WEBVTT 00:00:26.049 --> 00:00:28.929 I'm going to take a jump out of our series that we were in. 00:00:29.089 --> 00:00:30.609 Today is a standalone message. 00:00:30.689 --> 00:00:33.409 And so I know I'm throwing you guys for a little bit of a curveball. 00:00:33.489 --> 00:00:35.570 You can go to Luke 15 in just a minute. 00:00:35.810 --> 00:00:39.489 But this sermon is entitled, This is Comeback Time. 00:00:39.810 --> 00:00:43.250 Hey, if you guys did not know this, I've got great news. 00:00:43.890 --> 00:00:51.009 This Sunday is the final Sunday for the rest of the year where football will not be on television. 00:00:51.250 --> 00:00:53.009 Come on, praise God. 00:00:53.170 --> 00:00:53.890 I am ready. 00:00:53.969 --> 00:00:55.730 I don't care if it's preseason at this point. 00:00:55.890 --> 00:00:56.769 I'm ready to see. 00:00:56.849 --> 00:01:01.650 I'll even watch the Cowboys if I have to, just to see a little bit of football on TV, man. 00:01:01.890 --> 00:01:02.609 Come on. 00:01:02.769 --> 00:01:03.650 I'm ready for it. 00:01:03.730 --> 00:01:07.250 And to me, it's comeback time for my Kansas City Chiefs. 00:01:07.409 --> 00:01:09.569 Any Chiefs fan in the house, let's go. 00:01:09.730 --> 00:01:10.129 Come on. 00:01:10.289 --> 00:01:14.929 Everybody's already talking smack about Mahomes and how he's washed from that ACL injury. 00:01:15.010 --> 00:01:15.730 I ain't scared. 00:01:15.810 --> 00:01:17.250 It's comeback time, baby. 00:01:17.409 --> 00:01:18.530 Like, bring it on. 00:01:18.769 --> 00:01:20.289 Consider us the underdogs. 00:01:20.370 --> 00:01:22.849 This is the comeback story that we're hoping for. 00:01:23.010 --> 00:01:26.530 Like that we can come back to something great that we were before. 00:01:26.769 --> 00:01:29.250 If not, we'll just make fun of everybody else, right? 00:01:29.409 --> 00:01:31.170 I mean, one way or the other here. 00:01:31.409 --> 00:01:42.930 Comeback stories are so amazing to me that the idea of a comeback is not just coming from behind when you're losing, but it's returning to a place where you once were, returning to a place that you know you should be. 00:01:43.409 --> 00:01:50.210 And for whatever reason, it seems like one of the things that people seem to be coming back to right now is faith in Jesus. 00:01:50.370 --> 00:01:53.490 People seem to be really interested in that conversation. 00:01:53.650 --> 00:02:00.370 It seems to be a piece where maybe people who never had a relationship with Jesus are coming to him for the first time. 00:02:00.769 --> 00:02:09.009 Maybe there are people who once had a relationship, but they got away and they're coming back to church again and finding a renewed relationship with Jesus. 00:02:09.169 --> 00:02:12.530 Maybe there were some people that just checked the boxes religiously. 00:02:12.609 --> 00:02:21.889 Like I attended church, I did a few things, like I'm a good Christian, but more than checking boxes, they're finally beginning to grow and actually have a relationship with Him. 00:02:21.969 --> 00:02:25.409 And so today I want to take a look at a story in Luke 15. 00:02:25.569 --> 00:02:31.009 It's known as the prodigal son, but the reality is that story is so much bigger than just one son. 00:02:31.329 --> 00:02:34.050 And I think that's the story that most people preach on today. 00:02:34.210 --> 00:02:44.930 But I want us to take a look because for me, when people come to this church, I want you to understand you're going to encounter three types of people when you come to this church. 00:02:45.170 --> 00:02:49.170 And we are all somewhere on this spectrum, and sometimes we move and shake. 00:02:49.250 --> 00:02:51.250 And why is this conversation so important? 00:02:51.409 --> 00:02:54.449 Because I think setting expectations are crucial. 00:02:54.689 --> 00:03:03.490 And so as people come to this church, I need you to understand what you're going to find at Generations Cowboy Church is imperfect people being pursued by a perfect God. 00:03:03.650 --> 00:03:07.170 And those imperfect people are pursuing Jesus together. 00:03:07.490 --> 00:03:09.810 And I don't know about you, but that's good news. 00:03:10.050 --> 00:03:17.090 Like if you came here hoping to find somebody who had it all together and never gets it wrong, you should go find another church right now. 00:03:17.250 --> 00:03:21.250 But let me just warn you that when you go to it, you're going to mess it all up if you find it. 00:03:21.810 --> 00:03:23.490 Because none of us are perfect. 00:03:23.650 --> 00:03:25.650 None of us are ever going to have it all together. 00:03:25.729 --> 00:03:34.050 And to me, I love this story of the prodigal son because it sets the page for the three types of people that we should have an encounter with in the church. 00:03:34.289 --> 00:03:36.289 Luke 15, starting in verse 11. 00:03:36.449 --> 00:03:41.170 I'm going to read through here in different parts so you can hang out and follow along if you want to. 00:03:41.409 --> 00:03:45.250 But this is Jesus talking to illustrate, illustrate the point further. 00:03:45.409 --> 00:03:46.849 Jesus told them this story. 00:03:47.090 --> 00:03:48.610 A man had two sons. 00:03:48.770 --> 00:03:53.969 The younger son told his father, I want my share of your estate now before you die. 00:03:54.210 --> 00:03:57.409 So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. 00:03:57.569 --> 00:04:05.650 And a few days later, this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money on wild living. 00:04:06.050 --> 00:04:12.050 This is probably part of the story, if we've ever heard the prodigal that we know of, the story of this younger son. 00:04:12.129 --> 00:04:21.409 And the story of this younger son is really important for us to get because we have to understand the cultural context of what this younger son was doing. 00:04:21.649 --> 00:04:29.089 I mean, imagine in today's world, your father is still alive, and you're like, hey, I want part of my inheritance now. 00:04:30.129 --> 00:04:37.969 It would feel a bit of an insult now, and it was even more of an insult in that culture for that father to be asked that. 00:04:46.449 --> 00:04:52.530 And so as people come to this church, I need you to understand that you're going to run into some people that are just like this younger son. 00:04:52.689 --> 00:04:54.129 And that's okay. 00:04:54.449 --> 00:05:00.689 You're going to run into some people that maybe thought they wanted a relationship with Jesus, but they're just not quite sure. 00:05:00.850 --> 00:05:06.850 You're going to run into some people who want what you give them more than they value you as a person. 00:05:07.569 --> 00:05:14.610 That somewhere on this faith journey, there are some people that just aren't quite ready yet to fully surrender their life to Jesus. 00:05:14.689 --> 00:05:22.769 And there are some people at times that value what a church can give them more than what they can bring to a church when they come into community with a church. 00:05:23.089 --> 00:05:29.810 And it's part of the culture and the world that we live in, that there's so many people that come to church asking, What's in it for me? 00:05:30.050 --> 00:05:33.490 But the beauty of a church isn't when we show up and say, What's in it for me? 00:05:33.730 --> 00:05:37.810 The beauty of a church is when we show up and say, Man, how can I serve somebody else here? 00:05:38.050 --> 00:05:49.410 And that's what I love is we see so many people not just showing up here to say, What's in this thing for me, but showing up to say, How can I be a part of what God is doing here and be a blessing to somebody else? 00:05:49.569 --> 00:05:53.089 And so somewhere over time you will run into people like the younger son. 00:05:53.250 --> 00:05:53.569 Why? 00:05:53.730 --> 00:05:57.490 Because a lot of people want to reject living under God's authority. 00:05:58.129 --> 00:06:02.530 The son wanted the independence, but he also wanted the father's blessing. 00:06:02.769 --> 00:06:04.530 You ever run into somebody like that? 00:06:04.769 --> 00:06:06.689 Maybe you're raising a teenager. 00:06:07.569 --> 00:06:12.930 They want the independence, but they still want you to give them some money. 00:06:13.569 --> 00:06:19.569 They want the independence, but I want you to keep paying for the insurance and the cell phone and the car and my vehicle. 00:06:19.970 --> 00:06:20.610 Right? 00:06:21.329 --> 00:06:24.850 All the parents in here that have teenagers say, Come on. 00:06:25.089 --> 00:06:25.810 That's right. 00:06:26.129 --> 00:06:26.769 You know. 00:06:27.649 --> 00:06:30.449 And you're gonna run into some people like that here. 00:06:30.930 --> 00:06:35.889 They want the independence, they don't want to submit to the authority in their life. 00:06:36.290 --> 00:06:37.410 And that's okay. 00:06:37.569 --> 00:06:40.209 We want to be a space where people like that can be. 00:06:40.449 --> 00:06:44.689 But we have to understand that if we want the blessing of God, it comes with submitting to God. 00:06:45.009 --> 00:06:51.490 And the work of God's grace in my life doesn't happen just because I want his blessing, it happens as I surrender. 00:06:51.970 --> 00:06:57.009 You can't walk in God's blessing if you aren't willing to submit to his authority. 00:06:58.209 --> 00:07:13.569 And so we'll always make space for the younger son who may just want something from this church instead of giving back to this church, because our hope is somewhere along the way the grace of this message will soften their heart and lead them to this next place. 00:07:13.810 --> 00:07:16.370 Starting in verse 14, if you want to read along. 00:07:16.689 --> 00:07:18.449 About that time his money ran out. 00:07:18.689 --> 00:07:19.730 Imagine that. 00:07:20.689 --> 00:07:23.810 A great famine swept over the land and he began to starve. 00:07:23.889 --> 00:07:29.170 And he persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him in the fields to feed pigs. 00:07:29.410 --> 00:07:35.569 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding, the pigs, looked good to him, but no one gave him anything. 00:07:35.730 --> 00:07:42.129 And when he finally came to his senses, that's an important line in scripture, if you want to highlight or underline it. 00:07:42.290 --> 00:07:53.089 When he finally came to his senses, sometimes God has to let us get into a place where he can do some work in our life so we can come to our senses. 00:07:54.290 --> 00:08:01.889 When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, At home, even the hired servants have enough food to spare, and here I am dying of hunger. 00:08:02.129 --> 00:08:08.530 I will go home to my father and say, Father, I've sinned against both heaven and you, and I'm no longer worthy of being called your son. 00:08:08.930 --> 00:08:11.649 Please take me on as a hired servant. 00:08:12.689 --> 00:08:18.129 Why would we make room for people in the church that may just want to use us for what they can get from it? 00:08:18.290 --> 00:08:22.290 Because my hope is somewhere along the way, they'll come to their senses. 00:08:22.689 --> 00:08:33.809 That the Holy Spirit would do a work in our lives to bring us all to a place where we would recognize, hey, I can keep trying to do this my way, or I could come to my senses and start doing it God's way. 00:08:34.049 --> 00:08:40.129 And that was the beauty of the younger son in this moment, that there was a conviction that was working in his life. 00:08:40.289 --> 00:08:48.769 There was a place where he finally admitted, I've got this wrong and I've sinned, and I need to just come back to my father and see if he would let me back in. 00:08:49.250 --> 00:08:55.730 That there's this place where acknowledging sin and repenting is a key piece to salvation. 00:08:55.970 --> 00:08:59.329 And so in today's world, I talk about this all the time here. 00:08:59.489 --> 00:09:11.729 I'm going to be uncomfortably real and I'm going to share the truth of God with the love and grace of God because we have to share truth so that sin can be exposed, so that we can repent and come back to God. 00:09:12.209 --> 00:09:14.049 That is a gift from God. 00:09:15.089 --> 00:09:16.929 So I'll just say that one more time. 00:09:17.169 --> 00:09:19.809 Conviction is a gift from God. 00:09:20.049 --> 00:09:26.369 And everybody said, When you feel convicted, don't be afraid of that. 00:09:26.609 --> 00:09:27.329 Embrace it. 00:09:27.569 --> 00:09:33.009 The scariest place you and I could ever be is to not feel the conviction of God for the things that we're doing. 00:09:33.250 --> 00:09:36.289 If you're like, man, I don't know the last time I was convicted. 00:09:36.769 --> 00:09:38.369 That should be a yellow flag. 00:09:38.689 --> 00:09:41.089 That should raise something inside of you. 00:09:41.329 --> 00:09:49.250 Because conviction is God's gift of grace and love to remind us we're heading in a direction that's not good for us and we should come back to the Father. 00:09:49.569 --> 00:10:03.250 And so we'll always make space for people, maybe that are here for the wrong reasons, because our hope is somewhere along the way the Holy Spirit will do a work that we can't do, and he'll bring people to their senses and lead them back to his grace and salvation. 00:10:03.569 --> 00:10:14.449 And I love the picture in this moment because the reality is the grace in this moment was somebody was running away from the Father and felt like they could come back. 00:10:14.689 --> 00:10:24.769 That in this journey and in this story, he begins to realize I'm out of money, I've reached my end, and I need the Father again in my life. 00:10:25.089 --> 00:10:29.329 So let me let me put it this way maybe some of you have been running from God. 00:10:29.489 --> 00:10:35.489 Maybe some of you have somebody in your family, in your circle of friends that's been running from God. 00:10:37.649 --> 00:10:48.209 The greatest gift God might give that person is to let them reach the end of themselves so they can be reminded how much they need Him. 00:10:49.169 --> 00:10:53.569 And that's probably the hardest part, especially for some of us that are parents, right? 00:10:53.809 --> 00:10:55.329 We want to rescue our kids. 00:10:55.489 --> 00:10:58.369 We want to protect them from those moments. 00:10:58.609 --> 00:11:13.489 But the reality is that maybe the greatest gift of God's grace in that person's life might be to give them exactly what they think they want, so that they'll realize there's nothing at the bottom of that well, and they'll choose a different well, the one that Jesus has dug for them. 00:11:13.649 --> 00:11:17.250 And that is God's gift, and that is God's grace as well at work. 00:11:17.409 --> 00:11:20.049 And that's the place we find the son in this moment. 00:11:20.209 --> 00:11:22.609 Like he's ready to come back to the Father. 00:11:22.849 --> 00:11:30.769 And that is the first person that we see that we may run into at this church is people that may be running from God, that may be playing games with God. 00:11:30.849 --> 00:11:35.809 But our hope is we'll make space where they can encounter him here and experience the life he wants. 00:11:35.969 --> 00:11:38.769 Which leads us to the second person that we encounter. 00:11:39.089 --> 00:11:42.049 Verse 20, he said, So he returned home to his father. 00:11:42.209 --> 00:11:47.009 And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming, filled with love and compassion. 00:11:47.089 --> 00:11:49.329 He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 00:11:49.489 --> 00:11:55.649 And his son said to him, Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. 00:11:55.889 --> 00:12:06.289 But his father said to the servants, Quick, bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him, get a ring for his finger, sandals for his feet, and kill the calf that we've been fattening. 00:12:06.449 --> 00:12:08.129 We must celebrate with a feast. 00:12:08.289 --> 00:12:09.969 Praise God, they're gonna eat some beef. 00:12:10.129 --> 00:12:10.449 Amen. 00:12:10.769 --> 00:12:11.969 Anybody raise cows in here? 00:12:12.209 --> 00:12:12.769 Kill the calf. 00:12:12.929 --> 00:12:15.569 Yes, they kill the pig, didn't kill the chicken, kill the calf. 00:12:15.649 --> 00:12:17.089 We're gonna eat some beef. 00:12:17.329 --> 00:12:18.129 I love it. 00:12:18.289 --> 00:12:22.689 And so we must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and is now returned to life. 00:12:22.849 --> 00:12:24.929 He was lost, but now he's found. 00:12:25.169 --> 00:12:26.689 So the party began. 00:12:27.089 --> 00:12:29.409 So here we run into the second character in the story. 00:12:29.569 --> 00:12:35.729 Somebody here that I hope you run into, but if you understand the culture in that day, it was an honor-shame culture. 00:12:35.809 --> 00:12:40.369 And so you have to catch the significance of what's happening here when the father runs out to the son. 00:12:40.689 --> 00:12:53.329 If you didn't understand this, men in that culture didn't run because it would be a disgrace because they would have to lift their robe and expose themselves to be able to run. 00:12:54.689 --> 00:12:56.529 And so this was a no-no. 00:12:57.089 --> 00:12:59.489 The father wouldn't have been the one that would have run. 00:12:59.649 --> 00:13:12.049 In fact, in this culture, what typically would have happened to a son who took their inheritance before it was time and lost it all and came back, people in the town would have cut that son off before he ever got home. 00:13:12.289 --> 00:13:16.849 And they would have ran him out of town and told him he had no place there. 00:13:18.529 --> 00:13:21.169 And maybe sometimes you ran into people in church like that. 00:13:21.329 --> 00:13:26.289 Like you're trying to get back to God and you just run into that wrong person that says, What are you doing here? 00:13:26.609 --> 00:13:27.169 Anybody? 00:13:27.250 --> 00:13:29.009 I've had some of those moments. 00:13:29.329 --> 00:13:31.889 I hope you never have one of those moments here. 00:13:32.369 --> 00:13:46.529 And so the fact that the father disgraced himself and made sure he ran to that son before anybody else could run him off to welcome him in is a picture of how much the father loves you and I. 00:13:47.329 --> 00:13:53.809 It's this picture that he would be willing to say, I'm going to bear the shame that you should be bearing right now. 00:13:54.049 --> 00:13:55.969 You are the one that did something disgraceful. 00:13:56.049 --> 00:13:57.489 You asked for your inheritance. 00:13:57.649 --> 00:13:59.409 You chose your way instead of my way. 00:13:59.569 --> 00:14:01.969 And I should cut you off and run you out. 00:14:02.129 --> 00:14:08.689 But instead, I'm going to run out there and disgrace myself and embrace you before anybody else can get rid of you. 00:14:09.649 --> 00:14:30.449 And that is my heart that somewhere along the way, as you come into this church, somewhere you run into some people that look like this father that will just love you for who you are, that would embrace you before you could ever feel shame, and that would be willing to welcome you in and be part of this family. 00:14:32.129 --> 00:14:33.889 That is the heart of God for us. 00:14:33.969 --> 00:14:37.329 That is the heart that Jesus showed to us. 00:14:37.729 --> 00:14:39.569 It sounds a lot like Jesus. 00:14:39.809 --> 00:14:45.489 If you don't know the story of when he hung on the cross, it wasn't very dignified. 00:14:45.809 --> 00:14:51.009 In fact, most of the pictures you and I have seen don't do justice to what that moment was like. 00:14:51.809 --> 00:14:53.969 He was beaten beyond recognition. 00:14:54.289 --> 00:14:56.369 He probably didn't have any clothes on. 00:14:56.609 --> 00:14:59.809 And he was hanging like that publicly in front of everybody. 00:15:00.129 --> 00:15:02.289 A disgrace of all disgraces. 00:15:02.849 --> 00:15:10.529 And he said, I'll do that for you so that you don't have to carry the disgrace and the discomfort for your sins so that you can be free. 00:15:10.689 --> 00:15:12.369 I'll take that for you. 00:15:12.849 --> 00:15:15.649 And that's the heart that he wants for us. 00:15:15.729 --> 00:15:33.409 That's the part for us where we're always going to create a space to try to be like the father here, that no matter who you are, no matter what's going on in your life, no matter how you feel like you need to run away from this place, my hope is every time you come into this place, you would come in here and feel loved and valued for who you are. 00:15:33.649 --> 00:15:35.250 Yeah, but you don't know my story. 00:15:35.409 --> 00:15:37.089 I don't need to know your story. 00:15:37.409 --> 00:15:38.369 He does. 00:15:38.609 --> 00:15:39.969 And he died for you. 00:15:40.129 --> 00:15:43.489 And if he loves you that much, I'm gonna love you that much too. 00:15:43.649 --> 00:15:46.689 Yeah, but there's some other people that kind of look at me judgmental. 00:15:46.849 --> 00:15:49.250 Cool, they don't matter anyway, all right? 00:15:50.689 --> 00:15:54.449 Look past them and come be a part of what he wants to do. 00:15:54.929 --> 00:15:57.169 Which kind of leads us to the third son. 00:15:57.250 --> 00:16:02.369 And really, if you understand this story, actually, I think this son was really the point of the whole story. 00:16:02.449 --> 00:16:05.169 And most of us make the prodigal the point of the whole story. 00:16:05.329 --> 00:16:13.089 But meanwhile, starting in verse 25, he says, This the older son was in the fields working, and when he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house. 00:16:13.169 --> 00:16:16.369 And he asked one of your one of the servants what was going on. 00:16:16.609 --> 00:16:20.529 Your brother is back, he was told, and your father has killed the fatted calf. 00:16:20.689 --> 00:16:23.489 And we're celebrating because of his safe return. 00:16:23.649 --> 00:16:26.289 The older brother was angry. 00:16:27.089 --> 00:16:29.009 He wasn't excited, his brother was back. 00:16:29.169 --> 00:16:32.209 He was actually angry and he wouldn't go in. 00:16:32.369 --> 00:16:37.089 And so his father came out and begged him, but he replied, All these years I've slayed for you. 00:16:37.250 --> 00:16:40.289 I've never once refused to do a single thing you told me to do. 00:16:40.449 --> 00:16:44.849 And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 00:16:45.089 --> 00:16:48.129 Yet when this son of yours, notice it's not his brother. 00:16:48.689 --> 00:16:50.529 You guys have some of those family members? 00:16:50.689 --> 00:16:52.209 Yeah, mom and dad, your daughter. 00:16:52.369 --> 00:16:53.329 Wait, that's your sister. 00:16:53.409 --> 00:16:55.250 Uh-uh, that's your daughter. 00:16:56.449 --> 00:17:03.729 That son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, and you celebrate by killing the fatted calf. 00:17:03.889 --> 00:17:07.250 His father said to him, Look, dear son, you've always stayed by me. 00:17:07.410 --> 00:17:08.930 Everything I have is yours. 00:17:09.170 --> 00:17:13.250 We had to celebrate this happy day, for your brother was dead and has come back to life. 00:17:13.329 --> 00:17:15.089 He was lost, but now he's found. 00:17:15.329 --> 00:17:18.130 And then, strangely enough, the story just ends there. 00:17:19.170 --> 00:17:24.769 And so the third person that you may encounter here at times is somebody that's kind of like this older son. 00:17:24.849 --> 00:17:34.129 And to be honest with you, the older son makes me a little bit uncomfortable because I can see myself being the older son sometimes, if I'm just honest. 00:17:34.450 --> 00:17:37.569 And maybe you've ran into somebody that's like that as well. 00:17:38.049 --> 00:17:41.970 See, the older son saw the father as transactional. 00:17:42.129 --> 00:17:45.250 He still missed what it was like to have a relationship with a father. 00:17:45.490 --> 00:17:48.210 He didn't say, Dad, as your son, I've worked with you. 00:17:48.369 --> 00:17:50.289 He said, I slaved for you. 00:17:50.849 --> 00:17:53.169 Like he didn't see himself as a son. 00:17:53.409 --> 00:18:00.129 He still saw himself as somebody who had to slave for his father, and he still saw the father as somebody that was transactional. 00:18:00.289 --> 00:18:05.169 He wasn't trying to have a relationship with him, he was trying to earn something. 00:18:07.089 --> 00:18:15.329 And so many times we might run into people who feel the same way that I have to perform and be a certain way for God to welcome me in. 00:18:18.289 --> 00:18:24.450 The reality is you'll run into somebody that's like the older son because he wants the blessing more than the father's heart. 00:18:24.849 --> 00:18:30.929 Like it's interesting to me that he's not excited that his brother came back, but he's angry. 00:18:31.649 --> 00:18:35.730 And in fact, he's not just angry, like, why didn't you give me a party? 00:18:35.970 --> 00:18:40.609 Like he he's not just upset, he wanted the blessing as well. 00:18:40.849 --> 00:18:46.210 And because he didn't get what he wanted, he decided to get mad and throw his sucker in the dirt. 00:18:46.609 --> 00:18:49.809 He wanted the party, he wanted to celebrate. 00:18:51.169 --> 00:18:55.889 In fact, what many people would say is this doesn't sound very fair. 00:18:56.690 --> 00:18:58.849 I got a news flash for you. 00:18:59.169 --> 00:19:02.929 God is not fair, and that's good news. 00:19:03.250 --> 00:19:06.769 Because if he was fair, none of us would be here right now. 00:19:07.409 --> 00:19:10.369 Because fair would be we all deserve to die. 00:19:10.769 --> 00:19:15.409 Fair would be there's not anybody here that deserved Jesus dying on the cross for them. 00:19:16.210 --> 00:19:27.409 So if you're trying to make God fair and you're trying to hope people in his church will act with fairness, that's not a biblical trait that God calls us to because it's not a biblical trait of who God is. 00:19:28.049 --> 00:19:30.210 It has nothing to do with what's fair. 00:19:30.369 --> 00:19:34.369 And the good news of the gospel reminds us we don't want fair. 00:19:35.970 --> 00:19:39.169 And so he dishonors his father just like the younger son. 00:19:39.329 --> 00:19:44.210 He refuses to serve, he refuses to celebrate, he refuses to come into the party. 00:19:44.289 --> 00:19:51.169 And again, in a culture that is shame and honor, if you did not do what the father wanted, he was dishonoring his father. 00:19:54.609 --> 00:20:00.210 The older son, maybe you're gonna run into some people like this, lives out of hurt and offense. 00:20:02.529 --> 00:20:06.049 There's a big catchphrase in today's world, man. 00:20:06.369 --> 00:20:07.409 Church hurt. 00:20:08.929 --> 00:20:20.769 I'm not saying it's not real, I'm not saying it's not happened, but the reality is this son was missing out on what God wanted to do because he was so hurt and offended that he couldn't look past that moment. 00:20:23.490 --> 00:20:31.409 And so if hurt and offense is separating you from the Father, then who does church hurt and offense come from? 00:20:32.289 --> 00:20:33.089 Not God. 00:20:33.889 --> 00:20:34.929 From the enemy. 00:20:35.169 --> 00:20:39.649 And he's been using it for a long time to separate people from the father. 00:20:40.210 --> 00:20:43.649 And so let me just say this in the most loving way possible. 00:20:44.210 --> 00:20:49.409 Listen, if you have been in church before and somebody has hurt you, I'm sorry. 00:20:50.129 --> 00:20:55.649 But the greatest gift I could give you is this it's time to heal and move past your hurt and offense. 00:20:55.970 --> 00:20:59.649 Because it's gonna separate you from the father and what he wants to do. 00:21:00.369 --> 00:21:05.970 There are some people I get new to church, and you've been hurt and offended, and man, I will fight to protect you. 00:21:06.129 --> 00:21:11.809 But there are some people that's been in church 20, 30, 40, 60 years and they're still hurt and offended. 00:21:12.369 --> 00:21:22.289 It's it's time to grow up, it's time to grow past that hurt, and it's time to let the Lord heal your heart so you can move forward. 00:21:22.529 --> 00:21:25.250 And that's the greatest gift I could offer you in that moment. 00:21:25.409 --> 00:21:27.089 You're like, that doesn't feel very kind. 00:21:27.250 --> 00:21:32.129 Well, because the enemy is going to use hurt and offense to keep you imprisoned and away from the father. 00:21:32.769 --> 00:21:35.089 And so somewhere we have to heal. 00:21:35.649 --> 00:21:38.769 Somewhere we have to move past the hurt and the offense. 00:21:39.009 --> 00:21:41.409 Somewhere we have to mature past it. 00:21:43.409 --> 00:21:45.730 And I recognize some people don't like that message. 00:21:45.889 --> 00:21:48.529 Some people may get offended by that and they may leave. 00:21:48.690 --> 00:21:51.569 Like, my goal isn't to keep people from leaving. 00:21:51.730 --> 00:21:53.730 My goal is to lead people towards healing. 00:21:53.970 --> 00:21:57.009 And the ones that want it will go, and the ones that don't won't. 00:22:00.690 --> 00:22:05.250 And for the reality, for some of us, we're gonna run into religious people just like this son. 00:22:06.769 --> 00:22:10.769 They're gonna try to heap weights of religious action on you to perform to belong. 00:22:10.929 --> 00:22:16.529 They're gonna pile expectations on you to be perfect, to never be human, and to live up to their expectations. 00:22:16.690 --> 00:22:20.769 All the while they're putting a weight that's gonna crush you that they can't carry themselves. 00:22:21.009 --> 00:22:22.049 You're like, how do you know? 00:22:22.210 --> 00:22:25.569 Because I'm a pastor, and everybody likes to put me up on this pedestal. 00:22:26.450 --> 00:22:32.210 And everybody likes to expect me and my wife and my kids when they were at home to be perfect all the time. 00:22:32.690 --> 00:22:39.089 To never have a bad day, to never have an off day, to always smile, to always be friendly. 00:22:44.129 --> 00:22:45.329 Not even me. 00:22:47.809 --> 00:22:49.970 Because that's not the weight of the father. 00:22:50.369 --> 00:22:52.609 That's the weight of the religious son. 00:22:53.329 --> 00:23:00.609 The fuller picture of the father's heart to me is wild because the son was trying to perform for something he already had. 00:23:01.169 --> 00:23:04.049 The son said, I've slaved for you to earn something. 00:23:04.210 --> 00:23:07.490 And God says, I have all I have is yours already. 00:23:07.809 --> 00:23:11.409 He was trying to earn something God was already given him. 00:23:11.809 --> 00:23:17.089 And I think for some of us, you're gonna run into some people like the older son in the church. 00:23:17.649 --> 00:23:19.569 And why would we make space for them? 00:23:19.809 --> 00:23:22.529 Because the father made space for the older son too. 00:23:22.769 --> 00:23:24.369 And he didn't cast him out. 00:23:24.529 --> 00:23:26.849 It says he went out to the older son as well. 00:23:27.009 --> 00:23:28.609 And he brought him in. 00:23:29.569 --> 00:23:36.690 Because whether somebody acts the way you want or they don't act the way you want doesn't determine their value, the father does. 00:23:37.009 --> 00:23:41.889 And so we're gonna make room for the younger son who may be sinning and running away from God. 00:23:42.129 --> 00:23:51.009 And we're gonna make room for the older son who may be performing some religious actions right, but still not have God's heart. 00:23:51.089 --> 00:23:51.409 Why? 00:23:51.569 --> 00:23:53.809 Because the father pursued both of them. 00:23:54.369 --> 00:23:57.809 And so you're gonna run into three types of people here. 00:23:58.049 --> 00:24:02.289 You're gonna run into some prodigals who are running away from God. 00:24:02.929 --> 00:24:04.129 That's my hope. 00:24:06.129 --> 00:24:17.009 Somewhere along the way, I had somebody once at a church, they they an older lady, she had set her purse down and she went to pick it up, and she said, Pastor, I just I'm a little nervous to leave my purse here. 00:24:17.169 --> 00:24:19.169 Have you seen some of those people that are sitting over there? 00:24:19.329 --> 00:24:21.329 And I was like, Yeah, aren't you glad they're here? 00:24:22.609 --> 00:24:23.250 I am. 00:24:23.889 --> 00:24:30.690 Like, I hope there's some places that we have and some spaces where people come to our church that make us just a little bit nervous and uncomfortable. 00:24:30.849 --> 00:24:31.089 Why? 00:24:31.169 --> 00:24:32.690 Because that's who Jesus went after. 00:24:35.569 --> 00:24:37.490 We're not gonna have a room full of perfect people. 00:24:37.649 --> 00:24:41.970 I hope we have a room full of broken people that are learning how to find Jesus and experience him. 00:24:42.289 --> 00:24:46.049 And if that makes you a little uncomfortable, we're not gonna be the church for you. 00:24:46.450 --> 00:24:50.369 Because I'm always gonna welcome them and make space for them. 00:24:50.609 --> 00:24:54.210 Because that's who God pursued, that's who the Father pursued. 00:24:55.250 --> 00:24:56.609 We're gonna make room for them. 00:24:56.690 --> 00:24:56.929 Why? 00:24:57.089 --> 00:25:02.690 Because our hope is somewhere the Holy Spirit will work in their hearts, soften their lives, and they'll be ready to come back. 00:25:02.929 --> 00:25:06.369 That they'll be ready to leave their foolishness behind and to pursue him. 00:25:06.769 --> 00:25:11.009 But you're gonna run into some religious brothers and sisters here too, just being honest. 00:25:11.250 --> 00:25:13.089 They're gonna look at you a little bit judgmental. 00:25:13.169 --> 00:25:14.529 It's okay, just walk right by them. 00:25:14.929 --> 00:25:15.569 Keep going. 00:25:15.730 --> 00:25:17.009 It'd be okay. 00:25:17.409 --> 00:25:22.369 They're gonna wish you would dress a little bit different or act a little bit different or do something a little bit different. 00:25:22.529 --> 00:25:22.929 It's okay. 00:25:23.089 --> 00:25:25.409 Their opinion doesn't matter, God's does. 00:25:27.809 --> 00:25:29.490 And they're on a journey too. 00:25:29.649 --> 00:25:36.049 They just think they can perform their way into fighting the Father, and they're gonna have to reach the end of that and realize they need his grace too. 00:25:36.210 --> 00:25:37.329 And we'll make room for them. 00:25:37.409 --> 00:25:37.649 Why? 00:25:37.809 --> 00:25:40.049 Because God made room for those people too. 00:25:40.849 --> 00:25:44.210 That's who the father pursued was both sons. 00:25:45.169 --> 00:25:52.929 The ones who performed and the ones who didn't, the ones who tried to make some good decisions and the ones who made some terrible ones. 00:25:53.809 --> 00:25:56.129 That there's always space here. 00:25:56.769 --> 00:26:00.929 And I hope somewhere along the way you run into some people like the Father. 00:26:01.169 --> 00:26:05.409 People that are running to meet you instead of running to reject you. 00:26:05.649 --> 00:26:11.089 I hope that you run into some people who make you feel loved and valued the moment you walk into this place. 00:26:11.490 --> 00:26:18.690 I hope that you find this place a safe space where wherever you're at, you can always have a moment to experience Jesus. 00:26:19.089 --> 00:26:22.289 And if anybody ever, hear me, I'll say this publicly. 00:26:22.450 --> 00:26:26.129 So when I have the awkward conversation, it doesn't quite feel as awkward. 00:26:26.369 --> 00:26:29.649 If anybody ever makes you feel unwelcome here, you come tell me. 00:26:30.129 --> 00:26:31.809 And I'll take care of it. 00:26:33.649 --> 00:26:34.529 Gladly. 00:26:35.089 --> 00:26:37.569 I'll have to try to act like I don't enjoy it. 00:26:39.649 --> 00:26:40.849 Just being honest. 00:26:45.009 --> 00:26:47.889 I hope you run into some people like the father here. 00:26:49.649 --> 00:26:52.769 Those are the three kinds of people you're gonna run into in this church. 00:26:53.970 --> 00:26:57.329 And we're gonna make room for all of them because the father did. 00:26:57.569 --> 00:27:00.129 We're gonna pursue all of them because the father did. 00:27:01.089 --> 00:27:03.649 And this story ends in an interesting way. 00:27:03.889 --> 00:27:07.009 There's no conclusion to Jesus' story. 00:27:07.970 --> 00:27:16.529 Like to me, this is interesting because as Jesus is telling his story, you think he would tell us what the point of that story was. 00:27:17.329 --> 00:27:18.450 But he didn't. 00:27:18.690 --> 00:27:21.809 He didn't say, hey, this is about the prodigal coming back. 00:27:22.289 --> 00:27:25.649 He didn't say, hey, this is about the older son. 00:27:25.970 --> 00:27:29.730 He didn't say, hey, this was about the father and the way he reacted. 00:27:29.970 --> 00:27:33.409 He just told the story and then left the cliffhanger hanging. 00:27:36.690 --> 00:27:42.690 And I'm here to tell you that I think Jesus did that on purpose, not by accident. 00:27:43.009 --> 00:27:46.210 I don't think somebody missed a detail in that story. 00:27:46.369 --> 00:27:48.929 I think Jesus did it on purpose. 00:27:49.329 --> 00:27:59.730 Because I think what he's trying to do is to invite each one of us to evaluate ourselves and say, hey, where am I at in this story? 00:28:01.970 --> 00:28:09.409 I think he didn't end it with one clear conclusion because there's a lot of ways we could learn something from this story. 00:28:10.529 --> 00:28:18.049 I think the heart of Jesus in this moment is that he's trying to get to a space where people can come back to him. 00:28:18.369 --> 00:28:28.210 And if people are going to come back to him, then we have to set some expectations and realize people aren't going to perform the way I want them to as they're coming back to Jesus. 00:28:29.250 --> 00:28:30.769 And that's okay. 00:28:31.089 --> 00:28:36.849 We have to make space for everybody to come and experience Him. 00:28:38.289 --> 00:28:44.369 And so to me, the question I would ask you is which one are you in this story? 00:28:45.169 --> 00:28:52.210 If you had to be honest in this moment, are you the younger son, the prodigal that's running from God? 00:28:52.369 --> 00:28:55.809 Like you just you want to live your way and do your thing. 00:28:56.609 --> 00:29:05.970 If that's you, I hope Jesus lets you have all that you think you want so that you can reach the end of yourself and realize how much you need Him. 00:29:06.129 --> 00:29:07.490 That's my hope. 00:29:07.809 --> 00:29:17.730 My hope would be that today you would hear this message and you would feel the conviction of Jesus in your life to actually come back to the Father instead of keep running down that road. 00:29:17.889 --> 00:29:22.289 But wherever you're at, there's always a seat for you in this room. 00:29:23.730 --> 00:29:25.649 You don't have to perform perfect. 00:29:25.809 --> 00:29:29.089 You don't have to have it all together to be a part of this family. 00:29:29.809 --> 00:29:32.769 Maybe some of you are like the older son, the religious son. 00:29:32.849 --> 00:29:35.809 You feel like I'm slaving away, I'm checking boxes. 00:29:35.970 --> 00:29:42.369 But the reality is for some of us, maybe grace is offensive because it offends our sense of religious fairness. 00:29:43.329 --> 00:29:50.849 Why would God throw a party for the son who ran away but didn't throw a party for the one who was doing everything he was supposed to the whole time? 00:29:51.089 --> 00:30:01.169 And you've let a past hurt, you've let a past offense, a past experience in a church somewhere else jade and shade everything else you do in following Jesus. 00:30:01.409 --> 00:30:09.250 And maybe it's time to let go of that, ask Jesus to heal you so you can grow and mature into what the Father wants to do in your life. 00:30:12.450 --> 00:30:22.529 My hope is maybe for some of us, we'll ask, man, will I allow being the son of the Father, shape my heart to become more like my heavenly father? 00:30:23.649 --> 00:30:29.409 I think for some of us, the reality is we don't know how to be a son, we just know how to be a slave. 00:30:32.210 --> 00:30:42.450 Maybe because we had parents that were still trying to learn how to parents, we felt like we had to perform to earn the love and value from our parents. 00:30:43.649 --> 00:30:47.809 When the story of the father is you had his love and value the whole time. 00:30:51.569 --> 00:30:55.649 And so as we stand all across this place, I'm gonna get ready to conclude. 00:30:55.809 --> 00:30:57.649 I know everybody's hungry. 00:30:58.529 --> 00:31:00.849 I can smell the burgers cooking. 00:31:02.849 --> 00:31:04.529 Here's my hope. 00:31:05.409 --> 00:31:13.089 My hope is that if you're running from God today, he would do a work in your life and bring you back to him. 00:31:13.569 --> 00:31:28.210 My hope is if you have somebody in your life that you love and care for that's running away from God, my hope and prayer is that God would get a hold of their hearts and minds in whatever way he can to bring them back to him. 00:31:29.569 --> 00:31:34.690 And sometimes the best thing you can do is pray and let God do that work. 00:31:38.369 --> 00:31:41.169 And I just I want to take a moment to ask this one question. 00:31:41.329 --> 00:31:46.529 Maybe you're running from God today, and today you're like, man, I know that I need to come back to him. 00:31:46.929 --> 00:31:49.169 I need to surrender my life to him. 00:31:49.329 --> 00:31:51.409 I've never really done it, I've been living my way. 00:31:51.569 --> 00:31:53.250 It's time to live his way. 00:31:53.569 --> 00:31:59.569 If that's you, and you're like, today I want to surrender to him, would you just slip your hand up so we could pray with you? 00:32:00.929 --> 00:32:02.450 I see your hands. 00:32:02.849 --> 00:32:04.450 I see your hands. 00:32:05.169 --> 00:32:07.730 Can we all just join together in this prayer out loud? 00:32:07.889 --> 00:32:10.929