A fathers Love Minster Darnell Newman

On this Father's day, if you return with me to Luke,

the fifteenth chapter will begin reading at the eleventh verse.

Be a familiar passage to a lot of us, and

to those of you that may not know, I encourage

you to go read it for yourself.

It's nothing like knowing the word of God for yourself

a man.

And when you have it, saying man Luke Chapter fifteen,

beginning at verse eleven man, and it reads, and he

said A certain man had two sons, And the younger

of them said to his father, father, give me the

portion of goods that fall into me, and he divided

unto them his living. And not many days after, the

younger son gathered all together and took his journey into

a far country. And they're wasted his substance with riots

of living. And when he had spent all their rods

of mighty famine in that land, and he began to

be in want. And he went and joined himself to

a citizen of that country, and sent him into his

fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled

his belly with the husk that the swine did eat.

And no man gave unto him. And when he came

to himself. He said, how many hired servants of my

fathers have bred enough and to spare, and I perish

with hunger. I will arise and go to my father,

and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against

heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to

be called thy son. Make me as one of thy

hired servants. And he arose and came to his father.

But when he was yet a great way off, his

father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell

on his neck and kissed him. And the son said,

unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in

thy sight, and I'm no more worthy to be called

thy son. But the father said to his servants, bring

forth the best robe and put it on him, and

put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.

May God out a blessed to the readers here, and

do us of his word. We'll stop there. There's a

few more verses that go with them, but keeping in

line with what today is Father's Day, we'll speak to

the father's But I believe this message will cover everyone.

So if I can speak to you for a moment,

a brief topic would be a father's love a father's love. So,

now before I get into these verses, I would like

to share with you for a moment and ask what

is a father? What is the importance of a father?

What impact does a father have on his home and

on his children. When you look up the definition of

the word father, the dictionary defines it as a man

providing care or exercising.

Influence or authority like that of a male parent.

Now, the dictionary gives many different definitions, but I chose

this one because some men are fathers or all the

figures to children that they did not biologically give birth to.

A father is important because they are crucial to a child's.

Development, and their involvement brings a different aspect to the

home than what the mother does. But just like the mother,

the father loves just as much. The father oftentimes can

set the example of what a daughter looks for in

a man. The father can set the example of what

the son may emulate and try to grow up to be.

A father sets the example in his home of what

a good, godly man should be and what he should

stand for. A father sets the standard for what we

should look forward to and strive to be like. When

we seek out different relationships. Oftentimes, as I said, young

ladies want a man that reminds them of their father

or the father figure that reminds them of their father.

Because oftentimes as the son grows up, he learns also

how to treat others based on how he sees his.

Father's relationships with others.

So what makes this story of the prodigal son a

story that shows a father's love.

Well, I'm glad you asked.

This story is going to show us the unconditional love

of father has. It would show us the patience a

father has with his son. It would show us the

grace that our father extends, and it will show us

the restoration that a father can also give. So as

these verses open up, we find that the youngest son

has approached the father. Now he's approached him asking him

for his inheritance. He is approaching his father as asking

him to divide unto him all that he has coming

to him. Now here's the problem with that question, though,

because see in that day in time, by the Mosaic law,

by him coming and asking his father to divide to

him his goods, he was going against the law because

normally you didn't go ask your father for anything, because

you didn't get to the inheritance until the patriarch had died.

So basically, what you're saying to your father is I

wish you were dead so that I could get what

is Rifley coming to me? How many of us sometimes

have been approached by our children and ask questions, and

they're asking for things that we know they are not

quite ready for yet. But being that unconditional love that

we have within us, sometimes we stand back and say,

I know they not ready for him, but I'm gonna

let them experience it for themselves anyway. Hmm.

Now, the youngest son.

Really did not look at the disrespect that he's showing

here by asking for that inheritance.

So even though he asked.

The Bible to say, he divided amongst them. Now I

must just pause right there for a minute. What I

liked about is even though the son was out of order,

the father wasn't out of order. And how he divided

it because he said he gave it to them, So

he still gave to the oldest verse, but he gave

to what the son felt he had coming. Now, as

I said, it was culturally and morally the equivalent of

wishing his father was dead. He was demanding his share

of the estate before it was due.

Under ancient and.

Middle Eastern Mosaic law, then inheritance was only to be

distributed at death. So he's telling his father, I want

the benefits of you being gone, is if you are

not here, I want the benefits of you being gone.

But you yet alive.

So now I can just imagine in my mind that

the father is stepping back, saying, you have the unmitigated

gad to come before me, asking for something that you

have not.

Even yet quite earned.

But yet you want to get everything that you have

coming to you, to venture out.

Into a world that you know nothing about.

Because I'm pretty sure the young man has never left

home before him. I'm sure he has never experienced the

things that he is about to get ready to go

face him. But the father steps back and says to him,

you know what, because you are asking, I'm gonna let

you get a taste of what it is that.

You're not right, quitit ready for him.

Have you ever said to your children, don't get in

such a big heroy to grow up. No, don't don't

get in such a big herod that you want to

get out here and experience this world that you know

nothing about.

Because I guarantee you see you thinking.

You looking at the word from the standpoint of what

your parents are doing for you. You looking at the

word from the standpoint of the convenience that.

You have at your home.

You looking at the word from the safety and the

shelter that you are having at home. You looking at

the word from the standpoint that has been provided for you,

the safety that your father and mother may give to you.

Hmm, A father's love.

So I'm sure against his better judgment, now he honors

his requests.

Now I know as many fathers as I.

Said before, you've told your children, huh you sure you

sure you won't what you're asking for? Well, yes, it's

a cold, cold world out there, you know. When you

get out there on your own and some bills start

coming in your name and you got the answer for

things for yourself, and you can no longer call and

lean and depend on father and mother to bear you

out of every situation.

Because you wanted.

To be big enough and bold enough and brave enough,

and you thought you were.

Ready for this world. Whooh, okay, now, but I'd like

to say this.

But the same way that this father has been questioned

about the inheritance of his son, and his son father

knew he wasn't ready. It's the same thing that our father,

which is in heaven, looks at us when we come

before him with some of these requests and asking him

for things that he.

Knows we are not quite ready for.

I can only imagine our father stepping back saying, you

asking me.

For it, but you're really not ready for him.

But I'm an honor your request and give to you

so that you can see that it wasn't your time and.

That you didn't needed right now.

Now, this is how we know that he wasn't ready

for it, because shortly after this says now, the Bible

tells us that it did not take loan for this

youngest son.

He gathered up all his belongings.

Now I can just imagine him going to his room

and he taking everything that the father then provided.

He's gathering up everything that the father gave to him.

But the scripture says that he gathered up all his belongings,

but his belongings have been provided to him by his father,

So he's gathering up everything that he has and now

it says he's getting ready to leave and travel off

into a far country, and the scripture says he began

to waste everything that he had. You know what I

got to thinking in my mind, is you ever had

a lot of money in your pocket and people don't

want a fool, which is to your guy, some men

in your pocket. So he didne got out in this world.

And I can imagine people that clung to him and

they like, oh, he a big spender. He got all

this money, So let us hang on to his coattail

for a minute. Let's see what he gonna give us.

Let's see what he can provide for us. But as

soon as he ran out of everything that he had,

because the scripture says, he wasted what it was that

he had. This is why I'm sure the father didn't

want him to get out there.

Because he ain't never experienced nothing before him.

I remember when I was younger and got ready to

leave and go into the military. Oh I could not

wait to get away from home. Oh I ain't got

to be up under my parents no more. I ain't

got to do what they say no more. I can

live my life the way that I wanted to live in.

But I found.

Myself shortly after calling back home saying, please pray for me,

because I wasn't ready for what I thought it was

that I wanted to be a part of. And when

I got out there on my own, I realized that

the world didn't care about me. The world didn't hold me,

no favors. Got a brother's love.

Oh, he allowed him to go out there. Hm.

Now, after the son gathered up everything he owned, the

father didn't chase after him, but I'm sure he saw

him off. I'm sure he prayed for him. I'm sure

he wished him well on his journey, and I'm sure

in his heart he hoped that he would be successful.

In his journey.

He allowed him to make his own choices while still

leaving room for redemption. Because fathers understand the pain of

watching our children make difficult decisions, but at the same time,

we hope that they will return wiser and stronger and

learn from whatever it is that they may go face.

But as we read this story, we know that he

did not.

Make wise choices, because the Bible says he spent everything

he had right after he did. The Bible tells us

what who are great family. So I didn't prepare. I

didn't prepare for what might be ahead. I didn't put

nothing aside because I thought I knew it all, because

I wanted it all. See, I want to bypass my

father's instructions and go take everything I had and get

out here in the world and live as if tomorrow

was never coming.

But see now that you didn spend it everything you had.

It says a famine that came in the lab And

now the famine that came you ain't got nothing.

You're broken, you'll bust it. You're down on your luck.

You out there on your own, your homeless right now.

And now it's as that you have to go join yourself.

To a citizen of that country.

So now he goes and join himself to a man

that put him to work.

So now you broke you home, great, and you got

to put to work.

But even when you got put to work, you're still

didn't get nothing to eat, because the Bible says that

he would have loved to eat what it was that

he was feeding his wine.

Now I was looking at this. Now.

The Bible doesn't tell us how long the prodigal.

Son has been gone, But in my mind I.

Can't help but wonder how many nights the father was

weared about him, and how many nights he wondered what

he was doing, and if he wondered, was he in

need of anything? I wonder in my mind if the

father sat back, and I'm sure he wondered what was

He's safe from all hurt, harm and danger.

But even on the scripture does not say this.

I know from just being a father, I worry about

my children daily, and I pray that they make good

decisions and that they are safe because of the love

that this father has. I'm sure he was wear it,

but also wanted his son to come back home. See

a parent. This is the thing about a parent. This

is I tell children all the time. You gotta be

careful the way you leave, because one day you might

have to come back. Be careful of the bridges that

you burn the day, because you might have to cross

back over them. Be careful of what it is that

you stand up and you ask for too soon, and

how you ask for it, because you may not get

the chance or the opportunity to come back.

Now.

The Bible goes on to tell us that the prodigal

son fail all these challenges that have now arose, and

the Bible says what he finally he came to himself.

Oh man, how many of you have been out here

in this world wondering. How many of you have gone

down some paths that you know you wasn't supposed to

go down. How many of you have made some choices

and some decisions on your own that you did not seek.

God for him.

How many of you said, I can do this all

by myself. I can do this. It's because of me

that I'm making this happen. How many of you thought

that it was everything that you had in your life

right now is a result of everything that you did.

But all but it says, but when he came to itself.

See, that's the same thing our father wanted us to do,

is to realize that you got to come to yourself

and come to your senses and realize that you ain't

got nothing to do with you because everything that you have,

it's because the grace of God has the extended tord him.

If it wasn't for the.

Grace of God, you wouldn't be able to move this money.

If it wasn't for the grace of God, you wouldn't

have got out of bath this morning. If it wasn't

for the grace of God, you wouldn't have made at.

Your church this morning.

If it wasn't for the grace of God, you wouldn't

have had the activities off your limbs. If it wasn't

for the grace of God, you wouldn't have walked up

y'all home this morning, if it wasn't for grace. Yes,

So now I mentioned earlier that he was wearing. The

father was worried because he loved his son, and I'm

sure he was missing him. Now the son has finally

came to himself. Let me back up a minute, and

he said, now, now that he's come to himself, he

realized I asked for everything. I squandered away everything. I

have nothing right now. I'm working feeding pigs and swine.

But how many of my.

Father's servants have bread to eat?

And my father, who is still plentiful, my father who

is still rich, my father who is still mighty, how much.

Does he still have yet to spare?

And I'm sitting out here feeding the swine and the pigs,

the huss and I can't even eat what it is

today eating. I'm out here suffering. But my father has

everything that he.

Needs in his house.

Because in my father's house are many mansions. If it

were not so, I wouldn't have told you.

So.

Now he's come to himself, and now he realized, Let

me get up from this state of mind and this

situation that I'm in, and let me turn around and

start heading back home. See, God is looking for you

to turn around and start heading back home. Now watch this,

Watch this, Watch this now. The Bible says that when

the sun was yet a great way off. See this

is the part I like right here. See it says

when he was a great way off, he saw him.

Now, when he saw.

Him, he didn't wait for him to get close to him.

He didn't wait for him to come knock on the door.

It says that he left about the house. I can

see him looking right now. Is that my poor who

left not too long ago?

Is that my son? Is that him in the distance

right there?

Oh? Let me leave on up about this house and

go meet my son. See right now, let me tell

you what has befel the father. That father's love has

taken over him and the compassion has taken over because

it says he ran out and he met his son

with compassion, and I can just imagine him hugging him, saying,

thank you for coming home. I'm glad you made it back.

I'm glad that you came to your senses. I'm glad

that you didn't stay after no longer. But the reason

why we know he was happy to see him is

because watch. Yes, it says out he came back, says

he put a ring on his finger, he put a

roll on his back, he put shoes on his feet,

and he threw a celebration for him. But you know

what the father didn't do. Wash He didn't talk about him.

He didn't ridiculee him. He didn't make him feel bad.

He didn't scold him for what he had done. He

didn't say I told you so. He didn't say you

should have listened. He didn't say you shouldn't have did it.

He said, come on back, son, I'm welcoming you with

open arm. It's the same thing the father wants.

To do with us.

When you come to your sensor. He's looking for you

and saying, is that my child? Are they on their

way back? And when he sees you a far he's

gonna fall upon your neck, and he got compassion for you.

He gonna love on you.

Oh man, watch this. This is what I love about God.

No matter how far you straight from God, watch this

the return trip.

It's one step away. See that's the thing.

You could have strayed a million miles away. But one

step it will bring you back into his vision. One

step would bring you back into his arms. One step

would bring your closer to God who one step away.

So so now he'd have ran out in minutes. So

he done fell on them with compassion, places a ring

on his finger. He didn't talk about him, He didn't

make him regret this decisions. The good thing about it is,

watched this the father receive him with love, with love.

Now I can only speak for me as a father.

I can't say I'd always been the best. When my

kids come back after making what I felt a fool

of themselves, I can't say that when they came back,

I ain't said I told you so. I can't say

when they came back and said that if you listened

to me, this wouldn't have happened.

I can't say I have done that.

But oh, but I serve a God, Oh who keeps

no record I serve a God that don't hold it

against you.

I serve a God.

Then when you realize it's time to come home, he

forgives you. It says, he casts it in the sea.

What forgiven it? So if God can forget, who am

I to forgive and forget?

Because greater is He that is in me and he

that is in the world. So I have to learn

to be.

Compassionate with my children because the Father shows us what love,

conditional love is. The Father shows us that no matter

how many times we fall down, if we just say, Lord,

help me, he will be good up. The Lord does

not want you to stay in your situation. He don't

want you to stay in a destitute state of mind.

He don't want you to continue to suffer. He wants

you to be know that he is God. See the

Bible tells me that I can do all things through

Christ because He is my strength. And if I acknowledge

Him in all my ways, he will direct my path.

So if he's the director of my path.

As that love I got to show, I got to

welcome you back with open on God.

That's the same way that he welcomes you back. That's

the same love.

That he gives you every day, even when he's shaking

his head as you're saying, you knew better than what

you was doing. Why did you get up and do

it again? And then you're gonna come back and cry

to me. But let me tell you something about repentance.

Repentance ain't when you cry, but it's when you change. See,

you got to change when you come up forre God,

you got to know that I'm not gonna do this

no more. You got to know that I'm gonna turn

from my wicked ways. I've come to myself. And now God,

I'm saying, forgive me, forgive me for transgressing against you,

forgive me for not.

Staying in your grace. Now. Now, he didnet gave a

son the road, He gave his son the ring.

He didn't gave his son to shoes, and he said

he didn't just say get a calf, He say get

the fatty calf. Whoo. So they tell me that you

fiz the feast that you fish to eat real good.

And you know what, and seeing what that reminds me

of is the Lord say he'll prepare a table.

He'll prepare prepare a table for you. So now he didn't.

He didn't got the fattest I mean, the featish.

Pig, and he roasted him. And can't you just imagine

he's sitting down. I'm sure he got all the trimmings.

See.

God wants to put before you everything that you need,

but he can't put it before you until you turn

to come back.

See, God wants to bless you abundantly. You know. I

tell people all the time.

I can't tell God what to do, but I can

hold him to his word. And in his word, he said,

if I ask, it shall be given. If I seek,

I shall find. If I knock, the door will be open.

So I say, Lord, that's your word. You told me

that you cannot lie, So I'm gonna hold you to

your word. You said that I am not a lender.

I mean I'm a lender, not a borrower. So Lord,

if you tell me that I am the lenda, that

mean you got some riches stored up for me. That

mean you got some riches untold that I don't know

that I need. Because I can hold him to his word,

I can hold God to say, but this is the thing.

But even though I hold him to his word, it

comes in his time, not my time. See, you can't

tell God win the blessing. But oh, I'm so glad

to say. He may not come when your wounding, but

it is always on time. They tell me that weeping

may endure for a night, but joy is gonna come

in the morning. And see, because we serve a God

that loves us. So just like this prodigal son who

he welcomed back here and didn't ask no questions, I will, Father,

Let's show him how much he loved us that he

saw that we needed his son to come down from heaven.

So I can just imagine the Father that the love

he has for us, he sent his son to a

world that received him.

Not.

The Bible tells me that he came down to forty

two generations. The Bible tells me that he walked the

dusty streets. The Bible tells me that he healed the

sick and he raised the dead. Who is this son

that I'm talking about?

His name is.

Gee, a wonderful counselor Jesus, my princal Peace, Jesus, my

long is suffering. Jesus everything that I need. Jesus came

and he walked these dusty streets, and the Bible tells

me that he did no wrong. He did no wrong,

but yet they still condemned him to die.

You mean to.

Tell me that Jesus saw that we needed his help

and came down and took off his glory to come

down so he can help us in our story. You

mean to tell me that Jesus was condemned to die.

You mean to tell me that they.

Passed him through a cornable pills and condemned him to

die by way I say it was prosecuting him. You

mean r tell me the Bible tells me that he

was beaten.

With many stripes.

You mean to tell me that the Bible said they

nailed him in his hands, and they nailed them in

his feeding me. But see the mistake they made was

after they kneled. It says that they lifted him mother,

And the Bible tells me, if I we'll be lifted up,

I'll draw all men.

I'mto me. You mean to tell me that as they hung.

Him on the cross, the Bible tells me he never

said a mumbling word.

You mean to tell me.

That while he was hanging on the cross, he was

still healing and saving souls.

You mean to tell me.

He told the thief this day you'll be with me

in paradise.

You mean or tell me that they pierced my.

Singer in his side, and blood and water came streaming down.

You mean to tell me that he never said a

mumbling word. But it tells me that he hung there

from the sixth to the ninth hour. And then they

took my rocca and placed them inside of a rocker.

And then they laid my roca on top of a rocker.

And then they rolled a rocker in front of a rocker.

And then my rock laid down for three days and

for three nights.

But they say early Ireland.

Thursday morning, my rocker set up on the rocker, took

off his.

Brand clothes, folded him up and set him to the side.

Then my rocker rolled away the rocker. And then my

rocker stepped.

Up out the rock and became the rock of agents.

He became my chief cornerstone. He became Solomon's lily away

down in the valley, he became my bread. In a

starving land, he became down your stone, hewed out the mountain,

he became in secause will in the middle of a will,

he became my leader kame.

When I get a weaker. He became my doctor in

a sick room, my lawyer in a court roll.

Oh, he became everything that I knew. A father's love,

a father's love, a father would become everything he needs

to be for his children. And oftentime it's men hold

on the so much. We bury so much because of

the love that we have. We love differently than to

say our mother's doing. But that don't make our love

any less. A father's love will extend through time and

the eternity. A father's love it saves. A father love

welcomes you back. A father love caresses you. A father's

love holds you in his arms and tells you that

it's gonna be all right.

A father's love will let you know that.

Don't stay down, get on the Nothing beats a failure

but a try. One of the things that this story

also shows us is watch this is that failure is

not final, because when you come to your senses, you

don't have to stay in that dad enroll that you

was on. You just get up. In return, the Bible

tells us that when pe people get saved, the angels rejoice.

I believe they rejoice when we come back in repentance

as well, because the enemy no longer has you.

You belong to the Father who loves you unconditionally.

But you gotta know that, you know, you gotta know that,

you know that you can't make it without the Lord.

You know. I tell everybody all the time.

The only difference between me and some people is I

ain't get caught. It's serious, because Lord knows. If it

wasn't for the grace of God, ain't no telling where

I'd be. You know, I was always perceived as this

church kid growing up, But Lord knows, I had my

hand in the little of everything, you know.

But I was just good at hiding. You know.

I could give an appearance. But see, God is not

after appearances. He's after the truth. He's after your heart.

He's after the true integrity of who you are. So, fathers,

I say this to you, continue to be a man

of standing, Continue to be a man of integral. Continue

to be the men that set examples to give someone

to look up to. Continue to be the men that

gods men and women out of situations that they are in.

That you see that's leading to a dead end.

Don't encourage mischief don't say all you'll get it right eventually.

My dad used to tell me, just because I fell

in this hole don't mean you can fall in the

same one and come out the same.

Way I did. And I had to learn that in

life because I.

Fail a few times and I came out with a

whole bunch of bumps, bruises and scrapes. But he walked

away because see, it's different for everybody. So don't think

because one person got past it meaning you gonna be

able to suffer the same thingith It don't work the

same for everybody. You know, and I share this is

because of this. For the one moment that you decide

to stray away from God, what if you don't get

that opportunity to come back, then all all you have

done has just been a waste. You straight away trying

to get that last little glimpse of what this world

got to offer you. See the thing about Satan is this.

See Satan ain't got no new tactics. He ain't got

no new tricks. He just dressed it up a little

pretty and he show it to you a little bit different.

That's why I laugh when the world depicts him with

this red suit on and these horns you forget. He

was once an angel, so he was beautiful. So he

gonna present it to you in a way that's partially right.

He gonna give you a partial this, but he ain't.

Gonna tell you what's gonna happen if he ain't gonna

tell you the whole truth.

Because see, what he wants to do is to get

you back.

So when he gets you back, he hoping that you

don't get a chance to ever come to your senses

and come back.

A father's love, a father's love.

Continue to love because our father, he'll say, for God

so loved the world that he gave you, and he

continues to give to us every day. So our father,

who's rich and mercy and love, loves us, so we have.

To continue to show that same love. Amen.