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rookie
Member



Joined: 2003/6/3
Posts: 4821
Savannah TN

 Re:

Sister Annie wrote:

Quote:
Why do we fear Mercy so much ?

I keep thinking that, he who is forgiven much, loves much and mercy produces a gratitude and love that makes the forgiven one desire to PLEASE the One Who forgave them.



Judgements that are brought into our lives by God, are part of the substance which defines His love for us. The psalmist feared God's judgements upon himself, yet as a child he began to learn how God loves him. The substance of God's judgements teach what is not right in the heart and mind of the one God loves. As one receives the chasening of the Lord, one also learns of the things that seperate us from Him and cause us to sin against one another. As the Lord teaches us His ways, as a loving Father, we learn of a love that causes light to shine upon our dark minds. As we come to the point, where the prodigal son recognized his hopelessness in the things he pursued, we too remember the peace that we once had. We too return to His doorstep.

When this happens, our Father, waiting with arms open, receives us with joy and gladness. These moments bring to us an appreciation or understanding of the word "mercy." The depth of understanding, of realizing His mercy grows in our hearts as we are conformed into the image of His Son. These things that the psalmist learns to cherish in his own life, the judgements, followed by the mercy, are the things which cause our hearts to sing.

To those who continually grow by receiving His judgements, to those who are forgiven much, they also are now ready to forgive much and thus be delivered spiriually from the mistakes, or the lack of mercy of the old brother in us.

Mercy, like repentance is something that God can only bring. As a believer, we must only continue in the path that He has brought light upon Today. Submitting to the leading of His Spirit will bring to us the same understanding that the psalmist speaks of in Psalm 119.

In Christ
Jeff


_________________
Jeff Marshalek

 2006/3/18 10:51Profile
roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re: A little boy - already an older brother

I received this email:

Yesterday when I went to pick up Luke (6yo) at the Church Bible camp, he had a drawing that he had worked on called a FORGIVENESS BUBBLE . On this drawing there were some children playing basketball. When I asked him what it was about, he said that it was an imaginary picture of a boy pushing him down and cracking his head. He would be out cold for a month or so. When he wakes up he would forgive the other boy. “But the boy would sure have to say a lot of “Sorry's” to him!! “

Luke must not have listened to the whole story at church or decided just to miss the point. Of course, we had the long forgiveness talk afterward - but like in your article, it seems these attitudes are planted in us very young. I praise God for his great mercy!

Quote:
Submitting to the leading of His Spirit will bring to us the same understanding that the psalmist speaks of in Psalm 119.


Might I suggest that we are all born the "older brother" and that colors everything we hear about mercy and forgiveness, just like this little boy. Even the entire Bible and our understanding of God is tainted in our minds till we have been set free by grace.
Diane


_________________
Diane

 2006/3/18 12:10Profile









 Re: A Most Unreasonable Father


Diane,

I see the title of your post, but I have no idea what you think is wrong with the little boy's account of how the two imaginary people are going to make up. How is anyone who has not already received the forgiveness of THE Father, any way at all of understanding anything deeper?

Isn't that the whole point of the prodigal story... the younger son [i][u]had[/u] to go away [u]and spend[/u] his natural inheritance[/i] before there was any chance of him understanding his Father's higher, unconditional love? It cannot be theorised about or 'taught'.

 2006/3/18 12:18









 Re: A Most Unreasonable Father

Quote:
( I'm trying to paint the story through the eyes of the older brother - in order to help us identify with the possibility of "older brother" thinking within us. Repentance does not impress the "older brother" He was looking for justice and good behavior)



Diane, I do see where your coming from and what angle your using. I think that everyone who has responded are trying to defend the prodigal and missing the whole point.

I do see the older brother as the law, I do not know what the younger son represents. He could represent the gentiles.

But something that I've noticed here is that while the Father has given His inheritance to the boy, when he returns he's been given more. The factor to me is that the son became contrite in which the Father responds to those who have a broken and contrite heart.

Has anyone ever considered that the Older Brother might be Jesus? It's just a thought, it's not etched in stone for me, but I do want us to consider it. Listen to what the Father says to the older son.

Luke 15:31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

You are ever with me!
All that I have is yours!

If you notice in the KJV that the word 'S' in Son is capitalized. If it was at the beginning of the sentence it would be different, but it's not.

Most likely it's a weak arguement.

 2006/3/18 12:45









 Re: A most unreasonable Father


Quote:
Has anyone ever considered that the Older Brother might be Jesus? It's just a thought, it's not etched in stone for me, but I do want us to consider it. Listen to what the Father says to the older son.

You put into words what I got when I heard those words read out by GW North.... the Father's love for The Son.... the one who would take responsibility for his estate, when He became the fulfilment of [u]all[/u] His Father's life/plan.

 2006/3/18 13:02
roadsign
Member



Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777


 Re:the firstborn

Quote:
Isn't that the whole point of the prodigal story... the younger son had to go away and spend his natural inheritance before there was any chance of him understanding his Father's higher, unconditional love? It cannot be theorised about or 'taught'.


Exactly, I think that was the point I was trying to make. With that in view, I think that we have to be careful not to picture the older brother as a villain. He is just natural man. Can we expect any different? Personally, I have often felt sorry for the older brother - I know, personally how hard it it is to get past the blindness.

Quote:
Has anyone ever considered that the Older Brother might be Jesus?


In position: yes. In destiny: no
The firstborn in Egypt was struck down.
The first born of the Israelites was dedicated to God, and redeemed by an offering.

God's first born was struck down.
He was also the offering.

One first born became death, the other life.

How tragic that the firstborn in the parable did not know his firstborn inheritance in Christ.
Apart from the atoning sacrifice, he will be struck down.

Quote:
I do see the older brother as the law,


the Old Covenant
Abraham's firstborn:Ishmael-not the child of the Promise.
the "law brings wrath". Rom. 4:15

so.... two kinds of firstborns - the law, and Christ.

Is that where you are going with this, Loveslave?
Diane


_________________
Diane

 2006/3/18 13:36Profile









 Re:

Quote:

Has anyone ever considered that the Older Brother might be Jesus?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What on earth ? Don't we 'KNOW' HIM ?

I'm sorry but this is getting over the top now.

Are we so removed from Scripture now that we see "Jesus" complaining to the Father about MERCY ?

I need to move on. This, sit and discuss things until they are unrecognizable from Scripture anymore, is getting too much.

Diane, thank you for trying to make a nice thread and a Prodigal party. I did find the joy in that.

Take care please and my heart is here at SI.
Annie

 2006/3/18 17:50
rookie
Member



Joined: 2003/6/3
Posts: 4821
Savannah TN

 Re:

Sister Diane wrote:

Quote:
Even the entire Bible and our understanding of God is tainted in our minds till we have been set free by grace.



The type of judgement, correction, that is revealed in Psalm 119 is meant to remove that which taints our minds. The grace of God brings change of heart and mind to those who listen to the Holy Spirit. As one learns from the Father one will be more like the Son. Mercy is only understood through repentance. What is learned from the chasening of the Lord is not pleasant but afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

To show godly mercy to another is depended upon how much we have learned from the Father's discipline. Mercy reveals to us the faithfulness of Christ to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In Christ
Jeff


_________________
Jeff Marshalek

 2006/3/18 18:49Profile









 Re:

Quote:
so.... two kinds of firstborns - the law, and Christ.


Thank you Diane, you explained that better than I could. And Dorcas, I think your on to something.

Thanks for reading into my post.

 2006/3/18 18:53









 Re: A most unreasonable Father


The other thing is, of course, that as we are in Him (Jesus) we hear the Father saying to us 'Thou are ever with me. All that I have is thine'. I heard that also, in the tones and gentle emphasis, which the reader placed on those words.

Romans 8
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and [u]joint-heirs with Christ[/u]; [b]if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together[/b].

Our reproach comes after we have identified ourselves with Him. His reproach was for identifying Himself with us... the Father identifying himself with the prodigal.

 2006/3/20 10:20





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