The Prodigal Son And The Other Son

THE PRODIGAL SON AND THE OTHER SON

We've all heard the story of the prodigal son but we've heard very little about the other son.  There is a story about him as well that needs to be told.  In many ways he was as empty and lost as the prodigal son.  We see these two mentalities in the body of Christ everyday yet we have a hard time discerning what is really happening in the fathers house.


Now, the prodigal son ends up in the hog pen in the world and he says, "even the servants of my father's house lives better than this." Luke 15:15.  As he is coming home to his father's house the father said, "Bring out the best robe and put it on him, a ring on his hand, scandals on his feet. Bring the fatted calf and let us eat and be merry." Luke 15:22-23.  This boy is fifty years old and he's been living with Harlot's but the father still loves him.


The brother was angry about this saying, and in Luke 15:29, he says, "These many years I have been serving you I have never transgressed your commandment at any time. Yet you never gave me a young goat that I might make merry with my friends."


In Luke 15:31 the fathers says, "Son, you are always with me and all that I have is yours. Your brother was dead and lost and it is good that he has been found and alive again."


Now hold on to your seat because I'm going to get up in the mess of the Father's children in the church of today with this story.


The eldest son had always been with the father with the opportunity of unceasing fellowship with the Father, but in many ways he was worse off than the wayward son.  All of the joy and fellowship had been there waiting for him.  It was available to him but he never had to ask for it like the wayward son.


He never fellowshipped or ask the Father for anything.  He never fully enjoyed what was in the Father's house.  In the Father's house is a fellowship that's awesome when we delight ourselves in him and our thankful in our hearts for his gifts.


He who comes to the Father's house must believe that he is a rewarder of those who love him.  Here, we see the Father's compassion upon the wayward son.  God loves you like that too.  He loves you when you're right and he loves you when you're wrong.  He loves you when your strong and he loves you when you're weak.


In God's love encapsulated is healing, prosperity, love and restoration.  All that I have is yours!  God told the oldest son, all that I have is yours.  Yet he complains of what God is giving to the wayward brother.  He said, how could you give him a fine robe and a fatted calf after what he's done?  Then he makes matters worse by saying, all you gave me was a kid and you gave him the fatted calf.


We get so comfortable with our own images in the church and committed to the house instead of committed to the Lord.  The one day that lost sheep returns to the church and he's on fire for the Lord and Holy Spirit elevates him to blessings that look like are bigger than yours after serving for many years.


But really the oldest brother didn't believe he had everything from the Father and he didn't because of his mentality.  You will have to fellowship and ask God for your blessings. We are in a rare time in the Lord's house right now and some of us are running for our lives.  We need and want that abundant life.


You've got to believe something is coming to you to run for it.  You've got to run your race with everything you've got.  Everything doesn't run smooth all the time.  But you got to hold on because he will come through for you.  God wants you to make it, to enjoy your salvation and fellowship with him.  He wants us to enjoy all the treasures of heaven.  Don't be jealous of what another has in the Lord, the same thing is there for you if you'll get off the "what about me thing".


I love the faith that Paul had.  He says I know I'm not there yet.  I press toward the goal for the prize and I've laid aside sin. Philippians 3:13.  He finished his course and that lets us know that we can finish strong too.
Nothing moved Paul except living for the Lord. That's faith, that's stability in the Father's kingdom.


I love Peter too.  He had his faith tested.  He failed but like the prodigal son, he repented.  He knew what it was like to have your faith tested.  He knew what is like to have to fall down before the Lord in humility to regain what he had lost. Jesus restored him just like the father of the prodigal son did.


In 1 Peter 1:7 Peter said, you will be severely tested.  The way to the Father's house and to have the Father's treasures are those who are sold out to him, bold in their race and blood bought, not man bought.  You have to have the power of the resurrection in you. You got to be persuaded and committed.


Nobody likes a test, but sometimes God lets the hedge down and tests our faith.  Your faith will have to stand the eternal test of time.  We have evil at every side.  God wants us to be unshakable.  That's why he tests us to make us unshakable.  1Peter 5:8 says, The devil walks around seeking who he may devour.


How do you resist?  Stay steadfast in the faith.  You're not the only one being tested but they are common to all your brethren.  The God of all Grace who has called us to glory is there to strengthen us.  If you want to live a life of victory you've got to know that he will bring you through.


You have to trust him.  There comes a time when you will have to just stand while the storm surges or darts are flying at you. Commitment, commitment and commitment, there's your key.  It's during the trials that the devil comes to try to get you to doubt.


He'll say to you, where is your God now, your health is failing.  Your children are lost, where is your inheritance now?  Or you have lost a family member in a tragic death, and the devil will say, why did your God abandon you?  You say back to the devil. My God is where he has always been, right here with me through it all, and nothing will move me from my foundation.


Why not?  Because the Father says, all that I have is yours.  Luke 12:32 says, "do not fear little flock for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom."  Let your spirit get a hold of this truth and revelation. When we fellowship with the Father and love him and attentive to him, he says, all that I have is yours.


This is attainable through constant fellowship with God.  Paul says, I'm pressing in to the goal.  It's the Father's  good pleasure that we will receive.  You can be in the Father's house and never receive all the gifts because of lack of fellowship, and not asking the Father to supply you with your desires.


You might be thinking, I'm so weak, I can't get it right.  No, you can't get it right but the Lord can get it right for you. It is our love for him that helps us get it right and then all that is his is ours.  Well, you say, I can't overcome this habit I have, but God says all the riches and treasures are there for you to help you overcome.


There are two sons in this story.  The prodigal son and the son out of fellowship.  They both were poor but could've had it all.  They both needed repentance, and both needed to claim their inheritance.  The real Christian spends time alone with God, in his word, and they use their faith.  But others don't understand how to get all that is theirs in the Father's house or all that is there to get.


Abandon yourself unto the Father and his love and hear him say to you now, all that I have is yours and I give it all to you in the Spirit of my Son.  I wish above all that ye prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers.  You are heirs and joint heirs to the Kingdom with great treasures that gives you life to its fullest while here on earth and an eternal home to fellowship with the Father for an eternity.