Good Father and a Lost Son [Luke 15:11-24]

Speaker: Soon-Bok Lee                             Sunday May 28, 2017

 

 Good Father and a Lost Son

 Luke 15: 11-24

 

 

 

11. Jesus continued: 'There was a man who had two sons.

12. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

 

13. 'Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

14. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

15. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

16. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

 

17. "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

18. I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

19. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.‘

 

20. So he got up and went to his father. '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.

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.'

22. "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

23. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.

24. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

 

 

Outline of the message:  Good Father and a Lost Son

 

I. Jesus’s third parable: Background and prodigal son  (Luke 15:11-24)

 

1.1 Tax collectors and sinners  were around Jesus. Pharisees and the           teachers of law muttered. Jesus told them three parables; lost sheep,       lost coin and lost son.

1.2  Why the second son asked money and went far country?(11-13)

     Freedom is good but should be limited for good.

 

1.3  The life of the prodigal son (13-16)

     Lost, dead

 

 

II.  Coming home (Luke 15: 17-19 )

 

 

2.1 coming to his sense. He remembered home.

 

2.2  Good father welcome the second son:. ran toward him, hugged       and kissed him, gave best robe, ring, shoes, feast with fattened calf

 

2.3  Feast with fattened calf with music and joy.

 

15:7

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

 

15:10

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.‘

 

15:23

Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.

15:24

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

 

 

III. Forgiven Prodigal Son is changed (Luke 15: 24)

 

3.1 Second son’s emotion: before leaving father: complaining of pressure , unhappy, desire to leave

after coming home: Thanks giving, Joy, repentance,  willingness to 

                  

3.2 What is called change? Conversion, Born again, lost and found, dead and alive

 

3.3 Christian's attitude:  thankfulness, repentance and willing to serve with joy as the forgiven prodigal son

 

 

SMALL GROUP STUDY ON THE MESSAGE:  Good Father and a Lost Son

Based on today’s message, let us consider the following questions in sharing with one another the understanding and insight we have received from the Word of God. We are also encouraged to share with others how we want to apply the meaning of today’s message in our personal Christian life.

1. Why the second son left home?  What was the result after leaving home?

2. What are the feelings of the son had when he is welcomed by father?

3. Have you experienced such feeling of thankfulness, repentance and willing to serve with joy as the forgiven prodigal son?

 

 

The Church - Assembly (Matthew 16:13-20)

21 May 2017

Dr. Jan M de Beer

Passage: Matthew 16:13-20

  13        ^aNow when Jesus came into the district of ^bCaesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that ^cthe Son of Man is?”

  14        And they said, “Some say ^aJohn the Baptist; and others, ^1bElijah; but still others, ²Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

  15        He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

  16        Simon Peter answered, “You are ^1athe Christ, ^bthe Son of ^cthe living God.”

  17        And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, ^aSimon ¹Barjona, because ^bflesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

  18        “I also say to you that you are ^1aPeter, and upon this ²rock I will build My church; and the gates of ^bHades will not overpower it.

  19        “I will give you ^athe keys of the kingdom of heaven; and ^bwhatever you bind on earth ¹shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth ²shall have been loosed in heaven.”

  20        ^aThen He ¹warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was ^2bthe Christ.^[1]

^13a Matt 16:13–16: Mark 8:27–29; Luke 9:18–20

^13b Mark 8:27

^13c Matt 8:20; 16:27, 28

^14a Matt 14:2

^14 1 Gr Elias

^14 b Matt 17:10; Mark 6:15; Luke 9:8; John 1:21

^14 2 Gr Jeremias

¹⁵ * A star (*) is used to mark verbs that are historical presents in the Greek which have been translated with an English past tense in order to conform to modern usage. The translators recognized that in some contexts the present tense seems more unexpected and unjustified to the English reader than a past tense would have been. But Greek authors frequently used the present tense for the sake of heightened vividness, thereby transporting their readers in imagination to the actual scene at the time of occurence. However, the translators felt that it would be wise to change these historical presents to English past tenses.

^16 1 I.e. the Messiah

^16 a Matt 1:16; 16:20; John 11:27

^16 b Matt 4:3

^16 c Ps 42:2; Matt 26:63; Acts 14:15; Rom 9:26; 2 Cor 3:3; 6:16; 1 Thess 1:9; 1 Tim 3:15; 4:10; Heb 3:12; 9:14; 10:31; 12:22; Rev 7:2

^17 a John 1:42; 21:15–17

^17 1 I.e. son of Jonah

^17 b 1 Cor 15:50; Gal 1:16; Eph 6:12; Heb 2:14

^18 1 Gr Petros, a stone

^18 a Matt 4:18

^18 2 Gr petra, large rock; bed-rock

^18 b Matt 11:23

^19 a Is 22:22; Rev 1:18; 3:7

^19 b Matt 18:18; John 20:23

^19 1 Gr estai dedemenon, fut. pft. pass.

^19 2 Gr estai lelumenon, fut. pft. pass.

^20 a Matt 8:4; Mark 8:30; Luke 9:21

^20 1 Or strictly admonished

^20 2 I.e. the Messiah

^20 b Matt 1:16; 16:16; John 11:27

^20 [1] 1995. New American Standard Bible: 1995 update, LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

1.     What is the Petra/rock that Jesus speaks about? – Divine revelation (hear the Voice of God) “flesh and blood did not reveal this to you” v.17

2.     What is the gates of Hades? – the “church” will not cease to exist on earth before the final judgement (Revelations 20:13-14)

3.     What is this “church”?

a.      Not the “churches” we know today

b.     An “anachronism” to translate “ekklesia” with “church”

c.      Jesus was speaking Hebrew/Aramaic: “ekklesia” = “qehila”

d.     The principle of first appearance: Deut 4:10ff; 9:10

¹⁰ “Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’

¹¹ “You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the very heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud and thick gloom.

¹² “Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form—only a voice.

e.      Occurrences in Old Testament: 78 – never translated as “church”, rather “assembly” or “congregation” (KJV).

f.       Ephesians speaks about the “assembly”

g.      Also: the body of Christ, a temple of God, the bride, sons of God, children of God…

4.     The “assemblies” of the reformation: reformers, radicals, Anabaptists, Roman Catholics

5.     Important questions:

a.      How does the “assembly” function?

b.     What role does the church play in serving the “assembly”?

c.      Are you part of the church, the “assembly” or both?

d.     Can you be “assembly” on your own?

---

 

Do Not Grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:25-32)

 Passage: Eph. 4:25-32

25Therefore, putting away lying, “ Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26“ Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27nor give place to the devil. 28Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

 

Sunday May 14, 2017

“Do Not Grieve the Spirit”

1.     Members of one another-vv. 25-28

25Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27nor give place to the devil. 28Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

§  Speaking truth with one another

§  Not giving in to anger

§  Not giving a place to the devil

§  Working and but not also failing to support the needy

 

2.     Edifying one another-v. 29

29Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

§  Your mouth: Filthy and unclean words and discourse are poisonous and infectious.

§  Edification: The greatest use of speech

§  Imparting others

 

3.     Not grieving the Holy Spirt-vv. 30-32

30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

§  Avoid breaking the principle of being members of one another-vv. 25-28

§  Filthiness, lying, and corrupt communications that stir up filthy appetites and lusts, grieve the Spirit of God-vv.30-32 

 

 

Based on today’s message, let us consider the following questions in sharing with one another the understanding and insight we have received from the Word of God. We are also encouraged to share with others how we want to apply the meaning of today’s message in our personal Christian life.

1. How can we demonstrate that we are members one another?
2. According to today’s message, what is the greatest use of speech or words among?
3. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit and how can we avoid grieving Him?
4. What is the consequence of grieving Holy Spirit?