“HE LEFT AS A REBEL”
Text: Luke 15:11-24. Pastor W. Max Alderman
Introduction:
The prodigal son was a rebel. It may not be that obvious as the story begins, but it still is so. Much could be said as to why he wanted to leave home. The younger son wanted to leave home before it was really his time to leave. Anything said pertaining to him would only be speculation, yet in a modern setting many homes are not at all found inviting to normal healthy growth and maturity.
Many young people have absolutely no respect for authority, because they do not see it in there homes. Then others have been allowed their own way with no restraints or discipline, and expect to do the same when they enter into their schools and their neighborhoods. They also have no regards for law enforcement.
When a person is placed under rules or discipline, but does not respect either, then that person is in rebellion. When a child removes himself prematurely from his parent’s watch care, then that child is in rebellion. Such was the case with the prodigal son. Before getting into the heart of the message, I will outline just a few causes of rebellion in the home.
When A Child Witnesses His Parents Divorce
When divorce strikes a family, it is not uncommon for a child to slip into rebellion. A loss of family structure is one of the most immediate and damaging aspects of divorce.
Kenneth Squires made these observations about how each age group is affected by divorce.
PRESCHOOLERS:
The number one agenda of a preschooler is to try to restore the relationship. These kids are hoping and praying that they can get mom and dad back together again.
AGE 5-8:
An experienced schoolteacher can tell almost every time when a kid is having problems in the home. It will be acted out in the classroom. Teachers observe that these kids will often act out, engage in aggressive behavior, or slip into depression.
PRE-TEENS:
This is an angry group of people. They will react very strongly to divorce. It is not uncommon for girls to enter into sexual promiscuity and for boys to get in trouble with the law. This group is very vulnerable to bouts of depression, and often loses much of their motivation in school.
As the medical field will tell you, divorce has a traumatic impact on health. Children of divorce are 25-30% more vulnerable to becoming ill, and according to stats they live shorter lives.
Very often rebellion can be traced back to what is going on with mom and dad. Another cause of rebellion is a:
PROVOCATION TO WRATH
Some rebellion may be traced back to Fathers and Mothers being too hard or demanding on their children. In a Christian setting, one needs to really have the mind of God with much patience to keep in balance the “law and the Grace” that is necessary to properly train the child without causing him to rebel. When a child is constantly breaking the law of the parents, and can not seem to please the parents, he will began to lie and disobey thinking “What is the use: “I can’t do anything right, nor can I ever please my parents”.
Sadly, this characterized my own parenting early on. I thought that I could demand and force my children to do everything that I required of them. Since then, I had to go back and apologize. Another cause of rebellion is:
LETTING A CHILD HAVE HIS OWN WAY.
This would be the other extreme. When a child is left to himself, without controls, then that child will recognize and resent having no authority figure. They will then think, “My parents don’t care what I do.” This is very dangerous, because children need controls…we all do.
NO ORDER IN THE HOME
When there is no leadership, the home is in trouble. Father’s, it begins with you, and with your example. If you are lazy, and have no self- discipline, do not be surprised if your children are the same. If you can not hold a job, get out of bed, tell the truth, be honest, pay your bills, be on time for your appointments, take care of your wife and family, do not expect your children to do any differently.
Ladies, if I were dating again, and looking for a wife, I would do as I did 32 years ago. I would look at the way the girl’s mom cooked and the way she kept house. My Mother-in-law still keeps an immaculate house, and can cook a “macaroni-pie” second to none…unless it is Rhonda’s.
May we now get into the heart of the story, and note that the Prodigal Son left as a rebel, but returned as a repentant. In the case of the prodigal, his rebellion may have been nothing more than his self-will.
I. THE UNKNOWN PATH OF THE PRODIGAL SON. Luke 15:ll-14
The Prodigal Son when he left home likely had no plans of his final destination. But the Word of God says, “he took his journey into a far country.” When a person is in rebellion, he is traveling and unknown path. There is no way to knowingly calculate the heartache and the heartbreak along the way.
A. The unknown path led him to a place of wickedness. Vv. 11-13.
The riotous living means: shamelessly immoral, debauched, profligate; extremely wasteful; unrestrained.
There would be no better way to describe this son’s living than the word riotous. This kind of living would certainly cause a riot.
B. The unknown path led him to a place of waste. Vv. 13b.
(“… and there wasted his substance”)
How many modern prodigals know this story all too well. They start with “much” and lose it all. It may include their prosperity, their good name, their purity, their good conscience, their family, and their friends. All may be lost in a moment of time. We have heard the words to the song, “Oh the tragedy of wasted years”
The prodigal son wasted it all, and it all began when he asked his father to give him his inheritance that normally came after the father’s death. Sometimes the father would give his inheritance before his death for the purpose of supervising over the spending.
In this case, the father released the money so that the son could exercise his own will. He graciously respected his sons will, and likely knew that the son in his stubbornness would not rest content till he learned his lesson the “hard way”. How many times has this same story repeated itself.
C. The unknown path led him to a place of want. Vv. 14.
The prodigal was not only poor, but had been reduced to a state of being beggarly poor. He was worse off than blind Bartemaus. He was not only without substance, but had a guilty conscience, as well. This is such an awful state to be in. Every lost sinner should have a convicting conscience that shows just how beggarly poor he is without Christ.
II. THE UNWANTED PIGPEN OF THE PRODIGAL SON. Vv. 15-19.
No sinner wants the “pig or hog pen experience”. The pleasures of sin are only for a season, as the Bible reminds us.
A. The pigpen was a place of famine. Vv. 15, 16.
Matthew Henry said, “When the bridle of restraining grace is taken off we are soon gone”.
With the prodigal’s father doing the same, his son was soon gone in more ways than one. He is now experiencing famine and emptiness, as he never had before. The best thing that happened to him was for him to get to the place that he had nothing or no one to turn to. I listen to young people talk that thinks that the panacea to all their problems is having money. How wrong can they be? Their primary goal is, “How much money can I make?”
Sadly, we are raising our young people with that mentality. In their selfish rage, they will step on anyone and anybody to satisfy their greed! They will become so cold and calloused that they will trample their own parents if need be to satisfy their insatiable appetites. These same children will care nothing at all about helping their aging parents, because they are unthankful. God help you if you have gotten to such a low down state. You are so low down that you have to stand on your tiptoes to even look into the sewer.
Listen to these verses: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, un thankful, unholy… 2 Timothy 3:1,2.
B. The pigpen was a place of faith. Vv. 17-19.
I now see some wonderful things happening in the pigpen. It all begins when the Scriptures says, And when he came to himself… Had he not come to the place of repentance, he would have never gone back to the father. He started thinking of all the blessings that he really left behind. Young people, you certainly need to be thankful to God for having parents that care about you, even if you think that they do not measure up.
Ephesians 6: 1-3. Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother, (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest long on the earth.
You should be careful that you do not dishonor your parents by speaking evil of them. The prodigal began to see his father as the good man that he was. He knew that he had sinned against his father and was not even worthy to be called a son. He quit being a big Shot that day in the hog pen!
Maybe that is what you need to do this morning. JUST QUIT being a Big Shot. God hates pride. Remember, Only by pride cometh contention.
III. THE UNDESERVED PALACE OF THE PRODICL SON. Vv.20-24
After the pigpen, any shack would seem like a palace. The prodigal is now on the way back, and is going to throw himself on the mercy of his father. The prodigal is a different man before he even leaves the hog pen. I am afraid that too many prodigals leave the hog pen, while at the same time they are actually taking the hog pen with them! There is no true repentance; they say the right things but their action does not at all back it up. This could explain the lack of true change in their lives. They don’t necessarily like the hog pen, but they like what got them there.
The prodigal is on his way back home and will quickly tell you that he does not even deserve to come back, but there is a loving father who has been there all the time! He has different plans for his son. He has a place for him.
A. It was a place of recognition. Vv. 20
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.
To me, this verse is almost as good as John 3:16. I see the exact same spirit as I do in John 3:16…For God so loved… I see a father anxiously waiting for the prodigal to come home. He recognized his son because he was looking for his son. He had his son always on his mind. That was true with Jesus. When He was on the cross, I was on His mind. He knew me and yet still loved me.
If you are now one of the prodigals, why don’t you come home? The Father is waiting. He will recognize you.
B. It was a place of restoration. Vv. 22
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
When the father initiated this request, he was not at all dealing with nor greeting a servant. He was receiving his son. The coat pictured provisions and restored fellowship worthy of only a son. The ring gave the son his inheritance back, and the authority to use it. The shoes demonstrated publicly that this was indeed his son.
C. It was a place of rejoicing. Vv. 23, 24.
And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again, he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Conclusion:
Such rejoicing only comes when the heart of the son is right towards the father. As it was true in this case, so is it also true today. If you are out of the will of your heavenly father, you cannot enjoy the rejoicing that I speak of, and that our story teaches us.
There may be children here that are not right towards their parents. You can be. It is your call…
