Take a Step for your Restoration

Luke 15: 17-24

  Introduction

Why we need to be restoration? If we see computer we put anti virus not only that we need to update every time, if not it is very slow and at last it used to block, because when we did not update its can not against the virus. Even manmade needed to update, our anti virus is Holy Spirit, for updating is reading Bible and prayer. When our spiritual life was dried lets update through reading Bible and prayer. For that we need a step for updating our spiritual life, in other word restoration.

 But before we go any further let look back at the background of the Passage.  For this parable is that the publicans and sinners came in to hear the Lord Jesus by multitudes.  The Pharisees and scribes began to murmur to criticize Him because of this. They were scandalized that He would receive them and even eat with them.  His answer to the murmuring of the Pharisees and scribes is a parable.  Customarily it is called three parables, the parable of the lost sheep, coin, and the Lost Son. Actually, it is three parts of one parable, it is three pictures in a single frame.

1. To be restore we need to take a step of seeing ourselves (repentance) (v. 17-19)

Here he came to himself. 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.  When he began to think like that, he began to make sense.  And this young man now acts like he’s intelligent.  Not only that he is in a very bad way financially, but the country is also in a bad way.  They are having a famine in that land, and this boy does not know what to do.  He is so desperate that he is going to do something that no Jew would ever have done unless he had hit the bottom.  This boy has hit the bottom. The man says “if you can beat the pigs to it you can eat here at least.”  That is exactly the point to which he had sunk.  A Hebrew could not go any lower than that he was to have nothing to do with swine, that is the picture, and it is black picture.  You see, this boy has hit the very bottom.

Sin does an awful thing for us.  It makes us see ourselves in the wrong light.  It makes us see the pleasures of this world in the wrong perspective, and we just don’t see clearly when we are in sin.  How about you and me?  Are we perfect?  When we failed in the sight of God… what did we do?  Sometime we did not realize that we were lost in the sight of God.  We never think about what have we done and continue to do whatever we want…never think about reading Bible and pray and repent to God.  If we were in that situation we will be in the death line at last.

            If you put the frog in the pot and fire from the bottom till his death he will be in the pot…likewise if we do not see ourselves when we are in sin we will be the same and at last we will die.  Sometime our spiritual life was dry but we never think and never repent for what we did and never ask why?  … never think about how to do the better way.

How about Pastor, do we really faithful for our Church or Church members?  Do we ever think about and seeing ourselves and repent for what we were not faithful for God.  How about teachers, do we faithful for the students and for God?  If not how could we restore to God and reach his kingdom? These all are not only in spiritual life but also for our daily life.

Therefore, let’s think about that where we are?  In what situation we are? And if I do what will be the better way for me?  Through all these things we should see ourselves and come to repentance.  So that we may reach to our Father.

2. To be restore we need to take a step of moving or Action (Faith) and Confession (v.20-24, James 2:26)

There was one farmer in my place, he was very lazy person even then he has a very big field. When ever he went to his field without working or doing nothing he used to came back to his home. You know why? When he reached his field he just stand and divided his field for working. And he said, from here to there will be for tomorrow, from there to there will be for the day after tomorrow and from there to there will be for the next day something like that… and at last he said there is no work for today and he used to go back home… he never take a step for field work, he was just in his imagination and just thinking off… but no action.

So he arose and went to his father. This young man did what he had resolved to do. He started out and kept going. It must have been a long journey, for he had gone to a distant country (v. 13).  Moreover, in his weakened condition the return trip must have been difficult.  But he persevered. “Came to himself, was a common idiom, which in this Jewish story may carry the Semitic idea of repentance. Certainly repentance lies at the heart of the words the Son prepared to tell his Father. The motivation for his return was hunger, but it was specifically to his Father (v.18). Assuming this latter meaning, we see that the parable is far more than an allegory; with the Father representing God, for the father and God have distinct roles.

How about you and me? As a student when we think about our spiritual life we know ourselves and think that I have to read Bible and pray more but never take a step, if then how could we be restore and reach our target.  If this young guy was not moving and just by his thinking and repentance would he be restore as a son?  But when we started to move and confess to God we were restoring, even before we confess God has known us already and accepted us as His son.

This is not only for our spiritual life even in our physical life we need to do that. When we were weak in study or spiritual life we know the reason and think that if I do like this and that it will be good but never take a step, then how could we be strong or restore or reaching the target, because we did not take a step.  Restoration is not only for the students but also for all including pastors and teachers. This is not enough just by thinking a lone but it’s needed to move and action. As the pastor do we fulfill our responsibility for God to our church members? If not we need to be restore. Then take a step of move to prayer and confession to God and we will be restored.

Conclusion

Therefore friends we should not be discourage because of our failure or many of our weakness and fail in the sight of God, because our loving God who is gracious and merciful is waiting for us every times that our turning back to Him, when we take a step of repentance, moving and confess to Him we were already forgiven and restored in Him. Many a times when we failed in the sight of God failed in any others areas we used to felt that we have no hope or we were no used anymore. It’s not like that, see through the descendent of Rahap the prostitute our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was born (Matt), that’s why in the riddle of Samson we see, “Out of the eater something to eat, out of the strong something sweet” (Judges 14:14). Paul was very bitter and eater (persecutor) but after he was restore he became eatable for the Christians especially for the Gentiles. We may be disowned or no used for the family or the congregation no matter, but be restore to God so that we may also be eatable and useful person our society and for our God. Therefore to be restored lets us take a step of seeing ourselves and repentance, a step of moving or action and confession. Then we will be restored.