Latest / INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living / A Dad Everybody Admires Msg 67 - Pastor Chuck Swindoll Insight for Living

Transcript

A Dad Everybody Admires Msg 67 - Pastor Chuck Swindoll Insight for Living · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: I was sitting over there thinking about the first time
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: we had a child. I mentioned earlier that the dads,
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: you know, sort of get off light. But back in
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: earlier days, sounds like I'm talking about 800 years ago,
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: but it really wasn't that long. Anyway, we weren't allowed
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: to come in when our wives went into labor. And
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: so we were shuffled off into a dad's den, they
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: called it. And when you're there for the first time,
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: you're sharing the space with some, you know, some crusty
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: old guys. They've been through this five, six, seven times.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: They're in there hanging out. I tried to look casual,
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: you know, like, That's no big thing, you know. So
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: I'm sitting there at the newspaper, and one of the
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: old guys sitting across from me said, hey. And I
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: looked at him and I said, yeah. He goes, first baby, huh?
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: I go, yeah. He said, well, I figured it was
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: since you got the paper upside down. So we act
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: like we're cool and got it all put together, but
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: we don't. We never do. When are we going to
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: learn to just let the truth out? One of the
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  Speaker 1: things I've always loved about stories Jesus told, they're real.
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  Speaker 1: Or they're realistic. Maybe they didn't actually happen. But the
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: scene that he portrays in his story happens all over.
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  Speaker 1: The best way for you to get the most out
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: of this, yes, very familiar story is for you to
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  Speaker 1: put yourself in the place of the people within it. Seriously. Seriously.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: Rather than sitting objectively back, arms folded almost like you've
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: heard this all your life, like having your Bible upside down.
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: I've been here before. I know what this is about.
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  Speaker 1: You really don't because you don't know what the future holds.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: You don't know where you're going to be next week
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: if you're here still with us. You don't know what
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: your family will be going through. You don't know what
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: phone call will come in. You don't know what knock
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: at the door will result in. So I suggest you
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: see this as if for the first time. The story
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  Speaker 1: is in Luke chapter 15, the gospel by Luke, I
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  Speaker 1: want to begin reading at verse 11 from the New
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  Speaker 1: Living Translation, then we'll go all the way down to
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  Speaker 1: verse 24. It's a very real situation repeated multiple times
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  Speaker 1: in life, in all cultures, in all languages, in all
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  Speaker 1: parts of our world, because we all have an old
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  Speaker 1: nature that kicks in and takes over. And often, it's
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: the parents who have to pick up the pieces. And
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  Speaker 1: here's a dad who did a masterful job of that
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  Speaker 1: in this story that we're going to read, Luke 15,
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  Speaker 1: beginning at verse 11. You want to stand up with
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  Speaker 1: me as we read this? Follow along. Do your best
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  Speaker 1: to identify with Someone in the story. Jesus told him
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  Speaker 1: this story. A man had two sons. The younger son
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  Speaker 1: told his father, I want my share of your estate
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  Speaker 1: now before you die. So his father agreed to divide
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: his wealth between his son's A few days later, this
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a
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  Speaker 1: distant land. And there he wasted all his money and
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: wild living. About the time his money ran out, a
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  Speaker 1: great famine swept across the land and he began to starve.
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  Speaker 1: He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the
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  Speaker 1: man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.
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  Speaker 1: The young man became so hungry that even the pods
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  Speaker 1: he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But
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  Speaker 1: no one gave him anything. When he finally came to
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  Speaker 1: his senses, he said to himself, at home, even the
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  Speaker 1: hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I
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  Speaker 1: am dying of hunger. I will go home to my
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  Speaker 1: father and say, Father, I have sinned against both heaven
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  Speaker 1: and you, and I'm no longer worthy of being called
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  Speaker 1: your son. Please, Take me on as a hired servant.
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  Speaker 1: So he returned home to his father, and while he
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  Speaker 1: was still a long way off, his father saw him coming.
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  Speaker 1: Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son,
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  Speaker 1: embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, Father,
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  Speaker 1: I've sinned against both heaven and you, and I'm no
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  Speaker 1: longer worthy of being called your son. But the father
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  Speaker 1: said to the servants, quick, bring the finest robe in
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  Speaker 1: the house, put it on him, get a ring for
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  Speaker 1: his finger, sandals for his feet, and kill the calf
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  Speaker 1: we've been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for
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  Speaker 1: this son of mine was dead yesterday. and is now
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  Speaker 1: returned to life. He was lost, but now he's found.
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  Speaker 1: So the party began. Dear Father, thank you for taking
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  Speaker 1: us in. Thank you for loving us with a deep compassion.
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  Speaker 1: for not putting us on probation and holding us there
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  Speaker 1: for years to prove the sincerity of our repentance. Thank
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  Speaker 1: you for this word quick. As the father turned and
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  Speaker 1: told the servants, bring the robe, bring the ring, bring
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  Speaker 1: the sandals, bring the food. Remind us, Lord, that you're
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  Speaker 1: the same yesterday, today, and forever. We never wander so
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  Speaker 1: far away that you lose track of us, though you
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  Speaker 1: often leave us on our own till we begin to
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  Speaker 1: hurt and starve and finally come to our senses. We
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  Speaker 1: wish that you would not only speak to us dads today,
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  Speaker 1: but speak to rebels wherever they may be. Speak to
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  Speaker 1: moms who stand in the shadows behind the scenes watching
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  Speaker 1: much of this happen. Those who have strong and capable husbands,
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  Speaker 1: fathers for the children, we pray that you would Use
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  Speaker 1: the story to bring families back together. Break our hearts
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  Speaker 1: with it. Penetrate this phony facade of having it all together.
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  Speaker 1: We don't. Our need for you is total, not partial.
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  Speaker 1: So speak. And we will listen. Make this time especially meaningful,
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  Speaker 1: not just because it's this special day for dads but
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  Speaker 1: because there's a special story for us all here. May
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  Speaker 1: we be willing to acknowledge wrong and come just like
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  Speaker 1: we are. Draw us near, Lord. Precious Lord, draw us
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  Speaker 1: nearer to your bleeding side as we come to Christ
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  Speaker 1: just like we are. In his name we pray. Everyone sit. Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Please have a seat. I've decided today to give the
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  Speaker 1: dads the respect that you deserve for a change. It's
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: funny about us preachers. On Mother's Day, I mean, we
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  Speaker 1: pull out all the stops. We, oh my, we speak
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  Speaker 1: words of affirmation and encouragement and we toast the mothers
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  Speaker 1: and And then on Father's Day, we roast the dads.
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  Speaker 1: For some reason, we feel the need to quote statistics
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  Speaker 1: about deadbeat dads and workaholic and absentee fathers. And we
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  Speaker 1: sort of rake you over the coals because you weren't
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  Speaker 1: there for this or you're gone for that or you're
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  Speaker 1: preoccupied or you're not involved in whatever. Enough of that. Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: you know. I agree with you. Enough of that. And
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  Speaker 1: so today I am going to give you the honor
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  Speaker 1: you deserve. Now, admittedly, like all mothers, we're not perfect.
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  Speaker 1: We cannot measure up even to our own standards. We're
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  Speaker 1: not the men we wish we were. though we often
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  Speaker 1: find ourselves working at it, wanting to be. And behind
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  Speaker 1: the scenes, truth be told, more often than not, for
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  Speaker 1: our children, we are the most significant man in their lives.
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  Speaker 1: For some, even their heroes, though we blush when we
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  Speaker 1: think about that word, Applied to us. We are. We're just. Men.
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  Speaker 1: We long to be. Better men.
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  Speaker 2: But.
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  Speaker 1: Here we are. Warts and all. But we're here. And
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  Speaker 1: we're at it. We're staying at it. We're committed to it.
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  Speaker 1: You know, I was a little surprised when I pulled
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  Speaker 1: a huge book out of my study shelves called a concordance.
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  Speaker 1: No exaggeration. It's the tallest book in the shelf and
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  Speaker 1: it's the heaviest. It's multiple pages of an alphabetical listing
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  Speaker 1: of all the words in the Bible. It's called an
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  Speaker 1: exhaustive concordance. It's often exhausting when you try to work
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  Speaker 1: at it because it has print for fleas. Tiny, tiny,
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  Speaker 1: tiny print in three columns on each page. As you
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  Speaker 1: turn from one thin page to the next, checking out
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  Speaker 1: the word you're looking for to see where it's found
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  Speaker 1: in the Bible. When you check father, or the plural, fathers,
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  Speaker 1: to my amazement, five full pages in my concordance, there
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  Speaker 1: are verses in these three column pages, five pages, where
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  Speaker 1: the word father or fathers appears. For mothers, only a page. Now, obviously,
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  Speaker 1: you would expect some of that, I would think, because
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  Speaker 1: so often genealogies appear in the Bible, and that's traced
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  Speaker 1: back through the line of the father, most often. Rarely
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  Speaker 1: is the mother mentioned, so that would mention fathers more often,
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  Speaker 1: and frequently a person is identified as being the son
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  Speaker 1: of And it'll name his father or her father, the
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  Speaker 1: daughter of this man. So there we are, mentioned again, again,
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  Speaker 1: and again, and again in the scriptures. So God's word
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  Speaker 1: has a lot to say about men, about dads, fathers.
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  Speaker 1: And you know what? Often it's affirming. It's positive affirmation.
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  Speaker 1: And among the most admirable is a man who appears
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  Speaker 1: in a story Jesus told, but never named the man.
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  Speaker 1: Doesn't tell us where he lived. Never mentions his wife.
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  Speaker 1: She's not in the story. Where is she? And here's
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  Speaker 1: a man dividing his wealth into Among his sons, as
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  Speaker 1: we're going to see, and you would think she'd be
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  Speaker 1: there for that. If she was, she isn't mentioned. That
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  Speaker 1: would be most unusual. You wonder if he's lost his
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  Speaker 1: wife by now. You wonder if he's getting up in years.
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  Speaker 1: His age is never given. No one is ever named
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  Speaker 1: in the story, but that doesn't matter. And interestingly, it
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  Speaker 1: has picked up the title that never appears in the Bible.
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  Speaker 1: The prodigal son. You'll never find those words in the Bible.
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  Speaker 1: Why isn't it called the heroic father? Or a dad
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  Speaker 1: who got it right? Or how about a wayward lad
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  Speaker 1: and a waiting dad? Or maybe a dad everybody admires.
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  Speaker 1: And we do. There are a couple things before we
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  Speaker 1: get into what he did that were true of him
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  Speaker 1: as a person. First, he's affluent. We don't know how
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  Speaker 1: much he's worth, but it's a lot. A lot. His
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  Speaker 1: estate is referred to in this passage of Scripture. As
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  Speaker 1: well as his wealth in verse 12. And while we're
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  Speaker 1: at it, he had a fine robe that was available.
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  Speaker 1: He had a ring no one was wearing in the home.
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  Speaker 1: He had sandals available. And he had the luxury of
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  Speaker 1: leisure so that he could have a Celebration that at
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  Speaker 1: any moment. We don't know how much he was worth,
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  Speaker 1: but it was a lot. Second thing I would note
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  Speaker 1: about him is that he's approachable. Not once does he
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  Speaker 1: interrupt his son when his younger son gets off on this,
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  Speaker 1: I want my money now, now. I don't want to
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  Speaker 1: wait until you die. I want it now. If you
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  Speaker 1: check the Jewish law in Deuteronomy, you'll find that this
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  Speaker 1: was really up to the father to determine when he
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  Speaker 1: would share his inheritance. And if there were two sons,
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  Speaker 1: two-thirds would go to the older and one-third would go
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  Speaker 1: to the younger. But the dad doesn't say to him,
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  Speaker 1: Take a hike. I'm going to do this when I'm
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  Speaker 1: good and ready. He doesn't say that. He listens to
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  Speaker 1: his son. Doesn't start to preach. He hears what the
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  Speaker 1: boy is requesting. In fact, if I may be so bold,
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  Speaker 1: what he's demanding, speaking of his father's wealth rather flippantly,
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  Speaker 1: I want it now. So he called in both boys
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  Speaker 1: and divided his wealth. That's a lot of money. That's
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  Speaker 1: a big risk. You think he didn't know his sons?
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  Speaker 1: Of course he did. Here's a man whose wealth has
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  Speaker 1: not made him greedy. And when you read the next verse,
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  Speaker 1: you understand that he didn't just with a shrug give
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  Speaker 1: him the boy the money and wave goodbye. Look for yourself.
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  Speaker 1: Look at the story. It's in verse 13. A few
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  Speaker 1: days later, we read the younger son packed all his
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  Speaker 1: belongings and moved out. What happened in those few days? Well,
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  Speaker 1: I ask you to enter into the story, what would
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  Speaker 1: you have done? And it is interesting that the boy
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  Speaker 1: hung around a few days. You would have think he
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  Speaker 1: would have gotten the cash and bolted. But he didn't.
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  Speaker 1: He isn't angry at his father. He's just selfish. And
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  Speaker 1: you know what's interesting? When a father is willing to
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  Speaker 1: listen to his adult children, to listen to something he
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  Speaker 1: may not want to hear, he earns the right to
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  Speaker 1: say things to them they may not want to listen to.
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  Speaker 1: So he had his moment. I believe that during those
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  Speaker 1: few days, however long they were, however many, that the
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  Speaker 1: father sat down with his boy whom he loved dearly
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  Speaker 1: and talked straight about life This boy now has more
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  Speaker 1: money than he's ever had in his life. That's dangerous.
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  Speaker 1: Especially since he's had no experience to deal with life
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  Speaker 1: in the street. The dad knew a lot more about
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  Speaker 1: that than the boy did. So we had some words
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  Speaker 1: of warning and wise words of advice. I remember after
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: our 17-day journey across the Pacific from San Diego to
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: the harbor of Yokohama before our ship would ultimately turn
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: and go down to Okinawa. 3,500 Marines on board the
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  Speaker 1: ship now were about to go on Liberty for the
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  Speaker 1: first time in 17 days. Our company commander called all
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  Speaker 1: of us on the deck of the ship, told all
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  Speaker 1: of us at ease, sit down, I want to talk
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  Speaker 1: to you about what's ahead of you. And I'll never
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  Speaker 1: forget his opening line. For the first time in your life,
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  Speaker 1: you're the foreigner. You're the guest of a nation. Behave yourself.
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  Speaker 1: You'll be in your civilian clothes, so they'll know that
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  Speaker 1: you're Americans, but Remember, you're a Marine. Conduct yourself as
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: you should. His words were strong and they were firm.
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  Speaker 1: Some of the Marines quickly forgot them, but the advice
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  Speaker 1: was wise. He spelled out what life would be like
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  Speaker 1: on the streets of Yokohama. I'm sure he had been
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  Speaker 1: stationed there before. If not stationed there, he had been there.
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  Speaker 1: His chest was full of medals. We had none. And
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  Speaker 1: he had a lot of things to say to us
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  Speaker 1: about what was in front of us. And he was
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  Speaker 1: right at every turn. That's this dad. I also am
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  Speaker 1: convinced that there was no begging to stay. Please, please
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  Speaker 1: stay here. He gave him the money and fully expected
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  Speaker 1: him to leave. I'm trying my best to restrain myself
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  Speaker 1: from pausing along the way and continually applying it. But dads,
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  Speaker 1: listen up. Listen up. I don't know where you are
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  Speaker 1: in the raising of your family, but if you're near this,
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  Speaker 1: you're going to probably be there. Your son or daughter
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  Speaker 1: will be off to college. or off to join themselves
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  Speaker 1: in a marriage, or off to the military, away from
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  Speaker 1: living under the roof, your watchful eye. The boy's got
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  Speaker 1: the money, he packs it all in his backpack along
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  Speaker 1: with a few essentials, and early the morning he planned
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  Speaker 1: to leave, he's gone. Probably didn't bother to say goodbye.
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  Speaker 1: Or maybe he reached over and whispered to his dad,
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  Speaker 1: see you later. Verse 13 cuts to the chase. I
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  Speaker 1: love the way Jesus tells stories He packed all his
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  Speaker 1: belongings and moved to a distant land. Whoa, stop, wait, wait.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus is Jewish, often told stories to Jews they would understand.
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  Speaker 1: But this distant land had farmers who raised pigs. So
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  Speaker 1: he moves into Gentile territory. He's way away from the familiar.
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  Speaker 1: a distant land. He's had enough of home and family
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  Speaker 1: and those tight surroundings, that older brother. He's gone. With
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  Speaker 1: that kind of money, he draws a fast crowd and
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  Speaker 1: they come happy to spend it for him and with him.
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  Speaker 1: Probably got a nice penthouse with a view. Enjoyed buffets
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  Speaker 1: with exotic food. Spent too much too fast. Hadn't wasted
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  Speaker 1: all of his money on wild living. Who knows how
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  Speaker 1: many other guys came and went and other gals came
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  Speaker 1: and went You can just imagine the fast life he entered.
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  Speaker 1: But when that money ran out, those friends ran out.
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  Speaker 1: He can't make his rent, so he's on the street.
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  Speaker 1: If you have ever been on the street, you don't
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: need any explanation. One of the most dangerous and desperate
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  Speaker 1: places to live, I've spoken to men and women from
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  Speaker 1: the street during my years in the Los Angeles area
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  Speaker 1: and even here in the Dallas area. Their eyes are hollow.
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  Speaker 1: Their stories are heartbreaking. Their souls are empty. They're desperate.
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  Speaker 1: So what happened to this boy? About the time his
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  Speaker 1: money ran out, a great famine. Isn't that amazing? One
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  Speaker 1: after another after another. Bad goes to worse. Worse goes
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  Speaker 1: to impossible. Impossible goes to the end. He hits bottom.
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  Speaker 1: You know who's conspicuous by his absence? The Father. He
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  Speaker 1: didn't run after him. He didn't send out a search party.
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  Speaker 1: He didn't send notes of love. He didn't say, I'm sorry,
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  Speaker 1: I'm sorry. He didn't take responsibility for his boy's irresponsibility.
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  Speaker 1: He didn't say, I'm going to change all the standards
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  Speaker 1: so you'll feel comfortable. Just come on back home. Things
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  Speaker 1: are going to change here. None of that. Dad's home,
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  Speaker 1: Dad's secure. Dad knows who he is. He's willing to wait.
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  Speaker 1: And we read, no one gave the young man anything.
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  Speaker 1: Dad keeps waiting. But I'll tell you what he did do.
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  Speaker 1: He prayed and he watched. Sunrise and dusk, looking for
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  Speaker 1: that familiar silhouette on the horizon. For however long, we're
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  Speaker 1: not told. The dad doesn't even gossip about him and
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  Speaker 1: he doesn't believe the gossip that the grapevine brings back
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  Speaker 1: from wherever the boy was living. We read that finally
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  Speaker 1: he says to this farmer, could I possibly work for you?
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  Speaker 1: And of all things, the worst, the most degrading of jobs,
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  Speaker 1: this Jewish boy begins to feed pigs. And he's knee-deep
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  Speaker 1: in swine excrement, And slop. He is filthy. And it's
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: cold and lonely. It's all part of the plan. The
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  Speaker 1: father let it be. Do I speak today to a
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  Speaker 1: dad who is trying to interfere or intervene? Stop it.
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  Speaker 1: Stay out of it. I know you don't want that
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  Speaker 1: for you. Of course you don't. But you're not his God.
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  Speaker 1: You're his father. It's the boy's will that took him there.
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  Speaker 1: By the way, it's a good place for me to
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  Speaker 1: give you those three statements I've given you before. You
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  Speaker 1: may have forgotten them without quoting the authors. Listen to
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: these three. In the end, pain wins. Pain as a language,
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: all its own, and it wins. It wins. Here's another.
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: Pain plants the flag of reality in the fortress of
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: a rebel heart. Never doubt it. Enough pain and the
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: rebel begins to soften. It's amazing what bars of a
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: prison will do to a rebel. It's amazing what a
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: setting and or disease, brokenness, mistreatment, brutality, being mugged will
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: do to a hard-hearted young man or woman. on the street.
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: Here's a third one. It's doubtful God can use anyone
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: greatly till he's hurt him deeply. That's the word. That's
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: a Tozer quote. Hurt him deeply. And the father stays away.
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: The boy has blocked out all the advice and ignored
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: all the warnings. And you read an amazing statement in
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: verse 17. He finally came to his senses, which tells
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: us what? All the time he's feeding those swine and
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: living in the street, he's out of his senses. I
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: call it temporary insanity. Gross carnality is temporary insanity. That's
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: why they do what they do. That's why they live
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: like they live. That's why their conscience is seared. The
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: boy doesn't even seem like the one who left home
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: sometime earlier. He's out of his senses. But the pain
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: got so great, he came to his senses. And look
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: at this. When he came to his senses, one of
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: his opening lines was, I will return not to my room,
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: not to my home, not to my friends in the
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: street I used to run around with telling all those
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: nasty jokes, not even to religious people who would shun me.
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: I don't need sermons from my older brother. I don't
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: need the stares of religious people who write me off.
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: I will return to my father. There it is. There
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: it is. I'll go to the one who will understand.
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: Look at that. I love that as much as any
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: part of this story. I don't need a sermon from
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: a brother. I don't need any nasty comments from my
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: former friends. I don't need the shunning of the religious people.
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: I need forgiveness. I need understanding. I need loving, the
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: tender touch, the grace, the grace greater than all my sin.
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: Oh God, I need my daddy. I need my daddy.
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: And verse 20 shouldn't surprise you. Look at it for yourself.
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: I love this. He returned to his father and while
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: he was still a long way off, a long way off,
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: His father saw him coming. I love this scene. And
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: before he tells us what the father did, it tells
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: us how the father felt. Filled with love and compassion.
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: Not a thought of resentment. Not a, I'll teach him
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: a lesson when he gets here. Wait till he gets
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: through with my probation. None of that None of that.
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: Filled with love, filled with compassion. He ran to his
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: son and embraced him and kissed him. The Greek, the
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: way it's described in the Greek, he covered him with kisses. He...
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: Kissed him over and over, and the boy is trying
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: to get out his speech. Father, I'm not worthy to
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: be called your son. Father, I've done wrong. Father, father,
• 37:31
  Speaker 1: and the father goes, quick, as he speaks to servants
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: standing beside with their mouths open, watching this father-son scene
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: they thought they would never see before. Quick, get that robe,
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: bring it, put it on him. Get the ring right there,
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: right there on the cabinet. the one with the family
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: crescent on it and our initial in it so he
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: can buy again with that ancient credit card. Get him
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: that ring and get sandals for, look at his feet.
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: They're torn and they're filthy. And round up Bossy and
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: kill that calf. We've been getting that calf fat for
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: a long enough time. Get the wood, cut it, get
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: the fire, dig the pit, Bring the neighbors in. We're
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: going to have a celebration like we've never had before. Why?
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: Because my son was lost and has been found. He
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: was dead and he's alive. Love that. That is a dead.
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: Not one word of blame. Not one point of Demand.
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: Tell me what you've been doing. What'd you do with
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: the money? What do you have left? Look at yourself.
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: You're filthy. None of that condemnation. None of that. None
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: of that. Those kisses covered it all. Can you imagine
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: sitting at that wonderful barbecued place at the head table
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: besides a very grace-filled father and an amazed son. The
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: dad is ready to risk again. The kid spent all
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: a third of his wealth and he's feeding him this
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: delicious meal, having this marvelous party because his son has
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: been found. If you think this is a story just
• 39:54
  Speaker 1: to entertain the curious, you missed it all. This is
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: a story to be applied, which is why it has
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: lived through the centuries. And people who hear it give
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: it acute attention. Your sitting in silence is so appropriate.
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: You're imagining it. You're seeing it. Part of it you're
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: amazed at. Several questions I have to ask you as
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: I close. First, is there a father you need to thank?
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: Is there a father still living today Maybe one you've
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: not talked to in a long time. I know, I know,
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: you've got those things. I know, we all do. My
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: dad's gone. I understand. I couldn't talk to him if
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: I tried. But you may be able to. Is there
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: a dad you need to forgive? Do it. Do it now.
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: Do it today. It's his day. Is there a son
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: or daughter you need to release? They're tearing up the home.
• 41:30
  Speaker 1: They're ruining the family relationships. They're making a mess of things.
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: And you're trying to juggle all of that? Let them go.
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: Let them go. Is there a prodigal you need to
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: forgive and restore that's come back full of shame and
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: humiliation and repentance you have one of those in your
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: family is there a celebration you need to have not
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: probation Enough of probation. One of the best words in
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: the whole story is quick. Get the robe. Get the ring.
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: Get the sandals. Get the meat. Quick. This boy's back.
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: One more question. Is there a father you need to
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: return to? known as her heavenly father. Here's a great song.
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: I've asked John Dill to play it as we leave.
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: I've wandered far away from home. Lord, I'm coming home.
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: The paths of sin too long I've trod. Lord, I'm
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: coming home. See that cross? Look at that symbol. It's
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: the most prominent symbol in this church. We don't have trappings.
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: We don't have a lot of other things to attract attention.
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: But that cross remains prominent on purpose. It's like a
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: massive magnet saying, come, come. Interesting thought. Only one perfect
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: father has ever existed. And his name is God. Isn't
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: it interesting, he has the most wayward children. All over
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: the world, running away from him. Many of them, I think,
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: are just scared. They just don't understand. Because written across
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: that cross is the word grace. Grace. what God does
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: for us that we don't deserve. We'll never earn, never
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: be able to repay. When the son comes home, he
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: doesn't say, okay, dad, what do I owe you? Just
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: tell me and I'll start working on paying you back.
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: None of that. Dad, dad, I'm not worthy to be
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: calling your son. Father says, Come on home. Come on home.
• 45:30
  Speaker 1: I don't know where you are in the answering of
• 45:32
  Speaker 1: those questions, but they're for you to answer. And you'll
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: be happy to know that when you decide you're going
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: to come to the Father, He'll take you just as
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: you are. It's the original come as you are party.
• 45:56
  Speaker 1: In all your filth and mess and rebellion and ugliness,
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: come just like you are. You can't even begin to
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: clean yourself up. That's what he does. The father didn't
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: have to tell the boy to get a shower or
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: get a bath before he embraced him. He embraced him,
• 46:20
  Speaker 1: filth and all, Of course, grace has its own cleansing
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: agent and how grateful we are that it does. Please
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: bow with me. Just for a moment, sit quietly there.
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: I speak not only to dads, but to all of us, sons, daughters, moms, dads, Distant,
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: distant rebels. Some of you who are living phony lives,
• 47:05
  Speaker 1: God sees it all. I get most concerned about you.
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: What will it take to bring you to repentance? Give
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: it up. Come now. So grateful, our Father, for your
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: love story that it still touches us deeply. So grateful
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: for your grace greater than our sins. Where sin abounded,
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: grace super abounds. how grateful we are for the standing
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: we have in Christ when we come to you through him.
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: Hear the prayers of those today who've made that decision
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: as you welcome them home. And for those who continue
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: to run, keep them miserable, keep them hungry, May they
• 48:27
  Speaker 1: know no rest or peace, no relief, until they come
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: to you and find their hope in you, dear Father.
• 48:44
  Speaker 1: We all thank you today for being our heavenly Father,
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: loving us most often in spite of ourselves. because of Christ.
• 49:02
  Speaker 1: In his name we pray these things. And all God's
• 49:09
  Speaker 1: people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.
• 51:01
  Speaker 2: The preceding message, A Father Everyone Admires, was copyrighted in
• 51:07
  Speaker 2: 2022 and 2023, and the sound recording was copyrighted in
• 51:12
  Speaker 2: 2023 by Charles R.
• 51:13
  Speaker 1: Swindoll, Inc.
• 51:15
  Speaker 2: All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for
• 51:20
  Speaker 2: commercial use is strictly prohibited.