IT’S TIME…

HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED A MOMENT YOU WISH YOU COULD GET BACK?

A COMMON EXAMPLE IS ORDERING FOOD AND THE EMPLOYEE SAYS “I HOPE YOU ENJOY” AND YOU RESPOND “YOU TOO”

FOR UNCLE RICO IN NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE HE ALWAYS WISHED HE COULD GO BACK TO THE HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. IF COACH WOULD HAVE JUST PUT HIM IN, HIS LIFE WOULD BE DIFFERENT.

MAYBE YOU HAD AN INVESTMENT THAT DIDN’T GO SO WELL.

MAYBE YOU HAD A FAMILY EXPERIENCE THAT DIDN’T GO SO WELL.

MAYBE YOU HAD A CHURCH EXPERIENCE THAT DIDN’T GO SO WELL.

FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS, WE ARE GOING TO FACE TWO TRUTHS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT BUT WITHOUT THEM WE WILL REMAIN TRAPPED IN THE PRISON OF “WHAT IF”

PREFACE

THESE NEXT THREE WEEKS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABOUT WHAT THEY SAID OR WHAT THEY DID. THAT’S A SERIES FOR ANOTHER DAY.

WE ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING BOLD: WE ARE GOING TO LOOK INTO THE MIRROR, ACCEPT WHAT WE SEE, AND GIVE THAT TO THE HANDS OF A MERCIFUL GOD BELIEVING THAT HE CAN GIVE US A NEW LIFE.

THE FIRST TRUTH:

SLIDE: YOU CAN’T GO BACK

WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE STORY IN LUKE 15 OF THE PRODIGAL SON

WE THE READERS GET HINDSIGHT AND CAN EASILY SEE WHERE THIS STORY WENT OFF THE RAILS, BUT IN LIFE WE DON’T HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE.

WE MAKE DAILY CHOICES AND OUR CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES

SLIDE: THIS IS NOT TO KICK YOU WHILE YOU’RE DOWN, IT’S TO INVITE YOU TO COME HOME.

THE CONTEXT

JESUS IS TELLING PARABLES IN LUKE 15 AND THIS IS THE THIRD PARABLE IN THAT SEQUENCE.

ONE COMMENTATOR WRITES:

The Gospel of Luke 5.5.6.3. Responses at Finding a Lost Son (15:11-32)

As valuable as sheep and coins might be to a person, the loss and recovery of a son are of even greater importance

READ: LUKE 15:11-16 ESV

FAMILY MATTERS

FAMILY DISPUTES HAPPEN

MANY OF US KNOW THE PAIN OF A BROKEN FAMILY

YOU MIGHT EVEN FEEL LIKE YOUR FAMILY IS HANGING ON BY A THREAD

THE YOUNGER SON BASICLY TOLD HIS DAD “HEY DAD, I WISH YOU WERE DEAD.”

LOOK AT THIS WORD “RECKLESS”

RECKLESS

THIS WORD IS POWERFUL BECAUSE IT IS THE ANTONYM OF THE WORD FOR SALVATION.

THE TWO WORDS HAVE THE SAME ROOT, BUT ONE MEANS HEALED OR WHOLENESS AND THE OTHER MEANS THE ABSENCE OF WHOLENESS AND HEALING.

LIVING IN A WAY OF HOPELESSNESS.

HE LIVED THIS WAY UNTIL IT COST HIM EVERYTHING AND HE FOUND HIMSELF IN NEED.

LET’S LOOK AT THE WORD “NEED”

NEED

THE WORD LITERALLY MEANS TO ARRIVE TOO LATE.

THIS IS THE SAME WORD USED IN ROMANS 3:23 THAT ALL FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.

THIS IS THE CORE REASON WE WISH WE COULD GO BACK: WE HAVE NEED.

THERE’S A LONGING INSIDE OF YOU THAT WEALTH AND RUNNING CANNOT FILL

MAYBE WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO GO BACK TO ISN’T A PRODIGAL MOMENT,

MAYBE YOUR KID IS THE PRODIGAL AND YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AGAIN.

MAYBE IT’S NOT YOUR KID, IT’S YOUR FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

THE PRODIGAL SON WISHED HIS DAD WAS DEAD

SLIDE: UNRESOLVED DISPUTES DON’T GO AWAY WHEN SOMEONE PASSES AWAY, THEY GET LOUDER.

THE WORDS WE SAID GOT US HERE. WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT.

LIKE THE PRODIGAL, WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT

SLIDE: WHAT WE BROKE WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK US.

THIS IS THE PRISON WE PUT OURSELVES IN WHEN WE DON’T SEEK TO RESTORE OUR RELATIONSHIPS.

BUT I TOLD YOU THIS MESSAGE IS NOT TO KICK YOU WHILE YOU’RE DOWN, BUT TO INVITE YOU TO COME HOME.

THIS PARABLE DOESN’T END WITH JESUS SAYING WHAT A MESS UP THIS SON WAS.

IT DIDN’T END WITH ANOTHER BROKEN FAMILY.

IT DIDN’T END BECAUSE THE PRODIGAL WASN’T DONE SPEAKING YET…

SLIDE: WHAT YOU SAID THEN GOT YOU HERE, BUT WHAT YOU SAY NOW CAN BRING YOU HOME.

READ: LUKE 15:17-19 ESV

SLIDE: HIS NEED LED HIM TO NEW LANGUAGE.

HE CAME TO HIMSELF

THE PAIN YOU FEEL ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED DOESN’T HAVE TO BE YOUR PRISON,

IT CAN ACTUALLY BE YOUR PATH HOME.

ACCEPTING WHERE HE WAS HELPED HIM REMEMBER WHERE HE CAME FROM.

THERE’S A MESSAGE IN PLAIN SIGHT RUNNING IN THE BACKGROUND.

WE’RE SO FOCUSED ON WHAT THE SON SAID WE MISSED WHAT THE FATHER DID.

WHAT THE FATHER DID MADE A WAY FOR THE SON TO RECOGNIZE HIS WAY HOME.

READ: LUKE 15:20-24 ESV

SLIDE: BEFORE WE ARE RECONCILED WITH OTHERS WE MUST BE RECONCILED TO GOD.

YOUR FIRST STEP TO STARTING OVER ISN’T WINNING THE ARGUMENT

IT’S NOT FINDING THE RIGHT THINGS TO SAY

YOUR FIRST STEP IS RUNNING TO GOD.

RIGHT NOW, IT MIGHT FEEL LIKE SOMEONE YOU’VE HURT DOESN’T WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU

BUT GOD HAS ALWAYS HAD WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU.

BECAUSE GOD IS GOOD AND INFINITELY WISE

WE CAN’T GO BACK, BUT BY HIS GRACE, WE CAN START OVER

NEXT WEEK WE’RE GOING TO EXPLORE THE REST OF THIS STORY,

I KNOW YOU’VE SAID SOME THINGS IN YOUR STORY THAT CAUSED A LOT OF PAIN

BUT TODAY WE NEED TO ASK THE QUESTION:

SLIDE: WHAT IS GOD SPEAKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW?

INVITATION

BEFORE YOU MAKE THE CALL TO SOMEONE, YOU NEED TO CALL OUT TO GOD.

YOU NEED TO RECOGNIZE YOUR NEED

YOU NEED TO COME TO YOURSELF

YOU NEED TO RECEIVE THE WELCOME AND EMBRACE OF THE FATHER WHO LOVES YOU AND WHO IS READY TO FORGIVE YOUR “NEED.”

MY PRAYER FOR YOU OVER THE NEXT THREE WEEKS IS THAT THE LOVE OF GOD WILL GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE TO LEAVE THE TRAP OF “WHAT IF” AND EMBRACE “WHAT NOW?”

YOU MIGHT BE THE SON WHO LEFT YOUR FATHER TO FIND YOUR OWN WAY

BUT JESUS IS THE SON WHO WAS SENT BY THE FATHER TO BRING YOU BACK.

IN CHRIST, YOU CAN START OVER

PRAY