Today, I'm posting my message that I preached last night at our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. It's the message of the Prodigal Son. Not your typical Christmas message I know. The reason I wanted to preach about the prodigal son at Christmas is two fold;
1)The Prodigals story is my story, and my guess is it is probably many of your’s as well. God has taken so many of us who have blown it big time and redeemed us – restored us. I want to look at his story again to remember where it is He saved from and to remember our primary job as Christians is to help others discover His love, His redemptive power, His restoration for themselves.
2) At the core of the story – is the truth that you can always come home. It is never to late to come home to God’s love.The word “home” is a very powerful word. I was reminded of its power this week as thought back to one of the last times that Sharon , the kids and I went to visit my mom. My mom was living in a care facility because of her progressive battle with Alzheimer's.
We talked about Christmas -we sang Christmas songs, and throughout the day, I was reminded vividly on that day that the next time my mom would really get to celebrate Christmas would be in her new home in heaven. I miss my mom and all the wonderful memories we had. But there is a profound sense of peace – knowing that we will celebrate again together in heaven – our real home!
Let’s read the story of the prodigal son. Read Luke 15:11-32
Jesus tells this story and in doing so He’s trying to paint a picture of the character of God. Two things about God’s character that I think it’s important for us to understand as we talk about coming home to God.
1. God is patient enough to not give up.
This story tells us that God is patient enough to not give up. It breaks my heart to hear people say, “I’m so messed up! God doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. You don’t know how many times I’ve walked away from God. So many times I can’t even count. God is done with me.”
God is never done with you – even if you think you’re done with God. He will never give up on you. That is hard for us to grasp, because we give up on people, and we in our puny little brains think well, God must be the same way. Wrong!
Luke 15: 20, we just read this – but here it is again - “…While he (the son) was still a long way off, his father saw him…” What is the picture of God’s character here? He is waiting – patiently for our return to Him. As a father, I pray it never happens – that any of our kids walk away from the Lord or that there ever is a break in our relationship. But, I know it can happen. I’ve seen it countless times. As a father, I guarantee there would not be a day that goes by that I wouldn’t be hoping, waiting, praying that this would be the day my child return. That’s what is happening here. The father saw him, because he was looking for him scanning the horizon – praying – Lord turn my sons heart toward home.
The Bible says this in 2 Peter 3 “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Underline “everyone”. He wants everyone to come to repentance. What does “repentance” mean? Repentance is kind of a churchy, theological word that simply means this: Turn around. Do a 180. Come home. He is patient. He wants everybody to come home.
Do you remember the movie Forest Gump? At the end of the movie Forest takes Forest Jr to the first day of school to the bus stop. He watches his son get on the bus. The best words in the whole movie were “I’ll be here when you get back.”
Some of us today need to see God in that light. You’re in a distant land or you’ve disconnected and you need to see God, that He’ll be there. He’s waiting patiently. Some of you aren’t runaways but you’ve jumped on a short bus ride called Disconnect. He’s not going to give up on you.
2. The other thing we learn about this story that Jesus told is that God is passionate enough to show extreme love.
This story is probably my most favorite story of all the Bible. And my favorite verse in my favorite story is verse 20 “The father saw him a long way away and he ran to his son.” Underline the phrase “he ran”. It’s the only time in the Bible where God is pictured as running. What makes this even more interesting is that in this culture, during this day, men wore robes. So running in a robe, like a long dress, is difficult… from what I’ve been told. For him to pull that robe up and run with his bare legs showing in that culture was unheard of. It would be like a dad today running down the street in his underwear or something like that. It was just unheard of. But this was extreme love. This dad didn’t care. (Much like you who are dads who wear colored socks with short pants and loafers. You don’t care what other people think of you! Or you don’t have somebody in your life who loves you enough to tell you how stupid you look!)
Why did he run? Because he was passionate enough to go to extremes to say to his son he loved him regardless of his past. Then it says in verse 20 he threw his arms around him and he kissed him. This is extreme love. He just came out of a pigpen. He throws his arms around him and kisses him.
And notice there is no lecture. He doesn’t say anything about the boy’s past. And in the absence of words he says a lot. In the absence of words he says everything. God communicates in silence. Those of you waiting for God to talk to you before you change, that he’s going to talk to you verbally or He’s going to match up some clouds for you or double your bank account and that type of thing. God speaks in silence. One of the things that I’ve learned is I never have to question whether God loves me or not. In not saying anything, He says everything.
In my moms final weeks of life, she had a hard time talking. Most of the time, she doesn’t recognize me. But there were times she would remember – and her whole body is in her face, she’s trying to communicate, and she can’t. Her lips began to quiver and then tears would come. As she began to cry - I know enough about my mom. We had a great relationship when I was growing up. I love my mom very much and I know she loves me. Those tears communicate, “Michael Patrick Pedlowe, if I could jump out of this decaying body every neuron in my soul wants to hug you and love you and tell you I’m proud of you.” I don’t need the words to know what’s going on. Extreme love – that’s the kind of love that God has for us!
Let’s get to the SO WHAT? What does this mean to me? How can I come home?
Since it was Jesus’ story about how to come home let’s just follow the steps of the son.
#1. Come to your senses.
Verse 17 “When he came to his senses.” My father’s hired help eats better than me and has a better life than me. He came to his senses. In the New Century version it says, “When he realized what he was doing.” This first point is the wake up call. For some of us it’s the “Ah-ahh! That’s what I need to do.” Sometimes it’s surrounded by pain and it’s not the “Ah-ahh!” it’s the “Oh, no!” A wake up call.
As I was preparing the message this week – it was painful. You see, I love to preach – it is what God created me to do. But many times it is painful, because I’ve got to work the message out in my own life first. So, I did that again for this message.
I started thinking about the lost son – the prodigal and I thought, I’m not this runaway. I’m not out there in this distant land. I don’t go to Vegas and blow my money and live an immoral lifestyle. But I am an occasional drifter. I know as a pastor I’m supposed to be a professional Christian. And I love God. Don’t question that. But I drift occasionally. I don’t consciously wake up in the morning and say, “Ok, today I’m going to drift.” But there are times when I just don’t pay attention to God. And I allow my soul to starve. It just happens. There are times when my times with God go unattended. And my spiritual life goes shallow.
Then God gets a hold of me somehow – through a worship song, through the tenderness of my wife, through one of my children and boom it’s lie Pedlowe get you head in the game – snap out of it man.
Romans 13:11 says “Another reason for right living, for coming to your senses, is you know how late it is. Time is running out. Wake up. Don’t miss out on that closeness you can have with God.” You can come home and be intimate with Him.
The second thing the prodigal did that we need to do…
2. Come clean about your sin!
The prodigal says, “I’m going to say ‘Father, I have sinned.’” That’s coming clean. This is where you expose to God your sin and ask for forgiveness that you know He’ll give. You admit who you are and what you have done.
It saddens me that I meet a lot of people that are more concerned with getting caught than getting help. Come clean. The Bible is so clear about this. Proverbs 20:8 “People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them they will receive mercy.”
The third thing the prodigal did that we need to do…
3. Come home to God’s Love!
Verse 18 “I’ll set out and go back to my father.” You have to move – get off dead center. Remember “He’s waiting for everyone to come to repentance” means to turn around and come home.
Runaways can always come home. When you do just imagine God’s presence, His joy, His face. Ephesians 3:12 says, “Because of Christ and our faith in Him we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence assured of His glad welcome.” Underline the phrase “glad welcome”. You can be assured that God’s saying, “Welcome back! I’ve been waiting for you. Welcome home!”
The natural result of these three steps is the fourth one.
4. Come celebrate a fresh start!
Celebration is the result of being connected with God. When I am connected with God, it gives birth to an attitude of celebration. I live in the real world with you. I understand pain. But what I’m talking about is the celebration that rises above your circumstances. It’s a joy that is deeper than just your normal happiness. When any one of us comes to our senses, comes clean, comes home – we need to celebrate.
This coming home that Jesus referred to in His story ends with a celebration. It ends with a celebration. Verse 22-24 “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. Bring the fatted calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of my was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”
I want to close by reading you a little story that comes out of readers digest It’s a story about the game that all of us know called Hide and Seek. We’ve all played it.
“ Hide and Seek – what a great game. I loved it as a kid. Did you ever have a kid in your neighborhood who always hid so good that nobody could find him? We did. After a while we’d give up on him and go off leaving him to rot wherever he was. Sooner or later he’d show up all mad because we didn’t keep looking for him. He’d say, “It’s Hide and Seek, not Hide and Give up!” We’d all yell about who made the rules and who cared for who anyway and how we wouldn’t play with him any more if he didn’t get it straight and who needed him anyhow and things like that. Hide and Seek and Yell.
Now, as an adult, I write this, and the neighborhood game goes on. There’s a kid under a pile of leaves in my yard just below my window. He’s been there a long time now and everybody else is found and they’re about to give up on him. I considered telling them where he’s hiding. Then I thought about sitting the leaves on fire to drive him out. Finally I just yelled out my window “Get found kid!” I scared him so bad, I think he wet his pants, but either way, he started crying and ran home to tell his mother. It’s hard to know how to be helpful sometimes.
I think adults play hide and seek – just not for fun. Most of us probably don’t even know we are playing it. A man I know found out last year that he had terminal cancer. He was a doctor and he knew about dying and he didn’t want to make his family and friends suffer through that with him so he kept it a secret and he died. His family and friends were angry that he didn’t need them, didn’t trust their strength and he didn’t say good-bye. He hid too well. Getting found would have kept him in the game. Hide and Seek grown up style. Wanting to hide. Needing to be sought, confused about being found.
Come in from the game – come to your senses, come clean – admit who you are and what you have done, come home and watch the celebration that happens.
Merry Christmas. I love you guys.
Pastor Mike
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