Thank you so much. I want to say firstly thank you to Pastor Jim Butler for the kind and warm welcome and invitation to preach God's Word to you. I first met Jim via telephone about a year ago, and ever since we've gotten to know one another, I've found a like-minded brother. You are blessed to have him as one of your pastors, met Pastor Cam earlier, and you are doubly blessed with faithful men here.
This is my first time visiting Canada. My wife came here some years ago as a teenager. It was only a few years ago. But it's my very first time and I must say, I've been to the US many times and edit this out of any videos you're recording.
This is a far more spectacular part of North America, I must say. People ask us, what have you been doing since you've arrived? Well, we first landed in Calgary. Someone said, what were you doing in Calgary?
Well, it's a great starting point to make a journey westward. And as we started to drive west, was stunned by the Canadian Rockies. We spent some time in Banff and if you've ever been to Banff, you see the village of the town there and you have the mountains. There's Mount Rundle on the left, which I don't know if you're aware was named after a missionary who brought the gospel to some of the first nations here. moved from Banff up to Lake Louise.
It's still frozen, but still spectacular. And we went to Emerald Lake, which the turquoise waters, and that's stunning. Banff is at 1400 metres. We made our way south down to Kelowna, beautiful vineyards and orchards there.
That's at 400 metres. Then you make yourself to Chilliwack, which is only at 10 metres. And you think, you're heading down. Geographically, you're heading down, and yet, as we walked in through the doors, as we started to meet some of the saints, we're at the prayer meeting, you realize that even at 10 meters, as a pastor, as a Christian, this is the high point for me.
For myself and my wife to meet like-minded brothers and sisters, those who delight to gather with the saints to worship God. Bath has its mountains, it has its lakes, Kelowna has its orchards and its vineyards, and they are delightful to me. And even in a fallen world, you can see the handy work of God. And yet what I see before me here is a work of God's grace amongst his ultimate creation, and that is his people.
We are image bearers of God, and we are being remade into the image of Christ, and that is a wonderful thing to behold. And so it is with deep privilege and a deep honor to be amongst you, opening up God's word. If I can invite you to turn with me to Luke 15, And we'll read this passage together. I'm keenly aware that this is a portion of God's word that many of you are familiar with, but in Luke 15, we will see three, three parables on the lost.
We will read the entire chapter for context. I will only focus on the third parable, which is the parable of the prodigal son. You may have picked up, my name is Michael or Mike Prodigalidad. And this is about the prodigal son.
What's the prodigal dad about? I'll tell you afterwards. And if you pay attention, you may pick up the meaning of this, but let's read Luke 15 together. Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him.
And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, this man receives sinners and eats with them. So he told them this parable, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance. Or that woman having 10 silver coins. If she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it. And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.
Just so I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. And he said, there was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, father, give me the share of property that is coming to me. And he divided his property between them.
Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country. And there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the chief, one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, how many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger. I will arise and go to my father and I will say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
Treat me as one of your hired servants.' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
But the father said to his servants, bring quickly the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring the fattened calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead and he's now alive again. He was lost and he's found and they began to celebrate. Now his soldier son was in the field.
And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked, what these things meant? And he said to him, your brother has come and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound. But he was angry and refused to go in.
His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, look, these many years I have served you and I never disobeyed your command. Yet you gave me, yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. But when his son, this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, You killed the fatted calf for him. And he said to him, son, you were always with me and all that is mine is yours.
It was fitting to celebrate and be glad for this brother was dead and he's alive. He was lost and is found. Amen. May God bless the reading. of his holy word to us.
Please join me in prayer as we look at this passage together. Father in heaven, we thank you that you have revealed yourself to us. We thank you that you have given us your word, the holy scriptures, which is true, which is trustworthy, which is complete. And we pray, Father, as we examine and consider the parable of the lost son, the parable of the prodigal son, we pray for the help of your spirit.
Lord, you know each and every one of us here, you know that which we struggle with. You know our deepest needs. And we pray particularly, Father, for those that may still be strangers to grace. We pray for those who may be close to the kingdom and yet not within.
We ask, Lord, for grace and mercy to be poured out upon them, that their eyes might be open, not only to their sin, but they might behold the beauty of the Saviour. Lord, that they would see that He welcomes, that He invites, and He delights that sinners come home. We pray also, Father, for those that know and love you. We pray, remind us of the things that you have rescued us from.
Remind us again of the deep love of the Father for each and every one of his saints. And oh Lord, may we not be left held in suspense like this older son. Oh Lord, may we all be found in your presence on that great day, rejoicing in the gospel. Lord, help us help both preacher and hearer alike.
And we ask now for the blessing of your Holy Spirit in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.
Introduction
You would have noticed in Luke 15, that there are not one, not two, but three parables. Three parables that focus on the lost. Why do we have three parables on lostness? Well, stylistically, Scripture uses repetition to reinforce something that's very important, something that we need to understand.
We need repetition to emphasize truths. Something about me, I'm not very good with my hands. Home handiwork is not my forte. Ask me mathematical questions, scientific questions, business questions.
I'm happy to wax lyrical about those things, but give me a hammer. It's a 50-50 bet I hold the right end. But I have a friend, a fellow welder, who is a builder. He's very good with his hands, and I've seen him wield that hammer to great effect.
And what he does is he takes the nail, he places it on where, and he goes tap, tap, and then tap, and it drives it home. It's not one big drive, and it's not even three little taps. It's tap, tap, and then one big drive, and he puts that nail where it needs to go. And I think we have three parables, two smaller ones, the little taps, and then one big one to drive the message home.
Pastorally, we have three parables because it also reminds us of our slowness, our dullness. As I age, it's harder to remember things, slow to learn. And we can sometimes be stubborn like nails. Maybe you've heard sermons on these parables before.
I'm sure if you've been sitting under Pastor Butler's preaching, you would have come across one of these parables. But I suspect that as we go through this today, And I'm mindful that if you've heard this parable, you may switch off. There's a great temptation to switch off, but there are many exhortations in the Bible that you've forgotten. You've been slow to learn.
So I want to invite you, if you've read this a dozen times, to lower your barriers and to listen to these things afresh. The first parable found in verses one through to seven reminds us about a shepherd leaving a flock of 99 to search for one. As I drove down the main highway here, I saw lots of cattle. I'm told that there's pigs here.
I don't know if there are any sheep farms here. Where I am in downtown Sydney, imagine downtown Vancouver, we do not have farm animals with us. When I first read of a shepherd leaving 99 for 1. I thought, wow, that's a poor return on investment.
But I'm not a farmer. I guess for those who run dairy farms here, you run herds of livestock, each one is important. The second parable is now about a woman who has 10 coins and loses one. And she finds herself sweeping and stooping low to find one lost silver coin.
And both these parables remind us of the value, the inherent value of each individual. Sheep, coin, but ultimately about sinners lost. I'm gonna remind each one of you here, you might be one person of seven billion on the planet, but God knows you. God knows your struggles.
God knows your desires. He knows your dreams. He knows your ambition. You may be a number to the Canadian Tax Bureau or whatever they're called.
You may just be a number in your school records or university or college, but not to the true and living God. You may be near, you may be far, but God sees you. God knows you. And he wants you to hear this message.
In both these opening parables, there's much effort invested in seeking and saving the lost. And when one is found, there is much rejoicing. They gather the neighbors, they say, rejoice with me. They say that there's great rejoicing in heaven.
But this third parable that we're about to look at shares similar features, but it's also unique. You would have noticed as we read that it's much longer than the first two parables. Why does Luke take us, take so much time in this third parable? Well, he uses all that extra papyrus to do some character development.
And there are three main characters in this story. There is a father and there are two sons. And as he's teaching, as Jesus is teaching here, he's addressing two audiences. There are the sinners, the tax collectors, those who live in the dark in the world, but he's also addressing the Pharisees and the scribes.
And you see this in the opening verses of chapters 15. This third parable wants us to focus on these three characters, the father and two sons. And so if you're into outlines, it's very simple.
The Younger Son's Rebellion
Firstly, We will see the first son, the youngest son, the one who is wayward, it would seem. And we'll see that lostness, sheep can wander, a coin can fall off a table, can be hidden behind a bed. We will see that lostness is based on deliberate rebellious actions. We will look at the first son.
The second thing we'll see, we will see the great love, mercy and grace of the Father. And then finally we'll see some resentments by the seemingly loyal Son. And these three things we don't see in the earlier parables. We see the value of the loss, we see that there is great rejoicing But as Luke records Jesus' words for us, there's much more to learn.
So let's firstly look then at the youngest son. And if I may,
Demanding the Inheritance
let's just look at verses 11 to 13 again. And he said, there was a man who had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, father, give me the share of property that is coming to me. And he divided his property between them. I wonder, children, what do you ask of your parents?
It's a rhetorical question, so I don't want to embarrass you, but I remember maybe for your birthday, maybe other celebrations, you might ask, I don't know, box of Legos, skateboard, a new bike, new Nerf gun. I don't know what the gun laws are like in America, but I know they ask for real guns down south of the border. You've asked for ice cream, you've asked to spend time with one another, but this son is not asking for a few shekels, he's asking for his share of the inheritance. Have you ever thought what that actually means?
Because when do you get an inheritance? My wife and I have left Sydney. We have three boys at home. You might think that's somewhat foolish, but they're actually quite responsible boys, and so that's okay.
But we also say to them, look, if something ever happens, there is a file there, and there's everything you need to know. And in that file, there's a list of instructions, but there's also our last will and testament. If something ever happens means if we don't return home. A last will and testament only becomes effective when someone dies.
Let me reinterpret what this young man is saying. This young man is saying, dad, I want my stuff. My stuff that you've worked hard for, but I only get when you die. Let me reinterpret that.
Dad, I don't want you, I just want the stuff. In fact, I wish you were dead. Because I want my inheritance now. I want the benefits, I want the blessings, but I don't want a relationship with you.
Friends, this is heartbreaking. Should be grievous, dishonorable. It's actually downright disgraceful. Imagine being the father, hearing this.
You've given life, you've sustained, you've protected, you've provided. Every father, every mother in this room, I don't know how good or bad a father you are. You know what you've given up for your children. To hear that your son doesn't want you in their life, that would break your heart.
Certainly break my heart. These are hard words to hear. Maybe you've experienced that yourself. Maybe you were like this younger son.
You went through a phase where when you were speaking to your parents, you say, speak to the hand. Or maybe you were on the receiving end. As I've traveled, I've never met a perfect family. Every one of us is dysfunctional somehow, somewhere, and there are degrees of this in each of our lives, isn't there?
But that's us in a human-to-human relationship. Imagine, isn't this how so many people live in this world and their attitude towards God? who gives the sun, who gives the rain, who gives food, in season and out of season. There are so many people in Canada, in Australia, in every other country that receives blessings from God and says, speak to the hand. If we are uncomfortable thinking about this in our relationships with each other, think of the great offense to God. that He gives you life.
He gives you energy to breathe in and out, in and out, even whilst you're sleeping. And that might be you today. You might receive many blessings from God, but do not care to have God in your life. Well, that is a great offense, my friend, not to your family, but to the living and true God.
Surprisingly, the father grants his request. I know many of you work with farmers or perhaps own farms yourself. Imagine someone saying, liquidate all your assets and give the portion to your children. I don't know how this man did it, but he did, even though it was a foolish request, an arrogant, a prideful request by the son.
And the son, as much as he perhaps hates his father, he has a greater love. Can you see the youngest son attitude towards the world? Longing for it, craving for it. He sees that the grass, it would seem is greener on the other side.
And can you see the rashness of it? Once he is given these things, it says, not many days. He thrusts himself into the world. He's impulsive, he's spontaneous.
I mean, I've seen some beautiful lakes here, if you know anything about me. Even beaches in Australia, which are quite warm. I'm quite timid. I walk up along the sand, I dip my toes in the water, beat my chest, I better get in there and finally I'm in.
Not this kid. No, not this kid. He's straight into the world. moves far away, far from prying eyes. Maybe that's you.
I mean, you don't have to be 18 or 19 to do this. You could be in elementary school. You might not physically pack your bags and go to Vancouver or Toronto, but you may have a desire. And whilst you can't physically do that, maybe it's what you look up on the internet, you dream about doing this or going to this place and that place, you dream of a far country.
You don't want the safety, you don't want the provision of your family. You don't have to be young, you might be older, you might be married. You might have desires, you might have lusts and ambitions for a better life. We've all been there.
Even the Apostle Paul didn't know what it was to covet until the Lord told him what it was to covet. And we all struggle in many ways. Maybe you're struggling in your marriage. Maybe you're struggling in parenting.
There are things we long for and we desire. It doesn't have to be going to Vegas. But this kid went to Vegas. Well, he goes to Vegas, and I don't know if you're aware of this, lottery winners.
We were at the Cottonwood Mall and there was someone selling tickets for some lottery. We have lotteries in Australia as well. But the interesting thing about that was whether it's a million, whether it's five million, or whether it's 10 million, whatever winnings you take, there's an interesting fact. Those who win, those who inherit great sums, often are worse off just three months down the road.
A well-known fact, they squander it, they waste with reckless and extravagant living and this kid is no different. In verse 30, the older brother suggests it's through prostitution. I presume he partied hard, he drank a lot, maybe there was gluttony and gambling, who knows? But he received from the father that which he demanded, he lived it up, he squanders all, and in God's providence, seasons change.
A famine exposes his need.
Ruin in the Far Country
We see this in verse 14 to 16. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country. and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
He's got no money for food, so hires himself out to be a farmhand to feed pigs. You have to understand how humiliating this would have been. Pigs are one of those animals in the category of unclean. As the Jews would have heard this, they would have said, oh my goodness.
They would have been shocked. And he's also hungry. And what's he hungry for? When he had the inheritors, I'm sure he went to buffets, he ate, he drank, and he was merry.
And now he's competing with unclean animals for food. This is a picture of a miserable estate and condition. And then he came to himself. He came to his senses and he realized his foolishness.
And friends, whether you're seeking to escape from common grace restraints, whether you're looking off to a far country literally or just online or just in your head, one thing is true, the promises of the world are like most marketing and advertising. Untrue. Untrue. I suspect they do a lot of fly fishing around here.
And kids, you know how you catch trout and whatever fish you have in these lakes? You just dangle a hook in there? Even fish aren't that dumb. You need to dress it up.
You need to dress it up and make it look like an insect or something attractive. And there it is, the trout, the salmon, whatever it is, when it sees something attractive, that's all they see. They go for it, and once they're on the hook, the rest is history. And this is the thing, you're in this church, you're in godly families, the world dangles, dressed up hooks before you.
You could be a young adult. Maybe you've been raised in church all your life, You've heard good things and yet the world offers something brighter and shinier. You say, that looks interesting. I use the phrase, do you have the phrase here, the grass seems greener on the other side?
Every farmer knows why it's greener on the other side. Some of you look confused. You need more manure to make it green on the other side. Well, this kid, by the grace of God, comes to himself.
He comes to himself and realizes, what am I doing here? Back home, he thinks back and says, the hired hands have enough food, but I'm far away, hungry, humiliated, homesick. Now, at this point, Many can be sorry for a messed up life. Last weekend, my wife and I were in Sacramento.
There are some areas there where some homeless people, those struggling on the street. I suspect many of them, like there would be in Vancouver or here in Chilliwack, in any major city, would be feeling sorry for themselves. That's natural. That's worldly sorrow, that unless you come to the Lord Jesus Christ, simply leads to death.
But godly sorrow, this kid's sorrowful, but godly sorrow leads to repentance.
Godly Sorrow and Repentance
And we see this in 18 to 19. He says, I'm going to get up. I will arise and go to my father. And I will say to him, remember last time he said, I want my money.
Probably the last words he said to his dad, I want my money. Now, he's saying, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.
This is what's playing out in his head. This is what he's thinking. That's the realization. He realized he has messed up and messed up bad.
He realizes he has sinned, not only against his father, but against heaven. And now we see repentance. I'm sure many of you are familiar with one of the catechisms, the shorter catechism states that repentance unto life is a saving grace. Repentance is a gift of God, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ doth with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it unto God with full purpose of an endeavor after new obedience.
True repentance has several parts. One must see must genuinely see the awfulness of their sin, not in an abstract form, but in particular forms. We need to know why we have grieved, how we have grieved and sinned against a holy God. In some circles, people have a very light view of sin.
In other circles, They have a really true understanding of sin, but they might struggle, you might struggle with an other aspect of repentance. You not only have to have a true sense of your sin, but you must have a true sense of the mercy of God. You must understand, yes, I have sinned, we all have sinned, and awful sins, and we would never want to see them projected for all to see. But repentance also requires us to see the beauty of the Savior.
We need to see, as it were, God with open arms welcoming us back. And this kid has done some awful things. Have you ever experienced that? Have you ever hit rock bottom?
Have you seen your sin and realize you are deserving of God's judgment. Does it lead to despair? But does it also turn you to God? This kid's in the gutter and he's looking back to his father.
The Father's Mercy and Grace
Let's look then, let's look then at the father. How will the father respond, this earthly father, after being hurt and rejected by this son? You know, many families are destroyed by lesser things. Some of the most awkward situations are weddings and funerals, right?
The weddings are celebration, funerals, there's obviously grief, but there's a secondary grief that's often worse. It's when you bring family members together because there's things that have been unresolved. There's uncle so-and-so, there's this brother, there's this sister, father and son in the room for the first time after many years. As I said earlier, many families are plagued by the effects of sin.
And it would be natural, it'd be understandable for this young man to question, to question, given all that I've done, all that I've failed to do, how will my father respond? And yet, with whatever questions he has in his mind, he starts making his way back home. And what's the response?
The Father Runs to His Son
Verse 20, and he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him. and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him. The earthly father has compassion. He's moved, he's overjoyed to see his lost son.
He still has a love and concern for him despite his prideful demands. And how do we know this? Because he runs to him. Whilst he was far off, he doesn't know why the kid's coming back.
The boy has not opened his mouth. Was he there for more money? Was he there for a second instalment? Was he there to abuse the father?
Even before he's heard this boy's confession of wrongdoing, he starts running. Now, of course, in these days, for a father to be running like this, it would have been shameful. The family comes to him, not the other way around. But this father doesn't care.
He's not there to impress people. He has such a concern and a love for his son that he goes to him. He embraces and kisses. This is not clean cut boy coming home.
What's the last job on his resume, on his CV? I mean, feeding pigs. When was his last shower? What was he wearing?
I bet he sold the best clothes that he had just to get by an extra meal. Just imagine that. Haven't been to Vancouver yet, but like I say, I can imagine like every major city, there are areas where the homeless gather. How many of you would stop by the side of the road and hug and embrace?
It's confronting, isn't it? Yes. This son has sinned greatly. We do not wanna minimize that.
But the father's love, concern, compassion is far greater. This is something beyond what we learn about lost sheep and lost coins. It's that tap, tap, tap. And it's written to assure any here Anyone, you can be the youngest in the room, you can be the oldest in the room, this could be your very first time, or you've been here for 10 years.
It's to assure each and every one of us if we repent and turn from our sins, we will not be rejected. You will not be turned away. You might think you will be, But that's the devil speaking to you, messing with your minds. Another false piece of advertising.
You know, it's often said that when we move away from God, the devil says, he's gracious, he's merciful, he'll have you back. Then we start eating pig food and we want a return. And then he says, oh, he's just and he's holy and he'll never have you back. Flip that around, flip that around.
When you're tempted to sin, think of the judgment and the holiness of God, but also think of the grace and mercy when we have messed up badly. And we've all messed up. The least sin before a holy God is worthy of eternal condemnation. And yet I've done 51 laps of the sun, My sins are too great to count and number, and yet my confidence is your confidence, that the Father has promised to receive all who would turn to Him.
Don't make God out to be a liar, because that's what we do when we say, He'll reject us. God is delighted when sinners return to Him. Now, this is a parable, parable has limitations. Is this literally what God is like?
Physically running, feeling compassion, embracing, hugging, kissing, is that what God is like? I'm sure there's a bad Christian song out there that sort of encapsulates this of God, but I know you had my good friend James Dolezal here recently, I'm sure he's battered that out of you. No, this is not literally what God is like, but it is, framed in language that we all understand. It's communicating a truth to us.
God doesn't have physical arms and legs. He doesn't hug, He doesn't kiss in this way. It's analogical. And similarly, God doesn't have an emotional response to the Son.
He's unmoved, He's impassable. I have to throw that in there because James might watch this and he'd go, he missed an opportunity. No, we affirm God does not have body parts or passions. No, this picture may not be literal, but still instructive to us.
God is not reluctant nor hesitant nor slow to forgive. And depending on your tradition or your background, that is something you might struggle with. And this portion of God's Word is saying, don't struggle with this. Believe it by faith.
Yes, you know your sin, but know the Savior who forgives from sin and who will wash and cleanse and purify. Makes us whiter than snow. You may have been rolling around in pig food and lesser things. You may have been in the gutter.
I don't know what your story is. I don't know what you've drank or eaten or pumped through your veins, God knows. And his promise of forgiveness is still to you. His promise of salvation is not just to middle class or upper class or certain tax bracket sinners.
Remember, prostitutes, sinners, tax collectors, they're sitting around. And for them, this is good news, and it's good news for you too. Even as the son is speaking in verse 21 to confess his sin, and he's declaring his unworthiness, look how the father wants us to know that he rejoices. He says, he doesn't just say, welcome back son, get back in the work line.
He could have done that. He could have done that. No, he celebrates, he rejoices.
Celebration and Restoration
It's captured for us in verse 22. But the father said to his servants, bring, bring quickly, not any robe, the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring the fatted calf and kill it. and let us eat and celebrate. For this, my son was dead and he's alive again. He was lost and he's found and they began to celebrate.
I mentioned earlier, this is known as the story of the prodigal son and people say, what's prodigal mean? And when people meet me for the first time, they say, where are you from? Well, that's an interesting name, where do you come from? I tell them I was born in the Philippines, came to Australia, but the name comes from my parents, the Philippines, and they say, oh, Prodigal Son, sorry, Prodigalidad.
And I say to them, I use it for gospel opportunities, and I say, there's a story in the Bible about an extravagant, lavish son. I said, but your name's Prodigalidad. The son was extravagant and lavish in his sin. That's what prodigal means.
I understand why it's called the prodigal son. But I remind people that as lavish and as extravagant as this man was in his sin, the father's mercy and grace was far more extravagant. The purpose of the celebration is it is a great reversal. Death has been overtaken by life.
What was lost is now found. And we praise our God, that although he can condemn us, rightly condemn us for our sin, and we would have to rejoice and praise him for his justice and holiness, this God has also revealed himself. as a redeemer, as a rescuer, as a seeker of the lost.
The Elder Son's Resentment
But there's a snatch, there's a catch, there's a bit of a sting in the story. I'm sure you picked up on it from verse 25 to the end. There's a third character that we want to look at briefly. Not everyone is happy.
We must turn to another son, an older son, And his response is captured in verses 25 to the end. This boy's been hard working at it in the field, and in the distance he hears music, he hears laughter, celebration, and then he hears that the youngest son has returned. And he's perplexed. I suppose some of us might be perplexed.
What's going on here? Let's read verse 28. But he was angry and refused to go in. His father has explained, his son, sorry, his father came out and he treats him.
He's saying, son, come in, come in. Verse 29, but he answers his father, look, these many years I have served you and I never disobeyed your command. Yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. This son has a chip on his shoulder.
He's upset. Those of us with multiple children may have observed something like this. You know what I'm talking about? You have your first child, everyone rejoices, everyone's happy, they're the apple of your eye, all the attention.
Then you're blessed with a second child, and you bring them home. You know what the oldest sibling usually does? It takes some adjustment, but the initial instinct is usually, what's this thing? Add 20 years, maybe 30 years, that's what's going on here.
But more than this, he knows his younger brother's gone off and squandered everything whilst he's been working hard. So he's a little upset. He's so upset, he's not even prepared to call him his brother. He says, your son.
It's like, he's not my brother, he's your son. He notes that he's never been given an animal to celebrate with his friends, but kind of begs the question, did he ever ask his dad? Did he ever ask his father? You know, there's some teaching of Jesus like when a father, when a child asks his father for bread, doesn't give him a stone.
Did he ever have the confidence, the relationship with the father to ask for a goat to celebrate with his friends? There are lots of questions in this. Most commentators note that this is probably addressed to the second group. Remember, there's tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes there, and there's another group.
I can say they're probably sitting on different sides of the room, right? This is probably addressed to the scribes, the Pharisees. Why? Well, their outlook on life is built not on grace, but on works. and they think pretty highly of themselves.
Maybe that's you today. It was certainly me before I was converted. I thought pretty highly of myself. I thought I was a good kid, I studied hard, I didn't do the sins that those other kids did, but I thought fairly highly of myself.
Maybe that's you. When you think highly of yourself, I don't know what the optometry term is, when you can see far off, but you can't see close by. You can see the sins of others, but you can't look in the mirror and see your own sins. That's probably this kid.
He declares he's faithful. I've been working hard. I've been doing double time. In fact, since the youngest son's gone, I've been doing more work than all the others.
What's up, dad? He fails to see the Father's grace and love. And despite being resistant to the Father, did you notice how gracious and how gentle the rebuke is from the Father? Says to him in verse 31, son, you're always with me. and all that is mine is yours.
It's fitting to celebrate and be glad for this, your brother, he's reminding him, this is your brother, was dead and he's alive. He was lost and he's found. He's not a harsh father. He doesn't say get your act together, pull your head in, whatever the phrase is here in Canada.
Just gentle and gracious. Now note how the parable ends. It ends with uncertainty. We don't know.
We have no idea whether the older brother goes into the house or he doesn't. That's how it ends. And I think that uncertainty is helpful for us. Because how will it end for any of us here in this room?
Application
Let's just try to tie these things together. Have you run away from God? Do you want to run away from God? Do you want to live far away?
Want to enjoy the world? There are many attractive things that draw our attention, that tempt us. Can I assure you, if you go exploring the far country, if you start drinking waters from broken cisterns, if you start eating and delighting in the things offered only by the world, and do not find your satisfaction in Christ and Him alone, you will be dissatisfied. I pray that you will be dissatisfied in this world that you might turn to God so that you are not dissatisfied for all eternity.
God is saying, why would you eat pig food when I'm prepared to sacrifice the fatted calf for you? I mean, I love my slow cooked pork, but pig food, Not for me. And it shouldn't be for you. You can put whatever topping you want and the world will put all sorts of dressing on that pig food, but it is still pig food.
Don't eat that. Why would you eat that? There's many pictures in the Bible that says he's preparing a banquet. A banquet.
And there are many people that are gonna be gathered there. Why should we be clothed in filth? When he has the best robe, the robes of righteousness for you, to cover all your sins, your sores, your shame. And look, I'm not into jewelry, and I don't know what this ring looks like, but it sounds good.
He's got a ring for you. A ring that symbolizes you're part of the family. You're not some stranger, you're not just some servant, you are part of the family of God. Do you doubt the Father would accept you?
Hey Mike, you don't know what I've been up to. You don't know what I was doing last Saturday night or six months ago. If you only knew. You don't need my forgiveness.
And God is far more gracious and forgiving than me or anyone in this room. God knows, and he still offers you redemption and rescue. Remember that picture? He's running.
The father is running towards the son. He's saying, come home. Come home today. My arms are open.
I'll wash you, cleanse you, make you whiter than snow. And all the things that plague your mind, that give you trouble sleeping at night, that you were worried someone will find out about, God already knows. And He says, He's prepared to wipe the slate clean. And more than this, He's prepared to impute to you the righteousness, all the good works of Christ.
So when He looks upon you, He looks at you as His son and daughter. And there's no greater privilege than to be called a son or daughter of the living God. Come home. Friend, come home.
But maybe you've already returned. Maybe you have come home. Maybe you've forgotten what you've been rescued from. Maybe in your mind, Your salvation is just a small thing.
I've seen a lot of some bad people saved. I was never that bad. I'd encourage you to reflect on the darkness, the awfulness of your sin, where God has rescued you from, and marvel again at the goodness of God. Those who've been forgiven much, Love much.
If you struggle to love God, you love God, but your heart struggles a little, reflect upon the great salvation that God has secured for you in Christ Jesus. And remember, it wasn't a fatted calf. It was His only begotten Son that was sent to die for us. And are you happy?
Do you rejoice when unbelievers repent of sin? Not just your kids, not just your family members. When you hear reports of people being saved in this church or that church, do you rejoice? Or are there elements in my life or your life where we're a little bit like the older brother?
I'm happy for some people to be saved, but less so others. We've had some interesting people visit our church over the years. Some of them haven't smelt the best or look the best or spoke the best. I don't know, Chilliwack, but how would they feel if, how would you feel if some of those people were sitting here?
These things challenge us, and rightly so. Would you be a little disturbed if the unclean came amongst us? I did a series on 1 Corinthians years ago, and I called it Messy Church, because that's what church is like. We're a little bit messy.
Some of us are a lot messy. But God has no other options. He always works with messy people, because that's all there is. And He slowly, by God, by His grace, sanctifies and conforms us to the image of His Son.
Christ the True Older Brother
We ought to praise our God, our maker, our redeemer for sending the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only as a substitute for sinners, but the Bible reminds us that he is the true older brother. You realize that, don't you? He's a bad older brother.
The true older brother was prepared to give up his life, to lay down his life, yes, to forgive, yes, to reconcile us, but to make us co-heirs, co-heirs with him. We share his kingdom spoils that none of us have worked for, but we receive by grace and grace alone. If you are a lover of Jesus, if your faith is weak or it is strong, but it is genuine faith, we are co-heirs with our older brother, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we bless you, we praise you, we worship your great name. Your dealings with us are marked by grace and mercy. We thank you for this reminder that you seek and you save the lost. We're reminded of the stupid and foolish and sinful decisions we often make.
Father, forgive us for when we stray into the far country, but we bless you. that you invite us back to turn from our sins and to return to you. We thank you for this affirmation, this reminder that you are a God with open arms that beckons us home, that calls us home, that commands us to come home. For those who are still far off, be gracious to them and irresistibly draw them to yourself and carry them home like that lost sheep, throw them on your shoulder and carry them home. And for those of us who are already part of the family, may we rejoice.
May we rejoice in our salvation and rejoice in those that are being added to the kingdom this day. Oh Lord, help us to glorify and honor your name and help us to apply this parable, this portion of your word to each of our lives, and we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.