A Time of Preparation
Luke 11: 15-32
Luke 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:
12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
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, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is
alive again; and was lost, and is found.
Intro:
This
is the third sermon in a series I have preached on TIME:
The
thesis of my sermon tonight is really quite simple. It is a question: HOW LONG DID THE PRODIGAL SON HAVE TO STAY IN
THE PIGPEN?
He
would have to stay until he realized four things:
The
time frame doesn’t really matter
He
could have been in the pigpen 10 minutes or 10 days or 10 years
He
wasn’t leaving until he learned those four lessons!
1: He was Taught (Home)
·
He
had a FORGIVING Father (Had he not seen his father forgive others, he would
have no hope of forgiveness)
·
He
had a FAIR Father (Thus his reasoning to become a servant)
·
He
had a FACILITATIING Father (He would make things happen)
1:
He was Taught … (Home)
2:
He was CAUGHT … (Humility)
15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
God has a way of humbling you!!!
·
He
discovered he had FALSE FRIENDS (Fair weather friends)
·
He
discovered he had FLEETING FINANCES
·
He
discovered he was in a FIERCE FAMINE (God will knock every prop out from under
you!)
1:
He was Taught … (Home)
2:
He was CAUGHT … (Humility)
3:
He Was SOUGHT by His Father … (HOPE!)
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, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
When the Father finds you He gives you:
· Forgiveness (The father forgave him when he left … not when he came and asked for forgiveness (Forgiveness was given to you and me on Calvary … get out of the Pigpen and get it!)
· A Fatted Calf (I don’t care where you’ve roamed … the FATTED CALF has been in the stall the whole time … waiting on you!)
· A Future (He was restored to his rightful position)
1:
He was Taught … (Home)
2:
He was CAUGHT … (Humility)
3:
He Was SOUGHT by His Father … (HOPE!)
4:
He was BOUGHT by the father (Happiness!)
All
the gifts the father bestowed … he paid the price for.
Preached:
9-27-05 @ Word of Faith Christian Church, Phenix City, Alabama Mike Greer’s
Church