WEBVTT 00:00:04.139 --> 00:00:05.780 Hello and welcome back to the Potter's House 00:00:05.780 --> 00:00:08.560 Seminar Podcast. This is a special series from 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:10.900 our Prescott Conference that just recently occurred. 00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:13.599 The theme of the conference was Into the Unknown 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:17.100 and the scripture for the theme was Romans 15, 00:00:17.339 --> 00:00:21.120 20 -21. I have made it my aim to preach the gospel 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:26.300 to whom he was not announced. So this is a powerful 00:00:26.300 --> 00:00:29.829 series of... sermons from leaders in our fellowship 00:00:29.829 --> 00:00:32.429 to include Greg Mitchell, Joe Campbell, Richard 00:00:32.429 --> 00:00:36.369 Ruby, Sergey Golubev, and others along with that. 00:00:36.450 --> 00:00:39.670 So please enjoy and listen along these powerful 00:00:39.670 --> 00:00:44.810 sermons from leaders in our fellowship. Amen. 00:00:47.570 --> 00:00:51.570 Glory to God. Good to see you this morning. Hallelujah. 00:00:51.609 --> 00:00:54.189 Good to be back in conference. Can you say amen? 00:00:54.929 --> 00:00:58.549 What a way to kick it off. Last night, tremendous, 00:00:58.909 --> 00:01:01.390 tremendous, going to be a Holy Ghost week, and 00:01:01.390 --> 00:01:03.170 God's going to help us, and we're going to plant 00:01:03.170 --> 00:01:06.030 churches. Can you say amen? Glory, hallelujah. 00:01:06.150 --> 00:01:08.489 If you have your Bibles, Luke chapter 15, I'm 00:01:08.489 --> 00:01:11.150 very honored to be able to minister here this 00:01:11.150 --> 00:01:16.430 morning. Luke chapter 15. How many shop at Costco 00:01:16.430 --> 00:01:20.730 or know the store Costco? Well, if you know about 00:01:20.730 --> 00:01:24.049 Costco, one of the things you probably know about 00:01:24.049 --> 00:01:26.709 them is that they have a very generous return 00:01:26.709 --> 00:01:32.430 policy. Don't ask me how I know. That if you 00:01:32.430 --> 00:01:34.969 purchase something, you can essentially return 00:01:34.969 --> 00:01:39.129 it for any reasons with almost no questions asked. 00:01:40.150 --> 00:01:42.569 Well, there was a California woman who put that 00:01:42.569 --> 00:01:47.530 policy to the test. As she tried to return her 00:01:47.530 --> 00:01:51.989 dead Christmas tree, In March. Put the picture 00:01:51.989 --> 00:01:58.750 up. Now she's trying to return this dead Christmas 00:01:58.750 --> 00:02:04.370 tree and she demanded a full refund. Her reason, 00:02:04.489 --> 00:02:08.870 now get this now, the tree didn't last and it 00:02:08.870 --> 00:02:13.849 didn't bring me any more joy. Talk about absurdity 00:02:13.849 --> 00:02:18.500 marrying audacity. But not only did she demand 00:02:18.500 --> 00:02:21.639 a full refund, but she told the clerk, I am entitled 00:02:21.639 --> 00:02:25.879 to one. When I heard that, that triggered me. 00:02:26.860 --> 00:02:28.759 Because how many know we're living in the age 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:32.539 of entitlement? Someone said where sacrifice 00:02:32.539 --> 00:02:36.479 becomes unthinkable and duty becomes oppressive. 00:02:37.500 --> 00:02:39.800 I want to minister a message on the emptiness 00:02:39.800 --> 00:02:42.360 of entitlement and examine one of the greatest 00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:45.199 stories Jesus ever told, these famous parables. 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:48.879 Parable of the prodigal son. Luke chapter 15, 00:02:49.020 --> 00:02:50.780 very familiar, we'll begin at verse 11. Then 00:02:50.780 --> 00:02:53.319 he said a certain man had two sons, and the younger 00:02:53.319 --> 00:02:55.819 of them said to his father, Father, give me the 00:02:55.819 --> 00:02:57.800 portion of goods that falls to me. And so he 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:00.599 divided to them his livelihood. Not many days 00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:02.680 after, the younger son gathered all together, 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:05.280 journeyed to a far country, and wasted his possessions 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:08.060 with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:10.539 there arose a famine, a severe famine in the 00:03:10.539 --> 00:03:13.740 land, and he began to be in want. Verse 17, but 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:15.969 when he came to himself, he said, How many of 00:03:15.969 --> 00:03:17.969 my father's hired servants have bread enough 00:03:17.969 --> 00:03:21.669 to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will arise, 00:03:21.789 --> 00:03:23.710 go to my father, and I'll say to him, Father, 00:03:23.909 --> 00:03:26.349 I've sinned against heaven and before you, and 00:03:26.349 --> 00:03:28.430 I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make 00:03:28.430 --> 00:03:31.969 me as one of your hired servants. Verse 25. Now 00:03:31.969 --> 00:03:34.389 his older son was in the field, and as he came 00:03:34.389 --> 00:03:36.310 and drew near to the house, he heard music and 00:03:36.310 --> 00:03:38.509 dancing. And so he called one of the servants 00:03:38.509 --> 00:03:41.229 and asked him what these things meant. He said 00:03:41.229 --> 00:03:43.400 to him, Your brother has come. And because he 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:45.400 has received them safe and sound, your father 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:48.199 has killed the fatted calf. But he was angry 00:03:48.199 --> 00:03:50.939 and would not go in. Therefore, his father came 00:03:50.939 --> 00:03:53.340 out and pleaded with him. And so he said, excuse 00:03:53.340 --> 00:03:55.259 me. So he answered and said to his father, lo, 00:03:55.340 --> 00:03:57.180 these many years I've been serving you. I've 00:03:57.180 --> 00:03:59.699 never transgressed your commandment in any time. 00:03:59.699 --> 00:04:01.759 And you never gave me a young goat that I might 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:04.319 make merry with my friends. But as soon as this 00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:06.879 son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:09.300 with heartache, you killed the fatted calf for 00:04:09.300 --> 00:04:12.879 him. And he said to him, son. You're always with 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:16.300 me, and all that I have is yours, the emptiness 00:04:16.300 --> 00:04:19.000 of entitlement. Let's look into this. The past 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:22.540 couple years, we have had a few longstanding 00:04:22.540 --> 00:04:26.259 members leave our church, and just as a matter 00:04:26.259 --> 00:04:28.899 of processing, you begin to wonder, how does 00:04:28.899 --> 00:04:32.060 this happen? I mean, in one sense, it is nothing 00:04:32.060 --> 00:04:35.819 new per se, but what is at the root? How does 00:04:35.819 --> 00:04:39.079 someone who's been in our church or one of our 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:42.300 churches for a long time, perhaps all of their 00:04:42.300 --> 00:04:46.100 adult life, maybe even church kid, how does someone 00:04:46.100 --> 00:04:50.019 like that walk away from the relationships, the 00:04:50.019 --> 00:04:53.160 investments that have been made? Why do people, 00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:58.490 how do people walk away from the church? No doubt 00:04:58.490 --> 00:05:00.370 there could be many reasons. There's sometimes 00:05:00.370 --> 00:05:04.930 relocation, work, job, take care of an elderly 00:05:04.930 --> 00:05:08.949 relative. Could be unresolved conflict. People 00:05:08.949 --> 00:05:11.610 get in disagreements, and instead of solving 00:05:11.610 --> 00:05:14.509 that, they just walk away. There's, of course, 00:05:14.589 --> 00:05:17.529 just the, you know, old -fashioned sin, personal 00:05:17.529 --> 00:05:21.980 disobedience. At some point, people who have 00:05:21.980 --> 00:05:25.180 even experienced a genuine conversion, people 00:05:25.180 --> 00:05:28.079 who have tasted the goodness of God, they can 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:30.519 come to the place where their desire to live 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:34.040 in sin without the accountability or the self 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:37.279 -inflicted guilt and shame that comes from living 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:40.240 in a community of believers. It just causes them 00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:45.480 to walk away. 2 Timothy 4 .10, demons has forsaken 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:49.350 me, having loved this world. So these are just 00:05:49.350 --> 00:05:51.689 a few of the reasons that people leave church. 00:05:51.870 --> 00:05:54.889 There are definitely others. I'm not suggesting, 00:05:54.910 --> 00:05:57.050 by the way, that any of these are justifiable. 00:05:57.829 --> 00:05:59.829 How many figure it out that just because somebody 00:05:59.829 --> 00:06:02.910 says, I prayed about it, doesn't mean that their 00:06:02.910 --> 00:06:06.509 decision is backed up by the word of God? Doesn't 00:06:06.509 --> 00:06:08.689 mean that their decision has been done for God's 00:06:08.689 --> 00:06:13.410 glory? Nevertheless, I will say this. Of all 00:06:13.410 --> 00:06:15.730 the reasons people may give for leaving their 00:06:15.730 --> 00:06:19.639 church, Leaving the father's house. One of the 00:06:19.639 --> 00:06:22.480 reasons they never give, or at least I've never 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:25.279 been given, but I've come to believe it's very 00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:28.500 often an element, has to do with this issue of 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:33.000 entitlement. Somewhere in the equation. When 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:36.680 people, particularly long -term members, decide 00:06:36.680 --> 00:06:40.160 to just walk away from relationships, walk away 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:42.800 from the truth that some of them have preached, 00:06:42.899 --> 00:06:46.100 many of them have stood for, walk away from the 00:06:46.100 --> 00:06:49.439 church and a fellowship that has discipled them, 00:06:49.620 --> 00:06:52.720 that has developed them into the men and women 00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:55.980 of God, that often what is there as a component 00:06:55.980 --> 00:06:59.019 that is sometimes overlooked is this issue of 00:06:59.019 --> 00:07:03.420 entitlement. Again, we're living in an age of 00:07:03.420 --> 00:07:06.980 entitlement. It is the air we breathe. Whether 00:07:06.980 --> 00:07:09.180 we're pointing to the welfare system or high 00:07:09.180 --> 00:07:12.680 credit card debt or frivolous lawsuits like people, 00:07:12.759 --> 00:07:14.860 you know, suing McDonald's over a hot cup of 00:07:14.860 --> 00:07:17.899 coffee. Listen, the sense of entitlement has 00:07:17.899 --> 00:07:21.160 become so prevalent in our world that we almost 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:24.579 don't even notice it. Or worse, if we do notice 00:07:24.579 --> 00:07:27.620 it, but we consider it not to be as dangerous 00:07:27.620 --> 00:07:31.850 as it is. So what is entitlement? What are we 00:07:31.850 --> 00:07:34.490 talking about this morning? It's been defined 00:07:34.490 --> 00:07:37.709 as the feeling or the belief that you deserve 00:07:37.709 --> 00:07:41.569 to be given something. Often something you haven't 00:07:41.569 --> 00:07:44.970 earned. Entitlement is the most dangerous form 00:07:44.970 --> 00:07:49.529 of expectation. Expectations say, I expect. Entitlements 00:07:49.529 --> 00:07:53.709 say, I deserve. And so entitlement carries with 00:07:53.709 --> 00:07:55.810 it this attitude of there's been an injustice. 00:07:57.629 --> 00:08:01.019 Could be I deserve an opportunity. I deserve 00:08:01.019 --> 00:08:04.040 a certain ministry. I deserve that church. I 00:08:04.040 --> 00:08:07.279 deserve an apology. I deserve recognition. I 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:10.740 deserve success. I deserve to be sent out. I 00:08:10.740 --> 00:08:13.180 deserve to be repaid. I deserve a phone call 00:08:13.180 --> 00:08:16.920 and on and on it goes. Let me just put a needed 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:20.959 disclaimer out there that although I get we are 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:23.660 at a Bible conference with very seasoned ministry 00:08:23.660 --> 00:08:26.810 and ministers. However, I want to be perfectly 00:08:26.810 --> 00:08:29.029 clear that we understand this because if you 00:08:29.029 --> 00:08:31.889 miss this, you may take this message somewhere 00:08:31.889 --> 00:08:34.610 it was never intended to go. And that is in the 00:08:34.610 --> 00:08:37.409 truest sense of the word. How many know none 00:08:37.409 --> 00:08:42.690 of us deserve anything except hell? No, really, 00:08:42.789 --> 00:08:46.029 I'm not being sensational one bit when I emphatically 00:08:46.029 --> 00:08:50.850 state we deserve to go to hell. Romans 6, 23, 00:08:51.090 --> 00:08:55.200 the wages of sin. is death. Wages, that is an 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:57.799 entitlement word. It literally means what our 00:08:57.799 --> 00:09:03.139 sin has earned, what our sin deserves. We deserve 00:09:03.139 --> 00:09:06.700 to be utterly rejected. Had God had given us 00:09:06.700 --> 00:09:08.820 what we deserve, we'd all be in torment right 00:09:08.820 --> 00:09:11.360 now. We'd all be destroyed. The Bible says it 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:16.580 is by his mercy that we're not consumed. So therefore, 00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:19.200 we must all resist the temptation to think more 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:22.379 highly of ourselves than we ought to. We must 00:09:22.379 --> 00:09:25.679 resist the temptation to think that the world 00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:29.559 or our pastor or the fellowship or even God owes 00:09:29.559 --> 00:09:32.500 us something. Because truth be told this morning, 00:09:32.600 --> 00:09:37.279 no one owes us anything. Except there's a guy 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:39.320 who owes me $4 ,000, but that's not. I'm kidding. 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:45.179 But listen to me, church kid. Listen to me, those 00:09:45.179 --> 00:09:48.559 of us who came after the original pioneers of 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:51.919 our fellowship, we are the generation who has 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:54.759 been born on third base, but if we're not careful, 00:09:54.860 --> 00:09:57.299 we have convinced ourselves that we got there 00:09:57.299 --> 00:10:02.720 by hitting a triple. That is entitlement. Entitlement 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:05.399 is why people get handed a good church or a thriving 00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:08.500 ministry, and instead of sincerely thanking the 00:10:08.500 --> 00:10:11.059 previous pastor and his wife and being grateful 00:10:11.059 --> 00:10:13.720 for their labors, instead you throw them under 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:16.580 the bus. Oh, well, you know, yeah, there were 00:10:16.580 --> 00:10:19.000 people there, but, you know, a bunch of religious 00:10:19.000 --> 00:10:23.600 folks. I don't know what that old knucklehead 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:27.940 was doing before I got there. That's entitlement. 00:10:29.100 --> 00:10:31.720 Listen, all of us, except perhaps Pastor Mitchell 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:35.460 could aptly say, we are building upon a foundation 00:10:35.460 --> 00:10:40.200 that another man has laid. And so we all, myself 00:10:40.200 --> 00:10:43.379 included, to one degree or another, we have to 00:10:43.379 --> 00:10:47.620 wrestle with this entitlement. Let's look at 00:10:47.620 --> 00:10:50.059 our text because we know this text so well, but 00:10:50.059 --> 00:10:53.259 let's consider these two prodigal sons. I want 00:10:53.259 --> 00:10:57.149 you to see how... woven through this entire parable 00:10:57.149 --> 00:11:00.990 is the sense of entitlement, this mindset of 00:11:00.990 --> 00:11:04.389 what I deserve. Let's consider firstly the younger 00:11:04.389 --> 00:11:06.870 brother. Right away, our text introduces us to 00:11:06.870 --> 00:11:09.409 this younger brother by a statement that he makes 00:11:09.409 --> 00:11:12.730 to the father. Verse 11, Jesus said, a man had 00:11:12.730 --> 00:11:16.590 two sons. What a classic biblical starting point. 00:11:16.789 --> 00:11:19.690 And the younger of them said to his father, father, 00:11:19.950 --> 00:11:23.759 give me the portion of goods. That falls to me. 00:11:23.799 --> 00:11:26.840 Now, right away, right off the bat, we hear the 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:31.220 very language of entitlement. Give me. What's 00:11:31.220 --> 00:11:35.899 owed to me? I want something given to me. Entitlement 00:11:35.899 --> 00:11:40.759 is all about me. Someone said when entitlement 00:11:40.759 --> 00:11:46.519 speaks, it never says we. It only says me. Then 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:49.159 secondly, it often involves wanting something 00:11:49.159 --> 00:11:52.059 you haven't earned. He says, give me the portion 00:11:52.059 --> 00:11:55.519 of goods that falls to me. So the language there, 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:57.879 he says, the inheritance, it sort of just falls. 00:12:02.620 --> 00:12:05.120 Let's be clear. This is not just some rebellious 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:07.799 kid or son. You know, man, I can't wait until 00:12:07.799 --> 00:12:10.620 I'm 18. I can get out of here on my own. I'm 00:12:10.620 --> 00:12:13.200 out. No, no, no, no. Yes, he wants to leave, 00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:15.500 but he doesn't want to just leave empty -handed. 00:12:16.700 --> 00:12:20.389 He says, give me what you owe me. Now, church, 00:12:20.509 --> 00:12:22.429 I think we can all agree that by definition, 00:12:22.809 --> 00:12:26.669 an inheritance is not something you've earned. 00:12:27.830 --> 00:12:29.830 In fact, it's typically something that somebody 00:12:29.830 --> 00:12:32.929 else has earned. But they're going to pass it 00:12:32.929 --> 00:12:34.990 down to you. They're going to gift it to you. 00:12:35.029 --> 00:12:37.690 But see, one of the marks of entitlement is you 00:12:37.690 --> 00:12:43.429 make demands on gifts, on blessings. I know it's 00:12:43.429 --> 00:12:45.470 a gift, but I'm going to tell you how I want 00:12:45.470 --> 00:12:48.909 it and when I want it. Hear stories sometimes 00:12:48.909 --> 00:12:51.049 about ladies in our church. They're going to 00:12:51.049 --> 00:12:52.929 have a baby shower, a wedding shower for them. 00:12:53.429 --> 00:12:55.610 And the person they're having the shower for 00:12:55.610 --> 00:12:58.809 feels the need to tell them every detail of how 00:12:58.809 --> 00:13:01.370 they want to do it. Oh, I don't want those decorations. 00:13:02.610 --> 00:13:04.610 So what's on the menu? Yeah, yeah, I don't want. 00:13:05.029 --> 00:13:10.029 It's a gift we're doing for you. We're trying 00:13:10.029 --> 00:13:14.389 to bless you. But see, entitlement wants to dictate 00:13:14.389 --> 00:13:18.580 the terms of the blessing. Our fellowship. What 00:13:18.580 --> 00:13:21.220 an incredible inheritance that has been given 00:13:21.220 --> 00:13:24.200 to us. You know, if we're not careful today, 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:26.460 we want to take that blessing and we want to 00:13:26.460 --> 00:13:29.480 dictate the terms of the blessing. We want to 00:13:29.480 --> 00:13:32.799 change the standards. We want to lower the cost 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:36.820 of discipleship. I don't just want the blessing, 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:40.919 but I want to tell you how to bless me. In our 00:13:40.919 --> 00:13:42.919 text, the younger brother gets his inheritance 00:13:42.919 --> 00:13:46.570 prematurely. He then proceeds to pack his bags, 00:13:46.629 --> 00:13:49.850 makes his escape. The Bible says he makes his 00:13:49.850 --> 00:13:52.429 way to a far country. And here's what it says 00:13:52.429 --> 00:13:55.970 in verse 13, that once in that far country, he 00:13:55.970 --> 00:13:58.929 wasted his inheritance on prodigal living. Listen, 00:13:59.129 --> 00:14:03.570 entitled people are wasteful people. Every parent 00:14:03.570 --> 00:14:05.970 here knows what it's like to have their kids 00:14:05.970 --> 00:14:09.350 leave the lights on or just walk outside, leave 00:14:09.350 --> 00:14:12.230 the door open. Or, you know, one of my favorites, 00:14:12.450 --> 00:14:15.629 you know, my wife prepares this great meal and 00:14:15.629 --> 00:14:17.970 then they eat like two bites and they start walking 00:14:17.970 --> 00:14:19.750 towards the trash bin. I'm like, hey, where are 00:14:19.750 --> 00:14:22.409 you going with that? They're like, I'm finished. 00:14:22.789 --> 00:14:28.090 No, you're not. But you know why they feel like 00:14:28.090 --> 00:14:31.450 that? Because they haven't bought the food. They 00:14:31.450 --> 00:14:34.610 haven't paid a price for it. And we've all heard 00:14:34.610 --> 00:14:36.629 it said, but it does bear repeating. It's hard 00:14:36.629 --> 00:14:41.169 to value what you haven't paid a price for. Instead, 00:14:41.269 --> 00:14:44.789 what happens many times is you waste it. The 00:14:44.789 --> 00:14:47.490 younger brother wasted his inheritance. And this 00:14:47.490 --> 00:14:49.950 is the challenge that every younger generation 00:14:49.950 --> 00:14:52.809 faces, that we don't waste what has been passed 00:14:52.809 --> 00:14:56.529 down to us. The Apostle Paul, as he's about to 00:14:56.529 --> 00:14:59.210 pass down the mantle to another generation, he 00:14:59.210 --> 00:15:02.830 tells Timothy, 1 Timothy 6 .20, guard the things 00:15:02.830 --> 00:15:05.450 that have been committed to you. That word guard 00:15:05.450 --> 00:15:07.490 means to preserve. In other words, he's saying, 00:15:07.549 --> 00:15:11.289 Timothy, don't waste this. See, the previous 00:15:11.289 --> 00:15:14.789 generation, our spiritual forefathers, they pioneered 00:15:14.789 --> 00:15:17.610 this thing. And inherent in pioneering is its 00:15:17.610 --> 00:15:21.679 own price. There's a real cost associated with 00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:25.080 going beyond the known into the unknown. There's 00:15:25.080 --> 00:15:28.019 the cost of forging a new path. Just the act 00:15:28.019 --> 00:15:31.860 of that demands a cost. It's been said that the 00:15:31.860 --> 00:15:34.539 first to see the dawn also spends the longest 00:15:34.539 --> 00:15:37.879 in the dark. You know, every time I see Bob Allen, 00:15:37.980 --> 00:15:40.620 I see him over there by the door, I make a point 00:15:40.620 --> 00:15:45.200 like I did this morning to say hello to him. 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:48.649 And I often thank him. Along with him. And if 00:15:48.649 --> 00:15:51.429 I have anybody else with me, I introduce them 00:15:51.429 --> 00:15:53.350 to him. And I say, have you ever heard the story 00:15:53.350 --> 00:15:55.090 of the two couples when Pastor Mitchell came 00:15:55.090 --> 00:15:58.769 here? Well, here's one of them. You need to understand 00:15:58.769 --> 00:16:01.529 the legacy. Because we're all here, but we have 00:16:01.529 --> 00:16:04.090 no idea the price when everybody else, nobody 00:16:04.090 --> 00:16:14.529 else will stand. They say, I'll stay. Yeah. Not 00:16:14.529 --> 00:16:17.870 to mention. Pioneers aren't typically the ones 00:16:17.870 --> 00:16:21.029 who benefit the most from what they build. You 00:16:21.029 --> 00:16:23.149 know, Pastor Mitchell never got to see 4 ,000 00:16:23.149 --> 00:16:27.769 churches, but we did. We're blessed. But see, 00:16:27.850 --> 00:16:29.750 this generation, one of the things when you've 00:16:29.750 --> 00:16:31.830 inherited the blessing, listen, we've got to 00:16:31.830 --> 00:16:36.269 be intentional about paying our own price. Otherwise, 00:16:36.389 --> 00:16:38.610 we run the risk of wasting it or squandering 00:16:38.610 --> 00:16:43.730 it or just walking away from it altogether. Again, 00:16:43.789 --> 00:16:45.549 here's a younger brother. He's got his gift. 00:16:45.669 --> 00:16:48.629 But as my pastor said years ago, well, he then 00:16:48.629 --> 00:16:51.629 took that gift to a place where his character 00:16:51.629 --> 00:16:55.669 could not keep it. Listen to me, young pastor, 00:16:55.750 --> 00:16:59.029 disciple. If you get something before it's time, 00:16:59.169 --> 00:17:02.269 before you have developed the character to properly 00:17:02.269 --> 00:17:05.569 use it, that thing that started off as a gift, 00:17:05.710 --> 00:17:08.819 it'll become a curse. That blessing will turn 00:17:08.819 --> 00:17:10.839 into a burden, or at least you'll see it that 00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:14.420 way. I've seen disciples literally cave under 00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:16.859 the weight of ministry, and it's not so much 00:17:16.859 --> 00:17:19.180 because of the weight itself, but because they 00:17:19.180 --> 00:17:21.900 had not yet developed the spiritual muscle to 00:17:21.900 --> 00:17:25.880 carry it. One of the things I've personally prayed 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:28.779 for a long time, God, I don't want any ministry 00:17:28.779 --> 00:17:31.819 before my time. God, if I'm not ready for it, 00:17:31.859 --> 00:17:34.880 don't give it to me. And I learned that years 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:37.519 ago, I was on staff with Pastor Campbell, and 00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:40.660 we got launched to go to Hawaii, and the pastor 00:17:40.660 --> 00:17:42.539 there invited me and my wife over. He says, I'll 00:17:42.539 --> 00:17:44.700 pay for you to come. And I know he's thinking, 00:17:44.839 --> 00:17:47.180 this is Pastor Campbell's assistant. But I had 00:17:47.180 --> 00:17:49.119 never been out. I just went from door director, 00:17:49.240 --> 00:17:51.799 my wife and I, right on staff. And so I know, 00:17:51.819 --> 00:17:53.200 and it's my, oh, yeah, I have Pastor Campbell's 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:56.180 assistant. And I only had about three, well, 00:17:56.299 --> 00:17:58.819 two and a half Bible studies. And, you know, 00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:01.289 I'm going to go there and preach a Sunday. And 00:18:01.289 --> 00:18:04.130 I'm telling you, man, those sermons were so, 00:18:04.210 --> 00:18:09.569 I put the capital T in terrible. And the reality 00:18:09.569 --> 00:18:12.710 of it is, he's deceased. But even before, I've 00:18:12.710 --> 00:18:17.430 never been invited back. So there's just a clue. 00:18:17.529 --> 00:18:19.849 It doesn't matter how good they tell you it is 00:18:19.849 --> 00:18:26.589 if they never invite you back. You know, it's 00:18:26.589 --> 00:18:28.490 interesting to me, man. Today, guys, we'll talk 00:18:28.490 --> 00:18:31.670 about and even ask for ministry. that nothing 00:18:31.670 --> 00:18:33.549 in their past demonstrates they're ready for. 00:18:35.009 --> 00:18:38.970 What is that? That's entitlement. Somehow I want 00:18:38.970 --> 00:18:42.230 something that I haven't earned. It's an old 00:18:42.230 --> 00:18:44.450 African proverb, when the fruit is not yet ripe 00:18:44.450 --> 00:18:48.269 and you pluck it, it's bitter. Listen, if you 00:18:48.269 --> 00:18:51.390 somehow maneuver yourself into a position or 00:18:51.390 --> 00:18:55.269 ministry that you're not all prepared for, it 00:18:55.269 --> 00:19:00.180 may sound sweet, seems to, it'll be bitter. Someone 00:19:00.180 --> 00:19:02.000 asked the question, what's worse than failure? 00:19:02.380 --> 00:19:07.059 And I would say success unearned. Why? Because 00:19:07.059 --> 00:19:09.059 it deceives you into thinking you're equipped 00:19:09.059 --> 00:19:12.799 when you're not. Our text says when he had spent 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:15.900 all. Entitlement is such an empty way to live. 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:18.680 It says there arose a severe famine. Now think 00:19:18.680 --> 00:19:21.259 about this. This younger brother was to blame 00:19:21.259 --> 00:19:23.579 for the foolish living. This younger brother 00:19:23.579 --> 00:19:26.079 was to blame for the wasteful living. But he 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:30.269 was not to blame for the severe famine. But it 00:19:30.269 --> 00:19:32.450 isn't just that he wasn't to blame for it. Even 00:19:32.450 --> 00:19:35.589 worse, he was unprepared for it. How many of 00:19:35.589 --> 00:19:37.210 you know, had he been wise with the inheritance? 00:19:38.069 --> 00:19:41.190 When the famine came, he would at least had some 00:19:41.190 --> 00:19:44.190 resources to make it through it. He would have 00:19:44.190 --> 00:19:46.250 been better positioned to weather the storm. 00:19:46.390 --> 00:19:48.829 But the thought here, it's like he never even 00:19:48.829 --> 00:19:53.170 considered such a thing as a famine. One of the 00:19:53.170 --> 00:19:55.190 problems when you live with a sense of entitlement 00:19:55.190 --> 00:19:59.180 is you cut off the pipelines to wisdom. You fail 00:19:59.180 --> 00:20:00.799 to realize that you don't even know what you 00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:03.759 don't know. And so unfortunately, you have to 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:07.779 learn all the lessons the hard way. In our text, 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:09.940 the younger brother, see, he didn't just leave 00:20:09.940 --> 00:20:11.980 the father's house. He left the father's covering. 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:15.259 He left the father's wisdom. He left the father's 00:20:15.259 --> 00:20:18.220 advice. And now when the famine hits, he's out 00:20:18.220 --> 00:20:21.660 there on his own. And such is the case with many 00:20:21.660 --> 00:20:24.079 who receive things before their times. It's often 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:26.759 that they don't learn the lesson until the famine 00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:31.519 hits. financial famine, famine in their marriage 00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:33.319 or their family, a famine of hearing the word 00:20:33.319 --> 00:20:38.400 of God or the voice of God. So we, of course, 00:20:38.420 --> 00:20:39.980 know the rest of the younger brother's story. 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:42.619 We know the Bible says that he eventually came 00:20:42.619 --> 00:20:46.359 to himself. Thank God. Can you say amen? But 00:20:46.359 --> 00:20:47.740 you know, in trying to wrestle through the mind 00:20:47.740 --> 00:20:50.480 of entitlement, I begin to ask myself, what was 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:52.299 it that really caused him to come to himself? 00:20:53.799 --> 00:20:56.599 Was it the famine that I just mentioned? Was 00:20:56.599 --> 00:20:58.500 it the fact that he had spent all his inheritance 00:20:58.500 --> 00:21:01.839 and now he's broke? Might as well go home. Was 00:21:01.839 --> 00:21:04.500 it the reality that, you know, man, look at me, 00:21:04.539 --> 00:21:08.900 man. I'm eating with pigs. I'm sure to some degree 00:21:08.900 --> 00:21:10.740 it was a combination of all of that. But there's 00:21:10.740 --> 00:21:13.039 two statements that I believe are so telling, 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:15.539 particularly when it comes to entitlement. Verse 00:21:15.539 --> 00:21:18.819 14 tells us that when the famine hit, it says 00:21:18.819 --> 00:21:23.000 he began to be in want. In other words, he's 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:26.390 hungry. Now, no doubt the entitled mind right 00:21:26.390 --> 00:21:29.009 here would have began to whisper, man, I deserve 00:21:29.009 --> 00:21:32.269 to eat. I mean, I might have been a little rebellious, 00:21:32.269 --> 00:21:34.970 but come on, everyone deserves to eat, right? 00:21:36.390 --> 00:21:39.970 So what does he do? The text says he goes and 00:21:39.970 --> 00:21:42.190 he joins himself to a citizen of that country. 00:21:42.210 --> 00:21:46.190 Now, right here. Though this citizen is unnamed, 00:21:46.250 --> 00:21:48.750 which would seem to indicate his irrelevance, 00:21:48.789 --> 00:21:52.269 but beloved, I submit to you that what this unnamed 00:21:52.269 --> 00:21:55.349 citizen does right here could not be more relevant, 00:21:55.490 --> 00:21:58.569 could not be more crucial when it comes to dealing 00:21:58.569 --> 00:22:01.049 with the spirit of entitlement. When the younger 00:22:01.049 --> 00:22:03.609 brother joined himself to this unnamed citizen, 00:22:03.869 --> 00:22:06.190 guess what our text says the citizen made him 00:22:06.190 --> 00:22:11.970 do? He made him work. He put this young man to 00:22:11.970 --> 00:22:15.740 work. Oh, you're hungry? You want food? No problem, 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:19.279 big boy. You're going to work for it. No freebies 00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:23.960 here. The Bible says, and he sent him into his 00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:28.539 fields. That is powerful. Because remember now, 00:22:28.539 --> 00:22:31.200 I said entitled people always approach life as 00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:33.740 though people owe them something. They don't 00:22:33.740 --> 00:22:36.589 want to work for anything. There's something 00:22:36.589 --> 00:22:38.470 else more powerful, and here's what I personally 00:22:38.470 --> 00:22:40.470 believe really triggered the repentance. Verse 00:22:40.470 --> 00:22:43.109 16, and he would gladly have filled his stomach 00:22:43.109 --> 00:22:44.930 with the pods that the swine ate. Now listen 00:22:44.930 --> 00:22:50.369 to this, and no one gave him anything. Nada. 00:22:51.190 --> 00:22:57.150 Zilch. And you know how you deliver people from 00:22:57.150 --> 00:23:02.430 entitlement? Stop giving them stuff. Don't give 00:23:02.430 --> 00:23:05.769 them anything. Make them earn it. And what will 00:23:05.769 --> 00:23:07.910 happen is they will either repent and get set 00:23:07.910 --> 00:23:11.289 free or, you know, they'll pout, complain, and 00:23:11.289 --> 00:23:13.950 eventually they'll leave and expose their entitlement. 00:23:15.049 --> 00:23:17.069 It's one of the reasons it's so frustrating when 00:23:17.069 --> 00:23:19.069 people leave our churches and, you know, another 00:23:19.069 --> 00:23:22.109 church just gives them ministry before they barely 00:23:22.109 --> 00:23:24.910 even know their name. It's not only, you know, 00:23:24.930 --> 00:23:27.390 violating their own congregation, but they're 00:23:27.390 --> 00:23:31.289 also enabling a sense of entitlement, which then 00:23:31.289 --> 00:23:34.460 brings us to the elder brother. Let's read it. 00:23:34.460 --> 00:23:38.380 Verse 25. Now his older son was in the field. 00:23:38.579 --> 00:23:41.000 And as he came and drew near to the house, he 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:42.900 heard music and dancing. Now I want you to stop 00:23:42.900 --> 00:23:45.980 for a moment. Can you imagine if this were you 00:23:45.980 --> 00:23:48.779 right here? Let me help make it real for you. 00:23:49.079 --> 00:23:51.779 Have you ever been laboring and you look over 00:23:51.779 --> 00:23:55.180 and everybody else just standing around? Help 00:23:55.180 --> 00:23:57.960 me, disciple. I thought this was like all hands 00:23:57.960 --> 00:24:07.519 on deck. Not just all my hands, all hands. This 00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:10.359 is where the elder brother's at. So perhaps he 00:24:10.359 --> 00:24:13.279 began to wonder, man, did I miss something? Did 00:24:13.279 --> 00:24:15.579 I forget about somebody's birthday? Have I been 00:24:15.579 --> 00:24:19.299 working that hard that I somehow overlooked an 00:24:19.299 --> 00:24:23.000 important celebration? Or maybe he thought to 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:24.940 himself, you know what, man, it's about time. 00:24:25.140 --> 00:24:27.319 Folks are finally starting to recognize what 00:24:27.319 --> 00:24:30.779 I've been doing around here, man. I'm sure the 00:24:30.779 --> 00:24:33.279 reason I didn't know, it's a surprise party for 00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:40.799 me. But of course, not wanting to be wrong, he 00:24:40.799 --> 00:24:42.759 called one of the servants over and he asked, 00:24:42.859 --> 00:24:45.859 hey man, what's going on? And he said to him, 00:24:46.660 --> 00:24:49.759 your brother's come home. And because he has 00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:51.839 received him safe and sound, your father killed 00:24:51.839 --> 00:24:55.839 the fatted calf for him. But he was angry and 00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:58.710 would not go in. Therefore, his father came out, 00:24:58.730 --> 00:25:00.430 pleaded with him. He said to his father, lo, 00:25:00.529 --> 00:25:02.430 these many years I've been serving you. I've 00:25:02.430 --> 00:25:04.970 never transgressed your commandment at any time. 00:25:05.109 --> 00:25:09.049 And yet you never gave me a young goat. So here's 00:25:09.049 --> 00:25:11.269 the older brother. He's out in the field. He's 00:25:11.269 --> 00:25:13.930 been working, laboring. And in his mind, he's 00:25:13.930 --> 00:25:17.690 doing everything right. And yet not only are 00:25:17.690 --> 00:25:19.950 his actions not being celebrated, but to add 00:25:19.950 --> 00:25:23.349 insult to injury, the celebration that is taking 00:25:23.349 --> 00:25:26.549 place is for the guy that's done everything wrong. 00:25:27.809 --> 00:25:31.069 And the text says he's upset, man. He's irate. 00:25:31.730 --> 00:25:34.690 When the father comes out to find out what's 00:25:34.690 --> 00:25:37.549 going on, his anger is wrapped up in these four 00:25:37.549 --> 00:25:43.609 words. You never gave me. And there it is again, 00:25:43.789 --> 00:25:47.630 entitlement. See, whereas the younger brother 00:25:47.630 --> 00:25:50.910 said, give me, the older brother said, you never 00:25:50.910 --> 00:25:54.869 gave me. One brother wanted something he didn't 00:25:54.869 --> 00:25:57.960 deserve. The other, didn't get what he felt like 00:25:57.960 --> 00:26:02.140 he did deserve. And so the younger brother's 00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:04.819 entitlement was marked by a belief that he deserved 00:26:04.819 --> 00:26:08.380 something before it's time. The elder brother's 00:26:08.380 --> 00:26:11.619 entitlement was marked by the belief that he 00:26:11.619 --> 00:26:15.660 deserved something because of time, because of 00:26:15.660 --> 00:26:19.420 time served. Verse 29, the older brother said, 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:22.319 lo these many years, another translation, all 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:27.500 these years I've been serving you. I never transgressed 00:26:27.500 --> 00:26:29.220 your commandment and you never gave me. What 00:26:29.220 --> 00:26:32.940 he's saying is I never got what my serving deserves. 00:26:33.259 --> 00:26:37.339 You owe me, man. And as you read that, you're 00:26:37.339 --> 00:26:39.500 like, wait a minute, wait a minute. When did 00:26:39.500 --> 00:26:44.460 this become all about you? Oh, here you throw 00:26:44.460 --> 00:26:46.460 this party for this transgressor, but I never 00:26:46.460 --> 00:26:49.700 transgressed. You never did that for me. I've 00:26:49.700 --> 00:26:52.380 been stuck on this farm with you. I've been pulling 00:26:52.380 --> 00:26:55.910 my share and by the way, his share as well. Look 00:26:55.910 --> 00:26:58.589 how hard I work, how faithful I've been. And 00:26:58.589 --> 00:27:00.190 I want to tell you something. Listen, I could 00:27:00.190 --> 00:27:04.089 have left like he did, but I didn't. I pray, 00:27:04.210 --> 00:27:06.869 I outreach, I tithe, I come to church every week. 00:27:07.789 --> 00:27:09.849 Or, you know, I pastored three churches before 00:27:09.849 --> 00:27:13.250 they were even saved. And nobody seems to celebrate 00:27:13.250 --> 00:27:16.390 me around here. Nobody ever asked me to testify 00:27:16.390 --> 00:27:19.829 or give a report. Or I bet pastor doesn't even 00:27:19.829 --> 00:27:21.650 appreciate what I do. He certainly never shows 00:27:21.650 --> 00:27:25.440 it, never calls me. He always chooses somebody 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:30.940 else, less qualified I might add. I'm always 00:27:30.940 --> 00:27:33.680 overlooked, man. Today I hear people say silly 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:35.200 stuff like, you know, I'll just send myself out. 00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:40.920 Oh, really? See, his entitlement was produced, 00:27:41.019 --> 00:27:44.099 listen to me, his entitlement was produced by 00:27:44.099 --> 00:27:49.299 his longevity and his faithfulness. Let me ask 00:27:49.299 --> 00:27:52.099 you an honest question. Do you ever find yourself 00:27:52.099 --> 00:27:57.089 thinking like this? I have. Because this is also 00:27:57.089 --> 00:28:00.309 how entitlement works. It causes you and I to 00:28:00.309 --> 00:28:03.789 be spiritual scorekeepers in the house of God. 00:28:05.309 --> 00:28:08.289 Everything's got to be tallied up. Here's what 00:28:08.289 --> 00:28:12.390 I did. Here's what they didn't do. Here's my 00:28:12.390 --> 00:28:16.670 spiritual accomplishments. Where's theirs? Why 00:28:16.670 --> 00:28:22.599 are they getting what I deserve? Find yourself 00:28:22.599 --> 00:28:25.519 like the elder brother, full of complaints. Listen, 00:28:25.619 --> 00:28:27.779 your complaints point you to what you feel entitled 00:28:27.779 --> 00:28:31.539 to. Want to know what you're feeling? Just monitor 00:28:31.539 --> 00:28:33.839 your complaints. And the more you complain, the 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:36.960 more entitled you are. You know, it's possible. 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:39.359 You could have come to a conference like this, 00:28:39.420 --> 00:28:42.200 elder brother, and you're sitting here this morning 00:28:42.200 --> 00:28:44.440 convinced that you've been treated unfairly. 00:28:45.740 --> 00:28:49.059 You're sitting in disappointment, and your disappointment 00:28:49.059 --> 00:28:53.539 is not valid. It's not justified. This elder 00:28:53.539 --> 00:28:55.920 brother, his entitlement has caused him to become 00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:58.619 angry. You read it. He's jealous. He's bitter. 00:28:58.759 --> 00:29:01.519 He's got rejection issues. But you know, probably 00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:05.000 worse than all of that, his entitlement has caused 00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:08.920 him to become extremely self -righteous. I've 00:29:08.920 --> 00:29:12.440 been with you all these years. I've done everything 00:29:12.440 --> 00:29:15.920 you've asked me to do. But when this son of yours, 00:29:16.019 --> 00:29:18.839 not my brother, by the way, when this son of 00:29:18.839 --> 00:29:22.019 yours came, who has devoured your wealth with 00:29:22.019 --> 00:29:25.799 prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him. 00:29:26.779 --> 00:29:29.859 So think of this. First he says, this younger 00:29:29.859 --> 00:29:32.960 brother has done wrong. Now he's accusing the 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:36.339 father of doing wrong. But then look at what 00:29:36.339 --> 00:29:39.259 he says about himself. I've never done anything 00:29:39.259 --> 00:29:46.759 wrong. I've never transgressed. You know, as 00:29:46.759 --> 00:29:50.009 I've served God over these last... 22 plus years, 00:29:50.109 --> 00:29:53.130 I've come to understand that one of the finest 00:29:53.130 --> 00:29:57.150 lines in the gospel is the line between righteousness 00:29:57.150 --> 00:30:02.009 and self -righteousness. It is such a fine line, 00:30:02.089 --> 00:30:06.349 beloved. Notice the elder brother. He says to 00:30:06.349 --> 00:30:09.470 the father, you never gave me a young goat to 00:30:09.470 --> 00:30:12.549 celebrate with my friends. And I read that. I 00:30:12.549 --> 00:30:13.809 said, it's interesting. He didn't want to celebrate 00:30:13.809 --> 00:30:17.430 with the father. Because for him, it's not about 00:30:17.430 --> 00:30:21.509 the father. It's about him. Father, I don't want 00:30:21.509 --> 00:30:23.970 to celebrate with you, and I don't want to celebrate 00:30:23.970 --> 00:30:26.809 what you're celebrating. You know, the elder 00:30:26.809 --> 00:30:29.109 brother, in his mind, he's so righteous that 00:30:29.109 --> 00:30:32.170 he refuses to have any part in this celebration 00:30:32.170 --> 00:30:34.910 of this sinning little brother, never mind the 00:30:34.910 --> 00:30:37.450 fact that it's the father who is hosting the 00:30:37.450 --> 00:30:41.549 celebration. But evidently, he sees himself as 00:30:41.549 --> 00:30:44.630 even more righteous than the father. Listen, 00:30:44.730 --> 00:30:46.930 you know your righteousness has gone too far. 00:30:47.049 --> 00:30:49.890 You know your appeal for righteousness has crossed 00:30:49.890 --> 00:30:52.990 over to self -righteousness when you make yourself 00:30:52.990 --> 00:30:58.470 out to be even more righteous than God. Let's 00:30:58.470 --> 00:31:02.130 close and consider the cure. Cure for all that 00:31:02.130 --> 00:31:05.329 I have is yours. You know, we often come to this 00:31:05.329 --> 00:31:07.829 story and we refer to it as the parable of the 00:31:07.829 --> 00:31:11.210 prodigal son. And we say that we know in reference 00:31:11.210 --> 00:31:13.700 to the younger brother, but the... Parable is 00:31:13.700 --> 00:31:16.980 actually spoken to highlight the elder brother. 00:31:18.059 --> 00:31:20.819 If you know, just prior to Jesus telling these 00:31:20.819 --> 00:31:23.259 stories about the lost coin, the lost sheep, 00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:27.220 and the lost son, the Pharisees have just come 00:31:27.220 --> 00:31:29.599 to him, and they're looking at him. Jesus is 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:32.259 eating with these, what it says, tax collectors 00:31:32.259 --> 00:31:34.920 and sinners. That is the context. Listen, in 00:31:34.920 --> 00:31:37.720 verse 2, and the Pharisees and scribes complained. 00:31:38.829 --> 00:31:40.890 Remember, I told you your complaints point to 00:31:40.890 --> 00:31:44.029 your entitlements. They complained saying, this 00:31:44.029 --> 00:31:47.910 man receives sinners and he eats with them. So, 00:31:48.049 --> 00:31:51.089 the Bible says, Jesus spoke this parable to them. 00:31:51.950 --> 00:31:55.309 So, here's the context. The whole point in Jesus 00:31:55.309 --> 00:31:57.269 even telling this parable in the first place 00:31:57.269 --> 00:32:00.049 is because these Pharisees are coming to him 00:32:00.049 --> 00:32:02.650 and they're telling him, you're receiving sinners, 00:32:02.769 --> 00:32:05.650 you are associating with the wrong kind of people. 00:32:05.750 --> 00:32:09.390 It's the same mindset as the elder brother. And 00:32:09.390 --> 00:32:11.670 Jesus is saying to these Pharisees, through the 00:32:11.670 --> 00:32:15.150 elder brother, oh, they're the wrong kind of 00:32:15.150 --> 00:32:18.450 people? Oh, you think your brother is the worst 00:32:18.450 --> 00:32:22.769 kind of sinner? And Jesus says, well, let me 00:32:22.769 --> 00:32:26.269 show you what kind of people you are. Yes, your 00:32:26.269 --> 00:32:28.950 younger brother is entitled, but so are you. 00:32:30.250 --> 00:32:33.329 Oh, sure, his sin is outward and obvious, so 00:32:33.329 --> 00:32:36.269 everyone can see his sin. But listen, your sin 00:32:36.269 --> 00:32:40.960 is just as wicked. Only it's more hidden. It's 00:32:40.960 --> 00:32:44.119 concealed better. But make no mistake about it, 00:32:44.140 --> 00:32:47.460 you're both lost. He's lost in the far country, 00:32:47.519 --> 00:32:52.200 you're lost in the backyard. He's physically 00:32:52.200 --> 00:32:54.740 closer to the Father, or you're physically closer 00:32:54.740 --> 00:32:56.599 to the Father, but your heart is just as far 00:32:56.599 --> 00:33:00.259 away. His is outward rebellion, yours is inward 00:33:00.259 --> 00:33:05.400 resentment. You know, church, we pray often. 00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:07.920 for our prodigal sons and daughters as well we 00:33:07.920 --> 00:33:11.559 should do. We pray that our children never become 00:33:11.559 --> 00:33:14.400 prodigal. We pray that we never become prodigals. 00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:16.839 But you know, one of the things I also pray, 00:33:16.920 --> 00:33:19.480 especially as I get a few years under my belt, 00:33:19.519 --> 00:33:23.599 is that I never become an elder brother. Not 00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:27.000 in this sense. God, please don't let me become 00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:31.799 an elder brother. Why do I say that? Because 00:33:31.799 --> 00:33:34.700 in this story, it was the prodigal who got saved. 00:33:37.289 --> 00:33:40.990 The prodigal came home. The parable ends and 00:33:40.990 --> 00:33:44.230 the jury is still out on the elder brother. When 00:33:44.230 --> 00:33:46.289 the story ends, he's still outside the house 00:33:46.289 --> 00:33:48.990 and the implication is obvious there if you're 00:33:48.990 --> 00:33:53.349 willing to see it. Listen, I'm not casting stones. 00:33:53.509 --> 00:33:57.549 This is a temptation we all face. Oh, better 00:33:57.549 --> 00:33:59.470 believe there's been times I've had to examine 00:33:59.470 --> 00:34:03.269 myself. Am I acting like the elder brother right 00:34:03.269 --> 00:34:07.049 now? Is my attitude becoming that of an elder 00:34:07.049 --> 00:34:10.289 brother? Am I seeing glimpses of the elder brother 00:34:10.289 --> 00:34:14.190 in me? And that's where the Holy Spirit begins 00:34:14.190 --> 00:34:17.730 to work in us. Revealing things because the father 00:34:17.730 --> 00:34:19.969 loves both the younger and the elder brother 00:34:19.969 --> 00:34:23.050 equally. Can you say amen? God's heart is for 00:34:23.050 --> 00:34:27.570 sinners, period. And the loving father here is 00:34:27.570 --> 00:34:30.510 not giving either of these two brothers what 00:34:30.510 --> 00:34:34.929 they actually deserve. Psalm 103 .10, the Lord 00:34:34.929 --> 00:34:38.550 does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay 00:34:38.550 --> 00:34:42.989 us according to our iniquities. How many know 00:34:42.989 --> 00:34:46.809 everything we have is a gift? Salvation, the 00:34:46.809 --> 00:34:50.090 church, any ministry we might have, the fellows, 00:34:50.190 --> 00:34:53.389 it's all a gift. And the Father is the gift giver. 00:34:54.750 --> 00:34:58.170 James 1 .17, every good and perfect gift is from 00:34:58.170 --> 00:35:02.619 above coming down from the Father. You know, 00:35:02.639 --> 00:35:04.760 the moment you start seeing things as a right, 00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:08.840 you'll stop seeing them as a gift. And the moment 00:35:08.840 --> 00:35:11.639 you stop seeing things as a gift is the moment 00:35:11.639 --> 00:35:15.519 you begin to lose gratitude. And the only cure 00:35:15.519 --> 00:35:19.420 I know for entitlement is gratitude. We see this 00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:21.400 in the younger brother's repentance. Verse 21, 00:35:21.559 --> 00:35:23.960 and the younger son said, Father, I've sinned 00:35:23.960 --> 00:35:28.139 against heaven and I am no longer worthy to be 00:35:28.139 --> 00:35:30.380 called your son. Make me like one of your hired 00:35:30.380 --> 00:35:33.480 servants. See, he comes to realize he has no 00:35:33.480 --> 00:35:36.559 right to the blessing of the Father. He has nothing 00:35:36.559 --> 00:35:38.900 to offer the Father except for a life of service. 00:35:39.440 --> 00:35:41.940 What he's saying now, Father, you don't owe me 00:35:41.940 --> 00:35:45.739 anything. I am grateful for whatever you have 00:35:45.739 --> 00:35:50.260 for me. You know, I was reminded when I preached 00:35:50.260 --> 00:35:53.000 for the first time here at the Prescott Conference 00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:56.800 on a Thursday night. which in my mind was Pastor 00:35:56.800 --> 00:36:00.360 Tom Payne's slot. I had watched him for 16, 17 00:36:00.360 --> 00:36:03.760 years fill that slot, maybe Pastor Greg at one 00:36:03.760 --> 00:36:06.619 point. But it was COVID, and Pastor Greg had 00:36:06.619 --> 00:36:08.519 me preach, and I was, of course, very grateful, 00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:11.099 but I'll never forget. I finished preaching, 00:36:11.219 --> 00:36:14.300 and the first text message that I saw after I 00:36:14.300 --> 00:36:16.860 got back to my seat, I looked at my phone. It 00:36:16.860 --> 00:36:19.480 was from Pastor Payne. Now, you got to understand, 00:36:19.599 --> 00:36:22.210 this is the Pastor Payne. who were all praying 00:36:22.210 --> 00:36:24.590 to fully recover and get back behind this pulpit. 00:36:24.670 --> 00:36:27.769 Can you say amen? This is the Pastor Payne who 00:36:27.769 --> 00:36:31.750 was preaching when my wife got saved. It's the 00:36:31.750 --> 00:36:33.690 Pastor Payne, again, that I've been watching 00:36:33.690 --> 00:36:37.349 preach Thursday night, all my salvation. And 00:36:37.349 --> 00:36:39.969 so I come off the platform, I look at my phone, 00:36:40.090 --> 00:36:42.829 and there's the message from Pastor Payne. Excellent 00:36:42.829 --> 00:36:46.210 message, Tori. I'm thrilled that Generation Next 00:36:46.210 --> 00:36:50.570 has got it. I replied, I feel so out of my league. 00:36:50.920 --> 00:36:53.659 Pastor Payne said, join the club. We're all in 00:36:53.659 --> 00:36:56.280 over our heads. We're all punching above our 00:36:56.280 --> 00:37:05.079 weight. Yeah. What he was saying is that none 00:37:05.079 --> 00:37:07.739 of us deserve any of this. Can you say amen? 00:37:08.699 --> 00:37:10.639 He's saying, Tori, I don't deserve to be up there 00:37:10.639 --> 00:37:13.800 either. That's God's platform. That's God's pulpit. 00:37:15.420 --> 00:37:18.039 In our text, the father says to the other brother. 00:37:18.440 --> 00:37:23.659 All that I have is yours. All that I have. It's 00:37:23.659 --> 00:37:26.820 always God's. It's never ours. And that's the 00:37:26.820 --> 00:37:32.099 point. It's God's. He's sharing it with us. So 00:37:32.099 --> 00:37:33.760 if you're going to be grateful, you must get 00:37:33.760 --> 00:37:37.219 a revelation of spiritual inheritance. And the 00:37:37.219 --> 00:37:41.960 key is to always remain grateful. See, entitled 00:37:41.960 --> 00:37:44.900 people are ungrateful people. Why? Because you 00:37:44.900 --> 00:37:48.239 cannot be thankful. for what you feel entitled 00:37:48.239 --> 00:37:52.880 to. Saw a video about a man, he was trying to 00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:55.199 describe, you know, our first world lives of 00:37:55.199 --> 00:37:58.099 someone in an indigenous tribe. People without 00:37:58.099 --> 00:38:00.780 electricity, you know, people still living in 00:38:00.780 --> 00:38:02.480 the bush, so to speak. And he says, you know, 00:38:02.539 --> 00:38:04.619 you meet someone, they've never had electricity 00:38:04.619 --> 00:38:07.059 or what have you, and there they are, and you 00:38:07.059 --> 00:38:10.199 meet them. And so he says they just walk miles 00:38:10.199 --> 00:38:14.199 to a spring to get you some water. And so now 00:38:14.199 --> 00:38:15.900 they bring the water back, and they're talking 00:38:15.900 --> 00:38:17.900 to you, and they ask you, well, how far do you 00:38:17.900 --> 00:38:20.400 have to walk to get water? And you're like, well, 00:38:20.480 --> 00:38:23.059 you know, my bedroom's right here, and then I 00:38:23.059 --> 00:38:25.340 got a hallway, and the kitchen's over. I could 00:38:25.340 --> 00:38:30.380 just go to the bathroom. Oh, water comes into 00:38:30.380 --> 00:38:33.199 your home? And you're like, yeah, hot and water, 00:38:33.280 --> 00:38:35.480 you know, it comes through. It's called a sink, 00:38:35.599 --> 00:38:38.860 and it's just kind of got a knob. Oh, hot water? 00:38:39.579 --> 00:38:42.139 How do you get it hot? Do you have a fire, like, 00:38:42.179 --> 00:38:45.860 in your house? Yeah, we have a fire in our house, 00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:48.480 but that's really just for looks, especially 00:38:48.480 --> 00:38:52.739 if you live in Phoenix like me. But we have a 00:38:52.739 --> 00:38:54.239 fire in the house, but that's not how we get 00:38:54.239 --> 00:38:57.099 hot water. We have a hot water heater. Oh, so 00:38:57.099 --> 00:38:59.300 does the hot water heater keep you warm when 00:38:59.300 --> 00:39:02.780 it's cold? No, not really. That just keeps the 00:39:02.780 --> 00:39:05.860 water hot. We have what's called central air 00:39:05.860 --> 00:39:08.320 and heat. You know, we have a thermostat. What's 00:39:08.320 --> 00:39:10.780 a thermostat? What's like this thing on a wall 00:39:10.780 --> 00:39:13.260 that, you know, essentially tells you what temperature 00:39:13.260 --> 00:39:17.579 to be in the house? And they're like, huh? Wait, 00:39:17.639 --> 00:39:21.800 what? Oh, so you keep your food cold with the 00:39:21.800 --> 00:39:27.099 thermostat. No, we got this other box. It's different, 00:39:27.159 --> 00:39:29.659 man. It's different, you know. Because we don't 00:39:29.659 --> 00:39:32.400 want it to be that cold in the house, so we put 00:39:32.400 --> 00:39:34.760 the food in another box where we can make the 00:39:34.760 --> 00:39:37.739 temperature even colder. And they go, well, how 00:39:37.739 --> 00:39:40.039 do you keep your horses warm? With a thermostat? 00:39:41.099 --> 00:39:43.480 Now, I don't really have, like, horses or things 00:39:43.480 --> 00:39:47.260 like that. I have a car. What's a car? Well, 00:39:47.300 --> 00:39:48.860 it's this thing that we get in and it kind of 00:39:48.860 --> 00:39:50.300 takes you wherever you want to go. Where do you 00:39:50.300 --> 00:39:54.500 keep your car? In the garage. A garage? What's 00:39:54.500 --> 00:39:57.920 a garage? Well, it's kind of like a house, but 00:39:57.920 --> 00:40:05.840 for a car. You have a house for your car? And 00:40:05.840 --> 00:40:09.780 so you get the point. We have a lot to be thankful 00:40:09.780 --> 00:40:19.579 for. But, yeah. You know why we're not thankful? 00:40:20.539 --> 00:40:23.960 Because we have so much to be thankful for. Let 00:40:23.960 --> 00:40:26.900 me say that again. Do you know why so many of 00:40:26.900 --> 00:40:30.059 us are not thankful? Because we have too much 00:40:30.059 --> 00:40:34.179 to be thankful for. Our abundance has killed 00:40:34.179 --> 00:40:37.840 our gratitude. You ever go to Burger King, you're 00:40:37.840 --> 00:40:40.719 like, yeah, I want a burger, but I want it like 00:40:40.719 --> 00:40:44.219 without the bun. I want two onions, not three. 00:40:44.420 --> 00:40:46.380 Remove the pickles, half a slice with cheese. 00:40:46.440 --> 00:40:48.480 In fact, can you just go to McDonald's and get 00:40:48.480 --> 00:40:54.699 their burger and bring it over? See, church, 00:40:54.780 --> 00:40:56.420 we're not entitled because we have so little. 00:40:57.239 --> 00:40:59.719 We're entitled because we've been given so much. 00:41:01.039 --> 00:41:03.460 We see this in our text. The Father says to the 00:41:03.460 --> 00:41:08.260 Son, all that I have is yours. See, entitled 00:41:08.260 --> 00:41:10.219 people, you can give them literally everything 00:41:10.219 --> 00:41:12.320 and it doesn't matter. It still won't be enough. 00:41:13.659 --> 00:41:16.940 Because there's just simply no satisfying entitlement. 00:41:16.980 --> 00:41:19.420 That is why entitlement always leaves you empty. 00:41:22.570 --> 00:41:26.329 Don't ever stop being grateful. And this is so 00:41:26.329 --> 00:41:29.369 important, of course, for ourselves. But really 00:41:29.369 --> 00:41:31.949 what the parable shows us is that ingratitude 00:41:31.949 --> 00:41:35.590 will affect how we treat the lost. If we are 00:41:35.590 --> 00:41:38.150 ungrateful for all that God has done in our lives, 00:41:38.250 --> 00:41:40.590 all that he's done in our hearts, what the text 00:41:40.590 --> 00:41:43.909 says is somewhere we'll lose compassion for the 00:41:43.909 --> 00:41:47.369 prodigals of the world. Because entitlement blinds 00:41:47.369 --> 00:41:50.750 us not to just what we have, but also to what 00:41:50.750 --> 00:41:55.719 others need. Heard it said, but if you'll just 00:41:55.719 --> 00:41:58.980 remain grateful and humble, you can survive anything 00:41:58.980 --> 00:42:02.800 in the church. You can survive any personal violation, 00:42:03.059 --> 00:42:07.519 survive any injustice. But the moment you start 00:42:07.519 --> 00:42:12.460 thinking, I deserve better. I deserve more. I 00:42:12.460 --> 00:42:14.860 deserve what they got. Listen, you are on setting 00:42:14.860 --> 00:42:17.920 yourself on a course. Oh, you may never leave 00:42:17.920 --> 00:42:21.960 the house, but you'll just stand outside kind 00:42:21.960 --> 00:42:25.840 of with an attitude like this. All the while, 00:42:25.920 --> 00:42:29.199 prodigals are getting saved. Prodigals are making 00:42:29.199 --> 00:42:32.320 heaven their home. All the while, the father, 00:42:32.320 --> 00:42:34.440 son, listen, son, I'm going back in the house. 00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:38.000 You're welcome to come with me. You're welcome 00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:40.000 to come and join the party anytime you want. 00:42:40.579 --> 00:42:42.460 Listen, I love you, son, but you got to deal 00:42:42.460 --> 00:42:45.059 with this entitlement. It'll leave you empty. 00:42:48.280 --> 00:42:50.739 Listen, we are going to be incredibly blessed 00:42:50.739 --> 00:42:54.469 this week. We already were last night. I'm saying 00:42:54.469 --> 00:42:56.710 this because we want to posture ourselves to 00:42:56.710 --> 00:43:00.230 receive all that the Father has for us this week. 00:43:01.010 --> 00:43:03.789 We want to leave this place full, not empty. 00:43:04.650 --> 00:43:08.570 Full, full of what God has for us. But if you 00:43:08.570 --> 00:43:10.909 hold on to your entitlement, you're going to 00:43:10.909 --> 00:43:14.050 miss the blessing. All that the Father has for 00:43:14.050 --> 00:43:17.789 you this week, you'll absolutely miss it. Don't 00:43:17.789 --> 00:43:20.210 let that be you. Don't let that be you. That's 00:43:20.210 --> 00:43:25.329 all I have. Thank you for listening to the PHSAA 00:43:25.329 --> 00:43:27.849 Potter's House Salmon Arm podcast. Be sure to 00:43:27.849 --> 00:43:30.110 follow us on Instagram at pottershouse underscore 00:43:30.110 --> 00:43:32.510 salmon arm to keep up to date on what we are 00:43:32.510 --> 00:43:34.690 doing. Join the conversation and discover how 00:43:34.690 --> 00:43:37.429 Jesus Christ can revolutionize your life.