Confessions of a Church: The Foolish Son

The Psalm writer wrote:  Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law. As we come before a Holy God and hear his word, may we have eyes open to the wonderful and fearful things from his law. May it move us to repent and seek forgiveness, fear disobedience, and live in light of the grace we have received.
 This is the word of God.  It is eternally true and applicable for all of life:

Proverbs 17: 21-28  He who sires a fool does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool has no joy. A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom To pervert the ways of justice. Wisdom is in the presence of the one who has understanding, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. A foolish son is a grief to his father And bitterness to her who bore him. It is also not good to fine the righteous, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness. He who restrains his words has knowledge, And he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

I know a man who 17 years ago, was accused, arrested, put on trial, and found guilty of murdering two people. The facts of the case seemed vague to me at the time, and honestly, I often wonder whether he actually committed the crimes or not. What isn’t in dispute, however, is the impact this event has had on the man’s mother. It crushed her. To me, she has been reduced to a shell of a person. She has become jaded, and bitter. Her son, whether guilty or not, because of the foolishness of man, has been separated from her, possibly for the entirety of this lifetime. “A foolish son is grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him”. As Pastor Joseph frequently reminds us, our sinful, foolish ways and their scope do not simply stop with us. Children, your foolishness brings grief to your father, and bitterness to your mother. When you grumble, when you back talk, when you bicker with your siblings, when you are not faithful in the little things, this sin doesn’t simply weigh on you, it can lead to grief and bitterness within your parents. When I say children, I speak to all of us here. All of us are someone’s child. How might you be causing bitterness and grief in your mother and father this morning? On this Lord’s Day, let us examine ourselves. Let us recognize areas of foolish behavior in our lives where we fail to honor father and mother, bringing grief and bitterness to their hearts, and incurring the discipline of our Heavenly Father in our life. Let us confess to the Lord how we have failed to keep His Law with our foolish behavior. If you are able, please kneel with me at this time.
Dear Heavenly Father, all of us are like sheep, we have gone astray, each to our own way. Please be merciful to us in our foolishness O LORD. Please grant us discerning hearts that we may recognize the many ways our foolish behavior has lead to grief and bitterness in the hearts of father and mother. LORD, please give us repentant hearts, that we might turn from this foolishness and seek reconciliation with those whom our sins have caused harm. LORD, we deserve nothing from Your hand but death, but You are merciful and full of grace. We thank You for this and pray earnestly for more grace. Heavenly Father, please forgive us for our sins. Please help us to be humble, that we might be used by You to bring healing to relationships that our sins have strained, leaving grief and bitterness in their wake. Heavenly Father, help us to be like your Son Jesus, who honored you in everything, always doing Your Holy will, and with whom You were well pleased. It’s in His Mighty Name that we pray, Amen.
 
Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe

Psalm 103:8-13 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins,Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west,So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him

Lift up your hearts to the Lord!!!!

(From the 4-13-18 liturgy of Sovereign King Church written by Aaron Sabie.