Hello everyone. In this piece, we will be looking at Prodigal Living Versus Purposeful Living. What we would be doing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is to look at the word prodigal living and purposeful living, then we would also look at the comparison between the two. What is the kind of lifestyle that a prodigal living is about and what is purposeful living? Our major text will be from the book of Luke chapter 15, we will start from there and we will see our definition and comparison from that particular chapter of the Bible. Luke chapter 15, we will read from verse 11 and we will stop at verse 32.
“11 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. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.”
I want us to pause there because it’s a lengthy read, but I want us to see what the Holy Spirit want us to see. We are familiar with the story of the prodigal son, the lost son, but there is something the Lord wants to show us from this parable and I want us to pay rapt attention to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was speaking to them and He gave a parable, by this time Jesus had given several parables before this parable. He had given parable of the lost coin, and all the parable that He gave were not in relation to anything but the Kingdom of heaven. So, we would understand that every parable that Jesus was speaking to them, He was speaking in the light of the Kingdom of God. So, we must understand the context of the parable.
The parable was in a Kingdom context. Jesus was trying to use example of what was familiar to explain the unfamiliar. He was trying to use the example of the visible to explain the invisible. Jesus was trying to make them understand with contemporary things, the things that make for the Kingdom of God. So, Jesus speaking to them in parable, was always using examples they could relate with to explain to them deep mysteries of the Kingdom. So, the same thing He did with the parable of the prodigal son-the lost son.
So, Jesus was speaking as a parable. Because a parable means that Jesus was not speaking in clear terms. Jesus was using similitudes and symbols and figures to explain something deeper. So, you can’t take what is here and on the face of it and understand completely the depth of what Jesus was trying to communicate. We are going back to that verse 11, it says “A certain man had two sons” so, the comparison was between two sons. And that’s why our comparison is on two grounds. Prodigal living and purposeful living.
So, these two sons are the yardstick of comparison. They are the figures we want to use to understand as Jesus explained here. The difference between prodigal living and purposeful living. So, the first person that Jesus started describing to us here was the younger son. It says; “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them; [meaning the other one was the older one.] Said to His father; [So, there is a father in the picture] ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ Do you think this boy was speaking out of ignorance? Do you think when he was asking the father this question, he didn’t know what he was talking about?
If you look at it carefully, verse 12 and 13, this son knew what he was talking about. He said ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ If that question was a question of ignorance, the father should have said what are you talking about? What portion of goods fall to you? You don’t have any portion with me. But what did the father do? The Bible says; “so he divided to them.” So, before we go further, we understood now that it’s not only the younger son that got a portion. Before we begin to think that the portion was only divided and given to one and the other was not given.
But from verse 12b we realized that the father actually gave both of them portions. The problem was not about getting portions, so he said give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So, the father divided to them his livelihood. Remember it said he had two sons. So, the ‘them’ is talking about his two sons. He said give me a portion that falls to me and the father did as he requested. Verse 13, “And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with [d]prodigal living.”
What is prodigal living? Number one: from that verse 13 we saw that prodigal living is a wasteful living. Prodigal means using resources freely and recklessly, foolishly. So, prodigal living is a kind of lifestyle that is reckless, foolish and extravagant-wasteful. So, he about a wasteful experience. Verse 14, “but when he had spent all his portion, all his possessions, there arose a severe famine in that land.” Remember he had separated here from his father; father give me the portion that falls to me. The Father did not an issue with giving him his portion. But the problem of this son started when he separated himself from his father.
So, the land he journeys to, the place that promised him independence, that promised him juicy experience, where you can be free, were you are not being checked on, were you can just do what you feel like doing. The land he journeyed to for independence from his father. The Bible says severe famine hit that land. And he spent all. Let’s go ahead. When that famine happened, he began to be in want. These verse are so important. Remember we said that Jesus was trying to paint a picture to us with this parable. Please let’s not miss out the details of it. The problem started when there was a separation from to independence. So, prodigal living will always declare an independence. I want to be separate, I want to spend these that I have gotten on myself. Bible says he spent all.
Verse 15; the Bible says “then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country.” Remember Jesus is not a talkative; every word he was using in this parable was deliberate. Because He is trying to make us understand Kingdom wrapped in this parable. He went to a far country, He spent all, he began to be in want, then he joined himself to a citizen of that country. And the one that he joined himself to, sent him into his fields to feed swine. “And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the [e]pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.” We will look at the implication of this, because we will first talk about prodigal living before we will delve into purposeful living which is our major focus.
When a man goes into prodigal living, it doesn’t mean the person is not born again. A born again child of God can be prodigal. A believer can be prodigal. When we look at the characteristics of being prodigal, we will realize it’s about a decision, a choice. It’s not really about who the son is, it’s about his choices. Both were the sons of this father, both were raised by this father, in the same house. Not that one was raised by the mother separately and another was raised by the father, no! both were in the same house with the same father. But one made a choice. He said father, my portion, the one that falls to me, give it to me and after he collected it, He made a choice.
Number one choice that will continually lead a man into prodigal living in that direction is separation from God. Any child of God that will go on a prodigal journey, will be one that start by separating himself, declaring independence from God. He will say God is good, God has been so kind to me, I have served God and he has served me thus far. Now this blessing that God has given me, let me use it, let me go somewhere I can enjoy it. And that son left his father, declared independence. Can you leave a house and still be in that house? No! he declared independence and after he declared independence from his father, he started spending his resources the way he wanted it. Remember the possessions were not originally his own, it was the father’s.
But because he is a son, he became an heir to the possession. The Bible says the father divided his entire livelihood; that’s what God does. When you become a child of God you are a heir, Bible says we are joint heirs with Christ. We are one with Him in the possession of God. So, just like this younger son, we can tell God, God as an heir of your inheritance, give me the portion that falls to me. What the son did was not the problem because we must understand this is the kind of posture we must have as Kingdom citizens. As sons in this Kingdom, you can ask for a portion, but you must not declare independence. So, when this son declared independence, he went and started making choices outside the father.
Number one he changed location outside the father. Number two; he started doing things himself, on his own. The Bible says when he started making choices himself, not led, not guided, he spent all and he began to be in want. No matter how far the journey of prodigal will take a man, he will be in want. And remember there is something else in that verse 16b it says and no one gave to him anything. When you take a prodigal journey, favor will lift. Prodigal living severe or ceases the life of God in a man. Remember what we said prodigal living is; a reckless living, a foolish living, extravagant living. Living your life at your dictates, on your own demands, this is what I feel like doing today and no one can question me. It is my life, let me live it. It is my body I can send it, and it said he spent all and he began to be in want.
Verse 17, “But when he came to himself” Remember at this time favor had lifted, remember at this point he had gone to ground zero, and this is another important point; he joined himself to a citizen of that country. Even though you are born again, when you start a prodigal journey, you will join yourself to citizens of the world, it’s only a matter of time. Because when the severe famine happens in that land, you will look for survival. And survival is what makes Kingdom citizens to join themselves to citizens of the world. Then you will say man must survive, should I now die? Even God will not allow me to die like this. Then standards begin to drop, then identity begins to change, the son of a wealthy father now becomes a pauper.
Verse 17, “and when he came to himself.” Coming to yourself is looking inwards. This son decided to look inwards and say who am I? what am I doing here? There are sometimes when children of God take a detour and jut declare independence, they go deep into the world, loving the things of the world, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, and they go, they spend all the treasures of the father in that living. When they come to themselves and they look inward they say I am not supposed to be here, this is not the life I am supposed to be living. It’s a point where you will repent. You change your thinking, there was a direction this son was thinking and he came to himself and he said; “How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!”
If you see your Bible, that hunger came with exclamation mark, meaning that he was displeased with his position, I perish in hunger, and I am here wallowing in shame, when my Father is the God of glory, I am here in hunger when the cattle upon the thousand hills are His, and he said I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, so he is doing rehearsal of what he is going to say; “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” At this point he is still dealing with condemnation. I am not worthy to be called your son, make me like one of your hired servant I know that’s what I deserve right now. Even though the children of God are coming back from prodigal living, the devil is still keeping them in a box of condemnation.
That you are not worthy of God, just be one of His slaves, one of his servants, at least so that you can barely survive, at least have bread to eat. But is that Gods plan for you and I? that is not His plan. And we will see why that is not His plan. Verse 20, “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.” Was he expecting this? No! but this is what happens to us. Usually when we take a detour to prodigal living, and we come back, we feel we don’t deserve God. We don’t deserve the attention, the glory, the royalty, that comes with Him. But God is like this, eagerly waiting and let’s see what the father said.
And the son said to the father like he had rehearsed; “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servant” did he talk to him? No! Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. What was the father doing here? Reinstating him. When you do a detour and come back to God, God is not going to reinstate you to a lower position, back to where you belong. And this gets the devil mad. This is the grace that we enjoy. That’s why the angels in heaven are also baffled, what is man that you are mindful of him, nor the son of man that you visit him? That he would even leave your presence and you will be waiting.
Children of God this message is a message that will make us understand and sit back and know that we cannot declare independence from God. In His presence is where we belong. See how much hurt this son has cost the father because of his decision and see what the father did. Verse 23, And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son [Jesus was passing a strong message to us here, for this my son, not my slave, this my son was dead.] What made him die? Did he die physically? No! this my son lost purpose, this my son lost life, the life of the Kingdom, and he is alive again. Any time we come back to God, we are alive again. He was lost and now he is found.
Do you think the father does not know the location of this boy, if he wanted to look for him? But God has given us a choice to seek Him. Jesus was painting us the picture of God and the heart of the Father. God will always want you to come back looking for Him. Do you think when you go away God cannot deploy angels to bring you from where you are? But He has given us the power of choice, the choice to seek Him, the choice to make up our minds that this is how we want to live with Him. It said and they began to be merry. This is what happens in heaven every time you and I are in the Father again. Every time we find God again, every time we are found in Him again. Now we have spoken about prodigal living, I will still go back and share some things with us, but I want us to finish this Scripture then we do a comparison between the two.
“Now his older son was in the field.” This field was not a field in another country, this was the fathers field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 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.’ 28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore, his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you.” I have not declared independence from you, I have stayed in this house, I have stayed in this court, I have stayed in this Kingdom, I have been working and laboring in your field. He said I have been serving you. So, what was the younger son supposed to be doing? Serving the father in his field.
This is purposeful living; this is what the father expects from every one of us. Even though we have our portion, our lot, our inheritance in Him, He wants us to enjoy it, He wants us to live it, He wants us to use it in Him, not outside Him. The elder brother said I have served you, I have been serving you. So, what is the responsibility of sons in purposeful living? Serving the father in his house, in his Kingdom, not outside his Kingdom, not in a faraway country; in his Kingdom serving him. He said “‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time.” Meaning that this son is the ideal son. Even though there is a little issue, which is the same issue with many believers that are in the service of God.
It said 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. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ Now I want us to pause a bit there, because there is something Jesus is saying to us. The elder brother said the younger one that went in prodigal living consumed the livelihood of God with harlots. There was a Scripture that Apostle Paul was making us understand that do you not know that your bodies are the temple of the Lord? He said what association does light with darkness? The temple of God with Beliel? What association do you have? Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
Meaning that, that thing is beyond marriage. It is not a Scripture about marriage because many of us just use it; don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers that when you want to marry, you don’t marry an unbeliever it is deeper than that. In the Kingdom, don’t be unequally yoked with an unbeliever, it’s like combining or putting the temple of God in association, in fellowship, in relationship with harlots. What it means is that anything that belongs to God must be Holy and sacred. And it is only in His presence that it remains holy. Outside His presence its already defiled. So, anything that you take from the presence of God and use it outside the presence of God, it has been desecrated.
So, the elder brother was saying; he took your livelihood and used it with harlots. Not in the sense of prostitution, prostitution is with the world. Harlotry is in the world. He said He has prostituted with your livelihood. How many believers are prostituting with the livelihood of God? What are the choices we are making that is a journey into prodigal living? What are the choices that now looks as if we are equally yoked with unbelievers? How are we joining ourselves to citizens of the world doing the things and serving in their fields?
This is the bone of contention. Verse 31, “and he said to him; son, you are always with me.” When he said it, it was a statement of pleasure. And this is how God pleasures in us being with Him. He said; “son you are always with me, and all that I have; not just a portion, all that I have is yours.” When you are with me, all that I have is yours. It was right that we make merry and be glad for your brother; the father repeating the same thing, because this is what happens every time any believer, any child of God anyone born of the Spirit finds God. Your brother was dead and he is alive again and was lost and now he is found.
Prodigal living versus purposeful living; I took my time to read that Scripture because the truth is inside there. There is nothing I will say that will explain it the way it has been scripted by Christ. Jesus gave us that parable to show us the Kingdom. We are supposed to live purposefully in Him. That’s why Apostle Paul said your life is hid in Christ, in God that’s how you must live; in Christ, in God. He said I have been crucified with Christ, never the less I live, the life I now live, I live by faith in (not outside), in the son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. So, purposeful living is living in God. In His house, in His Kingdom, serving Him, serving in His field.
Many believers are cultivating the field of the devil and they are not aware of it. Anything you do in contribution to the agenda of the devil is serving the field of the devil. Whoever you are, your identity irrespective, once your contribution is in another field and not that of God, you are serving the devils agenda. We are living in a world where the agenda is clear, it’s in two divides, its either you are serving God or you are serving the Kingdom of the devil. There are two Kingdoms, it said He has translated us from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His dear son. That translation means that we should not serve again, we must not be slaves again, to where we have been translated from.
Imagine how painful it is to God, that Gods livelihood, Gods resources, the voice that God gave you, the personality that God gave you, you are using it to serve the devil. And you are doing it in ignorance because that’s how the devil lives, leads and controls. Ignorance! That’s why we must become purposeful. I want to share a Scripture with us that we shared on Saturday. Ephesians 5, we will read verse 14 and we will stop at verse 20. “Therefore, He says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Arise from the dead” not physical deadness, you are still breathing but you are dead to God, you are dead to the agenda of God, you are dead to the Kingdom of God. There is nothing about God that excites you, you are not in His field, you are not serving Him, you are serving yourself.
If you are not serving yourself, you are still serving the devil. It said; awake! You who sleep. Meaning if you are sleeping, you are dead. Arise from the dead and Christ will give you light. Verse 15; 15 See then (when you are awake), that you walk [e]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, (that you have lost when you were dead), because the days are evil. The devil is present in the days. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Meaning, if you don’t understand what the will of God is; you are unwise. It is wisdom to understand the will of God. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
I want to read that verse in the amplified version classic. I will read verse 14 to 17 only. “Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, that’s prodigal. When you become unwise and witless, resources that is supposed to be deployed for Kingdom service and you use it for self-aggrandizement, you are unwise, you are witless, you don’t have Kingdom idea. It said; but as wise, who are the wise? Those who live purposefully. Sensible, intelligent and discerning people. Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be vague– I love that, don’t be empty. Don’t be without any idea. Don’t say at this phase of my life I don’t even know what to do. I am just floating.
You can’t be floating in the Kingdom of God. Do not be vague, don’t float, don’t be clueless, because when you are clueless you become idle, then you become the devils workshop. Because, the devil will be looking; she doesn’t know what to do, let me suggest. He is full of cunning ideas that will set you against the Kingdom. So, you can’t be idle, don’t be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping. This is purposeful living. Understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is. Have you learnt and have you been able to lay hold of what the will of God is? Have you grasp it; do you understand it? Have you hold it firmly? Hope it’s not slipping out of your hand. Don’t be vague, every season of your life, you must know what to do. That’s why the Holy Spirit is there. That’s why the Scripture says don’t be filled with wine as in excess, that leads to dissipation but be filled with the Holy Spirit.
As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God, they are the ones that will live purposefully. Usually you might not have idea, but the Holy Spirit is there to give you ideas. No one knows the heart of God save the Spirit of God, what you are supposed to be doing in every season, the Holy Spirit has it. Connect with Him in unbroken relationship and fellowship. That’s how to know. When you see a believer that does not have idea, there is a broken fellowship of the Spirit. When you see a believer that is aloof, he does not understand what is happening around him or her, does not even know what is going on in his life, check it! There is a broken fellowship of the spirit.
Unbroken fellowship is what leads to a purposeful life. Purposeful living is rooted in unbroken fellowship with the Holy Spirit. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the unbroken fellowship of the Spirit. That must be our guild, that is what guilds us to purposeful living. Unbroken fellowship, don’t be vague, making the very most of your time on earth. Recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence. When purpose is found, there is rejoicing in heaven. Every son that finds his or her purpose in the father, makes heaven glade. There is merry, there is rejoicing. You must not become a child of God that is aloof. And you must not be prodigal. There is no middle ground, because when you are aloof, you will start being prodigal.
The truth is served, God said to the children of Israel, He said today I lay before you not three options, but two; life and death, and he admonished them; he said choose life so that you and your children may live. This is the counsel of God’s word. As a body of Christ on the earth, as a household of faith in the body, we must be purposeful, we must hold fast to what we have received in Christ. We died with Him, now we have resurrected with Him. We are no longer slaves to the lives we live, we are to maximize the life what we have received. And we maximize that life to become purposeful. Not to become one of the statistics. What stands us out from the pack is who we represent and whose we are. Your identity is what stands you out, we must never forsake who we are. And as believers, we must make sure that what we are doing in God is always according to His pleasure.
There is a pleasure of the father, find it. The Bible calls it the perfect and acceptable will of God. Find it, your life depends on it. The favor that you will continue to experience from generations to generations depends on it. Your fulfilment depends on it. There is no fulfilment in prodigal living, it always ends in regret. That son regretted separating himself from the father, that even if I am a servant in my servant house I am better placed than this experience. Let’s never forget. Purposeful living is serving the fathers field. Being home with the Father.
Jesus said I stand at the door and knock anyone who opens I will come in and dine with you. We will make your heart our home, we will live there. We must be deliberate about our walk with God. Sometimes when we are living purposefully, I want to put a disclaimer out very quickly, because purposeful living sometimes is living in obscurity, but you must learn to be content in obscurity. The oldest son told the father, father; how many years I have been serving you, you did not kill a fatted calf for me. You didn’t! meaning the older son had been there, it looks as if he was in obscurity but he was in obscurity doing the fathers pleasure. Sometimes doing the will of God might look as if you are not announced, you are not there, but God must be the number one audience that you choose to seek. You can’t please people and please God at the same time, no!
If the fathers pleasure is your desire not the peoples pleasure, then you will be content in obscurity. Even though nobody is seeing you, even though there is no merriment every day for you, the father is pleased. Purposeful living is learning to be content in obscurity. Yet rejoicing. Apostle Paul was in prison and he was writing, he said rejoice, I say again rejoice. He was content in chains, rejoicing. We must learn to be content doing the fathers pleasure. Once we know that this is the perfect and acceptable will of God, let’s find our contentment, our joy in it. Say Lord if it gives you pleasure I am contempt, if it satisfies you, I am contempt. This is my desire; the desire of God must become our desire.
I am sure many of us will think there are thousand and one thing I can do, with all that God has given me, but is that what the father wants you to do? We must come to that point in the Kingdom, where we tell ourselves, is this the fathers pleasure? If what the father wants you to do is to wait and carry cup, do it gladly, because that is what he will reward. Because God will not reward what he has not instructed you to do. He was speaking to one of the prophets, he said I have not asked them to go they have started running. God has not said go, they are already in Liberia without instruction and in their heart they are doing the work of God.
There is a protocol in this Kingdom, stay where the Lord has placed you. Do what He has asked you to do. Because in there lies your fulfilment and reward. Jesus was speaking to those at the right hand, He said when I was hungry you fed me, when I was thirsty you gave me to drink, when I was in the prison you visited me, they looked at Him; Jesus when were you hungry? When were you thirsty? When were you in prison? He said as long as you have done it to the least of these ones, when I asked you to do it, you have done it to me. That gave Him pleasure. And when they were doing it, they were doing it in obscurity. He said the things that are done in the secret will be announced on the roof top. That’s the kind of Kingdom we are in. It’s not the Kingdom of the devil, it’s not a Kingdom of noise.
It is a Kingdom of great reward. It is always in the end that it speaks. Let’s be content with the principle and the protocol of the Kingdom. This Kingdom, you can’t change it, live in it the way God has structured it. I believe it’s a good time to pray, lets bow down our heads and ask for the grace to be purposeful, to live purposefully.
