Dr. Stanley explores the love of the Father through the parable of the prodigal son. All of us have sinned and fallen away from God in our own ways, but no matter where sin takes us, the path back home is always the same. And at the end is a Father, longing to embrace us. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to intouch.org/tv.
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in touch with Dr Charles Stanley
reaching the world with the Gospel of
Jesus Christ through sound Biblical
teaching next on in touch the forgiving
father
Jesus was a master storyteller
and the parable of the prodigal son is
one of those National stories
and this is the setting for this passage
of scripture that I want to read and it
is a setting for the message out on our
brain
and if you’ll turn to the 15th chapter
of Luke and I want us to read
beginning in
the 25th 21st verse
and you remember that the prodigal son’s
left home made a mess of his life
and then the prodigal something happens
to him and the scripture says
in verse 20 of the 15th chapter so he
got up and came to his father but while
he was still a whale
the father saw him and felt compassion
for him and 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 and put
it on him put a ring on his hand sandals
on his feet
and bring the vetted calf kill it and
let us eat and celebrate for this my son
was dead
and has come to life again he was lost
he’s been found and they began to
celebrate
what was Jesus saying
Jesus was saying simply this
the door is wide open for Sinners to
come home
and he wanted to make a point to these
Pharisees and Sadducees who were
criticizing Jesus audience the Bible
says the large crowd we’re going out
along with him and he turned and said to
them and then of course it talks about
the Pharisees and said just he’s being
critical of what Jesus was doing
and this is the message that Jesus had
for his audience that no matter what
goes on in the person’s life and how far
down they get how empty how Wicked how
vile how sinful how futile their life
may be there is an Open Door
to Salvation to forgiveness and a new
beginning if that were not true you and
I would not be sitting here all of us
have sinned against God all of us have
had to confess and repent of sin not
once but many times but our names got
written in the Lamb’s Book of Life one
time it only gets there one time there
were no races in the Lamb’s Book of Life
and all of us who have trusted Christ as
our savior have our names there and so
it’s not a matter of looking up anything
when you die and to see if your name is
in the Lamb’s Book of Life it’s the all
right and God knows when we’re coming
they claim our inheritance amen
so I want us to look at this particular
Parable in this light
first of all to look at the simple steps
that this young man took to get where he
was because people are still taking
those steps and so Jesus describes the
life of The Prodigal Son
and so the first word is dissatisfaction
he was at home he had everything in the
world he could imagine his father took
good care of him he had a great future
but he was dissatisfied probably because
his brother had passed on some news that
he’d received from people traveling
about the far country wherever that was
and how exciting it was and how
beautiful the women were and how great
the situation was and on and on they
went and so he became dissatisfied
he looked around him and became
dissatisfied not because he didn’t have
what he needed but because of what he
heard watch this be careful what you
listen to
and secondly that dissatisfaction
created a desire within him and that
desire was to be able to enjoy some
things other people had mentioned to him
and so he’s sort of tired of living out
there had everything he wanted but
something deep down inside of him had a
stronger desire I can tell you what that
is the old sin nature is there to expose
its Cravings then came the deception in
his thinking because he thought well
this is not the way I want to live I
don’t have to live this way I’m missing
something in life and so I think I just
need to make some decisions here and
change things a little bit
so he made a decision step by step he
made a decision he made a decision to
leave man decision to leave his parents
his brother his home his family and he
made a decision to enjoy life that was
his decision I’m going to leave all this
old stuff I’m sick and tired of all this
I’m gonna I’m gonna enjoy life for a
change that’s what every poor sinner
says at some point in their life I want
to enjoy life which means I want to
leave what I have and I’m going to
involve myself in some things that
probably wouldn’t be acceptable for some
but but I’ve got to enjoy life that’s
always a decision that’s dangerous and
so what follows that decision departure
he left
he packed up his Goods for the goods he
wanted he didn’t pack up many of them
because he intended to buy new clothes
he intended to look like somebody knew
he’s living the old behind him and so he
was leaving and so he left against his
father’s will of course but he left
and then comes the Delight
and that is everything was new he had
plenty of money he dressed well he had
any kind of transportation that they
would have had in those days but he had
everything he wanted his dreams were
coming true he was sick and tired of
living out yonder up yonder in some
distant place when all of these folks
down here having such a big time I want
to go to a big city I want to live life
I want to I want to experience life I’m
tired of living in this little old town
this is not a place I want to live and
so instead of asking is this wise or
unwise I want what it has to offer so
naturally he began to enjoy it but like
every person who tastes sin and every
person who chooses to walk away from God
after the money began to run up after
his friends began to run out after his
clothes got into the ward
when all of that ran out the scripture
says he became very disillusioned
watch this carefully sin will always
leave you very disillusioned you may
think it’s going to satisfy you but it
cannot and because sin cannot satisfy or
you say well I’m satisfied for a season
only for a season but even then when you
get by yourself and you close your eyes
at night and you think about reality
you’re not happy you’re living out of
the will of God you’re not happy he
became disillusioned
so what happens the further down you go
in wrong thinking wrong use of your
money wrong use of relationships taking
advantage of people
and all the rest that goes on in a
sinful lifestyle what happens he began
to feel hopeless because he knew when he
left home it was going to be an awesome
wonderful life for him because that’s
what the devil always says well if you
had a taste of this if you had him if
you had her if you could drive this and
live there and wear this then you know
life would change for you listen I would
never question the fact that sin doesn’t
have some pleasure in it but beneath the
pleasure is the penalty the penalty for
sin is always the same the wages of sin
is death
that doesn’t mean it’s always physical
death the wages of sin is death death to
happiness death to peace death to
security sin always has a final chapter
in that final chapter is physical death
and eternal separation from God it’s not
a matter of doing this sin of that sin
it’s a matter of rejecting Jesus Christ
as the Savior and Lord of your life
that’s the sin that takes a person
down the road away from God and to miss
heaven
to be eternally separated from God
because you knowingly willfully reject
Jesus Christ as your personal savior
and so that’s why he found himself and
finally he had to give up he was in
total despair in other words he ends up
in a Hog Pen and the truth is that
people today it’s it’s the same story
you start out with everything and
everything looks like it’s going to be
just right and you’re going to make it
and what happens you can’t tell exactly
when it’s going to happen how it’s going
to happen but I’m telling you one of
these days you’re going to trip up one
of these days you’re going to discover
that things are not like you were told
that they would be and look around you
at the mistakes you’ve made it looks
like you’ve gotten by with it but you
haven’t because the soul that sentence
shall die the wages of sin is death be
sure your sin will find you out you
don’t get away with it and so he finds
himself now everything’s gone
how he thought about his father and that
the household and now how he thinks
about them he lost it all
and he’s trying to feed Hogs just to
exist
and then by the grace of God he comes to
himself
and he begins to think about what he
used to have
and he heads home
and the real story of this Parable is
the Father’s attitude about him and so
what happens is
God is portrayed here as the prodigal’s
father
and so
here’s the difference here’s what
happens
it’s what happens to the father we know
what happens to the son
he’s messed up badly he’s lost
totally disappointed disillusioned in
total despair
and what about the father so look at the
steps of the father
what he’s been going through while his
son’s been absolutely living in sin
Disobedience to God remember first of
all there was a Wounded Heart when he
told his father what he was about to do
he wounded his father’s heart you got to
be a dad to know that I want my part of
my share of The Inheritance I want to
live a little bit and I thank you Father
for being good to me but I got to live
some I’m sick and tired of being around
you and being told what to do and have
limitations on my life and I hear these
stories of people who are coming up and
down the road telling me where they’ve
been what they’ve done and so forth and
so it wounded his father’s heart
so God has a wounded heart and so
the father’s thinking
why do you want to leave everything
for what’s going to prove to be a
disappointment but you see people who
are living in sin and who want to sin
against God they don’t they don’t see
that
and so the next thing you notice about
his father is he wondered about him
continuously just like you what is a
parent your son of your daughters left
they’re living in another country maybe
some other state they don’t hear from
you anymore much and so you wonder
what’s happening to them you wonder how
they’re doing financially you wonder
about their friends what kind of friends
they have what do they do on Sunday do
they go to church and not go to church
uh what kind of places do they inhabit
and uh
do they ever think about their father
and mother
and so all the questions that were
naturally go on in the father’s mind
and then of course in the midst of all
that he’s waiting for him patiently
and how many fathers and mothers
grandmothers grandfathers have waited
patiently for the Renegade sons and
daughters and grandchildren who
deliberately willfully walked away from
their home because they wanted to live
life on their basis they wanted to live
life on that time schedule they want to
enjoy some things in life that were
forbidden in their home because their
parents were spiritually minded and uh
they you know they talk about the Bible
we’ve had all of that so here they are
and here he is
and the father’s thinking about all the
things he must be into but he’s
patiently waiting for him watch this
watch this carefully Jesus is describing
our Heavenly father’s attitude toward
you and me
not only is he waiting patiently for him
but the next level of his relationship
he was watching for him
and he oftentimes probably would stand
on this porch and look down the road he
could see a pretty good ways and he saw
all these Travelers coming and going and
would hope that one day he would but
he’d been watching for years and he
hadn’t come but he didn’t give up what’s
God saying I’m not giving up on you
either
and so he watched and he waited and he
watched many Travelers and um
he sometimes was thinking maybe he’s not
coming back but maybe he will come back
and
he watched and watched and watched and
um
hoped and prayed and yet nothing ever
happened
But Then There came another level
he wanted him to return soon
he couldn’t be he couldn’t come soon
enough he wanted his son to no matter
what kind of shape he is in whatever he
did whatever happened to him he wanted
them back
and so the scripture says couldn’t be
soon enough naturally
I’m sure his brother probably had some
words to say about all that but he
wanted him back watch this carefully I
don’t know who you are where you’re
living in life and what’s going on
you’ve walked away from God way back
Yonder God still Waits For You he still
wants you to come home to him he wants
you to be wise enough to recognize that
sin ultimately is going to destroy you
sin ultimately is going to deprive you
of everything in life you want it may be
late in life it could be soon in life
but God will patiently awaits as as the
father is pictured here
and he wanted him to return no matter
what
and then that last stage is the one he’s
looking for he welcomed him home and if
you could imagine what was looking
at all that road all that empty time he
was looking and waiting and and then one
day he was looking he’s standing out
there looking and watching waiting
and there’s something about that guy
walking up the road it looked a little
familiar not too much he he the way he
carried himself
and he looked and he certainly didn’t
look like the guy that left all dressed
up and he kept looking and finally he
realized yes that’s him and so he took
off running after him
he didn’t stop to say well what kind of
shape he’s in anything else he just took
off running and when he got to him what
did he do he didn’t stand off and say
you look like a what happened to
you you’ve lost years what did he do
when he saw him he grabbed him and
hugged him and the scripture uses the
term in the in the Greek verb tense
there he kissed him and kissed him and
kissed him and kissed him and hugged him
and hugged him and kissed him and kissed
him and said we’re going to have a party
he’s trying to confess sin and what a
mess he made of his life he wasn’t
listening to any of that they were going
to celebrate that night get ready no
matter what
now what was God saying God was
picturing for us
humanly speaking how God feels when you
get right with him
and you may be one of those persons
who’s messed up your life badly in fact
you’re ashamed to tell anybody where you
came from and you wouldn’t doubt telling
anybody where you’re going you just
blunted badly I want to tell you the
same father
who waited for his son is the same
loving Jehovah Yahweh Elohim god of the
heavens who’s waiting for you
and he will forgive you just as history
father forgave him
and so just imagine what that looked
like out on the road Father and Son
rejoicing of seeing each other once
again
Jesus knew how to tell a story
and he was saying to all those Sadducees
and Pharisees out there you want to know
what God thinks of these Sinners who are
watching me this is what he thinks of
them
and so the story we know it is the
parable of the Prodigal Son thank God he
put this in the Bible because everywhere
watch this all of us will see ourselves
in one of those three persons
either the forgiving father
or the Renegade son or the bitter
brother we’re all somewhere in that
where do you see yourself are you a
forgiving person do you hold grudges
against people are you living in sin all
of us are somewhere in all of that and
so they had a big celebration and you
know the story about the sun coming in
and we’ve talked about his attitude but
this is all about God
this is all about a heavenly father who
loves us
and who forgives us
the Bible says the wages of sin is death
but you don’t have to die in sin the
soul that sinneth it shall die yes but
you don’t have to
and there’s a world of people living in
sin because they have chosen to disobey
God
and probably some of you sitting here
how many of you who are watching or
listening that’s what you’ve done
you came from a home where your mother
and Dad read the Bible or they went to
church and you decided you outgrew that
that’s old-fashioned you don’t do that
today and now where are you if you face
yourself you know deep in your heart you
are far away from God what you thought
was going to make you happy has not made
you happy and so you try this and you
try that and you try the other and when
you’ve tried everything the world has
tried do you realize what you’ve done to
yourself
realize what you’ve done to your own
character to your own sense of
self-esteem and yet God will forgive you
he will take all of your sin away he’ll
forgive all of your sin he will change
your life he’ll restore you he will do
for you what you cannot do for yourself
and so for this father he was so
grateful to have his son back he didn’t
have to hear a bunch of confession he
just wanted to celebrate and what it
says is this the heart of God is so
tender he rejoices when a sinner comes
home so what happens he forgives his son
restores him to his household
and so when we think about that and
think about how God is restoring today
there are four of the words I want to
give you four of the words that describe
what God has for us
and the first one is forgiveness it
doesn’t make any difference what you’ve
done watch this carefully you may have
said but I’ve just been so mean and
rotten and ungodly and disrespectful and
I’ve been on drugs I’ve been a
prostitute oh no known you go let me
tell you something you can’t name
anything God won’t forgive you for
that doesn’t mean there’s not a penalty
for sin but listen God’s forgiveness if
we confess our sins that is we agree
with God that we’ve lived and sinned and
disobeyed him if we confess our sins
he’s faithful and just always
trustworthy faithfulness just to forgive
us of our sins and they cleanse us from
all unrighteousness that’s the promise
of God that’s the first step secondly
acceptance he not only forgives us of
our sin he accepts us as the way we are
he accepts you one of his children watch
this carefully you don’t have to get all
straightened out to get God’s acceptance
you come to him pleading as a sinner
asking for forgiveness and his
acceptance is on the basis of what he
did at the cross
when Jesus died on the cross he paid
your sin debt in full no matter what
you’ve done or how long you’ve done it
forgiveness of our sins acceptance by
him and restoration
that is he restores us what does he
restore he restores our sense of
self-worth he restores our sense of
dignity he restores our attitude about
other people he restores everything
about us restoration it’s not enough
just the Forgiveness of our sins but he
has to straighten out some other things
in our life that got Twisted by sin and
wrong thinking and then following all of
that of course is rejoicing when a
person comes to Christ
all of these simple words describe what
happens in their life forgiveness
acceptance restoration and rejoicing and
in the parable they had a big party a
big celebration
this is a simple but awesome story
because it’s God’s message
that no matter how Wicked and sinful and
valid you’ve been God is willing to
forgive you not because you deserve it
not because you’ve done this or we’ll do
that but because when Jesus went to the
Cross he took the sin that of the world
upon him and anyone who comes to him
asking for forgiveness surrendering
their life to him will be forgiven the
name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life
and you will forever be a child of God
doesn’t mean you’re not going to sin
anymore and you may be saying well I
know that I’ll sin again then what it
doesn’t mean that you’ll never sin again
but it means this you have a
relationship to God that’s not separated
you have a relationship to him that is
like this he will forgive you of your
sin when you confess and repent of it if
you sin against God as a Believer is
there a penalty yes there is
but you’re a child of God and so the
grace of God wraps around us we’re
always a child of God watch this this is
the awesome power of the death of Jesus
every person
from Adam to the last person who will
ever live their salvation their
acceptance before God all goes back to
one thing and that’s the cross of Jesus
Christ
that’s the payment for our sin
and that payment is sufficient for all
eternity
God wants us to listen to him to hear
him to surrender to him surrender our
life to him God wants to bless us with
the best
and that blessing is available to all of
us who are willing to follow him
so I’d ask you this
are you saved
that is are you a child of God
has ever been a time in your life when
you could say at that time in my life
here’s what I did
I ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive
me of my sins and I surrendered my life
to him knowing
that it wasn’t because of any good thing
I’ve done knowing that I’d probably sin
again but I want him to have my life I
yielded my life to him in fact I got
baptized and I want to live a Godly life
and one of these days when he calls me
home I want to be sitting already amen
not having to fix up anything
sitting already there’s only one way to
be ready
and that is a personal relationship to
Jesus Christ whereby you have confessed
your sins so I’m going to pray a simple
prayer
if you have never trusted Jesus Christ
as your savior you need to do it right
now because you see you don’t have any
Assurance of tomorrow you may live
tomorrow and you may not live tomorrow
you can live eternity
with the Lord Jesus Christ if you’re
willing to ask him to save you and if
you’ll pray this prayer
honestly sincerely with all your heart
God will change your Eternal Destiny in
a matter of moments
so let’s pray right now
father we thank you for this simple
story but awesome story of your
forgiveness of your grace and love and
mercy Lord I pray
and every person here
who is unsaved but pray this prayer
sincerely with all their heart
Heavenly Father
I am a sinner
I have sinned against you
broken the Commandments
headed my way
I’m asking you to forgive me of my sin
and give me that new beginning
I believe that you will accept me
out on the basis of our good
I will be
but on the basis of what you said the
shed blood of Jesus Christ at Calvary
he paid my sin dead in full
I pray father
that each person who’s prayed that
simple prayer would accept
your forgiveness right now
and praise you for it
and I thank everyone in Jesus name amen