Prayer

Lk 15:11-32

Prodigal Son, Father & God. In this story there is not 1 word of repentance, because the entire story is about repentance.

v11 - 2 sons, 1 completely loyal & the prodigal. The prodigal is the younger this is interesting. #The older would get the birth right and thus a double portion of what the younger received.

v12 - Son says to dad pretend your dead & give me what I would get, & the father does.

The word Prodigal is extremely wide, deep & broad. Prodigal living = unlimited extravagance. He got a lot of money.

v13 - Making the world serve him, then he serves the world.

v14 Notice the famine didn’t come until he had used up all he had.

v15-16 - He’s feeding swine - an unclean animal. He’s feeding the unclean animal inside himself through his living. #He would have ate their food, but the world only cares about itself, and if animals bring them money - they don’t care. You are replaceable at no greater cost. The pigs are not. They treat animals better than image bearers of God. #We have turned the unborn into cash cows and so many push pro choice to make a profit.

Before most will repent, they have to be brought low & humbled. It’s at this low point it’s realized that to the world our life is worthless. Here many seek suicide to end their pain, or so they won’t be a “burden”. They buy Satan’s final lie, and they choose to die. #Heb 9:27 - the point of no return, no mind changing. There is no return to sender on your soul at this point.

v17-19 - If tho we choose life, and we turn to God there’s a different path. #For the unbeliever at this point what do you have to loose? At this point you can always choose to be a corpse, but a corpse can no longer choose to be a body.

v20- Returns home, the very place he wanted nothing to do with, he is now happy just to be there. The same yet new – repentance. #His father sees him “a great way off” & though as yet far, far away, our Father recognizes His own child in us, and bounds to meet us—not saying, Let him come to Me and beg for pardon first, but Himself taking the first step. #At the point we determine to come or return to God, He is already running to meet us. #“fell on his neck” = held him by his neck closely & tightly. Much like you see wrestlers “lock up”.

v21 - He asks to be “Like” a servant. He wants to be a son – keep that relationship even thou it is defiled it is unchangeable - but is willing to do anything just be in his father’s home. #If you believe you deserve heaven - you don’t. If you believe you’re a good person, you’re not - all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Good in the bible means perfect, hence Jesus’ response to the rich young ruler who calls him good. But notice he turns from Jesus weeping because he had many possessions. As the prodigal son did here when he still had possessions.

v22-24 - He gives him a new robe – restoring his position, a ring & shoes – slaves were barefoot. #The gifts aren’t earned keep that in mind, that’s why they are gifts. #that I might make merry with my friends—It was not entertainment for the gratification of the prodigal: it was a father’s expression of the joy he felt at his recovery.

v25-26 - His brother is in the field – a sign of the world; & he is doing his father’s business.

v27-28 - The older brother was angry & wouldn’t go into the feast. He points to his work with his father & loyalty service. #The brother represents the church, the only army to shoot its own wounded. #We are being deceived to care more about doctrinal differences than the eternal resting place of the unsaved. We care more about what programs we offer to get “butts in the pews” than we do about healing the pain in the butt affects of sin. We worry about the letters that follow the church more than the people of the church. #We should view churches like forward operating bases - the area around them is their mission field. We operate as castles keeping people out because they don’t meet our standards. Our standards aren’t even achievable to ourselves and we need not look to far back in our past to see that. #Meetings should be more focused on how we are going to reach the unsaved than about how we are going to fund our pet projects. This change is happening here. #Some see the world as us vs them / save vs unsaved. But we are all the same - lost to sin, saved by grace - God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. You didn’t earn it, it was given. Repentance is a starting line, not the finish line.

Eph 2:8 - We didn’t earn salvation. Our sin is the same as an unbelievers, because sin is sin. #We all know we are flawed, so why do we try to hide it? Pride! We are like horses, so scared if we show a broken leg we will be shot and shipped to the glue factory. Instead let’s make the church the ER trauma room of the world! If we changed just this 1 thing, not the gospel, not acceptance of sin, but acceptance of sinners. And let Jesus be the doctor we would have to take reservations on Sundays & hire cops not for security but for parking and traffic control.

Fire Pic - The purpose of church is to stoke the fire so it can spread - otherwise you’re just a smoking heap. If you are dark, we are to set them on fire for Christ and then they will be the light. To the younger people it’s a fast charger & your LED light on your phone.