00:24:08.63\00:24:11.39
party and going
right over to his younger
00:24:11.40\00:24:13.88
brother and giving
him a great big hug
00:24:13.89\00:24:15.53
like dad did
just earlier that day.
00:24:15.54\00:24:17.75
And giving him a hug
and welcoming him home.
00:24:18.14\00:24:20.37
But my friend, if
I'm not willing to go out
00:24:21.77\00:24:23.74
and hug those in
the world and welcome
00:24:23.75\00:24:26.25
them home. And maybe I'm still
00:24:26.26\00:24:29.22
standing out in my
field. Maybe, I've got a
00:24:29.23\00:24:32.17
works oriented relationship with
00:24:32.18\00:24:34.54
Jesus Christ. And
I'm trying to earn
00:24:34.55\00:24:36.08
my salvation and
don't even realize it.
00:24:36.09\00:24:37.92
God doesn't want us to work.
00:24:39.30\00:24:41.06
He wants us to love
Him and then all that
00:24:42.09\00:24:45.81
we do will be
in response to Him.
00:24:45.82\00:24:48.76
There is a story I
heard a long time ago
00:24:50.13\00:24:51.93
that I really appreciate.
It's a story of a young
00:24:51.94\00:24:55.99
man who ran away
from his home in Mexico.
00:24:56.00\00:24:59.35
And his father
wanted his son home so bad.
00:25:00.34\00:25:02.98
He did
everything, he stayed by the
00:25:03.45\00:25:05.10
telephone, he went
to the mailbox, he hoped
00:25:05.11\00:25:07.28
somehow this son
would make contact
00:25:07.29\00:25:09.86
with him. But last
day in and day out there
00:25:09.87\00:25:13.87
was no contact from the son.
00:25:13.88\00:25:15.55
He didn't know
whether the son was
00:25:16.16\00:25:17.39
dead or alive, but
all he knew was he loved
00:25:17.40\00:25:19.61
his boy and wanted to
restore him to the family.
00:25:19.62\00:25:22.41
And so he did
what only a desperate
00:25:23.70\00:25:25.00
father could do. He
took out a full page
00:25:25.01\00:25:27.16
ad in the newspaper in
the largest city in Mexico.
00:25:27.17\00:25:30.20
And that ad simply
said Paco, I love you
00:25:30.82\00:25:36.82
and wants you to
come home, signed,
00:25:37.53\00:25:40.84
your father. Meet me
at the corner of these
00:25:41.31\00:25:45.81
two streets on this
particular day and time.
00:25:45.82\00:25:48.71
Well, on that particular day and
00:25:50.39\00:25:51.45
time came, his
heart weighed, he didn't
00:25:51.46\00:25:53.55
know whether he was
gonna be there or not.
00:25:53.56\00:25:55.23
He didn't know
if he was gonna be
00:25:55.60\00:25:57.42
disappointed if he
wasn't, was his son
00:25:57.43\00:25:59.50
dead or would the
son just not come.
00:25:59.51\00:26:01.57
And reject him, he didn't know.
00:26:01.99\00:26:04.97
The only think he
truly knew was the
00:26:06.58\00:26:08.21
love of a
father who says my son,
00:26:08.22\00:26:12.08
my daughter, my
kids are with the risk.
00:26:12.40\00:26:15.31
And so at that point
of time he rounded the
00:26:16.75\00:26:18.75
corner and let me
tell you right away.
00:26:18.76\00:26:21.71
He did not see Paco
standing on the corner.
00:26:22.37\00:26:24.86
In fact, he saw
over 500 Pacos that had
00:26:26.01\00:26:31.95
read that. And all prayed that
00:26:31.96\00:26:34.74
it was their father
welcoming them home.
00:26:34.75\00:26:37.05
Oh! My friend,
Jesus is calling us home.
00:26:38.45\00:26:40.75
He wants to give us
what belongs to Him.
00:26:42.83\00:26:46.00
He died to give us
the ultimate price.
00:26:46.33\00:26:49.08
That price that
He wants to give us,
00:26:49.97\00:26:52.59
is not just
eternity in paradise.
00:26:52.93\00:26:55.84
It's eternity with our Lord and
00:26:56.59\00:26:58.48
Savior Jesus
Christ. Will you bow your
00:26:58.49\00:27:01.73
heads with me as we
pray? Gracious Father in
00:27:01.74\00:27:05.56
heaven, restore
us to your family.
00:27:05.57\00:27:09.10
As these two
brothers, through their story
00:27:10.43\00:27:13.71
we've seen that
reconciliation is possible.
00:27:13.72\00:27:16.40
Whether we're the younger son or
00:27:16.80\00:27:18.16
whether we're the older
brother out in the field.
00:27:18.17\00:27:20.29
We too can be
restored to the family
00:27:20.60\00:27:22.86
that which is rightful to yours.
00:27:23.24\00:27:24.83
You want to give to
us. And though we may
00:27:24.84\00:27:28.36
not understand it.
We accept this gift
00:27:28.37\00:27:31.29
today and always
asking you to live out
00:27:31.30\00:27:35.28
your life within
us. Until that day you
00:27:35.29\00:27:38.43
come is our prayer
in Jesus name, amen.
00:27:38.44\00:27:42.47
May God grant
you the strength of
00:27:43.85\00:27:45.73
conviction to follow your heart,
00:27:45.74\00:27:48.35
because when you
follow your heart,
00:27:49.03\00:27:50.75
your heart will
always lead you home.
00:27:51.55\00:27:53.66