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April 17, 2021 4:00 am
Chapter 15 tells a familiar story of a man had two sons after the younger son abandoned the family and squandered his inheritance he repented and returned home with a great sense of sorrow. His father was overjoyed by his son's return and hosted a party in his honor. But the older brother refused to attend Alistair Begg explains why unTruth for Life. We can say that the test of a good suitcase. How much material is left on the Taylor's floor. When he finally walks out with it and gives it to the client. To the extent that I may be true, then perhaps it is also true to say that the test of a good sermon is how much is left behind after the teacher has done his studies. The danger is that in seeking to bring everything that we've learned. We simply bamboozle our lessons. Given that you are such a thoughtful group that is something I want to mention that is sort of a transition from where we were to where we're finishing up those of you who have read Luke chapter 15 with frequencies I have done and who have grown to love it as I have done may well have been struck by something and that is that there is although great mention made of the celebration in heaven over one sinner who repents both in the first story and in the second story and in the third story.
There is however no mention made of any cost whatsoever to the father in redeeming the prodigal. Now little scholarship looks at this and says this is because the message of Jesus was different from the message of the apostle and that Jesus message of salvation was a different message of salvation from the one that was invented by the apostle Paul and they say he is the one who inserted all this atonement business into it.
All this death of Jesus is make strike many of you. I hope it does by surprise because you've never even for one second considered such a thing, but to the extent of the day may come when someone says that to you. I want you to know that the way in which it needs to be addressed is by taking everything that we have in the Bible and setting it within the context of all of the unfolding truth of Scripture, so that not in every passage of the Bible is everything mentioned and recorded for example in acts chapter 17. It's not uncommon to hear people say that when Paul preached in Athens. His success was meager because he didn't do in Athens what he so clearly did. By the time he got to Corinth and that by the time he reaches Corinth so the argument goes, there he was proclaiming Jesus Christ and him crucified.
But when you find him back in Athens we was doing there was a kind of apologetic. He was dealing with creation.
He was quoting the points and so on. Of course, if anybody thought for more than 25 or 30 seconds they would recognize that we don't have the totality of his sermon in acts chapter 17.
If you read the verses in acts 17 and read them out loud with an egg timer you will have finished reading them before all of the sold or the sand has come from one side to the other one to give more than about two minutes and 25 second in the same way when you come to the story of the prodigal son to somehow or another suggest that what Jesus is doing here is setting it aside from everything else that is involved in his journey towards Jerusalem is frankly ludicrous. However, that doesn't prevent people from doing so, we need then to understand the story of the prodigal in light of what we read in Romans eight, for example, that God did not spare his own son when he delivered him up for us all, that what we learn elsewhere in the Gospels that the good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep that he has made him to be sin. That is, the father has made Jesus to be sin for us that is he who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him that they words of the prophets. Surely he has borne our sins and carried our sorrows are pointing forward to the wonder of what Jesus was to do in the redemption of all the prodigal's that the words of the father at the time of his baptism in the time of the transfiguration. This is my beloved son, that the word from the father, then, is the same as the word from the father in the Old Testament prophets when it says that it pleased the Lord to bruise him. So when we look at this story are at the these three stories here. We need to keep this in mind that God delights to forgive sins that he does so on the basis of the death and resurrection of his son, that God's intent that sinners should upon conversion become his sons and daughters and that God has in every instance provided the means whereby this may take place, namely at Calvary. Now I say all of that and because it may have been raised in some of your minds. As I've often told you, I am greatly helped, usually by just going to a hymnbook I'm looking at the requisite section and for those of you have lived long enough, you would find yourself especially in going to the first of the stories here back with a famous gospel hymn. There were 90 and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the full and then the question that comes to the shepherd Lord you have here the 90 and nine are they not enough for you and then none of the ransom. Never knew how deep was the water crossed or the question that then comes Lord Wentz are those blood drops all the way that mark out the mountain track and then the final verse, but all through the mountain thunder ribbon and up from the rocky, steep, there arose a cry to the gate of heaven rejoice. I have found my sheep and the Angels echoed around the throne, rejoice for the Lord brings back his own so we must bear in mind that when Jesus is telling this story of how the prodigal is redeemed. He is looking forward down the road to Jerusalem and to the moment when he will cry from the cross, father forgive them for they know not what they do. Now we come to these final versus where Jesus delivers the SCUD missile to the grumbling and muttering Pharisees who are identified in the opening section of the chapter. These individuals that were so sure of their own position and were able to look down their noses at everybody else about to find themselves identified with this other son who'd been mentioned at the beginning. It is been offstage for the whole time we remember as Jesus began the story in verse 11.
He said there was a man who are two sons, and then immediately begins to speak about the younger son every thoughtful person would have been seen in himself. What I want to what happened to the other boy. I wonder we going to find out anything about the other son. Where was he and why did he do, and he's introduced he comes back off the wings of the stage and out onto center stage. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field and he came near the house and he heard music and dancing. There was a discovery that this young man hated to me celebration was taking place. The music was going and people were dancing.
Wonder why am not included. He must've said to himself. Why did I get an invitation. After all, this is my house I really am working far too hard these days. Interestingly, he doesn't go in and if you've ever thought about that.
It would seem the most likely thing for the fellow that when when when after all, is his house he lives there. Here's the music he learns of the dancing managers. Quincy was going on. Perhaps he had a sneaking suspicion that what he really didn't want to see happen had actually happened. He was enjoying the exclusivity of living with his father. He was enjoying taking the high ground and reminding his father.
Hey, I'm around again today that hey, I did everything he asked me to do today that hey, I know you're upset about my younger brother dad but listen, at least you got me and there was something perverse about the way in which he had really no interest at all in seeing his brother come back so he calls one of the servants, and he asked the servants what's going on seller's sermon says it celebration time, your brothers, your father is killed, the fattened calf because he has him safe and sound. Presumably, the servant was delighted to be the bearer of this news. After all, the father's reaction was so incredible that he assumed that the brother would feel the same way. You must find a very, very hard to imagine why it was that his older brother would in verse 28 become angry and refuse to go in. I remember Jesus is been telling you stories one after another. He says it was a felony 99 in the fold. We lost one.
He went to get it brought it back on his shoulders and everybody rejoice and so there is rejoicing in heaven.
Lady lost her claim she had nine but she needed that. Then she got the tent you brought it all.
They had a tea party. Everybody rejoice and is rejoicing in heaven is gone from one and 99 to 110 to 1 into and his listeners are waiting to see other stories on your end is going to be the same way while is an inkling of it now. Perhaps with the introduction of the brother premises. What were waiting for another news is going to be and when the older brother found out he rejoices well and had the most fantastic party that the family had ever seen in all of the lies, but it doesn't happen that way.
And so their ears must've perked up the older brother said Jesus became angry and refused to go in strains of the fantasy are beginning to play out. The one thing he must've said to himself that I didn't want to have happen to be one thing if he'd come back and just sidled and quietly but that that's just what I expect from useless brother that is useless on useless character altogether no way that I'm going in for a party like that.
Perhaps you received invitation to go to someone's baptism and you refuse to go and believe that that person could ever be baptized useless character. You said dreadfully perverse is to have a horrible tongue gently selfish, never to go to that kind of event is another kind of people should be getting baptized versus some say you're bringing out the Elvis and me this guys bring out the Pharisee and everybody was honest for more than half a moment.
There's a discovery that he didn't want to make and there was a sympathy that he certainly didn't want to display the source.
Father goes out and pleads with them.
In verse 28 he sends a servant in but his father doesn't send the servant out just as well that God does not treat as the way in which we are tempted to treat him. The father goes out and the pleads with them. You'll notice the tenderness and gentleness of his approach. Hey, says come on you doing out here you might've justifiably rebuked the boy for being petulant, but instead you'll notice that he entreats him the love of the father extends to both his sons, one who went and got lost and one who seemed home and lost out one was lost far away. The other was lost close in both lost both in need of the father going out to them to the one he is run down the road to the other. He comes out and he entreats and he pleads with her. He says come on then what Jesus is saying to the people here is God the father is seeking not only the publicans and the sinners. The people are really interested in hearing the message, but God is also his father seeking the Pharisees who are lost if you like in God's own backyard. In the absence of forgiveness in the life of this older brother is simply an indication of the Pharisees predicament.
This man welcomes sinners remember and he eats with the knee. Older brother says I'm not going in. This is a party first center. He doesn't deserve a party if anyone deserves a party.
I deserve a party I'm the good can remember I'm the one that didn't leave.
I'm the one that did the chores. I'm the one that stayed all everyone in the neighborhood knows me when I go to the market. They say it's good to hear his father got at least one good one out of two.
Everyone knows what a wreck. This kid is not a party, and our celebration of fattened calf. He views himself as a model son but is actually not a model son is living like a slave and five lights were exactly how he describes his existence. He says all these years I've been sleeping for you and never disobeyed your orders see the Pharisees that was their whole game slavish in the religious appearance, yet inwardly estranged from God, so he represents them and all who are like the same time he is able to boast about himself I been slaving for you.
I never disobeyed your orders.
He blames his father, yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends and ask your question.
Just in present and God knows you, there's God.
All anyone ever was anything that he should repairs and hear what we hear customarily throughout every day of our lives. He didn't deserve to have that happen. She deserved better than that from God. He deserved more than that from God. Listen, if we got what we deserve from God not advise would be in existence. We would be banished from his presence forever. The mystery is that we do not get what we deserve what this young man in the party received. He didn't desire to install whole points and that's the point that this son cannot get his head around. I deserve something I don't get it.
He doesn't deserve anything and he does get what's going on here and you expect me to come into this chicanery of a plastic father you're asking too much.
All the years that he'd been in his father's house. All his years of obedience were just grim. Judy and suddenly his long-standing secret alienation becomes apparent.
Eventually something will bring it to light a man or woman may live as a slave of religious orthodoxy or all through their days, but eventually something will show it up for the reality that it is. And in this man's life. It happens here you see the contrast in the story that Jesus is telling is not a contrast between a profligate son who went away and made a hash of it, and another son who stayed home and made a great job on the contrast is between the penitent prodigal who understood his need of the father's grace and the end penitent older brother who saw and himself. No such needed he could understand why this messed up brother of this would need intervention but not in and that's the contrast because the younger son is now battling to his father in a relationship of grace.
He came back up the road, saying, I am prepared to be a slave in your house, and he is given his bedroom bag and it's all redecorated farm as it were, the elder son has actually been living as a slave in the house, the younger brother is united to his father by grace. The older brother is united to his father in a relationship of legal obligation. In fact, if we had longer we could go through this even put two columns down and we could write and if we had time on the prodigal side. He is a son by grace on the older brother site. He is a son by law on the prodigal site he's done nothing to merit God's kindness on the older brother site. He's done everything to act on the prodigal site. This is salvation by the sheer mercy of God on the older brother site. This is an attempt at salvation by obedience and the keeping of the commandments. Now this isn't to say that son number two wasn't at least outwardly a good steady faithful some Jesus is not hearsay that the Pharisees were all rotten will surely have hypocrisy that was part of that existed, but they were lit this order archetypal hypocrite on two legs.
These people had given their lives to religion. These people work in San Angelo. God, these people stayed out late in the night reading the Torah searching it out telling others how they can also live by these obligation so it's not that this older brother represents some kind of pathetic creature know we should think of them exactly as is described as a good steady faithful son. But you see when the Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God that does not eradicate the degrees of difference that exists amongst men and women right. Not all of us have committed murder. We have all sinned. Not all of us have violated every command in the way. Another so that there is a distinction not a distinction in terms of whether a man is a sinner are not a sinner but all are sinners, but the sense of sin and the expression of sin works itself out in different ways and in different people's lives.
So there is a vast difference between these two brothers, but it is a relative difference right.
One of them definitely lived better. You can argue that he lived matter he stayed home he shined his shoes he went to work. He did his business, his life from one perspective was a better and a more constructive life than his brothers and made a hash of brotherhood differences relative because they were both equally sinners both equally in need of mercy and it was this fact that the elder brother couldn't understand because he represents the Pharisees see the Pharisees despised the publicans and the sinners because they've given up on the low benefit of themselves. Listen we have broken so much of this law when we are so messed up. We have so many tickets in our glovebox that there is no way in in heaven.
We're going to build a get ourselves out of this mess by going down this particular avenue, the law for them was a useless Avenue to God and consequently the Pharisees said you are not the people of the law.
Therefore, you are rejected by God.
Therefore you have no prospect of eternity in the welcome of the father. They saw sin in quantitative terms. Therefore, they regarded salvation as the rendering of sufficient obedience to the law in order to build up enough credit in their accounts so that when push came to shove in the matter of the judgment they would be able to say yes we did this and this and this and that debit side, but we did this and this and this in the plus column and he believed that they were going to be welcomed into heaven on the strength of the listing Truth for Life weekend with Alistair Begg with reminder that every one of us is in need of God's grace and his mercy are series is called amazing love. If you'd like to share this message with a friend or catch up on a message that you missed me remind you all of Alistair's teaching is available to download for free on our website or in the Truth for Life.
The prodigal son in today's story returned to his father.
Empty the older brother experienced a different kind of emptiness may be can relate to those feelings. For some of us. It's our own foolish choices and mistakes that have left us empty. For others it may be the trials or hardships of life.
Today I want to tell you about a new book recommendation that addresses this topic. The book is called God does his best work with empty and it's written by Nancy Guthrie.
This book reminds us that emptiness never has been and never will be a problem to God. Each chapter in this book explores various Bible passages to demonstrate how God uses suffering or disappointment or loss to draw us back to himself.
As a result, you'll find refreshment and a good dose of encouragement as you read the book God does his best work with empty find out more, visit our website Truth for Life.I'm Bob Lapine. Thanks for listing sure to join us next weekend to discover if the older brother's predicament could be one that we share the vital teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life.
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