How did I get here? Wallowing in a pigsty with nothing to eat and no one to turn to, the Prodigal Son must’ve asked himself this question a thousand times. In this message, Dr. Stanley traces the sad, downward spiral that sin leads us on when we believe Satan’s lies and ignore God’s Word. But no matter how dark sin may make our lives, God is willing and able to forgive, just like the father in the parable. Learn how simple repentance restores right relationship. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to www.intouch.org/watch
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are you satisfied where you are now No
do you know how to get out of this no I
want to show you how I want to tell you
how no matter how deep you are had
distance you are from God I want to
remind you this that God hasn’t stopped
loving you
[Music]
four decades ago we started in touch
ministries to lead people worldwide into
a growing relationship with Jesus Christ
throughout the years we’ve seen God’s
greatness his love and his blessings in
such awesome ways that we just want
everyone to know him so let’s open God’s
Word and seek Him together next on
InTouch dr. Charles Stanley begins his
series welcome-home parable of the
prodigal today’s message the condition
of the heart the condition of your heart
determines the direction of your life I
don’t know what direction you’re walking
in right now but the condition of your
heart I’m not talking with the physical
heart your spirit determines the
direction of your life if you’re walking
in the right direction good walking in
the wrong direction it’s going to be
fatal
very important that you walk in the
direction of the Lord Jesus Christ you
may have other ideas most people do but
eventually you’re going to discover
whatever God teaches in his word is the
way it is not the way some people think
it is it’s the way that he is in this
particular passage of Scripture Jesus
has really described how all of us are
all of us will find our way at some
point in this passage of Scripture
because we’re either a sinner living in
sin like this young man or we are have
an unforgiving spirit like his brother
or we have a wonderful forgiving spirit
like the father the story of the
prodigal son has all of us in it
somewhere
and that’s what I wanted to talk about
in this particular passage so I want us
to read part of this fifteenth chapter
of the Luke and if he’ll turn there for
a moment Jesus was telling the Pharisees
talking to the Pharisees and telling
them
some sort is here giving him some
illustrations and he talked about the
sheep that gone astray he talked about
the lost coin and then he came to the
Sun and this is probably one of the most
memorable stories Jesus ever told one of
the most effective and all of us fit in
this chapter one way of the elder and so
today I want to said look at this son
and the scripture says in this 15
chapter beginning in verse 11 and Jesus
said a man had two sons the younger of
them said to his father father give me
the share of the estate that falls to me
so he divided his wealth between them
not many days later the younger son
yeah.that everything together and went
on a journey into a distant country and
there he squandered his estate with the
loose living man when he had spent
everything a severe famine occurred in
that country and he began to be
impoverished so he went and hired
himself out to one of the citizens of
that country and he sent him into the
fields to feed swine he would have
gladly filled his stomach with the pods
of this one for eating and no one was
giving him anything but when he came to
his senses he said how many of my
father’s hired men have more than enough
to eat and I’m dying here with hunger I
will get up our going to my father and I
will say to him father I have sinned
against heaven and in your sight no
longer worthy to be called your son make
me one of your hired servants so he got
up came to his father but while he was
still a long way off his father saw him
felt compassion for him ran and embraced
him and kissed him and the son said to
him father I’ve sinned against heaven
and in your sight I’m no longer worthy
to be called your son
but the father said to his slaves
quickly bring out the best robe put it
on him put a ring on his hand and send
us on his feet bring the fatted calf we
getting her to have a big party I love
that that’s what happened so I want you
to see something here the Word of God is
true from Genesis to Revelation and when
God gives us a very clear picture of
something he wants us to understand this
is the way it is not the way you think
it is this is the way it is and this
young man’s life is a perfect example of
where most people are living today I
want to live I want to ask yourself the
question where am I headed if the
condition of my heart determines the
direction of my life
where am i walking where am I headed so
I want us to think about it first of all
I want us to look at step number one
which is the desire he had in his heart
and so after a while he decided I don’t
want to live anymore like this I want to
enjoy life like other people enjoying
life and so he went to his father and he
said I’d like you to give me my part of
your estate that’s coming to me and just
let me do what I think I would like to
do and thinking in his heart listen if
my dad did this world you ought to see
me and so his father didn’t argue with
him because he knew how absolutely
determined he was to have his way and so
the scripture says that his father
divided their state and he divided them
between him and his brother and so not
many days later what happened the
scripture says he made a decision and he
made a decision to live his life his way
where he wanted it to live that’s always
a step in the wrong direction if you
forget that the condition of your heart
will determine the erection of your life
and many people make a decision in life
and they don’t realize that that
decision is just here it’s what happens
after
decision and the devil whether you
believe him or not he’s real the devil
is very careful to make you believe that
your choice – God is be the beginning of
real life and so this young men decided
he’d leave home and I can imagine as he
decided to do it that he probably put on
his best and said I won’t look good
where we going and so the scripture says
he made a decision and he departed and
he went to the far country that’s the
King James Version into a far country so
the question comes is this where is the
far country a far country is wherever
you choose to go outside the will of God
and I can remember one Sunday morning a
young lady young lady walk down the
aisle and tell me what was going on in
her life and I had preached on this
particular passage and she said pastor
I’ve been in a far country I’ve been
living in a far country
listen you can live in a far country
never leave your house you’re living
without God in your life you’re living
in a far country I remember the same
message that a young fella walked down
the aisle and he said to me last night I
slept with my girlfriend this morning we
woke up I turn on the television and
there you were and he said I knew I
could not lie here a moment longer I got
up and he said she wanted to know where
you going he said you know you won’t
understand so he got dressed came to
church got saved that morning walk down
the aisle he said I want to be saved
today because I’ve been in the far
country anywhere you’re living outside
the will of God for your life so far
country it can be a block away or it can
be a thousand miles away it’s the
condition of your heart that determines
where you are and what’s going on in
your life so the scripture says he
packed his duds and left he was going to
live life for the first
I’m the way he wanted to live that’s
always Satan’s lie
listen Satan’s always pointing to
something you don’t have and simply
saying to you if you had that or if you
had her or if you had him well if you
live there if you were here if you drove
that if you could live in that kind of
house always if you’d this that in the
other that’s not the issue
Satan always paints pictures watch this
that he knows gets your attention that’s
the count he paints and he with the
picture comes the assurance you could
have it if you just do what he said
if you just follow him you could have
whatever you want you live wherever you
live drive whatever you drive have who
or whatever it might be and so just
follow him that’s the downward steps
away from Almighty God and that’s the
way it works and so the scripture says
he departed and naturally what he was
thinking of what a fantastic time he was
going to have he had half of his
father’s estate
said plenty of money and secondly he
didn’t have to give an account to
anybody that’s one of the devil’s lives
you don’t have to give an account
anybody listen you have to give an
account to God 24 hours a day whether
you 24 over year 104 you do not have the
privilege of living without
accountability you may live without
accountability on this earth to parents
and so forth but you’re accountable to
God it isn’t it is appointed unto men
once to die and after this the judgment
because we’re all accountable so he left
he had lots of big dreams and his
departure was awesome for him because
this was the beginning of a new life how
many people have made that mistake I’m
gonna live for the first time the way I
want to live nobody’s gonna be telling
me what I can’t do
what I can’t do I can buy what I won’t
go where I want and have who I want
that’s the devil that’s always his
approach that is if you’ll serve me the
devil says just watch what I’ll do
the only problem line is this
he only tells you the first part there’s
always a second part to the message he
doesn’t tell and Satan painting this
awesome picture for him of deception and
so he left and so he had a wonderful
time he thought and so the scripture is
very evident God doesn’t leave out
anything in the Bible so how did he
spend his money and he was spending his
money partying drinking carousing have
what he thought was a good time watch
this
Satan always blinds your mind to the
effects and the nature of sin and its
consequences at the moment eventually
you’re gonna see it but at the moment he
blinds the consequences right now you
feel good you look good you have it all
and so everything is fine that’s the
devil’s line you gonna be fine
you gonna make beautiful women you can
drink all you want to drink look how
much money you’ve got Satan never says
how much money you’re gonna have when I
get throw at you he doesn’t say how you
gonna feel feeling so immoral and
partying and drinking and carousing and
sleeping around with other women then
how are you gonna feel well but you see
that’s the devil’s way of catching so
many people living in sin disobeying God
and having plenty for the moment but
that doesn’t last because you see it’s a
downward step and so he lived like he
wanted to live for a while then he found
himself warning that is you know these
things don’t satisfy me now what’s
happening I’ve had all of this I want
and all that I dreamed of and
something’s missing and so all of a
sudden he finds himself getting lower
and lower on his resources and found
that he hasn’t got any money at all and
what about his friends
a lot of people who make you think that
your friend as long as you have
something to give you don’t have
anything to give
it’s amazing how they just evaporated
right in front of you
well what happened to so-and-so well he
got busy what what about this person
what about that and so here he was he
had all the drink he could walk he had
all the women he could want he had all
the pleasure he could think of and now
he didn’t plan on something he didn’t
plan on the famine that suddenly came to
the land watch this
you can’t plan on the devil’s traps you
can’t you might think you can but you
can’t he’s gonna be there sooner or
later and he’s going to take you down in
one way or the other and the next thing
you know the scripture says he began to
be in want and as he was he finally had
to hire himself I don’t know who he
hired himself out to first but find that
he end up in the lowest place he could
end up as a Jewish boy as a young Jewish
man he ended up we would say in our time
slopping hogs but they were eaten in
pods they were hogs eating pods and here
he is in a hog pen feeding the Hogs
departs and when I think about this
young man in the hog pen what he began
to think about I had it all I had
everything I thought I wanted I got
everything I wanted to get and then
where did he get me it got me at the
lowest point of my life my clothes are
gone my dignity is gone my sense of
self-worth is gone I don’t have anything
I’m starving to death and here’s what a
false dream planted in his heart caused
him to end up in a hog pen now listen
carefully
all the hog pens weren’t destroyed a few
thousand years ago
their hog pens today wherever you’re
living without God in your life it may
look like it’s good you may have
everything you want but if you are
spiritually without God you’re still in
a hog pen and as long as you listen to
the devil as long as you refuse to
surrender your life to God it’s just
going to get worse and worse and worse
so I would simply ask you this where are
you in this down the track you started
out with everything but where are you
now are you satisfied where you are now
no do you know how to get out of this no
well I want to show you how I want to
tell you how no matter how deep you are
how distance you are from God I want to
remind you this that God hasn’t stopped
loving you you may be unfit to be home
unfit to me kiss you may be unfit for
anything in your eyes but God still
loves you and so it’s just a matter of
making a decision he’s at the bottom
rung of the ladder all his friends are
gone all this money’s gone all of his
self dignity is gone everything’s gone
it’s just he and heart I wonder who you
fellowshipping with how they people saw
them in the same condition you are
listener what happened to him hid the
scripture says when he came to his
senses many people need to come to their
senses because the whole it watch this
the Holy Spirit of God will work on you
work on you and work on you work on you
and remind you of God’s offer of love is
offer of his presence his power and
whatever you need in life he’s going to
provide he has the offer the scripture
says when he came to his senses he said
how many of my father’s hired men have
more than enough bread
but I’m dying here with hunger now it
could stop right there that’s how many
people are they drank every night they
corrals every day
they’ve lost this job that job the other
job and they’re living in sin and the
truth is they may be smiling on their
face but they’re hurting so deep in
their heart their hearts are torn apart
too embarrassed to go home maybe they
have no home maybe they’ve hurt
themselves so badly they can’t go home
and so what they have to say is what can
I do well listen to what the scripture
says he says at that low state I will
get up and go to my father and say to
him father I have sinned against heaven
in your sight the perfect solution
listen that’s always the right thing to
do that is he came to his senses and my
prayer for you is this whoever you are
wherever you listening from whatever
your situation circumstances you may be
as low as the prodigal you may be lower
than that but you’re not hopelessly
helplessly lost if you will listen to
what I’m about to say because God’s love
for you has not ceased he’s willing
knowing what you’ve done with your life
what you are doing with your life you
may be twenty-one years of age and
already messed it up so badly you may be
so embarrassed at 18 years old you can’t
even go back home you may have left your
family you have living a double life but
I want to tell you this you’re not gonna
be happy you’re not gonna find any peace
no joy you can’t make enough money you
can’t have a big enough idea about
yourself you can’t have enough status to
keep you afloat because the Spirit of
God is gonna work in your heart and
convict you of sin and if you keep
listening I’ll tell you what you can do
you can change all of that if you
remember this the Heavenly Father loves
you
in spite of all your sin all your
disobedience all in your drunkenness all
your sexuality all these things
that you’ve done in your life he’s still
listening if you’re willing to ask him
to forgive you of your sin don’t try to
justify God I’ve sinned against you just
like this boy I’m just gonna get up and
say I’m going to my father and say I
have sinned against heaven and before
you know more worthy to be called your
son you willing to say that to God
are you willing to say to him Lord I’ve
been sinning against you I’ve turned
away from you I’ve known it wasn’t right
I’ve just turned to death here to the
gospel I’m asking you today to forgive
me of my sin
I’m not making any promises I’m just
surrendering God I’m surrendering my
life to you I’m asking you to save me
forgive me cleanse me I’m asking you to
do what you said in the Bible that is to
write my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life
I had yield my life to you thanking you
for the forgiveness of my sin and God I
want to be a new person starting right
now I know that was fast
but you’ve got the message
and all you have to do if you can’t
remember anything but Lord you heard
what he said so what I believe I bet
that’s what I’m that’s what I’m feeling
Lord heal change your life seated right
where you are right now no matter where
you are you may be seated here a 10,000
miles away God will forgive you he’ll
cleanse you here straighten up your life
he’ll make you a new person are you
willing to receive him as your Savior
and your Lord
what a wonderful simple story for his
father received him and the scripture
says in the most beautiful way he got up
and came to his father while he was
still a long ways off his father saw him
never forgotten him he must have looked
a whole lot different than when he left
he saw him felt compassion for him his
father took off running ran didn’t wait
for confession I did I
this is awesome scene ran hug camp
kissed them and scripture says the son
said to father he started confessing and
sending his dead he’s hugging him all
this time forgiving him and promised him
here’s what I’m gonna do
you’re totally forgiven and to show you
we have the best robe ring the best
sandals you know well that’s a simple
story but it’s the truth of the way God
and way God sees things he’ll save you
from the mess you’ve made of your life
if you let it if you’ve been blessed by
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