Runaway

Have any of you ever felt like running away from home?

Like when you were a little kid, did you ever pack you bags and write a note and try to leave the house. I never did. I was too scared. I didn’t have the guts to do it. I may of said I was going to, but when it came down to it, I couldn’t go through with it..

Many of you probably have funny stories about running away or your kid running away.

Sadly there are many tragic stories of people who have run away. You actually did it. You were convinced that things were bad so you packed up your bags, you left home and you started running. You discovered just how wrong you were. Life on the run was filled with mistakes, failures, and regrets. As a matter of fact, it still hurts to think about it. Life as a runaway is dangerous and uncertain.

Today, I’m talking about childhood runaway moments. Instead, I’m talking about people who make the decision to run away from their spiritual home. They run away from God, their faith, and everything that is familiar to them.

How many of you like stories?

Jesus used stories called parables. He would use these to teach life lessons. The story we are going to look at today and for the next several weeks is found in Luke 15. In chapter 15, Jesus told three parables in response to a group of religious leaders who were criticizing Him for spending time with sinners.

The first story is about a shepherd who lost one sheep and he left a group of 99 sheep to go find the one. The second story is about a women who lost a coin and she searched the whole house to find that one coin. And the third story, which is the most famous one, the one we are going to focus on, is one referred to as the prodigal son. It is a picture of what happens when you run from God.

If you have your bibles turn to Luke 15:11-20

Luke 15:11–20 NIV

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The Characters of the Story

There are three main characters in this story.

The Father

We know there was a father who had two sons.

From what we can gather this father was a wealthy man. He has servants and a fortune.

The father is a representation of God the father.

The Older Son

We will talk about him in future sermons

The Younger Son

He is the son that wants to leave home. Look at verse 12 again.

Luke 15:12 NIV

12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

Many of us today wouldn’t think much about this. We receive things like an inheritance early, many times. A parent that is in poor health or getting older my go ahead and deed property for tax purposes or as a kind gesture. But during Jesus’ time, it was as if the son told his father, “I wish you were dead.”

Also, by the younger son leaving he was abandoning his obligation to care for his father in his old age.

After the father divided his property, verse 13 says…

Luke 15:13 NIV

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

This young son was doing more than just going out to see the world. He was abandoning the way of living, thinking, acting and believing that he had been taught. Everything that his father had stood for, he was leaving it all behind.

He left home and all it represented for life on his own. He ran.

Remember, the father is a representation of God. The younger son represents you when you run from God.

I’ve been a pastor for 16 years now. I have seen people make this same decision. I have seen teenagers and young adults, mothers and fathers, even older adults turn their back on God and run. I don’t know every reason that people run from God, but I have heard and read many of their stories.

Why do People Run?

Some People Run because God’s Boundaries feel like Restrictions or Punishment

People don’t want limits or rules. They want to do their thing, their way and they don’t want to feel the disapproval of others.

Some People Run because They want to Prove they don’t need Anyone or Anything

They don’t want anyone else’s way, or God’s way. They want to do things their way.

Some People Run because Disappointment with People leads to anger towards God

They respond to a deep or profound hurt by leaving God and everyone connected to Him. It’s misplaced anger as they decide that mean, angry people represent God.

If you have ever been involved in a church that split, you can understand why this happens.

If you have ever been hurt by someone claiming to be a Christian.

Some People run because of Poor Relationship Choices

Foolish friends convince them that life on the run will be better.

We get wrapped up in our relationships and those relationships pressure us into doing things that we never thought we would do because we wanted to fit in with the crowds around us.

We want people to like us for the wrong reasons.

Some People run because It’s Easier to Run than to Face the Results of Failure.

People mess up and they don’t feel like there is a place for them anymore. They fear rejection, so they flee rejection.

Some People Run because of an Addiction.

There is a substance that takes control of their life. They are no longer in control. Addiction is something that is hard to break. It can get a hold of your life and you will have difficulty shaking it.

Some People Run out of Habit

They have ran their whole life. Many times it is a learned behavior. They have been raised by parents who run. There are generations of families with this unfortunate learned behavior.

Mom and Dad, what you do doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It affects your children. They are watching you and imitating you.

Some People Run because they are Lonely.

It’s not that they are running from something but they thing they are running to something. They think their life will be filled with fun and friends. What they don’t have seems way better than what they do have. The fantasy world trumps the real world.

Regardless of the reason, nothing is more sad to see than watching someone run. You know where it’s headed. You can predict the end result. The young son ran from his father. We learn what happens when you run by looking at his story.

Luke 15:13 NIV

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

What Are the Consequences of Running?

1. You Leave Home

I know this is obvious. Leaving home is the whole point of running. I know it doesn’t seem like a consequence, but when you leave home, you also leave the safety of home.

When you run from God you take yourself out from under His hand of protection. It is not that God chooses to quit protecting you, instead you refuse His protection. When you run, you leave the safety of home and the protection of your Heavenly Father.

2. You Leave the Security of Home

Security is a little difficult to explain, but it is the feeling of knowing you belong. that you have a place to call home.

It is always fun to go on vacation but there is something about when you return home after a long trip. There is that since of security when you come home.

So, when you run, you leave the security of home - the place you belong.

3. You Leave the Blessings of Home.

There were many times that we have had conversations with our children. More so with Mailey because she is now an adult. But we have told them that there are blessings that come with living at home. There is food, clothing, shelter that is paid for at home. There are luxuries that come with home. If they ever decided to leave those blessings stay here. Those blessings don’t go if they ran. We would still love them, but the blessings came because they lived by our rules in our home. It would be foolish for us to let them live their way, by their rules and still give them all the blessings of home.

When you run from God, you run away from the blessings. God wants to bless you, but He won’t. He can’t. You choose to lose the blessings when you run.

4. When You Leave Home, You Run From the Love of Home

Understand this, God still loves you. You’re just not there to experience it.

When you leave home, you leave so much.

This should be enough to make you come home-life without the safety, the security, the blessings and the love of home. Who wants to live that way?

When you Keep running, the consequences continue. Maybe as we continue this story, you can see yourself in this young son.

Luke 15:13 NIV

13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.

The father had worked all his life for that money. The young son didn’t invest it or save it. Instead, he “squandered it in wild living.” He didn’t run away from home to become a rabbi or a missionary. He ran away to party. We don’t know how long it took to lose everything, but apparently not very long.

5. When you Run from God, You make Bad Decisions.

You do things you never thought you would do. You don’t plan to make stupid decisions. It’s just one of the consequences when you run.

You see it all the time. When people come back they say things like

“what made me do that?” or “How did I ever make that decision?”

When you decide to run, you are convinced it is going to be fun for everyone. But, you make bad decisions and do dumb things. That’s just what happens when you run.

Verse 14 says…

Luke 15:14 NIV

14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

He lost everything. It’s part of the pattern.

When you Run from God, You Lose

We hear the stories of the people who ran from God. One thing every story has in common, they lost.

Some lost money, their families, marriages, businesses, friends, their innocence, their reputation. Over and over their story is about how much they lost.

When you run from God, you lose. It’s painful to watch.

Luke 15:14 NIV

14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.

He was hungry. He had no money. He never even considered the possibility. But all his plans for fun and friends failed. When you run from God, your plans fail.

When you are in this situation, you say, “how did this happen? How did I ever become this? This was never my plan!”

But, from the outside looking in, we say, “How could it no happen? You left home. You ran from God.”

I have never met someone who said, “I’m glad I ran, everything worked out perfectly.”

Some people blame God. But, God didn’t do this to you.

Remember, you ran from His protection and His blessing. That’s what happens when you run.

You need to realize that there is a connection between what is happening in your life and what you have decided about God.

Luke 15:15 NIV

15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

When you Run, You End up Embarrassed and Ashamed

Because you knew better.

Shame is one of the hardest things to overcome. All of us have pride, and it is a tough pill to swallow.

You say, “I’d love to come home, but what will people think? What will they say?”

People say, “How could I have been so stupid?”

The choice you may have made may have been a stupid choice, but don’t let guilt and shame keep you away. You can’t Run forever.

Why Not Come Home?

You may say, “what will people think?”

The truth is, the people who are genuine followers of Jesus will celebrate you, they will love you, and they will accept you. Forget about the critics and the cynics who question your commitment. We don’t listen to them anyway and neither should you. They need to get a hobby. And honestly, they need to truly find Jesus. Don’t let those people keep you from coming home. Overcome the embarrassment and shame and come home.

Look at the younger son.

Luke 15:16 NIV

16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

Remember the friends that were there when he was spending daddy’s money and partying with the best of them. Where are they now. They were there when the party was going on, but now that he is down in the pig pen they are no where to be found.

What happened to this son will happen to you. They people who got drunk with you don’t want to detox with you. The people who partied with you are nowhere to be found. You are alone.

Maybe this story describes you. You left relationship with God, you left home. When you did, you didn’t realize the consequences, but now you do.

You see the error of your ways. Verse 17 says…

Luke 15:17 NIV

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

It’s Time to Come to Your Senses

What brought the younger son to his senses was the consequences he found himself in.

He looked around at his surroundings. He saw the pig pen that he was in and he started to think, “why am I living this way?” “My father’s servants have it better than I do.”

He had reached the lowest point he could get to as a Jewish man. For a Jew to have anything to do with pigs is bad enough; for him to be feeding them, and hungry enough to share their food, is worse. Pigs were considered unclean animals in the Jewish community. And so, he came to his senses.

What Will it Take for you to come to Your Senses?

How many broken relationships is it going to take? How much do you have to lose? How many bad decisions do you have to make? How many plans have to fail? Why not come home before it gets that bad? It’s time to come home.

Look at the rest of the story. Verse 17.

Luke 15:17–20 NIV

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The younger son made a decision. “Even if I just get a job with dad, I’m going home. I’m going back to the safety, security, blessings and love of home.”

No Matter how far You’ve Gone, no Matter how long it’s been, you can Always Come Home.

It is never too late to come home. No matter how many bad decisions you have made or the consequences you’ve suffered; even if you are embarrassed and ashamed, you can always come home.

Here is your biggest fear - When I come home, when I return to God, what will He say? What will He do? Look at verse 20.

Luke 15:20 NIV

20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

That’s what God will do. That’s what we will do. We want to connect with you and if you are running and today you decide to come home, we are going to embrace you and say, “welcome home.”

So it is time to quit running and just come home.

The Perfect Runaway Story

There is another runaway story that I want to remind you of. This story defines this day, today, Easter. It’s not a story of a son running from his father but of a Father running toward His children.

The Easter story is about God’s relentless pursuit of us. It’s the story of Jesus, who willingly left the safety, security, and glory of heaven to come to earth. Jesus lived a perfect life, but instead of receiving a crown, was given a cross. Jesus suffered, bled, and died—not because He ran away from God but because we did.

But that’s not the end of the story. On the third day, Jesus rose from the grave, conquering sin and death, proving once and for all that no distance is too far for God’s love to reach. The empty tomb is His declaration to every runaway:

You can come Home. The Door is Open. The Father is Watching and Waiting.

Today, Easter, is your invitation to stop running. Jesus’ resurrection is your assurance that you don’t have to stay in the pigpen. You don’t have to live with the regret, shame, or emptiness. You can come home to a God who runs toward you with arms wide open—and a church family that will do the same.

No matter how far you’ve gone, no matter how many mistakes you’ve made, Jesus made a way for you. The cross and the resurrection are His message of love: come home.

Don’t let another Easter pass you by. Don’t keep running. The Father is waiting, and He’s ready to celebrate your return. The same God who raised Jesus from the dead can raise you to new life. Are you ready to come home?

Let’s pray.