Sermon Central
-
The Prodigal Son Part One Series
Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on Oct 15, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: The prodigal son is an example of how much God loves us and will welcome us back into His presence. What can we learn about God and what can we apply to our loves concerning His love and forgiveness.
The Prodigal son
Introduction-
This morning we are going to talk about the parables of Jesus. It is a familiar passage that everyone can relate too. Luke 15 contains 3 parables.
1. Parable of the lost sheep- Jesus says suppose you have 100 sheep and one leaves. You go out and search for the one while leaving the 99, and you will rejoice when you find and bring back the one that went astray.
2. Parable of the lost coin- Suppose a lady has 10 coins and she losses one. She goes all through the house until she finds the one that is lost.
3. Today’s parable- the lost son- He deliberately wanted to be lost. He purposefully left. Each one of us this morning can learn something from this parable if we will lbe open and let God do it.
There is spiritual application and human response. What a father would not do to get his wayward son to return home.
I look at these passages and I see answers to some questions that I have concerning God and people.
Answers to questions like;
What is God really like?
How can we be restored to a right relationship (With God and People)
How can we return to God after blowing it big time?
Let’s start with the question what is God really like?
The parable serves as an analogy of our heavenly Father relationship with His children. The father in the story represents God. The two sons represent different people. The younger son is a person who has left a right relationship with God. The older son, who has a right relationship with God but has a bad attitude toward those who have fallen away from God.
I am sure that is no one here this morning.
So what is God like?
Some people picture God as a task master who gets great joy out of disciplining His people when they make a mistake. He has a bunch of rules in force that no one believes they can accomplish so they feel that He is always mad at us and correcting us.
Others picture God as a buddy. He will forgive anything no matter what you do or how you act. In the end, all go to heaven because a loving God “would never send anyone to hell”
They think the most important question asked is “Do you believe in God” but I think the more important question is what kind of God do you believe in? The generic answer yes to do you believe in God won’t change your life. Understanding the God you serve will change your life.
“There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to the father, father give me my share of the estate. So he divided up his property between them.”
This father has no name, and these sons have no name. because they are everyday people that have come up to God and said, I want out from under your blessing and I want to do things my way.
It was normal to give the oldest son a double portion and split the rest with the others. To give the youngest son his portion early was unusual.
Most today wait until love ones leave possessions behind. This younger son was in rebellion and wanted his now.
His motive was apparent when he departs.
He takes all his possessions and leaves nothing behind to come back too. He wants to be free of parental restraints and spend his inheritance as he pleases (wild living)
He was not foolishly lost- sheep that went astray and then brought back.
He was not misplaced like the lost coin.
He was deliberately lost- by choice, he wanted no part of this and he was not returning.
While the son was away and in rebellion with God;
He spent all he had on the wild things of life.
He became desperate. (This was not all that it was cracked up to be.)
He thought that even his father’s servants were treated better and eating better than he was.
He was willing to go back to his father and accept 2nd best because he thought that first best was no longer available.
(17) “When he came to his senses.”
How many parent s are waiting for their children to come to their senses?
How many times looking back on your life do you think God was just waiting for you to come to your senses?
He plays out this dialog in his head how he will go back to his father and tell him how wrong he was, and will accept that it can never go back to the way it was.
He returns to the father.
“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”
