A Lesson in Love
| TEXT: Luke 15:25-32 | |
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INTRO: |
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| We have heard many wonderful sermons about the Prodigal Son, but seldom do we ever hear much about the Elder son, if anything at all. You all know the story of how the younger son wanted his inheritance, and upon receiving it, went and squandered it. Then one day, while eating with the pigs, he came to his senses, and headed home. He knew that he would at least have food and shelter. Upon arriving home, he repented, and his father restored him to his position as a son. The elder son was in the pasture and heard the sound of music and merry-making. He hurried to the house and was informed that his brother has come home; the brother who had wasted his inheritance on wine, women, and song. As he looked through the window, he saw his father rejoicing over the younger brother. He couldn�t understand how his no-good brother could get so happy and free. The elder brother became very angry. When his father came out and asked him to come and rejoice with him, he jumped all over his father and said, �Lo, all these many years have I served you; I never transgressed your commandments at any time; and yet you never gave me a fatted young goat that I could make merry with my friends.� He was saying, �This isn�t right. I have obeyed you and served you well all these years.� The elder son, in all his years of service, had never known the gladness because he had never taken advantage of his father�s invitation to appropriate all he needed! Lets look at the elder son a little more closely. | |
I. FAILURE TO APPROPRIATE WHAT IS ALREADY OURS! |
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A. I believe the elder son went back to his shepherd�s hut, thinking of the day when he would have his inheritance: �Just you wait! One of these days I�ll come into great blessings!. I�ll have a great storehouse! I�ll have my proper inheritance.� This is the person who is waiting to get to heaven before appropriating all the good things of God!
B. His Father must have been heartbroken. He had told his son that all that he had was his - v 31. He was telling his son, �You have been with me all these years, and all I have is yours. You know I would have given you anything - but you never laid hold of it. C. How many years have you been on the outside? You have a Father Who has been laying up a great treasure of provisions for you. And yet you have left it all unclaimed. |
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II. GOD�S LOVE INSISTS WE SEE OUR RICH PROVISIONS. |
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A. God�s love insists that we stop looking at our failures and sins, and instead, look at our riches and provisions offered to us freely in Christ Jesus! The prodigal son was not chastised, or reminded of his sin and failure, because God does not allow sin to be the focus of our restoration, only forgiveness and love.
B. We find that the prodigal son had truly repented with godly sorrow, and it was time to move on to the banquet hall of love - to the Feast! The father said to the elder son, �He was lost, but now he�s found. He is forgiven, and it�s time to rejoice and be happy.� C. Are you tired of living like a pauper when you have been provided everything you need? Perhaps your focus is wrong. We tend to dwell on our shortcomings and weaknesses, temptations and past failures. And when we look inside our hearts, what we see discourages us. We allow guilt to seep in. Folks, we must be looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith! When the devil comes and points at some weakness in our lives, we have every right to say, �My God already knows all about it, and He still loves me! He has given me everything I need to get the victory, and keep it! |
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III. GOD IS LOVE, AND WE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM! |
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| A. I John 3:20 says, �If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.� God knows all about us! And He still loves us enough to say, �Come on in and get what you need. The storehouse is always open.� B. The doors of His storehouse is wide open, and His riches are full to overflowing. God is urging us, �Come boldly to the Throne of Grace that you may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need� - Heb. 4:16. | |
IV. HOW TO COME TO THE STOREHOUSE! |
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A. Come boldly to His Throne and ask largely for all the grace and mercy you need to see you through every trial and temptation. The devil has a million ways to make you feel guilty, fearful, condemned, and confused. And the devil will tell you, �You feel like this because you have junk in your heart, because it is always deceitful.� But it is white, pure, and clean to my Father because it�s covered with the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
B. We need to remind God that it was His idea for us to come boldly to enter in. We don�t go to the Father saying, �Father, I want everything You have!� No, it was God Who invited us, saying, �All I have is yours. Come and get it!� C. We need to take God at His Word! The Bible says that everything He has for us is obtained by faith. You need only to say in faith, �Lord Jesus, flood me with Your peace, because you have said it is mine. I claim rest for my soul.� 1. You can�t work this up! You can�t sing or praise it down. It comes only from being rooted and grounded in a revelation of God�s love for you. 2. This comes not in a feeling, but rather, in the Word that God Himself has spoken: �In MY House is bread and enough to spare!� D. Take God�s Word, and hammer all your fear, guilt and condemnation to pieces! Reject it all - it is not of God! You can say, �Let the devil come at me with lies. My Father knows it all already, and He�s forgiven and cleansed me. There is no guilt or condemnation toward me. I am free!� |
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CONCLUSION: |
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| The parable of the prodigal son shows us that by going in and enjoying his father�s treasures, the prodigal son had it both ways. He could live his earthly life with the abundant forgiveness, joy, peace, and rest that were his. And when death brought him into his inheritance, he would fully enjoy what he had already known on earth. Actually, the greater sin was committed by the elder brother, the one who stayed home, walked obediently, and never failed his father. Yes, it is a sin to waste our Father�s substance on sensual living and a runaway spirit; but it is an even greater sin to reject God�s great love, to leave unclaimed the beautiful resources He gave to us at such a great price! I believe that if we ask the Holy Spirit right now to help us to seize this truth, to be rooted and grounded in it, the coming days will be the greatest we have ever seen or had. We need to say, �Lord Jesus, I know I�m going to make mistakes. But nothing is going to shake me, because You have everything I need to get the victory, and to live in it!� Let us come into His storehouse, and claim all that is yours from your loving Father! Hallelujah! Amen! | |
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