 Amen. It's a Luke chapter 15. So we're looking at the story of the famous story of the prodigal son We're gonna go through that this morning and see what we can learn From this story. It's a great story in the Bible and has many applications to us and to people outside of the faith of the Christian faith as well Look at Luke chapter 15. Let's get right into it and look at what Jesus is talking about here So Jesus is talking here about he starts out with some parables and some general examples in Luke chapter 15 To kind of set the tone for this specific story that we're gonna go through So let's just look at these parables that Jesus is talking about and see what we can come up with From this look at verse number one. It says then drew into him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him And the Pharisees described murmured saying this man received his sinners and eat it with Edith with them So the whole problem is is that Jesus is is hanging out with these people that are Considered to be lower, you know than the Pharisees of course the Pharisees think that they're self-righteous and and they need Nothing, which is the problem, but Jesus kind of starts explaining to them why he's hanging out with and talking to sinners kind of you know Kind of a silly way to describe people because we're all sinners But this is how he answers the Pharisees and the scribes and he says in verse three It says he spake this parable under them saying so a parable first of all is he's Jesus is giving me an example an analogy of Something this is many people make mistakes with Parables that they apply that to most parables by the way and many stories in the Bible can apply to both the saved and The unsaved Jesus is trying to explain a very space, you know a very He's trying to explain a principle here and in verse number four He gives a parable of sheep He says what man of you having in hundred sheep if he lose one of them Does not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it find it And when he had found it he lay it lay it on layeth it on his shoulders Rejoicing and when he come at home he called together his friends and neighbors saying it to them Rejoice with me for I have found my sheep which was lost I say to you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over 99 just persons which need no repentance talking about you know here You know somebody that's in sin and then gets right in that in that sin versus Somebody that is obviously no one is just he's not talking about someone that's without sin He's just talking about somebody that is not backslidden or not in it in this certain sin that this sheep was in Either what woman now he gives an example of a coin or a piece of money What woman having ten pieces of silver if she lose one piece does not light a candle and sweep the house and seek Dilligently till she find it and when she had found it She called her friends and neighbors together saying rejoice with me for I have found the piece which I had lost Likewise as I say to you there's joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repent this so Jesus is here is giving these parables. He's giving a very general example About finding something that was lost and how you know gives example with sheep He gives the example with money over when something is lost and it is found that will bring joy Okay, this can be applied these general examples can be applied to both the saved and the unsaved you can talk about Somebody that is saved and goes out and gets the problem people will have is they'll take this and they'll apply it to salvation only and They'll look at it and they'll say oh, you know you can be lost or you you could lose your salvation It's it's a general principle that can be applied to both the saved and the unsaved This is why we don't get like we get doctrine in the Bible from clear scriptures We we don't use parables to define our doctrine What the difference is we must take parables that Jesus is saying and those parables must be Interpreted in a way that fits clear doctrine in the Bible This is how you study the Bible read the Bible interpret the Bible Somebody that's not saved can just take any parable that Jesus gives and just to Misapply it to something and the problem is it makes it contradict clear scriptures all over the Bible So these general examples about the money and the sheep they can be applied to the saved and the unsaved You could talk about a lost sheep being the people that we go out soul winning You know somebody who's you know, we're going out. We're looking for a lost sheep We're looking for sheep that are that are looking for the truth looking for their way home We're doing when we go out soul winning. So yeah, this could be applied to the unsaved It could also be applied as the specific story that we're going to look at can be applied to The saved where you have a saved person that gives backslidden and into sin and of course They can find their way home and we're going to look at that very specific example that Jesus gives But the point is the sheep the coins are general examples to give general Principles, okay? Now Jesus gets into this very specific example where he tells this story About a father with two sons and this is the famous story called that people will call You know the story of the prodigal son. This is the the the name that is given to this story Well, you know just because prodigal means prodigal the word prodigal means Foolish spending or extravagant spending or somebody that just doesn't Wisely use their money like somebody becomes somebody won the lottery and They were very they prodigly Went out and spent their money, you know talking about just wasteful Spending so that's where this story gets its name the prodigal son So we're going to go through this specific story knowing that the general Context of Jesus with the sheep and the corn and I'll explain those a little bit more towards the end of the sermon The general story can be applied very easily to the saved and to the unsaved the very specific example though is more applicable to the saved because you have to understand that He was already a son He was a son this this son that we're talking about was literally a son of this father He was a son of the father and he never didn't he never became not a son of This father. Let's look at this story and see what we can apply To our lives and just to to ourselves and the things that we see around us with this It's just a wonderful story in the Bible. So I'm going to break it down In different chapters if you will I'm into different Parts if you will I'm going to break down this story where Jesus says and he said a certain man had two sons So he gives General parables about the sheep about a coin now He's going to tell a story about a man who had two sons and that's what we're going to apply So the first part of this story that I want to break down the first chapter of this story I'm going to call the decision Okay, the first chapter that we're going to talk about in this story in Luke chapter 15 is the decision Look at verse number 12. So here we have a man that has two sons That's what we know 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 So you say so this younger son goes to his father and typically you get your inheritance after you know Your father passes away or whatever, you know, I guess it's up to the father But he literally goes to his father and Demands or asks for his inheritance whatever that may be monetarily wise He's like I want to be paid out right now and his father You know, I mean we'll see what he does but that but this son makes this decision To ask his father for this money right away. You say well, why did the son do this? Okay, we're gonna find out exactly why he did it But before we get into the father's reaction and the reasons that this and what the son does with the money I mean you have to recognize that people first of all people do stupid things all the time I mean, that's the first thing to recognize people make wrong decisions all the time. He simply thought something better was out there He thought something better was out there. He wanted his money. He wanted it for himself People do all this all the time people trade in their spiritual life for something better All the time for some opportunity For something that is placed in front of them. They you know, maybe there's an opportunity Literally the same thing happens to people where they see an opportunity to get some money right away or some job is put in front of them or Family member is drawing them away or whatever it is People make this decision. That's chapter one here. People make this type of decision all The time I mean, I'm I'm sorry to report that but it happens. Okay. He thought something better Was out there some worldly deception Captured this young man and he wanted the money and he wanted to leave now the more mature You become as a Christian The less likely you will be Deceived by things like this the more you will realize that I mean that there isn't The worldly things that are drawing you away from your spiritual life The more mature you become as a Christian the less likely you will be To be fooled by this type of thing that this young man was fooled about you will realize as you mature as a Christian as you read the Bible as you understand What God wants from you and what God demands from you in your Christian life? You will realize that the Bible is the only answer The Bible is the only answer for Everything I mean, you'll see it in everything from your personal life to the things that you're seeing in the world today You the more you understand God's word the more you will see this you'll see this in events around the world From all the you know the the Western world today You'll see that the Bible is the only answer because what is freedom gotten the Western world? It's just led to freedom and the freedom to go into debauchery Basically because why because it was really the Bible that held it together not any kind of form of government or not any kind of you know Documents that we can put forward as men It was really the belief and the practice of the Bible that held everything together I mean you abandon that and that's why it's all coming apart But again the more you mature as a Christian the less likely you will be to fool You will be to be fooled by the trickery of the devil and the the wants and the desires of this life You know that it's that it's the baby Christian that thinks Every opportunity is of God everything that is put in front of me is of God That's that's a baby Christian mistake and the more you mature the more you will realize that that is the case the personal rule of thumb is very simple if Some decision is put in front of you. You just measure that up against your spiritual life Is this going to help or hurt my spiritual life and if it's going to hurt your spiritual life in any way? It is not of God. It is very simple. That is a very simple rule of thumb Yep, people still make those kinds of decisions and that was the case With this younger son. It seems he just wanted some freedom It seems he just wanted to get out from underneath the the yoke of his father Maybe he wanted to get out from underneath You know the rules or whatever it was but it is very applicable to us Today go back to Luke chapter 15. So that's chapter 1 the decision now Let's look at chapter 2, which is the consequences of that decision. All right look at verse number 13 It says not many days after the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country so he gets this this money and Into a far country and there wasted his substance with riotous Living now this can kind of be still in the in the chapter of the decision But he just he wanted to get out out from under the standards He wanted to get out from under the rules The maybe there was a lot of responsibility he had on the farm or whatever the business was oh You know he wanted to get away from the work Whatever he wanted he wanted this money to get out and do what he wanted to do and what he Used his freedom for was to waste everything with riotous living partying and and Harlets and all these things that the Bible talks about here in a couple of verses So you know the thing that you have to understand is don't you know people make decisions like this just to go out And just to get away from all these things that are put in place to help and protect them And that's what this young man wanted. I mean people. I mean maybe I mean people are so offended by standards You know the Bible puts forth a lot of standards and a lot of people are personally offended by those standards And here's what really shocked me when I started Implementing biblical standards in my family's life many years ago many other people are gonna be offended by your standards Which I was just like why does anyone care? why I Do what I do with my family, but people are gonna be offended by even your standards I Mean I was just like huh what makes people think that they have control over what I do With my family yet people do So standards rules biblical commandments they offend people People love what people love their riotous living so much That they will literally be offended if you leave it People love their people love their parties so much people love their alcohol so much people love Just their their movies their entertainment whatever they're into so much that even if you leave it behind Many people will be offended. So here we see that's what this son is doing. He's throwing off All of this he's throwing off all of these standards He's just going and doing what he wants to do look at verse number 14 Look at verse number 14 the Bible says and when he had how did this go? It says when he had spent all that doesn't tell you how long it took him to spend all But it says when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in that land and he began to be in want verse 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country and he sent him into his fields to feed swine So he starts he goes in he starts living on his buddy's couch Here so he's he goes and he joins himself up with maybe he was a friend or somebody He knew and this person you know gives him a job and Verse 16 and says he would have feigned have filled his belly Meaning he would have loved or wanted to fill his belly with the husk that the swine did eat He got in such a place where he was looking at what the pigs were eating and saying boy that looks good But it says no man Gave unto him. I love this country that he's in You see That's important to we understand it's such an important point here that happens to this young man We see the decision that he made and what is chapter 2 chapter 2 is the consequences of that decision and This country Whatever this son was doing There's a lot of wicked things that he was into and a lot of bad sinning that he was doing here But wait whatever you can say about this country this culture of this nation that he was in it allowed Consequences to happen to him and that's the problem today is that we have removed consequences From people look at verse 17 When he came to himself, he said how many hired servants of my fathers have bred enough to spare and I perish with hunger He's starving to death He's starving. He's starving to death to the point where he's looking at at pigs eat disgusting anything I Remember feeding the pigs like we still love feeding the pigs at my grandpa's place Like we'd go there because those pigs they would just eat anything all the scraps and the junk They would just just eat anything and it was just disgusting But it was so fun to watch as a kid this this kid here is saying I wish I could eat that slop The slop bucket that's what my grandma called it the little slop bucket She would just take everything after dinner and just put it in the slop bucket It's just all this slop and disgusting. I mean you look at the slop bucket like half eaten food from people It's disgusting and the pigs. They just stick their face in We used to love taking the slop bucket out and just throwing it to all the pigs The pigs would be fighting each other and tackling each other and just rolling in the mud Oh the slop would go down in the mud It'd be just disgusting and the pigs just stick their their snouts in the mud and eat slop It's like blech This kid is looking at that and he's like I wish I could have some slop He's like I want to eat slop But the point is is that he was so hungry that he was so in want at this point that That's where he got to be turn to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3 turn to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3 What there was consequences is what I'm trying to get you to understand this morning. He's starving in today's America See this is a problem. There's no consequences today There's a there's a housing project that I drive by every now and then it's a it's like a government housing thing in Clovis and it's made the news and all kinds of stuff because like the police are just at this this Project or this housing complex all the time. It's like this big apartment complex. It actually looks really nice It's brand new it was just built And I drive by it I just drove by it yesterday and it's made the papers and the news because the police are just there all the time And I don't know if like people get I don't know how That works if they get to live their free people or how that works, but it's some kind of subsidized housing That's all I know See the problem is this the problem is this I Drive by that place yesterday, and I'm driving by that place and literally I saw people getting out of their cars And they're like getting out of this brand new Cadillac. I'm driving by this place And I'm like these people that live in this this like free housing or whatever it is They're driving cars that are worth like 10 times more than the car I'm in right now How is this possible? It's possible because we have made sure that there are no consequences for sin today There's no consequences for not working today. This would not happen to somebody in America today What does the Bible say look at 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3 in verse number 10? The Bible says for even when we were with you this we commanded you that if any would not work neither should he eat Look, this was supposed to happen to this young man because this is Consequences, this is the consequences of wasting Something that was given to you wasting the living that your father Provided for you. This is super important that we teach this to our kids. I Don't care what this country does. I don't care what stupid roads this country goes down in the future But our children need to understand that there are consequences for action This is why people think oh spanking in the Bible Spanking in the Bible and why the Bible teaches that you know if you don't spank your children you hate your son Yeah, it's about getting your kids to obey you It's about getting your kids to not take things without asking and not lie and not you know disobey their parents which is true Which is all true But the most important thing that spanking young children teaches is it teaches them that there are consequences To sin in their life God forbid the child that grows up and doesn't think that there are consequences Because here's the problem. You say why not remove consequences from people. You say why be mean You know why not remove consequences from people because consequences in life Here's why because consequences in life are real whether we want them to be real or not So the child that is raised to do whatever he wants and he's protected by his parents in every single situation From the time he's two to the time He's 18 that believes that there's no consequences to anything. Well, he's gonna run into a world where there are actual consequences Because there's consequences to crime there's consequences to sin like I don't know prison, I don't know death These things Consequences to sin even though a society may try to cover consequences for somebody that doesn't work cover Consequences for somebody that gets in to sin Those consequences ultimately are very real a society that covers consequences for anybody is not doing any far any favors a society that is covering Consequences of not working to somebody is destroying that person. It's like that society Hates them just like a father that wouldn't discipline his son hates his son the Bible says it's the same thing because Consequences are like gravity You don't have to believe in the Bible for it to be true Consequence someone is going to teach your child that Consequences are real in this life. It might as well be you when they're two When they're three when they're seven when they're ten and then they'll know that and they'll be very successful in this life They'll stay away from these things that they know have consequences So we're not doing anybody any favors by taking away these consequences. Oh look This story clearly shows that sin has Consequences whether you believe it or not. It's real. It's like a it's like a law of the universe It's it's like as sure as I can as sure as I drop this pen. It's gonna fall to the floor consequences are real and You will suffer consequences if you get into these types of things if you get into sin Here's another thing. I want to point out About this specific example about this son notice how his dad didn't go looking for him Notice how the father didn't chase after this son Look This is a specific example. The sheep was a general example. This is a specific example He was a this son was a sheep that willingly got lost He willingly left he willingly got deceived. He must get to that point on his own Where he realizes that there's consequences Look if his dad would have kept sending money if his dad would have kept visiting him and Kept helping him out and kept you know give putting him up in an apartment or wherever he was He never would have gotten to this point What he literally wanted to eat the slop that the pigs were eating and Look this applies to kids as they get older Look children as they get older and they become young adults need to learn this They need to learn this look we as parents of young adults And I know that many people in our church have young children But when your children become young adults parents need to realize that They need to be careful what they are supporting They need to be careful that they are not supporting a Child that a child that has turned away in his back slidden. They need to make sure that they are not supporting that or They will never come home They will never get to the point that this son got to a common example a Common example of this is Especially for boys. I'm going to pick on the boys here a Common example of this is a child a young man that will not go to work a Young man that is living at home and just will not grow up Become a man is beyond 17 18 years old 19 years old He's he's not interested in going out and not interested in making a living Parents shouldn't just perpetually provide an environment where they don't have to Yet, that's what happens. This is why you see children living at home boys young men living at home into their mid 20s 30s It's a common thing Why though? They're never getting hungry. Why would I work? Why would I work? I'm living off this guy Why would I get out of this sin that I'm in? Why would I stop being slothful and why would I even grow up? Why would I grow up and then you have parents that just lament all you know and my You just I hear it all the time Parents lamenting that, you know, well, he just won't get out of the house And he won't do anything and he won't go make a living and they would love for him to Make a living and go get married and and all these things but They're supporting it. This father didn't do that This father here he he let him go is a matter of fact. He thought he was probably dead Is what he literally says in just a few verses. So he never Supported the sin that his son was in and that is a super important point that we need to understand as our kids Grow up and God forbid our kids go into sin You know, we obviously would like for that to never happen But if it does and someone has a child that is in sin In fornication in all these things we should have nothing to do with anything that could possibly support it because you need them to Get to the point where they want to eat the slop that the pigs are eating Chapter 3 look at verse 18 Chapter 3 you say why that would be so hard for me. That would be so hard for me to watch my son Eating slop out of a muddy hole with a bunch of pigs That would be really hard for me and I'm sure moms are just like their hearts are breaking even thinking about that, but It's necessary. You say why look at verse 18 because chapter 3 is the return or you can call it in parentheses the fruit of Consequences consequences as fruit Consequences bears fruit look at verse 18. Here's the fruit of the consequences that were allowed to happen to this young man I will rise. This is the young man speaking I will rise and go to my father and stand to him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee look he recognizes he sinned against God and his father and I am no more worthy to be called thy son make me as one of thy hired Servances make me as one of the hired servants With no consequences this point of repentance right here What does repentance mean a change of mind what he changed his mind about wanting to go out and live that lifestyle He realizes the consequences of that and he gets to a point of just complete and total Repentance without consequences that fruit will never come It was the consequences that drove in there And his father knew this Chapter 4 the fatted calf now look at this look at verse number 20 So consequences are necessary. He made a bad decision. This is going to happen There must be consequences to bad decisions make sure you are not standing in front of God's judgment upon someone make sure you are not standing in front of God's Chastisement on someone's life this applies to friends this applies to family this applies to your Children as we're seeing in this story Look at verse 20 chapter 4 the fatted calf, and he arose and came to his father And yet when he was a great and 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 the son said unto him father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and I am no more worthy to be called thy son But thy 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 hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry a lot of people might be surprised by this Reaction, but the father you know what the father recognized here The father recognized the truly repentance state of his son when his son says I'm not even worthy to be called your son You know I I've sinned against God I've sinned against you and his father is happy that his son is back in that State we give verse 24 so he says go get the the best we have He puts his robe on him clothes him get the best food that we have he says We'll get the best beef that we have and let's have a celebration that my son is alive Look what he says he says for this my son was dead and is alive again He was lost and is found and they began to be married So here he wants to celebrate the fact that his son is back it says here I mean this isn't about salvation. This is the kid never stopped being his son. He's he thought his son was dead He thought to him. He's like he didn't know where he was. It's possible that he was physically dead He's now. I know he's alive He was lost he's found what he's spiritually he was spiritually in a bad place And now he's spiritually back where he should be and they began to be married He's celebrating his son's life and his son's repentance here. It doesn't but but look Now the other son gets a little offended in verse 25 It doesn't mean that he's gonna be right back where he was when he left though And that's what this older son Needed to be needed to have explained to him look at verse 25. It says now his elder son Was in the field and came and drew night at the house and heard music and dancing And he called one of his servants and asked what these things meant and he said in him My brother is coming my father had killed the fatted calf because they had received him safe and sound and Look at how the older son. Okay. This is understandable. The older son is upset The older son who never did these stupid things who just was loyal and did what he was supposed to do and Did what God wanted him to do and was just obedient to his father He was angry and would not go in therefore came his father out and treated him his father came out and and begged him to come in and Wanted to explain to him and answering say and he answering said to his father. Well these many years Do I serve these so? This implies that this this son was gone for a while Neither transgressed I at any time by commandment yet. They'll never gave us me a kid that I might make marry with my friends so This son says to his father the older son says I've done nothing wrong. I've only done what you've wanted I've been obedient to you. You've never given you've never allowed me to even slaughter a goat and Have a celebration or a party with my friends But then then he says but as soon as this nice son was come which had devoured that living with harlots That was killed for him the fatted calf. He's like you haven't even given me this older son You didn't even give me a the lowest part piece of livestock yet this Son that disobeyed you and didn't serve you and wasted all you I mean think about it He wasted the inheritance that his father Built over a lifetime and he wasted a portion of that and he says you kill for him the fatted calf But he's under a misunderstanding here and his father explains this in the next verse and he's saying to him son That were it ever with me and all that I have is dying So his son his father says his father says to him says no, it's not that I wouldn't give you a kid He's like everything is yours The whole the whole farm is yours. What are you talking about? He's like all that I have is yours. This son took a portion and blew it all. He has nothing All that I have is yours though It was meat that we should make merry and be glad for this Thy brother was dead and is alive again was lost and is found he says to the son that stayed He says, you know you or everything Nothing we're just celebrating the fact that he's not dead that he didn't you know that he's not lost anymore and look He doesn't mean he has the trust of his father It doesn't mean his father gonna put him in charge of the farm instead. The father says all that I have Not just this fatted calf all the cats are yours Your inheritance is all So he kind of explains to the son and look I can understand how that son felt that way and maybe Maybe as fathers or as leaders we should tell the people that you know Don't go astray and don't get lost. Maybe we should tell them more often That hey, you know everything is yours. I appreciate you. It's just They're celebrating the fact that this kid was not dead It didn't mean he was going to be the manager of the farm or that he suddenly has all the trust of his father or As a matter of fact anybody at this point All right Let me give you some overall thoughts You say why why did Jesus tell this story? I Mean aside from the the four chapters that we looked at what else can we learn and and Jesus is really Pointing out at the beginning before he even tells this story at the beginning of the chapter with the sheep and with the coins He's really pointing out the importance of just one lost Person, you know that that's applicable applicable to unsaved people just pointing out You know how important it is that just one person would come to the knowledge of the truth Just one person would get saved I think many times as as believers as Christians as soul winners We really kind of dismiss that as you as you go out soul winning, you know week after week year after year and Maybe some days people get saved. Maybe some days. They don't we really need to recognize this very first point of Luke chapter 15 We're just even one soul Even just one soul if we can get one soul saved with our life That is good the importance of one person's like think about though. It's one person's Eternity don't ever take for granted the fact that when you go out soul winning and you know Somebody gets the gospel and they accept the Lord Jesus Christ Don't ever take that for granted because just one person Jesus is saying you know getting saved is a huge deal It's a huge thing The second point is this go to Hebrews chapter 12 and look at verse number 7 look at Hebrews chapter 12 and verse number 7 that you know another overall point and I've kind of made this already about this story is that He was always a son Whether he was gone and in sin and away from his father He was always a son Hebrews chapter 12 and verse number. It's it's basically a Demonstration of Hebrews chapter 12 and verse number 7 and verse number 8 where the Bible says if he endured chastening God deals with you as sons His father allowed him to endure chastening For what son is he whom the father chasing of not but if he'd be without chased chastisement Where for all our partakers then your bastards and not sons. He was always a son and This father allowed him to go through the chastisement He didn't try to save him from that the third point that I want to close on tonight is this This kid messed up bad. I mean if you think about just the logistics of what he did He literally had first of all he had the nerve to go to his dad and say can I have my inheritance right now? I mean I can't imagine somebody having the nerve to do that to go and hey Can you write me? I think you're worth about this much Can you write me a check right now for for about what one third or whatever? It is that he thought that he should inherit and then it goes out and he blows all that inheritance on on just Waste he just wasted all on sinful living. I Mean he blew the whole thing. I mean that's a sermon in itself But that's a bad sin, but the main point that we should take away from this is that you can always come home You can always come home turn to Joel chapter 2 and we'll wrap it up right here. I Mean he wasted something that his father worked his whole life for Turn to Joel chapter 2. Look this story really what this story shows us is the infinite or the everlasting mercy of God Look at Joel chapter 2 But again, that's up to us that's up to you know the the heart that we have at that time whether or not we will Reach on that point where God allows that mercy to happen. This is what we talked about on Wednesday night God can repent God can change his mind from wrath to mercy from chastisement to Reconciliation look at Joel chapter 2 and verse number 12 if look at this Therefore also now say it the Lord turn ye even to me, you know turn ye. What does that mean? That means repent that means change your mind from whatever you're doing over here and turn to me turn back to me With all your what with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning now This is really interesting in verse number 13. He says and rend your heart and not your garments What does that mean? He's saying you need to be repentant. You need to be sorrowful. Where you need to be sorrowful in your Heart means meaning it needs to be genuine Talking about not not he's like rend your heart meaning you should you should be sorrowful in your heart and not your garments What what does that mean? That means God doesn't care about some outward show That you're sorry if it's not in your heart. God wants your heart to be Rented he says and turn to the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful Slow to anger and of great kindness and repent of him repent of him. That's God repenting again of the evil saying if you rend your heart Not your garments. It's your it's actually from your heart God will give you mercy. That's what this this chapter this verse is saying go back to verse number 21 of Luke chapter 15 He's saying you need to have a godly sorrow. You need to really mean it You really need to get to the point where you're like I am nothing look at this kid He says and his son said unto him Father I've sinned against heaven and in thy sight and I am no more worthy to be called thy son His son is saying I'm nothing. I deserve nothing That's where he needed To be not this fake sorrow of words, you know what you can fake sorrow to men That's what Joel chapter 2 is is kind is is explaining you can fake sorrow to men. You can trick men You can render your garments. You can act like you're sorry. You can come and say you're sorry You can you can put on all the waterworks you want and you can not feel it in your heart I mean look if you're if you're a really good actor you could probably just like Fane sorrow and Have men believe you but here's the thing and then you hope you know Here's how you tell if somebody is feigning sorrow or not when the punishment comes if all sudden they're not as sorry anymore if somebody's feigning sorrow and they're just rending their clothes and then they realize hey Here's the consequences son. You're not going to be in charge anymore You're not going to be the the leader of that part of the farm that you were before You're actually going to go because we don't know what the father did you're actually going to go work with the servants You're actually going to start out at the lowest level of the servants and then the son would have been like well Yeah, I don't think I deserve that he wasn't sorrowful in his heart But a truly sorrowful person and I believe that this son was there a truly sorrowful and truly repentant person That rendered their heart would be like whatever. I'm just glad that I'm here I'm glad that I'm here and I'm glad I'm not eating pink slop Whatever you think is worthy whatever you think that I deserve for what I did that I will accept That is how you know godly sorrow has taken place Not just this fake sorrow that's just trying to get out of consequences and that's what some people will do but the thing is it's it's silly to do that because the chase the chastisement is coming from God and The true mercy is going to come from God and God looks on the heart So God will see true sorrow. God will see you know a true rending of the heart. You can't fool You can't fool God you can't fool the Lord. He looks on the heart of men. I can't see your heart. I Can only see your heart through your works as James chapter 2 says but it would make no sense to feign sorrow But the point of the whole story if I had to wrap it up in one point is That you can always come home No matter what kind of bad decisions that you've made You can always come home and don't if you're if you're one that never left and and somebody does come home and And the father is happy and the father Sets a celebration for don't feel like that father doesn't appreciate you Because you didn't go into all those sins It's just that Heaven itself will rejoice after one person is lost and is found even if 99 weren't lost So this is a great application for saved people in this specific story And and I mean there's people that I can think of in my life Who I just I can just imagine coming home some day that have gotten lost That have lost their spiritual way that I can imagine coming home and look I'm gonna be very happy If and when that day happens, but that does not mean that I don't appreciate the people that never got lost in The first place It's a great story for us. It's a great story for our kids. It's a great story to teach your children about Just consequences of sin. It's got so many great applications. This is one that should be that I can't believe I've never preached on it before this is a great homeschooling story for moms to go through with their children And this is why we chastise you. This is why we you know, you get in trouble. We're trying to teach you that Sin has consequences so you don't end up like this young man Where you are literally rolling around and hoping that you can eat what the pigs have left over Consequences are real, but even after that God's mercy is everlasting It's such a great story with so many applications. Let's bow our heads and have a word