FAILING FORWARD
Luke 15: 11-24
Rev. Bryan Moore
Fordtown Baptist Church
Kingsport, Tennessee
May 15, 2005
Graduates Sunday
INTRODUCTION
A.) The title for this morning’s sermon, Failing Forward, comes from a book written by former preacher and leadership expert, John Maxwell. The full title of his book is Failing Forward: How to Make the Most of Your Mistakes.
B.) One of Maxwell’s points in his book is that our failures can be the stepping-stones to success. BUT IT DEPENDS HOW WE VIEW OUR FAILURES (i.e. do we accept responsibility for our failures or do we seek to blame others) AND HOW WE RESPOND TO THEM (i.e. do we become angry, bitter, and jealous, or do we learn from them, grow, and get wiser and better).
C.) In trying to think of a word that would speak, not only to our graduates, but also to all of us here this morning, I thought about what we do with our failures.
D.) Each of us here this morning, from the oldest to the youngest, has failed, fails, and will fail in the future. It’s part of who we are as imperfect, sinful people who live in an imperfect, sinful world.
E.) BUT OUR FAILURES DON’T HAVE TO BE PERMANENT. THEY TRULY CAN BE STEPPING-STONES TO GREATER AND BETTER THINGS IN OUR LIVES.
F.) BUT IT DEPENDS ON HOW WE VIEW THEM AND HOW WE RESPOND TO THEM.
G.) Jesus told a story that has been called the greatest short story in the history of the world (Source: William Barclay, The Gospel of Luke, rev. ed. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1976), p. 204). The story was about a young man who failed miserably in every way possible, morally, ethically, financially, and spiritually.
H.) But this young man’s failures weren’t the end. Instead, his failures set to stage for greater and better things to come in his life.
I.) The young man has become known as THE PRODIGAL SON, and he shows us HOW WE CAN FAIL FORWARD.
READ SCRIPTURE: Luke 15: 11-24 KJV
PRAYER
I.) FREEDOM
A.) The younger son in this story was like many of today’s graduates and young people, and, indeed, all of us, HE WANTED HIS FREEDOM. So he made a selfish, arrogant request of his father. It’s more appropriate to call it a demand, “Give me the share of the estate that falls to me” (Luke 15:12b NASB). GIVE ME WHAT BELONGS TO ME.
B.) Under Jewish law a father could not divide his property and possessions, as he wanted. According to the Old Testament, the older son was required to receive two-thirds of the estate and the younger son got one-third (see Deuteronomy 21:17).
C.) It was quite common for a father to distribute his estate before he died. Parents do the same kind of practice today when they draw up a will, in which they decide who gets what and how much of their property, possessions, and money they get.
D.) Notice the father’s response. The father didn’t argue with his younger son (Source: Barclay, p. 204). The father didn’t tell his son he was making a mistake. The father didn’t refuse his request. The father did as his son asked, no questions asked.
E.) The Bible tells us that as soon as the younger son got his inheritance, he wasted no time in leaving home. In fact, the Bible says the young man “gathered everything together” (Luke 15:13 NASB).
F.) It seems like the younger son was leaving home WITH NO INTENTION OF EVER COMING BACK. The Bible also tells us the younger son wanted to go to “a distant country” (Luke 15:13 NASB).
G.) It appears that the younger son WANTED TO GET AS FAR AWAY FROM HOME AS POSSIBLE. HE WANTED TO LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND AND START A NEW LIFE, ON HIS OWN, DOING HIS OWN THING.
H.) That attitude describes many young people in our world today. They can’t wait to get away from mom and dad, live on their own, and do their own thing.
I.) They say, “I can do what I want. No one’s going to tell me what to do. I can get up when I want and I can go to bed when I want. I can eat what I want, went I want. If I don’t want to get up and go to church, then I don’t have to. I’M THE MASTER OF MY OWN DESTINY.”
J.) Many young people follow this young man’s example of rejecting everything they had known or ever been taught, especially rejection of God, the Bible, the church, and issues of morality and faith.
K.) Illustration: A recent survey found that 80 percent of young people raised in the Christian faith, who regularly attended church, leave the faith and the church after they turn 18 years-old and leave home. Many of them never return to their faith and never darken the door of a church again (Source: Pastor’s Files).
L.) Why is that? In many cases, those youth have never seen a real, genuine, authentic faith and commitment to Jesus Christ lived out in their homes, by mom and dad, as well as in the church, among those who claim to be Christians.
M.) Illustration: Many of today’s youth are like Brian Warner. He was a quiet teenager from Ohio whose father was never home. He went to church and even attended a Christian school, but other kids made fun of him that made Brian’s life miserable.
N.) Brian once played Jesus in a school play, but the older kids publicly humiliated him by stripping off his loincloth and whipping him with it. As he grew older, Brian rebelled.
O.) He formed a band and adopted the name MARILYN MANSON. Manson has a huge following today, particularly among young people. He says his band’s goal is to encourage “a collective disbelief in Christianity.”
P.) “Faith makes people weak,” he says, “your only salvation is yourself” (HOW SAD, MISGUIDED, AND WRONG). But here’s the real tragedy. Manson says that he tried to embrace Christianity; BUT WHEN HE REALLY NEEDED A FRIEND; NO ONE WAS THERE TO LISTEN TO HIM (Source: Stand Firm, Nashville, TN: LifeWay Publications, Dec. 23, 1999).
Q.) With freedom comes responsibility. Many young people go wild when they leave home for the first time. Illustration: There was a girl in my high school graduating class at D-B who went to Northwestern University with me. She was in the Top 10 of my graduating class, editor of the school yearbook, and a smart girl with many gifts, talents, and abilities.
R.) Not long after getting to college, this girl was living with a 42-year-old divorcee. I thought to myself, “What’s wrong with her? She’s gone crazy.” Praise God, she came to her senses and changed her ways (Source: Pastor’s Files).
S.) So the younger son went to a distant land, and the Bible says when he got there, he squandered his estate with loose living (Luke 15:13b). The young man did what he wanted.
T.) He partied hearty. He ate, drank, and was merry. He had a good time. He probably did all the wild things he had dreamed of doing. HE HAD FUN.
U.) Let’s be honest, folks, MUCH OF SIN IS FUN, THAT’S WHY WE DO IT. IF SIN WASN’T FUN WE WOULDN’T DO IT. THAT’S WHY IT COMES NATURAL TO US. BUT SIN CARRIES WITH SEVERE CONSEQUENCES, AS THIS YOUNG MAN SOON FOUND OUT.
V.) THE FUN IS ONLY TEMPORARY. THE PARTY DOESN’T LAST. WHAT WAS ONCE FUN LEADS TO PAIN, SUFFERING, AND ULTIMATELY, DEATH (see Romans 3:23).
II.) FAILURE
A.) The younger son misused and abused his freedom and spent all of his inheritance when something unexpected happened. The Bible says a severe famine occurred in the land and he was poor (Luke 15:14).
B.) The young man went from the penthouse to the outhouse, from wealth to poverty. THE GOOD TIMES WERE OVER. HE HAD LOST IT ALL. IT WAS HERE TODAY AND GONE TOMORROW.
C.) There’s a lesson for all of us here—EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED! The Bible tells us that none of us knows what our lives are going to be like tomorrow (see James 4:13-15).
D.) When I graduated from high school and college, I wanted to be a sportscaster, not a preacher. THE MINISTRY WAS NOT IN MY PLANS, BUT IT WAS IN GOD’S PLAN.
E.) GOD HAS A PLAN AND PURPOSE FOR EACH OF OUR LIVES, AT EACH STAGE OF OUR LIVES. ARE WE READY AND WILLING TO SURRENDER AND SUBMIT TO GOD’S WILL AND PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES?
F.) WE NEED TO EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED! It seems to be a strange thing about failures. If we don’t try to learn from them or correct them, the failures seem to continue and get worse.
G.) The Bible says the young man began to be in need (see Luke 15:14). Where were all of his party friends, the ones who ate with him, drank with him, and spent his inheritance? When the party was over, his so-called friends also were gone.
H.) THE YOUNGER SON WAS A FIRST CLASS FAILURE—MORALLY, ETHICALLY, FINANCIALLY, AND SPIRITUALLY. He had ruined his life.
III.) FACING UP TO FAILURE
A.) The question now was; WHAT WAS THE YOUNGER SON GOING TO DO? WAS HE GOING TO FACE UP TO HIS FAILURE, OR WAS HE GOING TO IGNORE THE SITUATION, OR BLAME OTHERS FOR HIS PROBLEMS?
B.) Remember that we said one of the keys to turning our failures into successes was our response to our failures.
C.) What would the younger son say? “Well, if I had known this famine was going to come, I wouldn’t have spent all my money. It was daddy’s fault. He should have taught me how to better manage my money. It was my friend’s fault. They used me and took advantage of me.”
D.) Would he give up and quit? “What’s the use? I’ve made such a mess out of my life. There’s no hope for me.”
E.) Or would he say, “Man, I messed up big time. How could I have been so stupid? This is my fault. I’m going to get help.” If it were you or I, WHAT WOULD WE SAY?
E.) Initially, it appeared the younger son tried to take matters into his own hands. He wanted to remain in control. He wanted to be the MASTER OF HIS OWN DESTINY. He still had some pride and arrogance. He hadn’t yet realized that the only thing he had successfully done was make a mess out of his life. So the failures continued.
F.) The Bible says he hired himself out to work for a citizen of that country. But the job he got was feeding pigs, one of the most degrading and humiliating tasks one could do, especially for a Jewish man.
G.) The Old Testament law strictly prohibited a Jew from having any contact with pigs, because they were unclean animals (see Leviticus 11:7).
H.) THINK ABOUT THE MOST DISGUSTING JOB WE COULD DO (i.e. shoveling manure, working in a garbage dump, picking up trash along the highway, etc.). THAT WAS THE YOUNGER SON’S JOB.
I.) We see the desperation of this young man when the Bible tells us, “He would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating (i.e. he was so hungry he wanted to eat the pig slop), AND NO ONE WAS GIVING ANYTHING TO HIM” (Luke 15:16 NASB).
J.) Now came the most important part of the story with these words, “BUT WHEN HE CAME TO HIS SENSES” (Luke 15:17a NASB). When the younger son came to his senses, his mind drifted back to thoughts of home, and his father, and his father’s love and care for himself and for others.
K.) The younger son said, “What am I doing here? I’m a fool. My father’s servants have plenty to eat and I’m starving to death.” Then the younger son made the most important decision in his life—HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO HIS FATHER.
L.) The young man said, “I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.’ So he got up and came to his father” (Luke 15:18-19 NASB).
M.) The younger son shows us how to view and how to respond to our failures:
1.) He took responsibility for his actions: It was his fault and no one else’s.
2.) He admitted his sin and failure to his father: The younger son confessed that he had sinned, first and foremost, against God, as well as against his father. Folks, all sin, first and foremost, is rebellion and disobedience against God.
3.) He put away his pride, ego, and arrogance: He humbled himself before his father. The Bible tells us, “God is opposed to the proud, but GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE” (1 Peter 5:5b NASB).
4.) He was willing to accept the consequences for his actions: The younger son thought he had failed his father so miserably that he wasn’t worthy to be called his son. He was willing to be one of his father’s servants.
IV.) FORGIVENESS
A.) As the son headed for home, what was his father doing? The Bible says the father was looking for his son. While the son was still far away, the father saw him and ran to meet him (Luke 15:20).
B.) The father hugged his son. The son confessed his sin and failure to his father. And the father responded in love and forgiveness. The father put a robe on his son, a ring on his finger, sandals on his feet, and ordered a fattened calf to be killed BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE A PARTY (Luke 15:20-23).
C.) The father in this story represents God. Each of us is the younger son. This is a story of love, grace, mercy, hope, restoration, reconciliation, forgiveness, and salvation.
D.) God, in His love, grace, and mercy, gives us the freedom to live however we want to live. We can reject Him, go, and do our own thing.
E.) But if we do that, there are consequences to our actions. When we do things on our own and reject God, this story shows us that we’ll bring pain, suffering, trouble, problems, FAILURE, and destruction into our lives.
F.) God is looking for us and waiting for us to return to Him, by admitting our sins, mistakes, and failures, turning away from them, and asking for his forgiveness. AND WHEN WE DO THAT, GOD IS READY AND WILLING TO RECEIVE US AND TO FORGIVE US.
G.) There is another beautiful aspect to this story. The younger son got more from his father than he wanted or deserved. The younger son only wanted to be one of his father’s servants. BUT HE GOT FAR MORE THAN THAT.
H.) The son was gloriously and fully restored into a right relationship with his father, with all of the blessings and benefits of a son. FOLKS, GOD GIVES US FAR MORE THAN WANT OR DESERVE.
V.) FULFILLMENT
A.) When he returned home to his father, the younger son found fulfillment. In being restored to a right relationship with his father, the younger son received love, mercy, joy, peace, hope, freedom, forgiveness, AND LIFE. THE SAME THING CAN HAPPEN TO EACH OF US.
B.) OUR FULFILLMENT IS NOT FOUND IN MONEY, FAME, STATUS, POSSESSIONS, PLEASURE, OR PRESTIGE.
C.) OUR FULFILLMENT IS FOUND ONLY IN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, THROUGH FAITH IN HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST.
D.) The Bible tells us that we were made BY GOD, and we were made FOR GOD (see Colossians 1:16). And until we understand that and settle that issue in our lives, we will experience pain, frustration, despair, confusion, disappointment, AND FAILURE in our lives.
E.) This story has a happy ending. There is a big party with much celebrating. Listen to what the father says after his son came home, “This son of mine was dead and has come to life again. He was lost and has been found” (Luke 15:24 NASB).
F.) FOLKS, THAT’S YOU AND THAT’S ME. Until we come to the one, true living God, our Heavenly Father, in love, repentance, faith, trust, and obedience, then we, too, are dead and lost.
CONCLUSION
A.) So what’s this mean for us? We learn several things from the prodigal’s failure that can help us deal with our own failures:
1.) No failure is fatal:
2.) No failure is final: That’s because Jesus Christ experienced all of our failures when He died on the cross for our sins, and He arose from the dead to demonstrate, once and for all, THAT GOD’S LOVE, GRACE, MERCY, FORGIVENESS, AND SALVATION ARE GREATER AND MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY AND EVERY FAILURE WE FACE.
3.) Every failure is an opportunity for us to learn and to grow: We have a choice to make when we fail. We can become angry, bitter, jealous, and resentful and make the same failures over and over. Or we can learn from our failures and become wiser and better.
4.) God, AND ONLY GOD, can take our failures and bring something good out of them: Think about some of the great failures in the Bible.
a.) Moses killed a man and was a fugitive from justice before leading the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt (see Exodus 2:11-25).
b.) David, the great king of Israel, of whom the Bible said was a man after God’s own heart (see 1 Samuel 13:14) was an adulterer and a murderer (see 2 Samuel 11:1-27).
c.) Peter publicly denied that he knew Jesus after Jesus had been arrested (see Matthew 26:69-76).
d.) Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ was once Saul, the great persecutor of Christ and the Church (Acts 9:1-19).
e.) One preacher said it like this, “We forget that God is a specialist. He is well able to work our failures into His plans” (Source: Erwin W. Lutzer, Failure: The Back Door to Success (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975), p. 16).
B.) There is a poem that perhaps you’ve heard before. I think it’s wise counsel and helpful advice, not only for our graduates, but also for all of us here this morning, wherever we may be in our lives. The poem is simply entitled, “Don’t Quit.”
When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill
When the funds are low and the debts are high
When you want to smile but you have to sigh
When cares are pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must BUT DON’T QUIT.
Life is strange with its twists and turns
As all of us sometimes learns
And many a failure turns about
When you might have won, if you had just stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow
You might succeed with the next blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems a faint to a faltering man
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have won the victor’s cup
And he learned too late with a groan and a frown
Just how close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
You can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when hardest hit
It’s when things seem the worst that YOU MUST NOT QUIT
(Source: Author Unknown)
C.) Folks, God is not a quitter. If God were a quitter, He would have given up on each of us a long time ago.
D.) The truth is, God loves us, and GOD WANTS US. God is relentless. God is tireless. God is always on the lookout for us, ready to accept us, ready to forgive us, and ready to heal us, restore us, bless us, and use us, just as the father was in the story we read.
E.) BUT WE’VE GOT TO BE LIKE THE PRODIGAL. WE’VE GOT TO REALIZE OUR SINS, MISTAKES, AND FAILURES.
F.) WE’VE GOT TO COME TO OUR SENSES, REPENT AND TURN AWAY FROM OUR PAST SINS, MISTAKES, AND FAILURES, AND COME TO GOD IN LOVE, FAITH, TRUST, AND OBEDIENCE BY MAKING A COMMITMENT TO JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.
G.) WITH JESUS CHRIST IN OUR LIVES, WE CAN BE SURE THAT WHEN WE FAIL, WE WILL ALWAYS FAIL FORWARD!
PRAYER
HYMN OF COMMITMENT:
