-This is a sad story of a Christian who turned his back upon the Lord.

-He finally came back with the right attitude he should have had before he left.

-No one who stays away from the Lord by staying out of church, has made a wise decision.

-I said it many times and I will say it one more time, "if you have a job that constantly takes you

out of Church and keep you from serving the Lord, you don’t need that job."

-Go out and find you a job that will let you be in church and have a responsibility in that Local

Church.

-But, we see that this young man was finally on his own.

-He could make all of his own decisions as he pleased.

-He could go anyplace that he wanted to go and stay out as long as he wanted to stay.

-For this man, wine, women and song consumed his life and for him this was a great way to live.

-But then, suddenly payday came and he became to be in want.

-The world will help you spend your money and when you are broke, they will kick you out.

-Many Christians today are like this young man in this story in the Bible.

-Maybe they don’t go this far, but in many other ways they are no different.

-Let me tell you how they are like this young man.

A. They forget that all that they have is from the Hand of the Lord Jesus.

B. They don’t want God’s authority over them.

C. They want to totally independent of God and everyone else.

E. They don’t care what the preacher says anymore.

F. Going to Church cramps their style.

G. They are tired of responsibilities.

H. Just leave me alone to do my own thing.

1. So he left and others leave the Lord and forget all that God stands for and is against.

12 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.

A. Selfish people never have a eye for others.

1. Others are only in the picture if they feel like it.

B. Many married people forget their vows to each other and say I am tired of being a wife

or a husband.

1. After you say I do or I will, its too late to think like that.

2. After make a committment to God, you don’t go by feelings anymore. (Pastor)

C. Fun and pleasure seem to be the purpose of many people today, without any thought of

whether God is pleased with them or not.

1. Like this young man, they have taken all the good things from God and then left Him

behind.

A. Here are some characteristics of Hogs:

1. Hogs never look up to God for direction.

2. Hogs never express appreciation to God for anything.

3. Hogs never read the Bible or pray.

4. Hogs never have any moral or spiritual values, just instincts.

5. Hogs never don’t care about others.

6. Hogs feed on bad stuff. (Slop of the world)

7. Hogs never think about the consequence of their actions.

8. Hogs can be mean and dangerous.

9. Hogs don’t even realize that they are filthy animals.

A. When things got bad enough for this young man, he remembered some things:

1. He remembered that he had a Father they really loved him.

2. He remembered clean beds and good food.

3. He remembered the love of others and the security that he had enjoyed.

4. He remembered that even the servants had it very good.

5. Most of all, he remembered what repentance and forgiveness was really all about.

6. He forgot about being proud.

7. He forgot about self having to be number one.

8. He put other’s feelings above his own.

9. Then most of all, he went back and started all over again.

-The Lord will always take back into fellowship, all of His repentant children.

-Vs. 20 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 him.

-Vs. 24-For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

-Vs.32-It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

-Anyone who gets away from the Lord and does not come back all of the way, has not really

come back.

-The key to being saved and becoming a child of God, is accepting Jesus as your personal

Saviour.

-The key to close relationship with God, is keeping Jesus first in your living.