Prodigal Son (2)

Official Manuscript

[NOTES ADDED AFTER SERMON could add more during the far country part, shacking your head with tongue slightly out, shelling out money….like (money ain’t a thing) then perhaps doing a little Crip Walk or something…

Also could change the entire conclusion….to use your testimoney……especially if it is an enviorment that has not heard it. My Testimoney would probably be best….in no enviornements)

NEED TO GET A GOOD INTRODCUTION…..basically had no introduction….very short….need a better introduction

Make sure in final turning back to Father scene….while you are still sitting there….you mention something like (man I miss my Father’s house…man I wish I could only go back home……how many of my fathers hired servants have food to spare….and I’m sitting here starving to death) BEFORE I will arise….

Although whole sermon should be revisited….as I did not have all the time that I needed to put together.

Preached Resurrection Sunday 2017, but also had a good Friday Service out in town I preached at on Friday, and a Memorial Service preached on Thursday.

Read Luke 15:11-31

Introduction

(come back)

Ø Charles Dickens

o The author of all of those pesky books…that they force us to read in High School

§ Like a tale of two cities

§ And Great expectations

· And the rest

o Charles Dickens famously called the parable of the Prodigals Son…the greatest short story ever written

Ø He joins a large chorus of literary geniuses,

o Ranging from William Shakespeare to Garrison Keillor

§ Who expressed admiration for the parable as literature

o And no one could deny that this parable is so colorful, and full of real-life imagery

§ The message is so simple that even a child can follow the story line,

§ Yet it is so profound

· And the number classic books written concerning this parable are almost endless

Ø And of course a Parable is a earthly story that has a heavenly meaning

o And we find out why Christ tells this Parable in the first two verses of the chapter

Luke 15:1-2 NIV Luke 15:1 Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Ø Now the Pharisees and the Scribes were those who were ultimately responsible for crucifying Jesus…they were Christ’s enemies

o And one of their primary complaints throughout the ministry of Jesus…

o Was that he always hung out and associated with the tax collectors and “sinners”

§ The low life’s & skum of society…..

Ø And there thinking was if this man was truly a righteous man

o He would never defile himself by mixing with such degenerate filth life…..

o He clearly must not be sent from God…

Something about the message of Jesus

Ø You see there was something about the message of Jesus

o That always drew the company of these sinner and outcasts

§ His message…that was unlike anything they had ever heard…

§ He wasn’t like all the other preachers….

· They heard a sense of hope

o A possibility of a second chance, of a new beginning

o When they heard Jesus

o So you would always find a crowd of sinners crowding around Jesus…

§ Looking for salvation

Ø And so to emphasize how strongly God welcomes sinners

o Christ spoke this parable…

DIVIDED CROWD = Character in Parable

Ø And as Christ was speaking you can imagine the crowd that was gathered around him was NEATLY divided into two categories

o And this divided crowd represents the different characters in our Lord’s Parable

Ø One side you would have the TAX COLLECTORS & SINNERS

o That crowd is represented by the younger son, who goes off into the far country

Ø And on the other side you would have the Pharisees & Scribes

o They represent the older brother, who always stayed home with the Father…

o Both of these sons had no real relationship with the Father

§ Both of these groups were in need of salvation

Ø And that’s where our parable begins as Jesus says ….

MOTION PICTURE

o If you could imagine with me this was a live motion picture…

§ The Camera would have zoomed in for this first scene…

§ And the first scene would have taken place at the Father’s house….

· And the Father is sitting down busy with his work…

· And the younger son barges in and says….

o Father give me my share of the estate

Luke 15:11-12 11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

Ø Now you can imagine when the Pharisees heard this phrase they would have gone (gasping sound)

o They would have said….WHAT DID HE JUST SAY….did he really just say that…

INHERITANCE OFF LIMIT SUBJECT

Ø The giving of ones inheritance is perhaps the greatest off limits…..taboo subjects….

Ø And if your parents are alive today and they have some wealth…

o There is this unspoken expectation that when they die, they will name you in their will…and you will receive some portion…

Ø And know my father is nearly 80 years old…and I speak to him all the time

o I have never asked him the question…

o Dad ….uuhhhh..what am I going to get when you die….

§ You would never ask that question….

· It’s just unthinkable to even pose question

Ø I have an 18 years daughter…

o I wish she would come and ask me

§ Dad what am I going to get when you die….

§ I know exactly what I would say…

· You ain’t getting nothing….what’s wrong you….

· You better get out here

Ø But this younger son he goes further

o He doesn’t simply ask, Father what am I going to get

o He has audacity…..to say

§ Give me my share of the inheritance….give me what I have coming to me.

Wish you were dead

Ø And the Son is basically saying….Father I wish you were dead….

o So I can get my inheritance now and leave

o But it’s been taking you too long to die

§ And I’m sick of waiting around….

§ Just give me what I have coming to me

Ø I’m sick of your rules

o I’m sick of your of your responsibilities

§ I’m sick of being your son…...

o I DON’T NEED YOU

§ I JUST NEED YOUR STUFF

§ Just give me my inheritance so I can get as far away from you as possible….

Application

Ø Many people treat God in the exact same way….

o And they do come to God….because they want their fire insurance…

§ They want their get out of hell free card

DON’T WANT RULES

o But that’s all they want all of the rules

· They don’t want all of the responsibilities…

§ They don’t want anyone dictating what they can and cannot do with their lives

o They don’t want a true relationship with the Father…

§ They simply want what they can get out of Him….

Ø They believe

§ There true joy their true happiness is to be found in being INDEPENENT OF THE FATHER

§ If they could just be independent and free from God….that is where their true happiness lies…..

EXPECTED REPONSE

Ø Now after such a horrendously disrespectful….request the Pharisees

o Would have expected the reponse of the Father would have been something like

§ And the Father publicly slapped and shammed him…and then through him out of the family with nothing….

o The Pharisees would have said

§ Amen that sounds just about right….

§ Although he was kind of nice on him

· Deuteronomy does say….if you have a belligerent disrespectful son the parents can kill him…

o Such a request certainly would warrant that kind of death from the Father…

· But if he just simply publicly slapped and shammed him….and then through him out of the family with nothing….

o I guess that will do…

Ø That would have been the response that the Pharisees would have expected from such a disrespectful request….

SECOND GASP FATHER’S REPONSE

Ø Now the second gasp from the Pharisees would have come from the phrase in our story….

It says So he divided his property between them

Ø The Father shockingly acquiesces to his son’s entirely disrespectful request….

o And he divides his property between them…

o Back then in the Middle East most of his inheritance would have been in Real Estate…

§ To give away such a significant amount of property and land….while the Father was still living…

o The Father would lose a significant amount of his standing and resources in the community…

§ But The Father signs the deed over to the Son….

§ And gives him what he asks for….

APPLICATION

Ø You see God doesn’t want any robots…

o God is not going to force anyone to be a Christian…

§ He is not going to force anyone to His child…

Ø And essentially the Father was saying

o My son if you really belive you are going to find your joy and your happiness away from the Father…

o Away from this home….

§ If you really think happiness is out there…

§ Go ahead my child…

· I’m not going to stop you

· I’m not going to force you to be my son…

· Go ahead my child

*****TRANSITION*******

Ø And then verse 13 says

ESV Luke 15:13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country,

Ø Not many days later, he gathered all he had

o The Greek word is συναγω.

o And essentially what it is saying is that in a few days...he liquidated all of assests he was given...and coverted into cash...

o He wasn’t letting the property sit on the market….waiting for the best buyer….

§ No everything was going at wholesale prices…

§ He basically had a large garage sale…

· And everything was going at cut throat …just so he could get all he could as quickly as possible…

Ø And within a few days having liquidated at least 1/3 of his Father’s assets….

o 1/3 of his inheritance….

o He then sets off for a far country….

And SCENE ONE CLOSES

Ø And you can see the Father watching the Son as he walks off down the street…

o Pockets full of cash….

o Headed out to come distant country….

Ø And you can imagine the Pharisees in the crowd just shaking their heads…

o Like really…a distant country…

o No good Jewish boy would go off into some distant country…

§ A distant country MUST MEAN a Gentile Country

o A place where they did not worship Yahweh…

§ A place where the Commandments of God were not followed…

Ø And him going off into a far country clearly show’s he wants to get a far away from his Father as possible

o He wants to go somewhere where they don’t know him…

§ They don’t know his father…

§ They don’t know he’s supposed to be a good Jewish boy…

o He wants to get far enough away….so that he has absolutely no accountability…

§ He’ll be able to do whatever he wants whenever he wants to do it…

§ And nobody will tell him anything

Application REASON WHY JOINED THE MARINE CORP

Ø And I could not count on both hands and feet how many times I have heard that as the exact reason….someone has joined the Marine Corp…

o They were sick of living under the Parents rules and regulations…

§ So almost to spite them….they said fine I’m going to join the Marine…

· I’m going to go out and be completely independent…

o No don’t station me on the East Coast…I’m from the East Coast…send me as far away as possible……

§ Send me to…..OKINAWA….

§ If I can get there nobody would know me there…

· I would be free to do whatever I wanted…whenever I wanted…

· Could nobody tell me nothing….

******TRANSITION*****

Ø And Scene two opens up….

o And you see the Son there in a distant country….

(NIV) and there squandered his wealth in wild living

(NKJV) and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

o That word squandered

§ It is actually the word used when speaking of chaff that the winds blows away…

§ So the idea is that it took his money and essentially just through it up in the air…..and the wind blew it away

· He just completely wasted and squandered everything…

o On riotous living…or prodigal living…

§ That is a life of utter dissipation and gross immorality….

§ His brother later said that he squandered his inheritance with prostitutes….

PICTURE BEVERLY HILLS TO LAS VEGAS*************

Ø And I can picture….that pampered RICH KID…

o Who was brought up in the suburbs of Beverly Hills….

o And he gets several millions in his pocket….

§ And he drives right into Las Vegas Nevada

§ Sin City…

o And as soon as he gets there…he purchases the longest stretch Hummer he can find…

§ And he hires all of these call girls

§ And he walks into the bar with these beautiful girls on both arms…

· And he says everybody listen up….

· Drinks are on me…

o And there all like yea….I love this guy..

§ He was the life of the party…

§ Everybody was flocking around him….and wanting to be his friend….

· No doubt….he was having the time of his life

· HE WAS SHELLING OUT MONEY LIKE IT WAS NOTHING

§ And he must have thought to himself….

· This is amazing…..this is exactly what I was hoping for…

· I could never have this kind of fun back at my Father’s house….

o I’m having the time of my life..

o AND AS THE MUSIC PLAYS LOUDER AND LOUDER

§ The camera slowly….fades out…

§ And see the Prodigal dancing the night…

· Having the time of his life…

TRANSITION

NIV Luke 15:14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

Ø Here for the first time we see the consequences of the Prodigals Sin…

Ø The Prodigal went from riches to rags over night….

o As long as he had the wad of cash in his pockets

§ He had all friends and all the women could ask for

o But as soon as the money was used up…

§ As soon as sin had used him up

· He looked up and realizes that he was completely bankrupt that he had nothing….

Ø That’s the way sin operates though isn’t it

JAMES TEXT*****

James 1:14-15 14 each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Ø It says we are tempted by our own evil desires, then dragged away and enticed….

FISH HOOK

o The actual picture there is the picture of a fish hook…

Ø And sin is like the bait on that fish hook….

o And sin presents itself , as some desirable, appealing exotic object before us….

o And like that worm on the hook…

§ The sin just dangles there before us calling us enticing us to take a bite…

o You can’t see the hook….you don’t think about the hook…

§ For forget about the hook….

§ You simply allow yourself to be drawn away by sinful desires….

o You desire to take a nibble….desire to give it a taste….

§ And as soon as you bite..

· That hook hooks you….

o And like the fish that tries to squirm and wiggle away….

§ Yet the hook drags them away against their will…

§ Their unable to get free…

o So sin….

§ Drags the sinner away….against his will….

§ Sucking the very life out of you…

· Until it finally brings forth DEATH….

PRODIGAL APPLICATION

Ø The Prodigal he saw the bait from his Father house….

o From that distance he couldn’t see the hook…

§ Sin is far to seductive for that

o The Prodigal simply saw all of the glits and glamour….

§ He looked and saw what he truly thought would satisfy and bring him lasting happiness…

§

Ø And by the time sin was done with him….

o He looked up and saw that he absolutely positively nothing left to show for it…

§ He was completely bankrupt….

§ And no one gave him anything….

*********TRANSITION********

SHOULD BE TIME TO GO BACK TO FATHER’S HOUSE

Ø Now at this time…something had to begin whispering into the Prodigal’s ear like…

o OK MAN…..aight….it’s about that time….

o It’s time to go back to the Father’s house….

§ Clearly you had no idea what you were doing…

§ Clearly you made mess of your life…

· Come on man it’s time to back….

Ø But shockingly…HE STILL WASN’T READY TO GO BACK TO THE FATHER…..

o He still was not ready to THROW HIMSELF at the mercy of the Father….

o He wasn’t prepared to swallow his pride….he didn’t know how his brother would respond….

§ So he thought he had one last ace in his pocket…

§ One last move he could make…

§ If he only worked hard enough maybe things could still somehow work out…

NIV Luke 15:15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

GLUED HIMSELF TO CITIZEN OF THAT COUNTRY

Ø That word hired himself….literally means to glue….

o Literally he glued himself to the citizen of that country

o And the idea of course is that the citizen did not want him…

§ He kept coming and saying….listen get off my property…I don’t want you here….

§ Go home….or don’t go home ….i don’t care….just get off my property….leave me alone…

o And the Prodigals like

§ But Sir I don’t have anywhere else to go….

· I don’t have any other options…

· Isn’t there something I can do around here…

o I don’t cost….isn’t there something anything that I can do….

o Almost like the citizen does the next thing on purpose

§ It’s almost like he said….

· Aren’t you….aren’t you one of those stuck up Jewish boys….

· Well…yes…yes sir I am Jewish..

o don’t you snobs believe that pigs are unclean detestable animals that you are not even supposed touch or be around….

o Don’t you Jews believe that…

· And the Prodigal’s like ….well I mean …yes technical sir….

§ And he’s like well go and fig the pigs….

· Well you down there and you feed and tend the pigs….

o AND I’LL PAY YOU WHAT I WANT WHEN I WANT IF I WANT….

o I’LL THINK ABOUT IT…

· Take care of my pigs….you filth animal…

o Or get off my property….

I GOT THIS….

Ø And you can see the Prodigal drop his head….

o And walk off to feed the pigs…

§ Still talking about I got this….I can make this work….I can still take care of things by myself…

§ I got this I can do it…

APPLICATION….HOW LONG WILL YOU KEEP SAYING THAT

Ø Oh my dear friend…

o How long will you keep saying that…

o How long will you keep grasping at straws…

Ø You know fully well that you cannot work out the mess you are in by yourself…

o You know fully well all of the methods and hopes you have been using are completely futile….

Ø And yet you keep saying to yourself…I can do this…I go this..

o If I just work a little bit harder…

o I’m not beat yet…..I got this….

Ø I you have glued yourself to some counselor…..you have glued yourself to some medication…

o You have glued yourself to some man who is not your husband…

o If you have glued yourself to anything and anyone except God….

Ø Hoping upon hope….that somehow you can still work it all out….

o Without Him…

Ø Now you can see the camera do a one of those time lapses….

o And you can see the Prodigal…day after day…

§ Shoveling the pig excrement…

§ Feeding and tending to the pigs…

· Day after day….

· And no one is giving him any wages..

· No one is giving him anything

SITTING DOWN TURNING PART********

Ø And you can finally see the camera slows down…

o And zooms in on the Prodigal…

o And you can see him sitting down

Ø And he’s like man….what I am going to do…

o What am I going to do….

§ Man I’m ssoooo hungry

o If I could just ….if I just eat a little bit

§ Of that pig pods…

§ If I could taste a little …

· (crawling to)

o Wait….wait a minute….what am I am doing…..

§ Was I really about to eat that pig filth…

§ Goodnish….have I sank that low….

· I don’t even recognize who I am anymore…

· How many of my Father’s man have food to spare….

· I am sitting here starving naw…

o Naw man….naw I can’t do this anymore…

o I can’t stay here anymore….

o I just can’t do this anymore…

§ I will ARISE…I WILL ARISE….

§ AND GO BACK TO MY FATHER …

§ I’M NOT GOING TO STAY HERE ANY LONGER..

§ I’M NOT GOING TO KEEP DOING THE SAME MESS ANY LONGER…

· I WILL ARISE….I WILL ARISE AND GO BACK TO MY FATHER’S HOUSE….

· I’m not going to stay here anymore

Turning points of the gospel

Luke 15:18-20 Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father.

1. He came to his senses

o He honestly evaluated his condition, he realized that he was trying to be satisfied with pig husks….food not fit for human consumultion…..

2. No man gave unto him

a. He had tried and had exhausted of how efforts and the efforts of all other people. He was finished and no one could help him…

b. There was but one left. Father! The last, the only hope.

c. The gospel always insists upon our coming to that point. As long as you have a half penny of your own left, the gospel will not help

3. We can plead nothing before Him save His mercy and His compassion.

a. As the prodigal left home his great word was ‘give’

i. He demanded his rights. He was full of self-confidnee and even had a feeling that he was not being given his due and his rights.

b. Came back saying MAKE ME

4. He then takes action

a. He leaves the far country. You have stood up in the field of the seind and the husks by your mere action in visiting this chapel today. But alk right out of that far country.

b. Leave the swine and the husks. Turn your back upon sin and give yourself to God.

c. Do it! Make a break. (pg. 236)

*****TRANSITION*******

APPROACH THE FINAL SCENE

(say this part walking down the center isle)

But can you imagine as we approach the final scene this morning….

Ø What doubts and appretiations the Prodigal had on that long journey…

o He must have asked himself a hundred times..

§ I wonder if my Father will accept me…

§ What will he call me now

· I am not longer fit to be called his son..

· Expand

Luke 15:20 "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

Ø There is so much life in that phrase

Ø WHILE HE WAS STILL A LONG WAY OFF

o That tells us he must have been looking daily….looking tirelessly waiting for his son to return (expand)

o And then as soon as he (expand)

Ø But who could describe the joy of that reunion….

o Who can describe the overwhelming jubilee that took place there after….

o Words fail me…I wish I could convey it…

CONCLUSION

It reminds me of a military spouse, I heard of….we’ll say her name was Sarah…

Need to briefly paint beginning of story

Grew up together in small town

Dated throughout high school

They were deeply in love with one another

They were best friends….

Husband wanted to join the Marine

Wife initially opposed afraid he would be sent out to some battle and never come back…

But eventually said she would give her support…

Shortly after enlisting her husband was sent out for a year long deployment in Iraq

Communication was not as readily available back then….

They only could send mail back and forth…….and on very special …very special occasions she might get a phone call….

But he had been gone for nearly a year now ….and she so longed and missed her husband….and was eagerly waiting for him to come home….

When she received some very disturbing news…..

BATLLE OF FALLUJAH

David’s Battallin was on the front line on the Battle of Fallujah

Their experienced hundreds of casualties….dozens of the wives she knew had already got the knock on the door to notify them that their husband were dead and were never coming back home…

But no one could give her any definite information about her husband ….no one could confirm to her whether he was dead or alive….whether he was missing or still with his Battalion….

A few weeks had passed since this news….and finally one day she got a knock on the door…and her heart just sank……she began to cry and tremble….but she took a deep and began walking to the door…

And she looked through the shutters to see who it might be…..and it was another military spouse who she had known….so her heart lifted a bit….

And she opened the door….and this another spouse came named Suzy came into the house….and she came in and just told her….

She said my heart has been heavy….I just couldn’t hold this in….i just had to come over and tell you….

I hate to tell you but all of the men who were in your husbands fire team….all of them are now back here stateside….but they all came back in body bags….they call came back dead….

Your husbands two closest team mates….the men he was always with on his patrols….the men who always watched his back….they always watched his rear…..

There both dead…..there wives already been notified…..

I just wanted to tell you that there is no way that your husband is making it back here alive….

It’s just a matter of time…until you get that knock on the door….confirmed that he’s been killed….

I just wanted to prepare….that there is no way your husband is coming back alive…..

The wife just fell to the ground weeping and crying out uncontroable….she later she could not even tell you how long she was down their weeping….for hour and hours….all of the emotions she had kept bottled up for the last several weeks…that came out and full forth…

When she finally came to herself….she realized….that it was night….and the morning was soon approaching….and she was still there on the ground….and there on the ground she just rolled over on her knees…and began pouring her out to God….

And there upon her knees she came to a decision…and then and there she decided that she was not going to back into her husbands Headquarters to ask them about her husband where about….she decided that she was not going to back in there again…

But at the same time she decided to refuse to belive that what that spouse had told her the previous day was true….she refused to belive that her husband was dead….

And she just trusted God that He would protect her husband…and bring him back to he safetly….and she would just leave it all in God’s hands….

The C-130 airplanes began to fly into the tarmack on the following week….carrying what remained of her husbands Regiment….

7 different planes landed throughout the day….and every time a planed landed….and Marines began pouring out of the doors….the wife looked so eagerly at every face….she looked with such urgency…..hoping praying that her husband would be on this plane….please Oh God let me husband be on this plane…

Finally all 7 planes had landed and been unloaded….and her husband was on none of them….

This is exhausted wife….she went over to the plane dispatch officer…with a tear in her eye…..and she asked him…Sir…..Sir…is there….but she couldn’t words out….she began to break down….there at the counter….she couldn’t finish her sentence….

She finally composed herself and asked…..Sir ….Sir is there no man more planes coming in….

(SKIP TO PLANES FLYING IN THROUGHOUT THE WEEK…

AND HUSBAND COMING IN)

HOW EAGERLY SHE WAITED AND LOOKED FOR HUSBAND

Finally when it looked like all hope was lost….another plane landed….and she came again eagerly looking to see if one of the Marines exiting might be her husband….

And she saw Marine with his head down that looked like might be her husband….but his head was down…..so she couldn’t tell…so she pushed a little bit closer…to see if it might be him….

And he finally looked up….and next thing she knew she was in a full sprint….running at full spread…the air traffic controllers….yelled out that she cannot pass this line….

But she evaded their grasp like she was in the NFL…and she ran all the way up the plane..and jumped into her husbands arms….and she was going to never let go….

Application

You see my dear friend just a Sarah (need better name) was longing, and looking for her husband to return….that does not even begin to picture….how much more your heavenly Father is looking for you to home.

Soul’s are flying into the Kingdom all around you….giving their lives to Christ….there flying in from Schwab….there flying in Hansen….but Christ keeps coming to the terminal as it were….of your life…..looking at….hoping and pleading saying….what you finally….finally…finally…..come home

He doesn’t care about what you did out there in the far country….he doesn’t care about how unworthy you feel….he doesn’t care about what you may have or may not have done….

He just needs to a glimpse of you coming around that corner…and the Father were run out to you….throw His arms around you….give you everything His children receive….when they are welcomed into the family…

Oh friend won’t you let today the day….haven’t you been out in the far-country for too long….

Don’t you remember the peace and joy in your Father’s house….don’t realize that all that you need is right here with the Father….

Won’t you come back today….aren’t you tired of rolling in the mud….with the pigs…aren’t you tired of longing to be satisfired with what the pigs are eating…knowing you could have if you only came back to your Father’s house….