The Prodigal Son — Keith Daniel

God bless you deeply good brother for letting me come and to be in your pulpit. Can we have a short prayer, please? Can we just bow before our? God our Savior. Oh God, we thank thee that in thy grace in thy mercy thou didst give us Jesus the Christ God the Son that God's blood flowed we bless thee for The blood of Jesus Christ God's Son that cleanses us from all sin for without that cross None of us would have anything to embrace.

That he was even slightly intelligent, but from this book our hearts know That this was the Son of God and that he died and tasted death for every man. And that it was his will that all should come to the knowledge of the truth that none should perish.

He gave himself a ransom for all Who tasted death for every man. We bless thee for such statements in this holy book. We bless thee that tonight as we Gather in the name of Jesus there might not be crowds, but because of the promises of God Which we believe if two or three of you are Gathered together in my name There am I.

In the midst we bless thee that Christ the creator of The entire universe by one word Christ the Savior who died for all men Christ the coming judge of all men. For every knee shall bow and every tongue confess no matter what they said on this earth.

He is Lord we bless thee that in his wonderful name We can Ask thee to visit us To cleanse me in the holy blood of God to fill me with the Holy Spirit To take the Holy Bible the Holy Word of God and to help us to bow before our God tonight in reverential fear and love and obedience.

The Prodigal Son and the Father's Love

Speak Lord Through thy holy word in Jesus the Christ's name for his glory alone. Amen. Luke 15 11. And he said a certain man Had two sons a certain man had two sons. Something's gone wrong. We have to wait.

Is it all okay? If it's too loud, please tell me if I need to shout tell me now Am I all right mustn't echo but brother if you leave it like that, I'll shout then you won't have an echo. And he said a certain man had two sons and the younger of them.

The younger of them said to his father Father give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. Give me the portion of goods That falleth to me and he he Divided unto them. He divided unto them his living and not many days after Not many days after the younger son gathered all together and took his journey Into a far country and there wasted his substance Wasted his substance with riotous living and when he had spent all When he had spent all There arose a mighty famine.

There rose a mighty famine in that land and he began to be in want he began to be in want and he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country and he sent him into his fields to feed swine and he would feign Have filled his belly with the husks That the swine did eat he would feign have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat and No, man gave unto him no, man Gave unto him and when he came to himself when he came to himself he said How many?

Hired servants of my father's Have bred enough and to spare and I I perish with hunger. I Perish with hunger. I will arise I Will arise and go to my father and would say unto him Father I Have sinned I have sinned against heaven and Before thee and them no more worthy to be called thy son Make me Make me as one of thy hired servants Make me as one of thy hired servants and he arose he arose and came To his father but When he was yet a great way or his father saw him And had compassion and ran and Fell on his neck and kissed him and the son Said unto him father.

I have sinned I Have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and The no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants bring the best Bring forth the best robe and Put it on him put it on him and Put a ring Put a ring on his hand and shoes On his feet and bring hither the fatted calf and kill it And let us eat and be merry.

But this My son Was dead and is alive again. He was lost. He was lost and is found and They began to be merry they began to be merry. Now his elder son Was in the field and as he came and drew nigh to the house as He came and drew nigh to the house.

He heard music and Dancing and he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him thy brother is come Thy brother is come and thy father hath killed the fatted calf.

Because he had received him safe and sound he Was angry he was angry and would not go in therefore therefore came his father out and entreated him and He answering said to his father lo these many years Do I serve thee.

Neither Transgressed I at any time thy commandment and yet thou never Gave us me a kid That I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this thy son Was come Which hath devoured thy living with harlots.

Thou has killed for him the fatted calf and he said unto him son thou art Ever with me and All that I have is thine All that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry and be glad. It was right that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead and is alive again and Was lost now beloved.

The Elder Brother and the Pharisees

In the broader context in the broader context of this parable Jesus attempts to show us a Glimpse of God's love. In the broader context of this Parable Jesus attempts in a heart-rending way a Heart-rending way to show us just a glimpse of God's love and mercy and longing and compassion to the lost to sinners to the wicked Who serve the devil who serve sin.

In the broader context of the parable Christ attempts to show us something in a heart-rending way of God's love for the lost as opposed to in contrast and as opposed to the Pharisees. The religious teachers of Israel who were merciless to the wicked who ostracized Had no compassion.

There was no Compassion. There was a merciless ostracizing judgmental attitude Toward the lost and the wicked. So in the broader context the elder brother. That Jesus speaking about in the context he's speaking of represents the Pharisees their attitude.

They who believed they were serving God and had the right to serve God and were prepared and trained to serve God. They who stood serving God in the ordained religion of God on earth with a furtherest thing.

There was on earth from the true heart of God to those they thought they were called to minister to. They were the furthest from the heart of God that there was. And they believed they were serving God.

And let me assure you the Pharisees are alive and well on planet earth today. Tonight, I don't want us just to look at the broader context. I want us to look at the finer context because throughout the scriptures you will find there's the broader context of every passage and There's the finer context if you don't know that you miss the heart of God on every page.

There's always the broader context. There's always the finer context tonight. I want us to look at the finer context of this parable. To do what Christ initially was asking of them and of us because God knew of the billions throughout the ages that would hear these words and Nothing is in this book.

Nothing is in this book that isn't given by God. Wade. To give man a glimpse of his heart. Something of the heart of God has to be revealed or you're missing the mark. Even if you're reading all the baguettes and the baguettes and the baguettes go through the book a few hundred times.

You won't be able to get past them as God reveals his heart. Now in the finer context Christ Initially to give us something just a glimpse because God's love is beyond comprehension. It is beyond human comprehension in its fullness.

But to give you and I and the multitudes who heard this parable a glimpse of God's love for the lost in a staggering way He initially asks of them and of us to put ourselves into the shoes of a man of a father and That we all can do.

Even if you're a child. You can understand you can grasp you can identify by placing ourselves into the situation into the circumstances into the shoes of a man of Integrity a good man a good father of great integrity whose son whose son Chose To pursue a life of sin With no restriction that far country Was as far away as he could get from even a look from that integrity in his father's eyes.

He wanted nothing Nothing he wanted sin with both hands with every faculty of his being and he wanted to get to the further point on earth Where there was anything that could even restrict his conscience or condemn him.

He wanted sin To place ourselves For a moment in the finer context, but the true context Christ is asking is making us Anyone who has a hope in art to God Identify with this father place ourselves in his circumstance and shoes and The safest way to read a parable because you can't spiritualize parables Is to look at the broader and the finer context in the light of the rest of the scriptures on exactly what Christ is speaking about and You'll be stunned how much of the scriptures?

Strewn with a father whose son Right from the Old Testament and what God says What God reveals? Whose son whose child chooses sin Though his father is godly and Integrity years ago when I came to America a few times.

This is the 30th tour I've done of your country. Sometimes to small gatherings sometimes to thousands sometimes to 20 30 ,000. God has been very good to me to bring me to the conservative pulpits of your land and The conservative pulpits of virtually every denomination and movement have been so open to bring me across to this land to preach but After just a few occasions few times of coming through to your land.

I stayed in a Baptist home one of the pastors of a very very very large church in New York and this pastor had a Lot of children. He didn't have a family. He had a tribe. The Americans like to do that especially conservatives in the Bible bouts it seems.

But he had a genuine tribe of children lovely from about that eyes right down and He was driving me from the house, which is 40 minutes away from the church. He was driving me With the children all behind and I was sitting beside him and as we were going to the church he said Let's sing children, let's sing for brother key.

So I braced myself and expected a lovely hymn or something being deeply conservative. Suddenly they began to sing in a way that I was done. I Certainly stunned the harmony the perfection the depth of the old hymns of our faith nothing of the shallow sentimental little reverse.

Repeated verses for half an hour that leave you stone-cold but hymns that were written when they were virtually written in blood. No wonder there was depth. That this is the first generation buries them and says it's not good enough for the youth.

Oh What have we done? These young children Were singing a hymn of all him of the faith. But they sang from their souls. To such a degree as I looked around at their confidence as there was a joy and it wasn't a soul.

These children were singing to God with such joy in what they were singing the way. They were singing in the sanctified way. They were singing but the beauty. He must have had them singing all the time and when they he's not looking they're still singing from the smallest one.

It was a harmony. It was uncanny. It was beautiful. I Thought to myself these children should go in a tour of the whole world right now the conservatives the liberals won't have them. It's boring and they're so far from God.

They wouldn't discern that this is God. But I thought wow what pulpits would open that I've preached in across this world to this family if they knew What this family was? When they were finished I said to the father after a moment or two of quietness brother you Are deeply privileged by God.

Greatly honored by God to have children like this that serve the Lord brother. I think I have a bit of discernment. They weren't singing for you or to please you they were singing from their hearts and as I looked at their countenances.

These children love Christ with every faculty of their being these children serve God not with a heavy heart having to sing and sing an old hymn of the faith. They're filled with God's joy and the way they say.

Oh brother your children love Christ. And not every Christian home not every pastor in this world. Even if conservative churches have children that all love God like this and unitedly serve God without hesitation.

In something they love you not only to do for the glory of God and in such a sanctified way brother. You are honored having children who serve the Lord like this with such joy and so beautifully. Suddenly he shook us all in the car.

As he looked at me with an open mouth at what I was saying and Then just groaned such a groan That I was undone and those children were undone because I don't think they'd ever heard their father groan.

In agony it was a groan that was like ripping his soul apart as he suddenly burst into tears. Now beloved if you see a lady weeping that is something that I can't I just can't handle but if a man If a man breaks in brokenness Agonizing sobbing this man said words that staggered me to this day.

He said Oh God. Oh God Let me die. I Beg me Please don't let it whistle brother. I'll shout but don't let it whistle. I Beg thee God Let me die. In Jesus Christ name, let me die rather than to live to see any of my children ever entering the devil's houses.

Choosing to enter the devil's houses to feast on the devil's tables. What the devil's children feast on to be satisfied. Oh God, let me die. Than to live to ever witness one of my children one of my children do that.

And he sobbed. I didn't turn to look at their countenances that was a moment of The vault of that family's privacy. That was too sacred for anyone to look to what is now on their countenances. I Didn't have to the deathly silence all the way to that church as we got out I watched as they got out not one.

Not one looked up. Not one uttered a word. They all looked down as They walked in deathly silence from that car without looking at each other. After having heard their father say with such groaning the words they had heard him if one of them chose sin What he desired from his soul it shook them.

It shook them. I had been coming to your country numbers of times. When a man walked up to me that was every one of you will know him. I Staggered to see who he was that would been in the meeting where I was preaching.

Oh, I'd seen Numbers of some of the world's greatest preachers coming to hear this old man. I still can't work out how they ever were in the meetings. But I bless God for that men whose books I've read men whose books you've got.

But when this man walked forward and I don't think anybody realized he was there it staggered me. As I realized who I'm speaking to he's not come a long way To hear you preach here tonight. I've heard your ministry on videos.

Those days tapes and videos and I've wondered about you. Because I've heard you're uncompromising preaching. Almost every sermon just quoting books of the Bible hundred of verses on different topics with no apology that God said such things and I've wondered who.

What happened when he preached that in that building? No one no one dares to quote all these scriptures without any apology or explanation. Just unadulterated what God said and gets away with it. I've watched doors close on you.

I've watched movements close on you. I've watched denominations close on you. I've heard. Everyone has heard who knows of your ministry and yet I've watched you come back and no compromise no apology.

No thought of let's see the next denomination close on you. You just bring the Word of God and brother. I came a long way to tell you this. I fear for you. I Genuinely fear for you brother Daniel you see if the devil Can't get you if he can't touch you.

He's going to aim at your children. He isn't going to just aim a little bit more than other children. He's going to bombard them a thousand times more than any other Christian homes. Because of what you're doing.

Because of what he sees. He's going to bombard your children a thousand times more than other children in Christian homes. Because he knows that if he can get one of your children brother Daniel just one.

He'll have you on your face. Crawling sorrowing weeping groaning aging. Till the day you die. He'll have you on your face if he can get one of your children. And tears poured down his face as His little lips were quivering looking at me.

Don't doubt this brother Daniel. He's busy already. You had better enter into warfare and I came here to warn you from my soul. So that you're not on your face for the rest of your life at what the devil's trying right now.

He walked away never saw him again. That's all He wanted to ever say to this old man. There's many years ago. I wondered about him why he wept. Why lips tremors he told me. I wondered about him what he had tasted because of his children.

It made him come all that way to tell me only that. Years ago nearly 40 years ago when I was a young preacher. There was a Godly man and woman who asked me to preach in a particular city in my country Where God just seemed to break out in a most amazing way the throngs that came from all over that city to fill that auditorium and Many who found Christ just seeking God all over was just a deep staggering moment for that church.

That allowed a young fellow in their pulpit, but God came I believe because of their prayers. There's a moment if you just hang on God will come. He has a holy obligation. I believe it was their prayers far more than a young fellow.

We had more fire than wisdom, but the years went by. I Didn't realize it. How many years go by in what is called a moment? Called life. That's all you've got it's a moment and Suddenly through the door at the beginning of this year and some conference I was speaking in there was this bent man with his gray hair and wrinkled face.

And the same as his wife and I realized who they were. Hadn't seen them all these years. Abe and Beryl Liebenberg. We sat we talked. I asked about their children. They had delightful little fellows Derek and Graham and tears welled up in their eyes.

And then they said you haven't heard about children. No. When they were young in their teenage years beginning of their team that we had no reason to doubt Their testimony we had no reason to be fearful of them.

We believed them they were good children, they didn't argue to come to church. They were involved but one day Graham The younger of the two said to his brother Derek and they were inseparable. All from childhood they were inseparable.

One day young Graham looked up to Derek and said as a teenager I'm Going to taste the world. What do you mean? Mother and father have so protected us. We've never ever had a choice of our own. I want to taste for myself What they have kept us from.

I? want to go and Just look the other side of the fence. And we've never been allowed to even mention yet with the protected way. They brought us up. I'm going to Go and taste the world to choose for myself.

Not to be chosen for My mother and father. Derek was so broken he if I can remember rightly and I believe this is right the mother said he got on his knees and began to weep holding him. Begging him don't do this.

Don't do this to father and mother you kill them. Graham said these words I made up my mind long ago. Long ago. I knew I was going to. Nothing's gonna stop me. I've reached the age now. They can't stop me.

They're not gonna stop me and as his brother wept and plead he said listen. It's just for a while. It won't be for long. I know deep down mother and father right, but I need to choose for myself. I need to taste The world.

I'm going in the other side just for a little while. I'll come back To what I know is right, but I'm going. I need to do this. Fifteen years later He lay in the gutters a drunk with drugs and addicted.

Fifteen years later. He was enslaved from a young fellow to things He tasted that he thought you can just play the fool. Oh, don't give the devil a little rope young people. He has no mercy especially if he sees it's not only you but your parents he's going to Get them weeping.

No joy in the house. Fearful of whether you're dead or alive. Oh. Even when he got married. What he put his wife through and his children in his drunkenness and his aggressiveness. Whenever he became drunk his whole nature's character changed what they went through everybody suffered.

That had any decency that loved him and then. One day Derek who had grown up gone to England gone to Manchester to some theological seminar went out as a missionary. So many souls had come to God through young Derek the elder brother.

He from a boy just loved God served God wanted to win the world to God witness prayed. Suddenly this young missionary. Weeks. Two weeks before his wife gave birth to their first child. He didn't even see he died cut off.

No warning. God doesn't warn most of us. How long we've even got to serve him. This was such a shock to Graham in the memorial service. There was a coffin of His brother all the people who had any contact with the family thronging to this Church building.

And the mother and father Beryl and Abe sitting in the front row in front of their dead son a young dead son's coffin and Down the aisle came Graham Broken. So sin Puts a scar Forever you don't get away with sin.

The Consequences of Sin and the Hope of Repentance

He came this broken man. Weeping he had to come a long way to get to that memorial funeral service. He knelt beside his mother and father in the aisle and with a loud voice He began to weep aloud sobbing groaning in front of his brother's body.

The brother that had fasted for weeks on end not eating for weeks. Fasting for his brother begging him dragging him whenever he came near to any service. Just looking at him praying longing that he just open his eyes and see the poverty and turn to Christ.

Oh Here's his brother dead. Not as prayers as fasting. Nothing was answered. He died without seeing his brother who he so loved ever come out of serving the devil in the Satan's territory. This boy said to his mother with a loud voice mother father forgive me, I don't know.

Mother I can't pray to God to save me. You pray for me. I believe in your prayers mother. I Want you to ask God to save me like he saved Derek. I Want to be saved in a way that I can fill the gap of his life.

I Want to be what he was from today to the day I die. And I want God to do that mother. Pray for God to save me in such a way that the gap this world has now that he's gone will be fooled from today from my life.

He wept as his mother cried out to God there in the funeral for God to soul on their knees. God save him God. He stood up. The transformation from that day Was so staggering. He didn't have to tell all the wicked to get away from him.

They They don't want you. Apart from those who want to turn to God because of you. He lost every friend virtually had in life in one day one moment didn't take weeks to tell him. He stopped drink. He stopped the drugs.

He stopped everything was wrong. He went out went into the missing field where his brother was. He had won so many souls to God. That his mother said it is beyond comprehension that God could take one life and bring so many multitudes in such a short time last year.

29 years of touring America for 10 weeks. Non-stop preaching every fourth day flying to the next state to the next states just over 22 towns. I think last year in the 10 weeks of preaching at the end of the tour.

I sat alone In JFK and I sat in silence and With a heavy heart. I'll tell you why because I sat down and began to think Of this tour last year whenever I preach for over 30 years. I Don't know why God does it but he puts me into the godliest of the godliest of The godliest of the godliest homes.

It is in the whole area. I Have no doubt left when I go I know I'm going straight to where God has always put me and I am privileged to know that. It's the godliest that took this man in this world and gave them Gave me their pulpits and their homes.

I have been privileged. But in spite of being in the godliest of the godliest homes, they are in this land. Don't doubt it I'm not exaggerating. Go visit them if you want their dresses and then argue if you think it's possible they're not the godliest of the godliest of God's people.

That house me and stand with me from when I was a young man to this day for some reason. You see they want the word Hallelujah with the exception of two homes on that tour last year. Every home was weeping as godly as they were.

Every home was sorrowing and grieving because one or two of the children Had chosen to leave the values of that home the respect was gone of the daddy and the mother and those in the home and the Hatred had come as they had chosen to serve Satan.

In the godliest of all in two of those homes the parents told me they had to push the child out of the door and beg him Never to come back. The one father said don't come back till I'm dead. This is a godly man.

How can a man say that if he's godly if you could beat your own mother in your Anger at anyone who tries to stop you or restrict you. If you could do this to your own mother get out get out and never come back Till I die unless you repent and come to Jesus Christ don't ever come near this home again.

And you can do that to your mother and two sisters in one of the home. Physically who try to stop it with the exception? To all the godliest are weeping in a world in the last days. Everything Christ said would happen is happening.

Even what Christ said and the book says would happen to children and the whole of the godliest. Ecclesiastes 12 verse 1 warns remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth. While the evil days come not know the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them.

I have no pleasure in what I did to you father and mother. And him oh They'll come. Don't play the fool with his enemy. He doesn't play the fool to anyone who gives him half a chance of destroying his life and everyone.

Be careful be careful. Or be careful beloved. Jesus warns in Matthew 10 verse 35 that the gospel Will set a man at variance against his father. Please don't let it echo brother. Who is it this? Set a man at variance against his father the gospel will set a man at variance Against his father the daughter against her mother Jesus that I haven't come to bring peace on this world.

Thank you. Broken heart knowing but Christ is true. He doesn't lie. What he says is what happens. Do you think Christian homes just have happy? Endings oh No the devil can just get one of. The godliest homes a man's enemies become the members of his own household.

Christ says through this gospel. That's what's going to happen. He didn't say it with a smile. He said it was such a grief. Because he's loved and he's gone, but he knew what would happen with his terrifying enemy.

Even in godly homes because of the free will of man take away the free will of man. There's nothing. Micah 7 verse 6 the son dishonor of the father speaking prophesying of the gospel dispensation. Which Christ quoted?

The son dishonor of the father. The daughter rises up against her mother. A Man's enemies are the men of his own household. To Timothy 3 verse 1 this know also. This know also that in the last days in the last days, and if you don't know it, we're there.

I pity you. I Doubt you've ever read through the Bible once. If you don't know we're there this know. That in the last days perilous times shall come dangerous literally. For men shall be lovers of their own selves.

They won't love other people. They won't care about what is normal to love a natural boot base when you give yourself to devil. You love this yourself, and you hate. People you should love if you had one eye out of integrity.

That's what the devil makes of you. Be careful. Be careful men shall be lovers of their own selves. Disobedient to parents. Unthankful unholy fierce. Despises of those that are good. Even if it's your father don't dare believe.

Because it's your father you won't despise him or your mother. You won't be fierce and unholy and unthankful. Disobedient to parents if they're good. Oh Foolish son is the calamity of his father. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 19 the word there is the Ruination the destruction of his father.

Do you think Eli died? Because the ark was taken to Philistine. No that didn't kill him his sons murdered him with their lives. Murdered him he died for no other reason, but the wickedness of his sons.

He died. He couldn't take another blow. Horror that came as a result of their wickedness upon Proverbs 30 verse 17. God condemns the eye that mocketh his father. Despises his mother. God says who curse father and curse mother.

Proverbs 20 verse 20 God tells you what children can do when they give themselves to Satan. God doesn't play the fool with his words. He grieves and his wrath and his condemnations upon it. The day of judgment is just one moment.

Young man young woman. Don't think you've got long to do this to them. There is a generation God's Word says that curseth father and mother. I Believe God was speaking of this generation. After 40 years of seeing what Godly haunts To godly people from godless wicked children.

Who through the free will chose the devil rather than the God of their father and mother. Oh beloved. If our children leave us for the far country if our children leave us for the far country. It does not necessarily mean they leave us Physically like this boy did to the father the prodigal.

I Think there's something far more in depth in the blight of all the scriptures that God is saying as you weigh up everything God says about when a child leaves the values of the home the respect of his father.

When you lose him for the world. Oh, I think it doesn't necessarily mean when a child has left and lives and Chosen the far country the furthest he can get your influence the tragedies. It doesn't necessarily mean it very seldom means a physical departure.

That's the cruelty of it. Watching you suffer watching you grieve. They go on in your home in the far country. That's the cruelty of it. We become conscious that our son or our daughter. We become conscious or aware that our son or our daughter Has left us has chosen the far country the devil's territory the devil's land his places.

We become conscious When we look at their choices and You cannot ever not see them the day they've left you by the friends they choose. Proverbs 1 verse 10. My son if sinners entice thee consent thou not if they say come with us.

Walk not with them in their way refrain thy foot from their path my son. What father doesn't cry this when he sees temptation coming or the possibility. Psalm 1 verse 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.

He's never influenced by the ungodly. Nor standeth in the way of sinners. He never goes where sinners go For their satisfaction nor sits in the seat of the scornful. He never sits with those who scorn those even youth.

There's always the scorners. Don't you dare believe that but oh blessed is the person the young person that doesn't choose to sit with them. And start scorning those who are godly who are young. Ostracizing undermining and whispering shaking their head despising them.

Scorners delight in their scorning God says but his delight a man who's blessed by God Is in the law of the Lord. He doesn't delight in what sinners delight in. He's delight is in the law of the Lord in his Lord of he meditate.

There's no hurry. Because there's nothing more important in his Lord of he meditate day and night. A child has no love for God. A Child has no love for God if he or she does not delight in the scriptures daily.

A child has no love for God. If he or she does not delight in the scriptures daily. No, love you become conscious your child has left you. For the far country there in the far country not when they leave physically, but who they choose their choices their friends.

By what they identify with be not conformed to this world. God says through Paul. To Christians, what is he warning us? Have you ever really weighed up what he's saying there in the light of all scriptures?

Literally do not imitate the godless. That's Greek exact be not conformed abstain from all appearance of evil. Rings true to this. Oh. Follow not don't imitate those who are evil in any way don't be influenced to imitate them.

Beloved all who are godly across this world. We have children are beginning to realize with fear that the choice of clothing Or hairstyles are no longer just a fashion. There's no such a thing as a fashion left in this world the world so wicked.