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Luke 15:11–22 CSB

He also said: “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” ’ So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Luke 15 CSB

All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him. And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance. “Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’ I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.” He also said: “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” ’ So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant. ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’ “ ‘Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

Luke 15:11-22

a familiar passage. I think as we look at the parable of the Lost Son or Prodigal Son as some call it. As you find it in your paper Bible or in your Bible app. I’d like us to consder the question Who are you?

Who are you?

Who are you?

I can’t help but think of one of the most famous times the question “Who are you?” was asked in cinema history. We are going back to 1994 to the Disney classic so big there’s a show on broadway and a new movie relaesing this summer. Lets take a look.

[Video]

Lion King

Who are you?

Simba?

A bug eater? A meerkat/warthog deffender? dead? a traitor?

Simba had now worries until a sage monkey asked a question that changed everything.

You don’t know who you are!

Ole Rafiki was right in many ways Simba did not know who he was.

Who are you?

look with me in Luke chapter 15.

Luke 15:11–32 CSB

He also said: “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” ’ So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate. “Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant. ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’ “ ‘Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

Luke 15:11-

The Lost son

I am convinced that if we met the Lost son, if we were able to ask the younger son of the parable “who are you” we’d come to the same conclusion as ole Rafikki. “You dont even know who you are!”

Three Lies of Identity

I am what I have

I am what others say

I am what I do

LIE #1: I am what I have

When we buy into this lie, we accept the message of extreme consumerism. We think accumulation and pursuing the cutting-edge will leave us feeling more secure. But as we realize that whatever we get either breaks down or becomes obsolete quickly, we feel more insecure than we did before we got that thing.

The Lost Son bought this lie. He was so into wealth. He was so into money that he was willing to break up the family to get it. He was willing to demmand it of his father.

LIE #2: I am what others say

Due to social media and modern technology, it’s never been easier to know what others think of you. We buy into the lie that popularity, approval from others, and their acceptance define us. The sad reality is that when we buy into this lie, we live for the approval of others and die from their rejection

He bought this lie also: He spent his whole fortune on “foolish living.” I’m sure that when the party was going people said plenty of good things about him.

LIE #3: I am what I do

I am what I do

Whether it’s a job, a title, or a role, we’re really good at defining ourselves by what we do. In a world where we either retire, age out of the ability to do our job or lose that role in an unexpected way, this is tremendously dangerous. We may introduce ourselves by what we do, but our true identity cannot be summed up in what we do.

Whether it’s a job, a title, or a role, we’re really good at defining ourselves by what we do. In a world where we either retire, age out of the ability to do our job or lose that role in an unexpected way, this is tremendously dangerous. We may introduce ourselves by what we do, but our true identity cannot be summed up in what we do.

Make me like one of your hired workers.”

Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), . in what we do.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 15

Make me like one of your hired workers.”

The Lost Son bought this one too: “Make me like one of your hired workers.” . still thinking that what he does is all the father cares about.

Make me like one of your hired workers.”

Whether it’s a job, a title, or a role, we’re really good at defining ourselves by what we do. In a world where we either retire, age out of the ability to do our job or lose that role in an unexpected way, this is tremendously dangerous. We may introduce ourselves by what we do, but our true identity cannot be summed up in what we do.

Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), .

Have you ever stood on a principle. You know you are right. So you do the right thing. because you are right.

you see the Lost son was the only one buying lies. The elder did also he became angry and said

‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders,(LIE#3 I am what I do) yet you never gave me a goat(LIE#1 I am what I have) so that I could celebrate with my friends (LIE#2 what people think).  But when this son of yours came, who has devoured” our i mean your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’ .

E Or life, or livelihood

Who are you? a self righteous brother hater?

Who are you? a party animal?

Who are you? a pig slopper?

Who are you? a Lion who eats grubs and has no worries?

Who are you? the head man on fries?

Who are you? the

NO! These three Lies must not define you! They cannot direct the course of your life!

Who are you?

Who are you Simba? A roaring lion who returns to pride rock to fight evil. Mufassa’s Boy, Son of the King!

Who are you Elder son? Beloved of the Father. Heir to the family business. Invited to the party.

Who are you Prodigal Son? Beloved of the father. Invited to the party. Alive and found.

k

but as ole Rafikki says: The real question is Who are you?

Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), .

Real Identity is found in Christ

Who are you?

E Or life, or livelihood

k

Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), .

Beloved

Who are you? Redeemed

Romans 5:8 CSB

But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

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The greatest threat in any of our lives is our own sin, because every sin deserves God’s wrath. The God we offended — the God we rebelled against — shielded us from his fully righteous punishment when he crushed his Son on the cross (, ). You don’t have to wonder whether you’re good enough. You’re not. But Christ is. And being found in him by faith, you are counted as righteous in him

Who are you? A son or daughter of God

God rescued us in Christ. He paid our debt, bought our forgiveness and freedom, and staked our security on the worth of his Son. He redeemed “those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (). As a child of God, you are safe and secure from horrors you can’t even imagine. You are safe. You have a Father who watches over you, who knows your needs, who’s defeated death for you, who promises to deliver you to himself — safely.

Galatians 4:4–7 CSB

When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir.

Galatians 4:4

We’re not only saved by God (at the cross) and from God (his wrath), but we’re saved to God. Being a part of God’s family means enjoying a Father-child relationship with him. “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (). We can come into God’s very presence and speak with him, worship him, and ask for help. If you are in Christ, you have an infinite, almighty, and caring Protector and Provider.

The word Paul used when he said, “God sent forth his Son” (), is the same word he uses two verses later: “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (). In the same way that God sent Jesus into our broken world to save us, he sent the Spirit into our sinful hearts to make us his sons and daughters.

By the Spirit, God himself is in us, binding us to himself, making us his own, and giving us access to him now through prayer, and thenforever in eternity face to face. We have intimacy with the only one who can truly know us and satisfy us (). By our faith, he lives in us, listens to us, loves us; he is with us by his Spirit.

The Spirit gives us the confidence and freedom to cry out to God. He assures us that God really does love us. The cry he inspires is a cry to a dad: “Abba! Father!” The Spirit inside of us pleads as a child, and not as a slave. As children, our intimacy with the Father means his love is deep, persistent, and not decisively based on our performance. We are thoroughly known and profoundly loved. We are his.

Who are you? Heirs

Galatians 4:7 CSB

So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir.

We have true, lasting, other-worldly prosperity — a divine inheritance kept in heaven for you. “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” ().

It’s no mistake that, when Paul compares sons with slaves, he calls the son “the owner of everything” (). He’s speaking about sons in general, but he means for us to see something about what it means to be God’s son. All that he has — and he has it all — he wants to share with his redeemed and adopted children.

Paul writes, “So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (). That promise is so spectacular that it’s almost impossible to quantify or estimate what it could even mean. One day, we will own it all. And yet the greatest treasure we will inherit is not anything God can give us, but God himself. He’s the most valuable, most satisfying, most fulfilling reality that there is, and in Christ, we are his and he is ours ().