OUR FOOLISH SUBSTITUTIONS

INTRODUCTION--

1. Christ speaks of a young man whose choices were disastrous. Luke 15:11-24 "And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of thy substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country; and there he wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that country; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 But when he came to himself he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: 19 I am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 and bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and make merry: 24 for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."
   
   1. A vast multitude of sermons have been preached from this text.
      
   2. The parable has many lessons, which can be presented dramatically and passionately.
      
2. I want to concentrate on two foolish substitutions made by this sinner.
   
   1. Because he was without appreciation for the stability, security, productivity, and future inheritance he would have gained, he demanded his portion (the lesser portion, because he was the younger brother), and "left his father's house."
      
   2. After he wasted his substance (and no more was produced, he chose to work for another at starvation wages, and accept the demeaning job of feeding swine.
      
   3. The memory of that former home gave him to hope of acceptance.
      
3. But, look at the situation from the Father's viewpoint.
   
   1. The father of the parable represents God.
      
   2. The Father does not consider his son's existence in the foreign land as an valid alternative to living at home, but considers him to be dead--lost.
      
      1. This is the true state of those who leave the Father in sin. Ephesians 2:1-3 "And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trepasses and sins, 2 wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience; 3 among whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:--"
         
      2. But God is like the father in the parable. Ephesians 2:4-6 "....but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), 6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:"

LESSON-- Anything that seduces us away from the Lord, and we choose as an alternative to serving him, is a "foolish substition."

1. Idolatry is the classic form of foolish substitution.
   
   1. Paul described idolaters this way. Romans 1:22-25 "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: 25 for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."
      
   2. Old Testament prophets showed the foolishness of worshipping idols.
      
      1. Habakkuk 2:18-20 "What profiteth the graven image, that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, even the teacher of lies, that he that fashioneth its form trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? 19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. 20 But Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him."
         
      2. Psalm 115:2-8 "Wherefore should the nations say, Where is now their God? 3 But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he pleased. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men's hands. 5 They have mouths, but they speak not; Eyes have they, but they see not; 6 They have ears, but they hear not; Noses have they, but they smell not; 7 They have hands, but they handle not; Feet have they, but they walk not; Neither speak they through their throat. 8 They that make them shall be like unto them; Yea, every one that trusteth in them."
         
      3. Jeremiah 2:11-13 "Hath a nation changed its gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. 12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith Jehovah. 13 For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
         
   3. New Testament authors echo this sentiment.
      
      1. Galatians 4:8-9 "(To Gentiles) Howbeit at that time, not knowing God, ye were in bondage to them that by nature are no gods: 9 but now that ye have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how turn ye back again to the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage over again?"
         
      2. 1 Corinthians 8:4 "Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no God but one."
         
         1. Could this statement apply to covetousness, which Paul calls an idol? (Colossians 3:5)
            
         2. See what an ancient prophet says on this. Psalm 49:6-13 "They that trust in their wealth, And boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; 7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him; 8 (For the redemption of their life is costly, And it faileth for ever;) 9 That he should still live alway, That he should not see corruption. 10 For he shall see it. Wise men die; The fool and the brutish alike perish, And leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, And their dwelling-places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. 12 But man being in honor abideth not: He is like the beasts that perish. 13 This their way is their folly: Yet after them men approve their sayings."
            
2. Preferring human wisdom to that of God is a foolish substitution.
   
   1. Human wisdom veils our eyes to the true wisdom. Colossians 2:8-10 "Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ: 9 for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, 10 and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:"
      
   2. Worldly wisdom is useless for the really important goals of life.
      
      1. 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 "Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe."
         
      2. 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 "We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought: 7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory: 8 which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory:"
         
      3. 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 "Let no man deceive himself. If any man thinketh that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He that taketh the wise in their craftiness: 20 and again, The Lord knoweth the reasonings of the wise that they are vain."
         
3. Choosing the World instead of Heaven is a foolish substitution.
   
   1. The World and all in it is vulnerable and will be obliterated.
      
      1. The Apostle John reveals this. 1 John 2:15-17 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
         
      2. The Apostle Peter predicts the destruction of the World. 2 Peter 3:10-13 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, 12 looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
         
   2. If the world can seduce Demas away from the Apostle Paul, then its seductive power should be feared by all Christians. (2 Timothy 4:10a)

APPLICATION--

1. Recognition of the fact that there are no valid alternatives to serving God is our first line of defense. Nothing can sustain the spirit God gave us, save the Will of God. Foolish substitutions have no power to save.
   
2. The examples of foolish substitution we have given in this lesson deal with complete substitutions for God's Will, but we can make some foolish substitutions short of complete rejection.
   
   1. Remember: Cain offered the fruit of the ground as an alternative to the blood sacrifice God commanded, and God had no respect to his offering.
      
   2. Remember: Sarah offered Hagar as a surrogate mother to the child of promise, Isaac, and God would not permit the substitution.
      
   3. Remember: Abraham later offered Ishmael as an alternative to the child of promise, Isaac....but this was not God's Will.
      
   4. Remember: Nadab and Abihu offered incense lighted by a substitute fire.
      
3. Jesus reminds us that "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)