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· 21 viewsHumble yourself; See your need; Embrace your Lack; Choose Christ
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Hook: Looking for Happiness - Beatitudes: Blessed be the… = Happy will be the one who… We want to be happy - We naturally seek happiness
we miss understand what happiness is and how to be happy
Read: Luke 15:11-32
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
“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.
“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 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.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 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. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”
2 Methods primary methods to find happiness
Method 1: Self Discovery
Method 1: Self Discovery
Says
“I am the only one who can decide what is right and wrong for me. I am gaining to live as I want to live and find my true self and happiness that way”
The world is a better place with out tradition, Hierarchy order
If we can remove any barrier to personal freedom and self actualization
we will remove all prejudice in all its forms, racism, sexism, anger, and wrong doing
But
Can we really know anything past our selves?
How do we know what we think is true is really true?
Is there any point or purpose?
What if we are wrong?
We see the younger brother take this route to attempt to achieve his happiness
Read: Luke 15:11-13
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.
How do we see The Younger Brother take this route?
Sin we all recognize
Selfishness
Wish others Dead
Disrespect
Self Indulgent
Out of control living
Alienated Relationships
He accomplished taking what he thought was for his happiness through
a powerplay
Flagrent defiance of social standndards
Declairing himself independent
Where did he end up?
far from home
in need of the bascis of life
no structure to help or lean on
sitting in pig manure wanting to eat their slop
Some took this route in Jesus’ day and age
Many Many Many take this route or use this route today
Another Method we commonly use to chase happiness is...
Method 2: Moral Conformity
Method 2: Moral Conformity
Keys to the view
Gods will superceeds everything else
The standards of the community are over the standards of an individual
Star Trek Spock: The needs of the many superceed the needs of the few
Says
Im not going to do what i want but what tradition and the community want me to do
or… I cant do what i want becasue of tradition and others oppinions are holding me back
Happiness is only achieved with at world made right through achiving moral rightness
But
How do we know society is right? (are cannibals right?)
Why is it the way it is?
What if society is wrong?
We see the older brother take this rout to attempt to achieve his happiness
Read: Luke 15:28-29
But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 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.
We see the older brother take this route with part of one sentience...
“…these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command”
the older brother was good… very very very good
He did what moral confomity demanded of him
Obviously Method 2: Moral Conformity is the right one… isnt it?
Battle of the Methods
Battle of the Methods
What do both methods want?
Happiness
One seeks to keep a world orderly, moraly rule following, and ultimatly fair
One seeks to find what the world has to offer and explore the boundries of life
one says: Immoral people wh do their on thing are the problem with the world and moral people are the solution
other says: the biggoted peple, those wh say we have the truth are the problem with the world and progressive people are the solution
Both are saying - our way is the right way and the would will be made right again! If you are not with us you are against us!
A war wages
very few stay in one mold forever
A younger brother is crushed by the decissions of his youth so he becomes an older brother
An older brother’s life does not produce what he felt was prommised him so he becomes a younger brother
A younger brother finds hope with a group of older brothers but as he gets closer to them he becomes disalusioned and returns to the ways of the younger brother
An older brother looks like he has it all figured out but he lives like a younger brother from time to time to “blow off some steam” like a release valve of not being able to live up to his own standards
A younger brother finds what makes sence to them but cannot stand those that disagree with him, calling out older brothers as pharicees and hyprocits… which oddly enough means he is acting like an older brother with a younger brother mindset.
We have seen this in our own cartoons - Disney
Snow white - Moral Conformity
Cinderella - Moral Conformity who desires Self Discovery
Pinocchio - Moral Conformity who craves Self Discovery
Little Mermaid - Self Discovery becomes Moral Conformity
Lion King - Moral Conformity runs to Self Discovery returning to Moral Conformity
Frozen - Moral Conformity rejected for Self Discovery (Let it Go)
Our society tells us to qeustion the rules, find ourself… is it right?
Most of the bible seems to tell us to follow the rules… doesen’t it?
Which method is right? Neither of them
Breaking the System
Breaking the System
Classically looking we would say the Father has one Good son and one Bad Son
One Son that was follwing the rules
one son that blatently breaking them
But is that reality?
What does the Parable show?
Luke 15:12a
And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.
Luke 15: 29a
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.
What do we see?
Both methods
use diffrent paths to accomplish the same thing
ultimatly have the same intent using diffrent methods
The Self Discovery Demanding - Give me now!
Force
Push
Violence
Lack of Care/Love
The Moral Conformist Manipulating - You owe me!
I am so Good you owe me
I have earned this
Selfishness
Both Groups want the same thing
They are both resentful of the father
The both want his stuff not him
Both think they are looking out for themselves
Both are selfish and lacking in true (1 cor 13 Agape) love
Both Resented the Father’s Authority
Both are alienated form the Fathers heart
Both are lost - broken in their relationship with the father
Both used methods to get out from under the fathers rule
You Can Rebell against god and be alienated by breking all his rules or keeping all of the amazing
“Careful obedience to God’s law may serve as a strategy for rebelling against God” - Timothy Keller
How is that possible?
We feel we manipulate God to do what we want him to
Heard of a man who once served in a ministry for a year so God would have to allow him to have a baseball career
He obeyed a little force God to give him a lot.
IT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY!
We feel if we obey God owes us to do what we want, when we want, how we want it.
We classically think of sin as missing the mark
anything we say, do, think about that is against God’s moral law
This is true, so true
but it goes deeper… deeper magic in narnia (CS LEWIS)
Sin is
Sin is putting yourself in the place of God as Savior, Lord, and Judge.
Sin is Displacing God from his position of authority and placing yourself or something else (functional savior) there
Displacement can be done 2 prime ways
Breaking all the rules - Forcing your way/Rebelling against God’s way
Keeping all the rules - Being very, very, very, good so you feel God/life/society owes you
Moral option is the better option - Works in relation to how God created the world
But no salvation through being good/doing good
Problem is
Younger Brothers
knows they need help
Read: Luke 15:17-18a
“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.
Older Brothers
Think they have it all figured out
Think they are holy without God
They compare themselves to the younger brothers not to God Himself
Read: Luke 15:28-29a
But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 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.
Older brothers have to fight pride and admit they need a savior too
What can we do then?
If Disobeying God is sin and Obeying God for the wrong reason is sin, what can we do?
Know - God loves both the Younger and Older Brothers
Know - God sent a savior in Jesus for both the Younger and Older Brothers
Know - Neither have hope on their own
Know - The way of Hope through Jesus’ Life, Death, Resurrection is open to both Younger and Older brother
Trust Jesus through the Good News
Everyone is Wrong - Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
All of us usurp God’s throne
All of us declare what we say is right and wrong/ Good and evil
Everyone is Loved - John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God loves everyone enough to sacrifice his own son for us
Everyone is Called to Recognize their need of a Savior - Romans 6:23; Eph 2:8-9
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Everyone is Called to Choose Jesus - Acts 4:12
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Bottom Line
Humble Yourself; See your Need; Embrace your Lack; Choose Jesus
Humble Yourself; See your Need; Embrace your Lack; Choose Jesus
Those who confess are not the best, the greatest are humble enough to know they need a savior
Bulletin outline
1) Method 1: S_______________ D_______________
2) Method 2: M_______________ C_______________
3) B_______________ of the M_______________
4) B_______________ the S_______________
Bottom Line: Small Group/ Personal Study Questions
We grow best in the community. When we gather and discuss God’s word in a safe environment we grow more like Him. If you are here at Crossroads we encourage you to join a Small Group and talk over the Questions below. The Questions in Bold, are great places for your group to start. The other questions are for further study. May God Bless you in your pursuit of Him - Pastor Neil
1) Were you part of Crossroads live or online this week? What stuck out to you from our time together?
2) Read Luke 19:16-22
3) What is the man asking Jesus about? In vs 18 he seems confused about Jesus’ question… why? What are the commonality between the commandments Jesus shares in verses 18-19? (Great video series on understanding the 10 commandments by Pragre University on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK57RiMqTdk&list=PLIBtb_NuIJ1y0fPzddUfOqYMav-gp1JNM) What is the goal of the man who is asking Jesus this Question? Based on his answer to Jesus do you think he his following Moral Conformity or Self Discovery to find happiness? Why? What is the man really after? Why does he walk away sad? What did Jesus ask him to do? Was it really about the money? What was it about? Why would he turn away? Is there a parallel between this man and the Older Brother in the prodigal story Jesus tells in Luke 15:11-32? Why or why not? After following God for years why did the rich man still have more to do?
4) Read Luke 19:23-30
5) Why is it harder for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven? Why are the disciples so surprised by what Jesus says? is there a reward to following God? Is that the goal of following? Why or why not? What does Jesus mean the first will be last and the last will be first? How does that relate to us?
6) How does this relate to what we talked about on Sunday and what we just read?
Does our effort and living for God force Him to do what we want? Why or why not? Does God owe us anything? if no why not? if yes what does He owe us? Is there a change of mind or heart that leads to a change of action you need to implement this week? Who can you share this with this week? Need help? Ask us, we want to help :)
