Lost Son

Posted by David Whitten on January 18, 2012 under Featured Articles |

If you have been with us for the past couple of weeks then you know that we are in this series called Lost.

We are studying in Luke 15. We are examining Jesus’ 3 parables that he is sharing with us. They are the response to the murmuring of the teachers of the law who said in this murmur  (v.2) “he welcomes “sinners” and eats with them”.

We have looked at the parables of the Lost Sheep and the lost coin noticed that God is relentless in his search for us when we have wandered because we are loved deeply by our father and our value is greater than we can possibly imagine.

Now Jesus tells a parable that is most likely the best known of Jesus’ parables. It certainly is the favorite? Jesus uses the generous father as the God figure here. The lost son is the believer who has wandered and the grumbling brother is these teachers of the law who simply cannot grasp how long, how wide and how deep is the Father’s love for his children.

This story is about how God urgently longs for his lost Children to repent and come home.

Let’s open the word and read this awesome story, which has been my story and your story. The Prodigal

DVD Video clip from Jesus of Nazareth a 1977 film that Robert Powell portrays Jesus telling this parable of the Prodigal son from Luke’s account. I got this from youtube.

Parable of the prodigal son from the film Jesus of Nazareth

I want to spend our time this morning focusing on the characters Jesus introduces in this well loved parable. I believe that we can learn a great deal from each of their actions. We have the Prodigal Son, the Generous and Loving Father.

Lets look at each of them

Actions of the Prodigal Son

Wondering, Wandering, Wanting, Woefulness and Waking

Wondering

This action may seem harmless. Who hasn’t done a little day-dreaming.

But, Each sin is born in this area of wondering. It is here where Satan plants seeds that he hopes will grow in to sin. It starts with thought. James tells us that sin comes from our own evil desires. The pondering on those desires is where it all begins.

Let’s examine this for a minute the progression of every willful sin begins with wondering what it would be like. It is the root of every lust of our heart

• We Think about it
• We want it
• We rationalize our “need of it
• We justify why we should do or have this thing
• Then we do it

This is why Paul instructs us to take every thought captive

2 Corinthians 6:5-6a ^“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ⁶ And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience…”

When we are in the practice of examining out thoughts we have the ability to overcome great obstacles that Satan may put in out thoughts.

This is where this is young prodigal went wrong when we are introduced to him in v. 11-13

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.

We don’t know what prompted this thought process but when this younger son came to his father with this request he had already committed a great sin in his heart. It is obvious he had already wondered what it would be like to spend his father’s money.

That thought went to thinking that when his father dies then he would inherit some of his father’s estate. He allowed his thoughts to lead into coveting this inheritance that resulted with him greatly dishonoring his father by asking him for his portion of his inheritance now.

He may as well have walked up to his father and told him “I wish you were dead”. A smack in the face couldn’t have hurt worse.

He not only coveted his inheritance, he then dishonored his father. This sin seems to be compounding

Sin is like isn’t that isn’t it? When we sin it usually isn’t just one sin. It rolls to another then, to another. Each one worse than the one before. That is what is happening here. This sin led in to other sins

Wandering

¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

We hear this word “Prodigal” but we rarely hear it apart from this story. What does this word mean… well I looked it up and this what I found

Definition of ‘prodigal’

Random House Webster’s College Dictionary copyright 2011

1. (adj.) prodigal
wastefully or recklessly extravagant. giving or yielding profusely; lavish (usu. fol. by of or with):
to be prodigal with money.

2. (n.) prodigal
a person who spends money or uses resources with wasteful extravagance.

The son Gets what he wants from the father then the sins continue. Most certainly this son wasted his money indeed. He was reckless. He lives the definition to a tee.

The statement in v.13 is that he spent his inheritance on wild living. The older brother’s statement in v.30 tells us that he spent his money on prostitution. So drunkenness and sexual immorality were piled on to his list of offences and our imagination can afford us other transgressions he may have committed.

Have you noticed that Father gives in to the son’s request. We can speculate here, but sometimes God gives us what we ask for even when it isn’t the best thing for us. He allows things to happen to us that we may learn a valuable lesson.

This is the result of what happens next to this young prodigal.

Wanting

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

Sin always leaves in want and this what happens to this wondering wanderer. His money is gone and the parties are over and the friends who were plenty are now gone. to make matters worse he is on his own and now there is a famine in the land. The kid looks for a job and all he could find is a job feeding pigs.

Notice Jesus chooses the perspective carefully here. the audience he is speaking to would understand that now is this not just an un pleasant job but as a Jew it is absolutely unthinkable to work for a pig farmer. No Jew would work for a Gentile, not to mention work for a pig farmer slopping pigs.

This gets Jesus’ audience attention. Not only had this kid dishonored his father by asking for his inheritance but he has made a bad name for his father as a drunken adulterer but now he is reduced as a servant to a gentile wallowing with the pigs

this is a true picture of his sinful condition…. Sin brings us down to the point this young man has found himself. sin drags to places we never thought we’d ever be. here he is in a pig pen in such dire want he feeds pigs and even wants, hungers for the filth he feeds these pigs.

look at the next few verses. as he enters Woefulness.

Woefulness

¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

Sin brings us to such levels where we desire the sin and the product of sin as if it is all we have.

Now if you have been acquainted with Christ before you plunged in to such depravity then there is a moment of clarity you will come to and like this wandering son. You will realize the depth from where you have fallen and The Spirit planted in you gives you a simple reminder of who you are and where you belong.

Its’ like you have woken up from a long sleep after a terrible dream let’s look at the next verses as we see this prodigal wake up.

Waking

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: 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.

This is the climax of the story. Here is what we are all hoping for this young man. Look again at this first 6 words of verse 17 one more time

¹⁷ “When he came to his senses

This where it all changes. This is that moment of clarity. I can imagine him with a hand full of pig slop getting ready to eat it in the presence of the pigs he is feeding and he stops and says “what in the world am I doing, how did I get here”. “how many of my father’s SERVANTS have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!”

v.18 he makes his turning point and rehearses his speech and confession.

It’s here in this parable that Jesus brings to a point of self examination it is here we look at our life and if we feel far away from the Father we say with this son. How did I get here, I never thought I’d do the things I have done, say the things I have said, be who I have become.

Oh wandering, woeful and wanting brother and sister

Won’t you realize that it is

• back at home there is peace,
• back at home your real desire is finally fulfilled
• back at home you will find a waiting father who welcomes you and restores you.

This where the son turns to. He goes home and finds to his surprise, A welcoming Restoration of a Waiting Father

Actions of the Generous Father

Welcoming Restoration of a Waiting Father

He was already well rehearsed with the perfect words. He knew that he was not worthy of sonship of this father he dishonored. His sin had led him into deep disgrace.

This boy finds himself after a long journey walking up a familure roadway that led to the place he used to call home. He crests the hill and looks toward the house and he sees a sight that blows him away.

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.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.^[b]’

I don’t who saw who first but we see here that when the Father sees his son he ran.  Can you imagine the shock of this son.

He was prepared to come home and slave away under the father he disgraced but instead he looks up and sees his father in full sprint coming toward him. His arms open wide and tears streaming down his face.

The father reaches his son he threw his arms around this dirty son. He holds him close to his chest in a sweet embrace.

The boy starts to speak and he is interrupted by his father who is anxious to restore his son and welcomes him home then he says in v. 22

‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

The father was not interested in his words he already saw his actions and all that mattered was that this Lost son was home again.

That is how God is like.

We have sinned. We have dishonored our Heavenly Father and all he wants is for us to leave that sin and come home.

This son did that.

Oh God wants that from you today. Whatever it is and leave it. Come home and find our father. Waiting, Welcoming and wanting to Restore you as his Beloved Son and Daughter. You are his, Won’t you take him, won’t you let him be your father.

I want to do something this morning that is an interactive response. Something that you will do in action that means something. I’d like to pray then play a song that you will respond to. I have placed in each pew pens and little pieces of paper. On those pieces of paper id like you to write your name. In writing your name this represents you all of you. You’re good and bad. I want you to take this paper after you have written your name on it come up here and place it in this basket. It has this picture of the father embracing his son. Your action represents you coming home.

Won’t you do that, come home. You know where have been. So does the father, come home.

• You know where your wondering has taken you, come home.
• You know where your feet have wandered. Come home.
• You have been in wanting to rekindle that closeness you once knew, come home.
• He is waiting and welcoming home. Come Home

Each of you has something to offer back to the father that you have held back from him. Bring it home. I’m gonna pray a song is gonna play and while it is playing write your name on that paper and bring it up here and come home. After that you can prayerfully return to your seat and listen to the message of this song.

Lets pray

Play Benny Hester’s “when God Ran”