Running to a Runaway

Luke 15:11–24 “And he said, A certain man had two sons: 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. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 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. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.”

A very familiar passage for most of us and maybe if it’s not. Man I pray this changes your life the same way I allow it to. I have not come for a feel good sermon, but I pray God uses these words to convict some prodigals. I pray he uses these words to find some sheep. I pray he goes looking for the one out of 99. Because that’s the God he is. That’s the God he has promised me in this book he is. This scripture I hold near and dear to my heart. Why? because this is my testimony

For you that don’t know me, I am not a very big face on this campus. My name is Bryce Streetman. I am 19 this is my second year of college. I played basketball, archery, powerlifting, track and field, clay shooting team, baseball. All throughout highschool. I graduated from Alcorn Central. And I am a Prodigal. I had an issue with that becasue that wasn’t the coolest testimony in the world. I use to hate my testimony. I would hear about people being broken of addiction, drug addiction, drunkards, felons, everything under the sun. And if you know me, I was saved at 8 year old. God Convicted my heart and I got saved at a really young age. Well getting saved that young, you don’t have the oppertunity for the rebellious teen years yet. But let me tell you, someone here maybe struggling with that same thought. Just becasue I life guard throws the float before you start drowning forseeing you drowning. Does that make the life guard any less of a life saver? No it doesn’t and now I can look back on my life and thank Jesus, Thank God for saving me so young. Because if I didn’t get saved so young who knows where I would be now. I can assure you it wouldn’t be us here talking, I can assure i Wouldn’t be preaching on Sunday mornings, and leading Bible studies, and leading worship infront of anyone. Or talking about Jesus to strangers, or hosting fca events or doing field of faiths, or youth rallies. I can tell you where I would be and that is eating the slop of the world, I tried to eat the slop. I cussed, I hung out with the wrong crowd, I had that holy Ghost conviction that kept me from doing anything that would perminitly dammage me. Thankfully, but I was running from God to find joy in things that I knew were wrong. Getting the tiny joy from what the world has to offer that will never suffice for what I long for.

And I want to look at this passage and I’m calling the prodigals, I am calling the sons and the daughters back to the father. I don’t care your in college, I don’t care if your trying to have the college experience. I would rather be humiliated carrying people into heaven than to cheer people on into hell. So i am here to tell you the Father is watching for you and tonight you can be found, tonight the father is ready for you. I find dozens of things in this passage but three that I think will change your life if you allow you to. I pray you have come with a heart to hear God. You will find exactly what you have come seeking. That goes for anywhere, if you go to practice with a mindset of practice sucks, guess what practice will suck, If you go to class thinking this instructor is an idiot, guess what you will find things that will support it. If you have come today complaining about coming, you will find things to complain about. But today if you have come with a mind and a heart to hear from God, You will hear from God.

God’s restless Grace

In this passage we find God’s restless Grace. I do not know where you are right now with your walk. Maybe you are so intune with God. Maybe this is the best relationship you’ve ever had with him. Or maybe you are like this prodigal who is out finding joy in the world. We find that the father. Luke 15:20 “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.” The father was restless, I imagine many days where the father sat on the front porch and waited knowing his son would return. Longing to see him once again. My girlfriend had a grandmother, we called her Nana. Yes I said called past tense, she sadly passed away the last day of last year. But she loved Macadyn with her whole heart. One of my favorite things about Nana was, anytime Macadyn and I would go out to eat or have a late night out with family. Nana would watch Life 360 waiting to go to sleep until she got home. This is a woman who get to work at 4:30 in the morning staying up until midnight or past waiting on someone she loves to return home. God is restless for you, I know God does rest, but I can only imagine he loses sleep over the ones that are lost. Now don’t quote me on that, I am no theologian but I am not for sure if God sleeps or not but if he does He is definitely losing sleep over you. But this restless Grace is a grace that never sleeps. It’s always open and for you to have. That doesn’t mean to abuse it, If you abuse the grace and call yourself a Christian I would check up on your relationship. Don’t abuse cheap grace. God’s grace is Holy, I love how Cliff and Stewart say it, “ If you slap someone in the face and apologize they may forgive you and mean it, but if you do it another 7 times, that ‘ I’m sorry’ no longer holds the same weight. Becasue you are a hypocrite.

His Grace is restless and it is for you.

The Desire to Restore, and not Condemn

What we also find in the text is the Desire to restore, and not condemn. How easy it would be for The father in that parable to slap him, to shame him, to look at him with disgust. The boy deserved it, right? He took half his belongings and went out. Sold it all and then came crawling back to dad asking for handouts. But the father didn’t see that. The father doesn’t see that in you either. Let me tell you, you are not good enough for Heaven… NEWS FLASH you arn’t. But there is a perfect Lord, a perfect lamb, A perfect savior who is. but you have to be humble enough to repent of you imperfectness. We all fall short of the Glory of God. ALL means everyone, that means me, that means you, that means your pastor, that means the most spiritual man or woman you know, that means your parents, that means your grand parents, but there is one and one only who doesn’t and he took your place of a punishment we deserve. And his name is Jesus Christ. That Father had every right to be upset but he wasn’t that is what is beautiful about grace that we talked about earlier. It is a free gift. That you have to except. Bryce Crawford explains it beautifully, I know he is quoting a quote from someone else but what can I say, I love that guy, he says “ the devil knows your name, and yet calls you by your sin. Jesus knows your sin but calls you by your name” The father is here to restore broken fellowship with him. Hey Look at me, it’s okay, whatever you have done, whatever you think you’ve done. It’s okay God Forgives, I know that is hard for our minds to wrap our head around but He forgives. He comes to restore a relationship he isn’t here to condemn your relationship. Condemnation comes from the devil, conviction comes from God.

If we have something prepared for an invitation yall come on up. Counselers/ prayers come up here too please.

The Title of the Son

Finally today, I wanted to talk about the Title that is given to the Boy. We look in the first verse we looked at Luke 15:11 “And he said, A certain man had two sons:” Son, what a title. To be the son of a powerful man. What a close relational title given. You ever had an old guy that you arn’t related to call you son. “ Com’ere ol’ son” something about that makes you feel good. Something about that makes you feel seen, makes you feel loved. That title son is intitional. This son ran away from the father, but flip to Luke 15:24 “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” “MY SON” what i nice ring to it. “My daughter” The God of the universe calls us. Does that not make you feel good about yourself. Our father is a king, God. And even though he left, he never stopped being his son. The father never stopped calling him son. God is calling his sons and daughters home right now. And he’s got a seat at his table right next to him. Your name on it. The Title son never left the boy, even while he was away, and maybe that is where you are today, it’s been a minute, maybe you’re ashamed of a few things. Maybe you don’t feel like a son or a daughter. Maybe you’ve done some things that your dad wouldn’t be too proud of. Come on home son. Come on home daughter, because the Father is waiting on you. And he’s waiting intintely, wathching for you over that hill. And he’s ready to celebrate.

That’s my call today, where are my prodigals at. You’re seen you’re loved. You just gotta return. come running, you may stumble on your way here but as long as you stumble into the hands of the Lord who cares.