Title: The Collision of Life and Truth
Text: Luke 15:1-31
Theme: The Parable of the Prodigal Son
Introduction
A Parable is a short story that conveys a moral truth in a person’s life.
Every parable (1) sketches a setting, (2) describes an action & (3) shows a result. Most parables contain at least one character, choosing a decision and showing a consequence.
1. The Gospels record OVER 30 parables that Jesus told. 1/3 of all his teachings consisted of parables.
Matthew 13:34-35 (New Living Translation)
34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:
“I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since
the creation of the world.” (Quoting Psalm 78:2)
2. Parables brought people to place where, “their life and His truth collided”. It’s a good collision.
A. The Parable of the Prodigal Son
1. Theme of Luke 15 is “Lost Things are Found” – A regression in #’s
a. 100 - The Lost Sheep is found
b. 10 - The Lost Coin is found
c. 1 - The Lost Son is found
ILLUSTRATION (Source: www.thefactsite.com)
The average life expectancy is 79.5 years old.
The average person will spend 1 year looking for lost possessions.
2. The Context of Luke 15:1-2
a. Jesus was eating with tax collectors and sinners
b. Pharisees and teachers of the law muttering
c. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
d. Jesus welcomed the company of sinners
e. Eating was an indication of acceptance and recognition
f. Jesus shared these stories: Lost people matter to God
Illustration
A pastor shared a story of a couple who left his church because they said “too many sinners went to their church”. It is like being in the hospital & leaving, saying “I am leaving because there are too many sick people here”. Jesus cares about lost people.
A. Read with me Luke 15:11-24
This is the “Blockbuster Parable” of the bible. It is the most preached parable by preachers. This parable preaches itself. Because it is a familiar parable, we cannot allow its impact to soften or be lost.
There are 3 characters in his parable:
The Father, who is a type of God
The lost son, who is a type of sinners or backsliders
The self-righteous brother, who represents the Pharisee
I want to try to get into the psyche of the young man who left home.
So we are going to ask some questions as to….What was he thinking?
B. He demanded all that was allotted to him
V. 12 – “Father give me the share of property that is coming to me.”
At this point he was thinking, “I want MORE than this”.
1. He was ambitious to have his freedom/no restraints.
He “told” what he wanted and did not “ask” for advice.
*According to Jewish law, a father who had two sons was to leave 2/3 of his estate to his older son and 1/3 to his younger son.
2. It wasn’t an overnight decision. A decision he pondered f months. He thought out this decision for a while.
- Nobody wakes up one morning and says, “I think I will wreck my life today” or “Today’s a good day to devastate my family, so my spouse will leave me and my kids will visit once a month”. It’s a slow leak rather than a sudden blowout!
3. The Father gives him what he asked – The scary thing is that God gives the freedom &
independence you desire. It is called self will.
4. God loves you so much He will never force you to stay in fellowship with Him against your own will.
Romans 1:24-26 – God gave them over to their passions & lusts
STORY: Thursday night I was talking to a man who are a deeply committed Christian, as well as his wife. This past week his wife walked away from the marriage fellowship and involved herself in sexual sin and committed adultery. He asked me why God did not step in and stop her. I said God loves her so much He allowed her to make her own choices, even though He knows what the consequences will be.
5. He took all and headed for a distant country – set off in the wrong direction with no intention of ever coming back.
6. Have you ever headed in the wrong direction?
Maybe it was decision you made, counsel you rejected or a decision that someone
pressured you into doing. After you realized that it was a brutal mistake.
C. He sunk farther than he had expected –
Maybe the young man was thinking…“I can’t BELIEVE this”
Verse 14 – “He began to be in need.”
2. Sin promises freedom, but it brings slavery and want! After the son let the monster out of the cage, his wild living led him to a place of emptiness.
3. Here is what nobody tells you. There is a gap between
Sin PLEASURE Punishment
4. Pleasures of sin for a short time– Hebrews 11:25.
Pleasures of sin are temporary. SIN NEVER SATISFIES.
5. Satan makes sin fun, attractive and exciting. For a season you might have more money, more friends and more popularity, but eventually you will begin to be in need. Sin will leave you empty.
“Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay, take you farther than you want to go and cost you more than you want to pay.” (author unknown)
6. He learned that money does not solve everything. When his money ran out, the friends all disappeared. He finds himself in the mud and the manure of a pig sty, starving to death.
D. He came to his senses verse 17 –A time of reflection and realization
He might have said, “I am better than this”
1. He woke up - “I am not supposed to be living here.”
This was the turning point of the parable…
That internal “light-bulb” of realization came on!
- “I’m not supposed to be in this impure relationship”
- “This alcohol and drug just isn’t for me.”
- “I was made for something better that this.”
Story: My pastor friend tells the story of his salvation experience at his 18th year birthday party. During the party, a drunken friend of his gets up and yells, “What are we doing: Jesus doesn’t want us to do this.” That night Tom left his own birthday party and made a conscious decision to follow Christ.
2. Devises a speech of repentance and sets off towards home
Recognized his sin and Who he sinned against
Unpredictable Climax verse 20: The father runs to his son.
a. Custom was for the dad to walk NOT run.
b. Story of running to Jenisah as she hung on swing bars
Illustration
One day this dog was chasing a black cat.
In his haste in the chasing the black cat, he crosses over the underground electric fence, to which he experienced the shock of his life. After recovering from the stun, he realizes another problem: He’s got to get back home but the electric fence is a force to be reckoned with. So, here is grace in action. The dog’s owner turns off the power to the fence, picks up his dog and brings the dog back home. That’s the grace of God!
The teaching thought here is "Don’t go chasing black cats". If you do, God’s grace is sufficient and will always bring you back home.
E. Forgives the son and takes it a step further: He restores the son
The son is thinking, “I don’t deserve this”.
1. There were 4 restoring actions (Verses 22-23)
a. Draped him with a Robe
b. Ring on finger
c. Sandals on feet
d. Celebrated with a feast
The Father's love forgave his son and graciously brought him back home.
