No Plans to Become a Prodigal

James Weidner III - April 23, 2023

Luke 15:11-14 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. NKJV

1 Timothy 6:10 (NKJV) 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1. We have heard it said: the love of money is the root of evil.

1.1. But more specifically it is the root of *all kinds of evil*

1.2. Not just one evil.

1.3. Money has it’s fingers in every area of our life.

1.4. One of the resulting evils is:

1.4.1. Straying from the faith.

1.4.2. Allows greediness to prevail.

1.4.3. Many sorrows are awaiting.

2. Lets make a few important distinctions understanding the difference between our needs, our lust for more, and our source of provision.

Matthew 6:8 (NKJV) 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

2.1. Your Father knows you have needs.

2.2. When money becomes the mission*

2.2.1. What is the mission behind the need?

2.2.2. Christina has said *one problem is when the provision because the vision* rather than provision being to accomplish the mission.*

2.2.3. Money becomes the mission when the lust and allure of this life overcomes the allure and beauty of Christ.

2.2.4. There is a greater mission for our life than just comfort and success.

2.2.5. God’s provision in your life is to keep you on mission. 2.2.6. God’s provision is to make your mission possible.

2.3. We have to resist in the Spirit the continual lust for more.

1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV) 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world— the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

2.4. Ela… Tan Partnership: Years ago our Shanghai school was forced to take on a business partner so we could survive the changing times in China. We needed covering. God had provided a man, that I have told you about some, that has turned into a really awesome partner. But we have had conversation after conversation about the mission of our organization in China. And being a good business man he likes to simply and qualify long conversations and he said to me one day after many years of developing our partnership… “I understand mission over money” I said yes, you got it. Now I have had to reemphasis in almost every conversation since then because he is a business man and can’t help himself half the time.

Let’s look at one example where this played out and a couple examples as to how to combat from money becoming the mission.

3. When the disciples saw the offering poured onto Jesus they were angry.

Matthew 26:6-9 (NKJV) 6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.

3.1. Not just Judas who was angry.

3.1.1. More than one disciple had to work through their immediate reaction to this strange, extravagant offering, 3.1.2. The other disciples worked through their anger. 3.1.3. But something switched in Judas.

3.2. Directly after this offering Judas decided to betray Jesus.

Matthew 26:14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

3.3. Judas was not always pursuing financial gain.

3.3.1. He was chosen in the same manner as the rest of the disciples.

3.3.2. The temptation from satan came, Judas gave in, and his mission changed.

Luke 22: 3 Then Satan entered the heart of Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve apostles. 4 Judas went to talk with the chief priests and the officers of the temple police about how he could help them arrest Jesus. 5 They were very pleased and offered to pay Judas some money. 6 He agreed and started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus when the crowds were not around.

3.3.3. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

3.3.4. Judas was prompted to go to Chief Priest after the anointing of Jesus.

3.3.5. He could not get his money one way so he decided to get it another way.

3.3.6. Such is the nature of money when money becomes the mission… then you will figure out a way to get it.

4. We combat the lust after more and more by remaining generous with what the provision the Lord provides for us.

Proverbs 11:25 (NIV) A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

2 Corinthians 8:2 (ESV) for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.

4.1. Our attitude towards and use of the provision of the Lord in our life is one indicator of our relationship to Christ.

4.2. Did you or do you have a mission for the Lord provision?

4.3. What was the original mission ?

4.3.1. Lord I need this bigger house to be able to make room for ministry.

4.3.2. Lord I need this raise so I will be able to support the work of God more.

4.3.3. Lord please bless this business so I can.

4.3.4. Lord bless the work of my hands so I can … fill in the blank.

5. Revisit if there are some unfinished vows in your life.

Psalms 50:14 (NIV) “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High,

Ecc 5:4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.

5.1. Why would there be unfinished vows in our life.

5.2. These vows are not all money related.

5.3. Just being a person whose yes is yes and no is no.

5.4. Not speaking out of both sides of our mouth.

5.5. Being easily discernible.

6. Continually check the motive of our heart and use of the provision of the Lord.

Prov. 22:16 oppressing the poor and giving gifts to the rich both come to poverty.

6.1. The results for both are the same but the reason they are the same are completely opposite.

6.2. Oppressing the poor, by way of withholding, activates a spiritual principal that the Lord put in place that comes with a natural consequence of lack. Stealing, withholding, taking advantage of someone because they are poor.

6.3. Where as trying to give to the rich is as the saying goes: trying to keep up with your neighbors, accomplishes the same result.

6.4. Both are not the way to use the provision of the Lord in your life.

7. If you are feeling a selfish or undervalued or misunderstood or angry or offended at or with someone or if someone is upset with you… generosity is always part of the answer.

Proverbs 21:14 (NKJV) A gift in secret pacifies anger, And a bribe behind the back, strong wrath.

7.1. If you think a friend is angry at you for something they or you did…

7.1.1. instead of repaying evil with evil or allowing the seed of offense to grow deeper and deeper until it produces division…

7.1.2. you can give them a gift.

7.1.3. Sounds simple enough right.

7.1.4. Though the problems is that many times, if not all the time, when you feel like that… a gift is the last thing you want to offer.

7.2. Ela… Once upon a time I had a valuable, long term relationship going very badly for reasons that I did not understand or feel were justifiable. I struggle through just cutting off the relationship because it was the immediate easier path to go. I struggle through becoming offended and engage it in a manner of trying to justify myself and let them know how wrong they were. Then finally after some time I settled on my needing to go lower and do what I could to repair the direction of the relationship. So I decided on giving them a very valuable gift that I know would be appreciated by them. A gift that was expensive and special to me but that I already had and the Lord had already provided it. I gave the gift in secret so no one else would know other than them and I wrote a simple letter accompanying the gift express my sincere heart on the matter, asked for forgiveness for the part I played in their offense and my desire to regain the trust. Within the same day the whole feel of the relationship began to return to it’s normal state. Dinner plans together started immediately and communication resumed immediately.

8. No one plans on becoming a prodigal.

8.1. No one wants to be a prodigal.

8.1.1. No one thinks he will become a prodigal.

8.2. Prodigal living = spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant. Having or giving something on a lavish scale.

8.2.1. Prodigal living does not necessary have us in a smelly pig pen, our pig pen could be coated with gold and roses.

8.3. The provision of the Father to his younger son provided him opportunity for what was in his heart to come out.

Prov 14:14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above. NKJV

8.3.1. The real motive of his heart was to leave the Father’s House.

8.3.2. His means was getting the provision of the Father.

8.3.3. The father problem knew but gave the inheritance anyway.

8.4. One of the Prodigal’s problems was his unwillingness to wait and another his unwillingness to just stay.

Luke 15:17 But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! NKJV

Luke 15:20 (NKJV) “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

Closing:

How many prodigals stay in the pig pen they put themselves in?
When you get yourself in a bad space because you walked out on the Father, misused the provision of the Lord, were not willing to wait or just stick around…
Pick yourself up, come back home, get your affairs back in order.
The Father is always waiting for our return.