WEBVTT 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:06.879 What's going on? 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:07.599 His hands. 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:09.119 Y'all doing alright? 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:10.080 All right. 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:12.720 Can I say happy Father's Day too? 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:13.679 Cool deal. 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:15.919 How about all the fathers stand up real quick? 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:16.399 Real quick. 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:17.600 All the fathers stand up. 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:18.079 All of them. 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:19.359 Hurry, hurry, hurry. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:22.239 Woo! Bless you guys. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:24.879 Bless you guys. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:25.600 All right. 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:27.359 Father, give him grace. 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:29.039 Give him wisdom. 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:30.000 Amen. 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:31.519 Thank you, Lord. 00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:33.840 Well, we're going to talk about some cool stuff this morning. 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:37.119 If you want to turn to your Bible, you can turn to, but if not, it's up here. 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:39.759 We're going to read out of Matthew 22. 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:47.439 I'm going to kind of, like I always do, tell, use my own story to kind of talk to you about yours. 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:50.240 And I might have to use that one. 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:52.560 My thing's messing up on me again. 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:53.359 All right. 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:55.200 Let's just read it together up there. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:57.039 But look at this cool story. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:01.759 Jesus was talking to a bunch of folks, and he says, There was a man who had two sons. 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:06.319 He went to the first and said, Son, go and work today in the vineyard. 00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:08.480 How many of you like his honesty? 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:11.120 I will not, he answered. 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:13.840 You know, some kids are like that, you know. 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:16.640 But later he changed his mind and went. 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:17.760 Kind of cool. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:21.439 Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:24.400 He answered, Oh, I will, sir. 00:01:24.799 --> 00:01:26.400 But he did not go. 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:31.599 Which of the two did what his father wanted? 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:36.079 Now I want you to remember that phrase because we're going to use that as we wind up today. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:39.040 Which of the two did what his father wanted? 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:46.239 The first they answered, and Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes. 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:58.640 Now, in our day, I hope we don't look at tax collectors the same way they did, but the point is, this is people that we would label like, wow, they're so away from God, they've got their lives just really messed up. 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:02.719 And they're the kind of folks that religious folks get real nervous about. 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:09.840 Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God in front of you, ahead of you, before you. 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:19.039 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:23.439 And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:36.000 How many of you know that Jesus, when he wanted to kind of convey an idea or a principle that he knew was going to shift their thinking, he would often tell a story. 00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:39.599 And I'm going to tell you a story today, a very personal story. 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:42.639 And how many of you know all good stories start with what? 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:45.280 Once upon a time. 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:50.479 Once upon a time, there was a guy named Leroy. 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:57.840 And we called him Leroy the Lost, Leroy the Lazy, and Leroy the Leech. 00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:02.879 Leroy the Lost, Leroy the Lazy, and Leroy the Leech. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:18.240 We called him Leroy the Lost because he grew up in a family that didn't go to church, didn't know God, wasn't anchored to any truth that helped him make decisions, helped guide him through life. 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:24.400 So he was just a ship without a rudder, no North Star, Leroy the Lost. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:35.520 We call him Leroy the Lazy because whenever he went after something, if it got a little bit hard, he would just kind of give up. 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:38.000 And he he wanted stuff. 00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:50.159 He had dreams, he had things that burned in his heart, but he just didn't marshal the resources to go after them. 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:52.400 Now, little point here. 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:59.680 We say Leroy the lazy, but what we learn about this character is he really wasn't lazy. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:02.400 He was scared. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:04.879 He was afraid. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:10.960 He was afraid that he didn't really have what it took to get those things that he wanted. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:20.560 So when he'd go after something he wanted, at the first sign of resistance, something inside him would just say, You don't deserve that. 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:22.560 You won't do enough to get that. 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:24.720 So why don't you just give it up? 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:33.360 So the sum of that was Leroy the lazy, meaning he just didn't go after what he wanted. 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:46.079 And then Leroy the Leech, because how many of you know a leech kind of latches onto something and just sucks life from it and sucks blood from it and all that kind of good stuff? 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:58.319 Well, because he didn't know how to go after what he wanted, because he didn't know how to really get what his heart wanted, he settled for substitutes. 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:01.439 And he learned to use people. 00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:08.480 And he just used people and things to try to get what he thought he needed. 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:22.399 And by the time he was a young adult, he had gotten pretty proficient at using substances, activities, relationships to get what he thought he needed. 00:05:22.560 --> 00:05:30.720 But the problem was it never touched that place deep in his soul that needed to be touched. 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:36.639 Now, the good news is some things changed. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:40.399 But before we jump there, I just want you to think about this. 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:44.560 What are what would your story look like? 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:47.360 How many of you figured out who I was just talking about? 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:50.000 In case you don't know, my real name's Leroy. 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:51.680 I tell people not to say that. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:56.000 But the deal is, that's kind of my story. 00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:07.120 And what I want you to think about for a minute is if you were going to come up here or get in front of two or three people, or however many people, and tell the highlights of your story, what would they be? 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:10.800 What would be some of the key phrases that you would use? 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:15.759 And I want to introduce, this is the only complicated thought I'll throw at you today. 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:27.360 To understand a story, it's important or helpful to understand the elements of a story, the pieces of a story that really make it a story. 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:34.079 And there's three elements: characters, plot, and theme. 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:40.560 Now, sorry, I'm going to be a little complicated, but it's really going to, I hope, help you look at your own story. 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:42.720 Characters, plot, and theme. 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:45.439 Characters are the people in the story. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:55.199 How many of you agree that all of us have probably a handful, literally, a handful of characters that have shaped our story? 00:06:55.360 --> 00:06:57.279 Raise your hand if you agree with that. 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:05.600 Most of us could list about five characters that have shaped our story. 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:07.839 And then plot. 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:11.680 Now, plot and theme sound like, oh, that's just the same thing, but it isn't. 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:16.879 Plot is the events of life in the order in which they happen. 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:21.680 So plot would be, you know, I was born at this age, you know, whatever, whatever, whatever. 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:23.920 So you got that whole piece of it. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:31.040 And then you got theme, which is the meaning that you take from the story. 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:42.879 Now, with this story, which is my story, the key characters were the same characters that are the key in all of our stories, usually. 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:48.560 In counseling, almost always, what we want to deal with goes back to where? 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:52.959 In counseling, almost always, what do we end up talking about? 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:54.959 Childhood. 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:57.600 Childhood's where everything gets set in motion. 00:07:59.600 --> 00:08:01.040 Good, bad, or indifferent. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:03.920 That's where everything gets pushed where it's going. 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:16.560 So in this particular story, the main character, now I'm not saying the other main character wasn't important, but the truth of the matter is the main character in this story was the father. 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:19.839 And the father was very stingy with his affection. 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:26.399 Not because it wasn't there, not because he didn't feel it, not because he didn't want to communicate it. 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:29.120 But he didn't know how to communicate it. 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:32.000 And it's because of his story. 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:36.559 So the key character in this story is the father. 00:08:37.039 --> 00:08:39.200 Now, why is the mom not a key character? 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:42.000 Really, she is, but in a whole different way. 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:46.960 The mom in this story, my story, was really very affirming. 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:49.360 I mean, have you ever seen the show Roseanne? 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:51.679 Kind of that way. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:57.120 But underneath it all, very loving and affirming. 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:00.320 My mother never not did not affirm me. 00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:05.840 But my big issue was that I never really felt like I pleased my dad. 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:10.639 And it was based on not, here's differences in our story. 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:15.440 Mine was not catastrophically traumatic events. 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:20.879 Mine was an accumulation of non-fulfilling events. 00:09:21.120 --> 00:09:25.919 I've probably said these this phrase and many that I'll say today to you before. 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:33.440 The absence of affection in a moment when you expect it and need it doesn't break even. 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:40.080 The absence of affection in a moment when you want it or need it makes a withdrawal. 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:51.200 So what happened between me and my father is I just didn't suffer great big hurts, but just lots of little ones. 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:53.120 Lots of little ones. 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:57.519 So, character, plot, theme. 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:00.159 The plot is the story, the events. 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:03.840 The theme are all the meanings you pull out of the story. 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:09.600 And I pulled out of the story, in fact, I wrote them down just so I could give them in a little bit more orderly fashion. 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:14.559 I pulled out of my story some of the things that I carried with me into adult life. 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:19.679 Love, approval, and self-esteem are based on performance. 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:26.960 They are earned by and through hard work and meeting certain standards. 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:35.679 Another theme for me was I have to be approved or loved by certain people to feel good about myself. 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:44.320 Another one, I have to meet certain standards to deserve love and to feel good about myself. 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:58.000 Another theme for me was you can't rest and be comfortable with yourself until people are pleased with you and you've mastered a lifestyle of diligence. 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:06.320 So I had all these character issues, plot issues, and theme issues that I was wrestling with. 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:11.360 Now, just to kind of keep you with me, think about some of yours. 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:15.919 What are the characters that have shaped you, that have impacted you? 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:18.799 And probably yours are not that dissimilar from mine. 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:21.360 Now the truth is I've had some good ones. 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:26.240 How many of you can remember a teacher that deposited good stuff into your life? 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:28.879 I had a third grade teacher that was very loving. 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:32.480 I had a chemistry teacher in high school that was very affirming. 00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:35.759 I had a football coach that was very affirming. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:43.039 So God seems to try to place people in our lives that interrupt us in good ways. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:45.120 So what we're looking at today is this. 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:50.399 Back to that first scripture, which of the two did what his father wanted? 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:52.240 What I'm pushing you toward is this. 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:57.919 I want to give you what I found to be the secret of how to give God what he wants. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:00.240 We're going to talk more about that in just a minute. 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:02.159 But here's a thought for you to chew on. 00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:04.159 Change your story and you change your life. 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:06.480 We've talked about this before when I've been here. 00:12:06.720 --> 00:12:08.799 Change your story and you change your life. 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:18.799 If a story is character, plot, and theme, character are the people in your life, plot is the events, theme is ideas or meeting. 00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:21.120 Can you change the plot? 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:23.200 Can you change what happened? 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:25.039 Can you change your past? 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:26.000 No. 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:32.799 What you can do is introduce some new characters or introduce some new themes. 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:39.200 And I'm sure you all know what happened with me was I met a new character. 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:41.120 Anyone want to guess who he was? 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:43.600 Jesus. 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:49.759 Back in for me, 1976, I met a new character, and his name was Jesus. 00:12:49.919 --> 00:12:50.879 And guess what? 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:55.360 He came into my story and he shook my story up. 00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:58.799 He brought a sense of the forgiveness of sins. 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:01.200 He brought a sense of purpose. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:08.320 He brought a sense of feeling like there really was meaning to my story. 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:10.399 That was cool. 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:15.919 And then a little bit later, because of the kind of church I was in, I was introduced to another person. 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:18.159 Anyone want to guess who that might have been? 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:21.200 The Holy Spirit. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:25.200 And I met this person called the Holy Spirit. 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:34.399 And I was introduced to a relationship with a living God who wanted to interact with me, wanted to talk to me. 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:51.360 I found out that He had made me a certain way and had given gifts and abilities to me that were unique to me and that had something to do with how he wanted to use me and how he wanted to relate through me to other people. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:58.480 So I met Jesus and I met the Holy Spirit and they rocked my story and rearranged it. 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:04.879 But I have to be honest with you, a lot of what I just read you didn't change. 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:14.000 I still had this deep sense that until I lived a certain way, I couldn't really rest and like myself. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:20.639 Until I pleased certain people, I couldn't really rest and like myself. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:27.919 Until I achieved a certain lifestyle of success, until I happened to be pastoring. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:38.159 So until I like succeeded in numbers, I just I just really didn't deserve to relax and like myself. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:39.759 I'd met Jesus. 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:42.000 I believed my sins were forgiven. 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:45.519 I believed I was going to go to heaven when I die, all that wonderful stuff. 00:14:45.679 --> 00:14:51.039 I'd met the Holy Spirit, and I'd found out that He He brought power into my life. 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:52.480 And I experienced power. 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:55.120 God used me in other people's lives. 00:14:55.679 --> 00:15:04.480 But in the privacy of my own life, I still lived feeling inferior, tense. 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:09.519 I'd get around certain kinds of people in particular, and I would just nod up. 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:16.639 My relationship with my wife was good, but it wasn't as free as it could have been. 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:23.840 I probably made mistakes with my children because of my own feelings of inferiority and insecurity. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:28.159 So I'd met Jesus, I'd met the Holy Spirit. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:30.799 Who do you think I was missing? 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:34.000 I needed to meet God the Father. 00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:35.919 We talk about a Trinity. 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:52.960 Well, I'm so grateful that somewhere around 10 to 15 years ago, somewhere in that neighborhood, probably 15, God started nudging me in these directions, and I started thinking, reading, pondering scripture, moving in these directions. 00:15:53.279 --> 00:16:04.720 And slowly but surely, and I'm just stressing that because it isn't Shazam, but slowly but surely I was introduced to my father. 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:11.600 And I learned that I have a father in heaven who loves me. 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:16.080 Truthfully, I had a father on earth who loved me. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:21.919 But I have a father in heaven who loves me and wants to communicate that love. 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:24.000 I believe my earthly father did. 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:25.759 He just didn't know how. 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:29.679 He didn't know how to go about doing that. 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:31.759 So what happened? 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:33.759 Well, how do you change a story? 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:36.080 Character, plot, theme. 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:41.200 Well, some people might be uncomfortable with this, and I've used this thought with you before. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:47.519 I was aided by God to do what I call, I switched fathers. 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:56.960 If you go back to Genesis 3, and Genesis 3 is where Adam and Eve fell into sin and they fell away from God, and we got in this big mess that we're in. 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:02.720 Well, when God came looking for them in the garden, he said, You know, where are you? 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:10.240 And Adam's response was, I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid. 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:13.839 I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid. 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:21.839 What I say is that's where we were all baptized into fear, shame, and separation. 00:17:23.359 --> 00:17:37.119 The fascinating things to thing to me is the next words out of God's mouth in verse 11 of Genesis chapter 3, Adam and Eve, Adam said, I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid. 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:41.039 The next words out of God's mouth. 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:43.920 Who told you that? 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:46.960 Who told you that? 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:56.640 So what happened in my story is God the Father, what happened for a little while is I had like two fathers. 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:03.599 One of them was kind of meager and stingy with his affection, his approval, his encouragement. 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:11.359 One of them I could turn to a book and be lavished in love, encouragement, affection. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:14.160 And so I had these two dads there. 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:16.319 And here's what the Lord used. 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:22.960 He used that simple question, who told you that, to begin to jar my story. 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:28.559 So what happened is I went through a little period where I would be going along like normal. 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:32.640 Maybe I was going to a meeting where I was going to be around pastor friends. 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:39.279 And maybe typically I would feel very inferior and kind of clenched up inside. 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:43.440 And what I learned was to listen to what I was saying to myself. 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:46.400 And in the background, I'd be saying things like this. 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:48.720 You're not as sharp as they are. 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:51.440 You don't work as hard as they do. 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:53.920 You don't deserve to succeed. 00:18:54.240 --> 00:18:56.720 I don't know why you're even in the room. 00:18:57.200 --> 00:18:59.440 That stuff would be going on in my head. 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:01.759 Now, who was saying that to me? 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:04.720 Who was saying that to me? 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:07.119 I was. 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:09.119 It wasn't the devil. 00:19:09.359 --> 00:19:11.440 It wasn't my father, it was me. 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:13.599 I was saying that to me. 00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:16.400 But here's what started to happen. 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:23.279 That little question, who told you that, began to just pop up. 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:32.000 I'd be heading toward one of these meetings, those thoughts would be banging around in my head, and I'd be feeling low and down and all that. 00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:34.160 And I'd hear that question. 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:38.880 I'd be thinking the thought, you don't deserve to be in the room with them. 00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:40.799 I'd hear this statement. 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:42.640 Who told you that? 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:44.079 Say that one time. 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:45.599 Who told you that? 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:48.079 Say it one more time. 00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:50.559 Say it one more time. 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:53.839 Now, why'd I ask you to do that? 00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:57.279 I want it to click with some of you. 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:03.359 I would love some of you for that question to start floating in your mind. 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:12.880 To where now, when that thought rolls across your head, you don't deserve to be in this room, you're able to say or hear, who told you that? 00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:24.160 So what happened is I'm living my story as it had unfolded up to this point, and I'm thinking, you don't deserve to be in the room with these guys. 00:20:24.400 --> 00:20:28.559 And I would hear a voice saying, Who told you that? 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:32.400 Now, very important thought. 00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:39.920 Whoever's words tell you who you are, that person is your God. 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:45.759 Whoever's words define you, that person is your God. 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:50.160 So I would hear, you don't belong in this room with these guys. 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:53.839 And then I'd hear this question, who told you that? 00:20:55.039 --> 00:21:03.839 And I would just sort of pause, and my heart would say, My father told me that. 00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:11.519 And then I would hear my heart say, Father, what do you say? 00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:18.240 And what slowly started to happen was I started to switch fathers. 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:21.839 Here's an interesting thought for you. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:25.680 Your father determines your inheritance. 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:28.079 Now chew on that one for a second. 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:32.240 I would say, I'm comfortable saying it's a biblical principle. 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:34.000 Now, moms, I'm not leaving you out. 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:36.960 I mean both moms and dads, but it's a principle. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:41.039 Your father determines your inheritance. 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:46.160 Well, how many of you know a father's inheritance is whatever he has to give you? 00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:50.400 A father's inheritance is whatever he has to give you. 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:57.279 So I was living out of my father's inheritance. 00:21:57.519 --> 00:21:59.759 And I was living out of what he had to give. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:10.480 Give me, which was insecurity, mild depression, and not really knowing how to take my life where it needed to go. 00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:13.359 Now, did my father deliberately do that to me? 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:14.000 No. 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:17.279 But he gave me the best he had. 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:20.880 So your father determines your inheritance. 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:30.000 So what happened was God used this little who told you that thing, and what I slowly started doing was, I'm riding to a meeting. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:35.359 The thought rises up, you're not as sharp as these guys, you don't deserve to be here. 00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:37.200 I don't even know why you're going. 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:39.200 Who told you that? 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:42.480 I would hear the answer, my earthly father. 00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:49.279 And then I would practice saying, Heavenly Father, what do you have to say to me about that? 00:22:50.720 --> 00:23:02.720 And he would, I'd journal and do different things, and he would take me to all kinds of different places and slowly reset how that whole thing works in my heart. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:07.200 And somewhere, I don't know, my wife and I ought to talk about this and try to figure it out. 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:12.799 But somewhere around 10 to 15 years ago, my heart switched fathers. 00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:17.200 Now, did I like throw my earthly father aside and they're mad at him, don't like him? 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:17.839 No. 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:24.720 But I stopped looking to him to define me and to determine my future. 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:35.119 I stopped looking to him as the source of how I feel about myself and how I allow myself to talk about myself. 00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:42.000 What that did, Jesus coming into my life shifted my story some. 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:46.240 The Holy Spirit coming into my life shifted my story some. 00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:51.039 I don't know how to tell you, I could not overstate this. 00:23:51.920 --> 00:24:00.319 The Heavenly Father coming into my life shifted my story in ways I never even knew I needed. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:09.440 Deeply, profoundly affected the way I wake up in the morning and experience being who I am. 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:17.279 More confident, more at rest, more at peace than I even knew you were allowed to be. 00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:29.519 And it all had to do with wrestling with who told me that, and that allowing me to rearrange some of the key characters in my story. 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:32.079 I love my dad, he's gone on to be with the Lord. 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:34.720 I love my mom, she's gone on to be with the Lord. 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:39.839 But before both of them passed away, I had a great relationship with them. 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:44.000 Largely because of these very things we're talking about right now. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:53.680 Now that scripture we opened up with, it said, Two sons, why don't you go out in my vineyard and work? 00:24:53.920 --> 00:24:59.920 The first one said, I don't remember which is which, the first one said, Yes or no? 00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:00.720 No. 00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:04.559 And then later said, Okay, I'll do it. 00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:05.519 And he did. 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:11.119 The second one, immediately when asked to go to work, said yes, but didn't. 00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:16.160 And then that little story, Jesus ends with this question to the crowd. 00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:21.119 Which one did what his father wanted? 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:23.440 Now I'm just want to ask you a simple question. 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:25.039 It's Father's Day. 00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:30.079 Justin just shared that, you know, we want to say happy Father's Day to God. 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:31.359 Let me ask you a question. 00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:36.160 How many of you want God to get what he wants? 00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:39.200 Raise your hand if you want God to get what he wants. 00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:45.920 What if I told you that it's easier than we've made it? 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:55.680 What if I told you that we, the church, have it messed up in some ways that's making it way harder than it needs to be? 00:25:55.920 --> 00:26:01.440 In fact, I'll go so far as to say, what if we've got it pointed in the wrong direction? 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:03.680 One more time, raise your hand. 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:06.079 How many of you want God to get what he wants? 00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:06.960 Alright? 00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:09.519 I think worship team, you can go ahead and head on up here. 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:10.720 We're gonna finish in a minute. 00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:13.599 I'm not sure how long, but in just a minute. 00:26:14.640 --> 00:26:15.039 All right? 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:16.559 How many of you want God to get what he wants? 00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:17.680 Here's another way to ask it. 00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:26.880 How many of you personally, you sitting right there in your chair, how many of you want to fulfill God's purpose for your life? 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:37.920 How many of you want someday to stand before God and He look you in the eye and say, Man, I'm so pleased with what you did with what I gave you. 00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:40.240 How many of you like a little bit of that? 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:42.480 All right. 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:50.079 I think the reason more of us aren't enjoying that is we've got some stuff out of order and mixed up. 00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:56.400 So there's a way that I like to trick you, and we've talked about this before, but I just want to trick you again. 00:26:56.720 --> 00:26:57.759 It's very simple. 00:26:57.920 --> 00:27:04.799 If I want to fulfill God's purpose for my life, I've got to deal with one simple question. 00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:08.240 Why did God create me? 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:11.599 Why did God create me? 00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:14.559 You're sitting there. 00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:16.720 Why did God create you? 00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:22.319 Why did He give you skin, bones, flesh, teeth? 00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:24.960 Why are you breathing God's air? 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:33.519 And in my opinion, ultimately, what is the first and most important thing he wants from you? 00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:38.079 Now I'm going to give you my answer, and I've told you this before. 00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:42.160 My test of good theology is how does it live? 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:45.519 And this theology lives really, really good. 00:27:46.079 --> 00:27:48.079 So what is why did God create you? 00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:49.680 Did he create you to worship him? 00:27:49.839 --> 00:27:51.519 Is that his ultimate purpose? 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:54.240 How many think worshiping God's a cool thing? 00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:55.839 I think it's a cool thing. 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:58.240 Did he create you to reach the lost? 00:27:58.400 --> 00:27:59.680 That's a cool thing. 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:04.319 Did he create you to find your gift and operate in it? 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:06.319 That's a cool thing. 00:28:07.200 --> 00:28:12.319 But I believe God created you for one simple reason. 00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:20.880 Now, if we boil it down, and I say no to that, no to that, no to that, we'll get closer and closer to what I think's the truth. 00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:23.359 And some of you will land on this. 00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:26.160 God created me to love him. 00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:29.599 We'll get really close. 00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:37.920 But 1 John 5.19 says we love him because he first loved us. 00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:42.160 We love him because he first loved us. 00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:53.200 Why do I think God created you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, me, all of us, not to worship him, love him, serve him. 00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:58.640 I believe God created you to be loved by him. 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:07.519 Now the problem is we're rushing to do all these other things, and we go right past that. 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:10.960 I was recently talking to a fella. 00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:17.440 I'll alter the story a little bit just so I don't, you know, violate anything. 00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:32.799 But this gentleman had a career path he was on, and quite honestly, he had derailed his career path twice, twice, by serious moral failure. 00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:42.880 He had derailed his career path so badly that he felt like it cannot be restored. 00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:45.519 He cannot be put back on track. 00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:59.279 And we had a service recently somewhere where he was, and I talked just like I'm talking to you right now, and I and I said to the people that God's ultimate purpose for you is for you to let him love you. 00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:01.759 I want to fulfill the purpose of God. 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:05.920 The purpose of God is for you to live loved. 00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:09.039 For you to live loved. 00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:15.759 Well, I happen to see this guy a couple of days later, and he said, you know what? 00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:18.640 I'm still under a little bit of a dark cloud. 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:23.200 I'm still wandering around, not sure what's around the next corner. 00:30:23.599 --> 00:30:34.000 But for the first time in over a decade, I have hope that maybe God's not finished with me. 00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:40.480 That maybe I can still fulfill his purpose for my life. 00:30:40.799 --> 00:30:45.200 And his purpose, again, is very simply to learn to live loved. 00:30:45.359 --> 00:30:48.240 You know what he told me he's doing to try to stay there? 00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:56.000 He just starts his day and then repeats to himself all through the day, God loves me. 00:30:56.960 --> 00:30:58.559 I'm loved by God. 00:30:58.960 --> 00:31:08.799 And he just tries to catch himself all through the day when he drifts from the simple thought that God loves him. 00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:18.319 Now, what I'd love to challenge you to do is find a way to get God's love in the center of how you start everything. 00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:23.039 I like to call it R in the Father's Love. 00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:30.720 My R is this: learn to receive and rest in the Father's love. 00:31:31.200 --> 00:31:32.640 Learn to receive and rest. 00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:34.640 Is it easy to receive God's love? 00:31:34.720 --> 00:31:35.440 Yes or no? 00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:38.319 Not always easy. 00:31:39.119 --> 00:31:40.160 Not always easy. 00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:44.000 And others, all of us have different ways we go about that. 00:31:44.240 --> 00:31:49.839 But I just encourage you to practice receiving and resting in the Father's love. 00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:56.000 I'm going to pray for you and turn it back over to the worship team, and they're going to wind up the service today. 00:31:56.799 --> 00:31:57.759 Thank you, Lord. 00:31:57.839 --> 00:32:00.240