April 9, 2006
"The Power of Love"
"People Matter to God"—Part 4
Luke 15:25-32
The Parable of the Older Brother
"...This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
—Luke 15:2
- Uncaring and Angry
Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. "Your brother has come," he replied, "and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound." The older brother became angry and refused to go in...
—Luke 15:25-28
Question: What might a person do to make you "care less" about their being lost?
Question: What events in your life have made you angry at God?
- Prideful
..."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."
—Luke 15:29
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
—Colossians 3:23-24
Question: What are the problems with unspoken expectations?
You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
—James 4:2
- Self-righteousness
"But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!"
—Luke 15:30
A. Outward actions:
"Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."
—John 7:24
B. Inward attitudes:
"...Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
—1 Samuel 16:7
All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
—Proverbs 16:2
The Heart of the Father
...So his father went out and pleaded with him... "My son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
—Luke 15:28,31-32
Action of the father: Love pleads
We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
—2 Corinthians 5:20-21
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
—Luke 15:7
The Passion Week
Personal and Small Group Study
Getting Started:
- Where is one of your favorite places to eat as a family? What makes the place so good? What were your family meal times like as a child growing up? What is your favorite memory of a family meal time?
- If you knew you had but one week left to live, how would you spend your time?
Digging Deeper: Read Luke 22:7-23:55
- In the book of Luke, Passion week events begin in Chapter 19 with the Triumphal Entry? As you skim the scripture, what are some of the other major events that take place during the passion week? Are there any events you were unaware of?
- What was the significance of the Passover? (See Exodus 12) Besides being with friends, why might Jesus eagerly desire to eat this Passover feast with them?
- What argument do Jesus' disciples have during dinner? What do you think motivated the argument? How does Jesus resolve the argument?
- What strikes you about Jesus' prayer on the Mount of Olives? How does Luke give you a different picture of the disciples and their sleeping during Jesus' time of prayer?
- Given the statements in verse 33 and 49-50, what accounts for Peter's actions? What questions must he have had about Jesus?
- What are the charges that the Jewish elders bring against Jesus? What do you make of the questions of Pilate and his response to the crowd? (See verses 23:1-6) How seriously did Pilate take Jesus to be a threat?
- What attitudes do you find in the crowd following Jesus to the cross? In the rulers? In the criminals? In the soldiers?
Applying It To My Life:
- When have you felt like Peter? When did the meaning of Christ's death make sense to you?
- From Luke 23:44-56, how would you describe to someone what Jesus' death was all about? How does Jesus' death affect your view of sin?