OUR subject to-night is the first of a series of five addresses on the Prodigal Son, but we must remember that the whole of Luke 15 is one parable, setting before us the three Persons of the Godhead, and their work and joy in saving the lost.
The Lord Jesus Christ, as God the Son, goes after the lost sheep until He finds it, which is in death itself.
The woman, representing God the Holy Spirit, with lighted candle—the Word of God—sweeping the house, and in so doing removes that which hinders lost souls from coming in contact with God through His Word, sweeping away hindrances and leading to the finding of the lost.. The fourth portion of the parable sets before us the returning prodigal and the joy of God the Father in receiving him safe and sound. In coming now to our subject, "Spending All," we will treat it under the three headings set out in these questions First. What have prodigals got to spend? Second. What satisfaction for time and eternity is obtained from "Spending All"? Third. What does God do while we are spending all First. WHAT HAVE PRODIGALS GOT TO SPEND?
I have no doubt that the prodigal represents every child of Adam who has turned to his own way, and spent the gifts of God in the service of Satan. The question is, "What have they got to spend?”
In the scripture we have already read, we see that God giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. These words were spoken by Paul at Athens, and he tells the idolaters of the Creator God who has given to everyone life, breath, and all things; and God tells everyone here to -night that He has given you life and breath and all things. (Acts 27:22-2822And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 23For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 24Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 26Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. 27But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; 28And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. (Acts 27:22‑28).)
The question is, what are you doing with that which God has given you?
What is life? James tells us in his fourth chapter, verse 11, "It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Your life cannot be long at its longest. What are you doing with it?
What is breath? The Book of Job, chapter 11. Verse 20, (Job 11:2020But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost. (Job 11:20)) speaking of the wicked, says, "Their hope shall be as a puff of breath" (marginal reading.) Your brightest hopes, if unsaved, are of no more value than "a puff of breath.”
Many of you were here last Lord's Day evening, and have drawn a good many breaths since then, but each one has brought you nearer the last. Don't be like Saul, who breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the Lord's people, and the Lord said it was against Himself. (Acts 9:44And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? (Acts 9:4).) How true the Lord's words, "He that is not with Me is against Me”
"ALL THINGS." What does that mean?
Surely it means your health, strength, talents, skill, influence, money, body, with its various members. What are you doing with them? What did the prodigal do with that which he received from his father? Three things: First.
Gathered all together. Second. Wasted his substance. Third. Spent all. And that is what you, who are unsaved, who are in the far country away from God, have done and are doing with your life and breath and all things. You say, How? I will tell you.
“He gathered all together." You have, no doubt, gathered all together; that is, you have made your plans for the future. A young man asked another in the street one day, "Which is the nearest way to so-and-so police station?" "I don't know," he 'replied, "but why do you ask me?" He said, "I've spent all in drink, and I want a night's lodging." "Oh! and suppose you get it, what then?" "I have decided to turn over, and give up the drink, and then I shall seek for employment to enable me to maintain my wife and children and my dear old mother." "Well, suppose you are able to do that, WHAT THEN?" "I then hope to be able to save and lay up for the time to come when I shall be an old man." "Well," said the other, "if you are successful, WHAT THEN?" He replied, "I know what you mean, then I suppose I must die." "Yes, and WHAT THEN?”
Ah my friends, that's the question; WHAT, THEN?
You gather all together and make wonderful plans for the future, but you forget eternity. WHAT THEN?
“HE WASTED HIS SUBSTANCE." Perhaps you have done the same. Up to now your life has been wasted; your breath, which God holds in His hand, has been wasted. Your health and strength have been wasted, if you are unsaved; because they have been used for self and Satan instead of God, and unless you are born again you cannot please God. Your talents and skill have been wasted.
There was once a young man who left his home, and joined with some other young fellows a minstrel troupe. God had given him a talent, a good voice. They blackened their faces, and went to some watering-place to perform, and to try to amuse their fellow travelers to eternity by singing comic songs. One day, they were performing in a street, and the one I am speaking about went round for money; he asked a gentleman in a shop for some.
“He said," I'll give you one shilling and this book besides if you will read a portion of it among your comrades there, and in the hearing of the bystanders." He handed him a Bible opened at Luke 15, and told him to read from verse 11.
The young fellow took it as a joke, so, saying, “Here goes!" he began to read: "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. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance in riotous living.”
“That's thee, Jem," said one of his companions; "it's just like what you told me of yourself and your father.”
The reader continued: "And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.”
“Why, that's thee, Jem, again; go on," said the voice.
“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.”
“That's like us all," said the voice. "Go on; let's hear what came of it!”
And the young man read on, and as he read his voice trembled: "And when he came to himself he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father!”
At this point he fairly broke down, and could read no more. Thank God! it reached his conscience, and he returned home; but better still he was led to see himself as a guilty sinner, away from God, and then was brought to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, and so was received and forgiven by the God he had sinned against.
If you are not at peace with God, everything you do is wasted; it has no value with God.
My friends, what are you doing with all the things God has given you? God wants you.
I well remember going to a Sunday School treat some years ago. There came on a shower of rain, and all the teachers and children had to take shelter in a large tea room. There was present a dear brother in the Lord who had a fine voice. In his unconverted days he was an actor, so had many times used that voice on the stage to amuse the godless and careless; but now all was changed. He looked at the company, and then began to sing:—
“Where will you spend eternity?
This question comes to you and me.
Tell me, what shall your answer be:
Where will you spend eternity?”
That is the way to use your talents and skill; they won't be wasted if yielded to the Lord under ale Holy Spirit's guidance; but for that you must have a new life through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
“HE SPENT ALL." Are you spending all in the far country? If so, it will end in starvation; it always does. May you find it out before it is too late, and may God help you to return to Him. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23).)
Second. We now come to the second question. WHAT SATISFACTION FOR TIME AND ETERNITY IS OBTAINED FROM "SPENDING ALL"?
In looking at this question we must bear in mind that when we spend our all away from Gad it is sin. Even an outwardly blameless life away from God is sin. The prodigal was as much a sinner when he left his father as when he was running riot in the distance, or starving among the swine. So are you, if unconverted, unsaved, your every act is sin, because you are in rebellion against God, because you are rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ, whom God presents to you as a Saviour; and for your sins the wages is death. "The, wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." "It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment." (Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27).) Those two things, death and judgment, take the satisfaction for time and eternity out of everything our hearts go after in nature.
The answer to our question then is, "NONE." No satisfaction NOW, no satisfaction HEREAFTER, from spending all as the prodigal did. No doubt we have all experienced an unsatisfied, unhappy feeling after we have been seeking to enjoy ourselves away from God. And what is it? Surely it is death. As the scripture says, “She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth." (1 Tim. 5:66But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. (1 Timothy 5:6).) You do not like to think it is death which may end in eternal death if you remain where you are.
I want to tell you of a young man whose name was Ralph. He was stricken down with consumption. He thought he was going to recover as the warmer weather came round, but the doctor knew differently. He got weaker and weaker. One day he overheard the doctor say he was near the end; might not live till the next day. It was a great shock to him. After the doctor had gone he said to his mother, "Mother, I'm not dying, am I?" She said, "I thought you knew." He said, "Knew! How was I to know? What has a gay young fellow like me to do with death? I love life, and health, and strength; and fun and frolic; and sports and pastimes; and drinking and betting too, if you like. I don't want to die.”
You see he was like a lot more, he did not want to die, but still death stared him in the face. After some minutes he said, "Mother, what will happen to me; to my soul, I mean? It has only just struck me that I have a soul, and after death the judgment. I'm dying and there is nothing before me but the blackness of darkness. I'm lost, lost; lost forever and evermore.”
His mother told him to rest; but he said, "How can I rest with an awful eternity staring me in the face? Mother, tell me what to do, you ought to have told me I should come to this, that one day I should have to face eternity, with all the deeds of my sinful life bearing me down, down into the awful blackness. By the way, now I think of it, I never remember hearing you mention the name of God except in church, you never taught me a prayer. O mother, why didn't you tell me?”
His mother cried bitterly, kneeling at his bedside.
He placed his hand on her head and said, "Never mind, mother dear, perhaps you did not know. Do send for someone who does know.”
She sent at once for a young man, a preacher of the gospel. After some hours, he came, being away at the time he was sent for. On entering the room he found poor Ralph very weak. As he came near the bed Ralph said, "I'm dying, I've only a few minutes to live. Show me the shortest road to heaven." The visitor sat down, and with opened Bible showed him that God knew all about his past, how that he had had health, talents, riches, influence, and power to do much good, and now on a deathbed his eyes were suddenly opened to see that he had spent all for self; no thought of God who so loved him. He quoted John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16): "For God so loved the world., that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
"Jesus died for such as you," he said. "He loves you. For Christ's sake the Father is willing, yea more than willing., to forgive all the sins of the past, and to receive you now. Throw yourself entirely on His mercy, Ralph, and He will not fail you. Christ died for the ungodly." He replied, It's too late, too late; I've missed the way to heaven; I can only see an eternity of woe.”
He then thought of his companions, and asked his Christian friend to warn them. "Tell them," he said, "about me. Tell them not to put it off till the end. They'll make splendid Christians, they're not bad fellows, and I was not worse than them, but I forgot about death; I was too busy with the world's pleasures to think about your God.”
After a short period of unconsciousness Ralph again opened his eyes, and then said, "Too late for me. Remember the others and my mother." And he was gone. Yes, passed into eternity, spent all for self and Satan here, and missed heaven. May God grant that it will never happen to anyone here to-night.
Does spending all in this way, satisfy for time and eternity? No. If I were to ask any here who are unsaved to say if they are perfectly satisfied, I feel sure they could not say, Yes. I ask, Is there one here who can testify that although unsaved, they enjoy perfect satisfaction? Not one! But how different those here who are saved. I now ask all those who are saved and have found satisfaction in the Saviour who has saved them, to stand up and sing, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine, Oh what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His spirit, washed in His blood. This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Saviour all the day long.”
You've seen us stand, and heard what we can sing. May God help you to see where you are, and to flee to the Saviour to-night. Third. Our third question is WHAT DOES GOD DO WHILE WE ARE "SPENDING ' ALL"?
In Job 33 we read that GOD SPEAKS. In Matt. 3 some were asked, "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Yes, God warns, and He also calls. Every time you hear Him say, "Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life," it is God Calling you in the gospel.
We see then, that, first, GOD SPEAKS; secondly, GOD WARNS; thirdly, GOD CALLS.
First. Why does He SPEAK? Referring again to Job 33, it says it is "to turn man from his purpose." If your purpose is to continue with your back to God, He speaks to you that you may be turned, yes, turned to God from idols. Why not say, like the prodigal, "I have sinned." Then God will say; "Deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransom." "Deliver him," says God, "I have found a ransom." Who is it? The Lord Jesus Christ who died for sinners, yes, went into the pit in their stead. The ransom price has been paid, and God can save you to-night. Why not let Rim?
Secondly. GOD WARNS. I cannot tell you in how many ways God warns sinners of their danger. He has warned you time after time. Have you taken heed to His warning voice? If not you will live to regret it. I expect most of you have heard of that man who had charge of a swing bridge over a river. The bridge was used by the railway, and this man one day received a warning that an excursion train containing six hundred people was to pass over between two and four o'clock, and therefore on no account was he to swing open the bridge for vessels to pass during those hours. Soon after two o'clock a man came up the river in his boat and wanted the bridge opened. The keeper said, "No, I. can't do it." Soon after, another offered him five shillings if he would let him pass. Again the keeper said, "No." Later, a very great friend came up and wanted him to open the bridge; he pleaded with him, saying that half his fortune depended on his catching the tide. He was so, earnest in his pleading that the keeper gave way, and opened the bridge. He had just done so, when he heard the train coming. Although he tried hard to attract the driver's attention, it was too late, and the train dashed into the river.
This poor man did not heed the warning. He was found after the awful accident wandering up and down, and crying, "Oh, if I only had. Oh, if I only had! over and over again, and he was quite insane.
Many years after this, in a lunatic asylum he was pacing his cell saying over and over again, "Oh, if I only had." And this was-all through not taking the warning; and I've no doubt that many will spend eternity away from God and forever and ever say, "Oh, if I only had! received the warning voice, and accepted God's offer in Christ." But it will then be too late. Thank God! it's not too late now. Be warned in 'time, I implore you.
Thirdly. GOD CALLS. With open arms and a heart overflowing with love He calls sinners to repentance. Listen to His call now, and respond to it too, for you can be saved to-night.
One evening a miner attended a gospel meeting, and he heard the preacher say that any soul who desired to be saved could have the matter settled that night. This man was anxious to be saved, so after the meeting he told the preacher, and they both went on their knees. But although he was in great earnest he did not, until three o'clock next morning, receive the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour, but when he did he was full of joy.
He had no sleep that night, and went to the mine at six o'clock. During the day there was a fall of earth, and this very man was buried under it.
A rescue party worked hard to get at him, and when he was uncovered he could only just whisper; his strength was nearly gone.
One of the rescuers put his ear to his mouth to hear what he was saying, and heard him say, “Thank God, it was settled last night." And so he passed into eternity; saved by grace just in time.
May it be the same with you, for it is true that you can be saved to-night. God's call sounds still. Respond to it at once, for Christ's sake.
“All things are ready," Come,
All hindrance is removed;
And God, in Christ, His precious love,
To fallen man has proved.
“All things are ready,". Come,
To-morrow may not be;
O sinner, come, the Saviour waits
This hour to welcome thee!