MISSION GROUP QUESTIONS FROM SPIRITUAL GROWTH SERIES - 28/3/10

Matt spoke from Luke 15:11-31 (the Prodigal Sons) in a preach entitled 'How do you find God'

The passage deals with two sons who have very different interactions with their father. It’s a picture of how we relate to God the father.  The idea is that Jesus wants us to compare and contrast them – see ourselves in them. If we don’t, we run the risk of totally missing the point of the story. I think Jesus is making a bold statement. He’s saying ‘Men and women have tried to find God in many different ways – but so far, all their efforts have been completely wrong’

There are four ways that stop us finding God

1) Excusing Sin
The younger excuses his outrageous behaviour. We can do the same by blaming our:
circumstances (stupid driver cut me up so badly, you’d have gone just as mental at him),
upbringing (I’m just like my dad. He had an addictive personality and so do I),
biology (it’s just the way I am, nothing I can do about it) or
personal history (if you had been through what I’ve been through, you’d be angry too).

2) Minimizing Sin
We also avoid responsibility for sin by minimizing it.  “it’s not that bad” or ‘Its not as irresponsible as such and such”
The point being you’re never want a saviour till you admit you need one. 
We only can only connect with God, when we truly repent. We can only say sorry when we take responsibility. When we admit our need!

3) Changing Yourself
A third way we can miss God is through trying to change ourselves. The younger brother wants to go back and work for his father as a ‘hired hand’.  He wants to earn his way back. 
you don’t find God by saying
• I’ll put my house in order
• I’ll go on the straight and narrow
• I’ll give up my party lifestyle
• I’ll try harder
• I’ll do anything
• I’ll fix it

External stuff doesn’t get us back to God or change us because the sin or evil comes from within our hearts.  Change will never come if you just try and change yourself.
Just as the Father goes and finds the son and embraces him so we truly change when we understand that God loves us before we respond to him.  You’ll never seek him before he seeks you.

4) Your Goodness
The Elder Son hates the way the Father welcomes the younger son.  This attitude reveals how lost the elder son is, but he doesn’t realise it.
The point is that Jesus is messing with our idea of sin.  In the 1st act you get a traditional view of sin.  Bad people = sinful.  In the 2nd act, Jesus turns the tables.  Good people = sinful
There are two sons, one is very bad and one is very good and both are alienated. Each one used the father to get what they loved.  Status, wealth, property
One did it by being good and one did it by being bad.  Both are lost!  In the end, it seems like the bad one is saved and the other isn’t!
The elder bother is unhappy at the expense incurred at bringing the younger brother home, what will change him is understanding the cost Jesus paid to bring you home.

Summary:
Jesus is our true and better elder brother who gives up his life to bring us home.

Questions for Mission Group:
1) Re-tell the story in your own words to one another
2) What are some of the cultural issues that help us understand this story?
3) Who do you most relate with, the younger or elder brother and why?
4) How does Jesus’ life, death and resurrection bring us closer to God?  Relate your answers to being a younger or elder brother (or both).

Don’t forget we have our first Good Friday Service at the Warehouse at 11am.  This will be a 45 minute creative service followed by lunch.
Then on Easter Sunday we will be celebrating with a baptismal service.