Luke 15:25-32

Tyler Briggs continues this week’s sermon series The Gospel of Luke, Part III: A Journey through Galilee in Luke 15:25-32. Today, we focus on the older brother and his self-righteousness. Tyler starts off sharing a personal check engine light story that ultimately ended the life of his car. Because the situation was ignored and not repaired, the simple repair turned catastrophic. Much to the same accord, a self-righteous heart screams “check engine” (heart) and requires immediate attention. It is God’s kindness that leads us ALL to repentance, and we ought to rejoice and celebrate for ALL, who were once dead and are now alive in Christ.

Main Points

• Self-righteousness is not sharing the Father’s heart for the lost.
• Self-righteousness is not sharing the repentant prodigal’s perspective of sinfulness.
• Self-righteousness is not sharing in the Father’s or repentant prodigal’s joy of fellowship.

Key Takeaways

• Sinful choices and actions affect more than just the individual. Consider the impact of the prodigal son on the father. Consider the impact of our own sinful preferences and living upon the heart of God.
• God is eager to forgive our sin and has made a way for that to be possible. Like the father towards the prodigal son, God will forgive, embrace, appoint, and bless the repentant sinner.
• God’s kindness towards repentant sinners confuses the self-righteous. (Self-righteousness errs on the side of worthiness, merit, and entitlement. In all truth, none of us are worthy of God’s lovingkindness, mercy, and grace.)
• The self-righteous do not share the heart of God. Consider the older brother and his feelings shared about the younger brother, the father’s treatment of his younger brother, and the father’s supposed treatment of him.
• Self-righteousness is a barrier (to knowing and experiencing God).
• God has a heart for the lost and consistently pursues them. Do we share His heart for ALL the lost?
• The Law of God exposes us ALL for what we are: SINNERS . Do we have judgmental hearts towards others, as if they are unworthy of God’s forgiveness and kindness? The truth is that none of us are worthy of God’s forgiveness and kindness. We should celebrate ALL repentant sinners, for the grace of God abounds without measure.
• The sin of others incurs a cost. The pain and destruction of sin doesn’t just affect the sinner, but others in the sinner’s path. (Reminder: God has forgiven the repentant sinner much; and likewise, the repentant sinner ought to show compassion towards other repentant sinners, especially if they have been sinned against. (By the power and working of the Holy Spirit, possess and exhibit God-like treatment and character towards one another.)
• Our attitudes of self-righteousness are like the check engine light of an automobile. Something is wrong within us, when self-righteousness is present.
• For ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. For none of us seek after God. We have ALL gone astray. (Reminder: If it wasn’t for God, we would not be in the truth. Be compassionate towards others.)
• The self-righteous heart (think older brother) reveals what one thinks about himself/herself and others. (The heart is deceitfully wicked – Humanity’s baseline existence is not goodness but wickedness.)
• Self-righteousness is disruptive to all that is good.
• It is possible to spend your whole life in church and not have the fellowship, joy, or relational satisfaction with God.
• Our dislike of a brother or sister can disrupt our relationship with God. Both horizontal and vertical relationships matter.
• Self-righteousness tries to justify its position and is grossly wrong and disruptive.
• God pleads with the self-righteous to repent and enjoy Him.
• The story of both brothers helps us see the depths of depravity and the riches of God’s goodness and grace.

Questions for Personal Application:

• Do I believe that I have sinned against God and am unworthy of His grace and any identification as His child?
• Do I place more value in service giving and community activity than my relationship with God and enjoying Him?
• Am I more interested in what God can give me vs. enjoying God Himself?

Discussion Questions for Community Groups

• How did we do in the diagnostics of the main sermon points? Do any of us have self-righteous attitudes? Do we share the father’s heart or the older brother’s heart? Are we experiencing fellowship with God and others or does our self-righteousness hinder and disrupt any such possibilities?
• Do we question why God exhibits mercy to some and not to others? What feelings do we wrestle with in each of these cases and how does truth instruct us to respond?
  

Take some time to encourage and pray for one another.

Passages Referenced

Luke 15:25-32

Worship Setlist

God So Loved; 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord); It Was Finished Upon That Cross; Holy Holy Holy; The Heart of Worship