March 10, 2013 - Lent 4
Sermon by Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Sermon text - Luke 15:1-3,11-32, with Philippians 2:5-11
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    Because of the length of the text I did not read it first before this
sermon.  Instead I’ll read it in portions as we go along.  The opening
verses are: Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering
around to hear him.  But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law
muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Then Jesus told them this parable: ----.  After this we skip some
verses that speak of shorter parables until we come to the long one we
often refer to as the prodigal son parable. 
    What is a parable?  The purpose of a parable is to teach something
using a picture, an illustration.  Let’s listen and learn now from the
prodigal son parable and see a most wonderful reality.
A PARABLE AND A REALITY.
I    WE HEAR ABOUT A FATHER AND ONE SON. (11-16)
    1. The father was very good to his son. (11-12)
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.  The
younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the
estate.’ So he divided his property between them.”
        a) we could question this father’s wisdom
        b) but not his love that gave what maybe he shouldn’t have
    2. The son was not very good at all. (13-16)
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set
off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild
living.  After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine
in that whole country, and he began to be in need.  So he went
and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to
his fields to feed pigs.  He longed to fill his stomach with the pods
that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.”
        a) his goal? to get most out of life, what his desires wanted
        b) obviously had not taken to heart what Jesus said (Mt. 16:26):
“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet
forfeits his soul?”
    3. Our heavenly Father has been good to us.
        a) God so loved the world that He gave His Son
        b) this He did freely in His amazing correct love and wisdom
    4. What do we often do with His goodness?
        a) we see God’s goodness also in His creation, in the many good
things available to us, the comforts and joys of life
        b) but do we put that first, forget about our God who loves us?
        c) let’s be honest: what is daily most important to us - the world?
II    WE HEAR HOW THIS WAS RESOLVED.  (17-24)
    1. The son was ready to return. (17-20a)
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s
hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!  I
will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I
have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer
worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired
men.’  So he got up and went to his father.”     
        a) this son finally woke up
        b) he recognized he was wrong, he repented, acknowledged it
    2. There was a joyful reunion. (20b-24)
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was
filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms
around him and kissed him.  The son said to him, ‘Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to
be called your son.’  But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick!
Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and
sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a
feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive
again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”
        a) the father didn’t say, “you made your choice, live with it”   
        b) instead he welcomed him back - what a dad!
    3. What hard knocks does it take to wake us up?
        a) think wrongful use of sex, abuse of drinking and drugs, pursuit
of money and popularity, etc. the way to go?
        b) they can’t help you when death comes knocking
    4. Look at our heavenly Father’s love!
        a) even if we had no major outward flaws, we all have sin
        b) what does God do when we acknowledge sin, repent?
        c) He forgives for Jesus’ sake - what a Father!
III  NOW WE HEAR ABOUT THE OTHER SON.  (25-32)
    1. He had stayed comfortably at home. (25-27)
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near
the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the
servants and asked him what was going on.  ‘Your brother has
come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’”
        a) apparently hadn’t lived like his brother
        b) maybe he was like us as church members, going along with the
routine, taking what we have here for granted       
    2. He stressed what he thought he had earned. (28-30)
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his
father went out and pleaded with him.  But he answered his
father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never
disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat
so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours
who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home,
you kill the fattened calf for him!’”
        a) he thought he had earned by his behavior, father owed him
        b) he resented a father who had grace, who received his brother
    3. The father still showed love. (31-32)
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and
everything I have is yours.  But we had to celebrate and be glad,
because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was
lost and is found.’”
        a) his love was for both, wanted both of them
        b) did this brother accept this, or go on resenting this?   
    4. Our heavenly Father also reaches out to us.
        a) actually we are like both brothers
        b) we are sinners by our actions, and by our thinking
        c) but our heavenly Father’s grace is for us too
IV   THE REALITY TAKES US TO OUR SAVIOR. (Phil.2:5-11)
    1. God’s Son went way down (son 1), but without sin. (5-8)
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the
very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And
being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
        a) He came from mansions of heaven to death on earth
        b) but He failed in neither actions nor thoughts
    2. The Father rightfully exalted Him. (9)
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the
name that is above every name, ---.
        a) as the perfect substitute sacrifice He won the victory
        b) He is the only Savior - positively no one else exists who paid
for our sins and who defeated death that we might have true life
    3. Let’s all be penitent sons and daughters. (Luke 15:21)
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’”
        a) let us acknowledge our unworthiness, repent
        b) then rejoice that we can say with the Apostle John, “How
great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be
called children of God!”
    4. And praise Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  (10-11; Luke 15:32)
--- that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and
on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
        a) openly confess what you believe
“‘But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of
yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
        b) be glad - though you don’t have everything the world offers
        c) we lost sinners can come to our heavenly Father’s open arms
and because of our Savior will enjoy the riches and beauty of heaven!