It's Time to Celebrate!
Luke 15:11-32
Intro: Have you ever heard anyone say that they are
going to church to" celebrate Holy Communion? That's a wonderful
description of what communion is all about! It is a celebration of the broken
body and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. As you see the Lord's Table before you,
do you have a sense of excitement and the adventure of this being a great
celebration? Do you remember what Jesus said about knowing God? He said that
having fellowship with Him was like a banquet. A feast. He described the inner
experience of God's love at the feast, as joy! Joy is defined as "the
identifiable outward manifestation of the inner experience of God's grace.
When we know His power within, that it results in joy outwardly. If we can enjoy
God, we can enjoy each other as we celebrate together.
There is a three-page reading done here.
(Sorry, you'll have to ask for copies.)
A familiar story found in Luke
15 helps us better understand our motivation for celebration. I would like to
have us consider this story from a different perspective. Consider if you would,
not one prodigal, but three!
1. Prodigal #1 The prodigality of squander
Here we find the youngest son. He took his inheritance and lost it all.
He wasted wealth, time, and energy.
He left it all and was in a far country. He strayed from the place that he was
meant to be. He knew what he was doing. He was thumbing his nose at his father.
We are reminded that God loves the unrighteous.
2. Prodigal #2 The prodigality of substance
Here we find the eldest son. He was faithful. He never broke the rules. He never
left, but yet he is in a far country. This is the far country of spirit in the
father's house. It's sad to be one out of touch with the father. He is one who
acts arrogantly over the prodigal who squanders, rather than acceptingly. He is
poor and destitute, like his brother. There is no sin sadder than the sickness
of not knowing you are sick. There's no need greater than not knowing you are in
need. He cannot sense the rhythms of father's spirit, yearning for the prodigal
to come home. He is out of touch and cannot see any reason to celebrate the
fallen one's return. These look at God on the merits of their own self
justification - being good enough, believing enough, and doing enough. Thinking
then they can say, "now I'm good enough father, love me." Can you
relate to the elder brother? Who took care of the fatted calf? Who fed it?
Cleaned up after it? We watched over this whole farm and now I'm supposed to
jump up and down because the one who didn't even leave a forwarding address has
come back!
It's tragic not to be able to celebrate at a celebration! It's tragic to miss
the joy. It's tragic to be infected with the idea we are stately saints. It's
the idea that we can maintain our relationship with God. It's the low-grade
fever of religious people.
We think we can come to the Lord's table and receive what God has to give us and
not be concerned at all by the ache and suffering all around us. We are reminded
that God loves the self-righteous.
3. Prodigal #3 The prodigality of splendor
Here we find the father. He excessively pours out himself, as well as his
possessions. But he does this in the context of appreciation. Jesus described
God as the father running down the hill to meet his son.
That's the picture that I want you to see. Before Christ, man's religion was
overshadowed by his efforts to please God with right sacrifices and rituals.
Only the priests could go into the Holy of Holies. God was considered beyond the
reach of man & his best efforts.
But Jesus paints a different picture. Not a far away God, but one who runs in
search of His children. God is here and He is running after each one of you no
matter whether you have heaved or hoarded your inheritance. Running to you...
who have a feeling of brokenness and separation from God, or any one else. You
whose memory won't forget things you have said, or done, but will never do again
and cannot forget. Those of you who say, "I have no right to be here. If
the people beside me knew what I've done, I wouldn't dare come to this Table.
But God runs to welcome you! You are His child and that will never change! You
are now God's honored guest!
The same one who shouted triumphantly, "It is finished" is the one who
said, "Come, for all is now ready at the banquet feast". God is ready
for us at this table. Ready with love and forgiveness. Ready with a new
beginning, a new opportunity.
Jesus takes you by the hand and says to you "Come to my Table even if you
feel unworthy. Come to the party even if you think you are justified in
yourself." Jesus breaks us all open and then melts us together into a
oneness that only members of his Body can know.
The living Lord has invited you to His Table.
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