Let's take our Bibles once again
and turn back to that passage that Brother Sammy just read
in Luke. Our Lord taught in parables. And this parable, one parable, Sometimes we think it's three
parables, just one parable. And Scripture says that this
parable was spoken to two different groups of people. Luke 15, verse
1 says, "...then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners
for to hear him." That's one group that heard Him. And then
there was another group there, it was the Pharisees and scribes. And they came to murmur. And this is the reason they were
murmuring, well, this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. Associates with sinners. I'd like to consider, though
this is one parable, lost sheep, lost coin, lost son. And really all the parts make
up the mercy of Almighty God in the salvation of His people.
There's a lost sheep that set forth Mercy and power of Almighty
God go out. Find that sheep lost. I love
when Brother Sammy read and said in Luke 1 verse 5, said that
he went out, he'd lost a sheep and said when he had found it,
it didn't say And if he found it, he was going to lay it on
his shoulders if he found it. No. No, when he found it, he
always does. Power of God found his sheep. There was a lost coin. That's
all God's elect, lost coin. You know what it's doing? Nothing. It's just laying there. One why
it didn't appeal to its own flesh, will. Why, you say, it was just
a dead coin. Yeah. How was it found? A woman took that candle, that
light, you know, through the preaching of the gospel. The
light of God's revelation in Christ, she found it. Then there's
one about a lost boy. Now, I'd like to take out of
that parable and consider just that part of it, that lost son. Scripture says, verse 11, a certain
man had two sons. Now, so we'll understand. I want to let everybody understand. He's talking to publicans and
sinners. He's talking to Pharisees, scribes. These are the two sons. All souls
are mine. All souls are mine. Men by creation all belong to
God, God. Now some of them, God's been
pleased to show mercy. Don't call them out of darkness,
but I can tell you something. All souls are mine. The soul
that sinneth is going to die. God been pleased to show mercy
to son. God has an elect. We know that. This is the reason we're not
consumed. Because God has been pleased to show mercy to son.
Certain man had two sons. And the Scripture says, verse
12, 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. I'm sorry, not many days after
the younger son gathered all together and took his journey
into a far country. There wasted his substance with
riotous living. Now, you know what this is a
picture of. Here's man in the fall. Here's a picture of the object
of God's mercy. You know what's going to happen.
Let me tell you something, all we like sheep have gone astray.
We've turned every one of us to our own way. Lord laid on
him the iniquity of us all, of his people. But I tell you what
this boy did, he took a journey, a journey of rebellion into a
far country. Who did the alienating? Who left? I did. Give me what's coming
to me. I'll take of that fruit. I'm
going to know good and evil. I'm going to be like gods. Give
it to me. Man died. Rebellion. And the Scripture
says, and he went into a far country, and there wasted his
substance. The word substance there comes
from a root word that means being or life. Man by nature has wasted
his being, wasted his life in riotous living. Riotous living. Look up the meaning of that one.
You know what it means? He saved nothing. He has saved
nothing. Wasted His being. He spent all. Arose a mighty
famine, verse 14, in that land and He began to be in want. Now
sin has stripped man or woman of everything of worth. This is what man by nature has. Being found fallen in Adam, this
is what a man has. This is what he's got. No knowledge
of God. No righteousness. No strength. No love for God. No love for
God's gospel. No love for God's Christ. There's
none good. There's nothing. He's wasted
his substance in riotous living and began to be in want. Oh, I tell you this, man in Adam
is in want. Wasted it all. And let me tell
you how dead we are. We don't care. We don't care. We have nothing. And man thinks
he has everything. And he went, the Scripture says,
verse 15, and joined himself to a citizen of that country. I thought about it. I wonder
who that was. Scripture doesn't say who it was. But I can tell
you who it was. I know this. It's everybody just
like me. It's helpless. It's anybody that cannot satisfy. That's a citizen. Is it a false
preacher? Could be. Man by nature, you
know, this boy right here, he wasted all of his living, began
to be in war. You know, man has a, he has a
conscience. He has a conscience. know right
and wrong. There's a conscience in a man
that knows right and wrong. And man by nature, if this citizen
right here is a false preacher, you know what he's going to do?
I'm going to have to reform. I'm going to have to straighten
up and fly right. I'm going to have to turn over
a new leaf. I'm going to have to get back
in church. You know, we're going to have to, you know, I'm going
to have to do something. But man by nature, is in want,
and thinks he can fix it. So he goes and he joins himself
to this citizen in that far country, alienated from his father, because
he wanted to. He sent him into the country,
into his fields, I'm sorry, to feed his swine, and he would
feign That word he feigned, he lusted after. He would feign,
he loved it. You think of that word being,
you know, you say, well, I don't want to eat this, but I'm going
to eat it anyway. The word means he lusted after
it. He would feign, have filled his
belly with a husk that the swine did eat, with the lice. Remember,
this boy is still unconverted. Man by nature does not hate false
religion. He loves it. He glories in it. Why? Because it gives me some
glory. I didn't do much, but at least
I believed. You didn't, I did. He would fain
have filled his heart, his soul, his belly, with a husk that the
swine did eat. And no man gave unto him." That
means no man pitied his poverty. No man pitied his poverty. Let me tell you something. Man
by nature, especially false preachers that tell people, I love people.
No, you don't. No, you don't. Man that loves
knows God, loves the hearts, desires for the salvation of
people. A man that truly loves will tell
you the truth. A man that'll lie to you doesn't
love you. Now let me ask you something, you men or you women,
either way, you that love your spouses and can lie to them, you know
what you're saying? I don't care what you think.
I don't care. A man that loves is truthful. Truth may hurt, but it's truthful. No man pitied him. No man had
any affection. No man gave unto him. And here's
this boy, alienated himself. He's out there in the far country.
And by the grace of God, the candle of God's Spirit, that
woman that was looking for that coin. The Spirit of God comes
in power, and the Scripture says in verse 17, and when He came
to Himself, how did He come to Himself? By His own ability? When Almighty God, when it pleased
Him, God came in mercy and grace and that boy for the first time
that was beside himself came to himself. God Almighty in mercy
came and shined the light of the glorious gospel in power. The gospel didn't come in word
only but in power and in much assurance And for the first time in that
boy's life, he came to himself and he said, I'm hungry. I'm perishing of hunger. How
many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare and
I perish with hunger. I've been eating hogslaw. and loving it. I forsook, I forsook the only
one that ever loved me. I forsook my Father. I left Him and by made willing in the day of God's
power. This boy said in his heart, by
the grace of God, not by his own will, not by his own power,
by God's power. He said in verse 18, I will arise
and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I'm a sinner. I have sinned against heaven
and before thee. A man or woman regenerated by the
grace of God knows what they are by nature. I'm a rebel against
God. I have sinned against God. And he said in verse 19, here's
the rest of his story prepared. Here's his heart. and am no more
worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants."
There's no worth in me. And I'm not just pretending.
I know it. I know if there's any mercy for
me, it's because God chose to show it, because I'm not worth
it. I know what I've done. I know what I do. Father, if I can just be found
in Your house, if I can just be found in Your house, to be
in Your presence, to submit by Your grace and Your power to
Your authority, to be under Your protection, be under Your care,
if I can just be where You are, I can just be a doorkeeper. I'm not worthy. And Scripture
says that what he had resolved, he did. I quoted a while ago, all that
the Father giveth me, they shall come to me. They shall. And Scripture
says in verse 20, and he arose. He got up. I'm going home. I'm going back
to my daddy's house. I'm going to my father's house.
He arose and he came to his father. But when he was yet a great way
off, in his own heart and in his own estimation of himself,
great way off. His father saw him. Father was
looking for him. In reality, the Father who has
drawn us, He knows we're coming. The Father saw Him. It's my Son. It's the One that
I chose to show mercy. This is the One that I loved
when He left, the One that I loved when He wasted His substance,
and the One I love that's returning to me. Drawn by power, grace,
and mercy. Here comes this boy. He's stinking
in himself. The residue of this world's filth. Here comes this boy. And the
Scripture says, when he was yet a great way off in himself, yeah,
but not to his father. His father saw him. His father
saw him, had compassion. And listen to this, he ran. The
father ran to him. Here was this boy coming in arrogance,
ignorance. He said, you give what's come
to me. Wasted it all. And that father,
who loved that boy. That's his boy. That's my boy. That's my boy. Let me ask you something. You that
have children. I got four kids. Which one of
my kids do you think that I see coming to me for compassion? Which one do you think, Brother
Henry, I'd turn away? Yeah, but you don't know what
they've done. Yeah, but you don't know what I've done." He ran to it. And he had compassion
and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And that boy
right there, broken, thinking, I don't deserve this. I don't
deserve this. What I've done to you, How I've
wasted everything you ever gave me." And he fell on his neck
and kissed him, and while he was kissing him, and the boy's
trying to talk, trying to talk to his dad, and the son said
unto him, Father, I've sinned against heaven, and in thy sight
I am no more worthy to be called thy son. I don't deserve what
you're doing. I don't deserve this. And while
he was trying to talk, the father in verse 22 said to the servants,
while this boy is talking, bring the best robe. Oh, the objects of God's mercy.
When Almighty God in compassion and power draws him out of darkness
And they're brought to Him. They come willingly because He
gave them power to do so. Called them by grace. Gave them
a heart. They're doing just exactly what they wanted to do because
God called them that way. Robed them in the righteousness
of His Son. Put the best robe on that boy. Daddy, I don't deserve this.
Bring the ring. I've sinned against you." Put
it on his finger. Didn't even tell that boy, listen,
there's the best robes in the house. Won't you go get it? Y'all
bring it here. You bring it and you put it on
him. And you put a ring on this boy's finger. And you put some
shoes on his feet. And you kill the fatty calf. Bring hither the fatty calf and
kill it. And let us eat. Be merry. Oh, that precious,
precious Savior. What was the merit? What was
the merit for this father showing mercy to this boy that had taken
and had devoured all of his living? What was the merit? This fatty
calf right here, the blood, the blood You bring the fatty calf. You
know what we're doing right now? Every time a man stands in a
pulpit and proclaims salvation through the blood, we're bringing
the fatty calf right now. Here's the merit right now. You
bring the fatty calf. This my son. Verse 24. was dead. He's alive again. Lost and found, they began to
be merry. Verse 10 says, likewise I say
unto you, there's joy in the presence of the angels of God
over one sinner that repenteth. Joy in heaven, rejoicing in heaven. This is my boy, this is my boy.
that I've everlastingly loved. I've loved you with an everlasting
love. Having been chosen in Christ,
I love you. God draws him back. The Lord
is going to have His people. You know, that's where we normally
stop, isn't it? But the Lord continued speaking
in this parable. He had been talking to some publicans
and sinners. There's the publicans and sinners.
I've sinned against you. I've sinned against heaven and
I've done it in your sight. Against thee and thee only have
I sinned and done this evil in your sight. This is my boy. This
is my boy. Rejoicing He was talking to publicans
and sinners, but there was a group of people that were standing
there, some Pharisees and some scribes. And the Lord is going to teach
them something about themselves. And he said in verse 25, now
his elder son was in the field. He was out there working, working
for his wages. out there laboring, doing what
Pharisees and scribes thought was necessary for salvation. Scripture says, the eldest son
was in the field and he came and drew nigh. He'd come to the end of the day.
I fulfilled my obligation for today. I've done what was required
of me today. He came and he drew nigh to the
house. He drew nigh to the house where
there was rejoicing. There had been a son that had
been brought back from the dead. He was dead, he's alive. My son,
he's lost, he's found. They were rejoicing and praising
the fatted calf that had been killed. The glorious declaration
of the gospel of God's free grace. in the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And this elder son, he came,
he drew nigh to the house. He didn't go in. He just drew near. And he heard
the music and the dancing. He heard those distinctive sounds
of joy and mercy and recovery and reconciliation as when the
gospel is being preached. You come together, your pastor
comes and sets forth the gospel, the gospel of God's grace. And
there's the sound of the music and dancing in the heart and
the praising of God over the salvation of God's elect. It's
a joyful sound, a sound of mercy. No works on our part. Just tell
me, tell me one more time how God put away my guilt. Tell me
how God saved me in spite of me. Tell me that. And Scripture says in 26, He
called one of the servants and he asked what these things meant. Tell me, tell me what this is
all about. Man by nature is ignorant. Ignorant. He's ignorant of God's salvation. He's ignorant of everlasting
love to his people. He's ignorant of God's mercy
and salvation to his people apart from their works. He's ignorant
of that. How can a man be saved apart
from his works? That's what man by nature says.
How can it be acceptance with God totally on the merit of another
apart from anything that I can do? He asked him, he said, what
do these things mean? And here this servant in verse
27, I can see in this the rehearsal, the preaching again of the gospel.
The preaching, that servant, and he said unto him, Thy brother
is come, a brother of yours by creation, and a brother according
to your own profession. You claim to be this being your
father. You claim to know God too. Your
brother dug out of the same pit that you were dug out of. This
brother. Thy brother is come. Thy brother has come by grace
and power, drawn by irresistible grace out of that far country. He's come, not by himself, but
by grace, mercy. And thy father hath killed the
fatty calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. Your father
has put away his guilt. by the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Your Father hath received him,
hath recovered him, safe and sound, forgiven and made whole."
He's safe and he's sound, created, new man, created in righteousness. The blood shed put away his guilt
by grace and mercy. And verse 28 said, and he was
angry. He was angry. You know what angered him? It's when he said, Thy father
hath killed a fatted calf for him. And he was angry and he
would not go in And therefore came his father out and entreated
him. He was angry because God shows
mercy and compassion to whomsoever He will." He was mad. He was
mad. He was angry because the merit
of Christ's obedience and shed blood is all of our salvation. And I don't have anything to
glory in of myself. He's mad, mad. He said, I'm not going in, I'm
not going in. And therefore the Father, now
you listen, you listen to the kindness and mercy. Therefore
the Father came out and entreated him. Let me ask
you this. Go back and read the history.
Now God's chosen people were the Jews. You know that. National
Jew. National Israel. National Israel. God Almighty was pleased to send
His Word, the prophets. Gave them the tabernacle. Gave
them all of the types and shadows. Who had that? Israel. They wouldn't
go in. By and large, they wouldn't open.
They rejected Him by not all of them. Paul said, I'm a Jew,
remnant of God's grace. But by and large, they wouldn't
go in. Why? But He came out. God who
at sundry times in divers manners spoke unto us by the prophets.
Gave them the law. the tabernacle, the sacrifices. On and on. 1,500 years the Father
came out and entreated them. Mercy was
shown. And let me tell you what man
by nature says. Verse 29, And he answered and
said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee. Neither
transgressed I at any time, you believe that? Neither transgressed
I at any time thy commandment. And yet thou gavest, no, no,
thou never gavest me a kid that I might make merry with my friends. I've never disobeyed you at all. I never transgressed at all. But listen to these words, never
a truer statement made right here. The scripture says, by
thy words shall a man be justified and by thy words shall a man
be condemned. Now in light of this truth, the
Lord Jesus Christ said, I lay down my life for my sheep. I
lay down my life for my sheep. I lay down my life for my sheep,
and listen to what this elder brother, who's a picture of the
scribes and Pharisees. Verse 30, But as soon as this,
thy son, was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots,
That's true. That's every object of God's
mercy. That's what we've done. That's what that boy said. I've
sinned against heaven. I've done it for your sake. I'm
a sinner. I don't deserve this. I don't
deserve this. As soon as this thy son was come
and hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed
for him the fatty calf. That's right. You killed for him the fatty
calf. That's right. You killed for him the fatty
calf. That's right. In verse 31, and this is an amazing
passage of Scripture here, I pray God give us some light right
here. And he said unto him, Son, now just remember as we close,
who the Lord is talking to. He is talking to his eldest son,
one that wouldn't come in. One that was mad, mad at his
daddy, because his daddy showed mercy. And he said unto him, the Father
said to this one, who is a picture, of the Pharisees and the scribes. Here again, the one is not coming
in mad. He's mad. Son, thou art ever
with me and all that I have is thine. Man by nature is a rebel against
God in creation. A son by creation. True. Our Lord told this elder son
that wouldn't go in, speaking concerning the scribes and Pharisees,
Son, thou art ever with me. And I'll tell you what they did
have, scribes and Pharisees. They did have the law. They did
have the tabernacle. They did have the God-ordained
worship. They were always in the temple,
hearing the truth read. They were ever there. They were
there. They were there. Attending the reading of God's
Word. You're ever with me. And they
were. Not in grace and regeneration.
But they were ever with Him. The hearing. of that word. And then he said something else,
all that I have is thine. I want you to turn with me to Genesis
chapter 27. I think the Lord has given us some
light on what he's saying right here. All that I have is thine. You know when you consider who
he was talking to you wonder how? All that I have is Thine. How? Genesis 27. Remember, Isaac had two boys,
Jacob and Esau. Had two boys. And Almighty God, you know this,
said, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. And Isaac was going to give Esau. the blessing. Isaac thought. And you know what happened? Mama
Rebecca says to Jacob, I heard that your brother Esau has gone
out, going to kill some venison, fix your daddy some soup like
he loves before he blesses Esau. I want you to come in here and
I'm going to put on Esau's robe on you. I'm going to cover. Go get me a couple of kids, bring
them here. I'm going to prepare them, make
a savory soup for your daddy. You go in there." And Jacob said,
he's going, no, it's not me. He said, Esau's a hairy man.
I'm smooth. He said, she said, you leave
this up to me. And put that Esau's jacket on, his coat on. Put the
skins on his arms, back of his neck. And Jacob comes in before
Isaac. Isaac, in his mind, he's thinking,
I'm going to bless Esau. Genesis chapter 27 and verse Genesis 27, verse 26, And his
father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near and kissed him,
and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and
said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which
the Lord hath blessed. And now here's the blessing that
he's going to give him. Therefore, God give thee of the
dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn
and wine. There was a blessing. You're
going to prosper. God prosper you in this world. Oh, but there was another part
of that blessing. Verse 29, And let people serve
thee. Now listen, through this boy
Jacob, through this boy Jacob, the lineage of the Messiah was
going to come. Christ through the lineage of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Here's the blessing. And the
one of whom this blessing speaks is the Lord Jesus Christ. This
is the blessing right here. Let people serve Thee, Christ
Himself, not Jacob. but the one that would come through
the lineage of this boy. Let people serve Thee, and nations
bow down to Thee. Be Lord over Thy people, and
let Thy mother's sons bow down to Thee. Cursed be every one
that curseth Thee, and blessed be he that blesseth Thee. Here's
the blessing. The Messiah that's going to come. Here's the blessing. And Jacob
got that blessing. Jacob got that blessing. Well,
as soon as Jacob left, Scripture says in Genesis 27, and Esau
came in, and he had gotten him a deer, prepared a meal for his
daddy, and he walked in, Scripture says in verse 32, Isaac,
his father, said unto him when he walked in, he said, Who are
you? And he said, I am thy son, the firstborn, Esau. Isaac trembled
very exceedingly and said, Who? Where is he that hath taken venison,
brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and
I have blessed him? Yea, and he shall be blessed. When he saw, heard the words
of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter
cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my
father. And he said, Thy brother came
in subtly, and hath taken away thy blessing. He said, Is not
he rightly named Jacob? For he hath supplanted me these
two times. He took away my birthright, and
behold, now he has taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast
thou not reserved a blessing for me? Think of this question.
Is there not another blessing? I know the blessing, first of
all, is the promise of the Messiah. What about me? Isn't there another
one? Another blessing besides Christ? Hast thou not reserved
a blessing for me? And Isaac answered and said unto
Esau, Behold, I made him thy Lord, and all his brethren have
I given to him for servants, and with corn and wine have I
sustained him. And what shall I do now unto
thee, my son? And Esau said unto his father,
Hast thou but one blessing, my father? Yeah, there's but one. Bless me, even me also, O my
father. And Esau lifted up his voice
and wept. And Isaac his father answered
and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness
of the earth and the dew of heaven from above. You're going to prosper
in this world too, Esau, just like your brother. But listen
to the last part of it. And by thy sword shalt thou live,
and shalt serve thy brother. It shall come to pass when thou
shalt have the dominion that thou shalt break his yoke from
off thy neck. You're not going to submit to
Him. You're not going to submit to the Lord through whom this
boy is going to come. The Messiah, you're not going
to submit to Him. That's what I've got for you. That's all
I've got for you. Is there but one blessing? Now,
in closing, back in Luke 15. That's all I got. That's all
I got. Because that's all that God gives,
all the blessings of God's in Christ, and there's not another
blessing. And He said, verse 31, unto Him,
Son, Thou art ever with Me, and all that I have is Thine. You've got the types and the
shadows. You've got the ceremonies. That's all I have to give you. Lest you submit yourself to the
Lord that has shown mercy to your brother. That's all I've
got for you. Ceremonies, pictures, types. That's all I've got. Unless you
submit to Him, you're going to perish. That's all I've got for
you. All that I have is Thine. This
is all I've got. All the blessings of God are
in Christ. But I'll tell you this, man by nature, if God leaves
him to himself, man is going to perish. You kiss the Son,
lest ye be angry. That's all I got for you. But
if man dies in rebellion, he's going to do it because that's
what he wanted to do. But I can tell you this, verse 32, it was
meet, it was fit that we should make merry and be glad. For this thy brother was dead,
and is alive again, and was lost, and is found. Let me tell you
something. Man by nature hates the gospel of God's grace. He
hates it. Man wants all the honor and glory
and praise, but I'm going to tell you this, it's right. It's
right that men rejoice that God shows mercy. It's fit. It's meet. Lord, have mercy on me for Christ's
sake. Amen.