When Adults Go Wild

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.