"A Fathers Love
"
For almost a week God dealt with me about this message. When I began to study these verses of scripture that I had already preached several times and I had heard others preach on several occasions.
I realized that I was approaching it from a different angel. We all know the story of the Prodigal Son and I have even heard some preachers go as far as to minister about the Prodigals brother but God was taking me to something I had never seen.
For the ministers here, you have probably preached this before but for me it was a fresh word and it excited me. God was showing me things about the Prodigals Father.
God had given me this message to preach on Sunday morning, Fathers Day but it has
turned out to be a great evangelistic type message. I pray I get to preach it for a long
time and I pray you get something from it.
As I read I think, what a story. Although just a parable what a story. I have been
where the prodigal was and I would venture to say that most under the sound of my
voice have been there and you probably even know someone there now.
A parable we can relate to and one of the reasons it is preached so much is
because of its a message of simplicity. It is so easy to understand. So powerful yet
simple.
The entire 15th chapter of Luke is dealing with forgiveness and restoration and in
this we learn that there is one greater than us and He loves unconditionally and is
standing with his arms open waiting, and everytime we slip away he stands and waits
to bring us back into fellowship. When the flesh says I can’t do it, God is waiting with
open arms to help us walk every single step one at a time one day at a time.
(Luke 15: 11-12)
V#11
And he said,
A certain man had two sons:
V#12
And the younger of them said
to his father, Father, give me the
portion of goods
that falleth to me. And he divided
unto them his living.
I want to look at those 2 verses of scripture for just a second. The younger son
asked and father gave.
Do you realize the message you could build from that alone? Forget the rest of the
parable, you could preach this for a week.
I close my eyes and I can see a picture of a lad trying to figure out a way to escape
the rule of fathers house. The first thing he has to do is get his stuff. Maybe it was
days or weeks or maybe he didn’t even think about it, whatever the case he
approached his father with the partition. I do not know what went through his fathers
mind at this point and I don’t guess I ever really thought about how father felt the day
his baby left home until I placed myself there. How am I going to feel when my baby
says dad I am ready to move out I want to leave. How heart breaking it must have
been for father.
This verse would lead us to believe maybe that he asked and father just gave him
his stuff but I do not believe it went that way.
That may not have been a disagreement. There were probably no angry words.
Father probably did not show his real feelings on this day but inside he was torn
apart. Inside he was screaming out. Inside father was facing probably his greatest
battle.
I am sure as he tried to pull himself together he had many questions. Where will
you go? What will you do? How will you live?
I don’t know how long it was between the time of the request and the time father
fulfilled his sons’ wish. The Bible does not say and I don’t know how long he stayed
after he got his stuff, the Bible says not many days after so it wasn’t very long.
How easy it would be to end this parable now. Boy asks for his things, he gets
them, he leaves, end of story but no, no, no.
You see as I think back to my younger years and how wild I was. I remember the
drugs and the alcohol and the many times I packed my stuff and I would leave. I
remember the day my bus set in my Mothers’ front yard and I packed all my
musical equipment and all my clothes to hit the road. My dad was a preacher all my life but it wasn’t my dad on this day that I had to deal with.
I remember the tears that flowed down my Mothers face as I readied to leave. I
remembered the many questions she had. I remember her wanting me to stay home
and not do this but I was young and had all the answers. I am here with a message
for most adults reading this. Don’t fight it. Let your kids go while they are young and
have all the answers. It won’t take them long to realize that they don’t.
I remember the day I called home. I was probably 1000 miles from Florida and
my Dad answered the phone. You are going to die on the road and your Mother
is not even going to know where they bury you but in the back-ground I could
hear my Mother reminding God of the call he had placed on my life. God, protect
him but do whatever it takes to bring him home.
All the years in this world and I never forgot that. Every time I would fall into a
mess it echoed in my ears again and again.
Father walked him to the gate and watched as he walked away. This would also
be a good place to end but in reality this is where it really begins. Did he ask
where he was going? Did he inquire as to how he would live? Did he show
any remorse? Sure he did. Over and over and over it would run through
Fathers mind the thoughts of doing this some other way.
In a foreign land the son wakes up realizing that it wasn’t as bad at Fathers
house as he thought it was. I believe he now remembers some things he had
been taught as a lad. Things about forgiveness and things about restoration.
He remembered what a kind man Father was and how ready he was to forgive.
(V# 18)
I will arise and go to my father,
and will say unto him, Father,
I have sinned against heaven,
and before thee.
(V# 19)
And am no more worthy to be called thy son; make me
as one
of thy hired servants.
(V# 20)
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was
yet a
great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion,
and ran,
and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
Let’s stop a second. The son has made up his mind that he is
going to seek forgiveness. He has lost it all. Has nothing to show
for the journey and it echoes in his mind thoughts of Father.
My father is a kind man. Ready to forgive and he doesn’t even
have to move me into the house, I can sleep in the barn.
Forgiveness will bring a blessing from Father.
Can you see what is happening? This was no accident.
Father saw him coming across the meadow. He saw him coming because he was looking for him.
This could get good.
He stood every day on the porch watching. This isn’t written
in the story but this is how I believe it happened.
Every evening he sat on the porch watching. Every morning
he stood and looked as long as he could see. Looking for the
one gone astray, and then finally one day it happened.
Father is watching and he sees something far off. He looks
again and sure enough, it’s him.
He’s come back home.
You see the whole world said he would never amount to a thing
but Father said he’d be back.The family said if he does come
back it will be to get something else but father said he’d be back. The neighbors said he’s no good, Father said bring a robe. The brother said he has tainted the bloodline, Father said bring him
a ring. Everyone else said leave him alone and Father said bring
the fatted calf.
I have heard it said all my life that there is nothing like a
Mothers love but I am here this evening to tell you no love here
can compare to Fathers love. A mother’s love and this
Fathers love are not even comparable.
Two different kinds of love.
V# 24-
For this my son was dead,
and is alive again; he was lost,
and is found.
A father’s love. One of the greatest verses in the bible
talks about Fathers love.
Romans 10:9
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in
thine heart that God hath raised
him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
What kind of man would do such a thing, Father.
Forgiveness and restoration.
One of the greatest stories in the Bible but that’s what Father does.
I pray this has touched you. If it has, pray this with me:
Father, I believe in my heart and I confess with my mouth. I am a sinner. I ask that you come into my heart, change my life and help me make things brand new. I thank you for what I believe that you are doing inside of me right now. Amen.
If you prayed this prayer, contact us and let us pray for you. We also have some new convert material that will help you in your new walk. God bless you is our prayer.
Bishop L. David Horn