Some Considerations Before You Pack Your Bags — Greg Locke

Reading the Parable of the Prodigal Son

Luke chapter number 15 of the Bible tonight, please the gospel of Luke and chapter number 15. Luke chapter number 15. Good to see tonight. We say so much you being here on this Tuesday night of our revival meeting and not just any revival meeting.

But the second week of our revival meeting and we just allow the Lord to get in this thing and kick out both the front doors and the back doors and the side windows and I believe God's given us a wonderful wonderful time and I believe if we keep Praying and keep speaking and I keep looking to him and keep turning from our wicked ways as the Bible commands us in 2nd 714.

I believe God will continue to provide his richest blessings and his Holy Spirit upon his people here at the great Baptist Temple. I will have to be on my best behavior tonight and for the rest of the week as my wife is here now.

So I can't preach near as mean as I've been preaching in the past. And of course, you know, I'm just kidding about that. I do appreciate my wife. I could not do what I do in evangelism. It's a we're not for her and they say behind every good man.

It's a good lady and I say to that hallelujah Amen a million and one times because my wife supports me and I'll tell you if I didn't believe this Bible I wouldn't drag her all over this country. I'll tell that right now, but I've got a wife that loves me and I got a wife that appreciates me.

I'll tell you what. I've got a very submissive wife as well. Last time we got an argument she came to me on her knees and she said if you don't get out from that bed We'll beat the devil out of you. But anyhow, but the truth the matter is but I appreciate my wife and I appreciate that what God did for her as he was In Thailand for some time, but I appreciate so much her being with me now.

Luke chapter 15. That's all stand please out of respect for God's wonderful word Luke 15. I'll begin my reading in just a moment in verse number 11. I appreciate our brother here said he just got in from Florida and he said something interesting.

He said he was tired, which I'm sure many of you are and I appreciate you being here Although you are and he said it was either go to the house and sleep or come to the church. Well a lot of badness I preach to get the best of both worlds.

They come to church and go to sleep. But I hope tonight that you'll listen up and you'll listen to what the message of the Bible is tonight. Luke 15 verse 11. Please the Bible says in he speaking of Jesus saying a certain man had two sons and the younger of him said to his father father Give me the portion of goods that falleth to me and he divided unto them as living.

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. And when he had spent all there rose a mighty famine in that land and he began to be in want.

He went and joined himself to a citizen of that country. And he sent him into his field to feed swine and he would have faint filled his belly with the husk that the swine did Eat and no man gave unto him.

And when he came to himself, he said how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and despair and I perished with hunger. I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called by son make me as one of our hard Service and he rose and came to his father.

But when he was yet a great way off his father saw him. He had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him and said unto him father I have sinned against heaven and in my sight and am no more worthy to be called by son.

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 and bring him on the fattest calf and kill it and let us eat and be married.

This my son was dead in his alive again, he was lost in his found and they Began to be married and I don't bring a simple message entitled some consideration before you pack your bag. Thank you very much.

You may be seated. Let's bow our heads and hearts and ask the Lord to bless our time together now father. Once again, I pray that the Holy Spirit of God would have complete reign and complete sway and control of the service tonight father.

I pray that I would preach in the next few minutes all of thee and none of me father. Impact me at this time. Feel me when I spirit empower me. I pray and Lord just as much I pray you would empower this congregation as they listen Lord.

No doubt perhaps there's even one in here tonight that has never genuinely been converted never truly been born again. Never really been become a Christian and Lord tonight I pray the Spirit of God would do his convincing and his convicting work in their heart and mind and show them their utter Desperate need of Christ and then for God's people who perhaps are like this young man in Luke 15 I put a night again.

If you would comfort that all God that you would convict have your will and way and may tonight you lead us in a holy Spirit heartfelt old-fashioned Bible revival and Lord will give you all the praise honor and glory for everything that's said and done before we ask It in Jesus name.

Amen. Now what I do not want to do tonight from Luke chapter number 15 is debate about the spiritual condition of this young man. There are many people in the day and age in which we live and I suppose there's different categories of preachers.

There's different obviously categories of denominations. But there's been a great debate for years about the young man in this portion of Scripture was he saved. Was he lost was he? Saved was he lost.

You can believe what you want to but I believe tonight and I'm going to preach this message as if this Young man were a blood-bought born-again child of God. I am aware of one thing in one thing only.

I'm aware of the fact that before he left home. He called the man in the story his father. I'm aware of the fact that when he went down the long dusty road of sin with a knapsack of the devil on his back I'm still aware.

He still called the man the story his father and when he got out of the slop and dropped it went to his daddy's house. He still called the man in the story father. And so when he was doing good when he was doing evil and when he came home to repent the man in the story was Steal this young man's father.

And so I believe that is a picture that here is a child of God. But here is a person that was a Christian. This is not somebody that was lost and came home and got saved. And by the way, I've also heard theologians and they call themselves that debate as to whether this young man had salvation and lost his salvation.

There's just one problem that you're eternally secure when you get saved by the grace of God and friend I'll say one thing I won't get a big head about it. But I could swing over hail and a rotten cornstalk spit the devil in the eye and sing amazing grace friend I've got my salvation and it ain't going anywhere.

My Bible tells me in Ephesians 430 and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. Whereby ye are sealed under the day of redemption and since the day of redemption is not taking place speaking of the rapture I've still got the sealing of the Spirit of Almighty God.

I had a charismatic lady come to me one night and she tried to tell me what I believe. She said I don't you believe she said are you one in Baptists and you believe that you can make a profession and go out.

And live like the devil and live like you want to and you're still saved. I said no ma 'am I do not believe that. I said I found the kind of like that was unfair you're saying I said I don't believe that whatsoever.

I said I believe a man makes a profession and goes out and live like the devil. That's all he got was a profession because when a man gets a he don't want to go out and live like the devil. I believe when a man woman boy girl get saved they will want to live right and they will want to live godly and yes.

You might get upset and yes, you might be rebellious every now and then and fall all over yourself. But you won't live a wicked life. It's like we said last night you live a like hell and you'll die and go to hell my dear friend.

That's not Greg. That's Almighty God. And so tonight we are dealing with a young man. That was saved by the grace of God. Was not lost and got saved was not saved and lost it. Another lady came to me one time.

And she I think Tony Clark security one night. She got all mad and hot in the face and she said I know one thing. She said one of us is wrong about this eternal security business. I'll see. Yes, ma 'am I know more than that.

I know which one of us it is because I know my Bible says ladies and gentlemen I'm going to tell you here was a young man in this portion of Scripture that was saved by grace Through faith washed in the blood, but he backslid on his father and I want you to see tonight the message some Considerations before you pack your bags.

There's some things I want you to see in this portion of Scripture in Luke chapter number 15 that it's very dire and very Necessary that we deal with tonight in case you're planning a trip away from God's house very soon.

Well in case you're planning a trip to get away from the presence of God or if you're a backslider tonight. There's some things I want you to consider before you pack your bags. I want you to look please at verse number 14 in verse number 14.

Excuse me back up the verse number 13. Would you the Bible says 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 does not say righteous.

But with riotous living the first consideration. I want you to see tonight is number one what I call the distance. Here was a young man that went to his father one day and he said father. He said give me the portions of goods that fall to me now.

He had earned a living his father did owe him that because he had been put in a sword. So he said father. I'm sick of your rule. He said I'm sick of your mandate. I'm sick of your legalism. I'm sick of your funny mentalism and all this that the other he said I'm ready to go out and so my wild oats and Have myself a good jolly time.

He said I think I'll take my money and the Bible says that the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far Country. Now, I want you to see ladies and gentlemen that the word far is the key word in that verse.

It does not say he went to his neighbor's backyard. It does not say he went 15 miles down the road and no it does not say that he went merely to a country. It uses that small little word FAR. He went into a far Country and I believe what the Spirit of God is trying to show his dear people tonight is simple.

It is when you get away from God and when you get involved in sin. It will always take you a long and a lot farther down the road than you ever wanted to go my dear friend the very first song that our dear group saying that I Still to take your father than you want to go cost you longer than you want to pay and keep you a whole lot longer Than you ever want to stay and here was a man.

You will never convince me in a million years that he thought he would actually get that far From the father's house and the first thing you need to consider as a backslider is when you get your life Involved in sin it will always hold on to you longer.

It will cost you more and take you a long ways from the father's house and you'll wake up sometimes thinking to yourself. How did I ever get in the mess that I'm in? Let me give you an illustration along these lines by the grace of God I preach all over this country and here's the type of people I meet.

I go to a church one year pastor and people are Sunday schoolers Sunday morning Sunday night Wednesday night a Bible meeting missions conference goal winners. I mean their own fire for God. I mean, they'll charge hell with a sport pistol.

I mean, they just want to live for God. They want to do everything they can they can't get enough of the Bible and I go back to next year. Now begin to ask the pastor about him and they're not there in the church anymore.

They have all these problems and they come to me in a revival meeting and then I begin to slowly but surely. See what began to seize in their life. Here's what happened. They were Sunday school Sunday morning Sunday night Wednesday night revival meeting every time the doors were open all of a sudden.

They decided they dropped Sunday school after all. Nobody will probably know and so they dropped out of Sunday school and then they were Sunday morning Sunday night Wednesday night. And nobody really noticed and if it was a larger church, perhaps the pastor didn't even pay much attention.

And so all of a sudden, you know, the very next thing that drops off prayer meeting. Somebody said by the way not too long ago that the Sunday morning crowd shows the popularity of the church. The Sunday night crowd shows the popularity of the pastor for those that come back to hear him preach and the Wednesday night prayer meeting.

Proves the popularity of Jesus and might I just say he's not real popular a lot of independent Baptist churches that I preach in. And so the first thing that takes off is Sunday school. The second thing that takes off is Wednesday night and you got the next one.

The next thing that takes off is Sunday night. They start thinking themselves that God and everybody else in the church owes him a favor. And after all it wouldn't do me too much harm just to go to Sunday morning.

Just to hear a little bit of red-hot fiery preaching and amen a little bit on Sunday and live like the cotton-picking devil on Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday in the following Sunday.

And so they all of a sudden there's Sunday school Sunday morning Sunday night Wednesday night. Then Sunday school goes then Wednesday night goes then Sunday. But then Sunday evening goes then guess what goes all together church goes all together and they begin to forsake the assembly.

They begin to make excuses. And daddy gets a bigger boat and they start going out fishing and mama gets a little bit of a later job and starts working. More on Wednesday night, and she starts working more on Saturday night.

She gets in so late at the evening that they don't want to come to church anymore. And they allow Johnny and junior just to kind of sleep in to the Sun warms her feet and watch all the Pokemon and all.

The crazy cartoons on TV instead of coming to the house of God and then they come to me in a revival meeting. They say my marriage is on the rocks. My kids are serving the devil. I'm so frustrated I wake up every morning as an empty as a burnout volcano.

What do I do? I'm so confused. What is happening? I'll say what happened sin hits you a lot farther than you ever intended to go and friend I'm telling you tonight. You better consider what I call the game.

I've been a story not long ago about a young lady that was 18 years old. Her father told her you will not date you will not see a young man. You will not do any of that until you're 18 years old. And so on her 18th birthday, she was all excited.

She's gonna get to go out for the first time. She went to a large Christian high school and she was gonna be dating one of the so-called young Christian Don Juan's club. And so man, she was excited and he was excited well the day came and it was her 18th birthday.

And man sure about 637 o 'clock. Not came to the door man. He wasn't a Jehovah's Witness. It wasn't the Avon lady. It was mr. Don Juan's love. Hey, everyone, he had 15 cans of rain hairspray all in his hair.

You know, he had a great big old dozen roses and man. He was excited his little heart was about to beat slam out of his chest and all of a sudden the door opened and you Can imagine it was kind of a slow motion and she came walking down and she had her beautiful dress on had a little bow In her hair and he thought to himself.

Oh good giggly-wiggly. Look at her man I'm so excited and so she came down the steps and they came in. He said on one side of the room and she said on the other side of the room and daddy set the Shotgun and said you better be home by 10 o 'clock.

Amen. And so they began to talk and so he says now you treat my daughter with respect and you love my daughter. You take care of my daughter and don't you lay your hands on my daughter because she's my property not your property to the day.

You say I do and then some of you daddy say hey, man. Cuz if you don't I will so anyhow here was this man and he gave him all of these rules and regulations. And so man, he grabs her by the arm. He gives you the roses boy.

She gives. Oh boy. She's just kind of she's just swelling up like a watermelon inside boy. She's so excited. Here she is 18 years old going on her first date with a boy. He opens the car door and there was already another couple what the man was driving.

Young lady was sitting up front. So he opened the back door said her there went around the back got in the car man going on a double date the best. One amen, and so they go down to get something to eat.

But before they got something to eat they stopped by the little park. They fed the ducks began to talk and then he was even nice and even led in prayer. Oh, how noble of even led in prayer before they pulled out to go to the area.

And so finally when they were through there in that park area. They decided they're gonna go get themselves something to eat. And so they pulled into this dimly lit restaurant man. People were standing around stuck it on their cigarettes and the bud light and the Budweiser and the Michelob signs were blinking.

She could see the smoke just a villain out of there like it's some kind of rock concert. Every time the doors would swing it out look like some type of saloon and she could hear the rock music. See people standing around with the pool sticks in their hand men having themselves a good time.

The money was just a fly and she said within herself I'm not going in all of a sudden he said let's go and he could tell he noticed some Peasants and see in her face and he said what do you mean? You're not gonna go and she said Noah I'm just not gonna go.

She said my daddy taught me how to go to places like that. And he said come on. He said it's a nice restaurant. He said your daddy's not gonna know about it what you're worried about. He said just get out of the car and come on.

The other couple already pulled out and started walking to the door. She said you do anything you want to she said call me a cab. She said get mad take me home. Take down another date, but she said take the house.

He said I know what your problem is. He said you're a 50. He said you're scared. Your daddy's gonna get this little pickup truck and drive all of this town on your first date and he's gonna pass by showing he's gonna Pass by Ponderosa.

He's gonna pass by all the Chinese buffets and pass by crystals and McDonald's and Burger King. He's gonna pass all the other places in town and you're scared. You're just afraid little girl that your daddy's gonna drive by here and see my car in the parking lot.

And when you're get home, you're scared what your daddy's gonna do to you because you came to this place. You began to cry and she said that's not true whatsoever. She said take me home. She said you got it all wrong.

She said when I get home, I'm not scared of what my daddy's gonna do to me. She said but I am scared and I am afraid of what I might do to my dad. My dear friend you hear me and you hear me. Well. The question to ask when you begin to product allies and walk away from God.

The question to ask when you get your life involved in sin is not what is God going to do to me? But what are you going to do to God my dear friend because your sin grieves the heart of a holy God. And if he likes it, you should like it and if he hates it, you should hate it.

If it bothers him then bless God Almighty and honor bother you and it ought to bother me. And did you know that your sin does not just affect you it affects your spouse? It affects your kids. It affects people in this church people in this community and it affects your effectiveness and your testimony and your witness for the Lord Jesus Christ and you better be careful friend.

So sin will take you a long way. From the father's hand and so number one we see tonight what I call the distance. But I want you to look at these once again would please at verse number 14. The Bible says in verse number 14 and when he had spent all.

The Wasted Inheritance and the Cost of Sin

It does not say when he had spent some it says when he had spent all there rose a mighty famine in that land and he began to be in law back up to verse number 13 and not many days after the younger son gathered all together and Took his journey to a far country and they're wasted.

You get that and they're in that far country and they're wasted his substance or his money his inheritance with riotous Limit the first consideration is what I call the distance, but the second consideration is what I call the disposal.

Get the picture. Here's a young man that comes with father. He puts the rake down. He puts the whole down. He talks to John Deere tractor in the garage and says daddy I'm sick and tired of your rules and I'm sick and tired of your work.

It's interesting to me. Here was a young man that left home because he got tired of working. But he ended up working in a home theater. And so he said daddy. I'm sick of working. I'm sick of your rules and regulations.

I'm sick of playing. I'm sick of family devotion. I'm sick of church three or four times a week. I'm tired of it. I'm gonna go out on my own and did you notice my dear friend? Did you notice that his father never tried to stop it?

Did you notice that his father did not stop him now? He probably told him I know best. He probably told him listen son I know what you're going through and I felt this way when I was your age too. But son, I know best but I'm not gonna stop you.

And might I tell you that God will give you a preacher to preach the living devil out of you and God will give you The Holy Spirit to convict you and God will give you a Bible and say my way's best. But he won't stop you if you're ready to go.

If you want to go free and you will go and if you want to say you will say I don't believe in that business about God preordained some to heaven and preordained some to hell and God knows that God puts you in sin and God pulls you out of sin bless God you'll get your life in sin and you'll get your life out of sin my dear friend and here was a man that Considered not the distance and consider not the disposal and he lost everything.

It doesn't say he spent $15. He lost Everything and the Bible says in the world out there Appealing to his flesh out there serving the old slew foot the devil out there in the wicked bow up. How he wasted it.

We don't know but we do know it was riotous living. I mean he wasted his life and Wasted his substance when he could be living loving and working for his father. Might I say something right without apology.

If you tonight are a blood ball born again out of God and You live your life outside the dictates of the will of God and you live your life Outside the dictates of the ways and the Word of God and you live your life tonight as a Christian.

Anyway, you jolly well, please might I just say friend you are wasting your life away. You are wasting your time you are wasting God's time. You are wasting God's people's time and if you are a child of God that lives your life my dear friend you are wasting Your substance and I need people all over this country all over this country that oh, yes.

Every now and then they darken it over church every now and then they even crack the Bible every now and then they play. Every now and then they give every now and then they come forward and they make some type of decision my dear friends.

But for the most part they are wasting their life and they're taking up space in the work of God and they're causing other people To fall by the wayside you can be one of two things tonight and one of two things only you can be a Stumbling block or you can be a stepping stone and because of the life of many independent Baptists that my wife and I meet all over this country many people are Stumbling over other people's lives when your life should be used as a stepping stone to bring that person closer to Jesus Christ.

And here was a man that did not consider the distance, but it still happened. Here was a man that did not consider the disposal, but it still happened and he wasted his life. My Bible tells me redeeming the time for the days are evil when we don't have time to float around with life.

We don't have time to float around with sin and to mess around with ungodliness because we are in a warfare. This is not a ballroom in Bailey's Circus. This is not a game. This is not play time my dear friend.

This is a time of warfare when God's people are to fight not disposing and wasting of their life but using the assets the abilities the gifts and the talents that God has given to us and Tonight here was a young man.

They had to face the distance of being in a poor country and he had to face the fact that he was flat-busting. He was flat broke and had absolutely nothing whatsoever to show for his wayward lifestyle.

The Desire for Home and the Desertion of False Friends

But I want you to look you would now please hit verse number 14 again. Bible says in verse 14. And when he had spent all there rose a mighty watch a mighty famine in that land. Please get this and he the young prodigal began to be in war.

Number one the distance number two the disposal, but number three what I call the desire. You know, here's a young man that had everything handed to him on a silver platter. Here's a young man that had a nice bed to sleep in had a nice leak a nice leaky free roof over his head at night.

Here's a man that no doubt probably had some silver pillows or something. I mean, he had a nice soft mattress. He had a nice table to put his feet under. He had a nice family. I don't know if he had sisters.

We do know that he had brother because one of them got mad at him for coming home. And so we do know that he had a father no doubt then he had a mother. He had servants that served his father and since he was the next to kids and he was a son.

No doubt the servants would serve him as well. And so I mean he was high living friend. I'm told by high class. He got everything handed to him on a silver platter. But one day he said daddy I think I'm gonna go my own way and when he went his own way.

When he finally got out of the wicked wily ways of the world. He wished in himself that he would have never left to begin. And I meet people all over the country. They say I wish I'd have never done it not even one time.

I wish I'd have never loved. Hey, yes, David. Yes, David friend. The Bible says in 2nd Samuel chapter 11 and verse number one that it was a time when Kings go forth to battle. I do not know what all that means.

But I do know that David was supposed to be there and the Bible says that David stayed at home. And he walked on the roof of his house and the Bible says in verse number three. He saw a woman bathing herself and she was very beautiful to look upon.

I'm gonna tell you something right now. You know what that word that phrase look upon means it does not mean that he saw her and said Oh God. Please forgive me for what I've seen and let's drop that out of my memory.

Take that away from my heart. The word look upon means that he took a casual stare and he looked and he looked. And he looked and it did it. It'll bite you too and David wished in himself that he would have never committed such an immoral adulterous vow.

Because it cost him in his family it cost him in his body. It cost him a child and it cost him even in the kingdom. And so don't you tell me my dear friend that you won't one day wish oh, I wish to God I never would have done it.

Let's use David as an illustration again. It's amazing to me how God said David was a man after his own heart, but David fouled up a lot in the Bible. I'm glad God's got forgiveness. But here was a man named David.

The Bible says in 2nd Samuel nearing to the end. It says that he went out and numbered the people against the Word of the Lord. God said don't you got number the people. Don't you guys think you're some kind of big shot because you got a bunch of people Out there.

Don't you think you're something because you got the biggest Sunday school. Mr David Bible says that he had Joab go out and count him anyhow and God said because you've done this there's gonna be three great Cataclysmic judgments that are going to come upon the Israelites and he finally threw himself on the mercy of God rather than on the wrath Of man and the Bible says that thousands and thousands and thousands of the Israelites died in one day.

And don't you think the desire of David in his mind when he laid his head on his pillow that night was Oh God I wish I'd have never numbered the crazy. And here was a young man. The Bible says began to be in war.

You know what he wanted. He wanted his father back. He wanted bed back. He wanted his inheritance back. Hey, he wanted his old sweaty mule-infested job back. He wanted his old dirty dog back. He just wanted to get out of the mess that he had dug for himself free.

Bible says he began to be in war. But I want you to go on in your reading if you would please and look at verse number 16. Oh, what sad verses these are. Verse number 16. My Bible says. And he would have famed filled his belly with the hush that the swine or the pigs did eat and no man Gave unto it.

This is what I call the desertion. Everybody deserted. Everybody left it. It's interesting to me. Dr. LeVon when this young man had a lot of money. He had a lot of friends. When this young man had the dope.

When this young man had all the booze. When this young man had all the young ladies. He had all of the friends, but it's interesting to me when he was flat-busted. He didn't have a friend one. The Bible says and no man gave unto it.

That doesn't mean that every now and then somebody dropped a penny in his little cup. No, that means that no man gave unto him and everybody left him. I'm not giving my full testimony here at this church and I probably will not unless the Lord leads me to do that on Friday Night, but let me just say this I was in trouble a lot with a wall before I got saved by God's grace.

I was in court six different times. They put me on probation five different times. They got tired of seeing my face and I was just about on a first-name basis with the judge. He locked my father up about 20 years before I got there the first time and he told me the last time I was there.

If you ever stand before me again, son I'm gonna lock your tail up in the jail cell. So you're 21 22 years old and you will not see the light of day and you'll rot in the same jail cell your daddy did.

For five or six years, but he said you better straighten up your life. But you know what? It's interesting to me every time I stole a gun. Every time I stole a go-kart. Every time I got in trouble for vandalism.

Every time I got in trouble for fighting no matter what it was for. Every single time even if it wasn't a court sentence if I was just maybe brought home after curfew at two or three or four. Five o 'clock in the morning something like that.

You know what's interesting to me. There was never a time Emphasize the word never there was never a time that I ever got in trouble with the law that I did it by myself. I wasn't that stupid. I wasn't dumb enough to feel something by myself.