The lost Sons Lent 4 c 2019 recast

<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>This is a repeat from 2019</strong></span> <p> </p> <p>Focus passage: <strong><a href= "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A1-3%2CLuke+15%3A11-32&version=NRSV">Luke 15:1–3, 11b–32</a></strong></p> <p>Whoever you are, whether we are the shameful sinner, the lost son, in the far away country caught in the drought, or the self righteous, judgmental sinner (older brother) refusing to come into the house, the message is the same. The Father comes out to us and invites us into the party and Jesus goes before us into the wilderness and experiences the pain, broken-ness and even death that we know. For us although dead, he has been made alive, just like the younger son.</p> <p>Whoever you are, whether we are the shameful sinner, the lost son, in the far away country caught in the drought, or the self righteous, judgmental sinner (older brother) refusing to come into the house, the message is the same. The Father comes out to us and invites us into the party and Jesus goes before us into the wilderness and experiences the pain, broken-ness and even death that we know. For us although dead, he has been made alive, just like the younger son. So where-ever you are, lost and far away, or just outside refusing to come in, God has gone there to find you and is longing to bring you home. God's love always comes first. God always comes to us before we go to God. God always turns to us in love before we turn to God.</p> <p>Turn to God now. Come inside. Join the party.</p> <p>In this Sermon I take a slightly diffrent view to Tim Keller who sees the "true" elder brother as the Christ figure. I see the younger brother as the Christ figure. I like Keller's interpretation as well. See </p> <p>************* Full Sermon text below *******************</p> <p>I want us to think about the story of the lost son in two ways. The first way is the traditional way. Traditionally we think of ourselves being like the young son or maybe the older son. We are the ones in the wrong who need to