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Bro. Otis Fisher
We're going to study about the prodigal son this morning this afternoon. So I'd like for all of you to turn to 2nd Peter 2 22. David will you read that verse for us, please? Peter speaks of these false teachers using the term dog to the Jewish mind.
There was nothing lower than a dog. He draws on Proverbs 26 11 to show that they will return to their own true natural unchanging Unchanged condition and The sow that was washed To her wallowing in the mire.
It's Simon Peter who gives us the parable of the prodigal pig. Now you may never heard it some of you probably have. But we're going to go through it again. It of course is based on The parable son or the prodigal son and I believe that's one of the greatest teachings that Jesus ever gave.
That's in Luke 15 11 through 32. Actually, the story of the prodigal son is not how a sinner becomes a son. But how a son becomes a sinner. The account is recorded in Luke 15 is a familiar story. You will remember that there was a father who had two boys.
One of the boys the younger one wanted to take off for the far country,. I believe that the Allurement of sin verges the mystery of The old bromide that grass is greener on the other side of the fences.
The story of this boy. So the boy ran away and soon was living it up when he had plenty of money. The fair-weather friends were with him, but they soon faded away. He ended up having to go out and actually get a job working.
And the only job he could find was with a man that raised pigs. As they sat and listened the publicans and the Pharisees kind of winced when he said that. Because for a Jewish boy to sink to that level.
It was unheard of. He had bought him in effect. He was on drugs. Involved in sexual immorality and all that type of thing. This boy was down in the pig pen. Again, let's understand that the parable is primarily teaching.
It is not showing how a sinner gets saved, but it reveals the heart of the father who will not only save a sinner, but will take back a son who sins the Great. Dr. Harry Reimer. Dr. Harry Reimer. Someone asked him.
I said Doctor suppose the boy had died in the pig pen. Well, that's a legitimate question. He answered well. He if he died in the pig pen. There's one thing for sure. He wouldn't have been a dead pig.
He was a son. And he was a son when he left home. He was a son when he got to the far country. He was a son while he was living in sin, and he was a son in the pig pen. Because he was a son. He made the statement one day a statement that no pig could ever have made.
He said my father Lives up yonder in that great big home. He has servants. They're treated better than I. I'm his son, but I'm living down here in the among the pigs. I Will arise and go to my father.
Now no pig could say that. Unless he was going in the opposite direction. Now what is the father going to do with the boy when he returns home? According to the Mosaic law if you go to Deuteronomy 21 18 to 21 you'll see.
Where they were to stone him to death, but he wasn't stoned. The son went back and made his confession. Father I have sinned against heaven and against you. But his father wouldn't let him finish you.
You would expect the father to have said to one of his servants Go down and cut off some hickory limbs and bring them back to me. I'm going to whip this boy within an inch of his life. He has disgraced my name.
He spent my substance. He's wasted his time. He has been in sin, and I'm going to teach him. I wonder How many of us would do that? But that's not what happened. The boy you see had gotten his whipping in the far country not when he came home.
All prodigals get their whipping while they're away from home. When they come back to the heavenly father there is always a banquet a robe a ring. And they begin to be merry. The fun was up at the father's house and never in the pig pen.
The interesting thing now is that Peter says and the sound that was washed. Returned to her wallering in the mire. Now we can add something to the parable the prodigal son one of those little pigs in the pigpen said to the prodigal son.
You say you want to leave this lovely big pen with all of this nice mud and goo. And you want to go up to your father's house. That sounds good in fact you've sold me. I Think maybe I'd like to go up there with you and try it myself.
So the prodigal son told him if you go up there things are sure going to be different. You're going to have to clean up. But they got to the father's house. The father put his arms around the boy and said bring forth the robe.
Actually, he could smell those clothes his son had been wearing and what he really meant was give him a good bath and Then put a new robe on him. He can't smell like that or live like that in my house.
Well the little pig went with the prodigal son, and he had to get all cleaned up, too. They washed This little pig up nicely. Tied a pink ribbon around his neck. They brushed his teeth with Pepsodent and the little pig went squealing through the house.
But it was only a couple of days until the little pig came to the prodigal son With a downcast look and said prodigal son. I don't like it here and The son said why. I'm having the best time. Best time I've ever had in my life since I came home, and you say you don't like it here.
What's wrong? The little pig replied. I don't like this idea of having white sheets on the bed if we could just Get to a place where there was plenty of good sloppy mud. I could sleep better. We just don't do that here in the father's house said the prodigal son.
You just can't live in a pigpen here. Well another thing. I don't like is sitting at the table Using a knife and fork and having a white Tablecloth and eating out of a plate. Why couldn't we have a trough down on the floor?
And put everything in there. We could all jump in and jump around and have the biggest time of our lives. We don't do that here said the son. And the little pig said well, I Think I'll arise and go to my father.
His father wasn't in that house, and so he started back to his home. He had been all cleaned up, but he went back to the pigpen and found his old man. Now old man is taken as an old man. Right down in the middle of the biggest loblolly you've ever seen mud all around him dirty filthy and smelly.
That little old pig began to squeal and made a leap for it, and he jumped in right beside his father. Saying father I sure am glad to get back home. You know why? Because he was a pig. Now how can you tell the pigs from the sons?
We had a lesson on that this morning both and first service and the preaching service professing Christians from their real born-again believers. It was difficult and confusing. But I learned something.
I Found out that one end of the road Was the father's house and at the other end of the road Was a big bin and there were always prodigal sons who were going back to the father's house however. The transition.
It's always confusing. Because sometimes the prodigal sons are on the other side of the road. Going down the pigpen to add to the confusion sometimes a pig will get out of the pigpen and go up to the father's house.
But he is a pig. He won't like it there. He may get all washed up cleaned up become very religious. Sometimes they may even be made a deacon. You just can't tell because he's all cleaned up. But inside he has the heart of a pig and a pig loves them muck and mire.
I've learned that If you wait long enough all the pigs will go down to the big bin. And all the prodigal sons will go home to the father's house. If that man that you have seen appears to be a churchgoer and He continues to live in a big bin We can know that he is a pig.
Because Peter says that the pig that was washed Has now returned to her wallowing in the mire. This is the mark of the apostate and it's a frightful picture. I don't know of any Any more frightful picture in the world of God than the chapter 18 of the book of Revelation.
I'll conclude with a poem that I found that was Called a pig is a pig. Come home with me. He said the prodigal son will sing and dance have lots of fun. Will whine and dine with women and song. You'll forget you're a pig before very long.
So the pig slipped out. While his mama was asleep shook off some mud From the mire so deep. Round his neck was a bowl so big he's gonna show the world a pigs not a pig. With his snout in the air he trotted along with a prodigal son who was singing a song.
It might be great to be a rich man's son. He wouldn't surely find out. He would surely find out before the day was done. It Didn't take him long to realize his mistake. He'd been scrubbed and rubbed till his muscles did ache.
He squealed when they put a gold ring in his nose and he winced with pain when they trimmed his toes. He sat at the table on a stool so high a bib around his neck and a fork to try. While the prodigal son and his lovely robe Kept feeding his face So glad to be home.
When the meat came round the pig gave a moan. It looked too much like one of his own. He jumped from his chair with a grunt and a groan Darted through the door and headed for home. His four little feet made the dust ride high.
For he didn't stop till he reached that sky. It's what's on the inside that counts my friend. Or a pig is a pig to the very end. Virge. Will you dismiss us, please?