Welcome Home

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Homecoming Sunday morning, the 14th of September, 2025.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Homecoming.  For many, the word brings up memories of afternoons at the church, with bowls of fried chicken and mashed potatoes, and all sorts of cakes and pies.  Kids playing, adults chatting, forks and spoons clanking, homemade ice cream churns cranking.  And all the ice-cold watermelon you can eat.  Sadly, that kind of day only lives in memory now, as most folks are too busy anymore to spend an afternoon just enjoying fellowshipping with their church family, even for those who still attend a church.

Homecoming also applies to high school football games and dances after, with a king and queen crowned, and lots of former students filling the stands.  We still have those, although these days they may crown a king and king or queen and queen.  Not matter, they’re still loads of fun and its great to see old friends again.

There’s another type of homecoming I’d like to look at this morning.  It may or may not have actually taken place, but if it did, it was a long time ago.  And I bet it has been repeated for one reason or another many, many times over the years.

After a rather eventful meal at a Pharisee's house, a multitude of people, including "sinners and tax collectors", followed Jesus.  He decided to take the opportunity to teach them by telling parables.  Please listen and follow along to one of the parables Jesus told, about a homecoming, one that should be familiar to all of us, from verses 11 through 32 of the 15th chapter of the Apostle Luke’s Gospel account, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

11 Then Jesus 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 falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then 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 gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still 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 to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘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 fatted calf here 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.

25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’

28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”

--Luke 15:11-32 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for ensuring that we would have at least some of the things that Your Son Jesus did and said during His short, three year ministry.  Our bible contains so many important lessons for us.  Thank You for it, and thank You for all You give us, especially for the faith to believe in Jesus and the desire to learn from Him.  Father, we know that we should be more faithful in obeying Your commands, especially when it comes to loving others and sharing our witness with them.  But there is just so much evil all around, so much violence and violent reactions to people’s words, that we have trouble trusting others, let alone loving them.  Please forgive us our failures, Father.  Help us be more obedient to Your will, more open and caring, more compassionate, showing Your love to others so that they too might find salvation through Jesus.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better grasp the message You have for us this day.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, our worship, and our service.  And please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

When I think about homecoming here at Pilgrim, realizing that most of us are getting a bit on in the years, I found some new hymn titles for us to try:

Give Me That Old Timers Religion

Precious Lord, Take My Hand, And Help Me Up

Just a Slower Walk with Thee

Go Tell It on the Mountain, But Speak Up

Nobody Knows the Trouble I Have Seeing

Guide Me, O, Thou Great Jehovah, I’ve Forgotten Where I’ve Parked The Car

Count Your Many Birthdays, Count Them One By One

Blessed Insurance

It Is Well With My Soul, But My Knees Hurt 

Maybe those come a little too close to home, even if this is homecoming.

OK, looking at our scripture, the father had two sons, and upon his death, they would inherit all he owned, all he had worked for his entire life.  But the younger son had other ideas.  He couldn’t wait; he wanted his share now.  Once he received it, he went off and blew threw it all rather quickly.

This is a common theme, even today, with those who come into sudden wealth, such as through inheritance or lottery winnings.  When there’s money burning a hole in our pocket, we just have to get rid of it, and now!

The son comes to his senses and heads for the only place he thinks will take him in and feed him: home.  And of course his father welcomes him back.  What loving father wouldn’t?  The father proclaims that his son was dead but now is alive again; he was lost, but is now found.

Jesus spoke of what it means to be found after being lost, and He did so just a few minutes before telling the parable of our scripture reading.  You see, this all started, the parable and what I’m about to relate to you, because the Pharisees and scribes had once again complained about something Jesus did.  Please hear this earlier exchange, as recorded by the Luke in the first seven verses of chapter 15 in his Gospel account…

1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine upright persons who need no repentance.”

--Luke 15:1-7 (NKJV)

Just as did the father when his prodigal son came home, so will all of heaven rejoice when one lost sinner is found and comes home.

We often think of the prodigal son parable being about a lost son, especially since the father in the story describes his younger son as having been lost.  But the word “prodigal” means wasteful.  The younger son asked for something he did not yet deserve, and when he received it, he wasted it all away on a short but lavish lifestyle spree.  He wasted everything he had been freely given.  Did he deserve a second chance from his father, who he turned to when there was nowhere left to go?  No, but one was given - given out of love and mercy.

Is there any one of us who can’t see ourselves, at least a little bit, in this story, and I mean from the son’s perspective?  Whether it was given to us or whether we earned it, haven’t we all – or at least some of us - wasted something at some time in our lives?  I can only speak for myself, but I know that for a long time I wasted the precious gift of faith that my heavenly Father gave me.  I tried to run away from God, but He waited patiently for me to come home after I’d run out of options.

God wants us all to come home, figuratively and literally.  He has a home all prepared for us, with Him, once our time on this earth is at an end.  Jesus knew His time as a mortal was approaching its end when He kept trying to prepare His disciples for the day He would no longer be with them.  Please listen to this discussion as recorded by the Apostle John in chapter 14, verses 19 through 24 of his Gospel account…

19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me."

--John 14:19-24 (NKJV)

If we truly love Jesus, we will keep His word, we will do as He commands us, and He and the Father will love us.  And they will come to us and make Their home with us.

We can look at this in two ways, both of which are correct.  When we accept Jesus as Lord, God’s Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us.  The Holy Spirit makes His home in us.  The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are all God, so God has made His home with us.

And as I said, when our time on earth has come to its end, God has a home ready for us in heaven, and we will make our home with Him.  We just need to keep on following Jesus and doing as He commands, and we’ll be a part of that great reunion in the sky, the most magnificent homecoming of all.  And our heavenly Father will welcome us home with open arms.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for loving us so much that You want us to be with You always.  So You have a home all ready for us when we leave this earth.  We just need to keep our faith strong, to keep following Your Son Jesus, to obey Your Spirit within us, and to love all of You.  And thank You for calling us to be by Your side.  But sadly, Father, we don’t always live each day like we know we should.  We don’t always behave very well or play nicely with others.  We try, but we don’t always love others as You love us.  We try to be more obedient, but we need Your help, Father.  Please remind us of the welcome we will receive when we come home, even though we have wasted parts of our life, some of our opportunities to serve You.  Remove all distractions that pull us away from what we know we should do, and forgive us those times we fail to please You.  Please help us reach out to others and share with them all You teach us through Your word.  Help us lead them to Jesus so they too may be saved. 

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what comes our way.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, thank You for all the stories You told that teach us invaluable lessons, both about our heavenly Father and His realm, and about how we should interact with other people.  We love You, Jesus, and want to be with You forever.  Please forgive us, Lord, when we struggle to love others like You want us to.  We know we disappoint You when we let our fears and prejudices get in the way of showing Your love as we walk this path.  Please help us be more like You in how we live and behave.  Help us reach out to the non-believing world, sharing the Gospel message, showing Your love through our love.  Give us the words to say, show us the deeds to do to lead the lost to You.

Holy Spirit, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this world might offer.  All this we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.