Come On Home Luke 15:11-24

Grace In Action A question was asked of President Abraham Lincoln regarding treatment of the South after the American Civil War. Expecting vengeance, and possibly executions for the penalty of treason, the reporters were stunned at the Presidents response. “ I will treat them as if they had never been away”

Luke 15: 11-24 11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

Luke 15: 11-24 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Luke 15: 11-24 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring[a] out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Rembrandt Depiction of the Prodigal Son

God The Common Father God is Father to both sinners and saints Prodigal = Gentiles/Publicans/Sinners Elder Brother = Jews/Pharisees/Saints

The Miseries of the Prodigal “Father give me” – Gods gifts are not debts owed He was tired of his fathers rules Humans seek to be their own god – The original sin He moved from his fathers home Humans think that their sin will not be known to God who is everywhere. He was proud of his own ability to manage resources Humans will not owe God anything, and hold their own self interests above all others

The Miseries of the Prodigal In sin we distance ourselves from God The sinner chooses to embrace the things of this world In sin we spend all the resources we have The sinner wastes Gods provision on temporary pleasure In sin we find ourselves in great need The sinner finds themselves in need of basic necessities In sin we find ourselves in servitude The sinner finds themselves serving the master of the world In sin we find ourselves in dissatisfaction The sinner can find nothing in the world will satisfy them

The Miseries of the Prodigal In sin we can not expect help from anyone The sinner will find themselves abandoned by their worldly friends In sin we are in a state of death The sinner finds themselves like a branch cut off from the vine - dead to the vine In sin we are in a lost state The sinner finds themselves on a path that leads only to destruction In sin we find ourselves out of our right minds The sinner destroys themselves with foolish lust in a constant state of foolish hope

The Prodigal Son Returns Where there is life, there is hope Affliction – He came to himself realizing that no man can relive him of the guilt and consequences of sin. Consideration – His condition He observed that he was about to perish with hunger How many servants in my fathers house have bread to eat

The Prodigal Son Returns His action He would leave this far country He would go back to his fathers household What he should say First – plead guilty Second – take full responsibility Third – judge and condemn himself Fourth – ask for an entry level positon in the household with no rights as a son

The Father Receives the Prodigal The great love of the Father The eyes of mercy watching for His sons return The broken heart of mercy for His returning son The feet of mercy for His returning son The arms of mercy for His returning son The lips of mercy for His returning son The repenting submission of the prodigal Sincere regret for sin Verbal confession of sin

The Father Receives the Prodigal The generous provision of the Father The sons position was fully restored with the clothing of a robe and authority of a signet ring The sons hunger was satisfied with the best food of the house The Father rejoices at the restoration of his son His son who was dead, is now alive The fatted calf is killed, and the Father holds what is more like a family festival

Come on Home Is there active sin in your life? Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Romans 10:13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Come on Home John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.