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Good Father

In Luke 15, Jesus talks about a good father. He tells this to the sinners and tax collectors who come to him as well as the Pharisees and scribes. Jesus tells about a good father who loves the sinner who leaves the father and the family and waste his life away as well as the son who is at home living a life living a life where he obeys the father without knowing who the father is. The father is God - the one who calls both the sinner and the self righteous alike, loving both of them. Genuine repentance involves two main things.

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  • Change of heart
  • Coming to God
Jesus talks about the issue with human heart in both the cases. The younger one found the world and its pleasures lovely and the elder one feared and considered the father unjust. This is same in the Church and across human heart. The unbeliever does not want to do anything with God and the church going unbeliever goes just to make sure that they are not wrong.
Jesus came to adopt and bring home the lost sons. This is the gospel. The sinner is saved (justified) and is adopted into the family of God

----- NOTES -----

esus is preaching and tax collectors and sinners were drawing near.

This man eats with tax collectors and sinners.


3 Stories


Lost coin, lost son, lost sheep

  1. If a sinner repents there will be joy (let the sinner hear the gospel)

  2. Even if it is just one sinner, he is precious in heaven -- What bring Joy in heaven?

  3. There is a good father


Story:

  1. Shame honor culture

  2. Dad i wish you were dead ( did he have a good relationship)

  3. Where is the older brother

  4. Will a normal indian father do this?

  5. The younger son sells everything for cheap

  6. Take me in a hired servent: kooli … ( permanent servent vs kooli)

  7. What should the father do? - the culture mandated that there should be restitution … no reconciliation without restitution 


But the father runs, --- does any dignified man run? 


 Embraced --- instead of embarrassing the loafer, he embraces him


(the boy did not say take me as koooli - because he saw the grace in his father) --- he only asks for forgiveness because he sees that this father is not a normal father 


adopts him in to the family - gives him dignity and value


they celebrate -- what? The point of repentance 


Brothers we have been adopted: 

You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, you are a people for God's possession .1 pet 2:9

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. Galatians 3:26. Remember: A Father will chasen you. 

Roms 8:17


The second part:


There are people who say, just say this prayer, just do this thing, just say the nicene creed - brother this just thing does not work.


"God's problem today is not communism, nor yet Romanism, nor liberalism, nor modernism.

God's problem is - dead fundamentalism!" 

"Elijah made it as difficult as he could for the Lord. He wanted fire, but yet he soaked the sacrifice with water! God loves such holy boldness in our prayers. "Ask of Me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.


The liberal says the end of religion is to make man happy while he's alive, and the fundamentalist says the end of religion is to make man happy when he dies.

The end of all being is the glory of God."



Story (pharasees)

  1. There was an older brother

  2. He lived also in that house

  3. He too was there -- was he really there?

  4. He heard the music and he did not come into the house (shalom)

  5. He was angry at his father - was he right - yes, this was an insult

  6. But did he do anything - no - he stood out --did he love his father?

  7. Who came out --- his father -- who ran -- the father (is this your culture?)

  8. His father entreated him -- even in moves we see only mums say it 

  9. Look! - the elder wants his points clear

    1. I served you (was he a servent?)

    2. I never disobeyed you ( he is keeping count)

    3. YOU DID NOT GIVE ME A GOAT - really??  Did he not have the right?

    4. I want to be with my friends  - not with you

    5. This son of yours -- i have nothing to do with him

  10. My Son!

  11. You are always with me - you are mine

  12. All i have is yours - you have everything




Points

  1. True gospel talks about repentance (Matthew 3:8, Luke 3:8) - what does the boy want? Nothing , just to be in the presence of a good father - he knows that there is nothing worth - yet he knows there is a good father … he repents for his shameful behaviour - lustful living, proud life- 

  2. True Gospel brings in the knowledge of adoption or sonship … not every one is son.

  3. There are two types of sinners: the immoral and the hypocrite

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