What's Next

That honestly make you want to scratch your head a little bit, wonder.

One of those times was when he turned the tables, actually two of those times.

The Synoptic Gospels tells us, as Matthew, Mark, and Luke, they wrote very similarly,

tells us about Christ turning the tables at the end of his ministry.

When John mentions it, it's at the beginning of his ministry.

Both times, it was shocking that he did that.

We picture in our mind Jesus being the one that has the lamb on his shoulders,

that greets the children when they come, and that's exactly who he is,

healing others with a touch.

We don't think of him turning those tables.

But he does physically, but he also does mentally.

And even more than that, he does spiritually.

He'll turn the tables in your life if you'll listen to him.

He'll work and move in you.

And that's what happens in Luke chapter 15.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

Now, some of you may know that I preached on Luke 15 last week,

and some of you may not, even though you were here.

I remember years ago, an older pastor told me, he said,

all you need is five years worth of sermons,

and when you're done with those five years, you start over again.

I said, I've had long tenures, you know.

And I said, people, I wouldn't do that, but even if I did,

they would remember those.

And he said, they don't remember what you preached last week.

So, maybe not.

I want to look at Luke 15 again, and I'll just be honest,

I don't care to rehash.

And I don't aim it, folks.

I'll let the text take care of it.

And I'm not trying to insult your intelligence or waste your time

by dealing with this parable again.

I want to show you something this morning.

There's a part two here that you cannot miss.

You have to catch the context of all of Luke chapter 15.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

Jesus is taking in, loving on folks,

building relationships with folks that church folk don't like.

And the Pharisees and the scribes say,

this man is the one that receives sinners.

He even eats with them.

And Jesus does not buck that comment.

Instead, he responds to it.

By explaining God's reaction to the lost.

And by the way, when we say that people are lost without Christ,

that's where this comes from.

This is the biblical basis for such a comment.

He tells the story of the lost sheep.

A man lost one sheep.

He left 99 to go look for it.

He was never satisfied with just the 99.

He celebrated over the fact that he found the lost sheep.

And he said, in the same way, heaven rejoices to hear such.

And when the Pharisees and scribes heard him say that,

they rejoiced as well.

It was bowling right down their alley.

They liked it.

They didn't like him eating with sinners,

but praise God, God receives them.

He then speaks of lost money

and how the lady swept the house looking for one coin,

even though she had nine others just like it.

A few years ago, I arrived at a high school football game

before it was to start, and I was talking to somebody.

And Abby was standing right there with us,

and she looked down on a muddy ground

and found clean money just laying there,

right there between us.

It was four very new and folded $20 bills.

Money from heaven had fell.

I told her, I said,

go put it in the little booster booth over there,

and if somebody comes and claims it,

then, you know, they lost their money.

It's not yours.

But if nobody claims it by halftime,

you can have it.

You know?

They ain't lost it by halftime.

They ain't gonna get it.

They did not.

And when I went back to try to remember

which child this had happened to,

Abby confessed to me.

She didn't even realize she confessed.

She said, I put 40 in the booster

to see if anybody would claim it.

So anyway, she didn't even turn all the money in.

But anyway.

Nobody came,

and she went back and got the money.

I was public address announcing.

I snuck out of the booth

and went down to the concession stand

to get something to drink

to get me through halftime,

and I reached in my pocket,

and I had no money.

The $100 bill I had broke at lunchtime

and put the change in my pocket was gone.

Abby had retrieved that clean money on that money

because I had just dropped it.

So I did not want to take the zeal away from Abby

who had just found that money

and was so excited about it

by telling her it was mine.

For one, she'd probably still be bitter this day

and think I was lying.

So I did as any good dad does.

I negotiated with her to buy stuff

that I was already gonna have to buy on her behalf,

and we worked it out,

and I told her well after the fact

that when a teenager finds $80 clean dollars

on a muddy ground,

she feels like it's time to kill the fatted calf

or to buy a Louie or a golden goose

or whatever it is the latest overpriced trap is.

It's fun to find stuff.

Just like when a soul is found.

And people love a story about finding money,

and then Jesus goes again,

and he shares another.

And I want to warn you,

this one's a little more controversial.

It's Luke chapter 15, verse 11.

Luke 15:11

And it says,

And he said there was a man who had two sons,

and the younger of them said to his father,

Father, Father, give me the share of property

that's coming to me.

He divided his property between them.

Not many days later,

the younger son gathered all he had

and took a journey into a far country.

And there he squandered his property

in reckless living.

When he had spent everything,

a severe famine arose in that country,

and he began to be in need.

So he went and hired himself out

to one of the citizens of that country

who sent him into the field to feed pigs.

And he was longing to feed

with the pods that the pigs ate,

and no one gave him anything.

But when he came to himself,

he said,

How many of my father's hired servants

have more than enough bread,

but I perish here with hunger.

I will arise and go to my father,

and I'll say to him,

Father, I've sinned against heaven and before you.

I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

Treat me as one of your hired servants.

And he arose and came to his father,

but while he was still a long way off,

his father saw him and felt compassion

and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

And the son said to him,

Father, I've sinned against heaven and before you.

I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants,

Bring quickly the best robe.

Put it on him, put a ring on his hand,

shoes on his feet,

and bring the fatted calf and kill it

and let us eat and celebrate.

For this my son was dead,

and thank God is alive again.

Lost and is found.

And they began to celebrate.

Praise the Lord, a boy came home.

The lost has been saved,

and the Pharisees and the scribes

like that story too,

but let me tell you what they were thinking.

The part about the father running,

what's that about?

I mean, if that's to be the God,

the father,

he's not running to meet anybody.

Bless God, you crawl to get to his throne,

especially the lousy lost,

you know, them people.

That's what the Pharisees and the scribes were thinking.

Those people that are not like us.

So they're not so sure about what he's saying anymore.

These people don't even deserve to come before God

with all their wickedness.

Blowing money, sleeping around,

picking up odd jobs,

begging, or near about that.

But Jesus isn't done

because I want to remind you

of the context in which he speaks.

It's found in verse 2,

and it says,

and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled,

saying,

this man receives sinners and eats with them.

And I'm just going to tell you

that when Jesus got wind of them saying such as that,

it set him off.

And he's about to turn some spiritual tables over

because he goes on

and tells the second half of that story.

Now his older son was in the field,

and as he came and drew near to the house,

he heard music and dancing,

and he called one of his servants and asked,

what do these things mean?

And he said to him,

your brother's come,

and your father's killed the fatted calf

because he's received him back safe and sound.

But he was angry,

and he refused to go in.

His father came out and treated him,

but he answered his father,

look, these many years I've served you,

and I've never disobeyed your command,

yet you never gave me a young goat

that I may celebrate with my friends.

But when this son of yours came,

who has devoured your property with prostitutes,

you killed the fatted calf for him.

And he said to him,

son, you are always with me,

and all that is mine is yours.

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad,

for this your brother was dead and is alive.

He was lost and is found.

You see, the older son didn't like the celebration.

And the reason why he didn't like the celebration

was he was a compliant child.

He did what he was supposed to do.

He didn't rock the boat.

He stayed behind.

He did his job.

He was a good kid.

He was the faithful one.

And when his brother came and asked for his inheritance,

by the way, the older brother got his too,

and it was double what the younger brother got.

But he continued to rock on faithfully for his father,

just like he was supposed to do.

And yet the father calls him out for his wrong attitude

about sinners coming to God.

He ought to join in that celebration, but he didn't.

He didn't feel like he could.

Why?

Because the same reason the Pharisees

didn't like that part of the story.

They didn't like that part of the story.

Same reason some Christians don't like that part of the story.

The wandering sinner wasn't worthy

to have the best thrown at him.

Do you know why they felt like that?

What characteristics in us cause us

to miss the celebration?

To have a hard time with the thief on the cross

who Jesus promised would be with him that day

once he died?

What's that about?

You're talking about a deathbed confession right there.

And yet the same salvation that saves us

is the same salvation that saved that man that day.

And those folks have been faithful for years.

They didn't like it.

It don't seem fair.

What characteristics cause us

to miss a heavenly type celebration over a soul?

I'll tell you what it is.

One of them self-righteousness.

Older son was proud of his accomplishments.

He said, look, these many years I've served you

and I've never disobeyed your command.

Look at me.

And the irony is that the son of the estate owner's job

at such an event as this,

if there was a gathering,

a party,

if there was to be such a meeting,

the job of the owner of the home,

excuse me,

of the son of the owner of the home,

his job was to hold the door open.

His job was to work the room,

to work out any kinks that may come.

The son even stood at the door barefooted

as if he was a servant

and was to hold that door for the guest,

physically standing there

and by his physical presence there,

basically saying,

I am here to serve you

on behalf of my father and his estate.

And instead of that,

this older son stood outside with his arm crossed.

If he had anything to say,

he should have said it after he served,

not pacing around angry,

but instead he went out there,

got on his cell phone,

went to Facebook

and said,

this ain't right

and I ain't gonna do it.

He had too much dignity

to bear his dirty laundry,

so he put a cryptic message

that just his friends would ask about.

Private message him

and pat him on the back.

He refused to serve,

hush, Siri, my soul.

He refused to serve,

but just wanted to talk about his service.

That's what self-righteous does.

Self-righteous is a horrible sin

that is seldom seen

by the one who's guilty of it.

And it'll send you to hell

or it'll make you act like you've been there.

Jesus told the Pharisees

in Matthew chapter 23, verse 15,

Matthew 23:15

he said,

they were turning converts

into twice as much son of hell

as you are yourselves.

That's the words of Jesus.

And that's why Jesus speaks

of the 99 that need no repentance.

Who does not need repentance?

Every sinner needs repentance,

but some don't think they do.

Everyone's a sinner,

but everybody don't think they are.

Self-righteousness will cause you

to miss the celebration.

Tell you what else will, jealousy.

Jealousy will cause you to miss it.

It is easy to point out the wrong

in somebody else's life.

It's easy.

It's much easier than facing

what's wrong in your life.

It's much easier than dealing with

what you're dealing with

when the younger one was wrong

and he was wrong

and he left the house

and separated himself

and rebelled,

estranged himself from the estate.

But at the same time,

the older one stayed home,

but he distanced himself.

He refused to go in.

His daddy reached out to him,

petitioned him.

Let me tell you about the God that saves.

The one who grew up in church

and then outgrew it,

thinks it's old-fashioned

and out of touch,

that one will find a loving father

running out to meet him

when he comes back to the cross.

That's the God we serve.

God does not want us

to waste our time.

God does not want us

to waste our talent.

God does not want us

to waste our treasure.

But when we do,

thank God,

he'll take us back.

That's the God we serve.

He'll receive us back.

The wanderer had come

up with what he was gonna say

the last time he was feeding those swine.

When it clicked,

I call it the Holy Spirit clicked.

When the Holy Spirit spoke to him

about what he needed to do,

he needed to go home,

he prepared a speech

that he would say to his father

so that his father would receive him.

And I'll tell you

that when he got there,

his father went running out to him,

cut him off

from telling his story

that he wanted to tell

and gave him the best that he had,

saying,

you don't have to explain yourself, son.

You're mine.

I receive you back.

Just come.

And I will tell you today, friend,

if you are wandering away from God

and God speaks to your heart and life

and draws you to come,

you just come.

You don't have to have an explanation for that.

You just come.

I want to get right with the Father today.

I want to make it right.

You just respond.

Some may have a hard time

with what God does

in others' lives,

but we ought to love it.

We ought to love it.

God will forgive the faithful pew sitter

who thinks he's better than his neighbor.

He'll forgive that too.

Jealousy doesn't look as bad

as flagrant sin does.

But Jesus died for it too.

And it'll separate you from the Father.

The only hope that any of us have

is in Christ.

And the ground is level at Calvary.

All of us need it.

But you'll miss the joy of the journey.

You'll miss the celebration

if your life is also filled with selfishness.

Selfishness.

We have a good thing going on here.

We don't want anybody to mess it up.

Well, let me be honest with you.

This dad in this story,

he was loaded.

He was loaded.

He had many servants.

He was loaded.

A lot of money got wasted

when that boy left

with a third of the estate.

A lot of money got blown.

Even more was given to the older son.

He was now the joint owner of the estate.

And when he complained,

his dad told him,

all that is mine

is yours.

Is that enough?

Somebody asked John D. Rockefeller,

who was worth in today's dollar

about $25 billion

at the turn of the 20th century.

They asked him,

they said,

John D.,

how much is enough?

He said,

a little more.

We can get that way

about our church.

We can get that way

about our role in it.

Modern day Pharisees

don't want a whole lot

of their church changed

by those people.

Those people can be new Christians.

They can be new people.

Or they can be the whole generation

that's following them.

I don't care to serve in that role.

I've done my time.

But I don't think

they ought to be serving either.

That's selfishness.

This older brother wanted a goat

to celebrate with his friends.

He thought that's what was fun

instead of seeing lives changed.

And instead,

it's just selfishness.

Let me tell you

what all of us ought to do

is find our spot

to serve the Lord

and let's get after it

using our gifts

for his honor and glory

in his church.

Young and old,

find your place.

Be faithful.

Serve faithfully.

Let's get after it.

Let's see what God

does in us

when we give him

everything we've got.

But we will miss it

if we get selfish.

I'll tell you another thing

that causes you

to miss the celebration

and that is aloofness.

Again and again

in this story it says

he distanced himself.

He distanced himself

from his brother

when he's talking to his daddy.

He said,

this son of yours.

He didn't claim him

as his own.

Not only that

but he distanced himself

from his dad

when he said,

your property.

He squandered your property

because he thought himself better.

He was too good

to open up the doors

to a dirty center.

Too good to approve

of him coming home.

Too good to show him up

as a welcoming guest.

To welcome him

as a guest.

Modern day Pharisees

in the church

only get involved

when it's good for them.

They look at a bulletin

and they hear the announcements

and they look at it

from this perspective.

This bulletin gives me

church events

to choose from

instead of ministry opportunities

to be a part of.

It's just a different perspective.

And the reality is

that the father

extended the same grace

to the older son

that he did

to the younger son

but his nose

was so high in the air

he didn't even notice it.

I want to be clear today.

Whether you went out

and squandered money

in years

on riotous living

or whether you've been

in the church

and a part of the church

maybe sulked a little bit

along the way

I'll tell you

God's not mad

at any of us.

He's not mad at you.

He'll accept you

as you are

but he will call you

he'll call it as it is.

He'll make it clear.

We are responsible

for our response

when he speaks to us

and we're all sinners

and the only difference

between one and the other

is one is lost

without Christ

and one is saved

by the grace of God.

Not one of us

has earned it.

As you read earlier

Ephesians chapter 2

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

8 through 10

says for by grace

you've been saved

through faith.

This is not of your own doing

it's the gift of God

not as a reserve of works

so that no one can boast.

Listen

what's he saved us for?

We are his workmanship

created in Christ Jesus

for what?

For good works

which God prepared beforehand

that we should walk

in them.

Let's walk

in it

together

for the honor

and the glory

of God.

I want you to notice

two things.

by posing

two questions

and I'll close.

Is this the whole point

of Luke 15?

If you look at it

in the context of it

it actually is.

Now don't misunderstand me.

Just like one loses

an animal

and wants to go

after that animal

and one loses money

and wants to go

after that money

and one loses

a loved one

and wants that loved

one to come back.

Of course

all those things

are true.

But the reality

is the beginning

of this

was in verse 2

and in verse 2

the Pharisees

and scribes

grumbled saying

this man

received sinners

and eats with them

and the gospel

writer says

so he told

them this

parable

and he followed

it with another

and he followed

it with another.

When I was

growing up

my neighbor

had HBO

sandbox

there at the house

but they had

a contract

with Mike Tyson

in the 80s.

Mike Tyson

was quite a boxer

in his day

unlike anything

I've seen

and every time

he'd fight

on HBO

me and my dad

possibly my brother

we'd go up

and watch

boxing

with Uncle Charlie.

He'd pop popcorn

in a brown paper

grocery bag.

Some of you

don't even know

what that is

but anyway

and he'd fill it up

and we'd have

Pepsi Cola

and popcorn

sitting floor

and watch boxing

and it was a quick

fight usually.

Mike Tyson

fought every six weeks

during those days

and normally

he'd hit a man

one time

and he'd fall down

first couple of rounds

it's pretty amazing

to watch

but if he ever

got challenged

he'd begin

to work on the body

man keeps

his hands

up high

but if you

work on his body

you bruise

him around

his ribs

he'll drop

his hands

in protection

and when he

drops his hands

he opens his face

and exposes

himself

for a knockout.

The parable

of the sheep

was a body blow.

The parable

of the lost

coin

was a body blow.

The parable

of the lost

son

was a body blow

and when the

Pharisees

and the scribes

began to drop

their hands

Jesus

delivered

the blow

and that was

the prodigal

other son

or the real

prodigal.

second thing

is this

what happens

next

after this

story?

It's interesting

if you'll notice

the story's

not quite

complete.

We don't know

how it turned

out.

Did he go

in?

Did he apologize

for his attitude?

Did he confront

his brother?

Did he bust

up the party?

Did that

wayward boy

that came

home

did he stay

home?

Did he continue

to be faithful?

Did he stay

right?

What's next?

I'd love

to know

but Jesus

told it

the way

he told it

on purpose

because

for us

today folks

it really

don't matter

what happened

next

in their

lives.

What matters

is

what happens

next

in our

lives.

Are you

coming home?

Ephesians

Ephesians 2:13

chapter 2

verse 13

says

but now

in Christ

Jesus

you who

were once

excuse me

you who

once were

far off

have been

brought near

by the

blood of

Christ.

Have you

been here

all the

time

but yet

not really?

Possibly

crossing your

arms and

looking down

on others

and not

joining in

the celebration?

The celebration

is where

God's on

the move.

The celebration

is where

God is

at work

and we

don't

dictate

how he

does that

and we

can't

conjure up

how he

does that

or who

he does

it in.

We just

get in

on it

and God

opens the

invitation

for us

to just

get in

on it

and I

don't want

to miss

it

and I

don't want

you to

miss it.

so my

question

for all

of us

today

is what's

next?

Christ

has exposed

the lostness.

Christ

has exposed

the smugness.

Christ

has exposed

who we

really are

and he

does that

through the

Holy Spirit

of God

speaking to

our hearts

and lives.

it's a

good thing

to know

what's

wrong

with us.

It's

another

thing

to do

something

about it

and so

my question

today is

what's

next

for you?

Maybe

as these

folks were

baptized today

you realize

there's never

been a time

in your life

when you've

surrendered

your life

to Christ.

You've

never given

him control

of your

life.

Whether

you've been

a part

of a church

or whether

you've

been

publicly

baptized

the reality

is when

you look

at your

life

you don't

see evidence

of true

salvation.

And you

look at

your life

and realize

you've never

given your

heart and

life to the

Lord Jesus

Christ.

I'm going

to tell

you the

Father will

not only

receive you

he will

run and

meet you.

I tell

folks the

hardest step

that they

possibly will

ever make

is to

walk into

the aisle

to come

down but

once you

do it

it's amazing

how the

Father will

meet you

where you

are and

give you

the strength

to continue

and he'll

do that

for you

today.

Maybe you

have done

that.

You know

you're saved

you know

you're Christian

but the reality

is you've

enjoyed your

place so

much that

you failed

to serve

the way you

need to

serve.

What's next?

What's next?

I'll

never ask

you to

do

anything

God

wouldn't

have

you

to

do

but I

don't

ever

want

you

to be

satisfied

with

doing

anything

less.

I don't

know what

God's

saying to

you today

but I

know you'll

never be

satisfied

until you

follow his

will and

his way

for you.

With

every head

bowed and

every eye

closed

dear Lord

I pray

today

for those

who need

to make

private

decisions

Lord for

those who

need to

make public

decisions

God I

pray today

that you

will speak

to each

and every

one of

us and

that God

you will

give us

the strength

and the

faith and

the fortitude

to do

exactly what

you called

us to do.

Lord there's

some that

may need

salvation

today.

There's

some that

may need

to publicly

profess that

through baptism.

Some that

know that

you're leading

them to be

a part of

this church.

God lead

them.

Show them.

Lord there's

hearts that

need to be

made right

whether at

this altar

in their

seat

with a

pastor praying

regardless

God

help us

Father

to simply

follow your

will and

your way

in all of

our life

and may

you get

all the

glory for

it all

in Jesus

precious name

Amen.