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Sep 01, 2019

The Prodigal Family

Passage: Luke 15:11-32

Speaker: Brian Land

Series: The Parables of Jesus

Category: Grace Brevard

Keywords: father, work, grace, prodigal, self, son

We so often want what God can give us, but don’t really want God himself. We want God to “bless us” and then leave us alone as we go off to pursue the fulfillment of self-satisfying pleasures or the fulfillment of self-righteous morality. In either case we have a Heavenly Father that takes great pleasure in lavishing on us his Love. He longs for us to come running back to him not with penance or plans but with empty hands and dirty backs; hands upon which he puts his family ring, calling us sons; backs upon which he puts his royal robe, calling us heirs to his Kingdom.

Order of Worship

PRELUDE: Legends of the Fall

CALL TO WORSHIP:  Isaiah 55:1a, 2-3a

READING: Zephaniah 3:17

MUSIC:

    • Ancient of Days
    • Before the Throne
    • We Will Feast
    • Reckless Love

    CONFESSION / PRAYER:  Psalm 51:1-4a,7,10,12,17

    CARE / GRATITUDE / MISSIONAL LIVING:

    MESSAGE:  The Prodigal Family

    CENTRAL TEXT: Luke 15:11-32

    ILLUSTRATION: This Is Us

    BENEDICTION: Romans 8: 31-32;37-39

    ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES:

    • Psalm 79:8-9
    • Psalm 84:1-4, 10-12
    • Psalm 103:8-13
    • 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
    • 2 Corinthians 7:10
    • Colossians 2:13-14
    • Colossians 3:12-13

    MEDIA:

    9.01.19 Album

    DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

    This parable is told to a ragtag group of outsiders and insiders; sinners and pharisees.

    1. Younger Son:
      1. Why did the younger son go off? How is that descriptive of us?
      2. Describe his condition and how it describes our condition in sin without The Father.
      3. Like him, how do we make “I’ll earn my way back” plans with God?
    2. Elder Son:
      1. What does an “elder brother” look like in today’s church?
      2. Why does this brother look down on the younger one? How do we do that?
      3. How does he see himself in regard to need and to personal rightness? How do I do that?
      4. Explain this quote: “Elder brothers obey to get things from God.” (Keller)
    3. Explain this quote from Tim Keller’s Prodigal God: “So there are two kinds of lostness...you can escape God as much through morality and religion as you can escape God through immorality and irreligion.”
      1. Which son describes you and your life better?
    4. The Father:
      1. Describe how the Father responded to the younger son? ...the older son?
      2. Spend time describing what The Father is like..what makes him tick.
      3. Go the next step and realize that Our Father gave up Jesus, His Own Son, in order to bring us back into the family. How is that even more excessive love than we see in the parable?
      4. What does The Father really want from (and for) us?
      5. What would it look like to truly desire The Father more than what The Father gives us?

    QUOTES:

    • “So there are two kinds of lostness...you can escape God as much through morality and religion as you can escape God through immorality and irreligion.” - Timothy J. Keller
    • “I am the prodigal son every time I search for unconditional love where it cannot be found.” - Henri Nouwen
    • “When you are alienated from God you are always alienated from yourself” - John Piper
    • “It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he can’t imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” - C.S. Lewis (The Weight of Glory)
    • “You have made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” - St. Augustine
    • “I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. But who can duly adore that Love which will open the high gates to a prodigal who is brought in kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape? The words “compelle intrare,” compel them to come in, have been so abused by wicked men that we shudder at them; but, properly understood, they plumb the depth of the Divine mercy. The hardness of God is kinder than the softness of men, and His compulsion is our liberation.” - C.S. Lewis (Surprised by Joy)
    • “Never cease loving a person, and never give up hope for him, for even the prodigal son who had fallen most low, could still be saved; the bitterest enemy and also he who was your friend could again be your friend; love that has grown cold can kindle.” - Søren Kierkegaard
    • “Repentance out of mere fear is really sorrow for the consequences of sin, sorrow over the danger of sin it bends the will away from sin, but the heart still clings. But repentance out of conviction over mercy is really sorrow over sin, sorrow over the grievousness of sin, it melts the heart away from sin. It makes the sin itself disgusting to us, so it loses its attractive power over us. We say, ‘This disgusting thing is an affront to the one who died for me.” - Timothy J. Keller 

      BOOKS / ARTICLES 

      SERMONS / TALKS / BLOGS 

      Prodigal Sons by Timothy J. Keller

      Luke 15

      Coming To Yourself and Coming to the Father by John Piper

      Luke 15

      Some Thoughts On Sin by Scott Sauls

      Luke 15