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. BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY BABY 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 set But my spirit 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 is 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 in the business It's 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 I there's some days that I probably spend more time with Daniel and it's not that I want to but Hudson right now It has enjoys and he plays and he does things and Daniel's into football and he likes to go out 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 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 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 prayers in verse 12 and The younger 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 pigs 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 I'm 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 to 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 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, but you let a 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 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 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's nothing that will turn folks away from God more than meeting a Christian who is condescending. 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 Christ died for. A condescending attitude.
Notice, fourthly, he had a conceited attitude. Notice what I just read in verse 29. 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 the kind of attitudes that this son had. His attitude.
Notice, secondly, his actions. Verse 28, he says he would not go in. Do you know that wrong attitudes always lead to wrong actions? You get a wrong attitude toward somebody at church before long, you won't even want to come to church. You'll say, well, so and so, and they do this, and they do this, and they do that. 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, or I'm the one singing a choir, or I'm the one helping a ministry, or I'm the one helping an Awanas, or 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. You're like, you know, you were kind of hard last week on salvation. Now you're just being mean. No, I'm not.
I'm getting somewhere. Third, I want you to notice his argument. Look at verse 29 and 30. 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. But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou has killed for him the fatted 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.
Once you notice, fourthly, his arrogance. So where's that verse? Well, it's in verse 33. 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 says, say it was it was meat. 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 33. There is no verse that says, and the elder brother apologized to his dad. Went back into the house, made right with his brother. You know 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, we've 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 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 a 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 and all right, we got a character here. 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, whoever this guy was that the lost son joined himself to.
And you got all these things. But 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 33 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. Number one, 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 has 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 notice that 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. Heaven 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 way off, 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 would have waited there at the door. There would 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. But 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. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.
