Daddy Issues Pt. 3: Prodigal Generation (cont’d)

On Monday, we will be celebrating 4th of July, America’s Independence Day.

Many will be celebrating by watching and lighting fireworks. One of my favorites are Roman Candles. The different colors of the balls of light shooting in the sky is a lot of fun.

One year we went over to Ruby’s fathers house, he always threw the best 4th of July parties. I had my daughter, Claire, with me and we picked out a few fireworks at one of those pop-up stands. She chose a variation of the Roman Candle and it was in the shape of a frog.

You ever wonder where the term Roman candle came from. I mean fireworks were invented in China not Rome.

Caesar Nero who used to take Christians, tie them to stakes that lined the road into Rome, and light them on fire. This where the term “roman candle” first came from.

Romans 13:1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Paul writes this while being a Christian Roman living under the rule of this sadistic evil dictator.

While I love this nation, I serve it proudly, our nations was founded on a rebellion. In 1776, the Founding Fathers declared our nation’s independence from Britan. They didn’t like how they were running things. Adam rebelled from his Heavenly Father, and our Founding Fathers rebelled against their government. Taxation without representation is not a great governmental model. We revolted and the Revolutionary War was the result.

America has some daddy issues.

In fact, 3 of the Founding Fathers died on July 4

President: John Adams
# of president: 2
When in office: 1797-1801
Died: July 4, 1826
Age: 90
Cause: Old age

President: Thomas Jefferson
# of president: 3
When in office: 1801-1809
Died: July 4, 1826
Age: 83
Cause: Rheumatism, gi and urinary difficulties
President: James Munroe
# of president: 5
When in office: 1817-1825
Died: July 4, 1831
Age: 73
Cause: TB, heart failure

America has been asserting its independence ever since. We want to do it our way and hate to be inconvenienced by anyone or anything.

The great American “prophet” Frank Sinatra sang the anthem of the American independent spirit, “I did it my way”

I thank God that He is able to redeem things that didn’t start well. Jacob, Joseph, you and I. God has caused this nation to serve as a beacon of hope and freedom across the globe despite our flaws and failures, and rebellion.

This inclination is not unique to us. We all have been in rebellion since the garden. We've all fallen short and have been our own version of a Prodigal son or daughter. As we have left our Heavenly Father, relationships and society have been suffering ever since.

Most of the issues we see in our society can be directly or indirectly tied to breakdown in parent-child relationships, and specifically Issues pertaining to fathers. This stems initially from our rebellion against God.

We are in some series called Daddy Issues

Main Point: The distortion or destruction of God’s design for a father, results in a distorted perception of God as Father or the destruction of belief in God altogether.

Main Text:
Malachi 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

God desires that there be healing, wholeness, and loving functioning relationships between parent and child. Healthy families create healthy communities that create a healthy society. But it starts with fathers whose hearts turn to their children. How does this turn happen?

Repentance (Greek – metanoia): new mind

1. The Son (Us)
2. The World
3. The Father
4. The Crowd
5. The Robe
6. The Ring - Authority
7. Sandals – Position & Protection
8. The Feast
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We deserve death and judgement, but God’s mercy and love desires to celebrate repentance, not to destroy the sinful.

Ezekiel 33:11 “As I live!” declares the Lord GOD, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from their way and live.”

Luke 15:7 there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Revelation 3:19-20 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to be with them and dine with them, and they with Me.

• When I got saved

9. The Brother
Luke 15:25-32 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So, he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore, his father came out and pleaded with him. So, he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”

We must not be like the brother – rejecting who the Father is desperately trying to redeem.

• I’ve even had this in my own family.

10. The Inheritance.
Before we think this parable gives us permission to live how we want as long as we come back one day, I want to point out something important. The son was restored in his relationship, and was even given authority, but he still squandered his inheritance. It was gone and he didn’t get it back.

God loves you and desires to forgive your sin. No matter what you’ve done or how far you’ve run, the Father welcomes you home with open arms. But there are consequences of sin.

The older brother still had his inheritance intact. He will receive a full reward. He was upset over 1 calf, but in time he would own all of them. The Prodigal son would not.
Temporary / immediate perspective vs. eternal.

• Jim Baker

Conclusion:
We are living in a generation where most have rejected the Father, and it has brought about a curse in our lives and in our nation. Statistics more than bear this out.

For those that cry out for it, God desires to send His Spirit, first to turn our hearts back to the Father in repentance.

John 16:7-8 It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

Once our relationship with the Father is restored, He will then cause us to stop being so selfish and turn our hearts to our children, our legacy, our inheritance.

When we are secured in our Father’s love, we are then healed, free and able to love our children.

When our children are secured in our love, they will be healed, free, and able to turn their hearts toward their parents in love, respect, submission, and carrying on the family business.

Jesus at 12 – God desires to restore the “I must” of our generation.

Malachi 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

Let it start with us. Let us repent of our sin and selfishness and come back to Father’s house, and leave a godly legacy.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

We need healing in this nation, but that starts with the healing of our families, which starts with the healing of our own souls so we aren’t committing acts of violence, aggression, or immorality like the orphaned elephants.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. [Heal us from the wounds of death inflicted by sin]