Sermon Notes
Series: Why Did Jesus Come? — #3-Because We Are Selfish
Scripture: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
I We Are S_________________
A. We May Be O________________ Selfish. 11-12
The younger son wanted F__________________ without RESPONSIBILITY and without CONSEQUENCES.
B. We May Try to H________ Our Selfishness, 25-30
“All these years I’ve been S________________…”
The Pharisees were obedient, and often thought of themselves as B______________ than other people.
II. Selfishness D____________ Our Lives
A. It Destroys our lives Outwardly, 13-16
‘squandered, or wasted’ his M_________.
“wild living’-His lifestyle was D__________________.
‘in need’-He began to feed P_________, and wanted to eat what they were eating.
‘no one gave him anything—His friendships are destroyed.
B. It Destroys our lives Inwardly, 28-29
When he found out his brother had returned and they were throwing him a party, he became A____________.
Outwardly, he was obeying, but inwardly he was not in a right relationship with his F__________.
III. How Do We D__________ with Selfishness? 17-20a
A. We need to ‘come to our S___________.’
Being selfish is not G_____________ for one’s self.
B. We need to confess our S________ to God, 21
“Confession is good for the S__________.”
1 John 1: 9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The burden of sin IS lifted when we confess our sins.
Jesus came to offer that forgiveness.
C. We Can E_____________ Life with the Father, 20b-24
When we are living selfishly, we are trying to find J_______.
The only way to really have full joy is O_____________ Him and remaining in His love.
The answer to selfishness. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Series Title: Why Did Jesus Come?
Sermon Title: #3-Because We are Selfish
Scripture: Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32
Introduction
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 (NIV)
1 Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him.
2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3 Then Jesus told them this parable:
Vv. 1-2: The parable of the prodigal son likely represents the two groups mentioned here. The prodigal son represents the “sinners and tax collectors.” The older brother represents the Pharisees and teachers of the Law.
I enjoy watching these crime shows, like CSI. And one thing that I see on these shows is that often the deaths are not reported because a witness or the first person to come along is afraid that the police will suspect them.
I We Are Selfish
A. We May Be Openly Selfish.
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.
We often think of this son as a rebellious son. And many parents throughout time rebellious children. You know how it is: you begin to raise the child, and you want what is best, and you love them, and provide for them, and you give what you believe to be your all, and still a child becomes angry or bent on getting their own way, and doing things their own way, or worse, their behavior becomes somewhat destructive, their toward themselves or toward others.
Here we have a son, the younger of two sons, and he has pretty much had it life in his father’s house. Because his inheritance seems to be a lot, he probably has not lacked anything in basic needs, and possibly even in some of his wants. So, it seems that his reason for leaving was that he no longer wanted to be under the authority of his father. He wanted to be in control, in charge of his own life. He didn’t want anybody to tell him what to do anymore. He felt like he knew enough about what he wanted out of life, and he was ready for it.
He wanted FREEDOM without RESPONSIBILITY and freedom from CONSEQUENCES. And that’s not a bad definition of what it means to be selfish. To have what I want, when I want, and how much I want, and if something goes wrong, bail me out.
And I think it’s horrible when people are openly selfish like this. You see it in stores, especially on the toy or candy aisle, when kids are trying to get what they want, and they throw a tantrum.
And this son shows his selfishness, when he comes to his father and says, “I want my share of the inheritance.” The Law was that the oldest son got twice as much as other sons, so his part would be one-third. There’s no law that says the father couldn’t give the inheritance before he died; it might be much like a father turning over the family business to his children today while he considers himself retired.
But it’s a very rude, self-centered request, because he’s basically saying, “Daddy, I wish you were dead. Then I could get my share and get out of here!”
He is openly selfish.
The older brother shows a different style of selfishness...
B. We May Try to Hide Our Selfishness
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
27 ’Your brother has come,’ he replied, ’and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
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!’
Do you hear the emphasis on self in his words? “All these years I’ve been slaving for you…” I’ve been obedient. I’ve done all the work, He’s hiding his selfishness behind his good deeds, and many people would call that self-righteousness.
That’s the way the Pharisees were. They were sticklers for obedience to the Law, and because they did that, they often thought of themselves as better than other people. “Lord, I thank You that I am not like other people; giving their tithes and offerings in such a way that everybody who gave the most money...to help the poor.
The older brother had just as selfish an attitude as the younger brother. He just hid it all that time the younger brother was gone,
You know, whether we hide it or do it openly, we all struggle with selfishness, don’t we? Things don’t go the way we want, and we get bent out of shape, The kids act up (being selfish themselves), and we explode in anger, and try to rationalize our reaction by saying we’re disciplining our kids; trying to teach them the RIGHT way to behave.
And we make choices from day to day that express our selfishness—how we spend our money, what we do with our time. And when those things are meant to satisfy our own desires, we are being self-centered.
God created us with physical needs, emotions, and desires, and along with that gave us the freedom to choose—to choose whether we would put Him first, our self. And sadly, we often choose to put self above God.
And that...
II. Selfishness Destroys Our Lives.
A. It Destroys our lives Outwardly
Look at what happened to the younger brother:
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.
The word, ‘squandered, or wasted’ is the same word used to describe how people separated the kernels of wheat from the husks. After they thrashed the wheat on the floor to get the husk off the kernel, they used a shovel or rake to toss both into the air, and the wind would blow away the husks because they were lighter. The wind separated them from the kernels. It’s like his money just BLEW AWAY in the wind.
Some of the people who get into the most trouble financially are those who “win the lottery.” They receive large amounts of money, then, start spending like there’s no end to the money, and get into worse shape than before they ever had the money.
But isn’t that what selfishness does? Selfishness says, “I want this NOW!” And advertisers prey on this selfishness. You can have this new refrigerator, living room suit, car for ZERO money down and only X amount of dollars...for the rest of your life. Just apply for this credit card, take out this loan. But you know you want it.
And when we buy just because we want, we are giving in to that selfishness.
He wasted it on “wild living,’ or ‘riotous living.’ That comes from a word that means ‘not safe, not protected.’ In other words, he wasn’t careful, not only with how he spent his money, but he wasn’t careful, or safe, in his actions. His lifestyle was dangerous.
And the first thing that may come to our minds is something like a person that uses drugs. That’s a dangerous thing. The drugs may be impure, or when they are on their “high,” they may do something dangerous, or they may overdose. Selling drugs is a dangerous lifestyle, because you are dealing with criminally minded people to begin with. And they are selfish people, too, and if you cross them, you will pay. The homosexual lifestyle is dangerous, a casual sexual lifestyle is dangerous, an alcoholic lifestyle is dangerous. A violent lifestyle is dangerous. And all sin is dangerous, because it separates us from God.
Verses 14-16 tell us just how destroyed his life had become:
14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
It’s like taking two steps forward and three steps back. You feel like you’re just about to break even, and something else goes wrong. “He began to be in need.”
15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
This was really a low point, because pigs were considered unclean animals, according to the law. He was at the bottom of the barrel. So much that he...
16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, These pods were likely the husks leftover from the carob harvest. Like slop! ...but no one gave him anything.
All the people he had partied with weren’t around anymore. You see, selfish partying brings in selfish ‘friends.’ And when the money’s gone, they are, too. So, his friendships are destroyed, as well.
B. It Destroys our lives Inwardly
The older brother’s life was, also, destroyed because of his selfishness. When he found out his brother had returned and they were throwing him a party, he became angry.
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in
29 But he answered his father, ’Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you.
The word ‘slaving’ is the verb form of the word, ‘slave.’ It’s not the word for ‘servant,’ like a butler or maid. He looks at his life like he’s been a slave, tied down to one place, tied down to his job, tied to his father. And his selfishness led to resentment and bitterness, and we know how that destroys us inside.
Outwardly, he was obeying, but inwardly he was not in a right relationship with his father. And, of course, Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they are like the older brother—obedient to the letter of the Law, but FAR AWAY from a right relationship with God the Father.
Selfishness, self-centeredness, self-righteousness destroys—physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. And we are selfish people.
III. How Do We Deal with Selfishness? 17-20a
We see the example of what we need to do through the younger son.
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.’
20a So he got up and went to his father...
We need to ‘come to our senses.’
Literally, he came to himself. He came to realize that being selfish is not good for one’s self. That’s one of the great mysteries, or paradoxes, of life. We, often think, “If I want everything to go all right for me, I’ve got to look out for number one!” But when we do, we may achieve some things, but we do so at the expense of friends, family, life and joy. Much like an Ebenezer Scrooge.
We need to realize that being selfish is not best for my self.
B. We need to confess our sin to God.
He thought about what he needed to do in verse 17-19, and expresses it to his father in verse 21.
21 "The son said to him, ’Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
We’ve all heard the old saying, “Confession is good for the soul.” Even in non-Christian and non-spiritual circles, people believe that to be true. Psychologists or psychiatrists would say that when we confess our wrong actions, words, and thoughts, it’s like a burden is lifted off of us.
Christians know that’s true. John writes in his first letter, chapter 1, verse 9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The burden of sin IS lifted when we confess our sins.
Jesus came to offer that forgiveness. He died on the cross to pay the price for our sins. He rose up from the grave becoming victorious over sin and death. He ascended in to heaven where He sits at the Father’s right hand. He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and HE CAN FORGIVE OUR SINS.
And when we have come to our senses, and realized that selfishness is not good for us, and we confess our sins, and receive forgiveness, then...
C. We Can Enjoy Life with the Father.
20b "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. [The son then made his speech to the father.]
22 "But the father said to his servants, ’Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
You know what’s crazy? When we are living selfishly, we are trying to find JOY. Things that please us. Things that make us happy. And the Bible tells us that sin is pleasurable for a season. For a short time. Then, the destruction kicks in.
But God wants our lives to be much more joyful than we could ever experience living selfishly. His Word tells us that.
...I have come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly. John 10: 10
Rejoice in the Lord, always, and again I say, rejoice. Phil. 4: 4
John 15:10-11, “10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be [full, or] complete.”
The only way to really have full joy is obeying Him and remaining in His love—or keeping our relationship with Jesus real and personal. To do that we have to DO certain things: We have to read His Word and learn from it. We have to talk to God in prayer. We have to fellowship with other believers; he tells us to, and we have to obey. We meet other people’s needs. We share the gospel message with others.
If we DON’T do these things, we’re like the younger son. But if we do them just out of a sense of duty, we’re like the older brother. We need to do these things, not because we HAVE to, but because we love God more than we love ourselves. That’s the answer to selfishness. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And when we do that, we can enjoy life the way God intended for us to enjoy it—in right fellowship with Him through Jesus.
Jesus Came because we are selfish people, but we don’t have to remain that way.
