Good morning, and Happy Father’s Day! Please turn in (or turn on) your copy of God’s Word and scroll to Luke 15.
While you’re turning there, I want to share some photos with you. This past Wednesday, JonWorth encouraged our students to dress like their dad. And the results were hilarious. (Show some of the pictures)
Now, I know all of these students, and I know their dads. I know their dads are godly men who are leading their families to love and serve God. And for all your dads that are doing that, I want to say Glynwood honors you this morning.
But I also know that there are some people here this morning that that have no desire to be like their dad. For whom a dress like your dad night would be a challenge because you have no idea what your dad is really like. For whom “You’re just like your father” isn’t a compliment. And what you do know about your dad, you don’t like very much.
If that describes you this morning, then please allow me to introduce you to my heavenly father, the one true God. He invites us to call him Father. He invites us to not just call Him Father, but Paul says in Romans 8:15
Romans 8:15 ESV
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Abba! An Aramaic word that could be translated “Daddy” And he gives us a wonderful picture of what He is like in Luke 15.
This may be a familiar story to you. We usually think of this as the parable of the prodigal son. But there’s some problems with that. For one thing, there’s not just one son in the story, there’s two, and they are both far from the father. For another thing, no one really understands what “prodigal” means. So since its Father’s day, lets think of this as the Parable of the Loving Father. Let’s read it together, and instead of focusing on the son, focus instead on the character of the father in the parable. After I read, we’ll talk about what it teaches us about our Abba Father:
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Read]
This is God’s Word. Let’s pray [pray]
One of the cool features of the gospel of Luke is that Luke often tells us the reason Jesus gave a particular teaching at a particular time. And the story of the lost sons is one of those. Look at verse 1:
Luke 15:1–2
Luke 15:1–2 ESV
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Then verse 3 says, “SO He told them this parable.”
Jesus shows the sinners, publicans, scribes and the pharisees what our heavenly father is really like.
But He also shows the pharisee and the scribes that the Father heart of God isn’t just for the religious people. That’s why there are two sons in the story. And for all of us who want to be just like our dad, we can look at this parable as a guidebook for understanding the father heart of God— both to the tax gatherers and the sinners, as well as the church people and the legalists.
And the first thing Jesus reveals about the Father is that
1. The Father Doesn’t Play Favorites.
We begin with a certain man blessed with two sons. In this culture, this made him doubly blessed. While daughters are beautiful and desirable, a son kept the family name intact.
We are not told what caused the younger son to want to leave home. But we understand that when he comes to his father and says “Give me the share of property that is coming to me,” he’s essentially saying, Dad, I know when you die I’ll get my inheritance, but can we go ahead and pretend you’re dead now?”
Which had to have broken his heart. Can you imagine? But aren’t we all like that? So many times we want the gifts of God but we reject the grace of God. We wants his presents, but we aren’t interested in having His presence in our lives.
But notice what the Word says— the father divided His property between THEM. That means that later on, when the older brother complains about how he never got anything from the father, he’s lying.
Our heavenly father doesn’t play favorites. Throughout the Bible, there’s lots of stories about human fathers who showed favoritism to one son over another, and it never turned out well. Isaac loved Esau more than Jacob. Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his brothers. Jesse favored all of David’s brothers over David. And on and on it goes.
But our heavenly father isn’t like that. Our heavenly father loves each of us as if there is only one of us. Don’t forget that Jesus is talking to tax collectors and sinners on one side of the room, and scribes and pharisees on the other side. Neither side could believe that Jesus would receive sinners and eat with them.
I read a story this week about a homeless lady who became a believer because of Luke 15:2. A preacher had been leading a worship service, and he preached this parable, reading from the King James Bible. When she came down the aisle to give her life to Christ, she said, “I never knew until today that my name is in the Bible.” The preacher smiled and said, “What’s your name?” She said, “Edith. My name is Edith. And my name is in the Bible.”
The preacher said, “I’m sorry ma’am but you must be mistaken. The name Edith never appears in the Bible.” She said, “Oh yes it does, you read it a few minutes ago!” He opened his Bible and she pointed her dirty finger to Luke 15:2. She said, “There it is! Jesus receiveth sinners and Edith with them!” And indeed, the good news is Jesus does receive sinners, and Edith, and David, and Jane, and Mary, and John and anyone else who comes to Him! The Father doesn’t play favorites.
2. The Father allows His children to choose.
Luke 15:13 ESV
13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.
We often talk about whether God chooses us (predestination or election) or whether we choose Him (free will or Arminianism). And while they are both true at the same time in a way I don’t understand, its clear from this passage that God allows us to make choices, even if it means choosing against him.
G
od who has full authority and all power, but He graciously limits His power in order to allow us the choice to follow Him or reject Him.
Mankind is free to make their own choices. God’s creation is free to obey or disobey. How clearly this truth is revealed in this text. After a few days, the boy took his journey into a far country. Soon he had wasted all his living and came to want. Want and waste are twin brothers, he who waste will soon come to want. The boy spent freely, without consideration or limits. He was extravagant and lived extravagantly.
The father was generous, knowing the son might make a bad choice.
Luke 15 has been called “the lost and found department of the gospels,” because Jesus tells three parables in a row about something lost getting found: a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. There are similarities between the three stories. In each case what is lost is of great value to the one who lost it. In each case, when what is lost is found there’s a party.
But the story of the lost son is different, because the father doesn’t go to the far country to retrieve his son. He waits, and He watches, and He prays that his wayward son will come home.
That is how our heavenly Father is toward us! And it is a good lesson for any of us whose children may be in a spiritual far country right now.
3.The Father is influential without Being Overbearing Luke 15:14
And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
Fathers are always influential! Good father will have a positive influence on your children. Even though the younger son was away from home, his father’s training and influence is still guiding him. Some people allow want and hunger to make them desperate. Desperate people will do desperate things. This boy somehow, held on to his father’s teaching. Even though he is broke, busted, down and out, look at what he does not do. He does not resort to robbery, burglary, stealing or cheating. He does not resort to selling drugs.
He does not borrow without intending to repay it. He does not consider panhandling or begging. What does he do? He finds work! The young man had been raised up working, so even in his desperate situation, he remembered the instructions of his father. He got a job! The father’s influence caused him to get a job. In the pig pen, in want and hungry, He was tempted to eat with the swine. The father’s influence had caused him to develop a line in his life, he would not cross. He was not raised to dine with the swine!
The father’s influence caused him to remember who he was and to whom he belonged. The father’s influence caused him to take responsibility for his actions and to make some needed decisions.
God the Father is Extravagant with fogiveness Luke 15:17-20 "And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."
The word prodigal means extravagant, reckless, without limits. When the young man came to himself, got out of the pig pen and returned home with repentance. He is met by a father, who was always available, always generous, always influential, and now forgiving and compassionate.
His father saw him a great way off! There was never a moment when the father was not longing for his sons return. He recognized him, had compassion on him and ran out to meet him. He fell on his neck and showered him with kisses.
Every movement was an act of extravagance, totally uncustomary, and out of the ordinary. In matters of salvation, rules and regulations don’t count, so the elder runs to the younger. The savior runs towards the sinner. The father’s extravagant forgiveness unfolds with every movement;
The Robe: “Bring quickly the best robe:” Throughout scripture, robes are associated with righteousness (see Job 29:14; Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 19:8). The father swaps the pigsty rags for righteous robes. You are righteous.
The Ring: “Put a ring on his hand:” A signet ring was what the head of a family would use to seal official documents. It had the family crest on it. To wear the ring meant you were part of the family. Romans 8:15 assures us that we have received the spirit of adoption, by which we call out “Abba! Father!” We are part of the family. You are family
The Shoes: “And shoes for his feet:” Members of the household wear shoes. Slaves went barefoot. Paul tells us that we are members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19). You are free
The Sacrifice: “Bring the fattened calf and kill it”: And this is the most prodigal gift of all. Not because of the celebration, but because of the sacrifice. For sins to be forgiven, blood has to be shed (Hebrews 9:22). For the son to be restored, something had to die. You are worth it.
The gospel is this: “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
Hallelujah for the prodigal Father!
CONCLUSION
We’ve seen a wonderful picture of what God is like. He is a God who regrets your rebellion, who runs when you return, and who restores you when you repent. But there are some of you today who need a different word from this parable. You aren’t the wayward son; instead you feel the pain of the father. Some of you are parents and grandparents who children are in a far country. Your son or daughter may be distant from you because of rebellion, a disagreement, a sinful lifestyle, a bad relationship, or they may have just walked out of your life.
Whatever the reason–you feel the pain of being out of fellowship. If you are in that condition, I have a word of comfort for you today. To parents of Prodigals, I would say:
1. God understands your pain. Sometimes you want to sing the old song that says, “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.” But that’s not true because God knows, and He cares. He is the suffering father in this parable.
2. Don’t jump in the pigpen to rescue them. In this parable, the father didn’t go to the pigpen and try to pull his son out. That would have been tragic. The son had to realize his own mistake. God used the pigpen to bring him to that realization. Some of you have kids in the pigpen right now and you want to run and rescue them. They must come to their own Point of Total Desperation before the seek God.
3. Let them know the door is open. Don’t go to the pigpen, but never slam the door and tell your child they are never welcome back into your home. Let them know you’ll leave the light on for them, whenever they are ready to repent.
4. Receive them when they repent. True fellowship can never be restored until your prodigal child has repented. They may return, but if they don’t repent, your problem is not solved; it’s only aggravated. So, parents of Prodigals, don’t give up!
Some of you are the wayward child [Invitation]
