Cleveland DNOW 2025 - Sermon 2

Sermon 2-Forgiveness is available through Jesus

Luke 15:17–21ESV

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! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 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.’

-The father let the younger son go

The father Gave the son everything he wanted

He did not even try to stop him.

Romans 1:18–32 ESV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

In verse 19-20 we see God, in Genesis, gave Adam and Eve everything, knowing they would choose to do what they want, not what God wanted.

Verse 24 says God’s judgment on mankind can be literally giving them exactly what they wanted and as much of it as they wanted.

(use this illustration)

Optional Illustration: Too Much Of A Good Thing? Ask students to think of their favorite foods. You may even want to do a Google image search for your favorite food. Tell students what your favorite food is. Oversell it a bit. Talk to them about how much you love whatever it is you love. Then say something like: o We all know the feeling of craving that one specific food, that one treat you just love, and the satisfaction that comes when you finally eat it. Maybe it’s your favorite ice-cream on a hot day. Maybe it’s ribs from that well- known barbeque joint in your town. It could even be that favorite dish your mom or dad cooks for you. When you’re craving your favorite food and you finally get it . . . mmmmmmmm! There’s nothing quite like it. Except when there isn’t! • Explain to students that there is a rare genetic disorder called Prader-Willi syndrome. Prader-Willi is a genetic disorder that is particularly cruel. In babies, the disorder causes a lack of appetite. But once a person reaches adolescence, the syndrome unlocks an opposite reaction: a person suffering from Prader-Willi can never feel full. Say something like: o Can you imagine never being able to feel full no matter how much you’ve just eaten? People suffering from this syndrome struggle with obesity and diabetes, often at an early age. And it all goes back to the fact that no matter how much they eat, they never feel like they have eaten anything. Their brain is saying, “Feed me” no matter if they have just eaten or not. • Help students make the spiritual connection. Say something like: o Sometimes the very thing we want can be the thing that is the most harmful to us. For a person with Prader- Willi, something as enjoyable and seemingly innocent as a hamburger or a pizza can lead them down a path of terrible consequences. The same is true in our spiritual lives. The sin we so easily return to in our lives does nothing but harm us. As humans we think we want it. We think it will satisfy us. But our sin only leaves us more lost. God’s desire is that all people would come to saving faith in Him. But God also allows us the freedom to run after things that may very well take us far from Him. And yet, there’s hope. Let’s keep going to find out just what that hope is.

-The father ran to the younger son

Illustrate “a man’s man”

(possibly the Godfather or some scene from a movie where a mature man is explaining that a man does not “run” or “cry” or something like that.

This was the custom.

MEN (in a big voice) did not run for anyone or anything.

And yet we see the father running to the son.

HE DONT GIVE A RIP ABOUT CUSTOM.

HE LOVES THE SON.

Some of you know you have messed up big time.

ALL OF YOU HAVE SINNED AGAINST GOD.

You need to understand how much the father loves you and will run to meet you.

(use a passage of scripture to teach this or check the original doucment for an illustration)

-The father celebrated the son’s return

Exegete

Luke 15:17–21 ESV

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! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 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.’

Its interesting that the son assumes that there is food at home. They are in the middle of a famine. Its speculation and does not have too much meaning in the story, but maybe it does.

This son has a lot going on. He is without a doubt in sin. But he has a very anchored hope in the place where the father is at. He seems to know there is food there.

I wonder if he was being overly dramatic or if he was actually perishing with hunger.

The feeling we get from the beginning of the story is that its pretty serious since he was willing to eat pig food.

Its interesting to me that when he thinks about going home, he plans to confess sin against God and the father.

He is confessing that he does not deserve to belong in the family.

It has been discussed at length in many sermons and commentaries that it is significant that the father runs. In that culture, A mature man did not run to anything. It was a sign of imaturity and childesssness.

This father puts his love for his son above his reputation.

The son does indeed to have sinned against God and this Father.