04/21/24 Sermon Recap: Sermon, Memes & Notes.

Desperate times can bring you back to your senses.

Desperation and brokenness is not a bad thing, it can bring you to your knees, which is exactly the place you need to be.  Do not despise desperate times, often they are what bring you to your senses.

Have you allowed your desperation to bring you back to God?

Don't make the mistake of being in church but not being in Christ.

Do you know that you can be in Church, but not be in Christ?  If you haven’t been hurt in church, you haven’t been in it long enough.  The church is just made up of people like yourself, so we must extend the grace we have received from God to others as well.

Are you just in church or are you in Christ?

Don't make rollercoaster emotions your faith.

The word power (dunamis) in Greek can be translated in to different English words including dynamite and dynamo.  Dynamite faith is feeling the powerful presence of God, amazing and explosive; it’s how we can feel when we first come to Him, or when His presence comes on us in a powerful way.  It is amazing, but the problem is that if the feelings go away, you start to feel like God is going away. It is easier to walk away from God, if you feel like He has left you. There is, however, another word translated from dunamis, which is dynamo.  Dynamo is a slow and gradual burn, a faith in where you can hear the still small voice saying “follow me,” not by feelings, but by faith. Be careful to not make rollercoaster emotions your faith, and be sure to not just be explosive, but rather maintain a steady burn for Him.

Do you let the ups and downs of daily life dictate your faith and trust in God?

God's grace is bigger than your stupidity.

The story of the prodigal son is not only my story, but many of yours as well.  Just as the son did nothing to deserve the righteousness of his Father, we too did not deserve the grace of God.  Do you know who you are?  Do you know whose you are?  His grace is bigger than your stupidity.  If you haven’t yet, now is the time to return to the Father.

Luke 15:11-31  is the story of the prodigal son:

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.  He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.  Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.  ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.  But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Are you allowing your foolish actions to keep you from your Heavenly Father?

Our God is a prodigal Father who lavished His love on us.

The story isn’t about the prodigal son, it isn’t about the faithful brother.  This story is about the prodigal father. Prodigal doesn’t mean wayward, it means to wastefully pour out, or to lavish.  Our own Father God is a prodigal father who lavished on us the blood of His Son for all of humanity, and who rejoices in the returning of his earthly children unto Himself.  He has lavished His love on us, through Jesus Christ his Son, that we might be children of God.

Do you know God as your prodigal father, who has lavished his love on you?

Don't give up on your loved ones: God hasn't.

Do not give up on your loved ones.  Pray that God will speak to them and that they will come to their senses. The journey home can be a long one, coming out of a pig pen, both physically covered in dirt and emotionally covered in shame and guilt.  We can be so filthy, but our father loves and embraces us right where we are.  His desire is for all to be saved, so don’t give up on your loved ones, because He hasn’t.

Have you given up on someone you love?