MAIN TEXT - Luke 15:11-32
Over the last couple weeks I have attempted to make a case for us to develop a HEART for MISSIONS – especially here in our “Month of Missions!”
In that, I have made it expressly clear that it is all about having a heart that reflects God’s heart!
-Because He is our goal and desire – and we must want to be like Him!
*To have the same passions and desires that He does…
*That, primarily, is to love and reach those who don’t know Him!
THAT, after all, is the meaning of Missions!
→To make an organized effort for the propagation of the Gospel!
And remember!
That is one of the primary reasons why Jesus came to us in the first place!
Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
-Jesus came to spread the Gospel by SEEKING & SAVING the LOST!!
-These are the Lost Sheep, Lost Coins and the Prodigals!!
→Now, as we have read through Luke 15 together, it has become evident to us that God’s heart is for people; and therefore, His heart is for MISSIONS because He loves the LOST and He is always active in finding the lost all over the earth!
However, we have a part to play in this Great Commission!
-We don’t just rest in the fact that there are Missionaries…
In fact, just in the Assemblies of God alone, we have 2,098 appointed missionaries and 615 missionary associates in 248 countries/territories who are committed to reach all people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ – especially unreached people groups!
Church…there is a role that each of us have as well! Because they can’t do this alone!
→We are responsible to PRAY for these Missionaries and their ministry.
→We need to GIVE in order to FINANCIALLY SUPPORT them in the work they do.
→And as the Lord would enable you, you may even need to GO on a Missions Trip to PARTICIPATE in the work around the world!
→In particular, we are ALL responsible to GO to our world right here around us and reach people for Jesus…
*So, let’s make these a part of our Hearts for Missions!
• Why?
→Because JESUS FINDS LOST THINGS!!
Jesus is proving that statement to us through His words in Luke 15!
-That He is still a seeking Savior today!! Amen!!
Jesus took time to make this clear to the critical and accusing religious crowd who confronted Him here…
-He shows them His heart as He talked about the foolish lost sheep that the shepherd chases after to find.
-He reveals the heart of the Spirit when He talked of the woman who swept through the house to find one lost coin that had unknowingly dropped to the floor.
And Jesus could have stopped there, and we would have gotten the point – that He finds lost things!!! But JESUS DOESN’T STOP THERE…
And we could also be tempted to think that Jesus was just repeating Himself…
-But there was one more aspect to consider when we think of lost things...
-Primarily because these things were each lost for entirely different reasons!
1. It’s not just about the thing that foolishly walked away…
2. Nor is it only about the thing that was lost because life took its toll on it…
3. But, there are also some that have run away because of outright rebellion!
→Yet! God still loves them too!!!
JESUS FINDS ALL LOST THINGS!!!
→So, this morning, we are going to hear the Father’s heart as Jesus tells us about the prodigal who took off out of blatant rebellion!
-As well as how God is waiting for the prodigals to return to Him for grace and forgiveness!!
So, let’s be reminded, and challenged, once again Church…
“JESUS FINDS LOST THINGS!”
…Even the Prodigal Son…
STAND & READ - Luke 15:11-24
And He said, "A man had two sons. 12 "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' So he divided his wealth between them. 13 "And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 "Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 "So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 "And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17 "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."' 20 "So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.
PRAYER!
INTRODUCTION:
The Prodigal Son…
This is one of the most commonly known stories that Jesus has ever told…
ILLUSTRATION:
In fact, several years ago now, a survey was taken of literary scholars to determine the greatest short story ever written. When the results of the survey came in, 70% said the single greatest short story ever recorded is the story of the Prodigal Son. For it to qualify as “great” the story must be able to be read time and again, and each time it had to make an impact, leaving an impression.
→The story of the Prodigal Son meets those requirements perfectly…
Maybe one of the reasons that it is well loved is because we can all relate to the Prodigal in some way - who coldly ran away from that which he knew was good and right…
Probably the bigger reason is because the story reveals the great heart of God toward those who have not always done the right thing…
-It is a story of redemption and reconciliation.
-And it demonstrates God’s LOVE, FORGIVENESS and JOY!
*Yeah, I think we all love that part of God for sure!
→But the heart-breaking part of Jesus’ third story is the prodigal son himself…
Prodigal means “wasteful,” and that is just what we find this ungrateful son do with what his father gave him!
-He wasted his father’s wealth and riches, no doubt.
-He squandered his own inheritance, which should have been a blessing to him and his kids, and his kid’s kids… But it didn’t last long at all!
• But it was much more than money that was wasted here in the story of the Prodigal!
• And something much more valuable than an inheritance was treated carelessly…
→This Prodigal wasted his RELATIONSHIP with his father for some passing pleasures of this temporary life!
-And if anything hurt the father more, I would believe it was that!
→That is what I believe Jesus was speaking to in response to the critical and short-sighted Scribes and Pharisees!
They only saw Jesus speaking to sinners and tax-collectors – I suppose they assumed He should have spent more time with them…
-But, I am certain that Jesus would have shared His time with them as much as they would desire it!
-“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you!” –James 4:8
-But instead, they choose to stand at a distance and criticize Jesus…
So, as we consider God’s heart for people and for missions this morning, let’s keep in mind that He loves ALL people…
-The “lovely” and the “unlovely…”
-And may we never choke on the fact that Jesus loves people that we might not even love…
*This was the exact issue that the critical, religious group was contending with…
*They were choosing who would and would not receive Jesus’ time, attention and love!
*But Jesus set the record straight when He shared this parable about how HE FINDS LOST THINGS!
→And He even loves the PRODIGAL!
Those who are self-righteous, indignant, lovers of self and self-serving…
The Bible warns us against this kind of thing…
Proverbs 3:7 - Do not be wise in your own eyes…
Yet, we are also aware that this spirit may prevail in the last days…
2 Timothy 3:1-5 - But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these.
-We need to avoid them in the sense that we don’t take on those same traits…
→Yet we still need to reach them!
Long story short, the problem with the Prodigal and many people today is that they are in…
POINT ONE: REBELLION
And REBELLION is the picture that is painted for us as we enter the story…
There is a man with two sons. The younger of the two sons asks his father for his inheritance because he wants it, and he wants it now!
Now, as any of us could imagine, this would be a “slap in the face” to a parent!
As if to say, I am not going to wait around for you to die to get my inheritance, I want it now and I am leaving!
-It would be a knife to the heart that would cut deep.
Luke 15:13 - And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.
As the story unfolds, he doesn’t just get his goods, but he soon liquidates everything and hits the road for a far country!
-This distant country speaks of separation from God’s love and fellowship…
-Which will only lead to disillusionment and sorrow.
-Yet, he takes off and leaves his Father…
Now, there is salt in the wound!
The younger son leaves everything that he has ever known…
He walks away from all the provision he has ever known too…
→In essence, he REBELS from his father and his provision – assuming that he can make his own way much better. Assuming that his way would be more satisfying than the way of his father…
And herein we find the difference between the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin and the Prodigal Son…
-While the first two were certainly lost…
-They were lost for different reasons…
-The situation of the Prodigal Son is so much more because he walked away in REBELLION to his father.
→He was lost, simply because he was a “REBEL!”
*He willfully and knowingly walked away from his father.
Today, there are REBELS all over the world that Jesus loves and wants to restore back into a right relationship with the Father!
REBELS that have gone down the broad path of destruction…
Jesus came to SEEK & to SAVE them too!
He also sends missionaries around the globe to find the willfully lost!
And we need to pray for the REBELS to come to their senses and see their need for Jesus again!
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 - And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Here is how we can pray for the REBELS…
1. For God to open the blinded eyes of the Lost to see their need for Him.
2. For God to soften the hardened heart of those who need salvation.
Somebody must have been praying for this Prodigal Son…
-I suspect that his father was since we soon find him looking for his son.
And before long…we see his eyes open and his heart soften!
Then, his REBELLIOUS heart turns to God in…
POINT TWO: REPENTANCE
While he walks out of his father’s house a rich man - it wasn’t long before he ends up impoverished and hungry for pig slop!
-That is a steep and slippery slope…
ILLUSTRATION:
But isn’t that a picture of sin and the devil?
“He will always take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay!”
-And this Prodigal Son found this out very soon!
-His living the high-life led him to his down-fall very quickly!
As we know from reading Jesus’ story, he squanders all the money on loose living.
Now, he is found knee deep in pig muck – not a place that any respecting Jew would want to find themselves at all!
But in all of this, his eyes begin to open…
Luke 15:17-19 - "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."'
→“I have sinned,” he declares!
-This is a BIG thing! He comes to a point of confession and repentance.
-And these three words appear only eight times in the Bible…
*Four times with Pharaoh, Balaam, Saul and Judas. But we don’t read that any of them repent.
*However, another four times we read Job, Achan, David and the Prodigal admitting that they have “sinned.” But with each of them, they DO repent! Which is the goal!
The Prodigal is one of those who made the right choice…
-He acknowledges and also repents with intent to change!
• Why?
→Because He came to his senses!!
This is what it is going to take for the LOST to come to God. For all the prodigals to return to Jesus…
-They need to see their true state of slavery to sin…
-As well as their separation from God the Father…
This is something that we need to pray for as I mentioned earlier and this is one of those ways that we participate in Missions!
→We pray because we need the Lord to make the difference in people’s lives!
We need the working of the Holy Spirit of God to accomplish this!
Jesus made this BIG statement about the Holy Spirit and the reason why we need the Holy Spirit in our lives…
John 16:7-8 - "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment…
The Holy Spirit was working on the Prodigal in the story because we see a turn-around in his heart. That is the evidence!!
-His attitude changed and his desires were transformed.
→That is true REPENTANCE!
True REPENTANCE changes the direction of a person’s life and always heads them towards the Father!
Proof! The next thing we read is this…
Luke 15:20 - So he got up and came to his father.
As we come upon this father in the story again, we find him doing what any parent would be in his situation…
-He was watching for his son!
-I believe He was “watching and praying!”
And we are about to see his…
POINT THREE: RESPONSE
This is an awesome RESPONSE of love and acceptance – in spite of his son’s REBELLION…
Luke 15:20 - So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
Every parent in this room who might have a prodigal son or daughter, knows the agony of not knowing where their kids are – if not physically, at least Spiritually…
-But each parent needs to know that God loves their wandering child too!
-And God also wants his or her salvation as much as their parents do!
Boy did this prodigal son’s dad ever get his prayers answered…
And what a great RESPONSE that comes from him! Even before the son makes it close enough to even say hi…
→At the moment this Father saw his son far off, he was so moved with love and ran to Him!
ILLUSTRATION:
Benny Hester wrote a song years ago titled, “When He Ran.”
Reminding us that the only time God is seen running is when He ran to me!
In this, we see a picture of our Heavenly Father’s feelings toward a REPENTANT PRODIGAL…
1. God has great compassion on them because, He too, is sorrowful over their condition.
2. God’s love is so great that he never ceases to grieve over them and waits for their return.
3. When sinners sincerely return to Him for forgiveness, He is more than eager to receive them back with forgiveness and love!!!
Much like the shepherd who found that one lost sheep…
So too, the Father is more than pleased to see the LOST return home!
-There is no thought of scolding or giving a cold shoulder.
-Just pure joy to know that what was once lost is now found!
Take note! There is NO DOUBT that is the RESPONSE the PRODIGAL would want to have once they come to their senses anyhow…
And, there is one more thing we need to see when we consider the RESPONSE of the Father’s feelings toward a REPENTANT PRODIGAL…
4. God has great joy over the return of the PRODIGAL!
Luke 15:22-23 - "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;
23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate…
THAT is the RESPONSE that I want to highlight once again this morning…
Because in each of the illustrations that Jesus shared – the lost sheep, the lost coin and in this story of the Prodigal Son there is nothing but joy and celebration that takes place in the finding of the LOST thing!
-In complete contrast to what we see in the hearts of the religious…
→And MISSIONS must do nothing but keep God’s heart in constant joy and celebration in RESPONSE to the lives that are being saved, healed and delivered each day around the world!
Jesus initiated this when He came to SEEK and to SAVE the Lost…
But again…this is what disturbed the Scribes and the Pharisees in the first place. This is why Jesus began this series of stories to remind them of something – that JESUS FINDS LOST THINGS!!!
AS WE CLOSE:
Giving deeper thought to the fact that their bad attitude is what began this lesson in the first place for the Scribes and the Pharisees…
-They thought it was so wrong for Jesus to be around sinners and tax-collectors…
-Which reminds me of the third person in this last lesson…the Older Brother.
In historical order, the Jews came before the Gentiles…
The Scribes and Pharisees figured they were the priority over those who lived outside of keeping the Laws of God…
Which sounds very similar to the attitude of the Older Son!
-We see it as he reminds his father that HE had been faithful and worked hard for his dad – not his younger brother!
-And, he never got a party, or even a special meal.
Luke 15:28 says that “he became angry…” when he saw the response of his father welcoming this rebellious son back home!
-In his eyes, he was undeserving of His father’s grace and wealth…
-Which is the similar response that the religious crowd had with Jesus.
→But Jesus would not be restricted by their short-sightedness.
→Neither will he be constrained by ours…
So, the Father’s response is just how God would respond to the religious crowd too…
The Father reminds him that everything he had was always his too.
-He had forgotten that in his self-centeredness…
-And his dad reminded him that he needed to keep his priorities right! His RESPONSE needed to change!
-The priority for the moment is that his brother – who once was dead, is now alive! He was once lost, but now is found!
A NEW NAME WAS WRITTEN DOWN IN THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE!
• WHAT IS BETTER THAN THAT?!
• That was a missing piece for the Older Brother!
• That was a missing piece for the critical Scribes and Pharisees!
• And that can be a missing piece for us if we don’t see the need for others to be sought out and found!!!
This is why we need to capture a new heart!
To have the Father’s forgiving, loving and joyful heart – a heart for people – a heart for MISSIONS!
• Church, Jesus made this a lesson about THREE LOST THINGS – each different, and for different reasons…
• But each of their stories conclude in the exact same way – THEY WERE FOUND!
All because JESUS FINDS LOST THINGS!
• Do you have a prodigal you want to see return home?
• Do you want a heart for missions?
ALTAR CALL:
Salvation…
Pray for the Prodigals to return home!
To have a Heart for Missions!
