"The Father Who Ran" - The Welcome You Didn't Think You'd Get

There's a walk home that some of you have been putting off for years. That conversation you keep rehearsing but just never having the relationship you're sure is too far gone.Maybe it's with a person, or maybe it's with God himself, but there's a door you walked away from. And every single day you don't go back, the story that plays out in your head just gets worse and worse. And you know how the story goes.If I go back, I know what I'm gonna get. I'm gonna get those crossed arms that I told you. So. That list of everything I did wrong, just read back to me slowly. So what do we do? We stay away.Because in our minds, we've already watched a welcome. It's cold. But what if you got the whole scene wrong?What if while you've been rehearsing your apology, somebody's been standing at the end of the driveway every evening watching the road just for you? Today, I want to tell you about a father who ran. Hello, and welcome to Truth Unveiled.My name is Ralph Estep Jr. And I'm so glad you're here today, especially if you're feeling something on your heart, like there's this walk home that you've been dreading. And I want to say something rather bold here right from the beginning, and you don't know me.Maybe this is the first time you've listened to the show or watched the show. But I want to tell you this because I want you to be assured in this, you're running towards a father who is already running towards you.And we're going to dig into that a little deeper. We're going to talk about something called the Prodigal Son. We call it the Prodigal Son. But Jesus aims the camera at the Father.And what the Father does in this biblical story breaks every rule of how we think we'll be received. So let's get right to it. Here's the primary text for today. It comes to us from the book of Luke, chapter 15, verses 20 to 24.And I'm getting this from the World English Bible. But again, Luke 15:20, 24. He arose and came to his father.But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. The son said to him, father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight I am no longer worthy to be called your son.But the Father said to his servants, bring out the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and put sandals on his feet. Bring the fat and calf. Kill it and let us eat and celebrate.For this, my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And just think about that for a second. And then it goes on to say, they began this celebration.And I could just picture myself if I was the son. I had this speech already ready in my head. The way the father was going to tell me. You did this and you squandered this. But what does the father do?It's kind of amazing if you think about it. The father interrupts all of the speech that the son had planned with a party. And we're going to come back to that.But we got to talk about this long walk home. How do we get to that road home? A lot of us know the way by heart. Think about this particular. This particular was the prodigal son.This prodigal son had asked for his inheritance early and even said to his dad, I wish you were dead. I want your stuff. Think about the public wound that created, but that father gave it to him anyway. And what does the son do? What most of us would do.He burns it all down. I mean, he spent it. He just completely ruined his life. What happens? The famine hits. Son's living in a pig pen, and he's eyeing the pods.And for a Jewish man, that's the floor. That's what we're talking about. He's basically living with the pigs on the floor. And then comes one of the most hopeful lines in all of scripture.And it's easy to miss this. But what does it say? It says, he came to himself.And I just want to park there for a second because I don't think we think about that as much as we need to in this particular thing we're talking about today. He came to himself. I can just picture if I was him.The fog in my mind clears, the carousing and all the money I spent and all the vicarious living I was doing. And all of a sudden, he remembers who he is and whose he is. And at that instant, I can just imagine, he goes, you know what?I'm going to go back to dad. And as he's walking and we get this picture, this long walk, he decides to go home. And as he's walking, he's writing this speech.Not figuratively, he's not writing it on paper, but he's thinking about it. He's thinking about this. Dad is going to be standing there in the driveway with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.And he's thinking, oh, I'm going to say to dad, I've sinned. I've done all the bad things. I'm no longer worthy of you. And just think about it. He rehearsed it. He thought, I got to go back.But maybe my dad will make me a servant. Maybe my dad will make me one of the lowly people that lives in the barn. He's not walking home to a father.He's walking home to a negotiation he's already started to have in his mind. And he's already decided the best he can hope for is some demotion. And just think about that. He's going to be on the payroll, but not at the table.And I think about this in my own career, for 30 years, I've done accounting work and I've sat across the desk and I watch person after person come into me, braced for my judgment. I'm just an accountant. I'm just going to show them the books and tell them, here's what it is. A lot of them assume I'm going to give them a lecture.A lot of them are sitting there stoic, and they say to me sometimes before I even start talking, Ralph, I know I blew it. Just tell me how bad it is. That's what I've seen. But, friend, we do the same thing with God daily. We let God down, don't we?And we prehearse this speech in our head. We're already thinking, well, God, maybe you'll let me get by this time. I'll take a downgraded position. Just give me the scraps from the table.So here's my honest question for you right now. What's that speech you've been rehearsing? What have you already said to yourself about how bad things have gotten? And you're just saying, oh, I just.I just need to get the father to set me. What's the demotion you've already agreed to in your own head? I want you to hold that speech because the father isn't waiting to hear it.Now, I want to get back into our text today because it's really important that we focus on a little bit. It says, but while he was still a long way off, his father saw him. And let's. Let's park there for a second. Still a long way off.Just think about that for a second, what that means. That means the father was looking for him every single day. The father was scanning the horizon.I can just imagine his father, whatever his routine was for the day, every day he went out on the drive. When he looked around his. Where's my son today? He was anticipating him coming back. And just think about that for a second.You don't see a distant speck unless you've been watching for it, unless you've been hoping for it. The son isn't chasing a reluctant father. And listen, this is the beauty of this whole story.The son isn't chasing some father who's ready to give him a lecture and let him have it. The father's been aching for his son the whole time. And what does it say? It says he was moved with compassion and he ran.I mean, here's the father who was crapped on. That's the easiest way to say it in kind terms. This son crapped on his father. And he said he was moved with compassion and he ran.Think about this for a second. The culture of the day. This father is the patriarch of the. Of the family. The patriarch didn't run because. Think about this.And many hiked up his robe because these people are wearing robes. You think about biblical times. You've seen the pictures showing his legs, humiliating him.A man at the father's age would have stood and walked slowly and let people come to him. That was a way that they handled things. But this father throws it all away.And he runs down the road in front of the whole village, the people that was humiliated by when his son squandered his inheritance. The father runs down in front of the whole village, throws his arm around a son who smells like pigs. Smells like pigs.I mean, you get any more lowly than that. I've been to a pigsty. It's not a good smell. And all of a sudden the son starts his speech. And the father says, ho, ho, never. Wait a second.The son never gets to that point of hired servant. There was no demotion available. But what does the father call for? Think about it. Read the story. It says, the father called for his best robe.The father's own robe, that robe of honor, that robe of the patriarch. He called for a ring. Why? Because a ring signified authority. It was the family signet. He was basically saying to the son, hey, here's my best robe.Here's a ring. You have standing again. And he asked them to bring sandals. Now, sandals are important. I didn't know this before. I researched for today's episode.But most servants were barefoot. That's just the way it was at the time. But a son wore shoes. And just think about what every single item is announcing. And think about it.The son never got to even ask to be a servant. But the Father saying, you're not a servant here, you're my child. You always were my child. And this is in the gospel as well. Listen to Paul.This is From Romans, chapter 5, verse 8 From the world English Bible. It says, but God commends his own love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We were yet sinners and Christ died for us.Think about this analogy. The cross, the very cross that Jesus went to, was God hiking up his robe and sprinting down the road towards people who didn't deserve it.You and I don't deserve what we got. But we've been so busy rehearsing why we don't deserve it to come home, that you miss the Father already running to meet you.And that's why we got to talk about interrupting this speech. Because all of us have rehearsed this speech.Whether it be with God, whether it be with that parent, whether it be with that relative, whatever that person is. We've all been building these rehearsals in our minds.And I want to encourage you right now, stop editing your apology and just start walking forward. The son didn't have a perfect speech, but he didn't need it because grace cut him off at the honest part of it.Right now you don't need the words, right? Or that shame fully processed, the father ran while the boy still smelled like the pig pen. And what does that tell us?It tells us to come as we are in the middle of the mess, in the middle of our brokenness, in the middle of how we smell badly. But just come. And this is the hard part. You gotta let God give you the robe. You may be saying, Ralph, what are you talking about there?And that's harder than it sounds. A lot of us can come home, we'll make that trip. But we still remain in the servants clothes. Yet we accept that God tolerates us.But how many of us accept that God delights in us? When's the last time you thought about God delights in me? God delights in my brokenness. God delights in my failures.God delights in all of those things, those bad decisions I make. So when God puts a robe on you, I want to encourage you right now, wear it. Stop calling yourself a hired hand. Stop calling yourself a servant.Receive the robe and its own act of faith. God's forgiven it. I want to tell you about my story. I was the guy at the end of the driveway, someone buried in a money mess, drowning in shame.When I see these people, the last thing they need is another lecture. When somebody comes into me and they sit down across from me, the last thing they need from me is a lecture.Because they've given themselves that lecture a thousand times. And that's why I'm a little different than most accounts. I'm a little different than most money people.Because what I truly believe is they need an arm around their shoulder. They don't need somebody to lecture them. They've already known what the problems are. I can help them fix those problems.And yes, there are things they're going to need to do, but what they need is an arm around their shoulder and somebody to tell them it's going to be okay because you came back. You're paying attention to that now. Let's get to work. And I can only echo that father, because I've been that son.I've been that son who wasted seasons. I let the weight pile on me. I've talked about this on this very show. I was that person who let my body go. I made choices to set my body a bill.I had roads that I walked back down. But every time I turned home, I never saw the crossed arms that I braced for because Grace was running towards me.But now maybe you don't need to come home, but maybe you need to be the one that stands at the end of the driveway for someone else. Because once you've been run to, I think something changes in your mind. You start watching the road for others who are running towards somebody.So ask yourself right now, who in your life right at this moment is a long way off? Who right now is rehearsing some speech because they're sure they're going to get judgment?I want to encourage you right now, be the one who runs to that person. Be the arms that open before the apology is even finished.There is someone in your life right at this moment who needs you to be the father figure to them, that needs you to have open arms and acceptance and just put your arms around them and tell them it's going to be okay. Because that's the family business now. The father runs to us. And once you've been caught up in those arms, you get to run, too.And that is one of the best things you will ever do in your life. Now, I want to get quiet for just a minute, and I just want you to close your eyes. I want you to picture that driveway.All of us have different driveways. I want you to picture that Rome home you've been avoiding.And ask yourself Honestly, right at this moment, what you've assumed is standing at the end of that road? Do you have that picture in your mind? Are you picturing crossed arms when the truth is God's asking you with open arms?Are you assuming a lecture when the Father has a party plan for you? What speech have you rehearsed? So long day like Ralph, I can't even make that walk because I know what's ahead of me. What have you settled for?Have you settled for being the hired hand instead of the son? Have you settled for being tolerated instead of loved? And who told you that? Seriously, who's told you that? Because that's a lie.The Father never told you that. What does the Bible tell us? It says the Father's been scanning the horizon, waiting for you, friend.What if the only thing standing between you and the rope is a speech he's just waiting to interrupt? He's just waiting to stop mid sentence. And here's the truth unveiled for today.You've been rehearsing a speech about why you don't deserve to come home. So many of us have rehearsed that same speech.We might be rehearsing it right now, but the whole time, the Father's been standing at the end of the road, watching for you, scanning the horizon, just waiting for that speck to appear. He's not waiting for your apology. He's running to you. That grace gets to you while you're still a long way off.And it doesn't offer you some demotion. It puts a robe on your back, a ring on your hand, and calls you his child again. Maybe right now you're realizing you never actually made this walk.Not really. You may have thought about it.You've kept your distance from God your whole life because you're so certain, because you've rehearsed this in your mind that that welcome would be cold if it was even offered at all. But, friend, I want to tell you something right now. The Father has been watching the road for you your entire life, from the moment you were born.The gospel doesn't tell us, clean up and slowly earn your way back. It doesn't say that. It says God saw you a long way off and he ran to you. Jesus hiked up his robe and the robe of heaven. He sprinted towards you.He took every wasted year and wrong road and he settled it on the cross. Friend, there is nothing left between you and that party that God has planned for your life. I want you to pray with me right now.It's not some perfect speech. He's going to interrupt it anyway.Just pray with me right now if you need that relationship with God because you've never ever asked him into your life. Father, I've been a long way off and I've been rehearsing all the reasons. I don't deserve to come home.But I believe you sent Jesus toward to run towards me, Lord, to die for me and to rise again. And at this moment, I'm done keeping my distance. I'm coming home.Lord, I just ask that you will put your robe on me because I want to be your child today. And from this moment forward, I accept you as my personal savior. Forgive me, Lord, and accept me back home. And I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.If you prayed that I truly believe this, the party's already started. God has been waiting for you this whole time, your entire life. He just wanted you to reach out to him. He's been running towards you this entire time.And if you pray that, I want you to tell somebody, I'd love for you to reach out to me or the church. Find one believer you trust. You can go to https://www.truthunveiledwithralph.com/decision again, that's https://www.truthunveiledwithralph.com/decision.I'm not going to sell you anything. I just want to hear from you. I want to know what's going on in your life. Because there's a robe with your name on it.You were never meant to wear the servant's clothes. So today I want to encourage you to do something.If you've got that walk in front of you that you've been putting off and you're like, Ralph, I got to do this. I got to move towards this. Stop editing that speech. The Father isn't waiting to hear your apology. The Father is waiting to throw his arms around you.And when he puts that robe on you, I want you to wear it. Stop calling yourself the hired hand. Stop calling yourself the servant. You are the Son of God.And then once you do that, once you put on that robe and you get that ring and those sandals and you realize you're accepted, I want to encourage you to do one more thing. Go watch that road for somebody else who needs you. Because you've been run to. And now it's time for you to run to somebody else and help them.And I want to read something from the Book of Psalms. This is chapter 103, verse 13 from the World English Bible. And it says this like, a father has compassion on his children.So Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him. That's the heart at the end of your driveway. Compassion, not crossed arms. How about we crows in prayer right now?Father, I just want to thank you that you do run to us server, the one dreading a walk home for years, Lord, Just give them the courage to take that first step, open their arms before the speech is even done, Lord. And for that one who came home but lives like a hired servant, we're in shame, Lord, not the robe. Help them receive it, Lord.Help them to believe that you're delighted in them. And for the one sure that they're the exception.Somebody right now is watching and listening to this and they're thinking, oh, that doesn't apply to me, Lord.For that one that think they're the exception, that grace one is for everyone but them, Lord, I just ask that you would meet them on the road and prove them that they're wrong. For the older brother, arms crossed at someone else's welcome. Just soften them, Lord, and bring them into the party.And for the one making the walk for the very first time, we hear the music starting already, Lord, bring them back home. And I just ask that you would would help us to do those things that we need to do.Lord, thank you for being a father who runs to us because we're coming home and we're coming home in Jesus name. Amen. Friend, I hope this message has moved you today and I want you to do something for me.I want you to send this to that one person that's standing a long way off. That person that sure they wouldn't be welcome back. Let them hear the Father is already running towards them. That's how this ministry grows.One arm around his shoulder at a time. I want to encourage you to subscribe to the show and come back next time on Truth Unveiled. And remember, you don't need the perfect speech.You just need to start walking. He'll cover the rest of the distance running because he's going to run towards you. Keep seeking the truth and let it set you free.God bless you and I'll see you next time.