Download this sermon (right click and save)
To the Father's House
(Lk15:11-32)
God is the Abba Father (Rm8:15).
He gives birth to His children in His blood (1Pe1:19) and
He waits from His house for them to return (Lk15:20).
Faith is longing for the Father's house, and
The life of this faith is putting effort to return to the Father's house.
A "house" or "home" is a place, unlike any other, where comfort and rest are found.
Especially for the runaway son who lives a prodigal life until he is left with nothing,
The abundant "father's house" is where he would finally want to return to for
Longing is greater than fear.
The Bible is the road sign to the Father's house (Jer31:21-22):
The Garden of Eden "”> the Law "”> the sanctuary "”> Yeshua "”> the church "”>
The Father's house.
This is because after being deceived by the devil
Adam sinned and was banished from the Garden (Ge3:4-6, 24) and
All men lost their way and became lost (Ge4:12).
God began to show the direction (Ge12:1) by calling on Abram, who
By faith left his country and his father's land (Ge12:4) and
Went to the land that God instructed him to go though he did not know where he was going.
Even in the land that was promised to him, he lived in tents like strangers for
He knew that he was a pilgrim seeking a homeland in heaven (He11:8-16).
His descendant Jacob, while sleeping outdoors, had a vision-like dream, after which
He set up a pillar making a vow to return to his father's house giving a tenth (Ge28:10-22).
While the Israelites were strangers in a country not their own for 430 years (Ge15:13; Ex12:41),
God called Moses and had him take off his sandals, changing his direction (Ex3:5, 10), and
it was to bring the people out of Egypt.
When they wandered in the desert wastelands and cried to the Lord (Ps107:4),
He instructed them to build the sanctuary (Ex25:8) so that
They would make the house of God their road sign and
Be led to the city where they would settle.
However, they wandered and turned away from God
Unfaithful to Him, with tithes and offerings (Mal3:6-12) and thus
The prophets warned them to return to the road signs, the guide posts, the highway (Jer31:21-22).
Yeshua came and said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days" (Jn2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would become the way and the road sign for all men and
Let them return through Him to the Father's house in heaven (Jn14:1-6).
As such, He rebuked the Pharisees as blind guides neglecting the meaning of tithing (Mt23:23-24).
As He died, He said, "It is finished" (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Made His death on the cross a turning point from His pilgrimage to return to the Father's
house (Lk23:46; Jn1:1, 14, 18);
2) Condemned the devil who misled all men (1Jn3:8); and
3) Opened the way through His torn flesh and shed blood for all men who were lost to return to
the Father's house (Jn14:6; He10:19-20).
He rose and in glory entered the Father's house outside the universe (2Ch2:6).
The Holy Spirit whom He sent in the name Yeshua (Ac1:8)
Comes to those who received in His name, the guidepost,
Lets them know that they have a Father in heaven (Mt6:9).
The Christian is he who
The more difficult, the more challenging his life becomes,
The more longs for the Father's house where there is
Warm welcome, forgiveness, abundance, joy, feast etc.
Therefore, he turns to church, the road sign, the guidepost, the highway to the Father's house,
In worship, with tithes and offerings, and
Calls prodigal sons and daughters to return to the Father and looks after them.
O Lord,
Our Father in heaven!
How many more times do we need to worship,
How many more lights do we need to pass
To get to Your house?
Rather than living comfortably and becoming lost
Let us choose to be weary and burdened in this life and
Finally arrive in the Father's house in that day!
Let us never deviate from this direction, our resolution for the New Year! Amen.