Palm Thursday

Text: Luke 19:28-44

Focus: Palm Sunday

Function: The terrible price He paid.

Form: Story telling.

Adapted from Alex Stevenson because it was exactly what I wanted to say.

Growing up in church, I knew of three religious holidays. These were Christmas, Easter, and believe it or not: Palm Sunday.

Palm Sunday was the time that we sang the song which went: "Hosanna, loud hosanna the little children sang, Through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang." That song also says that "the children sang their praises the simplest and the best."

My Sunday School teachers took their cue from that song's description of children singing.

The service is fun. In Sunday School we would make palm branches from green construction paper and march all around the church singing and shouting "Hosanna, hosanna" as if we were in that crowd on that first Palm Sunday.

But Brethren kids are special. Here the kids get real Palm Branches. It was fun. I think, in a day before the video screen, it was a great way to visualize Jesus.

And Jesus was pleased that the Children got to sing. Just as in our church, when we waved our branches, and were so important to the Church in worship, in that story, the Children also take a central role.

(SHOW) The Children celebrated while worshipping Jesus.

I remember wondering about that, since at times, it seemed boring to me. But worship there was alive and exciting. There were no rules, no proscribed mantras, and no formalities to be preformed. They just let their love for Jesus flow.

I guess you can call it a Sunday School success story. Think about, of the three Christian holidays, we know about Christmas because of the presents we get. At Easter, we know about it because of the Easter bunny and all the candy. But on Palm Sunday, we knew about it because of Jesus and that He was excited that we were singing to Him.

(SHOW) We know about Palm Sunday because of Jesus.

All in all, Palm Sunday is a very important holiday for the church. It is a time when Jesus' disciples hailed him as King. It is a chance for us as disciples of Christ today to acclaim Christ as King.

(SHOW don’t say) There is a danger that we forget what Palm Sunday means.

But there is a danger in the way we worship on Palm Sunday. It is the danger that we will forget why Jesus came to Jerusalem to begin with, and as a result we will forget why we sing hosannas.

Often times we sing hosannas on Palm Sunday and then we sing "Christ the Lord has Risen Today" the very next Sunday. WHAT JOY!

My twin brother has a weird sense of humor also. One year, right before Holy Week, he announced to his employees that the company had decided that if Good Friday fell on Saturday, no one would get a paid holiday.

People got really upset until they figured it out.

Most Good Fridays, I remember helping my dad out with a Good Friday service at an inner city nursing home. It was a special time, those people were so happy to see us.

But one year, I remember him taking me with him to go car shopping since he knew no salesmen would be on the lot on Good Friday afternoon.

Even the name, “Good Friday” is an oxymoron. It was a day of infamy. It was a day we should remember with sorrow, like 9/11, or December 7, 1941.

The events of Good Friday are not on our personal religious calendars. Oh Jesus death is mentioned. It is not that we completely ignore it. We just move past that fact as quickly as we can to get to the resurrection.

Last week, we looked at “In Remembrance of Me” and the way Jesus remembered the thief, the way He remembers us.

It is easy to jump from the fun of Palm Sunday to the joy of Easter and forget Friday.

The problem is; we don't like to dwell on unpleasant things. Sometimes we don't even admit to ourselves that unpleasant things exist.

We don't want to admit the pain and the unpleasantness of life.

This isn’t a funny story, but it seems to start out that way. One day, my son was in class on the third story of his High School. Tell first and second police chaplain story. (about making death notifications while serving on the police force).

It is easier to turn away than to behold tragedy.

There is something to be said for accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative. But when it causes us to overlook those in need, the ones God is calling us to help, the lost, the hungry, the sick it runs contrary to God's purpose.

(SHOW) Because of this tendency to overlook the negative we sometimes overlook Jesus' suffering and death.

It is good to get all caught up in the joy of singing praises to Jesus as he triumphantly enters Jerusalem. And we forget that Jesus came to Jerusalem to die.

It’s almost like: When we get to holy week we put our hands over our eyes. And say to the person next to us, "Tell me when it is over."

It may be unpleasant to think about, but Jesus did die. People drove nails through his wrists and feet. They nailed him to a cross. Jesus experienced terror and pain. What's most important is that he experienced that terror, pain and death to pay the price for our sins and for the sins of the world. (SHOW) Jesus' death is a fact of our salvation that we must never overlook.

So, how can we joyfully sing hosannas in the face of Christ's suffering? The people in our story seem to have been grossly ignorant of the facts. If they had known, as we do, why Jesus came to Jerusalem, they would not be singing a song of triumph.

You see, they thought Jesus would come in and take over the state. Right before this Jesus had to correct his disciples for thinking that his kingdom would appear immediately (Luke 19:11). The prophets had said the Messiah would come riding on a donkey. So when the people saw Jesus on that donkey, they though he was coming to lead an uprising. They thought he would ride right up to Herod's palace and sit on his throne. Then he would order the Romans out of His newly established kingdom. The crowd was partially right. Jesus was and is the Messiah. But they expected a Messiah who would rule and earthly kingdom.

(SHOW with a crown of thorns background) Jesus didn't come to Jerusalem to sit on a throne. Jesus came to Jerusalem to hang on a cross.

The only Kingly Crown He wore was a Crown of Thorns.

He said so to his disciples several times. He told them plainly. He said the son of man must suffer and die. How can we see ourselves shouting with those people? How can we joyfully sing their song? After all it was Jesus' suffering that saved us.

It makes me want to say, "How dare we sing hosannas in the face of Christ's suffering!"

But I realize that I am saying the same kind of thing the Pharisees in our lesson said. The Pharisees tried to keep Jesus' disciples from singing hosannas back then. Can we try to stop Jesus' disciples from singing hosannas today? The Pharisees said, "Jesus how can you let them do this? They will blaspheme! Stop this crowd, silence them! Teacher rebuke your disciples." (–in dark voice.)

What did Jesus say? He said "If these were silent, the stones themselves would shout." If the voices of humans will not shout: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord," then God will give the stones voices and they will shout. By the will of Almighty God who made both voices and stones, hosannas will be sung and Christ will be proclaimed as King! Mere human that I am who am I to stand in the way of the providence of God!

So what are we to do? Should we revert to our old ways of overlooking Christ's death? Should we forget Good Friday and wipe it off our religious calendars? Can we forget why Jesus came to Jerusalem and just blend in with the crowd of misled pilgrims? Can we blindly yell "Blessed is the King who comes to sit on Herod's throne?"

How can we? How is it possible for us to sing hosannas on Palm Sunday when we know that Christ's passion is just down the road?

Maybe we should celebrate the fact that Jesus came to Jerusalem to die. That is precisely what the Bible tells us to do. Paul wrote, (SHOW) "(Christ) humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."(Philippians 2:8-11)

In other words Jesus is worthy of praise precisely because he went to Jerusalem to die.

This is not just an approach to Palm Sunday; it is an approach to all of life. Jesus' suffering was necessary to win our salvation. Once we open our eyes to the suffering of Christ we see him as Lord more clearly than before.

Every knee shall bow and all shall shout "Hosanna!" because he died. In Christ we can look at suffering and see something beautiful. So look at the suffering around you. Open your eyes to it, as unpleasant as that may be. Then hand it over to God. And God in Christ will turn that sorrow into shouts of joy.

But, as I mentioned before, Brethren are special.

This worship, our traditional one (or the contemporary one), is filled with celebration. The style of it is very modern in both places, but Thursday night’s Love Feast is much different. It isn’t boring. Its design is to remind us of the solemn and terrible experience of the reality of that night as it unfolded to those disciples.

It isn’t really a Palm Thursday, it is sort of a Black Thursday because it and Good Friday are day’s of sorrow.

I saw a news blurb that traced pictures based on Michelangelo’s (SHOW) last Supper. And, they noticed that the more and more modern the painting, the larger and larger the amount of food, the size of the loaves of bread, etc. Some thought it was a message that leads to obesity. I don’t know about that. But I do think about this. “More and more,” the idea that it is about us, the way we think of ourselves and what we can get out of it is certainly implied in the growing amount of food.

But even that meal wasn’t something they were comfortable with. It starts out with Jesus washing their feet. They felt strange. It is easy for us to consider how we can help others, but to let Jesus wash our feet? That seemed to be an upside down sort of King, in an upside-down Kingdom. We are a proud people, a people who pride ourselves on being able to take care of ourselves. “No handouts, Please, I am a man myself!” That is what made our Nation Strong. But Jesus’ kingdom, in order to be a part of that Kingdom, one must lay down their pride and let Jesus wash their feet.

But these were men with the same pride and strength we have, and Jesus said: “If you can’t learn to be served, you can have no part of me.”

Remember, the only crown he wore was the crown of thorns. He tells them He will die and they cannot figure it out. He institutes bread and cup communion, they think it is strange. Everything is new. Everything is solemn. Everything has changed.

So, today we celebrate without shame because we are told to. Even though we know better than the disciples because they didn’t understand that Jesus death was coming. But I urge you to also come Thursday night, to experience the solemn, to participate in a sober worship service that puts into our mind the terror of Good Friday.

It is an uncomfortable worship service because it isn’t the fun they were having on Palm Sunday. It is uncomfortable, because someone will be washing your feet. But the experience is also wonderfully mystical as we join together to re-create the Upper Room experience.

It joins us into this upside-down Kingdom, this Kingdom that would rather turn the other, this Kingdom that would rather open arms for an embrace than fists for a fight, this kingdom of humility that permits us not only to serve, but to humble ourselves and be served.

I urge you to come Thursday night. It is a time for us to remember exactly what we know, that the disciples had no clue of. Come with us and remember the passion of Christ.

Remember Me

Text: Luke 23:35-43

Focus: The Thieves on the cross

Function: To take another picture of Jesus’ grace.

Form: Story telling

Intro:

On the altar table are the words, “In Remembrance of Me.”

They point to the symbol of Jesus’ sacrifice when He instituted the Bread and Cup Communion.

Jesus said, “Do this often, in remembrance of Me.”

Or, as often as you do this, you remember Me.

I think my favorite part from the story of the thief on the cross is the exchange between Jesus when the repentant thief, looking at Jesus, says: “Remember me” and Jesus replies with “Today, you shall be with me in paradise.”

(SHOW) Jesus “remembers everyone who calls on Him.”

Theologians and skeptics alike have broken down this story.

I remember a young man once trying to trip me up and he was claiming the bible was full of errors. So I asked him to point to one.

He pointed to this story. Matthew doesn’t tell the whole story, and the gospels were written from different perspectives. Luke tells us at the start of the gospel that he wants to make the story as complete as possible. Matthew, with all of his references to fulfilled prophecy, the symbol of the Passover lamb and other things is writing to a decidedly Jewish audience. Mark is written to the Western cultures where the gospel spread, places like Rome, etc. He emphasizes the power and might of Jesus. He emphasizes the Messiah who is a victor over sin. This power image was one that Westerners could relate to. God is interested in reaching everyone. So John, on the other hand, is written to people from Eastern Philosophy. John conducted many years of ministry in India. He doesn’t organize his gospel with strict allegiance to the chronology of events, but the symbolism of event. Luke is the only one that tries to give us an historical picture.

So, (SHOW) Matthew leaves out the miracle of the thief’s conversion. It isn’t a contradiction or a disagreement; it just wasn’t something Matthew wanted to emphasize.

So, the story is reliable.

But it is not just skeptics who want to pick apart the story.

Theologians want to pick it apart on the basis of the theology of baptism, and purgatory –where the soul goes immediately when it dies. Do we go straight to heaven? Or, do we get there at the final trumpet when the graves are opened? What does the Bible mean when it says that the dead are merely asleep until the second resurrection?

And, theologians point to this passage in order to debate these issues.

It isn’t a teaching passage on the doctrine of the resurrection, go to 1 Corinthians 15, 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians and Revelations for that. As a matter of fact, right after Easter, we are going to be looking at passages in the Book of Revelation about Jesus and us in Heaven.

Baptism is the big one I’ll mention today.

Some would say that it is impossible to be saved unless a person goes through the Christian rite of Baptism.

Many traditions, Lutheran, Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational and etc baptism babies soon after they are born in order to ensure their salvation.

They take it from the OT when men were circumcised on the 8^th day as a symbol of the covenant God makes with people that extends to the children. For them, it points to the more inclusive nature of the New Covenant in that baptism is extended to women and men, where not only men receive the rite of circumcision.

We are Anabaptists. That means we re-baptize people when they are old enough to make their own choice to do it.

(SHOW) We practice “believers’ baptism.”

We call it believers’ baptism. In those other traditions, the rite of confirmation is supposed to be a time when a person does make the choice to affirm the rite of baptism. It is supposed to be a time when they personalize their own decision to follow Jesus.

I have met many people who were born again through confirmation. And I have met some who were never born again. I have met Anabaptists who were born again, and then baptized, or born again when they were baptized. And I have met some who have never changed as a result of their decision to follow Jesus.

So I am going to trust God to sort this out.

But this thief was not baptized and Jesus promised him that this very day he would experience the glory of heaven.

Some traditions say, “Well, he was baptized in his own blood.” Or “God made a one-time exception.”

I think either/or is a stretch. LISTEN: We are saved by faith in Jesus alone. I know people who have been re-baptized and have told me that they felt a much, much stronger connection and closeness to God by the Holy Spirit when they obeyed the rite of baptism.

But that doesn’t mean they weren’t believers.

My own story is the same.

Salvation comes by trusting in Jesus.

(SHOW) When the thief says to Jesus “Remember me” he was saved.

A friend of mine, from another Church, asked our Church to be praying for him because he is suffering from bladder cancer. He said to me: “`So and so’ told my wife and daughters that I was going to hell because I wasn’t baptized. So, I guess I am the token pagan at the church, but I always respected you and I always saw a sincere faith in Jesus through you.”

Then he said, “Will you pray to Our Savior? Will you ask Jesus to help me? He is the only one I look to.”

(SHOW) Romans 10:13 “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

I pointed this scripture out to Him and told him that God wasn’t interested in formulas and dogma’s in order to bring us into His family.

God saves everyone who calls upon Him.

(SHOW) When we pray, when we admit our brokenness, when we confess our need for His salvation, He saves us. Pure and simple.

I am convinced that a believer, who obeys the command in scripture to be baptized in order to testify to their faith, will find blessings greater then those who don’t.

After all, salvation is about following Jesus, trusting Him and obeying Him. He said, (SHOW) John 14:15: “If you love me, you will obey Me.”

But Jesus was more interested in saving this man on the cross than He was interested in conforming to the rules of religion.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be baptized, it is an important symbol, but it is merely a symbol of something greater.

Look at these words: (SHOW) 1 Peter 3:21 “And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you -- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…”

It isn’t the water, it’s the heart.

I love “The Sinners Prayer.” It covers all the bases. It says: (SHOW) “Lord Jesus I confess that I am a sinner. I believe that you paid the price for my sins by your death. I ask you to forgive my sins, save me, and come into my heart. I believe that you can because you were raised from the dead.”

It’s a good formula for salvation, but it only means something if it comes from the heart.

Picture the Story of the Thieves with Jesus.

First, there is this crowd, this blood-lust thirsty mob who are titillated by the excitement and gore of 3 humans suffering one of the most painful deaths possible.

Except for the 4 women and John the apostle, the entire rest of the crowd is hostile toward them, and especially hostile toward Jesus.

They are mocking Jesus. They point out that He performed many miracles and at this point, He appeared powerless in their hands.

They made a mockery of Him.

Then there are the Roman guards. They are wearing their breastplates, helmets and swords. Their very presence is a symbol of oppression on these people.

The torture of crucifixion is a terrible boot heel on the neck of people. They are reminded that they need to obey, or death won’t be quick enough for them.

And their attitude makes it much worse. They are so indifferent to human tragedy going on above them that they are at the feet of these men, between these men and the crowd, and are merely playing a game in the face of human tragedy.

The indifference shown by that action is reprehensible.

And yet Jesus, in the verses before this, while looking at their indifference to His plight, asks God to forgive them.

And then the three on the cross. Jesus is in the middle, one thief on either side.

According to Matthew, they pick up the crowd’s hatred and mock Jesus as well.

I can picture Jesus at this point.

I can picture him looking at the unrepentant thief and seeing the hopelessness in his eyes that causes him to have such a mean response to someone who is going through exact thing he is enduring.

Then, I picture Jesus looking at this thief, this one who cried out “Remember me.”

And for an instant, those piercing eyes of Jesus peer directly into this man’s soul.

I picture the man, quickly turning his head away in shame and becoming silent.

He listens to the abuse that Jesus is taking and it begins to weigh on his soul.

He searches his own soul in light of eternity, the Love of God and the way he has lived without regard for God and others.

All of that evil is symbolized in the way Jesus is treated.

Jesus and the two thieves are on a different level than the mob. They are elevated on these crosses, at this time; they should be a band of brothers who experience the camaraderie of suffering together.

Instead of camaraderie, there is conflict, but the conflict changes sides.

I imagine this repentant thief wondering in dismay when he sees Jesus pray those words “Father forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.”

How could Jesus not hate the soldiers? He was innocent and was being punished in a gross miscarriage of justice.

I can see why he started mocking Jesus, but that piercing look, the truth behind Jesus prayer of forgiveness begin to weigh on that thief.

I picture him chancing another glance at Jesus and Jesus notices his look and gives him another look of love, forgiveness and understanding.

He sees this injustice and with a final desperate act of repentance; he decides to speak up about it.

The man, in his agony, cries out against the injustice of Jesus crucifixion.

He switches sides. He joins Jesus in His suffering and speaks out, warning the other thief to do the same.

In his speech, he confesses both his sin, his need for a Savior and his trust in Jesus’ power over death.

I imagine him, after he warns the other thief looking at Jesus again.

This time, he isn’t ashamed. Finally, maybe the first time in his life, he has done the right thing.

His final words: “Lord, remember me…”

And Jesus saves him.

There is no altar call, there is no sinner’s prayer; there is no consistent form of our Christian religion expressed by Baptism; there is merely an appeal for mercy from God.

(SHOW) We are saved by Faith in Jesus.

Our faith is not a magic formula of prayers and exercises, but a simple trust in the mercy of our Savior.

Merciful People

Text: Luke 15:2, 11-32

Focus: Mercy

Function: To help people be merciful

Form: Story telling

Intro:

I was in a Church in London, probably the largest Anglican Church in the world. A genuine revival is taking place there.

The church has 140 pastors. It is divided into groups of 40-60, called pastorates and those are divided into groups of 6-10 called cell groups. Each pastorate has a full-time pastor, but the reason for these small pastorates is so that they can develop the gifts and ministries of everyone in the church. It is a large church that owes it success to being small.

Creating an environment where people can be responsible to do ministry as God has gifted them is an organic environment in which all the members of the body can exercise their muscles and continue to grow.

However, I wonder if an ever better reason contributes to the revival that is happening there.

There are a lot of images used in churches that create a sense of holiness, a sense of mission, an atmosphere that reminds people of what is important to the faith.

Westminster Abbey is completely full of statues and icons of famous people from England’s history, some of them a Godly saints, and others are scoundrels. The Church is a monument to the successes of England’s power, but only 150 people actually worship there.

However, Holy Trinity Church, Brompton worships 4,500 people, in 5 services every week.

The building isn’t lined with statues of Military heroes, kings, scientists and saints. It is a beautiful old Cathedral, but its emphasis is on redemption. And right there, 7 foot tall, is a bronze sculpture (SHOW –in sermon file) by Charlie Maskey of the father embracing the prodigal son as he returns.

Now think about it, of the thousands of images, symbols and reminders that can be placed in our places of worship, the ones that get the center of attention relate to the worshippers the core values of that particular church.

Brethren embrace the concept of simple living, so, our Sanctuary is not guilt with gold and a lot of other things. We have a cross in the architecture, and a picture of Jesus. That isn’t what Jesus looked like, but it’s an idea of a man who has searching eyes and is focused on His mission. I wish we had two pictures, one Caucasian, and one Black. Both are equally valid and it would communicate our commitment to Social Justice. Did you know there are over 2,000 verses in the Bible dealing with social Justice? In Matt 25, when Jesus separates the sheep from the goats, the question will be, “when did you care for me as a prisoner, a foreigner etc.

I like the symbols we have here. We are here to focus on Jesus, and on the empty Cross, the proof of our redemption. Good symbols.

We have the colored altar clothes that get changed with the Church year calendar. I don’t know if anyone knows what the colors mean for sure, but the symbol is important to me because it connects us with the greater church around the world.

And then there is the IHS on the cloths, does anyone really know what they mean?

If you Google it, you get answers from International Headache Society and the Egyptian trinity of gods. But in Christian settings no one still knows, it is probably the first three letters of Jesus’ name in Greek, and very similar in Latin.

Many people think it means “In His Service” and that is close to the Latin acrostic which means this place is sacred.

I always thought it was “I” stands for Jesus, “H” stands for Son and “S” stands for Savior, meaning it points to Jesus, Son of God, and our Savior.

Symbols in worship really are important. I love the grapes and the Celtic cross on the brick. The grapes and the cup, I believe, symbolize either the blood sacrifice or the fact that Jesus is the vine that gives us life and of course, the cross points us to Good Friday.

So, in what is probably the largest Church in England, this church that is experiencing a tremendous revival, in that Church they use this sculpture of the prodigal being embraced by his father when he returns.

It is the image of people coming back to God.

It is the image of the love that God has to receive us when people return.

In England, and now in America, that is a significant image. Almost a whole generation has passed since England no longer considered itself a Christian nation.

And this church emphasizes the importance of coming back to Jesus.

(SHOW) Come back, He will receive you. God will always let us come back to Him.

My eldest brother trained 8 years to be a preacher. And then in his first church, which was an outreach church in downtown Minneapolis. It was funded by a Pentecostal Church, a Baptist Church and a Methodist Church. And no, I am not getting ready to tell a joke. Something bad happened to him.

One Sunday night, he was preaching at the Methodist Church that was contributing 1/3 of their operating budget and he neglected to mention the Baptist Church. Someone from the forgotten church was at the meeting to hear the report. They were offended, told their Church officers about it and that church pulled out of the ministry. The other two churches couldn’t afford to maintain it, so they closed the doors.

After training for 8 years to be a preacher, his first experience left him devastated, almost suicidal. His faith was really shaken. He couldn’t understand why God let this happen.

So, he became a salesman. And, his faith journey was on and off for several years. He always went to church, raised his kids in church, but he wasn’t buying it.

I worked with him a few years in a sales job as well, and he talked about Jesus, but his lifestyle was different than what we were raised with.

And then his company closed and he was out of a job with no real prospects.

Devastated, he was invited to a support group in his Church for men who had been downsized.

They made a covenant to read at least 1 chapter of the Bible a day, and pray at least 15 minutes a day

He told me, “Phil, I feel like such a hypocrite. I didn’t pray much, I wasn’t very religious while things were going so great, but now that things are going bad, I start to pray again.”

“Am I a Christian who only prays when he is in trouble? Then he said, “I truly doubted if God would take me back.”

So, he said: “When I read the bible and prayed that first day, I was nervous. But you know what, Phil? God just opened His arms and took me back. I couldn’t believe the peace He gave me in that crisis. He never made me feel ashamed for not considering Him as much as I should when things were going great. He just let me feel His love.”

He came back to Jesus.

Here is God, with His unconditional love, waiting for the return to life of His son.

…Waiting for us to return to Him.

(SHOW) God waits for us to return to Him.

…Waiting for us to embrace His forgiveness.

Now some may think that the small-time carousing my brother did while he was a salesman is nothing compared to their own sins, but I can guarantee you that God will always take us back. His desire isn’t to scold and say: “I told you so” or “you made your bed, now sleep in it” or “3 strikes and your out!” No, Jesus said even 7 times 70 in one day we are to forgive the person. He does that Himself.

God is waiting.

Now you’ve probably heard the joke about the insomniac, dyslexic, agnostic who sat up all night wondering if there really is a dog.

Well look at this video that Gay Shock sent me about the desire of God for us to come back to Him.

(SHOW video on laptop desktop “God and Dog”) –video is also in sermon file on Susan’s pc.

I remember a man said to me once, “Pastor, all you ever talk about is God’s love –mocking- God’s love…, what about God’s wrath?”

His implication was that if I make grace too easy, then people will cheapen grace and take advantage of it.

Listen, continuing in sin after we trust Jesus breaks our Father’s heart.

Parents want to be proud of their children.

But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that some are more deserving of grace than others.

I added verse 2 to the text: (SHOW) Luke 15:1-3: By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, "He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends." Their grumbling triggered these stories (original “this story”).

I italicized the words “these stories” because Jesus gives three examples about the people who grumbled about God’s mercy given to people they comforted their own arrogance with by looking down on. He tells the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son.

The prodigal son story is one of the greatest stories in the entire bible. It gives hope to every sinner who draws back into the love of God.

It holds out the promise of God’s forgiveness to everyone who trusts in Him.

It illustrates the fact that the church is God’s family. We are a family together. Families care for each other. Parents are committed to their children. God is committed to us.

And I gotta tell you, if you have wandered away, this story proves that God will take you back no matter what.

It makes for some mighty fine preaching. That image (RESHOW sculpture picture) of the Fathers’ unconditional embrace is glorious and heartwarming.

It is what England needs, it what we need, it is what everyone needs to see.

But the message of God’s willingness to take us back overwhelms the original purpose that Jesus had when He told them this story.

The story is a call for us to return to Him, but Jesus doesn’t tell the story with that purpose in mind. The story is a rebuke to those who disliked the fact that other people were getting grace.

Some people are happier about someone suffering for their mistakes than they are for someone who gets restored.

(SHOW) Verse 7: There is more rejoicing in heaven over 1 sinner who returns than 99 who are already in the fold.

Restoration is the passion of God.

And the religious leaders didn’t like it.

I tell you, grace is a major stumbling block for us.

Jesus is calling us to have that same kind of mercy. (SHOW) Jesus is calling us to become Merciful People.

He is calling us to give back the mercy we have received.

The one who thinks that they deserve less mercy because they aren’t as bad doesn’t understand the meaning of God’s mercy. Come to that mercy.