Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Trying to be Religious
Weekend Music links on iTunes: Your Grace is Enough by Chris Tomlin; Sing to the King by Passion Band; Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture; How He Loves by David Crowder.
Read: Luke 15:25-32, Luke 15:1-10
Think: Pastor Ben taught us from Luke 15:25-32 this last weekend. We refer to this story as the parable of the Prodigal Son. However, the rest of the chapter Luke 15:1-10 is really about the older brother. Like the Pharisees, the older brother looks good. In verse 29 “Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time” This is a pretty easy place to get in our walk with the Lord. We know it’s not true that “I never transgressed your commandment” but we can feel that way.
It says the older brother was angry, who was he angry with? Not his brother, he was angry with the Father. He accuses his Father: "[I did all this] and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends" (15:29b). His father has given him less than he “deserves”. Not only has the fatted calf never been killed for him, he has never even been given a young goat for a party! I know I’ve felt this. God has saved and blessed someone (who doesn’t go to church nearly as much as I do) with great wealth and favor, and when I’m in the middle of some hardship I feel that I deserve "better than this" from the God whom I’ve served so well!
We need to understand what our Father celebrates and celebrate with Him. God celebrates “sinners who repent”. The Prodigal Son parable is preceded with the parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1-10). Verse 10 describes what the older brother is missing. “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents”
Do: Next time we bow our heads at the end of church services and Pastor acknowledges those who have been saved on his left, in the center and on his right. Imagine the party in heaven and celebrate.
Pray: Father, you seek the lost, and when they respond to You there is a celebration. Give me your heart for the lost so we can celebrate together.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.
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