Day 3 : Youth Week of Prayer

Focus : Youth and Home

Day 3 : Monday

Hang on to Jesus

Bible Text: Luke 15: 11–32

Suggested Opening Hymn: Love Divine All Love Excelling

Monday - young Men’s Night
Special emphasis on young men bringing visitors this night. Of course anyone can and should bring visitors every night, however, only the young men who bring visitors will receive gifts.

My wife and I met Orlando when we served in our first pastoral district. We were absolutely impressed with him. He was present at church for every service. Sunday night evangelistic meetings, Wednesday night prayer meetings and all the Sabbath services, from Sabbath School to Vespers. He was exceptionally active in the youth department, serving as AY leader and Pathfinder Director interchangeable. Everyone knew that he was a committed member of the church who was greatly loved by the children, young people and adults. After we left the district, we would see him on occasions, talked to him about his faith and other social interests that he had and affirmed him spiritually. Years elapsed; we lost contact with him until one day we were going visiting a particular city where we met inadvertently. This time, he was not dressed according to his custom, and the bottle in his hand certainly did not reflect the spiritual cause he represented. When we asked him what was going on in his life both spiritually and socially, he said prophecy had fulfilled on him. We asked what he meant and his response was a paraphrase of 2 Timothy 3:2–4, “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy... without self–control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” He said he was no longer a member of the Church; he wanted to return to Christ and his for-
mer love for the church, but it was like climbing an impossible mountain and often he felt angry with himself. This experience is reminiscent of the parable of the lost son told by Jesus. Luke 15:11–32 highlights more than just the lost son. There are at least three important characters and a joyful celebration that are essential to be emphasized from this parable. The three characters are the lost son away from home, the prodigal father and the lost son at home. The celebration is a focus on the great rejoicing that takes place when the wanderer returns to the love at home.
The lost son away from homeIn the parable, Jesus made mention of no name except to say a certain man had two sons. One of those sons became tired of the discipline, rules, guidelines, dos and don’ts of home. He became jealous of and attracted to the lifestyle of his peers and contemporaries who in post–modern life could be likened to the hipster culture, a fad that now controls the souls of many young people. He felt that their value of and obsession for independent thinking was just ideal for him. The counter–culture movement that idealized creativity, intelligence, and wit gave him an insatiable craving for indulgence. The progressive politics and excessive appreciation for art and indie–rock that consumed their engagement were just what he desired to be involved with. The autonomy they had and ability to make decisions independent of pa-rental coercion made him yearn for freedom. The external appearances that made them seem to be enjoying the luxuries of life captured his attention and instilled within him a boredom that home could not dispel and only independence of will, freedom of movement and uninhibited choice of decision making could satisfy. Their dressing enamored him, as well as the pleasure, entertainment and apparent trendy lifestyle that seemed cool.

He wanted to be like them. Drinking, pop music, dancing, smoking, movies, sex, partying, fraternities, social networks, designer clothing and brand names such as Levi James, Michael Kors, Porsche cologne, and Nike caught his fancy. With such mental intoxication he demanded of his father: “...give me my share of the estate...” (verse 12). He was interested in his father’s wealth, but not in the emotional, social, physical or spiritual health of his father. Without a struggle, his kind, loving, compassionate and compliant father divided to him the wealth that he demanded. What an experience it was for him, liberated at last! “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squan-
dered his estate with loose living” (verse 13). He was cool, but excessive and extravagant in the way he spent what had been given to him. The text says, “He squandered his property in reckless living.” Another translation says that he “wasted his possessions with prodigal living”. He blew his money carelessly and soon lost his wealth. He was irresponsible, wasteful and reckless. This is the tendency of human beings, prompted by the powerful satanic forces to become impatient of divine control, desiring to be independent of God, seeking to be his own master—that “sin of sins”, in which all subsequent sins are included.Like the son who left home with riches, many young people are living in squander–land. Like wayward Christians they drift away from the church and live like the lost son away from home to that far country where they can seek to silence their conscience and squander the moral and spiritual wealth and values that they were taught at home and church. They are interested in God’s goods but not in Him. They are interested in the food He places on the table but not in God. They are interested in the air He provides for them to breathe but not in Him. They are interested in the good health that He gives them but not in Him. They are interested in God’s gifts; the boyfriend and the girlfriend, the money and the natural talents and abilities, but they are not interested in God. “And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father...” (Verses 14–20, ESV).In that far country, the lost son beyond all danger of interference from home,

intoxicated with his new found resources, and eager for the luxury of using them at–will squandered his wealth and lost his dignity and the members of the fraternity. He did not realize the value of what he had at home, in his father’s house. He felt he was missing out on the fun and gossip out there in the cosmopolitan centers of the society. When he lost it, he lost them. No more could he eat well and eat clean. No more Broadway shows and shopping spree. The days of the cologne and deodorant were over and the only role–on he had was that which the pigs rolled over him. Althea was in Church with no job or husband, life was hard and things were not going well. She was tired of the dos and don’ts of a boring Church with boring preachers and boring programs and boring members. She left church to be in friendship with a young man who was without God or interest in Church. Not long after, she became pregnant and never saw the young man again. Now she ended up out of church, without a job, without a husband, with a child without a father, no money and no one to take care of her. She depended on handouts and ended up in a mental institution. Many young people and adults ask: “Why do we need church now? There are more fun things to do and church is just not interesting. It’s my life, some say, and we’ll live it the way we want! It is like saying, God, I wish you were dead! In fact, God, you are dead to me. Have you been there? Have you done that? Do you have the t–shirts or some souvenir to show? Are you just about sporting, working, eating, enjoying? No time with the life–giving Word of God? No communion with the Heavenly Father? No fellowship with the family of God?In some sense we probably have all been there—probably not in outright vice and bawdy living, but at least in drifting away from God and living for our own desires. That’s the lost son away from home in us all, wasting and squandering our birthright. Hard times actually caught up with him. Jamieson and Brown, in their Critical and Explanatory Commentary on the Whole Biblesaid, “This was his lowest depth. He was perishing unpitied, alone in the world, and ready to disappear from it unmissed! But this is just the blessed turning–point; midnight before dawn of day.” Now he decided to return to his father not as a son, because he knew there was no life in those relationships. He desired to return home for a job that pays: a hired servant. Once it was, “Any place rather than home.” Now, “Oh, that home! Could I but dare to hope that the door of it would not be closed against me, how gladly would I take any place and do any work, happy only to be there at all.” Ellen White said: “Miserable as he was the prodigal found hope in the conviction of his father’s love. It was that love which was drawing him toward home” (CSA 12.6).We often refer to this parable in Luke 15:11–32 as the story of the prodigal son, but the word PRODIGAL is mentioned nowhere in the scriptures. The term can be applied to the Father as much as it can be to the sons. According to the Free Online Bible – Prodigal is from a Latin root that may be both an adjective and a noun. As an adjective there are two principal meanings:

1) Recklessly wasteful or extravagant: By that it means that you could have prodigal expenditures on unneeded weaponry; or you could live a prodigal life. 2) Giving or given in abundance; lavish or profuse: You could therefore give prodigal praise to someone.As a noun, it is one who is given to wasteful luxury or extravagance. When we are talking about the “prodigal” son – we use the term in a negative sense. That son was excessive and extravagant in the way he spent what had been given to him. The text says, “He squandered his property in reckless living.” Another translation says that he “wasted his possessions with prodigal living.” That’s what it means to be “prodigal” in the negative context of the son. He blew his money carelessly. He was irresponsible. He was wasteful and reckless in how he lived. On the other hand, the father was “excessive” or “extravagant” in a more neutral or even a positive sense. He was “recklessly extravagant” in his love. He was lavish and abundant in his love, in his grace, in his giving. To both sons, he gave profusely and generously. How was he a Prodigal Father? The younger son asked for his share of property. Usually, this distribution is made after one’s death. He was still alive and here the son was asking for what was not due. It is almost like saying, “Well dad, since you are dead, at least to me, I need my portion now.” Can you recognize the emotional detachment here? For many individuals, God may well be dead, as long as they get what they want! What an insult, what a slap in the face to tell the father, “I want my share of the inheritance and I In our day, the father could be justified if he slapped such an impudent son! Instead, he acceded to the demand. Here the father demonstrated patience and forbearance and his costly, excessive love dominated. Years passed and now the situation had changed. The son was returning home without a gift, without money, without change of clothing, without the desired goods, brand names and fame that he went in search of. Returning to a father whom he wished was dead and all he had was a prepared speech for acceptance to a humiliating and demeaning position.What was the anticipated reaction? He expected rejection, anger, and a tongue–lashing. Instead, before he was able to recite his memory gem, he saw a father, coming down the road, coming to meet him. He was not angry! He was running to meet him with a happy look on his face. Before he got a chance to speak he got a big hug, a warm embrace, and a kiss on his neck. By the time he began to recite his memory gem, listen to the father’s reckless, happy, extravagant, lavish love: “...bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoe on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found...” (Verses 22–24).Here we see the true “prodigality” of his father. This is a father’s excessive, extravagant grace. He does not deserve this! He says, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (verse 21). By the time he got to this point, the words melted into happy tears. He now realized that his idea was not working. There was a better plan. His father did not want him as a hireling. He was not getting what he deserved. His father wanted his son back! Full restoration. This was lavish, extravagant love on the part of this prodigal father! Costly love! Giving love!
: hang on to jesus
Love full of grace and tenderness, acceptance and forgiveness.The father demonstrates love through his actions. He conceals his son’s humiliation or nakedness with his best robe, he places upon him the signet ring, and shoes which are symbols of belonging to the family. The young man is welcomed back into the family and to seal the deal he is honored with an extraordinary feast.

This is an apt representation of the character of our heavenly Father! God does not strike us down when we deserve it. He loves us so much that He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ in the flesh, to show us how much He loves us. Jesus came as the friend of wayward, running away from home sinners. He came to demonstrate the Fathers grace and mercy and to welcome us back to the family. By looking to the cross we see the extravagant length that God will go to restore us to his family. Probably you have not left home. You may have been with the family of God physically and are actively or passively involved, but are disheartened. To you too, the prodigal father extends such costly love. “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’” While the father and his employees were rejoicing and celebrating that the lost son was recovered the brother at home was sad, having a fit and refusing to participate. He sarcastically referred to him as “this son of yours”, thereby refusing to acknowledge his own brother. Jealousy and material possession clouded his joy because his heart was not in the right place. He was recklessly callous and heart hardened. He was extravagantly emotionally and spiritually disconnected. He was lavishly disheartened at the return of his brother.

The demonstration of his disgust and unhappiness was extravagant. He was the prodigal son at home or the lost son at home. How sad, that many of us could be in church, yet we are lost! There could be many at home who are having a fit—not celebrating, because they think the soul that has returned to the Lord is not repentant and not converted.

Like the son at home, many live their lives in the Father’s house and yet they are submerged in spiritual drought, pain, disappointments, and social calamities. They could even be feeling dishonored, discredited and by–passed. They cannot see or feel any reason for celebration. Self–pity is likely to settle in and they may even be tempted to leave home, especially when they see the treatment that the run–away receives. Then comes the father to the at–home, self–pitying one, – He entreats and invites him saying, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It is fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” Ellen White said, This elder brother has not been sharing in his father’s anxiety and watching for the one that was lost.

He shares not, therefore, in the father’s joy at the wanderer’s return. ...He makes it plain that his own service has been that of a servant rather than a son. When he should have found an abiding joy in his father’s presence, his mind has rested upon the profit to accrue from his circumspect life. His words show that it is for this he has foregone the pleasures of sin.” (COL 207.3) God is interested in an intimate relationship with all of us, rather than just a superficial and emotional experience that is prompted by milk and honey, streets of gold and mansions.50 Reclaim! monday : hang on to jesus

The Joyful Celebration (Luke 15:32)

“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” (verse 32, NIV). In actual fact, the prodigal father is saying to the son at home, “...but we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.”What rejoicing there is! A festive celebration! We advocate that when one comes to Jesus the members of the church should have a literal celebration.

Baptisms should be held at prime time in the services of the church that captures the attention of every member. Except in rare cases where the circumstance does not warrant otherwise, baptism should not be a sunset affair where just two or three are gathered in the case where numerous persons

are involved in the faith. We must kill the fatted calf. There must be rejoicing in church, rejoicing on earth when one returns to the Lord. We all come into the party the same way, only through the extravagant, excessive, lavish, reckless, costly love of our Prodigal Father. And there is and will be celebration in Heaven, so let the party begin! We should have prayer breakfasts,
welcome socials, and assimilation receptions.

Our prodigal Father has meals for the stay–at home and the returned–home to enjoy here and in the hereafter. Our celebration here is only a foretaste

of the heavenly banquet to come. Our prodigal Father is preparing mansions for us. Our prodigal Father has eternal life to invest us with. It is excessive,

extravagant, and glorious––this is how it is! For this is how our heavenly Father is..... We have not seen our best days yet!

And in a little while – He will send Jesus:

•     Jesus: The one who gave up the glory of heaven to come and meet us by the way, He will come to meet us in the air!

•     Jesus: He will come with angels!

•     Jesus: He will come as a conquering lion to snatch us from the grasp of  the pleasure of the enemy

•     Jesus: The rock of ages will come for us!

•     Jesus: Will take us to the heavenly celebration in the kingdom!


Will you come back to him this moment?

Appeal and Prayer:_______________________________________________________

Suggested Closing Song: Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling

Benediction: ______________________________________________________________

Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on

the Whole Bible (Lk 15:12). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke: A commentary on the Greek text. New Interna-
tional Greek Testament Commentary (820). Exeter: Paternoster Press.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Jn 17:9). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

White, E. G. (2002). A Call To Stand Apart. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing

White, E. G. (1900). Christ’s Object Lessons. Review and Herald Publishing Association.
Discussion Questions

1. What outstanding distinctions can be noted between the lost son away from home and the lost son at home?

2. Identify some attitudes and behaviors of the members at Church that could influence young people to leave the church.

3. Explain how young people can resist the negative emotions expressed to them by church members and continue in the faith.

4. What are some significant characteristics about the prodigal father that make home attractive?

5. Give your personal testimony on temptations to leave home (the Church) that you have faced and how you managed to overcome and remain in the faith.