Gtcotr/ss012713
At
some point you will become responsible to fix something that breaks … even if
you’re not the one who broke it. Turn with me to:
Luke 15 NKJV
11 Then 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
falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.
13 "And not many days
after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and
there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
14 "But when he had
spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in
want.
15 "Then 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 gladly
have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 "But when he came to
himself, he said, ’How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and
to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 ’I will arise and go to my
father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before you,
19 "and I am no longer
worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."’
20 "And he arose and
came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him
and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
21 "And the son said to
him, ’Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer
worthy to be called your son.’
22 "But the father said
to his servants, ’Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a
ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
23 ’And bring the fatted calf
here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
24 ’for this my son was dead
and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25 "Now his older son
was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and
dancing.
26 "So he called one of
the servants and asked what these things meant.
27 "And he said to him,
’Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your
father has killed the fatted calf.’
28 "But he was angry and
would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.
29 "So he answered and
said to his father, ’Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I
never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a
young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.
30 ’But as soon as this son
of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the
fatted calf for him.’
31 "And he said to him,
’Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.
32 ’It was right that we
should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again,
and was lost and is found.’"
The
older son had reason to be cautious concerning his wasteful young brother.
However, he was wrong to resist his father’s decision. The older son would not
go into the house. Although he was in the family he was not in the house. We
can be in the family and yet miss all that is in the house.
What
was in the house?
1.
There was Joy in the
house.
2.
There was Meat in the
house.
3.
There was Restoration &
Relationship in the house.
Not
only these, but the abiding presence of the Father was in the house.
At
times people who are in the family miss out on so much because they won’t come
in. They refuse to get closer and they end up angry and isolated. Instead of
helping to fix things, they make things worse. There is a difference between
having a problem and being a problem.
Every
father, including our Heavenly Father, wants His family to get along. It’s
possible that in order to please our Heavenly Father that we must be willing to Get Closer to Change. Let’s
not forget that we are one family, one body – and only when we are a part does
our part mean something. (1 Corinthians 12:27 - The Message) – Be a part of the
Father’s joy – enter in!
