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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 gonna 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 is in this
particular passage of Scripture Jesus
has really described how all of us are
all of us will find their way at some
point in this passage of Scripture
because we’re either a center of 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 want us to talk about
in this particular passage so I want us
to read part of this fifteenth chapter
of the Luke and if you’ll turn there for
a moment Jesus was telling the Pharisees
talking to the Pharisees and telling
them some stories here giving him some
illustrations and he talked about the
sheep that John astray he talked about
the lost coin and then he came to the
son 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 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 G
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
gathered everything together and went on
a journey into a distant country and
there he squandered as his stay with
loose living then 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 were 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 have 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
get her to have a big party I love that
that’s what happened so I want you to
see something hear 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 or 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 wants 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 this 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 rection 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 the 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 so the
scripture says he made a decision and he
departed and he
to the far country that’s the King James
Version to 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 lady young
lady walked down the aisle and told me
what was going on in her life and I had
preached on this particular passage and
she said pastor I’ve been in the 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
how 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
hi guys up and he said she wanted to
know where are you going he said 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 any where you 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 time the way he wanted to live
that’s always Satan’s lie listen things
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 dis
that meal that’s not the issue
Satan always paints pictures watch this
that he knows gets your attention
that’s the count he paints and with the
picture comes the assurance you could
have it if you just do it
said if you just followed him you could
have whatever you want you can live
wherever you live drive whatever you
drive have whoo 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 lies
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 is a it is a point of them to 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 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 the 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’re gonna be
fine you’re gonna make beautiful women
you can drink all you wanna play
look how much money you’ve got Satan
never says how much money you’re gonna
have when I get through it yeah he
doesn’t say how you gonna feel feeling
so M Morrel and partying and drinking in
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 but
after a while the scripture says he
began to wander a little bit because
listen you can’t have but so much sex so
much drank so much carousing so many
different kinds of friends and the same
thing over and over and over again that
he began to wonder and think you know
what am I gonna do now and what’s next
and so forth
and he began to be a little dissatisfied
sin always brings you to a point of
total dissatisfaction you can’t be
satisfied with sin and so he found
himself wondering 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
everyone so all he probably would think
you know back home those wonderful meals
my mom cook
I had my dad I could ask questions about
my mom she was always there but then he
would brush that aside and think about
it I got to get over that so another
drink another woman and he could forget
it for a little while until his want
became stronger and stronger and
stronger and stronger now watch this
here’s the problem
Satan never tells you what’s coming he
always wants you to think of today how
you feel today what you have or what you
can’t have but is that he doesn’t tell
you about the times that are coming
because he wants to destroy you and so
all of a sudden he finds himself getting
lower and lower on his resources and
father he has 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 evaporate right in front
of you Oh 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 can walk he
had all the women he can walk 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’t but you
can
he’s gonna be there sooner or later and
he’s going to take you down in one way
or the other I think about having that
broken homes and having it having a
broken lives and how many broken bodies
because people listen to the lie of the
devil
you’ll be okay you will be alright what
does he say you’re an exception had that
happened that that won’t happen to you
yes it will 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 found that he
ended 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 that
time slopping hogs but they were eating
pods they were hogs eating pods and here
he isn’t a hog pen feeding the Hogs the
pods what else and he had to think how
did I get in this place I had it all and
I don’t have anything and it got even
worse that there was such little food in
the hog pen he had to race the Hogs
to get to the next pod unless they eat
that and he had nothing that’s a long
ways from having everything wonderful
father wonderful mother wonderful
lifestyle having everything wonderful
family feeling loved taken care of
everything was fine they look at him
many people have lived this story in
fact you know some of them I know some
of them I know a few that I’ve tried to
tell them what was happening and they
didn’t listen because you see the devil
he is a master at closing your ears to
the truth while he’s the pastor he’s
your Christian friend well what does he
know about you and oftentimes when you
try to tell somebody I do I need to
share with you what’s happening I see
something happening in your life you
don’t listen you stay out of my business
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
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 whole 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 what rate 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 ya 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 you may be unfit to be hurt
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 is gone all of his
self dignity is gone everything’s gone
it’s just he in the heart I wonder who
you fellowshipping with how they people
sort of in the same condition you are
listener what happened to him if the
scripture says when he came to his
senses many people need to come to their
senses because the Howlett watch this
the Holy Spirit of God will work on you
work on you and work on you work on you
and reminds 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 best for many
people are they drank every night they
corrals every day and 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
situations 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
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 no more worthy to
be called your son you will have to say
that to God you will endure said 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 healed 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 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 he’ll
change your life seated right where you
are right now no other way you may be
seen in here about ten thousand 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 and 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 did this is
awesome seen ran hugged him and kissed
him and scripture says the son said to
him father he started confessing his
sins his dad is hugging him all the 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 him
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Very good written story. It will be supportive to anybody who utilizes it, including yours truly :). Keep doing what you are doing – looking forward to more posts.
I really like your writing style, wonderful info, regards for posting :D. “Much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid.” by Feodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky.