Am I A Prodigal Son?

Luke 15:11-25

Topic: Am I a prodigal son?

Usually when we think of the Prodigal Son story, we usually think of a young man leaving home because he wanted to be grown and wanted to be able to do his own thing without asking for his parents permission. When we think of the Prodigal Son story, we usually think of a young man who moved far away from home, who partied all night long every night, who had a whole lot of so-called friends, who slept with every woman in town, who got high, who got drunk, and was living life to the fullest by driving fancy cars, wearing fancy clothes, and was living in a spacious beautiful house. When we think of the Prodigal Son story, we usually think about how the young man became broke, how he lost every thing that he had, how he was deserted by his so-called friends, and how he became homeless. When we think about the Prodigal Son story, we usually think about how the young man ended up working in the pig pen, and how he was so hungry to eat what the pigs ate in the pig pen until he came to himself. When we think about the Prodigal Son story, we usually think about how the young man decided to go back to his father house to apologize for his behavior and how he was hoping that his father would receive him back. When we think about the Prodigal Son Story, we usually think about how gracious the father was by receiving his young son back into the house, and having a big celebration for his safe return.

Now, all of what I have mentioned is true about the Prodigal Son story. But the prodigal son story is deeper than the young man leaving home, getting into trouble, and coming back home. That is, the Prodigal Son story is not just limited to young people. You see, you can be 30, 40, 50, 60, or 70 years old and still be considered a “prodigal son.” You can be a girl or a woman and be considered a “prodigal daughter. You can be a Baptist, a Methodist, a Catholic, Church in God in Christ, or a Lutheran, and still be considered a “prodigal son.” You can be a choir member, usher, deacon, or a preacher and still be considered a “prodigal son” because any time you stray away from God to do your own thing, you are a prodigal son. Any time you stray from the church, you are a prodigal son. Any time you stray away from prayer, bible study, Sunday School, or any time you stray away from serving God, you are a “prodigal son.” And as a prodigal son, you will find yourself doing whatever that pleases the flesh and not those things that pleases God.

Now the question is, “What does a prodigal son look like?”

A prodigal son is a Christian who have strayed away from the will of God. The reason why a prodigal son is a Christian is because in the story of the prodigal son we notice that there was a relationship between the prodigal son and the father. Even though the prodigal son had left his father’s house to do his own thing, he was still his father’s son. Likewise, we as Christians have a relationship with God the Father through our faith in Jesus Christ, which makes us Sons of God. But yet sometimes as children of God, we will go astray, and become a prodigal son. For example, if you are a Christian, and yet you are smoking weed, you are a prodigal son. If you are a Christian, and yet you are getting drunk on the 40 ounces, you are prodigal son. If you are a Christian, and you are sleeping with every woman or man in town, you are a prodigal son. If you are a Christian, and you are disrespecting your parents, you are a prodigal son. If you are a Christian, but yet you are cutting up in school by starting fights all the time, not doing your homework, not respecting your teachers, and dropping out of school, you are a prodigal son. If you are a Christian, and yet you gamble all of your money away in the casinos to the point that you don’t have any money left to pay your bills, you are a prodigal son. If you are a Christian, and you are abusing your wife, abusing your husband, or abusing your children, you are a prodigal son. If you are a Christian, and you have stopped coming to church, stopped going to Sunday School, stopped going to bible study, stopped praying, stopped reading your bible, stopped serving the Lord, you are an prodigal son. If you are a Christian, and you have stopped witnessing for Jesus, but yet you tell lies and dirty jokes as a substitute, you are a prodigal son. A prodigal son is anyone who is a Christian who has stopped trusting in the Lord for his or daily needs and has strayed away from God’s will.