Time To Come Home
Pastor Aaron Burke
February 20th, 2022
Read Luke 15:11-20
At some point in your life, you may have found yourself in a similar situation to the prodigal son. You may not have gotten your inheritance and left, but maybe you strayed from God because you thought you were better off without Him. Perhaps you got your dream job or car and the material things became more important than the Creator. But if it’s one thing that the prodigal son teaches you, it is that at the end of the day, all things will pass away and you will always need God. He is the ultimate source, and without Him, you are nothing. You will always find your way back home because that’s where you belong. It’s time to come home.
A WASTED LIFE PURSUES RESOURCES FROM GOD WITHOUT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
How many times have you asked God to fix a broken relationship or fix a situation that is causing you great pain? Sometimes you find yourself negotiating with God, requesting that if He fixes this problem then you would give up something in return. But Jesus did not live a sinless life and die a painful death just so you could obtain resources.
When you are searching for the resources, you may get it, but you would have a disconnected and wasted life because you never experienced the relationship with God. He came so you could have a vibrant, real relationship with God.
God is not the means to an end. He is not a genie. You cannot call upon Him strictly when you desire things and then put Him back when your ‘wish’ has been granted. He is not to be called upon conveniently when things go wrong in your life. It is human nature to have things go your way and for things to work out the way you desire, but God’s way is perfect, refreshing, and right.
Stop pursuing the resources. Pursue the relationship. If you pursue the relationship, the resources will follow.
SIN ALWAYS OVER PROMISES ON FUN, BUT IT ALWAYS UNDERDELIVERS ON FULFILLMENT
Sin will take you farther than you want to go, longer than you want to stay, and will always cost you more than you want to pay. The prodigal son ended up in a pig pen, filled with misery because he wanted to do things his way. At the moment, his lifestyle felt good but as the word of God shows us time and time again, sin has consequences.
You should always focus on doing life God’s way. The enemy will show you the bait, but never the hook. The enemy will show you how great and fun something looks, but there is always destruction at the end.
Run from doing life your way. It’s time to come home.
IF YOU WANT TO GET HELP THEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION TO COME BACK HOME
You can’t stay in your mess and expect to fix it all on your own. You have to go back home. You have to go back to the basics of what God has called you to do.
God did not save you so that you could come back as His slave or servant. He desires for you to be a part of His family. He saved you for something great. Romans 6:6-7 says, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.”
When you come back to God, you get His best. You get all that He has for your life but you have to come home. You have to make that decision to get your life back right with God.
GOD HAS NOT CANCELLED YOU. HE HAS COMPASSION AND RUNS TOWARD YOU
No matter how far you’ve gone, as soon as you make that decision to come back to God, He is waiting for you. Luke 15:20 says, “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” Just like the prodigal son, you too can expect to be embraced and greeted when you return home.
God’s judgment is not following after you—it’s His mercy and goodness. You just need to make up your mind to turn away from your way of doing it and go to God’s way. When you take a step towards God, God runs towards you. You are highly valuable to Him, so much so that Jesus died on the cross for you. It’s time to come home.
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
How are you treating God? Are you treating him like a genie when you need things or are you pursuing a relationship with Him?
Will you go home to your Father? Will you repent and acknowledge that you no longer want to do things your way? God is ready to celebrate with you when you make that decision to no longer live in sin.
