Series: “Summer Stories”  Sermon:  “Please Come Inside.”

Series: “Summer Stories”  Sermon:  “Please Come Inside.”

I got married to Cheryl. My pursuit of God was passionate. I got involved in everything at our church. They asked Cheryl and I to take over the youth group. Then I was called in by the pastor … they were selecting young men for the leadership team. He called me to tell I was going to be passed over.  —  I allowed it to really hurt me.  … I deserve this … I’ve served you!!!

It’s Safe To Come Home!

Luke 15:1-3 “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He spoke this  parable to them, saying:’”

The religious leaders and guides of the day had a poor concept of God. They were great rule keepers

Jesus came to represent God.

He tried to correct their understanding of the Father. 

They thought He was a danger to their concept of a Holy God

We can trust what these stories represent because they come from the only one who comes from the Father. JESUS!

The painter of these pictures is the only begotten of the Father.

“But when he came to himself,”  (NKJV)

“When he finally came to his senses,…”  (NLT)

“That brought him to his senses.”  (The Message)

This is the A.H.A. moment.

1. Awakened – What am i doing?  2. Honesty- I’ve screwed up!  3. Action – Time for a change.         Tell the devil; “I changed my mind.”

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”     The three part speech.

“But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”

The Father covered him with his love. Bore his shame.

“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  “But the father said…”   Enough of your nonsense!

“‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;…” 

Righteousness — Worth — Sonship

“…for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”   Please don’t misunderstand your Heavenly Father. He’s never not loved you.

Please Come Inside

“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. …

“…And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.” Leaves the party for his son 

Two types of people Jesus wants to reach:  1. Law Breakers   2. Law Keepers

“So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.”

(NIV) “‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.’”

Despises his brother and insults the compassion of his Father.   I’ve earned so can he.

Pharisees and scribes had the wrong approach to Repentance:

You must clean up your act to come to a Holy God.

Jesus had Good News. The Father loves and accepts you. Come be reconciled to a Holy God

“…But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’”

The father wants children not slaves. The older son spent his life as a slave.

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost 

and is found.’ ”    

These people I am eating with are being connected with the father … you should be happy and join the party.

Story comes to an abrupt ending.

Two Possible Outcomes:   1. The Son Comes Inside    2. The Son Rejects His Father

Sadly we do know how it worked out.   Mark 14:1   “And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.”

Luke 23:34 “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’”

The message to the rule breaker: “It’s safe to come home.”

The message to the rule keeper: “Please come inside.”

Access to the Father is through His Grace alone