Our Response(ibility) to the Found | Associate Pastor Chad Erickson

stand to your feet if you're not already standing thank you worship team I like that new song the father's house turn your Bibles with me to Luke chapter 15 verse 24 we are in our very last session on the series the pathway home if by chance this is your first time being with us at first Apostolic let me just tell you what we've been doing the past few weeks the series called the pathway home it's not just it's not just a Bible study we are turning the series into a a plan we're turning this into a pathway of restoration we're writing a book there's gonna be a booklet that will go along with the book and our plan is simply this anybody who wants a path back home we want to create that path we want to give them an opportunity because people as soon as before good people make bad mistakes and when good people make bad mistakes they disqualify themselves from ministry you know we think of prodigal as being people that just give up on the faith and walk out but normally most apostolic people who are in good standing with the Lord are wanting to work within the kingdom whether I'm looking out I see group leaders I see Sunday school teachers I see choir members I'm looking out I see worship team members I see hostess greeters uh sure is I see security staff if you're in good standing with your walk with God you want to do something to give back whatever they call that freeloaders freeloaders or people that just benefit off everybody else right I don't want to be a freeloader I just personally give you my my personal opinion is I want to do whatever I can do doesn't mean you have to teach a Sunday School class you might be you might walk into Walmart and tell everybody you know about Jesus anybody who come to contact with you're a minister you might sit at a coffee shop and strike up a conversation with somebody next to you you just became a minister if you bring God into the topic start all mother goodness of Jesus and start sharing your testimony what God has done for you however like I said good people make bad decisions and bad choices and they find themselves at a lost state in the last thing we as a church need to become content with is knowing people are lost in being okay with it and if we're not careful that can be an easy thing to do because I mean look around we're very we could be very comfortable if we want to be comfortable if we choose to be comfortable we could we could be appeased by soft pews and good air conditioning good good music man the worship team was amazing tonight good music and good preacher we could be content to let things around us happen as they would but I believe the church and this is what I've come tonight talk about is our responsibility to those who are returning so our key verses Luke 15:24 probably can quoted by now for this my son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found and they began to be merry so tonight's session is entitled our response to the found and we can also play this on a little plan words our responsibility as a church our responsibility to the found today put your Bibles down and keep it placed in your Bible put your Bibles now we're gonna pray one last prayer over this series and then we're just gonna see what God would have to say to each one of us let's pray father I Love You God I'm so grateful for this church family I'm so grateful for a church that loves Souls Lord this church cares about people Lord we believe Lord God oh we believe that your kingdom Lord if it's gonna thrive if it's gonna flourish it's because we are bringing souls into this house though we are reaching for people who are lost though we're sharing your gospel Lord the Great Commission Lord God is being shared to every person in our work Lord people become in contact with Lord people on the internet with we're sending emails were text messaging people we just believed Lord God that the more Souls we can get into this house into the father's house lo we do believe that so revival is going to begin that's a restoration is going to begin when we get people into your house going on us pray Lord God should anoint this word tonight Lord God should anoint my lips Lord use me speak through me and touch every heart that is listening tonight in Jesus name I pray come on clap your hands of the Lord one more time before you seated because you are the good father you may be seated two things are required of the church a correct response to the person who has returned and there's also a responsibility to help that person be restored in their walk with God now listen last week I I don't know if you could tell enough but I really enjoy this subject and last week I had five I had five steps that a prodigal takes on his way back to the father's house and I I'll be honest with you I got through two steps and the Holy Ghost hid and I moved right to step number five and it felt good and the Holy Ghost could take over anytime any time he wants to but let me kind of go back because I believe it's his utmost importance that I share all five steps because this is really what I came to teach in the series was these five steps we talked about the loss we talked about the different kinds of loss that really wasn't what I came to teach about we even talked about the son being lost and that wasn't really what I came to teach about I came to teach about the return of the son and not only returned the son but what we do when he gets home so let me just go very quickly I'm going to go through the steps very quickly and I've already gone through and will slow down a little bit and catch steps three and four and then we'll move right on and I promise you I will not keep you too late tonight step one on the difficult road of returning you must what you must change your mind the prodigal came to himself he began to question his previous decisions he began to reason within himself he started asking himself hard questions and he began his journey to a far-off country by saying give me however when he came to himself when he had a change of mind he said what he said Jesus we said father I want you to make me make me one of your hive servants it went from give me to make me it's a change mind step two on the pathway home you've got to humble yourself you gotta be willing to lose your status in the father's house and be willing to take on the class of a servant a servant has no heritage a servant when a servant went when the father when the father when the when the master of the home when he passes away the servant doesn't get an inheritance he has no rights he has no birthright he has no rights it's only the son but a servant has protection within the house and so we understand that the prodigal said if I can just get to the father's table I may not have a future as far as inheritance goes but at least is a hired servant of my father I would have enough to survive on our level of reception by the father back into the father's house depends on our level of our repentance and humility I don't know about you but I want the father to know when I'm on my pathway back home I don't want him to think for one second that I deserve anything I'm about to receive I want him to know that I'm coming back with humility I've got an humble heart and I'm coming back on my knees and I'm just saying father I just want to be make me as a hired server so we talked about restoration restoration maybe even to a former position it it may be or it may not be God's will for a prodigal to be restored back to their original position they've disqualified themselves for whatever whatever has happened whatever sin has taken place they have disqualified themselves but however that doesn't mean that they can't come back into the father's house and make a difference in the father's house you think about David David disqualified himself from building the temple of God but then in stop David for the rest of his life he collected he gathered the supplies needed for his son Solomon to build a great temple for the Lord and we can give Solomon a lot of credit for the gold in the you know as the Queen of Sheba she came in and and she started saying all the half has not yet been told and Solomon got all the credit let's just be honest Solomon got all the credit for the temple it was his daddy that collected all the materials that built that temple when that temple have ever been completed by Solomon if a David one who said you know what I've just qualified myself from building it personally but I can help the next generation build it i I personally listen if I ever get to a place in I say god forbid but if I ever get a place wipe disqualify myself from position that's not going to stop me and it shouldn't stop you from saying I'm gonna come back to the father's house into all I can to help the next generation not fall into the same pit that I fell into I'm not going to make I'm gonna make sure the next generation doesn't go to the same far-off country that I went to I'm going to do whatever is needed to fulfill the will of God so the motive of our return is so important I can't be the desire of wealth of our father it can't be the desire to have the reputation that we once held from the father but it's gotta be we want a relationship with the father we want to serve the father if we can get produções to come home with pure motives that's the ones that get restored the ones that come home with pure motives listen restoration doesn't begin feeding swine even when you change your mind when you repent that's not really your restoration begins that's the pathway back to the father's house but once you get to the father's house that's just where restoration begins right there at the father's house we have we have many people who have come back into the house they've realized they've recognized they need to come back right you know I'm talking about we have family members who maybe even yourself you realize oh my goodness what am i doing what have I done why have I gone astray and you wake up and you come to yourself and and you show back up your church but let me tell you something just because you're sitting on a Pew back at first step of stolid Church does not make you restored but it's where this restoration begins it's where the restoration process can start so if we can get people to come through this pathway and the people come through this pathway and they come back with the right motive with the right heart and the right mindset it's easy to restore them it's easy for God to all the sudden say huh we're not even talking about being a serving my son has returned my son has come home did you see in our reading the father did not even allow the son to give his feel about on no more word that we call that son I just want to be one of your hired servants I I just want to work I just want to work in your fields the father stopped him and said whoa whoa whoa I need a servant to come quickly we got to get some things for my son we got to get a role we got to get shoes we got to get a ring we got to go kill and bring in the fatted calf the father sees the heart and because he can see the heart he knows why we returned and he knows how we return so we go into step three step one has changed mine step two is humble yourself step three while on the pathway home follow the instruction of your spiritual authority alright this is very important while you're on your pathway home because see our pastoral team our our pastoral staff we are working on a customized pathway of restoration for every person who wants to return did you catch that a customized pathway because all all disqualification is not the same I think I said last week a toddler falling in someone who's six five falling - there's a lot difference in the impact in the injury that happens when you hit the ground so obviously everybody can't be given the same pathway of restoration there's got to be a customized pathway and so we are working on that matter of fact we wrote one not too long ago and I'm just going to kind of give you what one customized restoration path looks like for instance number one we have on here we have number one be faithful in your church attendance we have sit near the front of the house it's important get rid of all distractions if you're a young person don't be sitting near the back or sitting amongst a bunch of young people people are talking and text message get as close to the front as you can don't allow distractions to pull you away from what's happening in what's being preached from the pulpit number two is increase your worship yeah you're gonna have to intentionally increase your worship yeah you you you might you might have to do things you've never done before you might have to be more to the monster than you've ever been before because why you are in a place of restoration and in a place of restoration if you're wanting to get to point B you can't do what you've always done in point a get in the altar every time we have an altar call find yourself just make it your home kidding the altar get as close as you can let the Holy Ghost just absolutely over take you we have on here number four faithfulness to morning prayer in Bible reading keeping a daily walk these are steps these be these this is a restoration past schedule a time each week to fast control your flesh discipline if we can discipline our flesh we can discipline our mind fast by the time it might be on Wednesdays you decide I'm not going to eat the first two meals on Wednesday I'm just gonna fast and I'm just gonna I'm just gonna let God know that I'm denying my flesh have weekly reading and study on the subject that disqualifies you from your ministry whatever it is if it's something with marital get your fines just some books on on a good marriage on a strong healthy marriage read listen leaders are readers if you're gonna increase your knowledge you gotta read get in the book find somebody find an author who's been through what you've been through and begin to study how why did I fall where did I come go wrong how can I make sure I never get to that place again study and then we put on here how many days of accountability to one of our pastoral team members we are gonna make sure whether it's 60 days or 90 days or or if it's six months or whatever it is we want to make a specific customized plan that says we want you to check in every week with our pastoral staff whether it's myself body pastor carpenter if you're a trend setter if you if you're in the youth group it might be our strong tower youth pastor brother Hammond but you're gonna you're gonna check in with somebody or one of our lives you're gonna check in with somebody and just let them know I'm having a good week I've been studying the Word of God I've been praying I've been reading up on where I failed and and I see rocket become stronger and it's just good it's not that listen it's something anybody needs to know your business and that's the last thing that we put on there don't go talking around where you fail it's nobody else's it's nobody else's business people start coming around you and so why aren't you up there singing anymore so I noticed that you're not on security staff anymore I noticed you're not teaching that Sunday school it's nobody's business it's between you and God and your pastor leave it there we don't need a spread around things and talk about this and I failed here and did this and did that list of everybody fails we don't need a pass that alone I'll tell me to pass around we in the past on hey I'm being restored I'm in the prayer room every time the doors are open I I get here before every service and make sure that I'm in the prayer room I make sure that I'm worshipping when the worship team is singing I'll make sure when the choir singing I'm right with them and I may not be in my position but I'm doing everything that I can possibly do that I'm qualified for in my time of restoration don't be like a lot I got to think about lot today you know you know quick crash course Abraham a lot uncle-nephew right they are both so blessed think about this they're both so blessed that the land doesn't have enough grass to feed the cattle there's not enough water in the streams to feed their cattle and so one day Abraham brings a lot up and they're there to place standing out over over a cliff and and they're looking out over the horizon and Abraham says the lot is nephew says I'm gonna prefer you a lot where would you like to go we're gonna have to split up you have too many servants I've got too many servants our service are fighting one another get this in your mind okay these two men are blessed blessed the less they have so many servants servants can't even get along they got so many paddle their cattle can't even find a place to eat and to drink their blessed so what happens a lot because the lot is an Old Testament form of the prodigal because a lot leaves Abraham where does he end up far off country called Sodom Sodom and Gomorrah he ends up inside of now reminds you he took servants galore he took cattle galore do we ever hear about his servants in his cattle again did he waste them with riotous living okay so Abraham hears that his nephew lot has been taken captive kidnapped by kings pagan Kings have come into Sodom and they have taken his old nephew his nephew's wife maybe his servants or whoever all his belongings they've stolen everything and they've taken him away Abraham gets him about three hundred some followers of his old men and they go in and they get locked and Abraham bags lines his lot just come back home come back come back with me to the mountain come come out of the valley these cities these cities are nothing but debauchery sinful cities come on out of these cities and lots like I like it here I think I'm just going to stay right here in Sodom I've got my family here I've got everything I really need here second opportunity angel comes angel comes to Abraham says I'm about to burn at all there's so much sin going on course we know the story Abraham's begging and they're going back and forth that there's fifty uh you know if there's twenty if there's ten they're going back and forth back and forth and finally the angel that says I'm gonna burn it and Abraham says just please go in and get my nephew lot and his family out of there please go in there get him so the angel goes in two angels go in and you know the story the lot is so messed up by this time he's willing to send his daughters out to these horrible men of city who want to take advantage of these two men that are in lots house a lot wants to send his daughters out in their place we're talking about when you go into a far-off country you don't think the way you ever thought that you would think you do things you thought you would never do that you said you would never do the blessings of the Lord they were upon you and you with your uncle Abraham now all that's left is you're in your house with your wife your two daughters and your two sons are lost that's all you got you've wasted your substance with righteous living and so what happens the Angels have to pull him out of his house out of the city got to pull his wife take him on the hand and drag them out of the far-off country and even then he says don't make me go to the mountain just let me live in one of these other cities in the valley what happens it's a prodigal that never returns home wife turns a pillar of salt right looks back turns back turns a pillar of salt all he's left with is his two daughters he walks he leaves the fathers he leaves his uncle's house with servants great wealth cattle and all he has left is himself and his two daughters goes up into some mountain cave daughters get pregnant by their own father and they start they begin a people that are the most God hating people there are and it's all because why he refused to follow the lead of his authority his authority was his uncle Abraham Abraham gave him time after time gave him an opportunity come on lot just come home I'll take care of your buddy just come on home I'm giving you steps how to get back home we'll get everything you got out of Sodom well we'll build you back up again and each time a lot just said you know what I'm happy where I am don't be like a lot listen the last thing that I want for myself or for you is for our families that get messed up because we as parents make dumb decisions you've seen all time mom and dad brother and sister Amin's we've seen you've been here for 35 years you've seen it time after time mom and dad returned but the kids don't return the grandkids don't return mom and dad when they left when they went off the fourth country they had cattle and they had all kinds of men's service and main source you know I'm going with this they had all kinds of wealth and all kinds of great had a nice house and a nice there's a nice nap and they returned all by themselves and sometimes only one returned sometimes husband returns by himself or wife returns by herself but God help us to follow listen there is a plan if we will follow God's plan if we will follow authority if we will keep ourselves in line with our pastor it will keep ourselves and lie with the authority that God has given us within the church I promise you you'll get back home and not only will you get back home you'll be restored and everything that you bring back with you will be restored again change your mind humble yourself follow the instruction of your spiritual authority number four you can't worry about anyone else's opinion of your return this is it right here listen if you've ever been a product that's something that just oh it just gets in your mind and your mind turns that over and over again what are people gonna think when they see me when I get back what are they gonna say to me when I return back to the father's house you gotta you gotta believe you gotta believe that the prodigal son on his path back to his father's house he had there had to be some there had to be some places it is the places in the road where he probably sat down and thought am I really doing the right thing what other service gonna say when they see me the people that I used to tell what to do and where to go and what to work on when I come back and now I'm one of them what are they gonna say to me and here's what we got to get in our heads it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks if you truly want to get back to the father's house if you truly want to get into covenant back with the father and get back into relationship with the father you can't care what any body else thinks Shh you just got to be like the prodigal and just get it in your mind and say I've got a story I'm sticking to it I've got a spiel and I'm sticking to it I know I know I know what I'm gonna do when I get home I know that I know that I've wasted I I know there's me people are gonna say what a waste there's gonna be a Judas in every crowd I'll juice in every crowd when Martha oh when when sweet or when Mary went sweet Mary the sister Martha the sister Lazarus when sweet Mary anointed in Jesus's feet with that costly perfume oh you know the story Judas was standing in the background going what a waste what a waste we could have used that we could have fed the poor we could have given that money to the widows we we could think about because we know that Judas held the bag and all he was thinking about is we could we could have put some more of that money in the bag what a waste and there's always people are gonna get on social media night there's times when I just don't like social media because people that you don't care about their opinion they're the first ones that give you their opinion you'll say it's not the people that you care about their opinion it's the people that you could care less what they think can I get an amen let me let me tell you let me tell you my philosophy oh man what was once social media be awesome if there's no ability to comment let that be awesome just that picture that video come across and just there it is smile but oh no you got ten ten thumb up and then get somebody coming down a mad face and but here's here's what I go by ignore ignorant if you look at the word ignorance ignore is most of it just just ignore it there's no reason to get a big old argument started on you know people can you know you got people oh my goodness far left far right that it's hard to find a bird yeah left wing right wing it's hard there's not many people that are the bird yeah I'm saying and you recom this here's like are you kidding me is that what you got out of that video they say ignorance is bliss but we know that couldn't be farther from the truth because social media shows us the ignorance is just simply a place to make somebody look stupid don't respond to posts just ignore them you respond to them is exactly what they're looking for listen we got people that backslide out of this church all the time they're gonna write a review on this church we know who they are right ignore it we don't have to protect anybody's honor don't speak them on my pastor that what ignore it it's a lose-lose situation you just gotta say you know what I don't care what anybody says people can make fun of me I know this is the fourth time that I as a product every turn I know that there may even be a fifth time but don't worry about what anybody says about that just do your very best get in with everything you are try as hard as you can give God your heart humility tell me the repented heart and allow God to make the difference and the number five is simply enjoy the restoration process enjoy it when the father wants to bring you the best robe wear it proudly your father is just trying to show everybody around this is my son I approve of him I disapprove of his lifestyle last week but he's still my son when they bring you those those slippers and they bring you those shoes put them on and wear them proudly enjoy restoration when the family ring is put back on your finger again enjoy the restoration when we throw a party for you it don't allow shame to overtake you don't think about what you've done and where you've been come on we got to get past that there's what's called a sea of forgetfulness that God makes a choice as our Father as our loving good father he says if you will ask me to forgive you if you'll repent and turn away from your wicked ways I will throw all the memories of your past sin in your past about your lifestyle I will throw them into a sea of forgetfulness and I will choose not to remember if my god enjoy the party enjoy the party this put on by the church when your return sorry when people slap you on the back and congratulate you and welcome your home enjoy that don't let there be a time when you hang your head but lift up your head put your shoulders back and be glad and proud that you're back home the road whole can be difficult but there's no better feeling than restoration the feeling of restoration is better than any pleasure that this world could offer wearing restoration hardware and software when you can walk around and you could proudly say I know that I'm a son of God I know that His grace and His mercy are upon me I know where I should be today but I'm so thankful for where I am today come on there's no better feeling than that the feeling of being free the feeling of being clean no more pawn there's no more change no no shackles we sing all kinds of songs around here talking about they were loose stuff and we've been made free we've come up out of the gray we're no longer dead man but we're alive again we gotta celebrate celebrate the restoration so what is our response give me about 15 minutes so what is our response to the return it's time for the church to recognize our response to the prodigal returned should cause the restoration process to speed up because here's the deal the way we respond to them returning will either cause them to want to get in the church and stay in the church or it'll cause them to say you know this is not what I remember it used to be so how do we respond let's look at look at Luke 15:11 we're just going to kind of move very quickly through this Luke 15:11 and Jesus said he said a certain man had two sons this parable is often called the parable of the prodigal son or the parable of the lost son but that's not biblical I know it's in bold in your Bible but that wasn't that wasn't in the Greek that wasn't there okay it just been called that it really probably probably should have been called the parable of the Merciless brother because after all Jesus was not reprimanding the sinners in the publicans he was enjoying his time with the sinners and publicans he was having a great conversation with them it was the scribes and the Pharisees that came walking up and were murmuring in the background that caused Jesus to tell this parable so he starts off and he says at all he said a certain man had two sons well move down now to verse 20 because we've already preached the first part now in verse 20 that the son the younger son he's returning father sees him from afar off his compassion runs falls on his neck kisses him father calls the robe calls the ring the shoes the fatted calf first 24 for this my son dead is alive again he was lost in his foul and they began to be merry now here we go now his elder son was in the field and as he came and drew nigh to the house he heard music and dancing now everyone knows that music and dancing comes after the feast so this older brother had already missed the initial reception he had already missed the feast of celebration and he walks up at the after-party you gotta you got to kind of see this he's out in the field he's working in the field he should be in the house celebrating but he's working out in the field and this is something that I believe every minister in the ministry team at first emphasized this is something we got to be careful of don't busy yourself with ministry in a way that you miss the goal of your ministry think about it if we're not careful we could have a preschool and get in the childcare business and not even realize that there's unsaved people walking into our doors every day and dropping off their children we could get so blinded by working in the field by taking care of children and and wiping snotty noses and changing diapers and making sure we're counting our kids and making sure we get them a snack time in time make sure we give them the playground and off the playground in the right amount of time and make sure they're ready for dismissal and all these things that we can absolutely get so busy in the field that we don't even realize that the ministry is in the house we don't even realize that everything that's taking place that we're working for is being celebrated in the house god help us listen this could happen not only to daycare workers this could happen to any one of us we can forget why we're doing what we're doing however we're doing a good job doing what we're doing working hard and they were sweating we're putting in the hours but when we look back we realize oh my word I've been in the field and they've been celebrating my younger brother and his return and I haven't even been here to celebrate with the family nothing wrong with look in the field just remember why you're working in the field first 25 now the elder son was in the field to me he came through nigh to the house he heard music and dancing 26 and he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant and he said unto Him thy brother is come and thy father hath killed the fatted calf because he ought received him safe and sound I read that over and over yesterday when I was getting ready to speak tonight and I thought to myself that can really be said in a few different vocal tones and attitudes such as this my brother has come my father had killed the fatted calf because he had received him safe and sound with love right Oh with excitement that brother is calm my father had killed the fatted calf or he said thy brother has come they father hath killed the fatted calf he's received him safe and sound it's kind of extending the text message you really don't know what you're getting which brings me to this you better be careful who you ask questions be careful who influences you because I don't know how the servant respond to that but I want people in my life who are gonna speak with the first two and not the third if something's happened that I need to know about tell me with love tell me with excitement don't find friends that are always cynical and negative you got one person over here excited as can be the choirs about to start singing again another person oh that kleiers I've had to start singing again they said the same thing but who do we let influence us who we let speaking to our lives because the very people speaking into our lives could could really change our paradigm of how we feel about certain things yeah so verse 28 the older brother was angry that's an issue he would not go in therefore came his father out and entreated him you know what entreated means entreated means to plea with a begging tone I would be oh I would be very fearful for my spiritual state if a merciful God had to beg me to have mercy on someone else if a God who wrote himself in flesh took on 39 stripes on his back should have killed him but he lived through it long enough to carry across up a hill allowed spikes to be driven through his hands a crown of thorns to be put on his brow I'm talking about a perfect savior of man up perfect in every way took on sin became sin when he was sinless if a god of that kind of mercy has to beg me to have mercy on somebody I fear for your spiritual life that the father had to come out the father had to come out and plea with his older son and say please come in I beg you to come in and have mercy on your younger brother god help us listen oh my god listen oh I pray to God listen I I don't ever plan on falling I don't ever plan I don't ever plan on disqualifying myself I want to say that right up front I'm fighting the fight to stay qualified the rest of my life the rest of my ministry but if something happens by the naming to me I hope when I return on a pathway I hope people can say chant Erickson had mercy on people I'm gonna have mercy on Chad Erickson I sure hope that when I come back walking down this aisle I hear and come back into an altar I sure hope people can celebrate my return because I was willing to celebrate your return the last thing that would be to walk down this aisle and people to look and say he didn't have mercy on me when I had forward he didn't have mercy on my daughter when she fell he didn't have mercy on my father my mother when they fell have mercy on him apply to my life so I'm gonna apply mercy to others lives you may be seen there may be some fair Segel christians who who need your angel wings ruffled a little bit but first Corinthians 10 and 12 says wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth you better take heed lest you fall what is proper to 16 and 18 say pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall you better be careful how you respond to the prodigal coming home because that prodigal might be you one day and to the person who says oh no pastor X and not me all you better be careful you better be careful you better watch yourself you better look on your left in your life you better watch yourself because that hearty prideful spirit is a very spirit of the devil attached and you're gonna be the next one to be pulled up but oh my god help me just stand firm and the stand strong and I look around me and notice people who need mercy look around me and notice people who mean I should say I will be the one I'll come in the party oh shut up oh shut up aha I'll step into the house and I'll celebrate your return because I want to have mercy on every man and every woman you may be seated I'm so glad the older brother was not the first person the prodigal ran into on his pathway home Shh that would have been a mess never would have made it to the Father I promise you when his older brother would have got ahold of him look at verse 29 and he the older brother answered disrespectfully to his father and said lo he didn't say father he said love these many years do I serve thee neither transgressed I at any time by commandment and yet thou never gave us me a kid you never even gave me a young goat that I might make merry with my friends but as soon as this dice this thy son was come which had devoured I living with harlots with prostitutes with women of the night thou has killed him the fatted calf one even oh I'm gonna call him my brother he doesn't even deserve be called my brother said this thighs son now jokingly my wife and I if she comes home and I've been watching the kids now she has to do this to me for the Valentine but if I'm watching the kids and we have one of those usually watch for about 30 minutes to an hour if we have one of those hours she comes in I'll say you won't believe I saw say you won't believe what your daughter did tall you hypocrites if there's King James can't believe what this daughter advised you know he wouldn't even he wouldn't even I'm not even gonna clean him as my brother he doesn't just doesn't deserve to be called my brother a fatted calf I looked up the definition I would think of meaning a fat calf but this is what it really means in biblical times people would often keep at least one piece of livestock that was fed a special diet to fatten it up thus making it more flavor some when prepared as a meal slaughtering this livestock was only to be done on rare and special occasions so this older brother there has to be some empathy for him a little bit because he's been in the field working he's never left his father he's been faithful to his father's commands and this older brother has watched this livestock whatever as a calf he has watched this calf as it was born as they have he's probably from the one where the dempsey that was feeding it that special grain all the other cows all the other calves were we're eating the grass of the field but not this one this one was kept in the barn and it was only fed special grain and he comes to his father and says so you you have never even killed a goat for me and my friends and had a party for us but this thy son who's messed up and wasted his life and riotous living you're gonna kill this fatted calf that I've been feeding for the last three years listen there's no room for jealousy within the church because that's what that was he was so selfish he couldn't see beyond this is what I've been doing I've been in the field I've been obedient I've been feeding the fatted calf I've been doing all your commands iiiii he couldn't see past himself to realize that his father had just had a son returned back to life who he thought was dead a father who had given up on a son thinking he was gone and dead he couldn't even celebrate with his own father all he could see was himself the jealousy all he could see was himself god help us oh my god as we see people coming back into the church come on let's just be real if you don't get as many solos as you used to get if you don't get to teach as many times in Sunday school because we're starting to spread the Sunday school schedule farther if you don't get to greet as many times you don't get to usher or whatever it is because people are coming back in the house we cannot be jealous of those situations we cannot look at those situations and think about yourself I've been here for 25 years and I don't even get to come on somebody you got to look at a big picture no big picture is they were once dead and now they're alive there are ones lost but now they're found we gotta get ourself out of the picture it's not about me myself and on it's about the church you may be seated I'm almost finished the last verse I've got to skip over this part and I liked it I'll put it in the book first 32 it was meat it was our responsibility the father said that we shouldn't make merry and be glad for this thy brother do you see right there the father corrected his son right there he said thy son father said this thy brother was dead and is alive again was a lost in his family and I wish to God that I could find a more profound conclusion to share with you regarding this parable but it's not my parable so here it is our response and our responsibility is found in this last verse in verse 32 it's one in the same I'll response you know responsibility is the same we must make merry and be glad Jesus told the whole parable to share that last verse he sent everything into play he gave a setting he had he had main characters he had service he had he had sub characters he gave this whole story that's taken me four weeks to tell just to get to what the responsibility is of the ones who he was telling the story to he said it is meat it is our responsibility to make merry and be glad it's not our responsibility to inform them of all the mistakes they made of where they messed up it's not a responsibility to point out their newfound baggage that they've brought back into the house it's not our responsibility to give our opinion if we think that they're going to remain here or not it doesn't matter what you think because people who I never thought listen some of you that are here tonight when you came back home I didn't think you would ever stick I'm just gonna be honest with you I love just shook your hand I worship with you but in the back of my mind I was thinking they ain't gonna be here in two weeks but you know what you're still here so it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks it doesn't it doesn't matter what our opinion is it's not up to us to make a decision it's not all mercy it's not our place it's not our goodness we didn't do anything we didn't die in a cross we didn't shed blood it has nothing to do with us it only has to do with the one who is sharing the parable and if he tells us it's meat that we oughta be merry and be glad we got into those two things I want a music team to come because I want to start just celebrate would you still stay with me tonight because I just believe that there's people here tonight I believe that there's people here tonight who have returned into the father's house and maybe you haven't felt like you've got the reception that you should have got and because of that I want to say that we are sorry but we're about to make up for it I said we're about to make up for it because if we are truly gonna be the church that God has called us to be we can't just celebrate people who are in the field do what they're supposed to be doing we got to celebrate the people who have left and then return back again oh listen everything listen huh all free parents all three parables had the exact same ending there was rejoicing look Luke 15 and 5 and when he had found the one lost sheep he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing and when he cometh home he calleth together his friends and neighbors say rejoice with me for I have found my sheep which was lost I say it to you likewise that there's joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over the 99 just persons who don't think they need to repent without the woman who lost her coin Luke 15 and 9 and when she had found her lost piece of silver she calls her friends and her neighbors together saying rejoice with me for I have found the peace which I had lost likewise I said this is Jesus speaking likewise I saying to you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth so last week I had two people come up to me they have not taught they're not told this to one another they said on different different areas of the church I had one tell me in the prayer room added another one tell me the coffee shop they told me the exact same thing because the last week I was saying what I was saying man we got to get people out of this job I said we got to get him out of the jar house I don't know how to do do do you know my mother-in-law's not here tonight I guess I could throw it down and break it here tonight she'd still get me though they said you ought to get another jar and place it next to this char and as people come back home again as Chronicles return home we ought to put their names in the return charm and so 3:30 this morning God won't be stranded up in I told us said God please call back in three hours and I laid there about 20 minutes and I could tell he was gonna call back so I was like I'm getting out of bed and he gave me this first Matthew 7 and 13 it says enter ye into the straight gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat but Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find so we have the lie there's a lot in your y'all but we also have the straight narrow and I just believe this straight work I believe we're gonna pack names in this straight and narrow so tight so full I'm gonna tell you I went ahead and bought two of these today because I don't think the ones gonna be enough I'm just gonna be honest because I believe oh shut it up I'll cut up a hot listen whatever to do listen they're gonna sing and when they're singing this is what I want to see right here I've got some paper and I got some plans y'all sorry sister see if you put a name in here nipple holes in here I just want you to come out we're gonna celebrate in here we're gonna celebrate the return if your name isn't here and you know that it's really all to being here because you're back in the father's house come on I want you to come running I want you to piss straight and narrow listen I see you tumbler come on come on come on come on go listen we're gonna celebrate the vehicle come on straining a lizard because I feel come on Monday Oh and you got parents somebody Oh see ya see this again don't we gonna play receive the Holy Ghost this week here if you've ever found your way back home if the following okay kissed you in your laboratory Oh here though oh shut up oh cool car let's move in the spirits for a moment I know we're after nine o'clock but come on we can get about two more minutes of moving the sphere in this place some of the same thank God I'm home thank God I'm home no place I'd rather be no place I'd rather be um ha thank you Jesus so to say thank you Jesus come on if you think within your product I say thank you Jesus but Jesus came and me Smith fathers No come on every hand lifted let's pray and dismissal father we love you oh I feel your Holy Ghost so strong Lord I believe protocol's have made up in there my lord I've gotten phone calls from Prada khals that are even out of state Lord God that they made up in their mind they're coming home I got a prodigal they grew up on the church pew and Lord he wants to get baptized in Jesus name I cannot wait to baptize him next week oh my god I just believe Lord God I wish the church family I wish you would help me to pray a special prayer the book that we are writing this process this plan the system that we're putting in place to help Protocol's get back home would you help me pray that God would anoint it it's gonna be a great huge project but would you help me pray right now let's pray father Lord God I want you to anoint this project powered up a whole sugar cocoa gotta pray for our minds Oh God to write exactly what needs to be written in this book that will draw prada khals to make a decision to come back to the father's house Oh Lord God I pray Lord whoever the publisher is but I believe Lord God the distributor Lord I'm just gonna believe Lord that every piece is gonna work out exactly like an auto work out the editors or everything is going to help it and gonna fall into place exactly how you would have it to fall into place because I believe that souls are gonna come back to the kingdom I believe great ministries are gonna be reversed again because people are gonna read a book that helps them to commit themselves back to you Oh God won't you anoint it God bring them home home a prayer just say God bring them home house a day I say God bring it home come on God bring them home I need you to put one name on your mind come on it could be a person in this jar let them wake up in the dead bring them home Jesus name Jesus Jesus bring him home every day we're gonna pray this prayer father bring them home God let us influence them God let us Lord God and be responsible in our responsibility to celebrate and to be merry their return in Jesus name we pray about said amen amen I love you all god bless you in Jesus name you're dismissed come on let's have church together Sunday morning god bless you in Jesus name