Sermon topic
In the Father's eyes
Rev Gladwin Lee
25 January 2015
Wesley Methodist Church Singapore.
Centre ring: title
Middle ring : Blue: sermon notes
Outer ring: Yellow: what I hear God saying
Text: parable of the prodigal son
elder brother strives hard to get approval from the father
Many of us are approval addicts
Striving hard to please God
By bible study
By fasting
Yet God loves you simply because you are His son.
Sin is not just breaking the rules
Sin is also trying to put ourselves in God's place.
Where obligation replaces devotion....
Story is told of three men
Catholic father
Methodist pastor
Rabbi
All three agreed on importance of converting people.
They agreed it was a bigger challenge to convert a bear.
Catholic father came back with a converted bear and arm in plaster cast.
Fought with bear and converted bear.
Methodist pastor came back in wheelchair and with a converted bear
Got beaten up by bear but converted bear.
Rabbi came back In hospital bed, no bear.
"perhaps I should not have started with circumcision"
(Moral of the story
Not conversions for numbers sake but because you care for people.)
Obnoxious older brother behavior tends to drive others away.
Over breakfast coffee. Wife says I dreamt I was in a jewelry shop buying a diamond ring.
Husband; it must be coming true. I had the same dream and your father was paying the bill.
(Moral of the story: don't disrespect father, fatherinlaw)
Older brother showed disrespect by making father come out of the house: by making father beg him to come into the house.
God's Grace is such that he wants all his children to come home.
Rev Gladwin brought his two brothers on a scuba trip.
Somehow his two brothers went missing and he feared that he would not be able to bring them home.
Fortunately his brothers although lost, found another dive boat which rescued them and returned them safely to Rev Gladwin.
The father saw the son from far away.
The father ran to the son and expressed tangible love with robe ring and shoes.
Son was restored and forgiven. freedom from the past.
How are you dressed
As slave or as son?
Do you wear shoes that are the gospel of peace?
As son, you have permission to enter the throne room.
We are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation.
The yellow balloons contain my response to the sermon,
It is like what I hear God telling me.
The first message is:
There is nothing I can do to make God love me more.
and it's colllolary
nothing I do will make God love me less.
There is joy in heaven when the lost is found.
What am I doing to seek and save the lost?
How intentional am I in telling my story?
His story?
As I rejoice in my freedom from sin,
I remember it is not in my own strength, but by the blood of Jesus.
Am I dressed as slave or son?
Am I behaving as slave or son?
The sons of Ishmael are also sons of Abraham.
Do you hear the call to bring them into the fold?
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