Sermon Synopsis
This sermon presents the Parable of the Prodigal Son as not merely the story of a lost son but, above all, the story of a loving Father who continually invites every wandering soul to return home. Following the three movements of Mad, Sad, and Glad, it traces humanity’s journey from self-centred rebellion, through the brokenness that leads to repentance, to the joy of restoration through the Father’s grace. Personal testimony and familiar illustrations reinforce the truth that human effort can never bridge the gap between sinful humanity and a holy God—only Jesus Christ can. The sermon concludes with a warm gospel invitation, assuring every listener that no matter how far they have wandered, they are never too far to return to the Father who lovingly says, “Welcome home.”
Please note: This transcript is provided as close to verbatim record of the sermon.
Welcome Home
Luke 15:11–32
Introduction
I’m so glad to see all of you here today, including some of my old friends. Welcome home.
The story of the prodigal son, as projected on the screen, is more than the story of a lost son. It is the story of a loving Father. It is heaven’s gracious invitation to every wandering soul:
“Welcome home.”
Our text is taken from Luke 15:11–32, and our brother Mao has read verses 11–24 for us.
In this passage, we see three simple yet powerful emotional movements. For the sake of alliteration, I have arranged them this way:
This afternoon, I would like us to journey together through these three phases.
Life’s journey is long, and every one of us, without exception, passes through these stages.
When we first come into this world, we begin asking one of life’s greatest questions:
“Where do I come from?”
It is an identity question.
Who am I? What is my identity?
As we grow in knowledge, another important question begins to arise:
“Why am I here on this earth?”
What is the purpose and meaning of my life? Is life simply about eating, drinking, being merry, and then dying? Is it merely a life of pleasure—a hedonistic pursuit?
Many people work very hard. They accumulate wealth, status, and position. Yet eventually they begin asking another important question:
“Where do I go from here?”
It begins to dawn upon our hearts that there is life beyond this world. Is there life after death?
These are difficult questions that continue to trouble the human heart.
But we praise and thank God that many have journeyed through these stages and have reached the final one because they have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. They have anchored their lives upon Him, the unshakable Rock, even in the midst of life’s storms.
As I look around this afternoon, perhaps there may be someone among us who is still on that journey and has not yet reached the final stage.
Dear friends, I want to assure you of one thing:
Our heavenly Father is loving and caring.
Just a week ago we celebrated Father’s Day. Our earthly fathers are dedicated and faithful, but they are imperfect.
Our heavenly Father, however, is perfectly loving and caring. He is waiting for us because we come from Him. Therefore, it is only right that we return to Him.
Even now, He is stretching out His arms, saying,
“Welcome home.”
Luke 15:11–13
Let us read these verses again.
“A certain man had two sons: and 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… And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”
These few verses speak volumes about the condition of the prodigal son’s heart and mind.
He was living in comfort.
His father cared for him.
He lived in a large household with many servants and abundant food.
Yet he said,
“Father, give me my inheritance.”
This was highly offensive in Middle Eastern culture. Even in many Asian cultures today, an inheritance is received only after the father has written his will and passed away.
By demanding his inheritance early, the prodigal son was, in effect, saying,
“Father, I wish you were dead.”
He no longer wanted to remain with his father.
He looked beyond the fence and thought the grass was greener on the other side.
So he insisted,
“Give me the portion that belongs to me.”
He took everything and journeyed to a far country because his heart and mind were no longer right.
That is why I describe this first stage as Mad.
He was not thinking clearly.
A Mad World
Many of us have heard the song “Mad World.”
It was written by Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears and later made popular again through other recordings.
The songwriter was only nineteen years old when he wrote it in 1982. He described a generation struggling with confusion, emotional emptiness, and identity crisis.
Someone has humorously called it “teenage menopause.” It is not a medical term, of course, but it describes emotional numbness, confusion, and the struggle to discover one’s identity during the teenage years.
The songwriter was trying to express what he saw in a world that had lost its direction.
In much the same way, the prodigal son was not in his right mind.
He had everything he needed.
Yet he demanded,
“Father, give me the portion that belongs to me.”
His thinking had become distorted.
My Own Journey
This part of the prodigal son’s story reminds me very much of my own salvation.
My mother was a Sunday school teacher back in Manipur, India, and she was instrumental in leading me to Christ.
I grew up in a small Baptist church.
Every Sunday, my mother would give us a coin to place into the offering bag.
But instead of giving it to the Lord, I would quietly put the coin into my own pocket and use it to buy sweets.
It happened many times.
It may seem like a small matter, but it reflected a heart that took what belonged to God for my own enjoyment.
Years later, I left my small town to study medicine in a larger city.
I was happy to gain admission into medical school.
However, my true colours soon appeared.
I fell into the wrong company.
I pursued worldly pleasures, parties, and an ungodly lifestyle.
Then, during my first year, I failed Anatomy.
Those who study medicine know that failing a major subject means repeating the entire year.
At the time, it felt like a terrible setback.
Yet it became one of God’s greatest mercies in my life.
During that lonely year, something began to stir in my heart.
I would watch my classmates putting on their white coats as they proceeded to their clinical training, while I remained behind.
That season of disappointment became a season of reflection.
I began attending a local Baptist church.
Month after month I listened to the preaching of the gospel.
Whenever the preacher invited people to receive Jesus Christ, I wanted to respond.
But every time I lost my courage.
I would leave with a heavy and defeated heart.
This continued for quite some time.
Then, on 17 July 1977, I attended a small house meeting after being invited by some senior Christian friends.
That evening, as the speaker preached God’s Word, it pierced my heart.
Before he had even finished speaking, I found myself standing.
I cannot fully explain what happened.
I simply raised my hand and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ.
Dear friends, today I stand before you because I have gone through that journey.
And every one of us can.
At the end of the journey, our heavenly Father is waiting with open arms, saying,
“Welcome home.”
Luke 15:14–19
Let us now move to the second stage.
Please follow with me as I read Luke 15:14–19.
“And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 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 will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.'”
This is the second stage—Sad.
The prodigal son squandered everything.
There is a saying that money makes the world go round. For many people, life revolves around what I call the three “W’s”—wine, women, and wealth. Human nature often has a restless desire to chase after pleasure.
That was exactly what happened to this young man.
He wasted all that he had.
He never thought about saving.
He simply spent and spent until there was nothing left.
Perhaps one morning he woke up with a headache and a hangover.
Then reality struck.
Everything was gone.
To make matters worse, a severe famine came upon the land.
Now he had no money.
No friends.
No food.
No future.
The only employment he could find was feeding pigs.
Imagine the contrast.
This was the son of a wealthy Jewish family.
He had once been served by many servants in his father’s house.
Now he was serving pigs.
Not even people.
For a Jewish audience, this was the lowest point imaginable, because pigs were ceremonially unclean animals.
His condition could hardly have become more pathetic.
Whenever we choose to go our own way apart from God, we eventually discover that the path leads downward.
Feeding the Pigs
Whenever I mention pigs, I think of my daughter.
She especially likes pigs, and many of her collectibles are pig-themed.
But seeing a real pig in a pigsty is quite another experience.
When we were living in Manipur, we kept pigs.
They eat everything.
They grunt.
They sleep.
They snore.
They roll around in the mud.
That is simply their nature.
The more they eat, the bigger they grow.
The bigger they become, the more valuable they are.
Now picture the prodigal son.
Once he enjoyed the comfort of his father’s house.
Now he is feeding pigs.
Not only that, he is so hungry that he longs to eat the food given to them.
This is the tragic end of a life that has wandered far from the Father.
God’s Megaphone
Yet there is something remarkable about this stage.
God often uses our deepest crisis to awaken us.
Someone once said,
“God whispers to us in our pleasures, but He shouts to us in our pain.”
When everything is going well, we often ignore His gentle voice.
But in our moments of brokenness, His voice becomes unmistakably clear.
That is exactly what happened here.
The Bible says,
“He came to himself.”
Those simple words are powerful.
He finally began to think clearly.
He recognised where his choices had led him.
He remembered his father’s house.
He remembered the kindness of his father.
He remembered that even the hired servants had more than enough to eat.
So he made a decision.
“I will arise and go to my father.”
Notice his confession.
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee.”
He no longer blamed anyone else.
He took responsibility for his own sin.
Then he said something very important:
“I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.”
Please remember those words.
“Make me.”
We shall return to them shortly because they stand in sharp contrast to the words he spoke at the beginning of the story.
At first he demanded,
“Give me.”
Now he humbly says,
“Make me.”
What a transformation.
The proud son who demanded his rights has become a broken sinner who seeks only mercy.
The Journey of Every Heart
Dear friends, this is the journey many of us experience.
Some of us may still be in this second stage.
Life has become difficult.
Dreams have been shattered.
Health has failed.
Relationships have broken down.
Perhaps we have discovered that the things we thought would satisfy us have left us empty.
If that describes you today, do not lose hope.
Never give up.
God often begins His greatest work in us when we reach the end of ourselves.
Brokenness is not the end.
It is often the beginning of restoration.
The prodigal son’s sadness became the doorway to repentance.
His hunger became the beginning of hope.
His brokenness became the first step toward home.
III. GLAD — Welcome Home
Luke 15:20–24
Now we come to the third and final stage—Glad.
This is the destination of the journey.
Let us read Luke 15:20–24:
“And 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.”
Verse 20 speaks volumes.
Notice who takes the initiative.
It is the father who sees the son.
I can almost imagine the father going out day after day, perhaps standing on the balcony or looking down the road, hoping that one day his son would return.
Then one day, while the son was still a long way off, the father recognised him.
He did not wait.
He did not remain standing.
He ran.
In Middle Eastern culture, it was considered undignified for an elderly man to run. Yet love compelled him to do what dignity would not.
He embraced his son.
He kissed him.
He welcomed him home.
Then he commanded his servants,
“Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. Bring the fatted calf and kill it. Let us eat and be merry.”
The father did not receive him as a servant.
He restored him as a son.
That is the heart of our heavenly Father.
A University Drama
This passage reminds me of a drama we performed during my university days.
One of my junior friends acted as the prodigal son, while one of my senior friends played the father.
The father was dressed in a clean white robe.
The younger student was supposed to wear old clothes to represent the prodigal son.
Just before the performance, however, he decided to make it even more realistic.
He tore his clothes further and covered himself with mud.
When he walked onto the stage, everyone laughed.
My senior friend, dressed in spotless white, suddenly realised he had to embrace someone who was filthy from head to toe.
For a brief moment, he hesitated.
It was rather comical.
But because that was the story, he embraced him.
Dear friends, that is exactly what our heavenly Father does.
He does not wait for us to clean ourselves before coming home.
He receives us just as we are.
The Father’s Love
Many of you have heard me share this illustration before.
Some of you may even have seen the video.
It tells the story of a bridge operator and his four-year-old son.
The father loved his little boy dearly.
Wherever he went, his son followed him.
One day, while the father was operating the bridge, his son wandered into the machinery below.
At that very moment, a train filled with hundreds of passengers approached.
The father suddenly realised the terrible situation.
If he raised the bridge, his son would be crushed.
If he did not, the train would crash, and hundreds of people would perish.
There was no time to think.
With a broken heart, he activated the mechanism.
The train crossed safely.
Inside the train, people laughed, talked, celebrated, and carried on with life.
None of them knew the price that had been paid for their lives.
The father descended quietly, grieving over the loss of his beloved son.
That illustration reminds us of John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Notice the two things God has done.
First, He loved.
Second, He gave.
What must we do?
Only one thing.
Believe in Him.
“Give Me” and “Make Me”
Earlier I asked you to remember two important verses.
Verse 12 begins with the prodigal son saying,
“Father, give me…”
Verse 19 ends with him saying,
“Father… make me…”
These two expressions hold the entire narrative together.
“Give me” is the cry of the world.
“Give me success.”
“Give me pleasure.”
“Give me wealth.”
“Give me what I want.”
Yet the more we live with that attitude, the further we drift from God.
Eventually we discover ourselves empty, hungry, and in need—just like the prodigal son.
But when we humble ourselves before our heavenly Father and pray,
“Father, make me…”
everything changes.
Our Father does not reduce us to servants.
He restores us as His sons and daughters.
Two Kinds of People
I have shared this quotation before, but it is worth revisiting.
The first are those who bow before God and say,
“Your will be done.”
The second are those who refuse to bow, to whom God finally says,
“Your will be done.”
God desires every one of us to return to Him.
Hell was never created for mankind.
It was prepared for the devil and his angels.
But if people continually reject God’s gracious invitation, He allows them to choose their own way.
Our heavenly Father is still saying,
“Welcome home.”
The Only Way
Many of us are familiar with the illustration from The Four Spiritual Laws.
God is holy.
Man is sinful.
A great gulf separates us.
Throughout history people have tried to bridge that gap through good works, religion, philosophy, morality, or self-effort.
But none of these can reach God’s perfect holiness.
The Bible tells us that our righteousness is never sufficient before Him.
No matter how hard we try, we always fall short.
Imagine asking even the world’s greatest swimmer to swim across an impossible ocean.
Eventually, everyone would fail.
The distance is simply too great.
That is why Jesus Christ is the only bridge.
Jesus said,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Some people say,
“That sounds very narrow.”
I sometimes reply by giving them my mobile number.
There is only one number by which you can contact me.
That does not make me narrow-minded.
It simply means there is one correct way to reach me.
Likewise, Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father.
Who Is on the Throne?
Think about the familiar illustration of the two circles.
In one circle, Self sits on the throne.
Christ remains outside.
Life is filled with confusion and disorder.
This is the natural person.
In the other circle, Christ sits upon the throne.
Self has been dethroned.
Self is still present, but Christ is in control.
Everything begins to come into harmony because He is leading the life.
If Jesus Christ is the driver of our lives, we are safe in His hands.
So let me ask you a simple question.
Which circle best represents your life today?
Some of us have already reached the final stage.
Others are still on the journey.
Our heavenly Father continues to wait with open arms.
Beauty in Brokenness
Finally, let me share one last illustration.
This is the Japanese art known as Kintsugi.
Its philosophy is simple:
There is beauty in brokenness.
Many years ago, fine porcelain was shipped from China to Japan.
Some pieces were damaged during transport.
Rather than throwing them away, Japanese craftsmen repaired the cracks with lacquer mixed with gold powder.
The repaired vessel often became more beautiful than the original.
Dear friends, do not be ashamed of your brokenness.
The more deeply we have experienced our need, the more brightly God’s grace shines through us.
The Father welcomed the prodigal son despite his condition.
He clothed him with the best robe.
He placed a ring on his finger.
He put shoes on his feet.
He prepared a feast.
And they began to celebrate.
There truly is beauty in redeemed brokenness.
Conclusion
Joy is found in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Happiness depends upon circumstances—our health, our bank account, or the things around us.
But joy is rooted in Christ Himself.
No matter how far you have wandered,
you are never too far to return.
Welcome home.
If you have already trusted Christ, thank God for His grace.
But if you have never placed your faith in Him, or if you desire to rededicate your life to Him, I encourage you to speak with the friend who brought you, or with any of us here today.
Those who have experienced God’s grace have a wonderful treasure to share.
May our lives become testimonies of His restoring grace, just as gold fills the cracks in a broken vessel.
Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
We thank You for this meditation on the story of the prodigal son.
Indeed, this story is more than the story of a lost son.
It is the story of a loving Father who patiently waits for His children to return home.
You created us for Yourself, and apart from You we will never find true joy.
We pray that Your Word, together with the songs we have sung today, will continue to sink deeply into the recesses of our hearts.
If there is anyone among us who has not yet come home, may Your Holy Spirit continue to speak to that heart and lovingly draw that person back to You.
Thank You for welcoming us with open arms.
We commit ourselves to You and ask all these things in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.