Luke 15:11-32 ~ is found

The Sermon starts at 40. The singing is too good to miss. "Reckless Love" pulled my soul up to Worship Jesus.

Mark tells this great story about the parental Vulcan neck pinch. Know it. Having done Youth Ministry work for 10 years, I comprehend.

I'd add on the day I was about 15 years old and went to Parochial School and never connected the pedal to the metal of "Yahweh" and was asked to do the Reading for the small service. I read "YahOO" Loudly. If you can't make it - fake it. The Priest told me I was his favorite Reader of all times. He even wept with a smile after he laughed. I really, really, really enjoyed my "Yahweh YahOO" story and genuinely basked in the memory of being the favorite Reader. Until. The movie "Frequency" with Dennis Quaid came out. God is so Good. We really need Wisdom. And Yahoo. Yahweh is good all the time. Heavenly Father, when You told Jesus' Brother James he could always ask and receive Wisdom - favor us Lord God. Amen in Jesus. God is Yahoo!!!.



There is one reason Sunday is for Worship. Oxygen. For the Soul. God is that Good. God Himself Feeds us. On so many levels.
God gives us the first day of the whole week. God is that Good.

Luke 15:11-32

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘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. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 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.’”



My back and I entered His Worship today about verse 28. So self-righteous snap would envy that crisP. And profoundly not being the Gracious Grace of God Himself. God of Love. God of Mercy.

In the Sports World, the younger brother is Basketball, but the older brother is profoundly Baseball and so tired of the dribble.

Unable to find the Joy in Life. Tired of not seeing the crisP Roman Roads, not used with Proficiency. The Path is CLEAR. Shouting 'Clear' so often - it starts to sound Medical.




To tell the Truth - we all so very, very, very much need the Graciousness of God.In the Ongoing Party of Life. The Older Brother gets some attention for looking like he knows the Path. But the Path is the Graciousness of God.



Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine?


What happened to the Older Brother?
Don't you want to know?


He is included and not forgotten. Leaves the 99 is true.

John 1:44
Andrew and Peter were from the same city as Philip, which was Bethsaida"

Jesus makes sure. All Jesus had to say for the millenniums was Andrew and Peter. Jesus would have saved an incredible amount of ink - millenniums of ink - not to print Philip had a path and a life. Technically, it makes sense to edit Philip - out.
We could have just called him 8,9,10 of the Disciples. We didn't need to know.

Acts 8
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 

40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Philip is the unforgotten Brother. God has not left.



What else would we know about The Older Brother?

Today we might nickname someone 'Junior' or use Junior as a Suffix. II. The Roman World had a name for someone the father and mother looked at and sighed with joy and contentment "Gaius." Gaius means my first born 'son'. Gaius is probably reserved for a perfect baby. Joyful child bearing. Standard-bearing. My First Born Son.


What happened to 'that' son?

If you add up the Gaius in the Scriptures you get a pretty good picture. Certainly, probably, could be different men and still a good analogy of God leaving the 99 - for whom?

God multiplied the fishes - surely God would multiply His Graces.



Scripture lists the Older Son - known by the name Gaius -


Acts 19:29
So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul's companions in travel.

The Older Brother understands. Travels with Paul.

Acts 20:4
Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.

Still going with the Truth.

Romans 16:23
Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.

We rejoice in the Truth.

1 Corinthians 1:14
I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

3 John 1:1
The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.


And when we find God's Grace multiplies in us - we can read 3 John 1 with all the Graciousness God would give us.



2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers[a] came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

13 I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.



May the God of Peace and protection fill us with His Holy Spirit.

And in His Grace give us the Blessing of letting God be God and to have the pleasure in the joy of others. Seeing all the blessings of life surround and uplift us all.

 In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †