The Best Robe

THE BEST ROBE

Lk. 15:13-24

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. An elderly woman was on a busy street corner. She was confused and hesitant to cross because of the heavy traffic.

2. Finally a gentleman came up to her and asked if he could cross the street with her. Gratefully she took his arm, but grew alarmed as he zigzagged randomly across the street, to the blare of horns and screech of locked brakes.

3. Finally on the opposite curb, she said angrily, "You almost got us killed! You walk like you're blind." "I am blind," he replied. "That's why I asked if I could cross with you!"

4. We're going to read about another instance of the blind leading the blind.

B. TEXT

“13 Not long after that, the [prodigal] son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

C. THESIS

1. The parable Jesus told about the Prodigal Son is one of the most heart-touching stories in the Bible. It’s the story of a person who chose the ways of the world over the ways of God.

2. We’re going to look at the 1). Prodigal’s Dead State, 2). His Return to His Father, and the 3). Symbolism of “the Best Robe.”

I. THE PRODIGALS “DEAD” STATE

It’s interesting that the father, in verse 24, said, “For this son of mine was DEAD & is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

A. OUR CHOICE TO SIN

1. Here is the story of a young man who decided to indulge in the pleasures of sin. He didn't care what God or his family thought of his decision. He wasn't concerned about consequences.

2. He never intended to spend all of his inheritance; he never expected he would be starving; he never planned he would be filthy and wearing rags. He only meant to have a good time!

3. But friends, sin always takes you farther than you want to go, makes you stay longer than you intended to stay, and makes you pay more than you intended to pay.

4. SIN BINDS, BLINDS, & BETRAYS. Prov. 5:22 says, "... the cords of his sin hold him fast."

B. ILLUS.: MY HARMLESS LITTLE SIN

1 Ken Henderson, a traveling merchant, came to Kennett Missouri, in July 2011, selling exotic animals.

2. He had 50 baby alligators, each the size of a pencil. Everyone in the small Missouri town was enamored of the cute reptiles. He sold a good number of them, and then moved on.

3. But a year later, the little creatures weren’t so cute; they had now grown to about 3 feet in length. They were eating several pounds of meat each day.

4. One lady who had bought two of them, was known to take them out for walks on leashes. She thought they were harmless, until they started jumping toward her and snapping at her hands and arms. [Houston Chronicle, A4, "Gators as pets prove to be a pain." April 7, 2012]

5. It's the same with sin. It looks harmless at first; you can't see how it could hurt you. But in time its true nature begins to take control, and what you thought you could control, soon grows into a life-threatening danger, not only to you, but everyone around you.