.And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.  And 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!  I will arise and go to my father, and I will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.  I am no more worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants.  He arose and came to his father.  But when he was a great way off, the father saw him and had compassion and ran , and fell upon his neck, and kissed him.

Luke 15: 16-20

How many of you have seen the movie, “The Wizard of Oz"?   I'm sure we have all seen it one time or another, but in case you're not familiar with it let me give you a brief  recount of how the movie goes.  It was set in Kansas, bleak, black and white, and the house was sitting out in the open fields.  This girl named Dorothy lived with her aunt and uncle.  I can't remember the uncle's name, but her aunt was named Auntie Em.  One day a tornado blew in; Dorothy and her dog Toto got caught up in it. They ran inside the house; Dorothy ran from room to room trying to find everyone, but they had already gone to the cellar.  Something hit her on the head and she passed out.  While she was out, the tornado picked up the house and spun it around.  When the house was let down, Dorothy woke up in the land of Oz !   Now, Kansas was in black and white but Oz was in beautiful color.  In Oz there were munchkins; there were little people; and there were flying monkeys.  There was a wizard and a witch.  The story goes that Dorothy met the Wizard, defeated the witch, and earned the ruby slippers.  With the ruby slippers came a wish. How many remember what that wish was?  There's no place like home----There's no place like home.     To make a long story short when she opened her eyes she was back home in Kansas.  There were Aunt Em, her uncle and Toto.  And the story ends with "There's no place like home."

The prodigal son learned that truth the hard way!  He went to his father and said, “Father, I want to leave here.  I feel like life would be more exciting if I took my money and left to spend it. I want to do my own thing and live it up for a while.”

“Well, Son,” said the father, “it's your money.  The Bible doesn't say so, but I believe that father said, “Son, I love you and if you ever want to come  back home the door will be open.”  That's just like a good father;  he will  be waiting  for that wayward child to come home.   The Bible goes on to say that the Son went into another country and squandered his money.  He lived his own pleasures and the devil robbed him of everything.  He ended up in a job below his dignity,  taking care of and eating with the swine.  What an  embarrassment for a young man who once had money.

One day he thought, "Even the servants of my father's house live better than I am.  They have plenty to eat, clean clothes, and a roof over their head.  I'll go home and ask my father to let me be a hired servant." 

The bible doesn't say it, but I believe the father had been looking down the road every day, hoping to see his son coming home.  Every night when he went to bed he said, “My son didn't come home today, maybe tomorrow.”  When he finally did see his son coming  back, he rejoiced.

Verse 20,  tells of 5 things the father did when he saw his son coming home:

• He saw him

• He had compassion

• He ran to him

• He embraced him

• He kissed him

Today is homecoming day here at the church; it's a time when we reunite with family and friends.  You may not have seen each other for a long time; you will embrace, share a smile, and then later we will share a feast.  (Oh yeah, we're  gonna' eat.  We don't have a fatted calf, but we've got  plenty of chicken.) 

This year we buried some of our friends. We will have a homecoming with them one day.  One year ago, Bro. John Hood requested that we dedicate the service to Leroy Taylor.  Today, I want to dedicate the whole day to Bro. Raymond Cooley and to our Sister Loraine Wilson. Let us all remember our loved ones and friends that have gone on.  I want you to know one thing -- if you hear nothing else I say today, hear this....God loves you.  God has his eye out for you.  Jesus said; ”If a man has a hundred sheep and one goes astray, will he not leave the 90 and 9 that are safe to search for that one that is lost."  He'll keep his eyes open and search until he finds the one lost and bring it back, rejoicing because that one is safely back into the fold.

Compassion!  A father has love that runs deep.  I know that parents sometimes must use “tough love”, but the truth is that's your child and you love him unconditionally, regardless.  Daddy's love has compassion.  It is not a surface love.   It's real and it's deep.  This is a great truth. Scripture says, "If you draw nigh to God, He will draw nigh to you."  If you make one step toward the Heavenly Father, He will run all the way to you.

Oh, Child that's weak -- Child that's beaten down -- Child that has been out prowling and now you are tired and coming home, God has the porch light on for you.  He says; “Come home, Child.”  The father fell on his sons neck.  What a show of compassion --- to hug someone.  I don't like being hugged myself; I like to do the hugging.  There's not a thing wrong with a Christian hug. 

The father kissed his son --- the ultimate act of compassion.  Why was the father so happy; because his lost sheep----his son, had come home.

A nice story, Preacher.  Okay! Let's put in a spiritual way.  God has a lot of sheep and every so often one will stray as sheep will do.  God  goes to his Son and says, "Son, have you seen so-and-so?"

"Well, Father, I saw them down on the Fork at church once.  After that I've not seen them.  What will we do ,Father?"

"I have someone looking for them now, Son." 

"Who, Father?"

"The Holy Spirit."

"Father, you mean you will send the Holy Spirit out to look for that one sheep?"

"I sure will, Son.  He's looking just now."

Lost sheep, He's searching for you.

The Father met his prodigal son; he gave him a robe, put sandals on his feet, a ring on his finger  and fed him a feast. Why?  Because it was Homecoming Day for one wayward Son.

Bro. Jr Fields........August 20, 2006.

Sermon edited by Mary King

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