---------------- Short Stories for Shepherding Materials English Version
The Return of the Prodigal Son, Story shepherding Materials
Lesson 12 Loving Father
This is Bible story-
A rich man had two sons, and the younger son asked his father for his estate. After he got it, the youngest son went away and exhausted all his property. He worked to feed the pigs, and he was so hungry that he wanted to eat pig's food, but no one gave him anything.
He realized that his father's house was very rich and had abound in bread. Why did he hunger to death here? The son wanted to go back to his father's house, and planed to tell his father that he had sinned against God and his father, he was no longer worthy to be called a son. He should be a hired servant.
Thus the prodigal son went to his father's house. While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him first, the father was moved with compassion , the father ran and fell on his neck and kissed him affectionately.
Just as the son was about to speak, but his father said to the servant to bring out and put the best robe on him, and a ring on his hand, and the sandals on his feet, and slaughtered the fattened calf .Because in father's eye, his son was dead and lives again, was lost and has been found. They eat and be merry in father's house.
In Luke 15:11-24, God and man are likened to the relationship between father and son. It proves man was created by God.
【MAN TURNING TO GOD and WANTING TO WORK GOD】
When man like the son has no way out , he remembers God or God's blessing and wants to return to God. When turning God, they always want to gain God’s mercy by good deeds.
【MAN NOT REALIZING THE HEART OF GOD】
Many people like the son have humble hearts, but don't know God's heart as a father's heart that He's always waiting for us as the son to return , but not to work for Him, but for them to be His sons.The servant is by deeds to gain his wages, but the son gains everything free from his father.
【GOD RECEIVING MAN】
When the son was still a long way off , his father saw him from a distance. This proves that we as the son didn't come first to turn to God as father, but God like father has been waiting long to receive us like the son. Many people think that they need to pray to God long to be received . In fact, God has long been there waiting to receive us as the repented one.
When the father saw the son, he was moved with compassion. The father's compassion was moved first, and he ran and hugged him by the neck. Running is to shorten the distance in space with time, which is entirely done by the father's loving-kindness; hugging and even kissing are the greatest way to to express his affectionate feeling .This indicates that when God meets a repentant one, His compassion is moved, shortening the distance in time, and His whole heart is fully set on the repentant one. Many people mistakenly think that God is too awesome to contact, but after repenting, he discovers how approachable God is.
【GOD JUSTIFYING MAN】
While the son was about to speak, his father told his servant to bring and put the best robe on his son. This "the" is a very important word, because "the" robe is "the" robe that has long been prepared". When the father spoke, the servant knew which one it was . The father only needed to say "the" best robe, and the servant understood right away.
Just like the sons, we have prepared a set of speeches, but God has long prepared the best
robe for us to put on. This "but" is important in the New Testament, due to this "but", we are saved.
We should be condemned, but God came to justify by putting on the best robe typifies Christ as our righteousness worthy of God and justified. Man puts on Christ as shoes to separates him from the uncleanness . The Holy Spirit as a ring enables us to be separated from sins. Eating the fattened calf refers to Christ as life for our enjoyment. When Christ comes into us, we can be satisfied and rejoice.
【GOD AND MAN BEING MERRY TOGETHER 】
Before we ás the son came
back to home as living the church life, God as the father had no joy. Only when we as the son are living the church life as home enjoying Chist as food, God is joyful. Whenever a man returns to God, in God's eyes, he was dead and lives again, was lost and has been found.
----------------牧養材料中文文字稿小故事牧養材料
浪子回家, 小故事牧養材料
第12課 慈愛的父
這個是聖經的故事-
某富人有兩個兒子,小兒子要求父把他的家產給他。他得家產後,小兒子就到遠方,生活放蕩,耗盡家產。他投靠人甚至去放豬,他恨不得拿豬所的豆莢充飢,也沒有人給他。
他就終於醒悟到他父家很富有,口糧有餘,他倒在這裡餓死麼?小兒子想回父家,他計劃對父說他得罪了天及他父親,他不配再稱為兒子,把他當作雇工。
於是,小兒子往父家去,。相離還遠，他父親看見，就動了慈心，跑去
抱著小兒子的頸項，熱切的與他親嘴。
小兒子正要說話時,他父親卻吩咐人快把那上好的袍子拿出來給他穿,把戒指給他戴,把鞋給他穿,且把肥牛犢牽宰來吃。因為在他父親眼中,他這兒子是死而復活,失而得的,然後他們就一同快樂地喫喝在父家中。
在路加福音十五11~24,神和人可比作父子關係，這證明人是神所造的人如小兒子到了窮途末路時就想起神或神的福分來。當人醒悟想轉向神時，人都想憑立功、立德換得神的寬待。
【人不明白神的心】
許多人如小兒子雖有謙卑的心，卻不認識神如父的心腸。神如父的心是一直在等待我們如小兒子,神的心不要悔改的人為祂作工，而是要他們成為祂的兒子。雇工要有了行為才能得工價，但兒子是從父親白白得到一切。
【神接納人】
小兒子與父相離甚遠，父親就遠遠看見了他。這證明不是他先來轉向父親，乃是神如父親一直先等候,接納我們如小兒子,是神"“先"”等候,迎接,接納我們, 不是人悔改歸向神。許多人以為必須向神祈禱多時，才能蒙神垂聽，那知道神老早就在那裏等候,接納悔改的人。
父一見到小兒子，就動了慈心。父的慈心先動了，就快跑去抱著他的頸項。跑就是用時間縮短空間的距離，這完全是父的慈心所作的；擁抱且連連親嘴，是人最能表達情感的部分都動了。這指明神一碰見悔改的人，祂的慈心就動了，在時間上縮短了空間的距離，祂整個的心都堆在一個悔改人身上。許多人誤以為神是威嚴可畏，但在悔改之後，他發現神是何等可親可近。
【神稱義人】
小兒子正開口時,他父卻吩咐僕人說，把那上好的袍子拿來給他穿。這個『那』，是很重要的字，因『那』袍子是“"早已豫備“"的袍子。父親一說，僕人就知道了。所以父親只要說『那』上好的袍子，僕人就領會了。還戴上戒指，穿上鞋，宰了肥牛犢。這些都出乎浪子的意外。我們也像小兒子豫備了一套說辭，神卻把早豫備好了的袍子拿來給我們穿上。這個『卻』是新約裏的大字，這一『卻』，我們就得救了。
我們該定罪，神『卻』來稱義。穿上袍子指著穿上基督作我們的義；人穿上基督，就配得上神，得稱為義。人穿上基督作鞋子為使人和屬地之罪污分開。當人有了聖靈作戒指,聖靈就能夠使我們能從屬地罪污分開。喫肥牛犢指基督作生命給我們享受。基督進到我們裏頭，我們才能飽足快樂。
【神人同樂】
人如兒子沒有回父家如同過召會生活，神如父親是不快樂的；神直等到人過召會生活快樂地吃喝主,享受主，神才會快樂。當人歸向神，人就被神接納而稱義得生而且過召會生活如神的家中，在神眼中,這就是我們如小兒子 死而復活，失而又得的。
