The Rebellious Son Series

THE REBELLIOUS SON

A. An ACCUSATION brought against Jesus more than any other was: "He is a FRIEND of SINNERS!"

1. Luke 15:1-2 (READ and COMMENT)

ILLUSTRATION:

A lump must have SWELLED in the throat of Jesus and tears WELLED in His eyes. Before Him were people from all walks of life: TAX-COLLECTORS, PROSTITUTES, THIEVES, LIARS, SABBATH-BREAKERS, people who were SHUNNED, FORSAKEN, RIDICULED people who were like "SHEEP without a SHEPHERD."

Of course, in that same CROWD were the SELF-RIGHTEOUS, SELF-PROMOTING, "HOLIER-THAN-THOU" Pharisees who did nothing to HELP these SINNERS, only OSTRACIZE them. Now they CRITICIZE and BELITTLE Jesus because He received those SINNERS.

Why would these people come to Jesus? He was an ITINERANT PREACHER, the son of a poor carpenter, what could He possibly bring to these people? Why wouldn’t they go to the Pharisees, they were the RELIGIOUS LEADERS?

They did go to the Pharisees, but left SPIRITUALLY BUTCHERED. Here we see people PRESSING around Jesus that they might hear Him. They were thirsting for GRACE and HOPE, none of which they received from the Pharisees. Jesus gave them exactly what they came for--GRACE and HOPE.

2. Jesus came to REVEAL God, God’s AMAZING GRACE, the REVELATION that God will RUN to FORGIVE and SAVE.

B. The PRODIGAL SON is a story we’ve heard many times.

1. It is the GOSPEL in miniature.

a. It speaks of the FALL of man and the FORGIVENESS of God.

b. It is the AMAZING GRACE in one chapter.

2. Although we call this the parable of the PRODIGAL SON, in reality it should be called the parable of the FORGIVING FATHER. That is where the EMPHASIS is.

C. Today we will study about the REBELLIOUS SON, next week about the FORGIVING FATHER, and then the third week about the COMPLAINING BROTHER.

MESSAGE:

I. TRAGEDY IN THE DISTANT COUNTRY- Luke 15:11-16 (READ)

A. This story begins with the younger son’s REBELLION against his father.

1. He comes to his father and says, "You know the INHERITANCE that belongs to me; I want it NOW!"

a. The tragedy with this young son is that he wanted what his FATHER had, but didn’t want his FATHER.

b. This is the PHILOSOPHY of today.

COMMENT:

Modern Americans want LOVE without MARRIAGE. Man wants FREEDOM without RESPONSIBILITY. We want people to GIVE to us without our SERVING them. There are some Christians who want CHURCH BENEFITS without the CHURCH. There are even those who want FORGIVENESS without REPENTANCE and OBEDIENCE!

2. Notice that the FATHER didn’t ARGUE with his son, but gave to him what he asked.

COMMENT:

As difficult as it might be for us to understand, when someone THREATENS to LEAVE Jesus Christ, sometimes the best thing to do is to PRAYERFULLY step aside.

There are some people who are just HARD-HEADED. They have to learn the lesson of the PIG-PEN for themselves. Your WARNINGS, regardless of how STERN and how SINCERE, mean nothing. They have to experience the SEPARATION--the LOSTNESS--for themselves.

B. The younger son takes his MONEY, packs his BAG, and goes off to a DISTANT COUNTRY.

1. When the son went out the DOOR he really didn’t leave HOME, he LEFT his FATHER.

a. He SEPARATED himself from the one who LOVED him more than anything, and in so doing he became LOST!

COMMENT:

Although this is a story of GRACE and HOPE, I must also talk about one being LOST and CUT-OFF from the Father. If we FAIL to talk about LOSTNESS we can’t understand God’s GRACE.

b. When the son WALKED away from the FATHER, he became LOST.

2. The DISTANT COUNTRY always brings SEPARATION and DESTRUCTION.

a. It appears different from the way it really is.

b. The devil’s picture of the DISTANT COUNTRY is altogether different from God’s.

COMMENT:

The devil presents the DISTANT COUNTRY as an ADVENTURE with THRILLS, FUN, and LAUGHTER. The young son soon discovered the "DISTANT COUNTRY" is another name for the "PIG PEN". But he didn’t know that at the time when he PACKED his BAGS and LEFT.

3. This is the TRAGEDY of the DISTANT COUNTRY, it’s DANGERS are not evident until it’s too late.

a. The younger son did not leave his FATHER and his HOME to become the "World’s Worst Sinner".

b. On the contrary! He left thinking, "Don’t WORRY about me. I’ll be all right. I can take care of myself!" He would have VEHEMENTLY denied the PIG PEN ENDING. "It will NEVER happen to me. Just wait and see!"

COMMENT:

The son may not have intended to go off into the DISTANT COUNTRY and give his life over to SIN, but that’s exactly what happened. He left himself VULNERABLE to the TRAPS Satan places out in the WORLD. When we PULL AWAY from our Heavenly Father Satan is always there ready to TAKE US IN, and his WAY always leads to DESTRUCTION.