Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nyberg. In Luke chapter 15, beginning
in verse 25, we read, Now his elder son was in the field. This is the older brother of
the prodigal. He was a responsible, obedient
son. Now his elder son was in the
field. And he came and drew nigh to
the house. He heard music and dancing. There was a party going on. And
he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
And he said unto him, Thy brother is come. That one who went out
and took his inheritance early. He is come back. And thy father hath killed the
fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound."
And he was angry. He was mad. This is not fair. This is not right. Why would
my Father receive him when he has acted so irresponsibly? And so simply. And he's wasted
away all this money that was given him. How come he's received
safe and sound with no consequences for his actions? This is not
fair. I've entitled this message. The it's not fair club. How many times? Have you been
treated unfairly? Perhaps your wife or your husband
has treated you unfairly. Perhaps your boss. Probably most
of us have experienced that. Or the government. Or your children. Or perhaps it's even been worse.
Maybe you've been the subject of abuse where you've been abused.
And what a sad thing that is. sexual abuse, verbal abuse, mental
abuse. What a terrible thing to be treated
wrongly, to be treated unfairly. How sad it is that there is such
a thing as unfair treatment in this fallen world that we're
living in. But there's plenty of unfairness
in there. The Unfair Club. This club has
a lot of members. and the elder brother exemplifies
a member of the unfair club. In Luke chapter 15, beginning
in verse 1, we read in this chapter that I just read about the elder
brother, then drew near unto him, the Lord Jesus Christ, all
the publicans and sinners for to hear him. Now these were immoral
people. These were people who did not
practice good ethics. They were dishonest. You couldn't
be a publican and be dishonest. The sinful means immoral practices. These were sinful and immoral
people. And they drew near to the Lord
Jesus Christ and wanted to hear what He had to say. They could
come into His presence and not feel judged, not feel condemned,
not feel threatened. They didn't feel like they were
under a microscope. They could come into His presence
and they wanted to hear what He had to say. Verse 2, And the
Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners,
and even eateth with them. Something's wrong with this picture.
I mean, he's letting these people come into his presence without
condemning them, without rebuking them. He's preaching the gospel
to them, and it's almost like there's no consequence for their
actions. Something is wrong with this picture. This is not right. This is not fair. This is not
ethical that he's receiving these people. Verse three, and he spake
this parable unto them. Now, this parable is given to
these religious people who felt like it was wrong and unjust
for the Lord to receive these sinners. Now, this parable can
be divided into three parts. First, there's the parable of
the lost sheep and the shepherd going after it. And that represents
the work of the Lord Jesus Christ going after his sheep. And then
there's the parable of the lost coin that's lost in the dirt.
And the woman sweeps the house until she finds it. And this
represents the work of the Holy Spirit in coming and giving life
to those dead in sins. And then we have the story of
the prodigal son. And this is one of the most famous
stories in the Bible, but let's pick up reading here. And remember,
this story is given to these men who were criticizing the
Lord. for receiving sinners. Now let's
pick up in verse 11. And he said, a certain man had
two sons. And the younger of them said
to his father, father, give me the portion of goods that falleth
to me. He wanted his inheritance early. And he divided unto him his living. His father gave it to him. Verse
13, And not many days after the younger son gathered all together,
he had a lot of money, and he had a hole in his pocket. And
he took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his
substance with riotous living. He was using all of his money
for wine, women, and song. He was living the high life,
so he thought, having a good time. And there is pleasure in
sin for a season. Now, if you've not lived like
this, you've wanted to. You can see where this boy was
coming from with all this money. Let's have a good time. And he
wasted his money. He squandered it all away with
riotous living. Now, how long did this last?
I don't know. He probably had plenty of friends during this
time. He had plenty of money, having a good time. But verse
14 says, and when he'd spent all the money ran out. He was no longer able to have
the good times that he had. No doubt he lost friends. Everybody
likes someone with money, but when you don't have any, they
lose friends. When he'd spent all, there arose
a mighty famine in that land. And he began to be in want. He could no longer pay for his
bills. He could no longer pay for his
rent. He couldn't come up with the money to eat. He began to
be in want. He had nothing. So, verse 15,
he went and got himself a job. And he went and joined himself
to a citizen of that country. And he sent him into his fields
to feed swine. And that was the most degrading
job a Jew could ever have, feeding swine. Verse 16, And he would
fain have filled his belly with the husk that the swine did eat,
and no man gave unto him. Now, I believe that what this
represents is religion. I don't know how many times I've
seen this happen. People go from a life of partying
And they'll turn it around to a life of religion. They feel
guilty, something happens, and so they turn religious. And they
get no true, genuine satisfaction from that religion. It doesn't
really do them any good. They find no satisfaction in
it. The husks can't give you any satisfaction. This is man's
religion. Put him to work. Put him to work. And there he is working. Man's
religion in that country. Verse 17, and when he came to
himself, he came to himself. What a blessed
time that is. He remembered his father's house. He remembered how good he had
it. When he came to himself, he said, how many hired servants
of my father's have bread enough to spare? I mean, even the slaves
there are doing better than me, and I perish with hunger. I will arise, and I'll go to
my Father, and I will say unto Him, Father, I've sinned. What I did was wrong when I left
you. What I did was wrong when I wasted
all my substance in riotous living. Father, I've sinned. I've sinned
against heaven. My sin is against God. That's
why it's so bad. And I sin before thee, and I'm
no more worthy to be called thy son." No sense of entitlement
here. Make me as one of thy hired servants. Just make me a slave. I wouldn't
presume to be a son after what I've done. Make me as one of
thy hired servants. He rehearsed it all out. And
he arose and he came to his father. But when he was yet a great way
off. His father saw him. Perhaps his
father was up on the roof or the second floor, walking around,
looking out the window, and he saw somebody in the distance,
and immediately he knew, that's my boy. He saw his son moving
toward him, and his father saw him, and he had compassion Oh,
he was moved with compassion. Here's my boy. And he ran. He wasn't mad. He ran and he
fell on his neck and he kissed him. He was so glad to receive
him. And the son said unto him, Father,
he begins his confession. I've sinned against heaven and
in thy sight, and I'm no more worthy to be called thy son. But before he could even finish
his confession, the father says to the servants, bring forth
the best robe, the best robe, and put it on him. Don't hand
it to him and let him put it on himself. You put it on him.
And you take a ring and put it on his hands and you put shoes
on his feet and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it and
let us eat and be merry. Let's have a party. For this
my son was dead. and is alive again. He was lost
and is found and they began to be married. Now while all this
was going on, let's pick up reading in verse 25. Now his elder son
was in the field, no doubt working. performing his responsibility.
He had been a good boy. He'd always done in his own mind
what his father expected of him. He didn't waste his substance
in riotous living. He was working for his father,
doing what he should be doing. Now, his elder son was in the
field, and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music
and dancing. What's going on? What's this
party all about? And he called one of the servants and asked
what these things meant, and he said unto him, Thy brother
is come. Remember him? The one who ran off? With all
that money, well he's come back, and thy father hath killed the
fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound,
and he was angry." Now before you get too hard on this elder
brother, put yourself in his place. I'd be mad too. I think surely there's got to
be some consequences to actions. I mean, he's lived so irresponsibly.
He's lived so sinfully. And you just receive him like
this? I guarantee you, I would be angry too. This is not right. Look at the way I've been and
look at the way he's been. Why? This is not fair. That's why I entitled this message,
The It's Not Fair Club. The elder brother was a long
standing member. And I understand where he's coming
from. You see, the members of this club have a hard time with
free grace. That's the problem. They have
a hard time with the freeness of grace. The only way this boy
could be received is received freely. And the members of this
club have a hard time with free grace. People in this club keep
an account of what they have done. Look what he says. Verse
28, And he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore came his
father out, and treated him. And he answered and said to his
father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee. Oh, they keep
an account of all the things that they've done. And what a
high opinion he has of his works. Neither transgressed I at any
time thy commandment. Now I don't believe him, but
yet that's what he says. I never transgressed thy commandment,
and yet thou never gavest me a kid. that I might make merry
with my friends, this is not fair. But as soon as this thy
son was come, notice he calls him thy son, he doesn't call
him my brother, he says as soon as this thy son was come, which
has devoured thy living with harlots. Now, the only reason
we know that this boy devoured his living with harlots is because
he told. I mean, in the first part of this account, it wasn't
told, but he wants to expose the sin of this boy so his own
star will shine brighter. As soon as this thy son has come,
which has devoured thy living with harlots, you killed for
him the fatted calf. This is not fair. Now, this is the oldest club
that I know of. The It's Not Fair Club. The concept
began with Satan. Satan said to our first parents
in the garden, God's not being fair with you. He's holding out
on you. He knows that if you eat of this
fruit of this tree, that you'll be just like him. You'll be as
gods, knowing good and evil. And he doesn't want that. It's
not fair the way he's treating you. He's holding out on you.
He's the one who introduced this concept. You know who the first
member was? Cain. Cain was so angry that
God accepted his brother's sacrifice and didn't accept his, that he
murdered his brother over it. He was so mad. This is not fair
that God would accept my brother's sacrifice and reject mine. You
see, he didn't understand the gospel in the blood of the lamb
that Abel brought. He brought the fruit of his works.
He thought this is just as good as my brother's, maybe better.
It's not fair that God accepted him and rejected me. So he murdered
his brother over it. The board of directors of this
club is found in Matthew chapter 20. I'd like to read a passage
of scripture from Matthew chapter 20 to you. We read beginning
in verse 1, For the kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that's
a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire
labors into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the
labors for a penny a day, a working man's wages, he sent them into
his vineyard. And he went out about the third
hour, nine o'clock in the morning, and saw others standing idle
in the market. And he said unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard,
and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their
way, and went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, twelve and
three p.m., and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour,
five p.m., an hour before quitting time, he went out and found others
standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here idle
all the day? They said unto him, Because no man hath hired us.
He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever
is right, ye shall receive. So when even was come, six o'clock,
quittin' time, the Lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward,
Call the labors, and give them their hire, beginning from the
first, the fellows that began at six in the morning, I mean the fellows that started
at five o'clock, unto the first, the fellows that started at six
in the morning. And when they came that were hired about the
eleventh hour, that only worked an hour, they received every
man a penny. But when the first came, they
supposed that they should have received more. Of course they
supposed that. They worked twelve hours. These other fellows only worked
one hour. Wouldn't you suppose you would receive more? Of course
you would. And they likewise received every man a penny. The ones that worked twelve hours
were given the exact same thing as the ones who worked one hour. And when they had received it,
they murmured against the good man of the house, This is not
fair, saying, These that have wrought but one hour And thou
hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and
heat of the day. This is not fair. But he answered
one of them and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong. Didst not
thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is and go thy
way. I'll give unto this last, even
as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do
what I will with my own? Is thine eye evil because I'm
good, because I decide to be gracious to these one-hour workers
and give them the same thing? Are you charging me with injustice?
All these people said it's not fair. Oh, it's fair. It's fair. Let me show you the individual
member of this club. They're described in Romans chapter
9. If you'll turn with me there
to Romans chapter 9, beginning in verse 11, for the children. It's talking about Jacob and
Esau. Being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil,
that the purpose of God according to election might stand. Not
of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder
shall serve the younger. As it's written, Jacob have I
loved. God says this, I've loved Jacob,
but Esau have I hated. And that's what God says. Now, Paul anticipates the objection. He says, what should we say then?
Is there unrighteousness with God? Is it not fair for God to love
Jacob and hate Esau? Esau is being wronged by God. I see a sense of entitlement
here. Esau is being wronged By God, God is showing respect to
persons. He's preferring one over the
other. Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Esau didn't care
anything about God. He sold the birthright for a
bowl of soup. Ask how valuable his relationship
with God was to him. He didn't care a flip about God.
And if God withheld his love for him, he's just. Oh, what
mercy, though, God displays in loving Jacob. Jacob was a sinful,
selfish, evil man. But God loved him because God
is gracious. Now, because God loved Jacob,
because He's gracious to Jacob, are you going to say God's not
fair? Whatever God does is fair. Verse 15. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I'll have
mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I'll have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then, it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
The next time you hear a preacher talk about free will, remember
this passage of Scripture. It's not of him that willeth.
That's a lie is all it is. It's not the truth. For the Scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised
thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name
might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath
he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardens."
Now thou wilt say unto me, why does he yet find fault? For who
has resisted his will? If he has hardened me, how can
he hold me responsible? If I'm totally in his hands and
it's up to him as to whether or not I'm going to be saved,
If he can harden my heart, how can he hold me responsible for
my sin? I love Paul's reply, verse 20,
Nay, but, O man, who are you to reply against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the
potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel
unto honor and another unto dishonor? Now what Paul is saying is since
when do you have the moral authority to set in judgment over what
God does and say, I agree or I disagree or this is right or
this is not right, you become God's judge and that will not
work. Who are you to reply against
God? Now let's go back to the prodigal.
That's what I want to end with thinking about the prodigal.
I want to look at his His attitude, his demeanor, the things he had
to say. Now, one thing that's very clear about the prodigal
is he didn't want fairness. He wanted mercy. And I do, too. That's what I want. I want mercy,
like the centurion. I'm not worthy to come under
your roof, like the Syrophoenician woman. I'd be so thankful for
any crumbs of mercy that fall my way, like the publican. God
be merciful to me, the sinner. He needed mercy. He had no merit. He knew that. And he needed mercy. Look at
his view of his works. He says, I sinned against heaven
and before thee. Look at his view of his person.
He said, I'm not worthy to be called thy son. He didn't have
a sense of entitlement. He said, make me as one of thy
hired servants. But look what the father says
to this man who comes back. But the father says to his servants,
bring forth the best robe. That robe is the righteousness
and merits of Christ. That's the robe of salvation.
You bring forth the best robe for this poor, sinful person
and put it on him and make him perfectly righteous and you put
a ring on his hand which is the token of eternal love a love
that never had a beginning and will never have an end and you
put Shoes on his feet grace to walk in the gospel 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 he is found,
and they began to have a party." Now, St. Bella, this prodigal,
look at the way his father looked at him, and look at the way his
brother looked at him. What was the difference? The
difference is love. That's the difference. The difference
is love. Love wants the best for the objects
of its affection. Now, to all the members of the
It's Not Fair Club, God will meet you on the ground you choose.
What do I mean by that? Well, He'll meet you on strict
justice if that's the way you want, or He'll meet you on the
ground of mercy. Which way do you want Him to
meet you? Do you want Him to give you what you've got coming?
Do you want Him to give you what's fair? Oh, don't go there. If He gives you what's fair,
He'll send you to hell, and He'll send me to hell too. But if you
come on the ground of pure, free grace, He'll meet you there. And I can tell which ground you've
come upon by how you treat your brother. If you're harsh and
judgmental toward your brother, you prove that you know nothing
of grace. But if you receive your brother
and forgive your brother and are merciful to your brother,
you've learned something of the mercy of God toward you. Which ground do you want to come
on? I know this I'm coming like the
prodigal. I understand this elder brother.
I'm just like him. I see that in my flesh. I see
that in my fallen, sinful nature. But I come into the Lord's presence
like the prodigal, needing free grace. That's the way every sinner
comes. And the star of this story is
the Father. and his reception of the Son.
Now we have this message on cassette tape, on DVD, CD, you call the
church or write, we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Nybert,
praying that God will be pleased to make Himself known to you.
That's our prayer. To request a copy of the sermon
you have just heard, send a request to messages at podsroadgracechurch.com. Or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.