He Came to His Senses

Sermon

December 29, 2024

He Came to His Senses

 

Over the last couple of months our Friday Bible study has been studying the three parables in the 15^th chapter of Luke’s gospel: The Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin, and in the last few weeks, the parable of the Lost Son – better known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

 

Some of what I am about to say on this last Sunday of 2024 might seem redundant to those of you who have attended the study for the last three weeks, but redundancy is often useful, and I hope it WILL be useful for you who have been with us during the last few weeks.

 

And let me say this at the outset of my message: Although the first part of this sermon might seem an uncomfortable challenge, I want to assure you that this is a message of encouragement and hope.

 

Here is the entire parable for context, but my message focuses us today on the son’s journey away from his father, and his return: (Luke 15:11-32) “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 

 

So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ 

 

So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

 

“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 

 

But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; ³⁰ but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 

 

And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

 

This parable has become one of my favorites. It’s rich with God's unchangeable PROMISE of hope and grace and mercy. When I think of who I’ve been and what God has done for me – this story embraces me. And it is my deep hope that today’s message will be a source of great and confident hope in God – and great challenge – for you.

 

The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son each represent us. You and me. We know this is true from the first verse of this chapter: “Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.”

 

Let’s stop only a moment for some important self-examination, because the answer to my next question is key to any personal application of this parable to ourselves.

 

Are you a sinner? Do you recognize how tragically lost you truly were before Jesus found you? For unless we each – including myself – unless we each are humble and self-effacing before our impartial and holy Creator, we will gloss over these verses, foolishly thinking the category of ‘unworthy sinners’ refers to others and not ourselves.

To gloss over that question is to rob ourselves of the same rich HOPE the prodigal son found at the end of this story.

 

The story of the prodigal son – the careless son, the wasteful son – is pretty much self-explanatory. The young man told his father he was tired of living under his roof and by his rules. He wanted to leave home and live life his own way. The father reluctantly gave him his share of the estate. He knew he could – he WOULD NOT – force him to stay.

 

But within a short time, the Prodigal had squandered his wealth until he was penniless. Then a famine swept across the country and with his wealth gone, he was forced to hire himself to a local farmer who sent him out to feed pigs – a horribly degrading job for a Jew.

 

The good news to all this is ‘he came to his senses,” and although he felt utterly unworthy to still be called his father’s son, he hoped his father would at least make him one of his servants.

 

Well, I read to you the text, so you know how the story ends. We won’t take time today to explore the attitude of the older brother because we need to focus today both on what the younger son did, and then what his father did.

 

The Prodigal “squandered his estate.” Jesus tells us that in verse 13. He wasted the precious gift his father had given him. So, let’s pause again to make some important applications.

 

Have you ever thought about how YOU have squandered the gifts your Father in heaven has given you during your many years on earth?

 

Like the first question I asked a few minutes ago about our recognition of our utter ‘lostness’ without Christ, this is another important question you and I must answer to ourselves. Have you ever thought about how you have squandered the gifts the Father in heaven has given you?

 

Please hear this: It borders on self-idolatry to think that every good thing we have, and all we’ve accomplished, originate from ourselves. And may we NEVER even let the thought remain in our minds for more than a nanosecond – may we never attribute what good things we have and have done to ‘luck.’ THAT would nothing short of blasphemous.

 

It is no wonder St James warns us: “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (James 1:16-17a)

 

And for good reason God spoke through Jeremiah: “The heart is more deceitful than all else, and is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”

 

Oh, yes! We deceive ourselves to think to ourselves that our skills, education, experiences, employment opportunities, our promotions over the years and our social and financial acumen – all have their roots in something we alone have done.

 

The Scriptures repeatedly make is clear, as St Paul asked the Corinthians Christians: (1 Corinthians 4:7b) “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?”

 

So, what gifts of God have you squandered in life? Let’s think about this question for a moment. What abilities – whether innate abilities or those honed through education and experience – what gifts including the financial rewards that you’ve garnered over the years – what did you use for your own pleasures and comforts? And what of His gifts did you use to advance HIS kingdom and for the benefit of others?

 

You might remember what the Lord said about the Judgment of the Righteous and the Unrighteous in the last part of Matthew chapter 25. To the righteous, the Judge said: ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

 

But to the unrighteous, the Judge said:  ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

 

Doesn’t that text cause you to sit up and take stock of what you’ve done with God's gifts throughout your life – up to and including this very day? I will tell you – it makes ME sit up and take notice.

 

And as we continue to consider God's many gifts, what about His gift of

TIME? Everyone is born with an hourglass attached to our soul, and no one knows when the last grain of sand will fall to the bottom. But as J.R.R. Tolkien reminds us in his epic trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings”: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

 

What have you done with your time during your life, and what are you doing NOW with the time you have left?

 

When I preach a eulogy, I often speak from the seventh chapter of Ecclesiastes: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living takes it to heart.”

 

And I paraphrase the last clause – “those who are WISE take it all to heart.”

 

No wonder the psalmist prayed: (Psalm 90:12) “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” And St Paul urged his readers – and us – “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)

 

Time. Talents. Resources. Yes, how easy it is to squander away God's gifts.

 

But now, before I bring this message to an encouraging and hope-filled close, let’s look at one more gift of God that many men and women waste.

 

I speak of the gift of God's superabundant, merciful, gracious and undeserved gift of forgiveness to those who do, as the Prodigal did – who come to their senses, return home, and repent.

 

What more could God do to be utterly true to His character of Justice and Holiness, yet at the same time show mercy and grace to the penitent? What more could He do than to deliver His own Son to a malicious, bloody, cruel death in order to become our substitution, purchasing our forgiveness and salvation with His blood?

 

And yet, despite such an incomprehensible gift of forgiveness to the penitent sinner, there remain today – right now – multitudes of multitudes who puff out their chests and refuse to recognize, as St Paul wrote: “That the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of [their] stubbornness and unrepentant heart [they] are storing up wrath for [themselves] in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds.” (Romans 2:4-6)

 

Yes, the young man squandered his father’s gifts. But then we learn, “He came to his senses . . ..”

 

I wonder if God is calling anyone here to their senses. And while it is true we cannot undo what we’ve done. We cannot go back in time and correct the squandering. We can’t change the past – but we CAN change our future.

 

The Prodigal son came to his senses, but he did MORE than that. He made a change. He returned to his father. And did you notice what his father did when he returned? He ran out to meet him, to embrace him. And he called for a great celebration for his return home.

 

THAT is the point in this tender parable. The Lord Jesus is telling us that our Father who art in heaven – that YOUR Father who art in heaven— He is doing the same for you and for me. He is waiting . . . and waiting . . . . and waiting for His prodigal sons and prodigal daughters to come home.

 

This parable is the Lord’s assurance to you and me and to EVERYONE who has squandered God's gifts – and even continues to waste the precious time and resources and forgiveness He has given us.

 

Listen, please! IF we return, He will not reject us. He will not chastise us. He will not find fault with what we’ve done. He will not even REMIND the penitent of what he or she has done.

 

Instead, He – and heaven itself – will celebrate.

 

Please don’t miss that point. He and heaven itself will celebrate. Please, don’t miss that point. If you’ve wasted God's gifts – come to your senses. Come home. Our Father in heaven will put proverbial sandals on our feet and rings on our fingers and robes across our shoulders. He will say to the hosts of heaven: “This son of mine, and this daughter of mine was dead, but has been found. They were lost, but now they have been found.”

 

And what about those who correctly believe they have not squandered God's gifts in the years since they came to Christ? Then please listen to this word – Do not be like the older brother who found great fault with the younger brother and hold to yourself a ‘holier than thou’ attitude.

 

All of us have sinned. All of us have fallen short of God's glory, of His perfect standard. And so rejoice when your younger brother or sister comes to their senses and repents.

 

God tells us through the prophet Joel: “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness.” (Joel 2:12-13b)

 

No, we cannot fix the past, but we can make sure our future is different from our past. With God's help we can make sure that the resources and gifts we have will be useful for God in the time we have left. We can start afresh. Today. We can start anew. Now.

 

I am not one to make New Year’s resolutions. Instead, when I realize I need to make a change, I determine to make the change starting right then and there.

 

And so, if God is telling you that you need to make changes, if you’re suddenly coming to your senses – then in a moment I will give you an opportunity to apologize to God for squandering His gifts. In other words, I am going to give you a chance to repent, and ask God to direct you back to the narrow path that pleases Him.

 

Please, don’t wait until New Year’s Eve to make those resolutions. Please, make them right now as we pray: