God is waiting!
February 08, 2006
God is waiting!
NCF- Saint Louis, the 28 August 2005
Title: God is still waiting Text: Luke 15: 11-24
I need today a special gift of tongue, may be another Pentecost for all of us so that everyone could ear and understand the message even with my “African-French Accent.” I need your attention for few minutes so that you can really understand what I am saying. Even more, what God wants to say through his word. It is a huge responsibility and a privilege to bring to you the word of God to his people and it is very humbling for me to stand here and preach his word. From the passage of Luc 15: 11- 24 that we will be preaching on, the title I am giving to the message can be phrased as followed: God is still waiting. He is waiting for many of his children who has left home to come back, and till their return, he will not give up on them. He will be looking everyday for their return, hoping that one day they will all come home. May be today he is waiting for you to come back?Pray with me: PrayerReading of Luc 15, 11-24 When I was 18 years old my desire was to leave home and go fare away from my parents because I was tired of them. I did not like the rules, the restrictions, the work and the discipline we were subjected off in my family. My father was very strict especially with our studies and that was really stressful for me. And my desire to leave home grew stronger everyday.
Why was he so concerned about our studies and why was he always behind us to make sure that we were doing the right thing? I will never forget that day when my father was told that his son was among the most undisciplined students of the school. I never saw my father so disappointed and furious. Why was my dad so anxious and concerned about my education at such point? My dad is still alive and today I want to tell to the whole world how much my father loves me. Now I hug him and tell him thank you for how he was so concerned for me.Some time in our lives, even as Christians we don’t know or we don’t understand God’s love and his care for us. He really wants his covenant people to stay with him and to enjoy his presence, his commandment and discipline. It is for our benefit and good. He does not want any one of his children to leave home, and to stay fare away from his care and presence. It is dangerous and unsafe to flee fare away from God our Father. The parable of the lost son is actually the summary of the whole story of human being rejecting God authority and Gods plan of salvation and restoration. Jesus-Christ came to seek the lost sheep, the sinners, to look for the lost son and to celebrate his return.First, our rejection of God authority in our lives can be compare to the young man request in Luc 15, 11. Read with me what the younger one said to his father: “ Father give me my share of property that is coming to me” v 11. For what reason this young man want his inheritance. Among many answers this is what I believe he wanted: The young son is rebelling himself against his father. “Father I don’t want to be here any more. I am 18 years and I can do what ever I want. Father leaves me alone”. We live in a country of liberty and freedom and many people are taking it to it extreme. “I am going to do what ever I want to do because I am free” you might say. Big mistake my friend!
You can not do what ever you want to do. Unless you are not living in a society at all, you can not allow your self to have an absolute freedom. We are all living in this American society.We have been seeing among refugees, immigrants especially from Africa some thing very confusing and strange these days. Back home even if a Child becomes rebellious there are always certain limits for them to obey. Being here for couple months, African parents will start struggling with their kids almost immediately. These kids and young men will learn English rapidly, much better than their parents. Before long these African children think they know every thing. Listen, you just don’t know what you think you know perfectly my friend! The older people around you have been on earth a lot longer than you and by experience they can talk. By our own experience we don’t know the way and we can not escape the reality and consequences of evil in this world and in our own heart. God our father can tell us because he is the creator and knows how we should live in this fallen world.Don’t go fare away, because the best place to be is home. The consequences for being out of the care of your Father are disastrous and terrible. The Bible say that the “wages of sin is death” in Romans 6, 23. Whenever some body decided to reject God’s authority and rule, the out come is gonna be death unless you come back home.The second point is that our decision to go can look attractive at the beginning, but it is for a short period of time because sin will bring trouble, confusions, despair and death for sure. The young man of the text was probably dreaming about good life of fun and pleasure. He took his property set off for a distant country and there he squandered his wealth in wild living. The desire for freedom in this context was a pretext to practice sin. It was not a decision to use his wealth to become productive but to sin.
It is not safe to play with sin because after playing with it, you will be left in a mess and in a terrible situation. “He was longing to be fed with pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything” v 16. Look how our rebellion can put us down and make us miserable.
How many families today, even in this room can see the destruction of their love ones who have choose the wrong direction, the wrong way, who made a wrong decision. Are you in your heart far away from God this morning? I have good news for you: God is still waiting for your return: come back home because he is waiting for your return before he closes the door.He is still waiting. Our father is still waiting and looking: We are not condemned because we have chosen our own destructive ways. We are not rejected because of our wrong and bad decisions. God is not angry against you. He is just looking for your return. This is amazing. How can it be? I can not understand this. Why God are you so generous, patient, and kind after all these I had done against you. Father I deserve your condemnation, your punishment and your rejection. The son said “ I will arise and go to my Father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you: I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants” v 19. The climax of this passage is the father character: “ But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and Run and embraced him and kissed him” v 20Parents, God is setting up an example for us, to not be hopeless. We need to wait for the return of lost son. If you have denied any children of yours because of what he or she has done and are
still doing, there is hope for him or for her to come back. Do not give up on him or her, because God never gives up on you. The father was hoping that one-day his son would come back. He knows how difficult it is to be out, he knows how miserable you are fare away from him. He just wants you to come back home. If you have decided to come back God will run to welcome you and to say, “My son was dead and now he is alive again; he was lost, and he is found ”v 24. We are dead people without God. We are lost without him.
There are many ways to go far away from God’s care and Lordship. Everyone knows for himself how and when the decision was made to reject God’s authority. It is not too late to come back home for the celebration. We are not only accepted but God wants to celebrate our return. Rejoice in the Lord because you are accepted. You are not condemned. Jesus-Christ came to earth not to condemn you. He came to seek and find those who are sick, helpless, even oppressed by their own sins. Don’t be ashamed to come home. He is waiting for you.
The parable of the prodigal son is my story. I can see my self from the beginning to the end. When Jesus-Christ saved me a couple years letter I knew that God accepted me. Even today when I sin because of my rebellious nature, I can hear the same voice telling me to come back, because “I am waiting for your return”. Is it your story my friend, my brother, my sister? I don’t know where you are in the parable. Are you ready to go: don’t go just because home is better.
Are you heading on the path to destruction? Stop! Make a U-turn.Are you wasting the resources you have received freely from God. This can be your money, your intellect, your strength or your body. The pleasure of sin is for a moment, but Gods Love is forever.Are you suffering because of sin, don’t stay there, come back, cry out for help. Your savior is looking for you.Are you on your way coming back home? God is looking for you and ready to run and to embrace you. Come home because He is waiting.
Why was he so concerned about our studies and why was he always behind us to make sure that we were doing the right thing? I will never forget that day when my father was told that his son was among the most undisciplined students of the school. I never saw my father so disappointed and furious. Why was my dad so anxious and concerned about my education at such point? My dad is still alive and today I want to tell to the whole world how much my father loves me. Now I hug him and tell him thank you for how he was so concerned for me.Some time in our lives, even as Christians we don’t know or we don’t understand God’s love and his care for us. He really wants his covenant people to stay with him and to enjoy his presence, his commandment and discipline. It is for our benefit and good. He does not want any one of his children to leave home, and to stay fare away from his care and presence. It is dangerous and unsafe to flee fare away from God our Father. The parable of the lost son is actually the summary of the whole story of human being rejecting God authority and Gods plan of salvation and restoration. Jesus-Christ came to seek the lost sheep, the sinners, to look for the lost son and to celebrate his return.First, our rejection of God authority in our lives can be compare to the young man request in Luc 15, 11. Read with me what the younger one said to his father: “ Father give me my share of property that is coming to me” v 11. For what reason this young man want his inheritance. Among many answers this is what I believe he wanted: The young son is rebelling himself against his father. “Father I don’t want to be here any more. I am 18 years and I can do what ever I want. Father leaves me alone”. We live in a country of liberty and freedom and many people are taking it to it extreme. “I am going to do what ever I want to do because I am free” you might say. Big mistake my friend!
You can not do what ever you want to do. Unless you are not living in a society at all, you can not allow your self to have an absolute freedom. We are all living in this American society.We have been seeing among refugees, immigrants especially from Africa some thing very confusing and strange these days. Back home even if a Child becomes rebellious there are always certain limits for them to obey. Being here for couple months, African parents will start struggling with their kids almost immediately. These kids and young men will learn English rapidly, much better than their parents. Before long these African children think they know every thing. Listen, you just don’t know what you think you know perfectly my friend! The older people around you have been on earth a lot longer than you and by experience they can talk. By our own experience we don’t know the way and we can not escape the reality and consequences of evil in this world and in our own heart. God our father can tell us because he is the creator and knows how we should live in this fallen world.Don’t go fare away, because the best place to be is home. The consequences for being out of the care of your Father are disastrous and terrible. The Bible say that the “wages of sin is death” in Romans 6, 23. Whenever some body decided to reject God’s authority and rule, the out come is gonna be death unless you come back home.The second point is that our decision to go can look attractive at the beginning, but it is for a short period of time because sin will bring trouble, confusions, despair and death for sure. The young man of the text was probably dreaming about good life of fun and pleasure. He took his property set off for a distant country and there he squandered his wealth in wild living. The desire for freedom in this context was a pretext to practice sin. It was not a decision to use his wealth to become productive but to sin.
It is not safe to play with sin because after playing with it, you will be left in a mess and in a terrible situation. “He was longing to be fed with pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything” v 16. Look how our rebellion can put us down and make us miserable.
How many families today, even in this room can see the destruction of their love ones who have choose the wrong direction, the wrong way, who made a wrong decision. Are you in your heart far away from God this morning? I have good news for you: God is still waiting for your return: come back home because he is waiting for your return before he closes the door.He is still waiting. Our father is still waiting and looking: We are not condemned because we have chosen our own destructive ways. We are not rejected because of our wrong and bad decisions. God is not angry against you. He is just looking for your return. This is amazing. How can it be? I can not understand this. Why God are you so generous, patient, and kind after all these I had done against you. Father I deserve your condemnation, your punishment and your rejection. The son said “ I will arise and go to my Father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you: I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants” v 19. The climax of this passage is the father character: “ But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and Run and embraced him and kissed him” v 20Parents, God is setting up an example for us, to not be hopeless. We need to wait for the return of lost son. If you have denied any children of yours because of what he or she has done and are
still doing, there is hope for him or for her to come back. Do not give up on him or her, because God never gives up on you. The father was hoping that one-day his son would come back. He knows how difficult it is to be out, he knows how miserable you are fare away from him. He just wants you to come back home. If you have decided to come back God will run to welcome you and to say, “My son was dead and now he is alive again; he was lost, and he is found ”v 24. We are dead people without God. We are lost without him.
There are many ways to go far away from God’s care and Lordship. Everyone knows for himself how and when the decision was made to reject God’s authority. It is not too late to come back home for the celebration. We are not only accepted but God wants to celebrate our return. Rejoice in the Lord because you are accepted. You are not condemned. Jesus-Christ came to earth not to condemn you. He came to seek and find those who are sick, helpless, even oppressed by their own sins. Don’t be ashamed to come home. He is waiting for you.
The parable of the prodigal son is my story. I can see my self from the beginning to the end. When Jesus-Christ saved me a couple years letter I knew that God accepted me. Even today when I sin because of my rebellious nature, I can hear the same voice telling me to come back, because “I am waiting for your return”. Is it your story my friend, my brother, my sister? I don’t know where you are in the parable. Are you ready to go: don’t go just because home is better.
Are you heading on the path to destruction? Stop! Make a U-turn.Are you wasting the resources you have received freely from God. This can be your money, your intellect, your strength or your body. The pleasure of sin is for a moment, but Gods Love is forever.Are you suffering because of sin, don’t stay there, come back, cry out for help. Your savior is looking for you.Are you on your way coming back home? God is looking for you and ready to run and to embrace you. Come home because He is waiting.
Amen
Basse Macklann
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Version used: The holy Bible. English Standard Version.
posted by Macklann at 8:17 AM
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