AN EXAMPLE OF A FATHER

TEXT: Luke 15:11-24

INTRODUCTION: Of all the fathers we find in the Bible, this man is spoken of more than the others combined. We don't know his name or the names of his sons. We know very little about him other than he was the one that Jesus chose to use to illustrate to us the relationship of the child of God to the Heavenly Father.   He was the father of two sons. One is called the 'prodigal'. As many times as I have heard this text preached and read it. I wasn't sure of the meaning of the word 'prodigal'. Webster says it is recklessly extravagant; or characterized by wasteful expenditure. That describes our government pretty well doesn't it? Often we are given the idea that there was one good son and one bad son, but that isn't the way the parable goes. Both boys had some problems, and their father dealt with each one individually. Today we want to focus on the father rather than on the sons. It was because he was what he was that his sons became what they should have been.

I.          HE WAS AN APPROACHABLE FATHER. v12-18

A.        The family history is unknown.

1.      But it seems that perhaps these boys' mother had passed away.

2.      The father is left alone to rear his sons.

3.      There is also an indication that they were a wealthy family

B.        The younger son had dreams:

1.      He wanted to travel and see things he had never seen before.

2.      He wanted to go to the far country.

a)      He dreamed of a great task, but found great temptation.

b)      He dreamed of adventure, but instead he found agony.

c)      He dreamed of prestige, but he found poverty.

d)      He dreamed of romance, but he wound up in rags.

e)      He dreamed of happiness, but found himself in the hog pen.

3.      It appears that the older son had already assumed the management of the farm.

4.      Still others might have gotten someone else to intercede on their behalf

C.        This father was approachable by his sons.

1.      Men we need to be approachable.

2.      Can your children come to you about anything?

3.      Have you made yourself available to them?

4.      Our Heavenly Father is very approachable by those who need Him.

a)      He wants the lost to come to Him and be saved!

b)      He desired this so much that He was willing to give His only Son

c)      Are you saved this morning? Do you know you will spend eternity?

d)      We can come to God at any time and find our needs met!

II.       HE WAS A SPIRITUAL FATHER. v18

A.        When his son thought about what he had done he realized that he had sinned.

1.      That means that his dad had taught him right.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

2.      The responsibility for child rearing rests upon the shoulder of the parents, not the school, and

3.      However, there is no guarantees!

4.      Our children have freedom to choose the way they take in life.

5.      If your children are serving God, thank God for it and be an encouragement to them.

6.      If they aren't walking for the Lord, pray for them and do your best to influence them for Christ.

B.        The son associated heaven with his father.

1.      He could not be reminded of God without remembering his father.

2.      What an impact that father had on his son.

3.      Fathers, are we making the proper impression on our children?

4.      Have our children been taught how to pray by listening to us?

5.      Have we taught them to love God's Word? If we don't, who will?

III.    HE WAS A FATHER WHO WAS AFFECTIONATE. v20

A.        Real Men aren't afraid to show their emotions.

1.      Too many men think that it isn't manly to weep.

2.      Jesus wept often!

3.      I hope my son is never afraid to tell me that he loves me, and I will never get to the place that I will not tel him I love him.

B.        We see his look of love. v20

1.      The father had been looking for his son to return.

2.      When he saw him, he ran and hugged and kissed him.

3.      What a beautiful picture...God longs for us to come home to Him

4.      Do you need to come to God this morning?

5.      Have you been wasting your life in the far country of sin? Come home to the Father

C.        This father pictures for us the love and compassion of our Heavenly Father.

CONCLUSION: The father didn't care about how long his son had been away, now he was home. He didn't care about smell of the swine, now he was home. He wasn't concerned about how he looked. What a challenge to all of us this morning. Do we need to come home to God today? If you have never been saved, why not come this morning and accept Him as you Father         If you have drifted away from God for whatever the reason, why not come home today? God is waiting to receive you this morning. Will you come?

There's a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers.

God's work only goes forward as man does His work.  God could use angles, but He depends on man.  He worked through the judges, kings, prophets, disciples, apostles, and church leaders.  He works through the laymen, who dedicated their lives to Him.  The greatest need in any church is dedicated laymen.

Sam Jones tells the story that while he was preaching in a certain town, there was a boy who would come into the back part of the church and lie down and go to sleep. He was drunk. His father, who was a good Christian man, would take him home.

One morning after one of these experiences, the boy came downstairs. The father met him and said, "Hold on, Son. I want you to go to church with me and be a Christian." The son said, "No, Father, I do not want to be a Christian. I am not going to church. Please get out of my way, for I am going to town."

The father pleaded tenderly and said, "Son, your mother has slept little for nights. She is almost dying. You are killing us all. Please go and become a Christian like your father has." But the son glared at him and said, "Do you know who the man is who gave me my first drink?" The father answered, "No." Then as he rushed past him and out of the door, he angrily said, "You are the man, sir." The father said that if the boy had shot him through the heart, it could not have hurt more. Yes, we reap what we sow.