It's Time to Come Back Home

Ezekiel 36:8-11 (The Message)
8-12 "'But you, Mountains of Israel, will burst with new growth, putting out branches and bearing fruit for my people Israel.My people are coming home! Do you see? I'm back again. I'm on your side. You'll be plowed and planted as before! I'll see to it that your population grows all over Israel, that the towns fill up with people, that the ruins are rebuilt. I'll make this place teem with life—human and animal. The country will burst into life, life, and more life, your towns and villages full of people just as in the old days. I'll treat you better than I ever have. And you'll realize that I am God. I'll put people over you—my own people Israel! They'll take care of you and you'll be their inheritance. Never again will you be a harsh and unforgiving land to them.

There have been times when we all have had to leave home for one reason or the other; whether it’s going off to school, to fight for your country, or to work. Then there are other reasons like going in pursuit of a dream, fleeing dysfunction, or just being rebellious. We’ve all left home but the good news is that you can always come home.

Church is like home because it is the house of God where the people of God represent his family. Like family we love each other but we don’t always get along and we don’t always do what the father says do. Sometimes, we get scattered, grow apart, and lose our way but God has a way of bringing us back home. Like the prodigal son God gives us time to work out our rebellion to bring us back to the Father.

The Children of Israel were disobedient to God and he caused them to be scattered and their land became desolate. Their numbers decreased because people were taken captive or died, but God promised the prophet Ezekiel that the Children of Israel were about to come home.

I believe God is getting ready to send the lost sheep, his scattered children back home. This Sunday is back to church Sunday and God is sending his angels out to tell his people it’s time to come back home. When we come back home here is what God’s going to do:

1.God will look on us with favor. God tells the prophet I see you and I am concerned about you. God is concerned about what you’ve been going through and he’s ready for you to come back home.

2.You will be plowed and sown. God’s about ready to break up some old stuff so that he can sow some new stuff in your life. God wants to put the past behind you so that he can grow your future.

3.God will multiply the number of people. Just as God had to take away some old people he’s about to multiply the people that had to leave your life. He’s giving increase.

4.The towns will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. When God sends the people back home, they will inhabit the towns and rebuild what is torn down. We have work to do to transform our communities. Transformed people transform communities. It’s time to come back home!

5. God will make you prosper more than before. When you come back home God will give you more than you had when you left. Prosperity is more than money, its health, its peace, it’s wholeness.

When God brings us back home he is able to do more with us together than he can with us scattered. This week your assignment is to go get every person you know that has not been to church and invite them to come back home this Sunday. It’s time to come back home!

Jodeci had a song entitled “I’m Still waiting.” I believe God’s still waiting for you to come back home, to fulfill this life, you’ve been dreaming of. Another day might be too long, come home so nothing goes wrong.

Dear God, bring my brother/sister back home this Sunday. For whatever reason, they left but your spirit is calling them back because you care for them and you’re ready to show them favor. Please God forgive us for leaving and forgive us for causing people to leave. Restore us to where we are more prosperous than we were before we left. I’m ready to come back home to you.

In Jesus Name,
Amen