Participants: Michael Kontes
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000414
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00:30 Hello, friends my name is Michael Kontes,
00:33 and I want to welcome you to Faith Chapel. 00:35 Today I'm going to share with you my favorite 00:38 story in the entire Bible, but first 00:41 let us have a word of prayer. 00:44 Father we come to you now, 00:45 and we thank you for the word of God that 00:48 You have preserved throughout the centuries 00:49 to give us hope and inspiration and guidance. 00:52 We ask You to be with us today and help 00:54 us to understand Your character better 00:56 and help Your Spirit guide our hearts 00:58 and our minds in Jesus name, amen. 01:02 As most of you know, I'm of Greek descent. 01:05 My parents immigrated here to America in 1967. 01:11 And the story I'm gonna share with you today 01:13 comes from my favorite Bible author Luke. 01:17 And it has nothing to do that he was of Greek 01:20 descent just the little bit, right? I'm gonna 01:24 share with you a story that has so touched me. 01:26 Many people called the story the greatest story 01:28 in the Bible about righteousness by faith. 01:31 It comes from Luke chapter 15, 01:34 Luke chapter 15, let us open up our Bibles. 01:38 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 01:41 And the younger of them said to his father, 01:44 Father, give me the portion of goods that 01:46 falleth to me. And he divided unto them his 01:50 living. And not many days after the younger 01:54 son gathered all together, and took his 01:57 journey into a far country, and there 02:02 wasted his substance with riotous living. 02:08 Friends, this story to me is absolutely 02:11 unbelievable. I want to share with you in 02:14 the opening lines of this story. 02:17 This son who is really making a proclamation 02:22 to his father is not worthy to basically ask 02:25 his Father for his inheritance. 02:29 He is ultimately telling his father, father 02:32 I know that you're alive now, 02:34 I know that it's gonna be while till you die, 02:37 but I really want my inheritance now, 02:39 so really I wish that you were dead. 02:43 Friends, can you imagine sharing that with 02:45 your parents? Dad I wish you were dead. 02:48 As a father of myself, if my, if my son said, 02:51 dad I wish you were dead, so I can collect 02:53 my inheritance from you. I might say to my 02:56 son you know, what son, you may never get 02:58 any inheritance. Now, the father did not have 03:04 to give the request that his son made, 03:09 that was being made to him, but he did, why? 03:15 Because the father loves his son. 03:19 Now, notice it goes on in verse 13 to read, 03:24 not many days after the son took his 03:28 journey into a far away country, 03:31 far away country. Now, I live in Sacramento, 03:33 California and if I wouldn't say this to my 03:36 son and following my father and followed 03:39 the context of this story, I would not go to 03:43 St. Francisco, not Los Angeles maybe 03:47 Thompsonville, Illinois might be far enough. 03:50 I wanted to go as far away as I could, why? 03:55 Because it's very, very difficult friends to sin 04:00 openly and blatantly around the people you 04:03 love. So, what takes place, Satan begins to 04:06 plant seeds in the minds of people to make 04:13 them believe, and make them think that 04:17 "When you are going to sin and going to rebellion, 04:22 you need to get away from everyone because 04:24 they're gonna hold you back from sinning." 04:27 When ultimately Satan knows, 04:30 the reason why he wants to push you away 04:33 from family? And so, that you will be in 04:36 isolation and away from the ones that love 04:39 you and ultimately will try to wield you back. 04:42 Now, another point I'd like to make in this story 04:47 is, the son had no regards for his father, 04:52 the son did not remember by choice how 04:58 his father have loved him, clothed him, 05:01 given him all of his heart and mind, 05:04 probably stayed up at nights helping, 05:07 helping him to be fed, cleaned his diapers. 05:09 In fact, the son probably 05:11 mischaracterized the father, and in fact, 05:14 the son felt home was the prison house to him. 05:18 How many people today, how many children 05:19 today are looking at their homes and looking 05:22 at it as a prison home because the world 05:25 is becoming so appealing to them? 05:27 The God of this world meaning Satan has so 05:32 corrupted the minds of our young people to 05:34 think that the place that should be our 05:37 sanctuary home is a prison house. 05:43 Now, the Greek word here for wasted his living. 05:48 The Greek word is the, the word skorpizo, 05:51 which literally means to scatter; to scatter. 05:56 Here the son took a long journey into a far 06:00 country and as he went to this country he 06:04 started walking in the street to scattering 06:06 his cash. And in fact, we could say scattering 06:11 his father's substance with no regard to what 06:16 was taking place. Now, many of you've heard 06:18 this story and know many of the details. 06:21 To me, this story is absolutely amazing 06:24 because it shows the pitiful place that we are 06:29 as a people. We get away from our heavenly 06:33 Father at times, as far as we can go, 06:37 we throw away all the gifts that he has given 06:39 us, so that we can accomplish our own selfish 06:43 desire. Here the son was scattering the money, 06:46 and I'm sure friends as he was scattering the 06:48 money he had lots of friends. Isn't it amazing 06:54 that sometimes when you become popular or 06:56 you come into some money, or you come into 06:59 a situation where you have made a lot of 07:02 money or inherited a lot of money, 07:04 that people begin to flock to you? 07:08 You know, you see this in the sports world 07:09 quite often, here you have an individual who 07:12 has come up and had come up from a real 07:15 humble, humble background and then he 07:17 signs a big NFL contract or an NBA contract, 07:21 Major League Baseball contract and family 07:24 and friends out of the wood works begin to 07:26 call up. Hey, Jack where you've been? 07:31 How is it going? Can I get free tickets or 07:34 you know I need a loan? We have a real 07:38 serious problem with selfishness friends, 07:42 real serious problem. Friends come out of the 07:46 wood works and many times because we are 07:50 so blinded by our own sin, we cannot see the 07:54 direction and ultimate waterfall that we are 07:57 heading to. Now, verse 14 in Luke read this 08:06 follows. And when he spent all, and there 08:11 arose a mightily famine in that land; 08:15 and he began to be in want. And he went 08:18 and joined himself to a citizen of that country; 08:21 and he sent him into his fields to feed the 08:26 swine. And he would fain have filled his 08:31 belly with the husks that the swine did eat 08:35 and no man gave unto him. Notice here that 08:43 his friends disappeared. No one was around 08:47 to help him, he spent his father's money so 08:50 recklessly and now he came into a time of 08:52 want. Here what it says that he went to 08:57 feed the swine. This is the symbol for a Jew 09:01 of hitting rock bottom. This young boy came 09:04 to a place where he hit rock bottom? 09:08 He had nothing, but notice in the next text, 09:13 the Luke 15:17, something begins to 09:20 remind him of the goodness of his father. 09:25 And when he came to himself, he said, 09:28 How many hired servant of my father's 09:32 have bread enough and to spare, and I perish 09:36 with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, 09:42 and I will say unto him, Father; I have sinned 09:44 against heaven, and before thee, 09:47 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: 09:50 make me as thy hired servants. 09:57 Notice the prodigal had never really spent any 10:00 time contemplating about his life during 10:03 this time, but he said he came to himself. 10:07 Now, I want to share with you something 10:08 today brothers and sisters that there are 10:11 times, many times that the Holy Spirit brings 10:16 back to our remembrance things that 10:19 will guide us back to Jesus, guide us to 10:24 understand the love that the Father has for 10:27 us. And here notice the key point that the 10:32 writer Luke is trying to tell us is that the son 10:36 remembered that the father was way more 10:40 than just even with the servants. 10:43 So, the one thing that push the son away from 10:47 the father which was the character of his 10:49 father in the beginning I need to get out of 10:51 this house, I need to be free, I need to be 10:54 on my own. My father is too restrictive; 10:57 he has too many rules and regulations. 11:00 Now, the one thing that draws him back is that, 11:03 his father's just, his father's full of mercy, 11:08 and his father's full of compassion for the 11:11 workers of his household. How much 11:13 more would he not be for his son? 11:18 Also notice it took despair to spread over 11:24 this young boy's life. And as the despair went 11:28 over his life, he began to really think what was 11:34 taking place? Once again you've heard me say it, 11:37 before and I will say it again. God uses rock 11:41 bottom opportunities. God uses gutter 11:44 opportunities to bring glory to His name. 11:53 Jeremiah 31:3 reads: The Lord hath 11:58 appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, 12:02 I have loved thee with an everlasting love: 12:05 therefore with lovingkindness have I 12:08 drawn thee. Whimpering like a beaten 12:13 puppy, he arises to go to his father. 12:19 He made a choice, he purposed in his heart, 12:23 he resolved to say, my father is just and 12:25 merciful and full of compassion, I'm gonna 12:29 go back home to dad, I'm gonna go back 12:33 home to dad. Today, maybe there might be 12:38 some here watching and thinking, 12:40 I need to make recompent, I need to go 12:43 back and make right some things with my 12:46 father. I can share with you that has come 12:50 across in my life. When I grew up I felt 12:53 like my father didn't love me? 12:55 My father as I said earlier emigrated from 12:58 the country of Greece here to America, 13:01 and he was a very hard worker, 13:04 he was a carpet installer, a short man, 13:06 shorter than I'm, and I'm not that big, 13:08 I'm 5'7 and my father is 5'5 small man, 13:11 about 145 pounds, but I watch my father 13:14 throughout his life being a carpet seller, 13:16 carry 200 and 300 pound carpets on his 13:19 back. Everyday he'd leave the house at 13:21 7 o'clock and he'd come home at 7 in the 13:24 evening. And because he would never express 13:28 himself to me and say, Mike I love you. 13:31 Because he'd never show me some affection, 13:33 the affection that I was looking for, 13:35 I felt that my father didn't love me, 13:37 and I began to build animosity toward my 13:39 father. And to some degree I despise my 13:43 father, but it wasn't till years later till I 13:46 realize that no one had ever modeled 13:49 fathership to my dad. No one had ever 13:54 explain to him what it is to be a father? 13:57 And I realize that my father did the best 13:59 that he knew. And so, I began to tell my dad, 14:03 dad I love you and I thank you for what 14:06 you've done for me. Today there might be 14:10 some out there that might need to say that 14:11 to their fathers. Friends don't wait till maybe 14:16 your father is in the grave and have unspoken 14:19 words that you really know the Holy Spirit is 14:22 prompting you to share, to share your 14:24 heart with your father. Your father loves 14:28 you and yes, he may have not been the best, 14:30 and he may have done some things that 14:31 were even cruel, but there is not a parent 14:37 out there that does not love a child, 14:39 at least does not start off that way. 14:45 On his journey back home, I'm absolutely 14:49 confident, absolutely confident that the 14:53 accuser of the brethren followed him all 14:56 the way back home, and on his way back 14:59 home he kept on saying to him, 15:01 why are you going back home? 15:03 Your father thinks you're dead, 15:05 your father doesn't know what's going on, 15:07 your father, you took your father's money 15:08 and wasted it on prostitutes, 15:10 unrighteous living, you scattered it in the 15:12 streets. And now you have the gut to go 15:14 back home, even like a whimpering puppy 15:18 and nut and ask to even be a servant, 15:21 your dad doesn't want you to go back home. 15:25 In fact, he probably wishes you are dead. 15:29 And that is exactly what Satan always does 15:33 when we hit our lowest point. 15:35 He pushes us to a place to give up hope 15:38 and to have us embrace, 15:41 a mischaracterization of our father's 15:43 character. The Bible says, God is merciful, 15:48 compassionate, loving. Satan wanted to 15:51 believe he is a tormentor, unforgiving, 15:54 and hateful. Satan wants you to believe 15:58 that no matter what sin you're in the middle 16:01 of today that you cannot go to God, 16:05 it's not worth it you can't, don't go back he 16:08 is not gonna accept you. Friends I'm here 16:11 to share with you today that if Jesus Christ 16:14 and the Father love you today in the middle 16:17 of your sin. The same as if you're cleaned 16:24 up spotless with the robe of Christ. 16:28 And the reason being is because God's love 16:30 does not change, God's love is not defined by 16:35 our actions towards Him, God's love is defined 16:40 by Calvary. The Father's love is defined by 16:44 allowing the Son to come down to this 16:47 perishing planet and die for mankind. 16:51 The Son's love is expressed us through his 16:56 life and ministry on earth and the crucifiction 17:01 at Golgotha. And I'm thankful for that friends, 17:05 I'm thankful that God's love towards me is 17:07 set in stone. Now, as I envision Satan 17:15 pummeling him, I also envision him coming 17:19 to the borders of his dad's property, 17:26 his head hung low, maybe even embracing 17:30 the thought that yeah, maybe my dad won't 17:34 accept me, maybe my dad won't accept me. 17:41 Exactly, at that point I imagine the father 17:47 looking out from his house and seeing a 17:50 figure and saying, can it be, can it really be, 17:59 is it him? Friends I had a pastor while back 18:03 ago share something with me that's very 18:05 important. Many times Satan wants us to 18:11 be stuck on first base, second base, 18:15 or third base, but the one place it doesn't 18:17 want us to be were go to, is he doesn't 18:21 want us to come home. Sometimes in your 18:24 Christian walk you can get your base and 18:26 go to first base, and Satan will begin to 18:30 pummel you with discouragement, 18:32 and you'll get stuck at first base, 18:33 and never be able to make it home. 18:35 Other time it's a double and going to second 18:37 base and getting stuck. Other times it's 18:42 third base. He wants you to believe that you 18:48 cannot go home. And today I'm here to tell 18:51 you, you can go home, because the 18:53 scriptures reveal to us God wants you to 18:56 go home. God doesn't want you to be 18:59 abandoned and left alone. In fact, 19:01 Jesus says I'll never leave you nor forsake 19:03 you; He is always there with us. 19:06 In fact, it is we sinners who walk away from 19:16 Jesus. While He is extending His hand we 19:21 let go unclasps His hand and walk away. 19:27 God never leaves us or forsakes us. 19:30 In fact, the story says here that the father 19:32 ran to his son. Friends the Bible shows that 19:36 when Adam and Eve sinned God came to 19:39 Adam and Eve. When Cane sinned, 19:42 God came to Cane; God always comes to 19:47 us in hopes that through His unconditional 19:52 compassion and love, we will embrace Him. 19:55 Now, I'd like to read to you verses 21 19:59 through 24. And the son said unto him, 20:04 Father, I have sinned against heaven, 20:06 and in thy sight, and am no worthy to be 20:08 called thy son. But the father said to his 20:13 servants, Bring forth the best robe, 20:16 and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, 20:19 and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the 20:22 fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, 20:26 and be merry. This story is a epitome of God's 20:33 love for His wondering sons and daughters, 20:38 He wants all of us to go home. 20:43 Jimmy was the middle child, his brother 20:46 Johnny was an incredible athlete. 20:49 Johnny could play all sports, Jimmy was very 20:51 limited not as coordinated as his brother, 20:54 but he wanted to follow in his brother's 20:55 footsteps. Jimmy wanted to go out for the 20:59 little league team, so he did and he made 21:02 the team. They put him out in right field, 21:07 not too many balls are hit out in right field. 21:10 As opening day was soon approaching, 21:12 Jimmy was so proud, he wanted to call all 21:14 of his relatives that lived in Illinois and 21:16 Michigan, Wisconsin to converge and come 21:20 and watch him play on opening day. 21:23 Opening day came and Jimmy put on his 21:26 uniform and it was like, it was on a hanger, 21:29 Jimmy was so frail and small. 21:34 Was the bottom of the sixth Jimmy's team 21:36 was down by one run; Jimmy was the fourth 21:40 person up which meant that someone would 21:44 have to get on base probably for Jimmy to 21:47 be up. First person gets up strikes out, 21:53 everyone was praying prior to that please, 21:56 please let someone get to home run, 21:58 we don't want Jimmy to get up, 22:01 he struck out, he struck out. 22:04 Next person comes up gets a base hit, 22:10 next person goes to home play to be up 22:12 and Jimmy is in the batters box and Jimmy 22:14 is watching, Jimmy looks at this picture, 22:16 who is 6 foot 8, 250 pounds or at least that's 22:21 would it looks like to Jimmy, really he is 22:25 probably 5'10, a 130 pounds. 22:29 That person gets out as Jimmy is walking up 22:32 to home plate, everyone in the dugout 22:34 and his coach are shaking their heads, 22:35 thinking oh! My goodness, we've lost this 22:38 game, Jimmy isn't any good, why did they, 22:42 we should have put a pinch hitter in, 22:44 Jimmy walks up to the plate first pitch strike 22:48 one, second pitch strike two, 22:52 third pitch strike three. Jimmy drops his 22:58 bat and hangs his head down and walks back 23:01 into the dugout, his friends walk by or he is 23:05 so called friends and he said, 23:06 Jimmy you stink, you're terrible Jimmy. 23:11 The dugout begins to clear out, 23:13 everyone begins to leave, Jimmy hears the 23:16 pebbles coming underneath the tires in 23:18 the parking lot, dust is everywhere, 23:24 Jimmy is hanging his head down with his cap 23:26 over his eyes sobbing, and Jimmy hears a 23:30 voice and the voice says, it's not over Jimmy, 23:38 it's not over, Jimmy looks up and through 23:42 the dust he looks out in the field and on 23:45 the mount Jimmy sees his father. 23:48 Jimmy it's not over, you're up Jimmy, Jimmy 23:55 walks up the home plate and he picks up the 23:56 bat that he had left there. And Jimmy 24:01 looks out in the diamond and he sees his 24:04 brother Johnny, grandpa, Jack and Jane, 24:09 all of his family members on the diamond, 24:12 his dad pitches the ball strike one, 24:15 strike two Jimmy swinging as hard as he 24:18 can, consistent strikes, strike 15, 24:24 strike 20 and then Jimmy connects and he 24:28 hits the ball way out in left field, pow, 24:33 and Jimmy stands at home plate and he is 24:35 shocked, and Jimmy's dad begins to direct 24:36 him go to first Jimmy, go to first, and Jimmy 24:40 starts running the first base and as Jimmy is 24:42 getting the first base, his dad says Jimmy go 24:45 to second base, go to second base, 24:49 and he is looking from as he is running the 24:50 second base out in the left field then he 24:52 sees his brother Johnny pick up the ball 24:54 and, and he's gonna get ready to throw at 24:56 the second, but he turns and throws it out 24:58 in the center field and Jimmy is kind of 25:00 puzzle that he's getting the second base and 25:02 his dad goes Jimmy, Jimmy go to third base 25:05 Jimmy, go to third base, and Jimmy is turning 25:07 down around third base and he looks at 25:09 grandpa, Jack picking up the ball in center 25:11 field and he's throwing it out to his mom 25:13 out in right field. And as the ball is getting 25:17 out in right field, Jimmy is completely puzzled 25:20 and he's turning around and he is looking 25:21 out there and he sees his sis his little sister 25:24 Jenny with a diaper jammed between her 25:26 ankles running to try to get the ball. 25:28 And his dad is screaming Jimmy go home 25:31 Jimmy, go home Jimmy. And as Jimmy is 25:34 turning third base rounding third base and 25:36 coming home, he realizes that there is a 25:42 conspiracy going on. A conspiracy of love and 25:49 Jimmy is getting to home plate and dad goes 25:52 slide Jimmy, slide, slide Jimmy and Jimmy 25:55 slides and there is dust everywhere. 26:01 And Jimmy's father standing looking at him 26:04 saying, Jimmy you made at home Jimmy, 26:10 you made at home Jimmy. 26:14 Friends many of us are like the prodigal, 26:18 many of us go out into the world chasing 26:21 the allurements of the world, 26:23 chasing after sin, trying to find ourselves 26:26 worth, trying to find happiness outside of 26:31 the Father's house. Today Jesus is knocking 26:38 on the heart door of your life, 26:42 He's knocking and He's saying, 26:45 Suzy it's time to come home, Kristina it's 26:52 time to come home, Benn it's time to come 26:55 home, Mike it's time to come home. 27:00 There is no other fulfillment peace and joy 27:08 and being in the house of the father friends. 27:11 Jesus Christ wants us to be under His fold, 27:15 He wants us to realize and we don't have 27:17 to be stuck on first base, second base, 27:20 or third base. We don't have to believe the 27:23 accusations of Satan that God does not love us, 27:26 and we cannot come, we cannot come home. 27:29 Jesus Christ has shown us that we can come 27:33 home and the reason, why we can come home 27:37 is because Jesus came to us, and because 27:41 Jesus has come to us, and because Jesus 27:44 became one of us, because He became one 27:48 of us truly we have the opportunity to become 27:52 sons and daughters of God through His blood. |
Revised 2014-12-17