Untitled Sermon

Parable of the Lost Sons and Loving Father - Luke 15:11-32 - Pg 1-15

YOUTH CAMP:

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THEME: LOST & FOUND

THEME VERSE: Matthew 16:25 - “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

IDEA: That our lives can only find true identity, purpose, and belonging through Jesus. That in order to move from Separation to Celebration, we must give up our lives for Christ, and seek out others who are lost and show them the path to be found.

Because in this room, at this very moment, there are two types of people: There are the LOST and there are the FOUND!

So, today, I want to share not only what we have learned, but take a step further and challenge you to examine your heart and life, and answer, which category do you fall into. The Lost or The Found.

Open up to Luke 15:11-32.

CONTEXT

In this chapter, Jesus tells three parables.

Parables are just a made up story but with an intentional message behind them, and Jesus uses parables for a third of the teaching that he did that we have recorded.

Here in Luke 15, we see 3 separate parables, all telling about something or someone being lost and found.

But let me give you a little bit of the context of WHY Jesus told these stories. because the why leads us to understand the message within them.

Luke 14:1 - One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.

Pharisees - some of the religious leaders of the day.

Specifically, believe not only in the Tanakh (Old Testament) but also in the oral tradition and other writings that had been passed down as well.

Not only were the Pharisees there, probably as the invited guests, but Luke 14:25 says great crowds also followed Jesus to this location, including his disciples.

This is the audience.

And Jesus had already told some parables and teachings about humility, being invited into the Kingdom of God, Discipleship, and more.

Then we come to Luke 15 and it says (1-3):

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable:

The chief complaint at this moment is who Jesus accepts in his presence: notorious sinners. But not only that, He is willing and actually desires to sit down and eat at the same table of these sinners.

Sinners - the unrighteous, impure, uneducated

Tax collectors - seen as traitors to the Jews and to God.

This is a notable point, before we even get started. This is the setting.

Jesus attracted sinners while the Pharisees repelled them.

Lost sinners came to Jesus, not because He catered to them or compromised His message to fit in their ways of living - No - but it was because He cared for them.

He understood their needs and cared for them while the Pharisees criticized them and kept their distance.

The Pharisees had a knowledge of the law and a desire for personal purity but had no love for lost souls.

Their grumbling and complaint was enough to show their priorities and values.

And so after this complaint, Jesus tells 3 parables.

Parable 1 - The Parable of the Lost Sheep (4-7)

Now remember, the audience Jesus had. The pharisees, the disciples, and the crowd.

This story would touch the hearts of men and boys in the crowd, because shepherding was typically a male’s position.

But for the pharisees, this would’ve been insulting because Jesus was asking them to identify with shepherds, who were socially considered on the same level as gamblers, fishermen, camel drivers, and more - they were unclean and despised jobs.

And in short, Jesus says that when one single sheep wanders off in foolishness, that the shepherd will go look for it, and when it is found, rejoice together because this sheep has been found!

Jesus then says, (15:7) In the same way, 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.

What is Jesus saying?

That God and all of heaven rejoices over one who repents than over 99 who are considered righteous, or maybe 99 who consider themselves as righteous.

Jesus is telling these people, Pharisees, sinners, tax collectors, His disciples that the God of the Scriptures, the God of Creation, the One and Only God is a God who pursues humanity in their wandering.

And there is incredible joy in that.

Parable 2 - The Parable of the Lost Coin (8-10)

The next parable was a story that would touch the hearts of the women and girls in the crowd. Because when a Jewish girl married, she would wear a headband of ten silver coins, an indication to the public that she had been bought with a price and was waiting to be married. Each coin represented part of the covenant that the man made with the woman. Kind of like our modern wedding rings.

Imagine losing the ring right before the ceremony!

So, the story shares that if she lost one, she would diligently search for it. And when she found it, would call her friends over and they rejoice together because the lost coin had been found! The wedding ring had been found.

And Jesus tacks on once again, (verse 10) in the same way, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Once again, Jesus is sharing a message about a God who seeks out the lost. Our God is a God who will seek out a single one who is lost! And that there is incredible celebration when someone is found so much so, the angels even celebrate.

Again, remember who is in the crowd. Women didnt have the same privileges as men, especially to many of the religious people. And Jesus is raising their value up by telling this story.

Angels know better than we do what we are saved from and saved to.

When Jesus was telling these stories, those listening wouldve been shocked!

The pharisees shocked because their understanding and doctrine was being challenged.

The sinners shocked because there was a counter cultural message being given about how they were being sought out.

SHOCKED and STUNNED - kind of like a moment I had with some of the guys at camp! Ill get to that later.

Then we come to PARABLE 3, the real meat of His message - The Lost Sons and Loving Father (Luke 15:11-32.)

11 He also said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living.

3 characters of this story - a father, an older son, and a younger son.

People mightve started recalling stories of Abraham and his two sons, or Issac, and his two sons, or Jacob, and his sons.

The story zooms in on the younger son first.

And the younger son somes to the father and demands his share of the estate, his inheritance.

When we talked about this at camp, we asked the question, when do you get an inheritance from parents or grandparents?

Typically when they are dead, right!?

This verse alone would have shocked the audience alone because culturally, this was an unthinkable and unspeakable act - a gross insult to his father and whole family.

Why?

Because one, it put the family at risk taking all of their wealth and having to disburse it too soon.

And two, it was an action of heartlessly rejecting the home and family in which the son was born into, brought up and nurtured in. It was a break away from the community of which that family lived.

It was more than just disrespect, it was disgraceful betrayal.

A wish for his own father’s demise and death.

All because the son had a faulty view of His father and of Himself.

This would bring about what is called a KAZAZA. A cutting off ceremony. A SEPERATION from family, home, and community, all brought upon his own self.

The father, family, and community would take the son and run him out to the edge of town, take a pot, and break it on the ground!

As a picture of the relationship that had been broken. Irreparable.

That if this son comes back, they would shatter him like the pot.

He was lost because of his rebellion.

Which is exactly what sin is. Sin is more than just breaking some rules, it is the breaking of relationship, a personal offense against a loving Father, a rejection of the heavenly Father who cares for us deeply.

The shattering of a relationship

The separation from God, from His blessings, and from His protection.

What does this father do? He allows his son to make his own choices, generously gives the son his inheritance, and lets him leave.

He grants the son’s request. The sons only interest was to live life on his own terms, and the father allows it.

Just another image that shows how often God will allow us to go our own way when we refuse to listen to or follow His.

So, the son continues down his path of rebellion.

So the son gathers all that he has and departs for the far country, implying he left his people and went into the gentile land. And there he squandered his inheritance.

Typically this parable is called the parable of the prodigal son.

TO be prodigal means to spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant. Or as the text says, foolish living

It does not mean prodigy, which is probably what the son was thinking at the time. Instead, it means he lived and spent like a fool until he had nothing left.

The same goes for our lives - It is as soon as we begin doing exactly what we would like to do that we start to encounter our worst difficulties.

He gets all of his inheritance, leaves, and departs for the “far country”

But it is when we do just as we would like when we encounter our worst difficulties.

We are always heading for trouble when whenever we value things more than people, pleasure more than duty, and distant scenes more than than the blessings we have right at home.

Jesus even said (Luke 12:15) “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Because the covetous person can never be satisfied, and a disasitsfied heart leads to a disappointing life.

And the far country - it is not always a physical place, but it can exist in our hearts.

It starts with a personal dream and vision of what we think freedom is like. And is followed by a willful departure, a step toward doing things your own way.

Again, it is a rebellion. Sin promises freedom but only brings slavery. It promises success but only brings failure. It promises life but only brings death.

And this is exactly what happens to the younger son.

Living in rebellion, He is Lost.

Started with a dream of enjoying what he saw as freedom. And so he departed, thinking he would discover himself, his purpose, and his belonging

But he only lost himself, his purpose, and his belonging.

When God is left out of our lives, enjoyment becomes enslavement.

Rebellion = LOST

14 After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. 15 Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything.

The younger son loses everything - wasteful living - bad stewardship.

He didn’t want to work for his father at home, but actually ends up having to work anyway.

And it wasnt a normal dignified job, it was as a pig farmer!

Think about it! It isnt just that they were dirty, he was Jewish and pigs were the most unclean animal to their culture.

On top of that he is need. He hungers and these pigs were eating better than he was. He was yearning to eat the leftover husks that were given to the pigs.

And it says he got nothing.

He was at rock bottom.

One of the things we need to recognize about some of the famines we experience and the circumstances we find ourselves in is this:

God allows and uses suffering to lead us into salvation and restoration.

The son was living in rebellion, and through this famine and the lost of his resources, came the next stage of this younger son’s journey: Repentance

17 When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” ’

It says, he comes to himself, which implies to us that he wasnt himself - in other words, he realized he was lost.

Lost in identity, purpose, and belonging.

He realized this!

The young son realizes his situation and changes his mind about himself, the situation, and his father.

He figured out he was lost.

He figured out he is the one who messed it all up.

But he also had the revelation that he was wrong about his father.

The young son recognized the goodness of his father.

That he was a generous man

A gracious man

A selfless and caring man.

This was his first step in repentance - which means to change ones mind and change ones direction.

In other words, in order to repent from our sin and rebellion, you and I have to come to the place where we understand, we cant fix it.

We must recgonize we are sinners, that the whole world has fallen short of God’s standard, that no one is righteous, not even one.

We must recognize, in our own lives, WE CAN’T FIX IT!

We can’t earn our way back to God! We can only submit to His will and surrender to Him as the Sovereign, Just, and Good Father

We have to recognize and admit, it is only God who can redeem and restore us. Only he can fix our broken lives and broken hearts. Only he can solve this sin and rebellion problem that we have created..

The thing that leads us to repepntance isnt just humanity’s badness - its not just about admitting our own wickedness

It is God’s goodness that leads us to repentance.

And this son had begun to recognize that.

But if he were to stop here, it is only regret and remorse - though he has taken the first step in repentance, it is still incomplete.

True repentance involves the will and choice just as much as the mind and emotions.

So the son makes a decision

“I will arise, i will go, I will say”

He recognizes that service at home was better than so-called freedom in the far country. And then CHOOSES to take action, to change direction, to repent.

He understands the disgrace he has brought to his father, that he is owed nothing

He remembers his father is a gracious man, a compassionate man

And He chooses, in light of him deserving death, he will beg for mercy, for there is no life for him outside of his father.

This son understands in his return and repentance, he is owed nothing. Deserves nothing.

In fact, he knows he deserves disgrace, disown, and death.

But will ask for mercy.

The same goes for us

In the first parable, about the lost sheep, when Jesus brought this up, Old Testament scripture would’ve come to mind

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

We must all repent because we have all foolishly wandered away, carelessly lost our purpose, and recklessly left belonging with God

So we repent - by recognizing there is no life apart from God, that we can’t find it anywhere except through Jesus, and then choose to surrender ourselves and seek God’s mercy - and we do this through confession, belief, and surrender.

And if this repentance is truly the work of God in one’s life, then the sinner will obey God and put saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Rebellion to Repentance

But there is one more step to the young son’s journey: Rejoicing

15:20-24 - 20 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. 21 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.’ 22 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. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

This is great! The son returns, the father runs, and they embrace!

Something amazing happens when we come back to God! Let me show you.

So the son heads home, but isnt even home yet when the Father sees him.

Then it says He had compassion, a overflowing love for his younger son!

Which led him to run to his son and embrace him. He greets his son, hangs on his neck, kisses him.

The father calls for a robe, a ring, and some shoes, and then a celebration commences!

And at the same time all of this happens, the son begins his speech:

The son tries to plead and preform his rehearsed confession and request but he doesnt finish.

Why? Some say, because the father interrupted him.

Here is what I think.

I dont think his canned speech was interrupted by his fathers words, I think he was interrupted by his fathers compassion.

At camp - the boys, emotional and hugging me. - Interrupted me, shocked and stunned me, because their hearts had been moved by God, their compassion for one another was overflowing, and they wanted to share it with me. It stopped me in my tracks!

The son is there, giving his speech, until he notices the unconditional love that the father is showing him.

Again, this is the picture of our Heavenly Father, our Compassionate God. The gracious, merciful, faithful, and forgiving Father!

This is God’s attitude toward sinners who repent

All possible because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and through the grave!

Think about this real quick: why, why did the father run out to the young son? Why not just wait until the son go to the porch?

In fact, compared to the other two parables, it doesnt look like anyone is seeking out and pursing the younger son? At least not like the sheep and the coin parables.

Jesus is driving home a different point with the father just running down the road.

Get this. According to the law, his son brought such a disgrace on the family that he deserved death by stoning. The son legally deserved death if he came home.

So, the father running out to him served a greater purpose than just a hug.

The father ran and embraced his son, so that if any of the neighbors or other family saw the son and threw any rocks at him to stone him, they would’ve hit the father instead.

The father used his body to cover the life of his son.

Just another small picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

There might not be this elaborate pursuit of the younger son in this story, but there was still a pursuit of love and compassion and protection for when the son final decided to come home.

And God has done the same thing for us - He sent Jesus to take on our penalty of death. That God has pursued His world through the incarnation, the life, the death, and resurrection of Jesus.

He pursues us and patiently awaits us to turn back to Him

And what happened next, the father didnt run home for anything, he called for it to be brought.

He didnt let go of his son, he covered him with his own life all the way home.

“Get my robe!” He says, “so the whole town knows he is under my care”

“Get my ring” he says, “so that the whole community knows that I am restoring trust and authority to my son”

“Get my shoes” he says, “so that everyone knows he is my son and is no slave to me!”

“And lets through a party” he says, “A feast instead of a funeral”

My son lost his way, but is now found and back home!

My son was lost, but now is found!

My son was dead, now he is alive!

Over and over again, it is his fathers compassion that motivates the father’s actions throughout the whole parable, to embrace, protect, and restore his lost son.

And it is this love that brings the son home, the son to stop trying to earn his way, and the son to enter into the home again.

From Rebellion, to Repentance, into Rejoicing!

And this is the same path we must all take.

Scripture is clear - we have all sinned, we all fall short, we all have rebelled.

And the only way back into right relationship with God, the only way to receive the abundant and eternal life God has for us is through His graciousness - which has nothing to do with us or our works!

It is by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we come home.

Confession, Belief, and Surrender

there are two types of people in this room - The Lost and the Found. Which are you? And What does your next step need to look like?

Just think about this:

The son was lost - We too have been lost - and only Jesus is the Way

He was ignorant - we too have thought we were in the right - but only Jesus is the Truth

He was dead - We are dead in our sin - but through Jesus, He is the Life

John 14:6 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

And maybe today, you finally realize for the first time, you are that prodigal child.

That you rejected His image, Gods will and way for your life, and rebelled against Him and walked your own path and pursued your own life.

And you realize now, that there is a good, gracious, heavenly Father who desires ultimate good for you, who desires for you to truly know Him and be known by Him.

Who sent His one and only Son in full pursuit for your life - and this Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came, lived a perfect life, and died in your place to take on the punishment you deserve because of your sin.

And through the sovereignty and ultimate power of God, Jesus was raised from the dead so that you too might not only be shown mercy, but also grace - a gift a true life.

And if that is you today, Repent from your rebellion

Confess you need saving, believe that Jesus has done everything you need in order for you to be saved, and surrender in obedience to His calling for your life!

And enter into rejoicing! Because God is rejoicing over you and your decision!

Again, there are two types of people in this room - The Lost and the Found. Which are you? And What does your next step need to look like?

If you haven’t come to the Father through Jesus, today is the day.

But maybe you have already made that decision and find yourself in the Found category.

Well then, this last part of the parable is for us then.

THE OTHER LOST SON (25-32)

25 “Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant. 27 ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’

31 “ ‘Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

Here is the thing, the older son was lost too. But in a different way that is easy to miss.

He faithfully worked and served, he obeyed his father, and he never brought disgrace on the father and the family in any public way. He built up friendships in the community. He stewarded his inheritance well.

You might could have characterize him as obedient, faithful, and diligent.

But those arent the only tests of character.

Well, he comes to the house and finds this celebration going on for his brother. But his response is that he refuses to go in.

He is angry, maybe jealous, or maybe feels like he has been treated wrongly.

I mean, compare the two - he was a saint, blameless, fully faithful compared to his little brother who betrayed the whole family!

He was following the law as he understood it! His brother was dead to him and no more disgrace would come from him!

And as poetic as it can be - Now it is the older brother who is on the outside of the house. Refusing to take part in the rejoicing. Separated from the father.

He is lost.

Just like the Pharisees and scribes were.

They were so caught up in self-righteousness and in the sin of others, they couldnt even see how they werent fulfilling the greatest commandment to love God and to love people.

This is exactly where the older brother was at.

This son openly announced this brothers sins but couldnt even see his own.

He passionately wouldnt forgive his brother and held that against the father.

He held onto his pride about his works, as that was his highest achievement, and the sin of his brother was his chief complaint.

Years had passed and he had no concern for his missing brother, only anger and hatred.

He had cut ties with his own brother

Talking to his father, he said “this son of yours”, he didnt call him, “my brother”

His eyes were on his own reward, the party he wouldve thrown with his own friends.

And you know what is even crazier - when the father divided the inheritance amongst the two sons, the older brother got his cut too.

And his cut wouldve been double that of his younger brothers.

In fact, he probably now owned the whole estate.

This brother too, was trying to earn his way into his fathers approval and blessings.

And this is not how God operates.

But again, pride, self righteousness, selfishness, and anger led this brother to be lost too.

And it can do the same to us.

At the beginning of this sermon, I emphasized, Jesus attracted sinners and the Pharisees repelled them.

Jesus pursued sinners, the Scribes kept away from them.

Jesus ate with tax collectors, the religious leaders condemned them.

Jesus showed them the Savior, and they crucified Him.

Again, there are two types of people in this room - Lost and Found.

And as I shared with the youth at camp - there are also two types of Found people - those who live like they are found and choose to rejoice with others when they are found too - or those who are found but live like they are lost.

And Jesus here, called the Pharisees in that exact predicament - LOST

What does your life say about you?

Does your actions match your words?

Does your relationships match the commandment and commission you have been given?

Have you condemned others because of their sin?

Are you holding onto bitterness, anger, or resentment against someone else?

Are you wrapped up in your own pride and arrogance trying to impress God or others?

Have you been trying to earn God’s grace?

Returning to the parable, again, more important to how you think these sons should be classified, both lost or one of them lost and the other found…. More importantly, what is the fathers response again, in this parable of the lost sons and loving father?

The same father who ran out to the lost younger son also came out of the house to the lost older son.

He responded with the same graciousness and compassion.

‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

Then what happened?

It doesnt say, because the story wasn’t actually over.

The Pharisees could still repent themselves, embrace forgiveness for themselves and forgive others, and share in the joy of celebration over the lost that had been found.

That was the message Jesus had for them and that is also extended to us.

That Jesus is one who pursues the sinners. That He is the Savior to all.

And that no matter which son you identify with, we are all in need of this saving,

And that sinners, the brother and sister who is lost, should be sought out, should be waited upon, so that if they they return, they are embraced and cherished and restored!

We need to be the ones who seek out the lost sheep when they wander away.

Who search for the coin until it is found.

Who go after our lost brother or friend instead of rejecting them.

And then rejoice with the Father, with the heavens, with the church when they are found!

And if you are that person hearing this and saying “But what about…”

Hear this:

If we are out of fellowship with God, we cannot be in fellowship with our brothers and sisters, and conversely, if we harbor an unforgiving attitude toward others, we cannot be in communion with God.

Everyone in these parables experienced REJOICING except the older brother.

Will you nurse your anger, your disgust, your bias, your self interest, your unforgiveness?

Or will you too, repent, and come in, enjoy the feast, and rejoice!

There are two types of people in this room. But we all must walk the same path - From rebellion to repentance and then into rejoicing.

There are two types of people in this room, but are you repelling some away, or attracting all with your compassion.

There are two types of people in this room -

God is waiting for the lost to repent.

Are you the lost who needs to come home to God today?

If so, we are here to guide you there!

Or maybe you know your found but realize you need to be the one who seeks out the lost and helps them find their way home?

If you are like me, The Spirit has probably already brought up some names in your life you need to seek out and love.

Today, begin by bringing them before the LORD and allowing God to restore your heart into a place of rejoicing!