Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Rejoicing in Resurrection Life

Title: Rejoicing in Resurrection Life

Text:

Intro:

Key verses: ,

What does death mean her? Clearly, the father is not speaking about physical death and life.

The father is implying that the son was dead to the father.

He was separated.

There was a divide that rendered the relationship ended.

What was Jesus speaking this story to & why?

Jesus Christ is delivering this story to among the Pharisees who are murmuring that Jesus is associating with the tax-collectors and the sinners of the day.

Who are the characters in the story?

The father in the story is typical of God, our Heavenly Father.

The prodigal son is typical of the publicans and sinners who are repenting.

The elder son is typical of the Pharisees who becomes angry.

A look at the rest of the chapter reveals:

The lost sheep & rejoicing

The lost coin & rejoicing

In the first parable the lost sheep is recovered outside the fold, in the second the lost coin is recovered inside the house, and the third and climactic parable incorporates both motifs: the father must await the return of a rebellious son, and he must seek the return of a resentful one.

This context gives us an understanding that the passage is about rejoicing that takes place over

the lost individual’s being found

the undelivered being delivered

the unsaved becoming saved

the unfollowing becoming followers

But what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ?

But what does it mean to be saved?

But what does it mean to be delivered?

But what does it mean to be found?

The Master & the Great Supper

Those who were bidden rejected.

It is Christ’s way of teaching that the Pharisees & Israel were bidden but they rejected.

What is the broader context of this passage?

What does it mean to follow Jesus Christ?

(Salt - discipleship)

The believers for whom Jesus is more important than family and friends, even their own lives, who take up their crosses as living martyrs, and who forsake the claims of possessions are savory salt who bring joy to God and make palpable differences in the world.

Christians who are not salty are not Christian at all, more useless than those who never claimed to follow Jesus in the first place.

Understanding what it means to be lost

Understanding what it means to be saved

this will be critical so we understand more fully the prodigal's resurrection and the salvation of Lazarus...

Opening of .... the prodigal story is beginning to show itself here.

Salvation is NOT some:

Haphazzard commitment

Little prayer you spoke to an invisible God

Salvation is:

Responding to the bidding of the Great Master to come

Repenting of all excuses and sin that would prohibit you from coming

Rendering your allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Receiving resurrection life

(a) Restoration of relationship that was severed

It is where you and I look see that any allegiance [father, mother, brother sister, land, wife, property, material] other than Christ is nothing less than a pig-sty, I am awakened to my condition and the the Father’s love, and in repentance and faith come back to Him.

It is where our heavenly Father looks to us and says, “For this my son was dead, and is alive again...”!

BUT not everyone rejoices in resurrection life.

Not everyone rejoices with the Father

Not everyone feasts with enjoyment

ILL:

In 1871 the New York Herald sent Henry Stanley to Africa in search of the missionary, David Livingstone, who was long overdue.

After unbelievable hardships, the journalist found the explorer in central Africa, where he spent four months with him.

Stanley went to Africa a conceited and confirmed atheist, but Livingstone’s influence, gentleness, genuineness, goodness, and zeal won Stanley.

Stanley became a Christian, saying, “I was converted by him, although he had not tried to do it.”

Jones, G. C. (1986).

1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (p.

183).

Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Proposition: Don’t walk out of here as an elder brother today!

Why would someone not rejoice in the resurrection life?

(Prodigal Elder Son)

they are not spiritually alive.

Why or how do you know this?

See

Ill:

5612 Rolls-Royce Reasoning

Driving his new Rolls-Royce through the Alps, an Englishman had his composure jolted when a front spring broke as he was making a tight curve at high speed.

After limping into the nearest Swiss town, he explained his problem by phone to Rolls-Royce, Ltd., in England.

The next day a company representative appeared, replaced the spring, and the Englishman purred on his way.

Back in England, realizing that no bill had come through from Rolls, he called to ask them to check their records for “Swiss repair of broken spring.”

A few minutes later, a most correct Rolls manager was on the phone.

“There must be some mistake, sir.

There is no such thing as a broken spring on a Rolls-Royce.”

—Tide

Tan, P. L. (1996).

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1266).

Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

his anger and resistance shows he doesn't care about spiritual life - he was angry

his response shows (not a grace consideration) a works/merit belief - these many years do I serve thee

his response shows expectation of gain for moral righteousness - neither transgressed I at any time they commandment

his response shows resentment for lack of gifts from the father - he wasn't in love with the father's but with personal gain - yet thou never gavest me a kid

he wasn't in love with the father's but with personal gain - yet thou never gavest me a kid his response shows a selfish, personally superior consideration - this thy son was come, which hath... his response shows a bitterness/resentment towards the father - thou hast killed... his response is inconsiderate of resurrection life - for this thy brother was dead...

his response shows a selfish, personally superior consideration - this thy son was come, which hath...

his response shows a bitterness/resentment towards the father - thou hast killed...

his response is inconsiderate of resurrection life - for this thy brother was dead...

What principles can be drawn from this?

1.

The Father's desire is for true repentance of the lost

What must see here is that it is not son’s response that caused the father to love him.

, ,

The father’s love was not only towards the younger repentant brother, but it was also towards the elder brother -

Lead in:

In this account, the elder brother stands to lose more of the overall portion now as the father’s goods would be split again, including the younger brother who had already squandered his living.

The elder brother uses his goodness to hold the father in debt.

He stands to lose something materially - that he has been using his moralism to earn all of these years.

Forgiveness may be free for the one receiving it, but it comes at a cost to the one granting forgiveness.

Having never really understood his father’s love and his own need for forgiveness, this elder brother is absolutely unwilling to grant this forgiveness - as a personal cost.

Transition: But this all points us to the “TRUE Elder Brother”