Baptismal Service

Well, thank you, Peter.

And thank you, Christy and Michael, for sharing with us.

It's just so great to hear about how God is working in people's lives,

and what he's doing, and how he is not a dead God, but he is a living God.

And great as well to hear Starkey's current relationship status as well.

Fantastic.

Why don't we turn back to this passage, folks?

It's a brilliant chapter in the Bible, Luke chapter 15.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

And we're going to spend just a few minutes now looking at this together.

So why don't you turn there, if you've got it in front of you.

And let me pray as we come to look at this passage together.

Let's pray.

Father God, we thank you so much for this special morning,

and the joy of hearing stories about how you are living,

and how you continue to transform lives up and down the face of this planet.

And so, Lord God, we ask that you continue to do that now as we look at your words, the Bible.

Would you give us ears to listen?

Would you give us eyes to see?

Would you give us minds to grasp who you really are?

So this is our prayer made in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So just as we come to this passage this morning,

I want to tell you a story about a man I was reading about this week.

And this man, in 1962, goes with his guitar and his three friends to a recording studio.

And he performs in front of a producer,

one of the first ever music editions that he's played in his life.

And once he and his friends had finished playing in front of this producer,

they asked the record producer what he thought of them.

And he replied,

We don't like your boy's sound.

Groups are out.

Four-piece groups, especially with guitars, are finished.

Turn to your neighbor for ten seconds.

Who do you think was the man and who was the group?

Go for it.

Go for it.

Okay, that'll do.

Give me a couple of shouts.

Who do we think?

Who was that?

Who's the man?

The Beatles.

It was Paul McCartney,

and it was the Beatles performing one of their first ever editions.

That guy's kicking himself.

He missed out on the Beatles.

So my question this morning to you as we come to this passage is,

has there ever been a time in your life where you've got someone completely wrong?

And as we come to this passage this morning,

are you in life at the minute misunderstanding who God is?

Let's put it in the language of this passage here.

Have you got right the Father this morning?

You see, Jesus tells this story in Luke 5.

He tells this parable,

which is really an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

That's what a parable is.

And he doesn't just fling it out there in public.

He tells this story to a watching and a listening crowd.

And if you've got your Bibles there,

you'll see who's in this crowd at verse 1 of chapter 15.

There are two groups of people in this crowd.

On the one hand,

we've got tax collectors and sinners.

We have the despised and the most hated of society.

They're listening to this story.

And on the other hand,

we have the Pharisees and the scribes.

We've got the religious elite and the top of society.

And what is happening as Jesus tells this story?

What are the bad doing?

They are drawing near to Jesus.

They're drawing and they're coming near to Jesus.

And these squeaky clean people over here are looking at these people,

drawing near to Jesus.

And they're saying,

Jesus, why on earth are you interested in these people?

Why are you hanging out with these people?

He can't seriously,

he cannot seriously,

John McEnroe style.

He cannot seriously be telling me that God is concerned with these types of people.

Well, you see,

we need to know what Jesus knows about this crowd.

That there's people in this crowd who have got God completely wrong.

Question to you,

have you got God wrong this morning?

You see,

this parable that Jesus tells to this crowd,

it centers on a family home.

And it centers particularly around a father.

Okay,

he's the main character in this story.

And the big question of the parable is,

what is the father like?

What is he like?

What is his heart?

What is he about?

What is he in the business of?

What is he doing?

This father,

he's got two sons.

And we meet the two sons in this parable.

And the question is,

what do the sons,

the two sons,

understand about their father?

Well,

you see,

at verse 12,

we get son number one,

the younger of the sons.

Now,

what is he like?

Well,

he loves the high life.

He loves the expensive suits.

He loves the clothes.

He loves the parties.

He loves the razzle dazzle.

But what do you lack?

He lacks two things.

He lacks,

firstly,

the money to make that happen.

And secondly,

he lacks the freedom

to make that happen.

So what does he do?

He goes to the father,

his father,

and he says,

father,

do you notice what he says?

He doesn't ask him,

have you got any spare change?

He doesn't ask him for a tenner.

What he says to his dad is,

dad,

I'd be so grateful.

I'd be so grateful.

If effectively,

you could play dead.

I'd love it if you could die,

because if you're dead,

and we act like you're dead,

I can get the inheritance money

that is coming to me.

And I'll be honest with you,

I don't want to wait

for that inheritance money.

I want it now.

In other words,

dad,

I'm not interested in you.

Not interested in you,

but I'm very interested

in the stuff

I can get from you.

Who does this son,

number one,

understand his father to be?

His father is nothing

but an inconvenience.

His father is nothing

but a killjoy.

He's a means to an end.

How he understands

understands and views

the world

is that true joy

is to be found

away from the father

and true satisfaction

is to be found

in living a life

of pleasure and party

that can only be found

in running

as far away

from his father

as is possible.

Is that how you see

the father this morning?

You know,

C.S. Lewis,

in his book,

Surprised by Joy,

he talks about

his conversion

to Christianity

and he talks about

what his thinking of God

was before his conversion

to Christianity

and he writes that

Christianity

had at its center

a giant interferer.

Do you see what he's saying?

That God just,

he just got in the way

of stuff.

He was prohibiting me

from doing things.

Is that how you understand

the father this morning?

You see,

son number one,

he's got his father

all wrong.

But his father,

he gives him

what he's asking for.

The father,

what does he do

in this passage?

He divides his property.

Now the Greek word there

tells us that it's more

than he just writes a check

and has it to his son.

The father here

is literally said

to divide himself

over this request

from his son.

Do you see what he's saying?

Jesus is telling the story

and telling us

that this father

is heartbroken

over this request

from his son.

And the son,

well,

he takes his father's money

and he beats it out of there

as fast as he can

and he goes on the gap yards

of all gap yards.

Doesn't he?

He parties.

Every round at the bar

is on him.

Every photo he posts

on Facebook,

he's surrounded by friends.

This guy's living the life.

But what happens?

Well,

the money runs out

and those newfound friends

that he thought he had,

they were nowhere to be seen.

And exactly how he treated

the father,

that he was interested

in his stuff,

not him,

that's exactly how

these newfound friends

have treated him.

They want his stuff,

not him.

And to survive,

what does he have to do?

Well,

he's a Jewish boy

and in this passage

he makes himself

a slave to a Gentile

and a Gentile pig farmer.

I mean,

this is the ultimate

humiliation

for this son,

number one.

Verse 17,

he comes to his senses

and he decides

that he is better off

at home.

So you can picture it

in your head.

He's making the long journey home

with the cap

well and truly

in his hand.

And he's no doubt

thinking to himself

in his mind

as he returns home

a failure,

he understands,

not a success.

He returns home

no career,

no Ferrari,

just ripped clothes,

an empty stomach

and a catalogue

of regrets

and mistakes.

So when he gets home

and his father sees

that he's blown it

big time,

all this money

that the father gave him

to start with

is just gone,

how is the father

going to react?

Do you see how he rehearses

this speech

in his head?

You ever done that

with your dad?

You should do it

plenty of times

before I gave him

my report card.

Rehearsed the speech

in my head

again and again.

How is the father

going to react

to this running

rebel of a son?

We know what

son number one deserves.

The listeners of this parable

know what son number one

deserves.

Hey, even son number one

knows what son number one

deserves.

The question is,

how will the father

react to this running

rebel?

Well, verse 20.

The camera pans

from looking at son number one

to looking at the father.

And I just want us

to see two words

this morning

that Jesus uses

to describe the father.

How does this father

feel towards his son?

Verse 20.

Compassion.

What is the father

doing here?

The father is looking.

The father is longing.

The father is loving.

And when he sees his son

in the distance,

he runs to meet him

and greets him.

Not with a handshake.

Not with a fist pump.

Not with a nod

of appreciation.

He meets him

with a loving embrace.

He runs to his son

to greet him

and he kisses him

and he throws his arms

around him.

Now, we have to say

that is very strange behavior.

not just for a male

but for a Jewish male

in this time.

Do you see how the father

makes himself undignified

because of how much

he loves his son?

My son who is lost

is now found.

Now, what does that lead to?

Second word for us to see

at verse 23.

The father celebrates.

Celebrates.

The father is joyous.

The father is lavish.

The father sings

and he dances

for the son of his

who was dead

is now alive.

Who is this father?

He is the longing looker.

He is the loving seeker.

He is the one

who celebrates

when lost people are found.

He is the one

who rejoices

when dead people

are declared alive.

What is the message

to the crowd

that are hearing

the story from Jesus?

That this is how

God feels

when lost men

and women

turn and repent

of their sins

and run towards God

for forgiveness

and mercy.

This is how God feels.

All people,

no matter how bad

you think they are,

all people,

no matter how good

you think they are,

the father is looking

for these lost people

to come to their senses

and see that they are lost

and to run to him

for forgiveness

and mercy,

to come to him

and receive life

and joy.

This is what the father's like.

He's full of compassion

and grace.

Have you got the father

wrong this morning?

How do you

understand him?

Are you like

son number one?

Do you believe

the lie

that a complete

and a joyful life

is found

in living life

away from him,

not with him?

The question

to this crowd

and to us

this morning

is

how will the younger

brothers

in the crowd

react

as they see

themselves

in this character

and as they see

the character

of who the father is?

There's son number one.

There's another son

in the story.

What about him?

What's he doing?

Well, he's in the field.

He's at home

and verse 25

he hears the commotion

that's going on inside

and he finds out

that lo and behold

son number one

is back.

The arrogant traveler

he's returned.

But here is the square

that he can't quite

circle in his mind.

If my brother

has returned

a failure

then why are we

celebrating like

he's returned

a success?

You see

the older brother

wants a seat

at the front row

of his brother's

public humiliation

party

not at the front row

of his public

celebration

welcome home party.

and the father

the father

hears of this

and he goes

to number two

son

and he pleads

with him

saying son

listen

your brother

has returned

you should be

inside

celebrating

with me

and with us.

Don't stare here

in the cold

come on in

and celebrate.

not a chance

says the older brother

not a chance

are you kidding me

after what he did

that he's going to

swan in here

and we're going to

pretend like nothing's

happened

is that what's

going on here?

Who does son

number two

understand his

father to be?

Well look how he

describes how he

understands that

relationship at

verse 29

all these years

father

what does he say

I have what?

I have slaved

for you

all these years

I have

what does he say

I have obeyed

your orders

who does son

number two

understand the

father to be?

Someone to be

tolerated

and someone

with whom you

keep up appearances

with

certainly not

somebody to be

enjoyed

because I

tolerate you

father

because I

perform for you

father

because I

obey you

father

that means

father

that I

deserve to be

treated better

than those who

don't tolerate

and perform

and obey

you

you see son

number one

well he had

the father way

wrong

son number two

equally got the

father way

wrong

what's son

number two's

problem?

Well he's got a

hard heart

he may well be

right up close

to the father

proximity wise

but his heart

is a million

miles away

from understanding

who he truly

is

I wonder if

that's some

of us this

morning

you know your

relationship with

the father

if you had to

describe it

it would be

much better

described along

the lines of

slave language

than it would

of son

language

you know we

might have been

going to church

all these years

we might have

been attending

the Christian

union at

university

all these years

we might have

been blessed

to live

and grow up

in a Christian

family

and still live

there all

these years

but the truth

of it is

that we do

not have a

clue who the

father really

is

and our

relationship to

him well it's

based on our

merit before him

rather than on

his mercy to

us

and how does

that show

itself

how does that

manifest itself

well it shows

itself in a

hard heart

that looks

down on

people

and categorizes

them

as not

worthy

or worthy

that's certainly

a proportion of

this crowd

that Jesus

is talking

to

and I wonder

if it's a

proportion of

us this

morning

let me ask

you again

if you got

the father

wrong this

morning

it's interesting

isn't it

that as we

come to the

end of this

story that

we're not

told how

some number

two responds

I mean this

is a deliberate

cliffhanger from

the master

storyteller of

all storytellers

Jesus Christ

so how will

the older

brothers in

the crowd

and how will

the older

brothers here

this morning

respond as

they see

themselves in

his character

and as they

see the

character of

the father

displayed in

front of him

he got God

wrong this

morning

well as we

close see that

there's a third

son in this

parable

you say where's

the third son

in this parable

well he's there

we remember

that the guy

who's telling

this story

Jesus Christ

is himself

a son

not an

imaginary one

but a real

son and if

we take a

step back

from the

story

we need to

consider that

he himself

is a son

he's God's

own son

God's own

son who

left his

father's

heavenly house

and who

left it to

go and

search out

those who

are lost

he left it

to go and

seek out and

to save

those who

are running

because where

does this story

come in the

context the

bigger picture

of Luke's

gospel

we're chapter

15 here

well Jesus

tells this

story on his

way to

Jerusalem

the place

where he

goes to

offer his

life willfully

and obediently

to his

father

the place

where he

goes to

take the

sin of

running

rebels

like you

and like

me

on himself

you see

God

the father

hasn't just

swept sin

under the

carpet

he doesn't

just pretend

and close his

eyes like it's

not there

he's dealt

with it

you see

the father's

grace to

running rebels

like us

it's free

but don't

misunderstand

that it's

cheap

this is what

son number

three has

come to do

through costly

grace and

great humiliation

provide a way

for running

rebels like us

to come

and be made

whole with

God

to come

and be

reconciled

to God

the father

that's what

he's come

to do

that's the

business he's

employed in

just as much

as just as

much today

as it was

true then

you see in

that sense

Jesus is not

just the one

son who

gets the

father

absolutely

right

but he is

the one

who perfectly

shows us

what the

father is

like

and to be

honest I

think in

this parable

he probably

is the

father

that's the

consistent theme

we've heard in

the testimonies

this morning

isn't it

that Jesus

is the great

seeker and

finder of the

lost

that Jesus

sought me

out and he

saved me

when I wasn't

looking for him

in fact when I

was running

from him

he came

looking for me

and rescued

me back

I don't

deserve to be

called a son

or daughter

but he

makes me

into one

and he

has made

a way

for me

to come

and be

welcomed

into the

father's

house

so the

call this

morning is

for younger

brothers

and for

older

brothers

to get

the father

right

and to be

made right

with the

father

to come

and through

Jesus Christ

enter the

grand and

great grace

celebration of

prodigals

welcomed

home

let me

pray

and then

let's

get dunking

oh our

father

we thank

you

we thank

you

thank you

that we

read in

your word

the bible

that you

are in

the business

of showing

outrageous

grace

to running

rebels

and lord

our prayer

is that you

would help

us to know

you rightly

this week

and we

pray these

things in

Jesus name

amen