220 - The Father's Love Leads Us to Repentance 8#
220 - The Father's Love Leads Us to Repentance 8
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The Father's Love Leads Us to Repentance Lecture 8
The scripture is from Luke 15:28-32,
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 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. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 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.’”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank you for preparing this time for Your children to worship and praise You together. In the process of worship, we enjoy the joy of being in Your presence. We commit this time to the Holy Spirit, You let us feel Your presence in this word, using this word in our lives to understand the Father's love, turning to You in all things, repenting to You daily. Thank you and praise the Lord! Bless every brother and sister who seeks You. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord! We are now proceeding with the Father's love leading us to repentance. Here is a story: a father has two sons, an older son and a younger son. The younger son is under grace, wanting something, he directly tells his father. One day he said to his father: Father, please give me my share of the estate. I want to leave you. The father said nothing and divided his property between them. The younger son went out. After leaving his father, he squandered his wealth in wild living, and finally, one day, he ran out of money, and his friends left him. In desperation, he went to work for someone in that country, feeding pigs to survive. One day he could no longer endure it because he wanted to eat what the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
At that moment, he remembered that in his father’s house, there is plenty of food, and the hired hands are better off than here. So he thought of returning home. His father accepted him back, not only did he not make him a hired hand, but he restored him to the position of son and let him sit at the feast. During this process, his older brother returned from the field, a diligent man, who on the surface seemed refined, did not use foul language, and respected his father.
When he returned from working in the field, he heard music and dancing in the house. He asked one of the servants, “What is going on? Has a distinguished guest arrived?” The servant said, “No, your brother has come home, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.” Because of this, the older brother became very angry and refused to go in. Even when the father came out to plead with him, he still refused to go in. Here, we must understand that both sons are lost sons.
What is the purpose of Jesus telling this story? It is not to let us learn from the older son, nor from the younger son, but to help us recognize the love of this father. Amen! Both sons are lost; the only difference is that the younger son expressed it verbally, while the older son only did so internally. In fact, there are two types of understanding of God among people: the first is to curse God with their mouths, saying, “God, you do not care for me.” The second is to try hard to live a religious life to gain the help of the divine, and these are the only two types.
In fact, they are all lost. What does it mean to be lost? We see that Jesus came to save these lost people, to seek and save those who are lost. What does it mean to be lost? It means to be confused, not knowing our God, and losing one's life and purpose, not understanding why one lives in this world. The Son of the Father came to the world to seek and save these lost people.
Brothers and sisters, what is your purpose in this world? Some say: to live for money. But what if there is no money? Some say: to achieve something in the future. But what if they cannot achieve it? Including all of you college students currently studying, what is the purpose of your life and studies? Is it to be the top student? For what? To prove yourself? You can be the top student in school, but what happens after you leave school? Many people have already lost themselves, not knowing why they live in this world. Whether it is the older son or the younger son, both are lost. Jesus came to tell us that you live to receive the love of the Father; this is the reason you were created. God created you not to become like ants, busy every day.
How many people have become machines? We laugh at robots, mindlessly working, just needing a little oil to keep going. In fact, we are just robots too! Many people go to work like robots, clocking in and out, even what they do before going to bed is very fixed. After decades of this, they die. Do we want to live like this? If you do not know the purpose of coming to this world, you are a lost person. Jesus came precisely to seek and save these lost people. Both of these sons are lost. The younger son’s loss is obvious; some people’s loss is very clear.
Some people suffer from depression, some go insane, some even collapse, and some get sick; these people are lost. In fact, many people are physically healthy but mentally twisted; aren’t they also lost? Yes. There is a new term called mental illness, and there are doctors called psychologists who specifically treat those with mental issues. Is the older son mentally ill? Very much so, and not just a little twisted. When he encounters something good to eat, he does not eat it but instead complains and gets angry; isn’t that a sign of illness?
Let’s look at how the younger son’s recklessness, indulgence, and foolish behavior led him to exhaust all his money and resources, leaving him without friends. He found himself in a desperate situation, so he had to return home. Many people are like the younger son. Let’s talk about two types of lost people, starting with the younger son. The younger son may represent most of us who believe in Jesus. I don’t know why you believe in Jesus, but I really turned to Jesus when I was at my wit's end; many people are like this, right? Some are sick, very sick, and the doctor has given them a death notice. Someone tells them: why not believe in Jesus? That person clings to the last straw and believes in Jesus, and as a result, they are saved, and their illness is healed; aren’t there many such people?
Some people are at their wit's end, not knowing what the meaning of life is, feeling that life is meaningless. One day they come to church and believe in Jesus; they are actually just like the younger son. Many people come to seek Jesus with their problems and troubles, and Jesus solves them. Unfortunately, after their problems are solved, they return to the world. Many people believe in Jesus to gain benefits. When things are peaceful, they are too busy with a pile of excuses to come before God; until one day when problems arise, they come back to God; this is a typical younger son type of faith state.
What about the older son? In fact, the older son’s loss is even more frightening. This is a more subtle but equally destructive state of being lost. The conflicts they bring are not less than those of the younger son. Think about it: when Jesus was preaching, were those who were sick, poor, or homeless the ones who persecuted Him? Who were the ones attacking Jesus? It was precisely the Jewish people like the older son who sought to find fault with Jesus.
We are the same; when we preach the grace of Jesus Christ, it is not the suffering or troubled people who attack us, but rather those who think they are keeping the law who attack and slander us. This is the same situation Jesus faced. So we see that the older son is an invisible killer; his destructive power is even greater than that of the younger son. When the older son sees his brother enjoying himself, he becomes very angry. Do you know why those under the law persecute you? Because you are enjoying blessings, and that makes them angry. The more you enjoy, the angrier they become. Because they have worked hard for so many years without gaining anything, yet you have obtained it easily; how can they bear such a blow? The tone of the older son’s words is filled with anger. This is a sign of the older son’s lostness; he harbors deep anger and bitterness. There are many examples of this in the Bible; when Jesus healed people, the Pharisees, like the older son, became very angry and even slandered Jesus. You can read the four Gospels for yourself; I will show you a passage.
John 7:21-24,
21 Jesus said, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses will not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
Why were the Pharisees angry? Because Jesus healed a sick person on the Sabbath, and they became angry. Is there a more ridiculous reason to be angry than this? If someone innocently accuses me, I would be very angry; if someone destroys my things for no reason, I would be angry. But when Jesus healed a person, these people became very angry; doesn’t that seem absurd? This is the older son; isn’t his heart twisted? In his church, many sick people he cannot heal were healed by Jesus, and he is very angry. The older son type of person believes that as long as they serve diligently, they should be rewarded. If they try their best to follow God’s standards, God should open up a smooth path for them. This is the mindset of the older son; if they do not receive what they want, and bad circumstances come upon them, they will swing back and forth between two extremes: one is to hate God, and the other is to hate themselves.
Why would they hate God? Because they think: I have done so much for you, what have you given me? Aren’t there many people who think like this? I go to church on Sundays, I attend every prayer meeting, I donate money to the church, I participate in everything the church does, I am the first to rush in; why am I sick? Many people think of God this way; they feel that God is unfair. You should heal me; why don’t you heal me? Why is it that he, who does nothing in a grace church, is healed? Isn’t that unbalanced? The older son complains to his father; is it not for this reason? What qualifications does my brother have to sit there? That should be my place; why is it him? This is the twisted psychology of the older son. This is the first; he hates God. Brothers and sisters, if you hate God, you are still in the faith state of the older son.
What is the second state of the older son’s faith? Hate oneself. Do you know why they hate themselves? Because they feel they have not done well enough; that is the reason. When the younger brother was not around, would the older son complain? Yes, he would, but he just does not say it out loud. Why does he not complain to his father? Because he feels he has not done well enough. Under the law, he feels he has not done well enough; what triggered him to complain to his father? It was his brother. His brother did nothing and ended up enjoying the best; he suddenly collapsed. He feels that his father is not fair at all. Do you know how terrible it is to be under the law? First, he endures it himself; he feels he has not done well enough; God’s standards are so high, and he is not good enough. One day, someone less than him receives something; he looks down on both of them and complains about both; that is what is frightening. Therefore, the faith of the older son is actually more frightening.
The older son type of person does not have the ability to handle these sudden events because they are result-oriented, trying their best to live a good faith life, but not to enjoy the joy of the Father. Brothers and sisters, do you know why you come to gatherings? If you say God says so, then you must be suffering; why read the Bible? God said you must meditate on His words day and night, then you must be living a painful life; why pray? God said you must pray, then you must be living a painful life.
Brothers and sisters, if you know that God uses this method to communicate with you, you will be joyful. It turns out I can communicate with God! I can communicate with the Lord of heaven and earth! That is prayer; brothers and sisters, when you read the Bible, you realize, “Wow, God is like this! He can bless me like this! The blessings and promises in the Bible are all for me!” You will not find it tedious or feel it is a burden. Knowing that you go to gatherings to enjoy being with Him, you will not feel that time is long; you will not keep looking at your watch, wondering why you haven’t recited the Lord’s Prayer yet. You will feel, “Why is time passing so quickly? I haven’t even heard what’s going on, and it’s over.”
If you feel this way, congratulations! You are enjoying being with God, not being result-oriented. Being result-oriented means, “Lord, I came today; it’s so hot; I’ve come; I’ve read the Bible; I’ve read 20 chapters; I’ve prayed for an hour; I’ve prayed.” You are completing a task; such a faith life must be very frustrating, and it is not a life you want to live. Such service is also a fearful and trembling service. Trying to please your God through these things may seem like you are believing in the Lord and serving, but it is different. One is selfish service, while the other is faithful service.
Where is the difference? Selfish service is result-centered.
How many people serve the Lord to make their situation a little better? To make their family a little wealthier, so they are willing to serve in the church, willing to do whatever you ask them to do. They treat the church as an investment; some say: “I’ll host a welcoming family at home, and my family will prosper.” This is all result-oriented; in other words, it is all selfish service. If there are no results, they will become discouraged and even start to complain.
The second type of faithful service is Jesus-centered. Selfish service is result-oriented; they want results. No matter what they do, they want a result: “I donate 100 yuan to the church; I want 10,000; you must give me results; I prayed today; you must heal me because I prayed; you must heal me.” This is a result-oriented mindset. The second type is Jesus-centered service; it is a kind of enjoyment, a kind of joy. Amen!
Let me tell you a story; this is a story from the apocryphal texts of the Bible. The Bible is actually a selection; there are many other scriptures, pseudepigrapha, and apocryphal texts. What are apocryphal texts? They cannot be considered truth, but the stories exist. It is very interesting; let’s see if your service and faith are result-centered or Jesus-centered. Through this story, I will give you a test.
One day, Jesus said to His disciples: “Each of you should bring me a stone.” He did not mention any reason, so the disciples went around looking for stones. Peter, being practical, found the smallest stone. After all, Jesus did not specify weight or size, so Peter picked the smallest one. Then Jesus said: “Follow me.” So everyone followed Jesus with their stones. At noon, Jesus told the disciples to sit down, and then He waved His hand and prayed, and all the stones turned into bread. Then He said: “Now this is your lunch.” Peter instantly finished his bread. After lunch, Jesus told everyone to stand up, and then He said: “I want you to each bring me a stone.”
This time Peter said: “I understand.” So Peter chose the biggest stone to carry on his shoulder. It was quite painful and difficult to walk, but Peter was very happy inside. Why was he happy? He thought: “I can’t wait to eat dinner; I didn’t eat enough at lunch.” Jesus said: “Follow me,” indicating that the disciples followed Jesus on their journey again. This time Peter could only barely keep up. When it was time for dinner, Jesus led them to a riverside and said: “Throw the stones into the river.” Everyone did as they were told, and then they set off again.
At this point, Peter looked at the other disciples, stunned, with a hint of complaint. Jesus sighed and said to Peter: “Don’t you remember what I said? For whom are you carrying the stones?” What did Jesus say? “You each bring me a stone.” Was Peter serving the Lord the first time? Yes, absolutely; he was not doing it for himself; he was doing it for the Lord. Why did he pick a small one the first time? The second time, why did he pick a big one? For himself, not for Jesus; it was for himself! That is why it was so painful to carry. Jesus made it very clear: “You each bring me a stone; there is no size requirement.” Peter carried the biggest one; what was he thinking? He was doing it for himself.
Do you know how many times our service is like this? In fact, it is for this piece of bread; turn this piece in my hand into something. But what did Jesus say? “For me.” If everyone’s service is for Jesus, your heart will definitely be joyful. The older son type of person is actually like Peter. They do good deeds and serve, but in the end, they expect a return. If there is none, they will feel confused and eventually become angry. If they are law-centered, thinking they can earn blessings before God, they will ultimately be consumed by anger because they can never please God through the law; they will never meet His standards.
In the parable, we see the older son has a strong sense of superiority, often pulling out his record of deeds. Do you know how he belittles his brother? “But this son of yours squandered your property with prostitutes.” He points out all the disgraceful actions of his brother. Then how does he boast about himself? “I have served you for many years and have never disobeyed your orders.” Isn’t that the meaning? On one hand, he puts down his brother, and on the other hand, he boasts about himself; isn’t that exactly what those under the law like to do? But under grace, why do we not put others down? Everything we have is received; what qualifications do we have to put others down? Thank and praise the Lord!
From his contemptuous words, he no longer sees his brother as a brother; he says, “But this son of yours,” which shows he hates his brother. Under the law, the older son type of person always feels superior to others; but under grace, how should we see it? We should see each person as better than ourselves. Amen!
Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”
Brothers and sisters, issues in family life, work, and interpersonal relationships all follow this principle. In a family, why does one party scold the other? It is because they look down on that person, thinking they are inferior, so they add words to insult them, saying they are worthless, because they feel superior. Conversely, if in a family, one understands the principle of grace, looking at others as better than oneself, do they see their strengths or weaknesses? Strengths. Brothers and sisters, some couples come together; if you want to improve your marital relationship, the best method is to see your husband as better than you, to see your wife as better than you. Surely the other party has some aspect in which they are better than you, right?
You say, “I am stronger than her,” but she cooks better than you; you say, “I am in great shape,” but she can give birth; she has things she can do that you cannot. Similarly, the wife should see the husband as better than herself; isn’t that a strength? If he had no strengths, would you have married him? It is not like we are in a world of slavery or in ancient times where marriages were arranged; you willingly married him, right? When you got married, didn’t you see his strengths? So why don’t you see them now? When you got married, it was actually the principle of grace, but many people become law-oriented after marriage, seeing their partner as inferior in every way.
The older son sees his younger brother as worthless; this is the older son’s self-righteous mentality, which leads to unforgiveness and judgment of others. Under grace, we must avoid falling into the situation of the older son. Many people think they understand grace; please listen carefully: many people under grace are like this, and such people actually do not understand grace. They look down on new believers, and they cannot even listen to what they say; “What do you know?” Brothers and sisters, is this not also a form of pride? In fact, they have already fallen under the law, and instead, they will use various excuses to hide their own problems; this is also the problem of the older son.
The older son cannot forgive his brother because he has lowered their family’s social status; indeed, there is such a prodigal in the family, and it is embarrassing. Who is most embarrassed? Isn’t it his father? His father said nothing, yet he had to say something, humiliating his father and diminishing their family’s reputation; he specifically emphasizes the fact that his brother has squandered everything with prostitutes. Brothers and sisters, think about this: why does the older son emphasize this? He wants to do it but does not have the opportunity.
Now I will tell you one of the most common issues in human nature: when people criticize others in one aspect, it proves they lack that very thing. In fact, they want to say: “I am not like him; I am very holy.” If his father knew what he was thinking, he would have known long ago; it is just that the law restrains him.
Many people say that those under grace are too casual; in fact, they want to be casual but do not dare to be. They dare to pray casually; they want to pray that way but do not dare. Why don’t they dare? A set of processes frightens them. Think about it: is our prayer very free? Why is it free? Prayer is talking to God, right? Don’t think that when you pray, you must ask for something; that is a beggar’s mentality. Prayer is talking to God. It also includes asking for things, but it also includes gratitude and wanting nothing, just wanting to chat with God; isn’t that prayer? Yes. But in the past, when we thought of prayer, we would say, “Lord, I really have nothing to say to you.” Why do you say you have nothing to say to God? This is a formulaic approach!
Their prayers always end with: “I really have nothing to say.” He said so much and still says he has nothing to say; why? Because it is formulaic. I don’t know how you used to believe in the Lord, but when I was praying, there was a process: first, pray for the country; second, pray for the church; third, pray for others; only then can I pray for myself. After going through this process, I actually did not want to pray for myself anymore.
Especially when I wanted to pray for the church, I suddenly thought of that pastor who was not good, and I did not want to pray for myself anymore. I said, “Every time I think of him, I get angry; you still want me to pray for him?” Under this process, I ended up not wanting to pray for myself. But isn’t prayer a very free and simple thing? God said: “You must follow this procedure.” Do you think this Lord is a living Lord? You must follow a process; that is a computer. It can understand; is our God less than me? Brothers and sisters, is there something wrong with how you believed in the past?
If the older son could understand this, he would not look down on his brother. Knowing that under grace, we are unworthy, but God gives it to us freely, we can forgive others and forgive their wrongs. The older son type of person under the law always feels superior to others; if he sees someone not as good as himself, he looks down on that person, either feeling extremely inferior, often saying he is useless, or feeling self-righteous, looking down on others, boasting about his own achievements and gifts. This leads to a cycle of sin.
If the older son recognized himself, he would say: “In fact, I am just like my brother, both self-centered, causing my father to worry; it is just that our methods are different.” Amen! Are both sons like this? This is a fact; it is just that they express it differently. I am not better than my brother. If he thinks this way, he can forgive his brother and accept him.
The Jews cannot accept Gentiles; in the eyes of the Jews, there are only two nations: one is the Jewish nation, and the other is the non-Jewish nation. Do you know how arrogant that is? This is why surrounding countries often attack them; you are too proud, too arrogant. They look at Gentiles as dogs; it is precisely this sense of superiority that leads to poor relations with surrounding countries. He says: “Look, this son of yours.”
Doesn’t he look down on him in his heart? The second sentence says: “Look, I have served (become your slave) you for so many years.” In the original text, the meaning is: “I have been your slave for so many years.” The older son serves out of fear, not out of genuine willingness; he sees his service to his father as a form of slavery, merely a reluctant compliance. Therefore, he has no joy, does not feel love, and does not enjoy rest.
Brothers and sisters, I wonder if there are such people among those who serve in the church? Many people do not want to attend gatherings but feel they have to; they do not want to believe but do not dare not to believe. Because the pastor has made it very clear, you cannot escape from God’s hands. In this situation, is our service also like this? No matter if it is windy or rainy, they are very active, but when you talk to them, they have a lot of bitterness inside.
Why do they serve like slaves, like the older son? The term slave indicates coercion, unwillingness, and reluctance, showing that he does not serve willingly, is not attracted, but is constrained. If our service under the law is like this, do you know how exhausting it is? When it is time for the gathering, everyone must come. If you hear such words, would you be willing? You say: “I am not willing; if you are not willing, that’s fine; I tell you, if you dare not come, something will definitely happen at your home next week.” What to do? You have to grit your teeth and go. No matter if it is windy or rainy, snowing, or even if knives are falling, you must go; that is better than dying at home!
Many people serve the Lord like this, not willingly, but out of obligation, because the pastor often uses scriptures to scare them. For example, in evangelism, how many people receive the call to evangelize like this? If you do not evangelize, you will face calamity. Do you know how many ways they can interpret this calamity? From your home to your workplace, it covers everything. You say, how despicable is this God? He does not let you off the hook just because you do not evangelize.
But what does Paul mean by that? Paul said: “I know the gospel is so good; the gospel can save lives. If I do not go, I feel sorry for these people; if I do not go, they will die; this is a calamity.” Paul has this mindset, but when we explain it, it becomes: “If you do not go, just try it! Go, evangelize. I tell you, if you do not evangelize a hundred times, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven!” You say, if you do it this way, would anyone dare not to evangelize?
I once knew a sister like this. Later she came to our church; do you know why she came?
She said: “I have no face to stay in my original church.”
I asked: “Why?”
She said: “I am the only one in our church who has not evangelized.”
I asked: “Why didn’t you evangelize?”
She said: “I cannot call anyone; I have tried various methods, and no one comes; none of my relatives come; the pastor looks at me like he wants to kill me.”
I laughed and said: “Don’t worry; I won’t treat you like that here.”
Brothers and sisters, this is a form of coercion, doing it reluctantly. If you know this is good news, especially good news that can save your family and everything, would you be willing to tell your friends? This is a willing, joyful motivation, but absolutely not a pressure. Hallelujah! For me, preaching is absolutely not a pressure; it is a joy. Amen! Understanding the Father’s love, when you go to evangelize, it is absolutely not a pressure; it is precisely because you are motivated by love that you are eager to tell those around you. Hallelujah!
Under grace, this is how we serve; it is understanding how much Christ loves us and being willing to offer for the Lord. Serving in work, family, and church is a joy, enjoying my own service. Hallelujah! When I see many families changed by God’s word, my heart is joyful, so I am willing to do this. No matter how hot it is, I am willing to come; do you understand?
This is like a young couple on campus; when it is hot in summer, you say, “Isn’t it hot sitting under the tree?” I tell you, the fire in their hearts is higher than the outside temperature, so they do not feel hot. Right? In winter, when it is freezing, wearing a down jacket, they are still cuddling under the tree; you say, “Aren’t they cold?” The fire in their hearts is higher than the outside temperature, so they do not feel cold at all. Is this a forced relationship? Did their parents say, “You two must stay under that tree for an hour”? Is that how it is? Why did it happen? Was it willingly?
If you had said: “Aren’t you two hot?” they would say: “You are sick! You do not understand their hearts.” If we understand the Father’s heart, even if others say you are sick, you will still be willing to evangelize to them because you know this can save their lives. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord! A person who does not understand love will say about this young person: “Actually, you do not understand what love is; if you knew what love is, you would not say that about me.” Amen! Thank and praise the Lord! I hope everyone can understand the Father’s love. You will not care what others say about you; you will focus solely on how God sees you. Because when you serve, in family, in work, when you offer for the Lord, it is a joy!
Brothers and sisters, this is a joy; it is absolutely not a constraint. Only then will you actively serve. If you feel that you are losing out by doing something, you actually do not understand God’s grace. You feel you are losing out by doing things; in fact, you do not understand God’s grace, and you do not want to give God the opportunity to bless you.
Some say: “I simply do not have the heart to serve.”
God says: “Can you give me a chance to bless you?” Do you understand, brothers and sisters?
You say: “I am willing to offer for the Lord; I am not doing it to get blessed by the Lord.” God says: “I have to bless you.”
“You say: “I want God to bless me, so I do this.” God says: “You will not receive.”
Don’t you think it is exactly the opposite? If you are willing to do it,
You say: “I do not want to receive that reward.” God says: “I have to give it.”
You say: “I am doing this to receive that reward.” God says: “You have not done enough.”
Do you understand the difference between being under the law and under grace? Thank and praise the Lord! In the love of the Lord, we are willing to pass on the Lord’s love, not through service to gain God’s favor. Because we are already favored by God, we are willing to serve. Amen! The older son type of person is self-centered, bound by the law, so he does not dare to act recklessly. This is also the true form of people under various religions. The older son type of person bears enormous pressure but still has to appear very willing. How many people wear a smile on the outside but do not smile on the inside? I have been to many churches; on the surface, they seem to say, “Peace in the Lord!” but in their hearts, they do not have that peace at all. Because under the law, the pastor said: “Today you two are on duty standing at the door; when someone comes in, say, ‘Peace in the Lord!’” This is a task.
So can he have that peace in his heart? But if you truly have peace in your heart, you stand here, and others can see that you have peace. I hope brothers and sisters, your peace can be like Jesus; maybe you do not say a word, but your peace has already revealed itself, and your joy has already revealed itself. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord!
The older son clearly thinks differently from how he presents himself. Do you remember what we shared last time? If his father said: “Son, can you go work in the field now?” The older son would say: “Father, I am willing to go.” But then he might think, “Why is it always me? Why does that damned younger brother not come back? Why do I have to work?” Isn’t he still dissatisfied in his heart?
This is why some very upright pastors end up doing things that astonish us. If the chains of the law are broken, the older son’s life may be even more reckless than the younger son’s. I once watched a movie; I forgot the name, but it was quite famous. I only remember one classic question in it: “If you had only one day left to live, what would you do?” Many marketing trainings also ask this question to make people cherish life. But that movie was very interesting; it showed the true side of human nature. One young woman, who was not yet married, said: “I really want to sleep with that man.” Her father said: “What’s wrong with you? How did I give birth to such a daughter?” She said: “I only have one day left to live; why should I care?”
When life is down to one day, doesn’t the true nature of a person reveal itself? She no longer cares about morals or social constraints; she is going to die; you are telling me about social moral constraints? But a person who truly understands God’s love, even if they have only one day left, will still live as they should. Hallelujah! In other words, if tomorrow is the end of the world, and today is Sunday, I will still go to the gathering because for me, what difference does it make? For me, no matter how the world changes, my life is like this; this is the most important thing in my life. Hallelujah!
We do not know the true nature of people; many times they are just pressed by social opinions and bound by moral constraints. Once all these are removed, you will see how twisted these people can become! The younger son seems to be such a reckless person, but the older son is even more powerful! When he sees his younger brother like this, all his anger bursts out. How does God want us to live before Him? With your true self. Seek Him with your true self; do not be like the older son, clearly having many problems inside but pretending as if there are none. Do not do this, brothers and sisters; one day you will definitely collapse, unable to bear it. Seek God with your true self; He can change everything about you. Hallelujah!
So the older son says: “You never gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.” In the relationship between the older son and the father, he did not see the feast, music, and dancing that his father had prepared for him; he could not see any of these; aren’t these blessings? But he could not see them. A person’s heart is bound by the law; even if there is God’s grace, he cannot see it. Therefore, under the law, he always wants to please God and people through his good behavior; his life has no joy or the sound of dancing.
Whenever problems arise in life, he will ask himself: “Have I done something wrong to offend God?” They often find themselves in condemnation, their conscience often feeling guilty. Long-term repression like this will lead to a self-righteous display, where no one can say anything to them. Is there such a group of people? No one dares to say anything; if you dare to point out their small faults, they will explode. In fact, they have become extremely self-righteous. If you dare to poke them, it is like poking a hornet’s nest; they will bite you madly.
Is there really grace and truth in Jesus? And is He filled with grace and truth? So many people slander Him and attack Him; do you think Jesus cares about this? Why doesn’t He care? Because He is filled with grace; He understands the Father’s grace; He knows what He is like in His Father’s eyes. So no matter how others define Him, it is useless. Amen!
The older son type of person also prays diligently, but in prayer, there is no joy and no intimacy. Today I will give you a test; imagine you have three friends: the first is a colleague you do not like very much, the second is a colleague you like, and the third is your romantic partner. For these three people, what kind of words would you say? Are they the same? With the colleague you do not like, your conversation is goal-oriented, focused on results: “What does the boss want us to do today?” You should do what you should do, and I should do what I should do; besides that, you say nothing because you do not like him.
With the colleague you like, you might go a little deeper; you might chat about how things are going at home lately, if there is anything you can help with, because you like him, so you are willing to chat about everyday life.
The third one, if it is your romantic partner, what would you say? You might say: “Let’s put work aside; I want to tell you how much I love you. Can we do something else after work, like watch a movie? We can go for a late-night snack too.” Aren’t these the things? You do not care if they are working or not; “Actually, I just want to tell you this.” Why is that? Because they are your romantic partner.
You say different things to these three different people. This is three types of prayer. The first is someone you do not like very much; you have to pray to Him because He is your God, so your prayer is formulaic. After saying it, you absolutely do not want to say another word;
The second is someone you think is better to you; you might say some of your things to Him: “Lord, I am not feeling well today…” This is the second type of prayer;
The third type sees God as your romantic partner. I do not know if when you thought about this just now, you thought of your colleagues or what. I tell you, this is our relationship with God. Is our relationship with God like that of romantic partners? In Jesus’ eyes, what are you? A beloved.
“My beloved, how beautiful you are!” If you read the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament carefully, you will understand: “My beloved, the winter rains have stopped, and the spring flowers are blooming; let’s go out and enjoy the spring together!” You say: “Why go out in this heat?” It is clear you do not like it, so your prayer does not have many words. Do you understand? If you have endless things to say to God, you will know what your relationship with God is like.
The older son’s relationship with his father is: if he can avoid saying a word, he will. Brothers and sisters, I hope that after listening to this sermon, you will not ask me: “Teacher Ren, how do I pray?” That proves something; you are the first! Brothers and sisters, if you say: “I am the first,” that’s fine; first develop into the second, then into the third, okay? I will not discourage you; I am just testing where your faith is at. How to solve these problems? You know you are the first; I am the second; there are not many words about God; what should I do?
Luke 15:31, the father said to him: “Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.”
Do you know how powerful this sentence is? No matter how you say: “I have nothing to say to you.”
God says: “That’s okay; I have a lot to say to you, all written in the Bible.”
You say: “I really do not know what to say; I have said everything I should say.”
He says: “That’s okay; what I want to say to you has not been said yet. What do I want to say? Son, you are always with me.” Doesn’t this tell his father not to think that being with him is a burden? You should see it as a joy. Amen!
The first word “Son” indicates that the son has forgotten he is a son; isn’t that pitiful? Every day he begs like a servant; isn’t that very sad? If you see a child kneeling in front of a middle-aged woman saying: “Mom, please give me some food,” what does that prove? Maybe it is a stepmother. What child begs like this from his father? But do you know how many people are like this before the Heavenly Father, begging like beggars? At this moment, it is clear that the older son sees himself as a servant. His father says: “Son,” first, you must correctly know your identity; aren’t you a son? So you are a son. Hallelujah! If you believe in Jesus, you are no longer a servant; you are a son; you have been freed from the curse of the law. The Holy Spirit dwells in your heart; He will guide you to understand how much your father loves you, and then you will work with this joy.
In Matthew 21:28-32,
28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”
It does not mean to send you to the vineyard to work hard and exhaust you; it means to believe in Jesus. Amen! Why does our Lord want you to enter the vineyard? For what? You say: “I don’t know.” Can you read the Song of Solomon again? They blocked the holes of the little foxes; the pomegranates are ripe, and the grapes are ripe; what are you going to do? Enjoy. Amen! Don’t think of it as work; “Lord, what am I going to do in the vineyard?” Can you think of going to eat something? Don’t always think of working. Many people are unwilling to believe in God because they think: “If I believe in the Lord, what will I have to do?” Isn’t it true that many people are unwilling to believe in Jesus for this reason? They do not understand what the Father’s intention is. “Son, you are always with me,” the father and son are often together; what does the father want to do with this son? The father wants to bless this son. Hallelujah!
“All that I have is yours,” this sentence is very important! Let’s look at Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
Do you know what the father said to the son? “Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. Come, let’s say together: Everything the Father has is mine. Hallelujah! Tell the person next to you: Everything the Father has is yours.” Many people do not even understand this; they will say: “That is God’s; what does it have to do with you?” It is God’s, but did He not give it to you? That is also a fact! He has given you Jesus; will He not also freely give you all things?
Does the older son know this? He has always been unaware; I am not working hard for my father; I am working for the landlord! You say, is there any landlord who works for himself and is still so miserable? He does not know he is the boss; he does not know that all this is mine; I am working for myself, not for others. Let me ask you, brothers and sisters, do you know that your service is not for God but for yourself? Does God want you to serve? God just says: “You do it; give me a chance to bless you fairly.” Amen! This is the righteousness of our God.
Many people do not understand this; they must turn this willing service into a constraint, something they have to do, and while doing it, they complain. How painful it is to sweat and toil in the field for so many years! Look, has the older son been suffering for so many years? He does not know that all this is actually mine. If you knew that such a large vineyard was yours, could you not eat one while working? Eating ten would not be a problem; why? Because it is yours!
You hope it grows better; why? Because it is yours! If it is your father’s, or your master’s, you would say: “What does it have to do with me if he dies? It is better if he dies; then I do not have to work!” But one day the father says: “This is yours.” Do you know how regretful we will be? One day when we get to heaven, God will say: “Do you know that what you did on earth was not for me? It was for yourself because I gave you all this; it is up to you how to manage it. You seem to be doing a lot for me, but in fact, you are doing it for yourself; you are storing up treasures in heaven.” Hallelujah!
We are not doing it for others, nor does our Lord need us to work hard for Him to be complete; He is already complete; what is incomplete is us. So let us not be like the older son, serving hard for so many years without knowing that we are doing it for ourselves. Dear brothers and sisters, I hope you understand: both the older son and the younger son are lost; the focus is to put our attention on the Father. No matter how you understood this God in the past, I hope you can correctly understand Him. He is a loving Father; He is willing to bless you. You who have believed in Him and been baptized into Christ are a new creation; do not think of God with past thoughts, nor think of your God with worldly ways. You must know that whatever your Lord asks you to do is actually for your benefit, for you to enjoy this joy with Him.
Moreover, our Lord Jesus has already prepared the feast; now He is waiting for you to enter. Hallelujah! Also pray for those around you who are like the older son; if they hate you, do not argue with them, nor hate them; they are already pitiful enough. Do you know why? You are sitting next to the fattened calf, and they are still standing outside angry! Can’t you have some sympathy for them? Let them say a few more words; what can it do? You can eat more.
Isn’t it unnecessary to run out and be angry with them? Then you will lose more than you gain. Amen! You are sitting next to the fattened calf; you should bless and pray for him; you should invite him to come in together. Hallelujah! Dear brothers and sisters, I hope that this week, no matter what problems you encounter in life, you will bless and pray for that person because this is for yourself and lets God bless you. Hallelujah! May we understand the grace of Christ and continually turn back to Him.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for allowing us to understand the Father’s love through the series on the Father’s love. Although the older son and the younger son are both lost, the father has not abandoned either of them. Lord, I also wish to return to Your presence once again, to understand Your love, to live a new life, to lead me through this week, no longer living in the past way, but in a whole new way to see You. You love me; everything You have prepared for me is for my benefit, and I give thanks to You.
Heavenly Father! Thank You for preparing the fattened calf for me, preparing this abundant feast; I am in Your grace. Please lead me and guide me with Your grace, let me recognize Your grace, turn back under Your grace. Under the law, I can do nothing by myself; I can only be proud, but I have recognized Your grace; everything I have is Your blessing. Before You, I can only lift my hands and say: “Lord, I am willing to receive everything You have given me; I am willing to receive from You and then give it away,” because Lord, You are willing to give me this opportunity to receive blessings. Thank and praise You! All glory belongs to You. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!