God’s Compassion Far Exceeds Your Expectations

00:00 and because it's Valentine's week this
00:03 week it could also be called God's
00:07 Valentine's card signed by God with EXO
00:11 EXO kisses and hugs now I didn't come up
00:14 with that that was what God whispered
00:17 into my heart as I was preparing the
00:19 teaching and he goes sooo do you know
00:21 it's Valentine's Day this week and he
00:25 says let the people know that they can
00:29 actually receive a hug kiss from me so
00:34 for some of us that's kind of offensive
00:36 but God actually wants to us to know him
00:40 in this way that's why Jesus tells us
00:42 this parable so this is session number
00:46 five of the love of God series and we're
00:49 looking at the parable in the called the
00:52 prodigal son in Luke 15 but when I
00:55 started to dwell in it and meditate on
01:00 it I thought that truly it was a story
01:02 about my father who loves me so I call
01:05 it the loving father parable is in this
01:08 parable Jesus shares with us the
01:10 exceeding greatness of our father's love
01:14 for us now he showed us that in his
01:17 ministry but now he tells us about in a
01:20 parable this parable beautifully
01:25 portrays a verse that we were going over
01:27 last week on Ephesians 2:4 but God is
01:32 rich in mercy because of his great love
01:37 in which he loved us in this parable
01:42 Jesus is inviting us to come home to
01:46 dwell in him and to receive his love for
01:50 you in ways you might not have thought
01:54 possible which will help bring
01:57 restoration and healing to your life and
02:00 I believe that because that's what it
02:03 did for my own life he does that for all
02:07 of prodigal and like I said I found
02:12 myself in the store
02:13 I didn't think of myself as the
02:15 quote/unquote prodigal so this is how
02:18 I'm divining particles tonight
02:21 it's either those who have traveled
02:24 totally far away from God to a distant
02:27 land through sin unbelief or very
02:30 unfortunate and difficult circumstances
02:34 or it's for some of us those of us who
02:39 have traveled in one area of our life
02:43 far from God's Word his will and his
02:48 desires and plans for our life so let us
02:52 pray father I pray that you would open
02:57 up our hearts tonight in such a way that
03:00 each person here would actually feel
03:03 your love for them and know and believe
03:08 deep down in their hearts that they are
03:12 truly loved by you help each one of us
03:17 to see ourselves through your eyes of
03:19 love and not through our darkened
03:23 understanding our darkened lens of how
03:26 we think you view us right where we're
03:29 at with all our flaws shortcomings lack
03:35 of understanding lack of wisdom lack of
03:39 strength strengthen us by the power of
03:42 your spirit so that we can resist the
03:45 lies of the enemy the lies that we have
03:48 come to believe from our past history
03:50 and our current habits the lies that we
03:54 have been taught through religion and
03:56 through the world around us the lies
03:59 what others have spoken about us and the
04:02 lies we have spoken and believed about
04:04 ourselves that oppose your truth
04:07 help us to live moment by moment every
04:11 day of our life in the reality of your
04:15 everlasting love for us
04:20 so the context of this parable is very
04:25 interesting as you can see I have two
04:27 signs here we have two groups of people
04:32 we have the younger son who comes under
04:39 this category of the sinners and then we
04:43 have the elder son in the parable which
04:47 represents the religious leaders or the
04:50 scribes and the Pharisees and a lot of
04:54 times I've always jumped just right into
04:56 this parable without reading like the
04:58 context and this is the first time
05:00 actually that I saw who Jesus was
05:02 speaking to and Luke 15 1 through 2 it
05:06 says that all the tax collectors and the
05:08 sinners drew near to him to hear him
05:12 that's Jesus and the Pharisees and the
05:15 scribes complained saying this man Jesus
05:19 he receives sinners and he eats with
05:23 them so Jesus is dressing two groups of
05:28 people and really we have like two
05:32 opposite ends of the spectrum right we
05:37 have what society called the sinner
05:40 represented by the prodigal son and then
05:44 we have this other group of people at
05:46 the way far end of the other perspective
05:48 the very very religious people called
05:50 the scribes and the Pharisees what is
05:56 the Jesus addressing in this parable
05:59 about the loving father in Luke 15 he's
06:02 addressing this accusation that's coming
06:05 against him that tells him you're eating
06:11 you're eating with tax collectors and
06:14 sinners
06:18 by doing this Jesus was perfectly
06:21 representing the love of God the love of
06:23 our Father
06:24 therefore he treated those who were
06:28 unlovely considered and lovely by the
06:31 religious people in society of that day
06:36 he was sitting and eating with them with
06:39 the sinners and this diametrically
06:42 opposed what they the religious leaders
06:46 believed and so they murmured yes man
06:49 Jesus don't you see don't you see don't
06:51 you see what he's doing he's eating with
06:54 those people the unclean ones is this
06:59 the first time Jesus dealt with this
07:01 complaint when I looked at that this
07:04 last couple of weeks it was like oh man
07:06 when he first started calling his
07:09 disciples the same complaint arose in
07:14 Luke's Gospel it happens in Luke 5 it
07:17 says this in verses 27 through 29 he
07:21 went out and saw a tax collector named
07:23 Levi sitting at the tax office and he
07:27 said to him follow me so Levi left all
07:32 rose up and followed him
07:36 then Levi gave him a great feast and
07:39 that's what we have down here in his own
07:42 house you guys know who Levi is is
07:46 Matthew one of the twelve disciples so
07:50 you didn't get that here Jesus has
07:52 invited what the scribes and the
07:56 Pharisees see as one of those despicable
08:00 people into his inner circle you eat
08:04 with the tax collectors and the sinners
08:06 so here what is what Levi says
08:09 immediately after Jesus says Levi tax
08:13 collector come and follow me so Levi
08:17 starts following Jesus and as he's
08:20 following Jesus he says Jesus would you
08:22 like to come to my house I want to throw
08:24 you a party
08:25 Jesus loves parties so he goes to the
08:28 house
08:30 and Levi invites all his friends so who
08:35 are his friends the despicable tax
08:39 collectors and sinners that's who he
08:41 invites so this is what Levi says in his
08:46 gospel in Matthew 10:10 about what
08:49 occurred now it happened as Jesus out of
08:52 the table in the house that behold many
08:54 tax collectors and sinners came and sat
08:57 down with him and his disciples what a
08:59 great feast it's being held in town for
09:02 Jesus and everybody knows what the
09:05 Pharisees are going what is that man
09:08 doing we thought he was one of us he's
09:10 not one of us evidently he's eating with
09:13 the tax collectors and the sinners just
09:16 think about some of the people you know
09:18 that are doing and being with people
09:20 that are in need of help and we're going
09:25 but here they are the bar be light in
09:31 the midst of darkness so the news
09:35 spreads and of course it spreads to the
09:38 Pharisees the scribes and they're very
09:42 upset with Jesus they don't keep silent
09:45 they let everyone know their personal
09:47 opinion about Jesus when we look at
09:51 their lives and unfortunately I can see
09:54 in my own life aspects of this religious
09:57 rigid religiosity is how we start
10:03 separating ourselves people in church
10:06 from those and are really in need the
10:09 homeless the drug addicts and alcoholics
10:11 those on Skid Row those that are in
10:14 prostitution houses not just in foreign
10:18 countries but here in the United States
10:20 and so the attitude that's reflected by
10:25 the Pharisees and scribes is that really
10:29 they were no longer carrying God's heart
10:32 of compassion for those that were in
10:34 need
10:37 they weren't even desirous really as you
10:41 can see
10:42 of bringing them into forgiveness and
10:44 restoration so that's kind of like a
10:49 mental check for I don't know anybody
10:51 that's been involved with Church and
10:53 kind of separated themselves what from
10:55 what's happening all around the world so
10:57 who do the religious leader of you as
10:59 sinners we've already talked about that
11:00 I'm not going to go into great detail
11:02 but it's a tactical editors those who
11:05 are considered by religious law and
11:07 society norms is immoral and this is
11:11 what I want to bring in even people with
11:13 certain disabilities and sicknesses and
11:16 diseases were considered among these
11:18 people and I just going to point out one
11:20 scripture only and that's John 9 to his
11:27 own disciples say rabbi who sinned this
11:29 man or his parents that he was born
11:33 blind so they're hearing his own
11:36 disciples are going their sin involved
11:39 their sin involved their sin involved
11:41 who sinned who sinned that was the focus
11:43 of those days if something's wrong with
11:46 you you're sick or diseased or you're
11:48 dying it's somebody soon because Jesus
11:53 ate with the sinners the religious
11:55 leaders viewed Jesus as a compromiser
11:58 one who took sin lightly and in some
12:00 respect was just like them listen to
12:03 what is recorded in Luke 7:30 the Son of
12:06 man has come eating and drinking and you
12:08 say well good glutton and a wine-bibber
12:09 a friend of tax collectors and sinners
12:12 do you see that they're saying hey he
12:16 gets drunk just like all those other
12:17 people he's a little bit too merry you
12:19 know so Jesus's response how did you
12:23 respond the first time in Luke 5 31
12:26 through 22 Jesus answers this accusation
12:29 against him like this those who are well
12:33 have no need of a physician but those
12:36 who are sick I am not come to call the
12:39 righteous but sinners to repentance
12:43 Jesus is saying I'm the great physician
12:46 I've come to bring healing and wholeness
12:48 to those who need a Savior
12:53 to those who need to be saved Jesus is
12:57 not compromising he's not taking sin
13:00 lightly but rather he's bringing light
13:02 and love into a dark dark world among
13:08 the tax collectors and sinners
13:11 he went to Levi's house the tax
13:13 collector
13:14 that was like considered going to a bar
13:16 even probably a prostitution house light
13:23 and love in the midst of darkness Jesus
13:27 hates the kingdom of darkness
13:29 he hates evil when it's done to his
13:31 children he hates sin
13:34 he hates sickness but he loves you he
13:39 loves his children how did Jesus respond
13:43 the second time to the religious leaders
13:45 who murmured against him how do you any
13:47 with the tax collectors and the sinners
13:49 so we see in Luke 15 3 through 32 three
13:53 parables and these three parables can be
13:56 summarized by why Jesus did this by Luke
13:59 19:10 where the Son of man has come to
14:03 seek and to save that which was lost why
14:08 did he come to seek and to save that
14:11 which is lost John 3:16 he's so loved
14:15 the world so we get three parables we
14:18 get the parable the lost sheep the lost
14:20 coin and the lost son so if you are
14:25 completely lost in the kingdom of our
14:27 darkness or just a little lost in an
14:29 area of your life in darkness Jesus
14:33 comes to seek and to save you he will
14:37 leave the ninety-nine behind who are
14:40 doing well to come after you to bring
14:45 you home even if that means carrying you
14:49 on his shoulders like that one lost
14:53 sheep because you don't have strength to
14:56 carry yourself and to bring yourself
14:58 home to him this is
15:02 how the Father loves you in the parable
15:06 of the loving father the third parable
15:09 we find in Luke 15 the father has two
15:12 sons like I was telling you earlier the
15:14 younger son and the elder son the
15:16 younger son asked to receive his portion
15:19 of the inheritance early now can you
15:22 imagine that going up to your dad before
15:25 he dies and says dad you know what I
15:28 really I don't know I really don't care
15:31 so much about you but I do care about
15:33 what you could give me and the loving
15:38 Heavenly Father decides to give the
15:40 inheritance to his younger son as soon
15:47 as his father gives this heritance what
15:50 is the younger son do freedom and he
15:55 ghosted lives in a faraway country where
15:58 he decides that for himself he's gonna
16:01 discover freedom away from his dad's
16:04 rules it's dad's regulations all the
16:07 people that knew him he could be who you
16:10 wanted to be and he does it and he goes
16:15 into a prodigal living lifestyle a
16:18 lifestyle that's far far far from his
16:21 father's word his will his plans his
16:24 desires for his son so this younger son
16:27 when all of his money is spent his
16:30 financial inheritance is completely gone
16:33 then a famine occurs in the land and
16:38 then he falls further and further from
16:42 his father's will and way for his life
16:45 for us this doesn't like mean a lot but
16:49 when we think of pigs and stuff we don't
16:51 think of the best type of lifestyle so
16:54 this Jewish son attaches himself to a
16:56 Gentile pig farmer to make a living
16:58 pigs by Jewish standards are considered
17:01 unclean like Leviticus 11:7 through 80
17:04 they were not to eat their flesh or
17:06 touch their carcasses
17:07 so here the younger son is a Jewish son
17:10 and he's feeding the pigs
17:13 and he realizes that there's no other
17:15 food for him except the pig food I know
17:20 at this moment he comes to himself he
17:23 recognizes where he is at this is not
17:27 who I am this is not who I was created
17:30 to be this is not how my father raised
17:32 me and they remembers his father's house
17:35 and Luke 15:17 there's bread enough and
17:40 despair when he looks at his current
17:42 state that his father has bread and
17:46 bread enough to spare and he's perishing
17:50 with hunger it's at that moment in time
17:52 that he decides to return to his father
17:55 because he has a need he has a need for
17:59 some bread and really we are not told in
18:02 the store if his need goes beyond that
18:04 so I don't know how many of you were
18:06 actually here when I told the testimony
18:09 about my uncle and when he had cancer
18:11 and he calls me on the phone and then he
18:13 didn't know Jesus Christ and I was
18:15 telling him how Jesus could heal him and
18:18 he says but wouldn't I be coming to
18:20 Jesus because I have a need and it was
18:24 like well yeah and he goes well what
18:27 kind of like cloning Jesus into this and
18:30 I'm going like well all of us have needs
18:34 and that's why we come to him all of us
18:36 have a need to be saved and Jesus is our
18:40 Savior so he received Jesus and he
18:42 fortunately was totally healed 100% of
18:46 his cancer and he still serves Jesus to
18:48 this day and I believe he's in his 80s
18:50 now so here we have a father knowing all
19:00 that his son has done and now his
19:04 younger son has decided to come home
19:07 what would you be feeling as a father
19:10 happy
19:14 maybe a little one edge not knowing how
19:18 you should treat your son but this is
19:21 our loving father's response and it's
19:23 recorded in Luke 15 20 it says but when
19:29 the younger son was still o4 far far
19:35 away from home the father saw him and
19:41 the father this rich rich father who had
19:44 tons of servants the father himself
19:48 leaves his place in his home and he runs
19:52 to meet his son and when his son comes
19:58 home to him he embraces him hugs him
20:04 gets really close hangs on a snap kisses
20:09 him and you know he's probably twirling
20:11 around you know and he's so excited
20:15 because his son has come home now what's
20:19 very interesting Jesus is telling this
20:21 this story about father God because
20:25 Jesus wants us to know father God in
20:29 this way he wants us to actually feel
20:34 the embrace of our Father loving us he
20:39 wants us to feel his hug he wants us to
20:42 feel his kiss and you go like that's
20:46 kind of strange - well it's in the story
20:49 and it's in the story for a purpose we
20:52 talked about God's compassion there's
20:53 three aspects we studied last week about
20:56 God's love for us and that's God's
20:58 compassion his mercy and His grace and
21:00 God's compassion is what he feels
21:05 towards us we are created in His image
21:07 and likeness and when we love someone
21:10 there are feelings that are shown the
21:13 father showed the son his feeling of
21:17 coming home and whether you're far away
21:19 off like the prodigal son or just one
21:22 area kind of distant because things have
21:24 happened
21:28 the father wants you to come home and to
21:34 receive his hug his hit kissed tonight
21:36 he wants to love on you in this way so
21:39 you can go there in your imagination
21:41 because the spirit realm is very real
21:45 and we're able to do this in the spirit
21:49 encounter God and His Son Jesus isn't in
21:53 this way is that okay with you guys do
21:56 you understand okay so here's this
21:59 little yes I call it a little yes upon
22:02 the son's heart I have a need I need
22:04 bread and so his repentance isn't
22:07 perfect you know he has the need and he
22:09 knows his father house bread and so he
22:12 comes home and the father goes ahead and
22:16 takes this little act of repentance of
22:18 the son coming home it's not perfect and
22:22 most of our children if they came to us
22:24 it's because they needed have a need to
22:26 be mad at me if they went wayward and he
22:29 says yes yes yes
22:31 the first yes is God's compassion which
22:34 I just shared with you the second yes is
22:38 his mercy and that's where he forgives
22:41 all of our sins now it's interesting the
22:44 prodigal son he says father I have
22:47 sinned against you in your sight and I'm
22:48 no longer worthy to be called your son
22:50 make me like one of your hired servants
22:52 he rehearses us and he rehearses this
22:54 all the way home all the way home what
22:56 is gonna say to his dad how he's so
22:59 unworthy and really if he could just be
23:01 like a servant and when he gets to his
23:04 father he gets the first two parts out
23:06 but the father just cuts in short and we
23:10 think we have to do a full repentance
23:12 and with a bunch of words he cuts them
23:14 short he doesn't want anything to hear
23:16 about you you're gonna be a servant he
23:18 doesn't know you're coming home as my
23:20 son my daughter your child should belong
23:27 to me
23:31 in this second yes God is saying I know
23:34 you've sinned against heaven and against
23:36 me and you no longer feel like you're
23:39 worthy but you don't understand
23:43 the love in my heart for you I've been
23:48 eagerly waiting for your return
23:50 I've been eagerly waiting to show you no
23:54 matter how big you blow it or how little
23:57 you blow it
23:58 my mercy my forgiveness it's always
24:01 there for you I've heard the cry of your
24:04 heart and you are forgiven you are
24:08 forgiven to such an extent as far as the
24:10 East is from the West
24:12 I am NOT gonna remember your sin anymore
24:14 in other words the prodigal son and you
24:18 and I get a clean slate with imperfect
24:21 repentance and I think sometimes at
24:26 least for myself in this area of
24:29 religiosity at least I have been shared
24:33 and told that I needed a perfect
24:35 repentance if I did all these steps and
24:38 said all of these correct sentences that
24:40 God would truly forgive me but if I left
24:42 out one aspect I only be partly forgiven
24:45 but every time I meditate on this story
24:48 God tells me a different story he tells
24:50 me now it's all forgiven even the things
24:54 that you didn't say to me I see your
24:57 heart yes you see it is imperfect and I
25:01 know it's imperfect
25:02 but you're my child you know with
25:04 children when they grow up they don't
25:06 have all the perfect words right we
25:08 think that a child that's growing up has
25:12 to be like the finished product
25:14 no he sees our imperfect acts of
25:17 repentance that's his child
25:18 the third earth yes is God's grace his
25:22 undeserved unmerited favor and blessing
25:27 upon our life and can you imagine when
25:31 the father saw him it was at that moment
25:33 that he decided to return the sons full
25:37 inheritance everything that the son had
25:41 lost on prodigal living
25:45 everything that you feel you've lost
25:48 that could never be restored here's this
25:53 let me restore it let me restore you and
26:00 we know if Joby puts them in a better
26:02 place if we will just receive that love
26:06 that he has for us
26:08 his compassion mercy and grace so what
26:13 does this grace look like in this story
26:15 I see two aspects of his Grace one we
26:20 had the what I call the Royal wardrobe
26:23 that's Jesus's wardrobe when he sees the
26:27 Sun he tells his servants bring out the
26:31 best robe go ahead and put it on him
26:37 this is the robe of righteousness this
26:40 is the isaiah 61:10 robe where he says
26:44 he has clothed me with the garments of
26:45 salvation and the robe of righteousness
26:47 and then he says put a ring on his
26:51 finger and sandals on his feet that ring
26:55 is a signet ring which authorizes that
26:58 son to go ahead and use his father's
27:03 name to have his father's resources at
27:07 his disposal it's like having a joint
27:09 bank account with the richest man in the
27:11 entire world
27:14 that's what the ring did and sandals
27:18 slaves did not wear sandals only sons
27:23 were sandals and Lord says in Galatians
27:27 4 7 you are no longer slave but a son
27:29 and if a son then an heir of the heir of
27:33 God through Christ Jesus you and I are
27:37 no longer slaves to sin sickness
27:40 oppression depression you're no longer a
27:43 slave and you can put in there your name
27:46 as you turn away from that and turn
27:49 towards God
27:51 Romans 8:15 3 says if you're a child in
27:56 your air of God and joint heir with
27:58 Jesus Christ the other thing about the
28:02 father's grace is not only the Royal
28:05 wardrobe but he invites you to his
28:07 banqueting table he tells the servants
28:10 bring out the fatted calf bring it out
28:14 and let us sit down and eat and be merry
28:17 and for me that speaks of the communion
28:21 table the lamb that was slain he says
28:27 here it is I want you to receive the
28:31 fullness of what my son Jesus Christ has
28:35 done for you his body broken for your
28:38 healing your restoration his blood given
28:42 for the forgiveness of your sins so not
28:46 only does he give the Royal wardrobe
28:49 which gives us that robe of
28:50 righteousness gives us the right to sit
28:53 down with Jesus and have it a meal with
28:57 him
28:58 Jesus is it so interesting about all
29:00 this banqueting stuff the elder sons
29:03 going like wait a minute the younger son
29:08 he's able to go ahead and he's having
29:10 this big party be thrown for him and I
29:13 don't bathe the father all these years
29:15 why am I not getting that party look 15
29:19 30 it says to the elder son he says hey
29:23 he says all that I have is yours he says
29:29 you could be going ahead and giving the
29:32 fatted calves and having them slain and
29:35 you can be inviting your friends to this
29:36 base wooden table in fact it's very
29:39 interesting in Luke 14 Jesus actually
29:42 goes to a Pharisees house and Jesus he
29:48 sits down with the Pharisees and the
29:50 Pharisees friends and then twice he
29:54 tells them you know what all you guys
29:56 are doing is sitting around and patting
29:58 yourselves on the back he goes when you
30:03 sit down he's telling the religious
30:05 leaders of that day when you sit down I
30:07 want you to go ahead and invite the lame
30:11 the poor the blind those in need and I
30:15 want you to sit down then he says you
30:17 know what you know there's a heavenly
30:20 banquet going on and those that I have
30:24 invited are not coming he says so I want
30:28 you to go out and invite the poor the
30:33 lame the blind he's telling the
30:35 religious leaders that in this parable
30:39 Luke 15 he's telling us he threw the
30:44 elder son what he's speaking to him he's
30:47 speaking when he talks about the elder
30:49 son he's speaking to the Pharisees and
30:50 scribes just what he told them in Luke
30:52 14 he's telling him the same thing that
30:56 now through a parable he says all I have
31:00 is yours you don't have to be jealous
31:01 that's what's happening to the younger
31:04 son now we as Christians when we see it
31:06 might not even be like somebody that's
31:10 gone wayward it's just somebody in our
31:11 own Christian family or in our own
31:14 church family and we're seeing wow
31:16 they're giving this party and they're
31:18 having this done and that done for them
31:20 and you know people are applauding or
31:23 whatever and we get jealous of that and
31:26 go god you're not doing that for me look
31:29 at me just like the elder sunset look at
31:32 me look at all these things that I've
31:34 done for you and it's interesting in
31:36 this story Jesus takes it to this extent
31:38 of the elder son saying this you know
31:43 I've never sinned against you and we
31:48 know that's a lie because the Bible says
31:50 each one of us has sinned and fallen
31:52 short they just didn't see their sin and
31:55 therefore they weren't drawn to the
31:58 message of Jesus these people the tax
32:01 collectors and sinners the prodigal son
32:03 saw their sin and therefore they were
32:06 attracted to Jesus okay one of the
32:13 things I want to tell you because it's
32:14 coming from my own personal experience
32:17 that this story of Luke says
32:18 team is the enemies that keep you from
32:21 coming to God's banqueting table one of
32:25 the greatest enemies that you have is
32:27 the enemy that tells you for one reason
32:29 or another that you aren't worthy to
32:32 come that you have been disqualified
32:35 there's a voice within just like we see
32:38 in the younger son where he says huh I'm
32:42 gonna rise and go to my father's house
32:43 I'm gonna tell him I sinned against him
32:45 double blah blah blah blah and I'm gonna
32:48 tell him I just want to be a servant so
32:51 he was believing something about himself
32:53 that the father didn't want him to
32:55 believe and he was disqualifying himself
32:59 from being able to eat at that
33:00 banqueting table before I even got home
33:03 and then there's the voice from without
33:06 and that's the elder son who was
33:08 inferring that the younger son was
33:10 missing it he wasn't as qualified as the
33:16 elder son so he says look at me he says
33:20 in Luke 15 20 I've never transgressed
33:22 your commandment I've done everything
33:24 you've told me to do and you weren't
33:26 giving me this fatted calf
33:28 don't you know the younger son who slept
33:29 with other people hee hee you know
33:32 wasted his money on prostitution and you
33:35 killed the fatted calf for him so you
33:37 can see the voices that happen it comes
33:41 from within and it comes from without
33:43 but this you got to see a very source of
33:47 the voices is Satan himself when you
33:51 hear these negative accusations and
33:54 combinations and it seems like it's
33:57 coming from within it's really Satan
34:01 going yes hordes of them thousands of
34:06 them but she come in this church they
34:07 sometimes they'll even come in and they
34:09 sit and they just they're listening and
34:11 they're yakking into your ear and as you
34:14 come into agreement with them then you
34:17 believe something other than the Father
34:18 wants you to believe about his love and
34:21 about yourself and then would I just oh
34:24 I've seen it happened way too many times
34:27 and I can't stand it
34:29 and I don't like it even when I see it
34:32 come through
34:32 myself it's when we go ahead and use our
34:37 own voice to accuse and condemn and tell
34:41 people if one fashion directly or
34:44 indirectly you know what you you don't
34:49 you see your sin you were just involved
34:52 with X Y & Z you're not qualified
34:56 there's no way in fact the religious
35:00 people nowadays will say you need to do
35:02 a 150 step program of all these things
35:07 before you're able to sit down uh-huh
35:12 there's only one thing that qualifies
35:14 you and that's what that red tablecloth
35:16 represents and that's the blood of Jesus
35:18 that qualifies you to sit down when
35:21 these times come with all these yakety
35:24 voices within and without you must
35:26 remember that God is giving you his
35:29 royal robe his signet ring and his
35:35 sandals he has dressed you and clothed
35:38 you in Jesus Christ and you are more
35:41 than qualified to sit at his right hand
35:47 in Christ Jesus far above every
35:50 principality power might in dominion
35:52 above every voice that is trying to tell
35:55 you get down down down down don't come
36:01 up
36:02 you must remember that you're under the
36:04 new covenant of God's grace a covenant
36:07 that the elder son did not understand
36:09 and a covenant that many of us still
36:13 don't understand and are not living in
36:16 the fullness F why did the father the
36:19 loving father in Luke 15 why does he
36:23 react why does he say these kind of
36:26 things
36:27 Ephesians 2:4 but God is rich rich in
36:31 mercy because of his great great love in
36:35 which he loved us what are the issues of
36:39 the younger said did he have to work
36:41 through the all the issues and I've
36:42 already kind of
36:44 let you know he didn't win it says he
36:48 was a great way off and his father saw
36:51 him this is not just a physical distance
36:53 I believe but a spiritual distance yeah
36:56 he had tons of issues that were still
36:59 going on in his thought life just like
37:03 the Egyptians when they left Egypt right
37:07 but that doesn't prevent you don't have
37:11 to be all cleaned up in your soul before
37:15 you sit down the Lord is looking at your
37:18 spirit he see that you that you are holy
37:20 as he is holy there's things in your
37:25 soul it's only when you sit down and you
37:28 start dining with King Jesus and you
37:31 start being saturated in your love that
37:34 you're able then to actually be
37:36 transformed into his image and likeness
37:42 there's no lasting change I can verify
37:46 that for real like there's no lasting
37:48 change that comes when I try to do the
37:52 story and work it out in my own life and
37:54 that's what not what I'm trying to tell
37:56 you I'm not trying to tell you to be
37:58 like one person or do this or do that
38:00 what I want you to recent and tonight
38:04 his number one thing of this story is
38:06 and the number one thing that Jesus is
38:09 saying he goes saturate yourself in the
38:15 truth of my love not the lies you have
38:19 come to believe saturate yourself with
38:24 my compassion saturate yourself with my
38:28 forgiveness my mercy saturate yourself
38:31 with this idea of this limitless grace
38:36 that's so huge and so expansive that we
38:40 are going to be going ahead and
38:41 discovering it for all of eternity the
38:46 elder son is God's kind of precautions
38:50 to us he's telling us through the elder
38:52 said stop trying to earn what you have
38:55 already sweets
38:56 sieved truck stop trying to earn the
39:01 Royal wardrobe the older son Jesus said
39:07 all I have is yours so he had the Royal
39:10 wardrobe so what prevented him from
39:13 coming and eating I believe he didn't
39:17 put it on why do I believe that because
39:20 I fail to walk in that right that I am
39:26 righteous 100% clean holy that's if the
39:31 robe that Jesus gave me then I'm truly
39:34 his child and he would do everything and
39:36 anything for me the signet ring of
39:40 authority and power that I can go ahead
39:43 and I can speak and say as Jesus spoken
39:47 said the elder son is God's warning to
39:52 us he says stop trying to earn the right
39:57 to sit down at the banquet table to
39:59 partake of my love the body and blood of
40:02 Jesus Christ stop trying to get what you
40:07 already got and start thanking me for
40:10 what you have
40:12 stop trying to earn my love my mercy my
40:19 compassion and grace I've given it to
40:22 you I gave him my son and all that
40:28 belongs to my son Jesus Christ belongs
40:32 to you the most succinct version of what
40:37 Jesus has given us is in Psalm 103
40:39 verses three through five
40:43 stop trying to offer the sacrifice of
40:46 atonement a sacrifice that it's no
40:50 longer yours to give because the
40:54 sacrificial atonement has been given
40:57 once and for all through Jesus Christ
40:59 what's a sacrifice of atonement sous
41:04 sacrifices atonement is a
41:06 sacrifice that says I need to do
41:09 something to pay for my sins I need to
41:12 put myself in timeout for a while I need
41:18 to make it up I need to qualify myself
41:26 instead of trying to offer a sacrifice
41:28 of atonement let us offer a sacrifice a
41:34 Thanksgiving of price and a sacrifice of
41:38 joy you look in Hebrews 13:5 for that
41:43 and throughout Luke Jesus in the three
41:48 parables he says to the scribes and the
41:53 Pharisees he says you know when I come
41:57 back with this sheet this one sheep on
42:00 my shoulder and I found it I want you to
42:04 rejoice with me he says when I find that
42:09 lost coin I want you to rejoice when I
42:16 find my lost son and he's restored to me
42:19 I want you to rejoice it's a sacrifice
42:23 to rejoice when you don't have a change
42:26 of circumstances and I know that
42:29 thoroughly but I decided in the midst of
42:34 my really the roughest time in my life
42:39 to go ahead and embrace joy to look in
42:43 the mirror and to do what I didn't feel
42:46 like doing to smile to thank God
42:51 to begin smiling and giving hugs away to
42:54 other people when I didn't feel like it
42:58 to offer the sacrifice that joy means
43:01 that we are coming into agreement with
43:03 the body and blood of Jesus Christ and
43:06 what he has done it's only when we fully
43:09 received the love of God receive what
43:14 Jesus has done
43:16 that we will truly rejoice we'll be able
43:20 to rejoice by faith in what we yet do
43:24 not see we'll be able to rejoice in the
43:27 love that he has for us an offering of
43:35 thanksgiving needs to not only include
43:37 your words thank you father but
43:40 attitudes and actions that speak louder
43:42 than words when you say no to sin and
43:47 yes to God when you start to work
43:50 through the issues of life when you
43:54 think speak and act according to the
43:57 Word of God and not the negative reports
43:59 and negative feelings you have you do
44:03 this not as a sacrifice of atonement to
44:06 earn anything or qualify yourself for
44:09 your salvation your healing your freedom
44:11 your deliverance your needs being met
44:13 you do this rather as a sacrifice of
44:17 Thanksgiving to God
44:20 your offering of thanksgiving of praise
44:25 of joy to God needs to be rooted and
44:28 grounded in God's love for you his mercy
44:31 compassion and grace is shown to you
44:34 through the cross so I'm going to end
44:38 there with a word and then I'm gonna
44:40 invite you all to come out to the
44:44 communion table no matter if you feel
44:46 like you're far away like the prodigal
44:50 son and you've really blown it totally
44:55 or just one area of your life where
44:57 circumstances have really really caused
45:01 you
45:05 to not come to Jesus because why did it
45:11 happen would it have been different if
45:15 you really loved me
45:17 God wants to to restore the relationship
45:22 he has with you perhaps you're like the
45:26 elder son and you feel like you have it
45:28 all together he wants to tell you
45:34 tonight
45:35 don't be jealous of what you see of
45:37 those around you that have what you want
45:40 to have it says in Luke 15 30 all I have
45:47 is yours so remember that Jesus is
45:50 speaking this Pharisee to two groups of
45:53 people you might find yourself in one
45:57 extreme or the other or you might find
46:01 yourself closer to the middle of
46:03 extremes but wherever you find yourself
46:06 God invites you and he wants you to
46:11 receive his love his mercy his
46:15 compassionate grace the fullness of it
46:17 and he wants you to live loved to abide
46:20 in his love and this is really his
46:25 Valentine's card
46:28 his Valentines wish his Valentine words
46:31 for you and I this week during
46:34 Valentine's week so let us pray father I
46:38 thank you so much for this parable that
46:41 you gave to us through your son Jesus
46:43 Christ a parable that has transformed my
46:46 life and father I pray right now that
46:51 each person here would be able to
46:53 receive it only ways that you can father
46:57 open their hearts to receive your love
47:01 for them so father we thank you for
47:06 giving us the most valuable person to
47:12 you and that was Jesus because you
47:14 consider each one of us of equal value
47:19 and so father we say thank you we love
47:23 you in Jesus name Amen