Jesus Teaches: Two Sons -- One Father – Three Responses

Jesus Teaches: Two Sons -- One Father – Three Responses

I. INTRODUCTION: The Story

ILLUS/OPEN: Little boy answers phone / boss / dad? / no / mom? / no / policeman? / no / fireman, search team – helicopter - ???-

looking for me!

( Tell Story of Luke 15:1-32 )

Three Responses – 1) Prodigal Son, 2) Older Son, 3) Father

II. RESPONSE ONE – The Prodigal Son (Lost / Carnal Chrisitans)

A) His Sin (vs 12-13)

i. ‘Give me the portion of goods that falls to me’ vs. 12

ii. Father divides his livelihood

iii. Son departs for a far country

B) The Predicament (vs 14-19)

i. He loses all his money

1. ILLUS: A little girl was asked in SS/ what does it mean to waste all of your money with prodigal living? - A: “To spend everything you got on bubble gum.”

2. Prodigal = “Greek word for ‘dissolute’

a. Means a life led of utter immorality

b. Wateful with money

ii. He works for a man feeding swine with pods.

1. About the food – I used to slop

2. Pods of the Carob tree (Beans of)

3. Virtually indigestible by humans

iii. He knows his father’s servants work for better. (vs. 17-19)

C) His Response (vs. 20-21)

i. He goes home in deep repentance.

ii. He does not ask to be restored completely but to be a servant.

III. RESPONSE TWO – The Older Prideful Son (Christians)

A) His Sin (vs. 25-27)

i. Pridefully wanted to know what was going on

ii. Asked in a negative sense – not out of curiosity

B) His Reponse (vs. 28-30)

i. Complains because of fairness / envy

ii. Cites what the brother has done wrong

iii. 1992 - LA County Parking Patrol / man dead issued $30 citation / people dead in sin do not need citations = they need a Savior

IV. RESPONSE THREE - The Father (God & Jesus Christ)

A) To the Prodigal Son (vs. 20)

i. Didn’t walk – he ran! / Looking on the horizon.

ii. He had lamented / unrest about his son

iii. How much more the Heavenly Father laments about His lost!

B) His Action (vs. 22-24)

i. Bring out the best robe

ii. Bring a ring and put it on his hand

iii. Bring sandals for his feet

iv. Get the best fatted-grainfed calf! Eat & Be merry

C) To the Older Son (vs. 31-32)

i. He does not scold or disown

ii. He could have!

iii. Model of the Heavenly Father’s Love for even us prideful ones!

V. CONCLUSION

Three Responses – 1) Prodigal Son, 2) Older Son, 3) Father

A) We begin Christian life with a full inheritance.

i. Some are faithful, accept Christ, and keep it well to themselves

1. But often these are prideful and need to be humbled

2. PRIDE: One of the biggest sins in the church today – It keeps our mouths shut, doors closed, and churches ineffective.

3. Like the Older Son, we need to be told the truth in love – We are always with Him, but it is RIGHT that we get excited over the lost who were found. (ball)

4. RESPONSE: Repent and Rejoice

ii. Some wander away, are lost, accounted for dead

1. They throw away the inheritance God has lovingly planned for them

2. Like the Prodigal son, they are eating on merely the swines food – Satan’s provisions are cheap imitations of the Heavenly provisions of Jesus Christ. World in 7 days / Heaven in over 2000+

3. RESPONSE: Come home to the loving arms of your Father through Jesus Christ.

iii. What is your response? Have you ever realized that you were so important to God that He is looking for you / searching for you?

Did you ever know that when He sent sin Son to earth – to die on the cross - He was thinking of you? Did you know that - if you were the only person on earth who needed it – God would have sent His Son just for you?

Let that fact of God’s Word become real to you tonight…

According to Jesus in vs. 10 – even the angels in heaven are watching now to see what decision you’ll make.

What is your response? Will you respond to Christ tonight?