Act Three: Redefining Sin Series

ACT THREE: Redefining Sin

Inspired by and parts based on Tim Kellers book “The Prodigal God”

luke 15: 11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ’Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

17 "When he came to his senses, he said, ’How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ’Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 "’My son,’ the father said, ’you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’"

The past 4 weeks we have been on a journey through Luke 15.

The story of the Prodigal God… His Extravagant Grace…

Jesus is speaking with tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees and teachers… speaking about the idea of lostness, sin, and the relationship to the father.

Jesus is teaching a radical message that was completely different than anything the world had known.

IN this story Jesus redefines sin and lostness for each of the audience members… and the invitation is still the same… with arms open wide the Father is waiting and comes out to both sons… wanting them to come into the feast… but they must choose…

At this stage of my life there have been times I was the younger son… running with my own ambition, ideas, and selfish desires…

Then like the younger son I had moments of regret, and coming up with plans on how to fix it all… realizing my plans would only take me so far and only bring so much fulfillment, if any… 3 days before my 16th birthday I was arrested on base with a group of friends… and like the pigsty for the younger son, this was my moment of reality… HOW DO I WANT TO LIVE? By my own standard and ideas… or is there a better way… for I was turned off by RELIGIOSITY… this false sense of superiority and often this view that you didn’t ask questions, you just accepted…

God’s grace was there for me as I had parents that had learned how to give enough space for me to make even stupid choices, yet enough guidance to know they were really right and I had a path for help when I wanted it…

My parents had nights, days, and months where they looked on the horizon for me… hoping I would make better decisions… hoping I would come home to God and walk with Him.

Another part of my journey at certain points I was afraid of becoming the older son… judgmental, caught up in my list of moral conformity, and holding that over the heads of others… so quickly a desire to be holy and walk with God can become extreme and legalistic… ALMOST AS IF SATAN KNEW IF HE CAN’T KEEP US FROM GOD HE WILL PUSH US OVER THE EDGE TO THE OTHER EXTREME.

Then I learned over and over the same lesson… GOD’S GRACE.

Something I didn’t deserve, something I could not earn, but something that was there for me when I was ready to reach out to Him.

My sin happened in the name of self-discovery… and in the name of self-righteousness and judgementalism. My sin happened through selfish pride… and through selfish piety/holiness.

This is where Jesus is redefining sin…

Redefining Sin

Jesus shows what are 2 opposing worldviews… represented in the younger and older son… these 2 opposing views are still what exists today…

The parable discusses a Father [God] who has two sons…