I've recently been reminded of the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke. Most of my life usually when I've heard a sermon on this topic, it's been about the younger son, the one who ran away. But over the past week especially, and really over the last few months, I've heard lessons on the older brother.
The post below this one references a Stuff Christians Like post that is about this same thing. This past Sunday I went to Redeemer Church in Knoxville. It was so good. It was almost just like being back at Downtown Pres. The speaker, who is a friend of Brian's from DPC, did a great job with this lesson. He said some things that really stood out to me.
The desvestating truth is that the older brother, the duty-do-er, is more lost than the younger brother. He confuses faith and duty. This is totally me. I generally follow the rules and do what I'm supposed to do and forget that I am not the one that determines my relationship with Jesus. Both sons are blind to who their father really is. I definitely sometimes forget and don't remember who the Father is. We are generally suspicious of Jesus' love. This can only be changed by the astonishing certainty that JESUS LOVES US!!! No one has ever or will ever love me like Jesus. I do not determine my relationship with Jesus. This was huge for me to realize. It is not up to me!
"God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to." - Elisabeth Elliot
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