2016-04-10 Luke 15:11-24 Two Kinds of Prodigal (4): The Past is Past

TWO KINDS OF PRODIGAL (4): THE PAST IS PAST (Luke 15:11-24) 2016-04-10 Intro – Garrison Keiller, world-class storyteller of Lake Wobegon fame recalls the childhood pain of choosing sides for baseball games. He says, “The captains are down to their last grudging choices – the slow kid for catcher – someone to stick in right field where no one ever hits it. . . . The scrubs, the remaining kids they treat as handicaps. If I take him, you have to take him. Sometimes I go as high as sixth – usually lower. But just once – just once – I'd like Darrell to pick me first and say, ‘I want him – the skinny kid with the glasses and the black shoes. You. I want you.’ But I've never been chosen with much enthusiasm.” If you have ever felt that way, I have great news! God loves you; God wants you; and God will choose you with great enthusiasm if you will choose Him! I pray that it gets thru this morning. We’re studying the Father in this parable. He represents God. Jesus intends us to see Him as an active, eager participant in human life. Eight actions of the Father are highlighted. First, God lets us go. We can live for a time as tho He does not matter or exist! The end result of that is never pretty for the simple reason that He does exist and He does matter. Second, we saw that He longs for us to turn to Him. He does not impose; but He patiently waits. Now today I want us to see three more wonderful actions of the Father as illustrated here. III. God Absorbs Our Shame (Mercy) This amazing fact is not always appreciated. 18 “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 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.” Now, notice that nothing positive can happen spiritually until we acknowledge our own rebellion. But when we turn to Him, the floodgates of God’s mercy fly open. You say, “But I’ve never done what this prodigal did. I’m a pretty good guy.” But even that statement is living as tho God did not matter – as tho you do not need Him. You are rejecting the verdict He has already rendered in Isa 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” You may not be a rapist or a child molester, but you, like all of us have gone your own way and disowned Him. We commit 1 the worst sin of all when we declare our own worth and deny the value of His death in our place. We shame Him and in the process shame ourselves. But repentance chances everything. V. 19: “I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ There he sits in a pigpen wishing he could eat the awful food they eat. He’s as low as a Jewish boy could go. But he has gotten beyond his own shame to see how he has shamed his father. And he reaches the right conclusion: he is not worthy to be called a son. He long ago abandoned that privilege – just as have we all. For “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Not some – all! But look at v. 20: “And he arose and came to his father.” What is the first thing he does when his hard heart softens? He heads toward the father rather than away from the father. He freely confesses he has sinned against God and against his father. He is unworthy to be accepted in heaven or his father’s house. You can always tell a repentant heart. It does two things. It recognizes its own unworthiness; but it heads toward God rather than away from God. This young man’s turn is remarkable. But what comes next is astounding. See the scribes would have been thinking, “Okay, so the kid is getting his just deserts. Now his dad can really turn the screws. He can exact retribution. He’ll never be able to repay what he has taken. Coming home as a slave is the most any credible father would allow. The kid’s going to get what he asked for.” So they think. But Jesus blows their minds with what’s next. V. 20b, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” Wow! No one in Jesus’ time thought of fathers in these terms. In the first place, the boy finds himself in his father’s embrace before he even has a chance to give his well-rehearsed speech. What a wonderful reminder that God looks on the heart, right? Most of us who are believers probably sealed that commitment with a prayer of surrender to Christ. And we would say, “That’s when I was saved.” But the truth is, that prayer resulted from a heart that had already turned from self to God. The moment that happened, we were in God’s saving embrace. The words just sealed a commitment already made. And from the moment your heart determined to follow Him, in the words of Paul in Rom 8:16, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” That internal witness of the HS is the saving embrace of God in a believer’s life. The prayer that follows is simply an outward expression of something that’s already happened. Amazing. 2 But what I really want you to see is this. The father didn’t make the son come to him. Throwing caution to the wind, he ran to the boy. An elderly man in that society would never have run like that. Just wasn’t done. Furthermore, it was a shame to show one’s legs in public. Yet the only way this father could have run to his boy would have been to gather his robes, tuck them into a belt around his waist, fully exposing his legs so he could run freely to his boy. So why not let the boy get home and then have this joyous reunion privately? Why? Bc this this imaginary village would have been bustling with activity. Everyone would have remembered the shame this boy brought on the family. And as people recognized him in his humiliation, they would have poured contempt on him. They’d have gloried in his disgrace! Abuse and scorn would have been heaped on him. And the father, seeing the humiliating condition of his son in the distance, and knowing the attitudes of his neighbors determined to protect his son from certain abuse. He determined to take the boy’s shame on himself. So, unmindful of his own dignity, he hurried to get to the boy before anyone else had seen him, threw his arms around him and restored him to full sonship before anyone else had a chance to do anything. Jesus’ hearers would have been stunned at this point in the story. No one had ever heard of such a father or imagined such grace – that this reprobate could be restored with no requirement whatsoever put upon him – incredible. What a picture of the heavenly Father, isn’t it? Looking down in His holy wrath against sin, seeing a race of men with no hope of ever meeting His holy standard. But what God demands; God provides. So, Jesus tells His disciples in Lu 18: 32 For he [Jesus] will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” Did Jesus deserve that shameful treatment? No – we do, but he took our shame on Himself. Heb 12:2: Jesus “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame.” And why did Jesus absorb that shame He didn’t deserve. He did it so that, as God says in Rom 9:33, “whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” And He repeats the same thing in Rom 10:11: “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” Bc they don’t deserve it?! No! But because the One who did not deserve it absorbed it for them. One of the many foolish things I did in junior high was to break some windows out of our abandoned elementary school. It wasn’t long before the truant officer was at our door looking to shame all truants of whom I was one. I deserved to be hauled off to the police station and juvenile court for punishment. I felt the shame deeply. But Dad stepped in and offered to pay the 3 price for me. He bought and installed several new windows. And I was very grateful that he absorbed my shame. But that is nothing compared to what the heavenly Father has done for all who believe. We can be spared the pain of eternal shame and separation from Him if we will simply accept the gift of life that he offers His prodigal creation. What a great Father, huh? IV. God Lavishes Us With Love (Grace) What an amazing picture! 20 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. The words alone show us the lavish love of the father. How could he see him far off if he has not been constantly looking for his return? His compassion for the bedraggled figure knew no bounds. The old man who probably hasn’t run in 40 years gathers his robes around him and oblivious to the condemning stares of his neighbors, he throws dignity to the wind and runs to his boy. Before the prodigal can even begin his carefully rehearsed speech of apology, he’s in his father’s embrace, being kissed and accepted by him. What an amazing exhibition of unconditional love. Rembrandt’s famous painting of the scene shows the disapproval of those standing by. The son is on his knees in contrition. The father’s impeccable dress contrasts with tattered sandals and clothing of his son. But the father reaches down with kindness in his eyes to accept the son others would cast away without a second thought. A large masculine left hand rests reassuringly on the boy’s right shoulder and a smaller, feminine hand pulls him close. The boy smells of the pigpen where he has labored. He’s had no means to clean himself up after his travels. He is a smelly mess. But, listen now – Dad accepts him and loves him just as he is. Just as he is. That’s the starting point – just as he is. He won’t leave him that way, but he starts just as he is. The boy starts his speech, but the father has already seen his heart. Before he can finish, the father orders the finest clothing, a bath, no doubt, and gives him a ring indicating his sonship. He deserves none of this, yet the father lavishes him with love. What a picture of our heavenly Father, isn’t it? The Pharisees had no such God. They’d have met him at home with folded arms and cold stares. After hearing him out, they’d have said, “You know you have no right here anymore. Look at you. You’re a dirty, filthy, smelly mess. What a poor excuse for a man. Go find a job, clean yourself up, get your act together and when you’ve got enough to pay back what you’ve squandered – with interest – then maybe we can talk. Until then, I don’t even know you.” 4 But Jesus knows the Father; and He knows grace! Can you accept that the Father in heaven loves you like this? Remember Rom 5:8: “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God did all that while we were still in a far country. Before we had any thought of turning home Christ paid the penalty for our rebellion. So imagine the joy of the Father when by faith we join the family! John couldn’t get over it. I Jn 3:1, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” Couldn’t get over it. A child of God. Loved lavishly. Accepted unconditionally by an unbelievably gracious heavenly Father. I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done, if you have turned your heart toward home, He is lavishing His love on you. How can that be? Let me tell you how that can be. Of all the things I could ever tell you, this is top of the list. Not long before we can to CO, I went to a seminar by Brennan Manning. He was a Catholic priest who broke every vow he ever took until he found himself completely down and out on skid row in NO – a drug and alcohol addict without hope -- until one day the light came on. He realized that what he had been trying to earn all his life was already His -- in Christ. He realized that the harder he tried to earn God’s love, the more he failed, and the more he failed, the more he went down on a never-ending spiral. But Rom 5:8 finally got thru: “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” As he considered that verse, here is what dawned on him, what he said I want you never to forget: “We love for what we find in other people. God loves for what He finds in Himself. God loves for what He finds in Himself. Amazing grace. That’s why God loves us the same at our best and at our worst and saves anyone who will turn to Him.” That changed Manning’s life; it changed the prodigal’s life, and it will change yours too. V. God Cleans Us Up (Forgiveness) There is no more wonderful word than this -- forgiven. This young prodigal is the Bible’s pinnacle example. He is freely, totally, unreservedly forgiven. The slate is wiped clean. Not because he earned it. He never could have. Not because he got part way there. Oh no. He is forgiven entirely by the grace of his father based on his heartfelt repentance. He is cleansed from every offense. Look at him. He says in v. 21: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” Heartfelt, genuine repentance. And his hope is merely to become a household slave. But the Father waves him off before he can even say it. “Bring quickly the best robe, 5 and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” Complete, total, comprehensive forgiveness, cleansing and restoration. Just what God offers all who believe? Psa 103: 12) as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Did you realize how far east is from west? Did you ever think it’s more than north is from south? Head north from any point, what happens? Eventually you get to the North Pole and guess what, you are now going south. Same if you go to the South pole. At the poles, north and south are only a step apart. But you from any point head west, guess what? You can walk forever and you are always going west. East and west never meet. They are an infinite distance apart. That’s the illustration God intentionally used to indicate how forgiven we are in Christ. Remember Edmund in the film of C. S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles? While his brother and 2 sisters avoid the White Witch (Satan), Edmund is taken in by the candy she offers (Turkish Delight), and he is taken captive. He is freed only when the great lion, Aslan (representing Christ) sends rescuers. Then comes a scene that shows Edmund in humble profile talking earnest to Aslan. He is confessing his sins. Shortly, he returns to his brother and sisters, but before he can say anything, Aslan comes over to speak to them all. He says, "What's done is done. There is no need to speak to Edmund about the past." A wonderful picture of forgiveness. Now the film goes on to show that while forgiveness is free to Edmund, it costs Aslan dearly. Forgiveness always costs someone. We’ll see next week. But to those who believe in Jesus, the price is paid, the forgiveness is free; the cleansing absolute; the past is past! It’s over! Conc – Here’s the deal, dear friends. We’re all the skinny kid with the black glasses hoping to be chosen. In Christ, God has said, “I want you! I choose you!” Now, we must choose Him back? Have we said, “Yes, I’ll come,” or are we still in the far country clutching our own way, our own game, our own agenda, our own pigpen? The story is told of Samuel Goldwyn’s secretary who came in one time to ask if she could destroy the files that were more than ten years old. He said, “Yes -- but keep copies.” Well, God doesn’t keep copies, Beloved. He forgives our sins and removes them as far as east is from west – all who will accept. John says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the children of God – even those who believe on His name.” Come home today if you never have. And if you have, isn’t home great? Let’s pray. 6