The Lost Son, Part 1b

Tonight we're going to discuss the most familiar picture portrayed in Luke chapter 15, the parable of the lost sons. Unfortunately, it has been misapplied and misinterpreted over and over again throughout the years. Hopefully, we'll be able to give you a clear interpretation of this passage so you understand exactly what it means. Luke chapter 15 is where we are. Luke chapter 15 discussing the parable of lost things. It's one parable. It's not three parables. It's a parable of the lost sheep, a parable of the lost silver coin, and the parable of the lost sons, plural.

This picture of the lost sons is one of three pictures that Christ gives in this parable. To help us understand the essence of salvation, to help us understand true conversion. And we see God's side and we see man side. We see both sides of the coin in salvation to help us get a full picture of what takes place when a person gives their life to Jesus Christ. Let's look at it together, Luke 15, verse number 11.

And he said, a certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me. And he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country. And there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now, when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be in need. And he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country.

And he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he was longing to fill a stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, how many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger. I will get up and go to my father and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired men. And he got up and came to his father, but while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his slaves, quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet, and bring the fat and calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this son of mine was dead and has come to life again. He was lost and has been found. And they began to be merry. Now was old. older son was in the field. And when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing, and he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things might be.

And he said to him, your brother has come, and your father has killed a fat and calf because he has received him back safe and sound. But he became angry and was not willing to go in. And his father came out and began in treating him. But he answered and said to his father, look for so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours and yet you have never given me a kid that I might be married with my friends but when this son of yours came who has devoured your wealth with harlots you killed the fatten calf for him he said to him my child you have always been with me and all that is mine is yours tonight we're going to discuss the most familiar picture portrayed in Luke Chapter 15 the parable of the lost sons unfortunately it has been misapplied and misinterpreted over and over again throughout the years hopefully we'll be able to give you a clear interpretation of this passage so you understand exactly what it means Luke chapter 15 is where we are Luke chapter 15 discussing the paris of lost things.

It's one parable. It's not three parables. It's a parable of the lost sheep, parable of the lost silver coin, and the parable of the lost sons, plural. This picture of the lost sons is one of three pictures that Christ gives in this parable. To help us understand the essence of salvation, to help us understand true conversion. And we see God's side and we see man side. We see both sides of the coin in salvation to help us get a full picture of what takes place when a person gives their life to Jesus Christ.

Let's look at it together. Luke 15, verse number 11. And he said, a certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me. And he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country. And there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now, when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be in need.

And he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he was longing to fill a stomach with the pods that the swine were eating. And no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, how many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger? I will get up and go to my father and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

Make me as one of your hired men. And he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him. and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his slaves, quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet, and bring the fat and calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry.

For this son of mine was dead and has come to life again. He was lost and has been found. And they began to be married. Now his older son was in the field. And when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing, and he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things might be. And he said to him, your brother has come, and your father has killed a fat and calf, because he has received him back safe and sound. But he became angry and was not willing to go in. And his father came out and began in treating him.

But he answered and said to his father, look, for so many years I have been serving you, and I have never neglected a command of yours. And yet you have never given me a kid that I might be married with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with harlots, you killed the fat and calf for him. He said to him, my child, you have always been with me. And all that is mine is yours. but we had to be married and rejoice for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live and was lost and has been found this picture of salvation is so unique we're going to spend this week looking at the younger son next week looking at the father and then the following week looking at the older son and trying to see what what our Lord wants us to see as he has gives us this picture.

There are three main characters, the younger son, the father, the oldest son. That's pretty obvious. We want you to get the full ramification of this picture and what it means to you and how you understand what Christ wants these people to understand. Two things I want you to see tonight about the younger son. Number one is rebellion.

Number two, his repentance. First of all, his rebellion. The symbolism here is unbelievable. Why? Why? Because it's the symbol of man's desire to be out from the control of God. And God lets you go your own way to feel the full effect of your sin in your life. He finally came to his senses.

What am I doing here? What am I doing eating with pigs? What am I doing sitting in the mud? What am I doing here? And the man would turn 180 degrees and change his mind about God, self, and sin. He came to his senses and realized something. You see, the Almighty has specific avenues he uses to draw us to himself. It could be grief, it could be hunger, it could be pain, it could be homelessness, it could be ill health, it could be desertion, it could. could be any number of things, but God brings a man to his breaking point.

He brings it to a point where he says, my way is no way. Only one way leads to God, and that is Jesus Christ himself. He says, verse 18, I will get up, I will go, and I will say. That is resolute determination. That is repentance. That leads us to point number two, his repentance.

We've looked at as rebellion. Now I want you to see as repentance. And I want you to notice five characteristics of repentance, all in the story.

To help you understand the essence of repentance in salvation. So important because this is what helps you understand what God does in the life of an individual. Repentance, listen to what I'm going to say, repentance is the essential ingredient in salvation. It is. It has to be. unless you think that repentance is a work of man, let me remind you what the book of Acts says, chapter 11, verse number 18.

And when they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God saying, well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life. The Jews recognizing that God now has granted something to the Gentile nation. God has given them something. God has given them repentance. Repentance is just a much a gift as faith is a gift, as belief is a gift, and as grace is a gift. God grants man repentance. And when God grants man repentance, listen, God turns the man's life around. The man's life turns.

The woman's life turns. 180 degrees, because that's what repentance does. In the world, the man found misery, but with God he'd find mercy. And this man finds mercy with God. Number one, when a man truly repents of a sin, he reflects on the destiny of his life.

That's number one. He reflects on the destiny of his life. This man came to a census. What am I doing here? Why am I here? What am I doing? Where am I going? I'm going the wrong way. This can't be right. You understand that it's foolishness. It's folly to keep on going the way I'm going. This is ridiculous. He came to a census. Let me ask this question.

Have you come to your senses? Have you come to your senses? When you look at your hands, when you look at your life, when you look at your lips, when you look at your feet, where have your feet gone?

What have your lips said? What have your hands held? What direction has your life been going? Where have your feet led you? Have you come to your senses? Realizing that going that way is not the right way. It's the wrong way. This young man, he came to his senses. He's come to the end of his resources. He's come to the end of his agenda. He's come to the ends of his plans. To keep going means disaster. He realizes something. He's wrong. And that's where repentance begins. Christ says, I did not come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance.

Those who realize that the way they're going's wrong, that what they're doing is wrong, the way their living's wrong. It's not right. The people who recognize that the destiny of my life in my hands is futile. It's empty. I need to be in God's hands. And so he realizes, I'm going to rise up. I'm going to go to my father and I'm going to say these words. And he acts upon it. For many people, they say, I will arise. I will go to my father's house next week, next month, but not now.

Not this guy. It was immediate. He realized what he needed to do. The Bible says in verse 16, no man gave him anything.

Listen, I wrote this down. Just to make sure I got it right. He was penniless. He was friendless. He was breadless. He was hopeless. He was fruitless. He was homeless. He was worthless. There's a man who realized he was zero. Nothing. That he couldn't make it on his own. As long as you believe you can make it on your own, you'll never repent. Never? As long as there's a penny in your pocket, you won't repent. You've got to come to the end of your self-resources. There is no other way between. God's way.

Every way that I have tried fails. I cannot do it. No man gave him anything. He was flat, broke. That's what the Bible says about Matthew 5.3.

Blessed are those who are poor in spirit for theirs and theirs only is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who come to the point where they realize that they have no self-resources. There is nothing in it of themselves that make them anything and those people inherit the kingdom of heaven. And then it says, verse number four, Matthew 5, blessed are those who mourn for they should be comforted. You see, those who realize they have nothing begin to mourn and realize they have nothing. And those are the ones who are comforted because that's the godly sorrow that leads to repentance.

Second Corinthians 7, verse number 10. That's a godly sorrow that leads to repentance. And this is where this young man was. He was bankrupt. He was so poor that he couldn't even scrape the bottom of the barrel because he couldn't even reach the bottom. This man had nothing. You see, Jesus said in John 7, verse number 37, If any man thirst, let him come after me. You want to know why people don't come up to Christ? They're not thirsty. Why aren't they thirsty? They're not need. And that's why Jesus says, if any man's thirsty, come to me.

Come to me and drink. You see, every man is thirsty. The question is to which fountain does he go to fulfill his thirst? There's only one fountain with living water. Only one. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. Every other fountain, oh, it gives you a semblance. of water, but it doesn't satisfy your deepest longings. It doesn't satisfy your deepest thirst. Only Jesus Christ can do that. That's it. Nobody else can. Nothing else will. That's why when people, when they're in a marriage and they have an affair and they and they leave their spouse and they leave their kids thinking, oh, the grass is just so greener over there and they get over there and all to find out it's, it's nothing.

It's empty. It's futile. And they find themselves. And they find themselves. Baren thinking that this was life, but it's not. It's not because that's not what God designed. Remember towards the last week, that's the good shepherd who makes you lie down in green pastures. The grass is always greener on God's side of the fence. Always. See, we're busy jumping over other fences. How can we not excited about jumping into God's fence where the grass is always green? Because that's our God. And this man, this man in Luke 15 says, what am I?

doing here. I will get up. I will go to my father and I will tell him exactly what I have done. Jeremiah chapter 3, God said this, which will lead us to our second point.

Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say, return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look upon you in anger, for I am gracious, declares the Lord. I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity. that you have transgressed against the Lord your God and have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree and you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. Return, oh, faithless sons, declares the Lord, for I am a master to you and I will take you one from a city and two from a family and I will bring you to Zion.

Return. Acknowledge your iniquity. What is he saying? Repent. Return to me. Forsake your sin. Reflect on the destiny of your life. And number two, realize the severity of your sin.

That's number two. Realize the severity of your sin. When you recognize that you're going nowhere, you begin to realize that what you're doing is absolutely appalling to God. Listen to what he says. Luke chapter 15, verse number 18. I will get up, I will go to my father, And I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven. And in your sights. That's the severity of sin. He sinned against God. He sinned against heaven. It wasn't that he sinned against his dad. That's secondary. He's sinned against God.

You see, the reason we think that we can just pass over our sin, that's no big deal, is because we don't really think that we've offended God. We don't think that we've done anything wrong to God. And that, you know, God will forget. give me. That's what God is. He'll forgive. It's okay. He didn't care that much. Yes, he does. He's holy. He does care. And we want to, we want to deal with the horizontal relationships before we deal with the vertical relationships. He says, I will get up, I will go, and I will say to him, I have sinned against heaven.

He had it right. He realized the severity of a sin. It was against God himself. What did David say in Psalm 51, against thee. Listen, against thee and the Only have I sin. What about Bashiba? What about Yoriah? What about Joab? What about the nation of Israel? He didn't even mention them. Listen, what I'm going to say? Because in God's perspective, they were all irrelevant. Because he's sinned against God. You see that? As soon as you think that the people around you are more important than God, you have not realized the severity of your sin.

You see, if you get things right with God, you'll get things right with everybody else. But if you try to get things right with people, before you get them right with God, you'll never get it right. and therefore you must understand that your sin is against God. Godly sorrow says, I'm sorry because it was a sin against my Lord. That's a godly sorrow. I sinned against my God. Every human being who suffers the consequences of sin has sorrow. They do. There's sorrow for the pain it brought them. They're sorry for the pain it brought somebody else.

They're sorry for the fact that they weren't able to get their way. But that's not godly sorrow. Godly sorrow produces repentance. And Godly sorrow says, I have sinned against my God. Listen, this is how you know Godly sorrow. That you know that you have sinned against God and you beg His forgiveness. And then secondarily, you go to the one you've offended. And you know what? If they don't even respond, it makes no difference. Why? Because you've sinned against God. You've got it right with God. Now you're going to get right with them.

And you're going to get things right with them. And you know what? They might say, you know, well, forget it. Or they might get angry with you. They might blow up at you. you and if you get offended by that don't be because that would mean that the severity of the sin was this way not this way that is so important for us to get a hold of because god will never say where you been how come you didn't come yesterday what's your problem you did it again doesn't do that god forgives god forgives but you got to realize that you've sinned against him that's the priority so important what did paul say paul said what i'm the chief of sinners What?

Not Paul, yeah, he's the worst sinner in the Bible. Paul's of Paul. I am the chief of sinners. That's what he said. Christ Jesus came to the world and saved sinners and I'm the worst of them all. David said, Psalm 51, my sin is always before me. Let me tell you something.

The closer you get the God, the more you see your sin. The further away you are from God, the less you see your sin. David said, my sin's always before my eyes. Always. Paul said I'm the chief of sinners. Isaiah. What was me? I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among the people of unclean lips. He was a prophet of God. He was a righteous man. He was the most righteous man in Israel. He said, I'm a cursed man. Because I've seen God and I am a sinful man. I've seen His holiness, and I realized that I'm a sinner.

Godly sorrow grieves not over the pain it causes me. Godly sorrow grieves, not over the pain. It caused somebody else. Godly sorrow grieves over the pain that it caused God. You've grieved the Spirit of God. That is Godly sorrow. That's realizing the severity of your sin. Martin Lord Jones said it this way. Repentance means that you realize that you are a guilty, vile sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, that you are hellbound. It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you.

that you long to get rid of it and that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world, whatever the cost, the world in its mind and outlook as well as its practice. And you deny yourself, you take up your cross, go after Christ, your nearest and dearest. And the whole world may call you a fool or say you have religious mania. You may have to suffer financially, but it makes no difference. That is true repentance. end quote he's right that's repentance i've sinned against god i've done this evil in his sight it was ward weirsby who said these words we must distinguish between repentance remorse and regret when my consciousness of sin rests only in my mind then it is regret when it affects my mind and my heart it is remorse.

And then he says, and remorse is a dangerous thing. But when my concern over my sin brings me to the place where I'm willing to turn from it and obey God, when my concern affects my will as well as my mind and heart, then I have experienced true repentance. And this man in Luke chapter 15 acted differently. I will get up. I will get up. I I will go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight. The order is right. I've sinned against heaven. That's true repentance.

He reflected upon the destiny of his life. He realized the severity of a sin. And number three, he recognized the responsibility was all his.

He recognized that the responsibility was all his. Look what he says in verse number 19. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. make me as one of your hired men. No blame shifting. No excuses. He doesn't blame Satan. He doesn't blame the world. He doesn't blame the economy. He doesn't blame peer pressure. He doesn't blame somebody else. There's no justification. There's no alibi. He says, it's my fault. I sin. Hallelujah. That's what God's looking for. We love to blame somebody else. It began way back in Genesis chapter three when Adam said, the woman you gave me.

The woman, God, it was grueling. really good with just you and me. I mean, there was no problems. Was there sin before she came? No, God. It was great. Just you and me walking in the cool of the night, just having a good time, hand in hand, just you and me. God, you gave me this woman, the woman you gave me. So he says, wait a minute, wait a minute. It was a serpent who deceived. It wasn't me. You created a serpent, God. It's your fault. It's the serpent. You see, there's always a blame shifting.

That's not repentance. We would like to blame somebody. We don't blame my parents. You know, if I wasn't this way? I wouldn't be this way. We'll blame our parents. We'll blame our spouse. Boy, I tell you, if you knew what I had to go home to every single day, you'd have them to. So we want to blame somebody else. We want to make an excuse for our sin. We want to say, you know what, it's their fault. Oh, if you knew the pressure in school, it was so great, I just had to succumb. I couldn't, I couldn't deny it anymore.

I had to succumb to the pressure. It was those people around me. Really? Oh, you're so weak. And if you're that weak, don't admit it. please. But you see, we want to give an excuse about why we sin. We run from the obvious. We are accountable for the decisions that we make. If you sin, guess what? You sinned. Don't blame anybody else. It's not their fault. It's your fault. God is so sick of hearing excuses. The publican who beat upon his breasts and say, oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Me. David said, I have sinned.

Oh, I love Second Samuel 24. Listen to this. When God, told David, don't count your men. Don't count them. So what did David do? He counted them. I mean, how do you do that? He goes out and counts them. And God sent a plague and killed thousands of his men. Listen to this. Verse 15. So the Lord set up pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the point of time. And 70,000 men of the people from Dan to Bersheba died. When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, it is enough.

Now relax your hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of a ruin of the Jebusite. And David spoke to the Lord when I saw the angel who was striking down the people and said, Behold, it is I who have sinned. And it is I who have done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let thy hand be against me and against my father's house. You want to know why David was a man after God's own heart? He was a man after God's own heart. because he admitted that he was a sinner. He didn't pass it off than anybody else.

How about you? That's repentance. We'll have to cover the rest next week. That's great. Thank you.