From Prodigal To Pilgrim

From Prodigal to Pilgrim

Luke 15: 11-24

11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:

12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again*; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

Introduction: The greatest thing about Christianity is that we are never too far from God’s grace. It’s not that far to the Father’s house. There is a song entitled “Farther Than Your Grace Can Reach” written by Jonathan Pierce and I like the refrain…

No fault, no wrong, no dark of night

Can hide me from Your eyes

I cannot fall or climb

Farther than Your grace can reach

This is the story of the prodigal that became a pilgrim.

First, let’s look at:

I. The Prodigal

a. The choice – a problem child

12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

Several words can be used to describe his behavior…

He is restless…

He was reckless…

b. The Conduct – the pleasure

12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

The prodigal son, or lost son, was an abuser of grace. Grace is most often defined as unmerited or unearned favor. He had a loving father, a good home, provision, a future, and an inheritance, but he traded it all in for temporal pleasures. We are the prodigal son.

It’s a broad road to hell and a narrow road home Jesus said.

Matthew 7:13-14

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

c. The Cost – the pain

14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

His family

His funds

His food

His friends

At some point the prodigal becomes a pilgrim…

II. The Pilgrim

a. The Wake-up

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Two things happened that changed everything. First, he said I don’t like this hog pen and second, things are better at the Father’s house. That was the turning point in his life. There is a term for this change. It’s called repentance. It’s defined as turning from sin to God. If we would find our way to the Father’s house we must repent.