Well, thank you, Peter.
And thank you, Christy and Michael, for sharing with us.
It's just so great to hear about how God is working in people's lives,
and what he's doing, and how he is not a dead God, but he is a living God.
And great as well to hear Starkey's current relationship status as well.
Fantastic.
Why don't we turn back to this passage, folks?
It's a brilliant chapter in the Bible, Luke chapter 15.
And we're going to spend just a few minutes now looking at this together.
So why don't you turn there, if you've got it in front of you.
And let me pray as we come to look at this passage together.
Let's pray.
Father God, we thank you so much for this special morning,
and the joy of hearing stories about how you are living,
and how you continue to transform lives up and down the face of this planet.
And so, Lord God, we ask that you continue to do that now as we look at your words, the Bible.
Would you give us ears to listen?
Would you give us eyes to see?
Would you give us minds to grasp who you really are?
So this is our prayer made in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So just as we come to this passage this morning,
I want to tell you a story about a man I was reading about this week.
And this man, in 1962, goes with his guitar and his three friends to a recording studio.
And he performs in front of a producer,
one of the first ever music editions that he's played in his life.
And once he and his friends had finished playing in front of this producer,
they asked the record producer what he thought of them.
And he replied,
We don't like your boy's sound.
Groups are out.
Four-piece groups, especially with guitars, are finished.
Turn to your neighbor for ten seconds.
Who do you think was the man and who was the group?
Go for it.
Okay, that'll do.
Give me a couple of shouts.
Who do we think?
Who was that?
Who's the man?
The Beatles.
It was Paul McCartney,
and it was the Beatles performing one of their first ever editions.
That guy's kicking himself.
He missed out on the Beatles.
So my question this morning to you as we come to this passage is,
has there ever been a time in your life where you've got someone completely wrong?
And as we come to this passage this morning,
are you in life at the minute misunderstanding who God is?
Let's put it in the language of this passage here.
Have you got right the Father this morning?
You see, Jesus tells this story in Luke 5.
He tells this parable,
which is really an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
That's what a parable is.
And he doesn't just fling it out there in public.
He tells this story to a watching and a listening crowd.
And if you've got your Bibles there,
you'll see who's in this crowd at verse 1 of chapter 15.
There are two groups of people in this crowd.
On the one hand,
we've got tax collectors and sinners.
We have the despised and the most hated of society.
They're listening to this story.
And on the other hand,
we have the Pharisees and the scribes.
We've got the religious elite and the top of society.
And what is happening as Jesus tells this story?
What are the bad doing?
They are drawing near to Jesus.
They're drawing and they're coming near to Jesus.
And these squeaky clean people over here are looking at these people,
drawing near to Jesus.
And they're saying,
Jesus, why on earth are you interested in these people?
Why are you hanging out with these people?
He can't seriously,
he cannot seriously,
John McEnroe style.
He cannot seriously be telling me that God is concerned with these types of people.
Well, you see,
we need to know what Jesus knows about this crowd.
That there's people in this crowd who have got God completely wrong.
Question to you,
have you got God wrong this morning?
You see,
this parable that Jesus tells to this crowd,
it centers on a family home.
And it centers particularly around a father.
Okay,
he's the main character in this story.
And the big question of the parable is,
what is the father like?
What is he like?
What is his heart?
What is he about?
What is he in the business of?
What is he doing?
This father,
he's got two sons.
And we meet the two sons in this parable.
And the question is,
what do the sons,
the two sons,
understand about their father?
Well,
you see,
at verse 12,
we get son number one,
the younger of the sons.
Now,
what is he like?
Well,
he loves the high life.
He loves the expensive suits.
He loves the clothes.
He loves the parties.
He loves the razzle dazzle.
But what do you lack?
He lacks two things.
He lacks,
firstly,
the money to make that happen.
And secondly,
he lacks the freedom
to make that happen.
So what does he do?
He goes to the father,
his father,
and he says,
father,
do you notice what he says?
He doesn't ask him,
have you got any spare change?
He doesn't ask him for a tenner.
What he says to his dad is,
dad,
I'd be so grateful.
If effectively,
you could play dead.
I'd love it if you could die,
because if you're dead,
and we act like you're dead,
I can get the inheritance money
that is coming to me.
And I'll be honest with you,
I don't want to wait
for that inheritance money.
I want it now.
In other words,
dad,
I'm not interested in you.
Not interested in you,
but I'm very interested
in the stuff
I can get from you.
Who does this son,
number one,
understand his father to be?
His father is nothing
but an inconvenience.
His father is nothing
but a killjoy.
He's a means to an end.
How he understands
understands and views
the world
is that true joy
is to be found
away from the father
and true satisfaction
is to be found
in living a life
of pleasure and party
that can only be found
in running
as far away
from his father
as is possible.
Is that how you see
the father this morning?
You know,
C.S. Lewis,
in his book,
Surprised by Joy,
he talks about
his conversion
to Christianity
and he talks about
what his thinking of God
was before his conversion
to Christianity
and he writes that
Christianity
had at its center
a giant interferer.
Do you see what he's saying?
That God just,
he just got in the way
of stuff.
He was prohibiting me
from doing things.
Is that how you understand
the father this morning?
You see,
son number one,
he's got his father
all wrong.
But his father,
he gives him
what he's asking for.
The father,
what does he do
in this passage?
He divides his property.
Now the Greek word there
tells us that it's more
than he just writes a check
and has it to his son.
The father here
is literally said
to divide himself
over this request
from his son.
Do you see what he's saying?
Jesus is telling the story
and telling us
that this father
is heartbroken
over this request
from his son.
And the son,
well,
he takes his father's money
and he beats it out of there
as fast as he can
and he goes on the gap yards
of all gap yards.
Doesn't he?
He parties.
Every round at the bar
is on him.
Every photo he posts
on Facebook,
he's surrounded by friends.
This guy's living the life.
But what happens?
Well,
the money runs out
and those newfound friends
that he thought he had,
they were nowhere to be seen.
And exactly how he treated
the father,
that he was interested
in his stuff,
not him,
that's exactly how
these newfound friends
have treated him.
They want his stuff,
not him.
And to survive,
what does he have to do?
Well,
he's a Jewish boy
and in this passage
he makes himself
a slave to a Gentile
and a Gentile pig farmer.
I mean,
this is the ultimate
humiliation
for this son,
number one.
Verse 17,
he comes to his senses
and he decides
that he is better off
at home.
So you can picture it
in your head.
He's making the long journey home
with the cap
well and truly
in his hand.
And he's no doubt
thinking to himself
in his mind
as he returns home
a failure,
he understands,
not a success.
He returns home
no career,
no Ferrari,
just ripped clothes,
an empty stomach
and a catalogue
of regrets
and mistakes.
So when he gets home
and his father sees
that he's blown it
big time,
all this money
that the father gave him
to start with
is just gone,
how is the father
going to react?
Do you see how he rehearses
this speech
in his head?
You ever done that
with your dad?
You should do it
plenty of times
before I gave him
my report card.
Rehearsed the speech
in my head
again and again.
How is the father
going to react
to this running
rebel of a son?
We know what
son number one deserves.
The listeners of this parable
know what son number one
deserves.
Hey, even son number one
knows what son number one
deserves.
The question is,
how will the father
react to this running
rebel?
Well, verse 20.
The camera pans
from looking at son number one
to looking at the father.
And I just want us
to see two words
this morning
that Jesus uses
to describe the father.
How does this father
feel towards his son?
Verse 20.
Compassion.
What is the father
doing here?
The father is looking.
The father is longing.
The father is loving.
And when he sees his son
in the distance,
he runs to meet him
and greets him.
Not with a handshake.
Not with a fist pump.
Not with a nod
of appreciation.
He meets him
with a loving embrace.
He runs to his son
to greet him
and he kisses him
and he throws his arms
around him.
Now, we have to say
that is very strange behavior.
not just for a male
but for a Jewish male
in this time.
Do you see how the father
makes himself undignified
because of how much
he loves his son?
My son who is lost
is now found.
Now, what does that lead to?
Second word for us to see
at verse 23.
The father celebrates.
Celebrates.
The father is joyous.
The father is lavish.
The father sings
and he dances
for the son of his
who was dead
is now alive.
Who is this father?
He is the longing looker.
He is the loving seeker.
He is the one
who celebrates
when lost people are found.
He is the one
who rejoices
when dead people
are declared alive.
What is the message
to the crowd
that are hearing
the story from Jesus?
That this is how
God feels
when lost men
and women
turn and repent
of their sins
and run towards God
for forgiveness
and mercy.
This is how God feels.
All people,
no matter how bad
you think they are,
all people,
no matter how good
you think they are,
the father is looking
for these lost people
to come to their senses
and see that they are lost
and to run to him
for forgiveness
and mercy,
to come to him
and receive life
and joy.
This is what the father's like.
He's full of compassion
and grace.
Have you got the father
wrong this morning?
How do you
understand him?
Are you like
son number one?
Do you believe
the lie
that a complete
and a joyful life
is found
in living life
away from him,
not with him?
The question
to this crowd
and to us
this morning
is
how will the younger
brothers
in the crowd
react
as they see
themselves
in this character
and as they see
the character
of who the father is?
There's son number one.
There's another son
in the story.
What about him?
What's he doing?
Well, he's in the field.
He's at home
and verse 25
he hears the commotion
that's going on inside
and he finds out
that lo and behold
son number one
is back.
The arrogant traveler
he's returned.
But here is the square
that he can't quite
circle in his mind.
If my brother
has returned
a failure
then why are we
celebrating like
he's returned
a success?
You see
the older brother
wants a seat
at the front row
of his brother's
public humiliation
party
not at the front row
of his public
celebration
welcome home party.
and the father
the father
hears of this
and he goes
to number two
son
and he pleads
with him
saying son
listen
your brother
has returned
you should be
inside
celebrating
with me
and with us.
Don't stare here
in the cold
come on in
and celebrate.
not a chance
says the older brother
not a chance
are you kidding me
after what he did
that he's going to
swan in here
and we're going to
pretend like nothing's
happened
is that what's
going on here?
Who does son
number two
understand his
father to be?
Well look how he
describes how he
understands that
relationship at
verse 29
all these years
father
what does he say
I have what?
I have slaved
for you
all these years
I have
what does he say
I have obeyed
your orders
who does son
number two
understand the
father to be?
Someone to be
tolerated
and someone
with whom you
keep up appearances
with
certainly not
somebody to be
enjoyed
because I
tolerate you
father
because I
perform for you
father
because I
obey you
father
that means
father
that I
deserve to be
treated better
than those who
don't tolerate
and perform
and obey
you
you see son
number one
well he had
the father way
wrong
son number two
equally got the
father way
wrong
what's son
number two's
problem?
Well he's got a
hard heart
he may well be
right up close
to the father
proximity wise
but his heart
is a million
miles away
from understanding
who he truly
is
I wonder if
that's some
of us this
morning
you know your
relationship with
the father
if you had to
describe it
it would be
much better
described along
the lines of
slave language
than it would
of son
language
you know we
might have been
going to church
all these years
we might have
been attending
the Christian
union at
university
all these years
we might have
been blessed
to live
and grow up
in a Christian
family
and still live
there all
these years
but the truth
of it is
that we do
not have a
clue who the
father really
is
and our
relationship to
him well it's
based on our
merit before him
rather than on
his mercy to
us
and how does
that show
itself
how does that
manifest itself
well it shows
itself in a
hard heart
that looks
down on
people
and categorizes
them
as not
worthy
or worthy
that's certainly
a proportion of
this crowd
that Jesus
is talking
to
and I wonder
if it's a
proportion of
us this
morning
let me ask
you again
if you got
the father
wrong this
morning
it's interesting
isn't it
that as we
come to the
end of this
story that
we're not
told how
some number
two responds
I mean this
is a deliberate
cliffhanger from
the master
storyteller of
all storytellers
Jesus Christ
so how will
the older
brothers in
the crowd
and how will
the older
brothers here
this morning
respond as
they see
themselves in
his character
and as they
see the
character of
the father
displayed in
front of him
he got God
wrong this
morning
well as we
close see that
there's a third
son in this
parable
you say where's
the third son
in this parable
well he's there
we remember
that the guy
who's telling
this story
Jesus Christ
is himself
a son
not an
imaginary one
but a real
son and if
we take a
step back
from the
story
we need to
consider that
he himself
is a son
he's God's
own son
God's own
son who
left his
father's
heavenly house
and who
left it to
go and
search out
those who
are lost
he left it
to go and
seek out and
to save
those who
are running
because where
does this story
come in the
context the
bigger picture
of Luke's
gospel
we're chapter
15 here
well Jesus
tells this
story on his
way to
Jerusalem
the place
where he
goes to
offer his
life willfully
and obediently
to his
father
the place
where he
goes to
take the
sin of
running
rebels
like you
and like
me
on himself
you see
God
the father
hasn't just
swept sin
under the
carpet
he doesn't
just pretend
and close his
eyes like it's
not there
he's dealt
with it
you see
the father's
grace to
running rebels
like us
it's free
but don't
misunderstand
that it's
cheap
this is what
son number
three has
come to do
through costly
grace and
great humiliation
provide a way
for running
rebels like us
to come
and be made
whole with
God
to come
and be
reconciled
to God
the father
that's what
he's come
to do
that's the
business he's
employed in
just as much
as just as
much today
as it was
true then
you see in
that sense
Jesus is not
just the one
son who
gets the
father
absolutely
right
but he is
the one
who perfectly
shows us
what the
father is
like
and to be
honest I
think in
this parable
he probably
is the
father
that's the
consistent theme
we've heard in
the testimonies
this morning
isn't it
that Jesus
is the great
seeker and
finder of the
lost
that Jesus
sought me
out and he
saved me
when I wasn't
looking for him
in fact when I
was running
from him
he came
looking for me
and rescued
me back
I don't
deserve to be
called a son
or daughter
but he
makes me
into one
and he
has made
a way
for me
to come
and be
welcomed
into the
father's
house
so the
call this
morning is
for younger
brothers
and for
older
brothers
to get
the father
right
and to be
made right
with the
father
to come
and through
Jesus Christ
enter the
grand and
great grace
celebration of
prodigals
welcomed
home
let me
pray
and then
let's
get dunking
oh our
father
we thank
you
we thank
you
thank you
that we
read in
your word
the bible
that you
are in
the business
of showing
outrageous
grace
to running
rebels
and lord
our prayer
is that you
would help
us to know
you rightly
this week
and we
pray these
things in
Jesus name
amen