Okay. week on Wednesday at 7.30 for prayer and Bible study. Thank you. Shhh. His name shall endure forever, his name shall be continued as long as the sun, and men shall be blessed in him, all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things, and blessed be his glorious name forever, and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen. Let us come now to the Lord in prayer. O gracious God, we come to thee. We've been reminded of the blessing, the benefits bestowed, and then the praise that is offered. And we come tonight to praise thee, to bless thy great and glorious name. We do so from the bottom of our hearts. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Stir our souls, stir our hearts to bless thee. We thank thee for the blessings through the Lord Jesus Christ that we would return in praise unto thee. Hear us tonight, be glorified. And as we have just heard those words, our prayer tonight is that the glory of Jesus would fill the earth, fill this place, fill many places in the country this evening on. May Christ be lifted up. May mercy be proclaimed. O hear us, for Christ's sake. Amen. If you would turn with me to our first praise, number 96. Number 96. And we're going to sing from verse 6 to 11. Great honour is before His face, Her Majesty divine, Strength is within His holy place, And there doth beauty shine. The tune is even-jammed. Verses 6 to 11. Great honour is before His face, and majesty divine. Strength lives within His holy grace, and let our beauty shine. ♪ Do ye a strive unto the Lord ♪ ♪ All people every tribe ♪ ♪ Glory do ye unto the Lord ♪ ♪ And mighty power strive ♪ Give ye the glory to the Lord, that to his name is due. Come ye into his courts, and bring an offering with you. In beauty of His holiness, O do the Lord adore, Like wise heirs of the earth throughout, Trembled His face before. Among the heathen say the praise the world shall set past me. Be fixed from moving, ye shall just, the meek or righteous be. Let them speak glad before the Lord, and let the earth rejoice. Let Satan, all that is daring, cry out and make a noise. One was produced yesterday but I changed things in the night, changed the sermons around. When we came to print the newsletter this morning there was thunder and lightning and the printer didn't work. Why I mention that is because our consecutive reading is Proverbs 19. Proverbs 19 was due to the thunderstorm this morning. Proverbs 19 and we're reading verses 1 through to verse 23, our consecutive reading. Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good, and he that hasteth with his feet sin. The foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth against the Lord. Wealth maketh many friends, but the poor is separated from his neighbour. A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. Many will entreat the favour of the prince, and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. All the brethren of the poor do hate him. How much more do his friends go far from him. He pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him. He that geteth wisdom loveth his own soul. He that keepeth understanding shall find good. A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. Delight is not seemly for a fool, much less for a servant to have rule over princes. The discretion of a man defereth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. The King's wrath is as the roaring of a lion, but his favour is as the dew upon the grass. A foolish son is the calamity of his father, and the contentions of a wife are a continued dropping. House and riches are the inheritance of fathers, and a prudent wife is from the Lord. Slothfulness casteth him to a deep sleep, and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul, but he that despiseth his ways shall die. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord. And that which he hath given, will he pay him again? Chasten thy son, while I miss hope, And let not thy soul spare for his crime. A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment, For if thou deliver him, yet thou dost do it again. Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy letterment. There are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless for counsel of the Lord that shall stand. The desire of a man is his kindness, and a poor man is better than a liar. Amen. May the Lord add the blessing to the reading of his precious word. Well, let's turn to our second praise, number nine, and we're going to sing from verse 7 to 12, God shall endure for aye, he doth for judgment set his throne, in righteousness to judge the world. Number nine, verses 7 to 12. God shall endure, for aid he doth, for judgment set his road, in righteousness to judge the world, justice to give his one. ♪ God also will our refugee ♪ ♪ For the chance of progress ♪ ♪ A refuge will he be in sight ♪ ♪ Of troubles to dispel ♪ and they shall know thy name in thee, and all creatures will praise. For thou hast not forsaken them, but truly seek thy praise. O sing ye praises to the Lord, that dwells in Zion hill, and o'er the nation's terroir, his deeds may glory still. When he inquired about the blood, he then remembered them. The humble told me of four of them, that call upon his name. to Luke chapter 15. Luke chapter 15. I'm going to read from verse 1 down to verse 14. Lord willing we'll begin to look at the parable of the prodigal son or the lost son tonight and next week there's much here in the parable. So we'll read down to just verse 14. Chapter 15 of Luke, verse 1, Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners full to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man was seed of sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, If he lose one of them, doth not need the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it. And when he have found it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing. And when he comeeth home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety of thine just persons, which need no repentance. Either what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it, and when she have found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me, For I found the peace which I had lost. Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. And he said a certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Amen. May the Lord add the blessing to the reading of his precious word. Let's come again to the Lord in prayer. Let us pray. O gracious God, we stand amazed at thy grace tonight. Grace displayed in the parable, what grace towards us. And O may we value it, may we treasure it, may we think often of thy grace. As at the table we fought on the grace of our Saviour, and he is precious. O Lord, thou art everything to us. O to love thee more, O to have a greater respect for thee, O for our affections to be ascending more often towards heaven. May our hearts be towards thee this evening, Emma. We thank thee for thy word, not only can we read it, we thank thee for the reading of the word, we can sing from it and we can hear it preached, and we can pray in the light of it, We thank thee for thy birth, and we would say our Father, which art in heaven. Thou art so holy, so separate, so sacred, and thou art our God. We thank thee we can address thee as our Father. that opens up to us so much in our minds, thy love, thy care, thy protection. O Lord, we thank thee. We would seek to have high thoughts of thee. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, O Lord. Extend the kingdom. Though may many be saved, thy kingdom come. And may thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, help us this week to be mindful of thy will, O Lord. shortcomings, we don't always think of thy will. But Lord, may we be those who think often this week and submit to it. We thank thee for the example of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Not my will, but thine, be done. Lord, do give us our daily bread, everything necessary for us this coming week, as we fought this morning of Abraham, who stepped out in faith and now must provide for him. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, O Lord, as we forgive others, those who are debtors to us. Heavenly Father, may we know that fatherly forgiveness. Lord, help us in the valley of temptation. O Lord, and when we fail thee and yield to temptation, deliver us quickly, Lord, we pray, and deliver us from the evil which so comes around us each and every day. O be a shield to us as we fall to the table, be a help to us this coming week, O Lord, and thine be the glory, O Lord, the strength and the honour, All for thee, O Lord, we will ascribe these things unto thee tonight. And as we fought earlier, we pray for the glory of our beloved Saviour, that it would fill the whole earth. Teach us to pray, O Lord, day by day. Help us in prayer. We can find a great blessing of prayer, but also the battles in prayer. O, give us a mind centred on thee in prayer. Help us to be believing while we pray, to look beyond the present scene, to look to thee, for thou art a God of great power, and thou doest all things well. Bless thy word to us tonight. O Lord, speak to us. We pray for all who gathered this morning. We pray for those not able to be with us tonight. We commit them unto thee. Those who sorrow at this time, we do pray again for Serenity and Janie, undertake for them. O Lord, do be with Serenity and her mother at this time as well. Do support them, pray for Janie, do speak to him if it be thy will. O Lord, that he might rest in the Saviour, we pray. And the whole family, here in this country, in Canada as well, we commit them to Thee. Would you pray that Thou would help us this week, help us to step out in faith. Lord, Thou knowest the way that we take this week. Lord, much not known to us, but help us to step out in faith. May we be obeying Thee each and every day. O Lord, search us, O Lord. We pray, speak to us through thy Word, and may we have that winning heart to step out by faith this coming week. Bless us as a fellowship, go before us. We thank thee for the bonds of love here in this place and undertake it every way for us here as thy people. Add to us, O Lord, others to join us here. We pray, O Lord, that thou wouldst speak in this community, we thank thee that thou wouldst place the light in this place. O may the light shine brightly as the winter months come on, people see the chapel lights on. May they be reminded even more so in the winter that there is a people worshipping thee on thy day. O we pray for those who are strangers in our families, to grace, O we pray for them. We pray for our nation at this time. It seems to be going through, again, a time of great difficulty. Give us leaders who fear thee. We've been reminded so often of the blessing in a nation in the Book of Proverbs, when the righteous are in rule, but when the unrighteous are in rule it doesn't go well. Give us leaders that fear thee. Lord, we pray. We pray for situations in this world again. We pray for peace in Ukraine. Oh, Lord, we pray for the end of that war. Help us now, then, we come to thee. We thank thee for the opportunity of meeting around the table. May we not forget the benefits. May we remember much our Saviour this night and in days to come. so that we are called home, we meet around the table again. Lord, down on us, O may our walk with Christ be closer in the interval, O Lord, draw us nearer, that our love for Christ might ripen even more before we come to the table again. Lord, we thank Thee for the unspeakable gift, we thank Thee for Thy grace, we thank Thee for the Gospel, May we be thankful this night. Heal us now, for Christ's sake. Amen. One night of the prodigal son, of the lost son, let's turn to number 51. Number 51. The singing from verse 1. Down to verse 5, verse 1 through to verse 5, the truth is he killed it, after thy loving kindness Lord have mercy upon me, for thy compassion's great blot out all mine iniquity. Number 51, verses 1 to 5. After Thy lovingkindness, Lord, have mercy upon me. For Thy compassion's great plot, have all my iniquity. Migweth from sin and truly was from my iniquity. O my transgressions, like a pest, why did I ever sin? Grace be the only abiding in thy sight, Dominus Deo, that when thou speak'st loudness be just. and clear in judging still. Behold, I in enigmatic was hold the womb within. My mother also Well, tonight we begin a new series. We're going to focus on the Lord's Day mornings, on the parables, that's the new series, the parables of Christ. But I want us to begin tonight and then we'll continue next Lord's Day morning in the parables and particularly this parable. We considered life turned around by the Saviour throughout the year, now we come to the parables of Christ. There's much for us to learn from the parables. What is a parable? where it can be translated, the Greek word, as parable in the Bible, as a comparing, a comparison of one thing with another, a likeness, a proverb. That's the meaning from the Greek. The Reverend John Brown Paddington writes, a figurative representation of the truth. So, as we consider tonight, the lost son. We're considering one that is lost, but then found. We'll particularly note that next week. So we come now to the parables. There's much for our learning in the parables. Now, we need to be careful if we come to the parables. You think of the Good Samaritan. Two coins. There'd be those who've gone too far and thought the two coins represented 2,000 years. One coin, 1,000. We need to be very careful going too far into things. We need to remember it's a parable and see what the main thing the Lord is teaching. For example, when we come to the parable of the lost son, we see first of all, one who knew certain blessings, but he wasn't the Lord's. He went off, he found himself in such a place, but then the Holy Spirit came and convicted him. He was shown his sin, but also the suitableness of Christ. This is the things we're learning from the parable. And then he is embraced by the Father. What grace! And he wears the best robe. We have the other son. We believe him to represent the Pharisees. They were always worshipping in the temple. And that's what we see in verse 31. Son, thou art ever with me. You've always been there. You're there, you have the blessings outwardly. We believe him to represent the Pharisees and the scribes, those who look down on others. And we see that in the opening part of the chapter. You notice the Lord is addressing the Pharisees and the scribes. So we're to look for what the Lord is saying, the main thing. We need to be careful, we don't go too far into detail because that's where we can go wrong with the parables. So that's just word of introduction. Welcome with me tonight to Luke 15 and I'm going to read verse 11 and verse 12. And he said a certain man had two sons and the younger of them said to his father father give me the portion of goods that falleth to me and he divided unto them his living. Dear congregation One of the great things we see in this parable is the amazing grace of God. That's one of the great things we're taught in the parable. Just consider the father in verse 20. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell down on his neck and kissed him. Amazing grace and mercy showed What grace! We think in verse 22, the father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe. And we're reminded that justification by faith is a gracious act. Well, this parable particularly teaches us of the amazing grace of God towards poor sinners. When you come to the first parable, we're taught particularly of the shepherd, and how he goes forth to find that which was lost. Now you notice verse four, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it. We're thinking of the one that was lost. The others, they were always worshipping, we could say. They represented the Pharisees and the scribes. Need to be careful how we come to the parables. But what we see there is the amazing love of the shepherd. And what love towards us he went after us, until he found us. And what also is magnified here? Amazing pardon. Just notice verse six. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends, and they would say unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my secret was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repented. This joy. The Son is repented and there's amazing pardon. So we look for the main things in the parables. We think of the shepherd, or we think in this parable of the lost son, of the amazing grace of God. that the Apostle Paul wrote to the brethren in his epistle to the Ephesians, Ephesians 2, verse 4 and 5, But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are saved. What rich mercy! What amazing grace! And we're taught this in the parable of the lost son. Now, as we think of the younger and the elder, we're considering two people or two classes. As we think of the elder, we think of those who continue on. They're faithful, as it were, in doing certain things, but they do not know the Lord. And they look down on others. You remember Luke 18, the Pharisee in the temple, I'm not as other men are. Then we come to the younger. He goes off. He represents a sinner. Oh, what a state they are in. Remember the younger son found himself in the pig field. then the Holy Spirit comes and convicts and that's represented in the parable. Well in this chapter we have three parables, the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin and the parable of the lost son or many are called the prodigal son. Well I'd like us to consider the lost son or the prodigal son tonight and next week we'll continue to look at this parable First of all, we see the sinful desire. Secondly, the sinful step. Thirdly, the sinful life. And then fourthly, the sinner at the turning point. The sinner at the turning point. Now, if we consider in the parable, He goes off, does he not, in verse 15, enjoys himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into the fields to feed swine, and he would vain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, in the parable, the Son comes to himself. What's the lesson here? Oh, the Spirit has come, and convicted of sin, and shown the suitableness of Christ. that one only hope is the Lord, what he did and the amazing grace of God. So we simply read in verse 17, he came to himself, he's the turning point, but oh, there's much here for our learning. The Spirit has come and be thankful, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, there was a turning point in your life. We thought this morning of the Spirit coming Oh, he came. Well, let's consider first of all tonight then the sinful desire. Now, as we come to this parable, it's so relevant, as with all the parables, to set the scene, what we see today in this country. This is happening again and again. Well, let's consider first of all in the sinful design. Verse 12, And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. The younger son, he wants half of the inheritance, that which is the portion that falleth to him, because he wants to go. He'd been brought up in the Father's house. Now do you see, you need to be careful with the parables. Here's the parable. He'd been brought up in the Father's house. But we mustn't conclude that the parable is speaking of one who falls from grace. No, some have gone wrong on this. It's the parable at this point. He brought up in the Father's house. He wants the portion of goods that fall off to him. And he must see And then we read in verse 13, There's the parable. Think of the sinful desire. He wants to go. He wants to live his life his way. Well, many are like that, aren't they? They may have heard certain things in their lives. Now we can think of someone who's of younger years. The panel sets forth the youngest son. But as we think of the youngest son, there's older people who've heard certain things from the Bible but want to go off. They don't want to hear any more. But here the youngest son, he wants to go, he has this sinful desire, he wants to so live in the world. Now let's consider the sinner is already living in the world. But there can come times when they want to more live in the world. They may have heard in Sunday School of the Saviour, or in the open air, the Word of God. Oh, I don't want to hear this, I'm going to live more for the world. I'm happy with the world thus far, I want to live more for the world. Here's the sinful desire. Now it is true, the Lord sends the rain and the sun on the righteous and on the unrighteous. What blessing that is. And we're thankful the rain has fallen on the fields of ungodly farmers, because provision will come alongside the provision that is in the fields of godly farmers. But oh, consider those. They just want to go further into the waves of sin. I don't want to hear any more. I've heard it for many years. Well, I've heard it for a few hours. I don't want to hear any more. Sadly, many are like this. They just want to go further into the pathways of sin. Yes, thus far, fairly respectful. He sought to do that which was right in a general way, but oh now, let's go further. That's what he wants. There are many who are seeking to encourage young people in rebellion. Now what do we read in Proverbs 6 verse 20? My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother. That's the exaltation. Yet there's competition in this world, and the devil is very active. Remember the parable of the sower? A simple parable, but there's much there. The birds, the fowls of the air, they come and take away the seed, and the devil is very active. Sermons are preached, but the devil comes. The devil is very active, I tell you. You only have to look out in the nation, you know the devil is very active. He's chained, that's a symbol, isn't it, in Revelation? But he is active, he's like a roaring lion. What a son, he has this sinful desire but for the grace of God, it would have been me. And as we come to the parables, we need to come humbly to the parables. And as we come to this parable, we need to come humbly because the elder brother, we can think of the Pharisees and the scribes from verse two, they were religious, but they looked down on others. They were proud. We need to be so careful, but for the grace of God, Do you recognize that? We would have all got to a point if we were brought up in a godly home or we had some godly influence, we would have departed. That's the reality. How amazing is the grace of God. It may be you did not have a godly upbringing. It's still the grace of God, isn't it? That you're here tonight. What grace. But here the youngest son, he has the sinful desire, he has the glamour for independence and living further into this world. I want to get away. I love sin. I want more of it. Think of the youngest son brought up in the father's house. He loved the sin. Oh yes, he paid lip service, but he loved sin. Now he wants to indulge himself in more and more and more. Oh, there's many who want to leave. No more. No more for me. There was a certain farmer in North Wiltshire. He had a godly family, a wider family, known to Summit TBS. But his father was not a believer. His father used to get drunk. He was no good influence on his son. And there came a time the son said, no more. I don't want to hear what the wider family are saying. You know, some of them in North Wiltshire are still alive. and they prayed for their son. As far as I know, he died in his sins. I attended his funeral. He was my uncle. No more. He ploughed himself into farming so much, 24-7, no time. He wanted to shove it all out. No more. And that's the cry of many, no more, and the world comes to entice. There's the temptation in the world. You remember temptation? We can think of it in a threefold light. First of all, the devil tempts, and the world tempts, but also the heart, the sin within, where the world tempts. What do we read in Proverbs 1 verse 10? My son, if sin is enticed, ye can sin thou not. If they say, come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk frivolously for the innocent without cause, so on and so forth, cast in thine utter manners, let us all have one poor's purse. Here's the temptation, and some have such a desire, I want more. I love sin. I met someone the other day, I can't say I love Jesus. I love sin. Well, he's honest, isn't he? But there's so many in this world who are not honest. They won't say to a minister or a Sunday school teacher or someone else, I love sin. But they do. Well, here's the sinful desire. The eyes are drawn more, the heart is drawn. It's been drawn already, but here I want more. And there's the desire. As one of the Puritans wrote, the world is painted in fair colors by the devil. The world is painted in fair colors by the devil. Here's the youngest son, representative one who wants to live more in this world. Whether they be young or old, It's not exclusive to young people, is it? It's the parable. Here's a sinner, may have had some influence, but now they're drawn more down the slippery path of sin. Well, let's consider secondly, a sinful step. Verse 13, not many days after the youngest son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with righteous living. There was a certain son who was brought up in Swansea. His father was a minister. There came a time he went round to the other side of the world and there he lived his life. Oh, he went forth, he didn't want the influence of home anymore. Many years later, he was on the way home And he was in this waiting room at Flint, and I happened to go in. And I started to talk. I thought I had half an hour to wait. And do you know what he said to me? I know the gospel, that is in my head, but I'm not a believer. He'd been brought up in the father's house. His father was a minister, but off he had gone. He took that sinful step. Here's the younger son. He gathered together that which was full of today. And he took his journey into a far country. There he goes then. Oh, many are doing that tonight. They're going further and further away. They may have heard something when they were younger. They may have heard something in a fruit or come into a service. Seen a poster on the back of a bus? A track gone through the door? I don't want that. They go further, they take the step, away and away. Not many days, his mind was made up, he would not listen. How sad it is. Many have taken this sinful step. No longer do I want to hear the Bible. No longer do I want to have the influence of Godly people. What a step! What pride in the heart! You think of this younger son, he thought he knew better. Do not men and women think they know better? They think they know better than God himself. What blasphemy! To think one knows better than God. Yet, many people go forth, they don't need this, They think they know better what pride. Psalm 10 verse 4, the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God. God is not in all his forms. That is, without any true affection. There may be some momentarily thoughts of God in his work. No. Oh, consider the blindness. They've not truly seen the suitableness of Christ. No, they're blind. What do we think at the table? unto you who believe he is precious. Now some in the world may be taken back a little bit, well there's something special about the Lord, but as far as it goes, they say, well he was a good man, went around doing good, he taught the parables, but they can't say he's precious. What a blessing to be able to say he's precious tonight. We come around the table, we thought of him, he's precious. But as we think of ungodly men and women, there's this blindness, they've not seen the suitableness of Christ. Sometimes they're missing, suddenly missing from church. One week there, the next week gone. Missing from the home, not in family worship. So on and so forth, the Bible is no longer considered. They cast off God's authority. It's a sinful step. Now you recall the disciples in John chapter 6, they walked with the Lord, that is, in an outward way, but they came a day they couldn't grasp what the Lord was saying. They would have made a profession of faith. Outwardly they repented, but there was no true repentance in their soul. The Lord was showing that one is to receive spiritually himself, and they couldn't have that. This is a hard saying. And what do we read in John 6, verse 66? From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Now, let me be clear there. They were not truly walking with the Lord. They were not in union with him. They were disciples in name, but not in truth, and so they walked no more with Jesus. They had walked for a while with the Lord. They'd listen to him in prayer. They'd watch him perform miracles. They'd gather with him at the synagogue, so on and so forth, but then, no more. Around 25 years ago, there was a young man who lived in England. He was very attentive, but then he was missing. No more. He took that sinful step. Those disciples, they walked no more with him. John 6, verse 66. Then Jesus said unto the 12, verse 67, will you also go away? And Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the wealth of eternal life. You think of those that have gone. Jesus says, will you also go away? What do we respond, dear brethren, with Peter? Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. Now you notice the Lord questioned his disciples, and the Lord will question us at times, because he wants us to focus on him. He wants us to speak to him. You remember Peter when he denied the Lord? Our Lord came to him in mercy, love us now more, than these. He's testing, he wants Peter to focus and all will come and question you. Do you understand that? But what do we say? To whom should we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. We will follow thee. But hear this younger son, he had a sinful desire and then suddenly We say again, we think of the younger son, but it's not just younger people in the nation, it's older people as well. I've been into the rest homes at times. Some of you have been there and you've witnessed people, they don't want to hear. I remember I went in a few years ago in the week, and there was this elderly man there. He was quite deaf, so everybody could hear what he said. Who is it? Someone said, it's the minister, huh, and lifted up his paper, so I couldn't go and talk to him. He was in his 90s. The younger son represents him. I don't know how he died. Frankly, the parable teaches God's amazing grace when the Lord comes, but I don't know about that man. Well, a sinful step. Thirdly, the sinful life. You see how it follows through. It's the slippery slope of sin. A desire, then a step, then a life. The sinful life, verse 13, and not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country and there wasted his substance with righteous living. He goes off. He takes what was given to him and he wastes it on riotous living. Now we have here the word riotous. Literally from the Greek, lax in morals, loose living, lawlessness. Well, over these last few decades, we've witnessed, those of us who are a little older, riots in the country. A few years ago, from the 30th of July to the 5th of August, after the South Port stabbing, there was riots. And then in 2011, 6th of August to the 11th of August, after a man was shot, there was riots and 3,000 were arrested. We can think of riots, the Oxford Shorter Dictionary, an outbreak of active lawlessness, an outbreak Well, here it is, he went off and he wasted his substance with righteous living. I think again of the Greek word which is translated here as righteous, it means lawlessness, loose living, lax in morals. Oh, he wasted his substance. Now notice verse 13. were helped here to understand a little more of what he engaged in. Verse 30, But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, there was killed for him the fatted calf. That was particularly the lawlessness, immorality. He went to visit the harlots, he committed sexual sin, fornication, Oh, the slippery path of sin, a sinful desire, I don't want any more of that godly influence. Then the sinful step, off I go. And then the sinful life is the saking God's word. Oh, there's such lawlessness in the country. I'm not thinking of riots here. I'm thinking of a lawlessness within the soul, a disregard of God. You know how many times you've been in the shop and suddenly somebody blasphemes? Not always are we able to say something. I remember a few years ago I went into Asda in Poole and as soon as I went in the door and went down to get the medicine this young lady took the name of the Lord in vain and it just hit me. So I very carefully went up to her. You know I love the one. You've just used his name. She was taken back. She didn't realize, really, she was blasphemed. So interwoven into her language, she was taken back. And not always do we have the opportunity, but sometimes we do. How people blaspheme the name of Jesus. And to you who believe he is precious, yet his name is blasphemed. There's a disregard for his laws as a whole, for his day. People can be so unkind to parents. Then the adultery, the fornication, immorality, all the sexual sins. Oh, it's very descriptive, this parable, isn't it, of Senez today. Alice swore Senez years ago. But, oh, consider the nation. There's lawlessness, isn't there? So many do not get married but live in sin. So on and so forth. Consider the drunkenness on the streets today. The psalmist said in Psalm 119, verse 136, rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy law. We mourn no twin. Do not we pity them that forsake God's law? They think themselves happy but their joy is fleeting. Is a sinful worldly joy not a lasting true joy from heaven? Oh, what a life it is. Just think of the joy you have known in your sins forgiven. The joy you have known in talking to Jesus. The joy you have known in your heart being warmed as it was on the road to Emmaus. Just a little joy has lifted you, but the world doesn't know such things. They think themselves happy, and let me say, there is what we call natural joy. You see certain ones laughing together, and it's over lawful things. There is a natural joy, but there's such a sinful joy in the hearts of unbelievers. Believers, there's not this heaven-sent joy. Oh, what a state of sin and misery men are in, and this represented here, we think of the elder brother, that represents the hypocrite and the proud, but the younger, oh what a state. Yes, the elder brother, he was in a state, we could say of sin and misery, but there was a formalness about him. Just notice this in the parable, verse 14. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would vain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat. and no man gave unto him. Here's the parable, what misery the man was in. Now it's not to say that all unbelievers will find themselves in such one, it's just a parable. But it teaches the misery that sinners are in and the state of sin. Soon his money was gone. And what had it achieved? Now money cannot buy true Happiness. Money's helpful, isn't it? Some of you like pizzas. There's often pizzas in my house and the restaurant in Salisbury. It's helpful to have money, isn't it? But the danger is when riches get into the heart. Remember the quotes of the Puritan Thomas Watson. Water is useful for the sailing of the ship. But the danger is, you know it, when the water gets into the ship. The very water that supports the ship in sailing can sink the ship. Riches can be useful, but the danger is when they get into the heart. They are in the heart of this young son. How quickly money goes, do you ever ask that question? How quickly money goes when they've given their money over to buy something, hoping to have a great return. It got him nowhere, didn't it? Remember Joseph, he made wise preparations in view of the famine, but this son, no wise preparation. There was a mighty famine, verse 14, and he began to be in want. Now what were they told in Joseph's day? Go unto Joseph. And Joseph is a type of Christ. Go unto Christ, there's provision in him in days of difficulty. But this son, he'd wasted his substance and he was in one. What a state! Sin gets no one anywhere but further away from God. What a state this man was in. He's there in the pig field, verse 15. He was sent into his fields to feed swine. A vein hath filled his belly with the husk of the swine did he. Remember it's the parable again. What a state he was in. All the smell and the filth, there in the fields. A few weeks ago, we went for a walk near Birkholm. Some of you may know where Birkholm is. Lovely place. And you go up and up and up into the hills. And then you come to a place. And before you come to the place, you hear something. The noise of the pigs. And then you look over the fence. There's no green grass. They've eaten the door up. There's mud. And the pigs are covered in filth. Well, here's the son. He's in the pig field. fleeting sinful joys in this world. Men find, but oh, they're in a state of sin and misery. Where does sin get one? What a miserable state one was in. Men by nature are in a state of sin and misery. No true communion with God. They're under his wrath. What a state. Think of here, the younger son, he's in the pig field, in such a state, but there, the grace of God finds him. That's what we're learning here. For we read in verse 17, when he came to himself, when he came to himself. And we come to a close tonight. We'll carry on next time, looking at the parable more. But fourthly tonight, the sinner at the turning point. The sinner at the turning point. When he came to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my father's house have bread enough and to spare, and I perished with hunger. The turning point. I was not in a desperate situation of poverty outwardly. I had three meals each day. But there was a turning point in my life. Remember, it's the parable. What are we taught here? There's no true joy in sin. One is in a miserable state of sin and misery. But there's a turning point. It's the grace of God, isn't it? Now the grace of the Father is magnified in verse 20, but oh, don't overlook verse 17. He comes to himself, the sinner at the turning point. A life of sin, where had it gotten? He's now convicted. What have I done? Go back to that waiting room in Flint. But it stopped there. Still he went on in sin. I don't know where he is now. But when the Lord is at work, there comes a turning point. Here's the youngest son in the field. What a place. Now I was in a field once. You may have heard this before. And I was sitting in a pig's hut. They had these huts set up for us, working out in the fields, digging trees, so we could go and have our lunch in them. It was a good mile walk, so they'd set up these pig huts. Pigs had never used them, but they were pig huts. And I remember sitting in that pig hut, thinking, what am I doing here? There wasn't any pig's mess there, but there was the filth of the fields, the mud on your boots, and you sat in there. What did I do? I opened my Bible. Somebody spotted me from the next pig hut. I used to go to Sunday school. I remember reading a Bible. He remembered. I'll never forget that occasion. I was downhearted. What was I doing 50 miles away of home, in the rain, in the mud, sat in a pig hut? I was there. because that other man had to be reminded of early days. I pray there has been a turning point for him. Oh, consider the turning point. He's convicted. What has he done? What does he say? This next week in verse 18, I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee. He's convicted. Here's a sinner convicted. Now I tell you this, there are people in this country who have what we call legal convictions. They feel they've done wrong. There's some people in prison. They feel they've done wrong. They show some remorse. I shouldn't have done that. One can have legal convictions, but not no gospel repentance. Legal convictions, one feels wrong. But here represented is one who's been convicted but they turn and they look to the Lord for mercy in and through Christ. The eldest son, he had openly repented, but it was only an open repentance. But here the youngest son, representative of a sinner, truly convicted, he come to himself. What do we read in Romans chapter two? The goodness of the Lord leadeth thee to repentance. Think of all those sins in Romans 1. The goodness of the Lord leadeth thee to repentance. And here's a sinner in the grace and mercy of the Lord has been brought to this point. They're convicted. You remember when you were convicted, maybe on a day or a season you were convicted. How amazing is God's grace. He came in What do we read here in verse 17? When he came to himself before he wasn't thinking right. Now it's interesting here, isn't it? Even in the father's house, though he had a good influence, he wasn't thinking right. Got to be careful with the parables, haven't we? It's not till this time when he began to think in the right way. I'm a sinner. I've sinned against heaven. I would arise and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, true gospel repentance sees sin as offensive before a holy God. There have been those who feel they've done wrong, but they've not truly seen their sin for what it is. Remember the psalmist, he was a believer when he penned those words, against thee, thee only have I sinned. We fell, others, but ultimately it's God we have sinned against. It's God's law we have broken. When one is brought to himself, they see sin for what it is, and there's a grief and hatred over it. The youngest son, he's in the pig field. Look what sin has done. He's brought to himself. Before this time, the sinner is not thinking straight. Listen to Spurgeon commenting on verse 17. A sinner is beside himself. While he is living in sin, he is out of his mind. He is beside himself. I am sure this is so. What sin has done to the mind and the memory Think of the faculties of the soul, and sin has affected every faculty, as we see in Isaiah chapter 1, from the head to the foot. The will, oh, what sin has done. Yet through the grace of God, we see in Psalm 110, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. But oh, what sin has done. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, we meet in Hosea. Oh, what sin has done. But now this son, he comes to himself, a turning point. And be thankful there is a turning point. Millions have come to this turning point throughout history. We can think of those who've been brought up and had some influence for many years, or just a little influence for 5, 10, or 20 minutes. They're represented here. But in the grace and mercy of the Lord, in a factual calling, one has been brought to a point, a turning point. It's all of grace, isn't it? The youngest son, he's in the pit field. He's spent his substance. He's got nothing. but there comes a turning point. The sinner has nothing, but there's a turning point. Has there been a turning point in your life? And we think here of one being brought to this turning point, the spirit, as it were. The spirit convicts. What do we read in John 16, verse eight? When he has come, he will reprove the world of sin. Reprove, convict, here it is represented in the parable. What have I done? I've failed God. I've sinned against Him. What at that time is looking? Faith has been put within. And then there's repentance. The Spirit is at work. The Spirit comes and conveys, but also shows the suitableness of Christ. That's plain, isn't it? You were drawn to Christ. You were shown the suitableness of Christ. You turned to him through the grace of God, the goodness of God, leadeth thee to repentance. You considered him, he is my only hope, he who went to the cross of Calvary. There's a turning. He came to himself. Oh, pray that many would come to themselves in this nation, boys, girls, men, and women. There's hope for poor sinners that's set forth through the amazing grace of God. There's hope for great sinners. That's what we're taught here, isn't it? This parable sets forth great sinners, but it sets forth the great and amazing grace of God. The Apostle Paul recognised that in 1 Timothy 1 verse 15, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief, says Paul. Now at this point we disagree with Paul, don't we? Do you? He says, I'm the chief of sinners, says Paul. I disagree with him. Not you, Paul. But we know what he's saying. What Paul is saying, I'm a great sinner. I think myself to be the chief of sinners, but a glorious Saviour came into the world. Oh, there's hope for great sinners, poor sinners, sinners that have done so much wrong, sinners that have lived their lives in such lawlessness. Now, let me pause. When you think of the sin of unbelief, not keeping the first commandment, that's lawlessness, isn't it? So let's be careful before we point the finger too much. We were guilty, but what we're learning here is sinners who have done terrible things, there's great hope for them. And this is seen in 1 Corinthians 6 verse 9 through to verse 11. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. They're all here in the parable, aren't they? Such were some of you, although those who engaged in such fornication in Corinth, it was a place of great wickedness, but the grace of God was found there in the hearts of certain ones at Corinth. Such were some of you, you come to the parable, such were we, many can say, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Washed, justified, all their sins forgiven, accepted, there's a new life now. Now let me just pause. This son was in the pig field. What a state of misery he was in. He had wasted his father's substance through righteous living, immoral living. but not any longer. He wasn't perfect, and there was the battle of indwelling sin, but our lifestyle is behind him now, and that's what we learn in 1 Corinthians 6. Now, there are some in the modern church because they're not brave enough in this world, in this country, because they're fearful. Think you can carry on living in such a way. Well, maybe tempted. but there's a new life. Old things are passed away. The youngest son, he came up out from the pig field. He didn't go off living a life of righteous living. Yes, a sinner, a believer can fail, but there's a new life now. And we need to be clear on this. And I tell you, one of the reasons why we need to be clear on this is this, because there is power to turn life's men, to turn men's lives around. And we see that in Corinth. What gross iniquity was in Corinth. What fornication. But the grace of God intervened. Such were some of you that ye are washed, that ye are sanctified, that ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. What the Lord is able to do, admire the grace of God. One wrote the vilest offender who truly believed that moment from Jesus a pardon received. There's hope for sinners. And when we think of all fornication and sexual sins and all immorality, the Bible is plain, it is sin. But there's hope in Christ. What a message I have to bring for sinners. What hope there is in this parable, His sinners living in such an immoral way, but the grace of God has found them out. How many really thought of that in the parable? Just the parable of the lost son, God's amazing grace. We may have not done certain things like the youngest son, but I committed the sin of unbelief every day. Sins of the heart. where he came to himself, there's hope for sinners. Dear brothers and sisters, thank God there was a turning point in your life. You may not be able to remember the hour, but there was a turning point. The life which I now live, that's your testimony, isn't it? The life which I now live, Galatians 2, verse 20, and you're focused on Christ. Be thankful he came after you. We'll consider this in the first parable. Verse four, what man of you having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it? And where did he find that lost sheep? In the wilderness. In the wilderness of this one. Oh, the shepherd is it where? The Lord is it where? He found me. He found you. Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? He came and that man was half-left, half-dead, and it wasn't a pretty sight. Was it a pretty sight when Jesus came to you and looked at your heart? Unbelief. Sin. But He embraced you. with his gracious hand, and he lifted you up, and there was joy in his heart. That's amazing, isn't it? We're going to consider next week, birth 20, and he arose and came to his father, but when he was a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. Here's the favourite, the father, and we can think of the grace of God. What amazing grace. and when we consider the state we were in how amazing is the grace of God and in a nation where there's much immorality and fornication what sinners need to hear is there is hope in the grace of God and we hold to the old gospel that transforms men and women A new creature in Christ, not a perfect creature, but a new creature. Old things are passed away. And I tell you, if you think of the parable, the youngest son was thankful for that. Poor sinners saved by the grace of God are thankful for salvation and the old life is passed away. Yes, there's a battle of sin. But now the old life is passed away, they're not on the broad way, going over to this pleasure house of sin and that pleasure house of sin, they're on the narrow way, following the Lord. This parable sets forth the amazing grace of God. And are we not thankful for it? Amen. O gracious God, we would echo those words of the Apostle, I Am Chief. Lord, we thank thee for thy grace. When thou didst draw near, blessed Saviour, it wasn't a pleasant sight, as thou didst obey our hearts. But thou didst embrace us, a new life put within, faith, we were led to repentance, We thank Thee, O Lord, that we were brought to that point when we came to ourselves through the work of the Spirit, we felt our sin, and we were shown the suitableness of Christ, and we've been rejoicing in the suitableness of Christ ever since. O Lord, we thank Thee for this gospel that has been entrusted, hope for the nation, hope for sinners all over the world that by this believes. O Lord our God, we are so thankful for thy grace. Left to ourselves, we, as it were, would still be in the pig field, not knowing any true joy. But we tonight, at the end of this hour, rejoice in thy grace and rejoice in our Saviour. And we can truly say, blessed Saviour, thou art precious. O, it's our prayer as we go tonight, that we would hold Thee closer, that Thou wouldst be more precious to us. Hear us for Christ's sake. Amen. Let's conclude then by turning to Psalm 113. Psalm 113, we'll sing the whole of the Psalm. Lord, from the depths of me I cried. If you think of the younger son here in the pig field, he's in the depths, isn't he? But he's crying out. Here's David, here's a sinner. He's a believer. In the depths of sorrow, Lord, from the depths of me I cried. My voice, Lord, do Thou hear? And to my supplication's voice, give an attentive ear. Lord, from the depths to Thee I cry, My voice, Lord, do Thou hear? And to Thy supplications rise, imagine him. Lord, who shall stand with Thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquity, But yet with me forgiveness is, That with Thou mayest be. I wait for the Lord, my soul awaits, My hope is in His Word. More than they have for morning watch, my soul waits for the Lord. I say all that may glad to watch, the morning light to see. Let Israel learn hope in the Lord, for with Him have we been. And with Thee as redemption is ever found within. and from all his iniquities, he is dwelt our Redeemer. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.