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Luke 15:11-32

The Prodigal Son

 ¹¹And He said, “A man had two sons.

 ¹²“The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me  the share of the estate that falls to me .’ So he divided his wealth between them.

 ¹³“And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.

 ¹⁴“Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.

 ¹⁵“So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

 ¹⁶“And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

 ¹⁷“But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!

 ¹⁸‘I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;

 ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”‘

 ²⁰“So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

 ²¹“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

 ²²“But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;

 ²³and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;

 ²⁴for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Pig Sermons

In the Scriptures whenever pigs are mentioned, they are repugnant animals.  They are, to a great extent, viewed in the same manner as the foolish son from the above parable.  He was described as a son who loathed his father so much that he willingly embarrassed him by demanding all the inheritance that would be his. Since the father was neither dead nor dying, the son’s demand of inheritance money was looked upon by the society just as if he wished his father were dead, out of the way. 

The parable of the prodigal son is one of the most well known from the Scriptures.  It is the parable that causes me to reflect in many ways on the countless number of the churches that surround us today.  Many churches are nothing more than pig styes suitable for the swine, and goats.  Very few of these “churches” provide the necessary surroundings for a wayward son that would cause him to desire the presence of his father over the filth of the world.

In the vast majority of the churches today, a myriad of sermons are spewed forth Sunday after Sunday.  Sermons that have had little or no preparation, little or no time meditating on the Scriptures, little or no time in prayer.   They are fashioned to be sugar-coated, or ear-ticklers.  These are what I label as pig sermons!

But why do I label them as “pig sermons” you may ask.  Think of it in this light.  Pigs are filthy animals.  They love to wallow in the mire.  They can be taken from their mire and slop, washed and cleaned, manicured, and even have perfume and lipstick applied.  Try as they may, the pig is still a pig and will run directly back to the mire the first chance it gets.  Pig sermons are just a cover up, not sermons that provide the necessary sustenance to keep one from starving to death spiritually.

Pig sermons are just like taking a pig from its mire.  This type of sermon can be taken from a host of pre-written sermons from the internet, composed by anyone, Christian or non-Christian, on any subject or topic.  It can be just a 15-minute talk on something in the news.  These pig sermons can be “cleaned up and manicured” to be presented to an undiscerning congregation who may never realize the “slop” that they are being fed.  These sermons are still, and will always be, filthiness in disguise.  These types of sermons do not challenge the church attendee to examine their lives through the eyes of the Scriptures.  They do not want to make anyone feel uncomfortable about the foulness of their sin.  They are nothing more than worldly stories from a pulpit that can do little to cause one to reflect on their state of “filthiness,” or to reflect on the fact that if the world is flocking to it, it more than likely is not the nutritious meat of the Word of God. The non-thinking “convert” lacks the fortitude to demand sound doctrine because they have never tasted more than the “pig slop.”  They feel no condemnation when listening to the pig sermons. 

Pig sermons can be beneficial for those in charge of the styes.  They are profitable in the form of vast revenues.  The revenues are gleaned through filling the pages of books with syrupy slop, CDs and DVDs filled with nauseatingly malnourished feed.  They do not see the final outcome of this diet.  They feel good in their own “righteousness.”

We are called to arise up from the mire of pig sermons; sermons which have one outcome, destruction.  The destruction is in the form of eternity in the lake of fire.  Just because a sermon looks good, sounds good, makes one feel good, it means nothing in the eyes of a Holy God.  We are called to be discerning, to search the Scriptures to see if what is being taught lines up squarely with the Word of God.  Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thought and attitudes of the heart.”  Paul warns in Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  which is not another, but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.  As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel to you than that you have received, let him be accursed.”

It has been a long time since Paul wrote those words of warning.  Those words of caution are all too often allowed to sound hollow to those of the Emergent Church, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witness’, Mormons, Muslims, many Baptists, Presbyterians, Assemblies of God, Lutherans Independent church attendees, Bible Church attendees, the followers of Benny Hinn, Todd Bentley, Juanita Bynum, TD Jakes, Joyce Myer, Medina Pulling, John Wimber, Joel Osteen, the Crouchs, Bush, Obama, and the list goes on.  People have become complacent.  They have become tainted by sin, like a drop of arsenic in a glass of water.  It is lethal!  They have been given over to pig preaching.

When the prodigal son finally came to his senses (became discerning), he realized that all his life he had listened to pig counsel and pig teachings.  He realized that he had been listening to pig doctrines.  He began to comprehend his need to repent and ask the forgiveness of his father.  He desired to be in the presence of his father as a slave more than to be in the mire and slop of the pig sty.  Humbly and repentant he returned home to a waiting father.

The parable illustrates what our heavenly Father has done for those that repent.  It represents a loving Father that patiently awaits the return of His child.  It represents a Father willing to forgive, and celebrate the return of a wayward son.  This is our heavenly Father’s acceptance of us, His prodigal children.  It is an acceptance that extends beyond any human understanding or reasoning.  I love this parable.

A word of caution:  be on the alert for pig sermons.  These sermons are meant to destroy you through a pseudonym love.  It is a faulty love pat on the back which endeavors to provide a false assurance that your time spent in the mire is actually good for you.  Beware!

There are countless reasons I could come up with as to why I should not go out in the cold, on a Thursday night knowing what would confront me when I arrive at the truck stop, better known as the “stop”.  Throughout the summer it is hot, stinky, noisy, and dirty.  There are prostitutes there to lure truckers to their doom, mobile porn dealers with their “smooth “sounding pitch to buy 3 videos because they are cheaper than buying only 1.  During the colder months it is stinky, noisy, and dirty, but you have wind that seems to whip right through you.  Truckers are in a zip code to themselves. 

Truckers have no post office box while they are out on the road, and no place to relax outside their truck. What they do have is a lot of television, videos, and internet to pass their down time away.  This is but a minute description of the world in which they subsist.  This is all they experience until evangelists intrude upon their world.

For a couple hours each week several of us from around the metroplex step out in faith attempting to make the most of their time on this earth, and to fulfill God’s purposes according to Ephesians 5:16, “making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”  Since the days are evil, what better way to combat the battle of evil than to go to a stinky, dirty place where sin proliferates?  Note: Not all truckers are of the devil.  There are a few that put into practice righteousness.  Very few!

This past Thursday, Jeff, Jeff, Bryron, of Light Pursuit, David, and Ron, of Gospel to the Perishing, descended on the Pilot Truck Stop like Texas thunderstorms.  By God’s grace each was able to have conversations of biblical proportions, conversations that bothered consciences and caused mouths to be stopped.  Our Lord is doing a work at the stop.

David has been able to come out with us for about 4-5 weeks now.  He is full of the Spirit, and God is working in his life to grow in Him who is True and Faithful. 

David had witnessing contacts with four men, even one that was not at the stop.  Here are his highlights:

Ron, from NC, fooled David temporarily.  Ron is a sinner who is trying to break away from alcohol.  Psychologists label it “alcoholism” and identify it as a “sickness” to make people feel better about themselves.  But they are not sick.  In truth, they are sinners who love their sin.  Ron was able to fool David briefly because AA utilizes “Christian” lingo in their 12-step program.  In reality, Ron was anything but a Christian”.  At one point Ron mentioned, “God is not a God of wrathand punishment”.  However, David stuck to his guns.  Whenever someone says something like that, you can tell them they are right, “your god is not the god of wrath and punishment.”  Your god is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Your god is a god of your own making. 

Another contact, Nathaniel, was possibly a Christian with wrong theology.  But warning flags were waving over his head.  At the end of the conversation, he thanked David.

Here is David’s account his contact with a man named Solomon:

Solomon was from Jamaica.  He was not sure what to think of God, but he felt like he had been good enough to go to heaven.  I quoted Proverbs 21:2 for him, asking if he knew how God weighs the heart?  Solomon replied that he did not know.  We then went through the 10 commandments and what Jesus Christ said regarding lust and anger.  It really bothered him that God would judge him even on his thoughts.  I was able to explain how God cannot be good if He did not punish sin.  There appeared to be a tear is his eye.

Solomon listened intently to how Christ bore the punishment of sin for him.  I explained God’s salvation plan, the only way he could be right before God is through repentance and faith.  I was completely caught off guard by his next question: “But I am a truck driver.  How can I go to church?” I replied, “Church attendance does not save you!” He said, “No!  You do not understand.  How am I supposed to be with other Christians to help me walk right?”

Is this not possibly the evidence of someone coming to Christ? (2 Tim. 2:19, 1 John 1:6)  Only God judges the heart. I was surprised how quickly a person went from justifying themselves to demonstrating the possible first fruits of repentance.  He says he has a Bible and will be reading.  I gave him my contact information; perhaps I will meet Solomon again either in this life or the next.

The others in our group:  Jeff Wortham was able to engage in numerous conversations. 

 I (Ron) was able to speak with Kenny and Brian for just under 2 hours.  Kenny knew nothing of the Gospel.  Brian knew different things about the Bible, but had problems linking them together.  I do not know if Brian is a Christian, but Kenny is not. 

I am not sure who Byron and the other Jeff spoke with, but they enjoyed the visit to Fort Worth to help us “thunder through the truck stop.”