The Embrace of Grace: God’s Desire to be With His Children

Bible Passage: Lk 15:11–32, James 4:8

Luke 15:11–24 ESV

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.” ’ 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.

1. The Temptation to Sin

Luke 15:12 “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.”

This would have amounted to a third of the fathers wealth

The insult of taking his fathers wealth before his time…

Its a good thing God doesn't get offended...

Luke 15:13 “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.”

A place away from the father...

Recklessly live...

What is sin described as? Anything that alienates us from God. To be an alien, or alienated is to be a stranger to God. Sin is the thing that breaks down the relationship we have with God and separates us as if we lived in a far away land.

The alure of sin…

Genesis 3:6 “So when the woman saw that 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 also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”

Luke 15:14 “And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.”

The deception of sin… Need

The truth of need… is found in God

2. Rock Bottom

Luke 15:15 “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.”

Hired himself out… Joined to

Jewish view of pigs and gentiles...

Luke 15:16 “And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.”

He doesn't even have anything to eat..

No one gave him anything… We shouldn't go looking for mercy amongst the world

Rock Bottom… A place of humility

Luke 15:17 ““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!”

James 4:6 “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

There is always enough bread in the Fathers house.… The Prodigal son knew it before he even left. God supernaturally showed the Israelites there would always be enough bread for them as they wandered in the desert. He gave them enough bread to eat for every single day for every single person for 40 years. And then He sent Jesus Christ. What did Jesus say about himself ? I am the bread of life. Not only does God supply our needs He supply's them fully for all eternity.

Why is it that we tend to go looking for what we had in God all along? Adam and Eve had access to all the wisdom the could very ask for through God in Garden but they went looking elsewhere. The could have eaten any other fruit in the garden. The Israelite's had all the food the could ever need and still they the food they had eaten under the Egyptians as slaves. The Prodigal son had everything he needed right there with the father and still he left.

Sin takes us to places we never think we will end up… Hungry. Tired. Alone. Broke. Taking a job He wasn't supposed be a part in. Compromising who he was just to try and makes end meet. Who can relate to the Prodigal son at this part of the story? Paying prices you never saw coming for things you weren't supposed to have or be a part of.

3. Repentance

Luke 15:18–19 “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.” 

Return to the Father… If you get nothing else out of my sermon today I want you to latch onto and get this one point. Arise and go to your Father. You have to be accountable to yourself. Don’t let yourself slink away from God. Get enough of a grip on yourself to seek the Father.

I have sinned against heaven and before you… If you are self aware enough to acknowledge you have undealt with sin do something about it. The Prodigal son’s plea was simple one “I have sinned against you”.

He didn’t have his act together before He returned to the Father. He didn't have fancy words and all the excuses we tend to come up with. He was broke and hungry and humble and repentant. It was those last two things that mattered to the Father.

4. Return to Grace

Luke 15:20 “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.”

The Father was looking for Him...

The Father had compassion… He loved Him. Before the Son ever said one word of repentance the Fathers heart was moved for His son. Look in the text the son hadn't said a word before his Fathers heart was moved.

Can you even briefly imagine with me receiving back one of your children who you thought you might never see again?

Would you run to them?

Would you embrace them?

Would you kiss them?

Does that sound like a heart of condemnation? No that a heart of mercy and love. Quite hiding from and avoiding the Father out of fear. The Fathers heart has always been to be reunited with His children. He loves you. You are the child He has expectantly waited to see return from the place ran away too. The Father wants you to return home.

Luke 15:21–22 “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.”

If you pay close attention the Father cut the son off before he even finished his statement.

What he told the Father was

“I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.

The rest of what he meant to say as written in the earlier text was “I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”

The Father didn't ask for excuses… He didn't make accusations… He just received Him in love.

Jesus Christ came here on the mission the Fathers sent him on.… Not condemn the world, but to Forgive.

The two Parables in Chapter 15 before the parable of the Prodigal son are the Shepard seeking the lost sheep and the Woman searching for her lost coin.

Jesus is clearly communicating the heart of God to be reunited with all his children in this chapter. Do you know what begins Jesus’s teaching in chapter 15?

Luke 15:1–2 “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.””

The Pharisees wanted Jesus to leave out the people they thought were not good enough to receive the Father? Jesus showed them that not only were sinners welcome the Father Himself was taking an active role in bringing them into the kingdom of God. And not as less, no as full fledge members of the household of God with all the right and privileges attached to a child.

What does the Father tell the servants? Bring the robe, the ring and put shoes on His feet.

Do you realize that the sons poverty was so severe in His wanderings that he likely sold him shoes? That’s why I think he tells them to bring him shoes.

Not only did the Father forgive him He said Son your going to walk in the dignity of being my son. In these robes and in these sandals your going to look the part. And just in case that's not enough for you or anyone else your going to bear my ring, my seal as a testimony to your identity as my son. Don’t you doubt who you are in me I have put my seal on you.

Folks the Father has put his seal on you. He has sealed you with the promised Holy Spirit. Bearing witness to your identity as His child. Jesus Himself clothes you in His righteousness. If that's the Father’s love for us I wonder why doubt weather or not we are worthy to be His children or forgiven.

Luke 15:23 “And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.”

Who calls the celebration here ? The Father does.

Luke 15:24 “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”

Some of you may have loved ones who are lost and far away from the Lord. Those you have prayed for but have not seen your prayers answered for yet. Don't give up. That Father hasn't given up. Don't stop short of your miracle. The Fathers Himself seeks the lost. Don’t give up hope on someone that the Father hasn't given up hope on. Remember there was a time when you weren’t walking with God either yet.

4. Resentment vs. Reconciliation

Luke 15:25–28 ““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,”

He was angry and refused to go in...

The Father called Him inside to celebrate… Who called for the celebration? It was the Father of the angry son, not the Prodigal. Not only was bitterness preventing Him from coming back into relationship with His brother, remember He left them both behind when he left to sin, but it was preventing Him from enjoying fellowship with his father.

Bitterness and anger become a barrier not only between the people we are bitter and angry towards but between us and God. Remember He first forgave us and showed mercy. That's the strength and foundation of our relationship to Him. Where there is repentance and forgiveness relationships are strong and healthy.

Luke 15:29–31 “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.”

What does the sons answer to the father reveal about his hearts attitude? A couple things.

He had a view of relationship with his father that was based on performance. He had the idea that if He was a good enough son his father would love him. He missed the fact that as a son he already had his father love. His performance didn't qualify him. Who he was to the father did. He couldn’t be any more or less a child of God.

Our relationship to God is the same. As a child of God it’s based on who He is to us, and what He did for us. Not anything that we do or don’t do. Therefore it cant be gained or lost. It simply is.

He had something in common with his Prodigal brother. Just like his brother he had elevated what he could get out of his father above the relationship he had with him. Before He left the prodigal saw his father as a means to an end, a way to get what he wanted. The angry son was doing the same thing a different way. He felt just as entitled to the fathers belongings as his brother. He was just going about getting them a different way. Both of them failed cherish their relationship with their Father any further than what they thought the could get out of it.

Have we all seen this or either been a part of something like it before? Like the Prodigal brother. I’m good with God so long as he doing things my way. But if He doesn't well then I’ll just deny Him and go on my own thing. Ill go do what I want anyways.

Or how about the angry brother? I okay with go so long as He is going to give me what I want. But if He doesn't I will get angry with Him and outright avoid Him.

Church just writing that convicted me. We aren't entitled to one single thing the Fathers gives us. Everything we receive is just a manifestation of love and mercy. We are owed even one single thing from Him. We just receive the plenty because He loves us.

Where does the father redirect the angry son? To their relationship. Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. Everything of mine is yours. Why are you worried about all this stuff when when what is right here between us is so more important. Son your always with me.

Luke 15:32 “It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ””

Son rejoice with me and rejoice for me. My son has returned. If you had left me I would have be just as joyful to have you back.

5. Closing

James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Big Idea: God has an unwavering desire to restore relationship with His children, and invites us to draw near to Him with confidence and assurance of His love. Actively pursue a relationship with Him.