Homecoming - The Prodigal Son
Prodigal: /ˈprädəɡ(ə)l/ adjective
1. spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.
2. a person who spends money in a recklessly extravagant way.
“The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’’
Luke 15:12 NIV
“A man’s worst difficulties begin when he is able to do just as he likes…”
~ Thomas Huxley ~
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.”
Luke 15:13 NIV
When we declared our independence from God, we began to live in a foreign place.
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.”
Luke 15:13-16 NIV
We waste our life… seeking what can no longer be found.
“After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.“
Luke 15:14 NIV
When we venture out on our own, we end up in a foreign land, left to our own devices outside of life with God.
“So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.”
Luke 15:15 NIV
“He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.”
Luke 15:16 NIV
“We often meet our destiny on the road we take to avoid it”…
~ Jean de La Fontaine ~
We can’t run from ourselves…We can only run so far until we come to the end of ourselves.
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’’
Luke 15:17-19 NIV
Hope begins with coming to our senses…
“The meaning of the younger son’s return is succinctly expressed in the words, “Father, …I no longer deserve to be called your son.” On the one hand the younger son realizes that he has lost the dignity of his sonship, but at the same time that sense of lost dignity makes him also aware that he is indeed the son who had dignity to lose. When he found himself desiring to be treated as one of the pigs, he realized that he was not a pig but a human being, a son of his father. This realization became the basis for his choice to live instead of to die.”
~ Henri Nouwen ~
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
Luke 15:20-21 NIV
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”
Luke 15:22-24 NIV
God as our Father will welcome us with mercy and restore us.
homecoming - Heart vs. Appearance
• God Is Love
• God’s Love is Gracious
• God’s Love is Steadfast
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
Luke 15:25-27
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
Luke 15:28-29
But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
Luke 15:30
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Luke 15:31-32
Your Heart is More important than your Appearance.
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
Luke 9:23
Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
Genesis 22:2
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!
Genesis 22:9-11
We place what we love the most on the alter but we pray for God to come so we can have both.
What we need is for Him to be the thing we need.
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.
Luke 10:38-39
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
Luke 10:40
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42
We can be so busy doing good deeds that we miss the one thing we need the most.
Is there anything in your life right now that you love more than God?
Where is God leading you?
Will you be too busy, or will you follow him?
homecoming - a father’s love
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
Luke 15:11-12
“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
Luke 15:13-14
So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
Luke 15:15-16
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Luke 15:17-18
I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
Luke 15:19
So he got up and went to his father.“ But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Luke 15:20
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
Luke 15:21
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Luke 15:22-24
“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
Luke 15:25-27
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
Luke 15:28-29
But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
Luke 15:30
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Luke 15:31-32
• God Is Love
• God’s Love is Gracious
• God’s Love is Steadfast
Have you experienced God’s love?
Have you experienced forgiveness and Healing?
Anticipation… - Herod
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah…
Luke 1:5a
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1-2
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
Matthew 2:3-4
King Herod was disturbed because he wanted no other King.
Do you find it difficult to let Jesus be King of your Life?
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Matthew 2:5-6
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
Matthew 2:7-8
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
Matthew 2:9-10
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11
And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Matthew 2:12
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Matthew 2:13
So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Matthew 2:14-15
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
Matthew 2:16
Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:17-18
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
Matthew 2:19-20
So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee…
Matthew 2:21-22
How we respond to Jesus’ kingship affects everyone around us.
Who is sitting on the throne in your life?
Anticipation… - Joseph
• Just
• Righteous
• Good
“This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:18 NLT
Engagement:
…can be broken off at any time, without penalty
Betrothal:
…morally & legally binding
1) Get better acquainted
2) Give families time to prepare
3) Confirm chastity
“Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.”
Matthew 1:19
“Joseph, son of David, ” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:20-22
God was asking Joseph to raise the Savior as his own son.
RIGHTEOUSNESS
…love God’s Law and desire God’s will.
COMPASSION
…give priority to love and mercy as opposed to judgment and retribution.
FAITH
…trust God and make the difficult decisions.
How different would the Christmas Story have been, without Joseph…?
Who would have raised Jesus?
How would the prophecies have been fulfilled?
YOU MATTER TO GOD AND HE HAS PLANS FOR YOU!
The Lost Sheep
Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!
Luke 15:1-7 (NLT2)
LIFENOTES:
• RELIGIOUS PEOPLE FOCUS ON SINS RATHER THAN FORGIVENESS. (v. 1-3)
• ALL PEOPLE BELONG TO GOD, BUT WANDER
• GOD SEARCHES RELENTLESSLY BECAUSE HE LOVES. (v. 4)
• LET’S GET COMFORTABLE WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE. (Col 3:13)
Anticipation… - The Mysteries of The Magi
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Matthew 2:1-12
GOD CAN USE ANYTHING
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Romans 1:20
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalms 19:1
GOD IS NOT LIMITED BY OUR IMAGINATIONS AND UNDERSTANDINGS.
GOD USES EVERYTHING TO GET OUR ATTENTION AND ALWAYS POINTS US BACK TO THE FEET OF JESUS.
Something to be Thankful for: Mercy
Thanks:
\THaŋ(k)s\
noun
An expression of gratitude.
Giving:
\ˈɡiviŋ\
adjective
providing love or other emotional support; caring.
• Forgiveness
• Grace
• Mercy
What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?
Romans 9:22
What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory?…
Romans 9:23
“I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.”
~ Abraham Lincoln ~
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…
Exodus 34:6
…maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
Exodus 34:7
And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Exodus 33:19
“I think that is a better thing than thanksgiving: thanks-living. How is this to be done? By a general cheerfulness of manner, by an obedience to the command of Him by whose mercy we live, by a perpetual, constant delighting of ourselves in the Lord, and by a submission of our desires to His will.”
~ Charles Spurgeon ~
Something to be Thankful for: grace
Thanks:
\THaŋ(k)s\
noun
An expression of gratitude.
Giving:
\ˈɡiviŋ\
adjective
providing love or other emotional support; caring.
• Forgiveness
• Grace
• Mercy
Grace:
\ɡrās\
noun
Unmerited favor of God towards man.
“Grace is the very opposite of merit… Grace is not only undeserved favor, but it is favor shown to the one who has deserved the very opposite.”
~ Harry Ironside ~
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
Titus 2:11-12
Are YOU Thankful For God’s Grace?
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
Jonah 1:1-2
But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
Jonah 1:3
Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
Jonah 1:4-5
The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”
Jonah 1:6
Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
Jonah 1:7
So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”
Jonah 1:8
He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)
Jonah 1:10
The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”
Jonah 1:11
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
Jonah 1:12
This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
Jonah 3:7-9
But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.
Jonah 4:1
If I’m not showing grace… have I forgotten the grace I’ve been shown?
Are YOU Thankful for the grace you’ve been shown?
Is there someone in your life that needs to be shown Grace?
Something to be Thankful for: Forgiveness
Thanks:
\THaŋ(k)s\
noun
An expression of gratitude.
Giving:
\ˈɡiviŋ\
adjective
providing love or other emotional support; caring.
Thanksgiving:
\thaŋ(k)s-ˈgi-viŋ\
noun
the expression of gratitude, especially to God.
• Forgiveness
• Grace
• Mercy
Forgive: stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake.
Forgiveness: the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
Ephesians 1:7
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
Four conditions of Forgiveness
• humble yourself by admitting your sins;
• praying to God – asking for forgiveness;
• seeking God continually;
• and turning from sinful behavior.
Are you Thankful you have received forgiveness?
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Matthew 18:21-22
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
Matthew 18:23-25
“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
Matthew 18:26-27
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
Matthew 18:28
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.
Matthew 18:29-30
What Is Forgiveness?
Psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.
When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
Matthew 18:3
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
Matthew 18:32-33
In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
Matthew 18:34
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Matthew 18:35
Unforgiveness is choosing to stay trapped in a jail cell of bitterness, serving time for someone else’s crime.
“Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.”
~ Corrie Ten Boom ~
Are you thankful for forgiveness?
Have people in your life experienced the same forgiveness you received?
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
Not A Fan. - am i just following the rules?
Fan:
\ˈfan\
noun
an enthusiastic admirer
Follower:
\ˈfälō(ə)r\
noun
an adherent or devotee of a particular person, cause, or activity.
ADAPTIVE SELF
FALSE SELF
HYPOCRITE
hyp·o·crite:
\ˈhipəˌkrit\
noun
An interpreter from underneath.
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Matthew 23:1-3
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
• You could not spit on the Sabbath because it would disturb the dirt and you would be guilty of plowing.
• You could not swat a fly on the Sabbath because you would be guilty of hunting.
• If your house was burning down on a Sabbath, you could not carry clothes out of it. However, you were allowed to put on several layers of clothes as the house was burning down. You could leave without breaking the law because you were wearing them instead of carrying them.
They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
Matthew 23:4
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
Matthew 23:13
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Matthew 23:23-24
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Matthew 23:27-28
When we aren’t willing to share our brokenness, we never get to share our witness for God’s grace and mercy.
Not A Fan. - knowledge about him or intimacy with him?
Fan:
\ˈfan\
noun
an enthusiastic admirer
Follower:
\ˈfälō(ə)r\
noun
an adherent or devotee of a particular person, cause, or activity.
Are you a Follower of Jesus?
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Luke 9:23
These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Matthew 15:8
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
Luke 7:36
A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.
Luke 7:37
As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
Luke 7:38
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
Luke 7:39
Do you do what you do for God out of duty?
or
Do you do what you do out of a desire to honor Him?
Do not confuse Knowledge about Jesus for intimacy with Jesus.
A Biblical word for intimacy is “Know”
And Adam knew Eve his wife
Genesis 4:1 (KJV)
Now the man was intimate with his wife Eve
Genesis 4:1 (ESV)
YADA (Hebrew Word for Knew)
To Know completely and to be completely Known
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
Psalm 139:1-4
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
Luke 7:44
You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.
Luke 7:45
You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.
Luke 7:46
Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Luke 7:47
Who are you most like in this Story?
Do you know about Jesus, or do you Know Jesus?
Not A Fan. - Do you believe or are you committed?
Fan:
\ˈfan\
noun
an enthusiastic admirer
Follower:
\ˈfälō(ə)r\
noun
an adherent or devotee of a particular person, cause, or activity.
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Luke 9:23
• So how do you start determining if you really are a follower of Jesus?
• How do you decide if this is even something you would want to consider?
We must define the relationship.
Have you made a DECISION for Jesus, or Have you COMMITTED to Jesus?
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
John 3:1-2
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
John 3:3
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
John 3:4
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
John 3:5-6
You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.
John 3:7
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
John 3:8-9
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
John 3:10-11
I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
John 3:12-13
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
John 3:14-15
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
John 3:16-17
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:18
Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
John 5:19
For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
John 5:20-21
Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
John 5:22-23
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
John 5:24
Not A Fan. - The Cross
Fan:
\ˈfan\
noun
an enthusiastic admirer
“Jesus never asked us to sit on the sidelines and cheer for His cause…”
~ Craig Groeschel ~
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Luke 9:23
“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord…”
John 10:18
What have we sacrificed in return???
“When Christ calls a man, He bids him-Come and Die…”
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer ~
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18
Why would God use a symbol of torture, of death, of weakness to save the world?
Does the cross represent WEAKNESS or does it represent STRENGTH …?
“Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles… for the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”
1 Corinthians 1:22
Who else but God…
• …could take a cross that represented defeat-And turn it into a symbol of victory?
• …could take a cross that represented guilt-And turn it into a symbol for grace?
• …could take a cross that represented condemnation-And turn it into a symbol of freedom ?
• …could take a cross that represented pain and suffering-And turn it into a symbol of healing and hope?
• …could take a cross that represented death-And turn it into a symbol of life?
When you are at your weakest - you are exactly where you need to be for God to be the strongest!
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”
1 Corinthians 1:27
“I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in…” (and Paul gives us this list of “not so comfortable” things) weakness, insults, hardships, persecution and difficulties) and he concludes–“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Strength comes when we realize our weakness.
Will you, like Christ did before us, trust God enough to let your weakness be His strength, will you trust Him to make all things new for you???
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
Colossians 2:13-15
There’s no comfortable way to carry a cross…
“For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him…”
Philippians 1:29
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4
Christ says, “Give me all. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want you. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there. I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out.”
~ C. S. Lewis ~
“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”
Matthew 16:25
A Call To Prayer
The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:
In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 1:1-2
They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
Nehemiah 1:3
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 1:4
Prayer:
/prer/
noun
A solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.
“God Never Allows Pain without a purpose”
~ Jerry Bridges ~
“Your Greatest Ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt.”
~ Rick Warren ~
When we are burdened, what should we do?
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
Psalm 55:22
Accept IT
Cast IT
Leave IT
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
Nehemiah 1:5-7
God initiates Prayer in Us
“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’
Nehemiah 1:8-9
“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”
Nehemiah 1:10-11
When Is the last time you were so burdened that all you could do was pray?
When was the last time you were burdened for the church?
When was the last time you were burdened for your Neighbors?
When was the last time you were burdened for our nation?
When was the last time you were burdened for the lost?
step up - answer the call
God doesn’t call the PREPARED. God PREPARES the called.
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
Ephesians 4:1
3 things we are called to:
• God calls us to salvation.
• God calls us to sanctification
• God calls us to service.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
1 Corinthians 1:26
God doesn’t call the prepared. God prepares the called.
Sometimes the criticism from people confirms Calling of God!
TWO QUALITIES OF CALLING
1) CALLING COSTS
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Acts 9:15-16
The moment you step into your calling, you step out of your comfort zone.
God often uses our deepest pain to launch our greatest calling!
PRIVATE PAIN is a big part of PUBLIC CALLING
Serving Jesus is a GIFT—GRIND!
Living your call is a THRILL—BURDEN!
Ministry is EXHILARATING—EXHAUSTING!
2) CALLING SUSTAINS
…Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14
…We constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you!
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12