August 24, 2021 Show with Geoff Thomas on “The Prodigal Son: The Beating Heart of Christianity”

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Live from the historic parsonage of the 19th century gospel minister George Norcross in downtown

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Carlisle, Pennsylvania, it's Iron Sharpens Iron. This is a radio platform in which pastors,

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Christian scholars, and theologians address the burning issues facing the church and the world today.

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Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17 tells us, Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

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Matthew Henry said that in this passage, we are cautioned to take heed with whom we converse and directed to have in view in conversation, to make one another wiser and better.

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It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next two hours, and we hope to hear from you, the listener, with your own questions, and now here's your host,

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Chris Arnzen. Good afternoon,

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Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Lake City, Florida, and the rest of humanity living on the planet Earth who are listening via live streaming at ironsharpensironradio .com.

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This is Chris Arnzen, your host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, wishing you all a happy Tuesday on this 24th day of August, 2021.

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I'm thrilled to have back on the program today, Reverend Jeff Thomas, who, beginning in 1965, served for over 50 years as pastor at Alfred Place Baptist Church of Aberystwyth, Wales.

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He is the author of many books, well -known for being a highly sought -after conference speaker, probably especially with The Banner of Truth.

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And today we are going to be addressing The Prodigal Son, the Beating Heart of Christianity.

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It's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, Reverend Jeff Thomas.

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Well, you keep asking me, and I'm honored to respond and keep in touch with you, my friend, and then with other people who listen, and it's a delight to bring such a message, so relevant, so beautiful, to all our listeners.

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Amen. And I think it would be wise for me to read the most pertinent passages regarding the text that we are addressing today.

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First of all, I'm going to tell our listeners our website,

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I'm sorry, our email address, I should say, in case they have any question of their own, chrisarnsen at gmail .com,

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C -H -R -I -S -A -R -N -Z -E -N at gmail .com.

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Please give us at least your first name, your city and state of residence, and your country of residence, if you live outside the

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USA, and please only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter.

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That's chrisarnsen at gmail .com, chrisarnsen at gmail .com,

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and I would ask of you folks also, before I start the interview, to continue praying for my family,

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I just lost our guest, hopefully he will call back. I would ask that you folks please continue praying for my family, as we are still grieving the loss of my brother

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John, who went home to be with the Lord last Wednesday morning, and I just thank the

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Lord, with very inadequate words, I cannot describe accurately, inadequately, how much

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I am praising God that my brother did make a believable profession of faith in Christ, and I am trusting to meet him one day in heaven, but the sadness is still great, especially since I missed two video calls from him the day before he passed, he was trying to get a hold of me and my phone was accidentally switched on, do not disturb,

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I missed the last two calls from my brother, my last opportunity to have a conversation with him on this earth, that is, so hopefully the pain will subside over that,

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I know that God is sovereign over all things. And we have brother

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Jeff Thomas back on the air, I don't know how we lost him, but let me read the passage, this is

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Luke chapter 15, 11 -32, and he said, this is

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Jesus Christ of course, a man had two sons, the younger of them said to his father, father give me the share of the estate that is coming to me, and so he divided his wealth between them, and not many days later the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his estate in wild living.

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Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began doing without, so he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs, and he longed to have his fill of the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving him anything.

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But when he came to his senses, he said, how many of my father's hired laborers have more than enough bread, but I am dying here from hunger,

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I will set out and go to my father, and will say to him, father I have sinned against heaven and in your sight,

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I am no longer worthy to be called your son, treat me as one of your hired laborers.

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So he set out and came to his father, but when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

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And the son said to him, father I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, I am 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, and put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet, and bring the fatted calf, slaughter it, and let's eat and celebrate, for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again, he was lost and has been found, and they began to celebrate.

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Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house he heard music and dancing.

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He summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, your brother has come, and your father has slaughtered the fatted calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.

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But he became angry and was not willing to go in, and his father came out and began pleading with him.

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But he answered and said to his father, look, for so many years I have been serving you, and I have never neglected a command of yours, and yet you never gave me a young goat, so that I may celebrate with my friends.

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But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fatted calf for him.

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And he said to him, son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

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But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found."

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Praise God for a precious story. Well, obviously this is a universally known story.

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It is known even by those outside of the Christian faith, even those with a very peripheral knowledge of the

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Bible have some remembrance likely, not all people of course, but many who were raised in perhaps nominal

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Christianity, even nominal Catholicism, they just know about the story.

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But why is this story, in your opinion, the beating heart of Christianity?

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Those are very high and lofty words. Well, because it is the clearest message of the incredible grace of God to repentant sinners.

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That's why. And it's an oral portrait of God's redemption with its own validity and finality.

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The parable is more accurate and more moving and even more profound than a series of straightforward propositions that Jesus could have made and elsewhere does make about the sin of his heroes and what they had to believe and do.

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The picture that he paints of this family and the boy is very evocative and open -ended and especially of the grace of the

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Father. And I want the picture to live in all you who are listening for the rest of the week of an old man willing to kiss and hug his son before the boy changes his mind.

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And I have three points to make as I have three little sections.

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I will get across to you what I want to say. And the first is the rebellion of the son.

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And then secondly, the repentance of the son. And thirdly, the restoration of the son.

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The three R's. And so the first point, let me make it. The boy goes to his landowning father and he says, give me, give me.

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And it wasn't a coat of many colors or a stallion that he asked for, but his share of the estate.

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And so he wanted the father to divide the property between the two sons.

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And then he would turn his share into cash. And so the actual land that the father owned had to be valued and then divided into two.

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He sold his share to someone else and that would bring such shame on the family.

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He added to the shame the son had already brought on the father by asking for his share before the father's death.

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It was the equivalent of saying, I wish you were dead. The father bore these two blows without recrimination.

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And there are people in traditional cultures who find this story quite incredible. There were people who come, young men who come to a friend's church here in London.

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And they would hear this parable for the first time and they would ask, what would happen in your religion and in your country if a boy asked for his share then and disappeared with the money?

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And they looked at one another and they said, our father would kill him. And so there's a mystery in this story, even before the son leaves home, of the humility of the father.

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Because fathers don't normally behave like this. And so he turns everything he possessed, flocks and herds, into cash.

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He leaves nothing behind because he's not returning. Everything's taken. He has no pleasure in the company of his father and his brother.

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And he puts as many miles between himself and his homestead as possible.

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The old life was restricting and suffocating and narrow.

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And he headed for a place very far from where he'd been raised, another country. And he chose the life of paganism over the privileges of living in the promised land.

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And in that distant country, this boy made new friends. He spoke another language. He picked up new habits and traditions.

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He wore different style clothes. I got away, finally, from all that I was, that I hated so much.

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He thought to himself, nobody knows me here. I can do whatever I want, without any comments, without anyone's frown, without dad's disapproval.

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He answered to no one. And so he proceeded to taste all the forbidden pleasures that he couldn't even imagine when living in his father's narrow world.

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It was not that in the distant city, you understand this, that he'd go to weddings and 18th, 21st birthday parties and anniversary celebrations.

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All such activities are legitimate for the disciple of God. Jesus himself went to weddings and feasts.

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But this young man was unrestrained in his sensuality and spendthrift extravagance.

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His motto was spend, spend, spend, for tomorrow we might die. He scratched every itch.

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He satisfied every appetite. He deprived himself of no new sensation.

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He sowed to the flesh, thinking that this is the abundant life.

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And he never lacked companionship, until the time came far quicker than he'd imagined, when he discovered that he'd spent a lot.

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And there was no more free feasts of roast pork for his hangers -on.

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No more hunting expeditions for his cronies. No free wine, no women to buy.

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Not a penny in his pocket, no savings, no auntie or uncle to turn to.

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All his fair -weather friends left him. And on top of that, a recession hit the country, caused by a fierce drought.

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Dust everywhere, unemployment, starvation. The boom became bust.

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And the dream faded in the blinding light of that endless burning sun.

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Friends no more, utterly alone. Could he still fall lower still?

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Yes. For a Jew to have anything to do with pigs was bad enough. For him to be feeding them as his new companions each day was more despicable.

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But he fell even further. He longed, he longed to eat.

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To devour their food. There was very bad news.

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His degradation reached a new low. He not only herded the swine, he herded with them.

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He ate from their feeding troughs. Flynn is a hard master.

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He was in bondage to poverty amongst the pigs. What began as one thrill after another ended in serfdom.

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He's like the party drinker who becomes a drunk. He's like the drug user who becomes an addict.

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He's like the promiscuous person who gets sexually transmitted diseases.

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The party had become a prison. That's what sin does. When it does it's worse.

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So there's no redeeming feature about this boy. From the time he asks his father for the portion of his inheritance and heads off as far from him as he can go right on to the field of pigs.

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You see one error is now that we say the prodigal son is the sinner.

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When we say he's a type of every sinner a long way from God then before we know it we're saying to every man and woman and those middle aged ladies of the utmost decorum there you are with the pigs and the prostitutes squandering all your loving father has given to you.

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That's not the message of this parable. This man is not every man.

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This man is not your run of the mill sinner. This man is how he is described in this parable a rake, a fool, a drunkard, a waster a derelict, a heartbreaker.

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This is what he is. He doesn't stand in this parable as the spiritual symbol of an ordinary sinner.

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He stands in this parable as the symbol of the sinner in the pits.

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As far as you can go, as low as you can fall in the gutter, on the waterfront, on death row he's the extreme.

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He's flown out of low company. If ever there was a son whom a father would refuse it would be this son.

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If ever there was a sinner whom God would reject it would be this sinner. This prodigal.

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This torturer. This Jesus hater. This gathering demoniac. This John Newton.

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He's not an ordinary sinner. This man is on the lowest rung of the ladder an inch above the surface of the cesspit and sinking into it even faster.

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We can think of the angels waiting and watching and wondering what's

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God going to do with this one? Debating whether he's the worst. Is he worse than Saul of Tarsus?

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Is he worse than King Saul? Will our Lord receive this one? Surely he won't receive him.

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And it means for all of you who are listening today that you can never think let alone say someone who's been as bad as me for such a long time falling repeatedly could never now be saved.

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We can think we're unique in our shame. So extraordinary. So guilty.

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So depraved. So abandoned. So far gone. But there is no hope for us.

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But here in this man we meet the worst possible scenario.

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The most abandoned of men. The most selfish. The most cruel. The most wretched.

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The most hopeless. Here is the chief of sinners. And yet there is a road from where he was to where the

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Father is. And there is a road, my friend, from where you are this afternoon to where God is.

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Wherever we might be today in the depths of our abandonment and hypocrisy and intellectual arrogance and the pain we have caused to those who love us the most and whom we depend on the most.

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From wherever you are at this moment there is a road to the

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Father. And that's the first point I want to make this afternoon.

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We are not given a clear answer to that question.

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What we know is that Jesus is speaking of a man in the Old Covenant community of Israel.

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He is speaking there of men who have been favored with many blessings the temple, the scriptures, faithful prophets.

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And yet they have defied God. They are the sinners who have no time for any religion at all.

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So I don't know whether there was something in his heart as a child.

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We are not told any of those things. We are told he was surrounded by privileges and he disdained them and turned his back on them all.

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Thank you, Bobby. Please keep listening in Hartsdale, New York and spreading the word about Iron Shepherds Iron Radio in upstate

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New York and beyond. Actually, that's near the Westchester County area. Keep spreading the word everywhere.

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We're going to our first break right now because I don't want to interrupt you in mid -sentence. And if anybody has a question, just like Bobby in Hartsdale, New York, our email address is chrisarnson at gmail dot com

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Give us your first name at least. City and state of residence and country of residence if you live outside the

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USA. Only remain anonymous if your question involves a personal or private matter. Let's say you are very much resembling the prodigal in this story.

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Perhaps even before the prodigal repents and returns home.

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And you would prefer to remain anonymous at this point with the question you have. Or perhaps you have a child who has abandoned the faith and your heart is in agony over this as you pray to experience a story much like this parable where your child returns home and you are able to rejoice with that child after he or she repents and is restored not only to your family but especially to God and his church.

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But whatever the case may be, if it's a personal and private matter we will obviously grant your request and keep you anonymous.

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But if it's just a general question on theology, on the scripture, on this passage, please give us your first name at least, city and state and country of residence.

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We'll be right back after these messages with Jeff Thomas. Don't go away.

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Welcome back. This is Chris Arnson, if you just tuned us in. Our guest today is

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Jeff Thomas and he was the pastor of Alfred Place Baptist Church in Aberystwyth, Wales for over 50 years.

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I dare you to give me a list of names who have that same accomplishment in any one church.

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And he's the author of many books. He's a very well -known conference speaker especially amongst

35:39

Reformed Christians and perhaps even more particular well -known for his conferences with the

35:45

Banner of Truth. And today we are addressing one of the most pivotal texts in the

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New Testament The Prodigal Son, The Beating Heart of Christianity. If you have a question our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com

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c -h -r -i -s -a -r -n -z -e -n chrisarnson at gmail .com Give us your first name at least, your city and state and your country of residence if you live outside of the

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USA. We have another question before we move on to the second point which

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I know is the repentance of the Prodigal Son. But before we go to that we have

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Ronald in Eastern Suffolk County who asks How would we view this story as a story that does not teach that a true

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Christian can lose his or her salvation and then come back to be truly saved once again rather than the

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Prodigal Son either being saved for the first time later in the story when he repents and returns home or that he did backslide but never lost his salvation and merely was drawn home to his father as God had ordained.

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How would you dissuade those that would view salvation as something that could be lost?

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Yeah, well it all depends on on on the final outcome of a man's life doesn't it?

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You have Judas who ends in despair and suicide and no repentance at all for what he's done.

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He had all the mighty privileges of hearing the Sermon on the Mount and seeing

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Lazarus rise from the dead and the love of Jesus Christ and the exquisite pastoral care that he showed to him.

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He had all those things and you would look at him and you would say well you believe that he's a believer.

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It's a credible profession. When Jesus said one of you will betray me they never all looked at Judas.

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They said is it me? They never suspected Judas. And we're like that. We don't know.

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You can fall. David fell terribly but he repented of his sin didn't he?

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Psalm 51 shows his grief. The repercussions for his family were stupendous and he ends up he doesn't even have a wife to sleep with him.

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They have to find some woman to keep him warm. It's just a horrid picture at the end of the consequences of sin.

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He doesn't lose his salvation but he loses his usefulness and his reputation.

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And I think the bubble very clearly Romans 8 tells us nothing can separate us from the love of God even if it's all the things that can't separate us from the love of God.

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We've been given to Jesus Christ by God the

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Father before the foundation of the world and he's come in and he's lived a righteous life for us and he's died an atoning death for us and he says no one can pluck you out of my hands.

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He tells us this but that should not lead to presumption because we have the warnings in scripture of men who fell like Peter and Abraham and Noah.

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So take heed you who think you stand lest you fall. That really is it.

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He that endures to the end he shall be saved.

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You can't be saved today and lost tomorrow and then saved again the day after tomorrow and then the day after that be lost again.

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Salvation isn't like that. You're given the Holy Spirit as a seal of the redemption that Christ has accomplished for you.

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But oh what follies what bitter regrets we can have looking back over our lives as Christians.

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Well do you have anything further that you would like to clarify or address about the rebellion aspect before we now enter into the prodigal son's repentance?

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Well it'll come out I think as I develop this theme of his repentance.

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You see the theme in this chapter is not that God rejoices in sinners. Not at all.

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It is that God rejoices in sinners who repent. It's there in verse 7, verse 10 in the chapter.

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So what does it mean to repent? Well two or three things. Firstly, verse 17 he came to his senses.

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He saw what he'd done. He realized where his life was.

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He knew where he was at. He was far from home. He was penniless. He was homeless. He was hopeless.

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Disgraced. Discredited. Abandoned. And he came to his senses.

41:48

The worst sinner. You'd have thought you know that this man would always have been aware of his condition each step of the way.

41:59

There are some men so abandoned that you look at them and you say they must know the truth about themselves.

42:05

They have to know. The alcoholic knows. The pedophile knows. The dread addict.

42:11

He's aware of what he's doing to his health. He realizes what he's doing to his family and his friends and his church.

42:18

He must know. Surely he has to come to his senses. But then the

42:25

Bible says look at King David. What terrible crimes he committed.

42:31

No contrition. God has to send a prophet to tell David adultery was a sin.

42:38

Murder was a sin. There are many men and women today and their sin is staring them in the face but they haven't come to their senses.

42:51

They're standing on the forecourt of judgment. On the threshold of eternity and all they have are the baubles and toys of materialism.

43:00

The remnants of a career. Some property. Some family. Some money.

43:06

Some memories. They haven't come to themselves. Vanity of vanities.

43:12

All is vanity. So I don't want to sentimentalize but you think of a great statesman.

43:22

Think of Ronald Reagan. What a great statesman he was. But in his declining years like Churchill.

43:32

All his achievements. All the ego reinforcing attainments of outstanding lives.

43:39

In their final years what did they have? Where were they?

43:46

And it seems to speak so eloquently of the unsubstantial nature of human attainments.

43:54

Because Reagan and Churchill had attained so much.

44:00

And yet at the last I doubt if they ever knew it. So I say repentance begins when the sinner coming to his senses.

44:11

Coming out of the shadow realms of life without God into the bright reality of self understanding and self evaluation.

44:21

And then secondly he remembered his father. And it that word father has only occurred once in the parable so far.

44:31

But now in the next six verses it occurs seven times. A shorter catechism tells us repentance begins with an apprehension of the mercy of God.

44:45

You start to believe that though you've been a wretched and proud and vain person yet God might be merciful to you.

44:56

We know a man will never repent unless he has hope. It might be a glimmer.

45:03

It might be a maybe. But he must have some encouragement. And here is

45:08

Jesus words him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.

45:18

We sing him sinners Jesus will receive sound this word of grace to all who the heavenly pathway leave all who linger all who fall sing it all and all again

45:33

Christ receive us sinful men make the message clear and plain. Christ receive us sinful men.

45:42

I don't care who you are what you've been where you spent last night it doesn't matter if you come to God in repentance or you sin you will be cast out.

45:55

There's that hope. There's that glimmer. Do you know somewhere in the prodigal's upbringing it had been implanted indelibly in his consciousness that whenever things went wrong however badly they went wrong he could always go back home and he must always come back.

46:18

He hadn't been taught if you disgrace this family then don't come back. He hadn't been conditioned to the view if you let us down don't bother to come back.

46:28

If you bring shame on our name stay away. He'd been told and he saw this truth lived out in the practice of his father however low you go however deep the abyss however appalling the degradation you must always feel this is your home and you can return.

46:52

I beg and plead with all you parents listening today that you give your children the same absolute and unconditional security that your sons and daughters know if they face the ultimate in tragedy they can still come home if they become drunkards they can come home if they marry the wrong people they can come home if they get

47:18

AIDS they can come home if they get pregnant they can come home if they have an abortion they can still come home if they end up in jail they can come home they must, they need that assurance that is how

47:34

God trains his children he wants us to exemplify and reflect his fatherhood it gives them security and this son came to his senses and then where could he go?

47:54

Ah his old home that's repentance turned from the love of the world and the things of the world the lust of the eyes the pride of life to God and then repentance is coming not with a perfect faith the boy turned for hope and he rehearsed what he was going to say

48:19

Father I have sinned against heaven and against you I am no longer worthy to be called your son make me as one of your hired men and as he walked slowly back along the road he walked along so quickly and excitedly months earlier he wondered would there be a welcome so I asked dad at harvest time when he goes down to the market and employs people to gather the crops in make me as one of your hired servants he'd lost his self respect and now he just wanted to be a hired servant this boy could not believe yet in the greatness of the father's grace he had low views of that his father was too small in his eyes and yet his father took him back and cut down his speech when he was only half way through it in other words you don't have to have perfect 100 % repentance you haven't got to get your pleas for forgiveness sinlessly spotlessly correct for God to welcome you there can be an awful lot of confusion mixed with a coming to Christ and yet God responds exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or even think

50:00

Jesus doesn't teach us that unless our grasp of God is absolutely orthodox and our faith as firm as the rock of Gibraltar that he won't receive us the boy went pleading to his father to make me a workman but the father made him a son so that is the second thing

50:26

I wanted to say about the wonderful grace of repentance if it's as thin as a spider's thread but it is joined to Jesus Christ it is strong enough to take us across the lake of fire and present us faultless before him in that great day remain anonymous if your question involves a personal and private matter please be patient with us as this is the longer break in the show in the middle because Grace Life Radio 90 .1

51:33

FM in Lake City, Florida requires of us a longer break in the middle because they are required of the

51:39

FCC to localize Iron Trump and Zion Radio and all of their programming geographically to Lake City, Florida and they do so by airing their own public service announcements and other local things while we simultaneously air our globally heard commercials so please use this time wisely write down as much of the information as you possibly can for as many of our advertisers as you can so that you can more frequently and successfully respond to our advertisers and when you can't purchase their products use their services, visit their churches or support their parachurch organizations and I hope that many of you do regularly but when you can't do that at the very least please respond to our advertisements by saying to our sponsors thank you for sponsoring

52:28

Iron Trump and Zion Radio. Don't ever forget folks we need our advertisers to exist.

52:35

We absolutely positively depend upon them for survival because the funding that comes through our advertising campaigns is absolutely crucial.

52:44

We don't receive enough donations from generous listeners although we do have some very generous and faithful and loyal and extremely

52:56

Christ -like givers in our audience but there are not enough of them to support the program on their own so we need our advertisers to exist so please try to respond to as many of them as you can as I said at the very least by thanking them for sponsoring the show and don't forget to send in your questions to chrisarnsen at gmail .com

53:19

we'll be right back after these messages don't go away Back together again yeah

53:28

Back together again yeah Hi I'm Phil Johnson, host and executive director of Grace To You the media ministry of John MacArthur.

53:40

I hope you plan to join me and Chris Arnsen host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio for the

53:46

G3 conference in Atlanta, Georgia Thursday, September 30th through Saturday October 2nd.

53:53

The theme this year is Christ is supreme over all. My friend Chris Arnsen and I will be joined by several of our other friends including

54:01

Votie Valcom, Justin Peters, Daryl Bernard Harrison, Virgil Walker, and James White More than 20 other speakers will be joining us and the lineup this year includes my pastor,

54:13

John MacArthur. For details visit g3conference .com that's g3conference .com

54:20

Chris Arnsen and I hope to see you September 30th through October 2nd at G3 2021

54:27

This is Phil Johnson reminding you that Christ is supreme over all Hi this is

54:37

John Samson, pastor of King's Church in Peoria, Arizona Taking a moment of your day to talk about Chris Arnsen and the

54:45

Iron Sharpens Iron podcast. I consider Chris a true friend and a man of high integrity He's a skilled interviewer who's not afraid to ask the big penetrating questions while always defending the key doctrines of the

54:56

Christian faith I've always been happy to point people to this podcast knowing it's one of the very few safe places on the internet where folk won't be led astray

55:05

I believe this podcast needs to be heard far and wide. This is a day of great spiritual compromise and yet God has raised

55:12

Chris up for just such a time. Knowing this it's up to us as members of the body of Christ to stand with such a ministry in prayer and in finances

55:21

I'm pleased to do so and would like to ask you to prayerfully consider joining me in supporting

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Iron Sharpens Iron financially Would you consider sending either a one time gift or even becoming a regular monthly partner with this ministry

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I know it would be a huge encouragement to Chris if you would. All the details can be found at ironsharpensironradio .com

55:43

where you can click support. That's ironsharpensironradio .com When Iron Sharpens Iron Radio first launched in 2005 the publishers of the

55:55

New American Standard Bible were among my very first sponsors It gives me joy knowing that many scholars and pastors in the

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Iron Sharpens Iron Radio audience have been sticking with or switching to the

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NASB I'm Dr. Joe Moorcraft, pastor of Heritage Presbyterian Church in Cumming, Georgia and the

56:17

NASB is my Bible of choice I'm Anthony Eugenio, founder of thereformrookie .com

56:24

and co -founder of New York Apologetics and the NASB is my Bible of choice

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I'm Pastor Tim Bushong of Syracuse Baptist Church in Syracuse, Indiana and the

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NASB is my Bible of choice I'm Eli Ayala, founder of Revealed Apologetics and staff member with the

56:40

Historical Bible Society and the NASB is my Bible of choice I'm Pastor Josh Miller of Grace Bible Fellowship Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and the

56:50

NASB is my Bible of choice I'm Joe Bianchi, president of Calvi Press Publishing in Greenville, South Carolina and the

56:59

NASB is my Bible of choice I'm Pastor Jake Korn of Switzerland Community Church in Switzerland, Florida and the

57:09

NASB is my Bible of choice Here's a great way for your church to help keep

57:15

Iron Trumpet's Iron Radio on the air Pastors, are your pew Bibles tattered and falling apart?

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Consider restocking your pews with the NASB and tell the publishers you heard about them from Chris Arnzen on Iron Trumpet's Iron Radio Go to nasbible .com

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that's nasbible .com to place your order Oh hail the power of Jesus name

57:48

This is Pastor Bill Sousa of Grace Church at Franklin here in the beautiful state of Tennessee Our congregation is one of a growing number of churches who love and support

58:00

Iron Sharpen's Iron Radio financially Grace Church at Franklin is an independent autonomous body of believers which strives to clearly declare the whole counsel of God as revealed in Scripture through the person and work of our

58:16

Lord Jesus Christ and of course the end for which we strive is the glory of God If you live near Franklin, Tennessee and Franklin is just south of Nashville, maybe 10 minutes or you are visiting this area or you have friends and loved ones nearby, we hope you will join us some

58:36

Lord's Day in worshiping our God and Savior Please feel free to contact me if you have more questions about Grace Church at Franklin Our website is gracechurchatfranklin .org

58:49

that's gracechurchatfranklin .org This is

58:54

Pastor Bill Souser wishing you all the richest blessings of our Sovereign Lord God, Savior and King Jesus Christ today and always

59:22

It requires no training at all Becoming a parent My name is A .M.

59:28

Brewster I'm the president of Truth, Love, Parent and host of its award winning podcast I've been a biblical family counselor since the early 2000's and what

59:36

I've discovered is that the majority of Christian parents have never been biblically equipped to do the work of the ministry in their homes

59:42

That's why Truth, Love, Parent exists. We serve God by equipping dads and moms to be the ambassador parents

59:49

God called and created them to be We produce free parenting resources train church leaders and offer biblical counseling so that the next generation of dads and moms can use the scriptures to parent their children for life and godliness

01:00:00

Please visit us at truthloveparent .com Music Here's what

01:00:09

Gary DeMar, president of American Vision, had to say about Iron Trump and Zion Radio recently

01:00:14

Good to be back Chris I always enjoy our time here I have to tell you, you're one of the better interviewers out there and I've been doing this for 30 more than 30 years

01:00:24

Wow, that's some compliment. How much do I owe you for that? You don't have to owe me anything

01:00:32

We're in good shape I'm glad you said it on the air so I don't have to brag about myself

01:00:38

Tell your friends and loved ones about Iron Trump and Zion Radio airing live Monday through Friday 4 -6pm

01:00:45

Eastern Time at irontrumpandzionradio .com As a mother,

01:00:54

I was looking for a magazine that would include devotionals that I could quickly do before school and had theology and doctrine made very simple for children to understand that they could read themselves or I could walk them through.

01:01:10

There's tiered content so that you can go to the older group and learn more or go to a younger section and it's even more simple

01:01:18

Join us on our journey in developing our magazine entitled Ignited by the

01:01:24

Word which engages and ignites the hearts of our children and young people in their walk with God Order Ignited by the

01:01:33

Word for your home today at ignitedbytheword .org Learn more information and subscribe now at ignitedbytheword .org

01:01:42

and receive your first two issues free and put good literature in your children's hands

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You no longer have to worry about missing a show or a special guest because you're in your car or still at work

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Just subscribe on the iTunes app and listen to the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio show at any time day or night

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Please be sure to also give it a good review and pass it along to anyone who would benefit from the teaching and the many solidly reformed guests that Chris Arnzen has on the show

01:02:34

Truth is so hard to come by these days so don't waste your time with fluff or fake news. Subscribe to the

01:02:40

Iron Sharpens Iron Radio podcast right now. And while you're at it you can also sign up for the reformrookie .com

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podcast and visit our website and the YouTube page. We are dedicated to teaching Christian theology from a

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Reformed Baptist perspective to beginners in the faith as well as seasoned believers. From Keech's Catechism and the

01:02:59

Doctrines of Grace to the Olivet Discourse and the Book of Leviticus the Reform Rookie podcast and YouTube channel is sure to have something to offer everyone seeking biblical truth.

01:03:09

And finally if you're looking to worship in a Reformed church that holds to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith please join us at Hope Reformed Baptist Church in Corham, New York.

01:03:19

Again I'm Pastor Anthony Avivio and thanks for listening. As host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio I frequently get requests from listeners for church recommendations.

01:03:40

A church I've been strongly recommending as far back as the 1980s is Grace Covenant Baptist Church in Flemington, New Jersey pastored by Alan Dunn.

01:03:50

Grace Covenant Baptist Church believes it's God's prerogative to determine how he shall be worshipped and how he shall be represented in the world.

01:03:58

They believe churches need to turn to the Bible to discover what to include in worship and how to worship

01:04:04

God in spirit and truth. Grace Covenant Baptist Church endeavors to maintain a

01:04:09

God centered focus. Reading, preaching and hearing the word of God singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, baptism and communion are the scriptural elements of their corporate worship.

01:04:21

Performed with faith, joy and sobriety. Discover more about Grace Covenant Baptist Church in Flemington, New Jersey at gcbcnj .squarespace

01:04:32

.com at gcbcnj .squarespace .com That's gcbcnj .squarespace .com

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That's gcbcnj .squarespace .com Or call them at 908 -996 -7654 Or call them at 908 -996 -7654

01:04:44

That's 908 -996 -7654 That's 908 -996 -7654 Tell Pastor Dunn that you heard about Grace Covenant Baptist Church on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio Anchored in Truth Ministries Anchored in Truth Ministries is the mission arm of Grace Life Church of the

01:05:11

Shoals Based in Alabama it supports missionaries in over 13 countries around the world

01:05:21

Anchored in Truth is in partnership with 36 church plants as well as radio stations theological seminaries and various programs for unreached people from so many different contexts globally as RG Lynnbrook Baptist Church on 225

01:06:02

Earl Avenue in Lynnbrook, Long Island is teaching God's timeless truths in the 21st century Our church is far more than a

01:06:08

Sunday worship service. It's a place of learning where the scriptures are studied and the preaching of the gospel is clear and relevant

01:06:14

It's like a gym where one can exercise their faith through community involvement. It's like a hospital for wounded souls where one can find compassionate people in healing

01:06:21

We're a diverse family of all ages Enthusiastically serving our Lord Jesus Christ In fellowship, play, and together

01:06:28

Hi, I'm Pastor Bob Walderman and I invite you to come and join us here at Lynnbrook Baptist Church and see all that a church can be

01:06:34

Call Lynnbrook Baptist at 516 -599 -9402 That's 516 -599 -9402 or visit

01:06:42

Lynnbrookbaptist .org That's Lynnbrookbaptist .org Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said

01:06:50

Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said Give yourself unto reading The man who never reads will never be read

01:06:55

He who never quotes will never be quoted He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he has no brains of his own

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You need to read Solid Ground Christian Books is a publisher and book distributor who takes these words of the

01:07:10

Prince of Preachers to heart The mission of Solid Ground Christian Books is to bring back treasures of the past to minister to Christians in the present and future and to publish new titles that address burning issues in the church and the world

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Since its beginning in 2001 Solid Ground has been committed to publish God -centered,

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That's Solid -Ground -Books .com and see what priceless literary gems from the past to present you can unearth from Solid Ground Solid Ground Christian Books is honored to be a weekly sponsor of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio And I know that my guest

01:07:53

Jeff Thomas is a very high regard for Solid -Ground -Books .com and its founder

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Mike Adosh don't you brother? Yep, I certainly do Yes, dear brother

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And if anybody really cares about the existence of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio please go to Solid -Ground -Books .com

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frequently and purchase generously always mentioning that you heard about Solid -Ground -Books .com

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from Chris Arnsen and Iron Sharpens Iron Radio They are a vital, a primary sponsor of this program

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We need them to exist and remember you're not only going to be doing

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Solid -Ground -Books .com a favor by purchasing books from them and you're not only going to be doing

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an enormous favor of incalculable value because they bring back into print and publish nothing but the finest in Reformed Christian literature dating back to the

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today purchase generously always mention that you heard about them from Chris Arnsen and Iron Sharpens Iron Radio Before I return to Jeff Thomas, our guest today

01:09:26

I just have a few important announcements First of all, once again, thank you everyone for praying for me and my family after the death of my brother

01:09:37

John at the age of 76 last Wednesday morning as I said earlier

01:09:44

I trust he gave sufficient evidence that he was truly trusting in Christ so I have great confidence

01:09:55

I will see him in glory one day and I just thank God for that evidence that my brother

01:10:02

John gave through his personal testimony of trusting in Christ during those last weeks of his life.

01:10:10

Please pray for his widow Jan she is in the hospital with COVID pneumonia and they don't expect her to be returning home anytime soon but they do see some progress but she is in still very critical condition please pray for her pray for his two daughters

01:10:34

Regina and Patrice his two sons Eric and JJ and for me and my brother

01:10:42

Andrew and my sister Mary and my brother Bob I appreciate your prayers as we continue to grieve over this great loss in our family

01:10:53

Also folks, if you are a man in ministry leadership I hope that you will make arrangements to get to Carlisle Pennsylvania if you are not already here and attend the next

01:11:06

Iron Sharpens Iron Radio Pastors Luncheon on Monday September 27th 11am to 2pm at the

01:11:13

Bongiorno Conference Center in Carlisle Pennsylvania this is absolutely free of charge not only are you going to be fed physically a great meal at the

01:11:24

Bongiorno Center you are going to be fed spiritually with the preaching of Dr.

01:11:30

Conrad M. Bayway and he is the pastor of Kabwatha Baptist Church in Lusaka Zambia Africa and the founding

01:11:38

Chancellor of African Christian University Brother Jeff Thomas are you familiar with Dr.

01:11:44

M. Bayway? Oh he preached in our conference in August about five years ago and he preached there was a very strange providence he came and visited us and my mother was dying in hospital and after the evening service

01:12:02

Conrad and I and my wife went up to the hospital and prayed at her bedside and two hours later my mother passed away it was a very strange and beautiful providence and I remind him of that when

01:12:16

I meet him at different conferences Wow well I had a similar experience with my own mother when

01:12:24

Peter Jeffrey who I'm sure you know being a fellow Welshman he was preaching in the United States at a conference at the church where I was a member

01:12:34

Mike Gadosz was the pastor and this was back in 1995 and I asked

01:12:40

Peter to visit my mother on her deathbed and Peter arose from her sick room about a half hour after entering it he spent a half hour alone with her and he said in his very thick

01:12:55

Welsh accent I don't know what you're worried about your mother's going to heaven she's born again and I view that as one of my most precious memories

01:13:05

I'm sure and he is now in eternity with Christ and who knows maybe he met my mom again

01:13:11

I don't know but Dr. M. Bayway who you mentioned visited your mom he will be our luncheon speaker on Monday September 27th 11am to 2pm at the

01:13:24

Bongiorno Conference Center Carlisle, Pennsylvania and every man is going to be leaving with a heavy sack of free brand new books donated to Iron Sharpens Iron Radio that have been personally selected by me and these are publishers all over the

01:13:42

United States and the United Kingdom and every man is leaving with a heavy sack of these books and everything is free of charge nothing is for sale my precious late wife

01:13:52

Julie it was her idea to start these luncheons in the 1990s when

01:13:58

I was still living in New York and she said that don't you dare ever sell anything at these events don't you have any hidden agenda ulterior motive this is just to be a treat to the men in ministry for the time of rest, relaxation refreshment spiritual edification and physical nourishment and free books and I've been keeping her her order ever since we started these luncheons and even after her entering into eternal glory with Christ I have been maintaining the luncheons and never have sold anything there and promise not to so if you would like to attend

01:14:46

I wish I could be there oh I would love for you to be there yeah so if anybody wants to attend if you're a man in ministry leadership pastor, elder, deacon, parachurch leader send me an email to chrisarnsen at gmail .com

01:15:00

and put pastor's luncheon in the subject line also if you love this show and don't want it to disappear please go to irontreppansirenradio .com

01:15:08

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01:15:19

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01:15:57

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01:16:21

if indeed you love the show and don't want it to go off the air irontreppansirenradio .com click support then click click to donate now last but not least if you are not a member of a local bible believing church biblically faithful church theologically sound church like Alfred Place Baptist Church in Everest with Wales well no matter where on the planet earth you live

01:16:42

I have extensive lists of biblically sound churches spanning the globe and I may be able to help you find a church right near where you live as well sometimes even within minutes of where you live as I have done with many people in our listening audience all over the planet earth so if you are in that predicament of not being a member of or being aware of a biblically faithful church no matter where you live on earth send me an email to chrisarnsen at gmail .com

01:17:10

but I need a church in the subject line chrisarnsen at gmail .com and I need a church in the subject line that's also the email address to send in a question to Jeff Thomas on the prodigal son chrisarnsen at gmail .com

01:17:24

chrisarnsen at gmail .com just before we continue to follow up on anything you wanted to say on the repentance of the prodigal son you have a shout out from Jyoti and I don't know if I'm pronouncing that right

01:17:42

Jyoti is originally from India but he lives in Grand Rapids Michigan now and he says thanks for airing pastor

01:17:53

Jeff again one of my favorite preachers much indebted by his guidance and advice

01:18:03

Jyoti how about that that's wonderful I write to him regularly and pray for him glad to have that encouragement great and we also have an email from a former congregant

01:18:21

Mike Iliff who sends his greetings in Christ along with a photograph of you at a dinner table sharing fellowship and how about that how about that and we also have a listener named

01:18:42

Maurice and he extends his greetings and gratitude to you

01:18:50

Maurice is in and I don't know if I'm going to pronounce this correctly

01:18:56

I don't think I've ever even seen the name of this city or country

01:19:02

I'm not sure which it is Nakuru N A K U R U perhaps it is in perhaps it is in Africa it sounds like a

01:19:18

Kenyan name yes because actually he says that he met you in Kenya right so thanks to all of you for sending in your warm greetings in Christ well do you have anything to follow up on the repentance of the prodigal before we move on to the restoration no

01:19:37

I want to I'm anxious to get on to the reconciliation and renewal that ends the boy's journey this tremendous welcome this man from the far country he turns the corner of the lane he sees the old house and he's afraid and uncertain and trying to remember his speech he's dreading what might be the response of the father he's heard so much he asks himself what kind of welcome he's going to get and whether he's chosen the right words to diffuse the situation but while he's a long way off his father saw him, how often his father looked out the window up the country lane wondering would he see a boy he loved coming back and his father sees him and a boy so thin, so bedraggled so wretched and undernourished so filthy with the smell of the swine on him shame and fear written all over his face but he'd come home and the father gets out of the chair and runs from the window opens the door, goes over the farmyard, flings open the gate and starts to run old legs running towards his son running lest the boy thunk the meeting and turn away overwhelmed with shame to walk the last hundred yards and his father runs and reaches him and wraps his arms around him and sobs out his love, wetting his son's cheeks with his tears kissing him as he used to when he was a little boy

01:21:29

I'll never let you go again he says and that's the beginning of the welcome, the breathless servants come running arriving at the scene and he barks out his orders to them get the best robe, it's in the wardrobe in the bedroom and the ring it's in the top drawer of the dresser and the sandals they're on the floor of the wardrobe bring them here and you go and soar to the fattened calf, we're going to have a feast

01:22:00

Ian and snarl at the boy and say to the boy, what have you been doing with my money, how could you have got into such a mess, what a shape you're in, he didn't say to him don't you know what disgrace you brought on us all, you know the anxiety you've caused your mother you know she hasn't slept since you've gone, how we felt for you, you never thought of getting in touch with us, no none of that it's a party there's the smell of delicious roast veal in the air musical instruments are being tuned, men and women are putting on their best clothes and there's dancing because the son of the owner was dead but he's alive, he was lost, now he's found and everything is forgotten in the joy of that restoration so let's reduce it, that joy to words, it's speaking of the great welcome that God gives to his own returning children and how he expresses his joy in the gifts he confers on them, he gives us all we need at the moment of our conversion, in that moment he does so much for us he freely pardons all our sins our past sins our present sins all our future sins there's not one sinful molecule that is left unpardoned what a wonderful eloquent silence sin is written all over this boy's face father doesn't mention it,

01:23:51

God doesn't he hurls our past at us, he forgives he freely pardons all our sins we who are so unsanitary become as clean and white as freshly fallen snow, though they're like crimson, they're whiter than snow the boy would have murmured some words what about I did what about what

01:24:21

I did don't you want to discuss my shameful actions new

01:24:27

Christians also think like that, they want to bring up their past they're worried about what they've done they can't believe that God simply consigns it all to the depths of the ocean but he doesn't bring it up there's no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, none whatsoever the past is past and we forget the things that are behind, it is not that he makes us a servant for five years to see how well behaved we will be and then he has a meeting with his son and his wife to decide whether to adopt him back into family no, nothing like that, the best robe immediately on him the ring on his finger the sandals of sonship on his feet slaves, servants never wore those things only sons and now here's a boy who's an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ and everything in heaven and on earth belongs to him the boy had walked home all the way to the scene of his shame and he's going to say to his father hire me at harvest time but the father hugged him, made him a son again and we, when we believe in Jesus and turn from our unbelief are made sons heirs of God joint heirs of salvation purchase of God, born of his spirit, washed in his blood, blessed assurance

01:26:28

Jesus is mine we attempted to say, father

01:26:35

I can't make it as your son I've fallen in the past, I fear I'll fall again, I can't live up to being your son

01:26:43

I might disgrace you again just make me a servant and the father gives us so much more, we have nothing at all to bring, we have no purse no bag,

01:27:03

God gives us everything we need he joins us to his son, we are with him forever, we have a complete free pardon so let me end this part what did the boy do as he stood among the pigs gripped by hunger, stinking of swine firstly he came to himself he made a decision

01:27:39

I will set out and go back to my father no person ever became a

01:27:47

Christian without making a decision and I want you listening today to make a decision

01:27:56

I want you to say I am going to go to my father you make up your mind to do it now the prodigal son was transformed his recovery was achieved when he came to himself and remembered his father's mercy and decided he would go home he was determined and he made a decision you know many people many people make a decision and then they stop they've come to themselves they've decided to go for mercy but not yet and many of you might be thinking but not yet let me tell you what saved this man was not only that he made a decision but that he got up and went to his father have you stopped at the first point you've come to yourself you've admitted you're a peniless sinner but you've stopped have you thought

01:29:20

I know that God is merciful and many have stopped there or have you said

01:29:29

I'll make a decision one day isn't it tragic that you should go so far and still be lost

01:29:41

I put it to you again that the whole issue rests upon that statement he got up and went if you ask me what saved him

01:29:54

I'd say the abundant pardoning love of the father if you ask me what saved him

01:30:01

I'd say it was the journey back home the boy made both of those it's always both of those and that is the journey

01:30:16

I want you to make from where you are to where Christ is from where you are to where this merciful

01:30:28

God is the one who is slow to anger and great in long suffering let's come to ourselves let's believe in the mercy of God let's make up our minds to go but having done all that go go go to God today from the distant country start now no more delays no more excuses no more putting it off you come now just as you are to Jesus Christ he is with you there he is willing to welcome you doubt no more if not now when if not to the

01:31:33

Lord Jesus whom are you going to go to he that cometh to me there is no way

01:31:45

I will cast them out hallelujah praise

01:31:54

God we have BB in Cumberland County Pennsylvania who asks although obviously this parable has direct application to all sinners

01:32:08

I have heard that it can also be viewed as the prodigal son representing the

01:32:15

Gentiles and the angry brother who is displeased with his father for receiving the prodigal with such joy and celebration as being

01:32:25

Israel is this an appropriate application as well? I'm not so sure about that I think the prodigal son there are two groups listening to Jesus in Luke 15 and the first group are called the sinners and that is people who had turned away from God and were contemptuous cold and dead and loved money and then there were the second group they were the

01:32:58

Pharisees and they were the religious people and they represent the older brother and we'll see in a moment about the older brother and Jesus is speaking to these two groups and the story suits them both doesn't it?

01:33:17

and the story suits Christians I mean every Christian loves to hear the parable of the prodigal son loves to be reminded of the vastness of the mercy of God I'm not going to give away this and say it's only relevant

01:33:37

I mean to sinners oh it's relevant aren't

01:33:44

I the sinner that Jesus came to save? Aren't I the one who goes daily to a loving father who smiles at me and I can say to him

01:33:54

I'm a father I'm sorry thank you for your help and your blessings today

01:34:00

I know his embrace I know his love and so the parable of the prodigal son is directed at the two groups in the audience that were listening to Jesus that day the

01:34:16

Pharisees the very religious cold deadly moralistic group and then the sinners who were very immoral and what he says in this parable touches them all and touches everyone listening to me today yeah that makes sense because the

01:34:38

Gentiles if the prodigal son was a picture of the

01:34:43

Gentiles the Gentiles wouldn't be returning home because they were a newly added branch so they were not previously children of the father that's right well thank you

01:35:03

B .B. for the yeah good question B .B. we have an anonymous listener who says

01:35:11

I am having back and forth arguments with very dear friends of mine who profess to be

01:35:18

Christian but they think that to insist that repentance is necessary as in the repentance you described with the prodigal son is adding works to faith for salvation making a gospel that requires repentance a false gospel

01:35:38

I am totally mind boggled by this

01:35:43

I think it is very dangerously wrong what can I say to these people who think erroneously that all one needs is a profession without repentance in order to be saved oh

01:35:57

I agree with you wholeheartedly you know the verse of the apostle

01:36:03

Paul but now God commands all men everywhere to repent and repentance means a turning away from unbelief and away from the practices that mark unbelief for carelessness about the will of Christ for our daily living our presenting our bodies as living sacrifices to God our being filled with the

01:36:37

Holy Spirit those are the positive callings that God requires of everyone who says they're a

01:36:48

Christian they've turned from the lust of the flesh and the lust of their eyes and the pride of life and they've turned and they've looked to Jesus and for every look at their sins they take ten looks at Jesus they've repented and they've believed you know there are two sides to the coin you can't have a coin with just Abraham Lincoln on one side and nothing on the other there's something on the other

01:37:23

George Washington on one side and there's something on the other side that's bound to be and so it is repentance is one side of the coin and faith in Jesus Christ is on the other what

01:37:37

God has joined together let no man put asunder keep working at them and keep showing them from the beginning when

01:37:46

Jesus began to preach he began to preach repentance didn't he? that was the first thing and he said there wasn't an

01:37:53

Indian paper thinness of difference between him and John the Baptist that there was none born of women as great as he so what was

01:38:03

John the Baptist preaching it was repentance and there was a great revival when he preached that will we see a great revival without repentance being preached

01:38:14

I believe not we've got to have them both there we are

01:38:19

God bless you and help you to pray for them and witness to your friends yeah

01:38:26

I've brought this up before but the irony with this false teaching of repentance not being required of salvation these people who would charge those of us who believe repentance is necessary as having a false gospel what do they want us to do they want us to repent of that teaching so it's nonsensical it is nonsensical yeah it's bad teaching it's a symbol of the shallowness of much of evangelicalism isn't it

01:39:02

Chris? yes we have to go to our final break it's going to be a lot more brief than the other breaks if you want to get in line and ask a question send it in immediately to chrisarnson at gmail .com

01:39:13

chrisarnson at gmail .com give us your first name at least city and state and country of residence we'll be right back don't go away music music music music music music music music music music music music music music music music music music music

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01:50:35

Jeff, we have a listener named Cindy in Findley, Ohio, who says,

01:50:41

Chris, please ask Jeff Thomas to pray for the salvation of my sons and grandsons,

01:50:49

John, Jim, Isaac, and Quintin. And she would like for you, if you don't mind, pray on the air so that our listeners can join you in prayer over these children and grandchildren of hers.

01:51:06

Okay. Yeah. Our Heavenly Father, thank you for a grandmother's concern, a parent's concern for children and grandchildren.

01:51:19

Thank you that they're on our hearts, and we don't know where they are, what's going on in their lives.

01:51:28

And we were drawn that they were close to you and acknowledged their sin and trusted in Jesus Christ as God the

01:51:40

Son, their teacher, their shepherd, and the Lamb of God that took their sin away.

01:51:49

Lord, it's really honoring to ask that such a blessing should come, not just on this lady and her concern, but many men and women who are listening, we all have those, all how we would yearn for them to turn and trust in Christ.

01:52:17

And, Lord, it's you to give that. No one can come to the Father except,

01:52:23

Lord, you draw them, wrap cords of love around these boys,

01:52:29

Lord. This girl, draw them all to Jesus for salvation.

01:52:36

We ask it in the Savior's name. Amen. Amen. And she adds to her note about you,

01:52:45

I love this man. Thank you, Cindy, for sharing something so personal and intimate about your life with us today.

01:52:57

Well, I'd like you to have about four minutes of uninterrupted time, Jeff, to basically summarize what you most want etched in the hearts and minds of our listeners before we go off the air.

01:53:08

Okay. This is an older brother. All right, he hears the sound of the music, and he asks, and he is so bitter, so angry.

01:53:21

What a risk the father is taking. This boy might win it again.

01:53:27

New disgrace, more gossip. And he stands outside and moralizing, he's not going in.

01:53:36

He'd have had the boy back. Well, burn your spurs, he'd say, and I'll watch you and test you and judge you.

01:53:46

That's how the world acts. You can't welcome a sinner without safeguards.

01:53:53

You can't receive a sinner back home without spelling out the conditions. That's how the human heart thinks and works.

01:54:04

Well, you know, I've said it myself.

01:54:11

I said, let's see how long it lasts when a young person comes back from a camp full of new joy.

01:54:24

But then I've had to say it about myself. I've had to say, how long will

01:54:32

I last? Because I was an equally problematic candidate for apostasy, for following Christ to the end.

01:54:47

You know, such boys, such girls are frequently the ones that keep going.

01:54:55

And somebody else, an elder, a deacon, the last one you'd expect are those who false.

01:55:03

So here's this boy, the elder brother, and his resentment has made him bitter.

01:55:10

He didn't go out searching. Remember the man who went? His brother had crashed the plane and shot down in Vietnam.

01:55:20

Once the war was over, he went out and searched everywhere for him.

01:55:27

He was called the pilot's brother, and he looked and spent money and failed to find him.

01:55:36

But the older brother, he didn't go out. He was resentful, resentful of the life of service, resentful of the

01:55:46

Father's grace, resentful that he had to obey his father.

01:55:53

And you know, my friends, we can be just like that, can't we?

01:55:58

We can be, oh, so judgmental about others.

01:56:07

We should show mercy to people.

01:56:12

Oh, my friends, have you ever understood the grace of God?

01:56:21

Can you sing amazing grace? How sweet the sound. The older brother is the

01:56:28

Pharisee. He never thinks he will ever need the divine pity. But the hard sins of religious men are far worse than the worldly sins of the religious men, aren't they?

01:56:42

And what happens, the father has whispered in his ear that the boy is outside.

01:56:50

And he goes out again, out from the room where he went running for the younger boy.

01:56:57

Now he goes for his older firstborn son. And he says to him, everything belongs to you, my son.

01:57:08

And you will always have me. I will be there for you.

01:57:14

Please appreciate that. And you must rejoice in repenting sinners coming home.

01:57:20

We have to celebrate. We have to be glad. My son, I want you in this feast.

01:57:27

Oh, you've publicly rejected my welcome and shown your rebellion in separating yourself from us.

01:57:35

Come in, son. Come in. I'm not going to disown your brother.

01:57:41

And I'm not going to disown you. Come now. Pour contempt on all your pride.

01:57:48

And come. And the boy would shame himself if he rejected the pleading of the father.

01:57:59

Let this boy see that he is just so self -centered. And just as much a grief to his father as his brother has been.

01:58:07

He has no right to feel superior. I don't know where you are.

01:58:13

If you're a little bit like the older brother. Or you've been a little bit like the prodigal.

01:58:21

But there's a father who has brought you to hear this message today.

01:58:27

And he wants you to come. He's come and reaching out to you to put right what's been done wrong by you.

01:58:37

And to look to Jesus as your merciful and kind and forgiving

01:58:48

Savior. Amen. Amen. And I want you all to always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far greater