1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,900 He's glorious. 2 00:00:06,900 --> 00:00:13,780 Behold the one who has come to life. 3 00:00:13,780 --> 00:00:15,740 Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. 4 00:00:15,740 --> 00:00:17,780 To get connected or to give online, 5 00:00:17,780 --> 00:00:23,680 you can go to connect.hcv.church or give.hcv.church. 6 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:25,660 If at any time during this message 7 00:00:25,660 --> 00:00:28,300 you feel called to make a change in your life, 8 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:33,060 text changeme to 970-00. 9 00:00:33,060 --> 00:00:34,760 Thank you and enjoy the message. 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,200 Hey, good morning, everyone. 11 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:38,640 Hey, great response. 12 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:39,740 It's good to see everyone. 13 00:00:39,740 --> 00:00:40,740 So glad you're here. 14 00:00:40,740 --> 00:00:41,840 If you're joining us from home, 15 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:44,540 thank you for welcoming us into your space. 16 00:00:44,540 --> 00:00:48,020 It's hard to believe, but it is March. 17 00:00:48,020 --> 00:00:51,240 2024 is quickly passing us by. 18 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:55,180 And think about it, now that winter has come and gone, 19 00:00:55,180 --> 00:00:56,480 I want to pause for a minute. 20 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:57,480 This is very important. 21 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:02,460 And we do it every year to deal with lost and found. 22 00:01:02,460 --> 00:01:06,460 I mean, over the winter months, we always accumulate stuff 23 00:01:06,460 --> 00:01:08,300 and we've collected tons of things 24 00:01:08,300 --> 00:01:11,540 and we've got to get it back to the people that it belongs to. 25 00:01:11,540 --> 00:01:14,200 Is that okay if we do that for a minute? 26 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,540 For example, I got some party cake peeps. 27 00:01:17,540 --> 00:01:19,780 I mean, whose do these belong to? 28 00:01:19,780 --> 00:01:22,580 Does anybody, anybody need peeps? 29 00:01:22,580 --> 00:01:23,580 Peeps? 30 00:01:23,580 --> 00:01:26,220 Don't put your hand up if they're not yours. 31 00:01:26,220 --> 00:01:27,220 Claim them. 32 00:01:27,220 --> 00:01:29,500 Oh, this has got to be a guy's. 33 00:01:29,500 --> 00:01:32,100 I got a super pack of dude wipes. 34 00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:35,860 Oh, there we go. 35 00:01:35,860 --> 00:01:36,860 Wow. 36 00:01:36,860 --> 00:01:44,940 Oh, are you kidding me? 37 00:01:44,940 --> 00:01:47,140 Assistant pastor for dummies? 38 00:01:47,140 --> 00:01:48,140 Rudy. 39 00:01:48,140 --> 00:01:55,740 You're supposed to be reading the Bible, bro. 40 00:01:55,740 --> 00:01:58,100 Oh my goodness. 41 00:01:58,100 --> 00:01:59,700 I mean, look at this. 42 00:01:59,700 --> 00:02:00,700 All right. 43 00:02:00,700 --> 00:02:04,780 What daughter or young girl has a pink unicorn? 44 00:02:04,780 --> 00:02:09,340 Oh, Matt Breeden. 45 00:02:09,340 --> 00:02:10,340 That's yours? 46 00:02:10,340 --> 00:02:13,340 Oh my goodness. 47 00:02:13,340 --> 00:02:21,300 Man, you learn a lot about people in the lost and found, right? 48 00:02:21,300 --> 00:02:25,220 An instructional guide to the art of lip syncing 49 00:02:25,220 --> 00:02:31,060 and making people think you can actually sing. 50 00:02:31,060 --> 00:02:40,340 And this is my staff. 51 00:02:40,340 --> 00:02:43,980 Like seriously. 52 00:02:43,980 --> 00:02:44,980 Hot sauce. 53 00:02:44,980 --> 00:02:49,660 I mean, who brings hot sauce to church? 54 00:02:49,660 --> 00:02:50,660 Lance? 55 00:02:50,660 --> 00:02:53,980 No, no, don't do it. 56 00:02:53,980 --> 00:02:54,980 Oh, oh. 57 00:02:54,980 --> 00:02:55,980 Wow. 58 00:02:55,980 --> 00:03:06,740 I mean, I got several more, but I'm going to pause there because I think we've seen enough. 59 00:03:06,740 --> 00:03:09,300 Like these items are lost. 60 00:03:09,300 --> 00:03:10,700 Think about it. 61 00:03:10,700 --> 00:03:12,040 And then they're found. 62 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,540 And when they're found, what does that bring to the house? 63 00:03:15,540 --> 00:03:16,540 Excitement. 64 00:03:16,540 --> 00:03:17,540 Excitement. 65 00:03:17,540 --> 00:03:21,980 Everyone look at your neighbor and say, welcome home. 66 00:03:21,980 --> 00:03:29,380 Now look at the neighbors you ignored and say, welcome home. 67 00:03:29,380 --> 00:03:30,380 That's it. 68 00:03:30,380 --> 00:03:36,060 So today, this morning specifically, we're kicking off a new series here at HTV entitled 69 00:03:36,060 --> 00:03:37,720 Homecoming. 70 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:43,420 And for the month of March leading up to Easter, we'll be focusing on what is possibly Jesus's 71 00:03:43,420 --> 00:03:46,100 most well known parables. 72 00:03:46,100 --> 00:03:50,260 And it's parables that focus on homecomings. 73 00:03:50,260 --> 00:03:54,780 Now the brilliance of these parables is lost to many of us because we've heard them so 74 00:03:54,780 --> 00:03:56,420 many times. 75 00:03:56,420 --> 00:04:02,660 These stories are so iconic that people who are not even associated with church know or 76 00:04:02,660 --> 00:04:09,140 can put language to these stories, as is in the case with many of Jesus's parables. 77 00:04:09,140 --> 00:04:17,340 However, because it's so familiar, many people lose sight of how amazing these parables truly 78 00:04:17,340 --> 00:04:18,340 are. 79 00:04:18,340 --> 00:04:25,420 What makes these and several others of Jesus's parables so amazing is that we can find ourselves 80 00:04:25,420 --> 00:04:27,740 in each one. 81 00:04:27,740 --> 00:04:33,140 Now let me preface this like a good movie or a good book, we're all tempted to identify 82 00:04:33,140 --> 00:04:38,900 with the hero in the story, but just let me tell you now, you and I are not the heroes 83 00:04:38,900 --> 00:04:40,500 of these stories. 84 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:45,540 Although we want to be, and there's something inspiring about being the hero of the story, 85 00:04:45,540 --> 00:04:50,420 quite often we associate more with the different characters that we're going to be reading 86 00:04:50,420 --> 00:04:52,060 about this morning. 87 00:04:52,060 --> 00:04:56,940 And if we're honest with ourselves, many of us will discover that over the course of our 88 00:04:56,940 --> 00:05:03,100 lives, okay, we have actually been all of the characters in these parables. 89 00:05:03,100 --> 00:05:06,060 And here is the challenge for you this morning. 90 00:05:06,060 --> 00:05:08,380 Be honest with yourself. 91 00:05:08,380 --> 00:05:14,660 Find yourself in these parables because that's why Jesus taught in stories so that we can 92 00:05:14,660 --> 00:05:17,900 identify with them and live in them. 93 00:05:17,900 --> 00:05:23,580 Now if you're here this morning and you're not in a relationship with Jesus, no worries 94 00:05:23,580 --> 00:05:28,300 because when Jesus told these parables, there was no church. 95 00:05:28,300 --> 00:05:31,540 There was no term Christian. 96 00:05:31,540 --> 00:05:37,420 These stories were meant for everyone to find their place in them. 97 00:05:37,420 --> 00:05:41,620 So this is a judgment free zone, no judgment here. 98 00:05:41,620 --> 00:05:46,580 I just want to challenge you to listen and find yourself, which leads us to our first 99 00:05:46,580 --> 00:05:47,580 thought. 100 00:05:47,580 --> 00:05:50,340 See, Jesus pursues sinners. 101 00:05:50,340 --> 00:05:55,140 So we're going to dive in to Luke's gospel in Luke chapter 15 verses one through two. 102 00:05:55,140 --> 00:06:03,380 We read tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 103 00:06:03,380 --> 00:06:05,620 Now just pause right there for a second. 104 00:06:05,620 --> 00:06:08,000 This is a remarkable statement. 105 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:13,900 The worst of the worst is attracted to the best of the best. 106 00:06:13,900 --> 00:06:19,100 And I believe that if you're in a relationship with Jesus, this should make all of us look 107 00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:24,560 in the mirror and ask, how are we missing the mark? 108 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:31,260 Because something about Jesus was so attractive that people who were nothing like him, liked 109 00:06:31,260 --> 00:06:33,020 him, right? 110 00:06:33,020 --> 00:06:39,340 People who were nothing like him enjoyed coming and following and listening to him speak. 111 00:06:39,340 --> 00:06:40,580 Think about this. 112 00:06:40,580 --> 00:06:46,460 Tax collectors were so hated and despised that the sinners didn't even want to associate 113 00:06:46,460 --> 00:06:47,460 with them. 114 00:06:47,460 --> 00:06:51,580 Okay, tax collectors had their own category of bad. 115 00:06:51,580 --> 00:06:56,580 They were the worst of the worst, traitors to their nation, traitors to the people and 116 00:06:56,580 --> 00:06:59,260 traitors to the Jewish faith. 117 00:06:59,260 --> 00:07:04,940 Now sinners, they were people who were outside of God's blessing, either because of their 118 00:07:04,940 --> 00:07:10,700 jobs, which made them ceremonial, unclean and outside the acceptance of formal religion, 119 00:07:10,700 --> 00:07:17,060 or they simply are making bad choices in life, which caused them to be labeled sinners. 120 00:07:17,060 --> 00:07:22,700 And these people all were gathering around Jesus to listen to him speak. 121 00:07:22,700 --> 00:07:25,360 So Jesus attracted the sinners. 122 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:30,140 So if you're in a relationship with God this morning, ask yourself, do I attract sinners? 123 00:07:30,140 --> 00:07:35,800 Are there people drawn to me because of my relationship with Jesus or because I like 124 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:37,860 to sin too much? 125 00:07:37,860 --> 00:07:38,860 It's both and. 126 00:07:38,860 --> 00:07:40,220 But let's continue. 127 00:07:40,220 --> 00:07:42,540 It doesn't end there. 128 00:07:42,540 --> 00:07:49,780 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with 129 00:07:49,780 --> 00:07:53,260 such sinful people, even eating with them. 130 00:07:53,260 --> 00:07:56,580 Now in the NIV, I wanted to show you this translation. 131 00:07:56,580 --> 00:08:01,260 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathered around to hear Jesus, but the Pharisees 132 00:08:01,260 --> 00:08:07,880 and teachers of the law muttered, this man welcome sinners and eats with them. 133 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:14,460 Now we must remember Pharisees and teachers of the law were religious leaders, right? 134 00:08:14,460 --> 00:08:19,100 That taught the Torah based on their interpretation of the Torah. 135 00:08:19,100 --> 00:08:23,940 And they believed they had gotten it right in their life and they had God's favor on 136 00:08:23,940 --> 00:08:25,020 them. 137 00:08:25,020 --> 00:08:29,220 They believed that they were the spokesmen from God to the people and represented the 138 00:08:29,220 --> 00:08:31,560 people to Rome at this time. 139 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:37,060 So they are also in this crowd, okay, with the tax collectors and the sinners. 140 00:08:37,060 --> 00:08:42,620 And they are realizing that, wait a minute, all the wrong people are showing up to hear 141 00:08:42,620 --> 00:08:44,300 this man teach. 142 00:08:44,300 --> 00:08:46,100 So they began to mutter. 143 00:08:46,100 --> 00:08:49,300 And that's just such a great term, isn't it? 144 00:08:49,300 --> 00:08:51,660 Mutter, mutter, mutter, mutter. 145 00:08:51,660 --> 00:08:57,420 I think we got to bring that back to our culture. 146 00:08:57,420 --> 00:08:58,900 And what were they muttering? 147 00:08:58,900 --> 00:09:00,740 This is what they would be muttering. 148 00:09:00,740 --> 00:09:06,520 If this man is from God, why is he not spending time with us godly people? 149 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:11,220 He doesn't even invite us to be a part of his teachings. 150 00:09:11,220 --> 00:09:13,940 He doesn't even want us to over for dinner. 151 00:09:13,940 --> 00:09:20,140 And this was baffling to them because we must remember that eating with someone or a certain 152 00:09:20,140 --> 00:09:24,980 group of people during this time period, it meant something, right? 153 00:09:24,980 --> 00:09:28,000 Having dinner was not just a formal event. 154 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:33,460 It was considered a legitimate encounter between people. 155 00:09:33,460 --> 00:09:39,420 And the biggest issue that these religious people had with Jesus was when, hey, Jesus, 156 00:09:39,420 --> 00:09:45,700 when are you going to tell these sinners, these outcasts that they're doing it all wrong? 157 00:09:45,700 --> 00:09:48,940 Well, when are you going to call them out on their sins? 158 00:09:48,940 --> 00:09:53,180 When are you going to tell them they're outside of God's blessing? 159 00:09:53,180 --> 00:09:57,060 When are you going to label and point your finger about each of their sins and tell them 160 00:09:57,060 --> 00:09:58,820 to change? 161 00:09:58,820 --> 00:10:03,900 But here's the reality, as it turns out, both of these groups of people, both the sinners 162 00:10:03,900 --> 00:10:08,460 and the religious establishment, were both confused about God. 163 00:10:08,460 --> 00:10:14,020 In fact, both groups were suffering from the same confusion. 164 00:10:14,020 --> 00:10:19,500 Both of these groups were confused about how God views sinners. 165 00:10:19,500 --> 00:10:22,660 And Jesus wants to help them get it right. 166 00:10:22,660 --> 00:10:25,700 And he wants to help us get it right as well. 167 00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:27,140 Because here's the reality. 168 00:10:27,140 --> 00:10:33,840 At some point this past week, and for some of you even this morning, you and I sinned. 169 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:35,180 That's the reality. 170 00:10:35,180 --> 00:10:38,620 Whether knowingly or unknowingly, we sinned. 171 00:10:38,620 --> 00:10:44,160 And when we begin to recognize this truth, that we can't fix ourselves, that we can't 172 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:50,900 help ourselves, listen, there's not enough TED Talks, Oprah interviews, or podcasts that 173 00:10:50,900 --> 00:10:53,420 can fix our brokenness. 174 00:10:53,420 --> 00:10:59,420 It's when we realize that without God, we are lost, that's when everything changes. 175 00:10:59,420 --> 00:11:06,020 So Jesus, he goes on to tell this group of people three stories about a lost sheep, say 176 00:11:06,020 --> 00:11:12,900 lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. 177 00:11:12,900 --> 00:11:17,940 A lost sheep, there you go. 178 00:11:17,940 --> 00:11:23,540 A lost coin, flip it up, and a lost son. 179 00:11:23,540 --> 00:11:26,940 And what is Jesus trying to communicate to us? 180 00:11:26,940 --> 00:11:28,140 Here's the reality. 181 00:11:28,140 --> 00:11:33,700 Jesus is simply trying to speak to the state of humanity. 182 00:11:33,700 --> 00:11:35,660 That we are all lost. 183 00:11:35,660 --> 00:11:40,000 That our default settings are not people who are found. 184 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,740 Our default settings is we are lost. 185 00:11:42,740 --> 00:11:44,700 So look around the room. 186 00:11:44,700 --> 00:11:45,700 Look all around. 187 00:11:45,700 --> 00:11:46,700 Turn your heads. 188 00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:47,700 Look around the room. 189 00:11:47,700 --> 00:11:48,700 Find someone you don't know. 190 00:11:48,700 --> 00:11:50,620 There are only two groups of people in this room. 191 00:11:50,620 --> 00:11:52,260 It's not young and old. 192 00:11:52,260 --> 00:11:53,860 It's not male and female. 193 00:11:53,860 --> 00:11:59,820 There's two groups of people in this room, lost and found. 194 00:11:59,820 --> 00:12:04,740 And this is the only groups of people that we will ever meet. 195 00:12:04,740 --> 00:12:07,100 Lost and found people. 196 00:12:07,100 --> 00:12:13,820 And in these three stories that are all connected, Jesus is letting us know that he is obsessed 197 00:12:13,820 --> 00:12:15,460 with lost people. 198 00:12:15,460 --> 00:12:20,380 He is obsessed with people who are lost and do not know their way. 199 00:12:20,380 --> 00:12:26,500 And we know this because we read in Luke 19 10, Jesus' mission statement of why he came 200 00:12:26,500 --> 00:12:27,980 from heaven to earth. 201 00:12:27,980 --> 00:12:34,500 The son of man can to seek and save those who are lost. 202 00:12:34,500 --> 00:12:40,740 He did not come just to save the lost, but to seek and save the lost. 203 00:12:40,740 --> 00:12:45,180 See it's one thing to save them, but it's a whole other thing to actively be looking 204 00:12:45,180 --> 00:12:47,480 for people who are lost. 205 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:55,040 Now I personally never get lost, but I do remember a time that I lost someone that was 206 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,420 extra special to Jess and I. 207 00:12:57,420 --> 00:12:58,420 It was a Monday. 208 00:12:58,420 --> 00:13:02,060 Of course Mondays are our days off if anybody wants to know. 209 00:13:02,060 --> 00:13:04,180 And we were in Syracuse at the time. 210 00:13:04,180 --> 00:13:08,100 And quite often when we were in Syracuse living there, we took our kids to the zoo. 211 00:13:08,100 --> 00:13:09,100 The Syracuse zoo was wonderful. 212 00:13:09,100 --> 00:13:11,260 It was a giant circle. 213 00:13:11,260 --> 00:13:14,540 So we would go later in the morning, do a complete lap. 214 00:13:14,540 --> 00:13:17,900 And just before lunch, go and take the kids home, get them lunch. 215 00:13:17,900 --> 00:13:21,500 And then they were young enough that we put them down for a nap. 216 00:13:21,500 --> 00:13:23,000 So it was approaching lunch. 217 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:24,480 We had finished the lap. 218 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:29,740 We had just looked at the red pandas, which happened to be my kids' favorites. 219 00:13:29,740 --> 00:13:32,060 Or actually I think the penguins were last. 220 00:13:32,060 --> 00:13:38,220 And as we were going into the exit area, like the auditorium, we began to, Jess and I were 221 00:13:38,220 --> 00:13:42,260 talking with one another and we actually ran into somebody that we knew. 222 00:13:42,260 --> 00:13:47,300 In our conversation, we had lost what the kids were doing. 223 00:13:47,300 --> 00:13:53,300 Quickly as we began to look around, we realized, uh oh, we only have two children, but we brought 224 00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:56,800 three. 225 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:00,540 And the one that was missing was named Trinity. 226 00:14:00,540 --> 00:14:04,020 Now this shouldn't be a surprise to those of you that know her because she just goes 227 00:14:04,020 --> 00:14:07,140 her own path and she's really good at it. 228 00:14:07,140 --> 00:14:10,200 Well, Trinity decided she wasn't ready for lunch. 229 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:16,980 So she hooked onto another family and did another lap. 230 00:14:16,980 --> 00:14:21,980 Jess and I quickly realizing that you lost the child. 231 00:14:21,980 --> 00:14:24,420 I went one way by the penguins. 232 00:14:24,420 --> 00:14:26,020 Jess went the other way towards the elephants. 233 00:14:26,020 --> 00:14:27,240 We knew it was in a circle. 234 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,820 We would hopefully find her somewhere. 235 00:14:29,820 --> 00:14:33,420 We began running, searching Trinity, Trinity, Trinity. 236 00:14:33,420 --> 00:14:35,320 I never found her. 237 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:41,740 But as I began to make the turn to go the other way, Jess comes walking towards me with 238 00:14:41,740 --> 00:14:44,660 Trinity in her hand. 239 00:14:44,660 --> 00:14:50,420 Now the crazy thing is I still remember Trinity's face, the look on her face wondering, hey, 240 00:14:50,420 --> 00:14:52,860 what did I do wrong? 241 00:14:52,860 --> 00:14:55,780 I was just going to see the animals hooked onto another family. 242 00:14:55,780 --> 00:14:56,780 No big deal. 243 00:14:56,780 --> 00:15:02,620 Even though her mom and dad almost had a heart attack. 244 00:15:02,620 --> 00:15:08,820 But there was one thing I did not say during this whole situation. 245 00:15:08,820 --> 00:15:16,060 I never looked at my wife and said, well, at least I have two other kids. 246 00:15:16,060 --> 00:15:21,260 We're good. 247 00:15:21,260 --> 00:15:24,920 Those words never came out of my mouth. 248 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:30,100 And I tell you that because that puts the parable of a lost sheep into a completely 249 00:15:30,100 --> 00:15:33,620 different context for you and I, which leads us to our next thought. 250 00:15:33,620 --> 00:15:37,620 See God loves humanity uniquely. 251 00:15:37,620 --> 00:15:38,860 Luke 15 through seven. 252 00:15:38,860 --> 00:15:40,140 So Jesus told them this story. 253 00:15:40,140 --> 00:15:44,780 If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? 254 00:15:44,780 --> 00:15:49,300 Won't he leave the 99 others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost 255 00:15:49,300 --> 00:15:50,500 until he finds it? 256 00:15:50,500 --> 00:15:54,720 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 257 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:59,260 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors saying, rejoice with 258 00:15:59,260 --> 00:16:00,260 me. 259 00:16:00,260 --> 00:16:03,360 I have found my lost sheep in the same way. 260 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:07,860 There is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than 261 00:16:07,860 --> 00:16:12,660 over the 99 others who are righteous and haven't strayed away. 262 00:16:12,660 --> 00:16:19,220 Now if you're anything like me, our natural reaction to this parable is it's just one 263 00:16:19,220 --> 00:16:20,220 sheep. 264 00:16:20,220 --> 00:16:25,220 I mean, you have a hundred, heck, you can lose nine more and still have 90. 265 00:16:25,220 --> 00:16:27,180 You're good. 266 00:16:27,180 --> 00:16:33,820 It's no big deal, but the reason that we can think that way is because they're not our 267 00:16:33,820 --> 00:16:38,300 sheep and we're not their shepherd. 268 00:16:38,300 --> 00:16:44,340 But see when we suddenly put it into the context of the story that I just told you about Trinity, 269 00:16:44,340 --> 00:16:50,100 when we make it about our kids, like Jess and I experienced losing her in the zoo, guess 270 00:16:50,100 --> 00:16:51,100 what? 271 00:16:51,100 --> 00:16:53,060 Everything changes. 272 00:16:53,060 --> 00:16:59,420 Even though I had two other kids, one was lost and we did everything in our power to 273 00:16:59,420 --> 00:17:00,980 find that one. 274 00:17:00,980 --> 00:17:05,540 And friends, that's how God feels about you this morning. 275 00:17:05,540 --> 00:17:09,300 It doesn't matter that he loves everyone. 276 00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:16,220 He loves you uniquely and he will do whatever he has to do and whatever lengths he needs 277 00:17:16,220 --> 00:17:18,480 to go to, to find you. 278 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:20,260 This is what matters. 279 00:17:20,260 --> 00:17:23,860 That is why the shepherd leaves the 99 to find the one. 280 00:17:23,860 --> 00:17:29,780 That sheep had a name and it means something to the shepherd and he will do whatever he 281 00:17:29,780 --> 00:17:32,300 has to do to find the one. 282 00:17:32,300 --> 00:17:38,620 Listen, the most powerful thing that you can hear this morning is that God doesn't love 283 00:17:38,620 --> 00:17:40,260 us equally. 284 00:17:40,260 --> 00:17:42,440 He loves us uniquely. 285 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:44,460 He doesn't love us equally. 286 00:17:44,460 --> 00:17:46,460 He loves us uniquely. 287 00:17:46,460 --> 00:17:50,860 And until you get that revelation, friends, you will simply think that you're just another 288 00:17:50,860 --> 00:17:51,860 sheep. 289 00:17:51,860 --> 00:17:53,500 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 290 00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:54,500 God loves me. 291 00:17:54,500 --> 00:17:57,660 I hear it all the time from all the churches. 292 00:17:57,660 --> 00:18:05,260 Listen, I'm trying to tell you, he will leave the 99 to find you. 293 00:18:05,260 --> 00:18:10,500 He loves you uniquely with all your quirks and all your wrinkles and all your mistakes. 294 00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:17,620 I mean, why do you think there's not a single person on this planet that has the same fingerprint? 295 00:18:17,620 --> 00:18:20,160 Because you are unique. 296 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:24,940 Because God loves each of us uniquely and he will do whatever he has to do to find the 297 00:18:24,940 --> 00:18:25,940 one. 298 00:18:25,940 --> 00:18:33,420 And friends, he is looking for a church, HCV, that will go and find the one. 299 00:18:33,420 --> 00:18:38,660 Because see, when the shepherd, notice he goes and finds the one, what's he do? 300 00:18:38,660 --> 00:18:40,140 He picks that sheep up. 301 00:18:40,140 --> 00:18:44,660 He puts it over his shoulders and he carries that sheep home. 302 00:18:44,660 --> 00:18:47,340 And do you know why he had to carry that sheep home? 303 00:18:47,340 --> 00:18:50,140 Because sheep don't know how to find their way home. 304 00:18:50,140 --> 00:18:53,780 Yes, it's true that God loves you uniquely. 305 00:18:53,780 --> 00:18:55,800 Okay, I agree with that. 306 00:18:55,800 --> 00:19:01,620 But there are similarities, unfortunately, between sheep and all of us in this room. 307 00:19:01,620 --> 00:19:02,740 So no offense here. 308 00:19:02,740 --> 00:19:03,900 I'm not trying to insult you. 309 00:19:03,900 --> 00:19:07,940 Remember, this is Jesus comparing us to sheep. 310 00:19:07,940 --> 00:19:11,180 And sheep think they are smarter than they really are. 311 00:19:11,180 --> 00:19:13,180 They really do. 312 00:19:13,180 --> 00:19:15,220 But they need someone to guide them. 313 00:19:15,220 --> 00:19:17,740 They need someone to protect them because they don't have teeth. 314 00:19:17,740 --> 00:19:20,780 They don't have any defensive mechanisms. 315 00:19:20,780 --> 00:19:23,260 Sheep can get lost easily. 316 00:19:23,260 --> 00:19:25,120 They just wander off. 317 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:27,220 Sheep stink. 318 00:19:27,220 --> 00:19:28,220 That's the Bible. 319 00:19:28,220 --> 00:19:30,220 That's not me. 320 00:19:30,220 --> 00:19:34,460 Sheep, they have a lot of fear and anxiety. 321 00:19:34,460 --> 00:19:38,100 Did you know that sheep can be scared of other sheep in the herd? 322 00:19:38,100 --> 00:19:45,060 Heck, sheep can even scare themselves when they drink water and they see the reflection. 323 00:19:45,060 --> 00:19:50,220 And then when sheep go to drink when they're thirsty, they can go to get a drink of water. 324 00:19:50,220 --> 00:19:55,880 And if they drink from a stream that's running too quickly, the sheep literally can get carried 325 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,260 away by the current because they're too busy drinking. 326 00:19:59,260 --> 00:20:02,580 They're drinking and swimming at the same time and end up drowning. 327 00:20:02,580 --> 00:20:05,700 They don't even know it. 328 00:20:05,700 --> 00:20:10,140 The thing that was supposed to quench their thirst is the same thing that carries them 329 00:20:10,140 --> 00:20:11,780 away. 330 00:20:11,780 --> 00:20:13,620 And here's the reality. 331 00:20:13,620 --> 00:20:15,860 Same goes for us. 332 00:20:15,860 --> 00:20:21,260 Could be a relationship, could be a job, could be a career, could be a habit, could be an 333 00:20:21,260 --> 00:20:28,620 addiction, something that we thought was going to quench our thirst now has carried us away 334 00:20:28,620 --> 00:20:31,740 from what is the most important thing in this world. 335 00:20:31,740 --> 00:20:35,260 And that is our relationship with Jesus. 336 00:20:35,260 --> 00:20:38,260 Sheep need to drink from still water. 337 00:20:38,260 --> 00:20:41,500 And I want to encourage you, if you're in a relationship with God this morning, you're 338 00:20:41,500 --> 00:20:44,540 guided by a shepherd that leads us to peaceful streams. 339 00:20:44,540 --> 00:20:46,060 Look at Psalm 23. 340 00:20:46,060 --> 00:20:47,860 The Lord is my shepherd. 341 00:20:47,860 --> 00:20:49,100 I have all that I need. 342 00:20:49,100 --> 00:20:51,620 He lets me rest in green meadows. 343 00:20:51,620 --> 00:20:54,660 He leads me beside peaceful streams. 344 00:20:54,660 --> 00:20:56,800 He renews my strength. 345 00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:01,020 He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name. 346 00:21:01,020 --> 00:21:05,100 See, sheep get lost because they don't know how to find their way home. 347 00:21:05,100 --> 00:21:07,460 They need someone to carry them home. 348 00:21:07,460 --> 00:21:11,380 It's one thing to be lost like a sheep because when you're lost like a sheep, you know you're 349 00:21:11,380 --> 00:21:14,500 lost but you just don't know how to get home. 350 00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:17,140 But it's another thing to get lost like a coin. 351 00:21:17,140 --> 00:21:20,020 See some people are lost like a sheep. 352 00:21:20,020 --> 00:21:22,940 They just need someone to go and get them, take them home. 353 00:21:22,940 --> 00:21:27,500 But the reason Jesus tells the parable about the coin is there is a difference between 354 00:21:27,500 --> 00:21:30,300 sheep and coins being lost. 355 00:21:30,300 --> 00:21:31,620 I mean think about it. 356 00:21:31,620 --> 00:21:35,580 If you're looking for a sheep, all you have to do is listen for. 357 00:21:35,580 --> 00:21:37,980 That's it. 358 00:21:37,980 --> 00:21:40,380 You're going to find the sheep. 359 00:21:40,380 --> 00:21:46,100 The problem with being lost like a coin is you don't know you're lost. 360 00:21:46,100 --> 00:21:48,300 See coins don't know they're lost. 361 00:21:48,300 --> 00:21:52,620 A coin doesn't make a noise when it's lost, which leads us to our next thought. 362 00:21:52,620 --> 00:21:57,180 See humanity was created in the image of God. 363 00:21:57,180 --> 00:22:01,780 Look at Luke 15, 8 through 10, suppose a woman has 10 silver coins and loses one. 364 00:22:01,780 --> 00:22:06,860 Won't she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds 365 00:22:06,860 --> 00:22:07,860 it. 366 00:22:07,860 --> 00:22:11,860 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, rejoice with 367 00:22:11,860 --> 00:22:16,460 me because I've found my lost coin in the same way there is joy in the presence of God's 368 00:22:16,460 --> 00:22:21,020 angels when every even one sinner repents. 369 00:22:21,020 --> 00:22:27,060 See coins represent the people that are lost but they don't even know they're lost. 370 00:22:27,060 --> 00:22:32,100 People who are lost but don't know the value they have inside of them. 371 00:22:32,100 --> 00:22:37,940 And it is up to people all around them who are like that woman in the story who turned 372 00:22:37,940 --> 00:22:44,180 on the light and swept the house searching for that coin because there are times that 373 00:22:44,180 --> 00:22:49,740 we have incredible value in God's kingdom, but we don't even know we're lost because 374 00:22:49,740 --> 00:22:52,220 we're not operating in their gifts. 375 00:22:52,220 --> 00:22:53,700 And there are people here this morning. 376 00:22:53,700 --> 00:22:59,540 There's people watching online who are lost and don't even know you're lost, but yet you 377 00:22:59,540 --> 00:23:03,340 carry great value inside of you. 378 00:23:03,340 --> 00:23:09,140 In Matthew 22 verses 19 to 21, the religious leaders, they're trying to trick Jesus regarding 379 00:23:09,140 --> 00:23:11,640 paying taxes to Caesar. 380 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:13,780 And here's the interaction. 381 00:23:13,780 --> 00:23:16,340 Show me the coin used for the tax. 382 00:23:16,340 --> 00:23:17,900 When they handed him a Roman coin. 383 00:23:17,900 --> 00:23:22,600 Now remember this would have been similar to the coins that the woman had lost. 384 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:26,140 He asked whose picture and title are stamped on it? 385 00:23:26,140 --> 00:23:28,380 Caesar's, they replied. 386 00:23:28,380 --> 00:23:34,500 Well then he said, give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to 387 00:23:34,500 --> 00:23:35,500 God. 388 00:23:35,500 --> 00:23:39,540 Now many of you are thinking, well, of course, what's this have to do with the parable of 389 00:23:39,540 --> 00:23:40,540 the lost coins? 390 00:23:40,540 --> 00:23:45,360 Well, a deeper question I want to pose to you this morning, especially if you're like 391 00:23:45,360 --> 00:23:52,060 this lost coin, whose image is on you? 392 00:23:52,060 --> 00:23:55,100 Whose image is on you? 393 00:23:55,100 --> 00:24:00,860 Do you realize the image of God is on you? 394 00:24:00,860 --> 00:24:04,700 It doesn't matter whether you profess that Jesus is Lord of your life or not. 395 00:24:04,700 --> 00:24:09,580 His image is on every single person in all of humanity. 396 00:24:09,580 --> 00:24:15,900 See, you and I never walk past a normal human. 397 00:24:15,900 --> 00:24:21,520 Everyone that we see, everyone that we come in contact with has the undeniable imprint 398 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:24,300 of the hand of God on their life. 399 00:24:24,300 --> 00:24:25,620 How do I know that? 400 00:24:25,620 --> 00:24:27,980 Genesis 1 27. 401 00:24:27,980 --> 00:24:33,820 So God created human beings in his own image in the image of God. 402 00:24:33,820 --> 00:24:36,140 He created them male and female. 403 00:24:36,140 --> 00:24:38,180 He created them. 404 00:24:38,180 --> 00:24:41,580 Humanity is God's artistry. 405 00:24:41,580 --> 00:24:47,820 And if you want to know about the artist, look at the faces of art that you see on every 406 00:24:47,820 --> 00:24:51,860 single person's face that you pass every day. 407 00:24:51,860 --> 00:24:55,500 We never walk past an ordinary person. 408 00:24:55,500 --> 00:25:00,800 I mean, how many of you know that we're all God's children living within his creation 409 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:05,700 because he put his image on us? 410 00:25:05,700 --> 00:25:11,740 The same thing that Jesus says about that coin is the same thing he's saying to us this 411 00:25:11,740 --> 00:25:13,260 morning. 412 00:25:13,260 --> 00:25:16,540 His image is on us. 413 00:25:16,540 --> 00:25:19,860 He's back to God with his gods. 414 00:25:19,860 --> 00:25:22,140 He wants our lives. 415 00:25:22,140 --> 00:25:24,300 He doesn't want pieces of us. 416 00:25:24,300 --> 00:25:31,860 He doesn't want the Sunday morning version of us. 417 00:25:31,860 --> 00:25:33,620 He wants all of us. 418 00:25:33,620 --> 00:25:38,420 And he wants seven days a week. 419 00:25:38,420 --> 00:25:42,980 Some people are lost like a sheep and they wander and can't get home. 420 00:25:42,980 --> 00:25:45,140 So the shepherd picks them up and takes them home. 421 00:25:45,140 --> 00:25:47,900 Some people are lost like a coin. 422 00:25:47,900 --> 00:25:49,180 They don't know they're lost yet. 423 00:25:49,180 --> 00:25:53,340 They have incredible value in God's kingdom and someone has to turn on the light, sweep 424 00:25:53,340 --> 00:25:55,500 the house and find them. 425 00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:58,700 But there's one more which leads us to our next stop. 426 00:25:58,700 --> 00:26:02,140 See humanity is given a choice. 427 00:26:02,140 --> 00:26:08,020 Luke 15, 11 through 20 to illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story. 428 00:26:08,020 --> 00:26:10,220 A man had two sons. 429 00:26:10,220 --> 00:26:15,660 The younger son told his father, I want my share of your estate now before you die. 430 00:26:15,660 --> 00:26:17,500 I want to pause there a second. 431 00:26:17,500 --> 00:26:22,020 Essentially the younger son is saying, hey dad, I wish you were dead. 432 00:26:22,020 --> 00:26:25,660 I'm tired of living in your house under your rules. 433 00:26:25,660 --> 00:26:28,700 I want to do life my way. 434 00:26:28,700 --> 00:26:32,880 And there are some people that are lost just like that. 435 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,620 You want to do life your way with no restrictions. 436 00:26:36,620 --> 00:26:38,500 Don't put me in a box. 437 00:26:38,500 --> 00:26:43,820 The prodigal son ran out to live his own way. 438 00:26:43,820 --> 00:26:48,100 And the same way the shepherd went after the sheep, the same way the woman searched and 439 00:26:48,100 --> 00:26:50,380 swept the house for the coin. 440 00:26:50,380 --> 00:26:54,980 We're expecting the father to run after the son as soon as he's leaving. 441 00:26:54,980 --> 00:27:04,020 But notice, father doesn't do that because his son being lost is different than the others 442 00:27:04,020 --> 00:27:06,460 because he chose to leave. 443 00:27:06,460 --> 00:27:07,980 He asked for his inheritance. 444 00:27:07,980 --> 00:27:09,420 He asked for his share. 445 00:27:09,420 --> 00:27:10,680 He didn't wander off. 446 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:12,620 He wanted to go. 447 00:27:12,620 --> 00:27:16,020 He was full of pride wanting to live life on his own terms. 448 00:27:16,020 --> 00:27:20,980 And the grace of the father was to let him leave. 449 00:27:20,980 --> 00:27:25,300 As we continue, so his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. 450 00:27:25,300 --> 00:27:30,540 A few days later, his younger son packed all his belongings, moved to a distant land, 451 00:27:30,540 --> 00:27:33,140 and there he wasted all his money. 452 00:27:33,140 --> 00:27:35,600 Of course, living wildly. 453 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:39,500 About that time, his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land and he began to 454 00:27:39,500 --> 00:27:40,500 starve. 455 00:27:40,500 --> 00:27:44,780 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him and the man sent him into his field to feed the 456 00:27:44,780 --> 00:27:45,940 pigs. 457 00:27:45,940 --> 00:27:50,100 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to 458 00:27:50,100 --> 00:27:54,140 him, but no one gave him anything. 459 00:27:54,140 --> 00:27:58,620 And when he finally came to his senses, he said to himself at home, even the hired servants 460 00:27:58,620 --> 00:28:00,580 have food enough to spare. 461 00:28:00,580 --> 00:28:03,460 And here I am dying of hunger. 462 00:28:03,460 --> 00:28:07,140 I will go home to my father and say, father, I've sinned against both heaven and you and 463 00:28:07,140 --> 00:28:10,980 I'm no longer worthy of being called your son. 464 00:28:10,980 --> 00:28:14,340 Please take me on as a hired servant. 465 00:28:14,340 --> 00:28:19,580 So he returned home to his father and while he was still a long way off, his father saw 466 00:28:19,580 --> 00:28:21,620 him coming. 467 00:28:21,620 --> 00:28:27,620 Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. 468 00:28:27,620 --> 00:28:35,340 Now notice, the father let him leave and the father waited till the boy hit rock bottom 469 00:28:35,340 --> 00:28:38,620 until a crisis hit before he responded. 470 00:28:38,620 --> 00:28:42,460 And here's the reality, some of you are in the middle of a crisis right now. 471 00:28:42,460 --> 00:28:44,060 That's why you're here. 472 00:28:44,060 --> 00:28:49,660 It could be a relationship, it could be financial, it could be school problems, it could be friendship 473 00:28:49,660 --> 00:28:51,160 problems. 474 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:56,020 Life has finally gotten your attention. 475 00:28:56,020 --> 00:28:59,800 And you're coming to your senses. 476 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:03,140 This is God's way of trying to get your attention. 477 00:29:03,140 --> 00:29:12,900 See, God's not all about chasing you, but God is standing on the porch just like that father 478 00:29:12,900 --> 00:29:21,840 every single day looking into the distance, waiting for his son to return home. 479 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:28,700 And the day his son hit rock bottom and realized how dirty and unclean he was, that that life 480 00:29:28,700 --> 00:29:31,100 shouldn't be like this. 481 00:29:31,100 --> 00:29:33,460 Why am I wasting my time? 482 00:29:33,460 --> 00:29:37,580 It's better to be a slave in my father's house than to eat with these pigs. 483 00:29:37,580 --> 00:29:43,700 The day the son came to his senses, he began to run back to his father's house. 484 00:29:43,700 --> 00:29:48,220 Think about it, he was going back to be a slave, not a son. 485 00:29:48,220 --> 00:29:53,060 But before he could even get to the front door, his father, he's there looking for him, 486 00:29:53,060 --> 00:29:54,780 waiting for him. 487 00:29:54,780 --> 00:29:57,220 He's hoping he comes home. 488 00:29:57,220 --> 00:30:03,620 And notice the father runs towards the son. 489 00:30:03,620 --> 00:30:08,660 I don't know who this is for this morning, but I want to encourage you, if you simply 490 00:30:08,660 --> 00:30:14,920 take one step toward God, he'll take 20 steps towards you. 491 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,000 Your life is not broken. 492 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:19,740 He loves you. 493 00:30:19,740 --> 00:30:21,740 He cares for you. 494 00:30:21,740 --> 00:30:24,820 He wants to be in relationship with you. 495 00:30:24,820 --> 00:30:29,420 God will run towards his son, towards his daughter that is tired of living an empty 496 00:30:29,420 --> 00:30:31,420 life without meaning. 497 00:30:31,420 --> 00:30:37,320 I mean, there's only so many Bud Lights you can drink. 498 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:43,140 And we laugh about it, but it's true. 499 00:30:43,140 --> 00:30:47,860 Now if we were the father, if I was the father, put myself in his shoes, isn't it true that 500 00:30:47,860 --> 00:30:52,620 many of us would say, told you so? 501 00:30:52,620 --> 00:30:54,580 What's wrong with you? 502 00:30:54,580 --> 00:30:57,120 I told you not to go. 503 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:01,900 Told you what was going to happen soon as the son gets home. 504 00:31:01,900 --> 00:31:07,060 But hear me friends, this is not the story that Jesus tells. 505 00:31:07,060 --> 00:31:13,140 And for many of us, we have to stop projecting what happened between you and your earthly 506 00:31:13,140 --> 00:31:18,900 father onto your heavenly father. 507 00:31:18,900 --> 00:31:23,540 God is not there waiting for you to return home wanting to hit you upside your head when 508 00:31:23,540 --> 00:31:28,540 you get there. 509 00:31:28,540 --> 00:31:31,860 God is not going to wait for you to get home to remind you of all your mistakes. 510 00:31:31,860 --> 00:31:35,540 That's not what the story says. 511 00:31:35,540 --> 00:31:40,740 The story follows the same pattern as the sheep and the coin, which leads us to our 512 00:31:40,740 --> 00:31:41,740 final thought. 513 00:31:41,740 --> 00:31:44,340 God celebrates the lost coming home. 514 00:31:44,340 --> 00:31:53,300 Luke 15, 6 to 7, 9 through 10, 22 to 24 when he arrives, he will call together his friends 515 00:31:53,300 --> 00:31:56,740 and neighbors, says, rejoice with me, I've found my lost sheep. 516 00:31:56,740 --> 00:32:02,300 In the same way there's more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns 517 00:32:02,300 --> 00:32:06,380 to God than over the 99 others who are righteous and haven't strayed away. 518 00:32:06,380 --> 00:32:08,780 And he's challenging the religious there. 519 00:32:08,780 --> 00:32:12,860 He's saying, yeah, you got it all together, but guess what? 520 00:32:12,860 --> 00:32:15,860 God celebrates those that are lost. 521 00:32:15,860 --> 00:32:18,740 Stop thinking you got it all together. 522 00:32:18,740 --> 00:32:22,540 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, rejoice with 523 00:32:22,540 --> 00:32:28,180 me, I've found my lost coin in the same way there is joy in the presence of God's angels. 524 00:32:28,180 --> 00:32:32,460 And think about that party. 525 00:32:32,460 --> 00:32:40,820 And even one sinner repents, but his father notice said to the servants quick, bring the 526 00:32:40,820 --> 00:32:44,740 finest robe in the house, put it on him, get a ring for his finger and sandals on his feet, 527 00:32:44,740 --> 00:32:45,860 kill the calf. 528 00:32:45,860 --> 00:32:46,860 We have been fattening. 529 00:32:46,860 --> 00:32:51,900 We must celebrate with a feast for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. 530 00:32:51,900 --> 00:32:53,140 He was lost and is found. 531 00:32:53,140 --> 00:32:57,940 So the party began and friends, that's why we like our Jesus the party at HCV, because 532 00:32:57,940 --> 00:33:05,140 we celebrate the loss coming home and we will continue to do so when they found the sheep. 533 00:33:05,140 --> 00:33:07,980 They had a party when they found the coin. 534 00:33:07,980 --> 00:33:12,420 They rejoice and had a party when the son came home, right? 535 00:33:12,420 --> 00:33:17,780 He wasted his father's inheritance, made all the wrong decisions, was broke, busted and 536 00:33:17,780 --> 00:33:18,780 disgusted. 537 00:33:18,780 --> 00:33:24,900 He didn't get a speech about how wrong he was, how he was no good. 538 00:33:24,900 --> 00:33:30,620 No, it was get the fat a calf, call DJ somebody and play some music. 539 00:33:30,620 --> 00:33:34,180 I was going to say DJ Lance. 540 00:33:34,180 --> 00:33:37,460 I forgot his name. 541 00:33:37,460 --> 00:33:39,460 My son was lost. 542 00:33:39,460 --> 00:33:42,580 He was dead, but now is found. 543 00:33:42,580 --> 00:33:51,220 See Jesus pursues sinners and desire that they return home to the party because he looks 544 00:33:51,220 --> 00:33:53,020 at you as a son or daughter. 545 00:33:53,020 --> 00:33:55,380 I mean, even the angels rejoice. 546 00:33:55,380 --> 00:34:01,940 I mean, just reading that scriptures, just you can just see heaven's celebrating. 547 00:34:01,940 --> 00:34:06,340 And I'd be willing to say there's a good chance that there's someone here or watching online 548 00:34:06,340 --> 00:34:10,900 feels like a lost sheep and you don't know your way home. 549 00:34:10,900 --> 00:34:14,580 And I want to encourage you, God will pick you up and carry you home. 550 00:34:14,580 --> 00:34:16,620 There could be someone here that feels like a lost coin. 551 00:34:16,620 --> 00:34:19,000 You don't even know you're lost. 552 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:25,300 You don't even know you have value and I'm here to tell you that the very image of God 553 00:34:25,300 --> 00:34:27,300 is on you. 554 00:34:27,300 --> 00:34:30,540 You were created in his image. 555 00:34:30,540 --> 00:34:34,300 Maybe you're like the lost son who's making selfish decisions, choosing to walk away from 556 00:34:34,300 --> 00:34:40,540 God and yet the father is standing and waiting for you to return home. 557 00:34:40,540 --> 00:34:46,540 You know, before I go to our action steps, I want every person to have the opportunity 558 00:34:46,540 --> 00:34:49,980 to come home and have a party with Jesus today. 559 00:34:49,980 --> 00:34:56,180 Jesus is pursuing you, loves you, chose to give up his life. 560 00:34:56,180 --> 00:35:00,180 Even while you had no idea you were lost. 561 00:35:00,180 --> 00:35:04,620 You can always come home to God and that's what this series is all about. 562 00:35:04,620 --> 00:35:07,200 That son noticed he didn't take a bath. 563 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:08,500 He didn't get cleaned up. 564 00:35:08,500 --> 00:35:09,780 He didn't have it all together. 565 00:35:09,780 --> 00:35:10,860 My man's stunk. 566 00:35:10,860 --> 00:35:13,820 He was hanging out with pigs and what's the father do? 567 00:35:13,820 --> 00:35:19,100 He puts the best robe on him and says, no, he's my son. 568 00:35:19,100 --> 00:35:22,060 I welcome him home. 569 00:35:22,060 --> 00:35:24,620 He's in the family. 570 00:35:24,620 --> 00:35:29,700 So if we could all go to that place of prayer, no one looking around. 571 00:35:29,700 --> 00:35:38,820 This is an intimate moment between individuals and God. 572 00:35:38,820 --> 00:35:43,240 And as we go to that place, listen, I'm not talking about returning home to church. 573 00:35:43,240 --> 00:35:47,700 I'm talking about entering a relationship with Jesus. 574 00:35:47,700 --> 00:35:50,260 Entering a relationship with the God that loves you so much. 575 00:35:50,260 --> 00:35:54,140 And I felt like there was going to be people here this morning that you've been hurt by 576 00:35:54,140 --> 00:35:56,400 someone in the church. 577 00:35:56,400 --> 00:36:03,820 Someone in the church judged you and hurt you and you've walked away from God. 578 00:36:03,820 --> 00:36:08,700 And you didn't even know you'd been lost, but you've lost your way. 579 00:36:08,700 --> 00:36:09,700 So no one looking around. 580 00:36:09,700 --> 00:36:11,220 Again, this is an intimate moment. 581 00:36:11,220 --> 00:36:17,940 If there's anybody here, anybody online that it can associate with these lost items, just 582 00:36:17,940 --> 00:36:21,620 slip your hand up so I can agree with you and see you. 583 00:36:21,620 --> 00:36:26,300 Yep, yep, yep, yep. 584 00:36:26,300 --> 00:36:30,460 Hands all over and we'll just pray this simple prayer together. 585 00:36:30,460 --> 00:36:33,020 Jesus, I'm broken. 586 00:36:33,020 --> 00:36:38,540 I'm full of doubt, shame, regret, sin. 587 00:36:38,540 --> 00:36:39,740 Change me. 588 00:36:39,740 --> 00:36:42,500 I believe you're God's son. 589 00:36:42,500 --> 00:36:45,820 I believe you died for me. 590 00:36:45,820 --> 00:36:47,540 Make me new. 591 00:36:47,540 --> 00:36:49,700 Set me free. 592 00:36:49,700 --> 00:36:53,620 Help me God to welcome others home. 593 00:36:53,620 --> 00:36:56,980 In Jesus name. 594 00:36:56,980 --> 00:36:58,340 Amen. 595 00:36:58,340 --> 00:37:03,540 Can we just celebrate a little bit? 596 00:37:03,540 --> 00:37:10,980 Isn't it fun to clap, have fun in church? 597 00:37:10,980 --> 00:37:13,260 It's like that's what the angels do. 598 00:37:13,260 --> 00:37:14,260 Why wouldn't we? 599 00:37:14,260 --> 00:37:17,340 You know, if you prayed that prayer for the first time, I encourage you to get baptized 600 00:37:17,340 --> 00:37:18,580 on Good Friday. 601 00:37:18,580 --> 00:37:20,620 We're going to have a Good Friday worship and baptism. 602 00:37:20,620 --> 00:37:21,620 It's going to be incredible. 603 00:37:21,620 --> 00:37:23,100 It's going to be life changing. 604 00:37:23,100 --> 00:37:29,380 If you want to get baptized, sign up, you know, be sure to be a part of that. 605 00:37:29,380 --> 00:37:37,220 And there's just nothing like coming home to that relationship with God. 606 00:37:37,220 --> 00:37:38,860 And that leads us to our action steps. 607 00:37:38,860 --> 00:37:42,820 Three simple steps that I want to encourage you with of winning the loss. 608 00:37:42,820 --> 00:37:47,500 Because listen, we're called as followers of Jesus, inviering a relationship with Him 609 00:37:47,500 --> 00:37:51,480 to do as Jesus modeled for us to seek and save. 610 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:55,980 And instead of seeing the world as a whole, I want to encourage you this week, this month, 611 00:37:55,980 --> 00:38:00,640 break it down, break your world down into neighborhoods, break your world down into 612 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:04,420 your workplace or into your classmates. 613 00:38:04,420 --> 00:38:09,940 Each person you come in contact with daily deserves to know Jesus, true or false. 614 00:38:09,940 --> 00:38:11,780 You're darn right they do. 615 00:38:11,780 --> 00:38:16,900 Jesus was not just a man from the Bible that was a good person. 616 00:38:16,900 --> 00:38:22,880 He was God in flesh that changed your very life and could change the lives of others 617 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:23,880 through you. 618 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:28,020 See, winning the loss is more than just sharing the gospel with someone. 619 00:38:28,020 --> 00:38:33,740 It's walking alongside the law showing Jesus is present even in the darkest moments, which 620 00:38:33,740 --> 00:38:35,480 leads us to our first stop. 621 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:37,220 Just be available. 622 00:38:37,220 --> 00:38:42,880 Live wisely at Colossians 4 or 5 among those who are not believers and make the most of 623 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:44,140 every opportunity. 624 00:38:44,140 --> 00:38:49,020 Notice, let your conversation be gracious and attractive. 625 00:38:49,020 --> 00:38:55,820 In a hyper busy world, people need more than ever to slow down and see each other, to have 626 00:38:55,820 --> 00:38:58,300 conversations, to be connected. 627 00:38:58,300 --> 00:39:02,240 Again, listen, stop using COVID as an excuse. 628 00:39:02,240 --> 00:39:05,100 We need to be connected with people. 629 00:39:05,100 --> 00:39:11,440 And as you slow down, pray that the Holy Spirit would guide and lead you into these conversations 630 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:17,860 and more importantly than your mouth, those of you that like to talk, let's start using 631 00:39:17,860 --> 00:39:19,740 our ears. 632 00:39:19,740 --> 00:39:25,940 Because when we listen, it speaks volumes to people in need, whether at work or at school, 633 00:39:25,940 --> 00:39:31,880 at the baseball fields, they're primed areas for listening rather than talking. 634 00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:37,320 Make yourself available because God can use those conversations to begin a journey of 635 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:41,900 faith for someone that may be lost, that may be struggling. 636 00:39:41,900 --> 00:39:48,920 Being available, even when it's uncomfortable and being open to the views of others that 637 00:39:48,920 --> 00:39:52,920 even you may disagree with, it's okay. 638 00:39:52,920 --> 00:39:55,420 It's called being the light of the world. 639 00:39:55,420 --> 00:39:59,160 Ephesians 5, be careful how you live. 640 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:02,240 Don't live like fools, but live like those who are wise. 641 00:40:02,240 --> 00:40:07,420 Notice, make the most of every opportunity in these evil days, which leads us to our 642 00:40:07,420 --> 00:40:08,420 next step. 643 00:40:08,420 --> 00:40:09,420 We'd be available. 644 00:40:09,420 --> 00:40:10,420 We'd be flexible. 645 00:40:10,420 --> 00:40:15,840 See, there's a temptation for us, those of us in a relationship with Jesus, to believe 646 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:17,840 that we know it all. 647 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:21,960 To believe, oh, I know what's best for others. 648 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:25,900 And we'll quickly learn the hard way that every situation is different. 649 00:40:25,900 --> 00:40:33,040 Every person grows up in different family units and every struggle is not the same. 650 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:35,260 And that's why we have to listen and be available. 651 00:40:35,260 --> 00:40:40,600 Now throughout the gospels, Jesus went into the uncomfortable places to help those in 652 00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:41,600 need. 653 00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:46,040 Remember there was a woman that was caught in adultery, filled with shame, hopelessness. 654 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:47,480 She was struggling. 655 00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:48,580 What was she going to do? 656 00:40:48,580 --> 00:40:53,600 She was staring at the ground, but she wasn't alone. 657 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:57,560 There was a man next to her, the man that was different than any she'd ever known. 658 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:03,640 Her accusers questioned him about her punishment, expecting him to agree and throw the first 659 00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:06,800 stone and kill her for her sin. 660 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:12,960 Instead, he remained silent and wrote something in the ground, on the ground, in the sand 661 00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:16,680 that remains a mystery to scholars even to this day. 662 00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:25,240 And Jesus stands up and says, all right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the 663 00:41:25,240 --> 00:41:28,200 first stone. 664 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:37,440 When Jesus stood before the woman's accusers, he stood as the light and hope for those unworthy. 665 00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:41,000 On that particular day, he changed the rules, right? 666 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:47,680 There wasn't one stone thrown for they knew that they had all sinned. 667 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:52,880 And Jesus hung out with the outcast because he was creating a model for the church to 668 00:41:52,880 --> 00:41:55,080 follow Hubsidi. 669 00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:58,520 We are to follow his example and live Matthew 9. 670 00:41:58,520 --> 00:42:04,560 When Jesus heard this, he said, healthy people don't need a doctor, sick people do. 671 00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:06,560 Now go and learn the meaning of the scriptures. 672 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:11,080 I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices for I've come to call not those who think 673 00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:15,600 they're righteous, but those who know they're sinners. 674 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:20,040 Be available, be flexible, share your story. 675 00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:24,160 Second Timothy four, I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Jesus, and I want 676 00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:27,960 you to see those words in the sky Bible. 677 00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:36,160 Notice we are being challenged in the presence of God and in the presence of the Holy Spirit, 678 00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:40,160 preach the word of God, be prepared whether the time is favorable or not, patient and 679 00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:43,200 correct rebuke and encourage your people as good teacher. 680 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:49,720 See, when the Pharisees challenged Jesus to why he's hanging out with the sinners, Jesus 681 00:42:49,720 --> 00:42:53,160 doesn't respond with an answer, an argument or an accusation. 682 00:42:53,160 --> 00:42:58,320 He respond with a story, several stories. 683 00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:00,560 And here's the truth. 684 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:02,400 Storytellers rule the world. 685 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:06,080 There's something about a story that can change your life forever. 686 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:11,040 And as followers of Jesus, everywhere we go, we are presented with the opportunity to tell 687 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:18,880 our story, who I was before Jesus and who I am now. 688 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:22,760 Because when we share our story, when we share our testimony, that's how we overcome. 689 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:27,160 We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. 690 00:43:27,160 --> 00:43:30,080 And listen, you don't have to go to Bible college. 691 00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:32,720 You don't have to memorize the book of Leviticus. 692 00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:36,440 Okay, because you won't be able to. 693 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:43,800 But you can tell your story of how God changed you, redeemed you and restored you in Christ. 694 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:48,800 And God is challenging us to stand and share that testimony. 695 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:51,120 Listen, I'm going to end with this. 696 00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:55,720 The world doesn't need more people acting like they got it all together. 697 00:43:55,720 --> 00:44:02,360 The world needs someone to stand up and say, this is who I was, but I'm no longer him or 698 00:44:02,360 --> 00:44:03,360 her. 699 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:04,360 I am found. 700 00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:21,480 I was lost, but now I'm found.