In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the parable of the prodigal son to illustrate God's love for the lost. He asks the audience to put themselves in the shoes of a father whose son chooses a life of sin and rebellion. The preacher emphasizes the father's integrity and the son's decision to distance himself from that integrity. The sermon highlights the contrast between God's love and mercy for sinners and the lack of compassion shown by the religious leaders of the time. Overall, the sermon aims to reveal a glimpse of God's heart and his overwhelming love for the lost.

God bless you deeply, good brother, for letting me come and to be in your pulpit. Can we have a short prayer, please? Can we just bow before our God, our Saviour? O God, we thank Thee that in Thy grace, in Thy mercy, Thou didst give us Jesus, the Christ, God, the Son, that God's blood flowed. We bless Thee for the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, that cleanses us from all sin. For without that cross, none of us would have anything to embrace, that He was even slightly intelligent. But from this book, our hearts know that this was the Son of God, and that He died and tasted death for every man, and that it was His will that all should come to the knowledge of the truth, that none should perish, that He gave Himself a ransom for all, who tasted death for every man. We bless Thee for such statements in this holy book. We bless Thee that tonight, as we gather in the name of Jesus, there might not be crowds, but because of the promises of God, which we believe. If two or three of you are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst. We bless Thee that Christ, the Creator of the entire universe, by one word, Christ the Saviour who died for all men, Christ the coming judge of all men, for every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, no matter what they said on this earth, He is Lord. We bless Thee that in His wonderful name, we can ask Thee to visit us, to cleanse me in the holy blood of God, to fill me with the Holy Spirit, to take the holy Bible, the holy word of God, and to help us to bow before our God tonight in reverential fear and love and obedience. Speak, Lord, through Thy holy word, in Jesus the Christ's name, for His glory alone, Amen. Luke 15, 11, and he said, a certain man had two sons, a certain man had two sons. Something's gone wrong, we'll have to wait, is it all okay? If it's too loud, please tell me. If I need to shout, tell me now, am I all right, it mustn't echo, but brother, if you leave it like that, I'll shout, then you won't have an echo. And he said, a certain man had two sons, and the younger of them, the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me, and he, he divided unto them, 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 his substance, wasted his substance with riotous living, and when he had spent all, when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want, 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, 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 would 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, make me as one of thy hired servants, make me as one of thy hired servants, and he arose, he arose and came to his father, but when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him, and the son said unto him, father, I have sinned, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, bring forth the best, bring forth the best robe and put it on him, put it on him, and put a ring, 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. For this, my son was dead and is alive again. He was lost, 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, 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, thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf because he had received him safe and sound, and he was angry, he was angry and would not go in. Therefore, 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, was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted 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, it was right that we should make merry and be glad, for this, thy brother was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found. Now, beloved, in the broader context, in the broader context of this parable, Jesus attempts to show us a glimpse of God's love. In the broader context of this parable, Jesus attempts in a heart-rending way, a heart-rending way to show us just a glimpse of God's love and mercy and longing and compassion to the lost, to sinners, to the wicked, who serve the devil, who serve sin. In the broader context of the parable, Christ attempts to show us something in a heart-rending way of God's love for the lost, as opposed to, in contrast and as opposed to, the Pharisees, the religious teachers of Israel, who were merciless to the wicked, who ostracized, had no compassion, there was no compassion, there was a merciless, ostracizing, judgmental attitude toward the lost and the wicked. So, in the broader context, the elder brother that Jesus is speaking about, in the context he's speaking of, represents the Pharisees, their attitude, they who believed they were serving God and had the right to serve God and were prepared and trained to serve God, they who stood serving God in the ordained religion of God on earth were the furthest thing there was on earth from the true heart of God to those they thought they were called to minister to. They were the furthest from the heart of God that there was, and they believed they were serving God. And let me assure you, the Pharisees are alive and well on planet earth today. But tonight, I don't want us just to look at the broader context, I want us to look at the finer context, because throughout the Scriptures, you will find there's the broader context of every passage, and there's the finer context. If you don't know that, you miss the heart of God on every page. There's always the broader context, there's always the finer context. Tonight, I want us to look at the finer context of this parable, to do what Christ initially was asking of them and of us, because God knew of the billions throughout the ages that would hear these words. And nothing is in this book, nothing is in this book that isn't given by God-weighed to give man a glimpse of his heart. Something of the heart of God has to be revealed, or you're missing the mark. Even if you're reading all the baguettes and the baguettes and the baguettes, go through the book a few hundred times, you won't be able to get past them as God reveals his heart. Now, in the finer context, Christ initially, to give us something, just a glimpse, because God's love is beyond comprehension. It is beyond human comprehension in its fullness. But to give you and I and the multitudes who heard this parable a glimpse of God's love for the lost in a staggering way, he initially asks of them and of us to put ourselves into the shoes of a man, of a father. And that we all can do, even if you're a child. You can understand, you can grasp, you can identify by placing ourselves into the situation, into the circumstances, into the shoes of a man of integrity, a good man, a good father of great integrity, whose son, whose son chose to pursue a life of sin with no restriction. That far country was as far away as he could get from even a look from that integrity in his father's eyes. He wanted nothing, nothing. He wanted sin with both hands, with every faculty of his being, and he wanted to get to the furthest point on earth where there was anything that could even restrict his conscience or condemn him. He wanted sin. To place ourselves for a moment in the finer context, but the true context, Christ is asking, is making us, anyone who has a hope in art to God, identify with this father, place ourselves in his circumstance and shoes. And the safest way to read a parable, because you can't spiritualize parables, is to look at the broader and the finer context in the light of the rest of the scriptures on exactly what Christ is speaking about. And you'll be stunned how much of the scriptures strewn with a father, whose son, right from the Old Testament, and what God says, what God reveals, whose son, whose child chooses sin, though his father is godly and integrity. Years ago, when I came to America a few times, this is the 30th tour I've done of your country, sometimes to small gatherings, sometimes to thousands, sometimes to 20, 30,000, God has been very good to me, to bring me to the conservative pulpits of your land. And the conservative pulpits of virtually every denomination and movement have been so open to bring me across to this land to preach. But after just a few occasions, a few times of coming through to your land, I stayed in a Baptist home, one of the pastors of a very, very, very large church in New York. And this pastor had a lot of children. He didn't have a family, he had a tribe. The Americans like to do that, especially the conservatives in the Bible bouts, it seems. But he had a genuine tribe of children, lovely, from about that eyes right down. And he was driving me from the house, which is 40 minutes away from the church, he was driving me with the children all behind, and I was sitting beside him. And as we were going to the church, he said, let's sing, children, let's sing for Brother Keith. So I braced myself and expected a lovely hymn or something, being deeply conservative. Suddenly, they began to sing in a way that I was stunned. I certainly was stunned. The harmony, the perfection, the depth of the old hymns of our faith, nothing of the shallow, sentimental, little repeated verses for half an hour that leave you stone cold. But hymns that were written when they were virtually written in blood. No wonder there was depth, that this is the first generation buries them and says it's not good enough for the youth. Oh, what have we done? These young children were singing a hymn, an old hymn of the faith, but they sang from their souls to such a degree, as I looked around at their countenances, there was a joy and it wasn't a soul. These children were singing to God with such joy in what they were singing, the way they were singing, in the sanctified way they were singing, but the beauty. He must have had them singing all the time, and when he's not looking, they're still singing. From the smallest one, there was a harmony. It was uncanny. It was beautiful. I thought to myself, these children should go on a tour of the whole world right now, the conservatives, the liberals won't have them. It's boring, and they're so far from God, they wouldn't discern that this is God. But I thought, wow, what pulpits would open that I've preached in across this world to this family if they knew what this family was. When they were finished, I said to the father, after a moment or two of quietness, brother, you are deeply privileged by God, greatly honored by God to have children like this that serve the Lord and the Father. I thought, brother, I think I have a bit of discernment. They weren't singing for you or to please you. They were singing from their hearts, and as I looked at their countenances, these children love Christ with every faculty of their being. These children serve God, not with a heavy heart, having to sing an old hymn of the faith. They're filled with God's joy and the way they sing. Oh, brother, your children love Christ, and not every Christian home, not every pastor in this world, even of conservative churches, have children that all love God like this and unitedly serve God without hesitation in something they love, unitedly to do for the glory of God and in such a sanctified way. I said, brother, you are honored having children who serve the Lord like this with such joy and so beautifully. Suddenly, he shook us all in the car as he looked at me with an open mouth at what I was saying, and then just groaned, such a groan that I was undone and those children were undone because I don't think they'd ever heard their father groan in agony. It was a groan that was like ripping his soul apart as he suddenly burst into tears. Now, beloved, if you see a lady weeping, that is something that I can't, I just can't handle, but if a man, if a man breaks in brokenness, agonizing, sobbing, this man said words that staggered me to this day. He said, oh God, oh God, let me die. I beg thee. Please don't let it whistle, brother. I'll shout, but don't let it whistle. I beg thee, God, let me die. In Jesus Christ's name, let me die. Rather than to live, to see any of my children ever entering the devil's houses, choosing to enter the devil's houses, to feast from the devil's tables, what the devil's children feast on to be satisfied, oh God, let me die, than to live to ever witness one of my children, one of my children do that. And he sobbed. I didn't turn to look at their countenances. That was a moment of the vault of that family's privacy that was too sacred for anyone to look to what is now on their countenances. I didn't have to, but deathly silence all the way to that church. As we got out, I watched as they got out. Not one, not one looked up. Not one uttered a word. They all looked down as they walked in deathly silence from that car without looking at each other. After having heard their father say with such groaning the words they had heard him, if one of them chose sin, what he desired from his soul, it shook them. It shook them. I had been coming to your country numbers of times. When a man walked up to me, that was, every one of you will know him, I staggered to see who he was that had been in the meeting where I was preaching. Oh, I had seen numbers of some of the world's greatest preachers coming to hear this old man. I still can't work out how they ever were in the meetings. I bless God for that. Men whose books I've read, men whose books you've got. But when this man walked forward, and I don't think anybody realized he was there, it staggered me as I realized who I'm speaking to. I've come a long way to hear you preach here tonight. I've heard your ministry on videos, those days, tapes and videos, and I've wondered about you because I've heard your uncompromising preaching. Almost every sermon, just quoting books of the Bible, hundreds of verses on different topics, with no apology that God said such things. And I've wondered, whoa, what happened when he preached that in that building? No one, no one dares to quote all these scriptures without any apology or explanation, just unadulterated what God said and gets away with it. I've watched doors close on you. I've watched movements close on you. I've watched denominations close on you. I've heard, everyone has heard who knows of your ministry, and yet I've watched you come back and no compromise, no apology, no thought of let's see the next denomination close on you. You just bring the Word of God. And brother, I came a long way to tell you this. I fear for you. I genuinely fear for you, brother Daniel. You see, if the devil can't get you, if he can't touch you, he's going to aim at your children. He isn't going to just aim a little bit more than other children. He's going to bombard them a thousand times more than any other Christian homes because of what you're doing, because of what he sees. He's going to bombard your children a thousand times more than other children in Christian homes because he knows that if he can get one of your children, brother Daniel, just one, he'll have you on your face, crawling, sorrowing, weeping, groaning, aging. Till the day you die, he'll have you on your face if he can get one of your children. And tears poured down his face as his little lips were quivering, looking at me. Don't doubt this, brother Daniel. He's busy already. You had better enter into warfare, and I came here to warn you from my soul so that you're not on your face for the rest of your life at what the devil's trying right now. He walked away, never saw him again. That's all he wanted to ever say to this old man as many years ago. I wondered about him, why he wept, why his lips trembled as he told me. I wondered about him, what he had tasted because of his children that made him come all that way to tell me only that. Years ago, nearly 40 years ago when I was a young preacher, there was a godly man and woman who asked me to preach in a particular city in my country where God just seemed to break out in a most amazing way. The throngs that came from all over that city to fill that auditorium and the many who found Christ just seeking God all over was just a deep, staggering moment for that church. That allowed a young fellow in their pulpit, but God came, I believe, because of their prayers. There's a moment if you just hang on, God will come. He has a holy obligation. I believe it was their prayers far more than a young fellow who had more fire than wisdom. The years went by, I didn't realize it, how many years go by in what is called a moment called life. That's all you've got. It's a moment. Suddenly, through the door at the beginning of this year in some conference I was speaking in, there was this bent man with his gray hair and wrinkled face and the same as his wife. I realized who they were, hadn't seen them all these years, Abe and Beryl Liebenberg. We sat, we talked, I asked about their children. They had delightful little fellows, Derek and Graham. Tears welled up in their eyes. Then they said, you haven't heard about children? No. When they were young and in their teenage years, beginning of their teenage, we had no reason to doubt their testimony. We had no reason to be fearful of them. We believed them. They were good children. They didn't argue to come to church. They were involved. But one day, Graham, the younger of the two, said to his brother Derek, and they were inseparable. Oh, from childhood, they were inseparable. One day, young Graham looked up to Derek and said as a teenager, I'm going to taste the world. What do you mean? Mother and father have so protected us that we've never ever had a choice of our own. I want to taste for myself what they have kept us from. I want to go and just look at the other side of the fence. We've never been allowed to even venture near with the protected way they brought us up. I'm going to go and taste the world, to choose for myself, not to be chosen for by mother and father. Derek was so broken, if I can remember rightly, and I believe this is right, the mother said he got on his knees and began to weep, holding him, begging him, don't do this. Don't do this to father and mother, you'll kill them. Graham said these words. I made up my mind long ago. Long ago, I knew I was going to. Nothing's going to stop me. I've reached the age now they can't stop me. They're not going to stop me. And as his brother wept and plead, he said, listen, it's just for a while. It won't be for long. I know deep down mother and father are right, but I need to choose for myself. I need to taste the world. I'm going to the other side, just for a little while. I'll come back to what I know is right. But I'm going. I need to do this. Fifteen years later, he lay in the gutters, a drunk with drugs and addicted. Fifteen years later, he was enslaved from a young fellow to things he tasted that he thought you can just play the fool with. Oh, don't give the devil a little rope, young people. He has no mercy, especially if he sees it's not only you, but your parents. He's going to wipe them down, age them, get them weeping. No joy in the house. Fearful of whether you're dead or alive. Oh, even when he got married, what he put his wife through and his children in his drunkenness and his aggressiveness, whenever he became drunk, his whole nature, his character changed. What they went through, everybody suffered that had any decency that loved him or wasn't him. And then, one day, Derek, who had grown up, gone to England, gone to Manchester, some theological seminar, went out as a missionary. So many souls had come to God through young Derek, the elder brother. He, from a boy, just loved God, served God, wanted to win the world to God, witnessed, prayed. Oh, suddenly, this young missionary, weeks, two weeks before his wife gave birth to their first child, he didn't even see it, he died. Cut off. No warning. God doesn't warn most of us how long we've even got to serve him. This was such a shock to Graham. In the memorial service, there was a coffin of his brother, all the people who had any contact with the family thronging to this church building, and the mother and father, Beryl and Abe, sitting in the front row in front of their dead son, their young dead son's coffin. And down the aisle came Graham, broken. Oh, sin puts a scar forever. You don't get away with sin. He came, this broken man, weeping. He had to come a long way to get to that memorial funeral service. He knelt beside his mother and father in the aisle, and with a loud voice, he began to weep aloud, sobbing, groaning in front of his brother's body. The brother that had fasted for weeks on end, not eating for weeks, fasting for his brother, begging him, dragging him whenever he came near to any service, just looking at him, praying, longing that he'd just open his eyes and see the poverty and turn to Christ. Oh, here's his brother, dead, not his prayers, his fasting, nothing was answered. He died without seeing his brother, who he so loved, ever come out of serving the devil and the Satan's territory. This boy said to his mother, with a loud voice, Mother, Father, forgive me. I don't know why, but I beg you, forgive me what I did to you, what I did to him, what I put you all through. Father, Mother, forgive me. I was wicked, I was evil, I have poor myself. Mother, I can't pray to God to save me. You pray for me. I believe in your prayers, Mother. I want you to ask God to save me like he saved Derek. I want to be saved in a way that I can fill the gap of his life. I want to be what he was from today to the day I die, and I want God to do that, Mother. Pray for God to save me in such a way that the gap this world has now that he's gone will be filled from today, from my life. He wept as his mother cried out to God there in the funeral for God to hold on their knees, God save him, God save him. They don't want you, apart from those who want to turn to God because of you. He lost every friend virtually he had in life in one day, one moment. It didn't take weeks to tell them. He stopped drink, he stopped the drugs, he stopped everything that was wrong. He went out, went into the missing field where his brother was. He had won so many souls to God that his mother said it is beyond comprehension that God could take one life and bring so many multitudes in such a short time. Last year, 29 years of touring America for 10 weeks of non-stop preaching, every fourth day flying to the next state, just over 22 towns, I think, last year in the 10 weeks of preaching. At the end of the tour, I sat alone in JFK, and I sat in silence and with a heavy heart. I'll tell you why, because I sat down and began to think of this tour last year. Whenever I preach for over 30 years, I don't know why God does it, but he puts me into the godliest of the godliest of the godliest of the godliest homes there is in the whole area. I have no doubt left. When I go, I know I'm going straight to where God has always put me, and I am privileged to know that. It's the godliest that took this man in this world and gave me their pulpits and their homes. I have been privileged, but in spite of being in the godliest of the godliest homes there are in this land, don't doubt it. I'm not exaggerating. Go visit them if you want their addresses, and then argue if you think it's possible. They're not the godliest of the godliest of God's people that house me and stand with me from when I was a young man to this day for some reason. You see, they want the word. Hallelujah. With the exception of two homes on that tour last year, every home was weeping as godly as they were. Every home was sorrowing and grieving because one or two of the children had chosen to leave the values of that home. The respect was gone of the daddy and the mother and those in the home, and the hatred had come as they had chosen to serve Satan in the godliest of homes. In two of those homes, the parents told me they had to push the child out of the door and beg him never to come back. The one father said, don't come back till I'm dead. This is a godly man. How can a man say that if he's godly? If you could beat your own mother in your anger at anyone who tries to stop you or restrict you. If you could do this to your own mother, get out, get out and never come back till I die unless you repent and come to Jesus Christ or never come near this home again. If you could do that to your mother and to your sisters in one of the homes, physically, who try to stop him, with the exception of two homes, the godliest weeping in the world in the last days, everything Christ said would happen is happening. Even what Christ said and the book says would happen to children and the homes of the godliest. Ecclesiastes 12 verse 1 warns, remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not. Nor the years drawn nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them. I have no pleasure in what I did to you father and mother and him. Oh they'll come. Don't play the fool with this enemy. He doesn't play the fool with anyone who gives him half a chance of destroying his life and everyone near you to make them grow old. Be careful. Be careful. Oh be careful beloved. Jesus warns in Matthew 10 verse 35 that the gospel will set a man at variance against his father. Please don't let it echo brother. Or is it this? Set a man at variance against his father. The gospel will set a man at variance against his father. The daughter against her mother. Jesus said I haven't come to bring peace on this world. Think not. Don't believe that. I don't believe God said that with anything but a broken heart knowing. But Christ is true. He doesn't lie. What he says is what happens. Do you think Christian homes just have happy endings? Oh no. The devil can just get one of the godliest homes. A man's enemies become the members of his own household Christ says through this gospel. That's what's going to happen. He didn't say it with a smile. He said it with such a grief because he's love and he's God. But he knew what would happen with his terrifying enemy even in godly homes because of the free will of man. Take away the free will of man. There's nothing to preach. Nothing. Micah 7 verse 6 the son dishonoreth the father speaking prophesying of the gospel dispensation. Which Christ quoted the son dishonoreth the father the daughter rises up against her mother. A man's enemies are the men of his own household. 2 Timothy 3 verse 1 this know also. This know also that in the last days in the last days and if you don't know it we're there I pity you. I doubt you've ever read through the Bible once. If you don't know we're there. This know that in the last days perilous times shall come dangerous literally. For men shall be lovers of their own selves. They won't love other people. They won't care about what is normal to love unnatural brute beasts. When you give yourself to the devil you love just yourself and you hate people you should love if you had one eye out of integrity. That's what the devil makes of you. Be careful. Be careful. Men shall be lovers of their own selves disobedient to parents unthankful unholy fierce. Despises of those that are good even if it's your father don't dare believe. Because he's your father you won't despise him or your mother you won't be fierce and unholy and unthankful. Disobedient to parents if they're good. Oh a foolish son is the calamity of his father. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 19 the word there is the nation the destruction of his father. Do you think Eli died because the ark was taken to Philistine? No that didn't kill him his sons murdered him with their lives. He died for no other reason but the wickedness of his sons. He died. He couldn't take another blow. Oh horror that came as a result of their wickedness upon him. Oh Proverbs 30 verse 17 God condemns the eye that mocketh his father. Despises his mother God says who cursed father and cursed mother. Proverbs 20 verse 20 God tells you what children can do when they give themselves to Satan. God doesn't play the fool with his words he grieves and his wrath and his condemnations upon it. The day of judgment is just one moment young man young woman. Don't think you've got long to do this to them. There is a generation God's word says that curseth father and mother. I believe God was speaking of this generation. After 40 years of seeing what's going on in godly homes to godly people from godless wicked children. Who through their free will chose the devil rather than the God of their father and mother. Oh beloved if our children leave us for the far country if our children leave us for the far country. It does not necessarily mean they leave us physically like this boy did to the father the prodigal. I think there's something far more in depth than the blight of all the scriptures that God is saying. As you weigh up everything God says about when a child leaves the values of the home the respect of his father. When you lose him for the world or her. Oh I think it doesn't necessarily mean when a child is left and lives and chosen the far country. The furthest he can get from your influence. The tragedy is it doesn't necessarily mean it very seldom means a physical departure. That's the cruelty of it. Watching you suffer watching you grieve. They go on in your home in the far country that's the cruelty of it. We become conscious that our son or our daughter. We become conscious or aware that our son or our daughter has left us. Has chosen the far country the devil's territory the devil's land his places. We become conscious when we look at their choices. And you cannot ever not see them the day they've left you. By the friends they choose. Proverbs 1 verse 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 my son. What father doesn't cry this when he sees temptation coming or the possibility. Psalm 1 verse 1 blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. He's never influenced by the ungodly. Nor standeth in the way of sinners he never goes where sinners go for their satisfaction. Nor sits in the seat of the scornful he never sits with those who scorn those even youth. There's always the scorners don't you dare believe. There's not but oh blessed is the person the young person that doesn't choose to sit with them and start scorning. Those who are godly who are young ostracizing undermining and whispering shaking their head despising them scorners delight in their scorning. God says but his delight a man who's blessed by God is in the law of the Lord. He doesn't delight in what sinners delight in. He's delight is in the law of the Lord in his Lord of he meditate there's no hurry because there's nothing more important in his Lord of he meditate day and night. A child has no love for God. A child has no love for God if he or she does not delight in the scriptures daily. A child has no love for God. If he or she does not delight in the scriptures daily no love you become conscious your child has left you for the far country. They're in the far country not when they leave physically but who they choose their choices their friends by what they identify with be not conformed to this world. God says through Paul to Christians what is he warning us have you ever really weighed up what he's saying there in the light of all scriptures. Literally do not imitate the godless that's Greek exact be not conformed abstain from all appearance of evil rings true to this. Oh although not don't imitate those who are evil in any way. Don't be influenced to imitate them beloved all who are godly across this world. We have children are beginning to realize with fear that the choice of clothing or hairstyles are no longer just a fashion is no such a thing as a fashion lift in this world. The world so wicked choice of clothing and hairstyles have nothing to do with just a fashion. They are a definite statement with a child has chosen to be who the child has chosen to imitate and belong to that. Who do you identify with young people with the champions of our faith the George Muellers the Hudson Taylors or with some godless entertainer or film star who do you identify with. Oh we become conscious our children have left for the far country by the places they frequent and choose and we find out even if they try and hide the devil will make sure you find out not God. Does to destroy you your joy and make you lie through the night aging and weeping until you find out where your child is going and he says he's going to a friend. We only go to a friend of the devil to break your heart. While the godly youth cry I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell and to live in the tents of wickedness where there's wickedness going on 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. Oh does your heart young person cry I would rather dwell in the tents of wickedness. Is that written across your heart your face your words your attitude the spirit you carry the way you look the way you resent being taken to church. I would rather dwell in the tents of wickedness with a devil's children than to be forced by my parents always to frequent the house of God to be with these boring young people that say everything's wrong. What's written across you young man young lady we know our children have left for the far country left us for the far country. When you sense that your child does not grieve at the evils of this world but rather the defend they identify and defend all with highfalutin words and even with a smile of dignity sometimes but they don't grieve. Who knowing the judgment of God knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that doing knowing God condemns that they do it they want it and they have pleasure. That makes their judgment something evil something horrific double doubly evil to know that your mother and father do what you have done and it soothes to enjoy the company of those who do these things God and your parents grieve it. But oh the sorrow when a parent is forced to let the child go now this is staggering did you notice that this father of great integrity that Christ was referring to somehow give us something of a glimpse of God's love. This father let him go he didn't stop him he actually gave him money don't believe the father woke up to a shock when the son was gone he knew long before I believe even before the money was given he had lost his boy was in the far country long before. Oh when that boy asked for the money he knew he's gone he's gone but he gave it he didn't stop he didn't protest he didn't beg he didn't interfere he didn't start trying to discipline say wait I know what you're going to know he gave the heart of a father even God while you pursue the devil. For your well-being but God still provides young person to make it his reign to fall in the sun to shine on the evil and the good in his love there's something of a compassion upon the wicked to give him time not to let him be destroyed in his folly. We gave him what we needed the earthly father or heavenly father the love of God is beyond comprehension the love of a father but he let him go let him go I know two people in my country that served for many years in the mission field Keith Watterson and Darlene. Darlene was a young Christian with me when we all first saved wanted to be a missionary so we all went to Bible school first and all lovely people they became the head of the missionary society I served God in for over 40 years now they had three children delightful children when they were small we all loved them but suddenly it's just an age oh we all stopped in shock. Before each one of them were born their mother and father had dedicated them to full-time service with all their hearts wanting them to one day serve God as their mother and father did as missionaries or preachers but these children all chose the devil at some point growing up in a God-fearing home doesn't mean you're God-fearing. Growing up in conservative churches doesn't mean you won't be tempted by godless children from God-fearing homes to become godless. When I prayed for my children after that man warned me I used to wake up in the nights across America and other countries for one reason the jolt just begin to groan to God to protect my children from other Christians children because being in a God-fearing home doesn't make that child fear God the devil just needs to get him here my child with his spirit what he's listening to what he's doing you know by the music your child is listening to. Whether they're in the far country oh you these little earphones or something you know they can smile you think they're listening to hymns oh what is your choice of music of books of videos DVDs televisions if you have such a thing what do you choose young people we know by their choices and if they come near my child I used to pray God keep him away. Godly people you aren't godly don't get near my child to show a seed that's all the devil needs is a seed and my child could be destroyed to the day he dies morally that's all the devil needs is one seed of evil he's so powerful all he needs is one seed. Oh these two their children thrown into the world they protested they disciplined they wept they argued they stood in those children until it was so devastating that the mother said go go it only makes it worse we're not stopping you anymore but remember this all three of you your choices you will be accountable to God. One day because it wasn't what we showed you it wasn't our choices you will give account to God yourselves for the choices you've made in spite of having parents like this but we're not going to fight anymore because you're just getting more and more angry and you're hating us now. So go but mother and father will fast you pray we'll hang on to God until you get saved by his grace all three children came to a moment where they came to themselves and saw the bankruptcy of sin you are bankrupt when you serve the devil and you know it even in laughter the heart is sorrowful God the lie that even you try and lie to yourself there's no such a thing. As a sinner there's no peace to the wicked don't doubt it that laughter you sit with them when you walk away you look at their face when they turn from you let alone in the night the agony of the emptiness the bankruptcy of sin there's no such a thing as happiness of truth happiness serving the devil even if you're a teenager. All day came to themselves all three children as the mother and father clung to God and that's all we can do is pray there comes a time you stop speaking to man and all you do is speak to God and who can pray like a mother. D.R. Moody said I think Moody was wrong there I think a father who's godly can pray with the same agony through the night don't touch Moody they're writing books about him now that he was a heretic goodness me if you win what the third greatest soul win in history they now want to call a heretic because he's not exactly in line with their dead doctrine that has deadening effect. God have mercy on me whoever wrote those books God will judge you now not later on just watch the people who write and touch people like Moody and Wesley because it's not their doctrine and call them heretics etc watch them I invite you to watch what God does to them it is fearful so I'm not touching Moody I can't stand in his shadow but I disagree with him on that. Only the rest if I could emulate him will be within his shadow of a billion miles I would be grateful before I die of what God did upon this earth through that man touch him when you've won so many souls to God sir not before oh those two their three children all became missionaries their son serves God right now with my son Roy he's a missionary in Africa and he phoned me this year and said daddy this boy Keith Waterson's son is so godly. That it's unnerving to everyone he comes near including me daddy I get unnerved at the godliness that's the prayers of a mother and father Satan trembles don't think you've lost them forever if you hold on to God. That's all we can do but we let them go it doesn't mean we let them go with the one source that can turn their lives into a taste of hell on earth while we pray. Till they see the bankruptcy of what they live in and they will if you pray fast if you pray as you ought. When help the helplessness that comes in a parent when they see disciplining reasoning pleading no longer help it makes it worse you let them go you let them go and then you wait for God lovely that word wait on God you want to take a study of the Bible and be shaken to the depth of your heart. Take the word in the concordance of wait on God wait you probably got about 50 verses in the Old Testament wait on about 70% of the occasions you see the word wait on the Lord David wait upon the Lord it means wait in silence literally the Hebrew. On many occasions it just means silence silence. As you trust God be still and know that I'm God I haven't lost control but you is it time you have to be quiet and let God do the work. Wait but pray wait but pray. I know two boys. Who is so wicked that it is beyond belief that two boys from a godly home could become as wicked as these two were using and Dave could see in my country their businessmen now they're wealthy above most they just honored by God and they do so much for the kingdom. Sacrifices of what they do with all their wealth oh bless God for those boys they're off to India they're off to Ghana they're off to Zambia and they leave their businesses with their children they just want. Godly but these boys were wicked. When I first met them after a conference I've been preaching and they begged me literally to come to their home on the way back to our city from this big conference center and I said well Jenny this is my wife we can't say no to these boys the way they're begging. We better just go as tired as I am so we went we sat in their home as the two brothers with their wives and children. And I said now that I'm in your home tell me about your lives don't let's speak about anything else. I want to know how God saved you I want to hear the details one after the other that interests me I don't think much else will because I'm going to tie right soon I just want to make sure and I want to know you're saved. So they looked at each other they looked down the eyes filled with tears they were genuinely broken as they looked at me when I asked them for their testimonies of how God saved their souls from hell by saving them from sin a life of sin. Insane they started to say things that I just set up in shock the wonder was they weren't proud of these things I marveled at how many we allow in our pulpits who want to shock and they smile when they talk about the wickedness oh get them out of your pulpits for God's sake. They're not of God they're soul men they're actors go to the theater but don't ever stand up here unless you're in brokenness over your past don't ever talk about it it nailed Christ to the cross how can you stand this. These boys didn't and I looked up as I saw their brokenness and their remorse their sorrow their grief their shame as they were almost writhing remembering and they told me their daddy's name and I said your daddy is that your daddy. He's the moderator of one of the largest and most conservative missionary societies in Africa he's the moderator and the president of his denomination of a deeply conservative denomination and a godly man I didn't know him but I heard of him and you lived like that with a daddy like that. We destroyed our father we destroyed his ministry we destroyed his life and they went they were so wicked they used to go into these pubs where men would go when they were older teenage boys and break bottles. They didn't care whether they would die or got killed so long as they got in a fight drinking and drugs and their father had to come and fetch them in these terrible circumstances where even the police would look at them when they find out who their father is they would just look in shock how can a man who preaches of children like this. I once sat with their father Alzheimer's bent gaunt broken and I said I met your boys I asked them how they were saved and they told me how did you survive that brother. Tears just welled up in his eyes and came down his face. Oh brother he said I was the leader of the denomination and a mission and when I walked out of the pulpits there were always those who would whisper and look at me with judgmental eyes how can he be in the pulpit I mean the bible says how can a man have any authority of teaching the word of God of his children he can't even control his children and here I was with children living like this. The menaces under me I heard them whispering and looking and shaking their heads at me but I said to God how can I leave I'm good for nothing 40 years in the pulpit 40 years I'm this 40 over 40 percent of South Africa's population does have no work what will I get at my age I have no qualifications but to preach. If I walk from this I won't have a roof for these boys to even get them to live under a roof what am I going to do God I can't provide I'll sweep floors and that won't give money for the food. I can't leave I fasted I wept I groaned I plead I begged I beat I beat indignation is what they were doing to me but it has got worse. And then God one day I believe gave revelation to a person the bible out of its context but it was God in my grief I believe God just gave revelation where Paul says in order that life may be worked in you death is worked in me and I said God what is this to me and God whispered in my heart no voice just impressions by the Holy Ghost and I must just die. To my rights as a father of wanting obedient children I'm expecting die don't ever try and stop them die to my rights as a leader with people all shaking their heads at me just die to the opinions of men that life so I stopped fighting I stopped this awful anger and indignation and suddenly just died. I asked those boys one day what did make you seek God what actually make both of them look down and after a few minutes one and then the other verified it was our father his life condemned us the love in his eyes he said nothing whatever we brought him to to get us whatever he had to endure just that the love. The gentleness the tears but no objection no discipline no anger just love we couldn't go on we both at the same moment just said they are so godly they are probably the two godliest boys in my city young men. I think a lot of people would say the same not just me a lot of preachers would say the same. When he came to himself why were parents our prayers and I close with this thank you for not leaving and how do you preach a little sermon when your heart is so burdened at this world. He came to himself they were I was shaken as a young preacher few years in the ministry I was shaken when I realized God answered my prayers. Now that's a bit of a shame for a preacher to admit but the Lord told me years ago you're not going to be honest leave the pulpit now be useless don't come with highfalutin attitude that you just floated through I tell a lot of truthful things that took God years to make me but I do. I think most people are stunned that the preacher could honestly admit that I genuinely remember becoming frightened when I realized God was answering prayer after prayer after prayer. Most times as I prayed that God came that day in a way that is fearful you see I was called as a young preacher to go to homes where children were wicked were evil where parents were broken some I think their faith their emotions their mentality was about to be destroyed. They weren't able to survive boys who were Satanists doing things and you can't believe what homes I've been in what they were doing to the people what they were doing in the homes and somehow people would drag me to these homes and I used to have nothing to say I couldn't counsel the children they hated me and they saw me now as if it was hatred. I used to say to people from a young fellow that all I can do is pray I've got no advice or anything for you to do to survive I can just pray for you. Oh they would fly me across the country not to preach in the end just to pray. I used to pray but then I started changing my prayers I used to say to these parents one home after the other over the years through to this year right across your country already I will pray for you but don't say amen don't agree. Unless you count the cost of what we're praying and you really want it no matter what the cost but at two or three and sometimes that's why God says one's not enough two are not enough mother and father someone because your faith is so blown away and staggered you're so weary you need a third one and faith functions again but God is in the holy obligation. When he promises if two or three of you agree touching anything that's the will of my father in my name it shall be done God puts himself in a holy obligation that's not sacrilege to say that it would be sacrilege not to say it. How do you think faith could ever come unless God puts himself in a holy obligation but conditions are there all the way through I've said to home after home don't pray don't say amen don't agree if you don't want this because God does this. And I pray virtually word perfect God thou art love God doesn't love he is love to comprehend that is beyond us but his harshest cruelest blow on a life to bring it to its senses his harshest is perfect love weighed with someone he died for don't think he'll be cruel for no reason. But that he didn't die for anything for nothing all that God will resort especially when parents or godly pray. And I said God we trust that the cruelest thing that God could do to bring these people to salvation these children he will resort to that in love. In the light of eternity where the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever not the smoke of their bodies. Their torments forever and ever and ever they have no peace day or night it is eternal in the light of eternity and the judgments of God the warnings of what eternity will be if you die without Christ. That that child this child is not missing in heaven that we don't find them there and we know where they are for eternity we pray now whatever the cost God whatever the cost do it in my wisdom for thou art God thou does know what to do do anything it doesn't matter God but do it that they stop now. They have a free will but make them stop and become so fearful that they will seek thee God if there's any hope of that free will do it God what's needed that they seek thee to be saved from sin. In order to be saved from hell a life of sin I'm not speaking about sinless perfection in case there's people trying to catch me at my words already. I did it to Jesus who died for them he so loved them I've seen children die that day quite a few lying dying saying this this sir is what God had to do to answer your prayers but I thank thee. I thank you sir for praying that with my parents you see I'm so tired I'm so tired of sinning I don't want to live any longer in sinning if God knows that I'll go back and he takes me away now he's been kind I don't want to go back I don't want to live if I'm going to go back and God knows whether he needs to take me. I just thank you for praying that I had time and that I was so shaken by God that I prayed through from God to truly save my soul by the blood of Jesus and I know I'm saved from hell thank you that you prayed that prayer and that God did this that I won't be in hell forever and taste something of hell on earth while I live. Oh and quite a few died most didn't by far the 90s I mean percent God so hit them that they saw God in desperation to save them in their fear of a God so intervening in such a way they had to tremble and fear and they knew why God was doing it everyone because of their parents. They knew what was it about know most of them repented 90% of those I prayed for if I was to tell you roughly an estimate of how many I did pray for that God saved none of you would believe none of you not one would believe so many could have come to God just through prayers who were in such wickedness so I won't even begin to try and give you an estimate over these 40 years of preaching. But 90% I used to say 80 people assure me it's 90 plus of those we prayed for that didn't went through with God to this day and they're the ones that tested by so long that I know about it. So now I'm going to shock you I'm going to close by saying if there's anyone in this building is small gathering the rest of the ballgame I think for Halloween I don't believe that now but those of you here I'm going to ask anyone of you that knows that God himself is confronting you in a loving way and you will never ever be asked the same question again. I guarantee. I'm asking those of you. That need to pray. Counting the cost but that need to and will. In the light of eternity. While there's still time. For God to answer such a prayer. Those of you that have children. Or loved ones. Like Derek and Greg. In the home. That are in the far country and. Really. You had to let go. I want those of you that would pray. Counting the cost but knowing that God is perfect love. In the light of eternity whatever he does to trust him and have no fear. Of what is needed for that soul. To not be in damnation. I want those of you that would pray. For your children tonight. In such a way I will lead you in prayer those that stand. Would you stand those of you that need to pray this prayer. It will cost you. Of course it will cost you but it will cost you a billion times more sorrow if you don't. Can those standing please come forward. There's no altar here but that doesn't matter.