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When Homecomings Are Best Appreciated

What is your most memorable homecoming? Some homecomings could be after traveling for a job assignment…coming home after a semester away at college…or military service for training.

The intensity of the separation makes a big difference as well. If you are coming home from a long vacation or cruise, homecomings don’t really aren’t a big deal, in fact, you may want to turn around and go again.

On the other hand, if you have been stranded on a space station without any clarity on how you are going to get home – homecoming is a big deal! If you have been on a hard job assignment away from your wife/kids…it’s a big deal.

Homecomings Should Be Celebrated

On Easter we began to look at the parable of the Prodigal Son. I talked about reasons some people, like the prodigal son, leave home: they feel God’s boundaries are too restrictive, they want to prove they don’t need anyone or anything, they are disappointed with people and grow angry with God, they make poor relationship choices, they don’t want to face their failure, addictions, and habits.

We have been there! Some of those describe our thoughts when we were away from God. Some of those describe our family members or friends. Loved ones who we desperately want to see find the joy of serving Jesus as we have.

There are a lot of truths to take away from this parable but there is a single truth that Jesus emphasized in the very last verse.

Luke 15:32(NIV) 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

First and foremost in the Father’s mind is that His child was ‘dead’…His child was ‘lost’.

I remember going through the trauma of losing my childhood dog, Barney.  He was a mutt…a sort of farm dog although we didn’t have a farm. He ran the fields and woods. He brought woodchucks home, got caught in traps at least twice, shot with birdshot once. Eventually dad had to put him down and I was in tears. My older brother attempted to console me, “It will be alright” he said. I looked at him and replied through tears, “No it won’t. He’s dead!” My brother had no response and walked away. My brother and I laugh about it now, but he had nothing to say. Dead is dead. Lost is gone. That is…unless God’s grace intervenes.

You Can Always Come Home

The wonderful thing about our Heavenly Father is that he is always willing to accept us home, but He will not force Himself on us.

1. Realize: I want to go home. 

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!

2. Decide to go home.

Luke 15:18–19 (NIV) 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’

3. Go home.

Luke 15:20a (NIV) 20So he got up and went to his father...

This is the beauty of salvation. Salvation is finding my way home.

I love to hear testimonies! It is the reason that I enjoy having Teen Challenge choirs come and share with us. It is always interesting to see the range of emotions that the men have. Some are clearly being forced to be there. They may not have even realized that they want to be saved. But others have realized, they have decided, and they have found themselves in the arms of the Spirit of God.

Every change starts with desire.

Desire becomes a decision.

Decision becomes action.

4. Repent.

Repentance is a piece of this that we should not overlook. Afterall, it was the message of Jesus from the very beginning.

Mark 1:14–15 (NIV) 14After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Watch how repentance plays out with the prodigal son…

Luke 15:20–21 (NIV) 20So 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.

21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Repentance: Truly sorry + a commitment to change.

Remorse is sorrow for the past but doesn’t want to change the future.

Repentance changes future behavior so past mistakes won’t be repeated. 

Now, here is the beautiful truth, When I come home, I am forgiven.

Luke 15:22–24 (NIV) 22“But 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. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

1 John 1:9 (NIV) 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

This past Wednesday our Bible study was studying the thief on the cross who would be with Jesus in a matter of minutes. We considered what would have brought the man to understand Jesus as the Messiah. Everyone in the group agreed that it was the statement of Jesus to His Father in front of the crowd, the mockers, the torturers, and his murders; “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” The thief had to realize, if He could forgive them, He could forgive me!

Home at Last!

I left home in late January 2003 and returned in March 2004. It was 15 months away from my family and my home. My unit was in Maryland at Ft. Meade so most of the soldiers had their homecoming at the unit right after getting off the plane. My family was here in Texas, so my homecoming was a day or so later. As I walked toward baggage claim my family was gathered just in front of the security checkpoint. It was a wonderful moment to see Cindy and Brittni and Jesse for the 1st time in 15 months.

The Bible tells us that the angels rejoice when one person comes home!

Luke 15:10 (NIV) 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

It is interesting that this verse occurs right before this parable in Luke. “Jesus was explaining to his detractors that, while they were not pleased with him, God was pleased that Jesus was seeking the lost souls and bringing them the Good News of the Kingdom.”[1] God was pleased! God is still pleased with every altar call and every time you witness to others. This parable is a powerful outline of what happens at salvation. It is a great way to encourage prodigals.

When I come home:

God is waiting for me. 

Luke 15:20b (NIV) 20... “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 heart of salvation is the Cross of Christ. The reason salvation is so easy to obtain is that it cost God so much. The Cross was the place where God and sinful man merged with a tremendous collision and where the way to life was opened. But all the cost and pain of the collision was absorbed by the heart of God. – Oswald Chambers

God loves me.

Romans 8:38–39 (NIV) 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Principle: Repentance is in response to love. God loves people to and through repentance.

Luke 15:21 (NIV) 21“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Romans 2:4 (NIV) 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Many years ago, Jonathan Edwards preached a message titled, “Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God”. We used to teach it in American Literature to high school students. I think there is something do hardships bringing men and women to Christ. Jails and prisons see people turn to Jesus. Wars awaken prayers and fill churches. But…there is power in Romans 2:4, the power of God’s kindness in leading us to repentance.

God restores me. 

Luke 15:22 (NIV) 22“But 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.

God celebrates!

Luke 15:23–24 (NIV) 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Welcome Home!

It is an absolute lie from the devil to believe that you won’t be welcomed back home.  The parable of the Prodigal Son is evidence.

Key Truth: I can always come home.

That’s exactly the heart behind Jesus’ story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). The son had wandered far from home. He had spent everything, made a mess of his life, and was convinced he was no longer worthy to be called a son. Maybe you’ve felt that way too. But when he finally made the long journey home, something surprising happened.

Before the son could even give his apology speech, the father saw him a long way off — and ran to him. He wrapped him up in love, threw a robe on his back, a ring on his finger, and called for a celebration.

That is the homecoming God offers to every one of us through salvation. Not a cold handshake. Not a lecture. Not "where have you been?"

But a robe. A ring.A feast. And a shout heard through all of heaven: "Welcome home!"

Salvation is the homecoming your heart was made for — and it’s open to you today.

[1]Bruce Barton et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001), 320.