Drawing In
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Hook: We are starting a new series “Welcome Home”
All about the “Prodigal Son”
It may surprise you, Its nothing like you may remember
Using a lot of Tim Keller's work “Prodigal God”
Read: Luke 15:11-32
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘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. 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.
“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.” ’ 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.
“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”
How did Jesus Get to this parable?
We need to go all the way back to chapter 14
Read: Luke 14:1
One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.
Sabath
Dinner party at a Religious Bigwig - With Religious Bigwig friends
Think stuffy
Overly Mannerly
Putting on a show
Hurt man; Jesus asks a Question
Read: Luke 14:3
And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”
Is it lawful to heal?
God values people over regulations
Beginning of a crazy dinner party
vs 7-11: Parable of the Wedding feast - Better to be humble then honored, than puffed up and dishonored
vs 12-14: Eternal reward comes from helping those who cannot repay you
Guy who wants to be spiritual and important speaks up
Read: Luke 14:15
When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
vs 15-24: Parable of the Great Banquet - Those who think they deserve it will be forgotten and replaced with those who know they don’t
Jesus leaves and heads to Jerusalem
Read: Luke 14:25
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them,
Do we know its right after dinner?
Could it be later?
Seems to make sense right after dinner
1) the stories line up
2) Luke is linear in writing unlike some of the other gospels
Jesus continues with the theme from the party
vs 26 - 35: Cost of being a Disciple - It will cost you, will you bear it?
At this the crowd draws into him
Read: Luke 15:1-2
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Two Groups
Two Groups
Tax Collectors and Sinners
Correlate to the younger brother in the story
Don’t observe moral laws of scripture
Don’t practice the extra rules the religious people made
Don’t follow the extra ceremony purity laws of the Jews
Engage in wild living
Like the Younger Brother
Left home
left traditional morality
left cultural morality of family and respectable society
Pharisees and Scribes
Correlate to the older brother in the story
kept classic scriptural morality
kept all the extra laws
kept all the extra ceremony purity laws
Study and obeyed Scripture
Worshiped at the Temple and Prayed Regularly
Drawing Near
Drawing Near
So the “Sinners and Tax Collectors” are Drawing near
Original Language
Verb - Action Word
Present - Was happening at that moment in time
Active - Was occurring in action right then
Imagine - Group pushing in on Jesus as he taught them; possibly after a long dinner with religious bigwigs
Made the Religious bigwigs (Pharisees and scribes) upset
Really upset
Why?
Puzzled and Angry
Why are they so close to Jesus?
What does he have we dont have?
Why would they listen to Him and not us?
They Never come to our things!
He isn’t teaching like we do!
He must be telling them what they want to hear!
They should go to our stuff
templ
Synoagoge
Church
Not be with Jesus!
It is from here Jesus tells three parables climaxing with the prodigal son, showing God’s value of the lost
vs 3-7: the lost sheep
vs 8-10: the lost coin
vs 11-15: the lost sons
Who’s the Focus?
Who’s the Focus?
We have always been told its about the Younger brother
We love this story
You are never to far from God
“Just reach out and he'll reach in
Take your broken heart and make it whole again
It don't matter who you are or where you've been
Just reach out and he'll reach in
You say you've walked ten thousand steps away
But did you know that it's only one step back?
Because the one who hears you when you pray
Is the one who's there beside you and he'll never walk away” - Petra; Just Reach Out
God will take you no mater what you have done
True - He is in it - That is a valid lesson
Key is the Older Brother
Read: Luke 15:1-2
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Jesus is talking to the Religious people here; the older brothers not the younger brothers
They hated Jesus for this
True Today
True Today
We still have this cultural dichotomy today
None of us fit perfectly but...
Older
Rule follower - Parent Pleaser
Obeys parental standards
Asks few questions - Accepts Authority
Prefers Stability
Younger
Free Spirit - Eclectic
Bucks Authority and Breaks Precieved Standards
Overly Questions - Prefers freedom
Culture War Rages today just as then
Religious older bros look down on sinner younger bros
Younger bros scoff and criticize older bros
Look around - look at the news
We feel everything is complex now
we don’t trust people, groups or institutions that say they have the moral high ground
Who is right? Who does God agree with?
Neither —> Jesus Doesn't Agree with Either Group
Tells the older brothers who:
Read bible and pray
Ceremonially clean
Considered good religious men
Read: Matt 23:1-5
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
Read Matt 23:25-28
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
They had the actions but not the heart
Very very good at doing
Feeling self Righteous
Didn’t think they needed help
Didn’t think they needed Jesus
Doesn't agree with the younger brothers either
Living in sin
Breaking God’s moral law
Not loving God and loving others (Matt 22:27-40)
Both are wrong
Opposite sides of the same coin
Heartless legalistic self righteous action
Selfish enslavement to perceived freedom
Jesus Agrees with Neither side
Both have an opportunity for Redemption
Both have been locked in battle for ages
Younger brothers flock to Jesus
Older brothers are offended by Jesus
See it in:
Luke 7:36-50 - Religious vs the Sexual Outcast
John 3:1-21 - Religious vs Closet Curious Free Thinker
John 4 - Religious vs the Racial Outcast (Samaritan)
Luke 19:1-10 - Religious vs the Political outcast
The outcast connects with Jesus - The Religious do not
What does Jesus say? (Matthew 21:31b)
Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
So…
Do we have this affect today?
Do we attract the irreligious, the outcast, the younger brothers?
Do they “draw in”?
If not why not?
Are we more like the older brothers than we think?
This does not mean we
Stop living for Jesus
Refuse to recognize sin
No longer judge good from evil
Stop teaching Truth
Jesus did these things…
But we also ...
Have Grace and Mercy like Jesus
Reach out to the weak, poor and suffering like Jesus
Have lat talks with more compassion and less “I told you so” moments like Jesus
Love people and hate their sin like Jesus
Live life with Truth and Grace
Bottom Line
Humble Ourselves & Reach Out
Humble Ourselves & Reach Out
Humble ourselves in our own eyes
we don’t have it all together
We don’t know it all
We too need Jesus sacrifice for our sin
Reach out to the younger brothers in our families and community
Bulletin outline
1) T_______________ G_______________
2) D_______________ N_______________
3) W_______________ the F_______________
4) T_______________ T_______________
Bottom Line:
Small Group/ Personal Study Questions
We grow best in the community. When we gather and discuss God’s word in a safe environment we grow more like Him. If you are here at Crossroads we encourage you to join a Small Group and talk over the Questions below. The Questions in Bold, are great places for your group to start. The other questions are for further study. May God Bless you in your pursuit of Him - Pastor Neil
1) How confident are we that the way we live is the right way? Why are we so confident? How does that come across to others whose life contradicts how we live?
2) Read 1 John 1:1-10
3) What are 3 things that stick out to you from this passage? What does John mean by “fellowship”? What is John referring to by “walk in darkness” or “walk in light”? why would how we walk influence fellowship? What does confession do? Will God forgive us? Why or why not?
4) Read 1 John 2:1-6
5) Why does John write this section? What are 3 things that stick out to you about this passage? What is “propitiation” (vs 2)? Why is Jesus ours, what does it matter? according to John is being a hypocrite an OK thing? why or why not? Can we keep God’s word perfectly? If not, what should we do? How do we live the same way Jesus lived?
6) How does this help us to Humble ourselves and Reach out? Is it important to remember we are not prefect? why or why not? is it important to remember we dont know it all? why or why not? How can we be humble in our thinking and reach out to others? Need help? Ask us, we want to help :)
