Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- Key text in v24 – "…for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry."
- The third illustration from Jesus showing the loss of precious things:
- Have you ever been lost?
- Sheep, coins and people – can all be lost
- Are you in a lost state before God?
- Example from London/Merthyr
- Are you in a far country?
- If you are there without God in your life
- Are you lost and dead (in trespass and sin)
- Three characters in the parable
- The Son who was Lost
- The Father who loved
- The Brother who Loathed
The Son who was Lost
- "…for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry."
- The prodigal son – a ‘waster’
- The family: the mother, the father, the older reliable son, the younger son with itchy feet
- The young son asks for the unthinkable
- I can’t wait till you die – give me my portion now
- This must have been hurtful, shameful, disappointing and out of the question
- How must the father have felt?
- Yet "he divided to them his livelihood" (v12)
- Straightaway he left for a far away land and wasted his money on prodigal living (v13)
- A famine arose and he had to feed the pigs (v14-15)
- No-one gave him any food (v16)
- Something is happening to him
- He began to realise his home situation (v17)
- He realised his need of repentance (v18)
- When God meets us He grants us repentance and faith
- Have you repented?
- Have you confessed your sin? (v18)
- Have you arisen and come to the Father? (v20)
- Are you this son or daughter tonight – the son who is lost?
The Father who Loved
- "…for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry."
- Example of Jim Reeves song: Come home it is supper time
- How often would the father go to the door to look for his son?
- The father ran to the son and had great compassion on him (v20)
- Have you known such compassion from God?
- The father had great affection towards his son (v20)
- New life/being found – v24
- No longer lost as God found him
- Personal example – found by God
- Has it happened to you?
- All our sins laid on Jesus – quote from song
- Becoming like a son – v22
- Adoption into the family of God
- Given the robe of the righteousness of Christ
- The ring speaking of an unending covenant
- The sandals
- Do you know such grace being a son and being able to call God, Father?
- The best food
- From nothing to everything – the message of the gospel
- Jesus to bring us back to God
The Brother who Loathed
- "…for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry."
- The older brother/son objected (v25)
- He was angry (v28)
- He had disowned his younger brother (v29-30)
- Two places where you can be lost and dead
- In the far country and by the fireplace
- Both as lost as the other
- You may try to defend your situation
- He resented his brothers conversion
- The older brother/son was equally as dead and lost as the younger brother/son
- Are you lost at home?
- Will you call on God to save you?