*How can we be sure we are accepted by Christ?
*The normal perspective would be
"Good people go to heaven."
*The problem is,
we will never know if were good enough
*We live in fear of God. We have no idea whether He would accept us. The saying goes, "I don't know if I'm good enough"
*If we know our good works are suppose to be achieved, its a task,
theres no choice and we sometimes don't find the joy in doing it
*
Christianity is nothing like that at all!
*
Luke 15: 1-2: Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
*Luke 15:11-32: Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. he longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. 'So they began to celebrate.
"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
*The religious leaders ask "Why are you (Jesus) hanging out with sinners?
*In the story of the prodigal son Jesus told, the youngest son wished his dad was dead so that he will get his father's inheritance
*In a middle eastern patriarchal society, it was surprising that the father did not act aggressively but agreed
*Fathers would not run but the son's father ran after seeing his youngest son from afar. The youngest son wanted to pronounce his speech but instead, his father hugged and kissed him
*That is what it is like to be part of the Christian faith
*
We are never worthy to be called sons/daughters if we work hard, we become sons and daughters by faith
*
Grace is not just giving something undeserving, it is giving more than something undeserving
*
Mercy says "I will forgive you" but Grace says "I will adopt you as sons and daughters"
*Jesus' heart is for sinners and unbelievers
*The older brother in the story can be represented as the Pharisee, acting self- righteous
*The younger brother knew his sin and knew that the only person to go back was his father even though he hurt his father the most
*He knew what was the meaning of brokenness
Tim Keller
"If you want God's grace, all you need is need. All you need is nothing"
*
The rebellious do not WANT God but the self- righteous do not NEED God
*
The only way we could bring self-righteous and rebellion together is to let both experience brokenness
*The Father takes those who are broken and hugs and kisses them
1. Your sin is much greater than you think
*Sin is failing to hit the bullseye
*We fail to meet God's will
*Our sin is much deeper, deceptive and dangerous than we think
Flanery O Conner
"The way to avoid Jesus was to avoid sin"
*If they just lie a life full of good deeds, they don't need a Saviour
2. Jesus spent most of His time rebuking the self-righteous
*The self-righteous do not realize that their broken again and again
*We don't weep and cry over sin because we think we are acceptable of doing good
*Common saying :
"Some people have Jesus as their Saviour but not as their Lord"
*They just want something from God but not develop a relationship with Him
*Jesus doesn't bother much about that but the real problem is :
What the parable says
"The real danger is that many have Jesus as their Lord but not as their Saviour"
*Do you know what it's like to weep over sin and have the Lord throw His arms around you?
3. People tend to convert from being rebellious to become self-righteous
*This is dangerous and that is what Jesus is afraid of.
*Everything we do comes down to this:
"We can be forgiven. He is pleading and crying out for you to come into His arms"
*When Jesus declares
"It is finished", all our good works do not count because He has forgiven and died on the cross for us already.
**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**
