Sermon Tone Analysis
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“It’s NOT My Party, and I’ll Cry if I Want to”
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How many of you have heard the song; “It’s my party, and I cried I want to”?
I didn’t hear that song until after I met Tess.
I grew up in a very strict Christian home… Tess didn’t.
So she has taught me a lot of things… I will never forget the day, she started singing this song to me.
“Judy and Johnny just walked through the door like a queen with her king, Oh, what a birthday surprise Judy's wearing his ring.
It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, Cry if I want to, Cry if I want to.
you would cry too, if it happened to you”.
In this chapter Jesus tells about three parties.
There is a party when the lost sheep is found, when the lost coin is found, and the lost son comes home.
Jesus tells these three stories to give us one great truth; all of us are lost and need to be found/saved.
And when the lost are found, when sinners are saved there is a party, there is great joy in heaven when sinners are saved!
This is a chapter of great joy; a happy chapter; in this chapter we learn about the heart of God.
God the father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit rejoices when the lost are found, when sinners are saved!
Most of us are familiar with the story of the prodigal son.
The prodigal son lived a life of sin in the far country, he repents, is forgiven, is welcomed home and the father throws a party.
There is great joy because a sinner has been saved, and the whole house is filled with singing, shouting, laughter and rejoicing.
What a great time they were having; a sinner was saved, the lost was found, the dead was made alive.
But not everyone in this chapter is rejoicing!
The prodigal son’s older brother is not happy that his younger brother has come home, and that his father is throwing a party for him.
His attitude is, it’s not my party; and I’ll cry if I want to!
We are told in, V:11, that this man had two sons.
Then Jesus proceeds to tell the story about the younger son, the prodigal son, who went into the far country.
The people listening to Jesus tell the story; must have wondered what happened to the other son?
He is off stage for most of the story; but now Jesus brings him back to center stage.
Remember who Jesus was telling these story’s to?
He was telling these stories to the scribes and Pharisees; who had been complaining that Jesus received sinners and ate with them, V:2.
So Jesus masterfully puts them into the story!
The elder brother represents the Pharisees.
Everybody in all the stories are rejoicing that the lost are found, except the elder brother.
He does not rejoice when his prodigal brother returns home, he murmurs, complains and is upset that the father rejoices over the lost son returning home.
It is important to know that both of these sons were lost.
· The prodigal son was lost in the far country.
· The elder brother was lost in the house.
Jesus gives the story of the elder brother, to show us what it’s like to be lost in religion.
To be near the father, but not know the heart of the father, nor the forgiveness of the father.
The elder brother represents religious people who are self-righteous.
And Self-righteousness is just as bad as unrighteousness; because it keeps you from God’s righteousness!
The elder brother, who is a Pharisee has no joy over sinners being saved, because he doesn’t understand what it’s like to be lost, and then to be found.
The Pharisees had never had experienced forgiveness, therefore they didn’t know the joy of being forgiven.
They didn’t feel like they needed to be found, because they didn’t know they were lost.
They thought they were okay because of their religious works, and clean lifestyle.
Being religious will not get you to heaven, you must be saved!
The Pharisees, like the elder brother in the story, where complaining and criticizing Jesus for rejoicing over sinners being saved.
Let’s discover, what makes them say, it’s not my party; and I’ll cry if I want to.
You will miss the party when you:
1. Refuse the Joy of the Father.
V:25-28.
Jesus has just told us about the joy the father had when is prodigal son returned, V:22-24.
The father put the best robe on his returning son, he put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.
The father had a calf killed, and threw a party; and said,V:24-“my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found”.
And they began to be Merry!
The word.
“Merry” means to be extremely glad, have an excited, joyful spirit.
The father is overjoyed that his lost son has come home!
But… the elder brother refused to share in the joy of his father!
We are told the elder brother comes in, V:25 from the field, he’s been working all day long, he’s hot and tired; he plans to get a bath, watch the news, eat, and go to bed.
It’s been a hard day in the field, as he approaches the house it is all lit up; the ground is shaking with dancing feet, he hears the sound of music playing.
There is a big band playing, there is singing, it is a celebration!
Servants are running everywhere, there is laughter and joy in the air.
V:26, he walks through the gate into the front yard, and catches a servant going by; and ask him was going on around here?
V:27-Read.
The servant says, man haven’t you heard; your younger brother has come home from the far country, and your father is so thrilled and excited about it, that he is throwing a homecoming party!
We are having a glory, hallelujah celebration, the father is rejoicing over his lost son that was found!
Hurry, hurry cleanup and come to the party!
Now, you would think he would jump for joy, and run in and bear hug his brother and say praise God dad’s prayers have been answered!
Welcome home little bro, we missed you!
But that is not what he does!
He is angry, upset that the father has received the sinner and is eating with him!
The word received, is the same word used back in, V:2, where the Pharisees were complaining because Jesus received sinners and ate with them.
It is the word that means reconciliation, the lost son and the loving father had been reconciled; and there was great joy.
The older brother was not reconciled to the father; even though he lived in the house.
The older brother was just as lost as a younger brother.
And the Pharisees were just as lost as the tax collectors and sinners that Jesus ate with.
The Pharisees had no joy over lost sinners being reconciled to the father.
The elder brother was, V:28-Read.
Why is he angry, disturbed, why does he refused to go in?
Do you see him standing outside of the house, he refuses to go in, he’s angry, disturbed because his brother has come home, and his father has forgiven him.
What a poor, pitiful, petty, pouting Pharisee he was!
The table is loaded with food, the house is filled with people, everybody is excited especially the father about the return of the brother!
But not him, he refuses the joy of the father; he does not find joy in what the father finds joy in.
He is disturbed by the return of the brother, and the response of the father.
If this elder brother had prayed for his lost brother, went out searching for his lost brother, he would have been glad for his salvation.
But the elder brother was not saved, and he had no desire to reconcile lost sinners to the loving father.
Did you notice in the story of the lost sheep, and the lost coin there was someone that went searching.
The Shepherd searched for the lost sheep; and the woman search for the lost coin.
But nobody went out searching for the lost son! Whose job was it to go searching for the lost son?
It was the elder brother’s responsibility to seek to reconcile the lost son, to the father.
But he refused to go searching for his younger brother, and therefore he had no joy when he returned.
He refused to go searching for his brother.
He refused to celebrate his brother’s return.
He refused to share his father’s joy.
There he is standing on the outside with a long face, a curled lip, with an angry attitude.
The people who heard the story would expect the older brother to celebrate the lost son being found, just like when the sheep and the coin with found.
But he is angry and refuses to go in to the party, V:28.
The happiest time in the church service is the invitation when people walk down the island receive Jesus Christ as her Savior.
But sometimes there are elder brothers around, Pharisees, who find no joy in sinners being saved.
Even younger brothers, who have been saved out of the hog pen of sin, been baptized and joined the church; and were once full of the joy of the Lord.
But as the years rolled by, they settle down, get use to the singing and preaching, and get familiar with the words of the church.
And now the joy, thrill is gone; there in the church, in the house, serving, but no joy in their heart.
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