Now That’s What I Call Love: I Will Always Love You

I Will Always Love You: Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston

Dolly Parton was a rising country music star and had been working closely with Porter Wagoner on his television show.

He had helped boost her career, but she wanted to go solo. Their professional breakup was emotional, and Wagoner resisted her leaving.

To express her gratitude and sadness, she wrote this song as a tribute to him. She later recalled that when she sang it for Wagoner, he was moved to tears.

Released in 1974, it became a #1 country hit. She re-recorded it in 1982 for the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, making it a #1 hit again, an extremely rare achievement.

Kevin Costner, who produced The Bodyguard, originally wanted “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” as the theme song, but when that song was unavailable, he suggested “I Will Always Love You.”

Released in 1992, Whitney’s version became one of the best-selling singles of all time, selling over 20 million copies worldwide.

It set a record for 14 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Won Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Became Whitney Houston’s signature song.

Dolly Parton has often said she cried with joy when she heard Whitney’s version. She called it one of the greatest gifts she ever received, as it introduced the song to an entirely new generation.

Dolly earned millions in royalties from Whitney’s success with the song, joking that she was “buying a lot of wigs with that money.”

I remember hearing that song as a young man and thinking…MAN, THAT’S INTENSE!

Intensity is important: Have you ever felt love so strong that it compelled you?

Song of Solomon 8:6 speaks of love that is as strong as death!

Passion, power, and strength are important…but if the desire is strong and then fades…it’s not a good love then, is it?

Our Love Needs to Last! Most people’s love doesn’t last very long!

Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever. Psalms 136:26 (NLT)

There’s nothing more enduring than the love of God.

Let’s study the love of God for its enduring nature: Luke 15:11-32 (NLT)

The story of “The Prodigal” or “The Lost Son”

“Here we go!”

To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. [Love Gives]

This was a highly insulting behavior! This was to say, I want nothing to do with you, Father! I wish you were and you are dead to me!

“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

This portion of the story is where the term prodigal comes in…”wild living”
The word “prodigal” means wasteful, reckless, or extravagant, especially when it comes to spending resources like money. It’s often used to describe someone who spends irresponsibly or lavishly, without regard for future consequences.
The word “prodigal” comes from the Latin word “prodigus”, meaning “wasteful” or “lavish”. The Latin root “pro-” means “forth” or “forward,” and “agere” means “to drive” or “to do”. Combined, it essentially means “to drive forward” or “to be wasteful” with something, particularly resources.

The failures of the lost son include rejecting his father, but he also moved to a godless place! He made matters worse by his relocation!

(When you go off to college, move to a new city, or transfer jobs…find a community of faith!)

These people were not even willing to help this young man to keep him from starving! It’s a cruel and difficult world out there! They play for keeps! Keeping everything for themselves!

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
I pray some of us will come to our senses today! It is hard to admit when we have been going in the wrong direction, but please do it sooner rather than later! If your spirit is troubled right now with what you are involved in…STOP! Turn around! Go back to doing what you know is right!

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

His speech was well thought out, and true in all its’ deductions, but this is a good-good father! This is a Father like our Heavenly Father. There is nothing you can say that will cause Him to quit on you, nothing you can do that He cannot and will not forgive you!

While the boy was still a long way off: His father saw him! Love [Keeps Looking]

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

But the part that gets me…RUNNING…RUNNING…RUNNING!
All of that boys life, when Daddy would come in from the fields, or from a trip to the village, the entire household would run out to him. The servants would run….both protecting the house/master and the children. They would run and report the news of the household so the father would know what was happening before he even got there. The kids would do the same, but for completely different reasons. They ran to embrace the one they loved and demonstrated their passion with loving race into the arms of their hero.

This Time, Daddy Was Running!

I have always imagined that I was the one pursuing God on a continual basis…but the reality is that my pursuit was merely getting away from the stuff that mattered little to get to my hero. God’s pursuit is from a place of eternal solace to get to me in the midst of my failures and pain…and He has run to me a lot! [Love Reaches]

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 (NLT)

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

Daddy didn’t waste a moment. He called for the servants to bring all the provisions he possessed to cover and restore his son. A sacrifice was made so that the celebration of this miracle could be complete. I do love that sentence: “So the party began!”

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

“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NLT)

The older son was jealous…I don’t know why…those of you who have cultivated a relationship with Christ most of your lives and haven’t experienced the kind of loss this lost son had endured may not understand all the hoopla and the outward focus of our church [Love Celebrates] community…SALVATION is a MIRACLE! and
BAPTISM IS A BREAKTHROUGH They are our SUPERNATURAL HARVEST!