Well, it's good to see you this
evening. How thankful that we have this
time to come together and to consider God's Word. I'm going
to ask you to take your Bibles and turn with me to the book
of Luke, chapter 15. Luke, chapter 15. Very familiar passage of Scripture. I'm going to consider verses
11 to 32, concerning the third part of
a parable, one parable, about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and
a lost son. But before we consider it, let's
ask our Lord's blessing. Our Father, we thank you this
evening for this precious time to come together to look into
your word. Lord, I ask your blessing upon
the preaching of the gospel. I pray, Lord, that if you be
pleased, that you might bring forth fruit wrought by the preaching
of the truth. Thank you for this place. Thank
you for raising up an assembly and keeping us here all these
years. Forgive us where we failed you
for Christ's sake. Amen. In Luke chapter 15, in verses
1, 2, and 3, The scripture sets forth, then
drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes
murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto
them, saying, So this one parable It's got three parts, one parable. But the part that I'd like to
consider is that latter part, starting in verse 11. And the
scripture says, and he said, a certain man had two sons. Two men. One of them we'll find
to be an object of God's mercy. The other one, a religionist,
a tare, a mere professor of being one. But two sons, two sons,
that's what the Lord said, two men that belong to God, by creation
for sure. One of them, one of them in grace,
but two sons. Ezekiel 18.4 says, Behold, all
souls are mine. as the soul of the father, so
also the soul of the son is mine, the soul that sinneth, it shall
die." Does the Lord have the right to do with His own as He
pleases? Yes, He does. Does God have the
right out of one lump, one lump, to make one vessel unto honor,
another unto dishonor? Yes, He does. Verse 12 said,
in the younger of them, said to his father, Father, give me
the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them
his living. Now man by nature, now here is
a picture of man's true natural desire. He has no love for God's
presence. He has no respect for God's authority. He has no longing for God's fellowship. Man by nature fancies himself
able, capable, wise enough. I can handle it. I can handle
my life. So the scripture says, he says,
give me My portion. Give me what's coming to me.
And not many days after, the younger gathered all together
and took his journey into a far country and there wasted his
substance with riotous living. Wasted his substance. Actually,
it comes from a word that means wasted his being. Wasted his
life in riotous living. That is living without saving
anything. That's the definition of it.
Riotous living. No saving. None whatsoever. Man alienated from God. Man rebelling against God. Man by his own decision. If you leave a man to a decision,
this is what he's going to decide. I'll not have this man rule over
me. Man by nature is the greatest waster. Wasted his life, wasted
his being, wasted his substance in riotous living, saved nothing. Man is a dead rebel against God
by nature. Scripture says, verse 14, when
he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land
and he began to be in want. Sin strips a man of everything. No knowledge of God, no righteousness
to stand before God, no strength, no will, there's none good. No, not one. He began to be in
want. Now, up until this time now,
just a few minutes, you know, we've looked at this scripture
before. He's going to come to himself, but not yet, not yet.
He began to be in want, not awakened spiritually, but conscious of
a need to reform. He's now spent everything he's
got. He's got nothing. You let a man
or woman be reduced to having nothing and I'm telling you what
they're going to do. I'm in dire straits. I need to reform. I need to straighten up my life.
You let a man, let a woman, by nature, find themselves in trouble. And you know what they're going
to do? They're going to try to get in church. Well, we're going
to have to get this thing right. We're going to have to clean
up our act. I might have to get right with God. Man has a conscience. And he knows. He knows right
from wrong. And this boy began to be in want,
disgusted with himself. So what did he do? He went and
joined himself to a citizen of that country. And he sent him
into his fields to feed swine. Now it doesn't say what profession
this citizen of that country was, but I can tell you this.
It was of the world. It was of that country. It wasn't
of the place where he left, where his father was. And he joined
himself, he glued himself to it. A lot of the commentators
referred to this man being a citizen, being a false preacher, and he
may have been. That may have been it. But whatever
it was, this boy glued himself and he was sent out to work in
the lowest of jobs. He was reduced to nothing and
given a job to get out and feed the swine, a fit type at least. of man-centered religion, feeding
swine. The scripture says in verse 16,
he would fain have filled his belly with the husk that the
swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. A starving man will
eat anything, but man by nature, left to himself, does not realize
what he's eating is death. You let a man sit under a false
gospel, not hearing the truth. swine food. And I'm telling you,
he would feign, scripture says that word feign is lusted after. That's what he desired. If this
is a picture of false religion, and I think it probably is. He feigned, he desired to fill
his belly, his heart with hog food, swine food, lies. an impure animal to a Jew and
no man gave unto him, I thought this was really interesting,
no man pitied his poverty. Men by nature say that they love
men and want to do the best for them, preach a false gospel to
them because they love them. The scripture says, no man pitied
his poverty. I know what men say concerning
the gospel of free grace. They set forth, they say, well
you people are just trying to get just a few. You just don't
want everybody. You just want a few. No, what
we're preaching is what God says. And we believe in God. God's
going to save his people. God's going to save his elect.
But I'm telling you, I truly desire, I truly desire that God
might be pleased according to His will and His purpose to produce
fruit from the preaching of the gospel. I pray God have mercy
on my family, your family. I pray God save His people. No
man pitied Him. Scripture says in verse 17, and
when He came to Himself, He said, how many hired servants of my
father's have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger. Now, here is without a doubt
the first light of grace. Here Almighty God in power comes
and gives a man, gives a woman a new heart. He came to himself. You know, I tell you, an unregenerate
is beside himself. He's dead. He's blind spiritually,
he's stubborn in his will, always choosing evil, alienated from
God, but when God the Holy Spirit comes to a sinner in mercy, he
brings him down. And let me tell you what this
boy, this boy left arrogantly. That's what he did. Give me what's
coming to me, I'm gone. I'm out of here. That's man by
nature. But when Almighty God shows mercy,
brings a man to come to himself. You know how you know it? He
brings him down in his estimation of himself. Listen to his wording.
He came to himself and said, how many hired servants of my
father's have bread enough to spare and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father
and saying to Him, Father, I've sinned against heaven and before
Thee, and am no more worthy to be called Thy Son. Make me as
one of Thy hired servants. Now here's a heart made willing
in the day of God's power, a heart of confession and a realization
of no goodness. I have nothing whatsoever to
offer back to my Father for reconciliation. The only thing that I can ask
for is mercy. In regenerating grace, God by
the Holy Spirit comes mysteriously and gives a man, gives a woman
a new heart, a new mind, a new love, a new desire. And here
the Father, spiritually speaking, draws this boy. Now listen to
this, John 6, verse 44. No man can come to me except
the Father which has sent me draw him. I will raise him up
at the last day. How did I come to myself? How
did you come to yourself? God Almighty had to give you
a heart for that. The Scripture says, and he arose, verse 20,
and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way
off, his father saw him, had compassion, ran, 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. word, especially of those two
verses, demands careful study. We could stay right here, but
considering the fullness of that scripture right there, there's
one beautiful thought. Behold the mercy of God. Here was a father that saw this
son a great way off. How far did Almighty God see
us in rebellion? A great way off from Him. And
the Scripture says His Father, I love this, I'm going to keep
going, but He arose, He came to His Father. This is a son,
a rebellious son, but that was His Father. We fell in Adam,
but I'm telling you, all chosen in Christ. They're sons. They're sheep. They're beloved.
And He's our Father. We don't know it until He gives
us a new heart, new eyes to see. But the scripture says, when
He was yet a great way off, His Father saw Him, had compassion,
and ran. I looked at that word again this
morning, and I think how the Spirit of God Put those words
exactly in that. And we so often, I do, I'm trying
to pray or call upon the Lord and it's like I have to think
to myself, God Almighty is a God of mercy to his people. Christ
has put away their guilt. Reconciliation by his choice,
his work, And he ran, the scripture says, ran to this boy and fell
on his neck and kissed him. And while he was falling on his
neck and kissing him, the son in verse 24 said, he was trying
to talk, and he said, I've sinned against heaven. That father is
kissing that boy and caressing him. He's so glad to see him.
I've sinned against heaven and in my sight I'm no more worthy
to be called thy son. That repentant never gets past
repenting. You that know him, let me ask
you this. Have you ever repented enough. Have you ever ceased to desire
to admit, I don't deserve the mercy that God's shown me? We
continually call upon the Lord, thanking Him, blessing Him, praise
Him, Lord have mercy upon me. Jeremiah 31, verse 18 and 19,
I'll read this, I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself
thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised as a bullock,
unaccustomed to the yoke. Turn thou me, and I shall be
turned, for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was
turned." Notice this, after I was turned. I repented. After I was instructed, I smote
upon my thigh. I was ashamed, yea, even confounded,
because I did bear the reproach of my youth." Back in Luke 15,
22 to 24, but the father said to his servants, bring forth
the best rope. I wonder if this boy had ever
stopped trying to talk to his dad. and tell him, I'm not worthy
to be here. Bring the best robe. Put it on
him. Put a ring on his hand, shoes
on his feet. Bring hither the fatted calf
and kill it. Let us eat and be merry for this
my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. They began to be merry. We consider the beauty of these
scriptures Here's a rebel, a sinner, regenerated by grace. First thing,
he's brought to see himself. Cries out in his heart for mercy. It never stops. And realizes
that while he's beseeching the Father, Father have mercy upon
me. You rode that boy. Father, I'm
not worthy to be called your son anymore. Put a ring on his
hand. This is a true son of a household
of faith. This is my chosen. This is my
elect. Put shoes on his feet, shod with
the preparation of the gospel, and kill that fatty calf, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the blood that covers a multitude of sins. Truly, a sinner. is a dead soul. A rebel against
God is a dead soul, but a regenerated soul is resurrection from the
dead. This is my son. This is my son. He was dead. He's alive again. He was lost and found and then
began to be married. Now that's where generally where
we stop right there. It's just a boy rebelled against
his father. He goes into the country. brought
to nothing, brought to himself, comes back and the Father receives
him. But that's not where the Lord stopped. The scripture says
in verse 25, now his elder son was in the field. And as he came
and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants
and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, thy brother
is come, and thy father hath killed the fatty calf, because
he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, would
not go in. Therefore came his father out
and intruded him. He answering said to his father,
lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I
at any time thy commandment. And yet thou never gavest me
a kid that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon
as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with
harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatty calf. And he said
unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have
is thine. It was meat that we should make
merry, and be glad. For this thy brother was dead,
and is alive, and was lost, and is found." Now this elder's son,
now remember who our Lord was speaking to. He was speaking
to publicans and sinners, and Pharisees that murmured mad. Why? Because he ate with sinners.
He ate with sinners, not people like us. He ate with rebels against
Him, murmured against Him. And here's this elder son, and
the Lord is speaking and revealing what they are. Here's this elder
son, not in grace, but according to his profession, he was a son. Man by nature, a religionist,
claimed to be a son, based on their profession, sons of God. The Lord told him, he said, if
you were the children of God, you'd love me. You'd believe
me. You'd believe Moses. Moses spoke
of me. If God were your father, you
claim he is. He's not. The scripture says,
his elder son was in the field. Nothing wrong with hard work,
but the picture that set forth. He was out there working, setting
forth that his efforts is what merited his right standing. Here's this parable, spiritual.
The scripture says that he's out there in the field and he
came and drew nigh to the house, but you notice he didn't go in.
He'll come near and he hears the music and the dancing. There's
some rejoicing going on. There was a lost son that came
to himself and was brought back powerfully, made willing in the
day of God's power. And he heard the music and the
dancing. The distinctive sounds of joy,
and mercy, and recovery, and reconciliation, as when the gospel
is preached. This music, it was distinctive. When the gospel is preached,
there's a distinctive sound. Man is ruined by the fall. Let me be plain here. There's
none righteous, no not one. Christ laid down his life for
the sheep. That's distinctive. When the
Spirit of God comes in power, it's irresistible power. God
gives a man, a woman, a new heart. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. There's nothing wishy-washy about
this. Man by nature preaches a message that leaves everything
in the hands of man. Oh, won't you come. Won't you
give Jesus your heart? He wants to save you if He can.
That's so pitiful. That's not the God we serve.
This boy, he heard the music and the dancing, and then the
scripture says he called one of the servants and asked what
these things meant. He was ignorant. ignorant of
the truth, ignorant of the beauty of grace. His daddy had shown
mercy and compassion to that son, and he couldn't perceive
that. What does all this mean? What's
going on? How can there be mercy and acceptance? Except I've been out working,
and the Scripture says, and he said unto him, Thy brothers come,
and thy father hath killed a fatty calf, because he hath received
him safe and sound. Thy brother, one dug out of the
same pit, just like you, he's come. He's willing. Come to the Father. He's come
to thy father. That's what he says. Thy brother
is coming, thy father. hath killed the fatty calf."
Again, Father by creation for sure, and Father by His profession,
but not in grace. He won't come in. And Father
has killed the fatty calf. Oh, that blessed setting forth
of substitution. Your brother that was reduced
to poverty, that alienated himself, By grace, He's come to Himself. And your Father has restored
His fellowship. And now He feasts on the true
bread of heaven. God saves sinners by grace, apart
from any works of righteousness. This boy was lost and now he's
found. And the Scripture says, your
Father has received him safe and sound, has recovered him. That's what it means, received.
Your Father has recovered him safe and sound. He's forgiven.
He's robed in the righteousness of Christ. Possesses a heart
of oneness with the Father. And the Scripture says in verse
28, and he was angry. He wouldn't go in. Therefore
came his father out and entreated him." Now this is coming out
of the father. I think about this. This scripture
right here sets forth so much light on that. Israel by and
large was rebellious. Israel, by and large, rejected
the Lord Jesus Christ. There were some. There were some,
according to the election of grace in Israel. Paul said, I
was one of them. But look at Hebrews 1.1. Let
me just read this to you. The father, he wouldn't go in,
but the father came out. Listen. God, who at sundry times
and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by
the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made
the world." God sent the prophets, sent the prophets, gave them
the law, gave them the types and figures, that tabernacle
in the wilderness, that mercy seat, the brazen altar. They
wouldn't go in, but Almighty God came out and left them without
excuse. But then Scripture says he heard
of mercy, he heard of grace, and he was angry. He wouldn't
go in, therefore came his father out and entreated him. And answering
in verse 29, he said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve
thee. Neither transgressed I at any
time thy commandment, and yet thou never gavest me a kid that
I might make merry with my friends. I, I never, I did, I did this,
I did that. Man by nature sees himself as
deserving of honor. And he's angry with God Almighty
who shows mercy apart from works. That's why he was mad. He was
mad because this father showed particular mercy to a rebel. He was mad. He doesn't deserve
that. I deserve it. He don't deserve
it. I've been faithful. But listen to this. You talk
about condemning his own self. Listen to the words in verse
30. But as soon as this thy son, want him on him as a brother,
As soon as this, thy son was come, which hath devoured thy
living with harlots." Just a moment ago as I was reading that, as
I was reading this scripture a moment ago, this hit me right
here. Here was this boy, you know what he's accused his daddy
of? Not being able to continually sustain with his substance. His family. He has devoured thy
living with hunger. He's spent everything you've
got. I'm going to tell you something. The earth is the Lord's and the
fullness thereof. The cattle of a thousand hills
are His. All that He has ever created
is His. It's His. He's devoured. He brought
you to nothing. Our God is in the heavens, and
he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. And I'm telling you,
he has not been devoured to nothing. You take a rebel like me or like
you, you think that we would devour God's inheritance, God's
wealth, by redeeming a sinner? As soon as this thy son, won't
even call him a brother, which hath devoured thy living with
harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatty calf." Never a
truer statement made. Particular redemption. You killed
for him. Not for himself, not for this
boy. He was confessing out of his mouth that the Father had
shown mercy. You killed for him the fatty
calf. Verse 31, He said unto him, Son,
thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It's meet,
it's fit that we should make merry and be glad, for this thy
brother was dead, and is alive again, was lost, and is found. Now here in closing, this worldly
son received exactly what he wanted. an earthly lot, the fatness
of the earth. He was working, thought he was
worthy, just like Esau. That's what Esau got, the fatness
of the earth. No mention of spiritual things,
no awakenings, no power of sin. Truly, this rebellious boy was
a son by creation. but not in adoption and grace. Felt himself worthy, never acknowledged
himself to be a rebel. All he did was claim his honor. I'm worthy. You're wrong. I'm
right. You showed mercy and you shouldn't
have. I deserved it and you didn't
do it for me. I'm telling you, every sinner that God Almighty
shows mercy to is going to be brought down. It was meet, it
was fit that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother
was dead, alive, lost and found. I pray that God Almighty bring
this sinner down. May almighty God be pleased to
ever show mercy to me. May I not be left to myself for
Christ's sake.