Preached by Gregory W. Lee
17 September 2006
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Luke 15
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.
25. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
26. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
27. `Your brother has come,' he replied, `and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28. "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
29. But he answered his father, `Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31. "`My son,' the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
32. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
-- this morning, as we have gathered together to celebrate our annual homecoming here at Naylor Methodist Church, I have a couple of questions for you -- why are you here today? -- to what are you coming home?
-- what drew you here? -- is it a memory of family and friends in this church from years gone by that has drawn you here this morning? -- is it a memory of growing up here in this church that has brought you here? -- or is it merely a tradition -- just something that you do every September?
-- what drew you here? -- was it a memory of a spiritual moment that happened at this altar -- in this place -- a moment when God touched your life and you were never the same again? -- or was it something else?
-- what drew you here? -- what did you come here to find? -- what is it you are seeking? -- is it the past -- or were you drawn here this morning in anticipation of the future?
-- as I was reflecting on the concept of church homecomings, I thought about the people who desire to go on a trip to the Holy Land -- in a sense, this is a type of homecoming, but what is it they are seeking? -- what is it that is drawing them to that place? -- it is simply a chance to visit the great sites of our faith or is it more -- do they want to be where God once acted in a great and powerful way in the hopes that He will act in their lives in the same way?
-- the answer to these questions get to the heart of what a homecoming is supposed to be -- part of a church's homecoming should be a ministry of remembrance -- a time when the members of a church and their family and friends meet to celebrate the mighty acts of God that occurred in their church -- every church has events in their past where God moved in their midst -- and these events have shaped the lives of those who were present at that time
II. What is a Homecoming?
-- a homecoming is a time to revisit these events and to praise God for what He did at that time -- this is a biblical mission and ministry for people of faith -- when God led Joshua and the other Israelites across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land -- their homecoming event -- God had the Israelites take 12 rocks -- one for each tribe -- from the dry bed of the Jordan River and make an altar out of the stones -- in the future, Joshua told the people, when your children ask you what these stones stand for, you are to tell them of God's mighty works in bringing you and your fathers out of Egypt and into the Promised Land
-- but, if that is all you get out of a homecoming, then you are leaving short-changed -- for our God is not just the God of the past -- He is also the God of the present and the God of the future -- homecomings should not only be times of remembrance but times of looking forward to what God is going to do in us and through us and through this church in the years to come -- a time to prepare our hearts and our minds and our bodies to be part of God's mighty works for this church
-- homecomings should encompass all three aspects -- the past -- the present -- and the future -- they should be times of renewal, revival, and refocusing of our ministries and our lives to God's plan
-- one reason why we tend to think of homecomings as celebrations of the past may be because we have confused our concept of what a homecoming is -- we tend to think of our salvation experience as being our homecoming -- and so, when we have made it home, there is nothing else to worry about
-- that is one reason why homecoming sermons tend to be primarily evangelistic -- that is why you here so many homecoming sermons preached on the parable of the prodigal son -- what better picture of a homecoming could you have? -- a wayward child comes to his senses, repents of his sin, and returns home to the loving arms of his father -- the perfect picture of a biblical homecoming -- or is it?
-- if you think about it, the story of the prodigal son is similar to the story of a caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly -- as I'm sure you all know, a butterfly starts out his life as a caterpillar -- a very ugly, self-centered creature that cares for nothing but eating and stuffing itself with every pleasure of life -- and then, once it is thoroughly sated, it encloses itself in a chryalis -- bound up and unable to move -- very much like the condition of the prodigal son as he sat in the middle of a pig pen reflecting on what his life had wrought
-- but then, a life-changing experience happens -- the caterpillar matures inside its self-imposed prison -- the chrysalis splits open -- and the caterpillar emerges as a new creation -- as the creature it was created to be -- a beautiful adult butterfly
-- in the same way, the prodigal son has a life-changing experience, leaves the self-imposed bondage of his sin, and returns to his father to become the son that his father always wanted
-- but the story of the prodigal son doesn't end with that event -- I am fairly certain that he didn't spend the rest of his life partying and enjoying banquets of fattened calves -- instead, he was restored to his position as the younger son of a wealthy landowner and took up all the responsibilities of sonship -- in other words, coming home to his father was not the end of his journey, but only the start
-- think about the butterfly again -- the butterfly's journey is not over when it emerges from the chrysalis -- it is now an adult with adult responsibilities -- it has become a new creation, created by God for a specific purpose
-- did you know that every year, every single adult monarch butterfly in this country migrates to Mexico -- to a single plot of ground that is no more than 10 acres in size -- do you know why? -- to bear fruit -- to have young -- to carry on the heritage of their species by sharing their very life with the next generation -- their journey home was not completed when they emerged from the chrysalis -- their journey home is only complete when they fulfill God's plan for their lives
-- in the same way, our journey home is not complete when we are saved -- our Christian life only begins at salvation -- and our journey is only complete when we fulfill God's plan for our lives -- when we are saved, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and are called to become mature in Christ -- to accept the responsibilities of sonship and to bear fruit for Christ by sharing our heritage and faith with all that we meet
-- we've got too many prodigal sons in the church today who think that coming home just means coming to the altar, getting saved, and just showing up for church every Sunday -- all they're doing is sitting down to a banquet of fattened calf without taking up any of the responsibilities that come with being a child of the king
-- they've gotten out of the pigpen -- they've turned from their sins and turned to God -- they've come home -- and they've done nothing else -- is it any wonder that the older brother got angry?
-- if you would, please turn over to Phillipians 3 and we'll close there
III. Pressing on Towards Home
-- verse 10
10. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11. and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
-- the Apostle Paul had been in the pigpen -- he had been living in his self-imposed prison brought on by the consequences of his sin -- but he experienced a life-changing event on the road to Damascus as Jesus Himself brought the light to Paul -- convicting him of his sins and setting him on the road to home
-- Paul had been the prodigal son -- but he had come home -- he had been welcomed into the loving arms of the Father and had enjoyed the banquet with the fattened calf -- but Paul knew that this was not the end of his journey -- it was merely the first step
-- verse 12
12. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
-- Paul was not content with just being a new Christian and taking up space on the pews on Sunday mornings -- he knew that God had not saved him on the road to Damascus just to have him rest on his laurels for the rest of his life -- Paul knew that there was something more -- a journey that he had to complete -- before he would finally get home and enter God's rest
-- Paul says here that he is going to "press on" to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus had saved him -- to fulfill the responsibilities that went along with his salvation -- to grow in grace and to become all that Christ had called him to be
-- Paul's point here is that he isn't going to quit -- he isn't going to be happy sitting on the sidelines -- but he is going to keep moving forward -- straining and pressing and giving it all he has to make it to the finish line -- to finish the race -- to fight the good fight -- to be all that God had called him to be
-- Paul wants to finish well
-- you know, there's a lot of people who start out well in life -- in school -- in their jobs -- in their marriages -- in their spiritual lives -- but it doesn't matter how you start out -- the only thing that matters is how you finish
-- it doesn't matter how much you study for a test in school, if you don't show up to actually take the test
-- it doesn't matter how talented and skilled you are in your job, if you don't complete the tasks your boss gives you
-- you haven't fulfilled your marriage vows if you quit after 5 or 10 or even 35 years -- you've only fulfilled them when you keep them until "death do you part"
-- you haven't fulfilled your calling as a parent if you only take care of them and guide them in their development until they reach 10 or 12 or 14 years of age -- you've only fulfilled your calling when you are there for them throughout their whole life
-- and you haven't fulfulled your calling as a Christian if you only get saved and do nothing else -- you've only fulfilled it when you become all that Christ has called you to be -- when you've served as Christ as gifted you to serve
-- there's a lot of people who start the race -- but there's very few who finish well
-- verse 15
15. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
16. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you
-- what's the difference between someone who starts the race and doesn't finish it and someone who finishes well? -- Paul tells us here -- it's maturity -- maturity defines those who do more than just keep pews warm on Sunday mornings -- maturity defines those who aren't happy to just sit on the sidelines but who get into the game
-- Christian maturity means growing in grace -- growing in Christ -- pressing on and straining forward into the ministry that Christ has given
-- a mature Christian is one who follows the example of Christ -- who follows the example of Paul -- who lives according to the pattern that Paul left for us
-- mature Christians are those who strive to accomplish great things for God -- who serve Christ by serving their brothers -- who serve Christ by serving in the marketplace -- who serve Christ by leading the next generation -- and who serve Christ by serving their faith community
-- mature Christians are those who step into their responsibility as children of the King
-- how do you become mature? -- by striving with all your being for Christ -- by living for Him 24/7 and not just on Sundays -- by making sure that you spend time alone with God daily in prayer and meditation
-- how do you become mature? -- by making sure that you are in His word on a regular basis, seeking His will and His guidance for your life -- by not neglecting the assembly of God but meeting with your brothers and sisters in Christ for corporate worship and support and encouragement
-- how do you become mature? -- by following the example of Christ -- picking up your cross daily -- and dying to self -- by decreasing so that He can increase
-- that is the path to maturity -- that is the path to Christian responsibility -- that is the path to finishing the race well so that you might win the prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus
IV. Closing
-- let me close by sharing with you an illustration by Lyn Chaffart -- one day, Lyn's golden retriever gave birth to 6 beautiful puppies -- it was her dog's first litter -- and Lyn had been concerned about her ability to be a good mother -- but instinct took over and her dog started to become an outstanding mother to her puppies
-- as time went by, the puppies reached the point where they didn't require all of their mother's attention -- but she continued to stay with them and care for them as much as possible
-- Lyn wrote that one day, her dog started to be a little restless and begged to go running with her -- Lyn took her out for a walk and her dog spent the time sniffing the bushes, watering the spring flowers, and rolling in the grass -- just enjoying life being a dog
-- but, after just a few minutes outside, she was ready to go back and fulfill her responsibilities as a mother -- to take care of her puppies again
-- just like Lyn's dog, God has given each of us responsibilities -- and in order to accept and fulfill those responsibilities, our values and our lives have to change -- just like the focus of Lyn's dog's life became her puppies, our desires and our drive must become focused on our God-given assignment
-- God wants us to finish well -- He wants us to complete the task He has given us -- He still makes time for us to enjoy life -- to sit down and feast at banquets of fattened calves -- but He doesn't want that to be our focus
-- if Lyn's dog had chosen to romp and play forever and not go back to her puppies, someone else would have had to care for them -- and, as young as they were, some of them might have died
-- we have to remember that our salvation is not the end of the journey -- we have to remember that God does not save us for us to just enjoy His bountiful blessings here on earth and neglect our responsibilities -- He allows us moments of pleasure to enjoy -- but He expects us to follow the lead of the Apostle Paul -- to live our life with the awareness that we have been called to not only start the race -- but to finish it as well
-- I began this message by asking you why you were drawn to homecoming this morning -- what was it you were seeking? -- what was it you hoped to find?
-- perhaps you've been going through your life with the awareness that there is something more that God has called you to do -- perhaps you've realized that you haven't been growing in your Christian life and you haven't been doing anything for God lately
-- this morning, as we have gathered to celebrate the wonderful acts of God in this place, perhaps it is time for you to forget what lies behind and start to strain towards what is ahead -- maturity with Christ as you allow Him to work through you and in you to finish the race well
-- let me close with this question: Where are you at in your journey with God? -- are you moving forward -- doing more for Him today than yesterday -- actively minstering and serving in His name? -- if not, then I would encourage you to get back in the race today by rededicating your life in service to God
-- don't be a prodigal son who settles for just starting the race -- but be someone who finishes the race and who longs to hear the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant"
-- the altar is open -- and as the last hymn is played, I would invite you to respond to God's word as you feel led
-- let us pray
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