The Bryce Crawford Podcast - Luke Series Chapter 15 (EP 69)

Episode Date: December 15, 2024

In this episode, Bryce breaks down Luke chapter 15.

What's going on, guys. Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Carver podcast. I'm Bryson. Today, we are on day 15, Luke chapter 15 of the 24-day Luke Christmas challenge. Every day we're reading a chapter of Luke. So by the time you get a Christmas Eve, you would have read the whole gospel of Luke. Guys, pray for me, brother. I'm sick as a dog right now.

So pray for your boy. But no sickness is going to stop us from pressing on in the series. Just got a combination of lots of sleep and ibuprofen that's getting me through this podcast. it's going to be late. Guys, before we get into it, January 19th, I'm going to be healthy. And January 19th, 6 p.m. in Los Angeles is our first ever live podcast show. Guys, I want you to come out. Jesusinthestreet.org slash tickets.

Get your tickets. Go, come out. It's going to be a powerful night. We're going to have worship. God's preparing a word for the room that night. There's going to be some merch. It's going to be awesome, guys. I'm super, super excited.

But let's dive into Luke chapter 15. I'm really excited about this. chapter because it's just straight gospel. Jesus is going to give three parables. You've probably heard these parables before. One in particular, I would say, is the parable of the laws of the prodigal son. And we're going to dive in and just hear the gospel and watch the gospel purely displayed here. Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled saying, this man received sinners and eats with him. Now I love how it says that the tax collectors and sinners were drawn to Jesus because it seems to me that those that are poor in spirit,

that are spiritually bankrupt, those are the ones that draw near to Jesus. And then the Pharisees, on the other hand, they think they got it all made. Those with pride in their heart are the ones that actually push Jesus away. This man receives sinners and eats with them. So he told them this parable. What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost, one of them does not leave the 99 in the open country and go after the one that is lost until he finds it and when he has found it he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing and when he comes home he calls together his friends and his neighbor saying to them rejoice for me for i found my sheep that was lost now when we look at the story of the hundred sheep this is saying like jesus going after

seeking the one lost person here and when the shepherd leaves the 99 sheep he says He's not telling the 99 sheep that they're less important, but he's telling the one sheep how important and valuable one sheep is to the 99. He's sending a message to 99 sheep to show them how important one sheep is, and to show the 99 that each of them is of equal, valuable importance. So that's powerful for us to see here. And then Jesus says in verse 7, just so I tell you there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, then over 99 righteous persons who need no repentance.

He's saying, look, I'll draw them, I'll capture them. But as I've called someone and captured them, I'm calling them to repent and turn from the way in which they were lost in. Now we're going to look at the parable of the lost coin. Or what woman having 10 silver coins is she loses one coin does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until he finds it. Now it's saying, look, now you have a big scale of 100. Let's go down to 10, just 10.

You had 10 things and you lost one. It's still of equal importance. You turn the light on and sweep the house diligently until she finds it. And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, rejoice with me, for I found the coin that I had lost. Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Again, that light, the lamp that he turns on or that the woman turns on to go find the 10 coins. is like the lamp of the Holy Spirit, the light of God.

And then this house is like the church. And we look at how the church, through the power of the spirit of God, seeks diligently to bring those in and disciple him and fellowship with them. And I think that's important in today's society. Like, man, there's a love for the local church that we need to just reinvent here. Like I feel like so many people have put the bride on the back burner. When in reality, like Jesus has left us the system of the church to actually use for our spiritual heart to grow and to aid others. And we're going to see like how this light, this

lamp is actually the Holy Spirit and how God can use the church to actually help people grow. Now let's read the parable of the prodigal son here. And I've loved reading this this morning because it's just so amazing. So let's go. And then he said, there was a man who had two sons and the younger of them said to his father, father give me the share of property that is coming to me. So when a father gave the inheritance, he could either do so before his death or after his death, 99 out of 100 times it was done after he had died. But this son was motivated by foolishness and greed. And he divided his property between them.

Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. Now, it wasn't because, of his reckless behavior that a famine came about, but because of a famine, he just reaped like an awful harvest there.

I mean, he's got no money, and then a famine hits, and he just gets the awful repercussions of this famine. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country who sent him into the fields to feed the pigs, and he was longing to be fed so bad with the pods that the pigs ate

and no one gave him anything. Now, this would be awful in that time period for someone who was a Jew, because in the Jewish culture, pigs were deemed as unclean. The swine were deemed as unclean in Leviticus 11, verse 7. So when you look at this, this Jewish man was such in desperate need to be hungry that he would even be deemed unclean with the pigs if it meant that he would be fed. He was so hungry.

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've sinned against heaven and before you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants. So the son says, look, I can go back to my father, but I'm not going to ask for a handout.

I'll just be a hired servant for the rest of my life because that's what I deserve. I get what I deserve. An eye for an eye is what the son says. And he actually practices this rehearsed speech of like, this is what I'm going to tell my father. Notice how when the son goes home, like he's going to go home to not only his father, but to the land and to the house. But he thinks of his father.

And I think that's very important. He's not worried about something earthly now. He's just like, man, I need my father. And I think in today's society, we just need our father. We just desperately need him. And through the father's love, we will find that security, significance, and satisfaction that we saw in the world, whether it was through greed,

whether it was through foolishness, whether through a sin. We find that in him. And he arose and came to the father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him. Now imagine like every day, this is how I picture the story.

The father, every day is just looking down the road, waiting for his son to come home. Nothing. Every day asking his hired servants, Hey, have you seen anyone? No, no. And then imagine the day that he looks down and he sees someone come. not knowing if it's his son, and he runs, and he goes to see if it's son from far off, and it's not

his son. And then he goes back, and he's waiting, waiting. And finally, this day comes where he looks off and he sees someone far off in the distance, and he runs and has compassion, and he comes, and he sees his son, and he embraces him, and he's looking past all of the foolishness, all of the greed, all of the wickedness that the son has done. He's just like, man, my son, you're back and you're home. And the son said to him, Father, I've sinned against heaven and before you, I'm no longer. or worthy to be card your son but the father said to his servants look i just i don't care about that your

home bring quickly the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring the fat and caft and kill it and let us eat and celebrate for my son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found and they began to celebrate the father brings things to the son that were not of a necessity he brings things to honor him he's just glad he was home for he was dead and his foolishness and his greed. But now he was home and is alive in his father. It's such a beautiful picture. And that's the beauty of the gospel.

It's for such a long time. I thought I myself was so dirty, was so broken. And there was nothing that I could do. Like, man, I had to clean myself up before I came to God. But I couldn't even do a good enough job to clean myself up. So I prolonged this time period of coming to God. He's like, man, I don't want him to give me a handout. out like man i got to fix myself and then what i found when i finally had the courage when i

finally had the courage and when us as believers like when we're lost and we finally have the courage and we just start taking steps you realize that it's not about how quickly we can clean ourselves up but jesus has done the work that he who knew no sin he who knew wickedness knew nothing but perfection became every bit of agony and wickedness on the cross to cleanse you and I. So when he sees someone who was lost and dead in their trespasses, coming home, maybe walking home into shame, he quickly runs and embraces you and I and says,

look, forget the shame. I'm just glad you're home. You've recognized that you've done some awful stuff. But, man, I don't even care. I'm just glad you're home. Like, thank you, but man, I'm glad you're home. and it's such a powerful moment that through the blood of Jesus Christ

that we can be forgiven and seen as if nothing has happened and it's not up to us to clean ourselves up but when we come to Jesus man he just cleans us such a beautiful picture now his older son was in the field and as he came and drew near to the house he heard this music and dancing and he called one of his servants

and asked what these things meant and he said to him your brother has come and your father's killed the fat and 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. Now we're watching the son, the older son, deal with bitterness. Bitterness will kill you.

Bitterness will harm you. And it says in verse 28, but he was angry and refused to go when his father came out and treated him. But he answered his father, look, these many years I've served you. I've never disobeyed your command, yet you gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. This is a heart posture of the Pharisees. like man we've done everything we've followed the law we've done this we've done that but like the pharisees our heart was far from god

but when the son of yours came who has devoured your property with prostitutes you killed the fat and calf for him and he said his son son you are always with me and all that is mine is yours he's saying like look i'm not overlooked that my son like thank you i'm so grateful and everything i've ever had is yours i haven't withheld anything from you but he said it was fitting to celebrate and rejoice and be glad for your brother was dead and is alive and he was lost and is found like man when we become alive Jesus celebrates with us and he doesn't forget that everything that is his is ours but now when others come and they've been dead and now they're alive we don't have to have bitterness to go like man where's that man man man i've been here for years it's like no like i'm so glad you're here but man he was dead he has just come like let's celebrate that's so beautiful

that was chapter 15 of Luke man what a powerful picture of the gospel how powerful it is that we see the power of the cross that draws people to him and draws people to repentance. We have so much to learn from these parables. I mean I just Jesus I never want to forget the power of the cross the power of your blood and Jesus I just want to hold fast to this. God I just want to I just want to I just want to seek you and know you and you make me more like you god let me never forget this jesus name amen guys thank you so much for watching and listen today if you guys enjoyed luke 15 we'll be here

tomorrow for luke chapter 16 go get your live show tickets for the podcast january 19th jesus in the street dot org slash tickets i love you guys see you guys tomorrow for luke chapter 16