How To Sour A Celebration

How To Sour A Celebration

Luke 15:25-31

I. DISTANCE CAN SOUR A CELEBRATION vs 25

Lisa always wants all her children in Church for her birthday.

Our Heavenly Father longs for His children to be united in fellowship

and celebrating together in His house.

When I say Distance can sour a Celebration, I'm not just talking

about the ones that aren't here anymore. In fact, there are people

that are sitting in church but they are about as distant as they can be.

The elder brother was right outside the house complaining about

everything that was going on and pouting about the attention his

brother was getting.

Some folks sit in a church pew week after week doing the same thing.

They don't contribute, they don't participate, they don't support others,

they don't encourage the brethren, they are not involved in fellowship

and they do not rejoice when prodigals return. As Dr. Adrian Rogers

said "they just sit soak and sour!"

Distance can sour a celebration, but what can cause a person to be distant?

Anger! That's why the older brother was distant. He was mad.

II. ANGER CAN SOUR A CELEBRATION vs 28

the difference between mad and being Irate

Verse 28 plainly states that the older brother was "angry". But instead

of getting over his anger, his anger got over him.

This man should be overjoyed that his brother was back. If his heart

had been in the right place he would have been in the house with

everybody else celebrating.

If I had been out in the fields working all day and came home to a

party, my reaction would have been, “Hey brother, it's good to

see you. I'm so glad you're home. Now where is that fatted calf

and the sweet tea?”

But his deep rooted anger caused him to whine, pout and complain.

In the church today, instead of rejoicing over what God is doing in the

lives of their brothers and sisters, a lot of so called Christians let

anger to got over on them and they whine, pout and complain.

Money is not spent the way they think is should be so ...they get mad!

Decisions are made that they disagree with and ...they get mad!

Someone else gets more attention than they do and ...they get mad!

If they are not asked to serve on a certain committee... they get mad!

No one calls them when they have a runny nose, so...they get mad

Another area of ministry receives more focus than their's they get mad

The Preacher preaches about a childish man in the bible that acts just

like they do and ...THEY GET MAD!!

Once anger creeps in, it has a tendency cause grown people to act like

two year olds. That was the case for the elder brother.

III. IMMATURITY CAN SOUR A CELEBRATION v28

(the older brother) would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

The Bible dosen't tell us his name so to most he's "the older" brother.

But you would not know it by the way he was acting. In fact, he is

acting like a spoiled brat. He stayed outside and refused to join

the celebration. As a result the father had to leave the party to

go and deal with his brat of a son!

What should have been a wonderful day for the father is hampered by

the childish response of the older brother.

Talk about souring a celebration.

The same thing can happen in the church today.

There are childish people in church but God still saves lost souls.

There are immature people but God still forgives backsliders.

But the childishness of one person can have a terrible impact on a church.

Their immaturity can cause others to leave the church. And they can

keep others from coming to that specific church.

Childish folks also have a way of causing others to become malcontents.

And, their childish ways can prevent a true spirit of worship.

People notice them and they don't want nothing to do with the church.

And you can't blame them

The root cause of anger, distance and immaturity all to often turns out to

be PRIDE! Let's consider the fact that:

4. PRIDE CAN SOUR A CELEBRATION - v29

"All of these years I have served you." "I never transgressed your

commands." - Do you know what he is saying... "I didn't do these

things but my brother sure did!"

I can guarantee you, if there is somebody showing out in the church,

pride has got something, if not everything, to do with it.

People start comparing themselves to others. They lift themselves up

and tear others down. They are not focused on the Savior they are

focused on themselves. Somewhere along the way church became