In this sermon, the preacher Eugene and Dave, who are wealthy businessmen in Cape Town, are praised for their love for God and their dedication to giving their finances to Jesus. The preacher recounts how he was invited to their house after they heard him preach. During their fellowship, the preacher asks them about their conversion to Christianity, and they humbly admit to having broken their father and mother's hearts and causing damage to their father's ministry. The preacher uses this example to emphasize the importance of avoiding sinful influences such as movies, television programs, and books, as they can lead to the destruction of relationships and families. He also references the Bible, specifically 2 Timothy 3:1, to highlight the dangers of disobedience to parents and the consequences of sin within the home.

Now, can we bow for a moment of prayer, please? Father, we just ask thee to protect us under the blood of Jesus the Christ, and to rebuke Satan away thyself by the risen resurrected power of Christ, and in the name of Jesus Christ, and to guard over us, and to watch over us, and to brood by thy spirit upon this building, to wash me in the blood of Christ afresh, and anoint me by the Holy Spirit, and to use me in mercy and grace, as weak as I am, as base as I am, as unworthy as I am, because of grace, and because of the motive of my heart in asking thee for protection under the blood of Christ, that I might be used of God in mercy, and that thou would speak to the depth of every heart here, we ask these things in Jesus the Christ's name, and for his sake, and out of love for him, in faith. Amen. Luke 15 11, and he said, a certain man had two sons, 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. 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, wasted his substance with riotous living, with riotous living, and when he had spent all, when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want, and 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 fain 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 will say unto him, Father, I have sinned, 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, and the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, bring forth the best, the best roe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and bring hither the fattered calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry with this. My son was dead and is alive again. 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, 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, and thy father hath killed the fattered calf because he hath received him safe and sound, and he was angry, he was angry and would not go in, 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 gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends, but as soon as this, thy son is come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fattered 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, and it was right that we should be merry and be glad for this, thy brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost, lost, and is found. This parable is truly staggering for many reasons. If you listen to who is sharing it, and what reason, primarily he was sharing it. In its broader context, Christ really was addressing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who looked at him judgmentally because he sat with sinners, spoke to sinners, and Christ in the broader context of this parable was comparing the love of God toward a sinner, the compassion of God, toward the lost and unsaved and unrighteous and evil and wicked, as opposed to the lack of compassion and the judgmental hearts of the Pharisees, who said they were the instruments of God in serving God for the cause of God, but they had nothing, nothing, nothing of God's heart or mind with all their religion. Do you know that's possible? That is a terrible, terrible revelation in the broader context. He was showing us God's love to the sinner and compassion to the lost and the wicked. As opposed to this lack of compassion and love and care of the Pharisees, who profess to be serving God in God's ordained religion on earth. But I want to do something unique here tonight that I don't know if you've ever heard in your life. I want to look at the finer context. I don't want to look out of the context. I think that's a little bit dangerous to read in what isn't there. I want to carefully, deliberately ask you to look with me at the finer context of what Christ was doing. He was literally asking us, not only these people 2,000 years ago, but everyone he knew would hear this, and he knew you would be hearing this. He knew you would be hearing this this morning. And he was asking us, with them and the billions who heard this, to put ourselves into the shoes of a father for a moment in our lives. To literally identify with the heartbreak, with the concern, with the compassion of a father whose son chose to leave the protection and the restrictions of a godly home, to pursue a life of sin. To put ourselves into the shoes to understand as a human, to somehow catch a glimpse, even if it's a far glimpse, but a glimpse of what God feels to the lost and the wicked and those who serve sin and pursue sin. To somehow catch a glimpse, he asks us to carefully place ourselves into the shoes of a father in this situation. And so safely, I would say, to look at it in the light of all the scriptures concerning what God says happens to a father in the light of all scriptures when a son chooses to be wicked, to reject the restrictions of a godly home. To look not only what happens at the father, but eventually the son, and don't doubt it. Sin doesn't satisfy young people. There is always the moment you will come to yourself and see the horror of the emptiness and barrenness of life in sin without God. To put ourselves into the shoes of a father whose son chooses to receive, to leave the restrictions of a godly home. The influence to pursue sin. We were speaking last night in our brother Tim's home, Jay Falk. He has got a church, one of the preachers up in a church in New York, and I have preached there numbers of times over the years. Lovely people. The first time I was there, I stayed in Jay Falk's home, just outside in some other little cottage next to their home. And he would have to take me with his tribe, as big as your tribe is. You don't have families, you have tribes in America. My first tour of your country, people looked at me like there was something really wrong with me when I said, I've got three children. Three? There was something wrong with me, of course, but you know, we're not all like you folks in America, in the Bible Belt especially. Well, he has a tribe also. And this man is very gifted with music, just like your pastor is. He has an orchestra. Last time I was there, I sang a song, and the next night they played it, the whole orchestra in the room, so moving. How beautiful. But this man's children would harmonize, and as we were driving to the church on this first night, he said, let's sing for Brother Keith. So they sang a hymn with such harmony, and such beauty, and so gifted, that my immediate thoughts were, these children could tour the world right now, and at the pulpits of the world, who would be in awe of such beautiful singing. And from such beautiful countenances, through their upbringing and protection that their father and mother had given them, by the grace of God. Well, I was in awe. After the song, I said, brother, you are really honored by God with such children. Not every Christian home across this world has children with such countenances, who harmonize with the things of God, and singing God's thing with such joy on their faces. Not every Christian home is the honor and the privilege of all the children like this, openly singing for Christ, and happily, look at their faces. You are honored, brother, by God, that all your children sing like this, for Christ's glory. There was a pause of quietness, and suddenly, while he was driving, he burst into tears. You know, when a woman cries, it's sorrowful, but when a man cries, and he seemed to have agony in his voice, as he wept, driving. Oh, God. Oh, God. Let me die. Please, let me die. Than to live to ever witness one of my children choosing to go to the devil's houses, to feast from the devil's tables. Let me die. But don't let me ever live to witness that, God. And just soft. You know, I was so staggered. But what even more staggered was me, there was the hush in that call. As those children heard this father weeping, and saying those words about them, I began to think, I didn't look back at their faces, at this hush, not a word, the whole way, just a deathly hush. What must be going on in their hearts? Having such a father, saying such words. In this generation, I was touring your country time and again. A very famous name in your land, I don't want to name him, walked up to me one night. And he said to me, Brother, I want you to listen very carefully to me. Very carefully. I have watched you, I have listened to your preaching, the uncompromising presentation of this book, in its unadulterated form, no matter what the cost. And it's cost you. I've watched you walk from pulpits that closed their doors on you, for one reason. They didn't want the unadulterated word of God, it cut too much. And I watched you come back, even though doors closed, movements closed. You just went on, it didn't matter. It has shaken me, Brother, that no matter what the cost or consequences, you just carry on. And I have thought more and more of you, and I want to share with you what I fear. I have thought, if the devil can't touch you, be careful. He will aim at your children. Don't doubt this now, boy. He will aim at your children, Keith. He will bombard them a thousand times more than other Christian homes, because of what you are doing, what you are attempting. Because he knows that if he can get just one of your children, just one, he will have you on your face, weeping daily. He will have you sorrowing and groaning and agonizing daily, till you die. No matter how faithful you are, sir, if he can just get one of your children. You had better pray for your children, Brother Daniel. You had better pray for your children. He turned and walked away from me. It was the only time that great man ever spoke to me, and that's all he ever saw necessary to want to say to me. Let me reword all God saw necessary to say to me through him. I was so staggered by what he said, that I cannot tell you how my life altered course from that day years ago. I would wake up in town, state after state, wherever I am in this world. Sometimes wake up not knowing where I was, what city I was, not even know what country I was. I was so tired and numb sometimes, pouring myself out. But I'd wake up with a jolt, and all I would find myself waking up for was to cry out, oh God, protect my children. Please shout to them under the blood of Christ. Rebuke the devil, whatever he's trying, God, whatever he's trying, through whomever he's trying it. Please God, protect my children. I know a man and woman, very godly. When I was a young preacher, they arranged for me to preach in a town called Port Elizabeth. In the Eastern Cape of Southern Africa. And we had some lovely times in the university there. And my God, really did work. The years went by, they had children. Graham, what was the other boy's name? I wrote it down. Derek, two sons, Abe and Beryl Liebenberg. Graham and Derek, two sons. I was in their home. But the years went by, and one day I saw a grey man, as grey as I am. And there was Abe, after all these years, we'd seen most of our life pass in a moment. That's all, little time you've got, don't doubt it, don't lose it, don't waste it. That's all you've got, I guarantee you. There he was. And so we chatted this convention where I was preaching and caught up with time and things. Their sons, Beryl said, in brokenness, had both gone through so much since I had seen them as children, and taken that family through so much. The elder son, Derek, loved God with all his heart. And the boy, both of them, and Graham, outwardly seemed to have perceived Christ as their Savior and pursued the God of their father and mother, openly, outwardly. The elder boy loved God so much he became a missionary. As a boy, he was so totally surrendered and so ablaze for Christ that he just won soul for God everywhere. But there came a point, as the boys grew, the younger son, as in this parable in Luke 15, said to his brother, I'm going to do something that's going to shock you. They were very close. I'm going to look over the wall. We've never been allowed to look. I'm going to go and taste the world. I need to do this. So don't try and stop me. I've got to do this for myself, to taste the things we've been kept from and protected from and denied. I need to go and taste the world myself. And nothing, mother or father, will stop me. I need to do this for myself. His brother was broken. What are you going to do to father and mother? He said, listen, it won't be for long. I'm not going to live like that forever. I just need to see what it's like on the other side. It's not very innocent the way he said it, isn't it? Well, his brother begged him not to, weeping, his godly brother. Don't do this to father and mother. Don't do this to yourself. Why? Why do you need to? We're 15 years later. That boy was still in sin. His life destroyed by sin, his health gone, his marriage, his children, everything broken and destroyed and smashed, enslaved to alcohol, lying drunk on the ground in the night, drunken by drinking slate, shamed, broken, tragic, destroyed life through sin. Be careful, young people. Don't give the devil the smallest chance. He'll destroy your life completely. He's a terrible enemy. He doesn't play the fool if he can hurt your father and your mother. Be careful what he'll do to you if you let him just have half a chance. Until his godly elder brother, who had been praying and weeping and fasting again and again, calling on God for his brother, he suddenly died, tragically died. Young, young, married little baby. The one baby was born after he had died. He wasn't alive to see the birth of his last child. This young man had so served God on the mission field, in such a capacity he had staggered this world through his godliness. This so shook his brother, who was so in sin and so destroyed and so shamed. He had a long way to travel to get to that funeral. A broken, oh you want to see the face of someone who served sin. After a little while you want to see what's left of the face, the scar of sin. At that funeral he knelt beside his mother in the pews. He took her hand and he begged her for forgiveness for what he had done to them. Here was the body of his brother lying in the front of the building in the coffin and he said, Mother, I give my life today to God in truth and I want you to pray with me, Mother, for Jesus Christ to truly save me. From this day until the day I die, Mother, I'm going to fit into the shoes of my brother. I'm going to fill up the gap in this world. By the grace of God, I'm going to be that mother. That mother knelt there, the one son's body, the other son destroyed but kneeling. And she cried to God for her son's salvation. He was mightily saved. He has turned so many souls to God. It's like every breath in his body, she said, is for Jesus. Every word he utters somehow is for Christ, like a desperation to not lose another second of wasted life. And he's so wasted and then he lost for eternity. Ecclesiastes 12 verse 1 says, Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, while before the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Before you look back at life and say, Oh, what have I done? Why did I waste life? You remember now in the days of thy youth, with all your heart, soul and might, with every faculty of your being and every bit of integrity, you have capability of showing God in prayer. Could I guarantee you if you don't, you will find the days will come that you look back and say, Oh God, what have I done? Wasting life. When I could have found thee then, I knew the way. Last year, touring America, I think it was the 29th tour I've done of your land. I was shaken. I was shaken because every single state I went to, with the exception of one town, where I didn't stay in a family, every single home, with the exception of one town, was weeping because one or more of the children, I'm talking about the godliest homes you will find in the whole town. That's where I have the privilege of saying always, the godliest. They were weeping. They were groaning. They were fearful. They were hurting. They were some of those homes. Children were so determined that they would live without restrictions of sin that they even became physically violent. That is a shock to me. I left America with much joy, but oh, so much shock at that one thing I was so conscious of. How few godly homes are left on earth. The devil hasn't found one somehow who just gave him a moment, a little ear, and then everything was there. Everything. Jesus says in Matthew 10 35 that the gospel will set a man at variance against his father, the daughter against her mother. Think not I've come to bring and send peace on this earth. That's what the Jews were hoping and still believe the Messiah will do. I have not come to bring peace, but to set a child at variance against his parents. Not that he wants that. That breaks God's heart, but he is truthful of the gospel. This is what will happen because of a sin and the choice of sin within a home. The son God says will rise up against the father. Jesus told us 2,000 years ago this is what happens in the gospels in the home. He didn't say you're protected, it's perfect, it's fine like Timothy because he had God-fearing granny and grandma and grandma and my brother. 2 Timothy 3 verse 1. This know also that in the last days perilous dangerous times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves. Oh I'd love to preach a sermon just on that, but I can't. Disobedient to parents after a comma, unthankful, unholy, fierce, in God's word plays the fool with what we really are, what sin can make us to our own father and mother, fierce, despises of those that are good, beginning in the home. Don't begin anywhere else with where God's word speaks, even if it's a godly home. Micah 7 6 for the son dishonoreth the father. Isn't that tragic? Dishonoreth where God says honor thy father and thy mother, he dishonoreth the total transgression, defiance, denial of God himself. No! No! That's as good as you're doing when you dishonor your father, sir. You're crying out loud to God, for you tell me the Bible says anything less. The daughter riseth up against her mother. A man's enemies are the men, those of his own household. That's a terrifying thing, sir. You have never ever tasted cruelty from an enemy, and you never will in life, even under Hitler. You've never tasted anything of what cruelty really can do until you've tasted your children hating you and treating you cruelly, dishonoring, despising. There is a generation that curseth father and mother. The Bible says, I believe God was speaking about this generation. Forgive me if I'm wrong. Despises of those that are good, even if it's his father. A foolish son is the calamity, Hebrew, the rune, the runation of his father. I've seen that. I have seen that. Ruined his father, destroyed his father, like Eli's sons destroyed him, nothing else. Destroyed his ministry, destroyed his life. Proverbs 30 verse 17, God condemns the eye that mocketh at his father and despiseth to obey his mother, who curseth his father and his mother. Oh, what God's condemnation. Proverbs 20, 20, fools will make a mock at sin, they mock guilt. No, I want to enjoy it. Don't start preaching at me. Proverbs 14, 9, but be careful now. If our children leave for the far country, have you ever thought of this? It does not mean necessarily, physically. If our children leave and choose to go to the far country, that means to really pursue sin. It does not mean necessarily, though there are tragic occasions as resorts to that. A physical departure is not what Christ, I think, was necessarily meaning in the broader sense of what he's asking us in the light of all scriptures to look at. We become conscious, aware that our son or our daughter has chosen and left for the far country when we look at their choices and it breaks your heart as much as if they had gone physically. It only torments you more to have to watch them live that in front of you. We become conscious that our son or our daughter has chosen the far country no matter how we brought them up. You see, the free will of man is there. I don't care about your doctrine, sir. Take away the free will of man, and you have to blame God for everything he condemns in this book, and I have no doctrine like that. We become conscious that our son or daughter has chosen the far country when we look at their choices. Firstly, by the friends they choose. Don't doubt it. Even the friends they choose in the church. Watch it. Oh, Proverbs 1.10, 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. Oh, the consequences. You want to read Proverbs on your knees. You will tremble if you believe it's the Word of God, at the warnings of God and the consequences if you don't take those warnings, even if you're a child. Psalm 1.1, God had to start with this Psalm. Blessed is the man, not a man that says he's a Christian. That means nothing, sir, lady, in this world today. It means nothing. So start with Psalm 1 before you get to the lovely promises and say they're yours of the rest of the Psalms. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. He will never ever be influenced by the ungodly. Don't say you're blessed unless this is your life. Don't say you're blessed if you've got a testimony. No, you curse everybody near you, let alone yourself with a testimony that doesn't live. What God says is a true testimony. You are not blessed by God unless this is your life, sir, that walketh not in the counsel, the influence. He's not influenced by the ungodly children, even if he's ostracized. God bless you, child, and let me tell you that's a billion, zillion times more wonderful than any moment of pleasure you can find with sinners. That will eventually destroy your life. Nor standeth in the way of sinners. He never will go where sinners go. Never will go where sinners go for their joy or pleasure, nor sit in the seat of a scornful. He will never sit with those who scorn the godly. And boy, they're in the churches everywhere. You know, I have watched children while I've preached scorning those who were seeking God. I've watched ministers' sons scorning. The scorner delights in his scorning. He actually gets delight in it. But his delight, the man who's blessed by God, is not in what sinners delight in. His delight is in the law of the Lord. In his law does he meditate day and night. You know how much a person loves God by how much he loves this book daily, by how much time he spends with his book. A child has no love for God, no love for God, if his or her, if he or she does not delight in the scriptures. A child has no love for God if she or he does not delight day and night in the scriptures. That means not all day. That's obvious. God doesn't say that. You've got your duties, you've got your responsibilities, you've got things you've got to do, but where you have a choice, where you flee and with what you flee to, tells you how right you are with God, or whether you have no love for God at all, even if you have a godly father and mother. So you love God as much as you love that book, full stop, daily. You find, you know when your child is left for the far country, we become conscious when we look at their choices, firstly by the friends they choose, especially the friends in the church. Secondly, by what he identifies with in this world. God says, be not conformed to this world. Have you ever thought about that verse? I'd love to preach on that verse one day, I'm going to, God give me grace, but listen just because there's no time to single out one verse, do not imitate the worldly. Don't identify with them, be not conformed to this world, abstain from all appearance of evil, even the appearance. Don't follow, literally beloved, follow not or imitate any who are evil or any evil, but imitate and follow those who are good, and that which is good. Their choice, all parents around the world are fearful because we've come to realize that a choice of clothing or hairstyles are no longer a fashion, they're a definite statement of just what they are imitating and identifying with, and when we find out just what it is and who they are, we shudder to realize they conform, they imitate, they identify with the godless, godless singers and film stars who are so evil that they openly live total blasphemy. That has never, ever, ever been allowed on this earth until our generation, generally. A choice of clothing or hairstyles are no longer just a fashion, they're a definite statement of those who they've chosen to be. Who are you identifying with young people? Is it with a godly person, the champions of our faith like the Wesleys, the Tutson-Taylors, Jonathan Edwards, the Charlton? Are these the champions of your heart? Are these who you identify, you imitate, who you want to imitate and follow and conform to what they were in every aspect of life, even their separation of the world, or are you identifying with godless entertainers, film stars? Thirdly, you're conscious that your child is left for the far country by the places he wishes to frequent. While the godly youth cry, I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the tents of wickedness, than to live where there's wickedness. I would rather just be the doorkeeper in the house of the Lord. While the godly youth cry, that is your cry, young man, young lady, written across your life. Do you cry, I would rather dwell in the tents of wickedness with the devil's children than to be forced by my parents to always frequent the house of God with these boring young people. Is that what's written across you, your attitude, your words, and the uncomfortableness your father and mother see with you being in God's house now with God's people, young people who love God. We know that our children have left for the far country and they're dwelling, they're living in the far country when you sense that your child does not grieve anymore at the evils of this world with you, but he defends these things and he enjoys them. Romans 1 32, who knowing the judgment of God, they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them. Have you thought about that? You know it's evil, you know God judges, you know they're going to hell, you know the grief of God and the godly parents upon these, but you not only do the same, but have pleasure in that which God condemns and dies for. Proverbs condemns those who hate the good and love the evil. Do you think there's no such people as them? Who hate the good. Young people, answer God, not me, not your parents, just God through your conscience, just once in your life, because no other preacher in history is ever going to ask you this again. I almost guarantee you that in this world. They're so scared of losing their tithe or tithing, they'd rather you lose your soul but not your tithing, so they won't confront you with things like this. Tell me, young people, do you hate the good that's forced on you because of your own restrictions from evil? And do you love the evil? Young person, write that against the music you choose to listen to while your parents don't know what you're listening to. It might as well be with a smile on your face, something about the Lord Jesus. But as you listen there, they would age and weep if they just heard one minute of what you're listening to. Write that against your music. You hate the good and love the evil. Write that against the films you dare to watch, the television programs you dare to watch, the videos if you can't get television and you sneak in or watch elsewhere where your parents can't see. It doesn't matter that God sees. It doesn't matter. Mother and father, no one's watching. It doesn't matter about God. Is that you? What you watch when you can? What you listen to when you can? With whom you can? The books, the magazines, oh beloved. But oh, the sorrow when a parent is forced. He has no choice but to let them go. Now this, this is heartbreaking. This man, did you notice his father didn't try and stop the child, didn't argue. The father knew the child was in the far country long before he packed his bags and left. I mean, when he asked for everything, the father knew he was going, but he gave in love for the child's survival, what really he shouldn't have given in the light of all scriptures at that time. It was foreign to common sense, but a parent is an amazing thing, that even if his child is sinning and evil, he's longing for that child's survival and the compassion, the care. Oh, he let him go. The tragedy when a parent reaches a stage of helplessness. How many God-fearing parents express helplessness? Discipline is no good. Reasoning doesn't help. Pleading no longer helps. A sense of helplessness floods the hearts of so many godly parents across this world today. What do you do when your child wants to break loose, when he wants out, and you will face the consequences if you don't let him or her. What do you do? The father here in this parable let him go in love and grace, brokenness, yes, I believe in our understanding what a father is, a good father, a righteous godly father. He let him go. You see, the father knew his son wanted sin and no longer his father's love. You don't care about love when you choose sin. You don't even care what you do to them even if they die when you really pursue sin. You become so cruel. It's beyond comprehension how a human can stoop to such cruelty. When you choose sin, you watch what the devil does with your heart, no matter who loves you. He let him go. We have a man in our mission, Keith Watterson. His wife is Darlene. She was in theological seminar with me years ago. What fine people. They have three children. South Africans seem to have three children, sorry, especially if they run shave before they... Anyway, there were these three children. She said to me that when they were born, before each one of them were born, they gave them to God for full-time service. That's a privilege to be born into such a home. Like Hannah, I'll give them to thee if you give me a child. You can have him and I'll never take him back. I'll provide their needs but I'll just give me a child. He'll serve thee, Lord. They raised them as best they could. These children grew up in conferences, conventions, church meetings, and a godly home, frequented and lived of missionaries and all. Oh, what a privilege, you may say. Yes, yes. These children pursued the world at some stage and broke that mother and father's heart. As godly as they were, the accusations of people against them, accusing them, now what right they have to be preaching if they can't even control their children. Oh, what you put your father and mother through. They've got to go and find a job. Sweeping. I know a man who sweeps floors. He's one of the greatest preachers in this world because he's equipped for nothing else and his children did it and they didn't care. Bang. Sin matters. Daddy, that's what sin makes you, a monster, if you let it. These children pursued. Delene said to me one day as I was speaking to her about it, you know, Keith, we said to them, you make your choices and you will suffer the consequences. We take our hands off reasoning with you, arguing with you, fighting like this is not going to help. We know that. We see it now in the change thing. So we're taking our hands off. You make your choices, but you face the consequences and know that the choices you make, God will judge you for individually. He will judge you even though we can't stop you. He will judge you. I want you to know that and all we're going to do now is pray for you and weep and age, but we let you go. And they fasted and they prayed and they wept and they held on to the promises she said. The little letters she wrote me so that I didn't make mistakes. Going through this morning, I was really broken because I watched those kids grow up in our mission and he had been the head of our mission. The head. She said they came to themselves. Oh, isn't that lovely? That's the thing every mother and father wait for, longing, hoping, pray. That moment that this happened to this boy when he came to himself, came to his senses, intelligence started functioning, of the poverty of sin and evil and the horror of what he had done to his father. Hit him, hit him. And the remorse, everything, when he suddenly came to the sensibilities God gave of a conscience of any decent human being. That happens when prayer of a mother and who can pray like a mother, dear Moody says. I disagree with Moody. The father can too. No less agony. But I understand what Moody said in its context of what you say. Don't touch Moody. Be careful what God does to you, no matter who you are, theologians of America. Don't touch Moody. Sorry. Touch him when you've won the world to God like he did. Until then, please keep quiet and behave yourself. All right, no one will ever say that in America again, but I hope you get the message. And you know who I'm speaking to. Hmm. What am I speaking of? There you are, diversions. Yes. Well, here we are. They came to God. These boys, it's one girl. They came into our mission and they serve God with every breath in their body. Because a mother and father let them go didn't mean the devil was going to win in the end, brother. There's poverty and sin. And those that pursue it after they realize it are their worst enemy they will ever find on earth in their entire life. And there's no such a thing as not finding it. Young people, past poverty. You're your own worst enemy. No one can do more cruelty to you in eternity than yourself. So if you don't come to your senses and seek God, like these children did, the one son serves God with my son. Ian Waterson. And my son phones me and says, Daddy, this boy is on fight for God. He's fearful. Now for Roy to say that he's got to be fearful. Anyway, hallelujah. Hallelujah for the prayers that God listens to and answers to bring a child to see the poverty. God will move heaven and earth until that child knows if a parent is godly and prays, even if we have to let them go. Eugene could see. Eugene and Dave could see. Businessmen in Cape Town, wealthy. You got to travel the world a couple of times to find better businessmen. But they love God. Their finances belong to Jesus. No wonder God honors them. But these boys, when they first heard me preach, said, you've got to come to our house, sir. So from the convention, we, the little family, went into a brief place. You call it a barbecue, burning meat on it. Anyway, we won't go into that. It's a waste of time. Anyway, we sat there and we're trying to have fellowship. So I said, tell me about your lives then. You got us to your home. Tell me how you find Christ. They look at each other and with no pride, like I tragically hear from the pulpit, from those who tasted evil, with no pride to say, we broke our father and mother's hearts. We aged and we destroyed his ministry. He was the moderator of a whole denomination of one of the most conservative denominations in Africa, in Southern Africa. He crawled the way we decided to choose him, the two of us brothers. They were so wicked that it's a little bit beyond comprehension. I mean, you can't believe what these boys did. They would walk into a pub, a bar, you know, where there's drinking going on as young teenage boys. And they would walk in there and throw do anything to get a fight and the whole place smashed up. The father would have to come to the station. Oh, the humiliation of this godly father. These boys didn't care what the consequences even if they had died pursuing sin, so long as they had a good fight. They loved fighting. It was so bad, they actually created a bomb, a physical bomb at a Christian convention. You've got to be wicked. And this bomb was so terrifying. And they got all these, it was so terrible that the whole place just stopped in the meeting. People were screaming, running out into the field screaming. They thought terrorists had come or something terrible, things that happened in Africa. Well, these boys went on and on. And they came to Christ one day. They came to themselves. And they found Jesus. And they are so godly that I'm careful to say this, you have got to pass many, many multitudes of young people to find the godly caliber of these boys. They are so on the altar. They so serve God with every breath in their body. They're so ablaze for God. They're so refined and uncompromising. I sat with their daddy once. There he was, white. But this dear old man, I used to go and have meals with him. He had been the head of this whole denomination. Missionaries sent all over Africa. He was the head. Oh, he said, you know, the judgment of Christians in their eyes. Here I am a preacher, not only a preacher, but the moderator for conservative mission. And my children doing these things, oh, in people's eyes. Even when I walked in their homes, oh, I wept as I walked from home to home, just weeping. Why? I reasoned, I beat, I disciplined, I did everything to stop them. But nothing would work. And so I let them go. I took my hands off. There was a moment I just took hands off. I said no word. You see, in Ecclesiastes, it says there's a time to be born, a time to die. Everything, there's a time. There's a time to speak. There's a time to reframe from speaking. There's a time you become conscious, don't speak. It's going to make things worse. He said, I stopped speaking, Keith. I stopped disciplining. I stopped challenging. And they shamed me and disgraced me. But I didn't say it. I just let them go. I let go. And I prayed and I fasted and I held on to the promises of God, clinging to them. And then one promise came, one little section, perhaps you would say it's out of its context, where Paul speaks of how he has to die so that they may live. He's willing to, that death works in him, that life may work in others. He said, I took that and I realized God just wants me to die, die to self, die to everybody's judgments, die to everything that's been thought of, just die to my righteous father who has to have authority, who wants love for me. I just died to self, died to everything. Because I felt God was promising me that if I'm willing to just do this and be quiet and let them go, not into fear, just pray, look to him, they will live. And I held on to those verses and they sought God one day, both together. And they didn't seek God in a way that took years. In one moment, brother, when they stood from their knees away, they sought God. They were everything I ever wanted my children to be. The Holy Ghost can do that in one moment. He didn't need years, brother. I look at them now and I just worship God. But I lost years of life. I admit it. He's not an old man and he's busy dying. Well, oh, I wish I had time for all this, but I'm not going to do that. You see, I've got a conscience. About time, sometimes. Anyway, you can be sure, parents, they will come to the end of it. Now, I'm going to shock you from what I close with. I have been in many homes in the last 39 years of preaching, full time, almost every day of my life. I have been in many towns, many homes, and I have been in many, many, many, many homes from a young preacher where parents were weeping, aging, sorrowing, confused, staggering in their faith at what was going on in their children's lives. And at some point, in my praying, I became conscious of something horrific. God was answering my prayers. Does that shock you? Yes, it will shock you. It made me say these words to parents, I don't know how many hundreds of homes. Trust me, it was many multitudes of homes the devil got in to a child that was destroying that home. And I would say, listen, I'm going to pray a prayer, but don't say amen. Don't agree with it unless you really mean it, because it's going to cost you if God answers this prayer. And I have prayed basically these words, Father, Father, in thy sovereignty and wisdom, do anything, no matter what the consequences, no matter what the cost, to make this child or these children come to themselves now and seek God to save them desperately in a way they will never ever go back to sin. Do it now, do anything, even if it means that they die, because God, to be scared of thee touching a child in any adverse way, and they live and go to hell because we didn't allow thee to, that would be falling. And I know, God, that thy most cruel blow on a human is perfect love, more love than any father or mother could feel for a child in eternity. God has for every sinner. And I know thy will not do anything that isn't out of love, and so will the sinner know whatever thou does do, even if they die within hours of this prayer, they'll know God did it in love. Do it in a way they'll know why thou did it. Do it in a way, God, that'll make them, make them seek thee desperately to find thee. No matter what it is, they have to seek thee now. They can't go another step further. Do anything, God. You see, we're scared God will touch their finances in this world and start battling and lose their home. We're scared God will touch their job, their workplace. We're scared God will touch their health. Oh, no, God, please, no, not my son. You remember David? Oh, a father and a mother are wonderful things, children. You know, David wanted his father dead. He's not the only child that wanted his father dead. He lived for his father's death. He was so evil. But do you know that David, when he was in Joab, Joab, he says, and he said, be patient with the child. He didn't want her to come to that boy. He was so staggered when he heard he had died, been killed. Oh, Absalom, what a God, I had died. Oh, a father and a mother are wonderful things, you know, even if you want them dead and try to kill them like that boy was. That's how evil a son can, and he was a man after God's own heart, with a son like that. Don't tell me it was an evil home that produced it. No, that was the choice, the free will of man. Absalom's soul was Satan, don't doubt it, and evil. Oh, be careful, David. Spare the child. Don't hurt him. No, to say God, it doesn't matter what, I give thee permission. No, God, no. I ask thee to do what's necessary that my child is not missing for eternity in heaven while he still has a breath in his world. Thou wilt do me a singular favor. I've known a few homes that wouldn't say amen. They wouldn't even shut their eyes. One man was a little bit angry with me, but most of the homes did pray, did say amen, some weeping. Over the years, and I'm not speaking about the last little while, every single home I prayed in, God hit those children within days, some within minutes after we said amen. They died, but seeking God, given enough chance just to get right with God, one looked at me as she died. This is what God had to do to answer your prayer. Thank you from my heart for praying it, and I'm going to heaven, not hell. Not everyone died. Most God spared, though he hit them hard. Oh, he hit them hard. I can't think of one that doesn't walk with God, where we all said amen, apart from the last little while that we're still giving God a chance to answer the prayer. I want to ask every one of you something that'll shock you. Those of you that are willing to pray such a prayer for the sake of the eternal safety of a soul you say you love, and who desperately need to, and know, do anything, God, to bring my son, my daughter, to himself, when he comes to himself, to see the poverty of sin, and to be saved, and to come to God. Of course, the broader context of this parable, it's far more implications than what I've brought in the finer context this morning, which is, I've never heard a preacher do, but it's in the context. Christ was asking us, to put ourselves into someone's shoes like that, to get something, a glimpse of what God feels. Of course, it's God, and his love, and his compassion, waiting for the sinner, who will forgive utterly, and honor that soul when he comes home to Christ. In ways, you and I don't regard value, spiritual values, in the light of all the scriptures. We can't go into the broader context for time. Don't say that I omitted it, though. I'd hate to be called a heretic, and by godly anyway. Every one of you that would pray for your child in such a way, and desperately needs to, and wants to, and knows that God is confronting you today, and knows that God is perfect love, and will only do what is vitally necessary to answer your prayer. But he'll do it, if it's necessary, in obligation to this book, and its promises. Those of you that know God speaking to them, and would pray that prayer, please stand right now, and I'm going to pray for you. I'm only asking once, for your children. The rest, even if it's your children sitting beside you, hearing you, they're not judging you, parents. My word, how do you judge a parent after a sermon like this? Being willing to pray to this as a last resort in love for your soul. Well, they won't judge you. They may tremble, till the day they die. They may never forget this prayer, this tremulous, but they won't judge you. All of you standing, will you pray aloud with me, please? And the rest, if you possibly can in your heart say amen, please do. Father, forgive me, where I have failed thee, as a parent, but I come to thee this morning, knowing that God has seen my heart, my motives, even when I was failing. Lord, in my exasperation toward my children, wash me in the blood of Christ. From everything I said, every reaction I showed, it was not utterly Christ-like, and wise, and help my children to understand that even those failures were coming from a heart that loved them. I pray with every faculty of my being, in utter integrity, and in perfect faith, that thou in love will bring my child to his or her senses, to himself, that thou will do anything, as a sovereign God, that in thy wisdom and love, does no one make a child repent, come to their senses, and seek thee desperately. Thou art God, and I know thou can do this, and I ask thee from my heart, trusting, with no doubt, that thy cruelest blow will be from a heart of perfect love, and perfect wisdom, in the light of eternity. Do anything, Lord, no matter what it costs, to make my child seek God for salvation, in such a way that they truly will be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the workings of his Holy Spirit, through faith. Let me leave this building, without fears, without doubts of God's goodness, but with peace, that all things will eventually work together, for good, to my life, even concerning my children, we've got God's intervention, as I am believing for now, and if my child is spared, use them mightily, in this world, with a vengeance against the enemy, who has so hurt them up to now, in Jesus Christ's name, he who tasted death for every man, amen. Can we all stand please, can I ask you all one other thing, if you are the prodigal, why aren't you on your knees right now, after this sermon, how could you not be on your knees, child, after this sermon, I want you to answer your own conscience, not even God, just your own conscience, before you leave this building, the way you came in today, and tonight, I'm going to bring probably the most explosive sermon I've ever brought in my life, and trust me, they were explosive, over the years, and 99.999% of the sermons are scriptures, that's why it's explosive, because if you can't accept what I'm going to preach tonight, you don't want God's way, so will you pray for me, my harshest word with rub with love, God's love, otherwise I'm in trouble with God preaching such a thing, even if it is word, that somehow offense will not be taken, but there will be a bowing in every heart tonight, from the oldest man to the youngest child, because who is saying these things, so we're having lunch now, I believe, and I think from what I remember, it's a lovely spread, all that comes, so we're going to have a lovely time of fellowship, be careful, don't let the devil use you to go near anybody in this building, it doesn't need any light talk right now, to take God's voice away, no matter who you are, you don't have to always be laughing, you don't have to always be happy, if you're not saved, please, please don't wait for God to have to hurt you in love, because of this message, if you commit us to God in prayer, no further appeals though, our Father in heaven, we thank you for the message we've heard this morning, and we believe you have met with us, Lord, we believe you have convicted us, you have challenged us, and we thank you, Father, for it, we ask God again, that you would cover us in the blood of the Lord Jesus, cover our fellowship around the tables in the blood, bind the powers of Satan, even in the atmosphere above this church and around these properties, Lord, let not one bit of foolishness be able to be carried on, and have our hearts be kept Godward today, Lord, we pray for the sealing of these words, Father, and we pray for these young people, Father, in our midst too, please, Lord Jesus, for Christ's sake, we plead their behalf, their lives would count for eternity, in Jesus' name we pray, Amen.