Audience: Tax Collectors and sinners
Why did Jesus eat with sinners Jesus told them the parable of the prodigal son. And the point was: I don’t eat with sinners because I like sin. I eat with sinners because I am the love of God welcoming home poor, helpless, diseased sinners -- forgiving them, cleansing them, making them new, and sending them out to love in the power of God.
Message
Parables: a story taken from everyday life used to make a spiritual point. Jesus favorite form of
teaching. Greek Placing Beside
Luke 15 Jesus gives three parables
The Sheep, The Silver, and the Son
The Prodigal Son "wastefull" The Passion Father
Actions of the Son
Demand: GIVE ME<-No magic words here, often we feel like we deserve something from God.Because God has blessed us so much we sometimes act like he owes us something. my inheritance: how does inheritance work?
Gathered and Left: Out like a chunky kid in dodge ball:
Got Crazy: Spent mad money / Wild living
Got Poor: famine occurred in the land
Got Hungry:
Fed the Pigs: bio on pigs, most degrading to a Jew, pigs were considered to be unclean.
Came to his senses: See God and what He has to offer us
Actions of the Father
Affection: Filled with Compassion
Rom 5:8-9
8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 1 John 4:1010This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Anticipation, he just cant wait It is like God is on his tip toes anticipating us returning
2 Chron 16:9
9For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
God is like the Father in the prodigal son, who when he sees his long-lost son far off in the distance, he just can’t wait, so he runs out to meet him and gives him a bear hug. It’s as though God were on His tip-toes in anticipation of doing us good. Our heavenly Father is sitting on the edge of His throne of grace eager to hear our prayers and do us good. shows this same anticipation on God’s part.
I stand at the door and knock.
Acceptance
Jesus told them the parable of the prodigal son. And the point was: I don’t eat with sinners because I like sin. I eat with sinners because I am the love of God welcoming home poor, helpless, diseased sinners -- forgiving them, cleansing them, making them new, and sending them out to love in the power of God.
In order to come to God there is a requirement. You must leave the pig pens of your world and come to him. Its not by something that you do, its repentance. Its not works. Just as it was free for son in the story to come home its free for you also.
