The Story of The Prodigal Son (Deliverance from Sin)

The Story of The Prodigal Son (Deliverance from Sin) - Homily

Text: Luke 15:12-32

I. What Sin Is

A. Sin is Selfish Desire (Luke 15:12)
- "My" "mine" - "I" elongated
- A desire for independence from the authority and rule of God
- A desire to enjoy life in one's own way

B. Sin is Going Far Away From God (Luke 15:13)
- You become separated from Him
- You are away from His protection, love, counsel, provision
- You are away from His discipline and control

C. Sin is Wastage and Wrong Use of God's Gifts (Luke 15:13)
- It is using God's gifts to displease Him /or in a way that displeases Him
- It is using God's gifts in a way that doesn't glorify Him
- It is using God's gifts in a way that would defame Him
- It is using God's gifts for impermanent goals/pleasures

II. What Sin Does

Famine Reveals Your Condition; Hope, Severity

A. Sin Sucks Out the Sap of Your Life (Like Madagascar Tree, Octopus)
- It robs you of your physical health
- It confuses your intellect and debases your reasoning ability
- It disturbs you emotionally: guilt, loneliness, frustration...
- It drains you spiritually - Godless life is a lifeless life

B. Sin Makes/Turns You Into A Destitute
A poor man has at least something; a destitute has nothing
"What shall a man profit if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul?"
- A moral destitute
- A spiritual destitute
- An eternal destitute
- Truthlessness, Hopelessness, Affectionless, Powerlessness, Godlessness, Joylessness
- No Home, No Money, Torn Rags, No Food, No Friend

C. Sin Makes You Serve The Thing You Hate - "Uncleanness" - And Gives You Nothing In Return - Only Husks
- A labor that costs you everything but profits nothing
- You can get no sympathy from the swine you serve
- It will kill you - and you are already dead (Rom.6:21)
- Why such labor: Eccl. 2:1-11; 12:1-7; 11:9
-Evil ensnares: Prov.5:22; Gen.4:7; Jn.8:34; Ro.6:13-16; 2Pet. 2:19,24

III. What You Must Do

A. Realize - Come to Your Senses (Luke 15:17)
- That you still have everything in your Father
- That you do not need to remain here

B. Resolve (Luke 15:18)
- To get out of all this
- To go back to your Father

C. Repent (Luke 15:19)
- Repentance is an action - action of turning your back to sin and your face to God
- Repentance out of a broken heart must express itself in confession of what you are
- Repentance means you do not demand but commit yourself to God's mercy and grace - you are not worthy (Luke 15:21)

IV. What God Does For You

A. He Accepts You As You Are (Luke 15:20)

B. He Restores You and Makes You a King (Luke 15:22)

C. He Celebrates And Is Merry At Your Coming (Luke 15:23-24)

CONCLUSION

- You do not need to keep wandering as a destitute because your Father is waiting for you.

- Come home, O sinner come home! His arms and His house are open for you.

Ill: A boy left his home --After may years wanted to come back-- "I'll come by train. If you want me back, tie a red cloth to a tree..." When he passed thru, he saw red cloths in every tree.."Come back!"

Placebo and the Philosophy of Mind and Matter in Drug Research

A placebo is a non-therapeutic substance administered under the camouflage of medication to deceive patients into believing that they are receiving medications; this done solely for psychological and not for physiological effects. Placebo may usually be used to compare its effects with the effects of other drugs in drug research. Let's take the case of an experiment that tries to establish whether a particular drug, say to treat weariness, is genuine or merely has the effects of a placebo. Suppose 20 candidates are chosen for this experiment. 10 are given the drug and the rest are put on a placebo while they are told that the placebo is a genuine medication. They need to make sure that the deception is well carried on for the success of the experiment. If both the groups make similar improvements after taking the treatments, the new drug seems to only function as a placebo in effect. The basic hypothesis of the placebo raises the question of mind over matter. Of course, this pushes...

3 Facts About Temptation

M...L...S 1. Temptation is MOMENTARY. It won't last forever. The devil tries to make it look as the final reality. But, it is not. It is just a test, and it'll be over; but, the question is whether you'll pass it. 2. Temptation is a Test of LOVE; and LOVE is an action. Love fulfills all the commandments. The two greatest are LOVE GOD with all your being and LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR as yourself. But, love is not a feeling or emotion; it is an action. We need to LOVE Him more in the moment of temptation; it can only be possible when we focus on Him. 3. Temptation will make you STRONGER and PURER. It may stretch your muscle; but, not beyond your capacity; and then the HELPER, our TRAINER is there with us and knows what will make us stronger... Despite all this, let us never forget to pray: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one!"

7 Ghastly Sins of Ministry (Micah 3)

Text: Micah 3 1. Hatred of Good and Love of Evil (Mic 3:2) A. Values that are Self-Centered, Not Christ-Centered B. Values that are Self-Defined, Not Spirit-Defined C. Values that are Self-Glorifying, Not God-Glorifying A confused value-system that honors culture, man, and the world rather than the Law of God Luke16:15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 2. Exploitation of the Sheep (Mic 3:2) A. Manipulating People Like Things and Not Treating Them as Persons B. Over-Demanding C. Not Caring for the Well-being of Sheep Mat 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let hi...

Marbaniang, Domenic

Search This Blog