March 18, 2007am
Are you ready to Celebrate? Luke
15
By Ronald E. George Jr. at the
There's a line in the Old Testament written by Isaiah that tells the result of God's gamble, Isaiah 53:6: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way." Although God has a right to own us because he created us, he gave us the option of freedom, and we all left. We chose sin and did not love him as he wanted to be loved. In response, he chose to send out his own son to look for us, to hunt us down, to find and redeem us at a terrible cost--the cost of his own life.
A shepherd notches the ear of a lamb born to his flock and has rightful ownership. That lamb deliberately walks away. The shepherd searches near and far to get that lamb back. A long time later, he finds not a baby lamb but a grown sheep for sale at an animal auction. The shepherd recognizes his mark on that sheep's ear. He goes to the auctioneer and says, "I can see the mark. That sheep is mine."
The auctioneer says, "Listen, you must bid and pay just like anybody else."
The shepherd bids and pays an outrageous price, far above any reasonable market value in order to get his lamb. He now has a double right to own this sheep: from birth, from redemption.
God has
a right to own us as creator and because he has paid the blood of his own
Son--an outrageous price far above our market value--in order to redeem us back
again. -- Leith
After the Sunday school teacher told the story of the Prodigal Son to the class, she asked, "Was anyone sorry when the Prodigal Son returned?" One boy answered, "The fatted calf." --James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 414.
Luke 15:11 (NIV) Jesus continued:
"There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father,
`Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between
them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set
off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country,
and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of
that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his
stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 "When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father's hired men
have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go
back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of
your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was
still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him;
he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son
said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no
longer worthy to be called your son.{[21] Some early manuscripts son. Make me
like one of your hired men.}' 22 "But the father said to his servants,
`Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and
sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast
and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost
and is found.' So they began to celebrate. 25 "Meanwhile, the older son was
in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he
called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 `Your brother has
come,' he replied, `and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has
him back safe and sound.' 28 "The older brother became angry and refused to
go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his
father, `Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed
your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with
my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with
prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' 31 "`My son,'
the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But
we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is
alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
1. Cause to Celebrate: The lost has been found. The Celebration: The Celebration of the Return. Hope fulfilled. Joy restored. Searching for the lost, the lonely, and the least of society is the goal of the Lord. Shine the light for those who live in the dark. Maybe they will see it and come home. Have we seen the light and come home? Are we shining the light for others to find their way? Are we looking for them to come and thus to celebrate their arrival? How far will we go to find the lost?
2. Celebrator: The Love of the Father. Who is the celebrator? He wants to get together with you. He is patient and forgiving. He is looking for you. Where have you been? Are you back? What will it take to get you to come back to the Lord? He has made it possible for all to come but will you believe it is better to come home? He waits to celebrate your arrival. There will be a party in heaven.
3. Decelebrator. Can you see the apathy and indifference of the elder son? The elder son is the Decelebrator. I don’t care if it happens and I don’t want it to. He was not looking for the return of the prodigal. These are the emotionally empty. He is the wet blanket, killjoy, party pooper, and he wants to put out the fire at the party. What is his problem? He doesn’t value the most important things in life.
V. 29 But
he answered his father, `Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and
never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could
celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your
property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
He has worked and been faithful, but he forgot about the value of a brother. What are the most important things in life? What is worth dying for? It is the people. Our business is people and our reason is Jesus Christ. Don’t forget the value of a person is equal to the life of our savior. Now Jesus says for us to take up our cross and follow him.
4. Celebrated: The Rebellion of the Son. The Hope of a celebration. It can happen. Looking for love, happiness, and fulfillment. The lost are the celebrated ones of God’s party. They are who he is looking for. Who are you looking for? What are you looking for?