Lost | the younger brother

Date: 10.05.09 Speaker: Kris Martens Texts: Luke 15:11-24 Title: Lost | the younger son I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness. - Isaiah 61:10 Luke 15 contains three of the most famous and profoundly Gospel-centred stories Jesus tells in Luke's account: lost sheep, lost treasure & lost sons. Last week we looked at the audience Jesus shared with - tax collectors, sinners & the religious - and their response to Jesus searching for lost sheep & treasure. This week Jesus delves into what is probably his most famous parable, that of the prodigal sons. In vv.11-24 Jesus exposes the sin of the younger brother - the rebellious & passionate one who runs away and then returns to the father. We'll look specifically at the request of this son - to have his share of his father's estate, and what it meant in his culture. More importantly, we'll explore the father's response to the request & to the return of his wayward son. My prayer is that through the story of this father & son - we'll have our sin, idolatry & religious folly exposed - and be encouraged by the response of the father, and the wonder of grace. May we see ourselves as sheep, treasure & prodigals, and may we see God as the Ultimate Prodigal: recklessly extravagant - having spent everything for us.