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[ Silence ] [Music] Have a little talk with Jesus, tell him all about our troubles, hear our faithful cries, answer by and by His little prayer will turn in, Lord, a little fire is burning, find a little talk with Jesus makes it right

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Look it up, have a little talk with Jesus, tell him all about our troubles, he will hear our pain and cry, and survive by. Give a little prayer for turning, blow a little fire to burn it, have a little talk with Jesus, makes him proud. ♪ All right, all right ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

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♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Oh, he filled my heart with love ♪ ♪ Wrote my name above ♪ ♪ And just a little talk with Jesus makes it right ♪

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♪ Now let us have a little talk with Jesus ♪ ♪ And we'll tell him all about our trouble ♪ ♪ He will hear our greatest cry ♪ ♪ I know he'll answer by and by ♪

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♪ Oh, then you'll feel a little prayer will turn in you ♪ ♪ Then you'll know, know a little fire is burning ♪ ♪ Oh, heaven and God ♪ ♪ And a little talk with Jesus makes it right, all right ♪

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♪ I once was lost in sin ♪ ♪ But Jesus took me in ♪ ♪ And then a little light from heaven filled my soul ♪ ♪ He bathed my heart with love ♪

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♪ He wrote my name above ♪ ♪ And just a little talk with Jesus made me whole ♪ ♪ Now let us have a little talk with Jesus ♪ ♪ I know we can tell him ♪

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♪ Tell him all about our joy ♪ ♪ Oh, he will hear ♪ ♪ Hear about the greatest joy ♪ ♪ Oh, he will answer ♪

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♪ Answer right in front of us ♪ ♪ Oh, then you feel a little prayer will turn ♪ ♪ Then you know ♪ ♪ Know a little cry will turn ♪

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♪ Oh, just having a talk with Jesus ♪ ♪ Makes it right, all right ♪ ♪ Sometime my path seems drear ♪ ♪ Without a ray of cheer ♪

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♪ And then a cloud of doubt may hide the light of day ♪ ♪ The mist of sin may rise ♪ ♪ And hide the starry skies ♪ ♪ But just a little talk with Jesus clears the way ♪

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♪ Now let us have ♪ ♪ Have a little talk with Jesus ♪ ♪ I know we can tell him ♪ ♪ Tell him all about us ♪

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♪ Oh, he will hear ♪ ♪ Hear our plainest cry ♪ ♪ And he will answer ♪ ♪ Answer our dying cry ♪

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♪ Oh, then you'll feel ♪ ♪ A little prayer will turn in ♪ ♪ Then you'll know ♪ ♪ The whole world's fire is burning ♪

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♪ We can have ♪ ♪ Have a little talk with Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus makes it right, all right ♪ ♪ I may have doubts and fears ♪

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♪ My eyes may be filled with tears ♪ ♪ But Jesus is a friend who watches day and night ♪ ♪ I can go to him in prayer ♪ ♪ He knows my every care ♪

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♪ And just a little talk with Jesus makes it right ♪ ♪ Oh, now let us have ♪ I want to tell him. Oh, he will hear. I know he'll answer back. Oh, then you'll feel a little prayer wheel turning. Then you'll know. We can have a little talk with Jesus. Oh, now let us have. You can tell him all about it. Oh, he will hear. hear our flames rise, he will answer by and by. Oh, you can feel the little prayer wheel turning,

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then you know your little fire's burning. Let us have a little talk with Jesus, Jesus makes it right. Oh, I want to have a little talk with Jesus, yeah, but talk to him, tell him all about us, He's always there, oh He will answer by and by When you feel a little prayer wheel, then you know the fire is lit

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Then we can have a little talk, oh yes Feel a little prayer wheel, oh yeah Makes it right, all right You can tell him all about it, that's one thing I like about it.

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I know he will answer every time. Oh Lord, then you know, oh, have a little talk with Jesus, makes it all right, all right. Oh yeah. Let's all say, "Amen."

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Our scripture, based on a passage of scripture that includes what some Bible scholars call the most beautiful story Jesus told. I want to lift up these words as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, the 15th chapter, and the 11th verse.

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He said, "A certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me." And he divided unto them his living. Would you repeat these words?

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And he divided unto them his living. The subject of the message, the extravagant father. When I was a child and I heard this story, we called the prodigal son. attention as good as most of the listeners directed toward the younger son

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and we focused on the rebellion of this boy so much so that we considered the youngest son is the person who was the leading character in the story. But today I want us to focus on the father because in my opinion the father is the leading character. A certain man had two sons and the younger of them said to his father, "Father,

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me my portion of the goods that falleth to me and he divided unto them his living. So our focus today is not upon the reckless son, the disobedient son, not upon the son who is so wasteful of his father's substance. His father here is the one

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who generously gives of his possessions, who is instrumental in giving of his possessions, and giving abundantly, profusely, this is the focus of this story.

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So it is not the prodigal son, but the prodigal father, because the word prodigal means extravagant. So let's think about extravagance.

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This young son is extravagant in a way, but he is wasteful. With him, it's easy come, easy go. We have an example here of a young man who expects to get, and after having secured what he expected,

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he does not know how to use it wisely. So this young son is one who is fancy, who is footloose and fancy free. He wants to have his way. He wants to get away from his father's rule.

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The thing to look at in this story is that the father puts up with all of this. There's always some gap between the father and the son as far as age is concerned. there is a gap. When we were in college, we sort of emphasized this gap.

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As boys, we referred to our fathers as the old man. (audience laughing) The old man, the old man. So, here is a youngster who is a spin thrift,

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who's rebellious, who wants to get away from the rule of his father. But here is a generous father. This young son comes and says,

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Father, give me my potion. He wants it right now. And we have a right now generation. Want it all now.

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Sometimes before the parents are cold in the grave, we dispense of what they have spent a lifetime achieving. We dispense of it overnight. Give me my potion that falleth to me.

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tradition was that the youngest son was entitled to one third, and the oldest son was entitled to two thirds. That would come at the death of the parent, the father. But he wants his up front. He wants his first. Give me my potion now that comes to me. But this statement here, and this father divided unto them his living. Look at the thing about that. He divided unto

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unto them, both of his sons, his living. He didn't exchange words, he's extravagant because he spent all of his life, all of his energies achieving what he has

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and this young son comes up and wants his potion now and he divided unto them his living. unto them his living. So it seems here that the Father has given away all that he has spent his life to achieve and he's left there having nothing he divided unto them, his living.

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>> I seriously doubt that most of us who are parents, fathers here today listening to this message, if our children wanted all that you've accomplished overnight, without exchanging a word, that you would divide. >> That's right.

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>> Unto them. >> Yes. >> You'll live it. your living. So it's not difficult for us to understand that this was an extravagant

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father, extravagant. No strings attached, he divides unto them his living. Some years ago there was a friend of mine who preached from this pulpit on this particular story And his sermon was entitled, "The Third Son." And he emphasized the fact that there was this young,

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or what we call the younger son, the scripture does, and then the eldest son, those two. But he said this younger son that was rebellious when he changed and came back home,

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He was not the same son that left home. So he called him the third son. Third son. But we're looking at this father.

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The father. As the leading character, he has two sons. This father is abounding in generosity. and he has grace that is amazing, he's the extravagant father

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father is the source of our being these boys have no wealth of their own all their needs have been supplied by the father this father was rich in houses and land

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he had the wealth of the world so to speak in his hands so this father who is our heavenly father is rich in his love for his children he does not ration

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the gifts to his sons He gives to them graciously and abundantly. Some fathers are not always that way. I remember my grandfather, whenever I would ask him for something, a nickel or so, and that was a lot of money,

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He had what we called a pocketbook, a long pocketbook, which you could fasten it at the top there, and he would turn his back to reach down into his pocketbook and finally come out,

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maybe with a nickel. And sometimes you'd have to listen to a long lecture before you got that. But that's a generous father.

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He is an extravagant head of the household and he is glad to give to his children. Oh, how wonderful it is to be blessed with a father who is generous in spirit and who seeks to develop

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his children in the best manner possible and to share his life, to be extravagant. It is good for children to be extravagant in the right way. Extravagant in righteousness,

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extravagant in doing the best things. I remember a fellow who came and asked for permission of the father to take his daughter to a dance. And he said, "All right, you have her back home by 11 o'clock."

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And at 11 o'clock, the young lady did not want to come home. And the fellow who had taken her and he had pledged to the father that he was going to get her back by 11 o'clock, found that the girl was rebelling. So he went to the phone and called the father and said,

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"I'm here trying to get your daughter to come home, but she refuses to do so." Here was a young man who was extravagant when it comes to obedience. He went the second mile and even the third mile

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and trying to get the daughter to do what was right. Father, give me my potion of the estate that I'm to inherit at your death. Give it to me now.

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The father complies and divides his substance. And I'll give him for those things that are right, those things which are true, those things which are beautiful, our giving should be without measure.

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And so the Father gives in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, He is the prodigal, He is the extravagant Father. Now these boys don't deserve what they get, but they get it anyway. It's an inheritance.

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It's a gift of grace. And so as we celebrate today, we have the privilege of giving thanks to God. been blessed by a Christian father who has struggled and sacrificed to enhance the life of his children.

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If we had such a father we should thank God. Thank God. This father does not debate, he doesn't hesitate, he divides unto them his substance, he gives his sons what is his. That is extravagant giving. The Father gives his Son his living.

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Recent reports indicate that there is a scarcity of fathers in Africa today. The family property, tradition is to pass to the man and there's a scarcity of fathers and so there are many widows in our beloved country so to speak. The women are not permitted to own property and in many cases these widows are sentenced to

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poverty and neglect and we're troubled by some of the problems of our society many black men boasting of the fact that they so productive that they have many many children not that they're good fathers but that they have many many In fact, Ray Charles, who was just funeralized a day or so ago, is said to have fathered 11 children in the one news report that I read.

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11 children, and at least 10 of them were by different women. This is something that we as fathers, that we need to be instrumental in changing. Being an extravagant father is not the kind of extravagance that is demonstrated by Ray Charles here.

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We're talking about the kind of extravagance that is expressed in the highest and best manner. After the inheritance is divided, this younger son takes a journey to a far country and wastes his father's money.

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He wastes his substance in righteous living. His father is extravagant in his giving, but the younger son is extravagant in his living in the wrong way. He spent his inheritance converting with prostitutes and drunkards until he was bankrupt.

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He ran until he ran out, and then there was a famine in the land, and he began to be in want. He joined himself to a citizen in that far country where he was, and this citizen sent him to feed swine and on the brink of starvation this pious Jewish boy

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suffered the humiliation of submitting to a diet of swine food down in the pig pen he came to himself and he thought about this extravagant father he thought about how good his father was he thought about how the father had sacrificed and he thought about his love that had been so graciously showered

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upon he thought about home he thought about an extravagant father and sometimes we take father for granted it's good that we have this day because so often we think of father as a paycheck, so often we think of father as a meal ticket, so much so often we think of father as a mortgage payment, so often we take father for granted.

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But this young son thought about his father, he thought about his goodness, he thought about his extravagance. This younger son thought about what he had at home, what he had left, how blessed he was, and while he is now experiencing the plight of a beggar, he thinks about his father who was rich. He thought about this extravagant father that he had left behind

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with a wonderful mansion, he thought about the hard servants that were there, he thought about the fact that his father had bred enough and to spare this extravagant father with food and abundance, and when we meditate on the goodness of God, our heavenly father, we should think about his extravagance.

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(Oh, yeah) "May I have what you'd like to have?" But God has promised to supply all of our needs. He's extravagant in His giving to us.

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He's extravagant in His goodness. No matter what we may say, God is good. (Oh, yeah) God is gracious. God is kind to every one of us.

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God has blessed us. God in his goodness. He's extravagant in his goodness. Causes the rain to shine,

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that the fall and the sun to shine for every one of us, the just and the unjust. God is good, I tell you. God is good.

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And then God is generous. We may not have all we'd like to have, But most of us have our needs supplied. God is generous.

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He's abundant in his giving. He doesn't make differences just because this one has not done this and that, but he's good to all of his children.

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God is good. God is loving. He has room enough for every one of us. And he's extravagant.

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extravagant Psalmist talks about it when he says he makes my cup to run over Not only does he feel a cup, but but he makes it to run over. He's extravagant. He's extravagant He's extravagant in his love. He's extravagant in his goodness

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And so I would say to you fathers today be extravagant fathers Be extravagant in your patience. Be extravagant. Be extravagant in your generosity.

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And one father said, "Well, I don't know "what it may cost to send you to school, "but I'll work my fingers to the nub. "If you want to go to Harvard, to see that you get there."

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If behind every child was that kind of father, oh, how different our world would be. Extravagant, yes. because this kind of extravagance is what God demonstrates over and over

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again to his children, extravagant. So he says to all, "Come, come, come ye that love the Lord, and let your joys be known." He's extravagant. Thanks be to God for extravagant fathers and the response of every faithful child is I will arise, I will arise and go to Jesus, he will embrace me in

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his arms, in his arms he'll take and shield me for in his arms or 10,000 charms. Thanks be to God for extravagant fathers. And an extravagant father understands his child. That's the picture. Father stood there. We don't know how long the father waited, but he was standing there when the son got home.

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He was standing waiting. And that's extravagance. To have patience that just keeps on, keeps on keeping on. To have the willingness to wait no matter how rebellious the child may be.

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To wait until that child comes home. The father that's extravagant has to understand his child. And this extravagant father understands. Oh, when I come to the end of my journey,

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we take this faith journey with its hills and with its valleys, but oh, when I come to the end of my journey, he, he understands.

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He'll say, well done. That's the extravagant God that we serve. And I'm so glad that he is the source of our being and he is the strength in the midst of our struggle.

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Carry us through, thanks be to God for his extravagance demonstrated over and over again to his children. So we come now to the invitation to Christian discipleship. We invite you to come.

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Come. By letter, by Christian experience or professional faith, come to this extravagant Father. Come.

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(piano music) Lord, the church is open. Come. Come home.

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come home if when you give the best of your service telling the world that the ♪ The Savior is come ♪ ♪ Be not dismayed ♪ ♪ When men don't believe you ♪

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♪ He understands ♪ ♪ And say, well done ♪ ♪ Misunderstood ♪ ♪ The Savior of all sinners ♪

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♪ Hung on the cross ♪ ♪ He was God's only Son ♪ ♪ Oh, hear Him calling ♪ ♪ His Father in heaven ♪

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♪ Not my will ♪ ♪ But Thine be done ♪ ♪ Oh, when I come ♪ ♪ Oh, when I come ♪

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♪ I've got to come to the end ♪ ♪ To the end of my journey ♪ ♪ Weary of life ♪ ♪ Weary of life ♪

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♪ And the battle is won ♪ ♪ And the victory's carried astride ♪ ♪ Carried astride ♪ ♪ And the cross ♪

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♪ Calls for redemption ♪ ♪ He'll understand ♪ ♪ Give a thumbs down and say well done ♪ ♪ But if you try and you fail in your trying ♪

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♪ Hands sore and scarred from the work you've begun ♪ ♪ Take up your cross, run quickly to meet him ♪ ♪ He'll understand and say, "Well done" ♪ ♪ Oh, when I come ♪

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♪ Oh, when I come ♪ ♪ To the end of my journey ♪ ♪ To the end of my journey ♪ ♪ Weary of life ♪

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♪ Weary of life ♪ ♪ And the battle and the victory is won ♪ ♪ Carrying the stand ♪ ♪ And the cross ♪

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♪ He'll understand ♪ ♪ And say ♪ ♪ Oh, when I come ♪ ♪ To the end of my journey ♪

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♪ Weary of life ♪ ♪ And the battle is won ♪ ♪ And the victory's carrying the stand ♪ ♪ And the cause of redemption ♪

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♪ He'll understand ♪ ♪ He'll understand ♪ ♪ He'll understand ♪ ♪ And say well done ♪

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(audience applauding) - Bow your heads. Lord, we thank you for your extravagance toward us, demonstrated in so many, many ways.

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Send us forth to be bearers of this extravagance in our families, in our relationships one to another, that our world may become more and more according to the divine design. Grace, mercy, and peace be with you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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I was that kind of father, oh how different our world would be. Extravagant, yes, extravagant, because this kind of extravagance is what God demonstrates over and over again to his children, extravagant.

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So, he says to all, "Come, come, come ye that love the Lord, and let your joys be known." He's extravagant. Thanks be to God for extravagant fathers. And the response of every faithful child is, I will arise. I will arise and go to Jesus. He will embrace me in His arms. In His arms He'll take and shield me. For in His arms are ten thousand charms.

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Thanks be to God for extravagant fathers. And an extravagant father understands his child. That's the picture. Father stood there. We don't know how long the father waited,

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but he was standing there when the son got home. He was standing waiting. And that's extravagance. To have patience that just keeps on, keeps on, keeping on.

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To have the willingness to wait, no matter how rebellious the child may be. to wait until that child comes home. The father of this extravagant has to understand his child. And this extravagant father understands.

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Oh, when I come to the end of my journey, we set this for a journey with its hills and with its valleys, but oh, when I come to the end of my journey, he understands.

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He'll say, "Well done." That's the extravagant God that we serve. And I'm so glad that He is the source of our being and He is the strength in the midst of our struggle to carry us through. Thanks be to God for His extravagance demonstrated over and over again to His children. So we come now to the invitation to Christian discipleship.

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We invite you to come. Come. By letter, by Christian experience or professional faith, come to this extravagant Father.

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Come. [music] Well, the kitchen's open. Come.

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Come home. Come home. [music] If when you give

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the best of your service, Telling the world that the Savior is come Be not dismayed when men don't believe you He understands and say, "Well done"

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♪ Misunderstood ♪ ♪ The savior of all sinners ♪ ♪ Hung on the cross ♪ ♪ He was God's only son ♪

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♪ Oh, he ♪ [ Silence ]