WINNING THE WAR OVER YOUR WASTED YEARS (2)

WINNING THE WAR OVER YOUR WASTED YEARS

WHY THIS MINI SERIES

SERMON

ON THE WAY HOME

I. REMIND YOURSELF

What that moment was like when you saw yourself

- Don’t forget to remember: 1 Corinthians 6:9ff-

1 Corinthians 6:9 ESV

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

1 Corinthians 6:10–11 ESV

nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Remembering dark times is crucial to never going back to dark times

o Moving on and forgetting is a sure sign that you will return

o Remembering in the light of being in a new position is healthy

- If you forget, you always remember the wrong way

THIS IS HOW AND WHY THE WASTED YEARS STILL FEEL WASTED:

The best way to illustrate this is in relationship

· You get hurt and the pain is significant. You resolve to move on from it, BUT you

- Never let the sinful actions of your wasted years be seen as anything other than what they were

o Yes, as we saw in the first message, God’s grace is and was all over your wasted years: He was doing something in you so that He could do something for you, in spite of you

o BUT YOUR SINS STILL WERE ACTIONS OF DISOBEDIENCE.

JUST BECAUSE HE DID NOT DESTROY YOU BECAUSE OF THEM DOES NOT MEAN THAT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN WRONG TO DO SO

o THIS WAS DAVID’S HEART AFTER HE WAS EXPOSED IN HIS SIN WITH BATHSHEBA

Psalm 51:4 ESV

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

II. REHEARSE YOUR RETURN

(rehearsing what you are going to do when you get home is important to getting home. It reminds you of home and it reminds of you of the pit. In a word, rehearsing what you will do and say differently is helping you to never FORGET- you PIT and His GRACE

a. This signifies that going home was something that he could do

i. Notice he does not even hint at being rejected from coming home

b. THIS SIGNIFIES THAT HE HAD A PLAN OF WHAT HE WOULD DO WHEN HE GOT HOME you need to have a plan; an idea of what your life will be like when you get there

i. He positioned himself lower than he was BEFORE HE LEFT

1. HE PLAYED SMALL BUT HE HAD A LOVING FATHER

ii. HE DID THIS for two reasons

Mentally and emotionally he did not feel deserving

a. It is ARROGANCE to assume that God will give you your post back after you have wasted His gifts and showed yourself unfaithful

b. It is FAITHLESS to assume that He will not give you better

c. ALL THAT THIS MEANS IS THIS: WHEN YOU RETURN, JUST RETURN WITH GRATITUDE AND HUMILITY THAT YOU CAN RETURNTO THE PLACE OF INTIMACY WITH THE FATHER – WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE. DO NOT BE CALCULATING

i. DON’T SAY, “I WILL DO THIS SO THAT HE WILL DO SUCH AND SUCH”

ii. DO NOT BARGAIN WITH GOD. GET HOME AND LET WHAT HAPPENS HAPPEN- JUST BE THANKFUL TO BE HOME

2. It did not matter what his role was; being home was all that mattered

Psalm 84:10 ESV

For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

3. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO FIGHT AGAINST WHEN RETURNING HOME – DO NOT PLAY SMALL

a. HE PLAYED SMALL BY REDUCING HIMSELF TO LESS THAN WHAT HE WAS (FROM A SON TO A SERVANT)

b. BUT THE CELEBRATION THAT TOOK PLACE IS A REMINDER OF WHAT TRULY AWAITS THOSE WHO UNDERATAND THE WASTE OF THEIR WASTED YEARS AND REPENT AND COME HOME: GREATER

c. NOW, THIS GREATER MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN

Notice the son went home but the home was different than what he left it.

It’s the same house, the same father and the same brother but it’s different because he is different.

Renouncing sin not renouncing the physical thing that you messed up:

Don’t renounce sex: renounce your misuse of it

Don’t renounce pigs- renounce that you allowed yourself to become less than yourself.

Don’t renounce people you worked for- renounce that you squandered your riches and had to work for someone else.

PEOPLE YOU WILL MEET

III. Resist the Haters