The Challenge of Christ

 

Sermon Notes, February 24, 2019 AM

The Challenge of Christ

Steve W. Reeves

steve@wschurch.net

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

A. Actor Fred DeVito says, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it can’t change you.” We have a
    sister in Christ in our congregation, Janice Ragsdale, who is fond of that saying. I am
    amazed at the challenging things she has undertaken like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
    or parachuting from an airplane. 
 
    2. He did not accept the “status quo” of human thought and behavior. He never  
        backed away from confronting human traditions that undermined the will of God. 
    3. The timelessness of the Gospel can be seen in how the teachings of Jesus
        continue to challenge us.  
    4. William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833), was a member of the
        British parliament who challenged the status quo of slavery in the British Empire.
        For years Great Britain had sanctioned the enslavement and sale of human
        beings. Wilberforce was convinced this was immoral. For twenty-three years he
        worked to challenge the status quo until Parliament acted in 1807.  He is just one
        example of someone who sought social justice through challenging the status-quo.
B. In Luke 13 the physician provides us with a detailed account of how Jesus
    challenged people’s thinking. Jesus was not concerned with popularity, prevalence or
    position. His did not hesitate to challenge, change and convict people. In verses 1-19
    Luke records three of these challenges.   
 
I. THE STANDARD OF JUDGMENT (Luke 13:1-9)
    A. According to Luke 12:1 there were thousands of people in the crowds that followed
        Jesus. Throughout chapter 12 Jesus had directed his remarks to those who were
        His disciples. Now, He turns his attention back to the large crowd.
        1. Some of the people asked Jesus about an incident where Pilate, the Roman
            governor, had ordered soldiers to slay a group of Galileans who were offering
            sacrifices. Thus, the blood of these Galileans intermingled with the blood of their 
            sacrifice.
        2. Luke is the only Gospel writer and the only writer from antiquity to record this
            dialogue and make reference to this incident. The ramifications were
            exceedingly large.
            a. The Jews and Romans hated each other passionately. Pilate was a harsh,
                brutal ruler. Galilee was a region of Palestine that was prone to uprisings
                against Rome. By slaying these Galileans Pilate was making a bold
                statement, “Do not mess with Rome.”
            b. Among the thousands following Jesus at this point were many who were
                ready to fight Rome. They were zealots looking for something to ignite the
                powered keg of a military uprising with Jesus as the conquering hero.    
        3. There were also theological overtones that continue to exist.
            a. Many people believed that misfortune was a direct result of sin. They believed
                if something bad happened to you it was because you had done something to
                deserve it.
            b. This was illustrated in the conversations between Job and his friends.
            c. Even today, when some misfortune occurs, people often ask, “What have I
                done to deserve this?”
    B. Jesus replied to the crowd by saying, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were
        greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? ³ I tell you,
        no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:2-3).
        1. Jesus reinforced this by referring to another contemporary event about a tower
            that had killed eighteen people in Siloam. He asked, “Were they worse culprits
            than all of the others who lived in Jerusalem?” Again, Jesus responded, “I tell
            you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5).
        2. It is significant that Jesus used two different tenses of the verb “repent” in verses
            3 and 5. The first time referred to a fixed point in time. The second refers to an
            ongoing action. Repentance is something we do in the process of conversion.
            It is also something we continue to do daily.
    C. Jesus wants to challenge the status-quo of your life. He wants you to repent. He
        has been patient with you. Jesus told in story about a fig tree that was unfruitful.
        The land owner was ready to cut it down but was persuaded to give it one more
        year. This is descriptive of God’s patience with us. “The Lord is not slow about His
        promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to
        perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
 
II. THE STRICTNESS OF T RADITION (Luke 13:10-17).
    A. Beginning in verse 10 Jesus went into the synagogue (Jewish place of worship)
        on the Sabbath. There He met a woman who was bent over and unable to
        straighten up. This woman would have been of particular interest to Luke as a
        physician. He mentioned that the woman had been this way eighteen years.
        1. Jesus called her saying, “You are free.” Then, He compassionately touched her.
        2. She straightened up and walked.
    B. Luke writes that the synagogue ruler was “indignant” and said, “There are six days
        in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on
        the Sabbath day.”
        1. Was he serious? In the face of a great work of God all he could do was worry
            about tradition.
        2. Jesus noted that the experts of law made an exception for untying a donkey and
            taking it to be watered on the Sabbath but they refused to accept the healing of
            this woman who was a daughter of Abraham.
        3. Can you imagine the passion in Jesus’ voice and the fire in His eyes as He
            rebuked this synagogue leader?
    B. All of us appreciate the honor, respect and reverence of so many Christians
        towards the word of God. How do we feel when our traditions are challenged?
        1. The seven most deadly words to a church are, “We’ve never done it that way
            before?”  
        2. Many of our traditions and methods were originally met with the objection,
            “We’ve never done it that way before.”  The means by which we partake of the
            Lord’s Supper, collect the contribution, sit in the assembly, use song books or
            power point, meet at specific times of the day and other traditions are not
            commands of God, they are matters of expediency that have come to be a
            tradition.
        3. Jesus was not afraid to challenge that in His day. He wouldn’t be afraid to
            challenge it in our day.
 
III. THE STRUCTURE OF THE  KINGDOM (Like 13:18-21).
    A. Jesus did not hesitate to challenge people’s thinking about the kingdom of God.
        1. There were many in this crowd who thought the kingdom of God was all about
            political power and military might. They were “chomping at the bit” to
           overthrow those dastardly Romans!
        2. They were ready for a supernatural show of force accompanied by stellular,
            spectacular signs of strength. They could get excited about wonders, signs and
            miraculous works that stirred the imagination of people and appealed to their
            physical senses. They liked the things that were big and powerful.
        3. Are people today any different? Many people are still attracted to something that
            is big, full of pizazz and excitement. Many long for the experience of sensory
            stimulation.
    B. Jesus challenged that concept. In verses 18-19 He said, “What is the kingdom of
        God like, and to what shall I compare it?  ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed, which a man
        took and threw into his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds
        of the air nested in its branches. ²⁰ And again He said, “To what shall I compare
        the kingdom of God? ²¹ It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks
        of flour until it was all leavened.”
        1. Mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds, yet, it produces a tree that is eight to
            ten feet high with branches so large that birds can sit on them.
        2. Yeast is tiny and yet it can interact with flour and water to make dough rise.
    C. The kingdom of God is not about the spectacular but the simple. It is not about the
        powerful but the poor. It is not about the majestic but the meek.    
        1. Have you considered how God has often used small things to make a big
            difference?
        2. He used a boy named David to slay a giant with a sling and a stone.
        3. He used a servant girl in Syria to introduce the leper Naaman to the prophet
            Elisha so he might be healed by dipping in the Jordan River seven times.
        3. He sent His Son as a baby born in the most humble circumstances to live the life
            of a servant and reclaim the world.
        4. He used the ordinary, fallible apostles to “turn the world upside down”: (Acts
            17:6).
    C. The kingdom of God is comprised of the simple service given by humble people.
        Astronaut Jim Irwin of Apollo 15 on his return from the moon reflected on his life as
        he looked out the window and saw the beautiful earth in the distance. He thought
        of the accolades he and his companions would receive when they arrived home.
        Then he realized, “God called me to be a servant, not a celebrity.” I wish we would
        recognize this in our congregations, on our college campuses and throughout the
        church.    
       
CONCLUSION:
A. On December 1s1912 Russell H. Conwell, a preacher and the founder of Temple
    University in Philadelphia, preached a sermon about a little girl named Hattie May
    Wiatt who died in 1886. Hattie lived near a church where the Sunday school was
    very crowded. Cornwell told her that one day they would have buildings large enough
    to accommodate everyone who wanted to attend. Hattie became sick and
    died. Conwell was asked to do the funeral and the girl's mother told him that Hattie
    May had been saving money to help build a bigger building. She had saved 57 cents.
    Following the funeral Conwell had the 57 cents changed into 57 pennies. He told the
    church the story of Hattie May and sold the pennies for a return of about $250. Fifty-
   four of the original 57 pennies were returned and put on display to encourage others
   to give. People began giving what they could. The small, seemingly insignificant gift
   became the beginning of Temple College – later Temple University and Temple
   University Medical center.
B. Will you allow Jesus to challenge your thinking? It will not be easy? You will be
    uncomfortable and angry. You might resist. If you will follow Him He will save you
    eternally! We invite you to come!  

Do You Doubt?

 

Sermon Notes, February 17, 2019 AM

Do You Doubt?

Steve W. Reeves

steve@wschurch.net

 

INTRODUCTION:

A. Did you ever doubt your parents?
    1. Did you doubt their love when they did not give you what you wanted?
    2. Did you doubt them when they did not allow you to go where you wanted to go?
    3. Did you doubt them when they punished you for something you had done or said?
    4. As you look back and realize how your parents had your best interest in mind have
        you ever thought of how foolish your doubts were?
B. Some of you are doubting God today.
    1. You have asked God for something but have not received it.
    2. Perhaps you have pleaded relentlessly for God to remove a burden from your
        heart and He has not done so. 
    3. When we face difficult situations and circumstances it is easy to doubt God.
C. We live in a world of doubt.
    1. People doubt authority.
    2. People doubt morality.
    3. People doubt truth.
    4. Is it possible to trust anyone or anything including God?
        a. This was a question asked by people in Jesus’ day. They had been exploited by
            political leaders and religious leaders alike.
        b. Luke recorded some of this religious doubt in Acts 5:36ff when Peter and the
            apostles had been arrested in Jerusalem. Some of the Jewish Sanhedrin
            wanted to put them to death but a wise and respected Pharisee named Gamaliel
            spoke up and reminded them of several religious leaders like Theudus and
            Judas the Galilean had appeared claiming to be someone. Both had followers
            and both groups had disbanded. Jewish history records dozens of individuals
            who had boasted they were the Messiah.
D. Jesus never hesitated to address the doubts people had. In Luke 12:1-7, He told his
    disciples they did not need to doubt God when confronted with three common 
    situations.
    1. Jesus had left Galilee and was now in Jerusalem.
    2. He had been speaking to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, pronouncing a
        series of woes on them because of their hypocrisy. He had not minced any words
        as He called them “white washed tombs,” and accused them of being blind
        leading the blind.”
    2. At the beginning of Luke 12 a crowd of thousands had gathered around to see
        Jesus. The crowd was so great people were trampling one another trying to find a
        Spot to see and hear Jesus.
    3. Notice the three areas of life where Jesus urged them to move beyond doubt.
 
I. DO NOT DOUBT IN TIMES OF DISMAY
    A. Many of the people to whom Jesus spoke were discouraged because of the
        hypocrisy they had seen in their religious leaders       
        1. In Luke 11 Jesus had pronounced a series of woes on the Pharisees because of
            their hypocritical actions.
            a. In Luke 11:39 he said, “you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish,
                but inside you are full of greed and wickedness”
            b. In Luke 11:40 Jesus said, ““Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a
                tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect
                justice and the love of God.”
            c. Jesus went on to pronounce woe upon the Pharisees in other verses.
                1.) In verse 43 – “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important
                    seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces”
                2.) In verse 44 – “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which
                    people walk over without knowing it.”
                3.) In verse 46 Jesus said, “Woe to you, because you load people down with
                    burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to
                    help them.”
                4.) Verse 47 says – “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets,
                    and it was your ancestors who killed them.”
                5.) In verse 52 He concluded, “Woe to you experts in the law, because you
                    have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered,
                    and you have hindered those who were entering.”
        2. In Luke 12:1 Jesus spoke to His disciples in the midst of the large crowd and
            told them, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is
           hypocrisy.”
    B. Do you know anyone who has doubted God because of the hypocrisy they have
        seen in people’s lives? Do you know anyone who has turned away from God
        because of the hypocrisy they have seen in others?
        1. The word “hypocrite” comes from the Greek word hypokrites, which means “an
            actor” or “a stage player.”
        2. There are hypocrites in every area of life. If you are going to use hypocrisy as a
            reason for not worshipping God then you can’t go to any more ball games
            because there are some people there who are only fair-weather fans. You can’t
            go shopping any longer because retailers do not always have pure motives. You
            certainly can’t vote anymore because politicians are not what they claim to be.
            Do you see how foolish this reasoning can be?
        3. If you are allowing a hypocrite to stand between you and God, you are
            acknowledging that they are closer to God than you are.
    C. Let God deal with the hypocrites. Notice the words of Jesus in Luke 12:2-3, “There
        is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made
        known. ³ What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what
        you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the
        roofs.”
 
II. DO NOT DOUBT IN TIMES OF DANGER
    A. When Jesus criticized the Pharisees they were offended. In Luke 11:45 one of the
        experts of the law said, ““Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”
        According to verse 53 they began to oppose Him fiercely and were looking for a
        way to trap Him in something He said.        
        1. What do you do when you are in danger?  When someone is threatening you or
            taunting you because of your faith in God?
        2. What do you do if someone is “bullying” you because of your Christian faith?
    B, Jesus said, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and
        after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him
        who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell
        you, fear him” (Luke 12:4-5).
        1. What can a person really do to you? One Christian, being threatened with death
            said, “Don’t threaten me with heaven.”
        2. The world does not understand, we have died anyway. When we were baptized
            into Christ we died to ourselves and were buried with Him (Romans 6:3-5). We
            are like the apostle Paul, “I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, yet not I,
            but Christ, lives in me; and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the
            Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
 
III. DO NOT DOUBT IN TIMES OF DIFFICULTY
    A. In the midst of difficulty we sometimes wonder, “Where is God?” or “Does God
        really care about me?”
        1. Notice the assurance Jesus provides in Luke 12:6-7, “Are not five sparrows sold
            for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ Indeed, the very
            hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than
            many sparrows.”
        2. Do not look at your circumstances as proof of God’s love. Do not assume, if
            things are going well, that it is indicative of God’s love and if things are not going
            well it is indicative of God’s disdain.
    B. God’s care, concern and love for you is constant. It is not dependent on the
        circumstances. God loves us enough to allow us to experience difficulties as a
        means of chastening and disciplining (Hebrews 12:7). 
       1. In stagecoach days a stage was traveling across the plains. The temperatures
            had dropped suddenly and it was dangerously cold. Inside the stage was a
            mother with an infant. She wrapped the baby with as much clothing as she
            could, even taking some of her own clothing for the child. The driver began to
            notice the woman was showing the effects of freezing. She nodded off to sleep.
            He stopped the stage and tried to wake her. She wouldn’t wake up. Suddenly,
            he jerked the baby from her arms pulled the woman out of the stage on the
            ground, left the baby on the seat and began to drive away. The woman was
            startled awake and began running as she screamed for her baby. The driver
            knew exactly what he was doing. It took that startling occurrence to bring the
            woman to her senses.
        2. Do not doubt God in difficult times. He may be using those difficulties to draw
            you closer to Himself.  
 
CONCLUSION:
A. What is the antidote for doubt? It’s faith.
    1. An elderly woman told about her experience of getting married. She said when she
        decided to marry she simply took a pair of man’s trousers, placed them across the
        end of her bed and prayed, “Father, Father, hear my prayer, and grant it if you can.
        I’ve placed these trousers on my bed, now fill them with a man.”
    2. The “book and verse” for such a story would be James 1:5-6, “But if any of you
        lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without
        reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But he must ask in faith without any
        doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by
        the wind.”
B. Will you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and surrender to His command to
    repent (Luke 13:3) and be baptized (Mark 16:15-16) today? We invite you to come to
    Him now.
 
 

When Your Child Goes Astray

Sermon Notes, February 3, 2019 PM

When Your Child Goes Astray

Steve W. Reeves

steve@wschurch.net

 

INTRODUCTION:

A. There is great joy in being a parent. There can also be great heartache. A parent’s
    greatest fear and most hurtful reality is that their child may go astray. When a child
    who has been raised in a Christian home, taught Godly values and received good
    influence turns away from those things it creates a very painful season of life.
B. It may surprise you to realize that some of the most faithful people in the Bible had
    children who were not faithful to God.
    1. In 1 Samuel 2 we read about the sons of Eli the High Priest. Even though Eli was
        faithful in his service to God his two sons Hophni and Phineas turned out to be
        very corrupt men who cheated the people and engaged in immoral behavior.
    2. David, a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) suffered terrible tragedy among
        his children. His son Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13).  Later in
        the same chapter David’s son Absolom had Amnon killed. Absolom and David
        became estranged. 2 Samuel 14:28 says that Absolom lived in Jerusalem two
        years but did not see the king’s face. In 2 Samuel 15 Absolom led a revolt against
        his father. According to 2 Samuel 15:6 he, “stole away the hearts of the men of
        Israel.” He was finally killed by David’s commander, Joab, in 2 Samuel 18. One of
        the saddest scenes in the Bible is pictured in 2 Samuel 19:4 where David cried, “O  
        my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
C. This message is applicable to all of us. Even if you are not a parent or not married
    you know a parent who has a wayward child. Some of you have children or
    grandchildren who have gone astray.
    1. Every Christian wants their child to be a faithful Christian. To make healthy choices
        and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
    2. Unfortunately, not all adult children make the choices we want them to make.
D. My message to you is outlined with a series of “don’ts” and “do’s.”
 
I. DO NOT
    A. Beat yourself up.
        1. The first thing many parents want to do is blame themselves by saying, “I must    
             not have done a good job.”
        2. Many parents struggle with Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should
            go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
            a. A Proverb is a general observation of life.
            b. Solomon, author of many proverbs, turned away from the Lord as an adult.
                This was not the fault of his father David. Just as Solomon had earlier made
                the choice to seek God’s wisdom (1 Kings 3:9), he made a choice to turn after
                idolatrous gods in 1 Kings 11:6 scripture says, “Solomon did what was evil in
                the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as David his father had
                done.”  
        3. There are many factors that influence a person.
            a. Friends and peers. My father was not a Christian and did not teach me to
                walk in the ways of the Lord. Spiritual training was left to my mother. As a
                teenage boy I was influenced by friends and peers. As a college student I was
                influenced by Christian teachers. Unfortunately the opposite is sometimes
                 true. I read an article by a man in North Carolina who had a daughter raised
                in a Christian home. She went away to a state university and within several
                months said she was an atheist because her teachers had convinced her God
                was a myth.
            b. All parents can look back and see areas where we could have done things
                differently and better. We have greater experience now than we did then (See
                Philippians 3:12-14 and Ephesians 5:15). If you have sought to bring your
                child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord you have done what God
                commands.
    B. Blame
        1. When things go wrong we want to assess and place blame.
            a. When a person goes astray spiritually who is to blame?  People engage in all
                types of speculation. Perhaps it was a Sunday school teacher or a preacher?
                Maybe it was the youth minister? Maybe it was the “hypocrites” in the church.  
            b. If we are going to blame others for a person’s wrong choices we must credit
                others for people’s good choices. How would we explain people who have
                grown up in exceedingly negative influences who have made very good
                choices?
        2. The basic reality is that we are responsible as individuals for the choices we
            make.
    C.  Burn Bridges
        1. When a child goes against our will it is easy to become angry with them.
            a. Sometimes there can be an exchange of harsh words that only leads to
                further separation, alienation and distrust.   
            b. A parent may withhold affection or communication from a wayward child
                leading to further heartache.
        2. We need to follow the admonition of God’s word.
            a. Proverbs 15:1 – “A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up
                anger.”
            b. Proverbs 19:11 – “A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his
                glory to overlook a transgression.”
            c. Ephesians 4:26 – “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on
                your anger.”
   
   D. Boost
        1. We must not be an enabler.
        2. A good friend of mine had a son who was arrested several times for DUI. After
           the first offense he told him. I am bailing you out once. After this, if you get in
            trouble, you are on your own. When the son called from the police station the
            second time the father said, “I will not come get you.” It was a hard lesson but
            the son got the message.
        3. The father in Luke 15 waited for his son to learn the lesson of hardship. When
            he turned to come home the father welcomed him immediately but he did not
            enable his sinful behavior.
    E. Be silent.
        1. When a child has gone astray we wonder if we should simply be silent and
            never say anything.
        2. If their house were on fire would you say something? You do not have to be
            rude or overbearing but you cannot be silent.
 
II. WHAT CAN WE DO?
    A. Entrust them to the Lord.       
        1. When Hannah asked God for a son she promised that her son would be
            dedicated to the Lord. When he was still a child she took him to Eliat Shiloh.  
            a. In similar fashion we need to entrust our wayward children to the Lord.        
            b. Peter wrote, “Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1
                Peter 5:7).
        2. God loves your child more fervently than you do. He wants your child to come
            back to Him.
    B. Encourage.
        1. We should never give up on our children regardless of their circumstances.         
        2. A word of encouragement at the right time can make a huge difference in a
            person’s life.
    C. Example
        1. One of the most powerful forces in a child’s life is the example of their parents.
            This is true even when our children are adults. You may think that they do not
            notice but they do. If we are living a faithful life ourselves all of the pleading in
            the world on our part will be to no avail. Show them how God is working in your
            life.
        2. An American soldier was going with his buddies for a “night out on the town full
            of reckless behavior. He suddenly remembered a letter from his mother urging
            him to “be good.” He thought of her faithfulness and care for him. Suddenly the
            appeal of sin was not as sweet and the prospect of pleasure dimmed. He
            changed the direction of his life.
    D. Entreat – Pray
        1. As a parent it is only natural to pray that our children might be blessed with
            health and prosperity. We want to pray that they might be saved from heartache
            and disappointment.
        2. In what seasons of life do we learn to depend on God the most? Perhaps our
            prayer for wayward children should be that God will use whatever means He
            knows is best for that person to be drawn closer to Him.
        3. One thing is for certain. We should pray without ceasing in behalf of our
            children.
            a. Pray that those who are faithful to God will continue to grow spiritually.
            b. Pray that those who have gone astray might return. 
        4. Remember John’s admonition in 1 John 5:13-14 - “These things I have written to
            you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you
            have eternal life. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we
            ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
        5. With that confidence every parent should pray for their child to hunger and thirst
            after the righteousness of God.
    E. Examine
        1. Examine your own life. Are there things that need to be changed? Bad habits
            that need to be addressed? Attitudes that need to be adjusted?
        2. A powerful motivator for your child to change the direction of their life is for them
            to see how God is working in your life.
 
CONCLUSION:
A. Monica was in an arranged marriage. She was a believer – he was not. She had
    three children. One of them strayed away. For a time he lived with a woman to whom
    he was not married. Monica went to a bishop who told her, “It is not possible that a
    son of so many tears can resist.” She kept praying and kept pleading. Eventually, her
    son repented. He became a leader in church of his time. His writings have become
    known throughout the ages. His name was Augustine.
B. For parents of wayward children I want you to know that you have the love and
    support of your church family as you continue to encourage and pray for your child to
    return to God.