Luke 15:11-24

Student Bible Reading

Journals and Bibles Challenge

Who remembers what we talked about last week?

Jesus eating with sinners and drawing near to him

Heaven rejoicing at the confession of our sins

I want you to write those two things down, and remember them as we get into another parable this evening. 

We are going to be looking at the Parable of the prodigal son. 

Now, there are two parts to this - we are going to be looking at the younger son (who is the prodigal son) this evening and next week we are going to look at the older son. 

Big Idea:

God’s heart toward His children is not anger but grace—He lovingly welcomes us home again and again, offering endless chances to return to Him.

God is a god of 2nd chances and 3rd chances and 4th chances and so on and so forth, and we will see that play out in this parable this evening.

Now, sometimes it is good and valuable to read a Bible story, and imagine yourself in that story as a character in the story. 

And other times this is not a good idea to do. 

When we do this, it is easy to take things out of context. 

For example, 

Romans 16:16 - “Greet one another with a holy kiss”

Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” 

But, for the sake of this text, I want you to consider where it may be in this story and how you can relate to this parable. 

But, I always encourage you to yield to the word of God, and remember that we can not take the word of God and mold it around our life, but rather mold our life around what the word of God says. 

With that, lets jump into verse 11-13, 

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father,

[quick note for you is that at this time, if you were a ‘younger’ son you may have been thought of as the more thoughtless one. Not saying that is still true today, or maybe it is.]

‘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.

So, there is this boy who is desperate to be on his own.

Likely 18-25.

And here is basically begging his father to give him his share of the inheritance.

This share of inheritance that is most often given upon death.

But his father, grants his wish and just a few days later that would be all she wrote.

The son would gather up all his items and head out.

Let’s read that last part again, “and there he squandered his property in reckless living”

Sometimes, we will ask for things that we don’t need. Sometimes we will beg for things we don’t need. While that may be what is happening here. Deeper than that, its clear that God’s good gifts were no longer perfect freedoms for the younger son - and God though he will not lead us into darkness, allowed this trial to happen - as he is the one who walked himself into it.

So, our first point tonight is this:

God allows trials to happen when we seek our fulfillment apart from him.

Let’s look back at the scripture and see that it was the younger son who made this choice - saying - Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’

The father in this story is a really good picture of who God is to us. The father’s love allowed rebellion. The son seeking the inheritance early was motivated by greed and rebellion.

The father also represents the free will that God has given to us. He has given us the ability, the freedom to choose to live in obedience to him, or to choose to live in rebellion to him.

The same is true for you today.

God has called you to something higher, something great. He has called you to be obedient and surrender.

But that calling does not mean that he will not allow us to also be disobedient and the consequences to follow from occuring.

Consider the moments that you have intentionally decided to do something that is dishonoring to God.

Consider the feeling of emptiness and loneliness we feel that comes with that sin.

That is where the son is, and that is where we pick back up this passage.

Let us read verses 14- 16

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.

The son would then work (and work) to quickly spend the inheritance that was given to him.

That will lead us into our second point this evening.

Satisfaction found apart from God is temporary; God provides lasting fulfillment.

I want us to look at the difference between satisfaction and fulfillment.

satisfaction - Satisfaction is the pleasant feeling of contentment and fulfillment from meeting a need, desire

fulfillment - In the Bible, fulfillment means the accomplishment, completion, or realization of a promise

The son quickly realized he had made a mistake, and the inheritance was just a momentary satisfaction, and he found himself in difficult situation when the famine arose.

And he got a job, a job working with pigs.

This is no shepherd job, this is a job working with pigs. Animals known for being unclean and disgusting. The younger son was now the equivalent of what a slave would have been.

He had his whole inheritance waiting for him, but his greed got him a job with pigs.

Let’s read verse 13 again, “And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.”

All he wanted now was pig food… and he could not even get that.

The younger son found out (because of his sin) that momentary satisfaction does not last. It fades away

And in his greed, it faded very quickly.

Sometimes it takes hitting a hard moment for us to realize how much we need God’s grace, and to see that the things we chase apart from Him don’t actually fill us.

What are you finding your satisfaction and joy and security in? Are they things that will fade quickly, and let you down?

The good news is this is not the end of the story.

Let us look at verses 17-19.

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.”

Verse 17 says, “But when he came to himself”

He finally began to start thinking clearly, he started to zoom out a little bit and understand just the state of misery that he was in.

And his first thought was not one of how to improve his current condition or current state, but rather focused on his father.

He said, “I will arise and go to my father”

In the whole story up until now, the prodigal son had been “beside himself”

But, now he has come to the realization of the fullness of his sin.

This leads us into our 3rd point this evening.

When we come face to face with the realization of our sin, the only answer is surrender, and turn to grace.

The son did not think of his village, he did not think of home.

He didn’t think of that very first home cooked meal back under his parents roof.

No, it says he thought of his father.

Students, this is the attitude we need to have towards our savior, our God.

One commentary I read said that he was: empty, desolate, withered, perishing.

I take a step back and all I see is myself!

That is me in the midst of our sins. These are the emotions that we face in the midst of our sins!

The son feeling these emotions, comes to term with his need to go to his father and repent.

And when I read this verse, all I can think of is myself confessing to the Lord, let us read it again.

Verse 19: “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.”

How beautiful is this confession to his father.

The son asked for two things:

, “Father, give me;” He asked his father to give him the inheritance!

, “Father, make me.” Only the second request brought joy.

We should turn to God, and say Father use me, make me into a faithful follower of you.

The son realized his need for grace and he headed straight to the father.

This is so convicting! Because how many of us, and dont raise your hand, upon sinning our first action is not to run towards the Lord.

Trust me, Ive been there. Those feelings of: Well, I just need to work this out in my own head, and then ill be able to go to God. Those feelings of: Well, I just sinned and God is probably unhappy with me, let me give it a couple hours and then ill confess and we will be good to go.

No! Thats not who God is, thats not what he has called us to.

When the son realized his sin, realized where he had fallen short, his immediate respoinse was to turn to God and confess.

Let me just tell you, God’s grace is right there waiting for you.

When we turn to God quickly, it initiates renewal in our heart.

Students, let us embrace grace and change as an opportunity to have a restored relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Look at this example and consider how it applies to yourself: A man was known for his clumsiness; he often spilled things or tripped over nothing. One day, after a particularly embarrassing fall, instead of feeling ashamed, he embraced the laughter it brought. He realized he could either let the fall define him or allow the joy it brought to lift him. Similarly, God's grace allows us to stand back up and embrace the joy of restored fellowship with Him, no matter our missteps.

I don’t want you to think we should get up after we sin, and laugh it off and move on.

But God is not angry with you, you don’t have to give him time to cool off. God’s grace allows us to stand back up immediately, confess and embrace joy with him.

Joy, on joy, on joy.

Let’s turn to verses 20-24.

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.

I want us to focus on something real quick. There is a clear action by the prodigal son. He did not just feel the need to confess and sit on that thought.

He felt the need to come home and confessed and verse 20 says, “He arose and came to his father”

Students, faithfullness requires us to take accountability and take action against sin.

It says, “the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.’ How beautiful are these words!

That will lead us into our fourth and final point this evening

Joyous restoration from our sins is found in running to the open, loving arms of the Father, God.

This idea comes from Charles Spurgeon, but I’ve reworded it to make it clearer for us today. - Some of you are thinking so much about God and faith that we never actually do anything with it.

We keep overthinking instead of trusting.

My prayer is that God helps you move from just thinking about Him to actually believing Him—because if you don’t, all that overthinking can pull you further away instead of closer.

Believing in him leads us to not just have a faith

Not just have faith be apart of our life, but faith should be the essence of our who life.

Students, the father in this passage is a perfect imagine of God, when we come to him.

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.

The Lord is not sitting in heaven, begrudgingly waiting for us to confess, and when he does he will then consider forgiveness. no!

There is celebration

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

There is rejoicing when we confess our sins!

This is not just for new believers.

This is for each and everyone of us.

James 5:16 speaks of this, saying Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

When we confess, when we turn to the Lord in prayer - healing begins.

Students, hear me when I say this, from someone who has been through times in his life - where he has not taken sin seriosusly and has reluctantly confessed and had a small view of God. When we do this, we hinder ourself from being healed and redeemed from sin.

We must learn to take sin seriosusly, and in that we must remember that God is not angrily waiting for us, but rather sitting in heaven, simply waiting for us to draw near to him.

Let us embrace God's forgiveness and celebrate our identity as beloved children restored to with God’s love and purpose.

So, let’s look at a practice.

What do we take away from this scripture? How does the passage help us to be faithful.

Let us look at verse 21 one more time, 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.’ 

Students, we come and we confess to our Lord and savior.

Now, I want us to understand the difference between the confession of sins and the inviting the Lord into our heart and the daily confession of sins.

Both are vital, but the first must happen on a daily basis.

The second is a one time, saying, “Lord, I am a sinner and I need you”

Let me encourage you to lean into the Lord, lean into this community that the Lord has given you and confess your sins, and turn to freedom in Christ, rather than endless striving.

But, let us not forget that our heart is deceitful, and our flesh is full of sin.

We saw in this passage that the son simply choose to pursue things of this world.

Our brokenness, that we see in this passage is that we live in a broken and fallen world, that is full of sin.

There are pursuits that though they look intriguing will only lead us to the fangs of death.

The son’s pursuit leaves him empty, ashamed, and desperate.

He ends up feeding pigs—rock bottom for a Jewish audience.

Sin promises freedom but delivers slavery, loneliness, and loss of identity.

But, that is where the Gospel comes in.

And the last five words, upon the confession of sins from the younger brother, the father says, And they began to celebrate.

Students, let us draw near to freedom in the confession of sins. Let us draw near to Christ knowing that though sin is ever present it does not have chains on us. We have been sit free from it.

Romans 6:6–7 “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.”

Let’s pray.

How did the younger son’s decision to ask for his inheritance reflect his relationship with his father?

How can you distinguish between temporary satisfaction and lasting fulfillment in your life?

How does the father’s response demonstrate God's attitude toward sin and forgiveness?

What does it look like to respond to God in repentance after recognizing sin in your life?