The Prodigal

Mountain Life Church/Life Pack/August 3, 2014

The ProdigalSermon NotesAugust 3, 2014

I. Jesus’ AudienceA. Religious Folk

1. Judgmental2. Law based3. Graceless

B. Jesus’ message to his audience1. God seeks and saves the lost2. I must become a new creation3. We all need grace

II. The StoryA. Introducing the father

1. A wealthy farmer2. He owned land3. He had servants4. He had a large inheritance to give his sons5. Neither son understands or truly knows their dad

B. Introducing the younger son1. I want it now, I want it ALL NOW!2. Undisciplined3. A Prodigal

a. Prodigal = spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.

b. Latin = Prodigus (Lavish)c. A Prodigal is anyone who has been given much but

wastes it

C. Defining: The Inheritance1. Everything pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1: 3)2. Intimate relationship with a loving and extravagant God3. Power over sin4. Freedom from slavery

I was discussing this story not long ago with a Bible study group made up mostly of "older brothers" and "older sisters." We'd played by the rules much of our lives, but we were beginning to see that our good behavior had been at least subconsciously a form of self-salvation—an attempt to earn God's approval and maybe even obligate him to do what we wanted. When we considered the fact that Jesus told this story to the Pharisees (older brothers if ever there were some!) in response to their outrage over his association with "sinners," we realized the parable is primarily about the father's relationship with the older son. "How did this story about two sons ever even get called 'The Prodigal Son'?" one of us asked. "An older brother must have named it!" was the answer.

As we pondered the implications, one of the women confessed, "Still, it doesn't seem fair that the father had never thrown a party for the older son." ? Several of us admitted that we, too, related to the son's complaint.

We moved on to another of Jesus' stories: the parable of the Great Banquet. I began to wonder if, from Jesus' perspective, having a feast thrown in one's honor is a blessing, but being invited to help the father host the banquet is a vastly greater gift. My husband and I love holding pool parties in our backyard. When things go well—when lots of people come and the food is tasty and there is laughter and music and good conversation—there is a particular satisfaction and intimacy we share as we debrief together over the cleanup.

Maybe the father in Jesus' story felt he could honor and bless his oldest boy more by inviting him into the deep relationship of mutual service than by merely giving him a party of his own. Maybe becoming a Christian is not only accepting Jesus into my life, but also accepting his incredible invitation to be a part of his life—to participate missionally in the triune God's cosmic plan of redemption.

As Jesus tells it, the Father is hosting a lavish banquet, and we're invited—not because of our own merit, but because he loves us. And there's more. He's invited us to help him throw the party—neither as servants nor as guests, but as family.

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The Other Prodigal SonThe Prodigal’s home-coming was a gala for both sons

By Carolyn Arends

Growing up in Sunday school, I was very familiar with the Prodigal Son—at least as he was rendered in flannel graph. I disapproved of his behavior with righteous indignation; as the first-born child of a Baptist household, I empathized with the older brother. How was it fair that the bad boy got a party and the good one didn't? It wasn't until I was much older that I realized the story was infinitely more about the father's love than the prodigal's misconduct.

Only recently, however, have I begun to discover that the older son in Jesus' story is every bit as lost as the younger one. In his book The Prodigal God, Timothy Keller points out that the two brothers represent the two basic ways people try to make life work. The younger son pursues "self-discovery"—he's on a quest to find and fulfill himself, even if a few people have to get hurt along the way. The older brother is committed to a more socially respectable way of being in the world—the way of "moral conformity." He's on a program of self-salvation, earning the approval of his community and the favor of his father; when he feels the terms of this deal are violated, his good attitude evaporates into resentment.

Kenneth Bailey is a theologian who spent 40 years living in the Middle East, striving to resituate Jesus' stories in their original Palestinian context. He points out that for Jesus' audience, respect for one's father is paramount; the younger son's request for his inheritance from a still-healthy patriarch constitutes an unthinkable offense. It amounts to saying, "I wish you were dead."

But the older son's conduct—refusing to join the party for his brother and arguing with his dad in front of the guests—is no less egregious. Hospitality was of supreme value in 1st-century Palestine. The entire village would likely have been invited to the party, and the oldest son would be expected to co-host the proceedings. His refusal is another round of humiliating rejection for the father. But the father actually goes out looking for this son, entreating him to come join the party, and Jesus leaves the story unfinished. Will the son abandon his own plan for making life work and accept the extravagant gift of his father's love and inclusion? Or will he stick to the terms of his deal and exclude himself from his place in the family?

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D. The hook (Jesus hooked His audience with this part of the story)1. The younger son asks for the inheritance to be given early2. The father agrees! (What?)3. The son does what prodigals do4. The famine5. The end of the rope6. Coming to his senses7. Returning home

E. The nature of the father revealed1. He’s not a control-meister2. He’s an excellent father with rebellious children3. He lets us go our own way

a. Our own way always causes us miseryb. Our own way is always a waste

4. He loves us so much he lets us suffera. Suffering can lead to poverty of spiritb. Poor in spirit is when I realize my need for God

F. The undignified God1. The father saw his son and RAN to him2. He gave gifts to his son

a. The Robe - The robe of righteousnessb. The Ring - Authorityc. The Sandals - I’m a child, not a slave (slaves went

barefoot)d. The Fatted Calf - God parties when a sinner comes

home

G. Introducing the quiet rebel - the older son1. Refused to come join the party (Embarrassing the father)

a. He’s an obedience and works guyb. Can’t see his own need for grace

2. His failure to receive grace keeps him from knowing his father’s heart

3. His failure to receive grace keeps him from partying4. His failure to receive grace keeps him as a slave, not a son

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IV.And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtorsA. Acknowledge my sin and thank God for forgiving me

through Jesus’ sacrifice on the crossB. Forgive and release others for their sins against me

1. Acknowledge that someone sinned against me and hurt me

2. Give the memory of the violation to God3. Cut them loose from all debt they owe me4. Acknowledge that bitterness has NO HOLD on me5. Lavish love on them and pray for God to bless them

V. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evilA. Put on the whole armor of God (Put on the Lord Jesus Christ)

1. The belt of truth (Mentally accept God’s truth over lies I have been hearing)

2. Breastplate of righteousness (Thank Jesus for giving me His righteousness which enables me to boldly enter His presence)

3. Shoes of preparation (readiness) of the Gospel of peace (Take time to digest the scriptures - committing them to memory)

4. Shield of faith (Step out on God’s truth for my situation)5. Helmet of salvation (Thank God that He has saved me

and remember that I am different than the world. Satan has no power over me except the power I give him by believing lies.)

6. Sword of the Spirit (Apply the Word to the lies I hear, and the situations I find myself in today.)

B. Run to the Lord for protection (You are my refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust!)1. I set my mind on things above, not on things of the earth2. God has set His love upon me3. He knows my name and will never leave me or forsake

meVI.For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the

glory foreverA. Make your faith declarationsB. Return to praise

This outline inspired by Henry Blackaby & Larry Lea

Life Group Questions for August 3, 2014

Message = The ProdigalIce  Breaker:    Tell  about  your  most  rebellious  time  in  your  life.  

Read  Luke  15:  11-­‐‑32:

1. What  strikes  you  about  this  passage?

2. Compare  and  contrast  the  two  brothers  in  this  story.

3. Why  do  you  think  the  father  gave  the  younger  son  his  inheritance  so  early  when  he  probably  knew  he  was  too  immature  to  use  it  wisely?  

4. Why  do  you  think  he  let  the  son  leave  home?  

5. What  does  this  say  about  the  nature  of  God?

6. The  famine  was  a  providential  thing  that  God  used  to  bring  the  son  home.  How  has  God  used  difficulties  and  hardship  in  your  life  to  bring  you  to  Him?

7. Tell  what  you  think  the  robe,  ring,  and  sandals  mean  and  how  they  relate  to  your  life.

8. The  older  son  was  judgmental  because  he  never  felt  a  need  for  grace.  Have  you  ever  noticed  in  your  own  life  that  when  you  are  judgmental,  you  have  failed  to  receive  grace  for  yourself?

9. Pray  for  one  another.

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Prayer Guide

I. Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your NameA. Picture Calvary and thank God you can call Him

Father by virtue of the blood of JesusB. Hallow (lift Him above everything in your life) the

names of God corresponding with the five benefits in the New Covenant and make your faith declarations

II. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done (God, what are you doing? How can I (others) get in on what You are doing?)A. Myself

• Give me awareness of how to meet others’ needs today• I choose to take the initiative to love others

B. My family (spouse, children, other family members)

C. My church (pastor, other leadership, faithfulness of people, the harvest)

D. My nation (city, state, and national political and spiritual leaders, the harvest)

III.Give us this day our daily breadA. Believe that God desires to provide for meB. Be specificC. Be tenaciousD. Talk openly about my worries and give them to HimE. Today’s needs - Tomorrow will care for itself

This outline inspired by Henry Blackaby & Larry Lea516

Personal Devotion PagesThe following pages are designed to help you enjoy a regular time alone with God. We have divided up the curriculum to help us grow wherever we are at in our relationship with God and in our knowledge of His Kingdom.

LEVELS: Since we are a Colorado church, we use skiing imagery to communicate the different levels of intensity and time involved in relating to God.

BEGINNER: If you are new in your relationship with God, we encourage you to try the exercises under this symbol:

INTERMEDIATE: If you have walked with God for some time and would like a little more challenge and more time involvement, try the exercises under this symbol:

ADVANCED: These exercises are for people who have walked with God for some time and display maturity in their relationship with Him.

These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a regular basis. There are no rules here. Please don’t hurry through the process. Slow meditation and memorization seems to soak in better than cramming.

Enjoy!

Benefit Sanctify

Spirit

Soundness

Success

Security

NameJehovah-TsidkenuJehovah-M’Kaddesh

Jehovah-ShalomJehovah-Shammah

Jehovah-Rophe

Jehovah-Jireh

Jehovah-NissiJehovah-Rohi

MeaningJehovah our righteousnessJehovah who sanctifies

Jehovah is peaceJehovah is there

Jehovah heals

Jehovah provides

Jehovah my bannerJehovah my shepherd

Day One1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is  and  enjoy  

thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.

2. Slowly  read  Luke  15:  1-­‐‑32.

3. What  have  you  heard  God  say  to  you  this  week?    Write  it  down  in  this  space.

Memorize  Isaiah  1:  18  .    Ask  the  Holy  Spirit  to  give  you  insight  into  the  meaning  of  this  verse.

Memorize  Isaiah  1:  18-­‐‑19.  Ask  the  Holy  Spirit  to  give  you  insight  into  the  meaning  of  this  passage.

Memorize    Isaiah  1:  16-­‐‑19.  Ask  the  Holy  Spirit  to  give  you  insight  into  the  meaning  of  these  passages.

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The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve worked hard for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the finest calf we have.’ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you and I are very close, and everything I have is yours.”

~Luke 15:28-31, NLT

The younger brother was repentant, the elder brother was angry. He was angry because he himself had never experienced grace. He thought he was a good boy. He had always obeyed his father and was a very hard worker.

But he had no need for grace. At least that’s what he thought.

Notice the father begged the elder son to come to the party for the younger. He begged him! The heart of the father was to celebrate the homecoming of a scoundrel. The heart of the older son was to punish - because you have to earn a party!

When I fail to give grace to others, the thought of my heart is, I have earned my relationship with God - and I deserve His grace! This poor person has done nothing to deserve grace, so why give it to them?

My failure to give grace to others is a sure sign that I’ve fallen from grace - and entered into earning.

Father, show me where I’ve judged others and failed to receive Your grace for myself.

Day Five

Day Five1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is  and  enjoy  

thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.  

2. Read  Luke  15:  1-­‐‑32  again  today.

3. Take  time  to  pray  for  your  co-­‐‑workers  today.

4. Finish  your  Bible  memorization  today.

Day OneTo illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now, instead of waiting until you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

~Luke 15:11, 12, NLT

Jesus takes time to illustrate God’s heart for the sinner with three successive parables. This final parable, the longest and most profound of the three, illustrates with fine lines and beautiful color.

Remember, before we can truly understand what is going on in the parable, we must know the audience. Luke 15 begins with this line...Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such despicable people--even eating with them! Luke 15:1, 2, NLT. Jesus is talking to religious big shots who are blind to God’s love for sinners. They see God’s salvation as something only for special goody-goodies and not for the dregs of society.

So, to illustrate God’s love for sinners, Jesus paints a picture of a loving, excellent father who has two sons. He then introduces His audience to the younger son, who shows himself to be a real sinner. But by the end of the story, He has shown that there are two sons who need redemption. The younger son is an overt sinner, but the older dresses up his idolatry and sin with the mask of a devoted child.

Many of us see the focus of the parable on the younger son, but Jesus’ audience was probably stunned by the waywardness of both! All of us can relate to one of those boys!

Father, thank you that You desire relationship with me, even though I have often pushed away from You!

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Day Two1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is  and  enjoy  

thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.  

2. Slowly  and  carefully  read  Luke  15:  1-­‐‑32  today.

3. Is  seeking  and  saving  the  lost  a  number  one  priority  in  your  life?    Why  or  why  not?

4. Pray  for  your  loved  ones  and  family.    Ask  the  Holy  Spirit  to  give  you  specific  requests  for  each  one.

5. Continue  memorizing  and  meditating  on  the  scriptures  for  this  week.

Day FourHe persuaded a local farmer to hire him to feed his pigs. The boy became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired man.”

~Luke 15:15-19, NLT

For Jesus’ religious and Jewish audience, getting a job as a feeder of swine was the lowest of lows. Life could not get any lower than this. Such a person deserves death, not redemption. Yet, from here on, Jesus has nothing but stunning surprises for His audience.

When we read this part of the story in conjunction with the whole Bible, we find that even the starving was brought on by the love of God.

The famine brought this man to what Jesus called spiritual poverty. When I become poor in spirit, I begin to realize my need for God. God loves us so much that He will allow us to run wild in sin and eventually let sin bring us into misery. That misery will lead some of us back to God. Unfortunately, some of us never come to our senses like this young man did.

Sometimes, God must allow us to get to the end of our rope so that we will hunger for Him. For many of us, the end of the rope is further down than we could ever imagine.

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Day TwoThe younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now, instead of waiting until you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

Luke 15:12, NLT

Jesus’ story gives us dump-trucks of insight into the heart of God the Father. Your first inclination may be to ask, why would an all wise God give such vast wealth to someone too young to value it? Some of us may even blame God for this whole debacle. Jesus simply illustrates that God has given us all an inheritance - that inheritance is called Everything pertaining to life and godliness. The inheritance He has given us enables us to have precious relationship with God and the power to live without idols, sin habits, and spiritual slavery.

Jesus also illustrates that God gives us freedom of choice. We can do with our great treasure whatever we wish. It’s our choice. He will not make us love Him, nor will He control our lives. The loving Father doesn’t have any desire to make us do His will. The younger son went out and used his treasure unwisely. However, the older son had all the treasure he needed, but never used it. These two boys are such pictures of you and me!

Father, I want everyday to be a day using my treasure wisely. Today, I choose to walk with you intimately, depend on You wholly, and pursue wisdom diligently.

Day Four1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is  and  enjoy  

thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.    

2. Meditate  on  Luke  15:  22-­‐‑23.

3. Think  about  the  meaning  of  the  robe,  the  ring,  the  sandals,  and  the  faYed  calf.  How  do  these  things  relate  to  you?

4. Continue  meditating  on  and  memorizing  the  scripture  for  this  week.

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Day Three Day Three1. Take  some  time  to  praise  the  Lord  for  who  He  is  and  enjoy  

thanking  Him  for  what  He  has  done  in  your  life  lately.    

2. Meditate  on  Luke  15:  32.

3. Bring  at  least  three  friends  or  loved  ones  to  the  Lord  and  ask  Him  to  bring  them  to  repentance  and  faith.    Ask  Him  to  show  you  how  you  can  boldly  love  them  and  speak  the  words  of  Jesus  into  their  lives.      

 4. Continue  meditating  on  and  memorizing  the  scripture  for  this  

week.

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A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and took a trip to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money on wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.

~Luke 15:13, 14, NLT

As Jesus’ audience heard this part of the story, they probably secretly rejoiced: Serves him right! Got what he deserved!

After a brief stint of wild living, the young man’s money ran out. Jesus’ story reflects the words of Solomon who told us that a fool and his money are soon parted.

Once again, we must visit the idea that the father of this boy perhaps knew that his son would pursue this kind of lifestyle. Yet, he let him. While I was in the midst of my own time of sowing wild oats, I remember wondering why God let me continue living that way. I questioned why God would let me continue being such a fool. Yet, He let me.

God promised us that the wages of sin is death. After a while, death gets a little miserable... for some of us. For others, it’s what we know and there’s no turning away from it. But for many of us, the misery of sin gets us to a place of hating our lifestyle. That’s what happened in this young man’s life.

The sinful lifestyle can look like overt partying and it can also look like church-going goodness. Without real, authentic relationship with God, both are sinful lifestyles.

Father, bring me to a place of hating every moment away from You!

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