The Loving Father
Measureless: God's Love • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable:
All three parables (stories) Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, Lost Son. They were prompted by the religious leaders’ anger at Jesus for welcoming and eating with tax collectors and sinners.
So who would of heard these stories openly rebellious lost and the self-righteously lost. Describing God's persistent love for both.
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
The father had two sons
As we’ll see, they were both legitimate sons, but neither were experiencing intimacy with their father. The younger of the two had become tired of the restrictions of living at home. He wanted to spread his wings; he wanted his freedom.
The youngest “give me my share” Now. - I want to live my life the way I want to now! - He is saying in so many words. I wish you were dead.
The father divides up his property. 1/3 and 2/3.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
Distant country: Away from the father and anyone that would know him. Abandoning his family. Las Vegas or Loss Wages.
*Step brother got an inheritance: Friends flocked until he was broke.
4. Wild living: Luke 15:30
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
Living the way we want (Sin)is fun. Until it is not.
Boice: "His 'loose living' was typical of sin: it promises pleasure but delivers only emptiness and destruction."
Some of us have to learn the hard way.
14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
NFL: Around 78% of former NFL players and 60% of former NBA players face financial stress or bankruptcy within two-five years of retirement.
15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
I have to do something or I am going to die.
The young man became so desperate that he accepted a job feeding pigs (15:15). Don’t miss that. This is a Jewish man accepting a job to feed unclean animals. Furthermore, he had nothing to eat: He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating. The “pods” were carob pods, the fruit of the carob tree, which were used to feed animals.
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Since no one gave him anything to eat (15:16), the pigs were doing better than he was. His newly acquired “freedom” had come at a high cost.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
“Rock bottom” is the concept that a person can lose so much to active addiction that they will reach a point at which they are motivated to get sober.
Sometimes God lets us experience a tremendous fall because that’s what it takes to open our eyes.
I will devise a plan. And what I should say.
18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I need to turn back. Admit that I was wrong.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
Bond servants (Like family) Servants (loosely affiliated with the family) Hired servants (no standing with the family). Day workers.
I walked away and don’t deserve to be your son so make me a hired servant.
How many times did he practice this speech on his way home.
20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
How many days and nights was the Father worried about his child. Was he alive or was he dead?
20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
What does that imply? The father had been looking for him.
When my girls were younger, I could spot them from a mile away through the crowds at Disneyland.
20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Sarah went missing. When she was found I was filled with compassion for her.
20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Who ran? The father. Did the son see him running. Or maybe his head was still down walking the walk of shame.
20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
How does the son respond to this Measureless Love?
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
The father butts in with this!
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
The father did not say I told you so. What did he say?
Bring the best robe, put a ring on his finger, and sandals on his feet.
Each of the father’s gifts said something unique about his acceptance of the son: robe. This was reserved for the guest of honor. ring. This was a symbol of authority. sandals. These were not usually worn by slaves, and therefore signified his full restoration to sonship. - He is fully restored!
23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
How long till they began the party?
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
I am out working and it sounds like there is a party going on?
https://open.spotify.com/track/46eu3SBuFCXWsPT39Yg3tJ?si=21d52d18d310458d
27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
They are troughing a party for who?
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
Boice: "Just as the father ran to the prodigal, he now goes out to the elder brother, pleading. This shows God's persistent love for both the openly rebellious and the self-righteously lost."
The heart of a Jealous son is revealed.
29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
Never disobeyed: This is highly unlikely, given the boy’s obvious contempt for his father, shown by his refusal to participate in the father’s great joy.
Boice: "The elder brother's anger reveals his true spiritual condition: he was serving his father not out of love, but out of a desire for reward and recognition. He was lost while being 'at home.'"
As a youth pastor I would run to youth that we had not seen in months. The youth that were faithful would say you don’t run to us?
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
I disowned him when he disowned us.
This is not fair! And he is right. We think we want fairness but fairness is not in the bible, praise God. It is called “Grace” “Amazing Grace”
31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
Remember, you are also my son, always with me, And everything is yours.
32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
We were all lost people at one point. Lost people find people.
