Go ahead and turn to Luke chapter 15. I'm going to read through the whole chapter, so just bear with me. Luke chapter 15, starting at verse 1, says, Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners, for to hear him speaking of Jesus. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons, or just persons rather, which need no repentance. Either what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she loses one piece, doth not light a candle and sweep the house and seek diligently until she find it, And when she had found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the peace which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. And he 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 thrivous 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 when he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat, then 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 I will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. and am no more worthy to be called by 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 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. 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 married. Now his elder son was in the field, and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry and would not go in, and therefore came his father out and entreated him, And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, and neither transgressed at any time thy commandment. And yet thou never gavest me a kid that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured the living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad, for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again, and was lost, and now is found. So, I didn't really have to read the whole chapter, because my main text is going to be specifically the parable of the prodigal son, but Jesus gave these parables consecutively, so I figured I would read them consecutively. But, that being said, let's pray before I continue. Father, help me to convey your word accurately. I am not worthy. I'm not able to do that by myself. I need your help. Lord, I ask that you use your word to bless us. Use your word to save. Lord, it's your name we pray. Amen. So In here, the first overarching theme that we see throughout all three of these parables is the recovery of the lost. Obviously, you have the recovery of the lost sheep, you have the recovery of the lost coin or the piece of silver, and you have the recovery of the lost son. But the second overarching theme is the joy that is found in that recovery. And you see there in verse 7 where Jesus says, I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance. The main point of of this overarching theme. The point that was being conveyed here is that more so than the person with the sheep rejoiced when that sheep was found, heaven rejoices when a sinner comes to repentance. And more so than the woman rejoiced when she found her coin, God rejoices when a sinner comes to repentance. But this brings into question where Or do we rather have that same joy? Because the problem here, the reason why Jesus gave these parables is because the Pharisees obviously didn't. We see there in verse 2, And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. They were not joyful about the fact that these sinners were coming to listen to Jesus and listen to the truth because in their heart they have separated themselves from the sinners. In their heart they've said, I'm better than them. I'm not a sinner. I'm not one of those guys. Why are you associating yourself with them? You're one of our guys. Why are you sitting with them? Why are you eating with them? And so there was that self-righteousness inside of them that kept them from that joy mentioned. And it is extremely easy for us to fall into that same mindset. And it's the mindset that we see there at the end of the chapter with the elder brother. I'll go ahead and read that. Now his elder son was in the field, and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing, and he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry. and would not go in, therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering, said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgress I at any time thy commandment. And yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. So this elder brother here has this mindset of, what about me? I followed the rules, I did what I was supposed to, where's my fatted calf? See, he has this same mindset of him being separated from the sinners because of his works, because of his self-righteousness. And just a little side note, From what I've noticed, this is just from what I've seen, and as I am 18 years old, that's not all that much. I understand that. But if we're talking denominations, Baptists tend to be some of the worst on this mindset. Because there's a whole lot of legalism in our denomination, and legalism is the breeding ground for this mindset. This idea of, well, they didn't dot their I's and cross their T's just like I did, then I'm therefore superior to them. And obviously that's not every Baptist church, I'm not saying that. But I do want to remind you that every person in this room can fall into sin just as quickly and just as easily as the vilest and most wretched of sinners out there. Because apart from Jesus, that's exactly who we are. Turn to Matthew chapter 18. I've got several references in here, so be prepared to turn. Matthew chapter 18, verse 11. We see a shorter version of this lost sheep parable. Jesus says here, For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye, if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep than of the ninety and nine which went not astray." So we see here in Matthew chapter 18 that Jesus came to save that which was lost. In John 3, 16, we all know this verse, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. So God's love is so intense, it's so great that he sent his Son to pay the penalty of the sin for whosoever will believe in his finished work on the cross and in return we receive his righteousness and that's a pretty darn good deal right there for us at least. John chapter 12. John chapter 12 and verse 44. It says, "...Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come, a light unto the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him not. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." So again, we see this idea of Jesus coming to earth for the purpose of saving. And we see this over and over again in Scripture, this idea of Jesus being Savior, but why? Why would Jesus want to be our Savior, knowing, as I just said, apart from Christ, we are the vilest, the wretched, most sinner, just like everybody else apart from Christ. Turn to Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2, starting in verse 1. Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, diamond the wrong chapter. I am in the correct chapter now. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." So we see here Jesus is our Savior, chose to be our Savior because of the joy that was set before Him. What in the world could have been so enticing that the Creator of the universe would leave His home in heaven and come down to earth in the form of a man. And not just that, because that in itself is absurd, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would come down in the form of man. but He came to serve others. And we see that even to the extent of Him kneeling down and washing His disciples' feet, which is one of the lowest positions in that culture at the time. But God put Himself there. What could have been so enticing that the Creator of the universe would wash His disciples' feet that he would willingly be beaten, spat upon, he had a beard plucked from his face. And every now and then I'd get one straight hair that's a little longer than the rest of them, and I'd just yank that out, and that hurts. That's just one hair. He had the beard plucked from his face, the whole thing. He was hung on a cross to die, and even worse, he was forsaken by his own father, and he did all of that willingly. What could that joy have been? What could have been so enticing that the Creator of the universe would have went through all of that? Me and you. It's the whosoever mentioned in John 3.16. It's the joy mentioned in Luke chapter 15. It's me and you. We are that joy mentioned in Luke chapter 15. Let's go back there to Luke chapter 15 and look at my main text. The parable of the prodigal son. Some call it the parable of the elder brother. I think both are equally valid names. Because there's a little bit of the prodigal son in all of us, I believe, and there's a little bit of the elder brother in all of us, I believe. Luke chapter 15, in verse 11, And he said, A certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that follow to me. And he divided unto them his living. If I ask dad right now to give me my inheritance, first thing he would say is, well he would laugh in my face and say, you don't have an inheritance. Secondly, he'd probably slap me in the face for asking a stupid question like that. But the father in this parable gives it to him. Verse 13, 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 the 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 the 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. So he went from living, I would imagine, rather comfortably in his father's house to seeing something that he wanted but didn't have. He wanted his inheritance. So he goes from living comfortably in his father's house to asking for his inheritance early to going into a far country to taking care of pigs because he didn't have anything, and to the point of eating the pigs' food because he didn't have anything. And I want to say that sin can look very appealing from the outside. But if you chase that down, you will lose everything. See here that the son wanted his inheritance, he wasted it all, and then he had nothing left. It's a very familiar pattern. We see stuff that we don't want or don't have that we do want as if it's bait on a hook and like a fish we bite down on the hook and we turn around and see that we've left everything that we had before behind us. Romans 8, verse 13, Paul says, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. But if ye, through the Spirit, do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. In other words, kill your sin, or it will kill you. It may not kill you physically, but it will kill your joy, it will kill your peace, and many times it will leave you wishing you were dead. It may seem great for a little while, It may feel like everything you've ever dreamed of, but it won't be long before you turn around and realize everything you had is back there. Then you turn back around and everything that you thought was great is gone too. And you have nothing. Verse 17. It says, "...and when he came to himself..." Let's stop right there. I'm thankful for the day that I came to myself. But I understand that you don't come to yourself by yourself. Turn to John 6. John chapter 6 and verse 44. John 6 verse 44 says, No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. The only way that your eyes can be opened is that God opens them for you. The only way that you come to yourself is that God reveal to you yourself. God must give that understanding. But let's continue in verse 17. When he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and spare, and I perish with hunger? I will arise and go to my father, and I 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. So the son here comes to the conclusion that the servants in his father's house, where he was before living rather comfortably, the servants in his house have plenty to eat. He's eating his pig food. So he's going to go back to his father and tell his father that he's no longer worthy to be called a son and he just wants to be a servant. And I'm going to say He's right. He's not worthy to be called a son. Isaiah chapter 64 verses 5 and 7. I won't turn there. I'll just read it from my notes. Thou meetest Him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness. Those that remember Thee in Thy ways, behold, Thou art wrath, for we have sinned. his continuance, and we shall be saved. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. and there is none that calleth upon thy name, that steareth up himself to take hold of thee. For thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us because of our iniquities." All of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags compared to the standard of perfection that is God. Our very best works, the very best that we can do, is not enough. We are not worthy in and of ourselves to be called sons or daughters of God. Romans 3, verse 23 says, "...for I have seen and come forward in the glory of God." Are you seeing the parallel here between the Son and us? None of God's children are worthy to be called God's children. Not a single one. Aside from Jesus, of course. And I'll go a step further and say that none of us are worthy to be servants of God either. But we serve a very loving, gracious, and merciful God. Had He only sent me to hell for a little while, that would have been an astounding measure of grace, an astounding measure of mercy. But Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 that we are ambassadors. I don't just get to be a son, I get to be a servant too. Because of the grace and the love of the Father. Let's continue there in verse 20. 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." So notice there, it was the father that saw the son and ran to the son. It wasn't that you chose God, but God chose you. When you couldn't get to God, God came to where you were at. Verse 21, 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. So in that last section, we really see the grace and love of the Father. The Son was not worthy to be a Son. He was not worthy to be called a Son. But the Father made Him a Son anyway. He continued to call Him a Son out of love and grace. And then after that, he poured out blessing after blessing after blessing out on them. He said, give me the robe that's going on him. Get him a ring. Get him the calf. He rejoiced and blessed his son, though he wasn't even worthy to be his son. And all I ever deserved was help. That's it. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. I didn't deserve anything from Him. But I've been made a son, I've been made an ambassador, I've been made a joint heir with Christ, And He continues to bless me every day. I don't deserve to be standing here. I don't deserve the house I live in. I don't deserve the family I have. I don't deserve the clothes I'm wearing. I don't deserve the truck that I have that doesn't even work. I don't deserve it. And if God never does a single thing for me ever again, He's already done enough. John 6 verse 37 says that, All the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will know why he is cast out. Come to Jesus. If you come to Jesus, He will not cast you out. That's all I've got.