"IN STEP WITH THE PRODIGAL!"

Written and preached by David P. Nolte

LUKE 15:11-32

1. HIS FIRST STEP WAS ALIENATION: V13A:
1. Why did he want to leave home? Was it
1. that there were too many rules and not enough freedom?
2. that he wanted to be on his own to prove his manhood?
3. sibling difficulties?
4. just simple wanderlust?
2. For whatever reason, he wanted out of there. And as a result of his desire and decision, he was alienated from home and family.
3. Many today are still in step with the prodigal and are alienated from God, Jesus and the church. What alienates people from God?
1. Perhaps it's rebellion: a desire to control your own life, to be in charge and to be unfettered by outside rules. Rebellion always cuts us off from God.
2. Perhaps it's pride: we consider that we are good enough without Jesus and we are not about to humble ourselves to admit we are sinners needing a Savior. Pride always separates us from God.
3. Perhaps it's indifference: we just don't care one way or the other about God. Or we may feel there is plenty of time to turn to Him just before we die. Like the fellow who tried to put on his seat belt just before a truck crashed into him. He didn't make it.
4. Perhaps it's belief in false teaching: denial of Jesus Christ as God's Son and the Bible as His Word.
1. Paul wrote to Timothy: "When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those who are teaching wrong doctrine. Don't let people waste time in endless speculation over myths and spiritual pedigrees. For these things only cause arguments; they don't help people live a life of faith in God." 1 Timothy 1:4 (NLT).
2. He further warned, "Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons. These teachers are hypocrites and liars. They pretend to be religious, but their consciences are dead." 1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NLT).
3. They say, "It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you believe something!" Or "All religions are the same!" Sincerity creates no truth! A lie, no matter how widely believed, is still a lie. Belief in a lie alienates us from God.
4. Ted Turner represents one alienated from Christ. He said he had a strict Christian upbringing and at one time considered becoming a missionary. "I was saved seven or eight times," he said. But he became disenchanted with Christianity after his sister died, despite his prayers. Turner said the more he strayed from his faith, the better he felt. His euphoria brought by his alienation from his faith will be short lived as was that of the prodigal.

The first step was alienation.

2. HIS SECOND STEP WAS DEGRADATION: V13B-16:
1. The kid likely got hooked up with a bunch of losers. He lived on the wild side. He squandered his inheritance. He ended up in the sty with hogs. An odious, degraded position for a Jewish boy to whom pigs were loathsome, unclean creatures.
2. Degradation is the inevitable second step following alienation. Leave God out and it's always downhill.
3. The Bible describes the degraded life as one that goes from bad to worse:
1. Jeremiah 9:3 (NLT) says that those who refuse to stand for the truth go from bad to worse, caring nothing for God.
2. Paul wrote: "But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." 2 Timothy 3:13 (NASB).
3. Whenever we follow our own self-appointed course, it is a downhill path, leading further and further from God. The sinful, godless life always leads to degradation.
4. A young lady got in with a bunch of boozers. At a party she got wiped out and walloped. She woke up in a hotel room with a fellow she didn't even recognize. Thoughts of facing her family overwhelmed her. Rather than face that, she flung herself out the 10^th floor window. The police officer who came to the scene, said, "When you don't have God, I guess there's nothing to do but jump." In actuality she had two choices: the open window, or the open door. Degradation led her to the window.

The second step is degradation.

3. HIS THIRD STEP WAS REALIZATION: VV17-20:
1. Sometimes a person has to hit bottom to realize how low he is. When a person realizes that he has stooped so low that he has to reach up to touch bottom, a light ought to come on! That happened with the prodigal.
1. He realized his miserable condition.
2. He realized he was there through his own folly.
3. He realized there were good things back at home if he'd humble himself.
2. When we are in step with the prodigal at this juncture, we are at the turning point. This is the fork in the road where we have the opportunity to get on the right track again.
3. We may be alienated, we may be degraded, but when we realize the error of our ways, and take responsibility for the problem, and determine to come to the Father, there is hope.
4. Unfortunately, many haven't yet come to a realization of their situation. They are like the farm boy who went to Chicago for the first time. He registered at a hotel and went for a walk. He'd never been in a big city before and got lost. He forgot the name of his hotel and where it was, so he wandered around helplessly looking for it. He was too proud to admit he was lost so he wouldn't ask for directions. He got tired, so he registered at another hotel and tried for a couple of days to find his first lodging. He needed to because his suitcase was there! Finally he remembered the name of the other hotel and asked someone where it was. He was shocked to learn that it was just next door to his second hotel. So near and yet so far! He finally realized and admitted that he was lost. Then he got help. The prodigal did too.

The third step is realization.

4. HIS FOURTH STEP WAS RECONCILIATION: VV20-24:
1. Alienation, degradation, realization and then reconciliation. Note that the father saw him coming from a distance.
1. He probably looked up the path every day - several times a day - hoping for the return of his son.
2. There is no, "Hide the silverware! Lock the doors! That skunk son is coming down the road!" The father ran to him, not waiting for him to arrive, and then he welcomed him with deep affection.
3. The boy hadn't even stated his reason for coming home! He hadn't stated his repentance! He hadn't said a word. He just came and the father welcomed him.
2. To be reconciled is to be brought back together with someone from whom we had been separated.
3. If you are still alienated, still degraded, remember that God's will is that you realize it and come home. He not only waits for your arrival, He is seeking you. He wants to reconcile you to Himself through Jesus Christ.
4. A boy, about 15 years old needed to be reconciled. He decided to cast off all the rules of the home. Much like the prodigal, he ran with the wrong crowd, he made the wrong choices, he took the wrong course. When he got into trouble with the law, he was sent to a Boot Camp where he would, hopefully, be taught respect for authority and would learn some self-control. Daily thoughts of home and his parents assailed his memory. Shame filled his heart. He realized the error of his ways. He longed to be back with his family. Finally, he had served his sentence. His mother and father came to pick him up. With tears in his eyes, and unable to look into theirs, he asked, "Will you take me back?" Wordlessly, they answered with their tearful embrace. Their prodigal had come home.

Alienation, degradation, realization, or reconciliation. Where are you in step with the prodigal? Wherever you are, Jesus loves you! He did the father in the story one better. That father waited at home, but while we were still alienated and degraded, into the depths of our sin came Jesus. He came seeking, calling, saving. He didn't sit on the veranda hoping, He came to the world helping. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. If you are still in the far country, alienated and degraded, the Father wants you to be reconciled to Him. When you take the step of realization, and experience reconciliation, you get in step with Jesus. He will lead you on the pathway that leads to life. Would you follow Jesus today? For the first time, or as a renewal of commitment? Would you follow Jesus? If you do your alienation will end, you will be forgiven for your degradation, and you will be reconciled to the Father. Come and follow Jesus as we sing.

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