When Adults Go Wild
Luke 15:11-24
May 28, 2006 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction:
A Video clip, "The Prodigal Son" from Sermonspice.com
1 Mark Twain was asked who the greatest storyteller of all time was and he answered, "Jesus."
a He was asked the best story: "The Prodigal Son"
b Prodigal means "wasteful"
c The story could just as easily been called "The Forgiving Father" because of the merciful actions of the father.
2 Sometimes kids, raised in godly homes, go wild
a The father in the story raised a kid to love God, and it shows up in the boy’s prayer.
b The key lessons for parents of wayward children are...
aa Train up a child in the way they should go...
bb Offer forgiveness when they come home...
cc Embrace them like they never did anything wrong
B Luke 15:11-24 NASB
1 Jesus described what it looked like for a wayward child to come back to his father’s house (essence of the text in a sentence)
a There is a MO for wayward children to find their way home (essence of the sermon in a sentence)
b I hope you’ll be able to use the biblical tools I’ll give you to start planning a homecoming (Objective)
2 How will you use these tools to work toward a homecoming? (PQ)
a Let’s look at how two people used the right tools to birth a homecoming.
b Prayer
I The tools used by the wasteful son.
A The son asked for his inheritance early because he thought his father was too restrictive.
1 The young man was entitled to 1/3 of what his father owned.
a His brother was going to receive 2/3 because he was the first born. But he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the beginning of his strength; to him belongs the right of the firstborn. Deut 21:17 (NASB)
b It was legal for baby brother to ask for his share before Daddy died
aa Not kosher, bad manners...but legal.
bb He basically said, "Dad, I wish you were dead. Pay me."
c A surprising response from the father, "O.K., here’s the money." (God will always let sinners go their own way).
2 The wasteful son went to a far-off country to find himself, instead he succeeded in losing himself.
B The son who once did not want found himself wanting.
1 He went to a distant land, blew his inheritance quickly, and was stranded.
a There was a famine in the land. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.
aa G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945) said, "That (famine) does not necessarily mean there was some physical famine. It may mean that if a man spent all in London, there is a famine in London."
bb (IL) In college, my buddy Scott & I went to visit NOBTS on our spring break during our last year at SBU. We had $100 between us. To us, there was a famine in New Orleans.
b It was what the son chose to do & where he chose to be.
aa The son was learning the hard way that you can’t enjoy the things money can buy if you ignore the things money cannot buy.
bb We are heading for famine if we value stuff more than people, pleasure/duty, distant scenes more than the blessings we have right at home.
cc The reason the grass is greener on the other side is because they water it!
2 The son "came to his senses" (v. 17) which said, "You’ve messed up."
a The son was feeling guilt, remorse, conviction over his sin.
b If the son would have stopped at v. 17, he would have stayed in the pigpen.
C The son began his journey home when he decided to leave the filth he was surrounded with.
1 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight... I will get up...I will go...I will say
a Our regret, guilt, conviction may be noble, but until we move to change...our regrets do zilch for us.
b Conviction IS NOT repentance
2 If repentance is truly a work of God, it will always lead us to obey God & to put saving faith in Jesus Christ.
D (IL) A number of years ago, the papers ran a story about Al Johnson, a man from Kansas who gave his heart to the Lord.
1 He confessed to a bank robbery that he committed when he was 19.
a The statute of limitations had run out, so the authorities could not charge him with the crime.
b Nevertheless, because of his complete and total change of heart, he not only confessed his crime, he voluntarily repaid his share of the stolen money!
2 That’s repentance- radical reconstruction of the heart.
II The tools used by the forgiving father.
A In the ancient Near East, Daddy didn’t run for anybody.
1 Why the running? "If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, 19 then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. 20 "They shall say to the elders of his city, ’This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 "Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear. Deut 21:18-21 (NASB)
a The son had brought disgrace to his family, tarnished the family name, & he would have been stoned to death.
b v. 20b "...[he] ran and embraced him, and kissed him."
aa If the neighbors started to stone the wasteful son, they would have hit the father who was embracing him.
bb What a picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross!
2 We deserve death, judgment, hell; but Jesus embraces all who accept His claim on their heart.
B The forgiving father didn’t even allow the wasteful son to get out of his mouth the prepared speech. 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. 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
1 The dad didn’t hesitate to give forgiveness & unconditional acceptance to his repentant son.
a He (dad) called for an immediate celebration: "quickly"
aa The best robe=the best robe came out of dad’s closet. 100% acceptance.
bb Ring on his hand=sonship
cc Sandals on his feet=he lost his sandals in the famine, Daddy gave him back what he lost!
b The goal of the son was to be just a servant at Dad’s house. Servants didn’t wear rings, best robes, sandals. The kid is back!
2 This is a picture of how God embraces every sinner that repents.
a He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. Psalms 103:10-13 (NASB)
b Preachers will preach (and singers will sing) about how they got saved because of God’s love (you weren’t saved just because God loves you!)
aa God loves the whole world, but the whole world is not saved!
bb We are saved by God’s mercy & grace, & grace is love that has paid the price.
cc It was at the cross where that love paid the price.
3 The forgiving father also teaches the church a lesson on embracing those who return after they strayed.
a The father is our example.
aa We want to keep our guard up, keep a distance.
bb The father restored immediately, God restores immediately.
b "Pastor, what if they mess up again?" Simple, we’ll deal with that then.
c You & I have been accepted into God’s family only by God’s grace & mercy by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.
aa Don’t deserve, haven’t earned, merited-through Christ I’ve been accepted.
bb There is NO reason to offer higher standards than God’s to others who seek to walk with Him.
C (IL) At the conclusion of the Civil War, reporters asked President Lincoln how he would treat the Confederate soldiers who were returning home.
1 Many people thought his words would be vindictive or harsh towards the seemingly-traitorous soldiers of the South.
2 He simply replied, "I WILL TREAT THEM AS IF THEY HAD NEVER BEEN AWAY."
a That is exactly how God treats us when we come back home.
b He puts all of our sin into a bottomless ocean and puts up a "No Fishing" sign.
Conclusion
A Jesus described what it looked like for a wayward child to come back to his father’s house (essence of the text in a sentence)
1 There is a MO for wayward children to find their way home.
a We’ve looked at how two people used the right tools to birth a homecoming.
aa Wasteful Son (Repentance)
bb Forgiving Father (Forgiveness)
b I hope you’ll be able to use the biblical tools I’ll give you to start planning a homecoming (Objective)
a Repent
b Forgive
B How will you use these tools to work toward a homecoming?
1 Back in 1830 George Wilson was convicted of robbing the US Mail & was sentenced to be hanged.
a President Andrew Jackson issued a pardon for Wilson, but he refused to accept it.
b The matter went to Chief Justice Marshall, who concluded that Wilson would have to be executed.
aa "A pardon is a slip of paper," wrote Marshall "the value of which is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned."
bb "If it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must be hanged."
2 2,000 years ago God the Son-Jesus the Christ issued a pardon...
a BUT, just like the case of George Wilson, the value of the pardon is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned...if it is refused, it is no pardon...
b God will take us or take us back...but we have to come back, first.
3 How will you use these tools to work toward a homecoming?
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Mike Fogerson
