Pastor Barry's "Chapter & Verse" Day 271

Posted by Pastor Barry Fredericks on

Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 271

September 28;   Luke 15:19;   59/260(II);   ‘Welcome Back Home’

Luke 15:19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."' 

Luke 15 is almost completely dedicated to the story we call ‘the prodigal son.’  In this parable, there are two sons of the father, making them both Christians.  The younger son, even though he was a Christian wanted to ‘sow his oats.’  Maybe he thought he was missing out on a lot of fun that the world offered and wanted to experience it.  This young man spoke to his father and took his inheritance, intending to party.  The prodigal went to a far country, perhaps it was literally far from where he lived or perhaps the country was far different than the life he lived as a Christian.  Regardless, the Bible teaches that in this far country, the son wasted his possessions with riotous living.  Soon the inheritance was gone, the erroneous expectancy of the son was shattered.  Now, being destitute, he took a job feeding pigs.  As is always the case, the glitz and glitter of the world, never lives up to the hype.  Eventually the son ‘woke up,’ realizing that the servants of his father had a better life than he was experiencing.  He decided to return home, humble himself and tell his father that he was no longer worthy to be a son, perhaps his father would allow him to be a hired servant.  This is what sin does.  The devil who advertises how thrilling the world without God is, when your dreams are shattered, the devil comes back to condemn you for the way you lived.  The father, representing God the Father thought very differently.  When the son came home, the father had a party, dressing his son royally, restoring him to the family.  We are dearly loved, even when we mess up.  The world offers nothing.  You can always come home.