Come Home!

Come Home!!

Luke 15:11-24

¹¹ To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. ¹² The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

¹³ “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. ¹⁴ About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. ¹⁵ He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶ The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, ¹⁹ and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

²⁰ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. ²¹ His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.^[a]’

²² “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. ²³ And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, ²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.View image on Twitter

Jesus is speaking to the Pharisee and the teachers of religious law. He gives them a couple of stories, illustrations to help them understand what He was teaching them.

He gives them the story about a lost sheep… what if one is lost and the owner leaves 99 to go get that one.  And He looks at their faces and their hearts, they didn’t really get it.

How about the story of the woman with a lost coin? He tells of the woman who had 10 coins and loses one. She lights the lamp and sweeps her house, When she finds it she calls her friends and celebrates that she recovered the coin.

They still don’t get it, remember, this are Tax collectors, “other notorious sinners” people that carried themselves higher than the rest of the commoners.  Jesus looks at their hearts and finds a story that would totally relate to them.

They probably didn’t see themselves as shepherds nor did they see themselves as the woman sweeping her house for a single coin. But they could identify as dads. And leaving inheritance was a common practice then.  It just got real.V

Recap

A man had two sons. One decides he is grown and doesn’t need his dad and asks for his inheritance.  Dad grants his wish and off he goes.

The joy and stuff is limited and everything runs out, now he has no money and no home. And catch this, a great famine hit the land. He is with no money and they just hit a recession

Amp says that “he glued himself upon one of the citizens of the country”  ..not sure how that happened but what it tell us is that he was desperate. Desperate and stubborn to make it on his own.

He is sent to go feed the pigs – and he gets so hungry that the pigs food is enticing

Vs. 16: But no one gave him anything! – He had left comfort, protection, love and lots more …It wasn’t until this moment that he remembered of his father’s house

He thought to himself – the servants got it better than himself. They have a full plate while I am here hungry cold and dirty

He resolves to go home and ask his father if he can only be one of his servants.

He finds his father waiting for him and from a far he ran and embraced him and kissed him

He orders that a robe is put on him, a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet and prepare a party for him

We see a really loving dad, who has a plan for his sons. He has created a home for them. He had provided more than they need. They have great wealth, they have servants and ample food to eat.  Yet one of them chooses to go away. He can do better on his own.

Though this father had a plans for his sons future, one choose to curve his own destiny.

He is an understanding father. One who respects the wishes of his sons. Because while it’s not common for estate to be divided while the dad is still alive, he honors the request.

He knows that though he may restrain him from stuff, his heart is gone already.  For out of the abundance of the heart our mouth speaks.

He is not forcing him to stay and with love, he honors his wish. Though he knows that he is setting for destruction, he says ok.

This illustration is so much like our heavenly dad, He created us for a purpose

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Yet often we choose to curve our own paths and ignore God’s plans. Or we pick and choose when and how we are obedient.

Often we are this son, in different ways. We go to our heavenly father and tell Him, I am done with being under your protection. I want to handle this on my own. Let me do what I want, let me take care of this and this and that. And our God sees our heart, cries for our foolishness and allows us to do our will.

He doesn’t write us off, just like this dad, he stands at the gate and stares at the road that leads home and longs for our return.

The son left and went to a distant land. He wasted all his money and right about then the famine swept over the land. He is not only dealing with lack of money but everywhere else, there is no food.  He left his father’s protection and now the enemy is picking him apart at his will.

The enemies plan is to separate and conquer. Under his father’s house, no matter the times, he was under his father’s protection and his father would have provided everything he needed. Now he is alone, poor, hungry and exposed.

He tries to find a solution. And that is when he gets a farmer to hire him and he is now taking care of the pigs and living there with them.

A child of a king, battled by the world that he forgets who he is. Its at this moment that he  came to his sense.

He realizes that in his father’s house, there is more than enough – even for the servants. He puts his pride aside and with the little energy that is left, he resolves that the is going home!

IMMEDIATELY turned away from his foolishness and proceeded to walk towards his father’s house. Daddy! Am coming home!!!

He does not stop to think about all the things that he had done. He had no time to qualify what he should have done, how it was making him feel. He focused on healing, redemption – and the only place he could find this was under his father’s care.

Vs.18:  I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

He repented right there. His heart condition changes right there. He did wait until he got home to think of what to do. He repented right there and for his situation to change, he had to take the first step towards his father.

Often the Holy spirit hears our inner cry and our hurts. He nudges us to do something about where we are. Make a change – turn from our old ways and be made new

But we get so caught up with what has happened to us or has not happened to us. Days later we find ourselves in the same spot. Not moved at all.

It’s time to move, head towards home!

This guy longed for the comfort of his dad and he made a goal to return under his father’s care.

Even though the pivotal moment was when he realizing that he had sinned, and was lost. It took more strength to walk towards redemption

Take a minute and think about it…

Step one – Excitement about the possibilities of freedom. Freedom from that sin, struggle, defeat…. the smell of redemption….

Step two- Mind battles- just coz you have decided to turn away from sin and return home, doesn’t mean that the battle is over. What if my father doesn’t want to see me?

• What if they moved – Jesus doesn’t tell us how long this guy had been away.

And the list goes on and on…

Against all odds- He kept his eyes on his destination. That’s the only thing that can save us. This is when the battle seems greatest. But you must overcome it!

Remember, whatever you focus on expands! – His focus was a repentance, warm meal, warm clothes, he didn’t care what position he would have been put, he just wanted to be whole again. He wanted to come back home!

He was determined. He remembered the goodness of his father. The loving care he experienced before he left. Everything was taken care of – no matter his financial or health status – He was home.

DAD

While all this is happening, his mind battle, his thought of unworthiness – I will go home and ask my dad if I can be one of his servants.

His father is looks at a distance and longs for his sons return. He is thinking about how much his son is worthy of all that he has. How he is worthy being under his protection. He doesn’t think about the stuff, the disappointment. A father’s heart just longs for his son to come back home!

The son is filled with unworthiness, yet his dad is seeing how worthy he is – He longs for his return, so he can be part of the family

He just wanted his son to come back home- come back home son

This is the same cry that God has for us today – Come back home. Look at the world around you. People are hurting everywhere. They have walked away from home. They are looking for a solution in the wrong places. It’s time to come home. It’s time to come to your father and get restoration.

He doesn’t care what you have done. That is not important any more. He wants us home – Hebrew 8:12 “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

His focus is to restore you back to the son and daughter he created you to be. He created you to be under his care.

The enemy is as powerful as you let him. If you let him keep reminding you of the things you have done, those things will be so loud that you will not hear your daddy calling, to restore you.

It’s easy to look at this example that Jesus is giving and think, how unwise was this kid. If it was me, this is what I would have done. I would have just gone back home…

But isn’t that what we do when we are faced with decisions in our life?

Is our first response, coming back home? Instead we look everywhere for answers. We analyze and qualify our situations. We come up with solution that only puts us deeper in our mess-

When situation changed and he ran out of money, and the draught came- He forced himself on to one of the farmers. Still trying to do it on his own.

All he had to do was come home! Our father is waiting and hoping that we can give him all our burdens. Let us not wait until we are in that situation where pig’s food looks appetizing. Let us realize that in our father’s house, there are great and wonderful things.

Out there, away from our father’s house, we are exposed. It wasn’t long after he had used up his wealth that a draught hit. He was exposed to elements – A way from our father’s house we are vulnerable.

The times we are leaving in, you don’t want to be out there exposed. Turn on the news and see how crazy our world is getting. We need to be home under our Fathers care.

In his father’s house, the effect of the draught was not felt as much. When the son came home, his dad still had a fattened calf. They threw a party- There was enough regardless of what was happening outside.

Pastor Crystal preached last Wednesday and told us that the storm is coming. This is not the time to be away from home! If you are not at home- run home, time is running out!

This is the time to check ourselves and see where we are. How far are we away from home?  It is time to get rid of those things that are keeping us away from home. It’s time to come home!

Come home and be under our fathers’ protection. Wake up in the morning and ask Him to order your steps

Have lunch with Him and ask Him for the strength to see the good in the middle of the storm.

Spend evenings with Him and ask him to let you in on His secrets and your specific purpose in this life.

This intimacy can only happen when you are home. Come home!

The Prodigal son did something when he remembered

He did not wait any minute longer – he got up and started walking home to his father – Some of us need to get up start running to our dad right now.

After

The son walks against all odds. In his mind, he had this speech – Dad I do not deserve to be called your child. I have sinned in heaven and to you. I have done this and that. I have so much sins, please make me like one of your servants. Please give me time to earn my way back to your heart.

Isn’t that the same mentality we have sometime? Dad, before I can come to you , let me fix a, b, c ,d – at that point then I can be worthy to be called your son.

The bible says that his father saw him from a distance. He ran and embraced him.

Vs. 21 :  His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[b]’

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 

This is our fathers heart!! And in that instant, he restored him to his original state.

All that he needed to do was to come home!

This evening, you don’t have to do anything more than master your strength to start heading home. All those things that needs fixing or need more time so that you can correct them, they are the enemy’s way of keeping you away from home. Stop formulating a comeback speech, come just like you are to the loving arms of your father. He waits at the gate, ready to run and embrace you.

Matthew 11:28 “28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Come home!

Vs. 23-24 “……We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.”

Luke 15:10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.

Jesus came for this exact reason, to lead us back to our father’s house. You don’t have to get it right. You don’t have to know what to say, just come – Our father is waiting.

Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Please come home!