Coming Home - Part 1 of 1

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, Thou the wisdom of my God and King, Thou triumphs of His grace.

This is LeSaire Bradley, Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. Jesus, what a friend for sinners, Jesus, lover of my soul! Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole. Alleluia, what a Savior! Alleluia, what a friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Jesus, what a strength in weakness, let me hide myself in Him.

Tempted, dried, and sometimes failing, He, my strength, my victory wins. Alleluia, what a Savior! Alleluia, what a friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end.

Jesus, what a help in sorrow, while the billows o'er me roll. Even when my heart is breaking, He, my comfort helps my soul. Alleluia, what a Savior! Alleluia, what a friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. Jesus, what a Guide and Keeper, while the tempest still is high. Storms about me guide or tames me, He, my Pilot, He hears my cry. Alleluia, what a Savior! Alleluia, what a Friend!

Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. I'm glad that you're with us today and pray that the message will be a blessing to you. We need to hear from our listeners on a regular basis to meet our expenses on all these stations.

If you can help us, we'll be very thankful for it. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. I read to you from Luke, chapter 15, verse 1. Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners, for to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them.

We see the self-righteous Pharisees were very critical of Jesus for receiving sinners. And yet the Savior came to seek and to save that which was lost. He then speaks three parables unto them. The lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son. The primary message is joy. There was great joy when the lost sheep was found and brought home to the fold. Great joy when the lost coin was found and great joy when the prodigal son came home. Today we're going to look at the story of the prodigal son. And the title of our message is Coming Home. This is a parable of new beginning. It proclaims the possibility of a new start.

No matter how far one has strayed or how low they have sunk, there is hope. The Pharisees thought there was no hope for the publican sinners and resented the fact that Jesus ministered to them. They thought that He should have nothing to do with them.

But it was because these people sensed that there was hope in His message that they came in great numbers to hear Him. I remember counseling with a lady years ago who came into a session one day and brought me a book and she said, I want you to read this and tell me what you think. I read it and the next week I told her I found it to be the most depressing book I had ever read. It concluded that there are people who cannot be helped. They are beyond hope. So I told her to throw the book away.

It's absolutely false. I'm bringing you the gospel of Jesus Christ which declares there is hope for the greatest of sinners. So as we look at the parable before us, we see first a rebellious act. Luke chapter 15 verse 11. And he said, A certain man had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of my goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto him his living. We see that he makes an arrogant demand.

Give me what falleth to me. I want what I deserve. He was proud of himself and confident that he had the ability to manage whatever would be given to him. He wants his independence. He wants freedom. He wants to do what he wants to do when he wants to do it. He wants freedom from rules, no restrictions. He's sick of home.

He requests his inheritance now before his father's death. So the second thing we observe is a sinful life. Verse 13. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, he took his journey into a far country and there wasted his substance in riotous living.

No doubt he had many friends and was popular while he had plenty of money. He was gratifying the lust of the flesh. Now in verse 30, the older brother commented when the son did come back that he had devoured his living with harlots. Now we don't know if that was just an accusation. It may have been what the older brother had in his mind as to what he would do if he would leave home, but the fact is he did waste his substance in riotous living.

He may have felt that I had been treated unfairly as a child, and so he developed that victim mentality that is so prevalent in our society today. He didn't like the fact that he had to live by the rules of the house. Well, the next thing we see is a time of trouble. Verse 14. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in the land, and he began to be in want. He exalted all of his resources. He spent all that he had, wasted his substance, and then there arose a mighty famine. And so it was a bad situation made worse. When one is going away from God, things continue to get worse.

So next we see an effort to solve his problem. Verse 15. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husk that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him. He is down, but still imagines that he can fix it. He turns to a man of that country, which, according to the original language, indicates he glued himself to a Gentile as a servant.

So his master sent him to feed his pigs, which was a terrible humiliation for a Jew. You see, sinners often turn to the world for their help. They go to the philosophers and advisors of the day. But when God is left out of the philosophy, there is no real help to be found there.

People are encouraged to build self-esteem. Believe in yourself instead of being encouraged to believe in God where there is help. Select a higher power. Just pick one out. I remember being in a meeting where a man had said to the group we were talking to, I hope everybody has a higher power today to which they can turn.

If you don't have one, select one. I got up to speak. I said, I want to tell you about the highest power. I want to tell you about Jesus Christ.

He is the one that can help you. Well, sinners think that they can make things right by their own efforts. Even if they see they're out of step with God and something needs to be done, they feel like they can fix it. But Isaiah 64, 6 says, But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

And we do all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. The Pharisees felt sufficient in themselves. Like the one described in Luke 18, 11, the Pharisees stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are.

Extortioners, unjust, adulterers, even as this publican, I have asked twice in the week and give tithes of all that I possess. And multitudes today feel that they are sufficient and have no need of a Savior. I find often in talking to people who will say, Well, I believe I'll be all right. I'm just not all that bad.

Well, they fail to see their own need. And I ask you, how is it with you today? Do you see your need of the Savior? Do you see your unworthiness?

Well, thankfully, we next observe here a true awakening. Verse 17, and when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my fathers have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Make me as one of thy hired servants. It says he came to himself. He recognized his deplorable condition. He saw by this time that he could not fix it.

It said no man gave to him, so there was no help to be found where he was. When a person comes to the end of himself, he knows that he needs help. I was holding a tent meeting in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, years ago, and at the close of the service, a man came up to me and said, Preacher, I so much wanted to be here to meet you.

I drove over the mountains and through the rain to get here. I'm in a rehab facility, and everybody in my ward joins me in listening to you on the radio. We call you the preacher for the down and out, and I considered that the best words of encouragement I had ever received.

I want to bring the gospel for the down and out, the gospel of the grace of God, that which points us to Jesus Christ, who came to save, to came to seek and to save that which is lost. So at this point, the boy begins to think of the father's house. He came to himself, but not by himself. The Lord uses things to bring about that awakening.

The old hymn says it this way. Afflictions, though they seemed severe, in mercy after sin. They stopped the prodigal's career and forced him to repent. Although he no relentings felt till he had spent his store, his stubborn heart began to melt when famine pinched him sore. What have I gained by sin, he said, but hunger, shame, and fear? My father's house abounds with bread while I'm starving here.

I'll go and tell him all I've done and fall before his face. Unworthy to be called his son, I'll seek a servant's place. Yes, he came to himself, but we know that when one comes to themselves, it's because of the grace of God. Matthew 16, 15. And he said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

So here's the work of effectual grace in bringing one to the end of himself and making him realize his help is alone in Jesus Christ. Well, then we come to the next section of the parable, coming home. Verse 18. I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Make me as one of the hired servants. And he arose and came to the Father. We see true repentance.

He not only said that he would go to the Father, he got up and went. He is broken and he doesn't say, Now, give me, like he did when he was leaving home, but make me, make me one of the hired servants. He sees that I've made a terrible mistake.

I deserve nothing. Now, some have argued that this parable is teaching that repentance is not necessary because the word is not used in the text. But there is a clear display of repentance as the young man says, I'll go to my father and confess my sin. I think of a woman that was in a class I was teaching for recovering drug addicts and she spoke up and said, Well, I'll just tell you my experience. She said, Keep on sinning and God keeps on forgiving.

Sounds like she had a pretty nice arrangement there. No thought of repentance, no remorse over her conduct, no confession of guilt, just, I keep on sinning and God keeps on forgiving. It's sad to say there are people that hold that philosophy today, that God is a God of love. He would never pour out his wrath on sinners.

No, they just keep on sinning and think God keeps on forgiving. Well, this boy was repentant. He was apprehensive, no doubt, and feared how the father might react, and yet with hope he heads for home. The father was better to him than his fears and also better to him than his hopes. It was a long trip home. He had gone into a far country, but he was determined to make it.

Then the next thing we see in verse 20 is an amazing reception. And he arose and came to the father. But when he was a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion on him. It may have been the gate of the son, the way he walked, something about his stature. The father was obviously out looking, hoping that the son would return. And so when he sees him, he ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and of thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son. The love of the father is beautifully displayed.

He ran to meet him, and that was considered very undignified in that culture for an old man to run. He fell on his neck, embraced him, and kissed him, kissed him many times, assured him of his welcome and pardon. Today, if you're in a far country and wonder if God will receive you, look at this beautiful picture. The boy comes in rags and with the smell of the pigs, and the father warmly receives him. Part of the hymn from which we previously quoted continues. His father saw him coming back, he saw and ran and smiled, and threw his arms around the neck of his rebellious child. Father, I have sinned, but oh, forgive.

I've heard enough, he said. Rejoice, my house, my son's alive, for whom I mourned as dead. Now let the fatted calf be slain and spread the news around.

My son was dead but lives again, was lost, but now is found. Tis thus the Lord his love reveals to call poor sinners home. More than a father's love he feels and welcomes all that come.

Next we see a joy-filled feast. Verse 22. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry.

For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found, and they began to be merry. Notice the gifts of the father. Give him the best robe.

This would speak of being clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ when the sinner comes home. And put a ring on his finger. The ring is to confirm that he's part of the family. This is a constant reminder of his father's love. Put shoes on his feet. The servants did not wear shoes.

They were barefooted, but he wants his son to have shoes on his feet. Well, then we see a great feast was spread. He came home hungry, but now sits down to a wonderful feast provided by his father. When one has labored in vain to find satisfaction in the world, but he responds to the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, he comes to a place of feasting and joy.

It's a time of great joy. Verse 24 says, And they began to be merry. In the fifth verse, when it spoke of the sheep, it said, And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing. When he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. And I say unto you that likewise joy shall be in heaven, over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety-nine just persons which need no repentance. Sometimes people will say if a person repents, well, I'm not too sure about this.

I'm going to hold up and wait, see what happens in the future. But the angels in heaven burst forth with a sound of joy when the sinner repents. And the ninth verse says, And when she had found it, speaking of the lost coin, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the peace which was lost.

Likewise I say unto you, There is joy in the presence of angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. Well, the older brother would not come in, though, to the feast. He was angry. He was saying, This isn't right.

I've been here all the time and there's been no feast for me. My wayward brother doesn't deserve this. It makes me think about a man that came to me one time after a speaking engagement. He said, Well, I'll tell you, preacher, I have a lot of trouble with the Bible. But the part that troubles me most is that story of the prodigal son. That boy didn't have a right to sit down to a feast. He wasn't entitled to that.

I said, That's the point. This is a display of grace. He wasn't receiving something for what he had earned and what he deserved. It was the love and mercy of his father. And that's our position as we as poor sinners come to Jesus Christ. This message was for the Pharisees who criticized Jesus for receiving sinners.

So let's think about the lessons learned. The father delighted to receive one who came to him in true repentance. That includes a believer who has gone astray. David is one who sinned greatly. He said in Psalm 51, verse 1, Have mercy upon me, O God, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies.

Blot out my transgressions. Verse 4, Against thee the only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. Or Peter, who had denied his Lord, but with great tears had genuinely repented.

And Jesus said to him in John 21, 12, Come and dine. And certainly there is a message here for those of you who have never come to the Father's house. You may not have indulged in riotous living, as did the prodigal son, but you've chosen to go your own way and have attempted to find satisfaction in worldly pleasures.

You could well take to your lips the words of the psalm that was popular a few years ago, I did it my way. That's been your attitude in life. But if you've been convicted of your sin, you see that your way is the wrong way. Maybe you haven't given much serious thought to where you will go at death, but the only place of safety is in the Father's house.

Well, somebody might say I've gone too far. I can't believe I could be received. But look at the abundant love displayed by the Father.

He received the Son with great joy. The message I want you to hear today is come home. Come home. I wandered far away from God. Now I'm coming home.

The paths of sin too long have trod. Lord, I'm coming home. Coming home. Coming home.

Never more to grow. Open wide the arms of love. Lord, I'm coming home.

What a beautiful sight. The prodigal coming home. He is now broken, convicted of his sin, declaring to the Father, I am not worthy to be called your son. And then the amazing display of the Father's love. He embraces his repentant son.

He puts a robe on his back. He kisses him, puts a ring on his finger and prepares a great feast, announcing my son who was lost now is found. Am I speaking to someone today who has wandered far? And maybe you feel there is no hope. Let me tell you the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That he came to seek and to save that which was lost. If you've been convicted of your sin, the message to you is come home.

There is hope for you because of God's great love and the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Come home. Come home.

I'm tired of sin and strain, Lord. Now I'm coming home. I'll trust, I'll love, believe thy word, Lord, I'm coming home. Coming home, coming home, never more to roam. Open wide thine arms of love, Lord, I'm coming home.

My soul is sick, my heart is sore, now I'm coming home. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder Lesair Bradley, Jr. Address all mail to the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Coming home, coming home, never more to roam. Open wide thine arms of love, Lord, I'm coming home.