Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
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live from the
3ABN Worship Center.
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Happy Sabbath and
welcome to Anchors Of Truth
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with Pastor Wes Peppers.
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If this is the first
time you have been joining
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Anchors Of Truth for
this five part series,
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don't take this
wrong, but shame on you.
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This has been a
fantastic series.
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This is part four of,
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Before Men and Angels:
The Theater of the Universe.
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And today's message
by Pastor Wes Peppers is,
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Posh Pigs and
Precious Prodigals.
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- I had a hard time saying
that. - It's a mouth full.
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Posh Pigs and
Precious Prodigals.
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I was able to say it.
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I was a little worried that
I may not be able to say it.
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But anyway, welcome
to Anchors Of Truth.
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We thank you, for those of
you that are joining on 3ABN.
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It's a blessing to have you
joining us by either the radio,
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the internet, television.
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It's a blessing to
have you joining us today.
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Now Pastor Wes and his
wife Marion have been with us,
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and their family is
here, their two little kids.
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Her mom and dad are
also here with us today.
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It's a blessing that
the family is able to join.
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We're thankful for
our family that is here
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in Thompsonville, Illinois,
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the Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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It's a blessing to be
praising the Lord on the
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Sabbath, isn't it?
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Amen. It is indeed.
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And we've been so blessed
by Pastor Peppers' messages.
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I just think the anointing
of the Holy Spirit is on him.
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And you just see how he has come
from a background of atheism,
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how God brought him
out of darkness into this
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marvelous light, into the light
of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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And how now he and his
wife have dedicated their lives
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to spreading the gospel message
with a lost and dying world.
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Pastor Peppers is
the senior pastor of
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the Lansing
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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there in Lansing, Michigan.
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Greg and I have
been to their church,
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and it's just a
beautiful church family.
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And they have a
powerful ministry.
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His wife Marion will be
singing the song for us today.
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And her song is
entitled, Were It Not For Grace.
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But before she sings, we want
to go to the Lord in prayer.
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It's a blessing to talk to
the Lord, isn't it, in prayer.
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I mean, what a
communication we have with God.
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Think about that; He's always
there, He's always listening.
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No matter what our troubles
are, He's always there, always.
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Let's go to the Lord in prayer.
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Father in heaven,
Lord, we're thankful,
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because You're a good God.
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Father, there are so
many blessings that we have
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to be thankful for.
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Lord, we're
grateful for life itself.
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Lord, that's a precious thing.
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Lord, we just pray that You
would be with Pastor Peppers
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as he brings us
the message today.
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Lord, just anoint his lips.
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And may our hearts...
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Lord, those of us here
in the audience here in
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Thompsonville,
Illinois, wherever people are
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tuning in today, Lord, that
their hearts will be changed.
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Lord, turn their
hearts towards You.
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We pray for Marion as she
brings the message in music.
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Lord, that You would
anoint her lips as well.
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Lord, thank You for this
opportunity of being able to
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worship with You
on Your Sabbath day.
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And in Jesus'
name we pray, amen.
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Amen.
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Time measured out my days,
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life carried me along;
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in my soul I
yearned to follow God,
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but knew I'd never be so strong.
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I looked hard at this world
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to learn how
heaven could be gained,
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just to end where life began,
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where human
effort is all in vain.
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Were it not for grace
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I could tell you where I'd be.
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Wandering down some
pointless road to nowhere
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with my salvation up to me.
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I know how that would go,
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the battles I would face.
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Forever running
but losing the race,
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were it not for grace.
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So here is all my praise,
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expressed with all my heart;
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offered to a
Friend who took my place
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and ran a course I
could not even start.
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But when He saw in full
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just how much
His love would cost,
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He still went the final
mile between me and heaven
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so I would not be lost.
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Were it not for grace
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I could tell you where I'd be.
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Wandering down some
pointless road to nowhere
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with my salvation up to me.
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I know how that would go,
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the battles I would face.
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Forever running
but losing the race,
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were it not for grace.
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Forever running
but losing the race,
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were it not for grace.
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Well good morning, friends.
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It's such a blessing to
see each one of you here today.
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And for those that are
joining us online, we want to
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welcome you as
well, wherever you are.
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Here in Thompsonville,
it is Sabbath morning.
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So I don't know where
it is, what time it is
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wherever you are, but
we are glad to be here
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in our divine worship hour.
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And we are thankful for our
friends here joining us locally.
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And once again, those of
you watching around the world,
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we welcome you as well.
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We're grateful
that you are joining us.
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How many of you were
blessed by that special music?
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I have to be careful
not to talk too proudly,
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because it's my wife.
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But I'm so thankful for
her, and she is a blessing.
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And we just enjoy being
able to be a team. Amen?
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I believe every husband
and wife ought to be a team.
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Well we're excited this
morning about Anchors Of Truth
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number four in this series.
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Precious... Oh, excuse me.
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Posh Pigs and
Precious Prodigals.
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Depending upon how
fast you try to say that
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fast three times, you
might be in trouble, right?
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But I love to try to have those
titles that really stand out
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and give a very
direct appeal to the message.
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So we're going to bow
our heads this morning
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and invite the Lord's
presence to be with us,
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and then we're just
going to dive right in.
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Would you bow your heads
with me, wherever you are.
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Father in heaven, we
thank You so much this morning
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for the sweet
truth of Your word,
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the sweet
promise of Your presence,
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the sweet joy of Your Holy
Spirit that fills our hearts
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with Jesus.
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And we need more of Jesus today.
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And as we look at this story
today, a very familiar story,
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I pray, Lord, that You
would speak to our hearts
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wherever we are
at in our journey.
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And so, Lord, we
appeal to You this morning,
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and we ask You to draw near
to us in a very special way.
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Open our eyes, our
hearts, and our ears
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to the truth that You
want to speak to us today.
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And we ask this
in Jesus' name, amen.
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I remember, friends, when I
was a young man, a teenager,
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I accepted Christ and
became a Seventh-day Adventist
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when I was 22 years old.
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I was on the verge of suicide.
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And I told a bit of
that story the other night.
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But I remember
when I was a teenager,
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actually my uncle came to an
Amazing Facts prophecy seminar.
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And he and my aunt were the
first Seventh-day Adventists
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in my family.
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And since that time,
that number has grown.
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And that includes me.
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But I remember that when I
was a young man, a teenager,
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I went with them to
church on one Sabbath morning.
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And there were some
ladies there that met me,
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and they were so
kind to me, so loving.
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I went to
church for a few times,
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and then I just stopped going.
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I got into sports and other
things that pulled me away.
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But I remember that
these ladies, they would
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write to me a
birthday card every year.
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For more than ten years
they wrote these cards to me.
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And any time I happened to
bump into them somewhere in the
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community, they
would always be so loving
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and so kind.
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And I remember that
when I was wrestling
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with the decision to follow
Jesus or to go my own way,
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when I was an atheist
on the verge of suicide,
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I was studying the
Bible, I remembered
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the kindness of those ladies.
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In fact, when I was in
that time of wrestling,
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one of those cards came just
at the right time, and said,
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"We've been praying
for you for many years.
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We know and believe that
God is going to call you back
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to Himself."
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I found that to be amazing.
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And it came just at the right
time that I needed it the most.
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Many of these young
ladies, or these elderly ladies,
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had written in their
cards that, "One day we believe
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you'll be a preacher for God."
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And I thought to
myself, "No way," you know.
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"That will never happen." Right?
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And in fact, my mother
told me just this morning,
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I was speaking to her through
texting, and she said that,
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she said, "When
you were two years old,
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I told your dad you'd
be a preacher someday."
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And these words
just kept haunting.
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And I thought, "Not a chance."
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But here I am today.
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God has a sense of humor, amen?
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And I always tell people,
He had to make me a preacher
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because I can't
really do anything else well.
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But I'm thankful to serve
the Lord with all my heart,
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and we are so glad.
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But it's amazing, friends,
how there's always somebody
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who's watching out for us.
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Isn't it true?
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Often times we feel
alone, we feel desperate,
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we feel by ourselves.
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But there's always somebody
who's looking out for us.
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And that launches us
into our story this morning.
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We're going to turn in
our Bibles to the book of
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Luke chapter 15.
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A familiar story, I'm
sure, for many of you.
00:12:39.29\00:12:41.92
The story of the prodigal son.
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With a title like I
had, you had to almost know
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we were going to Luke 15, right?
00:12:46.93\00:12:48.63
So we're going to
go to Luke chapter 15
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and we're going to see
a beautiful powerful story
00:12:51.67\00:12:54.90
of the love of God.
00:12:54.94\00:12:56.40
And at the end of
this message, friends,
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I'm going to make a
very specific appeal
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to those here and especially to
those who are watching online.
00:13:02.78\00:13:06.95
So I hope that you will allow
the Lord to speak to your heart
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as we continue
through this message.
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Luke 15:11
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The Bible says in verse 11,
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"Then He said," Jesus
here telling a parable,
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"A certain man had two sons.
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And the younger of
them said to his father,
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'Father, give me the portion
of goods that falls to me.'
00:13:26.23\00:13:29.74
So he divided to
them his livelihood."
00:13:29.94\00:13:33.88
Now it's very
interesting that this young man
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had somehow came to the
conclusion in his father's house
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that he did not want to be under
his father's authority anymore.
00:13:41.28\00:13:45.72
You know, often times
when we're young, we think
00:13:45.75\00:13:48.69
we know everything
when we really don't. Right?
00:13:48.72\00:13:50.99
I saw this ad one
time that said, "Hurry up,"
00:13:51.03\00:13:54.53
while you're a teenager,
they said, "Hurry up, move out,
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and get a job while
you still know everything."
00:13:57.73\00:13:59.83
Right? As a teenager.
00:14:00.04\00:14:01.67
And often times in our youth
we are rash, we are hardcore.
00:14:01.84\00:14:06.88
We think we can do it all.
00:14:06.91\00:14:08.31
And ten foot tall
and bullet proof, right?
00:14:08.34\00:14:10.91
This young man probably
said, "I don't want to be
00:14:10.95\00:14:13.31
under my father's rule anymore."
00:14:13.35\00:14:15.58
He didn't really understand
at that point in his life
00:14:15.62\00:14:18.69
that it was under the father's
care where he would find
00:14:18.89\00:14:21.32
his greatest happiness. Right?
00:14:21.36\00:14:23.73
So he goes to his
father and he says,
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"Father, give me my
inheritance," essentially.
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"The portion that is due to me."
00:14:29.16\00:14:31.03
Now in this culture,
if someone were to say,
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"Give me my inheritance,"
there is only one time
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in the event of
their life that they would
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receive the inheritance.
00:14:41.61\00:14:42.94
And when would that be?
00:14:42.98\00:14:44.31
At the death of
the father, right?
00:14:44.35\00:14:46.88
Or the parents.
00:14:46.92\00:14:48.25
And so it is today
as well, often times.
00:14:48.28\00:14:50.39
And so essentially, when this
young man went to his father,
00:14:50.42\00:14:53.15
he was saying to him,
"Father, I want you to..." What?
00:14:53.19\00:14:57.43
"I want you to die.
00:14:57.93\00:14:59.39
I want you to perish,
and I want what is duly mine.
00:14:59.56\00:15:04.27
Give me my inheritance."
00:15:04.30\00:15:07.34
You know, it's very
interesting that the young man,
00:15:07.37\00:15:10.64
even though he was trying
to get away from his father,
00:15:10.67\00:15:13.98
still believed enough in
his father's goodness to know
00:15:15.44\00:15:19.51
that his father would
give him his inheritance.
00:15:19.61\00:15:23.25
Isn't that very interesting?
00:15:23.45\00:15:24.85
You know, it's often times
that we know that God is good,
00:15:25.09\00:15:30.39
and yet often times in
our lives we still try to
00:15:30.59\00:15:34.26
run away from Him.
00:15:34.46\00:15:35.80
Isn't that true?
00:15:35.83\00:15:37.17
A young lady walked into our
church a couple of weeks ago,
00:15:37.20\00:15:39.60
it was about a month ago.
00:15:39.63\00:15:40.97
And she was sitting
in one of the messages.
00:15:41.00\00:15:43.57
And she came to me afterwards.
00:15:44.07\00:15:45.97
And she had been
raised up in the church,
00:15:46.01\00:15:49.78
had left the church.
00:15:49.81\00:15:51.15
And when she left the
church, she said, "I will never
00:15:51.18\00:15:53.58
step foot in a Seventh-day
Adventist church again
00:15:53.62\00:15:56.75
for the rest of my life."
00:15:56.79\00:15:58.12
And there she went for
about 20 something years.
00:15:58.29\00:16:01.26
Not going to church, going her
own way, doing her own thing.
00:16:01.29\00:16:04.43
She became addicted
to drugs and alcohol,
00:16:04.46\00:16:06.73
and all kinds of other things.
00:16:06.76\00:16:08.40
And eventually she found
herself in a very destitute way.
00:16:08.43\00:16:13.10
We talked about the other
night that sometimes you have to
00:16:13.13\00:16:15.67
hit rock bottom until
you can recognize that God is
00:16:15.70\00:16:19.34
the Rock at the bottom. Amen?
00:16:19.37\00:16:21.38
And so she had hit rock bottom.
00:16:21.48\00:16:23.14
And she found herself
in a place where she had
00:16:23.41\00:16:27.42
nowhere else to
turn but back to God.
00:16:27.45\00:16:30.19
You know, God will
always bring us to that point
00:16:30.22\00:16:32.22
in our life, won't He?
00:16:32.25\00:16:33.59
And it will be a
crossroad for us to decide which
00:16:33.69\00:16:36.49
direction we're going to go.
00:16:36.52\00:16:37.86
We're either going to go
with Christ or without Christ.
00:16:37.89\00:16:40.13
But God will always
bring us to a point in our life
00:16:40.16\00:16:43.06
where we have that crossroad.
00:16:43.10\00:16:44.43
And she came back to
church for the first time
00:16:44.47\00:16:46.74
in more than 20 years.
00:16:46.77\00:16:48.10
And she sat in the
pew, and it just so happened
00:16:48.14\00:16:50.41
to be a communion Sabbath.
00:16:50.44\00:16:52.27
And she shared a testimony
of what God had done for her.
00:16:52.31\00:16:56.71
She put her daughter in school.
00:16:56.75\00:16:58.58
And she said, "Twenty
years ago, this would have
00:16:58.61\00:17:01.08
never happened in my life.
00:17:01.12\00:17:03.18
And yet here I am today."
00:17:03.39\00:17:04.79
There's always somebody
looking out for us, isn't there?
00:17:06.02\00:17:08.32
Sometimes we drift
so far away from God,
00:17:09.22\00:17:11.79
but God promises to
continue to work in our lives.
00:17:12.56\00:17:16.10
Amen?
00:17:16.13\00:17:17.47
Very, very powerful.
00:17:17.50\00:17:18.83
You know, if you
look in verse 13, it says,
00:17:19.40\00:17:23.30
"And not many days
after, the younger son gathered
00:17:23.34\00:17:28.04
all together, he journeyed to
a far country, and there wasted
00:17:28.08\00:17:31.21
his possessions
with prodigal living."
00:17:31.25\00:17:34.75
You know, it's often true
that the heart who's trying to
00:17:35.08\00:17:39.05
get away from God
will go to any length
00:17:39.09\00:17:42.42
to get away from Him.
00:17:42.89\00:17:44.23
Have you ever
noticed that to be true?
00:17:44.26\00:17:45.59
And yet, is there any
place on earth that we can go
00:17:46.26\00:17:48.80
where God is not present?
00:17:48.83\00:17:50.37
The Bible tells us I can
go into heaven; You're there.
00:17:50.77\00:17:53.17
I can go into the
grave; You're there.
00:17:53.20\00:17:54.80
And You're everywhere
in between and all around.
00:17:54.84\00:17:56.74
Amen? God is always there.
00:17:56.77\00:17:58.54
And there's no
place we can go to escape.
00:17:58.57\00:18:00.61
But in our human foolishness
we often try, don't we?
00:18:00.64\00:18:04.11
We often try.
00:18:04.15\00:18:05.48
And so the Bible says
that he wasted his possessions.
00:18:06.11\00:18:09.88
It was actually his
father's possessions, wasn't it?
00:18:09.92\00:18:12.82
You know, God
gives us many gifts.
00:18:13.19\00:18:15.26
As His children, He gives us
talents, He gives us blessings.
00:18:15.36\00:18:18.66
And He wants us to use
them for His glory, doesn't He?
00:18:18.76\00:18:21.86
But often times in our
human frail sinful natures,
00:18:22.06\00:18:26.23
we spend that
which God has given to us
00:18:26.27\00:18:29.34
upon our own pleasures.
00:18:29.37\00:18:31.14
And we find that in
the end of that time,
00:18:31.17\00:18:33.74
it brings only
emptiness and loneliness.
00:18:33.84\00:18:36.64
How many of you have
found that to be true?
00:18:36.68\00:18:38.21
You know, it says that he
went out partying, essentially.
00:18:38.51\00:18:42.78
He had spent all.
00:18:42.82\00:18:44.15
And I'm sure that when he left
that house of his father's...
00:18:44.35\00:18:47.86
I don't know if he had
maybe a long string of camels
00:18:48.02\00:18:51.49
and donkeys, or some
kind of transportation.
00:18:51.59\00:18:54.66
He probably took with him
servants and other things.
00:18:54.70\00:18:57.70
And when he left that house,
he thought, "Man, now I am free.
00:18:57.80\00:19:02.27
I am free."
00:19:02.94\00:19:04.27
And he gets out, and wherever
the town was that he went,
00:19:04.31\00:19:08.84
as he pulled into
town with that long train,
00:19:08.88\00:19:11.71
bags of money and wealth, I'm
sure that there were a lot of
00:19:11.75\00:19:14.78
people that said,
"Uh-huh, I need to make friends
00:19:14.82\00:19:17.22
with that guy."
00:19:17.25\00:19:18.59
Right?
00:19:18.69\00:19:20.02
You know, when you have
money and you have wealth
00:19:20.06\00:19:22.76
and you have means,
there's lots of people that
00:19:22.79\00:19:24.96
want to be your
friend, isn't there?
00:19:24.99\00:19:26.56
My grandpa use to
say, "You have friends,
00:19:26.90\00:19:29.86
and then you have
so-called friends."
00:19:29.90\00:19:32.00
And he said, "And
when the money runs out,
00:19:32.30\00:19:34.00
those so-called
friends are so-called gone."
00:19:34.04\00:19:37.71
Right?
00:19:37.74\00:19:39.07
And they often leave.
00:19:39.11\00:19:40.44
And so when this young man, he
probably had a lot of friends,
00:19:40.48\00:19:42.74
but the Bible says he spent all.
00:19:42.78\00:19:45.25
And when he spent all,
all his friends were gone.
00:19:45.45\00:19:50.35
Is it not true in
our own lives today?
00:19:51.35\00:19:53.52
There always comes a
point in time when we have the
00:19:54.22\00:19:59.39
last party, we have the last
drink, we dance the last dance,
00:19:59.43\00:20:02.96
we smoke the last cigarettes,
00:20:03.00\00:20:05.07
we go home, and when
it's all said and done
00:20:05.97\00:20:09.37
we still have to look ourselves
in the mirror, do we not?
00:20:09.40\00:20:11.97
We still have to look
ourselves in the mirror and say,
00:20:12.77\00:20:14.81
"Who am I really?
00:20:14.84\00:20:16.18
What is my life really about?
00:20:16.51\00:20:18.01
What is the purpose of my life?
00:20:18.05\00:20:19.68
What is the meaning to my life?
00:20:19.71\00:20:21.05
Does my life have any
significance whatsoever?"
00:20:21.25\00:20:25.15
The Bible tells us
that many people live it up
00:20:25.85\00:20:30.73
to cover the
emptiness that they have.
00:20:31.03\00:20:34.13
Look at this.
00:20:34.16\00:20:35.50
It says in verse 14,
"When he had spent all,
00:20:35.53\00:20:37.80
there arose a
severe famine in that land,
00:20:37.83\00:20:41.04
and he began to be in want."
00:20:41.24\00:20:44.51
That little phrase,
"began to be in want,"
00:20:44.54\00:20:47.24
is another phrase for
the word, "emptiness."
00:20:47.28\00:20:51.38
You know, the emptiness that we
feel when we separate ourselves
00:20:52.18\00:20:56.55
from our Father is a very
sinking pit-filled feeling
00:20:56.58\00:21:02.29
that goes into your stomach.
00:21:02.72\00:21:04.26
How many of you know
what I'm talking about?
00:21:04.46\00:21:06.13
Those of you watching
online, you may understand
00:21:06.16\00:21:08.70
what I'm talking about.
00:21:08.73\00:21:10.07
When we estrange
ourself from the Lord,
00:21:10.10\00:21:12.30
there's the emptiness that
begins to creep upon our life
00:21:12.40\00:21:16.04
and it gives us a
sickening feeling.
00:21:16.24\00:21:18.11
And nothing in
this world can satisfy.
00:21:18.14\00:21:21.94
You know, friends, everything
in this life is passing away.
00:21:22.11\00:21:24.65
How many of you would
agree with that today?
00:21:24.68\00:21:26.15
It's very clear that everything
in this life is passing away.
00:21:26.48\00:21:29.38
You know, it was
just a few months ago,
00:21:29.42\00:21:31.72
last year, last
fall, I bought a truck.
00:21:32.19\00:21:35.72
And it was not a brand
new truck, but it was the
00:21:35.99\00:21:38.23
newest truck
that I had ever had.
00:21:38.26\00:21:39.83
And I was driving that truck
around, and I started to feel,
00:21:40.10\00:21:44.23
you know, at first I was
very excited to have this truck.
00:21:44.27\00:21:47.14
I was like, man I just
really love this truck,
00:21:47.17\00:21:48.90
and I like the way
it rides, and etcetera.
00:21:48.94\00:21:51.71
And that just kind of grew.
00:21:51.74\00:21:53.48
And it kind of grew
into this little pride.
00:21:53.51\00:21:55.91
I began to say, I was
almost to the point where I was
00:21:56.68\00:21:59.68
worshiping the truck.
00:21:59.98\00:22:01.68
Not quite there, but you know.
00:22:02.08\00:22:03.69
You've got to be careful.
00:22:03.72\00:22:05.05
It kind of became an idol to me.
00:22:05.45\00:22:07.19
And I was at camp one day,
Camp Au Sable up in Michigan.
00:22:07.76\00:22:12.09
And I was backing
into a parking spot.
00:22:12.36\00:22:15.40
And all of a sudden, guess what.
00:22:15.60\00:22:17.43
I looked behind me, and
there was this really long
00:22:19.23\00:22:22.04
parking lot, and there
was only one tree in the whole
00:22:22.07\00:22:25.44
parking lot, and I
happened to back right into
00:22:25.47\00:22:29.31
the only tree there.
00:22:29.34\00:22:30.68
You can imagine the
sinking feeling that I had.
00:22:30.71\00:22:33.11
And so I was kind of
moping around and kind of
00:22:33.31\00:22:36.32
felt bad about it.
00:22:36.35\00:22:37.69
And I was telling people, "Yeah,
I put a dent in my truck."
00:22:37.72\00:22:39.79
And everyone was
patting my back and saying,
00:22:39.82\00:22:41.56
"Oh Pastor Wes,
it's okay," you know, and
00:22:41.59\00:22:43.93
"We're so sorry."
00:22:43.96\00:22:45.33
And then I went to one of my
friends who was another pastor,
00:22:45.76\00:22:48.73
and I started to
tell him my mope story.
00:22:48.83\00:22:51.10
And he looked at me and
he said, "Well," he said,
00:22:51.20\00:22:52.93
"you know,
that's really too bad."
00:22:52.97\00:22:54.30
He says, "I really
hope that wasn't the truck
00:22:54.34\00:22:57.67
you were planning
to take to heaven."
00:22:57.71\00:22:59.41
And I just kind of froze
and my stomach just sank,
00:23:02.68\00:23:05.55
and I thought,
"Oh man, he's right."
00:23:05.58\00:23:08.35
Everything in this
life passes, does it not?
00:23:09.22\00:23:12.99
And when everything
passes, the only thing that's
00:23:13.52\00:23:15.92
going to be left is who
we are from the inside out.
00:23:15.96\00:23:20.23
Their characters.
00:23:20.26\00:23:21.60
And what's in our hearts.
00:23:22.23\00:23:23.60
And what God has
made us in to be.
00:23:23.63\00:23:25.63
That's the only thing that lasts
from this life to the next.
00:23:25.67\00:23:28.64
And so here is this young
man, and he was feeling empty.
00:23:29.54\00:23:34.81
Severe famine.
00:23:35.74\00:23:37.11
God will sometimes,
you know, He will sometimes
00:23:37.15\00:23:41.02
bring circumstances in our
lives that cause those famines
00:23:41.05\00:23:47.39
in our lives, doesn't He?
00:23:47.42\00:23:48.79
And He does it because
He's a God that loves us.
00:23:49.16\00:23:52.16
He's a God that cares.
00:23:52.33\00:23:54.03
And He's a God who is
willing to do whatever it takes
00:23:54.06\00:23:57.73
to bring our hearts
back in line with His.
00:23:57.77\00:24:01.00
He's a jealous God.
00:24:01.04\00:24:02.70
Not in an egotistical
way, but He is jealous
00:24:02.74\00:24:06.07
for our happiness.
00:24:06.11\00:24:07.88
And He knows that
because He's the only one,
00:24:07.91\00:24:11.01
He's the one who created
us, and He's the only one
00:24:11.11\00:24:13.58
that has the ability
to truly make us happy.
00:24:13.62\00:24:16.79
And He seeks and He longs to
bring our hearts back to Him.
00:24:17.02\00:24:20.76
And sometimes that
includes bringing severe
00:24:20.79\00:24:23.16
famines into our lives.
00:24:23.19\00:24:24.73
How many of you are
thankful for a God like that?
00:24:24.76\00:24:26.83
Who loves us enough
to do whatever it takes
00:24:26.86\00:24:29.70
to bring us back to Him.
00:24:29.80\00:24:31.13
I'm so thankful for that. Amen?
00:24:31.17\00:24:32.50
The Bible tells us in
verse 15, it says, "Then he went
00:24:32.97\00:24:37.37
and joined himself to a
citizen of that country..."
00:24:37.41\00:24:42.21
You notice, it's
very interesting, friends,
00:24:42.41\00:24:44.58
that he left his father's house,
and he didn't just go to the
00:24:44.61\00:24:48.15
next country, he went to a what?
00:24:48.18\00:24:51.25
A far country, the Bible says.
00:24:51.89\00:24:54.09
And when everything ran
dry, when he was destitute,
00:24:54.39\00:24:57.83
it says that he attaches
himself or he joins himself
00:24:57.93\00:25:02.20
to a citizen of
that far country.
00:25:02.56\00:25:06.53
Who do you think that
citizen might represent?
00:25:06.63\00:25:09.20
The citizen from a
far country is Satan.
00:25:09.77\00:25:13.81
Now he had already
joined himself to Satan,
00:25:14.54\00:25:16.58
he just didn't know it.
00:25:16.61\00:25:18.15
But you see, that's the
way Satan works, is he gets us
00:25:18.25\00:25:21.55
to leave the Father's care, but
he doesn't make it known to us
00:25:21.58\00:25:25.92
right away that we're
coming under his care.
00:25:25.95\00:25:28.16
You see?
00:25:28.19\00:25:29.52
He waits until we
get farther and farther
00:25:29.56\00:25:32.23
and farther away from God.
00:25:32.26\00:25:33.70
So far that it feels
like an impossibility for us
00:25:33.73\00:25:36.93
to go back to Him.
00:25:36.97\00:25:38.47
And then he says,
"Aha, now I've got you."
00:25:38.90\00:25:41.00
And then he
reveals himself and says,
00:25:41.04\00:25:42.74
"You're under my house now.
00:25:42.77\00:25:44.37
You're in my control."
00:25:45.27\00:25:46.64
You see, that's the
way sin works, friends.
00:25:46.68\00:25:48.71
Is it launches
itself inside of our hearts
00:25:48.94\00:25:51.85
and it grows and it grows,
and it seems so pleasurable.
00:25:52.05\00:25:55.22
You know, sin is
not unpleasurable.
00:25:55.25\00:25:58.12
You realize, the Bible
says that sin is pleasurable.
00:25:58.55\00:26:01.29
But for how long?
00:26:01.69\00:26:03.02
For a season.
00:26:03.43\00:26:04.76
Because ultimately, as it
grows and grows in our hearts,
00:26:04.79\00:26:07.86
what happens eventually?
00:26:08.83\00:26:11.03
It brings what?
00:26:11.37\00:26:12.70
It brings death, doesn't it?
00:26:12.93\00:26:14.34
It brings death.
00:26:14.37\00:26:15.70
And this young man was
beginning to experience
00:26:15.74\00:26:18.27
the death that his separation
from his father was bringing
00:26:18.31\00:26:22.54
to the depths of his soul.
00:26:22.58\00:26:24.31
He was in want.
00:26:24.35\00:26:25.68
He was empty.
00:26:25.71\00:26:27.05
There may be some here today,
00:26:27.08\00:26:28.42
there may be
some watching online,
00:26:28.52\00:26:30.49
you've sensed that
emptiness in your own heart,
00:26:30.89\00:26:33.09
you've sensed that pit,
00:26:33.12\00:26:34.52
you've sensed that
separation from your Father.
00:26:34.56\00:26:37.06
Do not fear, because
there is great hope. Amen?
00:26:38.09\00:26:41.76
As we're going
to see in the story.
00:26:42.03\00:26:43.50
The Bible tells us, "He
went and joined himself to a
00:26:43.97\00:26:47.34
citizen of that
country, and he sent him into
00:26:47.37\00:26:50.64
his fields to feed swine."
00:26:50.67\00:26:55.11
Think about that
for just a minute.
00:26:55.78\00:26:57.45
To feed swine.
00:26:57.48\00:26:59.85
This young man was
probably a Jew, wasn't he?
00:27:00.32\00:27:03.82
And here he was, left his
father's house with bags of
00:27:04.09\00:27:08.42
gold and money in his
pockets and on his camel,
00:27:08.46\00:27:12.69
and then he spends it
all, and now he finds himself
00:27:12.93\00:27:17.00
doing nothing but the lowest
job that any person could do;
00:27:17.23\00:27:21.87
which was feeding pigs.
00:27:22.07\00:27:24.31
Think about that for
just a minute, friends.
00:27:25.34\00:27:27.38
And I want to make a very
important illustration here,
00:27:27.78\00:27:30.25
a very important point.
00:27:30.28\00:27:31.61
That when we leave
the Father's house,
00:27:31.81\00:27:34.88
when we leave His care,
when we leave His presence,
00:27:35.28\00:27:38.75
we may think to
ourselves, "Oh, I can do this
00:27:38.85\00:27:42.69
on my own.
00:27:42.89\00:27:44.63
I have strength,
I have willpower,
00:27:44.73\00:27:48.53
I have ability.
00:27:48.56\00:27:50.27
I can do this thing.
I don't need anybody."
00:27:50.30\00:27:52.80
That was my
thought many years ago.
00:27:53.00\00:27:55.14
But ultimately, when we
leave the Father's house,
00:27:56.97\00:27:59.57
we will find ourselves
doing things that previously
00:27:59.61\00:28:03.98
we would have
never thought possible.
00:28:04.01\00:28:06.25
Have you thought
about that before?
00:28:07.42\00:28:08.92
We will find ourselves
doing things outside of the
00:28:09.22\00:28:11.62
Father's presence that we
never thought was a possibility.
00:28:11.65\00:28:14.16
We may sit in the church
and say, "Oh, I don't see how
00:28:14.19\00:28:16.79
these people can go out and
drink or smoke, or whatever.
00:28:16.83\00:28:20.43
I just don't see
how they can do that."
00:28:20.46\00:28:22.36
You separate yourself from
God, and nothing is impossible.
00:28:22.53\00:28:25.37
Just like nothing is
impossible with Christ,
00:28:25.57\00:28:28.30
nothing is impossible for Satan
to get you to do without Christ.
00:28:28.34\00:28:32.27
Are you with me here?
00:28:33.01\00:28:34.34
And we will find
ourselves in a very bad way
00:28:34.48\00:28:37.28
doing the things we
never thought we would ever do
00:28:37.31\00:28:39.35
when we leave
the Father's house.
00:28:39.68\00:28:41.02
This young man
sitting there feeding pigs.
00:28:41.05\00:28:43.49
And if you notice
here, look at this, it says,
00:28:44.35\00:28:47.72
verse 16, "And he would
have gladly filled his stomach
00:28:48.29\00:28:51.76
with the pods
that the swine ate,
00:28:51.79\00:28:54.46
and no one gave him anything."
00:28:54.50\00:28:57.47
He's sitting there
and he's feeding pigs.
00:28:57.67\00:29:00.67
And he's watching the
pigs eat while his own stomach
00:29:00.84\00:29:05.34
is growling.
00:29:05.37\00:29:06.71
Think about it.
00:29:07.38\00:29:08.71
He's saying, "Man, the pigs
here are eating better than I.
00:29:08.74\00:29:13.25
I have nothing."
00:29:13.95\00:29:15.28
"And no one gave him
anything," the Bible says.
00:29:15.32\00:29:17.85
You know, when we put
ourselves in that place,
00:29:17.89\00:29:20.22
when we put
ourselves in that position,
00:29:20.59\00:29:22.42
there is nothing that anyone can
do in this world to help you.
00:29:23.22\00:29:27.10
Are you with me?
00:29:27.76\00:29:29.10
You know, sometimes people
are addicted, or whatever,
00:29:29.13\00:29:31.43
and those of us on the side
that are trying to help them
00:29:31.47\00:29:36.54
think to ourselves,
"What can I do to help them?"
00:29:36.57\00:29:39.24
And really, there is
nothing that we can do
00:29:39.34\00:29:41.81
for a person until they're
willing to turn their wills
00:29:41.84\00:29:45.18
over to the Master. Amen?
00:29:45.38\00:29:47.25
Until we're willing to
submit ourselves to the Lord.
00:29:47.42\00:29:51.65
But look in verse 17.
00:29:51.82\00:29:53.42
Very powerful here.
00:29:53.86\00:29:55.19
I love this
verse, I just love it.
00:29:55.39\00:29:57.63
It's so amazing.
00:29:57.66\00:29:58.99
Verse 17 says, "But
when he came to himself..."
00:29:59.03\00:30:03.97
Think about that
for just a minute.
00:30:04.60\00:30:06.03
When he came to himself.
00:30:06.50\00:30:08.74
You know, he didn't just
come to himself, you understand?
00:30:09.00\00:30:13.04
It wasn't his own doing.
00:30:13.07\00:30:14.74
But when he was in
that moment of emptiness,
00:30:14.94\00:30:18.31
when he was without
hope, the Spirit of God
00:30:18.51\00:30:22.68
began to speak to his
heart and speak to his mind.
00:30:22.72\00:30:26.49
How many of you can say amen?
00:30:26.52\00:30:27.89
Hebrews 7:25 tells us
that Jesus ever lives to make
00:30:28.22\00:30:33.13
intercession for us.
00:30:33.16\00:30:34.50
How many are thankful
for that this morning?
00:30:34.53\00:30:35.96
Jesus, even in our darkest hour,
when it seems like everyone else
00:30:36.20\00:30:39.93
has abandoned us, Jesus
still is interceding for us.
00:30:39.97\00:30:44.21
As long as there's breath
in the body, there is hope.
00:30:44.24\00:30:47.21
Can you say amen this
morning? There is hope.
00:30:47.24\00:30:49.38
And this young man is sitting
there, and the Spirit of God
00:30:49.41\00:30:52.25
begins to impress upon
him the need to come back
00:30:52.28\00:30:58.55
to the father's house.
00:30:58.75\00:31:01.32
It says, "But when he
came to himself, he said,
00:31:03.96\00:31:06.29
'How many of my father's
hired servants have bread enough
00:31:06.33\00:31:10.77
and to spare, and I
perish with hunger!'"
00:31:10.80\00:31:16.10
Think about that
for just a minute.
00:31:16.77\00:31:18.34
He says, "How many of my
father's hired servants..."
00:31:18.84\00:31:22.34
That's not just his sons,
but how many of his servants
00:31:22.38\00:31:26.61
eat their fill of bread,
and yet have some left over.
00:31:26.92\00:31:30.45
And he thinks to himself,
"Man, I remember the goodness
00:31:30.85\00:31:37.43
of my father."
00:31:38.33\00:31:39.66
Can you say amen?
00:31:39.86\00:31:41.20
He says, "My father is so
good that he even feeds those
00:31:41.36\00:31:46.40
who are not his sons.
00:31:46.43\00:31:47.97
He even feeds his servants.
00:31:48.17\00:31:50.67
He feeds those who work for him.
00:31:50.71\00:31:53.74
Not only does he feed
them, but he gives them
00:31:53.78\00:31:56.64
more than they need."
00:31:56.68\00:31:58.21
And the Spirit of God
began to work on his heart
00:31:58.95\00:32:01.88
and point him back to
his father's goodness.
00:32:01.92\00:32:04.99
I don't know what he remembered.
00:32:05.02\00:32:06.96
The Bible doesn't
tell us every detail.
00:32:06.99\00:32:08.72
But he probably
began to remember the times
00:32:08.76\00:32:11.63
that he had when his
father lovingly and caringly
00:32:11.66\00:32:16.46
guided his
direction, and yet he resisted.
00:32:16.50\00:32:19.63
And he saw in his mind
all the times that his father
00:32:19.67\00:32:22.67
was reaching out to him in love,
00:32:22.87\00:32:25.11
and blessing him, seeking
to make him happy and joyful
00:32:25.61\00:32:30.25
and successful.
00:32:30.45\00:32:31.78
In spiritual things, of course.
00:32:31.98\00:32:33.78
And he said,
"Man, I remember this."
00:32:34.42\00:32:37.52
And he says, "I
need to do something."
00:32:38.12\00:32:40.06
He says, this is the
most difficult thing for most
00:32:40.09\00:32:44.33
people to do, but he
says, "I need to get up
00:32:44.36\00:32:47.10
and I need to do something."
00:32:47.30\00:32:48.90
Right?
00:32:49.26\00:32:50.60
Notice what he says.
00:32:50.63\00:32:51.97
He musters within
himself enough thought of this
00:32:52.00\00:32:57.01
that he begins to
yield his will to God
00:32:57.04\00:33:00.68
and to his father even before
he begins the journey home.
00:33:00.71\00:33:03.35
He determines within
himself, he makes the choice,
00:33:03.71\00:33:07.15
he makes the decision that,
"I will no longer feed pigs."
00:33:07.35\00:33:10.49
You know, friends,
that's the first step
00:33:10.52\00:33:11.85
in coming back to
Jesus, is to decide.
00:33:11.89\00:33:15.22
Now we can make the
decision all day long,
00:33:15.26\00:33:17.56
but we have not the power
to do it on our own, amen?
00:33:17.59\00:33:20.63
But as we reach out to Christ,
as we yield the will to Christ,
00:33:20.73\00:33:23.83
He will take our weakened
will and He will empower it
00:33:23.87\00:33:27.74
and He will strengthen us
to rise and come to Him. Amen?
00:33:28.10\00:33:32.57
How many of you are
thankful for such a good God?
00:33:32.61\00:33:34.44
I'm so thankful.
00:33:34.68\00:33:36.01
Notice what he says.
00:33:36.04\00:33:37.38
Verse 18, it says, "I
will arise and go..." Where?
00:33:37.41\00:33:42.18
"...to my father..."
He makes that decision.
00:33:42.65\00:33:44.72
He says, "I'm going to do this."
00:33:44.75\00:33:46.09
"... and will say to him,
'Father, I have sinned against
00:33:46.59\00:33:49.59
heaven and before you,
and I am no longer worthy
00:33:49.62\00:33:52.66
to be called your son.
00:33:52.69\00:33:54.30
Make me like one of
your hired servants.'"
00:33:54.33\00:33:58.67
If you notice
something, friends...
00:33:58.70\00:34:00.14
Well let's just keep going, and
then we'll come back to this.
00:34:00.17\00:34:02.44
In verse 20 it says, "And he
arose and came to his father.
00:34:02.64\00:34:06.07
But when he was
still a great way off,
00:34:06.11\00:34:08.68
his father saw him
and had compassion,
00:34:08.71\00:34:12.58
and ran and fell on
his neck and kissed him.
00:34:12.61\00:34:15.12
And the son said to
him, 'Father, I have sinned
00:34:15.15\00:34:18.05
against heaven and in
your sight, and am no longer
00:34:18.09\00:34:21.22
worthy to be called your son.'"
00:34:21.49\00:34:25.39
It's very interesting, friends,
that four things take place.
00:34:25.49\00:34:29.13
Firstly, he yielded the will.
00:34:29.33\00:34:31.93
He said, "I will
arise and go to my father."
00:34:32.17\00:34:34.80
These are steps to
coming back to Jesus
00:34:34.84\00:34:37.04
when we've
separated ourselves from Him.
00:34:37.07\00:34:39.24
"I will arise
and go to my father."
00:34:39.27\00:34:40.64
He yields the will.
00:34:40.68\00:34:42.01
Secondly, he confesses his sin.
00:34:42.04\00:34:45.25
He says, "I have sinned
against heaven and against you."
00:34:45.35\00:34:48.72
Amen?
00:34:48.75\00:34:50.09
And we need to
confess our sins to the Lord.
00:34:50.12\00:34:51.65
Not for His
sake, but for our sake.
00:34:51.69\00:34:53.76
Yes?
00:34:53.79\00:34:55.12
Thirdly, he recognizes and
declares his own righteousness
00:34:55.16\00:35:01.30
as filthy rags when he
says, "I am no longer worthy."
00:35:01.33\00:35:06.10
And then the last thing
that he does is demonstrate
00:35:06.37\00:35:09.20
the humility of a
changed heart, because he said,
00:35:09.24\00:35:13.31
"Make me like one
of your servants."
00:35:13.51\00:35:16.21
He didn't come back
and say, "Make me your son.
00:35:16.68\00:35:19.38
Take me back,
because I deserve it
00:35:19.98\00:35:22.68
because I'm your
flesh and blood."
00:35:22.72\00:35:24.95
But he said, "Make me like
one of your hired servants."
00:35:25.25\00:35:27.32
Now what were the two
words that he said when he left?
00:35:27.36\00:35:29.32
He said what?
00:35:29.36\00:35:30.69
He said, "Give me."
00:35:30.99\00:35:32.39
That's an attitude of arrogance,
pride, and selfishness.
00:35:33.86\00:35:38.73
But when he returns to
the father, he doesn't say,
00:35:38.87\00:35:41.50
"Give me," but he
says what? "Make me."
00:35:41.54\00:35:44.07
Can you see an
entire transformation
00:35:44.17\00:35:46.27
between those two phrases?
00:35:46.31\00:35:47.78
"Give me..." "Make me..."
00:35:47.81\00:35:49.64
He was yielding himself
to the molding and mercy
00:35:49.74\00:35:53.85
of his father.
00:35:54.05\00:35:55.38
And what was the
father's response?
00:35:56.85\00:35:58.65
Praise be to God, friends.
00:35:59.55\00:36:01.19
The Bible tells us in
verse 22, I'm sorry, verse 20,
00:36:02.22\00:36:08.13
"But when he was
still a great way off,
00:36:08.16\00:36:10.93
his father saw him
and had compassion,
00:36:11.13\00:36:14.70
and ran and fell on
his neck and kissed him."
00:36:14.74\00:36:16.71
Now I want you to think
about this for just a minute.
00:36:16.74\00:36:18.57
In this particular culture,
in the Middle Eastern culture,
00:36:19.07\00:36:24.95
for a grown elderly man who
is established and had property
00:36:25.65\00:36:32.25
and was wealthy, for
him to run for any reason
00:36:32.29\00:36:38.26
was cultural taboo.
00:36:38.73\00:36:40.73
You see?
00:36:40.76\00:36:42.10
These men who were established
and well to do would always
00:36:42.13\00:36:45.67
have to carry themselves
with an upright nobility.
00:36:45.70\00:36:49.00
And they were
elders, you understand.
00:36:49.14\00:36:52.27
They were respected by
the culture and the society.
00:36:52.31\00:36:54.98
And for any reason for a
man to run was considered,
00:36:55.44\00:37:00.25
"Oh, he is just
being like, you know, like
00:37:00.28\00:37:02.75
unrespectful," and whatever.
00:37:02.78\00:37:04.52
But if you notice this,
my friends, when the father
00:37:04.89\00:37:08.19
who was sitting on his porch,
he was looking for his son,
00:37:08.22\00:37:12.09
he was watching.
00:37:12.13\00:37:13.46
I'm sure he sat there every
day waiting for that day to come
00:37:13.50\00:37:16.73
when he would see the
form of his son coming up
00:37:16.77\00:37:19.00
over the hill.
00:37:19.03\00:37:20.37
When he saw him, the
Bible says, he saw him where?
00:37:20.40\00:37:24.17
When he stepped up on the porch?
00:37:24.21\00:37:25.54
Where? A great way
off, the Bible says.
00:37:25.94\00:37:29.48
You realize, friends, that
no matter how far away we are
00:37:30.45\00:37:34.32
from Jesus, we can
be a great way off,
00:37:34.35\00:37:37.92
if we will take
one step towards Him,
00:37:39.25\00:37:43.16
if we will turn our hearts
and our minds towards Him,
00:37:44.23\00:37:50.00
He will come
running and He will meet us
00:37:51.07\00:37:55.10
a great way off.
00:37:55.50\00:37:56.84
How many are
thankful for that today?
00:37:57.51\00:37:59.14
It doesn't matter where
we're at, He will come running.
00:37:59.47\00:38:03.08
And He will
meet us where we are.
00:38:03.38\00:38:05.51
And it says that
this man, so he ran.
00:38:05.55\00:38:09.22
So when the Father runs to
us, essentially it's saying
00:38:09.25\00:38:12.95
that God cares more about us
00:38:12.99\00:38:16.36
than His own
reputation to others.
00:38:16.59\00:38:20.06
How many are
thankful for that today?
00:38:20.73\00:38:22.33
Such a good God we serve, amen?
00:38:23.03\00:38:25.30
Philippians chapter 2,
the Bible tells us that Jesus
00:38:25.63\00:38:28.40
stepped down from
His heavenly throne
00:38:28.44\00:38:30.44
to come and clothe Himself
in the garments of humanity.
00:38:30.47\00:38:33.58
And it says that He made
Himself of no reputation;
00:38:33.78\00:38:37.98
becoming obedient
to the point of death,
00:38:38.31\00:38:40.72
even the death of the cross.
00:38:40.75\00:38:42.08
I wasn't quoting
that, but just paraphrasing.
00:38:42.12\00:38:43.75
But you understand that
God was willing to give up
00:38:43.79\00:38:46.52
His reputation for us to
turn back to His goodness.
00:38:46.55\00:38:51.96
Oh friends, I get so
excited when I think about
00:38:52.06\00:38:54.76
the goodness of God and
the joy that He wants to bring
00:38:54.80\00:38:57.80
to our lives.
00:38:57.83\00:38:59.23
Now continuing, the
Bible says in verse 21,
00:39:00.54\00:39:03.44
"The son said to him,
'Father, I have sinned against
00:39:03.47\00:39:05.51
heaven and in your
sight, and am no longer
00:39:05.54\00:39:07.38
worthy to be called your son.'
00:39:07.41\00:39:08.74
But the father
said to his servants,
00:39:08.78\00:39:11.08
'Bring out the...'" What?
00:39:11.38\00:39:13.48
The best robe.
00:39:13.78\00:39:15.12
Not just any
robe, but which robe?
00:39:15.15\00:39:17.42
The best robe, it says.
00:39:17.62\00:39:19.75
"...and put it on him,
and put a ring on his hand
00:39:20.06\00:39:23.16
and sandals on his feet."
00:39:23.19\00:39:24.53
Those three items have
exceedingly great significance.
00:39:24.56\00:39:27.40
You notice, the Bible
says, "Bring out the best robe."
00:39:27.60\00:39:30.43
What is the best robe in the
house of our heavenly Father?
00:39:30.47\00:39:35.24
What's the best robe?
00:39:35.27\00:39:36.60
It's the
righteousness of Christ. Amen?
00:39:36.91\00:39:40.54
That is the robe that was
brought to this young man.
00:39:40.68\00:39:43.95
And that is the robe
that will be brought to us
00:39:44.15\00:39:46.35
when we turn
ourselves by faith to Him.
00:39:46.38\00:39:48.75
He says, "Bring out the
best robe and put it in him."
00:39:48.78\00:39:52.32
It was covering his filthy rags.
00:39:52.42\00:39:54.76
You know, this young
man, he had been feeding pigs,
00:39:54.79\00:39:57.03
he probably stunk, he
had all these problems,
00:39:57.13\00:40:00.23
and his clothes
were tattered and rags.
00:40:00.26\00:40:02.56
He comes back and he
presents himself to the father,
00:40:02.60\00:40:05.20
and the father says,
"Bring out the very best robe
00:40:05.37\00:40:08.57
and cover his filthiness."
00:40:08.60\00:40:12.44
Cover his filthiness.
00:40:13.81\00:40:16.48
You know, friends,
there's nothing more that Jesus
00:40:16.78\00:40:18.81
wants to do for you and I
than to cover our filthiness
00:40:18.85\00:40:24.19
when we turn our
hearts to Him today.
00:40:24.85\00:40:26.69
The second thing that he says
is, "Put a ring on his hand."
00:40:27.86\00:40:31.53
I want to make
something very clear.
00:40:31.56\00:40:33.09
This was not a decorative ring.
00:40:33.13\00:40:35.36
It was a signet ring.
00:40:35.66\00:40:37.57
And it was a ring that was
often used by men of authority,
00:40:37.60\00:40:42.14
and they would put
their stamp upon a document,
00:40:42.27\00:40:46.17
or whatever, that was
something of importance,
00:40:46.21\00:40:48.18
or a contract, or whatever.
00:40:48.21\00:40:49.81
And when people saw that
seal, they knew that it was
00:40:49.84\00:40:53.15
the authority of that man.
00:40:53.18\00:40:54.85
So when he puts this
signet ring upon his finger,
00:40:54.88\00:40:57.65
he is restoring his
authority as his son.
00:40:57.69\00:41:02.02
In the Bible, it tells us
in the gospel of John, it says,
00:41:02.86\00:41:05.89
"To them who received
Him, to them He gave the power
00:41:06.09\00:41:11.63
to be called the sons
and daughters of God."
00:41:11.93\00:41:16.40
What a blessing, that
when we turn to Jesus,
00:41:17.57\00:41:21.31
our status as sons and
daughters are restored. Amen?
00:41:21.34\00:41:24.15
The Bible says that he
then put sandals on his feet,
00:41:24.85\00:41:28.05
as a symbol that he
had a work for him to do.
00:41:28.08\00:41:32.69
Amen? We have a work to do.
00:41:32.72\00:41:34.82
We're given that
status as sons and daughters,
00:41:34.86\00:41:36.89
but God sends us then
as missionaries. Amen?
00:41:36.93\00:41:39.49
He calls us to preach the
gospel to those around us.
00:41:39.63\00:41:42.60
He calls us to share the
testimony of feeding pigs
00:41:42.63\00:41:46.30
to those around us,
and say, "Hey friend,
00:41:46.84\00:41:48.67
you don't have
to feed pigs either.
00:41:48.70\00:41:50.04
Come with me.
00:41:50.07\00:41:51.41
You can come to
the father's house."
00:41:51.44\00:41:52.77
Amen?
00:41:52.81\00:41:54.14
He calls us to share the gospel.
00:41:54.18\00:41:55.84
Now, this is good news. Amen?
00:41:55.88\00:41:59.28
The Bible tells us in verse 23,
he said, "'Bring the fatted calf
00:42:00.12\00:42:05.39
here and kill it, and
let us eat and be merry;
00:42:05.42\00:42:08.76
for this my son was
dead and is alive again;
00:42:08.79\00:42:13.09
he was lost and he is found.'
00:42:13.13\00:42:15.46
And they began to be merry."
00:42:15.50\00:42:17.27
And then they
lived happily ever after.
00:42:17.37\00:42:19.87
Right?
00:42:20.07\00:42:21.40
Isn't that the way it went?
00:42:21.44\00:42:22.77
No, unfortunately
it did not go that way.
00:42:23.10\00:42:27.44
But in the next verse,
it says, "Now his older son
00:42:27.94\00:42:33.92
was in the field.
00:42:34.12\00:42:35.45
And as he came and
drew near to the house,
00:42:35.85\00:42:38.15
he heard music and dancing.
00:42:38.19\00:42:39.59
So he called one of
the servants and asked
00:42:39.62\00:42:41.52
what these things meant.
00:42:41.56\00:42:43.16
And he said to him,
'Your brother has come,
00:42:43.36\00:42:45.99
and because he has
received him safe and sound,
00:42:46.09\00:42:49.03
your father has
killed the fatted calf.'
00:42:49.23\00:42:52.27
But he was..." What, friends?
00:42:52.60\00:42:54.74
He was angry, the Bible says.
00:42:54.90\00:42:57.24
You mean to tell me he was angry
because his brother came home?
00:42:57.27\00:43:00.91
How can this be?
00:43:00.94\00:43:02.28
What was the problem?
Let's see what the Bible says.
00:43:02.51\00:43:04.85
"Therefore his father
came out and pleaded with him.
00:43:05.05\00:43:10.15
So he answered and
said to his father,
00:43:10.35\00:43:12.55
'Lo, these many years
I have been serving you;
00:43:12.59\00:43:15.76
I have never transgressed
your commandment at any time;
00:43:15.79\00:43:18.49
and yet you never
gave me a young goat,
00:43:18.53\00:43:21.76
that I might make
merry with my friends.
00:43:21.86\00:43:24.70
But as soon as this
son of yours came...'"
00:43:24.73\00:43:26.63
Notice, he didn't
call him his brother.
00:43:26.67\00:43:28.00
He said, "this son of yours."
00:43:28.04\00:43:29.37
Sometimes I'll
say that to my wife.
00:43:29.67\00:43:31.84
"This son of yours has
spilled milk on the floor."
00:43:32.11\00:43:34.51
Whatever, right?
00:43:34.54\00:43:35.88
And you detach yourself.
00:43:35.91\00:43:38.15
"'As soon as this son of
yours came, who has devoured
00:43:38.18\00:43:41.12
your livelihood with
harlots, you killed the
00:43:41.15\00:43:43.79
fatted calf for him.'
00:43:43.82\00:43:45.49
And he said to him,
'Son, you are always with me,
00:43:45.52\00:43:48.12
and all that I have is yours.
00:43:48.16\00:43:50.23
It was right that we
should make merry and be glad,
00:43:50.26\00:43:52.83
for your brother was
dead and is alive again,
00:43:52.86\00:43:55.40
and was lost and is now found.'"
00:43:55.60\00:43:59.23
This brother had
the exact same problem
00:43:59.87\00:44:04.54
as his other brother.
00:44:04.81\00:44:06.71
The other brother
left the father's house
00:44:08.04\00:44:11.61
in self-righteousness.
00:44:11.65\00:44:13.18
The other brother stayed in
the house in self-righteousness.
00:44:13.58\00:44:18.12
He says, "Lo, I have
served you all these years.
00:44:18.22\00:44:20.82
I have never
transgressed your commandment."
00:44:20.86\00:44:22.19
He's boasting his own
goodness before the father.
00:44:22.22\00:44:26.26
You see, friends, there are
prodigals that leave the church.
00:44:26.66\00:44:30.57
But there are prodigals
who stay in the church.
00:44:31.13\00:44:34.84
And there are those who
are desperate to know Jesus
00:44:35.00\00:44:39.51
and to experience
His transforming grace
00:44:39.54\00:44:42.21
in their lives who have
sat in the pews of the church
00:44:42.41\00:44:46.51
every Sabbath for decades.
00:44:46.55\00:44:49.28
And there are those same
people who will scoff at those
00:44:51.82\00:44:56.52
who leave the church,
and say, "Well, I guess
00:44:56.56\00:45:00.60
they didn't love
the truth enough."
00:45:00.90\00:45:03.30
Rather than going after them,
they will stand in their pride
00:45:03.83\00:45:07.27
and say, "Let them go.
00:45:07.30\00:45:09.94
He's not worthy to be here.
00:45:10.81\00:45:12.34
But I shall remain behind
and do the Father's will."
00:45:12.54\00:45:15.91
Right?
00:45:16.01\00:45:17.35
You know, I wonder if
that brother who had left
00:45:19.38\00:45:24.92
and come home, if he
overheard the conversation
00:45:24.95\00:45:27.69
between the
father and his brother.
00:45:27.72\00:45:30.13
You know, there's often times
that those within the church
00:45:31.66\00:45:34.86
will make hurtful
slightful comments to folks
00:45:35.13\00:45:39.57
who leave the church.
00:45:39.60\00:45:40.94
Is it not true?
00:45:40.97\00:45:42.30
How many of you
have had that experience.
00:45:42.34\00:45:43.67
Friends, if I left the
church because someone had said
00:45:43.77\00:45:46.78
something hurtful to me,
I would have left the church
00:45:46.81\00:45:49.38
hundreds of times.
00:45:49.41\00:45:50.81
But my eyes are
not upon the people,
00:45:51.45\00:45:53.65
my eyes are upon Jesus.
00:45:54.02\00:45:55.82
And I pray, and hope you'll pray
for me, that they'll stay there.
00:45:55.92\00:45:58.59
And I'll pray for you.
00:45:58.62\00:45:59.95
But friends, when we keep
our eyes locked upon Jesus,
00:46:00.02\00:46:02.96
it doesn't really matter
what people say, does it?
00:46:02.99\00:46:06.19
Now you know, I
find it interesting,
00:46:06.46\00:46:08.03
I want to talk just a
minute, just a second, to those
00:46:08.06\00:46:11.27
maybe who may be watching today,
00:46:11.57\00:46:13.27
or maybe some
may be visiting here,
00:46:13.30\00:46:14.84
who have left the church
and are staying at home and
00:46:14.87\00:46:18.41
not coming to the church.
00:46:18.44\00:46:19.77
I want to ask you a question.
00:46:20.11\00:46:21.61
Has anyone in your workplace...
00:46:21.91\00:46:24.75
...ever said
something negative to you?
00:46:26.55\00:46:28.62
Ever hurt your feelings?
Ever called you a name?
00:46:29.68\00:46:32.25
Ever said
something slightful to you?
00:46:32.29\00:46:34.16
But did you go back
to work the next day?
00:46:34.62\00:46:36.69
Yes or no?
00:46:37.86\00:46:39.19
Yes. Why is that?
00:46:39.23\00:46:40.56
Because you need what?
00:46:40.60\00:46:41.93
You need money. Right?
00:46:42.13\00:46:43.77
And you've got to
put food on the table.
00:46:44.10\00:46:45.67
But how much more do
we need our Father's care?
00:46:46.74\00:46:49.40
How much more do we need our
Father's blessing in His house?
00:46:50.21\00:46:53.64
And why would we go
back to work when we
00:46:53.74\00:46:55.61
wouldn't go back to church?
00:46:55.64\00:46:57.15
Why would we go back
to a sporting event where
00:46:57.35\00:46:59.68
people were maybe yelling
and angry with you or your kid
00:46:59.71\00:47:04.05
because you said
something or they messed up?
00:47:04.09\00:47:05.79
Why would people do
that and not come to church?
00:47:05.89\00:47:10.46
Any event, it
doesn't matter what it is.
00:47:10.49\00:47:12.59
You see, the church is
a hospital for sinners,
00:47:15.63\00:47:19.27
not a hotel for saints.
00:47:19.87\00:47:21.80
God is working out His
perfect will within us.
00:47:22.30\00:47:25.07
So if you thought, "Oh,
I got my feelings hurt,"
00:47:25.11\00:47:27.11
you should have been in
with the twelve disciples
00:47:27.14\00:47:29.14
when they walked with Jesus.
00:47:29.18\00:47:30.71
Man, they tore each
other up all the time.
00:47:30.75\00:47:33.05
They were like,
"I'm going to be first."
00:47:33.62\00:47:34.95
"No, I'm going to be first.
00:47:34.98\00:47:36.32
You've got this
problem, that problem.
00:47:36.35\00:47:37.69
I'm going to be first."
00:47:37.72\00:47:39.05
And then, that would
have been enough to make
00:47:39.09\00:47:40.72
anybody leave the church, right?
00:47:40.76\00:47:42.36
So people are not
perfect, but Jesus is.
00:47:42.76\00:47:45.03
And He's going to bring
us into His perfection, amen?
00:47:45.06\00:47:48.36
He's going to bring us there.
00:47:48.40\00:47:49.90
Now I want to say this.
00:47:50.33\00:47:51.67
That the Father is
seeking, friends, He is seeking
00:47:51.70\00:47:56.81
very vehemently to bring
His children back together.
00:47:57.11\00:48:03.98
Now I'm not talking about
what we talked about last night.
00:48:04.51\00:48:06.61
We talked about last night the
ecumenical movement globally.
00:48:06.65\00:48:10.25
That's not what
I'm talking about.
00:48:10.29\00:48:11.62
I'm talking about
the remnant church.
00:48:11.65\00:48:13.29
Those who have left
and those who are behind,
00:48:13.46\00:48:16.19
He's seeking to
bring those folk back.
00:48:16.22\00:48:20.30
Just last month
our church organized.
00:48:20.90\00:48:23.47
And we went out and
did a visitation of folks
00:48:23.50\00:48:27.87
that had not been
to the church in years.
00:48:28.07\00:48:30.11
And you would be amazed
at the stories we heard.
00:48:30.97\00:48:33.58
But you would also
be amazed at the miracle
00:48:33.88\00:48:36.51
that God touched
people's heart, and they said,
00:48:36.54\00:48:39.58
"Because someone visited
me, I'm coming back to church."
00:48:39.61\00:48:43.52
Friends, as those who remain, as
the elder brother in the church,
00:48:44.35\00:48:48.26
we need to be
reaching out to those
00:48:48.29\00:48:50.33
who have left,
amen, to come back.
00:48:50.56\00:48:52.79
There are some people
who have left, and they
00:48:52.83\00:48:55.03
don't have the
story of the prodigal son.
00:48:55.06\00:48:56.97
But they've been faithful.
00:48:57.00\00:48:58.33
They've been watching
3ABN and Amazing Facts,
00:48:58.40\00:49:00.90
and all the other networks.
00:49:00.94\00:49:02.37
They've been faithful.
00:49:02.54\00:49:03.87
But friend's,
I've got to say this.
00:49:03.91\00:49:05.57
That Jesus always loves us no
matter where we are, doesn't He?
00:49:05.67\00:49:09.31
And His arms are
always outstretched to us.
00:49:09.48\00:49:13.68
But He doesn't just
want us in His arms,
00:49:13.88\00:49:16.69
He wants us in His house.
00:49:16.72\00:49:19.19
He wants us in His church.
00:49:20.02\00:49:22.39
And to stay at home
separated from the body of God,
00:49:22.69\00:49:26.46
the body of Christ,
is no good for anybody.
00:49:26.49\00:49:29.50
We must be willing to forgive,
on both sides of the spectrum.
00:49:29.53\00:49:34.87
And those who have
been away need to come home.
00:49:35.54\00:49:39.84
What do you say today, friends?
00:49:39.87\00:49:41.44
He is compassionate.
00:49:42.01\00:49:43.35
You can see in the
story He is compassionate
00:49:43.38\00:49:46.35
to both brothers.
00:49:46.88\00:49:49.25
Are you thankful for that?
00:49:49.98\00:49:51.32
I want to make a
special appeal this morning.
00:49:53.96\00:49:57.79
That those who are
in the Father's house...
00:49:59.49\00:50:02.90
...would make a
decision today...
00:50:05.53\00:50:07.64
...not to trust in our
own self-righteousness,
00:50:10.01\00:50:13.88
not to trust in
our own goodness,
00:50:14.64\00:50:17.38
but to look only unto
Jesus who is our only hope
00:50:18.05\00:50:23.05
and our only opportunity
to have true righteousness
00:50:23.32\00:50:27.62
before the Father.
00:50:27.89\00:50:29.22
I'm appealing to you
today to make that decision
00:50:30.73\00:50:33.13
to lay down your own filthy
rags of self-righteousness,
00:50:33.16\00:50:37.13
to lay down your pride.
00:50:37.17\00:50:39.17
And maybe someone
who's in the church today
00:50:39.20\00:50:42.20
has hurt and spoken words to
someone who's left the church;
00:50:42.24\00:50:48.04
put down your pride today
and seek to bring them home.
00:50:48.24\00:50:54.92
Go to them and apologize.
00:50:55.15\00:50:57.89
Go to them and ask forgiveness.
00:50:57.92\00:50:59.85
Even if you think that
you are not in the wrong,
00:50:59.89\00:51:03.26
friends, it doesn't
matter in the eyes of eternity.
00:51:03.36\00:51:06.26
There will be lots of people
who will be outside that city
00:51:06.29\00:51:10.17
who are faithful
members of God's church.
00:51:13.00\00:51:15.80
I don't say, "faithful."
00:51:16.10\00:51:17.44
Who are members,
baptized members, I should say;
00:51:17.47\00:51:19.24
not faithful.
00:51:19.27\00:51:20.61
If you're faithful, you'll
be inside the city, right?
00:51:20.64\00:51:22.01
But there will be many on
the outside who attended church
00:51:23.04\00:51:25.95
faithful every week.
00:51:25.98\00:51:27.55
Secondly, those who
have been in God's house
00:51:30.82\00:51:36.26
who have driven people away,
00:51:37.89\00:51:39.59
who have had wrong
attitudes, who have had...
00:51:39.93\00:51:43.20
And we all know
those folk, don't we?
00:51:43.23\00:51:45.10
And we all know those
folk, and we can point
00:51:46.53\00:51:48.04
them out sometimes.
00:51:48.07\00:51:49.40
But sometimes God shows us the
mirror, and He helps us realize
00:51:49.44\00:51:52.61
that we were the ones with
the bad attitude, doesn't He?
00:51:52.64\00:51:55.14
We need to have our
arms open wide in love,
00:51:56.41\00:51:59.15
and we need
repentance in our lives.
00:52:00.62\00:52:02.82
Because God will only
pour out the Holy Spirit
00:52:03.99\00:52:07.36
when His people get on
their knees and pour their
00:52:07.79\00:52:12.03
hearts out to Him
asking Him, pleading with Him,
00:52:12.06\00:52:15.13
begging Him to
transform their hearts by the
00:52:15.16\00:52:19.30
power of the Holy Spirit.
00:52:19.33\00:52:20.90
We need revival in the
church, do we not, friends?
00:52:21.34\00:52:23.97
We see people leaving
the church left and right.
00:52:24.01\00:52:26.24
And that doesn't
mean the church is bad.
00:52:26.27\00:52:29.11
The church is
good, the truth is good.
00:52:29.14\00:52:31.21
We've got issues in
the church, but Jesus
00:52:31.25\00:52:33.48
is going to
cleanse His bride. Amen?
00:52:33.52\00:52:36.05
He's going to
work these things out.
00:52:36.25\00:52:37.75
And the bride is going to stand
tall and firm and beautiful
00:52:37.92\00:52:41.99
before He comes back.
00:52:42.26\00:52:43.76
So it is not a good idea to
jump out of the ship, right?
00:52:43.96\00:52:47.90
Because you're going to sink.
There's no live saving boat.
00:52:48.06\00:52:50.60
The boat is it.
00:52:50.63\00:52:51.97
Jesus called the people
through Noah onto the boat.
00:52:52.00\00:52:54.90
And that was the
only life saving avenue.
00:52:54.94\00:52:57.14
Now we're not saved by the
church, but when we're saved
00:52:57.17\00:52:59.51
we ought to be
in the church. Amen?
00:52:59.54\00:53:01.38
We need not leave.
00:53:02.68\00:53:04.01
But we need repentance, we
need renewal, we need revival.
00:53:04.05\00:53:06.78
We need the Holy Spirit to
work in us like never before.
00:53:06.82\00:53:10.42
We need a revival like
they had in the book of Acts,
00:53:10.62\00:53:14.32
where God's people
are hungry and passionate
00:53:15.19\00:53:18.09
for His presence in their
life and they have a burden
00:53:18.13\00:53:21.26
to reach lost souls.
00:53:21.46\00:53:24.00
Do you have that
burden here today, friends?
00:53:24.43\00:53:26.77
Jesus wants to give it to you.
00:53:26.97\00:53:28.77
Now the next
appeal I have is for those
00:53:30.51\00:53:34.38
who are the prodigal son,
00:53:35.28\00:53:36.88
who have been wandering away
and have been feeding the pigs.
00:53:37.88\00:53:42.32
And maybe you've
reached a point in your life
00:53:44.05\00:53:46.52
where that
emptiness is too much to bear.
00:53:48.12\00:53:50.49
It's too heavy to carry.
00:53:50.83\00:53:52.39
And you have no strength within
yourself to leave that pigpen.
00:53:52.69\00:53:58.00
But you hear the voice of Jesus
today, and He's calling you.
00:53:58.83\00:54:02.07
He's calling you back home.
00:54:02.34\00:54:03.74
He's calling with compassion,
and you sense His Spirit
00:54:03.77\00:54:07.11
talking to you, and you
say, "I want to come home.
00:54:07.14\00:54:11.25
I want to come back."
00:54:11.95\00:54:13.31
There are many today, I believe,
who fit this description,
00:54:14.08\00:54:19.09
who have been
wandering for some time, but you
00:54:19.19\00:54:21.39
sense Jesus calling you home.
00:54:21.42\00:54:22.86
Would you make the
decision this morning
00:54:22.89\00:54:25.13
to say, "Yes,
Jesus, I'm coming home."
00:54:25.83\00:54:29.23
You may not have been
to the church in 30 years,
00:54:30.13\00:54:32.60
or you might have been sitting
in the church every Sabbath
00:54:32.63\00:54:34.70
for the past 30 years
but wandering in your heart,
00:54:34.74\00:54:37.37
and you say, "Lord
Jesus, I'm coming back."
00:54:38.37\00:54:40.94
Whatever your condition
is, I'm appealing to you today
00:54:41.24\00:54:44.81
to make the
decision now to come home.
00:54:44.85\00:54:48.55
And my last appeal is this.
00:54:49.68\00:54:51.95
There may be some
who have left the church,
00:54:53.05\00:54:55.69
and especially our friends
who are watching online today,
00:54:55.79\00:54:59.46
you may have left the
church, but you still believe
00:54:59.89\00:55:02.90
in the truth, you still
love the Lord, but you have not
00:55:02.93\00:55:06.87
been a part of God's people.
00:55:06.90\00:55:08.90
You have been
away from God's church.
00:55:08.94\00:55:11.61
Jesus, as I said, He
has His arms wide open,
00:55:11.97\00:55:15.34
but He doesn't just
want you in His arms.
00:55:15.38\00:55:17.25
He wants you in His house.
00:55:17.35\00:55:18.85
And you sense the call this
morning that He's calling you
00:55:18.88\00:55:22.12
back to church.
00:55:22.15\00:55:23.79
And you may say, "Oh, but you
know, to go back to the church
00:55:23.82\00:55:26.69
means I have to face
those people that hurt me."
00:55:26.72\00:55:30.46
Don't fear.
00:55:30.83\00:55:32.43
Because there is the Father,
and He's calling you back.
00:55:32.53\00:55:35.80
And He will deal with
that brother who's hurt you.
00:55:35.93\00:55:38.63
And He wants to
have reconciliation.
00:55:38.77\00:55:41.50
He wants to have healing,
He wants to have blessing,
00:55:41.60\00:55:44.74
and He's
calling you back to Him.
00:55:44.77\00:55:46.98
Just like that young
lady, Shalynn, she said,
00:55:47.18\00:55:49.71
when she left the church,
she said, "I will never go back
00:55:49.84\00:55:54.32
to the Adventist church."
00:55:54.35\00:55:55.68
Maybe some of you
today have said that.
00:55:55.72\00:55:57.05
And you've been watching 3ABN,
you've been loving the Lord,
00:55:57.09\00:55:59.72
but God is calling you.
00:55:59.75\00:56:01.46
And friends, let me say
that in these final moments
00:56:01.49\00:56:05.19
of earth's history, we have
no time to be messing around.
00:56:05.23\00:56:10.63
We saw from last
night's presentation
00:56:11.20\00:56:13.57
that we are on
the verge of eternity.
00:56:13.74\00:56:15.54
And Jesus is calling
all His children home.
00:56:15.57\00:56:20.01
If you fit that
description, friend, would you
00:56:21.04\00:56:23.01
not make the decision
today, would you not hear the
00:56:23.04\00:56:26.68
voice of Jesus and
come, would you not yield your
00:56:26.72\00:56:29.28
will to Him and lay down
anything that would separate
00:56:29.32\00:56:33.36
you from coming back, and
say, "Jesus, I'm coming back.
00:56:33.39\00:56:37.16
Take me by the
hand and lead me home."
00:56:37.19\00:56:39.83
Wherever you are, friends,
whether you're watching here
00:56:40.40\00:56:42.80
or whether you are
here in our local audience,
00:56:43.23\00:56:45.93
if you fit any of
these descriptions,
00:56:46.60\00:56:49.10
if you find yourself being the
prodigal or the older brother
00:56:49.50\00:56:53.34
in any capacity, would you
not follow the voice of Christ
00:56:53.38\00:56:57.55
and come home?
00:56:59.15\00:57:00.48
Come to Jesus, because He
wants you, He longs for you,
00:57:01.38\00:57:06.39
and His arms are
stretched out for you.
00:57:06.69\00:57:08.66
Friend, would that be
your decision this morning?
00:57:08.99\00:57:10.99
Would you make that
decision? Say, "Yes, Jesus."
00:57:11.19\00:57:13.70
Those of you watching,
would you raise your hands today
00:57:13.90\00:57:15.80
just indicating to Jesus
your decision as we pray.
00:57:15.83\00:57:18.63
Father in heaven, this morning
we long to be in Your presence,
00:57:18.67\00:57:22.67
we long to be on Your house.
00:57:22.70\00:57:24.47
We ask You to
draw near to us today.
00:57:24.67\00:57:27.14
And wherever we are,
friends, wherever we are, Lord,
00:57:27.18\00:57:30.05
whoever is out there
in any capacity, Lord,
00:57:30.08\00:57:32.58
would You bring them
home, back to Your church?
00:57:32.61\00:57:35.95
And we ask You to do this
by the power of Your grace
00:57:36.15\00:57:39.45
and the might of Your Spirit.
00:57:39.49\00:57:40.82
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:57:40.86\00:57:42.92