August 15, 2021: "I Belong: The Lost Son" Luke 15: 11-32

There is a story that my mom and grandmother will never let me forget. Growing up in Cairo, we would frequently travel the 35 or so miles down to Tallahassee, FL. Governor’s Square Mall was the go to mall with Gayfers being the go to store. Gayfers was a lot like Belks or Macys. One day when we were in Gayfers, I became separated from my mother. I prefer to think that my mom lost rather than me wandering off. You get the idea. She says that she frantically started to look everywhere until she finally looked over at the escalators taking people from the floor to the second. Apparently, the escalator was standing still and one of the sales associates was holding a small child in their hand saying, “Who’s child is this?!” The sales associate was not happy because the small child had found a big red button at the bottom of the escalator and pushed it. What the child could not read at the the time was the big words on the button that said “Emergency Stop”. My mother soon realized that it was me. She snatched me up in both frustration and relief… frustration that I would do such a thing, but relief in that she had found me.

That which was lost was now found and while I probably deserved to be a much harsher punishment than I received, the relief of having me back soon outweighed the frustration that I would do such a thing.

Enter the passage from Luke 15, verses 11-32… a very familiar passage, but an extremely important passage nonetheless.

I invite you to stand for the reading and hearing of God’s word this morning:

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.

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.’

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

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

And may Glory be to God for the reading and the hearing of His Word this morning, thanks be to God. You may be seated.

That’s How God feels about everyone one of us.

At first glance, we might make this memorable narrative strictly about the younger son and the misdeeds that he committed. But maybe a better way to view the parable is to skip to the end. In v. 31 the Father addresses the older son and says ““‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Combining the thoughts found in v. 31- 32 that the Father had about the older and younger sons, that is what God is saying to us today. “My child” The Heavenly Father says to us, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. We have to celebrate and be glad, because every time someone comes to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior all Heaven and Earth rejoices and celebrates… Glory to God in the Highest Heaven and on Earth peace and goodwill among those in whom he dwells! A sinner who has been saved by grace was dead and is alive again; they were lost and now are found. They are now a part of the family. Let’s not worry so much about all the things they did so much as we are grateful that they have come home!”

It’s not a coincidence that preceding the Lost Son parable are the parables of The Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin. Jesus had just come down hard on the people in chapter 14 saying, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters— yes, even their own life— such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. So, Jesus laid down the law that putting belief in Him and putting Him first was above everything else on the priorities list. You may have heard people say, “Keep the main thing the main thing.” That’s especially true here.

But then, right after lays down are hard truth, he wants people to understand how much he loves them. In the Parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd will leave the 99 to come find us and then joyfully carries the sheep on his shoulders as he returns home to protect the sheep from further harm. The terrain in the Middle East was pretty barren and rocky and the sheep could have cut their feet or even worse. The shepherd didn’t just rejoice at finding the sheep but he called all of his friends and they had a party, just like Jesus does when one sinner repents. It doesn’t make all of those already in the family unimportant. It means that just like he rejoiced over us when we came to know Him, he rejoices over our friends and family when they commit to Him as well. Conversely, if we don’t know Him, he’s ready to meet us. And, if we do know Him or we knew Him at one time, like the Lost Son, he stands ready like the Father to welcome us back with open arms.

That was one of the greatest gifts of the escalator story. My mom was frustrated, yes. But even more than that she was happy to have her son back. Can you imagine what would have happened to her if I had been lost forever? It would have been devastating. In the same way, that’s how God feels about us.

Between the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Son is the Parable of the Lost Coin. I misplace stuff all the time around the house and even think other people did it until I realize that I was the one who laid my wallet or keys somewhere. The woman who lost one of her ten silver coins lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully. I like the word “carefully”. Doesn’t that fit?! Carefully implies both methodical and with care to make sure that she doesn’t damage the coin and that when she finds it, she can carefully retrieve it. Then, she throws a party as well. She brings all of her friends and neighbors together and rejoices! The Parable of the Lost Coin ends by saying, “There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

What’s your story?

Are you the sheep or the coin or the son? Maybe today you feel more like the goat in that you feel so far away from God that you may have been doing the bidding of something or someone other than God.

First, God just wants you back. There are two types of coming back. There is the coming back that happens when we never knew Him here on earth. He created us and gave us the very breath of life. He knows the number of hairs on our head and our thoughts. If you fall into that category, maybe today is the day to receive Him as Lord and Savior. A great poem that Billy Graham would often have people quote to receive Christ says, “Jesus, you died upon the cross and rose again to save the lost. Forgive me now of all my sins. Come be my Savoir, Lord, and Friend. Change my life and make it new. And help me Lord to Live for you.” Once you pray that prayer, the Holy Spirit comes into you and you are saved by the Jesus. As receive gift of eternal life and prepare one day to go to Heaven. It doesn’t make you perfect because we all still mess up from time to time. It’s important for us when we do to humbly ask Him for forgiveness so that we can come back into right relationship with Him.

Second, God wants you to to come back after you’ve already given your life to Him. You have made the profession of faith, but now’s the time to recommit your life to Him. I’ve talked about the Aldersgate Experience of John Wesley, but did you know what happened just prior to it?

John became involved with a young lady named Sophia Hopkey. Many believe that Wesley liked her and she liked him, but that ministry and his obligation to God may have come in the way. To oversimplify the story, Sophia ended up marrying a Mr. Williamson. Shortly after, John shared with Sophia points in her behavior that needed improvement and refused to give her Holy Communion. Mr. Thomas Causton, the uncle of Sophia and Chief Magistrate of the area, drafted ten grievances against John with the civilian court system and on December 7, 1737, after evening prayers, John boarded a boat bound for the the Carolinas and eventually for England. The relationship with Sophia was a large reason for his return to England.

General Oglethorpe had to regroup because he had big plans for John in Savannah and the new world. John friend, George Whitefield wrote with fondness about how well John had done in the new world and how much he was still liked. But John’s encounter with adversity left him in the throws of despair and in need of recommitting his life to God.

If that’s your story, know that you are not alone. We’re all in this journey called life together. There are know road maps for success and we are seeking to do the very best we can moment by moment day by day.

Never lost sight of the fact that God’s arms are always open, and He will always search for you when you are lost. He searches for you in the little things… from the encouraging words another may say to the blessings brought into your life. If you listen long enough and come to the place where you are quiet before Him, he will bless you and bring you home.

When I went off the college at GA Southern in Statesboro, I was four hours away from home. I probably went home about once a month. When I made it home, there was an expectation that I would visit stay at my parent’s house, but also make the rounds to my grandparents and my aunts and uncles. In time when my grandfather had dimentia, I remember that he would get excited when I came home because we would go over to his farm and walk around so he could “check things out.” It really wasn’t that hard to do and it became our thing because he couldn’t go by himself. He started to share with me memories from his earliest days on the farm where he once dated my grandmother during very different day and age. He also shared that he missed his best friend and brother in law— my Uncle Henry. It was the clearest image that I’ve ever received that he was where he belonged because he was loved there and he loved it. I remember as well that I belonged because I was loved there and the memories were ones that I will always cherish.

In the God’s family, he has prepared a table for you. He’s waiting for you to pull up your chair. Remember, you belong!