Coming Home
Notes
Transcript
One of the things I can remember clearly is when I reached an age when I thought I was ready to leave home. I was an adult, and thought I was ready to conquer the world. I had been raised well, I could fend for myself. And as long as I was in college and they were supporting me it was great! But then, once I graduated and went on to grad school I was 7 hours away from home. I couldn’t come home every weekend and get stocked up on food, wash laundry, get favorite snacks from the grandparents, and maybe a few extra dollars of spending money. Instead, reality hit. I had to learn to take a paycheck and make it stretch until I got paid again. Proud enough, I wouldn’t call home, and at times I would eat left overs and whatever I had in the cabinet to get me through. Oftentimes I would call home just to vent, to get advice, and at times just to hear mom and dads voice. I survived, but there was a steep learning curve that took time to sink in and make it through. I came through stronger, and with a wife...which was a really good end to that steep learning curve. And then, another learning curve began.
But how often have we, as Christians, looked at our lives and thought I’m an adult and I am ready to do things on my own. I’ve got it God! We were raised in church, brought up well, been saved and baptized, we are good! We can make it on our own now. Then we get out in the real world, face worldly decisions, peer pressure, all the things that look good on the outside, but really start to wear on us from the inside. Before long, we realize we have a choice to either veer off and be a part of the world, or turn to Christ and mature in Him.
The Prodigal Son thought for sure he was an adult, ready to see the world and become the man he wanted to be. The definition of prodigal is one who spends money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant and living lavishly. He was the type of person everyone likes to be around when they have money, but doesn’t want to admit they know when he’s broke. But even though he lived a self-serving lifestyle, there was someone who still loved him and wanted him to return, and that was his father. Just like us, when we turn away from God and run as far away as we can, the only thing He desires is for us to return to Him. And just like the Prodigal Son, He runs and embraces any prodigal who repents and comes home.
11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.
12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.
13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.
Like many bad decisions, this bad decision started with “give me”.
“Give me my inheritance.” He wanted money and the things and possessions of the estate (world) which he was to inherit. He wanted to get all the Father would give him so that he could enjoy it now.
• He had not earned it, not yet; therefore, he did not deserve it.
• He was selfish and self-centered, rude and unkind. He said, “Give me,” not “Please” nor “May I have.” The effect upon his father and the estate was of little, if any, concern to the prodigal. The father could be hurt and the estate could suffer from the loss of the money and goods; it mattered little to the prodigal. He said, “Give me my independence.” This is what the prodigal was really after, the right to his own life. He was tied down to the father’s property and was held responsible for the care of the property. He wanted to cut loose—to be away from the father and to be relieved of the responsibility of the property. He wanted to live his own life, to do his own thing. He wanted to see the world on his own, but on his father’s dime. The father gave the son his freedom and possessions. The son was able to do what he wanted with his life and goods (abilities, talents, money, things). All was placed into the son’s hands. He could use his life and what he had as he wished without any interference from the father. Since he was an adult son, he wanted to be free from the father and the father respected his adulthood. The father could do nothing about the choice of life chosen by the son. He had to let him go and live as he wished.
He left his father—he rebelled and revolted and journeyed to a far country. He chose a country that was drastically different from his father’s, a country that was full of drunkenness, immorality, selfish-ness, greed, sin, and shame. He lived a worldly, fleshly life—living for the pleasure of this world only. But soon, this lifestyle would come to an end.
14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.
15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
He spent everything he had, wasted, gone, there was no more to be found. He was so broke, he had to get a J-O-B. I wonder where all his friends were when he was spending it up partying and having a good time? Why didn’t they help him out and give him a little extra to get by on? The point is this: the prodigal had nothing on earth to help him. He had wrapped his life up in the pleasure and security of the world; but now, when they were all gone, there was nothing left to help him. He stood bare, empty, alone, and destitute. All that he had based his life upon was now gone. He now knew that the world was corruptible and that it passed away. Note: he had cut himself off from his Father (God), so he had no security from God. He was out in the world with nothing, all alone, having “spent everything”. No longer was he eating filet a ribeye and a baked potato, no longer was he eating caviar and crackers, his standard of living had fallen to the point no one wanted to associate with him - “no one gave him anything”.
So broke, he - a good Jewish boy - was so hungry he was willing to take a job feeding the hogs. No good Jew would be seen defiling themselves feeding hogs. He was so destitute and hungry he even longed to eat the pigs food.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!
18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’
The prodigal son came to his senses and faced reality. Note the words “came to himself.” Jesus considers a person away from God to be mad, insane, living in an unreal world. This young man was ready to go home and repent to his father. The same is true with us - the beginning of repentance is thinking about our need to turn back to our Heavenly Father. Repentance is when we begin to regain our sanity and reality of what we desire.
When the prodigal son came to his senses and faced reality, he began to think long and hard upon these things.
He thought upon his Father (God) and His enormous provision.
1) The Father’s “many servants” would be the believers, the children of God.
2) The Father’s “bread” was enough to feed all, and then there was even more to spare.
The prodigal remembered how his father had been able to provide for all. He remembered the sense of belonging, of being a family and of fellowshipping together among all the servants of God, the great provision of love and joy and peace, of purpose and meaning and significance. His father had it all and more to spare.
And then he started thinking, if I stay where I am I am going to die. Right now, he was so hungry and humiliated he felt as though he was going to perish not only at that time, but eternally. When he had hit rock bottom, he humbled himself and decided to return to his father. He got up, he turned away from his current lifestyle, and he walked back to his father. Repentance is simply a changed life, a life that turns from sin to righteousness, from self to God, from this world to heaven. When he returned home, he would have to confess his sin and his unworthiness to be called his fathers son. The desire and longing to return to his father was gnawing at him deeply.
20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
One thing that should be pointed out is that the father did not go after the son, instead he stayed at home where he belonged. He carried on with his own duties, and patiently waited on his son.
The prodigal got up, turned from the current life, and returned to his father. He didn’t just think about it, but he did it. This was the greatest of moments for the prodigal, the most momentous event in the life of any sinner. It is the summit of human experience. The prodigal returned to God: he wanted to back home with his Father.
He was accepted back by the father even before he confessed. This is a significant point to note. Repentance is the sign that we are sincere when we confess, and God knows we are sincere when He sees us actually turn from our wicked ways. He forgives when we repent, when we truly want Him to forgive. This is the reason the Father runs to meet His son. The son had turned away from the far country and had come to the Father.
But his father was merciful, ran to him, and loved him.
All of this was before the son even confessed. He needed to confess his terrible evil: that he had rebelled, rejected, and sinned against the Father. He had sinned against heaven, all that heaven stood for in all its righteousness and godliness, and sinned in the sight of God, going against all that the Father stood for and knew to be best.
22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.
23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.
24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
The son was accepted back home, restored to his place in the family, and without any shame. His father tenderly took him back in.
The robe restored him to a position of sonship and honor. It symbolized being clothed with the righteousness of Christ.
The ring restored him to a position of authority. The son was now to represent the father and his kingdom.
The shoes immediately restored and elevated him above servanthood, which means he became a free man. The son was now shod with shoes to carry the gospel of peace wherever he went.
The celebration pictures reconciliation, full acceptance, and the great joy of the occasion.
The father fed the son and celebrated his son’s return.
He acknowledged a new life for his son “He was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found”.
Closing
Closing
How many of us have walked away from God, and have found ourselves in the same place as the prodigal son? We have had our fun, have lived our lives to the fullest, and then found ourselves completely destitute spiritually? Living a life without God, and finding out we are hopeless. We must then make the decision where we are still going to stay in the predicament we are in, or are we going to recognize our lost state, repent of our sins, and return back to our Heavenly Father? No questions asked, He will come running, love us, and restore us to our place with Him.
