Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina.

I want to start Luke chapter 15. Look at verse 1 and 2. The Bible says, Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners for to hear Him. Aren't you glad Jesus always has time for a bunch of sinners? We all this morning, by the way, are nothing but a bunch of sinners. I don't think anybody needs to be reminded about that because I've sinned this week and I know some of you probably have.

I've had to ask God to forgive me for things and I know you probably have. We're all sinners. And aren't you glad that He's not so above us as a God that He's not willing to come down and eat and drink and fellowship with the publicans and sinners? Notice verse 2, though, and the Pharisees and scribes murmured as they always did, by the way. And, you know, you always find in the Bible the religious hypocritical crowd always did one thing. They always murmured. So the Bible's take on a murmurer is normally a religious hypocrite. Isn't that something? So don't murmur.

Or that might say a little bit something about us, huh? Look at verse 2 and the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. How dare he? So why are you reading these verses preacher? I want you to understand after this, this is the crowd, publicans and sinners and the Pharisees and scribes. And they're both all that whole group is getting ready to hear sermons by Jesus. So he is speaking to one group who is the publicans and sinners. Then he's speaking to another group, the Pharisees and scribes, and they're all together in the same audience. So we've got to understand who Jesus is preaching to to understand the full meaning, obviously, of the different parables that he gives. Notice, if you would, the first one he gives is the parable of the lost sheep, then the lost coin, then the lost son.

We always to illiterate would say the lost sheep, the lost silver and the lost son. And so I want you to look, if you would, at verse 11, and he said, A certain man had two sons. Now, for the sake of your time this morning, I want to read this story because you need to get it all.

I know you've read it 100 times, but there could be some here that's never heard this story. So I want us to understand where we are. 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 follow to me. And he divided unto them his living, obviously his inheritance, what was going to be his inheritance. The son got tired of being there at the house for whatever reason. He said, Dad, I want my inheritance now and I want to leave.

So the dad did. Think of 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 riotous living. And when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in that land and he began to be in one. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country.

And he sent him into his fields to feed swine. Now, I don't know. I don't know this is true. I've heard different things. But if you'll notice in verse 15, the Bible says, and he went and joined himself to a citizen.

I don't know if this is the case. If it is, I don't know how he got out of it. Obviously, this is a parable. But I am told that I have heard that that word join means that he sold himself as a slave to this individual. In Bible days, if you are a slave and an individual had a slave, you can only have them temporary. Nobody owned their slaves because on the Jubilee year, they would all be freed no matter what. The only way that you could permanently own a slave is if the slave sold himself to you through his own decision and said, I want to be your slave. So I don't know if this is what happened, that this young man became so desperate that literally to even be able to eat, he had to sell himself to be a slave.

By the way, that's exactly what sin does. It makes you a slave. You serve it. You serve it. There could be men sitting right here, and I'm not trying to get personal, but have gotten in the habit of looking at very wrong things, either on the Internet or other means.

Look at me. Before long, that will literally own you, and you will be a servant to that. Notice, if you would, verse 14, and when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine. There's always emptiness and sin, and that's where sin always takes you to where there's nothing. Look at verse 16, and he would have fain have filled his belly with a husk that the swine did eat. We find in the verse before that this man, he went and if he sold himself as a slave or at least joined himself to, that's what it means. We find that he's slopping hogs. And what interesting thing about this, I'm sure some of you know, this is that this young man was Jewish in the story and that and Jewish people did not eat pork. And the worst place that a Jewish young man could be is slopping hogs because they were considered a very unclean animal. By the way, they are an unclean animal, but they are delicious. I think I felt the Spirit of God move in right there. Verse 16, and he would have fain have filled his belly with a husk that the swine did eat.

He was literally getting ready to eat slop. And no man gave unto him. Can I say something about this world? You can't expect people to give you. Let me tell you something, many of you that have been in this church for years or have joined yourself to this church, you're blessed because we have people here that give. I don't understand people say, well, I don't want to go to church and I'll sit at home and watch so and so on TV.

Let me tell you something. You are robbing yourself of a blessing because you need your brothers and sisters in Christ because I know something about this church. And if you're not if you don't go to a church and you're not belonging to a church or you're visiting here and you're not a member of a church, I can recommend to you this church wholeheartedly because we have people in this church that are generous, that are godly. And I can't tell you how many times I've seen people in need and I have been in need myself and people in this church have given.

But you can't expect that from the world. Notice, if you would, verse 17. And when he came to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my father's have a bread enough and despair and I perish with hunger? He says, man, my dad's servants have even got food. And here I am a son and I've got nothing.

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 thy hired servants. Father, I pray you bless this morning. We love you. We need you.

I know I do. In your name we pray. Amen. I want to look at this story of two sons. Number one, I want you to notice the rebellious son. In just a minute, we're going to talk about the religious son.

And then lastly, we're going to talk about the righteous father. But I want you to notice the rebellious son. There were two boys. Of the two wayward, the wayward prodigal, of the two sons, it seemed that the wayward prodigal was by far the most likable.

He was the most attractive and he was the most honest. But he was the one that was wayward. Now I don't know why that is, but can I say in this story, both sons were equally lost.

Did you all hear me? The one son was lost in the world, the other son was lost at home. The prodigal was lost slopping with the pigs, but the elder brother was lost sitting in the pew. You see, the prodigal had gone off and had done wrong and we knew he had done wrong. He had done wrong outwardly that everybody just knew it. But may I say that that elder son might not have run out into the world and he might have not gone and made some of the stakes that that other son made.

But let me tell you about the elder brother. He had a rotten attitude and spirit and he was just as lost as the wayward prodigal. I believe sometimes our churches are full of lost people. They're religious, but religion doesn't save you. The rebellious son, you know what the best thing about this, the father loved them both. Isn't it nice to serve a God like that?

When we hurt him by our actions or when we hurt him by our attitude, he still loves us. The context is important. This parable was given to two kinds of people. A bunch of publicans and sinners and Pharisees and scribes.

Listen to me. The publicans and sinners saw themselves in the prodigal. And the Pharisees and scribes, much to their dismay, saw themselves in the older brother. And dear friend, you can see yourself probably in one of these two this morning.

You're either wayward and have blown it and have messed up, or it could be that I'm sitting right in the pew where I've always sat, but my spirit and my attitude aren't right. The rebellious son, by the way, I don't find mentioned here the mother. Now, it could be a detail that God just left out and God didn't mention. It could be that the reason this young son had had a hard time at home and was wanting to leave because maybe he was close to his mother. And I'll tell you why I think so, because his brother was the oldest and he was the youngest. And oftentimes dad's because the oldest is there and he got to that age. Now dad's working the older in the business and is close to the older. And oftentimes the younger son who being younger, dad's busy with the older and dad's at that level now where he enjoys doing things.

It's just like me at home oftentimes. There are some days that I probably spend more time with Daniel and it's not that I want to. But Hudson right now, Hudson enjoys and he plays and he does things. And Daniel's into football and he likes to go out and play baseball and football. And that's just a little bit easier for me to identify with.

And I can go out and throw football and different things and Hudson's not at that stage yet. It could be that maybe the older one had spent a lot more time with dad and maybe the younger one was closer to his mom. And maybe he had spent more time with her and maybe she had been killed. Maybe she had died.

I don't know. And maybe something had happened there and he had lost that identity and that stability. And that's who he was close to and he'd always had maybe a hard time getting along with dad. And maybe there was just disagreements. Maybe he saw things differently.

I don't know. But for whatever reason, he wanted to leave home. He wanted to get out from under the confines of his father. He wanted his inheritance and he wanted to get out of there.

I find it very interesting. Two things I want you to see this morning. Number one, I want you to see his leaving home prayer. And second, I want you to see his coming home prayer.

Now let's look at the word of God and see what they are. His leaving home prayer is in verse 12. And the younger of them said unto his father, Father, give me. Give me.

That was his leaving home prayer. Father, give me. That's rebellion, pride, selfishness. I want what's mine. In fact, I want something that I haven't even earned. I want it. Father, give me.

That's always the start to a nice rebellious road. I'm owed. I deserve it.

It's mine. How many times have folks left the confines of a good church and a good family because they felt they were owed something? I want you to notice his coming home prayer. Look at verse 18 and 19. I will arise after he'd hit rock bottom, eaten slop out of the pig's buckets. What does he say in verse 18? I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, notice this. He has a comma. I've sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Notice what he says. Make me. His going away prayer was, Father, give me.

His coming home prayer was, Father, make me. Whatever you want to do with me, I've learned. Whatever you want to do, I'm totally at your mercy. Just let me be a servant. Just let me serve you. Let me tell you where God would love to see you and I get to tonight, this morning, to get away from thinking God owes us and people owe us and we deserve such and such. Let me tell you where God can use you. When you and I get to the point that we say, Father, I've got nothing without you. You do with me what you want to do.

I'm all yours. I just want to be a servant. Rebellion starts when we think life is better away from the Father and rebellion ends when we realize how wonderful life is with the Father. I want you to see the rebellious son.

Second, I want you to see the religious son. Do you know a religious person can be just as lost as a rebellious person? In fact, I think it's more dangerous to be a lost religious person because oftentimes individuals will think because they're religious that they're okay. A rebellious individual knows they're not okay. They know they've rebelled. They know they've done wrong. A religious person get pride and arrogance because of their religion.

They're in trouble. Religion is following rules, not following the Savior. May I say this morning, I do not want Kerwin Baptist Church to be a religion. I want this church to follow God.

Dear friend, if we have a bunch of rules and regulations on a piece of paper that you have to follow, then we are not anything but a religion. But when you and I start doing things because we love the Lord, we start changing things because we love God, now we're getting somewhere. I want you to notice a couple things about this son.

First, I want you to see his attitude. Look if you would at verse 28. I guess I better begin reading verse 25 where we left off. Now his elder son was in the field, in the field working where he was supposed to be. And as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing, and he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother has come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf because he hath received him safe and sound.

Verse 28. And he was angry. His attitude.

Let me give you a couple things about his attitude. Number one, he had a carnal attitude. What does it mean to be carnal? It means to act like a baby.

It means to be immature. He literally had a little fit because he was resentful, jealous, greedy, and full of pride. He had a carnal attitude. And dear friend, may God prevent us, any of us being in a church like this from having an immature spiritual attitude by pitching our little fit because somebody didn't mention me, somebody didn't do something for me, somebody didn't call me, somebody didn't come visit me, somebody didn't this or didn't that. Dear friend, that is nothing but spiritual immaturity. That's a carnal attitude. Second, he had a critical attitude. Notice if you would, as he continues to say something. Look at verse 28.

I was angry, would not go in, therefore his father came out and entreated him. Notice verse 29. And he answering said unto his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transrest I at any time thy commandment, and yet thou never gavest me a kid. Notice verse 30. But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots. Critical.

What did he do? He pointed out the fault of his brother, never noticing his own faults. Oh, we are guilty of that in church sometimes, aren't we?

We'll sit in a pew. Well, so and so never come speaks to me. Okay, well, you've noticed that fault in them.

Have you ever gone speak to so and so? Oh, you didn't remember that? You didn't make mention of that? Oh, so we're seeing faults in others, but we're not seeing our own faults. That's called a critical attitude.

That's what this that's what this son had. He was so good at finding the faults in others, but he was so miserable and bad about seeing the faults in his own life. Third, he had a condescending attitude. The whole way through here, he talking about his brother, talking about he's just nothing. Why?

Because he left home because he did wrong. Condescending. Dear friend, there is nothing that will turn folks away from God more than meeting a Christian who is condescending. Listen, we might feel differently, but that doesn't make me better. Maybe you do something and I don't do it. That's just my conviction. But that doesn't make me better. And you might do something or not do something that I do. And if we're different, guess what?

That means that might be your conviction, but it doesn't mean you're better than me. We're all sinners. Who God and Christ died for. A condescending attitude.

Notice, fourthly, he had a conceited attitude. Notice what I just read in verse twenty nine. These many years do I serve thee.

Neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment. Oh, really? He's saying he was perfect all these years.

There are some people that really believe that. How many years have I been here? I've done this and I've done that.

Well, dear friend, you're ruining it. Because the reward God might have given you now is going to be ruined by the attitude. That's what that's kind of attitudes that this son had his attitude.

Notice, secondly, his actions. Verse twenty eight, he says he would not go in. Do you know that wrong attitudes always lead to wrong actions? You get a wrong attitude towards somebody at church before long. You won't even want to come to church. You'll say, well, so and so. And they and they do this. And before long, you just say, well, I'm not going to go to church.

We're just like that older brother that says, I'm not going in. They don't deserve it. They don't this. They don't that.

Well, I can't believe they got a new car. I'm the one at church. I'm the one helping. I'm the one maybe running a bus route. I'm the one singing in choir. I'm the one helping the ministry. I'm the one helping in Awanas.

I'm the one this. And they don't they show up at church once every four weeks and they get a new car or they get a new house. Why would God do that?

Dear friend, don't ever make that mistake, because if you get a wrong attitude before long, wrong actions are coming. We all happy in the house of God this morning. Like, you know, you were kind of hard last week on salvation. Now you're just being mean. I'm not.

I'm getting somewhere. Third, I want you to notice his argument. Look at verse twenty nine and thirty. And the answering said unto his father, lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment. And yet thou never gave us me a kid that I might make merry with my friends. And as soon as this thy son was come, which had devoured the living with harlots, thou has killed for him the fatty cat.

Amazing. This guy had problems. Everything was I, me or my. That was his argument why things weren't fair.

Because I was done wrong. Dear friend, if you and I focus on us. It's going to be a miserable life.

Everybody, everything you go near is going to hurt you. If you are focused on you. This elder brother was so consumed with his own feelings, his own desires and his own accomplishments that he did not realize that pride and arrogance had consumed his life. And notice, fourthly, his arrogance. So where's that verse? Well, it's in verse thirty three. Now we know who's using their Bible. Preacher, what are you saying?

He pitches a fit. The dad has to come outside to him and he has to justify himself to his son. He has to say it was it was me. It was right that we honored your son honored your brother, that we celebrated him coming back home. The saddest part about this whole story is that there is no verse thirty three. There is no verse that says and the elder brother apologized to his dad. Went back into the house, made right with his brother.

The saddest part about this elder brother. He was so arrogant that he never changed. You know what's so great about the rebellious son?

He came back and got right. The worst thing about the religious son. He never changed.

Wouldn't it be horrible to be said about one of us in this building that while we might be religious. He never changed. Once you notice thirdly, and this is the exciting part to me, the righteous father. And here's why it's so great. This is really a parable about the fact about the dad. I just tried to say dad and father at the same time, and I just said fat.

How did I do that? This is really a parable about fat. What in the world?

Where did I get that from? This is the parable about the father, about the dad. You see, we call it the parable of the lost son. But let me tell you what is really the storyline here.

If I was a reporter and I'm looking at all angles. All right, we got a character here. We got we got the son that went away and we got the son that stayed. And if I'm looking at all the characters of the story and you got maybe friends of the prodigal. And they weren't friends once he lost the money. And then you got one other character. Who was that the lost son joined himself to. And you got all these things.

But if I'm if I'm a reporter and I'm looking at this thing, the one thing that is the greatest story of all of them here. And I believe it's what Jesus was trying to say. It's the role of the father. This is the parable of the righteous father, not just the lost son, because there's two lost sons.

You say, preacher, what are you talking about? The father is mentioned 12 times in the double parallel in this passage. It gives us a glimpse of God himself. Unique in the Bible. God is rarely called Father in the Old Testament. In fact, on one hand, you can count the times that the name father was used for God in the Old Testament. He just wasn't referred to as father.

But when Jesus came to earth, was born of a virgin, gave himself, lived a sinless life for thirty three and a half years while he was here. Jesus introduced a new name for God that we had not been subject to through the whole Bible up until now. And it was the name Father. And here he's giving us a glimpse of our savior being our father. In fact, it's the greatest name I believe used for God in the Bible, because not only is he God creator, he's father. Jesus came to teach us a new name for God. And it's illustrated in this story.

Notice a couple of things. I want you to see his patience. He had patience with a rebellious son. And he had patience with his religious son. He had to watch a rebellious son take money and go out and leave the confines of his house and waste it. But he still was patient with him. But he also, after celebrating the homecoming of his son, had to go out and entreat his oldest son.

He had to leave a party celebrating his son that was found, and he had to go out to this critical, self-centered, condescending. And he had to say, Son, you will always be with me. See, preacher, what do you see? Notice if you would.

This is great. Look, if you would, at verse 30, the oldest is still complaining. But as soon as this, thy son, was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed him for the fatted calf. And he said unto him, the dad, Son, thou art ever with me.

Even though you've got this rotten attitude and this rotten spirit, and even though you're acting like a little baby, I want you to know something. Even when you act like that, you're still my son. Dear friend, he showed patience with the rebellious son, and he showed patience with the religious one.

And I'm here to tell you, he will show patience to you. What a father. Notice, secondly, I want you to see this, his generosity.

This is great. He gave to his son when he left. Remember, he gave him all his inheritance. He knew it wasn't wise and he knew it wasn't best.

But that's what he wanted. So to learn this lesson, listen, he gave to his son when he left, and when his son came back, he gave again. Son come back, having ruined everything that he gave, he wasted everything that he had given.

And how many times have you and I taken the blessings that God's given us and wasted them on our flesh and our desires and done what we wanted to do, and we've absolutely made a mess of everything. But when we come back, what does he do? He says, give him the fatted calf, bring him the robe, bring him the ring.

He's come home. What a generous father. What a generous God. I want you to notice, thirdly, his compassion.

Look if you would at verse 20. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great layoff, his father saw him and had compassion on him. If it had been you or me, after what this son had done to us, we had awaited there at the door. There'd have been no meeting him halfway. He should have thought about that before he left. I don't even think we'd have been at the door. We've been sitting there in the recliner, waiting for him to come in and gravel and beg. And I said, well, I'll let you back home. Let me tell you this. That would have been us, wouldn't it? Because after all, that's how we treat other Christians, isn't it?

When they come back home. Let me tell you about God. This dad met him halfway. You know what the Bible says? You draw nigh to God. He'll draw nigh to you. I love you.