The Prodigal Son Part 1 – Bad, The Beginning of Worse. Luke 15:11-14Introduction

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Luke

15:11-32 ESV 

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.  (12)  And the

younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that

is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.  (13) 

Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey

into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.

 (14)  And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in

that country, and he began to be in need.  (15)  So he went and hired

himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his

fields to feed pigs.  (16)  And he was longing to be fed with the

pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.  (17)  “But

when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have

more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!  (18)  I will

arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned

against heaven and before you.  (19)  I am no longer worthy to be

called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’  (20)  And

he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his

father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

 (21)  And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven

and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  (22) 

But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it

on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.  (23)  And

bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.

 (24)  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and

is found.’ And they began to celebrate.  (25)  “Now his older son was

in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and

dancing.  (26)  And he called one of the servants and asked what

these things meant.  (27)  And he said to him, ‘Your brother has

come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him

back safe and sound.’  (28)  But he was angry and refused to go in.

His father came out and entreated him,  (29)  but he answered his

father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your

command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my

friends.  (30)  But when this son of yours came, who has devoured

your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’

 (31)  And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that

is mine is yours.  (32)  It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for

this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

You may be seated.

This is the story of the Prodigal Son.And before I get into today’s message, because

we are going to break this up into multiple sermons, I want to make sure that

we are all on the same page about what is going on here.Now last week Deacon Jared did a wonderful job

of explaining the previous two parables.You see there were these pharisees, religious

scholars who believed that they were the only ones worthy of being saved, that

they were the only ones worth going to heaven.And one of these pharisees or scribes says this

about Jesus:

Luke

15:2b ESV  … “This man

receives sinners and eats with them.”

In fact scripture says that this guy “grumbled”

this.So Jesus responds to this grumbling with three

separate parables.First Jesus gives this parable of the lost sheep…

to show how much joy there is in heaven when just one sinner repents.Then

Jesus gives the parable of the lost coin… again to show the value of a

sinner being saved… of the lost being found.And

these two parables set up the parable of the prodigal son. Because neither of

those two parables explains the pharisees roll in someone’s salvation.But

when we come to the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus is know reintrod