A Tale of Two Sons

Sermonic Outline

Intro

Introduce myself

Yellow lights

I think that this moment of decision tells you a lot about what kind of person you are.

Is your instinct to hit the brakes…or to gun it?

There’s two kinds of people in the world

Are you a rebel or a rule-follower?

Rebels like to call rule-followers boring.

Rule-followers like to think they’re better people than rebels.

Rebels think that their life will improve if no one else is controlling them.

Rule-followers like to think that everything would be fine if the rebels would just follow the rules.

Both of them think that the other kind of person is the problem.

There’s one thing that’s true for all of us:

Central Truth: Rebels and rule-followers both need a restored relationship with their Redeemer.

A lot of people don’t get this, and a lot of people didn’t get it during the time of Jesus either.

Jesus told a story once about a family in order to show us how God responds to us. He knew that family relationships can teach us so much, and that His listeners would see themselves in the characters of this story.

This parable has taught me more about the nature of God than any other parable that Jesus told.

I want you to experience what God has taught me as we explore

A Tale of Two Sons

The story is really more about the loving Father than his sons.

I want you to learn

Two ways that we distance ourselves from our Father and how He responds to us:

Jesus attracted crowds, but not all of them were His disciples. Some people were critical of Him, some loved His teaching, and others were curious to learn about His message.

Here’s the situation that he found Himself in one day during His ministry.

Luke 15:1–2 ESV

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

Tense crowd

Pharisees and scribes vs. tax collectors and sinners

The Pharisees and scribes were religious leaders and big-time rule-followers. The scribes would teach the Jewish law to the people, and the Pharisees were a popular Jewish sect that were big-time rule followers. They even made extra rules to keep people from accidentally breaking the Jewish law.

The tax collectors were Jews, but they collected taxes for the Romans. Their salary was whatever extra they collected beyond the Roman quota, so they they often forced their fellow Jews to pay very high taxes. They were seen as traitors by the Jewish people.

The people labeled as sinners were looked down upon by the Pharisees for their behavior. Let’s just say these two groups were not cool with each other.

The Pharisees were complaining about Jesus eating a meal with sinners, in front of the sinners. “You can’t do that! You shouldn’t be around people like that. Do you know what they’ve done?”

Jesus wants to convey the heart of God in this tense, diverse crowd of people, so he starts telling stories.

Luke 15-the lost sheep and the lost coin

God seeks lost sinners, and He celebrates with the angels when sinners repent.

Same word as Luke uses to describe the sinners in the audience.

Jesus wanted the sinners in the audience to know that God doesn’t look down on them like the Pharisees. He will be overjoyed when they repent!

His arms are not crossed, but wide open.

And today, He wants you to know that He is overjoyed when sinful lost people repent and come home

Luke 15:10–19 ESV

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 he 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.” ’

Rebellion

We distance ourselves from our Father when we rebel against Him.

Prodigal asking for his inheritance communicates to Father, “I wish you were dead. I’ve only ever wanted your money, not a relationship with you.”

Legally allowed in Israel. The oldest son would get twice as much as the other sons. If there were two sons, the youngest son received ⅓ of his father’s wealth, and the older son received ⅔.

but VERY disrespectful in their patriarchal culture. The audience would have been offended for the father, especially the Pharisees.

It broke the 5th commandment: “Honor your father and your mother”

In our day, this would be like flipping off your grandmother. It’s just wrong!

Can you imagine what the father must have felt like? He must have felt hurt and betrayed. I can’t imagine my daughters saying this to me.

In fact, our sin is not really like violating a company policy or even breaking the law. It’s more like betrayal of the One who has always loved us.

Like the prodigal son, a lot of people today want God’s blessings without a relationship with Him, because like the prodigal son, they really just want to fulfill their own desires.

They want a just world without being judged.

They want pleasure above all, devaluing the joy of a relationship with God.

People do this all the time. “God, please provide the money I need to pay my bills…but I’m not going to tithe.” “God, heal me of my pain…but I’m not going to talk to that person about the gospel, because I’m not comfortable with that.”

God wants us to love Him, not to just use Him for His blessings.

Human nature (sin nature)

Why would he ask for his inheritance? The younger son seems to be dissatisfied, longing for what he does not have in the Father’s house. He isn’t satisfied with His Father’s love, and he thinks he is better off living life on his own terms.

A dissatisfied heart leads to a dissatisfied life.

We are always heading for rebellion whenever we value things more than people, pleasure more than obedience to God, and distant fantasies more than the blessings we have right at home.

Are you in the Father’s house, but you’re dissatisfied and wishing you could run away and do whatever the heck you want? Maybe what you really need is a greater experience with the Father. Don’t run away, go deeper in your relationship with Him.

John 14:23-24a.

We obey God because we love God, who already loves us.

Effects of rebellion:

Rebellion destroys your best relationships.

Rebellion dishonors those who love you the most.

Rebellion wastes your time and your resources.

Rebellion isolates you from the support of the family of God.

Rebellion tastes sweet at first and then it destroys our lives.

The prodigal son engaged in reckless living, but that word in Greek doesn’t just mean reckless like making a bad investment or driving too fast. It meant an immoral disordered life. It was a catch-all term for all sorts of sins.

He messed up big time, but eventually…he repented.

He has a change of heart.

He came up with an action step to make things right.

He humbly admitted that his sin had disqualified him from being in the family.

The prodigal son would probably qualify to be stoned to death for being a stubborn and rebellious son, according to the Jewish law (Deut. 21:18-21)

At this point, the Pharisees would have been anticipating the Father to give the arrogant prodigal what he deserves. I picture them like angry fans at a boxing match or an MMA fight. “Yeah, get him! Put him in his place! I hope that UNGRATEFUL JERK gets what he deserves!”

The tension in the crowd was building as they waited to see what he would say next.

What is God’s response? -

Does God say “No, you had your chance and you blew it”?

Or “You betrayed me, so I’m done with you”

Does God say “You can come back, but you have to earn your way into my good graces”?

Let’s see how the Father responds

And as I read this, I want you to imagine either yourself or someone you know who is far from God right now as the rebellious son.

Luke 15:20–24 ESV

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.

—(Father cuts him off)

The Pharisees were flabbergasted when they heard Jesus describe God this way.

Jesus was saying: Instead of justly condemning rebels, our joyful Father God extends a scandalous amount of grace to rebels who repent.

Father God throws an extravagant party when rebels like me repent and return to the family of God.

“While he was still a long way off” - The Father had been watching and waiting this whole time!

Patriarchs don’t run. (gather up the fabric)

The robe, ring, and shoes were signs that the Father was restoring the prodigal’s status as his son.

Fattened calfs were saved for special occasions like weddings.

The Father’s Heart in NYC: Daddy’s not angry, it’s time to come home!

Application

Repentance is met with total forgiveness and restored relationship.

If you’re estranged from God like the prodigal, He’s waiting for you to come home with open arms. He’s not angry! Repent and come home!

And this is the message that Baseline and every other church has for non-believers.

Yes, you have sinned against God, but you are more loved than you could ever know.

Most of us in this room have already repented of our sin and put our faith in Jesus. But even after we are saved, there is a process of learning to live a godly life.

Maybe someone here today believes in Jesus, but you messed up. You sinned, and you haven’t dealt with it. It’s eating away at you and it’s destroying your relationship with God. It’s time to repent, confess, and get right with God.

You don’t have to wait until you have been doing things right for a while.

He’s not making you pay your penance before you can enter His presence. He’s waiting for you with open arms.

Self-righteousness (religion)

There was another brother in the story, and at one time, I really resembled this kind of person.

Remember, there were two kinds of people in the audience and two sons in the story. The Prodigal son represented the tax collectors and sinners, but the elder brother represented the Pharisees and scribes and how they interacted with God and the prodigals.

Let’s read the elder brother’s story. He is more of a rule-follower. He slows down for yellow lights!

Luke 15:25-32 -

Luke 15:25–32 ESV

“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 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.’ ”

So what is the elder brother feeling when he hears the news that his brother is home? He’s angry.

He has done everything right, and it’s not FAIR that his brother who has done everything wrong gets thrown a party when he’s been working all day!

He was bitter towards his brother for leaving, and envious of his party when he returned.

Why is he angry? Because something that he has been striving for has been given away to someone else who didn’t deserve it.

The older son in the story was doing what he should have been doing. He was working hard. Despite his father’s invitation, he refused to come in.

Unlike his brother, it wasn’t his sin that created the barrier between him and his father, it was the pride he had in his good work.

He was so proud, he was judging his father! It’s not his rebellion, but his self-righteousness that keeps him from sharing the feast with his father.

What he didn’t realize was that he already had everything that he was working for so hard. Since the inheritance had been divided, literally everything that the father had left belonged to the older brother. v31

Like the elder brother,

We distance ourselves from our Father when we depend on our own good deeds to earn our righteousness.

No one is righteous enough to earn their salvation with good works. Salvation comes through faith.

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Salvation is not a reward for good works, it’s a gift from God!

Bobby Gourley: Don’t confuse the results of salvation with the cause of salvation!

Tim Keller: “To truly become Christians we must also repent of the reasons we ever did anything right. Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, too. We must learn how to repent of the sin under all our other sins and under all our righteousness—the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord.”

I’ve noticed that as much as pastors make an effort to proclaim salvation by faith over and over, there is this innate human tendency to fall back on earning divine favor with our good works.

If you are like me and you grew up in a Christian home, or you’ve been a Christian for a long time, you are more susceptible to the elder brother attitude.

MY STORY – Praying to be more holy so I could be better than them, reading The Prodigal God, encountering my self-righteousness

Father God pleads with self-righteous people to celebrate God’s grace for rebels.

Jonah 3:10-4:11 – Jonah loves himself more than repentant sinners.

If you are depending on your own morality, you won’t celebrate when immoral people receive the same reward that you are trying to earn.

Honoring/celebrating Anna Leslie???

This church family has a lot of people who have been saved for decades, and whose families have attended here for years. What if a bunch of new people meet Jesus and things start to change around here?

What if prodigals come home, and they still smell like pigs?

Not literally!

What if they dress differently...or the music at church changes because the new Christians like a different style of music than you? What if they’re rough around the edges while they’re growing in their faith?

Will you celebrate their redemption and welcome them into the Baseline family? Or be bitter about how things aren’t like they used to be?

If our churches in America are going to thrive, If this church is going to thrive, we have to share the gospel with the next generation and with unchurched people in our community.

And when they get saved, they’re going to be messy. They’re going to smell a little bit like their past, but it’s our job to join our Father on the welcoming committee, and welcome them in to the family.

One of the things I’ve come to love is when I smell cigarette smoke at church. When I was young, it was not just seen as a health issue, but a morality issue, and most church people looked down on smokers.

The reason I love it now is because it shows that you don’t have to be perfect to be at church. Of course it would be healthier to quit smoking, but God is working on some bigger heart issues first. We’re all in process And a church that is ok with a little smoke smell is a church that welcomes people home with open arms like the Father.

Father God pleads with self-righteous people like me to accept His grace.

The other part of self-righteousness is that you don’t acknowledge your need for forgiveness.

Jesus illustrated this with a parable in Luke 18

Luke 18:10–15 ESV

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

I used to feel that I was better than those other people that drank and slept around and cursed all the time.

But the Lord began to do a work of grace in my heart. It took some time, but I learned how much I needed to repent and receive forgiveness too.

I needed to confess and repent of my sin.

I learned that it wasn’t about behaving right, it was about believing right.

And so I didn’t hang so tightly to my great track record, but I hung tight to Jesus.

Phil. 3:7-9 became my favorite passage. Paul talks about how good of a Jew he was, and then he says:

Philippians 3:7–9 ESV

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

Knowing Jesus and putting my faith in Him is SO MUCH BETTER than trying to earn my way to heaven, or earn my way into God’s favor.

Conclusion

Review: Rebels and rule-followers both need a restored relationship with their Redeemer.

And what about you?

Are you embracing the fact that you continue to be dependent on grace? That you’re not any better than prodigals?

If you are depending on your own morality, you aren’t living a gospel-centered life. You are your own Savior, not Jesus.

Maybe you confessed your sins and your need for Him when you got saved, but somewhere along the line, you began to try to be your own Savior again.

It can be difficult to self-diagnose, so I want to give you some warning signs that you might have a self-righteous attitude:

You can’t celebrate when people repent because you still think they are beneath you.

You pay more attention to other people’s sin than your own.

Your prayer life focuses on improving your righteousness, but you rarely pray for others. *ME!

You use injustice towards yourself as a smokescreen for being self-righteous and hard-hearted.

You haven’t been enjoying your walk with God, only obeying Him to get something from Him.

You are spending way more time doing good things than just being with God.

You are more concerned with your comfort than with sinners coming home to Jesus.

You don’t remember the last time you repented.

If that sounds like you, you might be an elder brother.

And the good news is that you can come and be with your Father too. He’s inviting you into a restored relationship.

Response

Bow heads in prayer, keyboard

Remove distractions

Self-righteousness

Imagine the Father

Stop working so hard to earn my love. You already have my love. You have already been forgiven, and I just want a deeper relationship with you.

Repent for self-righteousness (repeat prayer)

Rebellion

Imagine the Father

Walking up over the hill, and you see Him start running towards you with his arms wide open.

Repent for sin (repeat prayer)

There are no good people in heaven, only forgiven people.

Tim Keller quote: “Neither son loved the father for himself. They both were using the father for their own self-centered ends rather than loving, enjoying, and serving him for his own sake. This means that you can rebel against God and be alienated from him either by breaking his rules or by keeping all of them diligently.”

Application

Everyone needs to grow closer to God and spend more time in His presence.

Does your heart long for prodigals to come home? Eyes on the horizon like our Father

Be the welcoming committee.

Bring it back to the gospel

The beauty of Jesus and the cross

What problem does this address?

Blindspots - self-righteousness

Both the rebellious and the religious need to come to Jesus to save them. Both of them need to grasp the depths of how much their Father loves them. And both attitudes can damage your relationship with God.

Psalm 103:8-10 ???

“The gospel is distinct from the other two approaches: In its view, everyone is wrong, everyone is loved, and everyone is called to recognize this and change.”