Amelia Church of Christ - Christian Church in Amelia, OH near Cincinnati in Clermont County

This morning we’re starting a new series called Christmas Specials. One of the special things about this season is all the classic TV specials that are on. These holiday shows always make me feel nostalgic and festive and Christmasy. They help me remember the simpler times of my childhood.

Life for us here in adultland isn’t as simple as it used to be. In fact, our lives are harried and hurried. They are complicated. They are fraught with problems. They are messy. Taking a trip back to Christmas past when everything was a lot simpler probably sounds pretty good to some of us now. Maybe that’s why these annual Christmas TV specials are so popular. They provide us with a ticket back in time, at least for a half-hour or so.

What we want to do in this series is explore some of the simple truths that are taught in some of these specials. And what we’ll find is that these simple truths still apply in our complex and complicated lives.

This morning we’re going back to the classic Christmas special Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Even though the animation is extremely poor by today’s standards, Rudolph still remains one of the most popular of all the Christmas specials. And it also holds an important truth that must be woven into the very fabric that makes up our church. We can’t afford to miss this.

I want you to hang with me because we will get to this morning’s our Rudolph Christmas special eventually. But first I want to start in Luke 15.

Jesus often taught in parables. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. This morning we’re going to listen to one of his most well-known parables.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells us about a father who had two sons.

Pick it up in verse 12. “The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” (Luke 15:12-13, NIV)

This father had two sons, which meant the inheritance would be split two ways. The older one would likely receive 2/3 of the inheritance, while the younger one would receive 1/3. Under normal circumstances, the inheritance would be presented to the sons after their father’s death. But this wasn’t good enough for the young son. He went to his father, demanding his share of the inheritance now. In essence, he was likely saying, “Dad, I wish you were already dead so I could get my money.”

Amazingly, his father granted the request, and the young son got out of Dodge. The Bible says he blew it all on “wild living.” This guy had it all. Everybody wanted to come to his parties. He had a different woman every night. VH1 featured him on their show, The Fabulous Life. This life sure beat plowing dirt at his father’s farm. But eventually the well ran dry. He woke up one morning and realized that he was penniless. Broke. Flat busted.

It amazed him how quickly everybody disappeared. As soon as his money was gone, so was his entourage. He was left with nothing but memories and a few embarrassing paparazzi pictures from his date with Paris Hilton.

He started to look for a job, but he really didn’t have very impressive credentials. After all, how do you spin “getting drunk and sleeping with prostitutes” in a good way on your résumé? But he finally found somebody who would hire him.

Jesus tells us, "he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his field to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything." (Luke 15:15-16, NIV)

This was officially rock bottom for the young son. He was Jewish. He was in a Gentile country working for a Gentile man. The Jews were the people of God, and they often looked at Gentiles, or non-Jews, with absolute contempt. To have to beg a Gentile farmer for a job was nearly unthinkable for a Jewish man. But it gets worse.

He was hired to feed pigs. In the Old Testament, God gave the Jewish people a list of dietary restrictions: what they could and could not eat. Pigs were considered “unclean,” which meant they were on the “do not eat” list.

Deuteronomy 14:8 says, “The pig is also unclean…You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.” (NIV)

This young Jewish man found himself begging a Gentile for a job…and the job winds up being slopping these unclean animals…and he is so hungry that he wishes he could eat the slop himself. And in this desperate state, he doesn’t wish for the glitz of the parties. He doesn’t miss getting hammered with his buddies. He doesn’t think about having sex with the woman of his choice. He thinks about home. He thinks about his father.

The boy thinks to himself, “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.” (Luke 15:18-20, NIV)

The boy was going home to his father and he was going to plead guilty. Do you remember what happened during last year’s Bengals/Packers game? The Bengals were playing the Packers in Cincinnati. The Bengals won the game 21-14. The intercepted Brett Farve 5 times. But that’s not the point of the story.

Nearing the end of the game, Brett Farve, the Packers QB, dropped back in the pocket for a pass. As he raised his arm to throw the ball, a fan name Greg Gall came from out of nowhere. He ran onto the field and plucked the ball right out of Brett Farve’s hand. Then he ran 60 yards all the way to the end zone where he was finally tackled by security guards. There were almost 66,000 fans who witnessed this. It was shown on national TV. He appeared in court the next day, charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and trespassing. And in spite of all the people who saw it happen in the stands and on TV, the guy pled not guilty!

The young son was at least smarter than this guy. He knew the evidence against him was overwhelming, and he was going home to his father to plead guilty. The young son probably played out 100 different scenarios in his mind, but none of them prepared him for what happened.

“While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20b, NIV)

His father spotted him when he was a long way off. He was watching for him. He let his son go, but he never gave up hope that he would come back. And his love and compassion for his son poured out when he ran to meet his son. The father did the running, not the son. The son started into his repentance speech, saying he was no longer worthy to be called the man’s son.

How did the father respond? It’s like he didn’t even hear him.

He tells 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.” (Luke 15:22-24, NIV)

The father gave the boy a robe, a ring, and sandals. These were all signs that he was being accepted back into the family. Servants and slaves didn’t wear things like sandals, but sons did. He then ordered that they kill the fattened calf and throw a huge party. This calf was being fattened for a very special occasion. Meat was not eaten every day. It’s not like us getting a Classic Double with cheese at the Wendy’s drive-thru. Meat was eaten on special days only, and to the father, this was a most special day.

But all of this hoopla is secondary to the last thing the father said. He said, “This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Even though this boy had told his dad, “I wish you were dead so I could get my money;” even though this boy had blown his entire inheritance in a life of sex, booze, and parties; even though he had thoroughly disgraced the family name; the father looked at him and said, “You are still my son.”

This was great news for the young son; and it’s also great news for us. God teaches us an incredible lesson from the story of the young son and his father. A lesson of forgiveness, grace, and acceptance. In his father, the young man found forgiveness. He still had his usual place at the dinner table. His bedroom was exactly the way he left it. No matter what he had done, the young son still belonged in the family.

No matter what we have done, we still belong in the family of God. No matter what skeletons are in your closet, no matter what sins lie in your past, no matter what struggles you’re facing today, there is still a place for you in God’s family. If you feel like you’re not good enough, if you feel like you’re not worthy, then you’re in good company…because none of us are. The boy in our story knew his own unworthiness. He was welcomed back, not because of what he had done, but because of who he was. Or rather because of whose he was. He was a misfit, but he was the father’s son.

The great news for us is that the church is a place for misfits. And here’s where our Christmas special comes into play. Check out this clip.

It seems I don’t fit in. Maybe because of what’s in your past, or even in your present, you’ve convinced yourself that you just don’t fit into God’s family. You’re a misfit.

Nicki and I have a mutual friend who has really wrestled with these misfit feelings. We’ll call her Lindsey. Recently Lindsey told her story at her church. I asked her permission to share a little bit of her talk with you this morning.

Life is like a box of chocolates. A lot of us look really good from the outside, but you never know what others are carrying around on the inside. It could be some of that nasty orange cream, but they are trying to look like everybody else from the outside. People in churches do that a lot. For fear of judgment and exclusion, they carry around that orange cream because they know nobody likes it.

About 10 years ago, I was trying really hard to fit in with the other pieces of chocolates in my box. I had a group of young mothers from church over at my house. We were just chatting while we let the kids play. I don’t recall how, but the topic of abortion came up. I concentrated on not visibly squirming. One of the young mothers announced that she believed that any woman who had done that in the past should not be allowed to have children and if they do they should be taken away. I glanced around for others’ reactions. No one else seemed too opposed to the idea so I nodded in agreement.

That’s when I knew I had been right to never tell my secret. This was the attitude of the church and me and my orange cream filling would be kicked right of this group of chocolate covered cherries. It was business for only me and God. He loved me so much and had forgiven me and He would never require me to speak of it again. For 10 years.

Then through a series of sermons, encounters with people and much prayer, God made it clear that it was time to share. That if I were sitting in this church, there had to be more. I questioned Him so many times. “Are you sure God, because You know, nobody likes that orange cream filling.”

Thankfully God did give Lindsey the courage to share her story. Maybe you’re a Lindsey. You’re beautiful chocolate on the outside but there is orange cream filling on the inside. You’re carrying secrets because if anyone knew you are such a misfit, you’d never fit into the church. Nothing could be further from the truth. The church is a place for misfits. As the old saying goes, “The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”

1 John 1:7 tells us, “If we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away.” (CEV)

All of us in God’s family can share life together because one reason and one reason only. The blood of Jesus washes all our sins away. There are no exceptions or exclusions. If your sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ, you are in God’s family. Your place at the dining room table is set. There’s a stocking with your name on it hung up at Christmastime. You belong. Every church building needs a sign hanging above the door that simply says, “Misfits welcome.” Because we’re all sinners. We’re all outcasts. We’re all misfits. And we all belong in God’s family.

Unfortunately some of us who have been a part of the church for a while can begin to overlook this truth. There are many times when those of us who have been in the church the longest make God’s family more dysfunctional than a new arrival.

Let’s go back to the family in Jesus’ story. We talked about the younger son and the father’s response to his homecoming. But there’s one more family member that we need to explore: the older son. Remember that the father ordered this huge party when his younger son returned home. The older son was out working in the fields when all of this happened. When he came back to the house, he heard the music and the dancing. He smelled the steaks on the grill.

So he asked one of the servants what was happening, and the servant said, “Your brother has come and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.” (Luke 15:27, NIV)

You would think that the older brother would run in and find his little brother. You would see a huge bear hug, big smiles, and maybe even a few tears if both of these boys were secure enough in their manhood to show true emotion. But none of that happened. Instead, the older brother was ticked off. He was so mad that he wouldn’t even go into the party. His father came out and pleaded with him, begging him to come and celebrate his brother’s return. But he wouldn’t do it.

He looked at his father and said, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!” (Luke 15:29-30, NIV)

Can’t you hear the sarcasm and the air of superiority in his voice? “I can’t believe you’re throwing a party for this son of yours.” Did you notice that he didn’t want to admit that the younger son was in his family. This son of yours. The implication is that the father may accept this boy back into his family, but the older son never will.

He asks his father, “Where’s my party? I’ve been with you the whole time. I’ve never left. I’ve never disobeyed you.” Which is probably not true. I’ve never disobeyed you? I doubt it. You can really feel his self-righteous attitude here. The older son tells his father, “I know who he is. I know what he’s done. He does not deserve this celebration. He has no place in this family.”

His father responded, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” (Luke 15:31-32, NIV)

Did you notice how the father worded his reply? The older son had just told his father “this son of yours” doesn’t deserve any of this. The father replied by saying “this brother of yours” has come back and we must celebrate. The father didn’t deny any of the older son’s accusations. They were all true. But he also told him, “This boy is part of our family again, and you need to accept it. He is my son, but he is also your brother.”

As Jesus was telling this story, He knew that this part would really sting the religious leaders of His day. The Pharisees had a big problem with Jesus hanging out with sinful people. These religious elitists did everything they could to distance themselves from this kind of people, and yet here’s Jesus having dinner with them; telling them that there is a place for them in the family of God.

And 2,000 years later, this part of the story has not lost its sting. There are those in the church who are quite comfortable with how things are in their holy huddle. All of us have our comfort zones and we don’t like to be pushed outside those zones. A lot of us in the church believe in winning new people to Christ, as long as these new people don’t mess things up. As long as they’re not a problem. As long as they look like me, act like me, walk like me, and talk like me, they’re ok. But if they have too many problems, if they have a bad reputation, if they’ve committed a “really” bad sin, then we don’t want them here. Check out this 2nd clip from the Rudolph special.

You’ll never fit in. That is the message that those of us who have been in the church for a while sometimes send to certain people. If you have committed a blatant sin, then you’ll never fit into the church. At times we’re a lot more concerned about being the sin police instead of extending God’s grace.

Remember Lindsey? Because of one person’s cruel comment, she bottled up the hurt and pain from her abortion for 10 years. This orange cream filling secret was kept hidden under a cover of lovely looking chocolate.

But she finally drew the strength of God that was necessary to tell people about her orange cream filling secret. And when she did, God did some amazing things.

Lindsey said, "After I spoke that night, a woman I had never met came up and introduced herself to me with tears in her eyes and hesitantly said, 'I have orange cream filling.'"

But it doesn’t stop there. The woman who had made the hurtful remark 10 years earlier about women that had had an abortion was not there on the evening that Lindsey spoke, but a friend of hers was. The friend told the woman about Lindsey’s talk. She immediately knew it was her that had made the statement. A week later, she came to Lindsey and offered a tearful apology. Both women cried together as they healed together.

When we communicate to someone that their past mistakes make them a misfit and they don’t belong in the church, we are on extremely dangerous ground.

Instead of following the example of the older son in Jesus’ story, those of us who have been in God’s family the longest should be the first ones at the party. Instead of whispering and gossiping (I know him; he’s not sincere; I know what she’s done; how can she show her face here?), we should be ecstatic that another person has returned to the family. Even if they make us uncomfortable, even if they don’t fit perfectly into the culture we’ve created, even if they don’t wiggle their ears, and chuckle warmly, and go “hee hee” and “ho ho” as well as we do, there is a place for them in God’s family.

God is a perfect God, but he has a pretty dysfunctional family. It’s dysfunctional because you and I are dysfunctional. The church is meant to be messy. It’s a place where we throw parties for sinners. We have barbecues to celebrate when a misfit joins the family. The church is messy and dysfunctional because we are messy and dysfunctional. New arrivals and old pros, we’re all misfits.

I’m sure that we have some Lindseys here this morning. You have a nasty orange cream filling secret, and you’re just sure that you’d never fit in the church if that secret got out. I want to tell you this as lovingly but directly as I can. You are dead wrong. If you’re wondering how could ever find a place to belong in church, you need to know that your Heavenly Father is waiting to throw a big bash just for you.

And for those of us who have been in the family for a while, we need to look past ourselves and our comfort zones. We’re all misfits, and when another misfit joins the family, it’s time for us to strap on a party hat.

Mike Edmisten

Tags: abortion, Christmas, church, family, grace, Luke_15, misfits, Prodigal_Son, sin