Consider education and its current utilitarian philosophy of progress—the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. This is now the object of education. That happiness is now determined by the will of the majority. To accomplish this lofty goal we must remove idiosyncrasies in education and choice of schools must be taken away from parents and placed in the hands of the state. The state uses the instruments it has in hand, and places children under the control of psychological experts who have no concept whatsoever of any higher level of life beyond some measures of testing to rank, grade, and determine how a child stacks up among his peers. One should watch the movie, Gattaca.  Its storyline is not to far removed from this utilitarian philosophy.

The one role of educators is to shield the child from any higher thinking beyond their agenda which negates the Christian religion. Under the guise of diversity and plurality it is ok to teach Buddhism, universalism, and even Islam—but not Christianity because in their minds Christianity is the culprit which has produced the world’s problems and should be destroyed. One can well understand their angst against Christian schools and home schools as they will not have the chance to mold young minds with the modernist agenda and deprogram them from such hateful religious mores.

We hear the word “socialism” tossed about today with the advent of government giveaways and the new health care program. These programs, while reflecting socialism are not new and actually came about with FDR and the rise of the New Deal. We like to find comfort in the belief that socialism died with Mussolini and Hitler, but this is not the case. Modern socialism tends strongly towards the limitation of the realm of freedom for the individual person. It involves the reduction to the minimum the sphere of individual choice. Individual liberties would be lost. It is the rule by a professional regime who, when they decide something is beneficial will force it upon the entire society under the guise of the good of the whole. Our problem is that we tend to think of our president and our congress in terms of “good guys” who are on our side and “bad guys” who are not. The reality is that all these people are part of the regime which is pushing the agenda of Federalism over personal liberties and states rights.

Take, for instance, the most glaring example of this—the health care law passed by Obama and the Congress. It never seems to occur to modern legislators that while welfare is good, forced welfare may be bad. In other words, utilitarianism is being carried out to its logical conclusions; in the interests of physical well-being the great principles of liberty are being thrown ruthlessly to the winds. On the other side of the political divide the same rule applies to the concept of personal freedoms and the changes made after 9-11. While terrorists deserve to be punished, the only ones punished after 9-11 were Americans in the loss of personal freedoms which we will never regain. Again, these acts were fostered on us under the guise of protection. This can be carried into other areas—the environment, military, etc.

America would be much further down this road to ruin were it not for the remnants of Anglo-Saxon individuals who dig in and hold the fort. But the signs of the times are not very encouraging. Liberty is certainly held by but a precarious thread when once its underlying principles have been lost. Even in a country like America, which formerly prided itself on its freedom from bureaucratic regulation of the details of life, is now in the midst of a drab utilitarianism in which all higher aspirations are to be lost.

We already see this loss in the educational realm. Our public schools are marked by their materialism, their discouragement of any sustained intellectual effort, their encouragement of the dangerous pseudo-scientific fads of experimental psychology—we can only be appalled by the thought of a country in which there is no escape from such a soul-killing system. But the principle of laws which ban anything other than the public school system has more far reaching effects. It is a tyranny which in the past destroyed lives now is bent on destroying both souls and lives. May God grant that there come a reaction, and that the great principles of liberty be rediscovered before it is too late!

Faith for These Times Foundation and its friends are joining together to work for a solution for the transportation needs of Pastor Paul Dudka in Ukraine. This is a stop-gap measure to get Bro. Paul through the summer months and we continue to work towards a long-term solution of a vehicle. Please follow the link to a flyer which explains the need and how you can help. Missions and reaching others with the Gospel is a great opportunity for every Christian. Join together to advance the Gospel.

http://faithforthesetimes.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/vehicle-need.pdf

http://faithforthesetimes.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/wesley-1.pdf

http://faithforthesetimes.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/wesley-2.pdf

But the chapter also uncovers familial relationships within the family of God which are deserving of notice. Where there are children conflict is always the norm and the same is no less true in God’s family, the church. Every child is different just as every believer is different. Their journey, while sharing the same relationship, and while all come into the family the same way, will vary. The journey home after salvation is one of maturing, growing, learning, and just as we all learn and grow and mature in different ways, so the Christian learns at his/her own pace to become what he must as a child of God. We resent that our spiritual siblings do not follow our path, hold our convictions, dress like we think a Christian should dress, act like we act—-and yet somehow God takes their unique journey and uses it to mature them—not to meet our standards, but to meet his. Every one of his children whom he has saved will arrive safely home to heaven without the loss of one, and he will smile and be pleased at each unique journey.

Aside from the marvelous father in this story we actually have three sons. There is of course the perfect Son, the Lord Jesus who tells the story. Then there is the prodigal son who went away from the father’s house into the far country. He ignores the Father’s commitment to his children and like some will do in any family his response to life is one of foolishness—“give me…” We could write volumes on this son and in the past he has been the object of much time and effort in our writing and ministry. But the prodigal does picture a segment of God’s family who has to learn spiritual lessons the hard way—through the school of hard knocks. He thinks God owes him something and is always treating Christianity like a gigantic slot machine where he expects God to keep him healthy and wealthy, but who never realizes that in God’s training, the troubles and trials of life are as needful as the supply and blessings. But in a word of affirmation of the prodigal, he at least was a searcher, he was more honest with himself that was his brother, and he acted upon his repentance. So, in the end, the prodigal’s relationship with his father was stronger than that of his pouting brother.

So then, we turn to the elder son. I call him the pouting brother, and to be honest I find more of his ilk in God’s family than the prodigal. His psychology is fascinating, because in so many ways he, too, was prodigal. There is no difference really between one who physically journeys to the far country and wastes his inheritance in the ways of the world, and that brother who stays home and who goes there in his mind. This was the statement of Jesus about adultery. He saw little difference between committing the act of adultery physically, and committing it in ones heart. I call this elder brother the pouting brother because we see from the text that he was angry on many fronts but was jealous because he was never honored by the father; no fatted calf was killed in his honor, and after all these years no show of appreciation for his faithfulness was made. He even accused his brother of wasting his inheritance with prostitutes. I wonder how he possibly could have know so much about his brother’s activities unless he was himself fantasizing about what he would do if he were given the opportunity.

In my years as a pastor and church worker I can honestly say that the pouting brother is not a rare breed. Let a prodigal come home who, although saved, has wandered out into the world and then repented and come home. How many pouting elder brothers will grouse about all the attention over that one who has repented. Let him be nominated to serve as an usher or some office. Immediately, the pouting saint will raise an objection. I remember so well when I took my first pastorate. It was my home church and if ever a congregation was entrenched in the past, that one was. They refused to allow a divorced person to even lead in prayer, much less serve in any official capacity. To complicate matters they had open session on a Sunday morning and made nominations from the floor. For years this old deacon sat on the front seat and if a divorcee was nominated would speak up and say, “We know why he/she cannot serve!” And that is the spirit of the elder brother. They never celebrate a returning prodigal and even more often see new people coming into the church as a threat to their power, their well-being, or an encroachment on their spiritual inheritance. But notice please a few things further about this pouting son.

I. First, he lived in barrenness even in the Father’s house.

As with any family you always have conflict. One thing the devil’s kids always say about the church is that we always seem to be fighting among ourselves. That is what families do—they argue and disagree and fight—but you had better not let some outsider say something against our little brother or we will join forces and whip you! One of the reasons the devil’s kids enjoy saying this is because the devil has no family. The devil’s kids are all orphans and the foster homes he places them in do not have a chance. It is natural that they should look at the Lord’s family and his kids with envy. We have a father who loves us, who provides for us, and who keeps us eternally. But sometimes even in God’s family we tend to live barren lives even in the Father’s house.

A.    This elder pouting brother lived in barrenness as to companionship. (vs. 30—“this thy son”). He refused to claim him as a brother. Some of these elder brother types have a real problem learning how to fit into God’s family. The only ones they fellowship with are those who are just like them. They refuse to join hands with someone outside their little group. I remember years ago in a friend’s church, he led a guy to Christ in prison. When that guy came out of prison he came to my friend’s church and joined for baptism. One of the deacons left the church and refused to go to church with a convicted felon.  There are many Christians who are barren as to companionship.

B.     The elder pouting brother lived in barrenness as to fellowship. (vs 28—“he would not go in.” The celebration was on but the pouting brother never saw anything to rejoice about. The Father has to go out to him and beg him to come into the house.

C.     The elder pouting brother lived in barrenness as to partnership. He refused to receive and work together with his younger brother because he only saw the waste and not the worth of having a brother at home instead of the far country. Church at its best is when all members are ministers and work together in bringing people to Christ and then discipling them. We are partners together in the work of God.

II. Second, he lived in bitterness even in the Father’s house

Barrenness is not the only problem with some Christians. Many are also bitter and can carry the baggage around for years. Most of this comes from not keeping short accounts with God and the continual action of sweeping wrongs, sins, and faults under the rug instead of biblically dealing with the root of the problem. If all you do in treat symptoms, before long the cancer will spread and not be contained. But notice what caused the bitterness of the elder brother….

A.    He was always thinking about self. All he talked about what he had done ad never someone else’s service.

B.     He was always talking about self. I have been faithful. I am obedient. I deserve more.

C. He was always trusting in self. The most dangerous person in a local church is the man or woman who loves the preeminence. They never see what anyone else has done.

III. Third, he lived with a sense of blindness even in the Father’s house. (vs. 31-32)

This third point is quite amazing, because you see the prodigal in the hog pen could see further and had clearer spiritual vision than the elder son at home. Sadly, lost people have a clearer perspective of what the church should be, how Christians should act, and live than those actually living the life. Often, they also know about what the Bible teaches than the Christian and they cry out to see someone who actually lives out their biblical faith.

But what was the elder son blind to?

A.    He was blind to the warmth of the Father’s presence. He lived there. He daily enjoyed the Father’s fellowship. He never experienced to coldness, the darkness, the loneliness of being in the far country. Every day he enjoyed fellowship and love and the goodness of God without the bad effects and dangers faced in the hog pens of the world.

B.     He was blind to the wealth of the Father’s provisions. “All that I have is thine.” The Father never once had denied him a request. He had just never made one. Surprisingly those like the pouting brother grouse and fuss about someone who is welcomed back and they resent that the body rejoices and makes over their return, but they are blind and never make a request themselves to enjoy the things of the Father’s house. Those who sit on the sidelines and refuse to join in make themselves a looser in so many ways.

C.     He was blind to the width of the Father’s promises. “this thy brother was dead…” God’s promises were wide enough to encompass others who were not like him. This point needs to be driven home all the more. God has children in his family who he loves just as he loves you and they may differ with us as to theology, denomination, the Bibles they read, the places they go, the kind of dress the enjoy—but they are still God’s children and whatever educational track God has them on—is between Him and his child. It is not our job to critique what God is doing in the lives of our siblings. But, they are our siblings, and while we might fuss and fight among ourselves I will defend my brothers and sisters to the death over their right to find their own unique relationship with our Father. The pouting son was so caught up in what he didn’t have that he missed what he did have.

So in conclusion, where do you put yourself? Are you always pouting over someone else in God’s family getting a little recognition? Do you sometimes think how unfair that you are stuck doing nursery duty week after week while others get to go with their spouse to Sunday School? What about Joe getting selected to be a deacon, and all the things you think of which you feel hinder him from serving, while you are passed over? Maybe it would be a good idea to look again at the prodigal who stated home. The saddest place for a Christian is living a life of barrenness and blindness even in the Father’s house.