Keith Brooks - The Return of the Lost Son

  1. Background
    • Introduction to the parable
    • The two other parables in chapter 15
    • Significance of 15.2
  2. Coming home
    • The concept of home
    • Spiritual homesickness / exile
  3. How we’re lost
    • The disrespect shown by the son
    • Lostness as self discovery
    • God’s rights—Revelation 4.11
    • The son’s misery
  4. The way home
    • The son’s strategy
    • The behaviour of the Father
    • The favour of God is free
  5. The welcome home feast
    • The fattened calf
    • The feast in the book of Revelation
    • The Lord’s Supper
    • Martin Luther - “If I could believe that God was not angry with me, I would stand on my head for joy!”
  6. Spiritual exercise
    • When we place our faith in Christ, we are united to him. What this means is that in a significant (but not total) sense, what is true of Jesus is true of us.
      • In the gospel of Mark we find a record of Jesus’ baptism. There, the Father said this to his Son: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1.11).
      • Because of our union with Jesus, what the Father said to Jesus he also says to us.
      • Each day this week take 5-10 minutes to meditate on this. Repeat the words of the Father over and over until you start to believe them yourself.