Time after time I went searching for peace
and some hope.
Our scripture reading this morning is found in
Luke's Gospel, Chapter 15.
This is one of my favorite passages of
scripture.
It starts on a rather sad note, and
then there's time for rejoicing, and then the
latter part of this story ends on another
real sad note.
I'm not going to touch on that.
I'd like for us to read from verse
11, Luke 15.
Our Lord Jesus said, A certain man had
two sons.
The younger of them said to his father,
Father, give me the portion of goods that
falleth to me.
And he divided unto him his living.
Not many days after that the younger son
gathered all together and took his journey into
a far country, and there wasted his substance
with riotous living.
And when he had spent all, there arose
a mighty famine in that land, and he
began to be unwant.
And he went and joined himself to a
citizen of that country, and he sent him
into the fields to feed swine.
And he would fain have filled his belly
with the husk that the swine did eat,
and no man gave unto him.
And when he came to himself, he said,
How many of my father's hard servants have
bred enough unto spare, and I perish with
hunger.
I will arise and go to my father,
and will say unto him, Father, I have
sinned against heaven and before thee, and am
no more worthy to be called thy son.
Make me as one of thy hard servants.
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.
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.
But the father said to his servants, Bring
forth the best robe, and put it on
him.
Put a ring on his hand, and shoes
on his feet.
Bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and
let us eat and be merry.
For this is my son who was dead,
and is alive again.
He was lost and is found, and they
began to be merry.
Our Father in Heaven, we ask thy blessing
upon the reading of thy word, and we
pray that you will grant to us that
understanding that you can provide, things that we
can glean from this thy word that will
encourage our own hearts, bless our souls.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, we
ask this, amen.
In Psalm 103, in verse 13, we read
these words, As a father has compassion on
his children, so the Lord has compassion on
those who respect him.
The word compassion there indicates the tenderest of
love, and I think that is significant, to
make a comparison between a father's love for
his children.
You don't usually associate men with having tenderness
in that way, but believe me, ladies, even
all that hard exterior that you sometimes see
in the lives of men, underneath there, there
is a tender love for our children.
And it is even compared with that tender
love that God has for those that respect
him.
Proverbs 1.8 says, Listen, my son, to
your father's instruction, and do not forsake your
mother's teaching.
The fourth of Proverbs says, Listen, my sons,
to a father's instructions, pay attention and gain
understanding.
Tenth chapter of Proverbs, a wise son brings
joy to his father.
You know, fathers learn a lot about their
children.
As a young father, you soon learn that
children are different.
This father that we are reading about this
morning, he had two sons, at least two
sons, and they were so different in many
ways.
But they were so alike in a very
special way, and I would like for us
to think about that particular aspect of how
they were alike this morning, because it's the
source of the problem here with the practical.
The father learned, how soon, I don't know,
that this younger son, he had some problems.
I trust that it's not like some woman
that she spoke about her son and some
of his misgivings, and she said, He's just
a strong-willed boy.
I don't believe this father said this about
this son.
No, this boy was a self-willed boy,
and her son was a self-willed son.
Let me read for you how this son
was described.
He does pretty much the way he pleases
to do.
He comes and goes when he wants.
He spends his allowance on baubles and things
that catch his fancy.
He cannot wait to be gratified when he
desires something.
This is an almost complete definition of self
-will, and yet she called her son strong
-willed.
A self-willed person has a weak will.
This is his son.
It also applies to the other son that
we're not even going to read about.
In a sense, he has no will at
all.
He is driven willy-nilly by every appetite,
every desire.
And in terms of that, maybe it's just
a cliché, his appetites control his will, and
his will dictates his reason.
A strong-willed person operates exactly the opposite
way.
His reason directs his will, and his will
regulates his appetite.
A strong-willed person can postpone the satisfaction
of a present need in order to gain
a higher and more permanent satisfaction at a
later date.
A strong will can withstand frustration and cope
with it.
Self-will is spurred by frustration into a
premature action or reaction.
A strong will can accept the limitations of
reality and live within them.
Self-will is always manipulating and destroying reality
to conform to some wish or fantasy.
I hope you're getting the picture, the difference
between being self-willed and being strong-willed.
This is not a strong-willed person that
we've read about.
He is obsessed with a self-will.
Self is the center of this young fellow's
being.
I know every honest person can identify with
the title.
Now, self wants to assert itself, wants to
be recognized.
In thinking about someone that was a strong
-willed person, who comes to mind?
I think about George Washington.
This was a man that set goals in
his life.
Indeed, he was strong-willed.
The father of our country, a great general,
a great leader.
He was strong-willed, not self-willed.
He had goals, he had ambitions.
He was a strong-willed person.
Strong-will does not do what it wants
to do, but what it perceives must be
done.
A self-will does not possess the inner
freedom to make this choice, but is forced
by its own needliness to satisfy an immediate
hunger.
Something I want is always urging on that
self-willed person to make foolish decisions and
to act foolishly.
This young man has made a foolish decision.
It's the product of a self-will.
And having read this so many times, for
a long time I didn't understand why the
father would indulge a son that was possessed
by a self-will.
I couldn't understand that.
But here's a father that trusted God.
And you may not, fathers and mothers, you
may not want to turn loose of those
sons and daughters.
You recognize something there.
You see they possess a self-will, but
you've got to let them go.
You'll have to let them go.
You say, but I know they're going to
mess up.
I know they're going to do things that
ultimately will result in hurt, not only to
them but to me too.
You've got to let them go, got to
let them go.
The father divided unto him his portion of
his inheritance, knowing all the time exactly what
his aims were, knew exactly what he was
going to do.
He knew that it wouldn't be long before
he would pack up and he'd be gone.
He wanted to assert himself in the world.
He wanted to do what he wanted to
do.
He left a broken-hearted parent.
The father was broken-hearted.
But he had to let him go.
You know, life is filled with those sort
of experiences, broken-hearted so often, because of
what we see in the lives of those
that we love so much.
And yet we're helpless to do anything about
it, aside from turning our faces heavenward and
say, God be merciful, God have mercy upon
them.
And you soon discover that though this son
was so self-willed, so foolish, bound for
trouble, the father recognized that his son must
go away if he's ever to learn the
difference between being self-willed and strong-willed.
This person doesn't possess those qualities of character
that will make him a person that can
cope with life.
This is a life out of control.
Every life that is controlled by self is
out of control.
It takes discipline.
And most of all, it takes the control
of God over our lives.
God created us for Himself.
Not for us to go doing every little
old willy-nilly thing we want to do.
When the God of this Bible says, I
beseech you, present your bodies as a living
sacrifice, that's a God that indeed expects something
out of us.
And once we have recognized the love of
God, the grace of God, and what He
has done for us, we respond gladly.
We feel within our souls a deep sense
of satisfaction in knowing, I'm doing what pleases
God.
I was created for a purpose to glorify
God, and He wants me to live my
life in a way that glorifies Him.
This life is out of control.
This is a selfless, selfish life.
And all of the things that we've read
that happen as a result of self having
control, it will happen in every life that
is controlled by self.
Out of control.
Other hearts broken.
And we believe that the Son of God
grieved over those that have lost control.
The Father recognizes His Son has to go
away if He is to ever learn the
difference between the two.
He lets Him go.
But not with His blessing.
He doesn't say, Lord, bless my son.
You don't read anything about that, because God
couldn't bless His Son.
This is a disobedient child.
One that is not heeding the instructions of
His Father.
One that is turning thumbs down on everything
that He has been taught in the Father's
household.
I believe a prayer went with that son.
I believe there was a broken heart, a
prayer that, Oh God, you will bring my
son back to me one day.
Oh, there are so many broken hearts in
this world today.
Scripture says in the last days there will
be perilous times, distressing times.
The hearts of parents broken today because of
children that have made choices, and they are
from the wrong source.
I think it is so significant that God
had a Son.
He only had one Son, only one begotten
Son.
And that Son, Jesus Christ, said, My will
is to do the will of my Father.
I doubt if any human being could ever
say that.
That my life, I decided from my youth,
the earliest remembrance that I have of my
youth, I decided that I would do the
will of my earthly parents.
Most of us have to hang our heads
and say, No, I rebelled.
Rebellion was in my heart, folly was in
my heart.
I rebelled against the authority of my parents.
I went contrary to their will.
I think it is so comforting to know
at least someone has walked the face of
this earth that did the will of God
perfectly.
I think we know the reason why.
He was perfect.
He was without sin.
We are talking about the person of Jesus
Christ, God's Son.
I can tell you this before we get
to the bottom line.
This Son doesn't know his Father.
Most children, I think they know their parents.
When you are young, you think you know
everything.
Oh, you just know it all.
And then a little later on you discover
Mom and Dad, you used to think they
were so simple minded, they didn't know anything.
And finally you begin to give them credit,
just a little credit.
Well, they have got a little sense, they
know a little.
This Son doesn't know his Father.
Most of us don't when we are children.
We don't know our parents.
We don't know the longing, the desires in
their heart for us.
As Christian parents, so often your heart just
breaks for your children.
You want to see them live their lives
for the glory of God.
You want them to be able to say,
for me to live is Christ.
I have heard so many parents say, it
matters not to me in the course of
life whether my children really prosper by the
standards of this world or not.
But one thing I desire for them is
that they might be enriched through their experience
in knowing Jesus Christ.
They might be men and women that are
filled with the Spirit of God, and the
fruit of the Spirit of God is being
produced in their lives.
I ask that, and that alone for my
children.
The longings of a parent's heart for their
children.
Children don't understand this.
Not saying this critically.
None of us did, none of us did.
We just didn't understand the love of our
parents for us, the desires of their heart
to see us as young boys and girls
grow up and mature and give honor to
God in our lives.
Children still don't understand that.
Takes the maturing, takes the maturing.
The son doesn't know his father, but he
will, he will.
I'm not going to read over this resume
of things as he goes downward, but after
all of the folly and the defeat, he's
finally reduced.
And this is what it's all about.
This is a divine, sovereign work of God
in reducing a person down that is flying
so high.
The self-willed person, he's bringing him down
to a point where he can get his
attention.
Hasn't gotten his attention yet, but when all
of his resources are gone, then he can
get his attention through some of the things
that are very important, like hunger, not having
enough to eat, feeling abandoned and lonely.
Through all of these emotions, he's going to
get his attention.
And he did get his attention.
He brought him to a place where he's
still, he's quiet.
And now he can think about things.
Now the Spirit of God can speak to
him.
He couldn't hear him before.
The music was too loud.
The booze was running freely.
And you know when you're high on booze
and you're taking dope and you're just kicking
up your heels and you're just, man, you're
just living it up.
Spirit of God has a hard time breaking
through that kind of opposition.
But when all of that is gone and
things are quiet and you've hit bottom, praise
God for hitting bottom.
Because sometimes if you don't hit bottom, you
haven't got a chance.
As long as you can hang on to
some semblance of respectability in this world, wrapped
up in sin, you haven't got a chance.
Thank God that he is able to reduce
poor sinners down to the point where this
is the bottom.
This is the bottom.
I'm on the bottom.
You know, you have to look back.
This is a retrospective look back.
You don't say that while you're going through
this experience.
You're crying the blues.
You say, like Jacob of old, all these
things are against me.
Oh no, all these things are working for
your good.
And in that process of bringing you down,
God has a purpose in all that.
He's going to bring this young man to
the end of himself.
What does he say?
Scripture says, he came to himself.
He finally began to see the light.
And you know, that's a shattering experience.
When first you begin to see the light,
and you learn that you've been wrong, and
you discover just how foolish you've been, it's
a little embarrassing.
But it's good.
It's good.
It's a good sign.
Deep repentance in your soul, coming to your
senses, being made aware of something more important
than having your own way.
He woke up.
Just that simple.
He woke up.
Oh boy, back home.
Wow.
Down here in a big pen.
Oh, back home.
He could just close his eyes.
Back home.
Oh, that nice bed that I could sleep
in.
All of the provisions of the Father's household,
they were mine.
Back home.
One, but one thing he wasn't sure of.
I said he didn't know his father.
He wasn't sure of Dad.
He really wasn't sure of Dad.
You see, he misjudged Dad.
I said he didn't know his father.
He didn't know what was in the heart
of his father.
Most kids don't.
They don't know what's in the old Dad's
heart.
That tender compassion that we read about in
Psalm 103, that's so important.
Well, let's thank God he had a father
back home.
Let's thank God that he had a father
back home that loved him.
A father who in faith believed that all
that instruction that he had given him along
the way, and about the way, that God
would honor that.
How many parents have held on to this
promise from the Word of God found in
Proverbs 22, verse 6?
It says, And
I tell you, Mom and Dad, hold on
to that one.
Don't you ever let that one go.
That's a promise from God.
And Tommy and Billy and Harry and Mary
and all the rest, they may go into
the far country.
They may be prodigals in the truest sense
of the word, but I believe God will
bring them home if you've been faithful.
Don't you ever stop reading the Word of
God and having family devotions with your children.
Pray well of them, and don't be afraid
to tell them you love them.
And just pray that if they ever do
go to the far country, they'll always know
there's a parent at home and that the
door is wide open, is wide open.
I don't know how many, many times that
I've talked with parents and their prodigals that
are away in the far country, and they've
said only if they only knew that the
door was wide open that they could come
home.
But because of pride, you know, the devil,
he is a, he is a stinker, that's
what he is.
You know, he'll come to a poor old
prodigal down in the far country, and he'll
tell him, they have no time for you.
You've disgraced your family.
You've broken your mother and your father's heart,
and there's no place for you at home.
You're going to have to make the best
you can of what this, this whole mess
is.
That's the devil speaking.
That's Satan working.
Oh, but the Spirit of God for those
children that have heard the Word of God,
many boys and girls that have trusted Christ.
Don't you think that boys and girls that
trust the Savior don't go off and become
prodigals?
Don't you think for a moment that a
true child of God can't go down to
the far country and play the fool?
Don't you think for a moment that can't
happen?
It does happen, and they need to know
deep within their souls, my mom and my
dad love me regardless of what I've done.
Regardless, the door is open.
Daddy don't ever close the door.
I heard an illustration a long time ago,
a brother preaching the gospel, and he told
a story about this prodigal, and he went
off to the far country.
He ended up in jail, spent some years
in prison.
Of course, back in his little hometown, everybody
knew that he was in jail.
He was a criminal, he was a thief,
that's what he was.
But you know, God spoke to him one
day.
He remembered, he remembered at his mother's knee
that he had listened to his father read
the Word of God and pray and mention
his name.
And he wrote a letter home after he
was released from prison, and he said, I
would like to come back home, but I
don't want to embarrass you further, I don't
want to hurt you anymore.
I'll tell you what I'm going to do.
Railroad track goes right by the back of
our old house there, the old farm place,
and I can remember how you used to
hang the clothes on the line, that old
apple tree out there in the back.
I'm going to be passing there on the
train.
If I'm welcome home, if I can come
back home again, I'm asking you, if you
will, just to hang an old bed sheet
or something out there on the apple tree,
and I'll see it.
I see the bed sheet, I'll stop, I'll
get off the train, I'll come home.
If I don't see it, I won't stop.
Well, he came along that way when he
got to the point where he had to
turn and look to see.
He was hoping he'd see the old bed
sheet, but what he saw was a white
cloud.
Every tree, every bush was covered with a
white sheet or a towel or something.
And I'll tell you, dads and moms, when
they get away, always let them know the
door is wide open.
I love you, and by the grace of
God, we'll work it out some way, somehow.
There's one thing significant about this, there's a
number of things about this whole story, it's
a little amusing.
But the old man, the father, so many
fellows call their dad the old man, you
know, my old man.
Well, when the old man saw him coming,
he couldn't restrain himself any longer.
I don't know if he did any walking,
jogging, or trotting, or anything, but it might
have been a strain on his heart, but
he took off running.
Here's an old man running down the road,
he sees his son coming home, he can't
wait until he gets there.
You've got to let him know, he's welcome.
Oh, this is my son that was lost,
that was dead, he's coming home.
This whole scene, everything about it, it just
sends rejoicing throughout your soul.
I think you can relate to this.
It's so beautiful, so beautiful.
He wanted to receive his son.
Self-will has been dealt with, self-will
has been conquered.
You know what conquered it?
The love of God, the grace of God.
God won a victory.
God wins victories every day.
No all's not lost.
Not all is despair.
There are prodigals coming home every day, and
they'll keep coming home every day until Jesus
comes.
They'll keep coming home because they know that
there are fathers and mothers that love them.
And I'd encourage you again, father, mother, don't
ever let them forget you love them.
And regardless of what happens, the door is
open.
The application of all of this is very
simple.
Anyone, anyone, old or young, and you know
you haven't trusted Christ as your Savior.
You know that you've never had that experience
of saying, Oh God, be merciful to me,
a poor sinner.
Well, in God's sight, you're a prodigal.
You're away from the fold.
You're away from home.
You need Christ as your Savior.
Very simple.
You've been operating on that principle of self
-will.
You need to have your will broken.
You need to say, I want His will
done in my life.
Oh Lord, a poor sinner, poor prodigal, I
want Jesus Christ, your Son, as my Savior.
I'm so thankful I can tell you this
morning.
I can tell you with joy in my
soul.
You know that the gates of heaven are
wide open.
Man is wide open.
The grace of God and the love of
God says, Who's love will become?
Thank God those gates are not closed yet.
One day they will be.
But you forget that one day, this day
of grace will be over.
Don't you forget that.
Oh, we think we can play around with
God, and we've got plenty of time.
I wouldn't put too much faith in that.
Don't know.
Today is the only day that we're really
sure.
Today if you hear my voice, if you've
heard the voice of God by His Spirit
speaking to your soul today, you're a prodigal,
you're away from God.
You're a Christian and you're away from the
Lord, and you want to come home as
we pray.
You make that decision in your own heart.
I'll receive Christ today as my Savior.
As a prodigal, as someone that's been away
from the Lord, I'm confessing, Lord, I have
sinned.
I won't come home.
Our Father in Heaven, we do thank thee
and praise thee for the comfort that this
word brings to our souls.
Oh, we can rejoice today because in this
room we have those whose hearts have been
touched by the Spirit of God.
We have those in this room that have
responded and received Christ as their Savior.
They're rejoicing in your great salvation.
There are some in this room, perhaps, that
know the Savior and they're sad, and they
know that they're disobedient, and they've allowed something
to come in and break the communion and
fellowship with thee, O Lord.
Thy Spirit speak to their hearts.
Let them know the door is wide open.
So just confess you're just and righteous to
forgive, cleanse from all unrighteousness.