Monday, December 14, 2009,

Lost and Found, Part 74 of 78

TEXT: "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found' " (Luke 15:25-32).

IDEA: Another test of whether or not we have the spirit of the Pharisee is whether we serve Him as a slave or employee or as a daughter or son.

PURPOSE: To diagnose the spirit of the Pharisee in us.

When you think of people who work on a farm, do you think there is a difference in the way the son and daughter work and how a hired hand works? What is it?

Is it the kind of work they do?

Is it the amount of work they do?

I. A test of whether or not we have the spirit of the Pharisee is, “Do I serve Father as a slave or employee, or as a son or daughter?”

Listen to a story Jesus told in Luke 15:25-32:

"Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "

The elder brother clearly makes himself a slave: “I have served you these many years . . . I have never transgressed . . . You never even gave me a kid . . .”

A slave or employee works for wages. A son or daughter works because of the relationship with the parents.

II. In the realm of the spirit, what marks out the motivation of slaves as opposed to the motivation of sons and daughters?

We have the spirit of the slave when we think that by doing something, we can earn the favor and the goodness of God.

We have the spirit of the slave when we focus on the work and the activities, and not on the relationship.

We have the spirit of the son or daughter when we serve out of appreciation for what has been given to us.