The Difficult Road of Returning
Pastor Erickson teaches from the parable of the lost son in Luke 15, showing that the road back to the Father's house starts with a change of mind and a humble heart that takes responsibility instead of blaming others. He calls prodigals, whether gone physically or spiritually, to come home, let the Father restore them, and get involved in the work of the church.
The message in 6 points
A pathway home
He explains the series, a plan for those who have left the Father's house, whether they are gone physically or are in the pews but far away spiritually. Reading Luke 15:24, he names this session the difficult road of returning and says the Father throws a party for the son who comes home.
42:09From restless to runaway
Reading Luke 15:11-16, he recalls how a restless spirit turns into a runaway spirit, and from Galatians 5 says sin pleases the flesh only for a season. The son wasted his character and good name, then settled for a new normal, and unless a prodigal has a change of heart nothing will change.
45:11Step one: change your mind
When the son came to himself he changed his mind, which is repentance, and went from asking give me to praying make me. Scripture shows God is merciful to all who confess and turn, and the greatest enemy of a repentant heart is blame, yet the prodigal never blamed anyone.
54:05Step two: humble yourself
The temptation is to come back with a haughty spirit or a sense of entitlement and pick up where you left off. The son planned to return as a servant, and he reminds the church that God looks on the heart and on our motives.
1:08:06The Father runs
Patriarchs did not run, yet the father ran to his son and cut off his speech. He gave him the best robe, the family ring, shoes and a feast to restore his dignity in front of everyone, because all of heaven rejoices when one comes home.
1:15:06Restoration begins at home
Restoration begins after you get home, through faithfulness, sitting close and getting involved in ministry. He invites anyone who wants back into ministry to see the pastoral staff and leads a prayer asking God to make them whatever He wants to make them.
1:23:52
In his words
“As long as you can place blame in other places you'll never truly turn your life around.”
“Let me tell you something, if you'll come just part of the way our Father will come running.”
“Restoration is not when the young man came home. Restoration began when he got home.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added.
Scripture
He reads
Luke 15:24
24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
King James Version.
Luke 15:11-16
11And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
King James Version.
Galatians 5:16-21
16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
King James Version.
Luke 15:17
17And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
King James Version.
Luke 15:19
19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
King James Version.
Proverbs 28:13
13He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
King James Version.
2 Peter 3:9
9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
King James Version.
Ezekiel 18:32
32For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.
King James Version.
Luke 15:20
20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
King James Version.
He also points to
The Pathway Home series
Message 3 of 4 on this channel.
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