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[ Silence ] Never alone, no never alone He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone No never alone, no never alone

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He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. The world's pitch winds are blowing, temptations sharp and keen. I have a peace in knowing my Savior stands between. He stands to save me from danger when all my stains are gone.

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He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. No, never alone. No, never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.

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No, never alone. No, never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. In the Pixons Valley, I tread the road of death.

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My Savior helps me to carry the cross so heavy to bear. So all around is darkness and earthly joys of hope. The Savior whispers his promise Never to leave me alone

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No, never alone No, never alone He promised never to leave me ♪ He promised never to leave me alone ♪

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♪ No, never alone ♪ ♪ No, never alone ♪ ♪ He promised never to leave me ♪ ♪ Never to leave me alone ♪

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[MUSIC] ♪ For me He's in the fountains ♪ ♪ That quenches the pains of time ♪ ♪ For me He's waiting in glory ♪

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♪ Upon this heavenly throne ♪ ♪ He promised never to leave me ♪ ♪ Never to leave me alone ♪ ♪ No, never alone ♪

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♪ No, never alone ♪ ♪ He promised never to leave me ♪ ♪ Never to leave me alone ♪ ♪ No never alone ♪

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♪ No never alone ♪ ♪ He promised never to leave me ♪ ♪ Never to leave me alone ♪ Amen.

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I would like to lift up a word in connection with that parable in the 15th chapter of the Gospel according to Luke. The father said to his servants, "Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

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Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a party and celebrate. Well, this son of mine was dead and is alive again.

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He was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate the subject of the message, a hearty party. A hearty party. Life is a party.

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It is designed to be delightful and joyful. Many people have become disciples of gloom and doom rather than obedient and joyful servants of the king. But life is a party. It's a party. I remember our youngest daughter Ria when we were living in Waco must have had a feeling that life is a party because we had several

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youngsters to ring the doorbell. My wife went to the door and they said we've come to the She had invited them to a party that we knew nothing about. [Laughter] And this particular message has to do not with a party that has been arranged and the preparations have not been made,

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but it is a party in which all of the arrangements are made, the invitations have been given, all things are ready. Some years ago, Dr. Carlisle Marnie, who was at the time the pastor of the First Baptist Church of this city,

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preached a sermon entitled "The Recovery of Joy." The recovery of joy. Truth of the matter is we need to recover that joy that is symbolic of the life of the people of God.

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fact to live the Christian life means that we ought to have a good time. Religion never was designed to make our pleasures less. The world does not get the impression from many of us that this is a joyful life. So Jesus tells this story, which is the focus of our message.

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It is called the greatest story ever told. The listeners are a mixed multitude, an assorted crowd made up of publicans and prostitutes, religious leaders, Pharisees and scribes, those who were considered pious frauds were in that number,

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curiosity seekers, fault finders, skeptics, believers and non-believers. You had some of everything in that crowd. One thing they had in common, they wanted to hear what Jesus had to say.

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One thing is sure, everybody, regardless of one's condition or circumstance, everybody needs to hear the word of God. Because everybody is addressed in God's word. As we sing, people need the Lord.

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So the people drew near to hear the word of God. And Jesus did not disappoint them. So the eternal word is addressed to them in the form of a story.

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It's a story of the prodigal sons. We often think of it as the prodigal son, but really there were two sons. A certain man had two sons.

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we fail to get a complete picture of the family when we do not consider both sons. Now the younger son portrays a rebellious nature. He doesn't like the rules of his father's household.

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He wants to be footloose and fancy free. He wants to kick over the traces. He's in the Father's house where his needs are provided for but he doesn't want to obey the Father's will.

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He does not want to walk in the right way that his father directs. And so he says to his father, I wanna have my way.

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I wanna be rid of you. I want to be away from your roof and room. I want to be free. I want to be free as the wandering breeze. I want to be free from you. That's a rebellious spirit. It's the

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kind of spirit that caused him to rant and rave and to kickle the traces. He seeks to separate himself from the source of his being. In fact, he fails to honor his origins. He was read in the church and Sunday school. He was taught to read the Bible and to pray, but he's eager to divorce himself from the

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life. So he asks his father for his potion of the family inheritance. He hadn't worked for it, so he doesn't deserve it. He hadn't earned it. So he says, but he says to his father, "Give me my potion, that which falleth to me, that which I'm

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to receive at your death, I want it now. I don't want to wait till you pass off the scene. I want it now. This young man wants all life has to offer now. He belongs to the now generation. In fact, he wants to have his own apartment. He doesn't want to live in the father's house.

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He wants his own apartment. He can't wait. He can't wait to become addicted to the things that are not good for him. In fact, he is willing to sacrifice eternity for now. He's willing to sacrifice eternity for now. This young fool is a rebel. He's a rebel without cause and he wastes his

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substance in righteous living. He burns the candle at both ends. He sows wild oats without considering the reaping time. This rebellious young fool rents an apartment in a far country, throws caution to the wind. He loses his moral moorings. He forgets about home and responsibility to the

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family. You know, when we lose our moral base, when there is no moral authority in our lives, we are headed for disaster. There's an old story about passengers on a ship and the ship was being sailed, our sailors with a compass and they said, "What is this instrument here, a compass?"

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They said, "This is the ship, this is what God, we don't need this." So they broke the compass, threw it away and sailed on to disaster. So we need, we need moral authority. That's one of the problems in our nation. The decline, fall of Rome, they lost that moral authority which is the basis of righteousness and greatness of an

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individual or the people. So this young rebel rebels against goodness, he rebels against justice, he rebels against the truth. So he's in the far country running from himself, he's on his way to hell, and he loves his journey any whale. And so he runs and he runs and he runs until he runs out. He hires

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himself to a farmer in this far country who sends him to feed swine and he's so hungry that he eats the swine food. But a radical change occurs at that point when he gets to the bottom, a radical change happens, he discovers himself. He realizes who he is. He realizes that there is a divine design for his life and he thinks

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about his roots, he thinks about his origins, his upbringing, he thinks about home, and he says to himself, "My father has hired servants, he has bread, he's not and despair. I will arise and go to my father and I'll say to him, 'Father, I've I've sinned against heaven and against thee.

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I'm not worthy to be called your son. Make me as just one of your hired servants. He had rehearsed his speech, what he was gonna say to the father.

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And then he begins the homeward journey when he arrives in the vicinity of home his father sees him and runs to meet him. Falls on his neck, kisses him, which is a sign of intimacy and affection, and then turning to the servants he says, "Prepare a party." This is the celebration for

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which I've long been waiting, prepare a party. This calls for a celebration. You know, God wants us to see life as a party, not so much as in the worldly sense where people indulge.

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The party that God arranges is a hearty party. You know, the world has its parties, and many times after the party, the next day people have hangovers.

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And sometimes they wish they hadn't been at the party. But this hearty party is a party that is is generous, it has everything in abundance. If you're trying to skimp and save,

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you don't need to give a party. And if you're racing to food, you don't need to give a party. The kind of hearty party is a party

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where you have enough of everything. It's a hearty party. I remember hearing a young man years ago when I was in Waco, he was talking,

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he said, "Man, were you at the party?" God said, "No." He said, "Well, you should have been there." He said, "It was out of sight, man."

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He said, "They had everything." He said, "And they had plenty to drink." And I heard him describing it. You know, he had some sort of contraption

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where there were little spigots and it was just spraying it. You know, all you had to do was just go there and put your little cup or whatever you had under it.

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You said, "Man, it was great!" You missed it! You should have been at the party. Well, we have our parties, you know.

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We have parties for this, parties for that. The Bridge Club has its party, you know. But I'm talking about a hearty party where your life is enriched and made whole

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because of your participation in the party. So God wants us to celebrate life. He doesn't, you know, you go to some parties and you see some standing on the side.

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We used to call them, when I was a boy, we called them sad sacks. (congregation laughing) sad sacks, sad sacks. You know some of us are like that in our worship. We would

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never, never, ever get the idea that this is a wonderful life that God has given us by the way some of us act. But when you party, we ought to party hardy. a hearty party in God. Well we we celebrate when there's a birth we have a party. We celebrate when there is a marriage we have a party. And someone

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gets a job we have a party. Get a promotion on the job we have a party. And And even at death, we have a party. So life is a party. And if you missed what I'm talking about,

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you really haven't learned to live. It's a great life. It's a party. It's a party.

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It's a hearty party. And if you read this chapter, I'm just taking one of these stories, but if you read this chapter,

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it's party after party. shepherd, shepherd has a hundred sheep, loses one of them and he leaves the ninety and nine and goes and search for the one and when he finds it he takes that sheep, puts it on his shoulder and comes back and he says let's have a

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party, let's have a party and he calls all of his friends and neighbors and They said, "Let us celebrate because this lost sheep is found. Let's have a party."

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There is a lady who has 10 coins and she loses one of the coins and she sweeps the house, searches diligently for that coin until she finds it. And when she finds it, she said, "Let's celebrate.

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Let's have a party." she calls her friends and neighbors and they have a party. So Jesus wants us to understand that life with him is a party. Rejoice, life is a party. Well this man, And this young man comes back home.

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He doesn't look like he looked when he left home. He has dissipated his energies. He was wearing the latest apparel when he left home. But now he comes back home in rags and tags.

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He comes home. And he's been broken in spirit, but now he comes home. And he's prepared a speech. He knows that his father has every right to tell him off.

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And so he's rehearsed his speech. And he's just wondering how dad's going to take it. And when he gets there, he doesn't get to finish his speech.

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He just gets to start his speech. And the father says, "Let's have a party." Oh, this my son was lost and is found, he's dead, but he's now alive.

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Let's have a party, let's celebrate. So bring the finest roll bed, put it on him. Put some shoes on his feet. He's looking like a slave,

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slaves went barefoot in those days, but putting shoes on his feet and put a ring on his finger and kill the fatted calf. And let's celebrate because this my son is back. Well you know I think Jesus told this story because the Republicans and Senators were there, and you know, they really know how to have a party.

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They know how to have a party! You know, they spend, well, you know, you go to the places and they say, "Set 'em up!" Everybody in the house, they don't even know who's in the house, but they say, "Set 'em up!"

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Jesus wants us to understand that God has generosity far greater than all of that. And the party that he arranges for us. So it's a party, a good party. And they tell us in the story, Jesus does, that there was music and dancing.

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You know, some people don't understand it. They think if you have any dancing in the worship that that's, they've given all that to the world, all the good things we want to take out. You know, but that was music and dancing.

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Now I can't dance, but I can try, you know. (audience laughing) Music and dancing. And they were having a good time.

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I like to think they were having a time of their lives. But in this party, a hearty party. And they were having such a time that the elder brother who was out there in the field

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drew near, he heard all that music and dancing and he drew near and he called the servant and said, "Come here, fella." He said, "What's happening?"

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He said, "They're having a party." A party, yeah, they're having a party. He said, "You know your young brother, he's come home. And the father has thrown a party and they're in there celebrating.

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He said, "Come on in. Come in. They're looking for you. Come on in." He said, "Oh, no.

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I don't want to go in there." "That's your brother." "No, I don't want to go in there." And so the father, this loving father,

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who has accepted this young rebellious fool back home and had a great party for him, leaves the party and goes out to the field and talks to the elder brother. And says, what's the trouble, son?

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I said, "Well, you haven't ever had a party for me." "I've been here all the time." I said, "This young son of yours, "he's been out there cavorting in a far country

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"and running around with prostitutes and drunkards, "and the time he decides to come home, "you give him a party?" "I've been here all the time, I never left home."

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You know sometimes I think this attitude is reflected. I think it really is a reflection of the attitude of the Pharisees. They'd been in church all the time and they thought they ought to have the chief positions. They ought to have chief positions.

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They ought to be the ones closest to Jesus. been brought up on the Torah and all of that, they ought to be the ones, but he has these publicans and sinners. He has them right next to him. I don't like that. So you never, he said, son, you really don't understand. Come on into the party. He said, all that I have is yours, everything is yours, come into the party

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and let's let's rejoice because this is your brother. Ernest Campbell says that the problem today is that the church has the gospel of the loving father but it has membership with the attitude of the The elder brother.

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(audience applauding) That's the problem. Elder brother, that's funny. Come on in, now.

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And if he left the boy out there, that's the sad part of the story. The elder brother never comes in. He missed the party.

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But you know what? miss the party. God's giving a party and I want to be in on it. I don't want to miss the party. It's the time of my life. I don't want to miss that party. I don't want to miss the party. And the party we have here is just a rehearsal for that

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grand and glorious party that's beyond this veil of wrath and tears. I don't want to miss the party. So I say that you don't miss the party. Don't miss it because God is preparing a party for you and for me and he wants us all to enjoy The party. So he has arranged it so we can party hardy. In the midst of all of

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the vicissitudes of life we can party hardy, we can rejoice and be exceedingly glad. That's when the church is the church. You can party hardy. Oh they beat those early disciples, they beat them and said don't you talk no more in his name, but it says that they rejoiced and were exceedingly glad. They were glad because

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they knew they were a part of the party. So you are a part, I'm a part, we're all a part of the grand and glorious party that God has arranged. So let's just party, honey. We open the door of the church. It's an open door, a gracious invitation that he

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has extended to enjoy with him the highest and best. He invites us to come. We invite you to come now. The door of the church is open by letter, by Christian experience we invite you to come. Spirit says come, come join the party. Come. Come home to the Father.

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[MUSIC] ♪ Jesus is calling ♪ ♪ Calling for you and for me ♪ ♪ See on the portals ♪

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♪ He's waiting and watching ♪ ♪ Watching for you and for me ♪ ♪ Come home ♪ ♪ Home home ♪

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♪ Come home ♪ ♪ Home home ♪ ♪ Ye who are weary ♪ ♪ Come home ♪

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♪ Earnestly ♪ ♪ Tenderly ♪ ♪ Jesus is calling ♪ ♪ Calling all sinners ♪

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♪ Come home ♪ Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading, pleading for you and for me? Why should we linger and heed not his mercy? Mercies are you and for me.

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Come home, come home, come home Come home, ye who are weary, come home, earnestly, tenderly. ♪ Earnestly, tenderly ♪ ♪ Jesus is calling ♪ ♪ Calling, O sinner ♪

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♪ Come home ♪ [Music] [BLANK_AUDIO]