Being a prodigal

mintos · Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 11:30 am Post subject: Being a prodigal

Howdy all.
I heard an awesome message from pastor Tony Verci about the prodigal sons (thats right, 2 of them) It was really convicting and helped me to come back to God alot.
Now almost everyone is familiar with the Prodigal son parable, he asked his father for the share of his inheritance and left. He then wasted it all away on wild living, and as we later find out from his brothers words, prostitutes. Years later, with nothing left, forced to work in the sty feeding pigs for someone, he decides to come home, and rather than being yelled at or banished as by rights his father couldve, his father welcomed him home with open arms, running to him, putting a robe on his shoulders, ring on his finger, sandles on his feet.
This describes alot of christians lives especially in early stages; we accept the gifts our heavenly father has for us, then go back to the ways of the world, and when we come to our senses and run back to God, he openly accepts us back.
But the story continues, and there is a party in celebration of his return. The other son who stayed at home and helped his dad all those years, hears the party and goes to see whats happening. When his father tells him that the prodigal son has returned, his first son is furious and refuses to come in despite his fathers pleas, saying that he had served his father faithfully for years and never recieved reward.
This describes another set of christians, who attend church weekly, read their bibles regularly, and play the model christian, but their heart is out of it, they no longer do it for Gods glory, and in their minds, they have also gone to a distant land, and wasted all that their father has given them, his love and attention for years.
We should be trying to be like the father in the story, willing to run and accept those who have strayed away, and also reaching out and begging those whos hearts have gone out of it to come back inside to the "party" of life in christ.
I realised as i hear this story ive heard so many times before that i was the 2nd son, who had stayed at home, serving his father, doing all the tasks asked of him, but for nothing.

Nobby · Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:00 am Post subject: