Prodigal
THE PRODIGAL SON
LUKE 15:11 - 24
11 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 goods 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 wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen 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 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had 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, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
THE SELFISH SON
1. THE REBELLIOUS SON
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
The younger son said, "Give me what belongs to me. I want it now!
1. THE REBELLIOUS SON
I see some in the church today that are like the young son.
They are no longer content going by the word of God , being under God's government.
He wanted the fathers possessions but not the fathers presence.
God give to me what you have promised in your Bible, but don't expect me to be around for anything else.
Don't expect me to take time to pray everyday.
Don't expect me to seek you for revival.
Don't expect me to witness to someone .
Don't expect me to tithe a tenth of my wages every week.
Don't expect me to be here every time the church doors are open.
Why you know I have other things going on in my life.
Leagues and clubs
And another thing; if I am going to pray, it's because I need something.
Some people do not want God, they want a genie.
We won't take on any responsibility?
We won't worship Him?
The church is getting to be a bunch of spoiled brats.
Give it to me, it's mine. Give it to me right now.
Psalm 106:13-15
13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
The children of Israel forgot the works of God . They forgot how He took care of them , protecting them and providing for them.
They waited not for His counsel. God's word.
They lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.
All they were concerned with was physical gratification . Concerned about what they wanted instead of what God wanted.
And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
God knows what is best for you.
When all you think about and desire are carnal things, things to satisfy fleshly lusts , along with it comes leanness into your soul.
What is leanness of the soul?
No love to God, no thankfulness, no appetite to the bread of life.
Some of you use to get excited when you heard a message preached about Jesus Christ and how He died for you . There would be a stirring inside of you when you heard how that Jesus's blood washed away all your sin.
A tear would run down your cheek when they would sing amazing grace.
But that doesn't happen anymore.
You say well I don't do that anymore because I have matured as a Christian.
You haven't matured , leanness has come into your soul.
We want God's promises, but not His presence.
The reason we don't want His presence is because with His presence comes conviction.
Isaiah saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up.
Isaiah 6:5
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
God is a holy God. When God comes into your presence you begin seeing yourself for what you are.
[2. The Prodigal son realized how easy it is to leave home.]
Easy to walk down the sidewalk out to the road . Easy to walk down the road and get out of sight.
It's easy for you to walk out of the church and backslide. It's easy to go out and in just a short time, 10-11-or 12:00 tonight to fornicate, do drugs, or get drunk.
But you didn't backslide when you fornicated, or when you drank that first beer.
The Prodigal son decided to leave the Father's house days before he ever left.
You backslid sitting in the church, when you were singing in choir, or maybe teaching a Sunday School class, while being a Deacon, or elder.
It's easy to leave the fathers house.
You tell yourself " I think I'll just sleep in today ,or go fishing, or go golfing and not go to church this Sunday morning." Then the next Sunday it gets a little easier. Then you are ashamed to come back, and before you know it, you have missed seven Sundays and you decide you just won't go back at all.
And then you complain to others that the reason you left the church is because nobody called to see about you.
Here is the beginning of a often used quote.
" I never dreamed I would--"
God is looking for people who will get a hold of the plow shear and not look back. Someone that will come completely out of Sodom.
Listen, if you want to go to hell and are determined to go we cannot stop you.
But on the other hand if you want to stay in the Father's house, no power of darkness can make you leave.
JOHN10:28-29
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Romans 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Corinthians 10:13
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
If you don't want to backslide, you don't have to.
George Bennard wrote a song, and the chorus of the song says, " So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross and exchange it some day for a crown."
That is what we need to do is to cling to the old rugged cross.
3. HOW SOON THE PARTY IS OVER
Pleasures in sin for a season.
4. HOW FOOLISH WE GET IN SIN!
5. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WALLOW IN THE MUD!
The way of transgressors is hard.
Selfish son 11-12
Sinful son 13-14
Sorrowing son 15-16
Sensible son 17-19
The Sympothy Shown 20-24
a. compassion 20
The father ran to meet him.
Isaiah 1:18 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Choose between obedience and judgement.
b. Confession 21
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
C. concern 22-24 Note the Father's love. God forgives and forgets.
Psalm 103:3
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.