The prodigal son part two
Luke chapter 15:24-15:32
Introduction
Last week we looked at the prodigal son, it is a familiar verse where we see a rebellious son takes his inheritance to a far off country and lives a wild life until his money runs out and he realizes that what he had was not so bad.
Luke 15:11 “When he came to his senses”
We all relate to that in some degree.
Some of us have learned the lessons and some are still learning.
Some never learn the lesson and blame God because they are not willing to change. (Repeat) they don’t change, they are not willing.
If you get nothing else from last week‘s message, I hope that you got a glimpse of what God is really like.
He is a God that loves you.
He is a God who desires to restore or create a relationship with each one of us.
He is a God who we can come to when we have blown it. (Repeat)
I can think of many times I have blown it, how many times I knew better but I did it anyway. How many people God has put in my path to help me in my walk with Him, and how many times I did not listen or did not learn.
The prodigal son’s motive was rebellion.
He wanted what he really did not work for to be given to him so he can live a life that would not be pleasing to God.
Until he came to his senses- he thought the grass was greener on the other side.
That rebellious son motive was selfishness- the current state of most people today is selfishness.
We have raised a society to believe it is all about us.
Have it your way!
You deserve a break today!
You owe it to yourself!
It is easy for us to look at this passage of a rebellious son with no name, and tell him what he should do.
He should realize what he is doing is not working and listen to God.
He should repent because he knows what he was doing was wrong.
He should return to God- he should run as fast as he can to the arms of God- right? Right.
What about the good son? What lessons is God trying to teach us?
Luke 15:24-15:32
I want you to see something very important that takes place between verses 24-25
“For this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found, so they began to celebrate.”
(25)Meanwhile,- big word, while the lost son came home, dad called for a celebration, meanwhile, the older son who was in the field heard what is going and had a fit because his younger brother returned and was having a party given for him.
The rebellious son is getting the best robe, ring of distinction, and special occasion sandals put on his feet, and the other son working in the field was getting nothing.
While the father is showing forgiveness, and divine mercy, the old brother is showing us the attitude of the Pharisee, and showing resentment that anyone could come back to the father without whining siblings feeling like they have been cheated.
The welcoming father has to now deal with this unwelcoming brother.
The father is fill with compassion
The father runs to greet the wayward son
The father embraces him
Unwelcoming brother
Is angry
Not wanting to greet him.
Complains that he has been cheated.
The Lord deals with sinners coming home and opens up his arms to receive him only to find a few that are not happy.
I pray as a church that we side with the father and we have compassion.
We are eager to forgive.
We are a church that truly puts out the welcome mat and shows people that they are truly welcome.
Jesus loved sinners, may none of us that have been in the family of God for a long time forget that at one time in our lives- we were the prodigal son/daughter and God reached out to us.
Isn’t it funny how we can see how someone else can lose their salvation, but think we are incapable of falling ourselves. We become judgmental because we rate sin and are not as bad as most other people.
The older brother became angry and refused to go in- sounds like the parable of the pouting son.
Was in the field, working for the father
Heard a party
Your father has killed the fattened cow.
Goes into a fit of rage because the father has rewarded the wayward son with a party while the faithful son worked the field everyday without one.
I want you to take a hard look at the older brother.
He is selfish and he does not have a heart for others.
He was happy as long as everything revolved around him.
He was happy when he was being recognized for what he did.
He was happy until the father did something out of compassion for someone else.
Sound familiar in a world that wants to pick up their toys and leave anytime something does not go their way.
They are happy as long as this world revolves around them and no one else infringes on their life.
Play the right music (mine) have the right programs (what I like) give parties for family members- or else I will not be happy.
Churches have a 4 and no more mentality because they don’t want to get too big that they cannot control what is happening.
Don’t go ruining it by inviting someone else different than us.
Illustration
Suppose you are driving down Rosedale Ave at 50mph and you get pulled over by a policemen and he gives you a ticket for speeding. 50 mph in a 35 mph. ticket given and the policemen showed you no mercy. You tell me about the ticket and what the policemen did and I take the ticket from your hands and I tear it up. “Don’t worry” about it I tell you.
What just went wrong? Yell it out.
I don’t have the authority tear up a ticket. I didn’t make the law, I don’t enforce the law, and I don’t have the authority to pardon the breaking of the law. You will go to jail! They don’t care that we are friends. They don’t care that we go to the same church.
Same illustration- you tell me about the ticket and I take the ticket from you and I pay the ticket. That is compassion.
Now, I am not paying anyone’s ticket, only a illustration.
Don’t think you get a do-over-only God does do-over’s
You bounce a check, no do over.
You speed and get a ticket, no do-over
You call your wife by last girlfriends name- no do-over
Only God does do-over’s- because He has the authority to do whatever he wants.
This older brother was mad because heavenly father gave grace to the younger brother. A do-over
“For this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.”
He gets a celebration.
Read verse 28-30 from Bible
This is an attitude problem!
This brother has resentment that the father is reaching out to others.
He is mad that the father would lower himself to take back the sinner who spent it all, while he has been slaving for him and never disobeyed your orders.
Think that was an exaggeration-(slaving) and (never) disobeyed.
“This son of yours”- This brother was so filled with hatred and bitterness that he did not even recognize him as his brother.
Closing,
Listen to the response of the Father to the son who was faithful.
Read verse 31-32 from the Bible.
We have to be so careful that we have the right heart and attitude of serving God. The Father forgave because He had a heart of compassion. The son refused to forgive because he was bitter about what he felt was injustice. His resentment rendered him just as lost to his father’s love as the younger brother was.
“Everything I have is yours.” Do you realize the blessings and promises that are contained in that statement of truth to the older brother? You are secure in me and you will be rewarded for your faithfulness. My attention is on the ones that are outside the fold. I desire them to find the same love that I have for you. God’s love reaches out to sinners no matter why or how they got lost. This verse should grip us as tight as John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Service without fellowship will make us bitter and have a heart away from God. This is a story of God’s amazing grace and mercy and we who have been in the church have to make sure we don’t forget what Christ did for us and how patient He was with us. We don’t have it all together, we are saved by God’s grace just like everyone else.
We have all blown it and we need to have a heart and a church that is ready to open up our arms to those coming home. Amen.
