The Lost Son, Part 4b

Luke 15 is where we are this evening, our last sermon in the parable of lost things. We will finish tonight and then move on in our study of the parables. The searchlights of the soul, how God speaks forth his word and shows us the condition of our lives. And we have seen how the Lord responds to that person who is repentant by looking at the father in the story of the lost son. and understanding how he responds when the sun returns because of the true repentant heart of that son. I'm reminded of a man way back in 1st King chapter 21.

His name was King Ahab. He was the most evil of all the kings. In fact, the Bible says that he did more to provoke the Lord than all the other kings before him.

And yet, when God threatened his life because he killed Naboth, even Ahab, even Ahab himself, was able to find mercy from God. Listen to what the Bible says in 1st King chapter 21.

It says, and it came about when Ahab heard these words that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, the Tishbite, saying, do you see how Ahab has humbled himself? before me because he has humbled himself before me. I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son's days. That's an amazing scenario for me, that this wicked man, when he would humble himself before God, knowing what God had said about him and what God was going to do to him, that God would relent of his ways, and God would be kind, and God would show mercy to this man who was wicked, who was vile, Who was evil?

But that's the heart of our God. Our God responds to people who have a repentant spirit because he longs to be with the brokenhearted. That's the way our God is. And God himself is a God of mercy. He longs to bestow mercy upon his people. And I think that so many times we have a misconstrued picture of our God. And that's why we have spent some time in Luke chapter 15 coming to understand what God does when a sinner repents. Because that's the heart of God. And what happens in Luke chapter 15 with the parable of the lost sun is the explanation of verse number seven in verse number seven in verse number 10.

You will note in verse number seven in verse number 10 of Luke chapter 15 that it says in verse 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. And then down in verse number 10. In the same way I tell you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. And so you think about the joy, you think about the excitement in heaven, you think about the celebration in heaven.

And then it goes on about the parable of the lost sun to tell you exactly what that celebration is all about. There was a great celebration, a wonderful celebration. And you know what? It'd be really good if the parable just stopped right here. But it doesn't. The other ones did. The parable about the lost sheep and the lost coin, they just stopped. There's great joy in heaven over one sinner who repent. Great, super. But with this one, it doesn't end. It goes on. And the reason it goes on is because the Lord has to address the other group of people that he's talking about.

He's already talked about the sinner. He's already talked about the tax gatherer. And these people who know that they are bad people, they know their sinners. They know they're defiled. They know they're wretched. But the Pharisees, see, they think they're pretty good. They don't think they're bad at all. They're self-righteous. And so the Lord has to address those people. And so in a marvelous way, as only our Lord can do, the story continues. And let me read it for you.

Verse number 25. 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 the fatted 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 entreating 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. And he said, 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. Three things I want you to see about this elder brother. Three things that we need to understand about what the Lord is doing.

The first thing we need to see is his reaction. Then we're going to look at the result of his reaction and then the ramifications.

Then we'll be at the end of this parable, in Luke 15, and we'll give you some implications. But the thing you see, first of all, is his reaction.

The Lord goes on with a story and tells us. Remember, parables are earthly stories with the heavenly meaning. The whole story is a picture of salvation. How the son of man came to seek and save that which is lost. That's the character of our God. And so now he wants to talk to the Pharisees because they are representative by the elder brother. And he says, the older son comes back on the field. He hears something. He hears the music. He hears the celebration. And he wants to know what's going on.

So he asked one of the servants. Why is everybody so happening? happy. Servant tells him, your brother's come. Your father has killed the fat and calf because he's received him back, safe and sound. And listen to what it says, but he became angry and was not willing to go in. Why was he angry? What was it that ticked him off? The answer is because he did not understand the nature and the character of his father. That's why he became angry. By looking at the man's response, you begin to realize that this man truly did not understand his father's nature, nor his character.

How can that be? How could he not understand the character of his father? This elder son returns, and he doesn't understand what his dad has done. He doesn't get it. Why? because it's foolish to him. And now to come back and say, I'm sorry, and then throw a party for him, to him, it's foolishness. He doesn't appreciate the things of God. That's what the Bible says over first Corinthians 1.

For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness. And to the unbelieving, to those who are perishing, it's foolishness. It's stupid that Jesus Christ would come and die for the sins of the world? Why do he do that? He's not spiritually discerning. In order to be that way, he'd have to come to the Lord and receive what the Lord has to give. And this elder son could not fathom that his father would do something so merciful, so kind, so compassionate, because he did not understand the nature and character of his father.

Didn't get it. And yet, his father loved him. His father loved him. We go from his reaction to the result. this is amazing verse 28 letter half his father came out and began entreating him you see because the father by nature is merciful because the father by nature is compassionate because the father by nature is kind and good what does he do he goes out to the oldest son and says come in come in to the home come in and join the celebration I want you to be a part of this with me with your brother I want us all to be a part of this he comes out and begins to entreat him the father leaves a celebration he leaves the party goes outside the home and says I want you to come in with me I want you to be a part of what we're doing and the son responded he says look for so many years I have been serving you I have never neglected a command of years.

Never, except, except the greatest commandment, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself. He didn't miss that one, which is the summation of the whole law anyway, right? He didn't love his father because, by the way he treated his father. He didn't love his brother by the things he said about his brother, and his own attitude demonstrated the fact that he didn't even care about his brother, his hatred, his jealousy would reign supreme in his life.

He was cold. He was hard. He was merciless, he was self-righteous. Says this son of yours, he devoured your wealth. With harlots, and you killed the fat and calf for him. This man is a better man. But listen, and he said to him, 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. And notice, the parable just stops.

It stops. Why? Because at this time, the end had not been written for the Pharisees. You see, it's left up to them to come in. It's left it to them to join the celebration. Notice what he says.

He says this, child, you have always been with me and all that I have is yours. Every bit of it. Every bit of it. He's entreating him to come in. He says, look, you've always been with me. I will let you know that all that I have it's yours. Will you receive it? Will you take it? Oh, we had to rejoice. We had to celebrate because he was lost. My son was lost, but now he's found. He was dead, but now he is alive. I love what Dwight Pentecost says concerning this whole scenario about the phrase in verse number 31.

You are always with me and everything I have is yours. He says this, by this Christ was. revealing that the same privileges that were afforded the younger son were always available to the older son. But the older son had never availed himself of what the father would have bestowed on him. Therefore, the older son could not blame the father for the fact that he did not have what the younger son was now enjoying. The father had provided these blessings for the older son who had never availed himself of what the father had made available.

The fault then was not with the father, but with the oldest son. In this part of the parable, Christ was seeking to convey to the Pharisees that even though they called themselves the servants of God and the sons of God, they were revealing by their attitude toward God that they were not true servants and they were not considered sons. God had made available to them the same privileges that he had made available to the sinner who returned to him. However, the Pharisees had not come to God in order to receive from him the benefits that he had provided.

In spite of their profession, of sonship. They were not considered sons. If they would do as the younger son did, that is, come to God and acknowledge their sinfulness and unworthiness, they could receive from him the same blessings and privileges conferred on the sinner who repented. Thus in these three parables, Christ made it very clear why he welcomed sinners and ate with them. He demonstrated the compassion of God for sinners. Contrary to the thinking of the Pharisees, God receives sinners instead of rejecting them.

Contrary to the doctrine of the Pharisees, God does not rejoice in the death sinners, but rather he rejoices when sinners are restored to fellowship with himself. God delights to bestow on the unworthy the privileges of sonship, and such privileges would be extended even to the Pharisees if they would do what the wayward son did. Return to the Father, acknowledge of sinfulness, accept his forgiveness, and then enter into the privilege of sonship. That's so good. All that I have, all that I have, all that is mine is yours.

That's God's offer to the unbeliever. All that I have is Will you come in? Will you join the celebration? Will you be a part of what we're doing? Because this is what I had to do, you see? I had to rejoice. Because when the lost one is found, when the dead one is alive, what else can I do but rejoice? And the parable just stops. Why? Because as the Pharisees would listen to the parable, they would have to make a decision. They would have to decide whether or not they would enter into the father's house.

They would have to decide whether that's what they wanted to do. Point number three, the ramifications.

The ramifications are great because the elder son, the elder son missed what he needed. He's worked all day. He's tired. He's in need of rest. And there's only one who can give rest. And that's why Jesus said, come unto me all you that labor and heavy laden and I will give you rest. He's worked all day. He's hungry. And there's only one that can give you bread that will satisfy you hunger. He's been the hot sun all day. He's thirsty. And there's only one who has living water. He has been out in the hot sun, working in the fields, and he is dirty.

but there's only one way to be cleansed, and that's to go into his father's house. It's the only way. And so what he needed, he missed. What he needed was mercy, and the father was willing to bestow mercy upon him. Instead, he found himself absolutely miserable, miserable. Everything he needed was in the presence of his father. Everything. All he had to do was go in. But the text stops. It doesn't tell him. what he did. But we can read the Bible, right? And we can read what the Pharisees and the scribes did.

Their hatred for him grew deep, so deep that they devised the plan, which was the mind of God anyway, the plan of God, to the point where he would be crucified on the cross. They hated him, they despised him. And all he said was all that is mine is yours. That's all I said. But they would not go in. They would not accept what he offered. They did not understand the nature of Jesus. Jesus Christ himself. They did not understand his character. They did not want him as their Messiah. Over in the book of John, the fifth chapter, Christ said this to the Pharisees, you search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is these that bear witness of me.

How can you search them and miss me? For in them you think you have eternal life? He says, verse 40, and you are unwilling to come to me that you may have life. You're willing to come in? All that I have is yours, but you were unwilling to come in. It says over in 1 Timothy 2, verse number 4, that God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now, some argue if God desires salvation for all men, then all men will be saved, or God won't get what he wants. Others argue.

that what God wills comes to pass, therefore all men means all classes of men, not every individual man. Both of those are wrong, because that's not what the text says. That this demonstrates your ignorance of the language, because the Bible says that God is not willing.

That is, God desires his thelema, his desired will, not his decreed will. The desire of God is that all men would be saved and people have a hard time thinking, well, if God desires it, it's got to happen or God's not God wrong. God doesn't desire sin, but is there sin? Sure there is. Just because God desires it doesn't mean it's not going to happen or it's going to happen. If God decreed it, that's the Greek word bulimai, it'll happen because everything happens after the counsel of his own will.

That's how God is. But at the heart of God is the desire. And what's that desire of God? That all men be saved and to come. to the knowledge of the truth. So he could say to the Pharisees, listen, I want you, all that I have, all that's mine is yours, come in. You search the scriptures, and in them you think that you have eternal life, but you miss me, because you were unwilling to come to me. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, if only you would come to me, if only you would come to me, I would gather you together as a mother hen gathers her chicks, and all you'd be protected and safe and secure.

But you were unwilling. Isaiah 4522, turn to me and be saved all the ends of the earth. That's God. That's God. Isaiah 55, verse number one, come everyone who thirst.

Come to the waters of salvation. Go back to Revelation chapter 22. And in Revelation 22, what do you have? You have the last invitation of God to man. And it's a universal invitation to all men to come. Why? Because what they read about in Revelation is going to have. happen and that they don't come to him, they will not be spared from the great and terrible day of the Lord. That's why. The ramifications are great, which lead us to our third point, the implications of this parable.

Simply this, you can be a lost sinner and not be the younger son, you can be the older son. You can be the one who's angry at God and bitter at God, jealous over what God has done and refused to come in. And because the Bible says that judgment will be merciless to those who show no mercy.

James 2. 19. Matthew 5. 7, blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. The merciful person who's received mercy understands the nature and mercy of God, who wants to be merciful to all men, and bring them into his fold, you see. Unfortunately, there are many who refuse. Charles Wesley said it well when he recorded these words. He said, depth of mercy, can there be mercy still reserved for me? Can my God his wrath forbear Me the chief of sinner's spare I have long withstood his grace Long provoked him to his face Would not hearken to his calls Grieved him by a thousand falls Now incline me to repent Let me now my sins lament Now my foul revolt deplore Weep, believe in sin no more There for me my Savior stands Holding forth his wounded hands God is love I know I feel Jesus weeps and loves me still.

This man, this older son, had it all right on the outside, and yet he was all wrong on the inside. And you know what? There's a lot of people in church today that are that way. A lot of them. And for the most part, we don't even know who they are. They look so good on the outside that who would ever think that they were rotten on the inside. But God knows. You know what God says?

God says, all that is mine is yours. everything the son received the youngest time received is yours it's all yours and he entreats he begs he pleads come come come to me and receive what i have to offer he gives grace to the guilty mercy to the miserable because mercy is not something god has mercy is something god is so he is he's full of mercy and so he saves us not on the basis of our our deeds, which we have done, but according to his mercy is how he saves us. As the publican would beat upon his breast, God be merciful unto me a sinner.

Be merciful unto me a sinner. We who do not know God need to plead that he be merciful toward us. God says these words, Psalm 81, I am the Lord, I am your God.

who brought you up from the land of Egypt open your mouth wide and I will fill it but my people did not listen to my voice and Israel did not obey me so I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart to walk in their own devices oh that my people would listen to me that Israel would walk in my ways I would quickly subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their adjudy Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to him and their time of punishment would be forever. But I would feed you with the finest of wheat and with the honey from the rock.

I would satisfy you. God says, this is what's yours. But you don't have it. You know why? Because you would not listen to me. You would not obey my voice. And in Proverbs chapter one, it says this. because I called and you refused I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention and you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof God says I will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your dread comes when your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes on like a whirlwind when distress and anguish come on you then they will call on me but I will not answer They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

They would not accept my counsel. They spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices. For the waywardness of the naive shall kill them and the complacency of fools shall destroy them. But he who listens to me shall live securely and shall be at ease from the dread of evil. God is so clear. Come, come, come. All that is mine is yours. And then he says, what I called, you didn't respond. When I stretched forth my hand, you paid no attention.

You spurned all my counsel on the day of your calamity. I will mock you. Why? because you turned your back on me when all that I had to offer you was freely given. The parable ends, and we know the story of the Pharisees, the Bible tells us. But how about you? If you're here tonight and never given your life to Christ, you'd do so. Why? Because Jesus said, all, all that is mine is yours. Will you come in? Let's pray.