Today on Real Life Radio. Never forget this. A truly repentful person comes back with no conditions. Don't ever forget there's no other Definition. of true repentance.
apart from someone coming back. with no conditions. I'll move back in if. No. This is real life.
Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I'm David Jay, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God's Word, the Bible. Hey, everybody, we want to introduce you to what we're calling our summer bundle. It's two great books, and you're going to want to get them for the little ones in your life. The first book is called Prayers and Promises for Kids.
It's a great resource to not only teach your children about the promises of God, but how do we take those promises and pray them into our lives? You're going to find this a great resource to develop a prayer life with your child. And then the book, The Red Coats Are Coming, written by our own Nancy Sanders, who attends our church. It is a great, great book. It is featured by Adventures in Odyssey and the wonderful people at Focus on the Family, Prayers and Promises for Kids, and The Red Coats Are Coming.
They're two children's books that are very powerful. Get a copy of both these books as we bundle them for the month of July. That's The Red Coats Are Coming and Prayers and Promises for Kids. A couple of great books. Available as a bundle for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com.
That's jackhibbs.com. On today's edition of Real Life Radio. Pastor Jack now continues his series called The Parables of Jesus and a message called Parable of the Prodigal, Part 2. You know, whenever Jesus spoke to the crowds, he often spoke using relatable stories with common everyday themes that the Bible calls parables. And in this parable, Jesus is teaching about humility and forgiveness.
You see, with repentance comes forgiveness and restoration. And in this parable, Jesus, he's not soft on sin, but quite the contrary. Wrong decisions can cause a whole lot of sinful action and a whole lot of grief to fathers here on earth as well as our Father God.
So today, Pastor Jack teaches that as hard as it sounds, suffering can be a good thing. When we trust God with our kids, no matter how old they are, we let the pain do its work and the outcome really could be promising.
Now, with his message called Parable of the Prodigal, Part 2, here's Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Higgs. Imagine now. We're talking about a 20, 22, 25-year-old person, 18-year-old person. And You don't tell me what to do. And your friend's parents, you don't tell me what to do.
And then they're fighting with their friends. And everything begins to fall apart. Does this sound familiar? Everything begins to deteriorate around them. And the first Action.
For the parent. is one most often they need to resist. There'll be a message on the phone. Mom? Um This is Goober.
And Um I could sure use a couple of bucks. And uh you're gonna miss your dad? And it punnes Mm. Stop right there. Our emotions As a parent will go insane.
You call the National Guard, you got the Marine Corps, the Air Force, everyone's hunting. You call the police, you gotta find my boy! And you start driving around town all night long. You know what I'm saying? And you're looking and you're looking and you're looking and you're looking and you're looking.
Listen, that's a mistake. You need to stay home and you need to pray. And you don't give them a dime. Did you raise that? You cannot give them a penny.
That's one of the most heartless things I've ever heard. Not at all. To give them a penny would be the most heartless thing I've ever heard. Because you are perpetuating, A, you are perpetuating them in their sin. B, you are pushing them further away from God and from authority.
C, they will never come to themselves or their senses if you let this continue. If you enable that, You will be an accomplice to their ultimate demise. Listen, parents, God didn't call us to be our kids' friends. Listen, you can have sex with somebody and create a baby. That's all you've done.
That doesn't make you a parent. A parent studies and figures out who this kid is, and what do I need to do to reach this kid? And by the way, how many kids do you have? Doesn't matter if you have one or if you have 100 of them. It's this.
Every one of them are different. Have you noticed that? Every one of them are absolutely different. See, but they came from the same place. It doesn't matter.
Isn't that weird? You need to know your child specifically and deal with them and work with them and learn them. That's parenting. It's not creating a child. It's what you do after you have one.
I just want a baby. I just want a baby. Borrow somebody's baby then for an hour. Believe me, an hour and you're ready to give it back. Yeah, that'll heal you real quick.
Wrong decisions are made. And so he goes on this long journey. Verse 13 tells us. And listen, there's something. Than his mind, and her mind.
I can do this better. I can live my life better than what my parents have been telling me to do. By the way, there's something about distance that soothes a Prodigal's conscience. Distance. They're far from home.
They don't usually go. They don't usually run away from home and go two houses down. The more miles behind them, the more free they feel. This boy fell free. Yeah.
Spring break, I'm in Miami. Moms dad are freezing to death in Ohio. And uh you'll see your kid on YouTube or something, you know. There's something about distance. Immature person.
Might have some money. Mom and dad aren't there? And Unless God is a stable Have a stable root and a stable foundation in their life, that's a scary thing. I'm probably going to get in huge trouble with what I'm about to say. But I believe our culture, by and large, en masse, has reached a state of.
immaturity and godlessness. That Many of our children are not equipped. At the age that they traditionally have gone to college and university, they're no longer able to go to college and university because, number one, the professors will eat them alive. Number two, the godlessness is profuse. Number three, you're going to pay $50,000 a year for your kid to unlearn everything you put within them.
I'm sorry to say this. But I meet with parents who are trying to pick up the pieces of their children's lives. and they had to pay the system to get them broken. It is a tragic time. There's something about distance that Allows a prodigal to feel a little bit of soothing in their conscience.
And this guy's living it up, he's sinning it up. The Bible says in Proverbs 15:5, Only a fool despises a parent's discipline. Whoever learns from correction is wise. There's no perfect parents. Mom and dad, tonight, you may be sitting here or listening or watching right now, and you're thinking, I did this, I created it, I blew it.
Listen, listen, God's grace is huge. There are no perfect parents, and you listen.
Well, you know, he's 25 years old, and he's just so messed up. There comes a point, no matter how messed up of a life we came out of, that if we turn to God, listen, God is God. He's on his throne, he's huge. He takes the worst lives and can fix them. If you are the worst parent to your child, your child still has access to God.
And when your child says, I won't believe in God because you are a horrible parent. Just know this. I know this hurts you, but listen. You need to understand something. The Holy Spirit is alive.
And he'll say, now, son, listen, you've been blaming your mom and dad long enough. Yeah, they were real stinkers, they goofed up terribly. Deal with it. Because I'm God, give your life to me, and I'll take it and make it great. They hear the same Holy Spirit that you do.
And in this parable, this boy is first of all full of himself and probably not hearing anything. Making wrong decisions, one rout after another. Which leads us to verses 15 and 16. The prodigal son will eventually face the outcome. The music is going to be played.
Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into the fields to feed swine, and he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate. And here it is, and no one gave him anything. That is a great thing. Let me allow me the liberty to change this for a second. Elimis was old parable, and he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods of the pigs.
Uh that that the pigs ate and and somebody was sneaking uh burrito in between the fence there. What would that do? It would keep them longer with the pigs. It'd keep them longer. Away from his family.
Now, something's starting to happen. Thank God he's having to face the outcome. Are you here tonight and you're You might even be here tonight because you've been starting to face the outcome. Things aren't going well. This is falling apart.
What's going on in my life? This is a good moment. Seems like everything I touched Turns to dust, my life's ruined. Great! I mean it, I'm not being rude.
Great! Come to the end of yourself. And be free from yourself. I'm going to say this in light of this point here. The consequences are, it is a law of God.
It cannot be changed. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. This goes for your kid. There comes a time When this begins to happen in a child's life, parents listen. You must Control yourself and let your child.
suffer at this time. I know this sounds brutal. When someone's drowning, I don't know I've never seen this happen. I've read about it numerous times, but maybe you have too. When someone's drowning in the ocean or in the pool, a lifeguard.
If the person is thrashing about and violent so the lifeguard doesn't drown, what does the lifeguard do? He does one of two things. He's got two options. The lifeguard either stays back and lets the guy drown, and then he rescues him and then revives him. or he'll punch him in the face and knock him out.
Did you know that? Why? Because the person thrashing about finally's figured out: oh, I need help. And then they go into a panic. And if if you deal with them like that, they'll kill both of you.
He'll drown you. You'll both die. Suffering is not evil. Where do we get this in our minds? Suffering can be a great thing.
If your child tonight is suffering because they've been a prodigal, Don't rush in with your checkbook. Don't rush in to alleviate. God is at work. God is moving, mom. God's moving, Dad.
Wait, be patient. Wait upon the Lord. Have you committed them to God? Yes, a thousand times. Then trust God.
But he got arrested. Excellent, trust God. No, I'm serious. I would rather have a child of mine be arrested and put in jail than to wind up being s Killed. for drunk driving or whatever it might be.
You're listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series, just go to jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. And for now, let's get back to our teaching. Once again, here's Pastor Jack.
Proverbs twenty two six says, Train up a child. And the way that he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. The word train up, it's one word actually in Hebrew. It means make a narrow path. Listen to this.
Oh man, is this totally like radical? Listen, you think our culture would adopt this? Listen to this. Make a narrow path, initiate or dedicate, or set a straight course for your child. Steer them in the direction that you want them to go.
Regarding what you want them to become in body, soul, and spirit. That's brilliant. You ought to write that down. Train up a child in the way that they should go, and when they're old, they will not depart with it. Put them on a path straight, body, soul, and spirit.
Parents are to instruct your children body, soul, and spirit. There's the answer right there, Proverbs 22, 6. Our culture is in the situation that it is because. Frankly, parents are not parenting. Our kids have been lifted themselves.
But when they suffer, listen, when. When little Bobby calls up and says, Dad, you know, I'm Man, I just have a little bit too much to drink, and I I hit this pole, and this is my phone call. The cops are calling me.
So, son, I'll tell you what, what are they saying?
Well, they're going to put me, I'm in jail right now. You know, I'll be there in the morning. In the morning? I'm dead serious, you guys. I am dead serious.
Have you ever been in the back of a cop car? I haven't. I'm just thinking maybe you have. There's no cushions back there. I've been in jail before.
I've been in prison, I've been in this federal prison, maximum security, scared the snot out of me. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I was scared. Because when I went to go visit this guy, They put the same clothes on me that all the prisoners had. And I had a little name tag, a clipped eye.
And I'm looking around, I'm in there. And I'm telling you, I was absolutely. Terrified. And I asked the guard, I said, listen, I got the same clothes there. This thing clips on and off.
I'm a little insecure about this. And the guy goes, have fun, you're in my house now. Yeah. Do you know who you're talking to? He didn't care.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. The final thing, verses 17 to 19, is The prodigal son, thank God, repents of his deeds. He repents.
This whole process leads to repentance. Verse 17, but when he came to himself. Those are great words. He said, How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and that to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will arise and go to my Father.
Great news, eh? Huh? Wonderful, right? I will say to him, Father, look, he's so cute. He's rehearsing this now.
I'm repenting. I've had enough of this. Father, I have sinned against heaven. Heaven and before you, I am no longer worthy. That is, verse 19 is key.
I'm no longer worthy. To be called your son. Make me, this is a beautiful thing. This word make, he's not pushing himself around now. Watch this, it's remarkable.
Get this. Make me like one of your hired servants. The term literally means I submit to your authority. Watch, I submit to your authority. He doesn't say, make me like one of your servants.
You want to know how repentful this boy is? I submit to your authority. Make me like one of your hired servants? Hired servants. You might say, well, you rotten kid, you want your dad to pay you?
Yeah, listen. The word is craftsman. Father, I've sinned against you. Will you put me on? as one of your servant craftsmen?
The craftsman were paid for their work. The sun is saying I've lost it all. I've come, Father, back both repentful. And to make restitution. I'm going to pay you back.
Listen. Never forget this. A truly repentful person comes back with no conditions. Don't ever for there's no other Definition. of true repentance.
Apart from someone coming back. with no conditions. I'll move back in if. No. Ray Steadman, the great pastor who's now with Jesus, says perhaps the most.
Hopeful sentence in this entire parable is the phrase with which this section is introduced. But when he came to himself, Years ago, I heard of a very eloquent preacher speaking on this parable. He was illustrating what happened to the prodigal son in the far country. He said, and I quote, As his money disappeared. He had to sell his coat in order to eat.
Then he took off his shoes and sold those. Then he took off his shirt and sold that. Then he took off his pants and sold that. He sold everything until he came to himself. He's naked broken.
As we're out of time, I want to leave this with you. I'll just skip to the end, and here it is. I was shocked to discover this and preparing for this message. How many of you have ever heard, Come thou fount of every blessing? We've sing it here.
I did not know what I'm about to read you. A little over a hundred years ago, a man by the name of Robert Robertson. was riding a stagecoach. Another passenger in the coach was humming a verse of the hymn. Come thou fount of every blessing.
Then the first verse. Come thou fount of every blessing. Tune my heart to sing thy grace. Streams of mercy never ceasing call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above, Praise his name, I'm fixed upon it, name of God's redeeming love.
She asked Robinson What he thought of the hymn. His answer was strange. He said, Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn. Many years ago. I would give a thousand worlds if I had them.
to enjoy the feelings I had then. Robinson had been saved at the age of 19 through the preaching of George Whitfield. Later, he became a preacher himself, first As a Methodist preacher. Then as a Baptist preacher. and then as a Unitarian preacher.
Which denomination denies the deity of Jesus Christ. He became a wandering, miserable, wayward soul. Robinson failed to heed the very words that he himself had penned so long ago in that third verse of song: O to grace, how great a debtor, daily I'm constrained to be. Let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God.
Yeah. Here is my heart, O take and seal it, For thy courts above. He was a prodigal. He ran from God. We're going to pray right now together in this solemn, holy moment, I believe.
And no matter where you're at, you might need to rededicate your life to God here tonight. Father, we come to you. And Lord. I pray that by the power of your Holy Spirit you'd search our hearts, Jesus. Maybe we've lived for sex, maybe we've lived for money, maybe we've lived for even things that we might justify as good, that we've lived for acceptance, we've lived for affection or meaning or purpose or Value.
We might even say, God, we lived for status or education. Lord, open up our hearts and our minds to understand that being a prodigal does not mean that we necessarily fall into some gross sin. It could simply mean that we have been so proud enough to think that we can do it on our own. We can throw enough Effort at it, we can throw enough finesse at it, we can throw enough technology at it, we can throw enough whatever at it, and miss the very heart of God. And so, Father, I pray that in the Seriousness of this moment, you'd search our hearts, Jesus.
Lord, that you'd speak to each and every one of us tonight. I believe that you are speaking to each and every one of us tonight. We've been listening. And maybe some of us need to Say to you. I've sinned against you.
and against heaven. I'm not worthy to be called your son or your daughter anymore. Lord, I want to make restitution. If that's you tonight, my dear friend. Please.
Answer his invitation. And if tonight you have a child that is far from God, Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and Lean not into your own understanding. Yeah. and all your ways acknowledge him. and He'll direct your paths.
Don't act. Upon emotion. Listen for the still small voice of God. Obey him. And he will bring forth your righteousness like the noonday.
And he will remind your child. of a better way. Father, these things We ourselves, we commit into your hands. In Jesus' name and all God's people say. Amen.
Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on Real Life Radio with his message called Parable of the Prodigal Part 2. You know, this message, by the way, is part of Pastor Jack's series called The Parables of Jesus. It's a series highlighting the teachings of Jesus while he was ministering right here on this earth. And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.
So as you heard from our broadcast, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And if you'd like to know what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life personally, we would love to help you out with that. Go to jackhibbs.com slash know God. That's K-N-O-W-God. And there you'll be guided through what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life and the freedom that you'll find in knowing God.
Don't miss out. That's the Know God tab at jackhibbs.com.
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