Investing in New Relationships

Dominion - the realm where authority is exercised

Did you find it in the creation story? Where God gave it to humankind?

Did you see it in the Law? Or in the hold sin wants to have on us?

God’s dominion leads to grace and life whereas mans dominion can only end in death.

Did you see it in where death no longer has dominion over Him?!?!

Romans 6:9 ESV

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.

Investing in the Kingdom

God’s dominion leads to grace and life whereas mans dominion can only end in death.

Investing in the Kingdom

Luke 15:17–24 ESV

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:17–32 ESV

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. 25 “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”

Everyone needs a second chance

Let’s examine this in the greater body of work: Lost sheep, lost coin, lost son

Looking in context let’s us see He has an audience of tax collector, sinners and Pharisees. All were Jews.

Lost sheep, lost coin, lost son: there is always celebration when what was lost is found!

there is always celebration when what was lost is found!

What is lost needs to be looked for. The woman looked for the coin (swept the house clean), the shepherd looked for the sheep (left the 99) and the father saw him from a long way off. Because he was looking for, expecting him to come home.

When something is lost it is of no use to the owner. It is out of place and out of service. Until it is found it has no worth. A rare coin lost in a field has no value UNTIL IT IS FOUND!

There is always celebration when what was lost is found!

If I can begin to grasp the good in the lost being found in these three parables, maybe I’ll be able to recognize what God is leading us to in southern Anderson county.

So who are the lost that need to be found? Generically we know they are all around us. Statistically we know there are more of them than there are of us. But specifically, who are they? How do we search for the lost?

God is aiming us in an increasingly specific direction. And we find the “kind” of lost person in the prodigal story.

The folks we are talking about are those who need a second chance. He is giving us the opportunity to invest in new relationships with people who need a second chance. And maybe even more specifically, people who WANT a second chance. Not everyone who needs one wants one. This will be an investment of time and energy for them. It will be for us as well. But if we get to move forward investing in the lives of others, in new relationships, we do so knowing not everyone wants a second chance. And we have to be ok with that.

This is big. On so many levels this is big. It’s big because if we are obedient to God in seeking these particular lost it will break the mold. FBC ‘s don’t do this. I was at camp with 20 other FBC’s this week and not a single one of them do this. Its big because it is not something we can just throw some money at and call it good. It will take a minimal amount of funding for workbooks and materials, but not much. It’s big because it will require so many of us to invest in them. It can’t be done by 2 or 3 who feel guilted into “supporting the pastor”. It’s big because it will require us pulling together our time, energy, knowledge, connections and skills.

God is leading us to connect with people who need a second chance. To invest in them. To pour the Gospel into them.

Not everyone wants to give a second chance

Again, we have that in the prodigal story. The older brother had no desire to welcome this squanderer back home. But let’s look carefully at his dads response to that. vv 31-32 corrects the attitude of the older brother. Rebukes him even. He restates the older brother’s ‘your son’ with ‘your brother’.

I have heard people in every town I’ve ever lived in make the same statement: I knew their dad/grandmother/whatever. They’ve always been like that.

If the redemptive power of the Holy Spirit wasn’t real I might buy into that way of thinking. BUT IT IS! I look back at a 21 year old Jason Hoffman and the mess I was making of my life and back at a 19 year old Melonie Campbell and the mess she was making of her life how He began to push, nudge, convict, shape, direct event after event until He had drawn us to Himself and given us to each other and I have to confess: HE GAVE ME A SECOND CHANCE!

So if we‘re willing to invest in some new relationships with people God is pushing and nudging and shaping and directing, maybe we can be used to offer them a second chance. And everyone needs a second chance. I’m included in that ‘everyone’.

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