Identification not Identitiy
Notes
Transcript
Hook: Review
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.’ ”
How do we identify our own younger or older brother tendencies in our lives?
This is not for shame or calling out - About ourselves - lead us deeper into God’s Grace - Lead us deeper into Seriving God
Younger brother activities - Obvious
heart, mind, motivation against God and His ways as He says in His word?
Plenty of debate of what that may look like, mostly debated by older brothers...
Broken Relationships - Broken Life - Broken before God
What about the Older Brother?
Not so obvious...
How can we tell if we have the heart, mind, attitude of an older brother?
Lets Look back at what the older brother was like
Anger & Bitterness in Trials
Anger & Bitterness in Trials
But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,
He was Angry when life did not go his way
Why was he angry?
His brother came home and was greeted with Grace and Mercy
Why would he get angry?
Older brothers belive if they live good lives they deserve good things
Life including spiritual life is transactional
Many things in life are that way - You work, you get paid
unfortunatly spritualy speaking it dosent work out the way we would hope
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Even our good deeds earn death but still we try to earn God’s favor
Somehow we belive if live right we are sacrificing and theirfore we should be rewarded for living right
we feel life or God owes us
owes us what?
Health
Wealth
yes - God owes us Health and Wealth and maybe popularity
This is sold everyday on multiple religous channels
What does God owe us? nothing but Death and Hell!
When an older brother goes through a trial
they dont belive they deserve the problem - They get angry with God
They havent been following God as well as they feel they should be - They get angry with themselves
Swing between
I hate you God
I hate Myself
Why is this such a problem? Why do older brothers struggle with suffering?
Older Brothers do not love what is right
Older Brothers love control
Trying to control the would around them through compliance
Bridzillas
Guilty pleasure - Makes me feel self rightous - funny
become such because they are owed an amazing event in their honor
not in love with fiance
In love with self
Use to control world around themselvs
Older brothers do the same
dont love righteous living
love self
use to control the world around them
Older brothers expect good living to pay off how they define, and when it dosent there is confusion and rage
Bloated Self Righteousness
Bloated Self Righteousness
But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’
Starts with Anger - Moves to a compairison of how great he is vs how terrible his brother is
Compairing moral records with others
Compaining Ministry Records
Compaining stats - baptisms, Salvations, what ever
Can lead to dark placess
Self value from
how we look or dress
money we make
Oportunites or education we have had
Causes us to think we are bethr than others
Can get to the paint where we feel God favors us bucaous of what w blevie, how whe worship, songs we soing, good ethical living, crushing the evil doers we define
Self Righteousness
Why are older brothers often bloated with self righteousness?
Because they precive they are so good
dont recognize their flaws
expand others flaws
Becasuse dont see their issues they dont have mercy, undrstanding, or grace
They are perfict others shoild be too!
Older brothers often belive it is ok or even good to look down on others
Shame helps others get their life together like the older brothers
But!!!!
We are not what we do - We are what God says we are
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
We are all sinful
None of us turn to God
But God gave our sin to Jesus
Through Jesus We all can be redeemed!
Joyless Fear based Compliance
Joyless Fear based Compliance
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.
-Many years i have served you: “Slaved for you”
but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.
Obedience to the father
No love
No Joy
No reward in just seeing father pleased
As a teenager seeing the girl or boy you have a crush on smile
Seeing your wife smile because you were with her
Seeing your Mom smile because you came home
Seeing your Dad smile because you made him proud
Seeing God smile just because - do it for hat - that is the reward - Making God happy
Problem for many or most Christian Kids going to school/ college
Do what is right so they dont get into trouble
dont do what is right because they want to
Do what is right because of fear
Dont do what is right because they want to please God
Problem for really most of us
why do what is right in business?
Might get caught - Fear
Better moral - Reward
But what if it benefits you to do what is wrong
Years ago - national business had people opening lines of credit in peoples name to get rewards
Before that - National business grouped loans of people who where unlikely to pay together and sold them as if they were good investments
Before that Enron cooked their books (literally maybe)
Rewarded for doing evil (sometimes technically legal)
When we do things because of fear or reward we are not doing it for love
Do it for the love of God
the desire to bring him pleasure
the desire to see him smile
the desire to be with him because you want to be with him
Fail with Gpa
want to come with me?
No - Didn't understand ment “i want to be with you”
spent day watching TV - Eating Junk - Playing - Missed him
Gone all day
Enjoyed all his stuff but not Him, bringing him pleasure
Never got another chance
God is not a grandpa and yet he wants us to obey not from fear but because we love him, want to be with him, and want to bring him pleasure
John 14:15
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
These all bring a final problem
We are angry at ourselves and God when we have hard times
We are bloated with self Righteousness
We have joyless Fear Based Complaice
All these things are done out of duty not desire so we also have a...
Lack of Assurance in God’s Love
Lack of Assurance in God’s Love
We have been doing things from requirement, control, and duty so why would we think God is any different.
does he actually love us
will he stick with us because he has to? how can he want to?
Ok God loves us… but doesnt he have to? God is love after all...
Fear leads us to obey the letter of the law while love leads us to obey the spirit of it
We dont understand love (1 cor 13 agape) God’s love
Neither did the Older Brother understand the father’s love
Luke 15:29
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.
Never gave me a young goat aka “never threw me a party” - do you love me?
Are we sure God loves us?
The older brother wasnt
are you good nough for the love?
Did you earn it?
No your not - you cannot earn 1 cor 13 agape love - It is given/acted upon
When a prayer isnt answered/ something goes wrong - ever ask
did i do something wrong?
Why dosent God love me?
Where is God?
God does love you
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.
Gods Love
know he loves you - Mental
rest in his love - Understading
Increase your prayer life
as you pray, or sit quietly with Him you start to understand His love for you
Be with him
Talk with him (not at him)
So we all have issues, what do we do with it
next week… deep answer
for now… less action more concept/practical
Repent - Turn from your thingking, your way to his way
anger
self righteousnes
fear
self loathing
Turn to his way - Eph 2:8-9
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.
How how do we turn?
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
Dont worry about everyone else
You be faithful to God - Obey
Make God your delight - Make Him what you Want
Commit To Him
Trust in Him
Wait on Him
Bottom Line
Commit to Him - Trust in Him - Wait on Him
Commit to Him - Trust in Him - Wait on Him
Bulletin outline
1) A_______________ & B_______________ in T_______________
2) B_______________ S_______________ R_______________
3) J_______________ F_______________ based C_______________
4) L_______________ of A_______________ in G
_______________’s L_______________
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) Did you Join us in person or digitally this week? What stuck out to you from this weeks worship?
2) Read 1 John 1:4-10
3) Is there value in self examination? Why or why not? How do you see self examination in the last passage? John seems to draw a pretty stark contrast between light and darkness, is he being literal here? if not what is he referring to? What does it mean to have fellowship with God? Can we only have fellowship when we are with out sin? Why or why not? How can we have sin (vs 8) and be cleansed from sin (vs 7) at the same time?
4) Pastor Neil referred to 4 concepts or attitudes that manifest in older brothers, do you remember what they were? Have you seen people with these attitudes in their life? How about in your life? Are these attitudes or concepts sin? Do they lead us to sin? How or why not? How do we discover these attitudes in our own lives? is it important to do that? why or why not?
6) How can we push back against these 4 concepts or attitudes? 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 :)