What The Devil Never Expects by Kevin Allen October 15, 2023 · Centerpointe Apostolic Church (Murfreesboro, TN) Kind: sermon Scripture: Luke 15, Luke 15:1-2, Luke 15:4-7, Luke 15:8-10, Luke 15:11-17, Romans 10:10, Romans 14:11, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Romans 10:17, Mark 13:10, Jeremiah 13:23, Acts 2:38, Acts 19:18-19, Luke 15:17-20 Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kevin-allen--what-the-devil-never-expects Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page. Free to copy and share with attribution. ------------------------------------------------------------ I've been praying most of this service, trying to make sure that I'm being obedient this morning. I don't feel conflicted; I just want to make sure that I'm going the direction the Lord wants to go. Jeff, I'm going to go to Luke 15. There — just start and follow after me. Well, we may or may not get to the verses I gave you. I don't know. We're going to let the Lord lead us today. Is that all right? Will you help me pray right now, that I'll have clarity in my thought, what God wants to church to hear? Jesus, I thank you for your presence. I feel — God, I know your desires to speak to us today. Lord, I pray I tune in correctly to what it is you're leading me to say. God, fill my mouth with your words. In Jesus' name we ask, and amen. And amen. Amen. Amen. I was reading in my own personal Bible reading this past week, and I come to one of my favorite chapters in my favorite gospel book. I am a fan of the book of Luke. If you forced me — which no one should, but if you did, for some reason, say you had to pick one — I would probably pick Luke. If it wasn't Luke, I'd probably pick John. But if it wasn't John, maybe Mark or Matthew. But I do like the book of Luke. I like Luke's perspective on it, as he's here. And Luke 15 is a unique passage in parables here. Everything in the chapter is lost. It's the lost chapter. And I think it's important, as with everything we read, that we understand the context to which the writer is giving us this information. And Luke sets it up really well, because verse one says that all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to him to hear him. I think it's interesting that the IRS agents get their own category with sinners. Did you notice that? Just going to throw that out there. Nothing against anyone who works with IRS, right, but you do have your own category there. So we know that people in need — say, people in need — people in need are drawing close to Jesus. Now, verse two says, "And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, 'This Man receives sinners and eats with them.'" So that's our setting, right? People in need are coming to Jesus, and somebody's complaining about it. Man, Ain that something? People have been complaining — somebody, you know, no matter what goes on, there's always somebody going to complain. Yeah, it's right there. So people in need are coming, because they feel confident that Jesus can help them in their need. And then those who were in charge are jealous and upset, and begin to complain. And it's in this setting that he starts telling stories. So it leans into the direction that the reason he's telling the stories is for two reasons: somebody has a need, and somebody's complaining. That's how I start this off when I read. I see that there's need and complaint. And before he meets the need, he has to address the complaint. So here we are. So he spoke this parable to them, saying: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbor says to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'" Verse S — listen to these words: "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy — say joy — joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance." So if I'm looking at this, my takeaway from verse seven is: heaven is super excited about somebody who repents. More excited than those who don't need repentance, and that are living a good life. Did you catch that? And what I love about this is, we also get numbers, and we see that 1% is important. Did you catch that? There was a 100 total, and one goes missing, and he lets us know that the shepherd's still concerned with 1%. So that ought to speak to somebody that you think you're not worth it. Even if you're in the 1% category, he still loves you. He's still concerned with you. But then it goes on. It says, verse eight: "Or what woman, having 10 silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the peace which I lost!'" That's interesting, because that one was lost in the house. Did you notice that? It wasn't out in the field. It wasn't outside the house. That one was lost. So even in the house, there's a potential for 10% to be lost. Well, I to speak to somebody. But diligently there. And then verse number 10: "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy — say joy — joy in the presence of angels of God over one sin repentance." So we know that heaven's happy about the 1%. The angels are happy at a 10%, that one returned back, that repented here. So we see that he's concerned with the 1%, he's concerned with the 10%, and then we get into another story. Now, this is still a continuation. If you read through this, there's no break. He's telling a story to people in need and to the complainers, right? Everybody still with me? Verse number 11: "Then He said: 'A certain man had two sons.'" Two — man, we went from 100, to 10, to two. What I love about this is, God keeps making it more and more personal. Now we're getting down to there's just two. "And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided them his livelihood. And now many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possession with prodal living." That's proper New King James language: prodical living. He went and spent it in a not-wise way. Now, we can jump to conclusions if we want, and many people do — we'll see that in a minute. Many people jump to conclusions. All we know is that he spent it in a wasteful way. To me, a wasteful way, that's a broad category. I think Jesus, in my opinion, is telling the story this way on purpose, because there's a lot of times that we waste the things that have been entrusted to us in a wasteful way. We see it here. "But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine" — and ain't that convenient? When you're down to your last, then all of a sudden recession hits. Well, a that a convenient timeing? Anybody ever had that happen to you in life? Yeah. It seems like everybody was willing when you had something to give, but the moment you get down and not having anything, all of a sudden all avenues dry up. This is where he — "a severe famine in the land, and it began to be in want." Boy, anybody ever been in want? "Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into the fields to feed swine. And he would gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything." For a little while today, I want to preach on what I feel is a very simple matter, but what God wants, and that is: What the Devil Never Expects. What the devil never expects. We see in the verses I've read, that heaven rejoices, that the angels rejoice, when a sinner repents. And I think that's important. We get excited here at this church, too, when we see individuals come down to the altar area, and there's tears streaming down their cheeks. We just know — we don't know all the facts, we don't know all the details — we just see and know that they are in communion, they are in contact with God, and God is doing something for them. Now, we are human beings, and there are times that we also may jump to conclusions, by just appearance sake, that they don't look like they're probably in the best position in life. But here's something I think's very important: it doesn't matter the reason you come to the altar. Just come to the altar. The altar is one of the greatest places you ever come in your life. It's at the altar that you can have an encounter with God. It's at the altar where some of the greatest things in my life have happened. I married my wife at the altar in the church. I dedicated my babies at the altar in church. I had a time where I poured out my life before God, and asked him to forgive me, and all those things took place at an altar. He filled me with his Spirit at an altar. You should never be ashamed to come to the altar, and we should never shame anybody, no matter how many times they've come to an altar. What better place for them to be, if they're not where they should be, then in an Al? The truth of the matter is, none of you have lived good enough this week. Everybody should be in the altar. What I know is, heaven gets excited when we repent. We should be excited when people repent. As a minister, I never cease to get excited when I see people's lives are being changed. But what's really taking place? What really goes on inside the heart of men and women who surrender all to God? See, I do not believe that, when we come in to God, it's necessary that I surrender myself over — man, is that not a daily fight, surrendering myself over? I can't come in partial. I can't come in 90%. I can't even come in 99%, because God's asking for me to give all of me back to him. He gave all of himself at Calvary, and he's not expecting anything less than you and I than for you and I to give all that we have back to hand. And often times we we are hesitant to do that. But there has to be thorough and complete repentance unto the Lord, in order to find the favor that God wants for us. The true blessings of God require a repentant heart. Repentance itself is a very simple word. It simply means for you to turn around and walk in a different way, to change, in about-face, to chart a new course in life, to turn away from what has been, that you've identified as wrong, and walk in a new way. There has to be confession for this to take place. Romans 10:10 says, "For with a heart man believeth under the right I; and with the mouth confession is made into salvation." It's important now. I know sometimes we may have done things that we're ashamed of. I'm not going to ask you to raise a hand in here, but I'll tell you, there's been plenty of things I've done in my life that I've been ashamed about. Plenty of things I've done that I was just ashamed that they ever — did it, said it, acted, or whatever the case may be. And I'm quite sure that you have things, that you, that you didn't want to speak out loud. But I want you to know something: there's power when you confess things. often times, when we leave that stuff inside of us, it seems to have this control and power. And shame and guilt have a way of keeping us in a corner, keeping us in a closet, keeping us pushed back into a place where we don't want to be. And the enemy loves to pour that on us, and to tell you that you're no good, and to tell you that everybody's going to talk about you, and to tell you that you're less than what you really are. And I want you to know that you need to tell him to shut up. am. In fact, if there's ever been a truthful moment the devil's had, is when he tells you that you don't deserve it — because you don't, and I don't either. But thanks be to God, he didn't do what he did based on whether or not you and I deserved it. He went to Calvary even though we didn't deserve it. In spite of our failures, in spite of the things that we've fallen into, in spite of the things we've become entrapped by, he still died for your sins, and he still died for my sins. And yes, you're unworthy, but the blood of Jesus washes over you, and it covers over you, and he makes you worthy, because he was the perfect sacrifice. Don't allow that to keep you back. There's something powerful when you confess things out loud. Paul further states in Romans 14:11: "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow , and every tongue shall confess to God." It is therefore very evident fact, that as sinners we have to confess, in order to obtain the mercy and forgiveness of God. There must be an asking of God for forgiveness, for only God can forgive sins. hallah, only God can forgive sins. The preacher can't. The pastor can't. The priest can't. The good person can't. The individual can't. But there is one God, and there's one God that can forgive all of our sins. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, "For godly sorrow work with repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow the world worketh death." The work and the conviction of the Holy Spirit — we become sorry from our sins. It's okay. That's the process. You recognize, "I'm not all that I need to be." The Bible says in Romans 10:17, "s then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The Bible declares to us in Mark 13:10, "And the gospel must first be published amongst all nations." It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them. The world may think what was going on right now — what I'm doing — is craziness. They they often times will look, especially as someone who gets a little exuberant behind a pullit, and say, "Why is he screaming? Why is he yelling? Why is his face red?" Well, I'm fat. But it's what God chose, was the foolishness of preaching. You can say you disagree with it, but frankly, it doesn't matter what you think. It's what God chose. He's the one that gets to decide. It's what he has declared in his word. When one comes to God and confesses and forsakes their sin, then God will forgive. Everyone — he is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteous, when you and I ask. But you have to ask. You have to ask. You have to confess that "I haven't been perfect." And I want you to know, you haven't been perfect. Repentance is turning you back upon your past life, on your past sins. The Bible says, "Let him that stole steal no more." The Bible says, when the drunker repents of his sins, that you're going to change. When the liar repents, he's going to stop lying. When the thief repents, he's going to stop stealing. When the adulter repents, he's going to quit committing adultery. When the drug addict quits he going to quit getting high. I hope you can see today that repentance is turning your back. It's quitting sin. It's stopping those things. But I'm standing here in a room full of people, and many of you know full well the power of repentance. But I wonder how many of us refuse to do it daily. It has to become a part of your everyday life. It has to be a part of living, every day, to know that I'm still wrapped in flesh. I still got to fight every day. Every day I get up — Brother Shock was with us a few weeks ago. He said something in our staff meeting that I thought was profound. He said this. He said, "Every night I go to bed, my flesh goes to the gym and works out. And when I wake up the next morning, it's stronger." And man, I thought, that is a true statement. Because there are some days I do okay. Anybody know what I'm talking about? When you had an okay day, like, you know, you didn't have a bad thought, and you didn't cuss anybody out, and you didn't give anybody the finger, and all that stuff — whatever you're — I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about what you guys do. You ever had one of those days, you're like, "I'm pretty good today"? But you wake up the next day, and man, it's like flesh went worked out. It meet you with vengeance the next day, and says, "You may had a good day yesterday, but today, a new day." That's why I'm so thankful that every day I got new mercy and grace in my life, because I need it. I need it. Maybe you don't, but I do. I need it every day to help me get through, because I'm facing stuff. I'm living in a real world. I'm wrapped in flesh. I got temptations I have to deal with on a regular basis. I need his mercy and grace in my life. But I also understand the power of forgiveness. I also understand the work of his Spirit inside of me, that my conscience still works. I'm thankful that I have a conscience. I'm thankful that when I do something I'm not supposed to do, I feel that inside of me, and it makes me want to say, "God, please forgive me for what I just did, how I just acted, the words that came out of my mouth, the message I just sent, the thing I just posted." God is here with us, to forgive and to blot out the transgressions, so that our name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. But we're going to struggle. We're going to struggle every day. Jeremiah 13:23: "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." I've tried to quit some things, and for for certain period of my life, I struggled with some stuff. And I had to get serious with God. In fact, there were some things that I had to get real serious, and I had to starve my flesh, so that I could overcome the things that seem to always pull me back. I feel very strong in my spirit — I'm speaking to somebody right now — that you've been battling the same thing, and it seems to be an ongoing fight every day of your life, and more often than not, it wins. I want to tell you, that doesn't have to be the case. But you may have to take some drastic measures in your life. It doesn't negate the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. It doesn't take away what Calvary means. But there are some fights that are really hard for you to fight. And the biggest fight, I promise, you'll fight every day, is right up here, between your ears. cuz sometimes you convince yourself that this is the way it's always going to be. You're always going to have that addiction. You're always going to have to fight. I'll rebuke that in the name of Jesus. That is not always the case. There is an opportunity for you, every day, to get up and live a victorious life. The difference is, what are you going to feed? Are you feeding the flesh? Are you feeding the spirit? Are you feeding the flesh? Are you feeding the spirit? Because whichever one you feed the most is the one that's going to be victorious that day. And if you feed flesh, honey, you're going to fight the flesh every day of your life, and it will win. But if you'll get up, and put the word in you — if you'll get up and get down busy in your prayer life — I promise you, you have everything you need to live an overcoming life, every day. But you got to learn to be repentant. It's time for the church to be about the business of living a repentant life. Acts 2:38: "Then Peter said , Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." It was that powerful message preached on the birthday of the church. Acts 2 — no theologian worth their salt is ever going to argue where the New Testament church started. It started in Acts 2. "And when the day Pentecost was fully come" — there had been days of Pentecost before, but there had never been that day of Pentecost, when the promise was fulfilled, and he sent down his Spirit to fill us. But part of living that overcoming life is understanding that living that Acts 238 message is something I do every day. It's not a one-time experience. It's not a one-time experience. And I want to be a little transparent. I feel like, that as an Apostolic movement, we get way more excited than we should over people receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and we don't celebrate the joyful thing that has been documented in the scriptures about somebody repenting. I feel like, far too often, we skip over the thing that heaven's rejoicing about, when someone simply comes down and repents. I feel like, far often, times we push people through repentance too fast. And God will fill a willing vessel. God will fill a willing vessel. But sometimes I don't know that we've allowed them to truly have all they needed, down in the ditches of repentance in their life. See, there's something about a heartfelt repentant person — someone who's willing to lay down prostrate, face down on the carpet, and cry, and snot everywhere, and say, "God, I'm just a sinner, and I'm broken. And there's been a lot of junk I've done in my life, and there's a lot of stuff that's happened to me." Hey, it's okay. Don't rush that process. That doesn't make him any more, any less saved. Or, if God's filled you with his Spirit, he's filled you with his Spirit. But I believe often times many people end up struggling with the process on the other side. Because I want to tell you, being filled with his Spirit doesn't mean you've arrived. You're still here. It just means You' started that process of sanctification. And if you fast-forwarded through the process of repentance, there's still a whole lot of stuff you're going to have to deal with in your life. And I'm here to tell you, the word says heaven is excited. Heaven is joyful. The angels are rejoicing when one sinner repents. We need the type of repentence that the Bible tells us that was there for us. Acts 19, verse 18, says: "And many believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. And many of them also which use curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before man they continued they counted the price of them, and found it 50 000 pieces of silver." It cost them to get right with God. Someone might say, "That's too high to get rid of." But when you're hones-hearted, and when you're sincere, and when you're ready to find God, there's no price too high to pay. See, what I feel like often times that people end up struggling with inside the church is, they get the load of the guilt lifted in an altar, but they don't continue to push on until they no longer pick it up. And what happens often times, more often than not, is people find themselves in this vicious cycle. They go over and over and over again. They face the same thing. is because they're not willing to pay the price that's necessary, to get you completely free of the thing you've always struggled with. There was an individual who was in our church many years ago. And this person, I worked with them for a long time. And they had a pornography addiction that was the worst I'd ever personally been involved with in my life. It was unreal, what this person went through. And they would be honest, and they would be sincere, and they would come down, and they would cry, and they would pray. And we would work through. And we had accountability partner set up, and we had family involved, and we had stuff going on. And it wasn't a secret that this person kept — Hing — that, I mean, they could openly went out and said, "Look, this is the real deal, and is killing me inside." And it was to the point — we went on so many years, I thought, "Lord, are they ever going to be free of this? Is it ever going to happen?" And it was interesting. It was in one of our life classes, many years ago, that some principles were being taught. And for whatever reason, that person realized that there was still a couple of things that had yet to completely surrender over, and turn over to God. In a moment, in a classroom setting, it was as if a light shined into one little corner of their mind, and revealed one little stronghold — one little, seemingly, what almost would seem like insignificant and meaningless thing — yet God was illuminating, and said, "In this one area, you still haven't allowed me to have full reign and control." And that person got up, and confessed, and repented. And all of a sudden, it's like the chain snapped and broke over their mind. And the thing that had kept them bound for years, and years, and years — they finally were seeing the clear light again their life. Not only that, but they went on to be effective in the kingdom of God, and they have a tremendous ministry. And their families together, and and marriages survived. And I've seen God do a mighty work in a situation that I was about to lose my own mind, thinking, "Is it ever going to happen?" But I'm here to tell you, that there is power when you finally allow the word of God to shine his light into every crook and crevice of your mind, and your spirit, and your soul. And if some of you have been facing the same thing over and over and over again, it lets me know there's still some stronghold. There's still some little peace. There's some little crevice that God has not yet fully gotten control of. And I don't know what it is. But I'm here to tell you today, find a place of repentance. Find an altar, and ask God to please shine a light in my life. Help me find the area that I have to surrender over to you, so I can be free of this thing. We live in a day of unreal pressures, and time constraints, and political correctness, and hypers sensitivity to offenses, yet we seem to have no morals. What we need is revival of oldtime power of God. What we need is a mighty manifestation of the Holy Ghost, that will bring men and women to their knees in repentance, crying out for God and put mercy on their soul. What we need is go back on that old path. I'm going to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, if you're not praying, you're failing. If you don't have a daily prayer life, you're failing. You're failing. When I'm mean a daily prayer life — and not that "God bless this food I'm about to eat, and take the calories out of it" — I'm not talking about that kind of prayer. I'm not talking about a "Now I lay me down to sleep, I park the car across the street. If it rolls before awake, I pray the Lord you ain't the break I'm not." I'm not talking about those kind of little — I'm talking about a relationship. I'm talking about a relationship. If you don't have a relationship, you're failing. "Pastor Kevin, you're being hard." That's my job, is to get you to heaven. My job's not for you to like me. I hope you like me. I want you to like me. My flesh wants you to like me. But at the end of the day, my responsibility is to get you from here to there. That's my responsibility. And if you've been around here a couple of months, you know that I'll probably speak the truth in love sometimes. And it can be — but I would rather get you there, then to tell you, "You're good, girl. You're good. Yeah, I know you sleeping around, but you're good." It ain't in me to do that. We need a revival in our prayer room. We need a revival in our homes. We need a revival in this altar, of people learning to repent. Because here's the thing: the story of the prodal son is a story that many of us like to feel good about, because we're not a prodal. We're right in the house. But there are spiritual prodal among us. Spiritual prodal who've went to the Father, and have demanded the blessings, and he, in his goodness and his mercy, has given blessings into your life, and you have wasted them. And because you're still there, even though spiritually apart — and because of your refusal to repent, because you don't want to bring shame — because after all, you're here, and you're working, then you're doing, and you're this, and you're a part of that, and you hold this title, and you got that ministry position, and you're doing this out in the community — "I can't be seen down there in the altar, crying and snotting and pouring out my life." So I'll act as if everything's okay. You see, this important to understand that, as Jesus was telling the story, the prodal — there was two lost boys. Say that: there was two lost boys. There was one who was blatant. He went up to his dad, and he said, "Dad, give me." I'm going to be really straight: you better be very careful about anything you tell God to give you. Come on. You'll be pretty bold. "Yes, give me what belongs to me." I don't think you want what belongs to you. No. In fact, the power in the moment, in the prodal who left, was not when he said, "God, give me." It was when he said, "Father, make me." You go look at it there in the chapter. Same son, two different scenarios. Scenario one: "Father, give me the portion that belongs to me." About eight verses later, he says, "I'll go back to my father and say, Father, make me." One income was a lot better than the other. But then there was the boy that was left at home. Say that. Come on. Then there was the one that was in the house. Yes, there was the one who never left, because he was the good one. There's the one where everything was okay, right? He was the picture one. He never would ever embarrass his father. He would have never done what his younger son did. We have no account, firsthand details, of what the younger did. We don't. All we know is he had a prodal lifestyle. He had a wasteful lifestyle. But boy, his older brother sure had his mind made what his brother did. Yeah. We see this interaction, and remember, he's the good one, right? He's the one that stated in the house. He was the one that never left. He was the one that had to be responsible. He was the one that was taking care of Dad, because "you, younger brother, you decided to live. You decided to go be selfish. You decided to go live for yourself. You decided to waste your spending on harlots. But I had to sit here and take up your slack." Not one time does he refer to him as his brother. Instead, he refers to him as his father father son. Disconnect, that is there. The unbelievable disrespect. Yet he's the one, right? But remember, Jesus tells the story, and says a man had two sons. One got lost leaving the house. The other one got lost in the house. See, he's tying the stories back together. He had already told you about the sheep that left the fold, and how the shepherd went out for the one that was there. He already told you about the one was there, and how he was going to Jo, cuz he was going to come back. And then he told you about the one that was in the house, that got lost. The stories are connected. It's one of the most brilliant passages in the Bible. I don't have enough time, if we spent the next several months, to unpack all that Luke 15 has for us. So much to talk about. But I feel specific to say that a spirit of repentance needs to come upon the church — both those who have left, and for those who have stayed. Yes. Because even when he showed back up to Dad — we see the son, he comes in, and — just give me one second to go backwards, for right? I'm going to go back to Luke 15, Jeff. See, what the devil never counts on — what the devil never counts on is this. Verse 17: "But when he came to himself —" See, what the devil never counts on is that you come to yourself. What the devil ever counts on is that you repent. Now, he never counts on that. He never counts on you all of a sudden being like, "You know what? I'm tired of this. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of where I'm at. I'm tired of the situation I'm in. I'm tired of the circumstances. I'm tired of my foolish decisions. I'm tired of my selfish ways." He never counts on that. What he's banking on is that he can keep you miserable enough, that he can keep you bound enough, that he can keep you chained up enough, that you'll be so ashamed, and so full of guilt, and so full of sorrow, that you'll never, ever go down. Because, you know, they're all talking about you. They're all going to say something. They're all going to — "Well, they're they go again." He never counts on you repenting. He never banks on you coming to yourself. But he did. "How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I'll say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son: make me like one of your hired servants. And he arose, and came when he was still a great way off, his father saw him" — because his daddy's always been looking. His daddy never stopped looking, from the day he left. See, now I'll give you a little brief — and there's a whole lot of stuff to study into this fact — but here's the deal. In that little small community, when that younger boy had the audacity to ask his father, "Give me what belongs to me," he openly shamed his dad. Now, the community would not have fully understood why in the world the father decided to love his boy enough to go ahead and do that. But he did. We're not given the reason. We just know that he did. That's all we have. We have to deal with the reality and the facts that we have. All we have is that he did. But what we do know, according to the culture of Middle Eastern culture, and of the day, that the village would have had a funeral for that boy once he left the village, because until the community he was dead. He was dead. But to his dad, he still had hope. Yes, he still had hope that one day that boy was going to come to himself. You see, the father is always hoping that you will — what the devil doesn't count on is that you're going to come to yourself. But what the father is longing for — I'm speaking to somebody here — is that you will come to yourself today, because he's watching. Now, here's the reality of the moment, is, the Father's always watching down the road, every day, hoping: "Is the day going to be the day? Is the day going to be the day I see my son? Is the day going to the day I see my child coming back? Is today going to be the day?" cuz he knew, "I have to make sure I'm the first one to meet him." Yes, because if I'm not — if he makes it to the village gates, they will stone him to death. So the father looks down the road, and he sees that broken boy walking towards him, and he openly shames himself and starts running, cuz he knows, "I got to get to him first." Hallelujah! cuz if I don't, they'll eat him alive. They'll kill him. So the boy, he's walking back, and he's replaying his mind what he's going to say to his dad: "Just make me a servant. I'm not worried to be called your son. These are my list of mistakes." Because that's what we think, is we always got to come in with this big long list, and be like, "God, here's all the things I done. I did ab and SE. And it's hard for me to admit it, but I did this, and I did this." What he's just looking for you is to come back and say you're sorry. And he wraps him up, and he embraces him, and he never gets a chance to really talk. He's trying to start the dialogue, and the Father's saying to his servants, "Hey, come behind me. Put a robe on his back, and put shoes on his feet, and put a ring on his finger, because my son that was dead is alive." What's he saying? "Rejoice with me." He already told you in the first two parables: any time something was lost was found, we rejoice. Heaven rejoices. The father is rejoicing at the one that returned. But the one who didn't rejoice is the one who was at the house. cuz when he hears all the noise, and he hears all the laughter, he begins to say, "What's going on? Why is there celebration?" "Your brother that was gone has returned, and your father is throwing a party." And righteous indignation rises up inside of him — actually, it was unrighteous indignation. And the one who said, "I would never embarrass you," is embarrassing him by staying outside. See, he causes the father to have to leave the party, to go outside, because he was so stubborn and stuck in his ways. Yes. And you read the account of him going out there. "Son, what's wrong? Have I not been with you this whole time? I've never caused you problems. And I've never wasted your money on harlots. I've been the one that's been here. I've been the perfect one. Yet you've never, ever thrown me a party. You've never, ever killed the fatted calf. You've never done all this stuff." He sits there, so smug and arrogant, not realizing the whole time that he was the one that was lost in the house. Yes. The father says, "Don't you understand that all that I have is yours? It was right that we celebrated your brother's return." Hallelujah. Story just ends. We don't know. We don't know if the older ever repented. We don't know if he made amends. We're just left here with this scenario that you and I now have to deal with: that there was two lost boys. Yes. But there was one of them who came to himself. Hallelujah. And I'm here today in this room, speaking to this church, to tell you that somebody needs to come to themselves today. And I feel like — and I felt it in prayer, and I felt it all week as I was mulling this over my mind, and I felt it again as I was right there when the worship set — that somebody even inside the church is lost. Hallelujah. Yeah, you come week after week, and you you participating what's going on around here, but you're just as lost as the one who's been gone for years. The only difference is your location. What the devil never expects is for you to come to yourself. He never plans on you turning to repentance. The devil never, ever had an opportunity to repent, so he doesn't know what that's like. Did you know that? He never had an opportunity to repent. Because of grace, you and I do. Hallelujah. The lost son demonstrated the repentance Jesus specifically spoke about in the previous parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. After his misery, after he thought through it completely, he felt differently about his father. And instead of him saying, "Give me," he simply said, "Father, make me." So as I end this today, as I bring this to a close, I I asked this question: does anybody need to repent today? Hallelujah. Does anybody need to turn their life over to Jesus today? See, the professionals sometimes — not all, not all, but many of them, especially the therapists — and nothing against any of the therapist in this room — but often times they'll tell you it's not the right approach. "You shouldn't make people feel guilty." But I would beg to differ in this case, because godly sorrow is an important thing to have in your life. Yes. And you got to be very careful about how you act towards it, because you can resist it, and you can resist it for a while. And they'll come a point to where your conscience can be seared, and you can set in the presence of the Almighty God and feel nothing. But I'm telling you, that's a very dangerous place to be. It's a very dangerous place to be. But you are not beyond his reach. I'm speaking in the Holy Ghost. I'm reaching for somebody today. It's something — I'm trying to fan a little flame that's almost gone out, and I'm trying to blow the Holy Spirit that direction, to just say, look, there's an opportunity. If you're breathing, there's chance. Yes. Would you come to the altar today? Would you cry out to God for mercy? If your life is out of tune with God. If you're confused. If you're disoriented. If you're bound by fear — perfect love cast out fear, and God can speak peace into your heart. If your marriage is headed for divorce, God wants to reunite you. If you need help with relationships, he is here. The God who spoke the world into existence is in this room today. And I want to know: is there anybody who needs him? I'm speaking to the ones who left, and I'm speaking to the ones that are in the house. There were two lost sons, and both of them needed reconciliation with the father. Will you repent? Thank you, Lord. Will you turn your life to Jesus today? It's prayer time. Holy God, your presence is strong in this place today. Lord, you're walking among us. God, I pray that there would be a boldness come upon us, Lord Jesus, to cry out in repentance to you. To identify the areas, places inside ourselves, God, that we need to change. God, I pray that your spotlight would turn on right now, and we could see in our mind those strong whole places, God, that we have yet to turn over to you. That you would do a work, God, that only you can do. God, in Jesus' name, move in this place, we ask. Let there be a restoration, in Jesus' name.