Luke 15:17-24

This morning, I invite you to turn with me once again to the book of Luke and chapter 17. And we’ll begin reading with verse 11. We’ve begun a study here with regard to the parables of Christ in this chapter. This is the third parable. We had the lost sheep. We had the lost coin. And now we’re in the third one that has to deal with the lost son. I’m sorry, did I say chapter 17? It should be chapter 15, I believe. And I’ll begin with verse 11. And a certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me, and he divided unto them his living. Not many days after the younger son gathered all together, took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want. He went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine swan. and would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat? No man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my fathers have bred enough and I perish with hunger, and despair, and I perish with hunger? I will rise and go to my father. and say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. And am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said on him, Father, I’ve sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe. Put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. Bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry, for this my son was dead. and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to be Mary. May God bless to us his sacred and holy word. This morning. When Dr. Livingston was working in the various regions of Africa, some of them were remote, there was a tribal chief that came to him one day, and he had a request. He said, please give me some medicine that changed my heart. It’s so proud, so uneasy, and oftentimes angry. The chief had seen what the missionary had done for those who were sick in body and how the medicine worked, and he figured it would work for his soul as well. Livington, tried to explain that the Lord Jesus Christ alone could bring about the needed transformation of his heart, that God must give a person a new heart, but the man refused to listen and say, no, no, I want medicine. It would be simpler if we could just take a pill and our heart would be changed if we’d be made better by it and right with God. But that’s not a little. how God works. God’s medicine is to bring about a spiritual change within you by the work of the Holy Spirit. And sometimes the spiritual medicine that he uses brings us very low first. Jesus is telling here the parable of the lost son, and the younger of a wealthy man’s two sons asked his father one day for his portion of the inheritance and so his father divided the property between his two sons as verse 12 indicates to us and the younger son headed off for an uncertain future soon we find everything went very sire for the young man verse 13 he had no money left to support himself and a famine arose he was forced to work as a servant or a slave, if you would, for a citizen in a faraway country, verses 14 and 15. Even then, he did not have enough to provide for himself, as verse 16 indicates. This is a picture of someone, of course, who is lost in their sin. you have portrayed here, first of all, the sinners return to God. In verse 17 to 21. In verse 17, we read this, that you were awakened to what your sin has done to you. He came to himself, it says in verse 17. He came to himself. Affliction. When it is sanctified by divine grace, is often used as a means by which you are turned from the error of your ways. When God uses suffering as a means of grace, he causes your heart to be disposed to receive divine instruction. You see the insufficiency of anything of this. this world that it has the offer to satisfy your soul. And you find that all sins pledges have only left you in a miserable condition, which is what happened to this man. Here the prodigal son is found in the operations of his conscience as he reflects upon his sad circumstances. He thought about his irresponsibility. He thought about his sinfulness. He thought about him wasting his father’s goods. And where it left him, feeding swine, hungry. And so hungry that he would even be tempted to try to eat what the pigs were eating. But the point is this, that God brings. the sinner to his senses. You are suddenly awakened to the reality of your sin. He came to himself. He took an inventory. He weighed it. He said, man, look where this has left me. Look where all my sinfulness has brought me. And then you were suddenly awakened to the reality of your spiritual state. Pastor Gordon. Some of you are familiar with him, once related that he had a friend in his youth who drove off a Scottish Highland road under the influence of alcohol. He awoke in a drunken stupor with a deep conviction about his danger. He could have killed himself. In fact, he said he was amazed that he didn’t kill himself. But even something more powerful gripped him. He saw what had not. terrible sinner. He was in God’s sight. And he needed to save it. This young man suddenly saw himself as he really was. And he admitted he was finished if he continued on this path of sinfulness in this way of life. So he was brought to a heart conviction of his sin, which led to genuine wine. and eventual trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Brownlow North, who was the great grandson of the 18th century British Prime Minister, Lord North, said he was playing cards one evening when he fell very ill. And he was gripped by a sense of the fact that he thought he was going to die. He was so ill. He later wrote, my first thought was, Now what will my 44 years of following the devices of my own heart profit me? In a few minutes, I shall be in hell. And what good will all these things do me? For I have sold my soul. And out of that awakening, not only did he become a Christian, but this man became one of the greatest preachers of the 1859 revival in Scotland and Ireland. Have you ever come to yourself? Sin’s miseries leave you in a desperate state, and God uses them to cause you to think things over. Sometimes God has to get your attention. He has to shake you so that you actually are paying attention to what’s happening in your life. And we see that in this case. You’re awakened to what your sin has done to you. you realize you need to return to God. In the latter part of verse 17, we read these words. We read that, uh, excuse me, verse 18. I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. And he says also in verse 17 that I perish with unclean. If you continue along the path that you’re going, it’s going to be bad. So the prodigal had to swallow his pride and admit that he had wrecked his life. Wrecked it, ruined it. Something even more pressing bothered him. His sinful lifestyle had left him ready to perish. I have hunger. And you might, you know, muddle along in your misery if you thought somewhere along the line, you’re going to get better in the future. However, when death is staring on the face, you think differently. As a sinner, you come to realize the wages of sin is death, the soul that sin, it shall die. So as a sinner, you will not come to Christ until you will not come to Christ until you’ll, you see yourself ready to perish in the service of sin. God has to bring us to that point. As Mr. Christian told Apollion in Pilgrim’s progress, I know your wages, you destroying Apollion. They are not such as a man can live on. They are the wages of death. Where has serving Satan gotten? And here’s the answer to that. So you’re the answer to that. you consider how much better it would be if you return to God. How many hired servants of my father had bred enough and despair, verse 17 says. Even the lowest servant on a totem pole in his father’s house had plenty to eat. Man, I’d be, I’d be better off being a slave to my father. We learned from this, but the least in the kingdom of God who do the do, Lord’s work shall be well provided for. The righteous do not have to beg for bread, for the Lord’s providence provides in some way for them. We don’t have to worry about what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear. God tells us that we put first his kingdom that he will provide those necessary things of life for us. You know, when Elijah went to the wisdom, somehow the pot of meal never emptied and throughout the whole famine that pot kept providing for them because God grants his people’s prayers for their daily bread. This consideration should encourage when you think about going to the Lord. Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart, Psalm 73-1. Who is the kinder master if you take the time to evaluate it? God or Satan? Who’s the kinder master? Well, Satan delights in human suffering and misery. Look how his demonic forces plagued man. He had crippled people so their back was a boat over for years. He debased people by sending his demonic forces with a naked maniac and he afflicted people when they were them demonically controlled and one man’s son got thrown into the fire several times because of it and so forth so you realize your need to return to God and you confess your sin against God and man, as verse 18 tells us, the proof that the prodigal truly understood his predicament is his confession that he sinned against heaven and against his father. In other words, he’s saying, I’ve sinned against God. It’s not just that I wrong my father. I’ve sinned against the Lord God in what I’ve done. And he was right. to seek his father’s forgiveness. But ultimately, all sin really is against God. And we have to say with David in Psalm 51, against thee, the only have I sinned and done this evil in my sight. People can admit wrongdoing to other people. I shouldn’t have treated that guy that way. I shouldn’t have treated my neighbor like that. But they’re never truly convicted of sin in that way. What you must realize is that. that sin is transgression of the law of God, and that you’re going to have to stand before a holy God and give it account of your life. And that puts things in a different light. God’s absolute standard of right and wrong is the fundamental issue, and it’s inescapable. Inescapable. You know, after killing his brother Amnon, Absalon, who was David’s wayward son, went to Gesher. Eventually, he was permitted to return to Israel, but David, the king, wouldn’t see him. He couldn’t come before his face. So Absalon sent to Joab, who was the commander of the army, and who was instrumental, and bringing him back from Gesher. He sent several times to get him to intervene for him before the king. But Joab didn’t respond to Absalon’s inquiries. and therefore Absalom sent his servant and said, I don’t just sit on fire Joab’s fields. And he burned his fields down. Then he disturbed and angry Joab shows up at his door wanting to know what you’re doing. And Absalom knew his actions were not the best, but he figured it was a way to get Jacob’s or Joab’s attention. He created tension between himself in Joanne. But there was no recognition here of sinning against God as we find here in the prodigal. Indeed, he goes on and continues to be evil in his ways. It was theft to take away the crops of another person like this, but there’s no acknowledgement of that. True conviction of sin has eternity in view and understands that God has both the right to be offended and a right to call you to account for the wrongdoing you’ve done to your neighbor. You confess your sin against God and man. You cast yourself on God’s mercy. Let’s look at verse 19 years. And am no more worthy to be called by son. Make me as well. one of thy hired servants. In connection with the true conviction of sin, is a determination to seek mercy from the one who is able to show it. The significance of the prodigal’s petition to his father is that it is an acknowledgment that he had no claim on his father. He couldn’t demand that he be treated as a son. As far as he was concerned, he lost that person. privilege because of his behavior. He accepts the fact that his father owes him nothing. He already had his portion of the inheritance and he wasted it. And so he asked here only for employment as a servant. I’m willing to take that position in the house of my father. He cast himself upon his father’s free grace, knowing that his father had the right to reject him altogether. He comes because he believes his father will be merciful to him. Surely he’ll let me be a servant in his house. So the prodigal here is desperate, but he’s not despairing. The character of his father, knowing his father, inspired him, inspired hope and him, surely he would put me on as a servant in his household. And so it is when someone comes to God for salvation. As a sinner, you come without merit. You come without any claim on God’s the Father’s favors. You know, you rightly deserve his just anger and punishment. But you come because there is a growing awareness that God is a God of mercy and grace. This is what the scripture reveals about God. This is the hope that we have. Like the prodigal, you go to the one who you know is merciful to unworthy sinners. You’ve heard that there is forgiveness with the Lord. You know, one day a leper came and fell down before you know, Jesus and worshipped him and he pleaded, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Matthew 8.2. Now the leper couldn’t demand that Jesus heal him and cleanse him of his disease. He had no claims on the Lord to coerce a hearing. But he knew that Christ often healed lepers. He knew that was the case. And he knew that if Christ was willing, Christ had the power to deliver him from the leprosy. So he cast himself upon the mercy of the Lord. This is what every sinner must do. Thou wilt, thou can make me clean. As unworthy as you are, he begged for mercy from the Lord. You cast yourself on God’s mercy. you act upon your new faith. Let’s look at verses 20 and 21 also from this passage. And he arose and came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy of him. called my son. Now, the prodigal did not just hatch a promising sounding plan. He acted on his new conviction. Real faith leads to godly action. He arose and headed for his father’s house. He didn’t stop with good intentions. He got his feet moving in the right direction. He was not disallowed. disappointed. I like it. When you read here, when he was a great way off, his father ran out to meet. He wasn’t even close to home yet. His father had been watching, waiting. And his father was overjoyed when he saw him coming. So he rushes out. He meets him. He throws his arms around him and kisses him. The prodigal was answered by a wonderful reception here by his father. His sin was forgiven and he was received as a son here. This was another amazing picture of the grace of God to the sinner that comes to the gospel of Christ. Those who come like the prodigal, humbly, acknowledging their sin and unworthiness. trusting in divine mercy are received. Isn’t that the true case? You find that whoever comes, he will no wise be cast out, Jesus said. God delights in repentance, and he delights in repentance, and he delights in receiving the broken-hearted sinner who repents. So you have portrayed this. sinners return to God here. My second major point is this. You have portrayed the sinner’s reception by God. Notice verse 20, and then we’ll look at 22 through 24. Verse 20 says this. He arose and came to his father, but when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell at his neck and kissed him. then if you would down to twenty-two but the father said to his servants bring forth the best robe and put it on him put a ring on his feet and his shoes on his feet when he put the ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it let us eat and be merry for this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found, and they began to be married. You see here the eternal love and sovereign grace of God for those he determines to say. The father of the prodigal rejoices in his return. Close him with robes of restored honor. Kills the faddles the fadded calf. and celebrates with the feast. It’s clear as we look at this. The father never stopped loving his son. Out of sight did not mean out of mind. The father had been watching for him to be able to run out of and bring him in. He was ready to receive him every day. His daily prayer was for the prodigal son to return. Now when this is applied in terms of the love of the love of God. It’s an expression of the eternal love and sovereign grace of God toward a sinner. It’s not that we love God, but that he loved us. We were like the prodigal running away from him, but that he loved us and said his son, to be a propitiation for our sins is what stands out in Scripture. God’s loving eye is on his elect people. even in their most rebellious state. God has a determination that he’s going to save these people. His everlasting love for you never waivers. God is long suffering to us, Lord. The elect, is he not. And therefore, you are not consumed by his wrath. He waits that we might be brought to repentance. in loving kindness, he draws you to himself. And so we see the eternal love and grace of God for those he determines here to save. And you also see this splendid provision of God for the sinner. The prodigal came home, hoping to be a mere servant, but he was received as a son. Isn’t this the same with the true believer? Don’t we say, behold? what manner of love the father that’s bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God? John 1. John 3.1, we’re unworthy. And yet we’re made sons of God. The prodigal came home in rags. And yet he’s adored with the best robe. You know, your righteousness is as filthy rags in God’s sight. and yet he closes us with the righteousness of Christ, which is a perfect righteousness. The prodigal came home ready to perish with hunger. When when he gets there, they’re killing the fatted calf and having a feast. Those who her hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled. The prodigal came home with anew jewelry, and yet he’s given a ring by his father. The ring was a constant remor of God’s kindness and his place in the family. You know, the promises of scripture are like a ring on your finger, a constant reminder of your acceptance in the family of God. The prodigal here came home barefooted. You know, you didn’t have any shoes. Yet he’s given shoes for his feet. feet. It speaks of the preparing, of preparing the great sinner for the work of the Lord. For the Bible speaks about our feet being shodd with the preparation of the gospel in scripture. The overarching theme here is that of the joyous celebration for the conversion of the sinner is greatly pleasing to the Lord. and all who belong to his family ought to rejoice. That’s the message of the lost son. Now we have to look at the other son and his response to it, for he takes the position of the Pharisees that Jesus is trying to combat. But for now, let us see what this portion of scripture indicates to us. We have portrayed the sinner’s reception. by God here. Well, the tribal chief in Africa wanted some medicine to change his heart. God’s medicine is to bring about a spiritual change within you by the Holy Spirit. And he might have to bring you low first. Cause you to consider where you stand. Bring you to your senses first. Then God works that change within you. And how willing God is to receive the repentant sinner. Let us rejoice in that for we of all, as those who profess to know the Lord, been received by the Lord as unworthy as we are. Let’s have a word of prayer as we close. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for your provision. We thank you for your goodness to us. We thank you, Lord, that you have provided for us and given us forgiveness of sin and grace and mercy as unworthy as we are. Let us see how great you are in your work of salvation in our souls. May we rejoice in that. And as we witness to others, may we realize, Father, how you work. And may we look for your work to take place in the hearts and lives of those to whom we speak. Bless us, Lord, in Christ, we ask. With Thanksgiving. Let’s stand for the benediction this morning. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost. Be with you all.