Acceptance

Some may accept poor treatment and avoid confrontation.

! In the workplace, a person might laugh at jokes that they dislike just to fit in.

! In families, someone might hide their true self out of fear of rejection.

! At school, students sometimes agree with things they don't believe or join in unkind behavior,

desperate to belong.

Others move far away from home and change how they talk or act so they don't stand out.

These are ways people lose pieces of themselves, large or small, just for belonging.

With all these sacrifices for acceptance, we might wonder, will God accept us?

Is he an accepting God?

Well, we learn what God is like from what God does.

And Jesus illustrates with three parables.

In the beginning of the chapter, the tax collectors and sinners draw near to Christ.

The Pharisees complain about this, saying,

This man receives sinners and eats with them.

What is their complaint?

That they believe that the holy should separate from the tainted.

Why would God's prophet eat with sinners?

Jesus' counter?

He gives the parables as a demonstration of why he can eat with sinners.

And he uses the examples given to urge his disciples to honor even the weak.

He came from heaven to save all.

Even the lost and broken.

Even the outsiders, which the Pharisees hate.

We too should value others for Christ's sake.

It makes no sense at all for us to look down on people whom the Son of God has held so high.

And even these weaker ones have flaws that might make them easy to scorn from the Pharisees' perspective.

But our pride will not be forgiven on that account.

We should value them not because of how worthy their virtues are, but for the sake of Christ.

And he who will not follow Christ's example is proud.

This is what the Pharisees are doing.

We all need grace.

Each of us is broken and called to holiness.

We need mercy and a call to follow God.

We should rejoice when the lost return.

Like someone rejoicing over finding something lost.

Like a sheep or a coin.

This is what the Pharisees ought to do.

And that is the reason for Jesus' parables.

And the first main point of these parables, or our first main point, is that God rejoices when he finds sinners.

Because it has changed from death to life.

Jesus tells us that the point of the two earlier parables about the lost sheep and coin is to show that there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous people who do not need to repent.

So first we'll answer, why is there more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents?

Both the perseverance of Christians in faith and the new conversion show God's glory and grace.

But the difference could be that repentance, which turns someone from a completely broken life of suffering under sin, is hard.

Those of you who already have faith must groan under the weaknesses of your flesh and labor to correct them.

But those who haven't yet been granted faith in Christ will have to reverse every weakness, every love, and every affection that is not touched by the grace of God.

It's hard to completely reverse course.

Sometimes you'll hear people ask, if we're just meant to believe in God, if that's the point, why doesn't he make it easier?

Or why doesn't he just show himself to us?

Apart from the fact that seeing isn't believing, thinking about God being real is not a very good image of what conversion and repentance really is.

We don't just see evidence to truly believe.

To truly get it, you have to die.

You have to be buried with Christ on the cross and be raised with him.

You have to be refined like gold in a furnace.

You have to deny yourself.

This is union with Christ.

What happened to Jesus historically, in dying, being buried, and being raised again, becomes true of you spiritually the moment you believe.

Your old sinful nature is not reformed.

It's executed.

Sins, legal power, and grit break because a dead person cannot be enslaved or condemned.

It's not easy.

This is why there is rejoicing.

In jumping ahead a bit, as we have read, the Father will say,

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

In the same way, God does not receive you on the basis of your reformed record or partial reformation.

He accepts you fully and joyfully the moment you come home in faith and repentance.

Because in Christ, your old self has already died.

And you now stand before him as a beloved son or daughter, clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Welcome to the table with celebration.

The cross puts to death the old you, so that the Father can run to embrace you without hesitation or condition.

So we see why God rejoices when he finds sinners.

Because it's a change from death to life.

We have then the parable of the prodigal son or the story.

It might be called the story of the wasteful son or the lost son.

And it differs from the other two parables by having the older brother react to the finding.

This parable confirms the demonstration of heaven's joy at the restoration of sinners.

In the first half, it reveals how readily God pardons.

And in the second half, highlights the wickedness and stubbornness of those who grumble at his compassion.

In other words, our second point is that you can find acceptance in God

because he is unmeasurably quick to forgive those who have faith in him.

And our third point will be that you can find acceptance among God's people

since we have been warned by God to be as compassionate as he is.

So the second point.

Christ shows you that you can find acceptance in God

because he is immeasurably quick to forgive those who have faith in him.

How does Christ do this?

In the person of a young reckless spender

who, having been bought from the deepest poverty by luxury and wastefulness,

returns as a beggar to his father,

to whom he had been disobedient and rebellious.

Christ describes all sinners who, exhausted by their foolishness,

turn to the grace of God.

He compares God to the kind father

who not only pardons the crimes of his son,

but on his own accord, meets him when returning.

God who is not satisfied with pardoning those who pray to him,

but even comes forward to meet them with the compassion of a father.

So verse 11.

Jesus continued.

There was a man who had two sons.

The younger one said to his father,

Father, give me the share of my estate.

So 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

where he squandered his property in reckless living.

The younger son here hopes to leave his father.

He hopes to live in a life of hedonism.

He sets his sights far away from continuing to work for his father

and goes to a place where he is not seen.

He doesn't stay and spend the money there.

He leaves.

And what does he do with the cash

from selling the inheritance which his father had given him?

He squanders it.

He is reckless with everything that he has.

After this, he deserves no forgiveness from his father.

Verse 14.

After he had spent everything,

there was a severe famine in the whole country

and he began to be in need.

So he went and hired himself out

to a citizen of that country

who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

He longed to fill his stomach

with the pods that the pigs were eating,

but no one gave him anything.

He will realize that there is no safety

apart from his father.

Since he is reckless,

the evil of the world brings him to starvation.

Do we lack the judgment and wisdom

to rule our own lives?

Do we have healthy fear or shame

to hold us back from our base desires?

Without God's grace,

we head towards whatever our sinful desires

would point us to.

We rush headlong into spiritual poverty.

Like the son being far away from his father,

he is left to waste away in hunger.

He has eaten up his own wealth in piggish gluttony

and now becomes the friend of pigs.

The Pharisees,

listening to this illustration,

will understand it as a terrible image

of their worst nightmare,

the complete spiritual destitution

of an Israelite who does not eat pork,

let alone eat with food.

He finds no love or acceptance in the world either.

He can transact with people and work for them,

but he finds no charity.

And he has given up the bread of his own house

for the slop of reckless living.

Verse 17,

when he came to his senses,

he said,

how many of my father's hired servants

have food to spare?

And here I am starving to death.

I will set out

and go back to my father

and say to him,

father,

I have sinned against heaven

and against you.

I am no longer worthy

to be called your son.

Make me like one of your hired servants.

So he got up

and went to his father.

The practical

and spiritual meaning

of the parable

begin to converge here

because the son

is repentant

to his father

and to heaven.

And we see here

how God calls people

to repentance.

If we were wise

on our own

and willingly submitted

to him,

he would draw us gently.

But because we never bow

in obedience

until we've been humbled

by hardship,

he often has to discipline us.

For this young man

who had grown wild

and rebellious

because of his wealth,

hunger turned out

to be the best teacher.

From this example,

we should learn

not to think of God

as being cruel

when he sends us

heavy troubles.

Those who are stubborn

and drunk with pleasure

are taught by him

to become obedient.

All miseries we go through

are a useful call

to repentance.

Because we are slow

to learn,

we hardly ever

come to our senses

unless we are driven

by extreme distress.

Until we are pressed

on every side

and feel utterly hopeless,

our sinful nature

keeps on enjoying itself

or at least pulls back

from change

and repentance.

From this,

we can see

that there is no reason

to be surprised

if the Lord

often uses strong,

even repeated blows

to break our stubbornness,

like leading a sharp axe

to chop down

a tough tree.

It's also worth noting

that the hope

of being better off

if he returned

to his father

gave this young man

courage to repent.

No amount of punishment

by itself

will soften our hard hearts

or make us truly sorry

for the sins

which we have committed

until we see

some hope of good

coming from it.

just as this young man

moved by trust

in his father's kindness

sought reconciliation,

so the beginning

of our repentance

must be a belief

in God's mercy

that stirs

hopeful expectations

in us.

The young son

who has severely

insulted his father

repents

and goes to him.

In verse 20 again,

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.

And this is the

strongest illustration

of the point.

The point that you can

find acceptance

in God

because he is

immeasurably quick

to forgive those

who have faith in him.

If ordinary men

who are by nature

quick to wrath,

quick to take revenge

and very protective

of their own rights,

can still be moved

by fatherly love

to kindly forgive

their children

and gladly welcome

them home

when they have

fallen into misery,

then God,

whose goodness

far exceeds

any parent's love,

will certainly

not treat us

more harshly.

Just as this father

does not wait

for his son

to beg and plead,

but runs to meet him

whilst he is still

far off

and embraces him

before hearing

a single word,

dirty,

ragged,

and ugly as he is,

so God does not

wait for long prayers.

As soon as a sinner

truly intends

in his heart

to confess his faults,

God freely

and willingly

meets him.

Verse 21.

The son said to him,

Father,

I have sinned

against heaven

and against you.

I am no longer

worthy to be

called your son.

Earlier,

when the son

had come to his

own senses,

he has realized

who he really was

or who he could be

again,

a true son

to his father.

And we see here

another important part

of true repentance,

a deep conviction

of sin

that brings grief

and shame.

If a person

is not truly

sorry for what

they have done

and does not

see their thing

clearly before their eyes,

they will try anything

rather than return

to the right path.

Displeasure with our sin

must come before

genuine repentance.

humility must

accompany regret.

The son is humble

in that he

doesn't even ask

to be restored

to the sonship

he once knew,

hoping only

to petition his father

to be one of his servants.

But the father

interrupts the son,

saying to his servants,

Quick,

bring the best robe

and put it on him.

Bring a ring

and put it on his finger

and sandals on his feet.

Bring the fattened calf

and kill it.

Let's have a feast

and celebrate.

For this son of mine

was dead

and is alive again.

He was lost

and is found.

So they began

to celebrate.

The son has been

chastised

for being ungrateful

by being allowed

to lose everything

which his father

would give him.

And he felt ashamed

at the reproach

and disgrace

for his physical

and spiritual nakedness.

The father

not only pardons

our sins

in such a way

that he buries

the memory of them

completely,

but he also

restores the gifts

of which we have

been deprived.

The son here

has been restored

to full sonship

and embrace

the father.

But it is not

the son's efforts

that have restored him.

The father's grace

restores him.

The joy of his son

being alive

leads him

to identify

with his son

and bring him back

into his family

once more.

We who have faith

enjoy the same

restoration

and reconciliation.

In the parable

the father states

the reason for the joy.

This child of mine

was dead

and is alive again.

He was lost

and is found.

It's reminiscent

of the death

and life involved

in conversion

that we spoke

about earlier.

Remember that

we are told

that we are buried

with Christ

on the cross

and resurrected

with him.

That's the summary

of what God does

which enables you

and me

to be forgiven

by him.

But what do we mean

when we say

the cross?

We mean that

Jesus

having lived

in perfect

obedience

to the father

took on

the punishment

for our sin.

He took our guilt

suffered

and was killed

for it

and gave us

his righteousness.

Then he rises

from the grave

showing us

his authority

and victory

over death.

And that gift

of life

is then given

to those

who have faith

and repentance.

Christ saves us

from our own sin

by suffering

on the cross.

It's a shameful

death meant

for criminals.

It's God

coming down

from a throne

to be mocked

and shamed

and killed.

And yet we're told

in Hebrews

that Jesus

despised the shame.

Jesus despised

the shame

of the cross

because he regarded

it with utter contempt

and disregard.

He treated

the humiliation,

the mockery,

the nakedness,

the criminal curse

and the public disgrace

as completely worthless

and beneath

his consideration

when he weighed it

against the joy

that was set

before him.

The joy

of redeeming sinners

and bringing

many sons to glory,

defeating death

and sin

and being exalted

in glory

at the right hand

of the Father.

He pressed on

in full obedience

to the Father

for our salvation.

In short,

the eternal reward

and glory

far outweighed

the temporary contempt.

Jesus despised

the shame

on the cross

for the glory

and joy

in redeeming

his people.

The joy

of redeeming you.

God the Father

sends God the Son

to die

and as such

sustains

a similar indignity.

God takes the joy

in saving

and accepting

his children.

He takes joy,

sorry.

Similarly,

in the parable,

the Father

is willing

to commit

the indignity

of a man

for his age

and position

to run.

The Father

runs with joy

for the redemption

of his child.

And the humiliation

emphasizes

our second main point,

that you can find

acceptance in God

because he is

immeasurably quick

to forgive those

who have faith in him.

We now come

to the second part

of the parable

where we are shown

the reaction

to the restoration

of the younger son.

Remember,

the Pharisees

who are hearing

this parable

are represented

by the older brother

who want to shun

those whom Jesus

is willing to talk to

and eat with,

those who have been sinful.

Jesus strongly rebukes

those who would cruelly

try to put limits

on God's grace

as if they were jealous

of the salvation

of wretched sinners.

We know this is aimed

directly at the Pharisees' pride.

They felt they were not

getting the reward

they deserved

if Christ welcomed

tax collectors

and ordinary sinners

into the hope

of eternal life.

So we come to

our third main point,

that you can find

acceptance among

God's people

since God has warned us

to be as compassionate

as he is.

So Jesus will show

the Pharisees

why they need to accept

the redemption

of those who are not

yet found.

He says in verse 25,

Meanwhile,

the older son

was in the field.

When he came near

to the house,

he heard music

and dancing.

So he called

one of the servants

and asked him

what was going on.

Your brother has come,

he replied,

and your father

has killed

a fattened calf

because he has him

back safe and sound.

The older brother

became angry

and refused

to go in.

He has the same

awareness of the danger

to his younger brother

as his father had.

They would have maybe

heard about the famine.

He's just heard

about his brother's

practical resurrection.

The father was joyful

and yet he responds

with pride and anger.

Jesus compares the scribes

to obedient children

who, having patiently

submitted to their father,

father's authority

their whole lives.

Even though they were

completely unworthy

of such praise,

Christ spoke in accordance

with what they believed

about themselves

to illustrate the point

that even if Jesus

was to accept

their false claims

that they have always

been obedient children

to God,

they still have no right

to reject their brothers

so proudly and cruelly

when they repent

of their sinful lives.

The older son

has also heard

about the father's joy

and is angry with him,

rejecting him

by refusing to share

in the celebration.

But how does the father

respond to this rebellion?

Verse 28,

So his father went out

and pleaded with him.

But he answered his father,

Look, all these years

I've been slaving for you

and never disobeyed

your orders.

Yet you never gave me

even a young goat

so I could celebrate

with my friends.

But when the son of yours

who has squandered

your property

with prostitutes

comes home,

you kill the fattened calf

for him?

The father is again gracious

in approaching

and reasoning

with the older brother

who is consumed

with anger

at his brother's past sins

that he even refuses

to call him brother.

With these words,

Jesus rebukes the hypocrites

for their unbearable pride.

Their pride is so great

that the father

has to plead with them

not to be jealous

of the mercy shown

to their brothers.

God tells us

through scripture

and in this example

that he strongly urges us

to be patient

with the faults

of our brothers and sisters

and to remove

every excuse

for harsh,

unloving judgment.

Jesus does more

than just let

the hypocrite speak

and he goes further

and declares

that even if someone

had perfectly fulfilled

every duty of godliness

towards the father,

he would still have

no right to complain

when his brother

receives pardon.

We Christians

hope to be free

from this bitter,

envious spirit

to share in the joy

of the father

but Christ's purpose here

is to show

that it would be

completely unjust

for anyone to grumble

or reject

when his brother

is welcomed

back into life.

Even if that older brother

were not one less bit holy

than he could imagine,

his pride

is not in recognizing

what the younger brother

did was wrong

but rather hating him

for it.

Even after their father

had granted forgiveness,

he hated the younger brother

to the point of murderousness

and practically wished him dead.

verse 31,

my son,

the father said,

you are always with me

and everything I have

is yours.

But we had to celebrate

and be glad

because your brother

of yours,

this brother of yours

was dead

and is alive again.

He was lost

and is found.

Didn't the older brother

get it?

He had been benefiting

from his sonship

all the time.

He had not been left

to starve

or feed with pigs

in order to taste bread.

He has no reason

to be angry

when he sees his brother

kindly welcomed home

without losing anything himself.

All the time

he has been working

towards his own inheritance.

Second,

instead of caring

about his brother's safety

and restoration,

he is simply upset

because everyone else

is rejoicing

over his return.

On one hand,

it is no loss to us

if God graciously

receives back into favor

those who have been

separated from him

by their sins.

On the other hand,

it is wicked

and harmless of heart

not to rejoice

when we see our brothers

and sisters

return from death to life.

Jesus is still inviting

the Pharisees to repent

and accept the good news.

The warning is,

if they reject new members

of God's people,

they are essentially

rejecting God himself.

Jesus warns us,

we have to celebrate.

you can find acceptance

among God's people

since we have been

warned by God

to be as compassionate

as he is.

Let's finish by

applying this to our own lives.

Let us rejoice

more and more

for everyone who listens

to Christ's words

and his call to repentance

and be even more grateful

for how God continues

to forgive our pride.

The outsiders

are sons and daughters

who can be brought back

from the brink of death

and death to life

warrants celebration.

After all,

he came down from heaven

to save not only the holy

but those who are lost

and dead in their sins.

Again,

it makes no sense

at all

for us to look down

on people

whom the Son of God

has held so high.

And even

if the weaker ones

have flaws

that might make them

easy to scorn,

our pride will not be forgiven

on that account.

We need to value them

not because of how worthy

they are

but for the sake of Christ.

Accept them

by following Christ's example.

And in humility,

take joy and be glad

that God runs to us

restores us,

celebrates and defends us,

always calling us

his children.

If you are here today

but you do not yet believe,

we hope to love you already

and be a friend to you.

And if you join us in faith,

no pass will prevent you

from being accepted.

If you have questions

or want to talk more about faith,

please come and speak

with someone here.

Come back and ask questions

and take the next steps

towards faith.

you are warmly invited.

But recognize that

if you do not yet have God,

you are in a spiritual famine.

What would the father

of the parable say

if his starving son

could hear him from afar,

if he could call him

on the phone?

He would say,

my child,

come home.

When will you realize

the enormity

of the recklessness

and waste

of all the good

God has given you so far?

God does not receive you

because you've cleaned up

your record.

Rather,

he offers to accept you

fully and joyfully

the moment you come home

in repentance

and faith.

In Christ,

your old self

has already died

and now you stand

before him

as a beloved son

and daughter,

clothed in Christ's righteousness.

Welcome to the table

of celebration

if you come to him

in belief.

The cross

puts to death

the old you

so that the father

can run

and embrace you

and accept the new you

with no hesitation.

He seeks the coin.

He seeks the sheep.

He seeks you.

Child,

come home.

Let us pray.