1 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,400 Well, I just want to start by appreciating the clicker police. 2 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,000 I've had. I grabbed it and put it on my chair, and I had about 3 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,480 eight people come and say, do you have got your clicker? Have you got your 4 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,160 clicker? And I do have the clicker today, so I will be 5 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,800 clicking right along. We're glad that you're here this morning. 6 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:31,200 A couple of announcements before we get started. First of all, right after this 7 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,140 gathering at 12:30, we've got a luncheon for our upcoming Fall 8 00:00:35,140 --> 00:00:39,140 Fest this week. And so if you are planning to attend that, what 9 00:00:39,140 --> 00:00:42,860 we're gonna ask you to do is exit right out there to your left, 10 00:00:43,260 --> 00:00:47,180 go through the doors. They're gonna help you package the lunch together. And then you're 11 00:00:47,180 --> 00:00:50,100 gonna turn around and come right back in this room. So, yes, you're gonna bring 12 00:00:50,100 --> 00:00:54,020 your food back into this room. So you'll go right out there and bring it 13 00:00:54,020 --> 00:00:57,620 in this way. And then also, if there's one thing that we know that kids 14 00:00:57,620 --> 00:01:01,590 love, it is candy. And we need lots of it. 15 00:01:01,590 --> 00:01:05,510 And so if you have the ability to help participate 16 00:01:05,510 --> 00:01:09,510 by bringing candy for this thing, that would be fabulous. 17 00:01:09,510 --> 00:01:12,150 You could bring that and drop it off by the church office. You can bring 18 00:01:12,150 --> 00:01:15,990 it the night of if you want to. But there's never enough 19 00:01:15,990 --> 00:01:19,790 candy, right, D.J. never enough candy. Right. Okay. 20 00:01:20,030 --> 00:01:23,990 Next Sunday we also have a newcomer's luncheon. So if you are new to 21 00:01:23,990 --> 00:01:27,950 Springhouse. Newer to Springhouse, and you want to meet 22 00:01:27,950 --> 00:01:31,850 our staff and you'd like to learn about the 23 00:01:31,850 --> 00:01:35,730 church, then you're welcome to participate in the newcomers launch. 24 00:01:35,730 --> 00:01:39,530 And that will be next Sunday. So I encourage you to sign 25 00:01:39,530 --> 00:01:43,530 up and be a part of that. We're gonna continue the greatest stories 26 00:01:43,530 --> 00:01:47,530 ever told today. And you know, I realized every week I say, this is 27 00:01:47,530 --> 00:01:51,490 one of the more famous stories. But this is one of the famous stories. And 28 00:01:51,490 --> 00:01:55,250 that's why we're going over the greatest stories. We're gonna talk about the prodigal 29 00:01:55,250 --> 00:01:59,130 son. And so if you'll stand with me this morning, we're gonna do something just 30 00:01:59,130 --> 00:02:02,730 a little different as we read today what I'm gonna ask. 31 00:02:03,430 --> 00:02:07,430 I want you to read everything in yellow. And I will read what's in 32 00:02:07,430 --> 00:02:10,870 white. So everybody say, I'm yellow. I'm yellow. 33 00:02:11,030 --> 00:02:11,990 Kevin is white. 34 00:02:18,070 --> 00:02:22,030 There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his 35 00:02:22,030 --> 00:02:25,470 father, father, give me my share of the 36 00:02:25,470 --> 00:02:28,950 estate. So he divided his property between them. 37 00:02:29,710 --> 00:02:33,550 Not long after that, the younger son got together. All he had set 38 00:02:33,550 --> 00:02:37,190 off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild 39 00:02:37,190 --> 00:02:41,030 living. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of 40 00:02:41,030 --> 00:02:44,710 that country who sent him to the fields to feed the 41 00:02:44,710 --> 00:02:48,630 pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the 42 00:02:48,630 --> 00:02:52,630 pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to 43 00:02:52,630 --> 00:02:56,350 his senses, he said, how many of my father's 44 00:02:56,350 --> 00:03:00,270 hired servants have food to spare? And here I 45 00:03:00,270 --> 00:03:04,170 am starving to death. I will set out and 46 00:03:04,170 --> 00:03:07,930 go back to my father and say to him, father, 47 00:03:08,090 --> 00:03:11,450 I have sinned against heaven and against you. 48 00:03:11,850 --> 00:03:15,450 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 49 00:03:15,930 --> 00:03:19,770 Make me like one of your hired servants. So he 50 00:03:19,770 --> 00:03:23,730 got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long 51 00:03:23,730 --> 00:03:27,650 way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion 52 00:03:27,650 --> 00:03:31,520 for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him 53 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,440 and kissed him. The son said to him, father, I have 54 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,360 sinned against heaven and against you. I am no 55 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:43,280 longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said 56 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:47,200 to his servants, quick, bring the best robe and put 57 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,160 it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on 58 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:54,520 his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. 59 00:03:55,330 --> 00:03:59,090 Have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine 60 00:03:59,090 --> 00:04:02,690 was dead and is alive again. He was lost 61 00:04:02,770 --> 00:04:05,970 and is found. So they began to celebrate. 62 00:04:06,290 --> 00:04:10,170 Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near 63 00:04:10,170 --> 00:04:14,170 to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one 64 00:04:14,170 --> 00:04:17,810 of his servants and asked him what was going on. Your 65 00:04:17,810 --> 00:04:21,690 brother has come, he replied, and your father has 66 00:04:21,690 --> 00:04:25,090 killed the fattened calf because he has him back 67 00:04:25,540 --> 00:04:29,020 safe and sound. The older brother became angry and 68 00:04:29,020 --> 00:04:32,980 refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded 69 00:04:32,980 --> 00:04:36,740 with him. But he answered his father, look, all 70 00:04:36,740 --> 00:04:40,340 these years I have been slaving for you and never 71 00:04:40,340 --> 00:04:44,180 disobeyed your orders. Yet you never give me 72 00:04:44,260 --> 00:04:48,100 even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 73 00:04:48,660 --> 00:04:52,420 But when this son of yours, who has squandered your property 74 00:04:52,420 --> 00:04:56,130 with prostitutes, comes home, you kill the fattened 75 00:04:56,130 --> 00:05:00,010 calf for him. My son, the father said, you 76 00:05:00,010 --> 00:05:03,650 are always with me, and everything I have is 77 00:05:03,650 --> 00:05:07,410 yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, 78 00:05:07,730 --> 00:05:11,690 because this brother of yours was dead and is alive 79 00:05:11,690 --> 00:05:15,530 again. He was lost and is found. Father, I 80 00:05:15,530 --> 00:05:19,370 thank you for your word that it renders truth. I pray, Lord, that its truth 81 00:05:19,370 --> 00:05:23,050 would pierce our hearts today. In Jesus name, amen. You may be 82 00:05:23,050 --> 00:05:23,410 seated. 83 00:05:26,970 --> 00:05:30,690 You ever notice how before you have kids you judge 84 00:05:30,690 --> 00:05:32,170 everybody else's parenting? 85 00:05:38,170 --> 00:05:42,050 You're in the store and you're thinking, my kids will never act like 86 00:05:42,050 --> 00:05:45,890 that. Then you have kids, and all of a sudden, 87 00:05:45,890 --> 00:05:49,730 out comes a cell phone, gummies, candy. You lose your dignity and your 88 00:05:49,730 --> 00:05:53,300 sanity in the store while everyone else is making fun of you. 89 00:05:54,180 --> 00:05:57,980 When you're dating, you think their little quirks are 90 00:05:57,980 --> 00:06:01,700 adorable. She's so organized, 91 00:06:03,860 --> 00:06:07,620 he's so chill. Then you get married and now 92 00:06:07,620 --> 00:06:09,380 she's controlling and he's lazy. 93 00:06:11,540 --> 00:06:15,340 When somebody cuts you off in traffic, they are a 94 00:06:15,340 --> 00:06:19,030 terrible driver. But when you cut someone 95 00:06:19,030 --> 00:06:22,670 off, it's because I didn't see them right. 96 00:06:24,270 --> 00:06:28,030 Perspective changes everything. Perspective 97 00:06:28,030 --> 00:06:31,990 changes everything. I brought this stool here today because I believe it 98 00:06:31,990 --> 00:06:35,870 represents how most of us live our life. We tend to see life 99 00:06:36,350 --> 00:06:40,350 from our level where emotions, frustrations and 100 00:06:40,350 --> 00:06:43,900 assumptions live. We see what's 101 00:06:43,900 --> 00:06:47,860 happening to us, but we're not what God may 102 00:06:47,860 --> 00:06:51,500 be doing through us. We see the problem, but not the 103 00:06:51,500 --> 00:06:55,180 purpose. But when I change levels 104 00:06:55,420 --> 00:06:57,020 on this stool, when I 105 00:06:59,340 --> 00:07:02,300 step up to a higher level, 106 00:07:04,620 --> 00:07:07,980 my perspective changes. Same room, 107 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,600 same people, but I'm looking at everything 108 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:16,720 from a different vantage point. I believe that's 109 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,410 what God wants for us. Ephesians 2. 110 00:07:20,510 --> 00:07:24,279 6 says that we have been seated in high 111 00:07:24,279 --> 00:07:28,240 places with Christ, in heavenly places with Christ. The Word also tells us that 112 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,960 we've been given the mind of Christ. And so in that 113 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:35,960 in our lives, we have been given the ability and the 114 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,800 opportunity to look at situations and circumstances 115 00:07:40,420 --> 00:07:44,340 from a perspective that is far superior than our 116 00:07:44,340 --> 00:07:48,100 own. And so we look here and 117 00:07:48,180 --> 00:07:51,940 down there. In my perspective, I see pain. But from 118 00:07:51,940 --> 00:07:55,740 God's perspective, He sees purpose. From my 119 00:07:55,740 --> 00:07:59,540 perspective, I see a mess. But from God's perspective, 120 00:07:59,700 --> 00:08:02,260 He sees the opportunity for a miracle. 121 00:08:03,460 --> 00:08:06,180 From my perspective, I see failure. 122 00:08:07,410 --> 00:08:11,290 But from his perspective, he sees a God who is able 123 00:08:11,290 --> 00:08:15,170 to be faithful. From my perspective 124 00:08:15,170 --> 00:08:17,650 down there, I see what's gone wrong. 125 00:08:19,090 --> 00:08:22,890 But from his perspective, he sees everything that he has gotten involved with 126 00:08:22,890 --> 00:08:26,130 and made right. Perspective 127 00:08:26,290 --> 00:08:30,050 changes everything. It changes everything. 128 00:08:32,090 --> 00:08:36,010 This story begins with a young man 129 00:08:36,010 --> 00:08:39,610 standing before his father, determined, divided 130 00:08:39,770 --> 00:08:42,650 and restless. And we aren't told 131 00:08:43,450 --> 00:08:47,170 what created the situation that caused him to go to his 132 00:08:47,170 --> 00:08:51,170 father, expecting his inheritance immediately. We 133 00:08:51,170 --> 00:08:54,690 don't get the backstory, but something had to have 134 00:08:54,690 --> 00:08:58,450 happened. Because people do not naturally just walk 135 00:08:58,450 --> 00:09:02,370 out on something that's good. Maybe 136 00:09:02,370 --> 00:09:05,130 it was frustration that built up over time. 137 00:09:06,170 --> 00:09:09,530 Maybe it was small disappointments or quiet resentments. 138 00:09:10,090 --> 00:09:13,610 Maybe it was a longing to be somewhere else or to be 139 00:09:14,010 --> 00:09:16,250 someone else. Anybody ever felt that way. 140 00:09:17,770 --> 00:09:21,050 Maybe he felt overlooked or misunderstood 141 00:09:21,690 --> 00:09:25,490 or tired of living in his Father's shadow. Whatever it 142 00:09:25,490 --> 00:09:29,370 was, it didn't happen. I believe in a moment it happened In a 143 00:09:29,370 --> 00:09:33,350 series of moments that led to this moment. And now 144 00:09:33,350 --> 00:09:37,350 he is here looking at his father in the eye, and he's saying, 145 00:09:37,350 --> 00:09:40,790 give me my share of the 146 00:09:40,870 --> 00:09:44,230 inheritance. This is my daughter Ruby. 147 00:09:45,430 --> 00:09:48,870 Now, I want to just let you in. I'm a little bit of the OG 148 00:09:49,190 --> 00:09:53,150 school when it comes to discipline. So 149 00:09:53,150 --> 00:09:57,150 my daughter Ruby was in our early learning center when she was 2. And 150 00:09:57,150 --> 00:10:00,990 we continued to get phone calls from the directors because Ruby had 151 00:10:00,990 --> 00:10:04,900 this problem of biting children. She would go to class 152 00:10:05,300 --> 00:10:09,180 and she would bite someone. She would go to class the next day and 153 00:10:09,180 --> 00:10:12,820 she would bite someone. She'd go to class the next day and she would 154 00:10:12,820 --> 00:10:16,660 bite someone, and I would have to go and pick her up. Well, one 155 00:10:16,660 --> 00:10:19,740 day I got her in the car and I took her home and I said, 156 00:10:19,740 --> 00:10:23,580 ruby, what did you do? She said, I bit someone. So I 157 00:10:23,580 --> 00:10:25,060 took her arm and I bit her. 158 00:10:28,580 --> 00:10:32,540 She did not bite one other person. Nay, one more 159 00:10:32,540 --> 00:10:36,460 time after that time of me biting her. And I want to tell 160 00:10:36,460 --> 00:10:40,460 you that if one of my children were to come to me 161 00:10:40,460 --> 00:10:43,980 and say, I hate you, and I want to leave home and run away, 162 00:10:44,460 --> 00:10:47,780 I might just go right upstairs and grab their bag and start packing it for 163 00:10:47,780 --> 00:10:51,700 them. Set it right there on that porch. Because here's the thing. 164 00:10:51,700 --> 00:10:55,420 I know that as soon as they get as far as the mailbox, 165 00:10:55,500 --> 00:10:59,180 the realization will set in that what they've got is good. 166 00:10:59,890 --> 00:11:03,410 What they've got at home is really. Is really good. 167 00:11:04,290 --> 00:11:07,650 Here's the thing. He's saying, give me my 168 00:11:07,730 --> 00:11:11,650 inheritance. It was deeply hurtful and offensive 169 00:11:11,810 --> 00:11:15,690 to the father because it was as if the son was saying, you are 170 00:11:15,690 --> 00:11:19,570 better off to me dead than alive. You're better 171 00:11:19,570 --> 00:11:23,330 off to me dead than alive. Now, a man's 172 00:11:23,330 --> 00:11:26,690 property back in this culture wasn't just his wealth. 173 00:11:27,090 --> 00:11:30,940 It was his identity, and it was his legacy. The 174 00:11:30,940 --> 00:11:34,300 land told the story of his name, his family, 175 00:11:34,700 --> 00:11:38,420 his history, and his hope for the generation to come after 176 00:11:38,420 --> 00:11:42,300 him. So when the son demanded his share, he wasn't 177 00:11:42,300 --> 00:11:45,820 just walking away from home. He was walking away 178 00:11:46,219 --> 00:11:50,140 from his identity, from his legacy. He was walking 179 00:11:50,140 --> 00:11:53,580 away from whom he was meant to be. And still 180 00:11:54,220 --> 00:11:57,980 the father. Excuse me. The father didn't stop him. 181 00:11:59,740 --> 00:12:03,540 The father did not stop him. He didn't 182 00:12:03,540 --> 00:12:07,220 argue. He didn't beg. He 183 00:12:07,220 --> 00:12:11,180 simply let him go. The word tells us this. He divided 184 00:12:11,180 --> 00:12:13,580 the property between them. 185 00:12:15,100 --> 00:12:18,700 Real love has the capability 186 00:12:19,500 --> 00:12:21,020 of letting go 187 00:12:23,830 --> 00:12:27,830 even when it breaks your heart. Because the moment love starts 188 00:12:27,830 --> 00:12:30,390 being controlling, it's no longer love. 189 00:12:32,230 --> 00:12:36,230 So the father stands there watching his son disappear. Down the road, knowing full 190 00:12:36,230 --> 00:12:40,110 and well the road he's chosen. And the road the son has 191 00:12:40,110 --> 00:12:43,630 chosen is a road that's going to hurt him. It's going to lead to 192 00:12:43,630 --> 00:12:47,630 destruction. It's going to lead to disaster. And I believe that the Father's 193 00:12:47,630 --> 00:12:51,230 heart was breaking, but in that break, he was hoping that whatever 194 00:12:51,230 --> 00:12:54,690 choices this son was setting out to make, that maybe, just 195 00:12:54,690 --> 00:12:58,570 maybe, those choices and those consequences of those choices would 196 00:12:58,570 --> 00:13:02,130 bring him back home. Would bring him back home. 197 00:13:02,210 --> 00:13:06,050 Sometimes we have to walk through a consequence in order to learn a 198 00:13:06,050 --> 00:13:09,649 lesson. So the son liquidates everything 199 00:13:09,730 --> 00:13:13,730 associated with his Father and begins to live, the Word tells us, a 200 00:13:13,730 --> 00:13:17,730 wild lifestyle, engaging in everything and 201 00:13:17,730 --> 00:13:20,620 anything that would bring him temporary 202 00:13:21,180 --> 00:13:25,100 pleasure, every sin possible. And 203 00:13:25,100 --> 00:13:28,540 it leads him, as sin does, to a place of complete brokenness 204 00:13:29,900 --> 00:13:33,740 and destruction. Jesus is wanting us, 205 00:13:33,740 --> 00:13:37,660 I believe, to grab something in this portion of the story because 206 00:13:37,660 --> 00:13:41,340 it's easy to look at this young man and see that sin, 207 00:13:41,420 --> 00:13:45,420 his sin, is the main issue. But the issue really 208 00:13:45,420 --> 00:13:48,080 wasn't sin. It was separation. 209 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:53,240 And if you're actively living in the place, if you're here this morning under the 210 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:57,000 sound of my voice and you're actively living in a place of 211 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,800 sin, I want you to know that sin isn't your biggest 212 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:04,400 problem. Separation is separation 213 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:08,400 from the Father, from the God who breathes stars. Isaiah says this. Your 214 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,620 iniquities. Excuse me, your iniquities have separated you from. 215 00:14:13,570 --> 00:14:17,490 It is our sin that separates us from our God. 216 00:14:17,730 --> 00:14:21,530 And it isn't what the Son did that ruined him. It 217 00:14:21,530 --> 00:14:25,410 was how far he ran from the Father. Might I 218 00:14:25,410 --> 00:14:29,330 suggest this morning that distance will drain you faster than sin will 219 00:14:29,330 --> 00:14:32,850 stain you. Distance will drain you 220 00:14:33,250 --> 00:14:36,890 faster than sin will stain you. Our 221 00:14:36,890 --> 00:14:40,860 perspective down here, our perspective down here 222 00:14:41,020 --> 00:14:44,060 is that if I will just stop doing that, 223 00:14:44,940 --> 00:14:48,060 if they will just stop doing that, 224 00:14:49,340 --> 00:14:53,220 everything will change. If I stop losing my temper, everything 225 00:14:53,220 --> 00:14:57,220 will be okay. If I stop lusting, everything will be 226 00:14:57,220 --> 00:15:00,700 fine. If I stop drinking, everything will go away. 227 00:15:01,500 --> 00:15:05,380 If I stop looking at that, everything will be just fine. But here's the 228 00:15:05,380 --> 00:15:09,240 truth. See, sin is just the symptom of a deeper issue. And that issue 229 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:12,560 is lack of relationship. Lack of 230 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:16,280 relationship with God. Listen, you can cut off the 231 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,920 branch, but if the roots are still there, nothing's going to change. 232 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:23,120 You'll just find another way for sin to manifest itself. 233 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:28,080 You can fix the behavior, but if your heart isn't healed, 234 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,720 you'll find another outlet. That's why 235 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:35,200 Jesus didn't come to modify our 236 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:39,020 behavior. He came to heal. And 237 00:15:39,020 --> 00:15:42,700 when our Heart is healed, then the behavior follows, the 238 00:15:42,700 --> 00:15:46,460 behavior changes. See, we tend to want to fix our sin 239 00:15:46,460 --> 00:15:50,220 and try to fix other people's sin from our perspective 240 00:15:50,220 --> 00:15:54,180 and not from his higher perspective. Here's the thing. Your sin in 241 00:15:54,180 --> 00:15:56,620 this room this morning might be greed, 242 00:15:58,620 --> 00:16:00,860 but your real issue is fear. 243 00:16:04,390 --> 00:16:07,910 Your sin might be anger in this room this morning, 244 00:16:08,870 --> 00:16:12,310 but the real issue is unforgiveness or pain. 245 00:16:14,550 --> 00:16:18,470 Your sin might be gossip, but the real issue 246 00:16:18,470 --> 00:16:22,230 is insecurity. Your 247 00:16:22,230 --> 00:16:26,070 sin might be sexual immorality, but the real sin. The real 248 00:16:26,070 --> 00:16:28,630 issue. Sorry. The real issue is rejection. 249 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:34,800 Your sin might be pride, but the real issue is shame. 250 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:40,640 Your sin might be addiction, but the real issue is emptiness, 251 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:45,480 because you're filling a void that only the Father's love can 252 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,800 satisfy. Guys, sin 253 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:53,120 is not random. It's a signal. 254 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:58,360 It's pointing to something beneath the surface that needs 255 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:02,220 to be addressed. A wound, a lie, or a longing 256 00:17:02,460 --> 00:17:06,100 to be healed. And the Father's not 257 00:17:06,100 --> 00:17:09,820 standing over you saying, fix that. He's 258 00:17:09,820 --> 00:17:13,740 saying, come home. Let me heal you. Let 259 00:17:13,740 --> 00:17:17,220 me heal you. Because once the 260 00:17:17,220 --> 00:17:20,700 relationship is restored, the symptom loses its power. 261 00:17:22,220 --> 00:17:26,020 When you walk away from the Father, I believe that your life begins 262 00:17:26,020 --> 00:17:29,940 to leak away from you. When we walk away from God, our life just 263 00:17:29,940 --> 00:17:33,920 begins to dissipate. You may look alive on the outside, but your 264 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:37,600 soul begins to starve. And we look to feed it with things that don't bring 265 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:41,440 life. Many years ago, Margaret was sitting in our office, and her 266 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,360 daughter Valerie was there. And Valerie had accidentally tripped and knocked a 267 00:17:45,360 --> 00:17:49,280 cup of water over a laptop that she had sitting there. And she was 268 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,560 in the middle of really needing to be on a laptop working. And so Margaret 269 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:55,840 stood up and they cleaned up the water and the laptop wasn't working. Well, they 270 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,840 go over next door, and Barbie's there, and there's a laptop sitting there on the 271 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:02,700 floor. Well, Margaret says, barbie, do you have a laptop that we could use that 272 00:18:02,700 --> 00:18:05,660 Valerie could use? And she said, well, there's one there on the floor, but it 273 00:18:05,660 --> 00:18:08,500 has its own problems. Here's the thing. 274 00:18:09,220 --> 00:18:13,140 Sometimes we go and we will make. We will take on more problems 275 00:18:13,140 --> 00:18:16,980 instead of addressing the one at hand. Sometimes we're 276 00:18:16,980 --> 00:18:20,980 content with going into a situation where we'll take on more problems 277 00:18:21,140 --> 00:18:25,060 than actually addressing the root cause of the issue. Let me 278 00:18:25,060 --> 00:18:29,050 get rid of this symptom with another symptom. Let 279 00:18:29,050 --> 00:18:32,650 me get rid of this visible symptom and utilize an invisible 280 00:18:32,650 --> 00:18:36,290 symptom and just live from there. 281 00:18:36,930 --> 00:18:40,130 But God wants to get to the root and he wants to get to the 282 00:18:40,130 --> 00:18:44,010 heart. And so, in his great love for you and me, in his 283 00:18:44,010 --> 00:18:47,890 great love for you and me, God will allow 284 00:18:47,890 --> 00:18:50,770 painful circumstances to take place in our lives 285 00:18:52,780 --> 00:18:56,460 painful circumstances to take place in our lives so that we would wake up 286 00:18:56,460 --> 00:18:59,820 and be willing to see ourselves and our situation 287 00:19:00,540 --> 00:19:04,380 from his perspective and finally 288 00:19:04,380 --> 00:19:08,300 come to our senses. The Word tells us when he came to his senses, he 289 00:19:08,300 --> 00:19:12,100 said, I will arise and I will go back to my father. The 290 00:19:12,100 --> 00:19:15,180 turning point in this story isn't when he runs out of money. 291 00:19:16,780 --> 00:19:20,380 It isn't when he's in the pig pen. It's when he comes 292 00:19:20,460 --> 00:19:24,460 to his senses, when his eyes are open 293 00:19:24,540 --> 00:19:28,380 to a higher perspective. And this, my 294 00:19:28,380 --> 00:19:31,340 friends, is where repentance begins. 295 00:19:32,060 --> 00:19:36,060 Repentance is not an emotion. It's not just a sorrowful 296 00:19:36,140 --> 00:19:39,740 plea to the situation or what we've done wrong. It's not 297 00:19:39,900 --> 00:19:43,700 an emotional response with tears. It can be part of it, but 298 00:19:43,700 --> 00:19:47,540 that's not what repentance really is. Repentance, I 299 00:19:47,540 --> 00:19:51,420 believe, has three components, and we often neglect the last 300 00:19:51,420 --> 00:19:55,400 one. The first part of repentance is changing the way that 301 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:59,280 you think you can change your behavior all day long. 302 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:03,080 But until you change the way you think about it, the root of changing 303 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:06,600 behavior is not going to go anywhere. So the first part of 304 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:10,320 repentance is changing the way you think. The second part 305 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:14,640 flows right naturally. After changing the way you think, it's changing the behavior. 306 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:19,390 So we turn away from the behavior. I change the way I think, I. I 307 00:20:19,390 --> 00:20:22,510 turn away from the behavior. And that's a lot of times where we put the 308 00:20:22,510 --> 00:20:26,510 period and we just move on. But guys, I don't believe that the first two 309 00:20:26,510 --> 00:20:30,390 can even happen without the third one being involved. We change the 310 00:20:30,390 --> 00:20:34,230 way we think, the behavior changes, and then we 311 00:20:34,230 --> 00:20:38,110 run to a merciful God. We run 312 00:20:38,270 --> 00:20:41,630 to a merciful God. We run to a God who has the 313 00:20:41,630 --> 00:20:45,390 supernatural power to help us get out of the situation 314 00:20:45,710 --> 00:20:49,590 and the pain and the destructive path that we're in. All three of 315 00:20:49,590 --> 00:20:53,450 those ingredients are part of the repentance process. And for the life 316 00:20:53,450 --> 00:20:56,970 of the believer, repentance is a part 317 00:20:57,450 --> 00:21:01,090 of our journey. Guys, I was 318 00:21:01,090 --> 00:21:04,770 struggling with two issues over the last three weeks. Two, they're not 319 00:21:04,770 --> 00:21:08,610 connected, but man, two issues and boy laden in there in that sin world. 320 00:21:08,610 --> 00:21:11,690 One was pride. Anybody ever dealt with pride? 321 00:21:12,490 --> 00:21:16,250 I'm not alone. I was in situations in the last three weeks, I 322 00:21:16,250 --> 00:21:20,070 thought, I've got the answer. I got the monopoly on the answer to 323 00:21:20,070 --> 00:21:23,710 this. I was looking from my 324 00:21:23,710 --> 00:21:27,470 perspective in another situation. I'm walking through 325 00:21:27,630 --> 00:21:31,510 Fighting. And I'm wrestling with bitterness against how I've been 326 00:21:31,510 --> 00:21:35,350 treated. And sometimes that bitterness that you walk in can lead 327 00:21:35,350 --> 00:21:39,270 you to places where you just are in the pig pen. Because I see 328 00:21:39,270 --> 00:21:42,750 it my way, I don't see it his way. 329 00:21:44,350 --> 00:21:48,320 And until I change the way I think, coupled with the behavior and 330 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:51,760 the actions with it, and run to a merciful God, nothing's going to change in 331 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:55,680 my life. And maybe you are here and you're contending and 332 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:59,400 wrestling with something in your life that you need to turn 333 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:03,360 from. Repentance gives us the 334 00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:07,080 ability to stop thinking like a slave and to remember that we are 335 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:10,680 sons and daughters of the most high God. Romans 2:4 336 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:14,720 says, God's kindness leads us to repentance. And we have been 337 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:18,360 placed in positions to be the hands and feet of Christ in that. 338 00:22:19,890 --> 00:22:23,770 Several years ago, Allen was serving communion. I don't remember what section it was, but 339 00:22:23,770 --> 00:22:27,570 he was on the steps and Allen tripped and he fell. 340 00:22:29,090 --> 00:22:32,090 I didn't see this, but he told the story later. And you know, when he 341 00:22:32,090 --> 00:22:35,970 fell, so many people got up and they ran over to help 342 00:22:35,970 --> 00:22:39,970 him. Could you imagine if he fell and everybody just looked 343 00:22:39,970 --> 00:22:43,530 at him and scoffed and laughed and then kicked him while he was down and 344 00:22:43,530 --> 00:22:47,270 said, look, you fell, Allen, you're hurt. 345 00:22:47,910 --> 00:22:50,910 Just want to make sure, you know, you fell. Did everybody see that? Can we 346 00:22:50,910 --> 00:22:51,990 pan the camera there, 347 00:22:55,270 --> 00:22:59,110 guys? None of us plan the fall. None of us 348 00:22:59,110 --> 00:23:03,070 plan the fall. But when the fall happens, I pray that I have 349 00:23:03,070 --> 00:23:06,870 loving people in my life who will run to me and help me get 350 00:23:06,870 --> 00:23:07,830 up from the fall. 351 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:16,320 God's kindness leads us to repentance. How does he manifest 352 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:20,080 his kindness? Through believers who have been through some things and say, 353 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:24,040 hey, I need to render kindness in this situation because you've 354 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:25,520 fallen and you need to change. 355 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,520 And so we've been placed in a position to be the hands and feet of 356 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:36,000 Christ. The young son didn't wake up because he feared 357 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:40,140 the fathers. He woke up because he 358 00:23:40,140 --> 00:23:42,060 remembered the Father's goodness. 359 00:23:43,900 --> 00:23:47,780 And it changed everything. He 360 00:23:47,780 --> 00:23:51,660 didn't have to fix himself before returning. He didn't need a 361 00:23:51,660 --> 00:23:55,380 plan. He needed a person. And that's the 362 00:23:55,380 --> 00:23:59,380 turning point of the story. The son didn't stop at a well to wash 363 00:23:59,380 --> 00:24:03,380 his face. The word didn't tell us that he goes to a clothing store to 364 00:24:03,380 --> 00:24:06,580 make sure he looks the part. It didn't say that he went back and earned 365 00:24:06,580 --> 00:24:10,200 all of the money back so that he could pay back what he squandered. 366 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,080 He showed up like he was 367 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:19,800 grace doesn't wait for you to get cleaned up. It meets you where 368 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:23,720 you messed up. And then in the story, 369 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:27,600 something really scandalous happens. Jesus says, 370 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:31,560 but while he was still a long way off, the Father 371 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,840 saw him and was filled with compassion. 372 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:38,670 And he ran. Son, 373 00:24:39,150 --> 00:24:40,590 now I want to tell you something. 374 00:24:42,590 --> 00:24:45,950 Mideastern, Middle Eastern men did not run. 375 00:24:47,070 --> 00:24:51,030 It was undignified. They would have to lift their robes and 376 00:24:51,030 --> 00:24:54,990 expose their scrawny legs in order to run. They 377 00:24:54,990 --> 00:24:58,110 didn't run. Running 378 00:24:59,230 --> 00:25:03,070 was just something that. This is something that they didn't 379 00:25:03,070 --> 00:25:06,980 do. But this father didn't care about his dignity. He didn't care 380 00:25:06,980 --> 00:25:10,860 about what the neighbors thought. He didn't care about how bad his boy 381 00:25:10,860 --> 00:25:14,740 smelt or how foolish that he might look. He cared that his 382 00:25:14,740 --> 00:25:18,660 son was coming home. And so 383 00:25:18,660 --> 00:25:22,380 he takes off running. Because love doesn't mind looking foolish when 384 00:25:22,380 --> 00:25:26,060 restoration is on the line. Love does not mind 385 00:25:26,060 --> 00:25:29,300 looking foolish when restoration is on the line. 386 00:25:30,260 --> 00:25:33,540 So before the Son. Before the Son can finish his apology, 387 00:25:34,180 --> 00:25:37,940 the Father throws his arms around him. Before 388 00:25:37,940 --> 00:25:41,780 the confession, there's compassion. Before the explanation, 389 00:25:41,860 --> 00:25:45,500 there's restoration. And that's the gospel over. In 2 390 00:25:45,500 --> 00:25:49,380 Corinthians, it says this. All this is from God 391 00:25:50,020 --> 00:25:53,540 who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the 392 00:25:53,540 --> 00:25:56,660 ministry of reconciliation. That God was 393 00:25:56,820 --> 00:26:00,700 reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's 394 00:26:00,700 --> 00:26:04,610 sins against them. Might I 395 00:26:04,610 --> 00:26:08,530 suggest to us this morning that we understand that you don't 396 00:26:08,530 --> 00:26:12,370 fix your sin to find God. You find God and he fixes your sin. 397 00:26:13,730 --> 00:26:17,490 You find a relationship with God and he begins to fix your 398 00:26:17,490 --> 00:26:20,850 sin. The young man who got baptized. Right up here, Cody, I'm going to tell 399 00:26:20,850 --> 00:26:24,730 on you, okay? He said to Scotty, he said, I sometimes 400 00:26:24,730 --> 00:26:28,530 cuss. Can I get baptized? Absolutely, 401 00:26:28,530 --> 00:26:32,420 brother. You can get baptized. You don't fix your sin 402 00:26:32,420 --> 00:26:36,140 to find God. You find God, and then he fixes your 403 00:26:36,140 --> 00:26:36,540 sin. 404 00:26:40,140 --> 00:26:43,980 This is what grace looks like. A father who runs toward 405 00:26:43,980 --> 00:26:46,940 you when everyone else runs away. 406 00:26:48,540 --> 00:26:52,500 We don't deserve this type of love. Psalms says this. He does not treat 407 00:26:52,500 --> 00:26:56,340 us as our sins, deserve or repay us according to our 408 00:26:56,340 --> 00:26:59,660 iniquities. As far as the east is from the west, so far as he has 409 00:26:59,820 --> 00:27:03,080 removed our transgressions from us guys, 410 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:08,120 God cares more about getting you back than getting you 411 00:27:08,360 --> 00:27:12,360 right. And if you are wandering away 412 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:16,440 from this king of the universe, this star breathing God, this 413 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:20,240 morning he wants you back. And I don't think 414 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:24,120 it's happenstance that you're sitting here this morning because 415 00:27:24,120 --> 00:27:27,080 the God of the universe has his arms Wide open for you. 416 00:27:29,170 --> 00:27:32,930 The father didn't demand an explanation. He didn't stand there with 417 00:27:33,090 --> 00:27:35,730 a litany of questions. Where were you? 418 00:27:37,090 --> 00:27:38,450 What did you do with my money? 419 00:27:40,930 --> 00:27:44,370 He didn't need to talk about the past because love was already building a future. 420 00:27:45,970 --> 00:27:49,090 And so the father says, bring the best robe 421 00:27:50,530 --> 00:27:54,490 because your shame is covered. Put a ring on his finger 422 00:27:54,490 --> 00:27:58,410 because his authority has been established. Put sandals on 423 00:27:58,410 --> 00:28:02,370 his feet because you are no longer a servant. You are a child of this 424 00:28:02,450 --> 00:28:06,370 house. And not only that, you are my son. 425 00:28:07,010 --> 00:28:10,690 This father says, do you notice something here? 426 00:28:12,370 --> 00:28:16,370 The father neglected to bring up the sin. Our perspective 427 00:28:16,370 --> 00:28:19,370 would say, we need to address this sin. We need to talk about this sin. 428 00:28:19,370 --> 00:28:21,770 We need to pay penance for this sin. We need to make sure that this 429 00:28:21,770 --> 00:28:25,700 sin doesn't happen again. But what we're not understanding it is that symptom of a 430 00:28:25,700 --> 00:28:29,660 root issue. If you get to the root issue, the sin is going to dissipate 431 00:28:29,660 --> 00:28:32,700 and go away because of relationship. 432 00:28:34,380 --> 00:28:38,140 Man at a funeral I was at yesterday named Austin, he was sharing a 433 00:28:38,140 --> 00:28:42,100 story. He goes hunting and he had killed a buck for 434 00:28:42,100 --> 00:28:45,780 the first time. And he pulled it in. But I guess with hunting season, 435 00:28:45,780 --> 00:28:49,620 there's a time where your license expires or whatnot. And so you go through 436 00:28:49,620 --> 00:28:52,860 this process. And he didn't have his license up to date or portion of it. 437 00:28:53,260 --> 00:28:56,280 And so. So he has to go to court for the very first time. Never 438 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,720 been there before. And he's talking about that the deceased was his father in law, 439 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,800 but at that time it was his future father in law because he was just 440 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,400 a boyfriend to the girl at this time. So he goes to court, he doesn't 441 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,920 know what he's doing, doesn't really know what to wear. He's never been to court. 442 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:12,400 He's been somebody who's done all of the right things, but he just was a 443 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:14,760 lapse of judgment here. And so he goes in there and 444 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:19,560 explains to the judge what happened. Well, the father 445 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:23,080 in law shows up that morning to court with him, to stand and be with 446 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:27,080 him. And so he gives this case. And the judge says, okay, that will be 447 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,840 a $10 fine. Now let me tell you something. Have you ever been in 448 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:33,660 court? $10. 449 00:29:33,940 --> 00:29:37,840 $10. So he goes around to the 450 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:41,800 clerk's window to pay the $10 fee. And the clerk says, that would be 451 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:45,200 $460 because you have the payment 452 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,440 for the guilty sentence, but you also have these things called court fees. 453 00:29:51,100 --> 00:29:55,100 So he pays this $460 and he leaves rejected, with his head 454 00:29:55,100 --> 00:29:58,700 down. Come Next Sunday, this future father in law 455 00:29:58,860 --> 00:30:02,060 comes up to him and hands him an envelope. And inside the envelope is a 456 00:30:02,060 --> 00:30:06,060 check for $450. Now, why did I share 457 00:30:06,060 --> 00:30:10,020 this story? This future father, this 458 00:30:10,020 --> 00:30:13,820 was a boyfriend. This future father in law had 459 00:30:13,820 --> 00:30:17,630 no reason to pay this bill, had no reason to take 460 00:30:17,630 --> 00:30:21,550 on the penalty. But because of love and because of relationship, 461 00:30:21,550 --> 00:30:25,390 he comes in and pays the bill. And guys, that's exactly what our God 462 00:30:25,390 --> 00:30:27,950 does. It's exactly what our God does. 463 00:30:31,630 --> 00:30:35,630 The motivation to pay the debt was love and relationship. And when you come home, 464 00:30:35,790 --> 00:30:39,670 the father does not rub your failures in your face. He wraps 465 00:30:39,670 --> 00:30:43,250 his arm around you and whispers, you were never meant to live 466 00:30:43,330 --> 00:30:44,290 without me. 467 00:30:47,490 --> 00:30:51,290 So now the father has his son back and he 468 00:30:51,290 --> 00:30:54,930 can't help but celebrate. And guys, anytime a 469 00:30:54,930 --> 00:30:58,290 relationship is reconciled, it is cause for 470 00:30:58,369 --> 00:31:02,210 celebration. It is cause for celebration. 471 00:31:03,170 --> 00:31:07,130 But while everyone was inside celebrating, there's another story that's 472 00:31:07,130 --> 00:31:11,020 unfolding outside in the field. You see, out in the field, the older 473 00:31:11,020 --> 00:31:14,660 brother hears the sound of celebration and stops in his 474 00:31:14,660 --> 00:31:18,580 tracks. He's been working hard, doing everything that he's supposed to 475 00:31:18,580 --> 00:31:22,420 do. Faithful, disciplined, responsible. 476 00:31:23,060 --> 00:31:26,500 And now, after all of these years of consistency, 477 00:31:26,820 --> 00:31:30,820 he hears laughter that isn't his. He smells food that's not 478 00:31:30,820 --> 00:31:34,600 belonging to him. And he sees a robe and a ring given to him 479 00:31:34,910 --> 00:31:36,670 to the one who wasted everything. 480 00:31:40,030 --> 00:31:41,870 And resentment starts to rise. 481 00:31:44,110 --> 00:31:47,710 He calls a servant over and he says, what's going on? 482 00:31:48,270 --> 00:31:52,190 And the servant replies, your father has killed the fattened calf because 483 00:31:52,430 --> 00:31:54,430 his younger son has come home. 484 00:31:56,670 --> 00:32:00,130 But instead of joy in this older brother, there's anger 485 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:05,920 instead of relief, there's bitterness. And in that 486 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:09,560 moment from the older son, we see a different type of 487 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:12,840 distance from the father. Not the distance of rebellion, 488 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:17,040 but the distance of resentment. You see, the older 489 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:20,120 son has a perspective too. 490 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:26,760 All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. 491 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:30,760 That's what he says to his father. Here's the tragedy. And this 492 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:34,440 is what I want us to grab. You can stay in the 493 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:38,240 father's house and still live like a hired 494 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:42,000 hand. You can take room in the 495 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,880 father's house and still operate like a hired hand. The 496 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:49,360 older brother never left home, but he still missed the father's heart. 497 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:53,360 Listen, rules can guide you, but only relationship can change you. 498 00:32:55,450 --> 00:32:59,250 You can follow all of the rules, but if you don't have relationship, 499 00:32:59,250 --> 00:33:03,090 you've missed the heart of God. Listen, I've been married 500 00:33:03,090 --> 00:33:06,810 to Shari for over 15 years and I 501 00:33:06,810 --> 00:33:10,610 obey the rules of marriage not because 502 00:33:10,610 --> 00:33:14,090 I'm married. But because I love Shari, 503 00:33:14,890 --> 00:33:18,810 my fuel to obey the rules of marriage isn't because I'm under some 504 00:33:18,810 --> 00:33:22,650 institution or some rule or anything. The reason I obey the rules of 505 00:33:22,650 --> 00:33:26,170 marriage is because I love her. Relationship 506 00:33:26,170 --> 00:33:30,010 fuels my obedience. Relationship 507 00:33:30,570 --> 00:33:34,410 is key. I believe relationship is the currency 508 00:33:34,490 --> 00:33:38,250 of the kingdom to which we live. Justin was talking 509 00:33:38,250 --> 00:33:42,130 about in the pool. He was talking about baptism. And he talked 510 00:33:42,130 --> 00:33:46,090 about him to Scotty, to Scotty, to Cody. What he's talking about is 511 00:33:46,090 --> 00:33:49,980 being in relationship. Not fake relationship, real 512 00:33:49,980 --> 00:33:53,180 relationship, authentic relationship. 513 00:33:55,820 --> 00:33:59,660 Relationship is key. And the greatest victory 514 00:33:59,820 --> 00:34:03,580 in the kingdom is when relationships are restored. 515 00:34:04,380 --> 00:34:07,340 Have you ever seen someone forgive the unforgivable? 516 00:34:09,740 --> 00:34:13,380 Have you ever seen someone be so wrong that they 517 00:34:13,380 --> 00:34:17,340 deserve to do something to the person, but they love them above the hurt? 518 00:34:17,850 --> 00:34:21,850 Have you ever seen. It's remarkable. It's supernatural, 519 00:34:22,490 --> 00:34:24,970 because in our flesh, we want to take people out. 520 00:34:28,170 --> 00:34:32,130 The greatest defeat of the enemy is when he tries to place a 521 00:34:32,130 --> 00:34:35,930 wedge between people. And then love from the father 522 00:34:36,010 --> 00:34:40,010 supernaturally gets involved and those two people come back together. 523 00:34:42,250 --> 00:34:45,850 And so our heart check is this. You can live in the father's house and 524 00:34:45,850 --> 00:34:47,050 still miss the father's heart. 525 00:34:49,790 --> 00:34:53,670 In other words, you can be absolutely right in the 526 00:34:53,670 --> 00:34:57,590 way you feel, but you can respond in a way 527 00:34:57,590 --> 00:35:01,590 that misses the father's heart simply because you 528 00:35:01,590 --> 00:35:05,270 were operating from your perspective and not 529 00:35:05,270 --> 00:35:09,150 his. I 530 00:35:09,150 --> 00:35:12,910 believe that forgiveness in the world is a 5050 531 00:35:12,910 --> 00:35:16,780 proposition. I will meet you halfway. Here's 532 00:35:16,780 --> 00:35:20,780 my forgiveness with strings attached. Forgiveness in the 533 00:35:20,780 --> 00:35:24,580 kingdom is not a 5050 proposition. Forgiveness in the kingdom 534 00:35:24,580 --> 00:35:28,340 is 100%. I have washed that away 535 00:35:28,500 --> 00:35:32,500 as far as the east is from the west. We can walk forward 536 00:35:32,580 --> 00:35:35,140 in pure relationship. 537 00:35:36,420 --> 00:35:40,180 Forgiveness in the kingdom allows us beyond our 538 00:35:40,180 --> 00:35:43,880 hurts, beyond our pain, beyond our struggles to take the next step forward, 539 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:47,880 first and foremost with our God, but also 540 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:53,240 with one another. Proximity does 541 00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:57,200 not equate to intimacy. You can serve God faithfully 542 00:35:57,200 --> 00:36:00,960 and still not enjoy him fully. Do you know that God desires to be 543 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:04,760 enjoyed? You can be in his house 544 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:08,680 and be so worried about whether you're doing everything right and crossing every 545 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:11,480 T and dotting every I and miss him altogether. 546 00:36:13,610 --> 00:36:17,610 This isn't just the story of one prodigal son. It's the story of 547 00:36:17,770 --> 00:36:21,690 every heart that has ever wandered or ever 548 00:36:21,690 --> 00:36:25,570 been hardened. And the father stands 549 00:36:25,570 --> 00:36:29,530 in the same place for both, watching the 550 00:36:29,530 --> 00:36:32,170 road, waiting for relationship. 551 00:36:34,410 --> 00:36:36,250 So you may be in the pig pen this morning. 552 00:36:38,500 --> 00:36:42,180 There may be something that you need to repent for this morning. 553 00:36:45,060 --> 00:36:48,860 You may be distant from this glorious God who's waiting on the road 554 00:36:48,860 --> 00:36:52,260 with his arms wide open, saying, here I am. Come, 555 00:36:53,860 --> 00:36:55,220 let us reason together. 556 00:36:58,740 --> 00:37:02,540 You have a father who's saying, come home. This 557 00:37:02,540 --> 00:37:06,310 story is about two sons. The younger son 558 00:37:06,310 --> 00:37:10,310 thought freedom meant distance. He believed he could just get away from his father 559 00:37:10,310 --> 00:37:13,190 and that he would find happiness. But he was wrong. 560 00:37:14,630 --> 00:37:18,070 The older son thought faithfulness meant favoritism. 561 00:37:18,950 --> 00:37:22,150 He believed it just if he just worked harder and he did all the right 562 00:37:22,150 --> 00:37:25,350 things, that the father would finally notice him. 563 00:37:26,390 --> 00:37:29,190 But he had access to the father all along. 564 00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:34,520 Both were seeing this from ground level, from 565 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:38,440 their perspective, from their 566 00:37:38,440 --> 00:37:42,160 own understanding. Neither of them was seeing it from the 567 00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:46,040 father's vantage point. The father's 568 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:49,840 perspective is always higher. It's always 569 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:51,920 better. Would you stand with me this morning? 570 00:37:57,350 --> 00:37:59,590 If you're going to minister to people, if you'll come forward. 571 00:38:08,870 --> 00:38:11,910 You know what makes that pig pen so nasty? 572 00:38:13,350 --> 00:38:16,950 I believe what makes that pig pen so that that feed the trough 573 00:38:17,190 --> 00:38:20,350 so nasty? It's not that the pigs are eating. I don't know what they feed 574 00:38:20,350 --> 00:38:24,080 pigs, but that slop, that's not what makes it 575 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:27,840 nasty. What makes the trough nasty is that 576 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,320 all of our saliva is in it together. 577 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:37,040 That's what makes it nasty. But here's the deal. 578 00:38:38,240 --> 00:38:41,960 You don't have to stay there eating my saliva or your 579 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:44,640 neighbor's saliva in the pig pen. 580 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:47,760 Everything can change. Today 581 00:38:50,150 --> 00:38:53,590 you say, I don't know how to fix this behavior in my life. 582 00:38:53,990 --> 00:38:57,910 Stop trying to fix it. Come and get the relationship straight with your 583 00:38:57,910 --> 00:39:01,910 father. Maybe you're looking at some situation 584 00:39:02,390 --> 00:39:06,070 from an earthly low perspective and you need God to change it. 585 00:39:06,150 --> 00:39:10,150 Lord, change my perspective about this. I need your eyes, God. I need to 586 00:39:10,150 --> 00:39:13,350 see your perspective in this situation. Come. 587 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:17,640 He knows how to give you a pair of his eyes to see it the 588 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:21,480 way he sees it. Maybe 589 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:25,320 you're sitting there and you're like, I have checked off all the list. I have 590 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:29,040 done so many things right and I don't understand why that person 591 00:39:29,359 --> 00:39:33,320 gets to get away with X, Y and Z. I don't know why that 592 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:37,200 person gets to have the blessing. I don't understand why that is. 593 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:40,440 Here's the thing. Can I tell you. God doesn't just want to get you to 594 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:44,140 a place where you accept that for other people. He wants to get you to 595 00:39:44,140 --> 00:39:46,900 a place where you rejoice with them when they do 596 00:39:48,820 --> 00:39:52,820 so. There's a lot of opportunity to meet the God who breathes stars and 597 00:39:52,820 --> 00:39:56,740 knew you were going to be here today. You can do like that song 598 00:39:56,740 --> 00:40:00,660 said that they sang this morning. I've decided I'm not going to leave this 599 00:40:00,660 --> 00:40:04,540 place the same way I came. The only way to do 600 00:40:04,540 --> 00:40:08,220 that is to encounter the God of the universe. Let's 601 00:40:08,220 --> 00:40:08,660 worship.