Ascension Presbyterian Lord's Day Worship

Good morning, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Welcome to our the corporate worship of our God. Please stand and hear God call you to worship through his word.

God Calls His People to Worship

Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid, for Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song. He also has become my salvation. Therefore, with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

And in that day you will say, praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his deeds among the peoples, make mention of his name, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done excellent things.

This is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we have come to worship and bow down and kneel before you, the Lord our maker, for you are our God and we are the people of your pasture, the sheep of your hand.

We come to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is our advocate with the Father. He is the only mediator between God and man. He always lives to make intercession for us.

Through him we come boldly to your throne of grace. In his name we earnestly seek you. O Lord, our souls thirst for you, our flesh yearns for you in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Bow your heavens and come down.

Inhabit the praises of your people. Remember your promise, O Spirit of Christ, to be present in the midst of your worshiping people when two or more are gathered in your name. Condescend to us. Grant us the joy of your fellowship.

Speak to us through your word and be blessed by our praise and adoration, we ask in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Please kneel as you are able for the corporate confession of sin. As we prepare to confess our sins to the Lord, we must remember that this is a great blessing that we can come to our Lord, to our only advocate with the Father, and to confess our sins.

So let us join together in confessing our sins. O my Savior, help me for I am slow to learn and prone to forget. I am pained by my graceless heart, my prayerless days, my poverty of love, my sloth in the heavenly race, my sullied conscience, my wasted.

Hours, and my unspent opportunities. I am blind while the light shines around me. Fade the scales from my eyes.

Please stand and receive these words of comfort from our Lord in the assurance of pardon. Come now and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be made as white as snow.

Though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. My brothers and sisters in Christ, rejoice for in Christ your sins are forgiven.

Amen. Please take up the hymnal and turn.

To hymn number 53, Praise to the Lord the Almighty,. Hymn 53. Please take up the.

Insert and look for the psalm labeled Psalm 60, God in his holiness declared. Psalm 60, this is our psalm of the week. Brother, any words of instruction or.

Encouragement? Thank you, brother. Amen. Please remain standing for the reading.

Of God's Word from Revelation chapter 13. Revelation chapter 13. Then I stood on.

The sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth the mouth of a lion.

The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed, and all the world marveled and followed the beast.

So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast saying, Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him? And he is given a mouth speaking great things in blasphemy, and he was given authority to continue for 42 months.

Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, his tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them, and authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity.

He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience of the faith of the Saints. Then I saw another beast coming out up from the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and spoke like a dragon.

And he exercises all authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he has granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.

And he is granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666. This is the Word of the Lord.

Let's continue our worship by singing the ancient creed of our faith, the Apostles' Creed.

On the third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit.

I believe the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life.

Amen. You may be seated. I would like to ask now Pastor Breno, Ruben, and Emily Santa Cruz, you can bring Piper up as well, Ismael Rivas, Haneen Wilson, and Alexandra Breno to come up front. We have the opportunity today, thanks be to God, to see how people are entered into the membership of the church.

We have both ways of entering into the membership of the church today. By membership oath and also by baptism. As we've just sang the ancient creed of our faith, we know that no one is saved or enters into the church apart from Christ.

This was true not only to the church back to Pentecost, but the church at the very beginning, back to ancient days. Membership in a local congregation is not optional. All members of the Invisible Church, true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, are commanded by God to submit to elders of a local congregation, to not forsake the gathering together of the saints, to love one another, and to provoke one another, to love and good works, and to witness for the Lord Jesus Christ to a lost and hurting world within the context of the Invisible Church.

Today we have the opportunity to enter into membership of these individuals that you see before us, and in a moment we'll enter Piper via baptism. As we go through these membership vows and then baptismal vows, I would like to call your minds back to the time when you first were entered into the church.

Maybe it was with your own baptism, or maybe it was more formally through membership vows. But as we consider these things here this morning, we would like to call your mind back that you too are accountable members to the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who purchased you.

So now I will move to the front here. For the glory of God, and the peace and purity of you, we thank you for the strength. You may be seated. Would you like to ask the Santa Cruz's to remain? I'm going to have them sit.

You're going to have them sit, okay. What a glorious occasion, brother. It's wonderful to welcome.

People into the body. We're so thankful for each of you and what your gifts will mean to our fellowship. Today I return to our normal liturgy of baptism. There's just a few things to be reminded of as we enter into this time of baptizing this covenant child, Piper, Santa Cruz.

The ordinance of baptism is administered by the church in obedience to the command of Christ, that all the nations should be converted, baptized, and taught all that Christ has commanded. Baptism represents and seals our union with Christ.

It pictures the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and resulting regeneration, adoption, and cleansing from sin. By baptism we are admitted into the covenant community and made members of the body of Christ.

Underlying the great diversity of biblical revelation is a unifying and singular covenant of grace. Abraham had the gospel preached to him, we learned in Galatians chapter 3. He believed God and his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he entered into a covenant with God signified by the sign of circumcision.

Yet he was commanded to apply this sign of his adult faith to his infant child and all infant children thereafter. Why? Because of God's promise which is found in Genesis 17, I will be God to you and to your children.

The saving purposes of God include the children of believers because he is their God as well as their parents God. The children also receive the sign of the covenant and are admitted into the new covenant community.

We move to the New Testament, no new principle is introduced. Children are not now excluded from the covenant community, rather in an era in which we rightly speak of a greater covenant with better promises, Hebrews 8.

Children do not have a reduced but a more privileged status. At Pentecost, in the delivery of the first Christian sermon, Peter said, for the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to himself, Acts chapter 2.

The echo of the promise made to Abraham is clear. Children have the same covenantal status in this glorious new covenant as in the old. They are set apart wholly, members of the covenant community and recipients of the sign of the covenant.

And I wanted to point out to you because of 1st Corinthians 7, God is so committed to this principle, he welcomes children who only have one believing parent into the family of God. That says the length and the extension of God's grace toward his people.

In Acts chapter 16, we learn that households were baptized and when Jesus took infants into his arms and blessed them in Luke chapter 18, he demonstrated not only that passive infants may receive grace, but also that God continues to love our children through us.

Santa Cruz family, you have shown great love to your children by bringing them into the church and this we rejoice. I have a word of exhortation to you, the people of God. We did this last week so it should be fresh.

Let all who are here present, whether you were baptized as a baby or as an adult or somewhere in between, to be reminded of your own baptism. You have identified yourself, the church has, with the Lord Jesus Christ and there are covenant obligations and stipulations that you must uphold.

Today, recommit and renew your commitment to be a faithful follower of Christ in every respect. Remember the privileges of this covenant to which you have entered. Remember that you are responsible to live as holy ones and serve God with great joy and thanksgiving.

And let the parents here especially be charged to not neglect the means of grace. Reuben and Emily, be sure that you provide a godly example that you pray with and for your child, that you instruct Piper in the Word of God, that you make use of the catechisms of the church, that you bring her to the public worship and all the activities of the church.

I'm going to ask us to pray together now. Oh Lord Jesus, we give you great thanks for this gift of a child. We thank you, oh Lord, for your covenant promises to be God to us and to our children. And oh Lord, we pray that either today or sometime very soon in the near future, that you would grant the inward reality that corresponds to the outward washing, that the child will be received into the protection and care of Christ in his church, that even as Christ has been the God of Piper's parents, that the Lord would be Piper's God as well, that this child, oh Lord, would be granted the gift of the Holy Spirit, that her heart would be renewed and regenerated, that she would grow up never knowing a day apart from Christ, like John filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb, like David trusting while still a nursing infant.

I'm going to ask the Santa Cruz family, Miss Mayell, Piper, all of you to come. Procedurally you may have noticed I have some questions for you. Do you acknowledge your child's need and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?

Do you trust in God's covenant promise? Do you look in faith? Do you unreservedly dedicate your and promise and humble reliance upon that you will endeavor to set before them Christ, that you would provide her a godly example, that you will pray for the doctrines, and that you will strive by all the means of God's appointment to bring this precious young lady, Piper, in the nurture and congregation.

I'm going to ask you to take hug me in community. And the parents have a congregation of Ascension Christian We do. Piper, Santa Cruz, I baptize you in the name of the Son. Let us pray.

Almighty God, we praise you for your sovereign grace in Christ Jesus. We pray that that you would guide and protect this child, that she will grow daily in the love and knowledge of Christ, that she will serve God all her days and live for your glory, that her parents will show wisdom, discernment, and diligence as they seek to rear her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, that she will live so as to be a credit to her family and to her church and to her Lord.

We ask all these things, trusting in the one who has begun this good work in her. We ask it in his name. Amen. You may be seated. We will continue our worship again by singing, so if you'll please stand and open your hymnals to hymn number 580.

Lead on, O King Eternal. 580. Amen. Please now make preparations for the.

Prayer of the People and the Church’s Intercessions

Prayers of the people. Let us pray together. O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsel, and all just words. Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give.

That our hearts may be set to obey your commandments. And also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness.

Through the merits of Jesus Christ, our Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, God forever. Amen. For the church of Jesus Christ, that it may be filled with truth and love and be found without fault at the day of your coming, we pray to you, O Lord.

For all ministers, missionaries, our denomination, and the mission of the church, that in faithful witness the gospel may be preached, we pray to you, O Lord. For those in positions of public trust, that they may serve justice and promote the.

Dignity and freedom of every person, we pray to you, O Lord. For the poor, the.

Persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer, for refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger, that they may be relieved and protected, we pray to you, O Lord. For this congregation, and for those who are present, and for those who are absent, that we may be delivered from hardness of heart and show forth your glory in all that we do, we pray to you, O Lord.

Finding ourselves in agreement with all these things, we join our voices together and say, amen. Please stand and look in for the insert that has our Psalm of the.

Month, Psalm 56. Be gracious unto me, O God. Psalm 56. Please turn in your Bibles.

With me to the epistle of James in chapter 4. James chapter 4. I want to remind you that this is God's holy and infallible Word. I'm going to read the entire chapter. Where do wars and fights come from among you?

Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and you do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war, yet you do not have because you do not ask.

You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to make himself a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Or do you think that the scripture says in vain, the spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously, but he gives more grace. Therefore, he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up. Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law.

But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? Come now, you who say today or tomorrow we will go such and such a city.

Spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit. Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow, for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. And now the singular verse that we'll be considering today.

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. May the Lord be pleased with our consideration of his most holy word. Please pray with me now. O Lord, I pray for these your people.

That you would appropriately convict and show the error of our ways, but also, O Lord, that you would comfort us with the wondrous love of Christ. O Lord, show us the good that we ought to do, that we might more faithfully live up to the holy name by which we were called.

And we ask all of these things in the name above all names, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our King. Amen. Please be seated. The title of the message today is The Good You Ought to Do. And we're going to get hit with a convicting subject, and that is the sins of omission.

Today, I've created a six word thesis for the message. Hopefully all of this will be reflected under this heading. Idleness in the face of duty. Idleness in the face of duty. The sins of omission, the good you ought to do, and this good that ought to be done by us is performed toward God and toward our neighbor.

Idleness in the face of duty. Sins of omission. This is the central point. I want to lay out some general scriptural principles. Our confessional standards offer a great question and answer to this question of what sin is.

And we blow through the first part because we're more familiar with the ideas of committing sinful acts. So the question is, what is sin? And the answer is, sin is any want of conformity unto, it's very important, or transgression of the law of God.

When we think about sin, we normally think about the transgression of the law of God. The first part of that answer is equally important. It's the want of conformity unto. The inaction is sinful. The locus classicus text of this subject, which we would turn to most commonly, I'd like us to do it, is found in Luke chapter 10.

Let's turn to Luke chapter 10. And I have a couple, one of them, which will be a little bit more surprising. There are many texts, so you shouldn't feel that this list is exhaustive. We could not go through all of the sins of omission.

Nearly every command that we could state in terms of transgression, we could also state and talk about in the sense of inaction. So we could list almost every command in the scripture in these two ways.

We're going to focus on a couple just to help us understand the concept that James is relaying to his hearers. Luke chapter 10, and this is starting in verse 25. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him saying, teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

And he said to him, what is written in the law? What is your reading of it? And he answered and said, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus responds, the text says, he said to him, you have answered rightly, do this and you will live. I should point out to you in verse 27, the summation of the law of God, a further summary of the 10 words of the 10 commandments, a huge portion of our duty and obligation is found in our action.

We are called to love God in a certain way. We're called to love our neighbor in a certain way. And you could say, well, I haven't violated the third commandment today. I haven't taken the Lord's name in vain.

Am I keeping the spirit of this command? The sin of omission is the failure to worship God and to honor him in this way, to love him with the entirety of our person, to not only not steal from my neighbor, but to promote all the good for my neighbor that I possibly can.

You see, it's the activity and our inaction that is the thing we have to worry about. Now, for us, we should be under some conviction today. For us, I feel that our sins of omission, they're quieter, they're more acceptable, they're not as loud.

For us, the sins of omission may be greater than our violations and transgressions of the law. We will see that more in a few minutes. Continuing, the lawyer asks a lawyer-like question, and who is my neighbor?

And Jesus answered, a certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now, by chance, a certain priest came down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

So the context here is there is a obviously a man who's a part of the nation Israel. He's going from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he's going to be passed by by two men who, according to their understanding of the law by birth and by occupation, they know better.

They know the good they ought to do, but they don't do it. The priest comes, he sees him, verse 31, the ending, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, think John 4, the woman at the well. Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Half-breeds worshipping on the wrong mountain, accepting only the five books of Moses, detestable in the sight of the Jewish people.

They are dogs. Maybe worse than a Gentile, because they betrayed the heritage that was given to them in some measure. This is a very convicting, very powerful, very sharp, very piercing, heavy blows from Christ here in this explanation.

A Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an end, and took care of him.

The Samaritan knew the good that he ought to do, and he did it. It was very costly to him personally, and he's effectively ministering to and helping his enemy here. The next day, verse 35, when he departed, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said to him, take care of him, and whatever you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.

So he's made this great sacrificial act to patch him up in this triage, to give him a place to stay. He has to travel on his own business, and he says, whatever's charged to this man's account, I'll pay it when I come through.

The question is answered, asked by Jesus, I should say, verse 36. So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? And he said, he who showed mercy on him, and Jesus said to him, go and do likewise.

You and I may not run over our brother in the road, but do we stop to help him? We may even say, hey, brother, I'm going to pray for you. I hope that tire gets fixed and keep going. This requirement is a higher moral and ethical obligation and duty to our brethren, not only in the church, but without to seek their good, to help them to do the good that we know we ought to do.

This is very costly. It's very messy. It's very, very inconvenient to love this way. Well, there's another important one who section I'd like you to consider. It's still in Luke. I chose these to be close together somewhat.

Turn to Luke chapter 12, just a couple chapters over. This one's going to be very short. Luke chapter 12. Again, we want to understand this category of sin, sins of omission, the good that we are to do that we often fail to do.

And the Lord has given us ample evidence in scripture to for us to understand. I'll begin reading in verse 42. Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his master will make ruler over his household to give them their portion of food and do season?

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, my master is delaying his coming.

Here's the sinful part. The master's eyes aren't on me. I'm free to kind of do what I want. Integrity demands that we do the right thing even when no one's looking, right? And integrity before the Lord tells us the Lord is always watching.

So we have an obligation to do right no matter what the circumstances. It's inconvenient. It's not expedient. In every occasion, we must do the right thing. My master is delaying that he begins to beat the male and be drunk.

And it's obvious that this behavior is very contrary to the will of the master. Verse 46 says the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and an hour when he is not aware and will cut him in two and appoint his portion with the unbelievers.

It's a pretty harsh penalty. Verse 47 says that servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few.

I want you to listen very carefully. For everyone to whom much is given from him, much will be required into him, to whom much has been committed of him, they will ask the more, oh, people of God, how much.

Have you been given salvation, union with Christ, communion with God, unity, communion with his people. The apple of God's eye, his affection rests upon you, his children. He has lavished grace upon grace upon grace on us and to us.

Much has been given to us and much is required. We can't be those who give inaction, complacency, apathy, laziness when action is required. We'll talk more about that in just a moment. One that may be a surprise to you, I want you to turn to Luke chapter 15.

In the parable of the prodigal son, I appreciate you turning with me because I believe this is a neglected part of the church's understanding of sin, the sins of omission. Now, the parable of the prodigal son usually focuses and we think about the son who went away, the son who took his father's wealth and treated him as if he was dead and spent it on profligate living.

We can read in verse 11, Luke 15. Again, we're looking for not so much the sins that are committed, the transgressions obviously of the law of God, but the want of conformity, the omission. A certain man had two sons and the younger of them said to his father, father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.

He's viewing his father, believe me in the context that his father's dead, he wants his inheritance. So this is an ungrateful son saying, I want you dad to give what's coming to me. It's very wicked. So he divided to them his livelihood in verse 13.

And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land and began to be in want.

And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. Of course, the picture is he is a servant to unclean animals. You can see the depth of his fall.

He's a Jewish man. He doesn't have any dealings with unclean animals and now his job is to feed the unclean animals. He's fallen to a low place, the lowest of places. He says he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate and no one gave him anything.

But when he came to himself, he said, how many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father and I will say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, for I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

Make me like one of your hired servants. And he rose and came to his father, but he was still a great way off. His father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight and 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 and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet and bring the fatted calf here and kill it and let us eat and be merry. For this, my son was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found and they began to be merry. Now pay close attention now. We forget about this part of the parable. There is a lot of sins of omission in the older son. Now his older son was in the field.

And as he came and drew near to the house, you heard music and dancing. He calls one of the servants and asked him what these things meant. And he said to him, your brother has come and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.

But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore, his father came out and pleaded with him, so he answered and said to his father, Lo, these many years I have been serving you, I never transgressed your commandment at any time.

And yet you never gave me a young goat that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.

And he said to him, Son, you are always with me and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad for your brother was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found.

What were the sins? I want you to start thinking now, what are some of the sins of the older brother? First, he did not rejoice in his brother's repentance. When a sinner turns back to the Lord, the angels sing in heaven, the people of God should respond with rejoicing and encouragement.

He should have been running out and kissing his brother and saying, oh, I'm so glad you returned home. He doesn't rejoice in his brother's repentance and deeply abiding within the responsible older brother, it seems he was very ungrateful for the provision in the Lord that he had.

He was not one who was giving thanks. It seems that this brother may have had the same heart within him, but he was playing the long game. He wanted his father's wealth, he wanted his father's property, and he knew he had to comply to do it.

Maybe I'm speculating, maybe his heart wasn't so different than the younger brother. It was quiet. It was hidden. It was concealed. He was a crafty, wise kind of man. How many of us are can only see the want in our lives?

Oh, how the Lord has abundantly supplied for us as people. I wonder if we spend too much time thinking about what we don't have. Instead of giving thanks for what we do. And maybe most profoundly, I think the older brother doesn't honor his father.

He breaks the fifth commandment. It's evidenced by his ingratitude. Look how selfishly he responds and how he's almost seething. Look how many years I have been serving you. I've never transgressed your commandment at any time.

You have owed it to me. You won't even give me a young goat that I might make merry with my friends. You and I can certainly be prodigal sons, but I fear that we might be the older brother. That we fail to actively love our father and our brother, our father in heaven and our neighbor as we ought.

So we can get away with this sin. The other ones we can't. This one we can get away with. May the Lord in his glorious mercy reveal these things to us that we might be those who repent and turn from our sins of omission.

Well, I'm not going to turn there, but I want to bring to remember it's one last one. That is the sin with David and Bathsheba. And as has been recounted by many great scholars, essentially all of the commandments are ultimately broken in his dealings with Bathsheba.