Episode Transcript
[00:00:03] Speaker A: Welcome to the Erickson Covenant Podcast. We are so glad that you've joined us today.
We confess that we don't have all the answers, but as a community, we seek to find and follow Jesus and to discover daily the life he has always wanted for us.
We hope this message will be encouraging and will inspire you to take the next steps on your spiritual journey.
If we can help you in any way, please connect with us.
The easiest way is through our website at Erickson Covenant CA let's get started
[00:00:37] Speaker B: well, in the famous story of the prodigal son, we don't just see a recovering kid returning home.
We're offered a beautiful picture of the kind of father that recovering kids return home to, to a father who celebrates their recovery and their return.
The story of this lost son, of course, is embedded into our cultural consciousness. We're familiar with it, even if we're not too familiar with the Bible, and it maps onto recovery in a pretty profound way.
A wayward son, because of choices he thought would bring him meaning, freedom, Joy wakes up one day to the dark realization that he's completely stuck.
He's totally broke, he's ravenously hungry, and he's at the end of himself.
And as he gazes down at the hog slop hoping for leftovers, he admits to himself that his life has become unmanageable and that he needs help from someone greater than himself.
And so he makes the brave decision to return home to his father.
It's brave because the prodigal son had publicly shamed his father and was guaranteed a cold reception upon return by demanding his inheritance early, he spat in the face of his father brought, broadcasting it to everyone that he wished his father dead already.
Then, taking his money, the prodigal gallivanted far away and squandered his inheritance on very fun but very fleeting pleasures.
To return to his father, he thought, and everyone in the community would have agreed, would be to accept his shameful actions, to face intense reprimand and even quite possibly physical injury and most certainly, social rejection. It was a daunting prospect, but pigs don't share, and he was out of options.
So he concocted a plan and hoped that he'd at least be given a place to sleep and a regular meal.
He certainly didn't think he'd be treated as a son. No one expected that he'd given up that right completely, but was better to be a fed servant in his father's house than a starving slave in a pig sty.
And maybe, just maybe, his father would allow him that we all come to times in our lives.
Rob just shared with us his time when we realize that our actions have led us to a dead end and we're unable to get out of the miry clay sucking us down.
Sometimes we've taken those actions in direct rebellion to what we know is good.
Kind of like the sun in this parable.
Other times we've taken actions in order to survive the sinful actions of others.
Ways we've tried to cope, efforts to manage our pain, habits we've adopted that we thought were helping us but ended up harming us.
Hurts that we were unable to get over.
Hang ups that keep cropping up again and again.
And yeah, that might mean substance abuse. There's a reason why drugs and alcohol are such pervasive and troublesome addictions.
But just as easily and often more hidden, these hang ups could be abusing food or controlling food, or starving your body, obsessively pleasing other people, or hoarding too much stuff, or nursing bitterness and anger, or habitually viewing pornography, or always looking for that someone who needs you and needs you to need them in return.
Either way, there comes a day when we look down into the pig trough and say, there's gotta be more to life than this.
I can't take this anymore.
And perhaps we finally admit, man, if I don't get help, I'm done for.
And the invitation of this prodigal parable is an invitation from Jesus himself to come back to his Father and discover the Father is thrilled to have you home.
Remember the setting of this famous prodigal parable.
Jesus has been befriending tax collectors and sinners, prodigals, each one men and women who had wandered far from home and wasted everything but were now returning to the Father. They were really attracted, deeply attracted to Jesus and they were just so up. Everything Jesus had to tell them about his Father and about this new kingdom of God, life, and how this God had come to be with us, with them.
In other words, Jesus was celebrating their repentance and their recovery. That's why Jesus had come in the first place.
In fact, the first two parables Jesus told that are just behind this prodigal one, this final one, the story about the lost sheep, the lost coin. Jesus is really explicit in those parables, rejoicing over the repentance and return of the lost is a kingdom feature.
And all of heaven throws a party when even just one person turns around and travels home to the Father.
Imagine the decibel levels when a whole crowd of kids rushes in that's what's going on around Jesus that day.
But what kind of a father is it that lost children, we lost children are returning home to?
It's a key question, isn't it?
Because even the son in this parable didn't expect the reception he got when he returned.
He thought maybe he'd be allowed to sleep out with the staff.
He assumed, we think, that he'd be treated to a cold stare, harsh rebuke, a begrudging permission to stay. But stay out of sight.
And we can think the same about ourselves.
We can wonder at how we'll be received if we finally admit that we need Jesus.
We assume that we'll be looked down upon by a disappointed father, God, and of course, all of his other seemingly squeaky clean kids.
And of course, in the story, there is one who thinks himself that way. We're not getting to his story today, but you know, they do. They are around.
Not here of course, but yeah, but that's what the prodigal expected.
That's not what he got.
What kind of father did he find?
This is what we need to explore.
It's so crucial that we understand this because seeing how this father responds to his returned son helps us understand. This is why Jesus told the story, helps us understand not only who God our Father actually is as revealed by Jesus, but what it means for us to repent, which means turn around. That's all the word repent means, to turn around.
And knowing this, understanding who the father is and how he thinks of you, his hurting, hung up kid with horrible habits that harm him and others, knowing how he thinks of you when he sees you coming down the driveway of repentance and returning to his home of freedom. Knowing this makes all the difference in the world. When you know who your father is and how he thinks of you, you'll climb out of the hog pen and you'll hur home.
Well, what do we see? The first thing we see is that the father to whom we return is a watching, waiting father.
While he the prodigal son. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him.
Do you know what this means?
This father was watching for his lost son, waiting for him to come around the bend, hoping and praying and looking and longing.
This is not a father who gave up on his wayward child. Not once, not ever.
This is a father who constantly scanned the horizon, whose eyes were always shifting up to the road.
If you were maybe one of his hired hands and you were talking to him, you would have noticed his eyes always Drifted over your shoulder as he looked, always slightly distracted as he glanced, hoping that this would be the day. We don't know how many months had gone by, but it must have been a long time because the boy had serious assets. Even though he was the younger son and got a smaller share, he had a lot to carry. And even if he lived like a drunken sailor, it would have taken some time for the money to run out. And of course, when the money run out, he wouldn't have just come home then. No, not yet. Would have taken some months, maybe years more for him to come around stubbornly staying away till his life became less and less free, more and more unmanageable, until it finally dumped him down, hungry with the hogs.
How long had that father been watching and waiting for his son to return?
How many thousands of times had he stood, oh, he's staring again, just hoping beyond all hope to see the head of his beloved boy appearing over the rise.
Can we see this father?
Can you grasp this love?
Can we let the image of the father penetrate our hearts and souls? This is the kind of father that repentant, recovering kids are returning home to, my friends.
This is the kind of father that you will find when you return home. The father who never gave up watching, who never gave up waiting for your return. Because being home with him is what he always wanted for you. It's why he made you.
The second thing we see in this story is a little more subtle. You have to know a little bit about the cultural background, the ancient culture, to pick it up. We see that the father to whom we return is an embarrassing, embracing father.
His father was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
In that time and culture, wealthy elderly men of status simply did not run.
It was considered undignified, shameful and ridiculous.
They always maintained proper decorum befitting their sage age and stage.
But this father cared nothing for decorum. He didn't give a rip what other people thought about him. He was thinking, oh, only of his son. And so, hiking up his big robes to reveal his skinny white legs, the father threw shame to the wind. And he ran to his son. And rather than smacking him around like everyone would have expected, including the son, he embraced him in a fatherly hug and showered him with fatherly compassion.
Do you think the boy smelled good?
How long had he been on the road, traveling home? And I bet he still stunk like a pig.
That takes a while to rub off, you know.
Which to a Jewish Father would have been extra rank and repugnant.
But did this Father hold himself back?
Did this Father keep his distance?
Did he slow and then stop, repelled by the filth and stench of his wastrel son?
Not a chance.
Not for a second.
Rather than folding his arms in front of him to make sure, you know, I want to make sure this son really is sorry for what he did. You know something? We all would have been very tempted to do?
This compassionate Father folds his arms around his son, ignoring his state and stench and ecstatic at his return.
Take note to this, friends.
Whatever sin you're stuck in, whatever stink still lingers on your soul, whatever secret habit that has you trapped, whatever sickly hang up is strangling you, do not make the fatal mistake of thinking that your Father looking for you, isn't longing for you, isn't waiting to run to you and embrace you in your stench, in your tatters, as his fully loved child finally returned. God is not holding his nose when he embraces you.
He's showering you with his kisses.
Of course, it's at this point in the story that the surprised son trots out his rehearsed repentance speech. Father, I. I've sinned against Heaven and against you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. All of which is absolutely true.
And the Son of course intended to say more. We know that from his trough side decision confession from earlier. But the Father just cuts him off. He's not listening anymore. His attention is shifted to what needs to happen next. And he's shouting for his servants to act.
And that's the moment we discover that the Father to whom we return is a covering celebrating Father.
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. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.
Yeah, they began to celebrate.
What the Father does here is so significant, it's so shocking. And every act from the Father reveals the heart of the Father, who not only covers over all of our sin in Christ, but also celebrates all who return.
The Son's tattered clothes are covered over by the best robe in the house. The Father's own festal garments, the Son's own righteousness. The ring that's placed on his grubby finger indicates his full status as a son with authority in the house. The sandals slipped onto his bare filthy feet, telling everyone that this boy, whatever you may have thought, whatever you may have heard, whatever he expected himself, he is no lowly slave of the farm, but a loved son of the Father. And the fattened calf saved and now slaughtered for this celebratory feast reveals the Father's intention to host a huge welcome home party not just for the whole household, but also for the surrounding village, so that everyone who is anyone could gather and celebrate the return of this lost son again. This is not a prideful father who's concerned about his own dignity and how his son, his stinking son, has shamed him publicly. This is a prodigal father who is so much more concerned that the public know his once dead, now alive son is back and fully restored.
You know what?
Too many people remain stuck in their hurts, habits and hangups because they think the road to repentance and recovery is going to make them feel more shame, more hurt, more exposed, more pain.
They think that the Father really would like them to grovel around for a bit just so they know what they've really done, want them to face the angry music as a warning to everyone else watching so they don't try the same thing as though repentance is something ugly and demeaning and harsh instead of life giving and good and beautiful.
What's more, so many lost kids feel that their Heavenly Father is disgusted with them, angry at their foolishness and ashamed to be associated with them when the exact opposite is true. Look at Jesus. Look why he's telling the story.
We wonder, can the Father really still love me after all that I have done?
Can Jesus really accept me back, knowing who I have become? The answer is yes, yes and again yes.
Through this parable and through his life, Jesus reveals to us the greatest good news truth that the Father to whom every recovering kid returns is a father who is quick to cover and keen to celebrate, who is willing to embarrass himself in order to embrace you with compassion, who's been watching and waiting for you to return since the day you left and is now calling everyone to come to the feast and to join in the rejoicing with all of heaven, all because you finally home.
So have you had enough?
Are you ready to return?
Is it time to admit that you need help?
That you are stuck, that you want to come home?
This is Jesus invitation to you.
Turn around and run home.
Turn around and run home to the Father.
He's made it all possible through the cross.
He's made a way for you.
Run home now.
Run home now.
And the promise you will discover a love that you never thought possible from a father who never stopped looking for you, who is ready to welcome you with a welcome that you never thought you'd receive. And a grand celebration that declares to the world, you are loved, you are mine, you are home.
Celebrate Recovery is a ministry of the Erickson Covenant Church.
And I want you to think of it as there gathers the group here on Thursday nights. I want you to think of it as that fat calf party where all the gathered guests are themselves returning recovering children celebrated by the Father and celebrating one another's recovery.
Yes. Okay. Underneath that fancy robe of Jesus own righteousness there might be some stinky clothes that still need to be removed or let the Spirit take care of that.
And those dirty hands and feet underneath those rings and sandals, they might still need some washing up. I'll have you know that Jesus knows how to get it done.
And there's still hurts, there's still habits, there's still hangups to be overcome through the power of the Father's spirit filled community. But that's all good because guess what? The Father is present at this party and he's laughing with joy and he's looking at you all with eyes of love. He's so thrilled that you're home and so committed to your recovery as you grow and discover all that it means to be his child again. All that it means to be in his house and to be his house again.
All that it means to be fully loved, fully accepted, fully free as he's always wanted you to be.
Healing happens at home in the safety and sanctuary of the Father's holy family. That's what CR is all about.
Surrounded by fellow returning children of God. Each one celebrated, each one loved, each one walking this journey of freedom and life together. And that, my friends, is a community that you want to be part of for your own sake, for the sake of your family and friends, for the sake of of each other.
That together we celebrate the recovery of all God's returned children. And we do it in the presence of our celebrating Father.
And so if you are ready to admit that you need help, ready to return home, join the celebration, receive the Father's freedom.
Try Celebrate Recovery every Thursday evening at 6:30 here at the ECC building.
This is for every child who needs to return.
Whatever your hurt habit or hang up, there might also be someone in your life.
You don't tell them about it and tell them to go.
You bring them, you join in, you become part of the party as we celebrate the recovery that Jesus has accomplished.
And then as a whole community, we continue to support, to stand behind, to pray for, to show up, to be part of celebrating the recovery of all those who return.
[00:24:10] Speaker A: Thanks for listening in today.
We hope you feel encouraged and challenged.
If you know someone who would benefit from what you have heard today, please share this podcast.
For more information or if you have questions, you can connect with us through our website, Erickson Covenant ca.
You can also find us on Facebook by searching for Erickson Covenant Church.
