TITLE: HOW DO I KNOW THAT JESUS LOVES ME? – PASTOR MARTIN CHILDS JR. D. Min. – 10-18-2020

TEXT: LUKE 15:11-24

I LOST MY MIND

A. Abandonment

1. Young man – “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me”
2. Me – I abandoned my respect and honor for my parents, elders and those who taught me, and only wanted what I wanted

B. Betrayal

1. Young man - “packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in unrestrained living”
   a. Wasted = to scatter abroad, disperse, to winnow
   b. Prodigal / unrestrained living = gambling, drugs, drinking, sex
2. Me – Betrayed who I was, and lived void of the morals and values that I was taught

C. Cast Off / Canceled

1. Young man – “When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. He joined himself to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs”
   a. To be in need = to fall behind; to be left behind in the race and so fail to reach the goal
   b. Joined = to glue together; to fasten firmly together
   c. Keeping pigs was prohibited to the Jews, and was the lowest level of degradation
   i. Isaiah 66:17 “17 “… following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things—they will meet their end together with the one they follow,”…(NIV)
   ii. “Cursed be the man who would breed swine.”

2. Me – Cast off / canceled my integrity, principles and degraded myself in some of the things that I did

D. Denial

1. Young man – “he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything”
2. Me – Denied my humanity, and lived like an animal

I CAME TO MYSELF
A. A remembering of who one is

1. Young man – remembered how life was in his father’s house
2. Me – “This is not who I am”

B. A recognizing of what one needs to do – Go back

1. Young man –
   a. Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you
   b. I am no longer worthy to be called your son
   c. Make me like one of your hired servants
2. Me – This is not where I am supposed to be

I EXPERIENCED THE LOVE OF JESUS
A. The father initiated…
B. The father reconciled
C. The father restored