Please take your copy of God's Word, which I hope that you have with you, that it's well read and treasured in your heart, and turn with me to the book of Luke chapter 15.
If you've been part of our fellowship for very long, it might be a little unsettling to you that we're turning to the middle of a book of the Bible.
Well, as last week we concluded our, I think, 59 sermon study of the book of Acts. We started in February of 2016 and finished up last week.
Many people have asked me, what's next? Where are we headed? What are we doing? So I'm going to tell you that.
I'll give you the plan, at least the penciled-in plan for the rest of the year, so you can take a couple deep breaths and just enjoy being here with us on Sunday mornings and hearing God's Word exposited as we study it together.
So today and the next two weeks, we're going to look at chapter 15 of Luke. It's been three weeks on the story of the prodigal son.
The five following weeks, we're going to do a topical exposition of the five solas of the Reformation.
So we're headed up to 500th year anniversary. You heard me telling that to the children earlier.
The five solas were kind of like the banner cries of the Reformation.
And I want to be really clear, just as a little primer to looking to that in just a couple of weeks,
that Christianity did not begin with the Reformation.
It began much, much further before that.
And there were groups of people that managed, right?
The truth of God went forth and managed to skirt even around what the Reformers were reforming from.
But we don't want to neglect our family history, right?
And the Reformation is part of that.
We stand on the shoulders of many of the Reformers who helped, in large measure, recapture biblical doctrine for us.
And so the solas help us to think about those things.
A sola, if you're not aware, is Latin, and it means only.
So those five solas are sola scriptura, only scripture.
Sola gratia, only grace.
Sola fide, only faith.
Sola Christus, only Christ.
And soli deo gloria, to God alone be the glory.
And so you can think of it in these terms.
By scripture alone do we know that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.
So we'll spend five weeks on the solas.
Four weeks beyond that, we're just going to do some various text and topics, likely from the Psalms.
And then the rest of the year, as we've done in many years past, we'll preach through the Advent candle themes.
We're not preaching candles, but they're hope, joy, peace, love, Christ.
And we light those candles together, leading up to keeping our minds fixed on why we celebrate Christmas.
And we'll open up texts that speak of those various privileges we have in Christ and exposit through them.
So that's where we're going across the rest of the year.
But today we are in Luke chapter 15.
And I'm going to read the entire chapter for our benefit before we narrow in on verses 11 through 19 this morning.
But all of it carries together.
So I want to read it all to you probably over the next few weeks as well.
We'll read it together at the beginning and then we'll narrow in on some verses from the text.
Before I read, I want to remind you that this is God's word to us, that it was written for his glory and for our good.
And as such, we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
Beginning in verse 1 of Luke chapter 15.
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to Jesus.
And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying,
This man receives sinners and eats with them.
So he told them this parable.
What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them,
does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the one that is lost until he finds it?
And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them,
Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.
Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin,
does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?
And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying,
Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.
Just so I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
And he said,
There was a man who had two sons.
And the younger of them said to his father,
Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.
And he divided his property between them.
Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had
and took a journey into a far country,
and there squandered his property in reckless living.
And when he had spent everything,
a severe famine arose in that country,
and he began to be in need.
So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country
who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate,
and no one gave him anything.
But when he came to himself, he said,
How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread,
but I perish here with hunger?
I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
Treat me as one of your hired servants.
And he arose and came to his father.
But while he was still a long way off,
his father saw him and felt compassion,
and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
And the son said to him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
But the father said to his servants,
Bring quickly the best robe and put it on him,
and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet,
and bring the fattened calf and kill it,
and let us eat and celebrate.
For this my son was dead and is alive again.
He was lost and is found.
And they began to celebrate.
Now his older son was in the field,
and as he came and drew near to the house,
he heard music and dancing.
And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
And he said to him,
Your brother has come,
and your father has killed the fattened calf,
because he has received him back safe and sound.
But he was angry and refused to go in.
His father came out and entreated him.
But he answered his father,
Look, these many years I have served you,
and I have never disobeyed your command,
yet you never gave me a young goat
that I might celebrate with my friends.
But when this son of yours came,
who has devoured your property with prostitutes,
you killed the fattened calf for him.
And he said to him,
Son, you are always with me,
and all that is mine is yours.
It was fitting to celebrate and be glad,
for this your brother was dead and is alive.
He was lost and is found.
The contemporary pastor and commentator,
John MacArthur,
has called the story of the prodigal son
the greatest short story ever told.
I agree.
This story has been often cited,
and it exists in the collective consciousness
of our culture.
You will hear,
and if you haven't already been aware of this,
you will begin to hear mention of the story
of the prodigal son in all sorts of places.
But,
this story is often misunderstood.
It is my prayer that over the next couple of weeks,
we will arrive at a clearer understanding
of its meaning
as we study it together.
This story is primarily told by Jesus
in order to address
the attitudes of the religious elite,
who Luke tells us about
at the beginning of chapter 15.
Verse 2 says,
And the Pharisees and scribes grumbled.
Those lawyers and those of this elite class
called the Pharisees.
And what did they say?
This man receives sinners
and eats with them.
So in response,
Luke records what Jesus said.
Verse 3,
that he told them this parable,
and then continues.
Verse 8,
Or what woman?
And then without skipping a beat,
to verse 11.
And he said,
There was a man who had two sons.
So we need to see
that it connects back
to the very beginning of chapter 15
and this conflict that's going on
and this type of judgmentalism
that the Pharisees and the scribes have
for Jesus,
who is gathering
with those who need to hear
the good news
of the coming kingdom of God.
Now as we look at
any of Jesus' parables,
but I think particularly this one,
there's a great temptation
to allegorize the parables,
to make everything in the text
take on some complex symbolic meaning.
If you just have some time to kill,
go search for explanations of symbolism
and the prodigal son.
You will find some crazy explanations
out there.
We need to be really careful
across these three weeks
to see that Jesus is driving
a solitary point.
He's heading us to
a particular thing
that he wants us
to understand.
And that is this.
He is juxtaposing
the attitudes of the Pharisees
and the scribes
with the rejoicing of heaven
over lost souls
being found.
That's what the drive is.
The rejoicing
of heaven
and therefore
the need for our rejoicing
in the lost being found.
We need to keep this in mind
as we consider the story
of the prodigal son.
It sits within a chapter of parables
with an even larger
cultural reality.
And we need to do some faithful work
to understand its meaning
and bearing on us today.
So, I'm going to break
across these next three weeks
the characters out.
So, we're going to look
at the younger son
who we'll call the prodigal
the prodigal son
the father
and then the eldest son
who we'll see
as really the point
of the story
this attitude
of the eldest son.
But for today
we'll look at the
youngest son
the younger of the two
and with fair ease
as we look at the prodigal
we can find ourselves
in him.
In some measure.
The word prodigal
means licentious
or lavish.
It's not a word
we tend to use very often
unless you hear it
in reference
to this particular story.
Or as the ESV translation
puts it
as I'm reading from
in verse 13
reckless.
Luke records
the ESV text
that he went
and squandered
his inheritance
and reckless living.
The prodigal son
is prodigal
he is reckless
in his sin
in his rebellion
against his father.
Now there are various
stages in the history
of a sinner.
And this is true
of the prodigal
and these stages
are worth noting
in this text
for our benefit.
This is especially
important for you
this morning
if you have not
believed
in Jesus Christ.
To take a look
at the stages
these history stages
in the life
of the prodigal.
But if you have believed
do not think
that a careful
consideration
of who you
once were
is a fruitless
effort.
It is always
good
to remember
the grace of God
to us
in Jesus Christ.
For me to remember
that I was once
prodigal
but that I have been
restored
to my father.
To be reminded
of what we were
saved from
makes us revel
in who
we have been
saved to.
So let's do that
together
in the following
outlines.
Here is the outline
for this morning
and then I will
go back to it.
Number one
independence
from God.
Number two
indulgence
of self.
And number three
insanity
of soul.
So these are the
stages
in this history
of the sinner
that we can
observe here
in the text
of the
prodigal son.
And then
fourthly
for those of us
who are in Christ
who have been
justified before God
we can readily
relate with this
fourth step
and I hope
that this will be
a true step
for each and
every one of us
repentance
and faith.
So number one
independence
from God.
Verses 11 and 12
and he said
there was a man
who had two sons
and the younger
of them said
to his father
father give me
the share of property
that is coming to me
and he divided
his property
between them.
We first learn
of a man
who has two sons.
Inheritance
in Jesus' day
was governed
by the law
of primogenitor.
You don't have
to remember that word
but there it is
for you right
this law
that governed
the way
in which
inheritance
was handed
down
and it was
strictly adhered
to.
The eldest son
under this law
received a double
portion of the
inheritance
which means
in the case
of two sons
that the older
son would receive
two thirds
of the inheritance
and the younger
one third.
You get to learn
math on Sunday
mornings as well.
Upon the request
of his inheritance
the father
not only grants
the younger brother
what he asked
for but also
the older
he also grants
it.
It says
and he divided
his property
between them.
The fact
that he does
this bears
a great deal
of significance
later on.
This morning
what we need
to understand
about the
prodigal's request
is that it
was audacious.
Under this law
of inheritance
the inheritance
was only granted
upon the death
of the father.
There was no
pre-granting
of inheritance
under the law.
So the younger
son in requesting
his inheritance
was wishing
his father
dead.
So remember
Jesus is talking
to the Pharisees
and the scribes
as he's telling
this story
and this is their
first gasping
moment in the
telling of this
thing right out
of the gate.
Greatest short
story ever told.
They are in awe.
How could a son
ask such a thing
of his father?
I wish
you were dead.
Give me
what is
mine.
And this is
the nature
of sin.
Rejection
of God's
good
loving
rule.
The pastor
John Piper
once defined
sin like this.
Sin is
the glory
of God
not honored
the holiness
of God
not reverenced
the greatness
of God
not admired
the power
of God
not praised
the truth
of God
not sought
the wisdom
of God
not esteemed
the beauty
of God
not treasured
the goodness
of God
not savored
the faithfulness
of God
not trusted
the promise
of God
not believed
the commandments
of God
not obeyed
the justice
of God
not respected
the wrath
of God
not feared
the grace
of God
not cherished
the presence
of God
not prized
and the person
of God
not loved
in our sin
we say
to God
I wish
you were
dead
and we can
observe the
prodigal's expression
of sin
in the very
first
sin
found in
Genesis
chapter 3
and I begin
reading in verse 1
now the serpent
was more crafty
than any other
beast of the field
that the Lord God
had made
he said to the woman
did God
actually say
you shall not eat
of any tree
in the garden
and the woman
said to the serpent
we may eat
of the fruit
of the trees
in the garden
but God said
you shall not
eat of the fruit
of the tree
that is in the midst
of the garden
neither shall you
touch it
lest you die
and here's the
crafty deception
verse 4
but the serpent
said to the woman
woman
you will not
surely die
for God knows
that when you
eat of it
your eyes
will be opened
and you will be
like God
knowing
good and evil
what was the
deception
of the devil
that Adam and Eve
could themselves
be
gods
Adam and Eve
in their
very first
sin
the start
of all
of our
problems
was that they
wanted God
dead
they themselves
wanted to be
God
verse 6
says
so when the
woman saw
the tree
was good
for food
and that it
was a delight
to the eyes
and that the
tree was to be
desired to make
one wise
she took of
its fruit
and ate
and she
she also
gave some
to her
husband
who was
with her
and he
ate
Adam and Eve
said to their
father
God
father
give us the
share of
property
that is
coming to us
they wished
God
dead
they sought
independence
from God
and his
good rule
over them
just as the
prodigal son
desired independence
from his
father
as this should
be a shock
to us
it should be
if you're not
feeling that
as a shock
I pray that
God would
stir in your
heart
recognize
the offense
of sin
as it should
be a shock
to us
that the
younger son
would ask
that it
would have
been even
greater
to Jesus
listeners
in a culture
where honor
was massively
important
and the
fifth command
and honor
your father
and mother
was not
only part
of the
moral law
but also
the
judicial
law
this request
was more
than just
a little
scandalous
listen to
the law
found in
Deuteronomy
chapter 21
verses 18
through 21
this is
the command
against rebellious
children
children you
should listen
to this
if a man
is a
stubborn
and rebellious
son who
will not
obey the
voice of
his father
or the
voice of
his mother
and though
they discipline
him will not
listen to
them
then his
father and
mother shall
take hold
of him
and bring
him out
to the
elders of
his city
at the
gate
of the
place
where he
lives
and they
shall say
to the
elders
of his
city
this our
son is
stubborn
and rebellious
he will
not obey
our voice
he is a
glutton
and a
drunkard
then all
the men
of the
city
shall stone
him to
death
with stones
so you
shall purge
the evil
from your
midst
and all
israel
shall hear
and fear
so the
command to
obey your
father and
mother was
serious
and god
meant it
when he
said it
so in
this culture
insolence
was a
serious
infraction
young people
you did not
get to yell
I hate you
and slam
the door
to your
room
and your
parents just
don't know
how they
lost you
as a
friend
you were
meant to
honor your
mother and
your father
and while the
instruction of
Deuteronomy 21
was rarely
followed
please know
that
very few
sons were
stoned to
death
because they
knew what
was coming
to them
if they
weren't
obedient
a son
like the
prodigal
would be
publicly
shamed
and disowned
here however
what does the
father do
he does
something
that's so
surprising
and again
we don't
understand it
as a
culture
but what
does the
father do
instead of
public
shaming
him
and disowning
him
the father
divides his
property
between them
gives them
exactly what
he asked
for
we have
sought
the same
we have
said
to God
in our
willful
rebellion
against
God's
good
instruction
whether we
know it
from the
pages of
scripture
or whether
just the
law that's
written on
our hearts
we have
all rebelled
against God
and wished
him dead
we have
all sought
independence
from our
good father
we have
all wanted
ourselves
to be
gods
so this
is a
stage in
the history
of every
sinner as
we see it
in the stage
of the
prodigal
independence
is a desire
for independence
from God
but secondly
we see another
stage
we see the
indulgence
of self
just in
verse 13
we see that
not many
days later
the younger
son gathered
all he had
and took a
journey into
a far
country
and there
he squandered
his property
in reckless
living
so the
son leaves
which appears
to have been
his plan
all along
as Jesus
states
not many
days
later
the son
took a
couple of
days
to liquidate
his inheritance
to take all
of the things
that have been
given to him
the livestock
and the land
to liquidate
it
into
transportable
cash
needed to
take it
with him
recall that
Jesus is
speaking to
this Jewish
audience
so the
statement
that the
son took
a journey
into a
far country
while to
us that
just sounds
like well
he took
a trip
would have
been
understood
to be a
journey
to
Gentile
lands
again
the next
gasping
moment
for his
listeners
to Jesus
listeners
there is a
compounding
audacity
of the
son
going to
live
among
unclean
people
to carry
out
unclean
motives
recall that
people in
Jesus'
day when
they returned
to Jerusalem
would go
straight to
the temple
to be
cleansed
of the
uncleanliness
of Gentile
lands
so this is
an audacious
thing
that this
young man
has gone
to do
he takes
the inheritance
that the
father granted
him
and he
spends it
on himself
he spends
it on
his
desires
we find
out from
the older
son
later in
the text
that he
spends it
on
prostitutes
he does
not seek
to do
good with
it
but rather
indulges
his
every
whim
earlier
in Luke's
narrative
we find
this in
chapter 12
you may
want to
turn there
with me
to verse
13
Luke
records
another
parable
that
similarly
drives
at this
point
being
made
verse 13
Luke
records
someone in
the crowd
said to
him
teacher
tell my
brother
to divide
the inheritance
with me
we can
presume
that the
inheritance
has been
granted
at this
point
the father
has
died
but Jesus
says to
him
man
who made
me a
judge
or
arbiter
over
you
and then
he says
to them
perceiving
the motivation
of this
young man
take care
and be on
your guard
against all
covetousness
for one's
life does
not consist
in the
abundance
of his
possessions
and he
told them
a parable
saying
the land
of a
rich
man
produced
plentifully
and he
thought to
himself
what shall
I do
for I
have
nowhere
to store
my
crops
and he
said
I
will
do
this
I
will
tow
down
my
barns
and build
larger
ones
and there
I
will
store
all
my
grain
and my
goods
and I
will
say to
my soul
soul
you have
ample goods
laid up for
many years
relax
eat
drink
be
merry
but God
so
the
sinner
indulges
in
self
right
and
and not
just
financially
although
that's
what we
see
this
young
man
doing
right
but in
everything
they seek
their
own
pleasure
not the glory
of God
or the good
of their
fellow
man
and we
have all
been selfish
in this
way
seeking our
good
seeking our
gain
seeking our
pleasure
right
we've rejected
God
we want to live in
independence from
him
and we have
indulged the
sinfulness
of our
flesh
Paul
writes to
Titus
in Titus
3
for we
ourselves
were once
foolish
disobedient
led astray
slaves to
various passions
and pleasures
passing our
days in
malice and
envy
hated by
others
and hating
one another
so we
did see the
stage in the
history of
this young
man
indulging
the self
and we
have all
been and
are still
at times
guilty
of the
very same
third
stage we
see
is
insanity
of soul
verses
14
through 16
and when
he had
spent
everything
a severe
famine arose
in that
country
and he
began
to be
in need
just as
an aside
this is a
parable
clearly
so Jesus
is just
telling the
story
so we
don't
as I
said
before
we
don't
want to
extrapolate
too much
out of
it
but
had
this
happened
I
would
just
like
to
suggest
that
this
famine
the
severe
famine
was a
providence
of God
for the
benefit
of this
young
man
so the
severe
famine
arise
in the
country
he has
nothing
left
and he
begins
to be
in need
verse
15
so he
went
and
hired
himself
out
to
one
of
the
citizens
of
that
country
who
sent
him
into
his
fields
to
feed
pigs
and he
was
longing
to be
fed
with
the
pods
that
the
pigs
ate
and no
one
gave
him
anything
so Jesus
next
tells us
here
the
young
man
spent
all
of
his
inheritance
and
found
himself
in
a
desperate
spot
as
there's
a
famine
in
the
land
and
they
are
fleeting
we
don't
know
how
long
he
spends
in
the
land
in
Jesus
parable
right
but
it
doesn't
seem
to be
very
long
right
in
reckless
living
he
spends
it
all
and
finds
himself
in
a
desperate
place
the
author
of
the
book
of
Hebrews
tells
us
in
Hebrews
11
25
that
Moses
chose
rather
to be
mistreated
with
the
people
of
God
than
to
enjoy
the
fleeting
pleasures
!
He
experiences
the
temporal
pleasure
of
sin
in
a
very
stark
way
He
ventures
rapidly
from
reckless
living
to
abject
poverty
and
his
sin
has
placed
him
in
a
dreadful
spot
If
you
have
not
believed
in
Christ
I
pray
that
you
would
repent
and
believe
before
you
find
yourself
in
such
a
place
The
prodigal
becomes
a
keeper
of
pigs
which
I
think
to
us
has
some
resonation
sounds
kind
of
horrible
to
me
but
it
would
have
been
additionally
shocking
to
Jesus
Jewish
hearers
remember
to
the
Jews
in
this
day
and
now
for
many
the
pig
was
an
unclean
animal
so
not
only
is
he
in
an
unclean
land
doing
unclean
things
now
he's
caring
for
he's
the
caretaker
of
an
unclean
animal
the
prodigal
is
further
forsaking
his
father
and
his
nationality
and
he's
become
so
desperately
hungry
that
he
desires
to
eat
something
that
could
never
satisfy
Jesus
said
he
was
longing
to
be
fed
with
the
pods
that
the
pigs
ate
these
pods
if
you
look
at
the
Greek
you
can
understand
that
they
would
have
been
carob
pods
the
carob
plant
has
very
little
use
although
if
you
are
into
cooking
you
can
grind
carob
seeds
into
something
that's
like
a
replacement
for
chocolate
it's
kind
of
interesting
but
it's
not
an
attractive
thing
here
!
it's
a
really
hardy
plant
so
in
the
midst
of
this
famine
it
seems
that
this
is
a
plant
that
would
have
survived
and
it
produced
these
tough
leathery
pod
shells
long
shells
that
contain
within
it
a
really
hard
bean
this
carob
pod
is
barely
digestible
for
pigs
so
remember
this
is
a
famine
and
pigs
will
just
eat
anything
but
they're
being
fed
these
!
pod
!
So
catch
what
Jesus
is
saying
here
this
man
is
finding
himself
in
such
a
desperate
place
that
he
wants
to
eat
something
that
he
knows
full
well
will
not
be
nourishing
to
him
he's
that
desperate
that
soul
sick
that
he's
looking
to
something
that
is
not
the
answer
to
his
issue
this
is
the
way
of
sin
seeking
to be
satisfied
with
that
which
will
never
satisfy
and
this
is
an
insanity
of
the
soul
we
are
offered
abundant
satisfaction
in
relationship
with
God
but
we
have
turned
and
are
possibly
turning
to
worthless
things
God
writes
through
the
pen
of
the
prophet
Jeremiah
chapter
2
verses
12
to
13
be
appalled
oh
heavens
at
this
be
shocked
be
utterly
desolate
declares
the
Lord
for
my
people
have
committed
two
evils
they
have
forsaken
me
the
fountain
of
living
waters
and
hewed
out
cisterns
for
themselves
broken
cisterns
that
can
hold
no
water
so
they
have
given
up
that
thing
which
truly
satisfies
is the
first
evil
to
rather
try
to
be
satisfied
with
an
impossibility
Paul
expresses
the
same
in
Romans
chapter
1
verses
21
through
22
for
although
they
knew
God
they
did
not
honor
him
as
God
or
give
thanks
Christian
you
have
been
delivered
from
such
futility
by
the
grace
of
God
rejoice
in
him
as
you
remember
what
you
have
been
delivered
and
spared
from
this
insanity
of
soul
if
you
have
not
placed
believing
faith
in
Jesus
Christ
this
morning
take
a
moment
to
consider
the
prodigal
and
his
desperate
state
he
surely
would
have
died
had
he
stayed
in
this
state
Jesus
concludes
this
portion
of the
text
with
a
statement
and
no
one
gave
him
anything
he
had
left
the
goodness
of
his
father's
house
to
find
himself
desperately
lost
in
a
foreign
land
if
you
are
not
in
Christ
this
morning
whether
you
recognize
it
or
not
you
find
yourself
in
the
very
same
state
listen to
the words
of
Charles
Spurgeon
who
was a
19th
century
British
Baptist
pastor
one of my
favorites
you'll learn
and this is found on the front of your bulletin
if you'd like to
follow it along
he wrote this
in a sermon
on the
prodigal son
on this portion
of
the
parable
of the
prodigal son
he wrote this
if you must
play the fool
I think the preference would be that we would never be fools
but if you must
play the fool
take some lighter things to trifle with
than your souls
and your eternal
destinies
right
he's saying
be a fool about things that don't really matter
but don't be a fool about these things
he says
shut yourselves up
alone
for a while
go through the matter
steadily
lay it out in order
make a plan of it
see
where you
are going
he encouraged us earlier in the sermon
to actually write
to write it out
actually take the time to consider the state of your soul
and then to consider
the goodness of God to us
in Christ
he says
see where you are going
think over the way of salvation
the story of the cross
the love of God
the readiness
of Christ
to save
find
in the prodigal
yourself
and then I hope
I pray
turn to God
in repentance
and faith
so fourthly
repentance
and faith
I'm so glad
the story goes here
verse 17
but when he came to himself
he said
how many of my father's hired servants
have more than enough bread
but I perish here
with hunger
I will arise
and go to my father
and I will say to him
father I have sinned against heaven
and before you
I am no longer worthy
to be called your son
treat me as one of your hired servants
praise God
that the prodigal
of Jesus story
does not stay
in this desperate state
let us learn from that
but Jesus says
he came
to himself
and that is to say
that he returned
to his right mind
right
he recognized
the goodness
of his father
he remembered
that even
his father's hired servants
had more than enough bread
and that he was being foolish
to stay
where he was
and perish
with hunger
so he makes a plan
he decides to go back
to his father
humbly admitting
!
the error of his way
saying
I have sinned
against heaven
and before you
recognizing
that he has said
to his father
I wish
you were dead
seeing that that was wrong
and repenting
before his father
and being willing
to live
once again
under his father's
good
instruction
you see that
that he is turning
from his wickedness
and he is turning
back to his father
saying it is good
to be
in my father's house
he doesn't have
the expectation
that he will get
to live
as a son
but he is willing
to live
as a servant
to be under
his father's
good care
the prodigal
turns from
his wickedness
the foolishness
and error
of his way
we call this
repentance
and he turns
to his father
believing that
his father
will be good
to him
and this is
the prodigal's
faith
believes
in who his father
is
and that he will
care for him
we will see
next week
the loving kindness
of the father
toward the son
it is my favorite
part of the parable
we will see
that as the son
returns in repentance
and faith
the father
becomes humble
himself
in order to love
his son
and to spare him
from his deserved
punishment
the father
takes on
the son's
shame
to restore
him
to sonship
and there is
much rejoicing
dear listener
if you have
not humbled
yourself
before God
recognizing
that you have
sought independence
from him
as you have
lived in a state
of indulgence
of self
and that
if you are
not already
there
you risk
an insanity
of your soul
my plea to you
this morning
is
flee to Christ
let this day
be a day
of repentance
and faith
that there will
be a great rejoicing
in heaven
over the salvation
of your soul
beloved
those of us
who are
in Christ
we have
much to rejoice
in
having been
delivered
having all
once been
the prodigal
and now being
called
sons of the
most high
God
in closing
God through
the prophet
Isaiah said
in Isaiah
43
verses 6
and 7
I will say
to the north
give up
and to the south
do not withhold
bring my sons
from afar
and my daughters
from the end
of the earth
everyone who
was called
by my name
whom I created
for my glory
whom I formed
and made
let's pray together