The Other Brother

THE OTHER BROTHER

 Luke 15: 25-32

This morning we are going to talk about an issue that seems to be extremely difficult for people, perhaps even some of us, to do.

• In fact, some people have decided they cannot attend worship services because they are unwilling to do this.
• You have heard it, and I have to: “Well, God may forgive them, but not me!”

We are going to conclude our study of Luke 15 today by looking at the “Other Brother”…and as we study this morning hopefully we will learn some things that we need to know about forgiveness.

• Not only what is expected of us as God’s people…but how God has forgiven us.

And, we might also learn that you do not necessarily have to go to the “distant country” to be separated from the Father.

• Let’s review the story that Jesus tells again.

A father has two sons….and the youngest one tells his father that he wants his share of the estate.

• The youngest son gets his inheritance and he goes to the “distant country” where he squanders all that he has on “loose living” or “riotous living.”
• As a result the boy eventually finds himself feeding the pigs of a man who cares more about the pigs than he does the boy.
• The boy is starving to death…and so the boy comes to his senses and he realizes that the “distant country” wasn’t all that he thought it would be…and he realizes that he would be better off at home…even if he had to be a “hired man.”
• So he gets up and he goes home…and as he is approaching, his father sees him…and runs to him…and embraces him…and kisses him.
• Now it is important that you notice what the boy does. The boy tells his father, “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
• And the father allows the confession but he does not allow the concession…and the father restores him back into full son-ship…the father treats him as though he had never left…and the father is so happy about the boys return that he kills the fattened calf…and they celebrate.

And that brings us to verse 25 and our study today.

• Everyone celebrates the younger brother’s return except for the older brother.
• The older brother is out in the field…and as he is approaching the house he hears all the music and dancing and celebration taking place.
• And when he finds out why all this is going on…in verse 28 it says, “He became angry…and was not willing to go into the house.”

It was ok for the father to restore the younger brother to son-ship…but he sure wasn’t going too.

• The father could forgive all he wanted…but not this son.

Why? Why wasn’t this boy willing to forgive? His brother acknowledged his sin and was willing to be a simple “hired hand.” Why wasn’t this boy willing to forgive like his father was?

• For the same reasons perhaps that we sometimes don’t want to forgive.
• Look at some of the reasons we don’t forgive.
• Look what he says in verse 29.

His father comes out and pleads with the boy and the boy says: “Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours, and yet you have never given me a kid that I might be merry with my friends…”

Do you see why he won’t forgive? The reason why he won’t forgive is because of his own self-righteousness!

• “I have never disobeyed you like he did!”
• “I have never done what he has done.”
• “I have never gone to the distant country.”

Is that one of the reasons why we don’t want to forgive people?

• A man commits adultery…God forgives him…but we won’t because “we have never committed adultery…well, at least not physically…we may have in our hearts.
• But because we have never committed the act of adultery we aren’t going to forgive him.
• At least not like God does…”Oh, he can come to church…but he can’t lead a prayer or wait on the table.”

A sister lies…but we aren’t going to forgive her because we have never lied!

• Tell me, other than an infant, who in here has never told a lie?

Do we refuse to forgive someone because “I didn’t do that so they shouldn’t have either?”

But you know what…we often do what we refuse to forgive someone else for?

• Someone spreads a little gossip on us…and we find out about it…and boy…we are never going to forgive them for it…because we don’t do that!
• And then the very next day…we are gossiping about someone else.

Which of us has been so perfect in our righteousness that we did not need to be forgiven?

• And if we have been forgiven…should we not forgive others?

God thinks so because in Matthew 6:15 Christ says, “If you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

• And sometimes the offense can be pretty bad. Remember Jesus on the cross and after being so unfairly treated, what was the first thing He said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

 If Christ, as righteous as He was, is willing to forgive others…shouldn’t we?

• Refusing to forgive; bearing a grudge only hurts the one who refuses to forgive.

Look at another reason this boy refuses to forgive…look at the end of verse 29. He says, “You have never given me a kid that I might make merry with my friends.”

 This boy is jealous!

• This boy is jealous of the attention his younger brother is receiving.
• While his brother was away…he was the only son.
• But now that his brother is back…well, he isn’t the only show in town now.

Do we ever refuse to forgive someone because we are jealous?

• Jealous of the fact that God might forgive them too?
• Jealous of the fact that they might get as much or more attention than we do?
• Jealous of the fact that they now have the same standing with God as we do?

While they are out there in the “distant country” and suffering we pat ourselves on the back and say, “Look what kind of a mess they are in and look at how good I am.”

• But then they come home…and we aren’t any better than they are anymore?
• We can’t look down on them any more?

Are we are jealous because of all the attention they receive?

• “People are greeting him and hugging him, and inviting him over for supper…but they never did that to me!”

Jealousy is a powerful thing…it was the chief cause behind these Jews and scribes crucifying Christ; Mark 15:10.

• They were jealous of the attention He was getting from the people.
• And their jealousy caused them to deny and reject Him as the Messiah.
• As a result, their own jealousy destroyed them.

And jealousy can cause us to refuse to forgive another…and as a result, our own jealousy can and will destroy us.

Listen to these words found in Eph. 4: 31-32:  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

This older brother was jealous of the attention…and the compassion…and the restored relationship that his younger brother received…and if that is what is causing us to fail to forgive, we better put it away.

Look at another reason why this older brother refused to forgive his younger brother…look at verse 30:  “When this son of yours…”

• Notice, he doesn’t even acknowledge him as his brother!

“When this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with harlots…”

• “Look what he has done!”
• “He took your money…your wealth…what you gave him…and used it on harlots!”
• “How can you forgive that?”

 “If it had been just a little lie…I could see forgiving that.”

• “Or if it had just been a little drinking party…that’s not so bad.”

“But this boy “devoured your wealth.”

• “I mean, he showed no restraint…no control…he devoured what was yours…indulging in prostitutes. “
• “And what have you done dad? You killed the fattened calf…you restored him to son-ship…you forgave him!”

Are there some sins that we just cannot and will not forgive?

• “He was rude to me!”
• “The elders never came to see me when I was sick.”
• “The preacher didn’t invite me over.”
• “She used to drink.”
• “She used to work in a bar.”
• “He took another man’s wife.”
• “He has been married and divorced before.”
• “He used to teach this or teach that.”
• And let me tell you one of the worst: “When my son was on your little league team you didn’t let him pitch!”

We often deny it, but there are some sins that, God can forgive, “but not me.”

Look with me to 1 Corinthians 6:9. Notice these sins.

 Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor {the} covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Pretty bad sins aren’t they?

• In fact, they are about as bad as they come.

But look at the next verse:  1 Cor 6:11

And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.

 If God will forgive those sins…shouldn’t we?

Back in Luke 15, notice what the father tells the older son in verse 31 and 32:  “And he said to him, ‘My child, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

• If we are in fellowship with the father and all that He has is ours…what is there to be jealous of?
• The only reason we would be jealous is if we selfishly want to keep it all for ourselves.

 ‘But we had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and {has begun} to live, and {was} lost and has been found.”

• Why did they have to be merry and rejoice?
• Because if that boy or anyone else can’t find forgiveness at home where will they find it?

 Look back up in verses 1 and 2 of this chapter.

• Notice that the tax gathers and sinners were coming to listen to Jesus?
• Why? Why were they coming to listen to Jesus but wouldn’t have anything to do with the scribes and Pharisees?
• Because Christ gave them hope…he taught them about forgiveness and restoration to son-ship.
• While the Pharisees and the scribes refused to forgive them at all.

Now, just a couple of quick points and we will close.

It may be that some one here this morning doesn’t think that God can or will forgive you.

• Think about what this younger boy did.
• He devoured his father’s wealth and used it on harlots.
• That is pretty bad.

Just as this boy’s father forgave him…our Father will forgive you and restore you to son-ship…just as if you had never left….no matter what you have done…or how long you did it.

• But the only way He can forgive you…is if you come home.

Now, understand this, we have a lot of good people here in this congregation…people who love God and who desire to obey His will.

• But understand, some may not be as quick to forgive as the Father is.
• Don’t let that stop you from coming home….what is important is that you get things right with God.

One more thing: I want you to notice in verse 28 that the “father” had to “come out and entreat” to this older son.

• We understand that the younger son was separated from the father because of his sinful life style.
• But understand, we can stay at home and serve the father, and like this older son, we can keep every commandment our father gives us, but if our heart is not right…we can be just as far away from the father as the younger son was.

We call this story the story of the “Prodigal Son”…

• Perhaps we should rename it and call it the story of the “Prodigal Sons.”

And it makes no difference which one of the two boys you may be…the father wants you to come home.

Will you do that this morning?

Just Like You Never Left

JUST LIKE YOU NEVER LEFT

Luke 15:17-23

I have been a minister now for over 30 years…and I suppose one of the things that has been the most concerning to me is the number of Christians that are robbing themselves of the joy and peace that being in Christ affords, all because they are not sure they are going to go to heaven.

• “I hope so….I hope God will forgive me.”

It is interesting that many who have not obeyed Christ are confident they are going to heaven.

• But some of us who have confessed Christ as Lord, who have repented of our sins, who have been baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, and who are manifesting our faith by our good works aren’t sure.

We are not sure that God can or will forgive some of the sins we have committed.

• “I did some pretty bad things when I was younger.”
• “I was married and divorced a couple of times before I came to Christ.”
• “Do you think God will forgive me for that?”
• We carry these feelings of guilt and let them destroy our assurance.

I have on occasion talked with some who were not Christians who had it in their minds that “there is no way God would forgive or save anyone like me who has done all the things I have done.”

If that is the way you think you have some wrong concepts of God. Look with me at the passage that was read.

We have already read the passage…so for just a few minutes let’s get into the thinking of a couple of the different characters.

First, let’s consider the boy…the younger son.

• This boy has gone to the “distant country” and has been involved in quite a bit of “loose living.”
• Now, I don’t know for sure what all is involved in “loose living”…but I get the impression that it included a broad variety of activities.
• That term “loose living” is also translated “riotous living” and that conveys the idea of uncontrolled, undisciplined, rebellious living.
• There is no telling what this boy was involved in.

But this boy comes to his senses…and in verse 18 he decides to go home…not as a son…but hoping to be a “hired man.”

• You see, when this boy starts home…in his mind…he is thinking, “Things will never be the same.”
• “I am no longer worthy to be called my Father’s son.”
• “If I am fortunate, maybe he will let me be one of his “hired men.”

That wasn’t asking much.

• It was no great honor to be a “hired man” in those days.
• In fact, it was better to be a slave.
• The “hired men” were migrant workers.
• They worked for wages and were paid every day.
• And what they would do is go to the market place and if someone came and asked, you might get to go and work in the fields.
• You get a glimpse of this in Matthew 20 and the “Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard.”
• And when you worked in the fields they paid you only for the days you worked.
• And you hoped to earn enough to buy food so you could come back the next day.
• It was a lousy life!
• But it was a better life than he had in the “distant country!”

And so this boy gets up and he comes home, soiled and stained by the sins he has committed, and every step of the way he is thinking, “I am not worthy to be your son. Could I just be a “hired man” you use every now and then?”

And He doesn’t know what the father is going to say.

• All the way he is thinking, “I don’t deserve anything at all.”

Now, as Jesus is telling this story, the people (Pharisees and scribes; vs. 1) listening at this point, don’t know how this story is going to end.

• They probably expected Jesus to say, “So the boy came home and told his father, “I am not worthy to be your son, let me be your ‘hired man’.”
• And the father said, “Well, I don’t know. Let me think about it. You know, you blew it…you did some pretty bad stuff…I don’t know if I even want to mess with you.”

But that is not what the father said.

• That may be what life is like.
• Life says, “You blow it you pay for it.”
• But that is not what the Father says.
• This father says instead, “It will be like he never left!”

Notice what this father does in verse 20.

• While the boy is still a long way off, the father sees him and he runs to him…and he is full of compassion.
• And he throws his arms around the boy and he kisses him.
• The father doesn’t stand back.
• He doesn’t play hide and seek…and keep the boy guessing.
• The father doesn’t embarrass the boy by asking for some lengthy explanation.
• “Just where have you been son?” “What got into you head?”
• “You tell me what you have been up to?”
• “Have you learned your lesson?”

The father doesn’t do any of that!

• The father is not only glad to see his boy…but the father restores him back to son-ship…just as though he had never left.

That is not like us is it?

• We tend to put prodigals on probation.
• “Oh, you can come back but you can’t lead a prayer.”
• “Oh, you can come back but you can’t teach a Bible class.”

The father forgives…and he says: “Quick, put the best robe on him. Put a ring on his finger. Put shoes on his feet.”

• Every single one of those was meant to say, “My son is back!”

The robe covers the marks of the “distant country.”

• It is a symbol that the boy has been forgiven.
• Not just that the penalty has been remitted but that the relationship has been restored.

The ring is like giving the credit cards back to the boy.

• The boy could go to the market place with that stamp on that ring and have anything that he needed…as if the father was there himself writing the check.
• The ring says to the boy, “You are back…you are accepted…you are trusted.”
• It is just like he never left.

And the shoes are important because in that culture slaves weren’t given shoes.

• They belonged only to free men.
• Do you remember the old Negro spiritual that said, “I got shoes…you got shoes…all God’s children got shoes.”
• The shoes say to the world, “This boy has not been demoted to servitude…instead he has been reinstated as a son.”

There is a lot of difference between probation and pardon.

• We tend to put people on probation.
• Probation says, “We are going to watch you closely…and if you slip just once.”
• But the son was pardoned.
• The record was erased.

In Romans 5:1 the apostle Paul says, “Therefore we have been justified by faith…” Do you remember in Bible class, the word “justification” and what your teacher said it meant?

• It means, “Just as if I’d never sinned.”
• That is what the father is doing.
• He is treating this boy just as if he had never left.

And notice, the father is not only glad to see his boy…and not only does he restore him to son-ship…but he restores the boy’s reputation.

• He says: “Bring the fattened calf and let’s kill it.”
• “Let’s celebrate…let’s call the neighbors and our friends.”
• “Let’s let everyone know that my son was lost and now he is found.”
• The father is taking a stand by the boy.

He is not saying to the boy, “Ok, you can be my son but I want you to stay out of sight.”

• “I am kind of embarrassed to let you be seen.”

The father says, “You are the celebrity. You are the object of honor at this feast.”

• “He is the real reason for the feast…and I want everyone to know that he is back…just as though he never left.”

The father restores him back to son-ship.

And God does the same for us.

• When you/I come home…He sees us as a son to run to.
• He restores us back as a son.
• And he restores our reputation.
• And he does it all, no matter how much or what kind of “loose living” we have done.

In 1914 a great fire destroyed Thomas Edison’s factory…Thomas was 67 at the time.

• Charles, his son was 24, and he watched his dad as his dad saw his dreams go up in smoke.
• He was feeling sorry for his dad when suddenly his dad said, “Where is your mom? She will never see a fire like this as long as she lives.”
• The next day Thomas said, “Tragedy is not always a disaster. All of my mistakes were burned up. Thank God we can start anew.”
• It is the same for us…Thank God we can start anew.

Look with me at Col. 1:22. Paul says: …yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach–

 I have one question. How?

• How in the world can God make us holy?
• How can God view us like we have never sinned?

I have an answer. Gal. 3:27: For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

 When you, the prodigal, put on the robe of Christ, the only thing God sees is Jesus.

• That is why and how you can be holy before the father.

Widow…poor…made her living by doing laundry…and she was putting some laundry out on the line to dry.

• The preacher commented on what a good job she did…and he commented on how white everything looked.
• She invited him in for tea and they visited…and while they were visiting a snow came in and as he got up to leave the ground was covered by the snow and he looked again at the laundry and he commented that it did not seem quite as white as it had before.
• To which she replied, “The laundry is as clean as it can possibly be…but who can compete with God’s white?”

Did you know that snow is not even pure white?

• Snow is formed when the water crystallizes around a speck of dust.
• And did you know that the Bible says that God is going to make you whiter than snow?
• You don’t get more perfectly complete than that.
• That is God’s forgiveness.

If you are one of those who are letting doubt destroy your peace and joy…God can pardon sin.

• But the only way he can is if, like the prodigal son, we come home.
• We must come home and repent of our sins.
• But listen, repentance does not take away sin.
• Repentance does not atone for one single sin.

The only atonement that God accepts is Christ’s robes of righteousness.

• And according to Gal. 3: 27 the only way you clothe yourself in Christ is through baptism.

 

Acts 22: 16

Acts 2: 38.

 

 

Come To Your Senses

COME TO YOUR SENSES

 Luke 15:11-21

In this passage Jesus pretty well describes what we see taking place in our culture and society today…and He describes what we see taking place in the lives of some families; and He describes, perhaps, even some one here this morning.

• And, He tells us what needs to be done! He gives us the solution to all the problems.

Look at vs. 17. Jesus is teaching this parable and in vs. 17: “When he came to his senses…”

That is an interesting statement isn’t it?

• Have you ever told anyone that they need to come to their senses?
• What does that imply?
• Does that imply that they have been acting pretty “senseless.”
• That what they have been doing doesn’t make sense.
• That they have been acting kind of crazy.
• Isn’t that what we are seeing in our culture and society today, people acting “crazy; senseless?”

And what God wants is for people, perhaps some of us, to come to our senses.

• To wake up and see things as they really are!
• To see the reality of their situation and where they need to be.

And, this statement, “He came to his senses…” implies that this boy in this story knew that what he had been doing was wrong.

• That he knew better than to do the things he was doing.
• That he knew what was right and wrong.

And they may deny it but most people today are doing the same thing…Romans 1:18-23 indicates that they know what is right and wrong (murder; adultery; homosexuality; stealing; burning; lying, the immoral acts) and yet, they are acting as though they are senseless.

• And what God wants is for, them/you/I, to quit being that way and like this boy, come to our senses.

Look at verse 18 and notice what this boy came to his senses about. He says: ”I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.”

 He called a spade a spade didn’t he?

• He saw things as they really were.
• He says: “I have sinned…” (Not just a mistake; not short-comings; he didn’t soften what he did.) He says, “I have sinned!”
• That was the basis of all of his problems.
• And people today need to realize that sin is the basis of their problems.

When this boy left his father and started sinning things went down hill until finally, he was starving to death and tempted to eat the food meant for the pigs.

We need to understand that sin always has its consequences…it always costs something.

• It will cost you your money…your integrity…your innocence…your job…your freedom…your family…your life…and ultimately your soul.
• It will cause you to be on a constant downward spiral.
• And for many people they are in the horrible mess and predicament they are in because of sin.
• They live in poverty because of sin.
• In jail because of sin.
• Family is in turmoil because of sin.
• Their wife has the kids and they only see them on the weekends because of sin.
• And the tragedy is….their lives are in this horrible mess because of sin…and they still haven’t come to their senses.
• They think their problems are a result of all these other things.

Sin always costs you…

• If you or I are tempted to sin…to go to the distant country…and we all are…you need to remember this.
• That lie…that cheating…that stealing…that unfaithfulness.
• That drug use…that immorality…whatever it is you are tempted to give in too…it is going to cost you and cost you dearly.
• And if you have any sense at all you will stay away from it.

Sin will always cost you something…and do you know why it does?

• Because the only time some of us will “ever come to our senses” and come to the Father is when sin has taken us as low as we can go.

 This boy came to his senses and he says: “I have sinned…”

• It is amazing how many people won’t acknowledge that.
• Why is that so difficult?
• Why do people go to extremes sometimes to keep from admitting this?

It is interesting some of the things people do to keep from admitting that they are sinners.

One of the things we do is we try to “hide it.”

• Like Adam and Eve in the garden; we sin then we put a few fig leaves on and say, “What are you talking about? I haven’t done anything!”

It is like the little white mouse that was put in the cage with the snake.

• And the snake was asleep.
• When the little mouse saw the snake it started kicking sawdust up over the snake.
• Until finally he had the snake completely covered up.
• Then the mouse laid down to rest…thinking, “I have taken care of the problem.”

That is what a lot of people do with sin…”I will just cover it up…hide it…ignore it…change the name of it…and it will go away.”

• The snake didn’t go away at all!
• And when it woke up it killed the little mouse…and sin will do the same thing to you/I.

A lot of people try to cover up their sin…pretend it is not there.

• But Luke 15 says, “You cannot hide our sinfulness from God because He knows who is home and who isn’t; it is that simple.”

This boy says, “I have sinned…”

Do you know what that is?

• That is the first step that must be made in order to be restored to son-ship with God.
• This boy would never have been restored to son-ship without first coming to his senses and admitting that he had sinned!
• And neither will anyone else!

Look with me at 1 John 1, John is dealing with some people who were saying that “they had fellowship with God” even though they were “walking in the dark”…and John says, “No you don’t.”

• If you are walking in the darkness…you have no fellowship with God.

So some others jumped up and said, “We have fellowship with God…because we haven’t sinned.”

• And listen to what John says to them starting in 1 John 1:8.

 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9     If we confess our sins, (acknowledge that we are sinners) He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10         If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

 Anyone who refuses to acknowledge that he is a sinner has no fellowship with God.

• In fact, if anyone is thinking that “they are not a sinner”, John says in verse 10 that they “make God a liar!”
• They are denying something that God says is true and that God already knows.
• If they are thinking that they are not a sinner…they are the only one who thinks that!

Look at Romans 3:23. This is a very familiar verse….and yet as familiar as it is…some just don’t seem to believe it.

• Look what Paul says: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Now, we read that verse and there is this little deceptive mechanism inside that says, “It’s not talking about me! It’s talking about everyone else but not me!”

• And the reason people do that is because they tend to view sin as being comparative.
• “Compared to most people I know, I couldn’t possibly be branded a sinner.”
• “Compared to others, I am not that bad.”
• That’s the way people think.

But I want you to notice something here.

• Paul does not compare you or I or anyone else to other people!
• He is comparing everyone to the “glory of God.”
• God is the standard…and when it comes to God…we all fall way short!
• Yes, compared to me or me to you, we may be great.
• But not when we are compared to God!

No matter how good we are…how we strive to live a righteous life…compared to God…not someone else…we have fallen short.

• And the only way we or anyone else can be restored to son-ship is to first admit that.

It is no coincidence that in the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5….that when it comes to being a child of the kingdom that the very first thing that Jesus mentions is being “poor in spirit.”

• Because, the first thing that any one must do in order to inherit the kingdom of heaven is they must be humble enough to acknowledge that they are a sinner…and that without God there is no hope at all.

God wants us to come to our senses…and acknowledge that we are sinners….and come to Him.

• And if you/I/ or anyone else will, notice what He will do? Look at verse 20:

20        “And he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion {for him,} and ran and embraced him, and kissed him.  21            “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“Let me be one of your slaves so I can pay for what I have done…”

• Is that what it says?

No, but that is what some of people think.

• We think we have to somehow work our way into a right standing with God.

You can never pay what you owe…Christ did that on the cross.

• The only reason you regain your son-ship is because of God’s mercy and grace extended to us…made available to us through Christ’s death. .

And what Jesus is trying to tell us here in this story is: “We matter to God and He wants us to come home.”

• No matter what we have done…no matter how much we have blown it.
• God wants us to come home.

Do you need to do that? God is watching…longing to run to you. If you know you need to come home, don’t disappoint Him…just come home?

 

 

Why The Distant Country?

WHY THE DISTANT COUNTRY?

 Luke 15:11-20a

I would like to ask you to look once again at verses 13-14.

 “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.  “Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be in need.

  “Why do people (young people, middle aged, even older people) go to the ‘distant country’?”

• What is its “appeal? Is it the “loose living?”
• Why was this boy so eager to leave his Father where everything he needed was supplied?
• He had a Father who gave him love…who gave Him security…and safety.

What is it about people, that we set out for the very destinations that we know we should not be going to?

• Why do some of us who are safe with our Father, who wants to protect us from things that will harm us and destroy us, why do we want to take that “drink.”
• Or experience that immoral relationship.
• Or leave our Father for all the glitz and glitter that the “distant country” offers.
• Why do we choose to do that?

And it is a choice.

• When you/I go to the “distant country”…when you/I commit sin it was not something we did in ignorance.
• We might look back on it now and say, “Boy, was that stupid.”
• But at the time it was a choice that we made.
• We knew inside that it was not what we should be doing.
• Why do we go down that road and leave our Father?

One answer might be our constant quest to find excitement…to be entertained…to find thrill.

• Or maybe we are searching for what we hope will make us
• Or wanting to find that which will make everything better than it is right now.

So we take off down that road to the “distant country” and we try things…things that people promise will make us happy.

• Sometimes those things come in a bottle or a syringe.
• Sometimes they come in a secret place that some woman other than your wife, or some man other than your husband has agreed to.
• The “distant country” says that happiness can be found in a variety of ways.

And notice, the young son in this parable thought it could be bought.

• In fact, he squandered all that he had trying to buy it.
• If it came in a bottle he bought one.
• If he needed friends, he bought them.
• If he wanted to party…he bought that too.
• If he was looking for sexual gratification…he had the money.
• Whatever he thought he needed to be happy, he just bought it.

And you know as well as I do that the “distant country” is a master at telling us that the happiness and joy we seek is just “one more purchase away.”

• The “distant country” has a great department of public relations and tourism.
• The “distant country” or sin puts out the absolute finest quality brochures of any country you can visit.
• No place seems to be more fun.
• No place seems to have more glitter.
• Nothing promises more excitement than sin when it packages itself like it can.

Every day people go home and turn on that little electronic marvel in their front room that we call television, or turn on that computer, or connect to the internet on the phone..

• And, when they turn that thing on, or make that connection, they are going to be lied to the minute they turn it on to the minute they turn it off.

First of all, that box is going to tell them its perverted idea of what and where “happiness” is…and that it is ok to do whatever they have to obtain that happiness.

• And then that box is going to promise them/you/I, if we will just listen, that a six pack of beer, or a new car, or a certain kind of jeans, is going to turn our world around.
• That you will have better sex, a better job, more excitement…and a world of happiness.

But do you know what the problem is?

• The problem is that the advertisements from the “distant country” never show what that kind of lifestyle leads too.
• They only show you the rose and not the thorns that are beneath it.
• It doesn’t tell you that verse 13 is followed by verse 14.

The “distant country’s” public relations department doesn’t tell you/I what Jesus says here.

• And I can assure you, what Jesus says here is true…because it is impossible for God to lie.

I want you to notice how low Jesus takes this young man.

• He is off in the “distant country” and he has all the friends he needs…until he is out of money.
• And then a famine comes…and when he needs food to eat…where are the friends that he had when he had the money?

So he goes to find any kind of work he can find and he is hired by a man who cares absolutely nothing for him.

• In fact, the man he works for in this “distant country” values pigs more than he does this boys life.
• He gives him food for the pigs…but none for him.
• “If I have to choose between who dies today, I would rather keep the pigs alive.”

The “distant country” doesn’t tell you/I all of this…it just shows us the glitz and the glamour.

• It doesn’t show us the drunk behind the drink made from the Rocky Mountain spring water.
• It doesn’t show us the divorce and the shattered lives behind the drugs.
• It doesn’t show the poverty or the desperation…or the neglect behind the gambling…or the “loose living”.
• It doesn’t show the shame, and embarrassment, and the hardship caused by the immoral lifestyle.
• The “distant country” doesn’t show us all of that.

Notice what this young man learned about his time in the “distant country.”

• He learned the hard way that the “distant country” doesn’t deliver what it promises.
• Gone was his integrity, his independence and his fortune.
• The “distant country” left him starving and dying…and worse than all of that, vs. 24 says that it left him “dead” and “lost.”

In fact, the only two things he had left were his memory and his ability to think.

• And so it says in verse 17, “When he came to his senses”…
• Every parent who has a child in the far country prays every day for those 5 words.
• “Lord, help him come to his senses.”
• Sadly, the only time some come to their senses is when they are with the hogs.

“When he came to his senses,” he said, “How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!” ‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;   I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.” And he got up and came to his father.

Many look at this story…and what this young man did…and they shake their heads and say, “How sad…how foolish he was.”

• But, as foolish as he was, he at least realized what was happening to him.
• He realized that he was starving to death.
• And he had sense enough to come back to the father.

Most do not realize that.

• You see, it is possible to grow accustomed to living in the muck.
• Some people live in the pig pen all of their lives, they get used to it.
• They never come to grips with their futile lifestyle.

This boy came to his senses and he was honest enough to admit that what he was doing was killing him.

• And then he was smart enough to know that he needed to go back to his father…and then he was courageous enough to go!
• Today, many know where they need to come too…they know they too need to come back to the father.
• But sadly…they refuse.

How many, perhaps some of us…know what we need to do…but just won’t.

• And because we won’t…we too will die a prisoner of our own appetites.

This boy came to his senses, and look what he does.

In verse 18, Jesus says some very specific things that this boy said once he came to his senses and realized the truth about himself.

Notice, the boys says, “I have sinned.”

• He has confronted his real problem.

And that is what it is.

• Today we look for all kinds of reasons why people’s lives are in a mess.
• Poor education…bad parents…racism….injustices…no religion…poverty.
• We find all kinds of reasons.
• But the real reason for all of our problems is “sin.”

And notice, this boy didn’t do what a lot of people do today.

• He didn’t say, “It is my father’s fault, he shouldn’t have given me that money and let me go.”
• He didn’t say, “It is the ‘distant country’s’ fault, they deceived me.”
• He didn’t say, “It is my older brother’s fault…he was a hypocrite.”
• No, this boys says, “It is my fault…I have sinned.”

And then in verse 19 he says to his father, “I am no longer worthy to be called your son, make me as one of your hired men.” 

• Completely humble and subject to the will of the Father.
• Too many want to come to the Father and say, “I want to come home…but I want to do this and I want to do that.”
• They want to make demands of the Father.
• “I want to do it my way.”
• That is what got this boy in trouble in the first place.

This boy came home completely humble…realizing he had no right to receive mercy.

• And yet, because he did…the father extends his mercy and grace on him…and restores him to full son-ship.

In some form or fashion we have all left the Father and gone to the “distant country”…we have given in to sin.

• And many have realized that their journey there has made a mess of their life.
• Perhaps you are one of them.

But do you know what…it is not a one way street to that country.

• When you get there you do not have to stay.

In this parable, Jesus says, “Acknowledge your sin and confess your unworthiness, and then get up and go back home.”

• This boy did, and do you know what he found out?
• He found out that his father will run to meet him.
• And God will run to meet you too.

God wants you to come home. So the moral of the story is: quit looking for love in all the wrong places and get back to where you belong.

CONFESSION

CONFESSION?

I John 1:5-10

Some years ago I was asked to teach a class at the Baptist church in Monument, NM.

• They wanted to know what the Church of Christ believed…and they had some questions regarding baptism.
• One of their questions was: “If we believe that our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ at baptism…do we have to be baptized every time we sin…how many times does a person have to be baptized?

A statement that I have heard several times from some of my brethren in reference to committing a sin is, “If you commit a sin…in order to be forgiven of that sin you must confess that sin as soon as you can. If you are out in public when you commit the sin, then as soon as you can get home you need to pray to God and confess that sin…and then He will forgive you?

• If you don’t confess that sin then there is no forgiveness…and you are lost until you make that confession.
• If you die before you can confess your sin…well, it is just too bad.
• This last idea gets its birth from verse 7 here in 1 John.

Are these ideas true?

• Vs. 8 and 10 tells us that, even though we are Christians, we are still sinners.
• When I commit a sin do I need to “hurry home and pray to God, confessing what I have just done, and ask Him to forgive me? Am I lost until I do?”
• And when I sin do I need to be baptized again since that is where the forgiveness of sins takes place?

The answer to these questions is found in these 6 verses so let’s go through them. Look at verse 5:

• Now, John is writing to counter the influence of the gnostics.
• There were the Docetists, Cerinthians, the Libertines, Ebionites. Denialists, Ascetics, Monastics, and the Essenes.

Now, some of these said that “Since man was made of flesh…and since all flesh is evil…there is no way that a Holy God could have anything to do with man.

• Well, John pretty well dismantles that idea in the first four verses of this letter when he says in verse 3 that the apostles “saw and heard and proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
• They had experienced the fellowship…it was personal with them…and it was multiple…it wasn’t something that just one claimed.
• So for some of these Gnostics to say that “man cannot have fellowship with God” was untrue.

But then, some of these Gnostics, like the Libertines, were saying that what you did in the flesh had no bearing on the spiritual…so they could live an immoral, ungodly, pagan life and still have fellowship with God.

• Well John deals with that starting in verse 5.
• Look what he says…here in this verse he sets the standard.

5 And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

• John is talking about fellowship here and if you are going to have fellowship with God there are some things you need to understand.

First of all, “God is light”…this refers to God’s moral quality.

• “Light” is a symbol of God’s moral perfection.
• He does not fellowship darkness…darkness refers to sin.
• There will be no sin permitted in His presence (Adam and Eve).
• There are no gray areas with God…there is no “darkness at all.”
• So God is the standard!

Now, verse 6: If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;

• This just contradicted the Libertines…and it contradicts a lot of people today.
• A lot of people today think they can walk in a sin-filled way and still have fellowship with God.
• And it is no wonder that they believe this because there are all kinds of pastors and preachers telling them this.

To say that there is fellowship is to say that God doesn’t care about sin.

• If you walk in darkness there is no vertical fellowship.
• And the man who walks in darkness and says that he has fellowship has no need for Christ.

Now, I want you to notice the word “walk”…”and yet walk in darkness.”

• A “walk” has certain characteristics.
  • It has direction…either toward darkness or toward light.
  • It has separation…progression (Farther you walk in light the farther you get from darkness.
  • A walk is never static…there is no such thing as a non-walk.
  • A walk has destination: darkness – hell; light – heaven.
  • A walk has companionship: darkness – Satan; Light – God.

What we are talking about here refers to a certain lifestyle.

• When John speaks of a man “walking” in darkness he is speaking of that man’s lifestyle…his practice.

Now, look at verse 7: …but (here is a contrast to the man in verse 6) if we walk(lifestyle) in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another(God, the apostles, and fellow Christians), and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

• This verse contradicts the lie of vs. 6.
• In verse 6 they said they were in the “light” even though they walked in “darkness.”
• The only way to be in the “light” is to walk in the “light.”

This verse sets the standard by which we are to walk.

• Walk by His standard when it comes to right and wrong morally and He will have fellowship with you.

Now, does this mean that your walk will have no sin in it?

• Well verse 8 answers that for us.
• “IF we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
• Your walk as a Christian is not going to be perfect…you are going to sin!

Oh no! What do we do?

• Does this mean that I am lost?
• Do I need to be baptized again?
• How do I get rid of this sin?

Well, look at the end of verse 7.

…we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

• First of all, see where it says “and” the blood of Jesus…
• That “and” speaks of simultaneous action…”we have fellowship with one another and simultaneously the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.”
• The “cleansing” power of the blood of Jesus keeps us in fellowship with one another even though we sin.

Now, the word “cleanses”…that is present tense…which means it is continuous action.

• This means your sin does not break your fellowship.

When you were baptized into Christ the blood of Jesus washed away all of your sins.

• And that blood continues to wash away all of your sins.
• But there is a condition…and that is your walk.
• If you are walking in the light…you are walking where God wants you to…you are headed in the right direction…and you sin…not if (vs. 8 and 10) takes care of that…as soon as you commit that sin guess what?
• The blood of Christ immediately washes it away. It is gone! Fellowship has not been broken.

Do you need to be baptized again?

• No…the blood of Christ that washed you clean at baptism…still cleanses you of all

When you sin fellowship with God is not broken.

• How do you know?
• Are you still walking in the light? Have you changed directions of your walk?
• Are you walking in darkness? What is your progression…what is your direction?
• Your continued fellowship with God depends on your walk…the standard you are trying to keep.
• Are you trying to walk according to His word?
• What guides your decisions: Darkness or the Light?

Now, verse 8:  If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

• This contradicts the Monastics and the Ascetics… because they denied their sins…therefore they were lying to themselves.
• The thing is, they do not deceive God.

Now, verse 9; it is from this verse that we get the idea that we must confess our sins in order to be forgiven.

• Got to hurry home and confess before something happens to me.

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

• In this verse the word “confess” is the opposite of the Gnostics denial found in verse 8.
• In verse 8 the Gnostic said; “I am not a sinner” and therefore I don’t need God…here in this verse we are talking about someone who says, “Lord, I am a sinner”…and I need you.”

Let me ask you this…who do we confess our sin to? Brothers? God?

• What if you leave a sin out during your confession? Will it not be forgiven?
• What if you commit a sin and before you can confess it to God you get killed…are you lost?
• A lot of people believe this.
• And basically what they do is they make verse 9 nullify what they have been told in verse 7.

That word “confess” is the Greek word “homologeo.”

• It means “same word”…and the idea is “to agree…to say the same thing as…to acknowledge.”
• Do you really need to confess your sins to God? No, He already knows.

What this word is talking about here is to say the same thing about yourself that God already knows about you…”God I am a sinner…and God says, “I know that.”

• The acknowledgement to God that you are a sinner tells God that you acknowledge Him as the only One who can forgive…and He does…immediately…vs. 7…and the fellowship is not broken.
• Acknowledging that you are a sinner makes it possible for Him to forgive you.

But the Gnostic doesn’t acknowledge that he is a sinner.

• He doesn’t agree with God…instead he says, “I have no sin…therefore…I don’t need God and I don’t need Him to forgive me”…and when he does that…guess what?
• No forgiveness…and no fellowship.

This passage is not talking about having to confess each and every sin for fear of losing fellowship.

• This passage is talking about agreeing with God that you are a sinner in need of constant forgiveness…and fellowship is not broken.

Now, verse 10: If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

If you are walking in the light…that is the direction…the progression…the destination of your walk…when you sin…and you will…you do not need to be baptized again.

• The blood of Christ cleanses that sin immediately and fellowship has not been broken.

What if you change the direction of your walk…start walking in darkness?

• No fellowship….but like the Prodigal Son…you can always come home.

And brethren, you do not have to confess your every sin like some teach and practice.

• All you have to do is acknowledge what God says…that you are a sinner…and you are in need of God’s forgiveness…and God is faithful to forgive.

 

I Can See Clearly Now

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

Luke 15 1-10

Do you see these?(Glasses) These are a wonderful thing because they help me to see things more clearly. Without them things are distorted…fuzzy…blurry and that can cause serious problems.

• Can’t see the clock, can’t see very far down the highway, can’t see where to step.
• When you can’t see clearly it can be serious.

Do you see this (Bible)? This is a wonderful thing because it helps us to see things more clearly. Without it, things often get distorted…fuzzy and blurry.

• It helps us to see things the way God sees things…the way things really are.
• And not only does it help us to see things in the spiritual realm but it helps us to see things clearly up close in the physical realm.

God wants us to see things clearly…because when we have a distorted view of things, when things are blurry, we sometimes are not motivated to do what God wants us to.

• And the reality is Satan doesn’t want you to see things clearly because he doesn’t want you to do what God wants.

This morning, let’s look at the passage that was read and hopefully see some things clearly the way God sees them.

If you would, look at verse 1-2 again and let’s read them.

1 Now all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near Him (Jesus) to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes {began} to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

The Pharisees and the scribes were jealous of the following and the attention that Jesus was getting.

• So, here in this verse they try to discredit Jesus by saying, “He receives sinners.”
• He keeps company with the kind of people that a man of God would have nothing to do with.

And Jesus responds to their accusations with 3 stories in an effort to get them to see more clearly.

• Three stories to try and get them to see things the way God sees them.
• Three stories that hopefully will help us to see more clearly also.

Let’s look at the first story starting in verse 4 and notice, the first story is for the men.

Look at what he says:

“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? “And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ “I tell you that in the same way, there will be {more} joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Now, this story may seem a little strange to us because, for most of us, we cannot imagine a sheep being worth all the bother.

• But we don’t understand their culture.
• In their day sheep were not raised for meat but for their wool.
• And sheep were invaluable financially because the wool could be harvested over and over again.
• And because they would keep their sheep for many years they would become attached to them…sometimes naming their sheep.
• And the loss of a sheep would be very emotionally upsetting to the family.
• And so the shepherd would leave the 99 and go out in search of this very precious sheep.

And notice it says that the man “goes after the one which is lost, until he finds it.”

• We have all lost something, maybe a wallet, or keys, or a ring, and you start searching for it; and you look and you look for it; you look in your car, all over the house, under the cushions on the couch.
• You even look in places you know it can’t possibly be.
• And as you search you become more and more frantic.
  • I don’t get the impression that this man just simply said, “Oh well, it is lost” and dismisses it.

And when he found the sheep he simply said, “I found my sheep.”

• That is not what he did.

The passage says that when he found his sheep he put it on his shoulders, “rejoicing.”

• And then he goes back to the village and says, “Hey everyone, I found my sheep. Rejoice with me!”
• And then he says, “That’s the way it is in heaven.”

And then Jesus says, “Now, a story for the women.” Verse 8:

“Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?  “And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Ladies, that coin is not some quarter that falls out of her change purse.

• When Jesus speaks of 10 silver coins…often they would link coins together and make a head dress…and the mothers would pass them down to their daughters.
• And these things were of a great sentimental value.

But there was another possibility.

• In those days the women would make a necklace linking the 10 silver coins together.
• And they would wear them as a symbol of the fact that they were a married woman
• And that they had a home and a family.
• And when she lost one of those coins it would be like you losing your wedding ring.

You don’t put a monetary value on something like that.

• That coin stood for everything that is important to her.
• It is a big deal to lose it.

And it is a big deal to find it.

• Notice in verse 9, when she finds it she calls her friends and says, “Rejoice with me. I have found the coin which I lost.”

These things mattered.

• They couldn’t be replaced.
• They had to be found.
• And when they were found, notice, both times, “Lets rejoice…lets celebrate.“

Then, after Jesus told the story for the men and the women, He told a story for everyone.

• And we are not going to read it…but let me paraphrase it real quick.
• Man has two boys.
• Youngest son says, Dad, I have lived your way long enough I am ready to live my way.
• And you aren’t dead soon enough. I want my inheritance now.
• Dad gives it to him.

The younger son takes his inheritance and goes to a “distant country.”

• And he squanders all that he had.
• And as a result he is reduced to feeding the pigs.
• And he becomes so hungry that he is tempted to eat what the pigs are eating.
• And at that point he decides to go home.

And as he is approaching home…his father sees him.

• He is weak, filthy, smelly, and broke.
• And the only thing that was more of a spectacle than he was, was his father.

His father runs down the road to meet him…and the father embraces his son…and kisses him…and calls for a robe…and sandals…and a ring.

• And what does the father say next?
• He says, “Let’s have a feast and ”
• “My boy was dead but now he is alive.”
• “He was lost but now he is found.”
• And it says in verse 24 that “they began to be merry.”

Now, what is it that we need to see clearly from these 3 stories?

• Well, there are many things…and perhaps you have already seen some of them.
• But this morning I just want to mention two.

One is something that I think we need to be reminded of…and the other is something that I fear we are afraid to do….or maybe the first one is so unimportant to us that we aren’t motivated to do the second.

Let’s begin with the first one…First of all I think God wants us to see the “truth in regard to separation.”

• In all three stories the thing valued is separated from the one to whom it belongs.
• And each time it is referred to as “”
• And in all three stories the owner experiences great agony over this “lost-ness”.
• That is because Biblically speaking it is a terrible thing to be

You take that sheep from the first story for example.

• You can walk all over Palestine to this very day you will not find a single herd of wild sheep in the place.
• Because a lost sheep in Palestine is a dead sheep.
• That is what it means to be lost.
• It is a terrible, horrible word.

If you look through your Bibles at some ways that this word is used and you find it is the word the disciples used when they were on the boat that was sinking in the storm and they said, “Master, don’t you care that we are perishing?”

• It is the word used in 2 Peter 3:9 when the apostle said, “God is not willing that any should perish but that everyone should repent.”
• It is the word used of Judas when Jesus said, “Not one of them perished but the son of perdition.”
• A form of the word is used to give name to the angel of the abyss, “Apollyon” in Revelation 9.

It is a terrible thing to be separated from the One to whom you belong

And yet that is exactly what the prophet Isaiah says that our sins have done.

• He says in Isaiah 59:2: “That your sins have separated you from your God.”
• And what does sin lead too?
• It leads to death. Romans 6, James 1 is clear about that.

Now, I say that because today, there seems to be a tremendous reluctance among us to talk or to use the word “lost.”

• It is easier for us to use or talk about the “world” than it is to talk about the “lost”.
• Today every one is a sinner, but no one is “lost”.
• Even in churches it seems we are reluctant to deal with this very Biblical idea.

In churches there is a real effort being put forth to stress God’s grace…and to get us in churches of Christ to “rediscover His grace”.

• That movement is so strong that it is almost as if it is incompatible to talk of grace and being lost at the same time.
• But the irony is grace loses its beauty and appeal when we give up the idea of being lost.
• Grace is good news only to those who need rescuing.

And it is this idea of lost-ness that puts the church in a different business than every one else.

• Other people feed the hungry. WE should too.
• Other people shelter the homeless. WE should too.
• Other agencies and institutions call for high morals and conduct. WE should too.

But only the church is in the business of recovering the lost.

• Jesus says, “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”
• And that was His response when people asked Him why He spent so much time with sinners.
• And we must not ever get far away from this idea.
• For when we do…we are not seeing clearly…and Satan has benefited from our poor sight.

But there is also another idea in this story that we seem to be afraid of or maybe we don’t feel the need to do this because we don’t understand what it is to find that which is lost.

A basic point of each story is the description of the rejoicing that goes inevitably with finding.

• Everyone in these 3 stories is happy. Did you notice that?
• Everyone loves the ending except for two.
• The other brother and the fatted calf.
• They don’t like how it ends.
• But everyone else loves it.

The older brother, when he hears about the feast and the rejoicing is upset at the joy of the father.

• To him it is discriminatory. It is not fair!

And the father responds to the son, by saying, “Son your brother was lost and he is found. Your brother was dead and now he is alive.”

• And in verse 32 he says, “We had to be merry.”
• That is a powerful thought.

That word, “we had to” be merry in the Greek is one of the strongest words in the gospel of Luke.

• It is used only at special times for special occasions.
• It is used when Jesus said, “I must suffer many things.”
• “I must be buried. I must be raised again.”
• It is used when the Bible speaks and says that the prophets’ words must be fulfilled.
• And it is used here to say, “God must be merry when the lost are saved.”

If God says He must be merry when someone is saved…shouldn’t we?

• In the past we have had some who were baptized…we have had some who were lost that came home.
• Did you run down the aisle to meet them…to embrace them…to put the robe of fellowship and the ring of brotherhood on their finger?
• Or did you slip out the back, indifferent…seemingly uncaring…never speaking a word?
• Did you by word or deed show that person and any other person who might need to come home how important it is for them to do so…or did you show them that “it is not that important and that you don’t really care.”

We are to be God’s example to those around us.

• What we do is supposed to manifest what God would do?
• When we are indifferent and seemingly uncaring…do those who come home get the impression that God doesn’t care either?

Several years ago, my daughter went to Germany…was gone for just under two years.

• When she came home…she was sick…weak…tired and weary.
• We went to the airport in Lubbock to pick her up…and her old dad couldn’t wait to see her.
• We hit the airport lobby…and I was searching…and if the others were too slow, I left them behind.
• And when I finally saw her…I couldn’t get her in my arms fast enough.
• She was home! And she knew that I cared…that all of us that were there that day cared.
• How do you think she would have felt if I had not been there?
• If I had been indifferent to her.
• If I had acted as though it was a real bother for me to have to come get her?
• Do you think she might have wondered why she came home at all?

How do we make those who have left home…and who have come back…feel?

God wants us to see clearly. To help us He gives us His word.

• If we see “the lost” in the terrible, desperate situation they are really in…then perhaps we will be motivated to search frantically for them.
• And then when they come home…perhaps we too…will be compelled to rejoice.

 

How Our Father Feels

HOW OUR FATHER FEELS

Luke 15: 11-24

When you come to chapter 15 of Luke, the Pharisees and scribes have for some time been trying to discredit Jesus in the eyes of the people.

• They are jealous of the following that Jesus has, and they are jealous of the way that the people marvel at His teachings, and that jealousy drives them to try to tarnish the image that people have of Jesus.
• If they can discredit Jesus they can promote their own agenda. We are seeing this in our society today.

So, here in Luke 15, when they see all these tax gatherers and sinners coming near to Jesus…and listening to Him they (the Pharisees and scribes) grumble and say, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

• In their minds no holy man of God would be associated with these kinds of people.
• They certainly wouldn’t be.

So, they try to discredit Jesus and Jesus responds.

• He responds with this parable found in verses 11-24…and what Jesus does in this parable is He presents God to them in a way that was, for the most part, foreign to them.
• He presents God as a “father.”

You see, in the OT scriptures, which the Pharisees and scribes claimed to have a great knowledge of, when it came to God being a “father” they thought of Him as being a “father” primarily in reference to Him as being the “originator”…as the one who gave Israel their beginning.

• They didn’t think of God as being an intimate, caring, loving, compassionate “father” who was concerned for his children.

So this concept of God as a loving Father was somewhat foreign to them.

• They preferred a God who was so righteous and holy that there is no way that He would care for or associate with tax gatherers or sinners.

But that is not the concept of God that Jesus had.

• Over 250 times in the NT God is referred to as “Father” and this is due mainly because that is how Jesus referred to God.
• When it came to a designation for God, Jesus used the word “Father” more than any other designation.

Jesus used the term “Father” 107 times in the Gospel of John.

• And here in the book of Luke the very first recorded words of Jesus are: “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s {house?”}
• And the last recorded words of Jesus on the cross were: “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”

Jesus saw God as a Father…but not just a Father…but a caring Father who wanted his children back.

• You see, the scriptures teach that, in the sense of creation, all men are God’s children.
• But sin has driven the children of God away from home.
• And God wants His children back, something these Pharisees and scribes didn’t comprehend.

 So Jesus, in order to try and teach these Pharisees, and in order to point out their error to the multitudes, teaches this parable and presents God as a Father.

So, this morning, let’s look at this parable…and let’s look at the “father”…and let’s learn some things about our heavenly Father…and how He feels about a son who leaves home…and is lost…and who is found.

• Let’s learn how He feels about us.

And let me tell you what I suspect.

• I suspect that there is someone here, or you and I know someone who, like the boy in this parable, wants to come home…but they haven’t because they have the same concept of God as these Pharisees and scribes did.
• And it may be the reason they have that concept is because of the way that perhaps you and I, as God’s people act or think.
• Let’s look at this parable and learn what kind of Father we really have.

Look at verses 11-13. We have already read them so we won’t read them again but the first thing I want you to notice is when the boy left home the father didn’t stop him.

• Our Father is not going to keep us any where we don’t want to be.
• He doesn’t want us to leave.
• When we leave it must be heartbreaking to Him.
• We understand that because some of us have had our kids leave home and we know how disappointing it is.
• And what makes this situation worse is this boy leaves and goes to the “distant country” and you can read and see what happens there.
• This must have been very disappointing to this boy’s father.

But the point is, our Father doesn’t want us to leave home; it is heartbreaking for Him, but if we choose to leave He will not stop us.

• The father here in this parable could have chained this boy to the farm…but the boy’s heart would have been somewhere else.
• In like manner, God is not going to chain us down…if we don’t want to stay with Him He is not going to stop us.

But keep this in mind.

• When you choose to leave the Father…that is when the trouble begins, just like it did for the boy in this parable (seeing this in our society today).

So, this boy leaves his father…and many fathers in this situation would say, “You leave, don’t you come back.”

• But not our Father.
• Look at this.
• This boy spends all his inheritance…he is broke and hungry.
• He gets a job feeding hogs.
• And finally he decides to go home…and beg his father to let him be a hired man.
• Sometimes the only time some people realize their need for God is when they are as far down as they can get!

And notice verse 20. It says: “While he was a long way off his father saw him.”

• Why? Because the father was looking for him.
• You see, in this story, the boy leaves…not the father.
• But when the boy leaves…the father is always looking for him, hoping he will come home.

We understand that don’t we?

• We have all waited for our kids to come home.
• Oh you don’t just stand and look out the window every second.
• But every time you pass by the window you look…
• And you make a point to pass by the window so you can look.
• In fact, so you can watch, you may even decide for the first time in 10 years, that that window needs cleaned.

But you watch.

• And finally you hear a car door…and you run to the door…and you are disappointed because it wasn’t his car….it was a car a block down the street…that is how hard you are listening.
• And so you wait and watch and watch…and finally you see him coming down the street.

That’s the picture Jesus paints here of our “Father”…He is always watching…hoping we will come home.

• He is always willing for those who are lost to come home.

And notice what He feels in verse 20. It says, “He felt compassion for him.”

• That word “compassion” in the Greek actually means, “he hurt in his gut” for him.
• He didn’t feel contempt for him.
• He didn’t stand there and say, “You left, don’t come back.”
• “You got what you deserved.”
• He felt compassion for him.

And, notice what it says next. It says that He, “stubbornly stayed in the house and waited for that boy to come to him”…after all, “the boy left…not me…no way I am going to run to him.”

• No! He stood on the porch and when the boy got there he said…”Well, it is about time you came to your senses.”
• “OR do you really think you can just come back and everything will be ok?”

That is not what it says. It says that the father “ran and embraced him.”

• This is an amazing statement that must have shocked these Pharisees and scribes.
• This was not something that you did.
• You didn’t just hike up your robe and show your legs and take off running like he did.
• That wasn’t the proper thing to do.
• But, that is how important it was to the father for his son who was lost to come home.

I remember when my son  was at boot camp…and we went down for his graduation…we were finally going to get to see him.

• They came marching in formation…all dressed in their dress blues.
• And they went through a flag ceremony.
• And finally we as parents were allowed to go down on the field to see them.
• I wasn’t too concerned about protocol and etiquette and I quickly found my way through the crowd until I found him!
• I wanted to see my son!

And that is the way God feels.

Remember when the soldiers came home from Desert Storm?

• When those people hadn’t seen their sons or their husbands for some time.
• And they had all these ropes up for everyone to stay behind.
• But as soon as those soldiers got off those planes…what did people do?

You see, what is important is to get to your boy as quick as you can.

• Here in verse 20 is the only place in the Bible that I know of where God is in a hurry.

And it says, “He embraced him.”

• You know, arms can say a lot.
• I have seen all different kinds of daddy’s arms.
• I’ve seen dads cross their arms as if to say, “I dare you to take one more step in this house.”
• Or a dad can throw his arms up in the air like, “What in the world am I going to do with you?”
• Or a dad can put his arms out like this as if to say, “I love you this much.”
• That is what this daddy did.
• And, our heavenly Father has too.
• On the cross.

And the verse says, “He kissed him.”

• “I love you son.”

Do you know what this father did that the Pharisees didn’t do…and what some of us don’t do?

• The father focused on this boy’s present repentance instead of the previous rebellion and he restored his boy to sonship.

And notice something else; vs. 19.

• The son had all of it worked out, he had all the offers to make, all the speeches about how he would be a hired man.
• And in verse 21 the boy confesses that He has sinned.
• And, what I want you to notice is the Father allowed the confession…but He didn’t allow concession.
• He took him back as his son.

We some times will allow someone to come back…but things aren’t going to be like they once were.

• Our Father isn’t that way.

True story…J.W. Rosenberry…Methodist minister…young man on train…nervous, I am a minister is there something you would like to talk about….he and his father had literally come to blows. Boy left…change of heart…wrote mom…said….the train runs right by the farm…and if dad will let me come home…just tie a towel around the tree….looked like snow had fallen…sheets on fences…in trees…last image G. W Rosenberry saw was this boy running up the road toward that farm with his suitcase in his hand.

That is the kind of father we have.

• He wants His wayward children to come home.
• He longs for them to come home.
• And if they will, He will restore them to the full privileges of son-ship.

Now, real quickly let me mention some things that you and I may need to do.

First, we may need to alter our view of God.

• He is our Father…a Father who is compassionate and who loves and cares about His children.

But do you know what we struggle with. I think we struggle to believe that people could matter that much to God.

• Jesus’ critics didn’t think they did.
• Why did the Pharisees in Luke 15 act the way they did?
• Because they thought they were acting like God?
• Holiness to them was holding themselves apart from everyone they considered to be less holy than they were.
• They had no contact with sinners because they thought God didn’t.

Some of us may need to change our view of God.

• You see, our view of God is going to affect our ministry.
• It is going to affect our message.
• We are going to preach what we think God is.
• And if our view of God is wrong…we may give people the impression that they are not welcome to come back to the Father…that the Father will not take them back, even if they do confess they have been wrong.

The second thing some of us may need to do is alter our view of sinners.

• They are lost children.

Do you know who Luke 15 was written for?

• Luke 15 was written for people who had themselves crossed the bridge of forgiveness and then they wanted to turn around and blow it up so no one else can get across.
• And Jesus is saying, “Listen, pagan people may be prodigals. But they are not pigs. They bear the mark of their Father and their Father wants them back!”

What that means for us as His church is that we are in the business of trying to get His children home.

• And that means we have got to constantly ask ourselves, are we doing things around here for us or for them?

And then 3^rd, some of us need to realize that our Father will meet anyone at the altar.

• He will get in a hurry to meet them.

I cannot understand a heart that will say no to a love…to a father like that.

I do not know any reason in the world why anyone shouldn’t come back to the Father today.

 

Let Him Pray

LET HIM PRAY

James 5:13-18

As you look at this passage of scripture the general subject is prayer.

• And I think that is fitting because James has dealt with several problems and difficulties.
• He has told these people that they will encounter various trials and that their faith will be tested.
• He has warned the rich man about being puffed up and proud…and about mistreating those who work for him.
• He has warned these people about showing special favor to those who are wealthy.
• He has warned of the danger of teaching that which is false.

He has dealt with all these various problems and now, if these people were going to be able to over come these problems…if they were going to be as united as they were supposed to be…these people were going to have to be a praying people.

So in this passage, James tells them…but not only them…he tells us, as God’s people to pray. But James doesn’t just tell us to pray…he gives us some specific times WHEN we should pray.

Let’s look at the passage. In verse 13 James says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.”

• The word “suffering” here is a broad term and it can correctly be translated, “hardship.”
• What ever the “hardship” is…what ever the “suffering” is…let him pray.
• It doesn’t matter what it is.
• If they are suffering grief, depression, sorrow, disappointment, loss of property, poor health, or persecution…they are to pray.

What should you pray for? Well, let me make a few suggestions.

When you are going through a hard time…some times you can face some pretty strong temptations.

• “If I would only lie…things wouldn’t be so bad.”
• “If I would only steal some money…we could get out of this.”

Remember what we call the Lords prayer found in Matthew 6. Remember what Christ told his disciples to pray for?

• In verse 13 of that passage Christ tells them to “pray that they may not be led into temptation.”
• Pray that you might not fall into sin because of the present suffering…pray for a strong faith.

Another thing you can pray for is the REMOVAL OF THE SUFFERING.

• Do you remember over in 2 Cor. 12:9, Paul’s thorn in the flesh?
• We don’t know for sure what that was.
• But whatever it was Paul asked God three times to take it away.
• So it is fitting to ask for the suffering and the cause of suffering to be removed.

But then, just like Paul’s situation with the thorn in the flesh…the Lord may choose not to remove the suffering.

• If that is the case, pray for help and strength that you might faithfully endure it.

Also, in a time of suffering you might pray for the one who is causing the hardship.

• In Luke 6:28, Jesus says:  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

I don’t know that they will change…you can certainly pray that they will.

• But even if they don’t, by praying for them you will keep bitterness and resentment from building up in you and adding to the burden you are already having to endure.

These are some things you can pray for in the midst of suffering.

But now, what if you are not suffering? Well, James says: Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises.”

• Unfortunately, the only time some people turn to God at all is when things are hard.
• We need to go to God in prayer when we suffer hard times.
• But at the same time we need to praise God for the good times as well.

Now, look at verse 14. This is one of the most difficult passages of scripture in all the Bible. James says: Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.”

 This passage has caused a lot of people to feel guilty and question whether there really is a God.

• They read this, and then they pray fervently for someone who is sick, and that individual doesn’t get well…and they think, “My faith isn’t strong enough…or they doubt God.”

So what is it that James is talking about here?

• Let me begin by telling you that I do not have all the answers.
• So what I am going to do is give you a couple of possibilities.

First of all, when James speaks of being “sick” here…he is speaking of a physical illness or infirmity.

• Some think that this is speaking of a spiritual illness…but that is unlikely since in verse 15 James indicates that the person who is sick may or may not have sinned.

So James says, “If anyone among you is sick…let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, and anoint him with oil, in the name of the Lord.”

• Now, there are some who contend that the elders had the miraculous power to heal…and that is what is being talked about here.
• Their reasoning comes from Acts 8:17 and Mark 6: 13.
• In Acts 8:17 the apostles were laying hands on people…and those people were empowered with the miraculous gifts.
• And so the idea is that these elders here that James speaks of had that ability.
• And that is confirmed by the use of oil for anointing…because in Mark 6:13 the disciples were miraculously healing people…and then anointing them with oil.
• The oil being simply to draw attention to the fact that a miracle had been performed.
• So the idea is, the elders had the miraculous ability to heal these that were sick.
• And if that is the case, this passage has no bearing on us today since those powers have long since ceased.

But then there is the idea that these verses are not talking about a miraculous healing…but a providential healing.

• The elders here are simply that, elders of the church.
• The individual that is sick is to call them.

And the one who is sick is to “let the elders pray over him.”

• Listen, it is always appropriate to have fervent prayers offered for a sick man.
• One of the names of God that that is found in Ex. 15:26 is “Jehovah Raphah” and it means:” The God who Heals.”
• All healing is divine.
• And since God is the source of healing it is always appropriate to petition God for that healing.

And James says that  the elders are to “anoint the sick man with oil in the name of the Lord.”

• Since this is not a miraculous healing the oil is not ceremonial, therefore, the oil here is apparently for medicinal purposes.
• In a time when hospitals were non-existent and doctors rare this was a common practice.
• It was the equivalent of administering medicine.
• So by anointing the man with oil, the elders were making sure that the sick man had what was within man’s power and knowledge to be an instrument of God in the natural healing process.

So what you have here is apparently a combining of prayer and medicine for the sick.

And notice James says that this is to be done “in the name of the Lord.”

• It is to be done by the authority of God.

And now, verse 15: …and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up,

Here is the tough verse.

• Many have tried this…they have prayed fervently for one who is sick…and still he dies.
• So consequently, those who pray say, “I wasn’t faithful enough…sincere enough.”
• Or the person who was sick wasn’t faithful enough.
• This verse has caused many to question and wonder why someone they have prayed for did not get better.

I can tell you that I do not know all the answers on this verse…but let me share with you some thoughts and you can decide.

First of all, the term “prayer offered in faith.”

• This is not talking about your “cold, formal, ritual prayer.”
• This is talking about a prayer of conviction…a prayer that believes and trusts in God.

James says, “a prayer offered in faith will restore…or save…or deliver from danger…the one who is sick…and the Lord will raise him up.”

 Now, at first glance, this verse seems to be an absolute.

• That if a person is sick…and a prayer is offered in faith…then that person will be made well.

But then that brings up the question of Paul and his thorn in the flesh found in 2 Cor. 12?

• Why wasn’t he healed?

And what about the old, the aged.? If this is absolute then the old would not suffer illness and die.

So the question is, IS THIS VERSE AN ABSOLUTE?

Well, let me remind you of an important principle of prayer. Look with me at 1 John 5:14.

14 And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

 Listen, you can ask for anything you want…but then trust God to grant that request…according to His will.

• Sometimes we may want someone to get well…but in the bigger picture…God may be using that situation for a greater cause.
• The fact is, God often uses illness and death to wake people up to the reality of their need for Him.
• Death and illness can preach some powerful sermons.

The point is, we cannot see the big picture…we do not know all that God is doing.

• Perhaps God is allowing your faith to be tested by Satan through that illness.
• That is what happened to Job.
• We do not know all that God is doing…perhaps he is teaching us compassion, patience, and values and priorities.
• We cannot always know.
• But the one thing we must do is trust in Him no matter what…and accept His will…even when we do not like it.

And look at the end of verse 15.  James says, “and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.”

• Often we think that the reason we are sick is because we have committed sin.
• We think sin causes illness.
• It can…alcohol…can make sick…immoral sex can cause us to be sick.
• Drugs…can make us sick…so sometimes sin can make us sick.

But, more times than not the illness is not due to a person committing sin..

But, sometimes when a person is sick…especially a serious illness…that illness can cause him to sin.

• Remember Job’s wife…”just curse God and die.”
• Well, some people do curse God when they are sick….and some drift from their faith.
• Nothing tests our faith quite as much as an illness does.

Sometimes an illness can cause us to reflect on our lives and make us realize that we may have not lived the way God wanted us to in healthier times.

• Whatever the case, when forgiveness is sought for sincerely…and in the right way…God will grant that forgiveness.

Verse 16:  Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.

• This too is often misunderstood.
• We see the word “confess” and we have the idea that we are to tell each other what sin we have committed.
• “Max, I lied to day…I took the Lord’s name in vain.”

I do not believe that is what this is talking about.

• The word “confess” comes from the Greek word “Homo-logeos” which literally means “one word.”
• And the idea behind this word “confess” is to “agree fully.”
• We are to agree fully with each other that we are sinners.
• God already knows it and it is important that we know it…because an awareness that we are sinners makes us all the more aware of our need for God’s mercy, grace and salvation.
• And that repentant attitude is what makes us whole.

Now the end of verse 16: The effective or fervent prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

And then James gives us an illustration or example of what prayer can do. Vs. 17:

7 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

 

Wait Patiently For The Lord

WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD

James 5:7-11

This morning God, through James, is going to ask each of us to do one of the most difficult things that we, as followers of Christ, could be asked to do!

• It is something that will test our faith like, perhaps, nothing else will.
• It is something that will identify us as sincere, genuine followers of Christ.
• It is something that will force you/I to swallow our worldly pride.
• Let me explain.

I would like for you to look with me at vs. 1 of James 5.

• In verse 1 James speaks of some “rich” people…and I want you to notice in verse 4 how they acquired at least some of their wealth.

 Vs. 4 says, Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth (Host).

Now vs. 6:  You (the rich) have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

• What the rich could do is they could turn a Christian in to the authorities for being a Christian and then they (the rich) would take all that the Christian had.
• Or, they would so slander a Christian to the point that he couldn’t stay in competition with them in business…and by eliminating him they could make more money.

Now, if someone did this to you, how would you respond?

• If you went out here and worked all day for someone, and then they refused to pay you…
• If you were cheated or swindled in a business deal or slandered unfairly, what would you do?
• And it may be that some of you have been…and may someday be cheated and slandered.
• What would you do?

Something like that would probably make us angry (quite evidently it did these brethren that James is writing to or he wouldn’t write what he does in the next few verses) And if something like this happened to us it would frustrate us…and it would tempt us to get even…to strike out…to retaliate.

• And it would be even more frustrating if it appeared that they had gotten away with it.
• So, what would you do?

The world would tell us to get even; to do unto them as they have done unto you…to get revenge.

• But, that is not what God, through James, tells us to do.

Look again at verse 1, and I want you to notice that, even though it often seems that those who do these kinds of things get away with it, they really don’t.  Look what James says:

 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!

 Now vs. 5: You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.

 Those who cheat and swindle and mistreat others often think they have gotten away with what they have done; they are so proud of themselves; but God knows exactly what they did…and they will receive their just recompense.

• And what we have to do when we are mistreated, and this is the hard part; this is where your faith will be tested; this is where you will have to swallow some of your worldly pride; this is where your claim of sincerely and genuinely being a follower of Christ is challenged; what we have to do when we are cheated and swindled and unfairly slandered; is just be patient.

Look at verse 7. James says:  Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.

Listen, when the Lord comes again…every deed will be brought to light.

• Look at this found in 1 Corinthians 4:5:

 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

 They may think they have gotten away with it…but they haven’t.

• God already knows…and when the Lord comes again…they are going to know.
• And at that time…God will give them what is due their actions.

Remember 2 Corinthians 5:10? The apostle Paul says: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

 And this is the last verse of Ecclesiastes: For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether good or evil.

 The Lord knows the injustices; and He knows those who cheat and swindle; and He will take care of it…and as hard as it may be we must wait on the Lord.

In fact, remember what Romans 12:19 says: Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

• It is not our place to exact revenge…
• Because of our human emotions and prejudices we cannot always make fair and just judgments…we cannot always know the circumstances and situation.
• But God is just and righteous and He knows and sees what we cannot see.

So, it is not our place to exact revenge. The Lord will do that and we just have to be patient.

In fact, look at vs. 7again: Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.

We know what it is like to wait on rain don’t we.

• We wait…and wait….and wait…and sure enough it comes.
• We know what waiting on the rain is like.

But we probably had no idea that waiting for it to rain was the Lord’s way of training us to wait for His return.

And, just as the rain eventually comes; He will too.

Look at verse 8: You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

• Just as surely as there is a time to plant seed…and a time to harvest what is planted.
• There is a time appointed when the Lord will return…
• We must simply be patient.

But, sometimes it isn’t easy to be patient…especially if someone is mistreating and cheating us like they were these people.

• So, when we grow impatient…and get tired of waiting…what do we have a tendency to do?
• Well, look at verse 9.

 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.

 When we are going through hardships…it is so easy to start finding fault with others, even those closest to us.

• Blaming our hardships…our difficulties on others…and take offense at the slightest little thing.
• Such complaining can lead to condemnation.

Remember the nation of Israel…how they complained against God…and against Moses and Aaron.

• Remember what happened to those who complained?
• Thousands of them were struck down…and swallowed up by the earth.

We do no good for anyone or ourselves when we become impatient and attack our leaders…or one another.

And if you or I think we can “grumble under our breath…murmur in such a way that no one hears us.”

• In fact, the word “complain” here actually means “to groan…or to sigh.”
• It speaks of an inward feeling that may not be verbally expressed.

If you and I think we can grumble in such way that no one can hear…well, look at vs. 9.

• Notice how close the Judge is: He is standing right at the door.

So James tells us to “be patient…the Lord is coming…and he tells us not to complain against one another.”

Now look at verse 10. He tells us to be encouraged by historical examples. Look at this. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

 James says, “Look at the prophets of old.

• They would go out and preach and preach…and warn and warn…day after day.
• And for the most part the people ignored them.
• And those guys suffered all kinds of hardships and persecutions; in fact, in Matthew 23:27 Jesus says that many of those prophets were killed.

How do we count those men?

• Well, James says, “We count them blessed.”
• “We count them fortunate.”

When people endure…and are patient…and wait on the Lord…even when they are persecuted…that is what they are.

• And that fact will challenge your faith! Do you and I believe that when we faithfully suffer mistreatment, and injustices that the Lord will count us as blessed?
• That is what will motivate us to “wait on the Lord.”

Remember what Jesus says in Matthew 5:11.  Jesus says:

Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. 12 “Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 Steadfastness while being mistreated…patient waiting for the Lord while being persecuted is powerful evidence of one’s genuine faithfulness…and constitutes an assurance of his eternal salvation.

• Do you and I believe that? If so…we will wait on the Lord.

In James 5:11 James mentions Job to encourage us. And he says: You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

 Job suffered it all…except for death.

• He had sores…afflictions…loss of family…loss of property.
• I mean he went through it all.
• And yet, Job 1:22 says: Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.

 And what did God do? Job 42:10

And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold.

Now, I told you at the very beginning that what God asks us to do here would test our faith.

• And that is true concerning the promises of being blessed.
• Do you and I really believe that God will bless us and reward us for patiently waiting for Him to judge those who cheat, and swindle, and slander us?

How we react to that kind of mistreatment will say a lot about our faith!

 It is not easy to simply let God handle it when we are cheated; swindled; and slandered.

• Or when we are mistreated and abused in any other way.
• And yet that is what we must do…that is, if we are true, sincere followers of Christ.

Now, look at vs. 7 again. In vs. 7 James says that the “Lord is coming again. Just as sure as the rain eventually comes and brings forth the crops, the Lord is coming again.”

• Are you and I ready?
• If He comes today…are you ready?
• And understand, He will bring every act to judgment, whether good or bad.

You and I do not want to be judged on our actions because no matter how good we have been we fall way short of God’s glory.

• What we need and hopefully want is to be judged on Jesus Christ’s actions…His perfect works…and then we can be found pure and holy in the sight of God.
• Our Lord is coming back, will you get ready by putting your full trust in Jesus, confessing Him as Lord, repenting of your sinful way of life, being baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins; and remaining faithful to Him even unto death?
• If that is your desire come.

 

The Source of Conflicts

THE SOURCE OF CONFLICTS

James 4:1-10

I have a picture that I want you to see.

• For those who can’t see this, it is a picture of two brides brawling; fighting.
• Disgusting isn’t it?

Well, here in James 4, this is what is going on.

• The Lord’s bride, the church, is fighting…
• They are bickering and backbiting…and verbally going after one another.
• And there is nothing uglier than a church fight.
• Family feud is no game when you are talking about the Lord’s church.

And I want you to notice what they are fighting about. James gives us some indications.

• Back in James 2:1-9 they were apparently fighting over “class”.
• Some thought they were better than others.
• “He is poor and I am rich…so I deserve more attention than he does.”

And if you go over to chapter 5:1-6 you’ll see that some of the conflict was apparently a result of unfair or perceived unfair employment practices…and the wages that were paid.

And if you look in chapter 3 you find that some wanted the “honor and recognition of being a teacher”…and there was jealousy and bitterness as a result.

Some of these Christians had come out of the Jewish religion….and they still wanted to draw on their Jewish background to make distinction between them and those who were out of the Gentile background.

• And because they had formerly been Jews that thought they should be shown special treatment.

So, here in James 4 the bride of Christ is fighting…and James deals with it. Look what he says beginning in verse 1.

 Vs. 1  What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?

• Get ready now, James is going to give us the answer to this question.
• And I want you to know, the answer to this question goes well beyond the boundaries of church conflict.

What James says here applies to all kinds of conflicts and quarrels.

• What James says here applies to two nations when they go to war.
• It applies to a man and his wife when they are in constant conflict.
• It applies to parents who do daily battle with one of their children.
• This applies to two people who are quarrelling.
• What is the source of the quarrels and conflicts in churches…and in our lives?

Well, look what James says; vs. 1:

 Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; {so} you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; {so} you fight and quarrel.

 These Christians that James is writing to had different ones who were trying to satisfy their own agenda….they were seeking to gratify their own desires and lusts…

• Notice he says that their “pleasures were waging war in their own members.”
• That is talking about their “desires and lusts” fighting inside of each one of them saying, “I want this…I want that.
• And so they were fighting for what they wanted.

And other members were doing the same thing.

• And it was causing all these conflicts.
• James says they were “committing murder”…I don’t know if they were literally murdering one another…they probably wanted too.
• But if they literally were or not I am sure they were intent on doing damage to one another as much as they could.

And James says they were “fighting and quarreling.”

Putting it simply, they were being selfish.

• And that selfishness was causing them to hate one another…and destroy one another.

I really believe this is the source of the conflicts we see in marriages…and families…and through out the world.

• Someone, somewhere, if they were honest about it, is thinking only of self and what they want.

And notice here, James says that they are so selfish that they are even carrying it over into their prayers.

• In verse 2 he says, “You do not have because you do not ask.”
• They know that some of the selfish things they desire are not a proper subject of prayer.

But then some of them ask anyway…and look what James says in verse 3.

 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend {it} on your pleasures.

 You know, so many times you hear people say that “prayer” doesn’t work…that it doesn’t do any good to pray.

• Learn these principles here.

First of all…have the right motive behind what you ask for.

• If your only reason for asking for something is to satisfy your selfish desires…you can forget it.
• Some of these people wanted more power…authority.
• They wanted the place of honor…the wealth.
• They wanted the very things that they were using to cause the conflicts in this church.
• And James says, “You are not going to get it.”

And the second reason it seems that prayer never works is because some never pray.

• And when we do, we don’t want what God has to give.
• We want what we want.
• “Lord, don’t give me humility…don’t let me be a foot washer…I want to be the one in authority.”

A petition unmade…or a petition made selfishly so you can satisfy your desires…well, you are right…in those instances prayer does not work.

Look at verse 4. James is going to mention another reason why these people are fighting.

 You adulteresses…”

• That is a pretty strong word isn’t it?
• But the point is, “They are the bride of Christ”
• When they were baptized they were “married to Him.” (Check out 2 Corinthians 11:2…they were betrothed to Christ.)
• And look what they are doing.

He says, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship…and that word “friendship could be translated “fondness”.

• When he speaks of friendship here he is not talking about just being friendly…or being acquainted with. “
• He is talking about being “fond of”…seeking after the things of the world.
• The things that the world says is “good and right.”
• What the world says is popular…and successful.

He says, “You adulteresses, do  you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

• In verse 1 these people are fighting with one another.
• The reason is, they have this war going on in side of them.
• And the whole reason for all of this is because they have made “friends with the world”…therefore, they are at war with God.

Three conflicts…or three wars mentioned in this passage…and these people are losing all three of them. (war with self; with others; with God)

• And if they keep on they will be three time losers.
• They will not have what they want in the Lord’s church.
• They will never satisfy their fleshly desires.
• And they will be destroyed by God.

So, what is the answer? What is the answer for these brethren and their conflicts?

• What is the answer for the conflicts that people have in their marriages?
• What is the answer for the conflicts that people have in their families?
• What is the answer between two nations?
• What is the answer?

Well, verse 7: Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

 I think it is interesting here that James says, “Resist the devil” in this context.

• But, that is who is behind it.
• There is nothing more that Satan wants than to start a big fight in the Lord’s church.
• Nothing more that Satan wants than to start a big fight in someone’s marriage.
• Nothing more that Satan wants than to start a big fight between two nations.

We get in these conflicts and we think our battle is against our brother or sister in Christ…or against our husbands or wives…

• And in reality, our battle is against Satan.
• He is right in the big middle of all of it, stirring things up.
• “You are right to demand your rights.”
• “You get what you want.”

When we get in these conflicts we are doing just exactly what Satan wants.

• And James says here, “Submit to God…
• And that word “submit” literally means…”get into your proper rank.”
• When a private starts acting like a general there is going to be trouble.
• And the same is true when a man starts acting like God.
• And that is what some of these people were doing.

And James says, “You get back in your proper rank”.

• You submit to God and say, “Not my will but Thy will be done”.

“And you resist the devil…and he will flee from you.”

• When the devil sees who your general is…he knows he can’t win.

Now, verse 8-10, James gives us the disposition that makes for peace; peace with God; peace in the church; peach in a marriage; peace between nations. Look what he says; vs. 8.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

 He mentions your hands here.

• Hands were clasped together in prayer…or they were hands that were extended to heaven.
• These people were extending their hands to heaven…and clasping them in prayer…but they were filthy with sin.
• And what they needed to do is cease all outward acts of wrong doing.

 He says, “purify your hearts.” That is to cleanse the inner being. Don’t just cleanse the inside of the dish, but cleanse the inside as well.

 Vs. 9   Be miserable and mourn and weep;

• Be truly penitent; have a sincere deep sorrow for sin and wrongs committed.

Let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom.

• Don’t be careless or indifferent about those things that should induce grief and remorse.
• The sinful actions that the laughed at; that they joyfully were involved in; the flippant attitude should be turned into mourning and gloom which expresses a sincere regret and sorrow.

 Vs. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

• Realize that we have nothing in and of ourselves to boast of.
• All of our deeds will come under the judgment of His righteous eye and they will be judged for what they are.
• And that realization should cause us to be humbly obedient to His will.
• And when we humble ourselves in His presence, He will exalt us.

And what will be the result of drawing near to God; and cleansing our hands; and purifying our hearts; and mourning over our sin; and humbling ourselves in His presence? The result will be peace: with God, in the church; in our marriages; and in our families; peace in the heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Sunset Ridge Church of Christ 2023