A Picture Of Selfishness- The Younger Son Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• Over the next three weeks we are going to examine the interesting interactions of a family. This is a story of a father and his two sons. We have a father who owns what is likely a vast amount of property. His sons worked the land with him.

• The younger of the two sons seems to have an itch to get away from the farm and the older one seems to be content with working with his father.

• The story we are going to observe over these three weeks is the parable that is called the Parable of the Prodigal son.

• In the morning worship we will look at the issues that both plagued and blessed this family. We will examine the issues of selfishness and jealousy along with the blessing of forgiveness.

• In the evening study time we will look at the story of the Prodigal son from the perspective of first the younger son, then next Sunday evening from the perspective of the elder son and finally on Father’s Day evening, from the perspective of the father.

• The evening study will build on what we do in the morning and will feature a 15 minute video written and acted out by Jason Hildebrand that will help us to gain each characters different perspective on the parable. We will then have a time of discussion.

• The word prodigal is not found in the text but it is an appropriate given title to the parable.

• The word “prodigal” means: extravagantly wasteful, wasting parental money.

• It would be more pleasant to just skip to the blessing of forgiveness; however, examining the negative issues that plagued this family will give us a deeper understanding of how beautiful and awesome forgiveness really is.

• The younger son will illustrate a behavior and attitude that is very destructive. Let’s see what his picture of selfishness looked like and what it did to him.

• Let’s begin in verse 11-12

• SLIDE #2

• Luke 15:11-12(ESV) 11And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. The selfish son only cared about himself. (11-12)

• When look at the beginning of the parable, we see that the younger son makes to what amounts to a request from his father.

• The young man wanted HIS part of the inheritance right NOW!

• The young man did not even care enough about his loving father to wait until the father had died so as to collect his inheritance.

• The son, being the younger had legal rights to 1/3 of his father’s property, but not until the death of the father.

• The eldest son would receive 2/3’s of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17). Of course being the oldest in my family, I think that sounds fair!

• For whatever reason this young man only cared about himself. How would you like to be the father, the son is basically saying, I wish you were dead so I can get what is mine, but since you are not, give it to me anyway.

• Selfish people as a rule, only care about themselves, they pay no mind to the feelings of others.

• The son was selfishly demanding a favor from his father. The father did not have to acquiesce, but out of love for his son, he did.

• The father divided the property between the two sons.

• Can you imagine how much this must have hurt?

• We have to realize that only caring about self is destructive and hurtful.

• Can you imagine where we would be today if Jesus had only thought about Himself?

• SLIDE #4

• Philippians 2:4-8(ESV) 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,£ 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant,£ being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

• I wonder if the selfish son gave a thought one about his father or his older brother? His selfishness was going to affect more than just himself.

• Our selfishness will do the same thing. When we make selfish decisions, others will be affected by them.

• Paul tells us that we are to not only look out for our selves, but also to the interests of others.