S.M. Lockridge - The Decision is Yours

[Music] I wanted talk with everybody here tonight I don't want to talk to you as a group I want to talk to you as an individual and my subject is the decision is yours the decision is yours our bad mistakes does not have to be fatal a bad mistake does not have to be fatal and for a text wanna turn to a very familiar passage recorded in our Lord's Gospel according to Luke the fifteenth chapter and you know immediately this has to do with the prodigal son I just want to read a few verses here beginning with verse 17 and when he came to himself he said how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I will arise and go to my father and I were saying to him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and AM no more worthy be called thy son make me is one of our hard service and he arose and came to his fault now the decision is yours a bad mistake does not have to be fatal in talking with some people about their souls and and telling them that Jesus is ready to save them that they will just come to him and I get their comments and statements like this well I would accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and I will accept membership in the church but they're just so many hypocrites in the church have you ever heard that and I tell them that I'm aware that every one who has his or her name on the roll is not a Christian the same as everything that lives in the water is not a fish but every fish will live in the water the moment the fish finds himself out of the water he's fluttering with all of his might trying to get back in the water because he knows he cannot long live out of the water if you allow a hypocrite to stand between you and the law if you try to hide behind him you've got to be smaller than that hypocrite if a hypocrite can stand between you and the Lord that hypocrite is closer to the Lord than you are don't you know if I have cancer I'm not gonna be cured by going around taking the names of who else had that isn't gonna do me one bit of you the decision is yours I've already said this week that no one can save you but Jesus and no one can keep you from being saved but you now this as you know is what is commonly called the parable of the prodigal son and this is the greatest short story in or out of the Bible it touches the tinder chords of human heart it is a picture of the depth to which the soul can descend in its flight the way from the Father who wants to bless it reveals the hope that exists for any individual even though he has gone away from the father into a falker it reveals the deceitfulness of sin and the godless tow and the expensive hope that the godless life will take from every area of our existence now this young man is a symbol of society as you know society consists of individuals and society is what each individual makes the every person is a prodigal without Christ and anywhere I can be the Falken you don't have to fly to France to be in the far country you can sit right here and to now the Holy Spirit in you and a father the person who's always talking about I'm sick of home needs to be reminded that there's gonna come a time when he's gonna be homesick the Mara Laura says right is right and wrong is wrong and you can't do wrong and feel right about be not deceived God is not more what's of a man soweth that shall he also reap sin destroys love life and left sin hangs of creep on the door happens sin will cause grief to brick your heart and it will cause that versity to rattle the windows of your soul but now when this boy gets lost nobody goes to look for him he had to come now let's see why was he lost well he whipped and made a fatal demand he went to his father and told his father he was very courteous about it he could have waited until the old man went to sleep and he could have bumped him off but no he went to his father courteously and he said father give me the portion of goods that falleth you I won't you know he was a consumer and not a producer and you'll notice people who are consumers and not producers they can make demands the fellow who hidden producing anything can always get a picket sign and walk talk about the man and did you notice when they go to demanded they want it now the boss said give me the portion of goods that fall to me I want it now I know I'm gonna get it when you've gone but I don't wanna wait that long I want it now I want to go leave here I want to move away from this rental Authority I want to move away and be my old man I don't want to be fenced in I want to go out there and live life to my satisfaction give me the potion that good that falling to me and as any good father will this father there said tried to reason with that boy but when he could no longer reason with him and you know some of us you just gave reason I dare say there's somebody right here parents tried to get you to go on to school but no you want to get married you quiet but I know what I'm talking about if parents tried to steer you in the right the but no you would have no part of it you wanted to do your own thing your way when the power father couldn't reason with the Sun then he divided the goods between both ports and I believe that before this board took his leave them home the father gave a farewell part and before the party broke up I believe he stated the purpose of that part my youngest son has demanded his portion of the goods I've given them to him he's gathered them together tomorrow morning he's leaving home in subsequent days I just want you to know what has happened I believe that the men at the party had hit him on the back and wished him well women promise to pray for it there were two people who didn't sleep too well that night and any father and any mother here will know who those two people were the next morning earlier tender scene took place at the gate there the father is giving the boy the fire a word of counsel when you get where you're going I want you to spin your money wisely and save so watch out for the crowd with which you run and every time I read this I wonder about this boy's mother no doubt she was standing there weeping she pressed an old testament in his hand and told him to read it regularly and remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy but nothing they could do or say would dissuade the boy even though happy memories threw down the hall of recollection but that did not deter him he took his journey and that journey stretched into days and stretched into weeks and I don't know where he went but he went so far away from home that nobody would know a man would be Sinan reports back home as to how he's getting along he went away from home went so far that the old folk wouldn't be coming up to spend a weekend with him he went away from home you know sin places distance between man and God since Ponce's every trip away from God this young man went away and when he got where he was born the Bible says he wasted his substance in riotous living now you don't have to be a high school graduate to know how to waste you just let it keep going out nothing coming in and after a while you've gotta be in war what always follows waste this boy wasted his property he wasted his health he wasted his good name he wasted his influence he wasted his time he wasted his talent he wasted his future he wasted his usefulness and then he wasted the faith that the parents had in him and then the Bible says and when he had spit all a famine rolls in the lake isn't it strange that a famine won't rise until you spent it all you turned your friends and asked him to help you and they will say well give me two or three days and I'll see what I can do for you they're trying to get you off the line possibly not gonna get in touch with them anymore until they figure you've got that problem worked out when you have spent all nobody wants to minister to but the Bible say that this boy went and joined himself to a citizen of that country I can see him determining in his heart that I'll not go back home I'll make it out here I'd rather stay out here where I am then the go back home I will go and get me a job and that's good I can see him walking from farm to farm and from factory to factory I can see him walking from door to door but nobody would have then when the Bible says he joined himself to a citizen of that country and that means he lacked stone he viewed himself to that citizen he stayed around in the way he bested he were at that citizen until finally that citizen reasoned well he's here on my hand I might as well give him something to do I can't get rid of him and it tells the boy go out into the field and take care of my wife and that board jumped at the chance whoever heard of a Jewish boy slopping horns but he said to himself I'd rather I'd rather take care of the Hogs than the go back home while they're taking care of the halls' sitting there I can see him sitting out on the fence watching the Hogs II and you know if you're not hungry it'll make you hungry just to watch Halsey they granted so enthusiastically and then that can make it sound so good that and why he was sitting there watching the Halsey that boy came to himself and every individual all that come to yourself that boy began to reason with him said he began to talk with himself you know in our day they say when you talk to yourself that's a sign of insanity but let me tell you you've got good sense when you talk do you say talk to yourself but be honest with yourself that boy reason with himself he changed to himself now the pastor of the Baptist Church didn't go to him this boy came to himself he wasn't the missionary group or the prayer man this boy came to himself he's reason with himself he said now how many hearts of my father's have plenty and to spare and I perish with nothing it doesn't make sense for me to be sitting out here dying of starvation when I could be at a whole matter welcome tea it'll make sense for me to be out here sick and lonely when I could be at home and join the fellowship of the family it doesn't make sense for me to be in these rags when I can be at home with a good father who will provide phul it'll make sense for me to be here with Pigpen mud between my toes when I can be walking on thick I know what I'm gonna do I'm going to rise and I'm going to my father and when I get there I'm not going back talking about the raggedy preaches on the crooked vegan I'm gonna tell him I've said I am NOT going back talking about the hypocrites in the church I'm more telling my I have seen I am NOT going back talking about this one and how this would lives and the other I have seen and what I like about it this boy wasn't just talk he rose up the Bible says he ruled and came to his father he got up just like he was he didn't wait until he felt better he came just as he walked this boy came the to his father doll while he was gone father was looking and long and praying and hoping that this boy would come to and say I can see him now sitting on the end of the porch just about sundown and he saw a farm silhouetted against the Setting Sun land hey I can see him shading his eyes and when he recognized that that's my boy he jumped off of that porch he forgot about his age he forgot about his arthritis he jumped off that porch and ran out to meet the ball and when he met him the boy began to make his speech all I have seen I'm no more whether to be called AI son make me is one of our hearts ever the father smothered out his speech with hugs and kisses and about that time the servants came running to see what all of the commotion was about the father said go servant and get a rope and put on my he's got no business in these rags go and get shoes and put all his feet got no business being bad for it go and get a ring and put on his finger and that will let him know that he's been restored to the fellowship of the family both servile and kill the fatted head and let's make men you notice he didn't say go and kill a hawk and we'll have a ham dinner that would have reminded the boy was past what I like about it when the law forgives you he wouldn't bring it up anymore I'm so glad that the Lord didn't hold my past against me I'm so glad that he plotted it out I'm so glad can you tell me how you feel since you've been forgiven Oh Johnson in MA because I know that the Lord has forgiven me of mercy and I want to tell you whatever whatever mistake you've made the loving father is waiting to forgive you if you just come back to it oh yes if you'll confess to see it he's faithful and just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness don't you know they had a joyous time everybody was happy to see that boy come back home but his older brother and he's always the older brothers always around somebody is gonna make fun of you when you come back somebody's gonna criticize you but never mind that thank God I'm at home I'm saved I'm forgiving over said they've been blotted out there'll be rejoicing here tonight oh yes if you just rise that person who has strayed away what I like about the Lord even though you've gone contrary to his wing messed up in life and then if you come back to him he will receive you I know he will his mercy is an everlasting and his truth endureth all generation oh if you just come back to him those those who are out there and not being useful in the kingdom of our Lord if you are a circulation and can't be used if I were you I'd rise up tonight and come on back to the Father well if you broken fellowship with the father and the family if there's somebody that you just can't stand you possibly you sit on the same few with him whoa but if I were you I'd come to the Lord's at night and let him rest him forgive me my sins and then restore me to the family I follow you I would not wait I wouldn't wait and for a more convenient see I wouldn't wait until the crowd got smaller I come on now if you are shamed on him before men he will not acknowledge you before his father I'd come on now don't wait don't even wait till Sunday morning you don't have any guarantee that you'll be here Sunday morning I'd do it now we're hung up between the no longer and the not yet what has been is no longer and what is to be has not come yet all we have is now that's all that you can cover so rise up now and come on to him I will arise and go to G he will embrace me in his own I wandered far away from God now I'm coming home the path of sin too long are fraught more I'm come I wasted many precious year now I'm coming home I now rip it with bitter tears lord I'm coming home my soul is sick my heart is sore now I'm coming home my strength renew my hope restore Lord I'm coming home coming home coming home never Motorola I'm not gonna wait but I'm gonna come just as I am without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me that our me come to the old Lamb of God I come I come will you come to him tonight you were returned to him he will return to you there will be rejoicing in your own life there will be rejoicing in the church they will even be rejoicing in [Music]

Channel: Mixxkid 17

Views: 180,701

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Id: s3spyDcVzAY

Length: 24min 1sec (1441 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 22 2020