PASTOR DARRYL BAKER

Luke 15:29-31
29 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.
30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.’

THE PRODIGAL SON – PART 2
As we looked at the prodigal son story yesterday, we saw the younger son who came home realizing he had been living wrong, and upon approaching his father said he was no longer worthy to be called his son. He was trying to get his worth from what he had done having wasted his inheritance, instead of who he was as a son. The older son actually does the same thing, but instead of belittling himself, he exalts himself, doing just the opposite of the younger son.

The older son comes in from working and hears a party going on. He finds out his younger brother had come home and his dad was celebrating his return. The older son got angry and would not go inside. The father comes and pleads with him to come in and celebrate with them. The above verses reveal his response. He got angry, declaring he had never transgressed his father’s commands, and his father had never thrown a party for him, but the moment this wayward son came home he has a celebration.

This older son believed he deserved a celebration because of what he had done, not because of who he was as a son to his father. His father responds and tells him that all he has was available to him. Why had this older son not enjoyed what was his by birthright? Because he was trying to earn what was already his. In the same way, we don’t earn our worth and what belongs to us because of what we have or have not done. It is ours because we have been born into the family of God, and therefore it is available to us by faith in who we now are in Christ Jesus.

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Luke 15:21
And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

THE PRODIGAL SON – PART 1
Many have read or heard of the prodigal son story Jesus shared in Luke 15. Often the emphasis is on the son who had received his inheritance from his father and he went away and wasted his inheritance. But something that is rarely seen, and I believe is one of the most important parts of the story is revealed in both of these brothers. Let’s look at the first of these two brothers today.

This younger son who took his inheritance went to a far country, and after he had wasted his inheritance, he got a job feeding another man’s pigs. He would have gladly eaten the pigs food, but he was given nothing to eat. Realizing his father’s servants ate better than him, he goes home but he makes a powerful statement to his father in the above verse. He repented for what he had done, but he said he was not worthy to be called his son. The father surprises him by putting a rob, a ring, and new sandals on his son, and he even throws him a party.

The father was glad his son was home. He did not treat him like a servant, because he was still his son. This young man was trying to find his worth in what he had done. He belittled himself for how he had been living. No matter what we have done if we have been born again, we are still sons and daughters of God. We should repent for wrong living and return to our Father, but our worth is found in who we are as God’s children, not in our actions. What we do does not change who we are.

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Ephesians 5:15-16
15 Therefore, pay careful attention to how you conduct your life — live wisely, not unwisely.
16 Use your time well, for these are evil days.

When you look at men and women of God who walk in great faith, and who understand and use their God-given authority, many wish they could be like them. Guess what, you can. So many Christians fail to recognize the key area that they need to deal with in their life to be able to attain that type of walk with God they say they want. What is that key ingredient? Time, and we all have the same amount of time each day.

We choose every day what we will do with the time we are given. If you look at any person from the natural standpoint that has gotten good at something, they did so because they devoted much time to that area of their life. What many don’t know is that devoting time to spiritual development makes a powerful impact on every part of your life. Many today will not take the time to get to church, or spend time in prayer, or reading the Word, etc. What the devil and your old fleshly nature will do is to get you to be foolish with your time.

We are all given the same 24 hours in a day. It is what we choose to focus on that determines what we do with the time we have been given. Put the kingdom of God first on your time list and all the things you need will be added unto you (Matt. 6:33). Ask God to help you to balance the use of your time. The difference with those who have a close walk with God, strong faith, and are spiritually mature, is how they use their time.

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Jeremiah 32:17
‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

There is nothing too hard for God, and as a believer in Christ we need to be reminded of three powerful truths about our God. (Romans 8:31) – What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Here in Romans is the first of these three things. “GOD IS FOR YOU”. That’s right, as a born-again child of God He is not against you as some may think. The death of His Son proves He is for you. He wants you to live a victorious life.

(Hebrews 13:5-6) – 5 For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Here is the second key truth, “GOD IS WITH YOU”. Did you know you are never alone. God will NEVER leave you nor forsake you. Some say they feel God is far from them. They are going by feelings, not by His Word. He is always with you.

(1 John 4:4) – You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. The third truth you should never forget is that “GOD IS IN YOU.” Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. There is nothing too hard for your God, and wherever you go He is right there. Never forget He is FOR YOU, WITH YOU, and IN YOU, and therefore there is nothing to hard for you to overcome.

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1 Timothy 1:14
…and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.

When we are born again there are two very important elements that we find in our relationship with Jesus Christ. They are faith and love. Once born again we are to walk by faith not by sight, and we are to develop in the love of God that has been shed abroad in our hearts. These two elements are to become the central part of how we now live this new life we have been given.

We are to take the measure of faith God gives us and continue to develop and use our faith. Scripture teaches us that faith works like a mustard seed. It begins small, but as you continue to hear the preaching of the Word of God, you will learn of God’s will for your life, what He has provided for you. Faith begins where the will of God is known. You then use this faith by believing in and acting upon what God’s Word says.

We are to also walk in love, treating others the way we want to be treated no matter how they treat us. This requires action on our part based on the love of God that is now in our hearts. Faith is dependent on this love, for faith works through love. If you get out of love, your faith will not work for faith is of the heart. When we get out of love, we are not walking by faith but by our flesh. Continually develop your faith and walk in the love of God, and you can see this faith and love God has given to you change your life.

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1 Thessalonians 5:18
…in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

God’s desire for us is to see His will manifested. A key to seeing God’s will manifested is in thanking Him for what He has already done for us through Christ Jesus. Thanksgiving is a key to faith. To walk in God’s promises you must see what He has promised in His Word as already done, for in the eyes of God everything you have in Christ is already an established fact.

In Philippians 4:6 the apostle Paul reveals to us that we are to be anxious for nothing, which means we are not to worry about anything. He goes on to tell us that we are to make our requests known to God with thanksgiving. You give thanks for what someone has already done for you. God has already made a way for us through Christ Jesus to provide all that we need. You are the redeemed of the Lord, you’re not going to be.

What God promised to us in Christ was established 2000 years ago through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. So, to live a life of thanksgiving don’t focus on what you see in the natural, focus on what God’s Word has said, and start thanking Him for what He has already done for you through Christ. Those who are grateful (full of gratitude), will be faithful (full of faith).

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Matthew 16:25
for whoever is desiring to save his soul-life shall ruin it, but whoever will pass a sentence of death upon his soul-life for my sake, shall find it.

What is this soul-life Jesus is referring to here. The soul-life is referring to being governed by our own reasoning apart from what God has said about us, and therefore choosing our own will instead of the Father’s will. The Father’s will as Jesus proved will always bring us up into a higher life. Jesus is a perfect example of this.

Remember when Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane dealing with His soul-life over what His spirit man already knew what He was to do. Jesus many times had talked about laying down His life for us, knowing He would be raised up from the dead three days later. So Jesus gave up His will (soul-life) to follow His spirit man in fulfilling God’s will. This was a difficult choice because of what He faced, separation from the Father, but the result was victory over death, hell, and the grave, and being raised up, seated next to the Father.

The very moment we are born again we are now as a new creation seated with Him because we are one spirit with the Lord. Like Jesus we must die to our own will if we want to live out His will for we cannot do both. Die to your soul-life by choosing to accept God’s will for you, declaring over you who God says you are, what God says you have, and what God says you can do. It will lift you up into this “higher life” where you are already seated in victory.

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Romans 8:5
For those who identify with their old nature set their minds on the things of the old nature, but those who identify with the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit.

The moment you become born again you receive a new spirit man within. That new spirit man scripture teaches us is perfect, for that new spirit man has been made in the image and likeness of God Himself (Hebrews 12:23). Once this new life has been given, we now have two natures to deal with. We still have the old Adamic nature in our flesh, but we also now have this new God-like nature. It is this new God-like nature that is to rule our soul and body.

Our soul, which is made up of mind (reasoning), will (choices), and emotions (feelings), is now to become the servant to our spirit man within, the new God-like nature. The body is a slave being subject to our soul, based on what we will it to do. What determines which nature we now walk in. Here is a powerful saying that will answer that question. There are two natures within my breast. One is cursed and one is blessed. One I love, and one I hate, but the one I feed will dominate.

If you want to experience this new nature, the one who is made in the image and likeness of God, you must identify with the new man within you. If you feed on worldly things, you are setting your focus on the flesh. But if you feed on the Word of God, fellowshipping with the Lord, you are setting your mind (your soul) on spiritual things, identifying with the new nature, and when you do that new man will dominate.

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Isaiah 1:19
If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land.

Far to often people think that because of certain circumstances in their life, or because of what other people have done, this will affect their outcome. But the truth is your outcome in life is determined by the choices you make. The devil is the one who wants you to get caught up with what others do and focused on things in the natural. In doing so he has taken your focus off of what God has planned for your life.

The above verse in Isaiah is an absolute. The only conditions to getting the best God has waiting for you in this life is your willingness and obedience to Him. When you understand this, it should change what you are focused on. Your daily focus should be on walking in obedience to what God has for you to do. Look at Joshua and Caleb. They remained focused on what God had said about the promise land, and all the rest of those who rebelled against God did not keep them from their god-given destiny.

Stay focused on being obedient to God and doing whatever He desires of you with a willing heart. To be willing simply means you obey without argument, and you put your whole heart into it. If you focus on this, you will succeed. Stop allowing the devil to get you to focus on or to even think that people or problems can stop you. Just stay focused on what God has called you to do, and you are assured that what God has planned for your life which is good, will come to pass. Just be willing and obedient.

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Colossians 1:28
Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

The word “perfect” means to be complete. It is not other people, things you own, nor your status in life that makes you complete. It is Jesus Christ and Him alone that makes your life complete, and that is why they preached Christ to everyone. Ever since the fall of man when Adam and Eve sinned and turned away from God, man has been incomplete without God and always will be. The Creator Himself who brought us into existence is the only One who can make us complete.

When we try to find our worth in life in what we do, what other people think of us, or in what we have in this world, we are always going to feel incomplete, because in doing so we are trying to find our worth in the creation and not our Creator. It is not a selfie you take that everyone likes, nor getting compliments on something you’ve accomplished that gives you value and worth. Trying to find your worth in anything other than Christ will lead to a self fulfilling and self defeating lifestyle.

Our value and worth come from the One who loves you and gave His life for you. Get your focus on Jesus by going to the Word and focusing on the New Testament scriptures that reveal who you now are in Christ Jesus. Get to know Jesus and you get to know yourself, the new you, one who has become a new creation, for you are one spirit with the Lord. You are complete in Him, because in Him you have all that you need.

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