Ezra 8:21-36 Fasting plus Prayer plus Faith Equals God Being With Us

In the reading from Ezra 8:21-36, Ezra and the Jews are returning to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon, just like the Jews travelled to the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses and Joshua. They decided to trust in God for protection instead of relying on an armed escort provided by the king of Babylon. The native peoples who prowled through the desert in Old Testament times were as dangerous as they are today. Travellers usually had an armed escort, but Ezra spoke so much to the king of God’s providence that it would have been foolish for him to ask for armed guards.

There is not one battle in the Old Testament that was won by man-made means. Each battle was won by men who knew God. Ezra is another person who knew God.  Ezra decided that the exiles should commit themselves to God’s protection by fasting and prayer. God is not a set of timeless principles such as the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount. He has and is a divine will who has specific goals:

1.      To claim what is rightly his, namely us.

2.      To bless those who trust him and enter into his covenant relationship.

3.      To judge those who reject him

Knowing God means acknowledging him, pursuing him, experiencing him, responding to his initiatives of grace, submitting to his claims, entering into his covenants and living in his power. Ezra met all of these conditions, and we must ask ourselves if we meet these conditions as well. 

Knowing God involves three things:

1.      Head. You read, study and understand God’s Word. You listen to preaching and teaching. You see God revealed in creation. You study his nature and actions. You listen to testimonies about God’s faithfulness. Ezra met all of these qualifications, but head knowledge is not enough.

2.      Heart. You experience the presence and power of God in a real and vital relationship in your life. His love constrains us to love him in return. You receive what your head absorbs about God and you humble yourselves in his presence. You allow conviction to grip your heart and life until it leads to repentance that leads to life. You allow sorrow to produce hatred of sin. You experience the joy of the Lord. You live a life of brokenness before him and long to be in his presence. Ezra met all of these qualifications, but heart knowledge alone is a dangerous thing because it is vulnerable to manmade desires.

3.      Legs. You obey and live a relationship with Jesus and do what he commands. Ezra met all of these qualifications, but if all we do is the doing, we can burn out quickly.

All three of these have to be put together in order for us to know God. We have to renew our minds with godly things. We have to be melted and softened by his touch. We have to run to obey his word and commands.  

When you consider the dangers of their journey, their faith was great, and it was rewarded by divine protection. This had to have been one of the most astonishing events in history. As they travelled, they carried orders from the king. These orders were shown to the governors of the areas where the exiles travelled. As a result of these orders, the governors supported the exiles.

The commission from the king Ezra included orders to carry over 25 tons of silver and gold from the Babylonians to the temple of Jerusalem. Ezra gave twelve priests and twelve Levites the responsibility and accountability for carrying this treasure. Ezra carefully distributed all of the offerings for the temple. This ensured that everything would arrive intact, especially since the offerings would be weighed in Jerusalem to confirm the safe passage of the offerings.

Ezra did not build a physical structure. He re-established the true worship in obedience to the Law of Moses. When Ezra and the exiles prayed to God, their focus changed from the immediate to the eternal. They had a hunger for God. Their focus changed from their earthly journey to their eternal journey. They trusted God. God’s oversight of history forms the background for the Book of Ezra.

Ezra was more than a Biblical scholar. He had a burning desire to teach God’s law to the people and to practice it as it was written and intended. He was burdened that the Jews were not following God’s law correctly and was committed to showing then their errors. Ezra had the goal of leading the Jews back to proper worship and practice. For example, while in Babylon, the exiles mixed with foreigners. Ezra asked God to forgive them. They deserved everything that happened to them because they disobeyed God by mixing with the foreigners, but God remained faithful to them. The exiles had to repent and change, which meant that there could be no more marriages with non-believers.

Ezra was not the type of person who could be content with half-hearted or faulty service. He could not allow God’s people to remain ignorant of God’s Law. He obeyed God’s Law perfectly and expected the people to obey the Law as well. He knew that what the people were doing was the opposite of what they should be doing. 

Ezra set a good example for us to follow. He inspires us to do the right thing, even if it means that more time will be needed. Ezra and the exiles prayed to God for guidance, and God was with them. God is also with us to guide us regardless of our circumstances. God made faith a key ingredient in our faith journey so that we would be 100% dependent on him. Reason tells us to stay where we are, but faith encourages us to step out. Ezra’s example encourages us to consider our lifestyles and our activities honestly and to seek the Lord for wisdom and guidance.

Ezra was able to be a successful minister to those in need because of his lifelong study of the Scriptures. God wants his name to be spread throughout the world. He equips his followers to cross cultures and touch hearts. If we are in Christ, God will speak to others through us. God will tear down our shells or walls and then we can discover what our ministry passion is-i.e. teenagers, the elderly or drug addicts. God calls on us to minister to those in need, and that means all of us, because we are all in need. We need God’s saving power and grace.

 Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

2.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

3.      Jamieson, R.: Fawcett, A.R. & Brown, D: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Oak Harbour, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.; 1997)

4.      Roberts, M. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 11: Ezra/Nehemiah/Esther (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1993)

5.      Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)

6.      Alec Rowlands, “Knowing the God of Ezra.” Retrieved from http://sermons.logos.com

 

 

 

 

 

Revelation 7 verses 9-17 A Look into our Heavenly Home

Have you ever wondered what it will be like in heaven?

Revelation 7:9-17 is a priceless picture of the blessed dead. It has comforted many people in the face of suffering and death. Some ministers believe that the multitude in this reading consists of those who have been saved during the Great Tribulation. They argue that these people are the harvest of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses. The ones who will be saved during the Great Tribulation will not be individuals who had a chance to be saved during their lifetimes. They will be those who heard and received the gospel message for the first time during the seven year period and who were martyred for their faith. The tribulation will be a time of unexpected affliction and unprecedented grace.

The church is seated below the throne, but this group is standing and wearing robes that have been washed in the blood of the Lamb of God. Their outer garments are worn with dignity, beauty and distinction. Palms were a part of the celebration of the Feast of the Tabernacles. The Jewish people sat on booths and waved palm branches to recall the joy of God’s complete deliverance from slavery in Egypt.

The practice of falling before the throne in worship is customary for the multitudes in heaven.  By saying “Amen!” the angels agree with the praise of the multitudes and then add their own anthem of praise. 

In God’s temple, the way to the presence of God is open to everyone, as opposed to the Old Testament temple. In that temple, God resided in the section called the Holy of Holies. The only other person who could enter the Holy of Holies was the high priest, and even then he could only enter on the Jewish Day of Atonement. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the temple by a curtain. This was the same curtain that was torn in two when Jesus died on the cross. When Jesus died, he torn down the barrier between us and God. People could have direct access to God through Jesus Christ.

God’s son is a lamb and a shepherd. The statement “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” is very exact. The tears are not just wiped away, they are wiped completely from the eyes so that nothing is left but joy and abundant life in Christ. What a comforting and hopeful statement! It provides hope not only for those in heaven but for those who suffer and mourn here on earth. No matter how hard things are for us here on earth, we can be comforted by Christ’s love for us.  

This passage leads to a discussion of heaven. It’s like window shopping. In this passage we are looking through a window and are seeing a small picture of what heaven will be like. We see a group of people who are no longer tainted by our evil, sin-filled world. People of every race, colour, creed and religion are together and can understand each other. There are no divisions or groups. They do not suffer from fear, want, hunger or hurt any more. God will guard and protect them just like he guards and protects us.

Scripture teaches us that there is a personal, once only resurrection to eternal life. Believers have the sure knowledge that death is not the end but the beginning in a new life in heaven. The only answer to death and its power in this world is Jesus. He died and rose again to defeat the power that sin and death have over us. He has promised that all who believe in him, trust him, and put their confidence in him will have eternal life.

This scene is impressive. A huge crowd of people has gathered before the throne of God. Angels and other heavenly creatures are also in the crowd. The people in the crowd are wearing robes that have been washed in Christ’s blood. In other words, Christ gave his life for them and for us.  There is power in the death of Christ to do what no one else can do. The white robes do not make anyone pure. They represent the purity and personal holiness that comes only from the death and resurrection of Christ. In the Book of Revelation, white is a symbol of holiness.

John has given us a glimpse of heaven. We see that the healing that will go on in heaven is broader than that of our own personal lives and the lives of our loved ones. Heaven is a place where all of life’s injustices of this world will be made right, where the lowly will be lifted up and the mighty will be brought low. It is a place where God’s vision of a community of justice, peace, and equality will finally hold sway.

As wars rage on and as diseases and disasters continue to exist and as the global economy continues to struggle, we may know more than we think about the “great ordeals” and blood-stained robes that John identifies. Amid all of this chaos, there is hope. When war, famine and disease have done their worst, salvation belongs to the God above and not to worldly Gods.  

Today we are celebrating All Saints Day. Today is a day to remember those who have died-those who have been made clean by the blood of Christ and are now celebrating with the crowd gathered around the throne of God. That thought gives us comfort. It’s hard to be sad for them when they are in a place where there is no more suffering, sorrow or pain. The only sadness is for those of us who aren’t there yet, but at the same time we have hope that when we die we will join them in front of that great white throne. This gives us something to look forward to. On that day, we will get a complete picture of heaven instead of the glimpses we get in the Bible. We will go back to the one who created us-Jesus.

Our souls, which were once condemned to spend eternity in hell, have been given new value. Jesus paid the price with his life so that we could be washed from our sins. The old self is gone and we become new people. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we can be assured that nothing in our past and nothing anyone else says or does can change the value God has given us. We have become priceless to God. God wants us to come to the knowledge of the truth of hope, help and eternal life in Jesus.

Today you might be reminded of your loved ones who have died. Today is a day to remember them with thanks for what they have meant to you. Today is a day to praise God for their faith and the peace they are now experiencing. We can be assured that the Lord who walks with us each and every day of our lives is the same Lord who will be waiting for us in heaven.

 Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

2.      Pastor Vince Gerhardy, “A Glimpse of Heaven.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

3.      Pastor Vince Gerhardy, “A Great Crowd.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

4.      The Rev. Dr. Nora Tubbs Tisdale, “Glimpsing Heaven in Thin Places.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

5.      Pastor Ken Klaus, “A New Value.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org

6.      Palmer, E.F. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 35: 1,2&3 John/Revelation (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.: 1982)

7.      Austin B. Tucker, “White Robes and Palm Branches.” Retrieved from www.preaching.com

8.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch10 Bible software package.

9.      Pastor Gregory Seltz, “Today is the Day for God’s Grace for All.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org

10.  The Rev. Marshall A. Jolly, “The Saints beside You.” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com

 

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 How to Spread the Good News of the Gospel

When we spread the good news of the Gospel, we can expect to face opposition. The apostle Paul was no exception. He boldly preached the Gospel to the Thessalonians in spite of suffering and mistreatment. First Thessalonians 2:1-8 is a model for all Christians to follow, especially when they are called to spread the Good News of the Gospel. In particular, we are to pay attention to the example Paul set for us. His bold preaching was direct and to the point. He did not use words that would please his audience. He did not resort to manipulation. He did not try to “tickle the ears” of his listeners. He did not try to use his ministry for financial gain. Unlike some preachers. Paul was honest, and honesty is refreshingly simple. No ulterior motives or hidden meanings. No need to manipulate people. No matter how much opposition he encountered, he never took his eyes off of his calling to bring people to Jesus.

If we want to build the Christian community, we must proclaim the Gospel boldly. In the words of Dr. Michael Youssef, who is the president of Leading the Way Ministries, we must “passionately proclaim uncompromising truth.” We must be fearless when we speak out against things such as social injustice, lax morals or the abuse of power within the Christian community.

Paul was entrusted by God to speak not to please man, but to please God. Paul was entrusted with the Gospel, just like God entrusts all of his people with the Gospel. The Gospel has been safeguarded throughout the nations. It is the responsibility of each generation to safeguard the Gospel for generations to come. 

Paul and his fellow missionaries could have made demands as apostles. In particular, they could have asked to be paid for their preaching, but they didn’t. Paul made his living as a tentmaker everywhere he went to preach. This supported the claim that the motives of Paul and his colleagues were pure. Lay ministers such as me do not get paid for leading worship services unless they take services in a parish other than their home parish. In my case, I was paid for leading worship services at the United Churches in Liverpool and Bridgewater this past summer. The love of God speaks to the insecurity and the need that is at the centre of greed and as we focus on God’s gift of grace, and we remember that in Jesus we have been given abundant, eternal life, there becomes less and less we have to have, less and less we want.

The Christian church does have some ministers with large egos who have to put their pictures on all their books, parade their degrees after their names, or have the best parking places and the nicest offices. They are no better than the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. True preachers can’t separate their preaching from their daily lives. They must literally “practice what they preach.” If only all preachers-indeed-if only all Christians-served one another as Paul served his fellow Christians. He served his fellow Christians in the following ways:

1.      He served with boldness, truth and honesty, seeking to please God and not men.

2.      He served without flattery, covetousness, or seeking glory from men.

3.      He served with labour night and day, seeking to be devout, just, and blameless.

4.      He served with the gentleness and affection of a nursing mother and the guidance and encouragement of a caring father.

Paul was an effective witness because of what he did. He lived out his faith in his relationship with God. The only way we can be effective witnesses is to live our faith in our relationship with God and with each other. 

Those of us who provide spiritual leadership have to provide tender loving care to our flocks. We have to provide the spiritual nourishment that people need just like a mother cherishes and nurses her children.

Those of us who preach the Gospel must have courage. Courage is often associated with bravery, but courage can take many different forms. Courage is related to confidence, but in this case confidence is less about being right than it is about being comfortable. It means remaining non-defensive when we are challenged, to listen respectfully to others recognizing that God may be speaking to us through them. While we must have the courage to share the Gospel, we must also be vulnerable. We must share what we know and how we strive to live what we know and how we have failed and doubted along our Christian journey.

Evangelism must always be focused on leading people to Christ because it is a matter of their spiritual life and death. Evangelism must be done with a sense of urgency. We must not allow our daily routines to distract us from our Christian duty. We must preach the truth boldly without using tricks or manipulation. We must please God regardless of whether or not there is any growth in the number of Christian followers.

Paul was successful because he, like most good ministers, took the time to cultivate relationships with people. He cared for them by getting involved in their lives. As the old saying goes, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. He shared himself with them by getting involved in their lives.

Paul was bold and direct in his preaching, but he was also a warm and gentle man. That is why he used the image of a nursing mother in 1 Thessalonians 2:7. Paul and his colleagues were eager to give themselves to others just like a mother gives herself to her family-and just like Christ gave himself for us. Paul also got involved emotionally in their lives. He loved the people he met, and he treated them as people of value. When we love others, we must also treat them as people of value instead of a means to an end. When we talk to others, we must talk about our affections, and that includes the gestures of love and kindness such as hugs, handshakes (like those we use when we pass the peace. 

We must lead lives that are stirring enough to start a movement for God. We must have a burning desire to change the world. That must be our passion in life. We must serve others with the tender loving care that Jesus showed. We must encourage each other in our spiritual journey. Even when things look dark and dismal in our broken, human world, God will prevail. God will triumph over evil. God is at work in the world, and he will work through people of faith. God can’t be limited. Even God’s enemies are used by God to do his work in the world.

God also works through the church. We are his agents of change. We are entrusted with the Good News of unconditional love, never-ending grace and ultimate peace. This means that there is something for each and every one of us to do. There are lots of things we can do in the church such as teaching Sunday school, volunteering with the ACW or the Altar Guild or serving on a committee, church council or parish council, or even serving as a lay minister. There are things we can do in our everyday lives such as being godly parents or children or community members.

We are to be focused on the mission. The only way we can accomplish this mission is to live our lives with integrity. Living a life of integrity means genuinely caring for the people and churches we serve. We must have a passion to make God look good each and every day.  

Dr. Haddon Robinson, who is regarded as one of the leading teachers of the art of preaching, once told the story of a writer for a newspaper in Toronto who undertook an investigation into the ethical practices of auto repair shops in his city. He took a spark‑plug wire off of his engine, making the car run unevenly. He took the car in to different shops and asked them to fix it. Time after time people sold him unnecessary repairs or charged him for repairs that were not done.

Finally, he went to a small garage. A fellow named Fred came out, popped open the hood, and said, “Let me listen to that thing.” After a few seconds, he told the reporter, “I think I know what’s wrong.” He reached down and grabbed the wire, announcing, “Your spark‑plug wire came off.” And he put it back on.

The reporter asked, “What do I owe you?”

“I’m not going to charge you anything,” Fred replied. “I didn’t have to fix anything; I just reattached the wire.”

The writer then told Fred what he was doing and that he had been charged all kinds of money by mechanics looking at that same wire. He asked Fred, “Why didn’t you charge me anything?” Fred said, “Are you sure you want to know? I happen to be a Christian and believe that everything we do should be done to glorify God. I’m not a preacher and I’m not a missionary, but I am a mechanic and so I do it honestly. I do it skillfully and I do it to the glory of God.”

The next day in the newspaper was a headline that read, “Christian Mechanic, Honest to the Glory of God.”

Regardless of what we do for God, we must not tone down his message. Even when our message is challenged, we must not back down. We are to be good shepherds, servant leaders whose job description includes leading others to God. God empowers us as leaders and as followers to build up, to influence and to persuade others. We build and strengthen our community of believers so that we may reach out to serve.

 Bibliography

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

2.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

3.      Demarest, G. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 32: 1,2 Thessalonians/1,2 Timothy/Titus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984)

4.      MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2006)

5.      Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)

6.      Dennis Fisher, “Tender Loving Care.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org

7.      Charles R. Swindoll, “Absolute Honesty.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca

8.      T.M. Moore, “Look at Me.” Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

9.      Holly Hearon, “Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

10.  Richard Ascough, “Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

11.  Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Sermons We See.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

12.  King Duncan, “A Victory for the Angels.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

13.  Mary S. Lautensleger, “Leaders Worthy of Imitation.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

14.  King Duncan, Living to Please God.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

15.  Richard Brand, “The Cloak.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

16.  King Duncan, “What Would Bill Do (New)?” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

17.  Preaching Magazine (Nashville, TN: Salem Publishing, July/August 2014, p. 48)

Matthew 24:34-40 What’s the Greatest Rule of All

Good morning boys and girls!

Do you have a lot of rules that you have to obey? Where are these rules?

Why do you think it’s so important to have lots of rules? Why do you think it’s important to obey them?

Boys and girls, rules are very important because they keep us from hurting ourselves. Rules are also important because they help us to do the right thing. What happens when we don’t follow rules?

What are some of the rules you have to follow? Out of all of the rules you have to follow, what do you think is the most important one to obey?

Jesus was asked that same question once. The Pharisees asked him which of the Ten Commandments was the greatest. Now the Pharisees were the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. They were so concerned that their followers obeyed the Ten Commandments that they came up with 613 do’s and don’ts for the people. I’ll tell you all about it in the Gospel reading for today, which is taken from Matthew 24:34-40. 

You just heard Jesus say that the two most important rules for us to follow as Christians are to love God and love people. If we follow these two Great Commandments we will naturally obey the rest of the Commandments…and we won’t need a long list of things we can and can’t do.

Let us bow our heads for a moment of prayer. Dear God, thank you for your love. Help us to love you and to love others as you have loved us. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN

 

Bibliography

1.      “Loving God, Loving Each Other.” Retrieved from http://sermons4kids.com

2.      “Broken Rules.” Retrieved from www.cbhministries.org

 

Acts 26:24-27:8 The Storms of Life

The events in Acts 26:24-27:8 occur just after Paul has been arrested for the last time. He had an opportunity to speak to King Herod, King Agrippa and the Roman governor Festus. Festus didn’t know anything about Moses and the prophets. Agrippa and Herod, on the other hand, were familiar with Jewish traditions. Agrippa did not oppose Paul’s words like Festus did. The resurrection took place during the Passover, which was one of Judaism’s main festivals. Everyone knew the story. Paul’s story of his own conversion would have been noticed by Agrippa.

Agrippa was convicted of his sins but was not converted. He saw all of the evidence that Paul presented, but he was not completely convinced to accept Christ as his Saviour. Agrippa had no case against Christianity. He was reluctant to accept Christ as his Saviour, just like some people today are reluctant to accept Christ as their Saviour. Paul presented the offer of salvation to both Agrippa and Festus just like he presented the offer of salvation to everyone he met. Christians have two categories of sinners: saved and unsaved. God does not see rich people or poor people. He doesn’t see rank or royalty.

After Paul presented the offer of salvation, Agrippa and Festus discussed Paul’s fate. They wanted to set Paul free, but Paul had already appealed to the Emperor Caesar, which was his right as a Roman citizen. Because Paul appealed to Caesar, there was no choice but to keep him custody and send him by ship to Rome. Unfortunately, the ship set sail late in the season, which was the ideal time for stormy weather, and as mentioned later on in Acts 27, the ship was wrecked in a storm.

The most logical course for the ship to take would have been to sail straight west across the Mediterranean, but that wasn’t possible because of winds and storms. Christianity is often the same. Sometimes we as Christians feel that we are taking one step forward and two steps back, but God is always with. In addition, God is good even when it seems to us that he is not good.

Everywhere he stopped on the trip to Rome, Paul was greeted by many of the friends he made. When Paul was saved, he gained Christian friends. Everywhere Paul went on his many trips, he made many Christian friends. When we are saved, we gain loyal Christian friends who will be with us when times are tough, just like Paul had friends who cared for him and helped him. Doing things for people makes friends, but allowing people to do things for us creates lasting friendships like the friendships Paul had. Paul helped others, and in return they helped him when he needed help.  

The key point in this story is God’s provision. He protected Paul so that Paul could testify about his faith in Christ. He will also protect us when we testify to others about our faith.

Paul was excited about the new person that Christ made in him that he became a life-changing agent in the lives of Festus, Agrippa, everyone he met and all of Christianity. In fact, he was so excited that Festus thought he was insane! When we are saved, we are also made into new people in Christ. Our excitement about our new lives will also make us effective life-changing agents when we share our testimony. The happier we are about what Christ is doing in us and for us, the greater our passion to teach others about Christ will be.

Our enthusiasm will create a response, and it won’t always be positive. Regardless of how impressive or unimpressive our educational background is, there will always be people who will try to find ways to belittle our faith. We may face persecution or ridicule for our faith, but when we do, God will be there to protect us. When our basic purpose for living is to help others find the grace that can set them free from sin, we become brave commentators like Paul was.

 Bibliography

 

1.      Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2013)

2.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.

3.      Ogilvie, L.J & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983)

 

 

 

 

 

You CAN Go Home Again

A teenager came to his pastor for advice. “I left home,” said the boy, “and did something that will make my dad furious when he finds out. What should I do?” The minister thought for a moment and replied, “Go home and confess your sin to your father, and he will probably forgive you and treat you like the prodigal son.” Sometime later, the boy reported to the minister, “Well, I told Dad what I did.” ”And did he kill the fatted calf for you?” asked the minister. “No”, said the boy,” but he nearly killed the prodigal son.”  

It is important for us to see that in this parable Jesus is not interested in teaching us something about shepherding or keeping our money or even being good parents. What he is trying to do is give us a snapshot of God. He is seeking to answer the age old question, “What is God like?” The parable shows us the true nature of repentance and the Lord’s readiness to welcome and bless those who return to him. IT sets forth the riches of grace and encourages us to repent.

As I was doing my research for this sermon, I was amazed about how much this parable reminded me of the hymn “Amazing Grace” and the upcoming movie by the same name. I was particularly amazed by the words of the author, William Wilberforce, wrote in the first verse, namely:

 Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now am found

Was blind, but now I see

Like the prodigal son, Wilberforce was lost and blind, but he saw the error of his ways-and, like the prodigal son, he came home to the love and grace of our heavenly father.  

The prodigal son’s recovery from misery was a turning point in his conversion. When we turn from the darkness of sin to the light of eternal life, God opens our eyes and convinces us of our sin. This causes us to view ourselves and every object in a different light from what we did before. God was not in the prodigal son’s life-he squandered God’s grace. The prodigal son saw the light and decided to return in repentance to his father. This is the first step of true repentance.

The elder son in this parable was a metaphor of the Pharisees. His hatred of his brother is a metaphor of those who hate repentant sinners. This springs from pride, self-preference, and ignorance of a man’s own heart. There is unspeakable happiness of all the children of God who keep close to God, because they are, and ever shall be, ever with him. God’s receiving of a sinner who repents is no loss to those who have always served him. The father in the parable cut short his son’s confession because he could not wait to forgive him. God is the same way. He can’t wait to forgive those who repent and turn away from sin. The prodigal son was dead to sin, but was raised to new life. Now he is found and will be a comfort. He is a metaphor of a sinner who refuses to depend on, and be governed by, the Lord. 

What does it mean to be lost? It means you have gone astray, you are wandering, you suffer from neglect, you are rebellion against God, and you are self-righteous. It also means that God is seeking you both in dangerous places and domestic places. Most important; however, is the fact that sinners should be saved.

Jesus mentions that sin has serious consequences and leads to dire circumstances. The prodigal son went through the seven degrees of the misery of sin:

       1.      Losing sight of God and becoming distant from him.

2.      God’s love was replaced by carnal love and impure desires.

3.      Spiritual riches were squandered.

4.      Poverty, misery and want.

5.      Becoming a slave to the devil

6.      Hardship and rigor of slavery.

7.      Insatiable hunger and thirst.

 Once he saw the light, he went through the eight degrees of conversion and salvation, namely:

1.      Knowing and feeling misery, guilt and corruption.

2.      Resolve to forsake sin.

3.      Looking toward God as a compassionate and tender-hearted father.

4.      Confession of sin.

5.      Coming in spirit of obedience to the word of God.

6.      Putting resolutions into practice.

7.      God receives a sinner with a kiss of peace and love, blots out sin and restores him to the heavenly family.

8.      The sinner is clothed with holiness, united to God and has his faith shod with the shoes of preparation of the Gospel of peace.

Sin is a failure to keep a loving relationship with God, community, family and neighbour. The far country is a metaphor for looking for love in the wrong placed. It is only fun for a season. Eventually, it turns sour. 

We are more like the Pharisees who criticized Jesus for associating with tax collectors and sinners. He accepted these people as people. He did NOT write them off. They mattered to him; they did not matter to the Pharisees. He was able to communicate what mattered to him-i.e. that God wanted to include them. The Pharisees were like the elder son in that they took God for granted. The elder son was so inflated by a sense of entitlement that he refused to eat with someone who did not earn his place at the table. The elder son is also a metaphor for the hypocrite of our time. Jesus uses the parable to teach about God’s grace and acceptance of people who have been rejected by society. All of us fall short of attaining salvation. When we grow in our understanding of God’s grace and understand more about how Christ has freed us from sin’s condition, we respond with joy, praise and gratitude. 

The joyful feast thrown by the father is a metaphor for the rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents. Real repentance teaches us to hate sin and to love righteousness, holiness and purity. Jesus invites us to “Be compassionate as your father is compassionate”. In other words, be like God and show some compassion to others as he shows to us. We are to be like the prodigal son who ran away and not be like the elder son who stayed at home. The spent pieces of the prodigal son’s dead life were gathered up in the life-giving arms of his father. This is a metaphor of both Christ’s crucified body gathered up and raised to a new life AND the re-gathering of the scattered disciples who were gathered up under a new and Holy Communion.

The welcoming home, acceptance and inclusion of the parable runs counter to the broader perspective of society, especially concerning the inclusion of gays and lesbians. Jesus teaches us to see each other as God sees us and love each other as he loves us. We must do more than just minister to the outcasts of society-i.e. by donating to the local food bank. We must actually be a friend to them like Jesus is; however, we must live a pure and holy life. In other words, we must bring them to our level without stepping down to theirs. Christ calls us not to separate ourselves from those who seem farthest from God’s reach but to get right into the centre and change lives by giving hope to those who need such hope. 

The older brother is also a metaphor of a Judaism that condemned God’s acceptance of outsiders, particularly the Gen tiles. God’s love has no limits, is patient, is eager, is a joyful love, and focuses on the sinner, NOT on the sin. This may not seem fair. The real prodigal is the person who stays outside the loving God. Life with God is a party to be shared with others. The older son was lost and dead because he saw himself and right and righteous. He can’t see that his self-righteousness means that he cut himself off from the source of life like his brother did. The older son could not see that without his father, he was also dead. We are all like the older son because we are dead without God. God is the continuing, abundant source of life. The pain of rejection is devastating, but we must remember these four things:

1.      The feeling is only temporary. Talk it over with someone.

2.      The person rejecting you is the one with the problem.

3.      Remember how to laugh.

4.      God accepts and loves you.

The heart of the story is the older brother. He did not understand why the father welcomed the younger son back. Perhaps there was a tinge of jealousy over how the younger son was living. Do we think, like the older son did, that God measures sin? The answer is no, because we are also outside the kingdom until God forgives us and brings us into the kingdom.

This parable is the story of our lives. We have all had times when we have been far from God. God loves us enough to let us go and welcome us with open arms when we return home. We must not let God’s blessings become commonplace. Like the story of the footprints in the sand, we must remember that God is with us always, even in life’s deepest, darkest times. When we come to God, excuses won’t do. The only way to return is humbly, with repentance. Our sin was paid for with a heavy price-Christ’s death on the cross. We can see ourselves in the lost brother. Jesus tried to draw a picture for the Pharisees of themselves. He wanted them and us to see what the real spirit was in their hearts. The older brother was disturbed by both the return of his brother AND his father’s reaction. This a metaphor of those who hate to see people saved-and there are probably lots of people whose hearts have never been broken in true repentance.

When we become Christians, we are changed like the prodigal son was. Our way of thinking also changes, much like an enemy can be changed into a friend and vice versa. This change encourages us to share and spread the Good News of salvation and God’s grace.