Coming Home: The Journey Of Repentance And Restoration

Coming Home: The Journey of Repentance and Restoration

Luk 15:11-24

Good morning, church family! As we begin this new year together, I want to ask you a question that might make you a little uncomfortable: Have you ever found yourself far from home? Not just physically, but spiritually? Have you ever looked around at your life and wondered, "How did I get here? How did I drift so far from where I started with God?"

I can see that some of you are nodding your heads. Because the truth is, we've all been there. We've all taken that journey away from our Father's house. Some of us have wandered far, others just a few steps, but we've all experienced that distance from God's presence.

Today we're going to look at one of Jesus' most beloved parables in Luke chapter 15. It's the story we all know pretty well and call it the story of the Prodigal Son, but I want you to see it as your story, my story, our story. It's the story of every human heart that has ever wandered away from God and discovered the incredible grace that calls us home.

Luk 15:11-24 And He said, "A man had two sons. [12] "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' So he divided his wealth between them. [13] "And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. [14] "Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. [15] "So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. [16] "And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. [17] "But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! [18] 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; [19] I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."' [20] "So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. [21] "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' [22] "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; [23] and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; [24] for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.

I believe that this morning, God wants to speak to every heart about the journey home, about repentance and restoration, and about the spiritual renewal that awaits us when we return to our Father's house.

1. The Downward Spiral

Let's begin though, by looking at how we get so far from home. The younger son's journey away didn't happen overnight, and neither does ours. First, notice his demand: Luk 15:12 …'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' This wasn't just asking for an early inheritance; this was essentially saying, "Father, you’re not dying quick enough. I’m tired of living under your thumb. I want what's mine, and I want it now."

How often do we approach God the same way? We want His blessings, His provision, His protection, but we don't want His presence, His lordship, His authority over our lives. The son wanted independence from his father's house. He wanted to make his own decisions, live by his own rules, chart his own course. Does that sound familiar? This is the heart of sin – the desire to be our own thing, to be our own god, to live life on our terms rather than God's terms.

Then after he made his demand, then came the departure: Luk 15:13 "And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country… You know, he didn't just leave; he went to a far country. He put distance between himself and everything that reminded him of home, of his father, of his identity as a son. How many of us have done the same thing spiritually? We've distanced ourselves from the church, from Christian fellowship, from prayer, from God's Word. We've surrounded ourselves with influences that make it easier to forget who we really are and whose we really are.