Lucas 15

Lucas 15

Henry - Now the condition of the prodigal in this ramble of his represents to us a sinful state, that miserable state into which man is fallen. [1.] A sinful state is a state of departure and distance from God. First, It is the sinfulness of sin that it is an apostasy from God. He took his journey from his father’s house. Sinners are fled from God; they go a whoring from him; they revolt from their allegiance to him, as a servant that runs from his service, or a wife that treacherously departs from her husband, and they say unto God, Depart. They get as far off him as they can. The world is the far country in which they take up their residence, and are as at home; and in the service and enjoyment of it they spend their all. Secondly. It is the misery of sinners that they are afar off from God, from him who is the Fountain of all good, and are going further and further from him. What is hell itself, but being afar off from God? [2.] A sinful state is a spending state: There he wasted his substance with riotous living (Lk 15:13), devoured it with harlots (Lk 15:30), and in a little time he had spent all, Lk 15:14. He bought fine clothes, spent a great deal in meat and drink, treated high, associated with those that helped him to make an end of what he had in a little time. As to this world, they that live riotously waste what they have, and will have a great deal to answer for, that they spend that upon their lusts which should be for the necessary substance of themselves and their families. But this is to be applied spiritually. Wilful sinners waste their patrimony; for they misemploy their thoughts and all the powers of their souls, misspend their time and all their opportunities, do not only bury, but embezzle, the talents they are entrusted to trade with for their Master’s honour; and the gifts of Providence, which were intended to enable them to serve God and to do good with, are made the food and fuel of their lusts. The soul that is made a drudge, either to the world or to the flesh, wastes its substance, and lives riotously. One sinner destroys much good, Eccl. 9:18. The good he destroys is valuable, and it is none of his own; they are his Lord’s goods that he wastes, which must be accounted for. [3.] A sinful state is a wanting state: When he had spent all upon his harlots, they left him, to seek such another prey; and there arose a mighty famine in that land, everything was scarce and dear, and he began to be in want, Lk 15:14. Note, Wilful waste brings woeful want. Riotous living in time, perhaps in a little time, brings men to a morsel of bread, especially when bad times hasten on the consequences of bad husbandry, which good husbandry would have provided for. This represents the misery of sinners, who have thrown away their own mercies, the favour of God, their interest in Christ, the strivings of the Spirit, and admonitions of conscience; these they gave away for the pleasure of sense, and the wealth of the world, and then are ready to perish for want of them. Sinners want necessaries for their souls; they have neither food nor raiment for them, nor any provision for hereafter. A sinful state is like a land where famine reigns, a mighty famine; for the heaven is as brass (the dews of God’s favour and blessing are withheld, and we must needs want good things if God deny them to us), and the earth is as iron (the sinner’s heart, that should bring forth good things, is dry and barren, and has no good in it) . Sinners are wretchedly and miserably poor, and, what aggravates it, they brought themselves into that condition, and keep themselves in it by refusing the supplies offered. [4.] A sinful state is a vile servile state. When this young man’s riot had brought him to want his want brought him to servitude. He went, and joined himself to a citizen of that country, Lk 15:15. The same wicked life that before was represented by riotous living is here represented by servile living; for sinners are perfect slaves. The devil is the citizen of that country; for he is both in city and country. Sinners join themselves to him, hire themselves into his service, to do his work, to be at his beck, and to depend upon him for maintenance and a portion. They that commit sin are the servants of sin, John 8:34. How did this young gentleman debase and disparage himself, when he hired himself into such a service and under such a master as this! He sent him into the fields, not to feed sheep (there had been some credit in that employment; Jacob, and Moses, and David, kept sheep), but to feed swine. The business of the devil’s servants is to make provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof, and that is no better than feeding greedy, dirty, noisy swine; and how can rational immortal souls more disgrace themselves? [5.] A sinful state is a state of perpetual dissatisfaction. When the prodigal began to be in want, he thought to help himself by going to service; and he must be content with the provision which not the house, but the field, afforded; but it is poor provision: He would fain have filled his belly, satisfied his hunger, and nourished his body, with the husks which the swine did eat, Lk 15:16. A fine pass my young master had brought himself to, to be fellow-commoner with the swine! Note, That which sinners, when they depart from God, promise themselves satisfaction in, will certainly disappoint them; they are labouring for that which satisfieth not, Isa. 55:2. That which is the stumbling-block of their iniquity will never satisfy their souls, nor fill their bowels, Ezek. 8:19. Husks are food for swine, but not for men. The wealth of the world and the entertainments of sense will serve for bodies; but what are these to precious souls? They neither suit their nature, nor satisfy their desires, nor supply their needs. He that takes up with them feeds on wind (Hos. 12:1), feeds on ashes, Isa. 44:20. [6.] A sinful state is a state which cannot expect relief from any creature. This prodigal, when he could not earn his bread by working, took to begging; but no man gave unto him, because they knew he had brought all this misery upon himself, and because he was rakish, and provoking to everybody; such poor are least pitied. This, in the application of the parable, intimates that those who depart from God cannot be helped by any creature. In vain do we cry to the world and the flesh (those gods which we have served) ; they have that which will poison a soul, but have nothing to give it which will feed and nourish it. If thou refuse God’s help, whence shall any creature help thee? [7.] A sinful state is a state of death: This my son was dead, Lk 15:24, 32. A sinner is not only dead in law, as he is under a sentence of death, but dead in state too, dead in trespasses and sins, destitute of spiritual life; no union with Christ, no spiritual senses exercised, no living to God, and therefore dead. The prodigal in the far country was dead to his father and his family, cut off from them, as a member from the body or a branch from the tree, and therefore dead, and it is his own doing. [8.] A sinful state is a lost state: This my son was lost—lost to every thing that was good—lost to all virtue and honour—lost to his father’s house; they had no joy of him. Souls that are separated from God are lost souls; lost as a traveller that is out of his way, and, if infinite mercy prevent not, will soon be lost as a ship that is sunk at sea, lost irrecoverably. [9.] A sinful state is a state of madness and frenzy. This is intimated in that expression (Lk 15:17), when he came to himself, which intimates that he had been beside himself. Surely he was so when he left his father’s house, and much more so when he joined himself to the citizen of that country. Madness is said to be in the heart of sinners, Eccl. 9:3. Satan has got possession of the soul; and how raging mad was he that was possessed by Legion! Sinners, like those that are mad, destroy themselves with foolish lusts, and yet at the same time deceive themselves with foolish hopes; and they are, of all diseased persons, most enemies to their own cure. Prodigal C. S. Lewis summed it up so well when he talked about that longing for someone else in this statement. “All of the things that ever deeply possessed your soul have been but hints of heaven. Tantalizing glimpses, promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away just as they caught your ear. If I find in myself a desire, which no experience in this world can satisfy the most probable explanation is that, I was made for another world. Earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy, but rather to arouse, to suggest the real thing.” Prodigal - Greg Laurie - ILLUSTRATION - Consider this. Our aircraft today navigate electronically. They pick up radio or satellite signals using complicated equipment to translate this information so a pilot can tell where he is going. For years we know that birds can navigate great distances without any such devices. You have never seen a bird out flying with a little GPS unit. They have this natural homing instinct that God has placed inside of them. I read recently about a unique bird known as the Manx Shearwater which nests off of the coast of Wales. They had noticed that these birds had incredible homing instincts. As a test they took a number of them and tagged and released them at different points around the globe to see if they could find their way back to the coast of Wales. One of these was released in Boston some 3200 miles from home. In just 12 and ½ days that bird returned to his nest having traveled 250 miles a day from a place it had never been before to go back home again. I heard about another bird known as the Golden Plubber. They normally live in Hawaii. In the summer they go to the Aleutian Isles 1200 miles from Hawaii. They mate. They have their eggs. The eggs hatch and the little fledglings are born. The Golden Plubbers fly back and leave their fledglings to grow up a little. What is amazing is these little baby birds who have never been to Hawaii then make the journey 1200 miles away to a place they have never been before. It is that amazing homing instinct. I thin in a sense we all have that in us. A longing for something more. A homesickness for heaven. A desire to be in a relationship with God. Some Things the Prodigal Wasted Luke 15:13 INTRODUCTION: Many people are confused about the Prodigal whom God is talking about. Primarily the Prodigal is a picture of Israel, but we learn a good lesson on drifting away and about the lost condition of a lesson we learn. 1. HE WASTED HIS LIFE a. Life is precious b. Life is short c. Life is to be given in account of 2. HE WASTED HIS MONEY a. All money received is a gift of God b. All money received should be spent wisely c. God allows us only what we can manage 3. HE WASTED HIS PRIVILEGES a. As son b. Access to Father c. Access to Father’s Goods Two Wayward Brothers It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again. —Luke 15:32 The story of the prodigal son is actually the story of two wayward brothers and their loving father. It’s a universal story that represents every member of the human race. I can’t fully identify with the prodigal. “Riotous living” is foreign to me. But the older brother’s self-righteous attitude—now that resonates with my spiritual struggle. His sin was perhaps more serious than an out-in-the-open immoral lifestyle. That’s because it was hidden—but easy to recognize when it surfaced. Here are its characteristics: He chose anger instead of acceptance (Luke 15:28). He separated himself and “would not go in” (v.28). He said to his father, “this son of yours” (v.30), instead of calling him “my brother.” Clearly, he hadn’t experienced the wonder of grace. Yet the father loved both sons unconditionally. With the prodigal, he ran out to welcome him. And with his older son, he “came out and pleaded with him” (v.28). There was no harsh scolding, just joy for the younger son and a longing heart for his older son. What a wonderful picture of how graciously God pursues us! Naught have I gotten but what I received, Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed; Boasting excluded, pride I abase— I’m only a sinner saved by grace! —Gray God’s love changes prodigal sons into precious saints.