Marty Sloan – Living the Dream

7 17 11 HT AM

Luke 15:2-3, 25-30 NKJV

Luke 15:2 NKJV

And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”

Luke 15:3

So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

Jesus then goes on to tell three separate parables all with a common thread of things lost.  The lost sheep was lost naturally, the lost coin was lost accidentally and the lost son (parable for our series) was lost willfully. Jesus by design takes the accusation of the religious folks and creates a crises of faith.

The lost son is the pinnacle of all the stories because it is this scenario that started their complaining in the first place.

Luke 15:25 NKJV

“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

Luke 15:26

So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

Luke 15:27

And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

Luke 15:28

“But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.

Luke 15:29

So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

Luke 15:30

But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

Revealing the attitude of religion

The attitude of of religion;

1. 1. Complains (vs. 2 & 30). Not just a casual complaint but an anger and emotional passion rising when you do not get what you want.  This chapter opens and ends with complainers!  We see this culturally as we watch various criminal activities – emotion is not a real good compass for judgment.  While there is a “biblical way to addres concerns, complaining is NEVER viewed in Scripture as a positive  (complaining is about your attitude and motive)

1. 2. Compares people (vs. 29) cannot overlook here that he NEVER showed any regret for the loss of his brother or joy for his return. He felt a sense of superiority; you cannot forgive as long as you feel superior!

• Good vs. Bad
• Generation vs. Generation
• Insiders vs. Outsiders
• Haves vs. Have Not
• Churched vs. Un-churched
• Class vs. Class

My heart as a pastor is to see this room filled with 1/3

Mature believers, beginning believers and pagans!

1. 3. Connects behaviors with blessing. A sense of entitlement due to your good behavior… “ lo these many years”, I have been here a long time, I have made this place happen. His tenure and work efforts provides and implied priority.

1. 4. Challenges priorities (in short summary, all three parables are about the issue of priority).  The opening criticism was that Jesus was talking to a “lost” people “ sinners”. Christ responds with a three parables about lost things – clearly He is making a point!

Another time that Jesus priority was questioned – story of Zacchaeus

Luke 19:9 NKJV

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;

Luke 19:10

for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

You see what was wrong with the elder brother when you contrast him with the father (just like the younger brother)

Questions about the father –

1. 1. Which son did he love more?
2. 2. Which son treated the father wrong?
3. 3. Which son needed to repent?
4. Which sons condition was harder to see? (like Jonah and Ninevah, which one had a wrong heart)

Warning for all of us in this story- (and for those he was talking to). Listen close!

1. The elder brother was as far from the heart of the father as the younger ( elder brother was much like the prophet Jonah in the OT – who complained and criticized God for accepting the repentance of Ninevah (Irony)
2. The elder brothers condition was harder to recognize because it was buried below the surface of self –righteousness
3. The longer you have been home or away from prodigal living the easier become and elder brother

Removing the attitude of religion

Mover now from the father in this story to our Heavenly Father

1. 1. See what the father sees- the father had compassion on the younger – meaning he saw himself in him.
2. 2. Love like the father loves – know the heart of our Father and love what He loves
3. 3. Want what He wants

Peter 3:9  NKJV The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance

1. 4. Celebrate that you have always had the Father’s heart, and now another feels the same joy you feel.