WEBVTT

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 Luke 15 and verse 20, we read these words.

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 While he, the son that is, was still a long way off,

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 his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him.

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 He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

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 I guess those of us who are used to reading the Bible at various times

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 know this story only too well.

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 I'd never forgotten some years ago in church at a family service,

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 I was doing a Q&A with the children.

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 I said, who was sorry when the fatted calf came home?

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 Of course, I wanted the answer, the elder son.

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 The child stuck his hand up, said, yes.

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 What's that?

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 He said, the fatted calf.

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 I guess there are some subjects in life that everybody has an opinion on.

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 Right now, I guess Brexit would take the limelight for that,

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 but we Brits are good at talking about the weather.

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 Everybody has an opinion about the weather.

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 When you go to Australia and you say to somebody, it's a nice day, isn't it?

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 They're like, you what, mate?

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 It's just not what they talk about there.

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 But of course, everybody has an idea about parenthood.

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 I've noticed this.

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 I've noticed that the generations all have ideas.

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 In fact, even people who do not have children have ideas about parenting,

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 especially when they're in a restaurant or on a coach or something like that.

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 And of course, today is Father's Day.

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 You guessed that.

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 My own experience of Father's Day has been mixed.

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 I mean, for the majority of my life, I'll be quite honest with you,

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 I never heard of it.

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 And then American marketing got to work,

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 and suddenly it became before my eyes.

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 I have five children.

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 Two out of five have remembered it's Father's Day thus far.

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 Not that I'm bitter.

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 My own father was challenging.

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 Throughout my teenage years, his constant refrain to me was,

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 you're a dead loss.

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 And actually, I pretty well was, to be quite honest with you.

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 So on Father's Day, when I'm thinking about,

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 well, what can I thank God for, for my dad?

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 I do have something I'm very grateful to my dad for.

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 He taught me to be resilient.

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 I'm a kind of chumba-wumba-style Christian,

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 in that I get knocked down, I get right up again.

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 And so, we come to this amazing story of the prodigal son,

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 or the lost son, as the modern translations of the Bible choose to call it.

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 And the first thing you need to understand about this story is,

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 that the request of the younger son to have his share of the property was truthfully outrageous.

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 You could not insult your father enough,

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 other than by asking him for your share of the estate before you died.

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 In fact, people had tried that with their fathers before,

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 and the response of the family was,

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 we will now regard you as dead.

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 And you get a little bit of that in the story later on, don't you?

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 After the son comes back, the father says,

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 my son who was dead is now alive.

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 Back in those days, you went to ask your dad for your share of the property before you were dead.

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 You were dead already.

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 So, the request was entirely outrageous.

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 And even more strange is the fact that the dad requested it.

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 I mean, I have one son,

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 and I tried to imagine what my response would be if he said,

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 Dad, could I have my share of your overdraft now?

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 This is a story which in Western tradition,

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 in many ways rightly,

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 has focused on something really important,

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 and it's this.

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 And of course, this story never actually happened.

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 It's a parable.

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 It's supposed to teach truth.

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 And one of the central truths that the Western church is focused on

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 is the idea that this father

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 is very loving and forgiving,

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 even in the face of extreme provocation.

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 Well, that's what every Christ follower in this church believes,

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 that God is ultimately a good God.

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 And despite our behaviors,

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 still can find room in his heart to love us.

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 Tim Keller,

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 great preacher from the USA,

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 has a different take.

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 He takes the more Hebrew approach to it,

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 and he says this parable

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 is really about the two fundamental ways

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 that you can alienate yourself from God.

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 On the one hand,

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 it's the younger son.

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 The son who decides,

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 he's not going to play by the rules,

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 he's going to do it his way.

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 He's going to go out into the world,

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 and he's going to live a life of hedonism,

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 and he's going to,

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 metaphorically speaking,

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 make an unpleasant gesture towards the rules.

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 And of course,

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 the story ends with,

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 sorry,

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 that aspect of his life ends

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 with him sharing food with pigs.

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 I have never eaten with pigs.

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 Occasionally I've thought it,

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 but I've never actually eaten with pigs.

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 But,

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 I can't imagine anything more degrading than that,

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 can you?

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 And in that degradation,

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 here's a kind of Holy Spirit moment.

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 Did you notice that very telling verse in our text?

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 He came to his senses.

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 You want to alienate yourself from God?

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 You do life your way.

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 Frank Sinatra sang,

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 and it's now played at people's funeral services,

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 unbelievably.

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 I did it my way.

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 You want to do life your way?

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 You will inevitably end up alienated

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 from your Father in heaven.

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 But then,

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 there's another way we can alienate God,

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 which is represented by

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 the older son.

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 He represents,

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 well, he represents,

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 honestly,

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 a lot of those of us who go to church.

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 He represents

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 somebody who plays it by the book,

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 who keeps the rules,

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 who somehow thinks that by keeping himself

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 the rules,

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 he's earning special favor with God,

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 and therefore,

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 more and more,

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 he has less love in his heart

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 for those who don't play it by the book.

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 And he becomes self-righteous

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 and judgmental.

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 You get that,

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 don't you,

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 in our story.

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 All these years,

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 I've been slaving for you,

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 said the elder son,

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 and never disobeyed your orders.

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 Yet,

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 you never gave me

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 even a young goat

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 so I could celebrate

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 with my friends.

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 Keller says,

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 this type of person

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 sits in church

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 Sunday by Sunday

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 with a shriveled soul

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 and doesn't even know it,

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 and actually thinks

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 it's justifiable

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 to look down their noses

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 at the rest of the world.

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 And they expect favor

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 with God

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 for behaving like that.

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 Two fundamental ways

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 you can alienate yourself

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 from God

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 if you want to.

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 One is by being judgmental

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 of those who don't keep the rules.

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 The other sort

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 of the people

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 who don't keep the rules

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 and just lead their lives

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 lead into degradation.

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 How tragic

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 and how sad.

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 What can we learn from this?

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 Well,

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 the first thing is,

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 there comes a point

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 in your life

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 when you need to have

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 a Holy Spirit moment

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 and come to your senses

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 and decide

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 what kind of life you want.

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 Do you want to do it

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 your way?

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 And isn't,

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 I mean,

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 that is a terrible temptation.

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 I would say

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 before I gave my life

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 to Christ,

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 there was one person

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 in my life,

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 it was called me.

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 Paul put it like this,

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 he said,

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 we dissatisfied

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 the desires of our flesh,

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 our earthly lusts.

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 If I was a Christian,

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 I didn't know

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 any other rules

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 to play by.

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 You do that,

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 you alienate yourself

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 from God.

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 There comes a moment.

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 I don't know,

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 this may be your moment today,

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 maybe even some of you

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 need to come to your senses

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 and allow the Holy Spirit

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 to prick your conscience

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 so that you might make a move.

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 And the second thing

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 we note in the story

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 is what's the right move

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 to make

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 for the younger son

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 and for the older son

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 and the move is this,

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 he threw himself

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 on the grace

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 of his father.

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 You know what he said?

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 He said,

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 I'm going to go

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 and see my dad.

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 I'm going to say to him,

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 Dad,

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 I know

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 I am no more worthy

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 to be called your son.

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 But if you'll have me back,

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 don't have me back

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 as a son,

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 have me back

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 as a hired hand

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 on your estate.

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 Just give me a chance,

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 will you?

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 You?

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 See, the way to avoid

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 either becoming

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 the younger son

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 or the elder son

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 if you are the younger son

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 and the way to stop

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 being the older son

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 if you're the older son

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 is to remember

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 that this God

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 is a God of grace.

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 His love

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 is deep love,

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 it's compassionate love

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 our story tells us,

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 but it's the kind of love

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 that's shown to you

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 when you don't deserve it.

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 That's why it's called grace

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 and that's why you need it

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 because you can't do anything

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 to earn that love of God.

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 God is love,

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 said John

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 in his epistle.

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 That means,

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 literally,

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 God cannot not love you.

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 But he loves you

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 even though you don't deserve it

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 and if you choose

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 to turn your back on him,

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 you will end up

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 somewhere along the line

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 with a messed up life.

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 What do you need to do?

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 Go to the throne of grace

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 and throw yourself upon it.

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 But if you're the kind of person

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 who has strong morals,

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 you're the kind of person

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 who's happy to quote

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 the Bible at people,

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 if you're the kind of person

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 who owns a Bible

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 as big as a paving slab,

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 and you're prepared

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 to go around town

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 beating people around the head

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 with it

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 till they submit,

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 and you have a very low view

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 of people

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 who don't keep the rules,

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 I think you need to do

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 the same thing.

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 I think you need to come back

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 to the throne of grace

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 and remember

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 who you are.

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 you are a forgiven sinner.

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 You have no right

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 to go around the planet

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 judging other people

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 and being self-righteous

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 and feeling great.

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 And how horrible

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 when that manifests itself

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 in the church.

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 The place where the love of God

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 should be shown

00:13:18.819 --> 00:13:22.739
 to people who don't deserve it.

00:13:22.740 --> 00:13:26.200
 And the third thing

00:13:26.200 --> 00:13:27.180
 that's amazing

00:13:27.180 --> 00:13:28.700
 about this story is

00:13:28.700 --> 00:13:33.259
 the father welcomes him home.

00:13:35.159 --> 00:13:38.120
 Even when he was a long way off,

00:13:38.180 --> 00:13:39.519
 his father saw him.

00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:43.720
 It was in the days before

00:13:43.720 --> 00:13:45.240
 very focal spectacles.

00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:49.000
 His father saw him.

00:13:50.460 --> 00:13:52.220
 And he gets out his best robe.

00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:56.820
 A mark of great honor.

00:13:57.759 --> 00:13:58.899
 He takes the ring

00:13:58.899 --> 00:13:59.879
 of his finger

00:13:59.879 --> 00:14:01.720
 and he gets the fatted calf

00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:02.440
 out of the shed,

00:14:02.580 --> 00:14:03.060
 poor thing.

00:14:06.419 --> 00:14:07.799
 And there's a party.

00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:09.919
 You remember elsewhere

00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:10.779
 Jesus said,

00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:12.759
 when one sinner repents,

00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:14.560
 there's a party in heaven.

00:14:15.240 --> 00:14:22.399
 It is amazing

00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:25.060
 that however much

00:14:25.060 --> 00:14:26.100
 we humans

00:14:26.100 --> 00:14:27.700
 test God,

00:14:29.080 --> 00:14:30.180
 however much

00:14:30.180 --> 00:14:31.519
 we provoke him,

00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:33.519
 however much

00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:34.820
 we choose to do things

00:14:34.820 --> 00:14:35.360
 our way

00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:36.700
 or we sit in churches

00:14:36.700 --> 00:14:37.680
 judging others,

00:14:37.899 --> 00:14:38.659
 at the moment

00:14:38.659 --> 00:14:39.980
 we come to our senses,

00:14:41.580 --> 00:14:43.399
 God says,

00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:44.840
 you know what?

00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:47.639
 I'm going to throw a party.

00:14:49.100 --> 00:14:49.940
 That's going to be

00:14:49.940 --> 00:14:50.560
 in your honor.

00:14:54.060 --> 00:14:57.899
 I try to imagine,

00:15:00.440 --> 00:15:01.500
 I mean this is not

00:15:01.500 --> 00:15:02.519
 a bad litmus test

00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:03.180
 for those of you

00:15:03.180 --> 00:15:04.120
 who are Christ followers,

00:15:04.279 --> 00:15:04.460
 right?

00:15:04.980 --> 00:15:05.940
 Try to imagine,

00:15:06.100 --> 00:15:07.680
 suppose in Cleveland

00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:11.039
 there was a very notorious person

00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:12.379
 who lived recklessly

00:15:12.379 --> 00:15:13.539
 and lived sinfully

00:15:13.539 --> 00:15:15.039
 and ended up living

00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:16.719
 a very degraded life

00:15:16.719 --> 00:15:18.479
 and became a menacing

00:15:18.479 --> 00:15:19.759
 kind of beggar downtown

00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:21.679
 and was in a...

00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:24.379
 You should ask yourself this.

00:15:25.500 --> 00:15:27.519
 If Clive bumped into him

00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:28.419
 in the street

00:15:28.419 --> 00:15:30.099
 and prayed with him

00:15:30.100 --> 00:15:31.300
 and this person

00:15:31.300 --> 00:15:32.840
 had a Holy Spirit moment

00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:33.360
 in the middle

00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:34.220
 of the high street

00:15:34.220 --> 00:15:35.440
 and Clive brought him

00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:36.420
 to church on Sunday

00:15:36.420 --> 00:15:36.740
 and said,

00:15:36.820 --> 00:15:37.220
 you know what?

00:15:37.259 --> 00:15:38.320
 We're staying on afterwards

00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:39.240
 because we're going to

00:15:39.240 --> 00:15:40.639
 throw a party for this guy

00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:42.220
 because this fellow

00:15:42.220 --> 00:15:42.840
 who was dead

00:15:42.840 --> 00:15:44.159
 is now alive.

00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:48.480
 How many of you

00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:48.919
 would come?

00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:52.879
 How many of you

00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:53.839
 would throw your hats

00:15:53.839 --> 00:15:54.459
 in the air?

00:15:55.620 --> 00:15:56.539
 How many of you

00:15:56.539 --> 00:15:57.519
 would go out your way

00:15:57.519 --> 00:15:58.579
 to help this person

00:15:58.579 --> 00:15:59.819
 get back on their feet?

00:15:59.879 --> 00:16:00.439
 Well, I know

00:16:00.439 --> 00:16:01.459
 there are some people

00:16:01.459 --> 00:16:01.839
 out there

00:16:01.839 --> 00:16:02.959
 who really would do that.

00:16:04.620 --> 00:16:06.240
 I know there are some people

00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:06.919
 who'd even bring

00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:08.559
 their musical instruments along

00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:10.059
 to make the party go better.

00:16:11.199 --> 00:16:12.699
 And maybe a bottle of

00:16:12.700 --> 00:16:14.940
 Let me just say

00:16:14.940 --> 00:16:15.879
 for you sensitive people

00:16:15.879 --> 00:16:16.780
 a bottle of squash.

00:16:23.220 --> 00:16:24.520
 You can see

00:16:24.520 --> 00:16:26.480
 can you not?

00:16:27.580 --> 00:16:28.820
 Why Tim Keller says

00:16:28.820 --> 00:16:30.040
 this story is about

00:16:30.040 --> 00:16:30.900
 the Father's love

00:16:30.900 --> 00:16:32.280
 but it's also about

00:16:32.280 --> 00:16:34.180
 our human behaviors

00:16:34.180 --> 00:16:35.600
 and the best way

00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:36.720
 to alienate God

00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:37.879
 if you want to.

00:16:39.879 --> 00:16:40.879
 But of course

00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:41.520
 to go back

00:16:41.520 --> 00:16:42.680
 to the Western churches

00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:43.299
 tradition

00:16:43.299 --> 00:16:45.319
 you have to marvel

00:16:45.319 --> 00:16:46.959
 at the Father's love.

00:16:49.179 --> 00:16:49.679
 And dance

00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:51.339
 we need to listen up

00:16:51.339 --> 00:16:52.419
 about this stuff.

00:16:53.899 --> 00:16:55.219
 One of the first things

00:16:55.219 --> 00:16:56.379
 that strikes me

00:16:56.379 --> 00:16:57.699
 about this story

00:16:57.699 --> 00:16:59.279
 and this is such

00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:00.439
 a horrendous thing

00:17:00.439 --> 00:17:01.279
 for all parents

00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:02.099
 not just dads

00:17:02.099 --> 00:17:03.379
 but for mums as well.

00:17:04.619 --> 00:17:06.059
 When you get to a moment

00:17:06.059 --> 00:17:08.059
 where your child's behavior

00:17:08.059 --> 00:17:09.720
 has been so difficult

00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:12.880
 has been so disruptive

00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:14.279
 has so wrecked

00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:15.360
 your family life

00:17:15.360 --> 00:17:16.559
 has made it hard

00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:17.240
 for siblings

00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:18.339
 etc. etc.

00:17:18.600 --> 00:17:20.039
 That love sometimes

00:17:20.039 --> 00:17:20.539
 demands

00:17:20.539 --> 00:17:21.319
 that you've got to

00:17:21.319 --> 00:17:21.759
 let go.

00:17:24.259 --> 00:17:25.059
 The son

00:17:25.059 --> 00:17:26.539
 came to the father

00:17:26.539 --> 00:17:28.420
 insulted him greatly

00:17:28.420 --> 00:17:30.059
 said give me my share

00:17:30.059 --> 00:17:30.700
 of the stuff

00:17:30.700 --> 00:17:31.860
 and the father did

00:17:31.859 --> 00:17:32.639
 let him go.

00:17:34.639 --> 00:17:35.579
 Same kind of thing

00:17:35.579 --> 00:17:36.619
 happened on that boat

00:17:36.619 --> 00:17:37.019
 wasn't it

00:17:37.019 --> 00:17:37.579
 that Jonah

00:17:37.579 --> 00:17:38.519
 set sail on

00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:39.599
 because Jonah

00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:40.559
 was supposed to go

00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:41.639
 to Nineveh

00:17:41.639 --> 00:17:42.159
 and he decided

00:17:42.159 --> 00:17:42.959
 I'm not doing that

00:17:42.959 --> 00:17:43.919
 I'm going to Tarshish

00:17:43.919 --> 00:17:45.119
 so he gets on a boat

00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:46.139
 going exactly the

00:17:46.139 --> 00:17:47.159
 opposite direction

00:17:47.159 --> 00:17:48.839
 and they run into a storm

00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:50.079
 and the mariners

00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:50.599
 on the boat

00:17:50.599 --> 00:17:51.699
 saying whose fault

00:17:51.699 --> 00:17:52.079
 is this

00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:53.279
 and Jonah runs up

00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:55.720
 and the mariners

00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:56.819
 these must have been

00:17:56.819 --> 00:17:58.339
 gracious pagan people

00:17:58.339 --> 00:18:00.399
 they're a little nervous

00:18:00.399 --> 00:18:01.240
 about throwing him

00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:01.819
 overboard

00:18:01.819 --> 00:18:02.839
 so that the stone

00:18:02.839 --> 00:18:04.019
 right

00:18:04.019 --> 00:18:05.980
 but in the end

00:18:05.980 --> 00:18:07.119
 for the greater good

00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:09.220
 of Jonah

00:18:09.220 --> 00:18:11.859
 they had to throw him

00:18:11.859 --> 00:18:13.039
 off the boat

00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:15.279
 into a turbulent sea

00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:17.539
 I cannot answer

00:18:17.539 --> 00:18:18.699
 this question for you

00:18:18.700 --> 00:18:19.680
 but I know

00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:20.700
 that for some of you

00:18:20.700 --> 00:18:21.740
 you'll have had to

00:18:21.740 --> 00:18:22.519
 come to a point

00:18:22.519 --> 00:18:23.279
 in your lives

00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:24.500
 where you have to decide

00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:26.980
 is loving my child

00:18:26.980 --> 00:18:30.279
 occasionally about

00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:30.819
 throwing him

00:18:30.819 --> 00:18:31.440
 off the boat

00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:37.220
 but if that love

00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:38.319
 sometimes needs

00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:38.840
 to let go

00:18:38.840 --> 00:18:39.799
 that love needs

00:18:39.799 --> 00:18:41.059
 to retain hope

00:18:41.059 --> 00:18:42.180
 I guess

00:18:42.180 --> 00:18:43.660
 in our story

00:18:43.660 --> 00:18:44.880
 in the father's mind

00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:45.720
 there must always

00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:46.660
 have been the hope

00:18:46.660 --> 00:18:47.660
 hope

00:18:47.660 --> 00:18:50.600
 that his son

00:18:50.600 --> 00:18:51.460
 might come home

00:18:51.460 --> 00:18:55.140
 you know why

00:18:55.140 --> 00:18:58.360
 for those of you

00:18:58.360 --> 00:19:00.060
 who are stuck

00:19:00.060 --> 00:19:00.880
 in your sin

00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:03.300
 for those of you

00:19:03.300 --> 00:19:04.700
 who have decided

00:19:04.700 --> 00:19:05.440
 you're going to live

00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:06.380
 life your way

00:19:06.380 --> 00:19:09.880
 I think your father

00:19:09.880 --> 00:19:10.340
 in heaven

00:19:10.340 --> 00:19:11.320
 retains hope

00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:13.859
 that you might

00:19:13.859 --> 00:19:14.599
 have a moment

00:19:14.599 --> 00:19:15.439
 when you come

00:19:15.439 --> 00:19:16.259
 to your senses

00:19:16.259 --> 00:19:17.460
 and decide

00:19:17.460 --> 00:19:18.379
 that you will

00:19:18.379 --> 00:19:19.379
 return home

00:19:19.379 --> 00:19:21.720
 what I love

00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:22.379
 about the love

00:19:22.379 --> 00:19:23.460
 about the love

00:19:23.460 --> 00:19:24.039
 of the father

00:19:24.039 --> 00:19:24.839
 in this story

00:19:24.839 --> 00:19:25.119
 is

00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:26.679
 it was so pregnant

00:19:26.679 --> 00:19:27.460
 with risk

00:19:27.460 --> 00:19:30.279
 some of you

00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:30.579
 are sitting

00:19:30.579 --> 00:19:31.079
 thinking

00:19:31.079 --> 00:19:32.039
 if that was

00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:32.620
 my son

00:19:32.620 --> 00:19:33.220
 coming home

00:19:33.220 --> 00:19:33.920
 after spending

00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:34.900
 a bunch of money

00:19:34.900 --> 00:19:36.160
 I wouldn't be sure

00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:36.799
 he wasn't coming

00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:37.279
 home asking

00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:38.160
 for a bit more

00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:41.860
 not this father

00:19:41.860 --> 00:19:45.480
 this father

00:19:45.480 --> 00:19:46.759
 before he even

00:19:46.759 --> 00:19:47.579
 knows why

00:19:47.579 --> 00:19:48.079
 his son

00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:49.059
 is coming back

00:19:49.059 --> 00:19:51.779
 gets out

00:19:51.779 --> 00:19:52.980
 his robe

00:19:52.980 --> 00:19:54.100
 and his ring

00:19:54.099 --> 00:19:56.439
 and throws

00:19:56.439 --> 00:19:57.119
 a party

00:19:57.119 --> 00:20:00.980
 and in our

00:20:00.980 --> 00:20:02.019
 text today

00:20:02.019 --> 00:20:03.519
 it says

00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:04.519
 he put his arms

00:20:04.519 --> 00:20:05.299
 around the child

00:20:05.299 --> 00:20:06.079
 literally what

00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:06.819
 that means is

00:20:06.819 --> 00:20:08.119
 he opened

00:20:08.119 --> 00:20:08.959
 his arms

00:20:08.959 --> 00:20:10.059
 wide to his

00:20:10.059 --> 00:20:10.480
 child

00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:13.519
 this story

00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:14.740
 never happened

00:20:14.740 --> 00:20:15.719
 it's a parable

00:20:15.719 --> 00:20:16.259
 it's not

00:20:16.259 --> 00:20:17.019
 history

00:20:17.019 --> 00:20:19.419
 but my goodness

00:20:19.419 --> 00:20:20.679
 it speaks

00:20:20.679 --> 00:20:21.419
 straight into

00:20:21.419 --> 00:20:21.959
 the heart

00:20:21.959 --> 00:20:22.639
 of our human

00:20:22.639 --> 00:20:23.459
 situation

00:20:23.460 --> 00:20:24.259
 does it not

00:20:24.259 --> 00:20:26.600
 for surely

00:20:26.600 --> 00:20:27.759
 the climax

00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:28.799
 of the whole

00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:29.360
 gospel

00:20:29.360 --> 00:20:31.480
 is about

00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:32.000
 a God

00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:33.140
 who opens

00:20:33.140 --> 00:20:33.799
 his arms

00:20:33.799 --> 00:20:35.019
 on a cross

00:20:35.019 --> 00:20:37.940
 and the moment

00:20:37.940 --> 00:20:38.980
 we respond

00:20:38.980 --> 00:20:40.000
 to that death

00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:41.960
 that sacrificial

00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:42.420
 death

00:20:42.420 --> 00:20:43.019
 the moment

00:20:43.019 --> 00:20:43.920
 we respond

00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:44.960
 to God's grace

00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:46.100
 in faith

00:20:46.100 --> 00:20:47.039
 on the cross

00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:47.819
 of Calvary

00:20:47.819 --> 00:20:50.860
 Bible says

00:20:50.860 --> 00:20:51.720
 there's a party

00:20:51.720 --> 00:20:52.819
 in heaven

00:20:52.819 --> 00:20:55.779
 and your name

00:20:55.779 --> 00:20:57.279
 is on that

00:20:57.279 --> 00:20:57.779
 party

00:20:57.779 --> 00:21:03.639
 this story

00:21:03.639 --> 00:21:04.639
 takes us

00:21:04.639 --> 00:21:05.500
 to the heart

00:21:05.500 --> 00:21:06.740
 of the human

00:21:06.740 --> 00:21:07.439
 condition

00:21:07.439 --> 00:21:11.799
 God

00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:13.599
 won't force

00:21:13.599 --> 00:21:14.480
 anybody

00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:15.619
 to come

00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:16.039
 to their

00:21:16.039 --> 00:21:16.500
 senses

00:21:16.500 --> 00:21:19.339
 won't force

00:21:19.339 --> 00:21:20.319
 anybody

00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:21.720
 to throw

00:21:21.720 --> 00:21:22.299
 themselves

00:21:22.299 --> 00:21:23.279
 on the throne

00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:23.960
 of grace

00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:26.519
 but whether

00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:27.700
 you are

00:21:27.700 --> 00:21:28.179
 the younger

00:21:28.179 --> 00:21:28.700
 child

00:21:28.700 --> 00:21:30.740
 or whether

00:21:30.740 --> 00:21:31.439
 you are

00:21:31.439 --> 00:21:32.079
 the older

00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:32.639
 child

00:21:32.639 --> 00:21:34.960
 the remedy

00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:35.919
 is the same

00:21:35.919 --> 00:21:38.599
 throw yourself

00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:41.119
 throw yourself

00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:43.240
 on the throne

00:21:43.240 --> 00:21:43.899
 of grace

00:21:43.900 --> 00:21:46.460
 and you will

00:21:46.460 --> 00:21:47.060
 find that

00:21:47.060 --> 00:21:47.460
 the love

00:21:47.460 --> 00:21:47.920
 of God

00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:48.540
 is higher

00:21:48.540 --> 00:21:49.080
 broader

00:21:49.080 --> 00:21:49.620
 deeper

00:21:49.620 --> 00:21:50.680
 than you

00:21:50.680 --> 00:21:51.220
 could ever

00:21:51.220 --> 00:21:51.740
 imagine

00:21:51.740 --> 00:21:53.780
 and you

00:21:53.780 --> 00:21:54.519
 will discover

00:21:54.519 --> 00:21:55.300
 that your

00:21:55.300 --> 00:21:56.400
 life can be

00:21:56.400 --> 00:21:57.200
 transformed

00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:58.080
 more into

00:21:58.080 --> 00:21:58.940
 the likeness

00:21:58.940 --> 00:22:00.860
 of the son

00:22:00.860 --> 00:22:01.660
 Jesus

00:22:01.660 --> 00:22:03.140
 and you

00:22:03.140 --> 00:22:03.880
 really can

00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:05.540
 start to

00:22:05.540 --> 00:22:05.960
 become

00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:07.240
 the person

00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:07.720
 that God

00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:08.180
 wants you

00:22:08.180 --> 00:22:08.580
 to be

00:22:08.579 --> 00:22:10.720
 when he

00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:11.480
 was still

00:22:11.480 --> 00:22:12.679
 far off

00:22:12.679 --> 00:22:14.659
 says the

00:22:14.659 --> 00:22:15.359
 father saw

00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:15.819
 him and was

00:22:15.819 --> 00:22:16.319
 filled with

00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:16.819
 compassion

00:22:16.819 --> 00:22:17.119
 for him

00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:17.519
 he ran

00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:17.879
 to his

00:22:17.879 --> 00:22:18.079
 son

00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:18.539
 threw his

00:22:18.539 --> 00:22:18.819
 arms

00:22:18.819 --> 00:22:19.480
 around him

00:22:19.480 --> 00:22:20.039
 and kissed

00:22:20.039 --> 00:22:20.379
 him

00:22:20.379 --> 00:22:22.480
 the older

00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:22.960
 brother

00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:25.220
 hears what's

00:22:25.220 --> 00:22:25.619
 happened

00:22:25.619 --> 00:22:27.559
 and becomes

00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:28.159
 angry

00:22:28.159 --> 00:22:30.799
 the younger

00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:31.240
 son

00:22:31.240 --> 00:22:32.679
 came to

00:22:32.679 --> 00:22:33.240
 his senses

00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:35.799
 the older

00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:36.259
 son

00:22:36.259 --> 00:22:37.279
 doesn't

00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:39.139
 and the

00:22:39.139 --> 00:22:39.660
 difference

00:22:39.660 --> 00:22:41.220
 is utterly

00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:41.779
 amazing