Sermon Central
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Stay In The Father's Presence
Contributed by Charles Banks on Jul 19, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: This sermon analyzes the perils that can be unnecessarily experienced when we choose to stray away from the Provision of GOD to go after what we want out of life!
“Stay In The Father’s Presence!!!”
11. And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18. I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
Consider this:
v. 12 “give me”
These two words clearly shows us that whatever it is that is about to be asked for is not actually his to begin with and may not have been earned either. Notice that he is requesting his portions of his father’s earnings and wealth, but it is never pointed out that he ever did anything to earn what he has requested. How much does this actually describe us today? How much do we ask GOD for that we know we really do not deserve? This verse outlines the principle of Grace for us to see in that something has the possibility of being given that obviously has not been earned by the person that is asking for it or that it will be bestowed upon!
v. 12 “he divided unto them”
This phrase points out to us that the father did not merely grant the younger son what he requested but also practiced the principle of fairness by giving just as much to the older son who had not made the request! This should serve as an example that it is right to treat everyone with the same manner of respect and not be driven by biased or preconceived notions!
v. 13 “not many days after”
How many times have we made countless mistakes all because we did not take the ample time to properly figure out what the best course of action was? We often make the wrong decisions when we move too fast and have not consulted GOD as to what would be the best thing to do in a situation! (Proverbs 3:5-6)
v. 13 “into a far country”
No doubt this young man wanted o get as far away from home as he possibly could! He may have even been trying to get away from anyone that knew him, his father, or anyone associated with his father! Why is it that when we decide we want to do something that might not be pleasing to our Father that we do as this young man and try to get as far away from His presence and the presence of His people as we think we can get? This young man no doubt settled somewhere where he was assured that his father was not known so he could do whatever he wanted to do. We, however, tend to forget that we can not go anywhere that the Presence of GOD is not already there! (Psalms 139:7-12)
v. 13 “wasted his substance with riotous living”
There is definitely no doubt in this verse that this type of living must have not been tolerated in his father’s house! It is amazing what we will do when we are left to ourselves to try and discover who we really are individually! His esteem, though false, is high at this point and he does not have a care in the world but to make sure that he satisfies his flesh in whatever ways he can! We should also be able to see ourselves in this scenario also, though it may be in a very different way! When we decide to do things like we want to do them and not how GOD has said it to be done, we also waste not only our substance but ourselves as well only to find…….
v. 14 “when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land”
Analyze this verse carefully and it should be noticed that the famine apparently inflicts only the land where he is dwelling! Also notice that the famine, amazingly, did not start until after he had wasted all of what he came to this land with! It is often mind-boggling to consider past troubles and how many of them came along at a time when we were not prepared to deal with them in one way or another (though we may have been not long before the troubles arrived)! The famine not only catches him at a time where he has nothing left, but also at a time where he has ventured as far away from home as he could get! When he left home, he meant to go as far away as he did never stopping to consider that he would ever need to go back home for any reason. How many times have we wasted what GOD has Blessed us with doing stuff that GOD did not lead us to do with the Blessing only to end up needing that substance (whatever it may have been) at a time soon after when we no longer have it???
