III. The Parable Of The Partying Father Flashcards
The Parable of the Lost Son should actually be ?
The Parable of the TWO Lost Sons!
Jesus is again addressing what two audiences ?
- The sinners and the tax collectors
2. The Pharisees and teachers of the law
How do we know he son is asking his dad for the part of his dad’s life that the son was going to inherit and was treating his father as if he was dead ?
The word “estate” in verse 12 in the Greek is literally translated: “The Life.” You usually get this when one was dead.
The prodigal son goes off to a “distant country” implies ?
.
The son then “lands” the least desirable job for any Jew – feeding the pigs! Pigs were unclean for the Jew and yet the son couldn’t even have the pig’s food!
Not Israel, so not God’s people. He had completely fallen away from God.
Interestingly, this son goes to a distant country OF HIS CHOICE; squanders what he has ON HIS CHOICE; and spends everything he has OF HIS CHOICE. Then a “severe famine” comes, NOT his choice implies ?
This implies it was the hand of God. When people leave God, He makes sure it will be worse than what you ever think:
In this distant country…
The prodigal son doesn’t know anyone – no real friends; spent everything so he has nothing; and a severe famine comes so he is starving.
The son then “lands” the least desirable job for any Jew which is ? And why ?
Feeding the pigs! Pigs were unclean for the Jew and yet the son couldn’t even have the pig’s food!
When you hit rock bottom…
One come to one’s senses.
A Chinese Proverb says…
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”
What passage is usually the first Scripture Kip uses for every restoration study ?
“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.” Luke 15:20b
Why does he focus more on who God is before addressing the son ?
People who have fallen away have “forgotten” the heart and goodness of God.
In this verse, God is watching from afar waiting for his son to return. He is “FILLED with compassion” implying ?
There is no anger – only love!
The father (God) sees his lost son and “RAN” to his son and “KISSED HIM.” God takes initiative to bring him back to His house! When we see the heart of God it does what ?
Moves us to love Him!
Then the father gives him a “ROBE” symbolizing ?
sonship
Gives him a “RING” implying ?
Implying that the lost son is again his son
Gives him “SANDELS” representing ?
Wealth and being taken care of
Grills steaks “FATTENED CALF” for a feast implying ?
It is time to celebrate!
Again the two themes are here ?
Welcoming and Eating
When you realize God has always been “watching” you…
It takes away all your pride.
In the younger son story, Jesus is “aiming” at who ?
The tax collector and sinners,
While the account of the older son is “aimed” for who ?
Pharisees and teachers of the law.
Notice the older son is also OUTSIDE the house implying ?
He too is not in God’s house. (The second son was equally lost.)
1 Corinthians 11:30
“That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.”
The top 7 most frequent reasons why disciples fall away were ?
- The World
- Persecution
- Greed
- Pride
- Sentimentality
- “Do” rather than “be”
- Do not understand the Grace of God
When we don’t confess our sin we ?
Will believe we don’t have sin, and then forget we need the grace of God.
People fall away later because they “lost” this sense of what grace ?
Coming out of the waters of baptism! They “feel” and understand the grace of God so they are filled with joy!
If someone is unhappy in the fellowship there is something wrong spiritually and we need to ?
Draw them out, so they can repent, “remember” the grace of God, and participate in the celebration at the party – the church service!
We need to confess and repent of our sin, no matter our ?
Position or age and realize we need the blood of Jesus every day!
