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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/peter-simms/the-gospel-forgiveness/
Let us read a verse in Luke's Gospel, chapter 7. Luke's Gospel, chapter 7, and verse 42. Well, verse 41. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors. The one owed 500 pence and the other 50. And when they had nothing to pay, he freely forgave them both.
Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most? Romans chapter 3. We're just going to read one charge God has against the ungodly. Verse 16. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known.
Now let's go back to Luke's Gospel. Luke's Gospel, chapter 15. Luke's Gospel, chapter 15, and reading from verse 11. And he said, a certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.
And he divided unto them his living. 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 righteous living. And when he had spent all, there rose a mighty famine in the land, and he began to be in want.
And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into the fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks 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 perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father, and I will say unto him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
Make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him, and his son said unto him, father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
But the father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, and bring forth the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry.
For this my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found, and they began to be merry. Now just keep your finger at that story because we're gonna base our remarks around this young man. But I want you to understand first what forgiveness means.
Forgiveness means to release, to let go. The two creditors, one owed 50 pence, the other owed 500. But both of them could not pay up. So they're both on the same position. And the Lord Jesus let them both go, or the creditor let them both go.
He did not demand that they compensate him or repay or pay the debt, he let them go. That's the idea of forgiveness, to release, to set free. Not demanding that the creditor or that the debtor pay in full what he owes, he let them go free.
Now you don't meet many people like that in the world, our world, what you owe you gotta pay. There's not too many people letting the debtor go free. Now that's the idea behind the word forgiveness. Now when we come to Romans chapter 10 and verse, Romans chapter three and verse 16, here's what the apostle said.
He said, two of the things that are true of all mankind outside of Christ, destruction and misery are in their ways. And the way of peace, as brother has been telling us, they don't know anything about it.
Take for instance, Haiti, the earthquake struck, total destruction, what followed? Misery, the whole world's there trying to relieve it. You have your life, destroy it and misery will follow. Ask Cameron, he told me, destroy your life and misery will follow.
Now maybe I shouldn't have to put it on camera. I know for myself, I had 10 years of it. Destroy your life and nothing but misery is gonna follow. Destruction and misery are in their ways. And peace, they don't know.
They don't know peace. Their mind's a turmoil, their heart's a turmoil, life is a turmoil, everything's a turmoil. They don't know peace, why? They destroyed themselves. Now look at this young fellow here.
Commonly called and known as the prodigal son. He's in a home and it's in a nice home because the father seems to have a bit of money and wealth and everything's around. He's got servants and so on. And there's only one thing the boy probably can't do in that home is that he can't do what he likes.
The father's a honorable, respectable man. And he says, now there's certain things, son, you can't do in this house. If you're gonna be here, then you have to abide by my wish. There's certain things here you cannot do.
So the young fellow, he grew dissatisfied. He didn't like home. Didn't like what his father demanded of him in the home. And he got his eye out there in the far country. And he thought over that hill, things are greener, things are brighter.
Over there, I don't have nobody telling me, I can't do this and I can't do that. Over there, I can do what I like. And he decided, I'm leaving home. I'm leaving my dad behind. So he went to his dad and he told him, I want what's due to me.
In those homes, it seems like when the children were in the family there, the father seemed to give them a portion of the inheritance. At a certain age, it came to them and so on. So this boy says, I want my portion and I'm getting out.
I tell you that story's lived over and over and over again. And I don't think your country, America, is any different than our country, Canada. The boys and the girls are leaving home in great numbers.
And they got an idea that over the hill, it's gonna be better. The grass is greener over that hill. And they pack up their duds, they pack their suitcase, and they tell mom and dad, we're going. Some of them don't even say goodbye.
They just go. They're gone. Now, the normal way for people to live is that father and mother have a home. And father and mother have children. And those children abide in the home with father and mother until they get to an age where they can be responsible for themselves and then move out.
A man will leave his father and mother and will cleave on to his wife. And they too shall be one flesh. They start a new home of their own. But until that time, they stay at home. That was the way it was in those days.
But this boy wanted free. Long before that. He doesn't like his dad at this point in his life. He wants his freedom. The process of destruction is now on its way. Be careful, young people. You want your freedom?
You want to break link with home? Remember, the passage and the way to destruction has now taken its first step. So the boy left. And the boy went off with a good pocket full of money. His wallet was full.
He got into the fire country. Met some other chaps there. Bunch of girls. And they had a riotous time. Says in the passage, you wasted all that money with harlots, drunkenness, evil, evil way. And it all was going quite well.
As long as the pocket book had some cash in it. He had lots of friends then. But then, the pocket book went dry. And he found himself in want. Yeah, have you ever felt something deep inside you that's calling out for something?
Calling out, calling out for fulfillment. I used to read a book as a boy called The Call of the Wild. And it was about a dog. And the Indians shot the mother dog. And the young pup, male pup, ran off on its own.
Had to. Else the Indian would have shot it too. But it was accustomed to, it was caught in a trap and a man tamed it. And used him as a sled dog. But as long as that dog was there with the master, he would look out into the wilderness and The Call of the Wild.
There would be deep longing in that pup's heart to go back and run with the pack. The Call of the Wild. I tell you, I know what that's like. Not anymore, I'm free. But I had The Call of the Wild. And it's strong.
It's strong. And if you listen to The Call of the Wild and you go out there, that's the second step to your self-destruction. And misery's going to follow. Misery will follow. Oh, the devil, he's so subtle, he'll tell ya.
Mom and dad are ignorant. They don't know this world. They're out of, they're living in a different world and they just don't understand. And it's so much better out there if we can just get out there.
Yeah. And the friends. Oh, the friends we have. All the harlots and all the boos and all the shows and all the dances and all the stock car races and all the hockey and all the football. Man, it's a wonderful time out there.
Yeah. Well, how come he fell into want then? How come those of us who left home and we listened to The Call of the Wild and we went out where the wild ones move and the wild ones live and we got involved with the wild ones, how come we weren't satisfied?
How come we didn't find peace? How come things start to fall to pieces? You see, you start to destroy your life and misery starts to follow and you'll never get peace. You can't have it. There is no peace, said my God, for the wicked.
For the wicked are like the troubled sea whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace for the wicked. You don't have to be a murderer to be wicked. I would have had no trouble if people had told me, you're a wicked young man.
I'd have had no trouble. I wouldn't have argued. I knew what it was. I knew what I should have been and I knew what it was. And I had no peace. You got peace tonight, friend? You a happy person? Ain't happy?
Got peace with yourself? Peace with your neighbors? Peace with the world? Peace with God? Peace of mind? Have you got it? You can have it, but why haven't you got it? Why is happiness so strenuously sought for?
Millions of dollars are paid as people try and find that thing, happiness. And the harder they try, it just seems to keep avoiding them. Slitting through their fingers. Can't get it. You know why? People have the wrong idea.
People think happiness is something you go to the store, like you want a car. So you go down to the store and you buy a car. But you can't buy happiness that way. Happiness is a by-product. It's not just something, a commodity you can go and buy, like a loaf of bread or a car or a house, something like that.
No, happiness is a by-product. It comes out of something else. Do you know what that something else is? Well, let God tell you what that something else is. Psalm 1, happy is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful, but whose meditation is in the law of his God day and night.
See, you can't find happiness out in this world. It comes out of a kind of life. You don't live the life, you don't get the happiness. You don't get the peace. And all that is happening is there's a slow process of self-destruction, which leads to misery, which leads to...
This young man is a perfect picture of the people out in Canada and United States, especially younger people. They're lucky. They're lucky. They're searching. And they're not finding. And they'll never find it where they're looking for.
They will not be found. Can't be found. So this boy, he's gone from home. His pockets are full. He got into the company that he thought was going to bring him happiness. And they were a bunch of rebels.
And now, his money's gone. And with the money gone, his friends are starting to go. He had lots of friends when things were going well. But now, the money's gone. And he's at want. I tell you, friend, if you've never been at want, you thank God you've never been there.
Because there's something in a man's heart, in a human being's heart, that cries out for fulfillment. And the more you try to find it the wrong way, the more desperate the cry becomes. The call of the wild cannot satisfy it.
Nothing can. And so, this young man now when he's at want, he gets looking for a job. And he comes across this farmer. And he asks this farmer if he can get a job. And the farmer said, yeah, I got some pigs down here.
You can maybe go and feed them for me. And so, he took the job. And he went down to the pen. And there he's feeding the pigs. The old cobs. I don't know, but I picture on my mind this young man sitting there on the fence.
Dirty. Unkept. He's gone with the wild group. He's become probably heavy on dope maybe. And his brother said he was mixed up with harlots and probably drunkenness. The whole lot. There he sits on the fence.
A miserable sight. He's hungry. There's something inside him crying out. Crying out for fulfillment. And he looks at those pigs. And he sees those pigs enjoying that food. And he feigned would get down with the pigs and take an old corn cob and with the pig eat the corn.
Can't get a lord in that. He's down. He's out. He's finished. Who did it? Who told him to leave home? Why you say the devil? Why you can't blame everything on the devil? Every man has a free will. That boy made a choice.
I don't like what I'm seeing here with dad and mom in this home. I want across the hill. I want my portion. And I'm leaving. And leave he did. He met his friends. He had all the friends that he thought were good friends.
And you know what his brother said those people were like. All they did was help destroy this boy's life. Destruction and misery. Remember my friend you destroy your life and misery is following. Just as sure as you're breathing today.
You look at those people out there in lacrosse. And go to my country Canada. And you see them. They'll never find what they're looking for. Only self-destruction. He's in the pigsty. You know you wonder just I never got this low in the pigsty.
There's some sins that are so vile you hate to mention them. But they're in the Bible. And God talks about them. There are homosexuals in this world. There's lesbians in this world. There are murderers in this world.
There's pedophiles in this world. They're all there. They're all there. And if a man dies there as brother Tom told us they'll go to hell. They'll go to hell. But is there any place too far away that God can't forgive?
Remember the one guy only owed the creditor 50 pence. So he wasn't so bad. The other guy owned the creditor. He owed him 500. So that's a big one. But the same problem exists for both of them. They couldn't pay up.
They couldn't get out. The boy in the pigsty he's got a chance. He can die there and go to hell. It's up to him now if he wants to stay there. Or he can do what he did. Because you know what it said to him?
The boy came to himself. Something in his brain finally clicked. He came to himself. And he took a look. And he saw where he was. Look where I am. Look what I've become. Look what I'm doing. And he came to himself.
He said to himself, you know, I'm going to repent. And I'm going home to my father. I'm going back to my old dad. And I'm going to tell my dad, Dad, I was wrong. I sinned. I sinned against heaven, Dad.
And I sinned against you. And I'm no more worthy to be called your son. I'm going home to my father. I tell you, friend, you do it. I did it. And he was there ready, waiting to forgive me. He was there.
You see, I wasn't... Maybe I shouldn't even say it. But anyway, I wasn't a sinner. When I went to the far country, I was a backslider. I was a saved boy who went back, back into... and answered the call of the wild.
And I went. But whether you're a saved one or whether you're not, if you come to yourself and you make up your mind, you're going back to your father. This time though, I'm not talking about the literal father.
I'm talking about God. You repent before God and you tell God and you acknowledge, just where I am, I have destroyed my life. I am in misery and want. And I have no peace. Oh God, will you take me back?
He'll take you. He will. You come. Just as a sinner like you are. Be honest with God though. You got to be honest. There can be no wishy-washiness, no trying to hide. You got to come just like you are.
You know when that boy come back out of the pigsty, made his way back home to his father. Do you think he had a nice suit on? Tie? Nice cut? Shampooed up? Showered up? No, he come right out of the pigsty.
His dad may have taken a look at him. Whatever happened to you son? Whatever happened? And the boy will say, Father, I have sinned. I'm no more worthy to be called your son. Just make me as one of the hired servants.
But the father saw him coming way down the road. The father probably every day, just like God looks for the sinner. God's looking down the road of life of every sinner, waiting to see if he's going to repent.
Waiting to see if he'll come home. And when he sees a repentant sinner, ready and willing to come, then he makes his step. And he goes out to meet. What did the verse the brother read there? Come on to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden.
Come! And I will give you rest. Come! God's waiting for you. God wants you. Don't look at how bad you are. This boy, he left the pigsty dirty as he was. He's making his way home to his father. He's repentant.
And his father's waiting for him. You come and you'll get a welcome. The Lord Jesus said, No man cometh unto Me except My Father draw him. And him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out. Will you come tonight?
Why not? Why not? The end of the way of this boy is destruction. You destroy your life, misery follows, and there's no peace. So why continue? It's a dead end street that ends in hell. And you don't want to go there.
So make your choice. Repent. That means turn around. Turn around. Go the other way. And come to meet God. He's waiting. He's ready. He's willing to forgive you of every sin. And not demand anything from you.
He won't say, Now, you did this. He didn't say that to me. You did this. Now you've got to pay for this. And you've got to pay for that which you didn't. You know what you did over there. And you know what happened last year and that mess you got into.
So now you've got all this to pay up. No, there's no paying. Forgiveness is I set you free. I don't demand anything from you as a payment. No. No. All I ask you to do is repent. Tell me you're wrong. Tell me where you are.
Acknowledge what's happened. And you come to me. And through my Son, through my Son, I can preach unto you the forgiveness of sins. You don't have to come to me, said God, and ask me for forgiveness. You don't have to come begging me for forgiveness.
No, no, no. I'm coming to you to tell you I want to forgive you. Isn't that wonderful? Acts 13, verse 38. There the Apostle Paul says that I preach unto you the forgiveness of sins through this man. I'm preaching unto you the forgiveness of sins.
So it's like you're going down the road and you break the law and you're going too fast. And the policeman stops you. And he comes to your window and you've got to roll down your window. And he says, you know, you were going 20 miles over the speed limit.
Yeah? Well, I just stopped to tell you I want to forgive you. See, that's it. Now, that's not true. On the world side, the police won't do that. But that's what God's doing. God's coming tonight to rap at your door as it was and tell you, young man, I want to forgive you.
And I can forgive you through My Son. It's God wanting to forgive you. He didn't tell you to come crawling to Him, begging forgiveness. No, He said, I'm coming to you. And He's coming to you tonight in the Gospel, telling you, young man, young woman, older person, be it known unto you that through this man, Jesus, God is preaching unto you the forgiveness of sins.
Why would you not take it? Why would you not accept it? Eh? Why? It's free. He'll forgive you if you'll just agree. I'm guilty. I'm a sinner. And I come to God for forgiveness. And He will forgive you.
Father, we thank Thee for Thy loving kindness. That prodigal son went so far away, found himself at such distressful levels of life, and yet when Thou didst see him coming up the road, his father ran to bless him and to receive him, just like Thou, are tonight ready and waiting, willing to save any who will repent and come to Thee.
Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. May there be some in our meeting tonight who will just believe and receive that forgiveness and go home rejoicing in their sins forgiven.
This we ask in the Savior's worthy name. Amen. Now, we've got a song we want to sing. 187. Now, each night this week at 7 .30, there's a meeting here. Come back. Learn some more. 187. There is forgiveness, God does say, through the blood, through the blood.
Both sin and guilt are put away through the blood, through the blood. And sinners fitted for the sky, yes, unto God Himself brought nigh, made meet to dwell with Christ on high through the blood, through the blood.