The Second Lost Son

The Second Lost Son

How Jesus heals our deadly "older brother syndrome"

Luke 15:21-32

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. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

²⁵"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

²⁸"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹But 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. ³⁰But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

³¹" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Introduction

A. I Want To Talk With You About Our Deadly "Older Brother Syndrome".

(Expand)

1. Because that's what this parable is all about.

Usually teaching on this parable ends where we ended last week. The Prodigal comes home; Father goes out and welcomes him, kisses him, and throws a party.

2. End of story.

And we get a little choked up--maybe even inspired. And the moral of the story is be forgiving, be accepting. Right?

3. But I guarantee you not one of Jesus' listeners got choked up.

They were outraged. They were totally bent out of shape because the story doesn't end there.

B. This Whole Chapter Starts With A Confrontation.

1. In Verse 1, Pharisees (the religious right) are criticizing Jesus for welcoming and eating with sinners.

So, Jesus comes back at them with three parables. And the ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />high point is not really about the prodigal son coming home. Jesus knocks the wind out of the self-righteous religious people by adding this conversation between the father and older brother at the end.

2. If you understand the context…

…you see that Jesus is not talking so much about prodigals but self-righteous Pharisees. It is not so much about the assurance of acceptance no matter how much we screw up our lives, although it definitely includes that. The main point here is an in your face warning to "good" people.

3. Jesus is saying that nothing comes between you and God like morality and goodness.

Nothing is a bigger obstacle to a relationship with the father than decency and respectability. This is the punch line. And the original listeners were blown away, confused and frustrated. They either thought Jesus was exaggerating or just wrong. That what he said as irresponsible and ungodly.

Even the most "patient" Pharisee was thinking: "Listen Jesus, you might want to rethink or reword your story here. People might think it's ok to sin against God--that it's not worth it to obey Him." And you might be thinking the same thing.

C. Jesus wants us to understand this older brother syndrome.

1. How you know if you're infected with it.

And what can be done about it.

2. Today we're gonna see -

How Jesus heals our deadly "older brother syndrome"

And we begin with step one:

I. u Jesus will diagnose our condition

Intro.

How can you identify an older brother? Well, he's not in a pig pen - so you can't find him that way. He is not cursing God, not doing bad things, not breaking laws - so you can't find him that way either. How can you identify him? The symptoms are clear and I'll give you seven.

First -

A. w Anger

1. When the older brother heard his little brother was home…

…and their Father had thrown a party to celebrate, what is his first reaction? It says:

²⁸"The older brother became angry…"

2. Older brothers have a tendency to get angry when …

…they don't think their lives are going the way they should. And older brothers have an amazing ability to justify it or make light of it.

There are two kinds of anger. If an older brother is obeying all the rules, and things go wrong he gets angry with God. And he says "I don't deserve this." Or, if he's not obeying the rules, and things go wrong he gets condemningly angry with himself. "Since I do deserve this - God must be punishing me."

3. But if you are a Christian…

…when things go wrong, you know God is not punishing you. You know why? Because Jesus already took our punishment. And you're not mad at God because if Jesus died for you – no doubt God will use everything that comes into your life for your ultimate good.

Second symptom:

B. w Lack of Joy

1. Verse 28 goes on to say:

²⁸"The older brother…refused to go in (to the party).

He cannot enter into the Father's joy.

2. Older brothers view life as obligation.

There's no party. There's no dance. There's no joy.

Third:

C. w Hates God's Law

1. Check out Verse 29:

²⁹…'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.'

Older brothers are law-abiding on the outside but on the inside they hate God's law. It's oppressive slavery--burdensome orders. But what is the mark of a godly person? Psalm 1 says –

²…his delight is in the law of the Lord and in it he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:2

2. Both older brothers and Christians keep the Law of God.

But the big difference is WHY they do it. The older brother obeys to get (God is this giant piñata in the sky and out obedience is the stick we beat him with to get what we really want); the Christian obeys to give. Older brother says: All these years I've slaved and you never gave me… The older brother obeys to get something from God. The Christian obeys to give--to give God thanks for how God has loved us.

Four -

D. w Lack of Assurance

1. Older brother says:

²⁹…you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

And the Father responds:

³¹"My son…everything I have is yours."

2. This should have been obvious to him but it wasn't.

Not only doesn't he love the father, he is not sure where he stands with him. He doesn't experience the Father's embrace.

3. Ask a Christian: Are you a Christian?

And if they think about it, their face lights up and they say, "Yes. It's crazy--it's miraculous that I am a Christian. I don't deserve this amazing grace." Ask an older brother and he says: "Why are you asking? Of course, I'm a Christian. What are you thinking?"

Five -

E. w Critical of others

1. Older brothers are unsure about where they stand…

But they are very sure where other people stand. In vs.30 the older brother says:

³⁰But when this son of yours…

He won't even call him his brother.

2. Older brothers are always judging.

True Christians are the most non-judgmental people in the world because they know that they are sinners saved by grace.

Six -

F. w Can't Forgive.

1. The older brother refuses to forgive his brother.

Why? Older brothers always feel superior. He's saying: "I would never do what he did."

2. If there is someone you can't forgive…

It is because you are saying "I would never do that."

3. Self-righteousness is screwing you up.

Your problem is your perceived "goodness".

Seven -

G. w Hates Older Brothers

1. Some of you were younger brothers. (Like me…)

You became Christians. Older brother types used to give you a hard time.

2. And now you're loving it that Jesus is being hard on the Pharisees.

You hate Pharisees. And here's the irony: You are becoming an older brother toward older brothers. You're becoming judgmental toward judgmental people.

Trans.

1. So, there you have symptoms of the deadly "older brother syndrome".

It's pretty easy to list this stuff. You know why? Cuz it takes one to know one.

2. This week I was just looking at Jesus' diagnosis of my condition.

I still struggle with this deadly "older brother syndrome". Especially the irony of me becoming an older brother toward older brothers. "Hi. My name is Matt. And I am a recovering Older Brother."

3. So, how can we recover? First:

I. u Jesus will diagnose our condition And secondly:

II. u Jesus opens our eyes to the cause

What is the cause? First of all, Jesus says:

The Older Brother is…

A. w …lost.

1. Jesus gives three parables in Luke 15.

In each one there is something where it shouldn't be. The sheep is where it shouldn't be. The lost coin is where it shouldn't be. And the younger son is where he shouldn't be. And in every situation someone is going out. The shepherd goes out to get the lost sheep. The woman goes out to get the lost coin. The father goes out to get the lost prodigal.

2. And now what do you have?

The older brother is outside while a party is going on inside. The older brother is where he should not be. And the Father goes out again. This time for the older brother.

3. Jesus is saying:

He's as lost as the coin. He's as lost as the sheep. He's as lost as his brother.

But Jesus is saying more than that.

Jesus Says:

B. w …more lost than the Younger Brother.

1. How can you be more lost?

Let me put it this way:

2. Jesus says the Father had two sons:

Good and bad, obedient and disobedient. In the end the bad one goes in but the good one stays out.

A Spirit of Unity
FROM PASTOR MATT ORTIZ

May 25, 2008



Purpose: To encourage people to cultivate relationships with people of different cultures.

A Spirit of Unity

Romans 14:1-4, 14-23; 15:1-7



14:1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

15:1We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." 4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.



Introduction

A. In ancient times, when Kings went out to battle and conquered distant lands…

1. …they established kingdom outposts.

And the outpost represented the king in far off lands where the kingdom had not yet been fully established. The king could be in his capital hundreds of miles away from some parts of his kingdom. So, the kingdom outposts were a visible demonstration to the people there of the reign and the rule of the king.



2. Why do I bring this up?

It's because the church is a kingdom outpost of God's Kingdom of Grace. King Jesus has gone out to battle. Through his death and resurrection, he has conquered the enemy. And yet, his kingdom has not yet been fully established. And so he has established kingdom outposts to be a visible demonstration of what it looks like when Jesus reigns and rules.



3. Crossroads Church is a Kingdom outpost of God's Kingdom of Grace.

We exist to demonstrate to ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />San Diego what the Kingdom of God looks like. We are to be a community that shows people what it looks like when King Jesus rules and reigns in our lives.



B. So, what does it look like?

1. Let me mention one thing.

In the Kingdom, there is a rich diversity of people living in perfect unity. In the Kingdom--people from every nation, language, people and tribe worship and serve God with all the strengths of their culture and none of the sin. And we all do it in a way that promotes and strengthens our unity.



2. Sad to say, Kingdom outposts in the US have had a poor record.

Martin Luther King Jr. said:

"The most segregated hour in America is between eleven and twelve o'clock on a Sunday morning. - "Martin Luther King

That's still mostly true--even in diverse National City. On the other hand, when God's people have lived together in rich diversity and authentic unity other people have been drawn in to worship this God who has made that possible.



3. We see that when we look at The Church of Antioch.

In the first century, Antioch in Syria had a very diverse population of 500,000 people. Racial and cultural differences created so much antagonism that the city built walls to separate the groups from each other in an effort to keep the peace. If you were part of one group you just didn't go into other territories.



But then the gospel of God's grace began to spread in Antioch. And people from different races and cultures became followers of Jesus. And they started crossing the dividing walls to meet with each other for worship and fellowship.



And Antioch became the first place where the followers of Jesus were called Christians. Part of that was they couldn't be labeled with racial or cultural tags. They were a diverse people living in unity. They were kingdom outpost that transcended the walls of division.



C. With all my heart, I believe that is what God wants Crossroads to be.

¿: And here's the question: How can we?

¿: How can we grow as a people that cherish unity and celebrate diversity?

Well in our text we see three answers that can lead Crossroads to become more and more of that kind of church. First of all, we learn to…



I. u Make evaluations based on the Gospel

A. This is exactly what Paul is doing.

1. He calls the one group "strong" and the other group "weak".

Paul is making evaluations and he is expressing them—even negative evaluations.



2. Usually this point is overlooked. When Paul says:

1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment…

…we wrongly conclude that what he means is that we're not to decide what's right and wrong. And when he says:

22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.

…we wrongly conclude that what he's saying is "Ok, if there is a right or a wrong way on a certain issue you're not supposed to say anything about it. You're not supposed to point that out to people."



3. But Paul is doing exactly what we think he is saying not to do.

He's evaluating cultural practices in light of the gospel. And he concludes one practice is more in line with the gospel than another. He says: The strong eat everything! But the weak only eat vegetables! So, is he slamming vegetarians here? Of course not. Just like he's not endorsing gluttony when he says – "the strong eat everything".



B. So, what's he saying?

1. The issue was over "clean" and "unclean" food.

The Old Testament says that Israel was only to eat clean food and there were lists. Then in Mark 7, Jesus declares all food clean—this is what Paul's doing! There were two purposes of the clean and unclean laws in the Old Testament. One purpose was to preserve the identity of Israel as a nation. The other was a theological lesson teaching us that to enter God's presence we must first be cleansed. And of course, it's through Jesus that we're cleansed. So, Paul, like Jesus, says: "In Christ, no food is unclean!"



2. But--there was a group in the church in Rome…

…that were raised under the dietary laws of the Old Testament. When they heard the gospel, they believed in Jesus as the Messiah. But after centuries of following the "clean/unclean" tradition, they thought Christians should keep it up. And since, in Rome, they couldn't be sure which meat was clean they decided to only eat vegetables.



3. Paul says they're "weak".

They're weak because they haven't drawn out the implications of the gospel to this area of life. The others, who would eat anything, he calls strong. The strong were primarily Gentile Christians who had not been raised under "clean/unclean" tradition.



C. This sounds like a petty, insignificant doctrinal argument—but it is not!

1. Because in I Corinthians 8, there's a problem with food again.

Only this time, it's just the opposite. Gentile Christians are not eating meat and Paul calls them weak. And the Jewish Christians were eating meat and they are the strong.



2. See the Gentile Christians in Corinth had been raised in pagan religions.

And in those religions meat was offered to idols and then sold at markets. And so out of fear of eating something that had been offered to idols--the whole idea of eating meat freaked out these Gentiles. But the Jewish Christians said: "An idol's nothing. It a block of wood. Eat the meat."



3. So, who cares? What's the point?

You have two different racial groups--Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. In Corinth, the Gentile Christians are the weak and the Jewish Christians are the strong. In Rome, it is just the opposite.



Cultural and racial differences can affect how you and I read and apply the Bible. The culture of one group in one setting can make them strong. But the culture of the same group in a different setting can make them weak.



D. So, here's how all this applies to your life!

1. Write this down:

w We need each other!

We need cultural and racial diversity to see the truth of the gospel. Left to yourself you'll only see a part of the truth. And to the extent that a church is all the same—it will be blind. Yes, cultural and racial differences can lead to disagreements in the church. But what is the solution? The solution is cultural and racial differences. We need each other to see the fullness of the gospel.



2. And we need each other to evaluate our cultural practices.

Because some are in line with the gospel and some are not. The world says: No--the way you get along with people who are different than you is to say that all cultural practices are all right!



3. But Christianity says:

The way you live with people who are different than you is to be willing to evaluate our cultural practices on the basis of the gospel--together. We need each other for that.



Trans.

That brings us to our second point.

1. First: Make evaluations on the basis of the gospel.

2. And second:



II. u Enter into relationships with one another

A. Paul says that involves two things.

1. First:

w Accept one another. In chapter 14 he says:

1Accept him whose faith is weak…



And secondly:

w Put others first.

In chapter 15 he says:

1We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.



2. Now, that right there is critical!

Most people say: "I won't say anything negative about your cultural practices. And you're not gonna take away my freedom to do whatever I want to do."



3. Paul says: The Christian does exactly the opposite.

The Christian says "I will respectfully make evaluations and express them in an appropriate way. But also, I'll be willing to adjust my life for your good--for whatever will be best for you." This is radically different. It's totally opposite of what we want to do.



B. Paul says: "Accept" one another!

1. He doesn't mean to simply "put-up" with their idiosyncrasies.

The word translated

"accept" literally means to

"accept" = "draw in".

In other words: welcome in people of different cultures and races. Welcome them into your life and grow in a loving relationship. Because of the Gospel--whatever culture you identify with--you have the freedom and the power to adapt your lifestyle to meet the needs of others from a different culture. Do what would be best for them. Be willing to restrict your freedom for the sake of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Nov 10, 2007
My Life



I’m starting to realize that living in denial is no way to live. While it may make me happy to ignore the pain that’s built up, it’s not true happiness. It’s like when you don’t feel like cleaning your room, so you throw everything on the bed and cover it up with the comforter.



The mess is still there. You still have to deal with it at some point. The only thing you’re doing is covering it up. It’s so easy to ignore sadness and tell yourself to be happy all the time.



You tell yourself… don’t let no one see. Don’t let anyone know. I must hide it, I must cover it up…. Even though I made my bed real nice, If someone was to lift up the comforter they see a HUGE mess. ..:



I been taught all my life to always cover up the mess and let no one see. And you know what? I’m SICK AND TIRED of it!!!!



But now its become apart of me. I pretend I’m okay when I’m not, I pretend I’m happy when I’m sad, I pretend I’m outgoing when I’m scared, I pretend everything is okay and I don’t need anyone when really my heart is breaking and screaming from inside…. CAN ANYONE hear me?

But how can they when I have come to be a professional at coving up this mess, called my life!!

Wow if you ONLY KNEW!!!


Don’t get me wrong, I am nice and kind and I love helping people. But I’m sick and tired of not getting help, or not having no one to talk to, not being heard when I have something to say. No one to hang out with go to the movies with listen to Music with.


But who’s to blame???

You??

Nope!!! ME,



Because I cover up so you can’t see.

I can’t blame no one but me.

BUT WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?



Face the mess I created and clean it from the grace of God who gives me grace when I don’t deserve it, for He always see the mess yet loves me anyway!!

I have found it very easy t forgive others... forgiving myself well that was a whole other story.

Here I am Lord and I'm drowning
In your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don't want to end up where you found me
And it echoes in my mind
Keeps me awake tonight.

The Lord forgives... as far as the easy is from the west, once He does its forgive, forgotten forever! I am free. and I am trapped. I am free in Him. I am trapped by the walls of my memories.

DEAF SCHOOL: I WAS IN THE NEWS PAPER

Mar 23, 2008

DEAF SCHOOL. . . I WAS IN THE NEWS PAPER


IMPERIAL BEACH – A new computer-skills class at Imperial Beach Adult School gives deaf and hard-of-hearing students a rare opportunity to learn the latest expertise they need to help them land good jobs.



The free class is being taught in American Sign Language, allowing hearing-impaired students to attend without sign-language interpreters, whose services are costly and sometimes in short supply.

School officials believe the class is the only one of its kind being offered in San Diego County. Advocates for the deaf said such classes are needed to help the hearing-impaired overcome obstacles they could face in the classroom or the workplace.

"It's a very important class. Very rarely is a class taught in sign language," said Pam Espalin, a client advocate with Deaf Community Services, a Hillcrest-based social-services agency for people with hearing impairments. "They're being empowered to become more self-sufficient."

School Principal Thomas Teagle said he was approached with the idea several months ago by Mary Alvarado, who teaches sign-language classes there. Alvarado, who is also credentialed to teach computer-skills classes, had been asked by students and members of the deaf community to launch such a program.

The new class started in late January and has about a dozen regular students, a mix of deaf and hearing-impaired adults, along with students who have normal hearing but may have deaf family members.

The students are taught computer basics, such as navigating the Internet and how to use e-mail, and the finer points of the latest editions of Microsoft programs such as Word, Excel, Access and Outlook. The goal is to prepare students to become certified in the Microsoft programs, which will help them in the job market, Alvarado said.



"It's just giving them the computer skills they need to be effective in different types of jobs," she said. "(To) get them to a place where they're making decent money, not just minimum-wage jobs."

The students enter the class with a range of skills, from those who are familiar with computers to those who "don't even know how to turn a computer on," Alvarado said.

She said providing such skills to the deaf and hard-of-hearing is critical, because the unemployment rate in the deaf community runs as high as 80 percent. Deaf people have a hard time landing jobs, and the jobs they do get are often low-paying, without much promise of advancement.

Mina Pallagi of Imperial Beach, who has been deaf since birth, said she has had limited success in the job market.

"I always seem to get the job, but I always seem to lose them because I can't hear," Pallagi said.

She said she has worked in fast-food restaurants, but either had to quit or was dismissed because of the difficulty she has communicating with co-workers and customers. She said her hearing impairment also poses a safety risk in the workplace.

Pallagi, who is taking Alvarado's sign-language and computer classes, said she hopes the skills will help her in school and, eventually, to get a job as a teacher's aide. She wants to work with deaf children, teaching them sign language, so they don't have to suffer the isolation she has had.

"I don't want anyone to feel left out. I've been through that, and it's too hard," said Pallagi, who has limited hearing and can carry on a conversation with the help of hearing aids.

Her condition is progressive, and she expects eventually to lose all of her hearing.

Naira Barraza of Chula Vista, speaking in sign language with Alvarado as interpreter, said she grew up in Tijuana and attended a special school for deaf children for one year.

Other than that, she had no formal education until she started taking Alvarado's computer and American Sign Language classes.

Barraza's goal is to communicate better with her 8-year-old son's teachers, so she can assist him with his studies. She also wants to attend college and get a job in an office.

Alvarado, who has lived in San Diego for three years, was prompted to learn sign language and become an advocate for deaf people's rights when her son was born deaf.

"I tell my son there's nothing wrong with being deaf, but the world isn't set up for deaf people," she said, adding that it's why she wants to see more classes offered in sign language and to help deaf people get the technology skills they need to compete in the job market.

Espalin, of Deaf Community Services, said there are about 350,000 people in San Diego County with some degree of hearing loss and about 33,000 whose hearing impairment is considered moderate or profound.

While Espalin was unable to confirm the unemployment rate among deaf people in San Diego, she said a high percentage of the deaf in San Diego are on supplemental income, such as Social Security or disability.

Espalin said one problem facing deaf people is that 90 percent are born to hearing parents, who face a bewildering variety of options in how to raise them. Some teach their deaf children sign language at an early age, or provide them with hearing implants or aids, and teach them language skills in English. Other children simply fall through the cracks, she said.

"We've seen 40-and 50-year-olds who don't know their ABCs and 1-2-3s," which can make it difficult for deaf people to enter the job market, she said.

Espalin said that's why classes such as the one offered by Alvarado are so important. "It's absolutely phenomenal for the deaf community," she said.

Teagle, the adult school principal, said the computer-skills class is free and open to any San Diego County resident. Students can join or leave the class at any time.

The initial response has been good, and Teagle said he hopes attendance will increase to 20 or 25 students. With continued interest, the class probably will be taught over the summer and in the fall semester, he added.

"It's really based on student attendance and how strong that is," Teagle said. "I'm very optimistic this class will become very popular.