LUKE 15:11-24 “I JUST WANT TO GO HOME”
A) Preachers always use this text to preach to backsliders or to the lost!
* I would like to take a different approach to this today and preach to those that have been saved
by God’s grace!
* As we look into this passage, we see a young man with many problems in his life!
B) Certainly there were doubts and fears about today and about the future!
* He faced regrets concerning his past and he found out that a person does reap what he sows!
* Our story gives us a young man who is a member of the family, but he is one who has strayed
away! * As a result, he finds himself in the midst of great difficulty and trouble!
* He sinks about as low as any person could go and then reaches a place where he experiences a
turning place in his life! * v.17 tells us that, “he came to himself.”
C) Apparently, this young man had been the victim of temporary insanity!
* By the way, that’s what backsliding is! * He came to himself and remembered how well he had
things back at the Father’s house! * He knew if he could just get home, things would be better!
D) Now I don’t want to spiritualize this thing too much this morning, but I do want you to know,
that sometimes, I feel like the prodigal son!
* Not in the sense that I have walked out on the Father … I just feel like I want to go home!
* I often find myself longing to be at the Father’s house, in His glorious presence!
* I’m sure you feel that way too from time to time! * If so, then I’ve got good news for you!
* One day all of God’s children are going home! * When we get there, we’ll find it better ... here!
E ) With that thought in mind, I’d like to preach on this thought, “I Just Want To Go Home!”
* I want to show you from these verses that when we get home, things will change!
* I want to encourage you today and remind you that it’s gonna be better when we get home!
(1) WHEN WE GET HOME, SOME THINGS WILL BE BEHIND US! * v.11-17
* When we get home, there will be some things that we will not have to deal with any longer!
A) There Will Be No More Sin – v.11-13! * The prodigal wandered away into a life of rebellion!
* How many times have you and I done the same thing?
* We had every intention of living for the Lord and doing well for His glory, but temptation came,
we gave in and we fell into sin!
B) Thank God, the day is coming when sin will no longer be a problem for you and me!
* We are going to a land where there will be no sin! * 1 Cor. 6:9-10 “Know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the …”
* Even this fleshly nature that gives us so much trouble down here, will be forever changed …….
* And we will no longer desire the things of life! * We’ll have all we need!
C) There Will Be No More Separation – v.13!
* The prodigal found himself separated from the father! * It turned out a miserable place to be!
* We are so blessed in that we have received glorious promises from the Savior!
* Matt.28:20 “I am with you …” * Heb.13:5 “I will never leave …”
D) John 14:16-18 He gives to us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, He’ll not leave us comfortless!
* However, like it or not we are still separated from the presence of our Father Who is in Heaven! * There are still times when we fall into sin, and we lose our precious fellowship with Him!
* Isa. 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid
his face from you, that he will not hear.”
* Thank God there is a day coming when this will be no more!
* We will be perfect, we will be home, and we will be in His presence evermore!
E) There Will Be No More Straying – v.13!
* The prodigal took his leave of the father, and headed out to live a life of selfish, sinful living!
* That describes us most of the time! * We know what we ought to do, but we still don’t do it! * We know what we ought not to do, but do it anyhow!
* But thank God, when our change comes, there will be no more straying!
* There’ll be no more wandering, we will ever abide in perfect fellowship with the Father!
F) There Will Be No More Suffering – v.14-17!
* The prodigal found that a life lived outside the will of God, is a life of pain and problems!
* I suppose that everyone in this building knows that this life is a time of pain and suffering!
G) Now, please don’t misunderstand me, I have no sad songs to sing!
* I have no “oh, woe is me” stories to tell! * God has blessed my life and been extra good to me!
* I am simply saying that this life is a time of trouble for those of us who are human!
H) The Lord Himself said in John16:33 that in this world we would have tribulation!
* Job told us about the trials of life in Job 14:1 He said “Man that is born of a woman is of …”
and Job 5:7 “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.”
* While we journey through this land as pilgrims, we can expect our share of troubles and trials!
I) But bless His name, when we get home, no more troubles! * I’ve read the end of the book!
* And I have seen where the Lord will take away the burdens of this life, and remove all our
sufferings from our shoulders!
* Thank God it’s gonna be better when we get home because some things will be behind us!
(2) WHEN WE GET HOME SOME THINGS WILL BE BEFORE US! * v.20-22
A) We Will See The Father – v.20! * When the prodigal returned home …….
* He was able to see the father once again! * They had been separated, but now, they are brought
together! * According to the Bible, “no man hath seen God at any time.” (1 John 4:12)
* The reason why is He is holy and we are sinful! * If we were to see Him, it would kill us!
B) Even Moses was prevented from seeing the Lord in all of His glory – Exo. 33:18-23!
* When we get home, we will see Him as He is! * We will look in the face of the One who loved
us enough to send His only Son to die in our place! * Oh, I want to see Him!
C) We Will Be Remade After His Fashion – v.22a! * When the prodigal came home …….
* The father ordered him to be clothed in the best robe in the house!
* Who do you think it belonged to? * The father himself, no doubt!
D) When this boy came home, he smelled like the hog pen! * He was dirty and was in sad shape!
* But when the father’s robe was placed upon him, all the evidence of the wayward life was gone!
* Folks, when we get home, we are going to be remade after His fashion! (1Cor. 15:39-49)
E) One day when we get home, we will be given a body fashioned like that of our Lord’s!
* An eternal body that will never age, weaken or die! * A body just like Jesus has right now!
* Today, we see faults in one another. * In that day, there will be no faults to see!
* Cause all God’s people will be perfect just like Jesus!
* I look forward to that wonderful “getting up morning” when I will awake in His image!
* Psa.17:15 “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake,
with thy likeness.”
F), We Will Enjoy His Favor – v.22b! * The prodigal returned home …….
* And was rewarded by the father with the ring of reconciliation.
* That ring signified that this wayward boy had been fully restored to his place in the family!
* He was in the wrong … But when he returned home, he was the one who was rewarded!
G) My friends, when we get home, the Father is going to reward us – Rev.22:12 …….
* “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his
work shall be.”
* Now, He did all the dying … He did all the saving … He did all the keeping … He did all the
working … He did everything …….
H) And anything that we have ever done for Him was produced through us by His power!
* John 15:5 “... for without me, ye can do nothing.”
* Yet, He tells us that when we get home, He will reward us … Hallelujah!
* He may reward us, but we’ll have the privilege of laying those rewards at His nail pierced feet!
* What a day that will be! * That will make a lot of things better when we get home!
I) We Will Experience His Freedom – v.22c! * When the prodigal returned home …….
* He was given shoes for his feet! * In that day only the slaves went barefooted.
* The father is telling this boy, “You’re no servant, but you’re a free man.”
J) In this life, we’re told clearly that we are servants of the Lord Jesus Christ!
* We are His … We have been bought with a price, and He has a right to use us when, where and
how He pleases!
* When we get home, we will still serve, but, like the prodigal, we will be elevated to a new level
of service! * You see, we will have a body that can serve properly!
K) We will have a mind that will desire to serve properly!
* We will have a spirit that will yearn to serve Him properly!
* We will experience freedom from all the things that hinder our service down here!
* We will be free to serve the Lord when we get home!
* Some things will be behind us, some things will be before us …….
(3) SOME THINGS WILL JUST BLESS US!
A) 1st, There Will Be A Feast – v.23!
* When the prodigal returned home, he was presented with a great feast!
* The father killed the fatted calf and threw a great party because his son had returned home!
* May I remind you that when the Bride of Christ gets home, there will be a great celebration in
heaven! * Let’s turn in our Bibles to Rev. 19:7-9 …….
* I don’t pretend to understand all this means to you and me … But I do know that there will be a
great feast when we get home!
B) There Will Be A Festival! * When the prodigal returned home …….
* v.24 says that “they began to be merry.” * They had a shindig … They had a hoot-n-nanny!
* They had a blow-out that night! * I would like to remind all the saints of God …….
* That heaven will probably be a far cry from the average Baptist church service!
C) If you came to the average Baptist church on Sunday, you’d think someone died!
* In heaven, things are a far cry from that. * In fact, in heaven, there is singing, shouting, and
praising the Lord! * Luke 15:10 … * Rev. 4:6-10; Rev. 5:8-11; Rev. 5:14; Rev. 7:9-12;
* Rev. 11:15-16; Rev. 19:4-6! * Our praising will be better when we get home!
D) There will be some people who will shout who have never grunted in church! (I can’t wait)
* Now, some of the things I have preached about, you will just have to wait until you get home
to enjoy … But good old fashioned praising the Lord is something that can be enjoyed now!
CLOSE
A) When the prodigal got home, he found it was better! * So will we!
* I praise God for what awaits the saints one day!
B) However, some here probably ain’t going! * If you have never trusted Christ as Savior,
* You will not go home … You will go to hell. * He can change that if you’ll come to Him!
