INTRODUCTION
• VIDEO CLIP (After clip, then go to PowerPoint’s)
• SLIDE #1
• God gives us some DIFFICULT stuff to do at times.
• Of all the things we are called to do as a follower of Jesus and quite frankly as a decent human being the thought of having to extend forgiveness to someone who has betrayed and or hurt us has to rank up there as one of the most difficult.
• As we listened to Katie Hamilton talk about what her husband had done and that her minister had the nerve to suggest to her that she forgive her husband says a lot about how much that man cared for her and Josh.
• It says a lot for Katie to be able to actually forgive her husband.
• I stated when we started this series that it would be for fun to just skip to the father and to the issue of forgiveness, however; I hope that after we looked at what the two sons did to their father we will gain a deeper appreciation for act of forgiveness the father extended to BOTH of his sons.
• Of the three different pictures we will have looked at, selfishness, jealousy, and forgiveness, by far the most beautiful is forgiveness.
• I think most of us would love to be able to paint some beautiful pictures in our lives. Each time we have the an opportunity to give real forgiveness to another person, we have the opportunity to paint a beautiful picture that other s will marvel at!
• Let us begin by looking at verses 20-21.
• SLIDE #2
• Luke 15:20-21(ESV) 20And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
• Let’s see what the father did to paint this beautiful picture.
• The first thing that needs to happen so we can paint the same beautiful picture is…
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Be looking to forgive.
• Remember a couple of weeks ago, the prodigal had finally come to his senses and realized that he sinned against God and his father, he was ready to come home, not as a son, but rather a servant in his father’s house.
• Now the father had every reason to be mad, to be vindictive, to be unforgiving, but look what happened.
• As the son approached the property, the father saw him while the son was still a long way off in the distance.
• Why did the father see the son before the son saw the father?
• It was because the father was LOOKING for the son, he was looking to be able to extend forgiveness to the prodigal! (Katie was not initially looking to forgive)
• Why was the father able to do this? Why was he looking to forgive the son?
• The son wronged him, insulted him, and humiliated him. The younger son might as well have slapped the father in the face.
• Now, how many of us would be so forgiving in the face of so much?
• The father was able to paint this picture of forgiveness because he had a correct attitude concerning himself.
• He knew the world did not revolve around him. He knew there is a God in heaven and it was not him.
• Many of us when we are hurt are looking for revenge, or we are for reasons to stay angry and hurt.
• This father knew that even though he was hurt, wronged, insulted that he HAD to look to forgive this young man.
• The father was so eager to forgive that he Ran and EMBRACED the prodigal BEFORE the young man uttered one word of repentance.
• What does that tell you about what the father desired to do; he was looking for the son to come home so he could humiliate him, or tell him he knew he would fail.
• The father was looking for the son because he simply was looking to forgive him.
• IF we are going to be able to paint the beautiful picture of forgiveness, we need to be looking to forgive and not be looking for revenge, or anything else.
• Next we see from the father that we need to…
• SLIDE #4
II. Have a heart for people.
• Until we have a heart for people we will never allow ourselves to forgive them.
• Whereas looking to forgive others involves us having a proper attitude concerning ourselves, having a heart for people requires us to have a proper attitude about others.
• We spoke of the rich young ruler a bit the other day, he wanted to know what to do to be able to inherit eternal life, Jesus KNEW what the young man needed to do and Jesus KNEW the young man would not do it. Look at what Mark says concerning Jesus heart toward this young man.
• SLIDE #5
• Mark 10:21(ESV) 21And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
• Jesus loved the young man, but He did not change what he needed to do in order to inherit the kingdom.
• We need to have a heart for people.
• When the father saw the son coming in the distance verse 20 says he felt compassion for him. Once again this is before the boy could say a word to the father, for all the father knew the young man was coming back to insult him some more.
• The phrase “felt compassion” literally meant that the father’s vitals moved, his heart beat quicker, he was so eager to offer forgiveness to the son. The father was moved by compassion.
• Verse 20 also says he ran and embraced the son and covered him with kisses.
• God has a heart to forgive; the father in our story represents the forgiveness that God wants to give to us.
• God is serious about wanting us to have a heart to forgive people.
• SLIDE #6
• Matthew 6:14-15(ESV) 14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
• Did you notice in verse 21 that the son did not even get the chance to give his whole speech to the father? The father was looking to forgive and had a heart for the son that allowed him to forgive.
• SLIDE #7
• Luke 15:22-23(ESV) 22But the father said to his servants,£ ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.
• What next. Offering forgiveness to another can be awkward for the one receiving it unless there is…
• SLIDE #8
III. Display genuine acceptance.
• When you are forgiven, you want to feel forgiven. I think one obstacle that gets in the way of enjoying forgiveness is feeling accepted.
• If we do not feel accepted, we will not feel forgiven.
• SLIDE #9
• Romans 8:1(ESV) 1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
• How do we feel accepted?
• The one extending the forgiveness needs to display genuine acceptance.
• The young son disgraced his family, he humiliated his father, and you would think it would be hard to feel accepted. The older brother was not going to accept him.
• What did the father do other than to tell the son he was forgiven?
• He did some things that displayed his acceptance of the son.
• The best robe was given to the son. That was generally given to the guest of honor in the home.
• The ring was a token of authority, a symbol of the union of the father and son in heart. These two items showed that the father immediately restored this destitute and humbled young man as his son.
• He was given further assurance of his restoration by being given shoes. Only members of a household were given shoes, servants and slaves went barefoot in the home. This was a further badge of son ship.
• The icing on the cake was the killing and bbq of the fattened calf. This was done only for special occasions.
• Once this prodigal son returned, his sonship was restored something else needed to happened to make the picture complete!
• SLIDE #10
IV. True forgiveness should lead to celebration!
• Look at verses 23-24
• SLIDE #11
• Luke 15:23-24(ESV) 23And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
• Why would there not be a celebration? The prodigal has returned and has been accepted.
• He was lost and is found!
• Forgiveness is a reason to celebrate.
• From an earlier parable in the chapter we find in Luke 15:10
• SLIDE #12
• Luke 15:10(ESV) 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
CONCLUSION
• I hope that the story of the prodigal son has made your wheels turn. This is a beautiful story that starts out ugly with selfishness, jealousy and ends with forgiveness and repentance.
• The ending of this story would not have been so nice without the beautiful picture of forgiveness.
• The father had ALL the reasons in the world NOT to offer forgiveness. Our Heavenly Father also has ALL the reasons NOT to forgive us, but His love for us leads Him to offer it to us and to restore us to be a full part of His house!
• Maybe you are struggling with forgiving someone today. If you are, let us pray with you and help you allow the Holy Spirit work within you so that you too can paint the beautiful picture of forgiveness for all to see!
