Greater Love

There is something about Easter Sunday. It is a day of hope. It is a day of restoration. It is a day when many take the first step to forgiveness and healing. There always seems to be a tangible expectation of seeing God transform lives. This year is no different.

If you are here today, it is not by accident. God is drawing you to himself. He is reaching out inviting you into restored relationship. He is extending His hand of mercy and grace to all who would trust in Him.

For many you may have heard the story of the cross a thousand times, but for some this may be the first time or first time in a long time. My prayer today is that we would hear His voice, and respond to His call.

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Jesus came into the world to lay down His life. He said in Matthew 20:28 “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.””

He is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John1:29. He was betrayed in the garden of gethsemane by Judas Iscariot with a kiss. The disciples fled from Him, and they arrested Him.

They beat him, mocked him, and plucked the beard from His face. They falsely accused Him before Pontius Pilate. They led him away to be scourged, after he was scourged they placed a purple robe on him and drove a crown of thorns Into His head. They continued to mock him and ultimately led him away to be crucified.

He carried His cross to the hill known as Golgotha (the place of the skull). There He was nailed to the cross to pay the price for sin. While he hung on the cross they gambled for His clothes while continuing to mock and ridicule Him. Ultimately, this led to His death.

What seemed like Satan’s greatest hour revealed the greater love of God.

Romans 5:20-21 says, “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

(Pray) Receptive hearts, ears to hear.

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Submit:

Turn with me to Luke 15:11-24.

Luke 15:11-16 “Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.”

Luke 15:17-24 ““But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’ “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”

This story is known as the story of the prodigal son.

The younger son in this story tells his father your dead to me. Give me my inheritance. The father divides his portion and the son leaves to live the way he wanted. He squanders his inheritance in sinful living with prostitutes and wild parties.

The pleasure and freedom he found eventually let him down. As a famine arose in the land he found himself humiliated and hungry feeding pigs. He was so desperate that he longed to fill his stomach with the pig slop.

His desperation led to revelation. He came to His sense’s and made the decision to return to His father. The questions arose from a place of shame. How could I return after what I have done? How could my father accept me?

So he comes up with the idea to become a servant instead of a son. He prepares a grand speech saying, “Father I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”

What shame he must have felt to realize what he had done.

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Apply:

I cant help but think about how many of us subconsciously identify with the son when we hear this story. (Bring up the person and table for illustration)

For whatever reason in life we have walked away from the father. (*begin to take off the coat, the shirt, the shoes, and then the ring, change the back lighting to red) We choose to go our own way. Living the way that we want to live. (*the undershirt is dirty) Sin has driven us from Him.

But like so many other times. What sin promised in pleasure has once again resulted in pain.

Our confidence is robed and like the son in the story we no longer feel worthy. We don’t feel like we belong. The feeling of rejection is overwhelming so we prepare our speech to God expecting rejection in return.

Im not valuable, I don’t deserve to be in the family. If you let me come back I will wash the toilets. While we sit in the grip of our guilt and shame we easily miss the heart of the father. (*have the person move to a far part of the stage)

In the story while the son was still a great way off, His father looked for him (*grab the binoculars to look). He was seeking for His son.

When the father finally saw him compassion swelled up on the inside, AND HE RAN AND FELL ON HIS SONS NECK AND KISSED HIM. (*run to embrace the son, have their head hanging in shame)

So often this picture of God doesn’t fit the picture we have in our hearts. We picture a father who is angry and resistant to our return.

When in reality the father’s heart is overflowing with joy! The son that was dead is now alive and though he was lost he is now found.

God the father is running to us today. Looking for the one who would say I have come to my senses. It is time to return home. It is time to come back the house of the Father.

We can have confidence that God desires for us to come home. Ephesians 2:4-8.

Ephesians 2:4-8 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”

He gave himself that we might be forgiven and set free.

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Closing:

He looks with anticipation for our return to him. Luke 19:10.

(*have the person come back near the father. begin to put the right clothing back on him.)

Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.””

When we come to him and confess our sin He forgives us.

(1. cut off the dirty shirt.)

Through the finished work of Jesus He clothes us in a robe of righteousness.

(2. Put on the white button down shirt. 3. put back on the nice shoes. 4. Put back on the blazer.)

He puts the ring of authority back on our hand.

(5. put the ring back on the finger)

He is looking and longing for our return. He is longing to show His greater love for us. He is calling out for lost sons and daughters to come home.

There is room for you. He sent His son to die in your place so that you can find life and restored relationship with him.

Let’s Pray!

Salvation. (Have altar workers ready as soon as we get ready to pray)