I invite you to turn with me to the Gospel of Luke chapter 15. We'll read the verses 11 through 24. Hear the word of God. And he that is Jesus said, a certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry for this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found and they began to be merry. May the Lord bless the reading and preaching of his word to our hearts. Dear friends, the God of the scriptures is a God of love. The Bible teaches that in several places, most particularly in 1 John 4, verses 8 and 16, where John openly declares, God is love. Now, God manifests his love in several ways. He does so in giving us life and health and strength, in affording us protection and safety, in bestowing on us various gifts, such as all of his material gifts, food and drink and shelter and clothing. Also his spiritual gifts, the word of God, the sacraments, the church, but especially his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came into the world to suffer and to die for the sins of his people. But there is at least one other way that God manifests his love. It is in restoring lost sinners to himself by faith in his son, Jesus Christ. We have a beautiful illustration of this truth in the parable that we read together, the parable of the lost, or sometimes called the prodigal son. This parable is the last in a series of three parables, all recorded in Luke chapter 15. The first is the parable of the lost sheep. The second is the parable of the lost coin. And the third is the parable that we hope to consider today, the parable of the lost or the prodigal son. The purpose of all three of these parables is essentially the same. It is to illustrate the purpose for which our Lord came to this earth, which was, as he himself said, to seek and to save that which is lost. Although each parable does this from slightly differing perspectives. The point of all these parables is that by restoring lost sinners to himself, God in Christ manifests his love. Now with that in mind, and the help of the Lord, let's consider this parable under the theme, the restoring love of the kingdom. And we'll consider first, the undeserving object of this love, secondly, the humbling effect of this love, and thirdly, the generous expression of this love. Jesus begins this parable by telling us that a certain man had two sons. Now, sons were very important in Bible times. They were destined to inherit their father's property when he died, and to carry on the father's name. They were also required to care for their parents in their old age. And so this man was especially blessed. He had not just one, but two sons, and he loved them both. It appears, however, that when he came of age, the younger son was no longer happy living at home. Perhaps like many young people, he was tired of living under his father's roof and having to abide by his father's rules. It's also likely, based on what follows, that he was attracted to the world. He wanted to live in and for the world and to enjoy all the pleasures of the world. But in order to do this, he needed to move out of his father's house. Most likely because his father would not approve. What is more, he needed money. But where would he get it? He thought and he thought and he thought. And then one day he hit on an idea. He would ask his father for an advance on his inheritance. And that's what he did. Father, he said, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. You notice that this was not merely a request. It was a demand. The son said, give me. Notice too that he did not ask his father for what he thought was fit to give him, but what he felt he was entitled to. Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. In other words, give me what is owing to me. Now how that must have hurt his father. By asking for his share of the inheritance, the younger son was effectively wishing that his father was dead. But amazingly, his father agreed. We read in verse 12 that he divided unto them his living. Notice he divided unto them, he gave a portion to his younger son and a portion to his elder son, which was only fair. Well how much did the younger son get? Well we cannot say, Jesus doesn't tell us. According to the law of Moses in Deuteronomy 21 verse seven, the elder son always received a double portion compared to the other children in the family. But since there was only one other son in the family, this meant that the younger son received one third of his father's estate. And since his father appears to have been quite wealthy, for he is said to have had hired servants, and he had the wherewithal to provide his son with a ring and a robe and sandals and a host of great feast, it's likely that this was a sizable amount of money. Whatever the case, Jesus says that not many days after receiving his share, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. You notice what he did. Jesus says he gathered all together. In other words, he took everything that he had, or rather everything that his father had given to him and provided for him, and he left. He took his journey into a far country. Now he could have moved close by, but he chose not to. He wanted to get as far away from his father as he could. And then he wasted his substance with riotous living. We could also translate, he squandered his wealth by living extravagantly. So rather than invest his money or use it to support himself while he found a way to make a living, the younger son spent all that he had on frivolous, unnecessary, and even sinful things. But then something unexpected happened. We read in verse 14 that there arose a famine in the land. Now famines were common enough in that part of the world. We read of such famines many times in the scriptures. But this famine was no ordinary famine. Jesus says it was a mighty famine. That means it was very serious. And as a result of the famine, the young man suddenly found himself in want. And so he did the only thing he could think of. He went out, Jesus said, and joined himself to a citizen of that country who sent him into his fields to feed swine. Now in Jewish culture, swine were considered unclean. For that reason, for a Jew to feed swine was considered the most degrading and despicable occupation imaginable. But this young man had no other choice. He either did this or he starved. What is more, Jesus tells us in verse 16 that he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat. Now husks were probably the pods of a carob tree, which are common in Palestine. And though suitable for pigs, they were not at all suitable for human beings. The point is that this young man would gladly have eaten the husks that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. What a pathetic scene. This young man had everything going for him. He had a fine house to live in. He had a loving father. He had plenty to eat and to drink. But now he found himself in the direst of circumstances. It could not get any worse than this. Now, what does all of this mean? Well, in light of the context, it's clear that this young man represents the publicans and sinners. Like the young man in this parable, they enjoyed many privileges. They were members of God's covenant. God was their God and they were his people. And as such, God promised to provide them with everything that they needed, both for this life and for the life to come. But they turned their back on it all. They were more interested in the world and everything that it had to offer than in God. And sadly, there are still many people like that today. Maybe you're one of them. Like this young man, you too were brought up with the truth. You enjoyed the benefit of a Christian upbringing, but you have turned your back on it. You don't read your Bible anymore. You don't pray anymore. You hardly, if ever, go to church. Or maybe you still do go to church, but your heart is not in it. You're just going through the motions. You don't really want to be there because you don't really love the Lord Jesus, and you don't love his word, and you don't love his people. You're not interested in living for him or serving him. You are more interested in the world and the things of the world than in God. My friend, if that describes you today, you are in great trouble. Don't you know that the world and the things of the world cannot satisfy? Some of the richest people in the world are also the most unhappy and the most unfulfilled. Just ask the movie stars and the pop music stars and they'll tell you. That's why so many of them have broken marriages and addictions because with all their money and all of their fame, they're not happy. Nor can money bring them happiness. The only way we can be truly happy and satisfied in this life is if we live our lives in the service of the Lord. The sooner we realize that, the better off we all will be. Fortunately, the younger son also came to this realization, and he was humbled by it. And that brings us to our second point. Day after day, the younger son looked after the pigs. And with each passing day, he became more and more hungry. Then one day, Jesus says, he came to himself. Or we could also translate, he came to his senses. Specifically, he considered how bad his condition was. He says, I perish with hunger. Notice he doesn't simply say, I'm hungry, but I perish with hunger. He understood the depth of his need and his misery. He considered, too, how much better it might be if he would return to his father. He says, how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare? Now a hired servant is another term for a day laborer, since servants did not get paid. These are people that his father would have hired to do only one day of work. The young man realized that even the lowest paid people in the employ of his father had more to eat than he did. And after considering all this, the young man resolved to act. First of all, he resolved what to do. He says, I will arise and go to my father. Now that was quite an undertaking. Remember, he was then in a far country. To go back to his father would involve a long, arduous, and possibly fatal journey, especially in light of his weakened condition. But that did not matter to him. He was willing to endure hardships and trials. He was willing to pay any cost in order to return to his father. What is more, he had joined himself to a citizen of that country, and as such, he was duty-bound to serve him. But that did not matter to him either. He was willing to break his contract and suffer whatever penalties were due to him in order to return to his father. He also resolved what to say. First of all, he would confess his sin against God and against his father. Then he would acknowledge that he had forfeited all the privileges that he once had, that he was no longer worthy to be called his father's son. And then he would nevertheless beg for admission back into his father's house, even if it meant becoming as one of his father's hired servants. Now, dear friends, what Jesus is illustrating for us here is true repentance. The person who is truly repentant does a complete about face on sin. What is more, he abandons any claim he thought he had on God, and he begs to be restored to fellowship with God, even if it means taking the lowest position. Now that's what the younger son did. He repented of his sin. Now the question that we want to consider for a moment is what caused him to repent? Well, you might say it was his circumstances. He had to go back to his father in order to survive. If he didn't, he would perish. Now that's true, of course, but there's more than that. That explains why he turned his back on his sin, but it does not explain why he returned to his father. You see, the younger son technically did not have to go back to his father. He could have traveled to another country and tried his luck there. but instead he chose to go back to his father. Why? Well, because he knew that his father's heart was full of love. And as such, he knew that his father would not utterly reject him. Oh, he might not receive him anymore as a son, and he was not expecting that either, but he would at least receive him as a hired servant. And even if he did not, he at least had to try. And so he resolved to go back home. My friend, the same is true for us. What is it that causes a sinner to return to the Lord and humble himself in the process? In some cases, it is the fear of eternal damnation in hell. But in many other cases, it is knowing that God is a God of love, and that as a God of love, he will forgive and restore. The Apostle Paul acknowledges as much when he says in Romans 2 verse 24 that it's the goodness of God that leads to repentance. Yes, my friends, nothing will break a hardened heart quite like the love of God. Oh, since that is so, let his love humble you. Let his love draw you. Those who come to him drawn by his love, he will in no wise cast out. And we see that also illustrated here in this parable that brings us to our third and final point. After deciding what he would say, the younger son began the long journey back home. As he approached his father's house, something amazing happened. Jesus says, while he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. What a wonderful and amazing display of love. But there's more here. For after being embraced and kissed by his father, the son proceeded to deliver the speech that he had prepared earlier. And he says in verse 21, father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Now it's not clear whether the younger son when he rehearsed these words really meant what he was planning to say. It's possible that by this speech he simply wanted to curry the favor of his father so that he would receive him back into fellowship. But if he did not mean it then, he most surely meant it now. So overwhelmed he must have been by his father's love and affection. But notice that before he could get to the part about making him as one of his hired servants, the father, as if with his finger on his son's mouth, says to his servants, bring forth the bestrobe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry, for this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. and they began to be merry. Notice the dramatic contrasts in this scene. The son came home in rags. The father commanded his servants to clothe him with the best robe and to place a ring on his finger. The son came home hungry. His father commanded his servants to kill the fatted calf. The son came home sad. The father commanded his servants to make merry. And so not only did the father readily forgive his son, he also met his needs, and he restored him to his position of honor, and he ordered everyone in his household to celebrate his return. Now we learn several things from this. We learn, first of all, something about the readiness and the willingness of God to forgive and restore sinners to himself. Like the father in the parable, God, as it were, scans the horizon in the hope of seeing his wayward children coming home to him. And when he sees them, he has compassion on them. He runs to them, he embraces them, and he kisses them. Oh, dear friends, never think that God is reluctant or even unwilling to forgive and restore. He most certainly is not. He is infinitely more ready and willing to forgive and restore than we are ready and willing to be forgiven and to be restored by Him. We learn, secondly, that the conversion of a sinner to God involves a radical change, as radical as bringing a dead body to life. Notice that the father said, this my son was dead, and is alive again, he was lost and is found. And that is what we are by nature. Before our conversion to Christ, we are spiritually dead. But when the Lord works in our hearts and when he brings us to himself and he restores us to himself, then that which is dead becomes alive. How great, how wonderful, how powerful is the converting grace of God? Thirdly, we learn here that the conversion of a sinner is greatly pleasing to God. In fact, nothing gives God more pleasure than to see a sinner repent and return to the Lord. As Jesus says in verse 10, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents. Now if that is true for God, then it ought also to be true for us. Was this not the very point that Jesus was seeking to make in this and in the two preceding parables? Remember the context. The religious leaders were murmuring because Jesus received sinners and ate with them. And in so doing, they demonstrated that they did not have the mind or the heart of God. And we need to take warning that we don't follow in their footsteps. Let us never murmur when we see sinners coming to Christ in repentance. Rather, let us rejoice. What is more, let us not hold grudges against those who sin against us. Rather, let us be as willing and ready to forgive and to restore others as the Father is willing and ready to forgive and to restore us. Dear friends, I began this sermon by observing that the God whom we serve is a God of love, and He manifests that love in so many ways, also here in this parable. What is it that motivates God to forgive and restore sinners to himself? The answer is love. As impossible as it may seem, God loves sinners. Why does he love sinners? Well, it's not because of anything in us, for there is absolutely nothing. There's no reason in us whatsoever that God should love us. but it's only through Christ. He is the reason why God can love sinners. He is the reason why God can forgive sinners. He is the reason why God can restore sinners because he laid down his life for them. He was stripped bare that we might be clothed with the best robe. He was cursed that we might be blessed. He was made sorrowful that we might rejoice. He was rejected that we might be accepted. He was cast out that we might be received. Therefore, dear prodigals listening to this broadcast this morning, do not delay in returning to God. whether that be for the first time or whether that be again or again or again. Remember, He scans the horizon, even now, and He waits, yes, even longs for sinners to return to Him. Oh, my friend, let nothing hold you back. Go to Him. Confess your sin. Confess your hardness of heart, your lack of faith, your lack of love, your lack of zeal. And he will forgive, and he will restore. And he will declare with heartfelt joy and satisfaction, this, my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost, and now he is found. Amen. Dear friends, it's always a great blessing and encouragement to us to hear from our listeners. If you were blessed by the message you have heard today, or if you were blessed by previous messages on this program, won't you please take a moment and let us know Our mailing address is Banner of Truth, 3386 Mount Lehman Road. Lehman is spelled L-E-H-M-A-N, and that's in Abbotsford, British Columbia, V4X2M9. Or you can give me a call at 778-982-9102. And please remember to include the call letters of this station. If you would like to listen to the message you have just heard again, or if you would like more information about our program, including how to contact us and how to listen to other messages on this program, please visit our website at banneroftruthradio, that's all one word, banneroftruthradio.com. 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