Supplemental Sermon Notes - Luke 15:1-32

Supplemental Sermon Notes - Luke 15:1-32

A God Who Runs – Part 2

Introduction:

Christianity – a collection of “used-to-be’s”
Jesus is speaking, “tax collectors and sinners” push forward.
Pharisees and scribes grumble about Jesus reaching out to them.

I. Each Parable – A Picture of Sinners.

Parable of the lost sheep.

Sheep who wander away from Jesus, the good shepherd.

Parable of the lost coin.

Coins lost from the “woman,” who represents Jesus.

Parable of the lost son.

Asking for share of estate – Wishing his dad were dead.
Selling all and going to a far off country – moving away from his father.
Open rebellion against his father!

II. The Nature of Sin And Sinners

Rebellion against God that results in individual sinful acts.

Central issue – Abandoning our heavenly Father.
We are made in the image of God.
When we choose to live contrary to who He is and who He made us to be, we are sinning.
Sin is rebellion, and always an affront to Him!

We are all sinners!

Romans 3:10-17: “As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery,and the way of peace they have not known.’ There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Each one of us was born a lost sheep; lost coin; lost son/daughter.

Danger of culture misunderstanding this passage:

Concluding that Jesus supports sin and sinners and opposes “exclusive” religious authorities.
Concluding that sin is acceptable except for the sin of denying that sin is acceptable.

In these parables, Jesus gives no quarter to sin.

He never approves of it.
Unless the sheep is found, it dies; unless the coin is found, it stays lost forever; unless the son is reconciled, he stays lost forever.

The severe consequences of sin:

Earthly consequences.
Greatest consequence of the lost son: remaining lost!
In the lost son, Jewish audience saw a man:
Working for a gentile.
Taking care of and envying pigs (unclean animals)
Living in a distant country and not Israel.
Greatest consequence – remain separated from his father.
We also face the same great consequence of being separated forever from our Father in Heaven.
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Refers, not to physical death but eternal separation from God.
As a holy & righteous God, He cannot tolerate our sin.
Unless something happens to change our situation, we remain “lost” forever!

Doesn’t the lost son find his way home?

“He came to himself” in Acts 12:11 means “he realizes what’s really happening-“ he realizes the trouble sin has caused him.
Willing to confess sin.
But wants to become a “Hired servant” to pay for his sin.
Problem: cost of sin is too high for us to pay for.

III. The Solution To Sin

Father pays for the son’s sin.

Runs to the son (scandalous and humiliating)
Kisses him (even though he smells like pigs)
Pays the price to make him a son again.
Result – at great cost to the father (no cost to the son), he is restored.

Shepherd and lost sheep.

Shepherd does all the work to find the sheep. Sheep pays nothing.

Lost coin.

Woman does all the work to find the coin. Coin does nothing.

Through Jesus, God does all the work. We do nothing!
Jesus paid our price on the cross.

Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

What do WE have to do to be saved?

Sheep – let himself be saved.
Coin – Be found.
Son – Accept father’s forgiveness & accept position in the family.
Us – Recognize that we’re sinners, and put our faith in Jesus.

Acts :16:30-31: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…’”

Trust in Jesus Christ.
Accept our place in the family of God.
All sins can be forgiven.
We don’t have to fix ourselves up first.
Jesus cleans us up after we’re saved.
We become “used-to-be’s”
If you’re still in the “pigsty,” why not turn to Jesus now?

IV.A Message to the “Older Brothers” – Jesus’ primary audience.

Parables are very confrontational.

Lost sheep

Pharisees & Scribes are not shepherds.
“What man of you” implies they are the “hired shepherds” who wouldn’t seek the lost sheep (in contrast to Him).
In their culture, they didn’t admit to losing sheep.
Not “a sheep I lost” but “my sheep that was lost.”
Yet Jesus says “if he has lost one of them.”
Jesus is accusing Scribes & Pharisees of losing tax collectors and sinners.
They were supposed to find them and bring them in.
The angels rejoice when a sinner repents. What’s wrong with these Scribes & Pharisees?

Lost coin

Woman puts as much value on a lost coin as a found coin.
Calls her community to rejoice.
Point: What’s wrong with these Scribes & Pharisees?

Parable of the lost son (it deserves its own letter) – the older brother.

Stays with the father.

When younger brother returns (vv28-30):

He comes in from the field & hears the party.
Supposed to be “master of ceremonies,” but refuses to attend – a public insult to his father.
Thinks of himself as a slave rather than a son or hired man.
Doesn’t call his dad “Father;” at best, “You”
Refers to brother as “that son of yours!”
Point: he’s just as far from his father as his younger brother!
There are really 2 “Prodigal sons” here!

Older brother represents Scribes and Pharisees.

Jesus’ points:

God forgives sinners like the father forgave his son.
Since that’s true, how can anyone else reject them?
If they do, are they not far from God as well?

As the people of God, we must rejoice over God’s forgiveness of even the most wayward sinner.

George Barna – 72% of professed Christians act more like Pharisees than they act like Jesus.
53% of professed Evangelical Christians act more like Pharisees than they act like Jesus.
It’s easy to apply our human standards rather than God’s.
Yet every Christian (including us) is a “used to be!”
Those outside need the compassion, love, and forgiveness of the Body of Christ just like we do!

Heaven is big and people will be saved (v 31)

It’s fitting to celebrate and be glad (v 32)

Will we join the party?

Mission of the “older brothers and sisters”

Older brother’s duty – go find the younger brother!
WE are to look for & reach out to those who are lost.

This parable will be finished by us.

How will we respond to Jesus’ call?

Bethel ChurchDecember 7, 2014

project: DeeperPastor Dan Reimer

The God Who Runs (Part 2)

Luke 15

The Nature of Sin and Sinners

The Solution to Sin

A Message to Older Brothers

Homework and Discussion Guide

Knowing Each Other

A famous proverb states that “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Have you ever valued something that was rejected by someone else, or rejected something that another person then valued? Tell us about it!

Understanding the Word

Dan stressed that the sheep, coin, and prodigal do nothing to earn their rescue. How does this make you feel about the way God rescues sinners?

The older brother is technically right in his assertion that the prodigal son did not deserve to be saved, yet he is also clearly lacking in love for his brother (see v. 30, as well as the Father’s plea in v. 32). How do you feel towards the older brother? How do you suppose the father here feels toward the older brother?

Do you think that this parable is intended to make us look down on the older brother? Why/why not?

Was there anything in this week’s message that struck you as particularly important or challenging?

Connecting with Scripture: Not Here to Condemn

Read John 12:44-13:1carefully, jotting down any important notes or thoughts below. Once you finish, go back and read it again. (Read in another translation if possible.)

Referencing especially verses46-47, what was Jesus’ purpose on earth?

When does verse 48 say judgment will come?

How do you think these two answers should affect the way that you consider and treat sinful people here on earth?

It is easy for most Christians to accept that God is both just (he punishes sin) and merciful (he forgives sin in Christ). The crucial factor in reconciling these two is to understand the mission of Christ during his time on earth and the proper timing of judgment. What mistaken conclusions might we come to if we assume that:

A)God is pouring out his justice on sinners now?

What might we conclude if we assume that:

B)God will pour out his mercy on all at the end of time?

Bring it to Life

Have you been despising anyone in your heart because you think they are too sinful to deserve your compassion or mercy? If so, how do you think this compares to the parable of the prodigal son?

Have you ever wondered if you were “good enough for God”? If so, why do you think that was so, and how can the parable of the Prodigal Son bring peace?

Do you ever begrudge Christians who haven’t worked as hard or been as faithful in their faith as you have? How do you think Christians can resist that temptation?

For the Bold

Do you have a “prodigal brother” that you should be pursuing? How can you pursue him or her this week?

Memorize Luke 15:31-32

Pray Together

project: Deeper

USE THIS GUIDE to help encourage your friends to respond to this week’s message with actions!

This is an exercise in becoming more like Christ!

Here’s how it works:

During the message: Take notes on the first page to help you process and remember what you’re hearing.

At home: During the week, work through the Study Guide alone or with a partner. It won’t take long, but in order to be useful you must think about it sincerely, and not just try to get the work done.

With your Life Group, Family, Spouse, or Friends: Talk through the highlights of what has been especially relevant or important to you in the study guide. Depending on the week’s material and size of the group, you may not have time to talk about all the questions, so focus on the highlights!

Caution: Some of these questions may require a lot of trust to answer. Start where you’re comfortable, and each week work towards deeper and more trusting relationships, which will help you to better love, support, encourage, and pray for those you’re meeting with.

Additional Help:

We publish a 5-10 min. weekly podcast for Life Group leaders with advice on running small groups and extra information regarding the study guide. You’re welcome to listen in! You’ll find them linked with each sermon in our archive at or search the iTunes store for “Extra Dirt” (a free podcast).

The pastoral staff and elders at Bethel are more than willing to help you work through any difficult questions that may arise during the course of your study. If your group can’t help you fully understand the ideas you’re studying, please give us a call at 308.532.7040.