GOD WILL RECEIVE A SINFUL PRODIGAL & SO SHOULD WE
INTRODUCTION
A. (Lu.15:1,2) Jesus contents with critics & their accusations. While many of their accusations were false, this one was true - “This Man receives sinners & eats with them.”
B. Jesus spoke 3 parables describing the kind of sinners He will receive. This lesson will focus
on the type of sinner mentioned in the 3rd parable - the sinful prodigal
I. THE DISCONTENTMENT & APOSTASY OF THE YOUNGER SON
A. (Lu.15:11-13) Signs of the younger brother’s discontentment:
a. lack of patience - “give me portion of goods”
b. ungrateful spirit of blessings - “that falls to me”
c. pursues what will physically gratify - “not many days after…journeyed to a far country”
B. Consider the words used to describe the younger son’s behavior & consequences.
a. (v13) “gathered all together” hapas (hap'-as) - “absolutely all or (sing.) every one”
b. (v13) “wasted all is possessions” diaskorpizo (dee-as-kor-pid'-zo;) - “to dissipate, i.e. (gen.) to rout or separate; spec. to winnow; fig. to squander”
c. (v13) “with prodigal living” asotos (as-o'-toce) an adverb from the Greek asotia (as-o-tee'-ah) - “prop. unsavedness, i.e. (by impl.) profligacy”
C. Discontentment breeds apostasy - “gathered all together, journeyed to a far country,
& there wasted his possessions
with prodigal living”
a. lack of patience with God’s ways lead to apostasy
b. apostates are ungrateful for the past sacrifices of other
c. apostates desire what is appealing, gratifying, popular, etc. (looking for something new)
II. PRODIGAL LIVING LEFT THE YOUNGER SON IN WANT
A. (Lu.15:14-16; Heb.11:25) The “season” of fun & revelry ends either when the money goes or one’s health goes. In the case of the younger son it was when his money dissipated - “when he had spent all” dapanao (dap-an-ah'-o) - “to expend, i.e. (in a good sense) to incur cost, or (in a bad one) to waste”
B. (Prov.27:1; 1:24-33) Refusing to listen to wisdom, the younger son must reap the consequences of his prodigal lifestyle.
a. hard times come to all (famine) - didn’t prepare for hard times; lived for the here & now
b. suffers (began to be in want) hustereo (hoos-ter-eh'-o) - “to be later, i.e. (by impl.) to be inferior; gen. to fall short (be deficient)”
c. shame & embarrassment - (v15,16)
a. “joined himself to a citizen of that country”
b. “sent him into his fields to feed swine”
c. “he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate”
d. “no one gave him anything”
C. (Prov.13:15) Too many people know how “hard” that life of sin can be.
III. THE PENITENT & RESTORATION OF THE YOUNGER SON
A. (Lu.15:17-20a) The following steps were involved in the younger son’s penitent:
a. self examination/evaluation - “he came to himself”
b. compared the wages of both righteousness & sin - “How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough & to spare, & I perish with hunger!”
c. contrite spirit & confession of wrong - “I have sinned…I am no longer worthy to be called thy son. Make me like one of your hired servants”
d. action - “he arose & came to his father”
B. Make above applicable to people today.
C. (Lu.15:20b-24) The “Father” represents God’s willing & anguish desire to welcome wandering prodigals back into His fellowship (Mic.7:18; 2Cor.6:17,18).
a. He was watching - “saw him….a great way off”
b. felt pity & hurt for his son - “had compassion”
c. helped his son through the difficulty of returning - “ran & fell on his neck & kissed him”
d. made his son feel at home - “bring out the best rope…put a ring on his hands & scandals on his feet”
e. made the son’s decision to return honored - “bring the fatted calf…let us eat & be merry”
f. illustration of Dwight Moody’s brother (Preacher’s Homiletic Library - 2 Mark & Luke pg.329)
III. THERE IS NO ROOM FOR THE SPIRIT OF UNFORGIVENESS
A. (Lu.15:25-27) The noise & commotion associated with the party celebrating the younger son’s return aroused the older son’s curiosity.
B. (Lu.15:28-30) Not everyone was “merry.” The spirit of the older son is to be avoided.
a. he was outraged - “angry” orgizo (or-gid'-zo) - “to provoke or enrage, i.e. (pass) become exasperated”
b. expressed his feelings of not wanting his brother restored - “would not go in”
c. self-righteous & envious of brother (v29)
d. unforgiving (disinherited brother), suspicious, & against brother’s restoration (v30)
C. (Lu.15:32) The kind of spirit we should demonstrate toward the penitent prodigal is the kind the Father demonstrated.
a. right spirit - “It was right that we should make merry & be glad”
b. considered son’s salvation most important - “for your brother was dead & is alive again, & was lost & is found”
c. pleaded with the unforgiving to forgive - “Therefore his father came out & pleaded with him”
D. Make application of the above points.
CONCLUSION
(Lu.15:2) The Parable of the Prodigal Son says “yes,” Jesus receiveth a sinful man.