Of all the fathers we find in the Bible, this man is spoken of more than the others combined. We don't know his name or the names of his sons. We know very little about him other than he was the one that Jesus chose to use to illustrate to us the relationship of the child of God to the Heavenly Father.
He was the father of two sons. One is called the 'prodigal'. As many times as I have heard this text preached and read it. I wasn't sure of the meaning of the word 'prodigal'. Webster says it is recklessly extravagant; or characterized by wasteful expenditure. That describes our government pretty well doesn't it?
Often we are given the idea that there was one good son and one bad son, but that isn't the way the parable goes. Both boys had some problems, and their father dealt with each one individually. Today we want to focus on the father rather than on the sons. It was because he was what he was that his sons became what they should have been.
I. He was an Approachable father. v12-18
A. The family history is unknown.
1. But it seems that perhaps these boys' mother had passed away.
2. The father is left alone to rear his sons.
3. There is also an indication that they were a wealthy family because of their servants and herds.
B. The younger son had dreams:
1. He wanted to travel and see things he had never seen before.
2. He wanted to go to the far country.
a. He dreamed of a great task, but found great temptation.
b. He dreamed of adventure, but instead he found agony.
c. He dreamed of prestige, but he found poverty.
d. He dreamed of romance, but he wound up in rags.
e. He dreamed of happiness, but found himself in the hog pen.
3. It appears that the older son had already assumed the management of the farm and business.
4. Some would have slipped away without talking with his father.
5. Still others might have gotten someone else to intercede on their behalf.
C. This father was approachable by his sons.
1. Men we need to be approachable.
2. Can your children come to you about anything?
3. Have you made yourself available to them?
4. Our Heavenly Father is very approachable by those who need Him.
a. He wants the lost to come to Him and be saved!
b. He desired this so much that He was willing to give His only Son to die on Calvary that men might come to Him and be saved!
c. Are you saved this morning? Do you know you will spend eternity in heaven?
d. We can come to God at any time and find our needs met!
II. He was a spiritual father. v18
A. When his son thought about what he had done he realized that he had sinned.
1. That means that his dad had taught him right.
2. Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
3. The responsibility for child rearing rests upon the shoulder of the parents, not the school, and not the church.
4. However, there is no guarantees!
5. Our children have freedom to choose the way they take in life.
6. If your children are serving God, thank God for it and be an encouragement to them.
7. If they aren't walking for the Lord, pray for them and do your best to influence them for Christ..
B. The son associated heaven with his father.
1. He could not be reminded of God without remembering his father.
2. What an impact that father had on his son.
3. Fathers, are we making the proper impression on our children?
4. Have our children been taught how to pray by listening to us?
5. Have we taught them to love God's Word?
6. If we don't, who will?
III. He was a father who was affect- ionate. v20
A. Real Men aren't afraid to show their emotions.
1. Too many men think that it isn't manly to weep.
2. Jesus wept often!
3. I hope my sons are never afraid to tell me that they love me, and I hope they never are ashamed to hear that from me.
4. I grew up in a home where it just wasn't done.
5. Two years ago my dad was only hours from death when he told me that he loved me. I responded with "I love you too Dad."
6. He asked me a question I will never forget...he said, "Why didn't we say that more often?"
B. We see his look of love. v20
1. The father had been looking for his son to return.
2. When he saw him, he ran and hugged and kissed him.
3. What a beautiful picture...God longs for us to come home to Him and He rejoices when we get right!
4. Do you need to come to God this morning?
5. Have you been wasting your life in the far country of sin? Come home!
C. This father pictures for us the love and compassion of our Heavenly Father.
The father didn't care about how long his son had been away, now he was home. He didn't care about smell of the swine, now he was home. He wasn't concerned about the rags, because now his son was home!
What a challenge to all of us this morning. Do we need to come home to God today? If you have never been saved, why not come this morning and accept God's love for you and trust Christ as your Savior.
If you have drifted away from God for whatever the reason, why not come home today? God is waiting to receive you this morning. Will you come?