THE PRODIGAL SON

Preached Friday night, July 15, 1932, AT Gourdneck, Texas.

Brother Pope was 82 years of age.

4/26/1850 to 2/6/1938

Missionary Baptist Minister 1890 until 1934-35

 

Information provided by:

Mrs. Maybelle Pope Mitchell (Grandaughter)

Mrs. Mary Jo Rogers Hestand (Granddaughter)

 

THE PRODIGAL SON

 

Text: Luke 15th chapter, I will arise and go to my father and will say to Him I am no more worthy to be called thy boy but let me be one of thy hired servants.

The fifteenth chapter gives you other examples besides this one. It gives you one of a man who lost a sheep and also one of a man who has ten pieces of silver and loses one piece. Now I want to turn to the Prodigal son.

Even though there were Prodigal sons in that day and there are Prodigal Sons in this day and time. Yes, there are Prodigal sons today and Prodigal Sons of today are living the same kind of a life as this boy.

This chapter does not contain a word about his mother, and of course, we think of his mother as a good Christian woman and that she was dead and gone to be with God; leaving two sons and the younger one, which is the one we think of as being the Prodigal and he was about grown.

He said, “Father divide me my portion of the goods that will fall to me,” and his father being a kind hearted man gave them to him. I do not think that he returned a word but gave him his portion of the goods, and not only his goods but granted him a “leave of absence.” I will say again I do not know what age the boy was, but suppose he was the younger son. I am going to state that, that leave of absence from home is included in the agreement without a word, but how sad the father must have been when he granted it.

After this the young man gathered all his goods together, I don’t suppose he had very much, the scriptures do not say, but he left and went into a far country. I do not know how far it was, but it was a long way from home and to do as he pleased, just like Prodigals do today, and I say young ladies too. I have heard of some girls that traveled hundreds of miles away from home. Oh! the young boys and girls that are tonight hitch-hiking it up and down our land, wandering away from father and mother. Some girls are just in the age of maturity and are wandering away from home and God. Turning their back on father and mother and everything dear, and travel into a far country.

I don’t know how far this young man traveled but it was a long way. I do not know how much he had to spend, but after he had spent all he had in riotous living, living very high and proud, I suppose. After awhile he had spent all he had and he began to get hungry and he began to hunt for a job.

Think tonight of the many thousands of boys that are seeking for a job. I do not know how the conditions are going to be bettered. This young man looked for a job everywhere, all his friends had forsaken him now, and no one seemed to care anything about him.

Finally a man gave him a job. What was that job? Out in the field feeding hogs. Can you picture that boy as he is feeding hogs? Oh! what a change had come over him. No more fine clothing or nice things for him now.

As he is out there feeding, it is then be begins to think. What does he begin to think about? He begins to think about home. Home-Sweet-Home. Oh! how sweet that sounds to a poor lost soul, when he begins to realize his lost condition. In my father’s house is plenty, there is bread and to spare. He has hired hands that are better fed than I am, and I perish with hunger. I am starving, I wonder if father would help me now -- would give me something to eat, for I perish with hunger. If he would only let me be a hired servant, I am not worthy to be his son.

Father was such a good man to give me my portion of the goods and let me leave without restraint. He gave me “leave of absence” and said go on boy and you have my permission to go from home, and friends, and father’s house. Here I am barefooted and my clothes are tattered, ragged and dirty, and I am starving. I am perishing, what shall I do?

Listen! lost boy, girl, man or woman, tonight, here is the answer. I will arise and go to my father. I will go back to my father’s house, and I will say to my father, “I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and I have spent all that you gave me.” My “leave of absence” is up, and I am coming home.

How often did that father think about that boy away off in some far away land. I imagine I can see the tear stained cheeks of that father. I know by experience how that father felt. Boys and girls when you’re small you are on your mother and father’s toes, but when you get older you get on their heart. You will realize how true this is when you become mothers and fathers.

Let’s picture the father standing out in the field by the road, as he was wondering about where his boy was. He looks up and sees someone coming down the road. That looks like that long, lost boy, yes, I believe that is him. I know that is my son. Oh! he is coming, I will not wait for him to tell his story, I will go and meet him. So he ran and fell on his neck and kissed the boy, which was lost, dead, but is alive.

Do we have an example of this scene in the old Bible? Yes, do you remember the boy that was sold into bondage by his brothers to some metal peddlers and. then as a slave into Egyptian bondage?

These brothers killed a kid and dipped his coat in blood, and showed it to Jacob and told him that wild animals had destroyed his boy. His father then spent many days in mourning over his lost boy whom he had always counted on, and that would mean so much some day.

A jailer was given charge of Joseph when he was sold to the Egyptians, and he was finally placed in jail through the false accusation of Pother’s wife, but the all seeing eye of God was watching and protecting that boy, for he was to be the saviour of his father and brother’s when the terrible drought came. Finally by interpreting dreams for Pharoah he became next to the King himself. But here’s the point I want to bring out. What did Jacob say when he and Joseph met after they had been separated for so long? “My son which was dead and is alive” and they fell on each other’s neck and wept.

This Prodigal son fell on his lather’s neck and wept and said, “I am not worthy to be called thy son, but let me be one of your hired servants. I have spent all my portion of the goods and I am no more worthy to be called thy son.” But his father took him in the house and put his best robe on him. What does this robe mean? It meant the robe of righteousness of Jesus Christ that he gives to every poor lost soul that will believe in Him. He did not stop there but told them to bring the ring, and put on his hand. Now you girls know what a ring means on your hand, or on a certain finger. It means love; yes this ring on his hand meant the love of God. He put this ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.

Paul said, “Be ye clothed with the robe of righteousness.” Now he has a ring on his hand, notice the Bible says hand and not finger, and shoes on his feet, and the robe of righteousness on. Lost friend, this is what the love of God will do for you. The boy or girl that comes and says Father I have sinned against you and against Heaven. “Praise God,” he will save you, there will be a ring on your hand spiritually speaking, which is God’s love, and he will give it to you tonight if you will ask Him and believe in His word that God’s love can give you the ring of life.

That same spirit that worked on this boy in that far away country, and told that boy he was wrong produced that confession in his heart and soul. It caused him to say, “I will go and make that lost confession that I have sinned against Heaven and against God,” and that you should make that confession. How can you go on and say leave me in sin I don’t need any forgiveness?

Remember the woman at the well, when the Lord walked to the well and asked for a drink. She did not have any idea of meeting her Lord that could tell her all she had ever done. When the Master began to tell her about her sins, and everything she had committed, she asked forgiveness and then ran into the city and said, “Come see a Man who told me everything I ever did.” They would not believe it, they said we will have to go and see for ourselves. People coming to the see the Lord, the man that caused the woman to have peace and rejoicing in her soul. Have you heard the Lord speak peace to your soul, have you accepted the robe of righteousness? That and that only can save your soul from destruction.

I want to say this from God’s word, -- Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. Did Adam and Eve have any blood for their remission? Yes. Was there any for this Prodigal boy? Yes. They killed the fatted calf. Was there any blood shed for this poor lost world? Yes. Jesus Christ shed his blood on Calvary’s cross for our sins. Thank God, yes for our sins and God says there is only one way to be saved, and that is through this spilled blood.

The boy that was out in the field working was angry, when he found out what was going on and he told his father he had never ran away, but had always stayed at home and worked. Here is an example of one trying to keep the law and be saved, he was oh, so good, he even told his father how good he was, but this Bible says if you break one you are guilty of them all, so here we have two types of people, one trying to be saved by keeping the law and the other by asking forgiveness. If you are trying to keep the law and get to Heaven, you are going the other way from God,

Let me quote some scripture from Romans, 10th chapter, “My heart’s desire and prayer to God is for Israel that they might be saved,” we are without knowledge of another way of being saved, or how to get by, but this plan of salvation is so simple, so easy, why does man want to try to fix another way.

When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, he said, “You must be born again,” and Nicodemus said, “How can a man enter the second time into his mother’s womb, after he is old,” but Jesus said that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that is born of the spirit is spirit. All things are not possible with man but with God nothing is impossible. Let me quote you from Eph. 2;1;8;1. ‘And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein time past ye walked according to the course of this world, now worketh in the children of disobedience.” “For by grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves is the gift of God.” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them.

Brother Pope, you say, if I am saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, then I can do anything and still be saved? ‘Yes, I say that when you are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ you are saved for time and eternity, regardless of what we do or what we want to do, but a saved man does not want to do these things, for if tonight you are a Christian and still want to do wrong, and do sinful things, you are not a Christian. You had better be praying and preparing yourself, before it is too late. Yes, “Thank God,” when I was saved I was saved for time and eternity. Not saved today and lost tomorrow, no that is not the kind of religion Pope has.

Let me tell you the greatest trouble I have, and that is this old sinful body that is daily, and always with me. I have to fight this old body all the time. There are two parts to man, the outward, and the inward. The inward or spiritual part, is saved, and the outward is sinful, it is condemned to death. But I am not the only one that has trouble with this old body. Let’s take Paul for example. You remember he was caught up to the third Heaven, and there got a glimpse of that Holy of Holies. Paul said, he had a thorn in his flesh. “Now what was that thorn in the flesh, Paul?” It was the messenger of Satan to buffet him. He says I prayed three times for its removal, but the answer was, “My grace is sufficient for thee. For man cannot get rid of that thorn while in the flesh, but we follow not after the flesh, but after the spirit.” Thank God, that we will not have to fight this old thorn always. Just be patient for a little while until Jesus comes again, which will not be long. Even if this old body is in the grave, it will rise and meet Him in the air. OH! How sweet to sit at Jesus feet and sing the song of Redemption.