Older Brother
Teaching Notes
PRODIGAL part 3
Why do you love Jesus?
OLDER BROTHER
Luke 15:25-31
Right _______________ don’t always equal right _______________.
Observations about the older brother:
- _____________________ is distant and insulting
“Look!”
“This son of yours” - _____________________ of what he is owed
“All these years I’ve been slaving for you”
“I’ve never disobeyed you” - _____________________ and _____________________ is growing
“He became angry and refused to go in”
“You never gave me….”
“elder brother lostness” - growing angry, bitter, and cynical toward God when life doesn’t go the way you think it should because you’re “being good”
Tim Keller, Prodigal God
“The older brother in this story shows us something profound – you can be in the Father’s _______________ and still be distancing yourself from the Father's _______________.”
Ian Simkins
Two _______________ _______________ to help us break free of our elder brother lostness:
- ______________________________ -based obedience -> _______________ -based obedienceI'm sorry when I forgot that You're enough
I'm caught up in Your presence
I just want to sit here at Your feet
I never wanna leave
I'm not here for blessings
Jesus, You don't owe me anything
And more than anything that You can do
I just want You - _______________
The Father says:
“Son, you are with Me always”
“All I have is yours”
“I am convinced that many of my emotional problems would melt as snow in the sun if I could let the truth of God’s motherly non-comparing love permeate my heart.”
Henri Nouwen
Yet I am always with you;
You hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
Earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
As for me, the nearness of God is good for me
Psalm 73:23-28