Prayer:

Part 2 of our series on the prodigal, "There's No Place Like Home"

Review: Both misunderstood: Last week we looked at older son's misunderstandings re: Father's character

1.	didn't appreciate how Father longs for sinners

2.	got angry because not understanding Father's generous love

3.	was working for reward, claiming perfect obedience, but didn't recognize what was already his.

This morning we're going to examine what ways the younger son also misunderstood his Father's character.

What was the first evidence we have that he misunderstood? vv17-19? "17 "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

18 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;

19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."'

What statement particularly reveals something he doesn't understand about his father? "I am no longer worthy (to be called your son.")

What things are implied about the nature of the Father's love in that statement?

1.	It only rests on the 'worthy', and

2.	Worthiness to receive God's love is dependent upon what I do, therefore

3.	His love for me is as changeable as my behavior

Is that true? No! What sort of love does the Father have for His son? Unconditional love!

What had else had he missed about His Father's love that led him to offer himself as a servant? Read with me vv21,22 21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

22 "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;

23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.

Did you notice what happened here? While the young man is bartering about servanthood, what's his father saying? You're still my son!

That's the good news for you and I this morning. No matter how low you have slipped into the pigsty of this world, God is not ashamed to call you son or daughter.

And it's a good thing to, because there's one thing we can't do, that this younger son didn't understand. He thought that if he worked for his Father, he could somehow regain enough of his worthiness to receive the rights of a servant if not a son. And there are many like him in the church today. They don't see themselves as recipients of the unbridled love of God, rather as servants doing their duty to make sure they have a place to stay when they get old–really old. They wouldn't lay claim to the rights of sonship and intimacy with God, but like to keep their distance. They know their place and are wary of anyone getting to excited about the love of God.

There's one major problem with their plans to regain 'some' of their rights through faithful servitude. Nothing we do can make us more worthy. We've all gone to the bottom of the barrel. We're helplessly caught in the pigsty, homeless, destitute, without any real resources. Sure we can take care of ourselves here, but barring Diving intervention, we are only going to be regarded as another crunchy squeak under the heel of a careless world when it's all over. We've rebelled against our Father, and we've already spent our inheritance. We rightfully should expect nothing from Him. And nothing we do can 'make it up' to God.

We don't even have a decent suit of clothes to put on when we turn for home to seek relief from our pain. What does scripture say our best efforts are? "Filthy rags." Here comes the son trudging up the road with the filth and stench of the pigsty dripping from the tattered remains of his clothes, and what does the Father do when He sees him? He runs and throws his arms around him and says, "You stink?!" No, he turns to a servant and says something unthinkable! "Go into my closet and get the best robe and put in around him! And he placed it around his shoulders just as he was.

If you're ungodly, unworthy, dirty, sinful, or weak, the best news in the world is that the Father loves you just as you are. He says, come, let me put my own robe of righteousness around you. Come, let me count you righteous. Anyone coming to God as you are, not faking it, you have the privilege of being declared righteous. And there's even better news than that. Can you handle better news? He won't leave you the same.

Tragically so many are so concerned with their own work, their own performance that they won't let God love them as they are. If you'll let God love you, He will put that robe around you just as you are. And with the perfect life of Jesus attributed to you, you are free from guilt, not condemned even though you have a lot of growing to do.

There's no other way, folks. Our attempts to clean up cannot 'make it up' to God. Do you know why our work can't 'make it up' to God? Simply put, when we rebelled, God didn't say, "Oh, no, I've got a labor shortage now." He didn't perceive the loss of Adam's race as losing a planet of servants. He lost a planet of children, and no amount of servants can make up for the loss of a son! Listen to David at the loss of his son Absalom, ""O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

Nice sentiments from an earthly Father, but God did it. He would rather die than lose you. Does that give you eternal security? Somebody ought to praise him today. Reminder: we want to hear about God today, not you. I'm sure you're struggling and growing and doing lots of things, but we want to hear about God.