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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Daniel Calaguas

How Christ Teaches His Righteousness

I am very eager to share with you what I have been learning because I believe that 100% of the people in this room can relate.

It doesn't matter how long you've been the truth, or if you're even not interested, all of us have serious questions about the topic that we're going to be discussing this morning.

And depending on how we understand what we discuss here is an indication of why we do the things that we do.

And so I'm excited to share with you this morning, and why don't we bow our heads for a word of prayer.

Dear Father, we thank you this morning for these few moments with you.

And we pray that you would give us your mind, for without it we would not be able to understand these topics on a spiritual level.

And I pray in a special way that the Holy Spirit would accompany us as we search through the scriptures, that it would be poured out in such a way that we would receive an even greater blessing than we had first expected when we had come through the doors.

And I pray especially for each individual here, But even those that come in later, we ask that your presence would be here in such a way that they had known that they are in the presence of God.

And so I ask in a special way once again that you would be with us and that we would see the glories of the unseen this morning.

For we ask all these things in the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus, amen.

And many of you have, I'm sure, heard this story this morning in Luke chapter 15.

They say it's the most famous parable, and we're starting in verse 11.

But as we lay a foundation, if we don't understand what we lay now, it will be very difficult for us to grasp how Christ teaches us His righteousness.

Luke chapter 15, we're starting in verse 11.

The Bible says this, and it says, He said, a certain man had 2 sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of the goods that falleth to me.

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country and there wasted his substance with righteous living.

And when he had spent all, there arose a 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 he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

Verse 16, and he would have fain have filled his belly with the husk that the swine did eat and no man gave unto him.

So review of the story is we see that there is this young young man who asked inheritance from his father.

He has misinterpreted his father's love and care and he asked, look dad, let me get out of here, Give me my inheritance, I'm gonna take a hike.

And so you know the story, he receives the inheritance, he squanders his youth, he squanders the money that he's received that's not even his.

He squanders his talents, his ambition, and he ends up feeding swine.

And this story is about the 1 who has fallen away from the love of God, who has misinterpreted his love and care.

But I want you to notice in verse 17, A lot of times we miss that verse 17 is a miracle.

It says here, and when he came to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger." You see, the Bible says in Romans that apart from Christ, the best we can do is remain evil.

The best we can do is disagree every time with God.

And a lot of times when we fall away from God or when we don't see his love clearly, we think that we have to do some type of mountain climbing in order to get to God.

But I want you to notice a text in John chapter 6, verse 44.

And when I saw this text in John chapter 6, I was very surprised, because you'll notice what Jesus says is very...

John chapter 6 verse 44, you're holding your finger in Luke chapter 15.

Jesus is speaking, the words aren't read.

The same Jesus who said, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, is here saying how many men can come to him?

It's impossible for us to have any type of interest in spiritual things at all.

So if you have ever felt that the Bible was boring, If you have ever felt that doing religious things was a task, that's how you're supposed to feel because no man can come to Christ because we don't want to, except what?

But the verse finishes here, no man can come to me except the Father which has sent me, what?

Draw him and I will raise him up at the last day.

You know, an important question to consider is, what is the first step in salvation?

But according to this text, the first step in salvation is God's duty.

The first step in salvation is not your part, but it's God's duty to draw you, because you have no ability to come to Christ on your own.

Now we're back in Luke chapter 15, and notice what it says here.

So Verse 17 in Luke chapter 15 is a miracle because the son would have never come to himself.

If the father were not drawing the son, even though the son were not satisfied with feeding swine, he would continue to feed swine until he dies.

Verse 17, and when he came to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger.

Notice this, I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, notice what he says, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Notice these next few words, make me as 1 of thy hired what?

You see, a lot of times When we realize our spiritual declension and the Spirit is drawing us and we decide to go back to God, we feel as though we have to do a servant's work.

We feel as though we have to, okay God, I see that you're drawing me to you.

If only I could just treat my brethren more nice.

The devil makes us believe that in order to come to God, we must do a type of work for him to accept us.

If only I could just dress better, if I could only get this health thing right, maybe God will look at me better.

Maybe God will accept me again because I've backslided too much.

But the Bible says here, it goes on to say, and he arose in verse 20 and came to his father, but when he was yet a great way off, notice this, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

And the son said unto the father, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Did he get to finish his statement in verse 22?

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.

You see, the prodigal son didn't even get to finish his statement.

He was planning on saying, make me 1 of thy hired servants.

But before he was able to do that, the Father had just so much compassion in receiving him that he didn't even have a chance.

You know, a lot of times when we hear this parable, we forget this point here.

When the son came back and the Father, who was waiting for day after day after the son left, when the son came back and he was all dirty from the pig's mud and whatever it was, the corn husk, and he was just smelly, did the father just have compassion on the son and then say, go ahead and just track your dirt in the house?

Just go ahead and track all the swine's remains into the house.

In verse 22 It says, but the Father said unto His servants, bring forth what?

You see, when we come to Christ, which is the Holy Spirit's doing because we could never do that in the first place.

When we come to Christ, we don't have to feel like we have to do a certain work, but when we get to Him, we can expect that He changes us immediately.

Notice in 2 books before the book of Matthew, you'll hit the book of Zechariah as we continue to establish this foundation upon which we talk about how Christ teaches His righteousness.

The Bible says, And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, even the Lord that has chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee.

Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

Now Joshua was clothed with what kind of garments?

He was clothed with filthy garments, sort of like the prodigal son, right?

And he answered in verse 4, and spake unto him that stood before him, saying, take away the filthy garments from him.

And unto him he said, behold, I have caused thine what?

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How Christ Teaches His Righteousness

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