So let's pay attention to the Word of God here as I read it to you. Luke 15, 11 to 24, then Jesus said, a certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me. So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, but no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, how many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father and will say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still 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 to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. and am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to the servants, bring out the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet and bring the fatted calf here and kill it and let us eat and be merry. For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. Well, In our last session, we saw that the prodigal had finally come to himself after he had wasted and misspent the money and possessions that his father had given to him as an early inheritance. And he was now getting ready to return to his father. And he was thinking to himself, how many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger. He was thinking over what he would say to his father when he got there. He was rehearsing it to himself. And this was a very good thing for him to be doing, to have been doing, because in terms of his going to meet his father, he really needed to think through what he was going to say. And he was thinking very specifically of how he would confess his sins to his father. So today we want to think more about this statement concerning the prodigal's father. His father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. From this we can conclude that our father God will show great compassion to all repentant sinners who are returning to him. In fact, we can conclude from the way that it's worded here that the father seeks them and he looks for their return according to his purpose to save them. So let's begin by thinking about the way that this verse is worded. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him. and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. What an amazing thing this is, this great display of love and compassion. And his father is earnestly doing this, not just a casual thing with him. but it shows just how very much that his father loved him. Which by the way, I think just to start our time off here again, let me remind you again of my own conversion, because my own father was exactly like this with me. And that's the reason I think, humanly speaking, that I'm standing up here teaching you today. It was because that dear man loved me enough that he would weep over me because I didn't understand the truth of the Bible. Now, it was a very sad thing that I didn't understand the truth of the Bible. It was even worse that I was resisting it so greatly. And I was. I finally got to the place with my dad where I said to him, if you don't stop talking about this, we can't talk anymore. And so he prayed about it, and he stopped talking to me about it. But by then, the Holy Spirit was working on me. And the Holy Spirit brought me to the place where my curiosity was aroused by what was taking place at my dad's church. And so I would ask him about that, and he would tell me about it. But I say all these things just to show you how very, very important love is with our relatives especially, in terms of our winning them to Christ. That we just don't, they're in the far country, right? They're in the far country of sin. And we cannot, when we are with them, continually be looking upon them in a disapproving way. Because that's sometimes the way that it is with us. It's been sometimes the case it is with me myself, with my own children. This is not good. And the reason that it's not good is not because there aren't issues involved in their life that need to be dealt with. They really do need to deal with the issues in their life and they really do need to repent of their sins and they really do need to come to Christ. But the real issue is, do they see the love of Christ in us? Do they see that Christ died for sinners such as them? That's the real issue. And see, this young man that took his father's money and misspent it, he was not doing right at all. And his father, instead of reproving him right out of the gate when he comes back, He's showing this tremendous love for him, even though he misspent the money and everything. Wow. It's just an amazing thing to me that this parable is in the Bible, in my own case, is so closely linked to it. And so I'll begin with that. But I want to show you here this morning, from this parable, I want to open up what it means when it says, when he was a great way off, the son was a great way off, his father saw him. Now, what does that imply? He was looking for him. Amen. He was on the lookout for him, you know, he's just He's praying and he's thinking about him and he wants him back and here he comes. So what an incredible thing, isn't it? He sees him. And it says he had compassion on him. Very important. Because we need to understand that God the Father shows compassion many, many times to our dear loved ones who are in the far country, and we can hardly believe it, I think, because we know that the wrath of God is upon them. We know that God will judge them if they don't repent of their sins. But I want you to see that in this Father's heart was compassion. And if there's compassion in this Father's heart, how much more compassion in God the Father's it's the Father's compassion, even when children are in the far country or when they're starting to return, that He shows them compassion in many ways, leading them along, as we're gonna see here in just a moment, to the place where they will trust in Him. Now, from our standpoint, we say hopefully, because we don't know the purpose of God. And we don't know that God will save every single one of our children or loved ones, or people that we pray for. But, I think that we have to conclude something about God. That God is very compassionate. That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. That's compassion. I mean, don't we all deserve to be cast into hell? Yes, it's true. And don't we need to think about it more often than we do? Yes, no doubt that's true. But as we've been starting to see in last studies, and I want you to see it in this one, that the Father's compassionate purpose is to save repentant sinners And He looks for the least repentance. And you say, well, He produces that in them, doesn't He, by His grace? Well, yes, He does. But there's also a dynamic interaction that goes on between God and people, where God sees their heart perfectly, but He wants to interact with them personally. And He does, by the way. He strives with them. You think about those people in the antediluvian world. How long did he strive with them? A hundred and twenty years. Why did he wait so long? Because he was looking. He was seeing all of their hearts. As someone was praying this morning, God's able to receive all the prayers of all the people in the world at the same time. God is able to look out and see all the hearts of the people in the world at the same time. There's no problem for God. No problem for Him. And yet, I don't think that we understand just how great the compassion of God is. If we understood it, we would understand why the judgment day will be so terrible. It's because countless billions of people have been striven with by God, and yet they have not responded to it in the least. And if they had, it was for some selfish reason. Some sinful reason. Some reason that they could continue on, maybe, in their sins. Or that they wouldn't have to go to church. They wouldn't have to think about the meaning of life. They wouldn't have to think about God holding them accountable. Does God hold them all accountable? Yes, He does. But I want you to see here in the case of this particular young man that this father ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. Well, I believe that he probably knew what had happened or he suspected it. And so I think that he still loved him. Does God still love? Sinners, when they're starting to return, He does, doesn't He? When His purpose is to save, He does. And does God have to have a purpose to save in order for them to be saved? Yes. So, I want you to turn over with me to John chapter 4, and we want to read verses 23 and 24. It says here, But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. Watch this, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. So my first question to you this morning is in what way was the father, very deliberately through his son, seeking the woman at the well? That's the context of these verses here. In what way was the father, very deliberately through his son, seeking the woman at the well there at that time? That's exactly right. Yeah, in fact, I think he started off the conversation with, give me a drink. And then she said, well, what do you mean by this? Because we Samaritans don't have dealings with the Jews and et cetera. But I want you to see here from this, that's why I didn't read the whole passage, that the Father was seeking her out to show her mercy according to His eternal purpose. It's true. to show her as a sinner mercy, her in particular. And he was doing this through his son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who sought her out to talk to her about living water and eternal life and how she could obtain it. And our Lord Jesus would tell her the truth about the father, that he is spirit, and those who would worship the triune God must worship him in spirit and in truth. That is, they could worship the father with their spirit, having been changed by his grace and that their worship would come to be in accordance with the truth of the Bible. So second question, how would this truth apply to the parable that we're studying in terms of how the father was seeking the son? Well, I think we need to see that the father represents God the father who has love towards those whom he has created and mercy upon sinners. both through giving them the gospel and by his working by his Spirit in their hearts, striving with them unto salvation, as I've already mentioned here a few minutes ago. And he sees them afar off. Because of his great compassion, he gives them the bread of life in his Son. In our parable, the son, because of sin, was starving for literal bread. He then thought of the loving care of his father for the hired servants, that they had more than enough and to spare of bread. And this truth caused him to think about returning home again to his father. Wow, I just think this is marvelous stuff. Yes. Yes, go right ahead. That's very good. That's really good. So we, by the way, need to become more like our Father in heaven, don't we? We need to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. And one of the ways that we do that is when we realize that He is kind to even evil and unjust men. That's kind of hard to believe sometimes. You stop and think about it, that God watches all the wicked men in the world as they do their wicked deeds. And surely if they do not repent, God, it says, has sharpened His sword. He's going to destroy them. But I just want you to see just how tender God's mercies are, how great His love is through our Lord Jesus Christ. Yeah. Amen. That's right. Yes, we ourselves. Like it says in Titus, we're once foolish, deceived, and etc. That's good. So, John 6, 40-45. A couple pages over. And this is the will of Him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him, may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day. The Jews then complained about him because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he says I have come down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said to them, do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets and they shall all be taught by God. Therefore, everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me, he says. So question three, why do you think that Jesus calls himself the bread of life in these verses? That's good. Definitely. Definitely. It's because every sinner who comes to Him must feed upon Him spiritually as the bread of life. So, who is it then that must draw the sinner to Christ, according to these verses? The Father, I just, I love the language here, don't you? The Father has a purpose, but Jesus says, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. Draws him. Well, how does he do that? How does the Father draw people, do you know? How does the Father draw people to Jesus? What'd you say? I think this is good for us to think about because it shows us something more of the role, if you will, of the person of the Father. Because sometimes we don't, I don't think we see the Father in this light very well. We see Him as holding wrath against people, but we don't necessarily see Him having this kind of compassion and then drawing a sinner unto Jesus. That's right. That's right. That's exactly right, Rita. That was the Father drawing, wasn't it? And in fact, that's what we've been studying. that the father used, if you will. It was his own love and compassion. That was what the prodigal remembered, was that kind of compassion in the way that he treated the hired servants. So he thought, if my father treats the hired servants this way, can I come back and expect to find mercy from him? Well, I'll go back and I'll say, make me one of your servants. and then receive me if you will. I haven't done the right thing, but I'm looking for forgiveness and I'm coming in repentance. Do you see it? And I'm trying to say that you and I with our loved ones and friends and others, we should look for the least signs even of repentance, the littlest things. and run toward them, as it were, to show them our love for them and our care about them, that they would come to Christ. Isn't there some passage in the Old Testament Ephoretic of Love where David says, like he's about to be punished, and he says it's better to fall into the hands of the Lord? Yes. He's merciful, but not so with men. Yes, that's right. Yes, that's exactly right. The Lord gave him, the angel of the Lord gave him three choices. He chose to fall into the hands of the Lord. It says there that he knew that God's mercies were great, just like you're saying. See, that's the way that returning sinners ought to think, they ought to be able to think that way based upon the way that we treat them and talk to them. In other words, that they would come back to God if they've been, we're gonna study that here in just a minute, that they would come back to God if they already professed faith, but then left, and either they don't know the Lord or they're backslidden, one of the two. But you see what I'm trying to say, but also with people who don't know the Lord and who to us appear to be coming towards the Lord in terms of salvation. So the father we're seeing here must draw the sinner. And why? Because by nature, they're unwilling to come to him or even believe that they need to be saved. Jesus says this, you're unwilling to come to me to find life, he says to them at one point. So the father has to draw them by an internal and powerful influence of his having mercy on their soul. to show them that Christ is the way and the truth and the life. And He does that by the powerful working of the Holy Spirit. I'm saying the Father does it. The persons of the Triune God work together in the salvation of any sinner. So, the basis for this effectual call of showing them the necessity and desirability of their having faith in Christ, the basis for this effectual call in the gospel would be the father's sending Jesus to the cross. Because Jesus says in John 12, 32, and if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself. So we need to understand this, that there is the work of the Father in relation to the Son in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. It takes all the persons of the triune God to bring a sinner to saving faith and also to bring returning true Christians back if they're backslidden. But I want to say this, that God the Father, God does this personally by showing the sinner that they cannot live their life to themselves or please Him without faith in Him. And that's a verse I think that you and I need to memorize and to tell those whom we love and all sinners who we witness to, that without faith, Hebrews 11, 6, it is impossible to please God. For he who comes to him must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him." Wow! Now that's every incentive for the sinner to come. To come by faith, not by works, but by faith. And if we show sinners that, that will lead them to repentance. If they don't understand repentance, and a lot of sinners do not understand repentance in relation to their coming to know God. They just don't understand it. I didn't understand it. But yet I came to the place where I was taught by God. I became very empty inside. I started trying to jettison my sins, my outward sins, thinking that that would be something that would give me relief. It did not. And finally, I came to the place where I realized that even though I was confessing my sins, that I needed to have faith. in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I needed to pray in Jesus' name. Because all that time I've been confessing my sins, I wasn't praying in the name of Jesus to be saved. So the Father had to teach me that. Very practically. Through that emptiness that I experienced, and my frustration in not finding the meaning of life. Because why? Because I needed to be directed more narrowly to the Lord Jesus for salvation. So, we're almost done here, but I'll introduce this second point and then we'll look at it the next time I'm together with you over this text. We wanna think about the return of true Christians from a backslidden condition, and I want you to turn with me to Hosea, chapter 14, and verses one to four. It says here, O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you and return to the Lord. And say to him, take away all iniquity, receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. Assyria shall not save us. We will not ride on horses, nor will we say any more to the work of our hands, you are our gods. For in you, the fatherless finds mercy. Wow. So, and my last question to you here this morning will be this, in verses 18 and 19, when the prodigal says, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. Can a true Christian who is backslidden also pray this prayer and expect to find forgiveness? and be restored to God's favor and blessing? What say you? That's good. Yeah, I like the wording here, don't you? Of returning, return to the Lord. Sometimes even as sheep, we're the Lord's sheep, But even as true Christians, sometimes we might wander away for a time, and we need to be brought back, don't we? It's mentioned in several different places in the Scripture and worded that way. I've gone astray like a wandering sheep, it says in Psalm 119, seek your servant, which implies that the psalmist was already a Christian. and that he needed to be sought, that he might return by the great shepherd. But again, I want you to see the Father's observations and role in all of this. I want you to understand that if there's a sincere desire in the true Christian's life to turn away from all sin and every sin, God sees that. And by God's grace, then, that person, when they have dealings with God, like we're hearing in these verses, the person who's backslidden will take words with him. And he will come to God, and he will say, take away all iniquity and receive me graciously. And then I'll be able to offer the sacrifices of praise to you and live for you. And we'll think more about that the next time that we're together. So let's bow together for prayer. Father, thank you for this study, which is so very precious in terms of our understanding, our own compassion. For lost sinners, we pray that you will help us to be more like you in this way and help us to be able to be looking to see if others around us have any inclination at all to come back to you and to find you to be their God. and their helper, and their savior, and their Lord in everything. We pray that we would be most observant of these things, for we pray them in Jesus' name, amen.