Are You Ready To Go Home?

Are you ready to go home?

Luke 15:11-25

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 men 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 men.’

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.

Are you ready to go home?

This question if cast to different people it could be answered in many different ways, according to the situation they are in. (You ask me if I am ready to go home and I will say, “Yes, I am.” Actually I have already a scheduled flight home).

Amnesia is a strange condition that involves a loss of memory.

Illustration: A man in his late 50s or 60s, walked into the Victoria Hospital, Deal, on 18 August, complaining of head pains but does not have any obvious injuries. He was moved to hospital in Margate but he has told police he cannot recall any personal details. The man was wearing black jeans, a white T-shirt and beige walking boots, & had sunglasses & a walking stick.

Are you ready to go home?

l. Why should I go home?

Possible answers:

*I just arrived from home so why should I?

*I spent a lot of money, so I will just go home when I recovered it.

*If I already saved money for my business then that is the time to go home.

*Ask the prodigal if he wants to home, he would say, “No, I am still enjoying a life that is away from home.”

Illustration:

I had the conversation with a pastor who came to UAE and attend the church where I pastored. In the course of our conversation he said. “ I came abroad because I want to save money for the equipment to be used for my evangelistic program in the Philippines, such as projectors, amplifiers and all instruments needed for that evangelistic program. “ Many years had passed by and I noticed that he was still here in the country but seldom attended the church because he had lots of part time and overtime jobs. He had earned a lot of money, but why he was not yet home? I presumed that he had already forgotten his mission of coming here in the Emirates. He had suffered from spiritual amnesia.

I am afraid that there are many Christians who have a form of spiritual amnesia. They seem to forget all that the Lord has done for them. They have forgotten how wonderful life is at the Father’s house. They’ve spiritual amnesia & have no idea how to get back home.

In the story of the Prodigal Son, we are presented with the story of a young man, who suffered from spiritual amnesia.

He lives a worldly life and forgets how wonderful it is to live at his father’s house. And he had no idea when to get back to the Father’s house and enjoy the wonderful fellowship with the family that he once enjoyed.

What was the root cause of his waywardness? Isn’t it the money? Money is a blessing from God but if we are not aware it will bring us away from God.