Sermon #115 Luke
Sermons
Title: God’s Method of Grace
Text: Luke
15:11-24
Subject: Lessons from the Parable of
the Prodigal Son
Date: Sunday
Evening—
Tape # X-97b
Introduction:
One of the things I remember
about the English grammar classes we all sat through in school is a constant
recurring thought I had, a question I often raised with my teachers.
Invariably, when we were required to learn a rule of grammar, we were required
to also learn exceptions to the rule. So I thought, and often asked, “Why don’t
they just make rules? If exceptions must be made, the rule must be faulty.” I know that I’m not the brightest bulb in the house, but that
still makes perfectly good sense to me to this day.
But, as I have gotten older,
I’ve learned to accept the exceptions. As you may have guessed, I’ve told you
that little story to prepare you for an exception. I have told you many times that parables are intended to illustrate one thing,
to enforce one lesson. Well, the parable of the prodigal son is the exception
to the rule. This parable, I am convinced, is intended to illustrate and
enforce many lessons taught in the Book of God. So I want us to look at the
parable again.
Tonight, I want to use the
parable to show you some of what the Scriptures teach us about God’s method of grace.
It is the universal testimony of Holy
Scripture that salvation is by the grace of God. ― “By
grace ye are saved.” All who are justified before God are “justified
freely by his grace.” All
who claim to believe the Bible profess that they believe in salvation by grace;
but there are few people in this world who understand what the Word of God
teaches about grace. Whenever you read the word “grace” in Holy
Scripture, be sure you understand the Word in the context of divine revelation,
not in the context of human religion.
1. The grace of God is in
Christ (Eph.
1:3-14).
(Eph
1:3-14) "Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ: {4} According as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love: {5} Having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure
of his will, {6} To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he
hath made us accepted in the beloved. {7} In whom we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his
grace; {8} Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and
prudence; {9} Having made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: {10} That
in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in
him: {11} In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will: {12} That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first
trusted in Christ. {13} In whom ye also trusted, after that ye
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that
ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, {14} Which
is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession, unto the praise of his glory."
2. The grace of God in Christ
is…
· Eternal, Everlasting Grace (Rom.
(Rom
8:28-30) "And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose. {29} For whom
he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. {30} Moreover
whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also
justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
· Free, Unconditional Grace (Rom.
(Rom
9:11-18) "(For the children being
not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God
according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) {12} It was said
unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. {13} As
it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. {14} What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. {15} For he saith to Moses, I
will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I
will have compassion. {16} So then it is not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
{17} For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even
for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in
thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. {18} Therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he
hardeneth."
· Sovereign, Discriminating
Grace!
· Electing, Predestinating
Grace!
· Immutable, Unchanging Grace!
· Effectual, Irresistible
Grace!
· Sure, Indestructible Grace!
3. There are many, many
beautiful pictures and illustrations of God’s saving grace set before us in
Holy Scripture.
· Adam and Eve - The Skins
· Abel
· Noah
· Abraham
· David and Mephibosheth
· Hosea and Gomer
· Paul and Onesimus
In our text we have the beautiful, blessed picture
of grace set before us in the parable of the prodigal son, found in Luke
15:11-24.
Someone called this parable “the pearl of parables.”
Certainly, it is such to me. None of the Master’s parables is more applicable
to my own experience than this one. Actually, as we have seen already, this
entire chapter is a single parable about lost things (v. 3).
· The Lost Sheep
· The Lost Coin
· The Lost Son
The purpose of the parable is to show us the
grace of God in saving sinners. God the
Son, our good Shepherd, seeks the lost sheep and brings it home. God the Holy Spirit, like the
woman sweeping the house, sweeps through the earth to find the lost coins of
heaven’s treasury. And God the Father,
our heavenly Father, gladly receives wayward sinners, coming to him by
faith in Christ, because, as it is written, “he
delighteth in mercy!”
The whole parable is a picture of grace. It shows us the great
delight our God has in the exercise of his saving grace. Three times over we
are old of joy in heaven because of sinners repenting. Imagine that –
Proposition: There is joy in heaven when lost sinners come
home to God!
If God the Holy Spirit will graciously speak these
words to our hearts, if he will graciously use them to fetch chosen sinners
home to Christ, then my preaching this message will accomplish its intended
purpose this hour.
Let me show you five things in this
parable about the grace of God. I will not exhaust my subject. When I get done,
there will still be plenty of preaching room left. But I want you to see and
rejoice in these five things about God’s wondrous, amazing, saving grace.
Wisdom
I.
The first thing I want us to see here is The Wisdom Of God’s Grace.
I will not attempt to satisfy the curiosity of
proud, unbelieving men who call into question the absolute sovereignty of our
God. But I want us to see that it was an act of God’s great wisdom to
ordain the fall of our father Adam and the ruin of our race in him.
Let no one suggest that God is the author of
sin. James tells us plainly that God never causes man to sin. Yet, this blessed
Book does teach us that God has ordained all that comes
to pass; and that includes Adam’s sin as well as all other sin.
God did not cause Adam to sin. God did not tempt
Adam to sin. God did not in any way induce Adam to sin. But to suggest that
Adam’s transgression took the Almighty by surprise is to deny the very Godhood
of God!
Yes, God did ordain the fall; and it was an act of
great wisdom on his part. Just as the father in this parable willingly divided
to the prodigal all his living, to be wasted by him in riotous living, our
heavenly Father wisely ordained the fall of our father Adam and the fall of the
human race in him so that he might
show us the exceeding riches of his grace in Christ against the black backdrop
of human sin and depravity. Had we never known sin we could never have
known the…
· Wonder of Redemption!
· Blessedness of Forgiveness!
· Joy of Reconciliation!
Goodness
II. This parable also displays something of the goodness of God’s
grace.
Nothing more displays the great goodness of God’s
grace than what the old preachers used to call “prevenient grace.”
Prevenient grace is the grace of God that goes before and prepares the way for
his saving grace. We see Gods prevenient grace in…
· Giving the prodigal all his
living.
Hosea 2:8 "For she did not know that I
gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal."
· Sending his servant to watch
over his wayward boy. – The Angels of God!
Hebrews
· Protecting and providing for
his son all the days of his rebellion.
· Bringing his son down!
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MEthod
III. Thirdly, in verses 17-19, we are
given a picture of the method
of God’s grace.
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Experience
IV. In verses 20-23 the Lord Jesus gives us a
delightful picture of the experience
of God’s grace.
Our experience of
grace is the result of what God has already done and the assurance of what he
shall do; but it is not the cause of God doing anything.
(2
Tim 1:9-10) "Who hath saved us, and
called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began, {10} But is now made manifest by the appearing
of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel:"
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Luke
Luke 15:22 "But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:"
Luke
Illustration: The Handkerchief
Joy
V. Now, look at verse 24, and
behold the joy of God’s
grace.
Luke
Zephaniah
3:14-17 "Sing, O daughter of
"The
Touch of the Master's Hand"
'Twas battered and
scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth
his while
To waste much time on the
old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good
folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the
bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a
dollar;" then, "Two! Only two?
Two dollars and who'll make
it three?
Three dollars, once; three
dollars, twice;
Going for three--" But
no,
From the room, far back, a
gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up
the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from
the old violin,
And tightening the loose
strings,
He played a melody pure and
sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the
auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet
and low,
Said, "What am I bid
for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the
bow.
"A thousand dollars, and
who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll
make it three?
Three thousand, once, three
thousand twice,
And going, and gone,"
said he.
The people cheered, but some
of them cried,
"We do not quite
understand
What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:
"The touch of a
master's hand."
And many a man with life out
of tune,
And battered and scarred
with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the
thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
Ruined and running from God
he goes,
In madness, to hell,
headlong!
He is "going"
once, and "going" twice,
He's "going" and
almost "gone."
But the Master comes, and
the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the
change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's
hand.