Break Every Chain

Every bondage begins with a lie.  

It is a belief that something can give me happiness besides God. 

Freedom comes by releasing the lie that holds me.  

Luke 15:11-32 (NLT)

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 

12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 

14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 

15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 

16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

Sometimes you have to lose everything to appreciate anything.  It gives you a new perspective. Freedom comes not from what I say to you, but what you say to you.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 

1. Recognize that you need help.  

We try to fix up what we've messed up.  Satan has no power, but the power to deceive.

Self-leadership comes from this discouraging realization. You have participated in every bad decision that you have made. 

When I lost all of my excuses, I found all of my results.  Sometimes we hold on to all our excuses;therefore, we stay in bondage to our past.  We can't fix ourselves.  

18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

2. Recognize that you need to repent. 

Repent of all your sin. We have a natural bent to sin from birth. Only the blood of Jesus can wash us from all our sin.  

During Passover, they put blood on the doorway.  The people were spared not by their good works, but by the blood placed upon their doorway.

God can take a brown cow eating green grass to make white milk.  God can take a black heart and apply Jesus's red blood, and make it whiter than snow. 

I don't understand it, but I'm blessed by it when I repent.  Repent is not a bad word, but a good word.  It means to change your mind and direction.  Going from God and going to God.  

It's not about perfection, but direction.  What you don't repent from, you will repeat. God's not trying to pay you back, but bring you back.        

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 

3. Return to the Father.

You don't earn your way into the family of God.  It comes by birth. Not by works. The Father stood looking for His boy. He was looking for Him (and He is looking you).  

He ran after that boy.  He lost all His dignity.  It was the only time in Scripture that you see God running to reach His boy. God loves you, and there is nothing you can do about it.   

  

21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

4. Rejoice with the family. 

The Father didn't want to talk about His boy's past, but his future.  

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. 

The Father gave Him back his prosperity.  

Get a ring for his finger 

The Father gave Him back his authority.

and sandals for his feet. 

The Father gave Him back his 

direction. 

23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

The Father threw his boy a party! 

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, 

‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. 

All bondage begins with a lie.  This was lie #1. 

And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 

Lie #2.  The older brother was in more bondage than the younger brother. Self righteousness smells just as bad as a pig pen.  

Verse 12 says that the inheritance was divided between them.  In the Jewish culture, the older boy had received twice as much as the younger boy, and he still had his.  

30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 

The resources for the party came from the older boy!  A win for your brother is a win for you.  A loss for your brother is a loss for you.  If you don't embrace the redemptive power of God, you'll miss the party.

32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

Mike Haman, Healing Place Church