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so today we are starting week 8 can
y’all believe it week 8 of a sermon
series that we have called grace like a
flood and the reason I’m so excited
about this sermon series particularly is
because it’s the sermon series that
changed me like like this is what took
me from being a judgmental I think I’m
better than you Christian to somebody
who can identify and and and and really
get down in the trenches while people
are going through crap and remember that
I still need the grace of God and many
times we get into a place where we
believed that we needed God’s saving
grace but some happen were better than
we used to be so his sustaining grace is
not that important but I’ve come to
realize that what God has done for every
single person especially me is something
that he continues to do every day I wake
up like every day I wake up that’s God’s
grace and mercy that is being shown to
me so that I can live so I can be a good
husband so I can come and be a dude good
works on this earth and so I just wanted
our whole church to really recognize
that you’re not better than anybody
nobody
well Pastor Mike I am better than the
homosexual no you’re not well I am
better than the life uh-huh well I am
better than the prideful people know
you’re prideful for even thinking that
no and we built this thing to where we
think there’s levels to sin and when God
sees sin he doesn’t see oh that’s –
that’s a – that’s a sin scale – oh
that’s us in scale mine oh that was the
city he doesn’t see that all he sees is
sin and when he sees sin he sends his
son and when he sent his son if we would
receive grace like a flood then he
doesn’t see us anymore he sees us
through the lens of his son and what we
have to do as a church is we have to be
ready and willing to give that away to
every person that comes in contact with
us but you can never give away what
you’ve never truly
sieved and that’s why it’s been hard for
the church why it was hard for me for so
many years to see people struggling in a
sin and not judge them but actually pray
for them and actually stand with them
and actually help them and believe for
them
I’d rather judge them because somehow it
made me feel better about myself but I’m
telling you that day is over that we
will understand as a church that if not
for the grace of God none of us I don’t
care if you’re a CEO I don’t care if you
have mutual funds all over the world I
don’t care how many kids that you’ve
raised to be outstanding citizen out
here if it was not for the grace of God
and until we remember that daily we
drift into this judgmentalism about
other people and come on let’s be honest
there’s people right now who if they
came and sat next to you in this service
you would feel some type of way because
they are dirty they are not right and
God said neither are you he literally
calls our righteousnesses as filthy rags
everything that we think we’re righteous
it he says that don’t matter to me
he said if not for my son none of us
would be worthy and so the past seven
weeks I have I have literally talked to
our whole church over and over in
different ways every way I could to let
people know that this will be a hospital
for Humanity and I don’t care if you’re
broken you’re lost you’re prideful
Yourself righteous you’re hurting you
can come into this place and you can
find healing and you can receive the
grace of God isn’t that exciting for
every person that is in here but today
today I want to talk to the people who
have been doing it right because many
times when we when we talk about this
message of grace we err err on the side
of just really letting the people who
are out there while and out going crazy
know you can come
in you you can we’re here for you but
subsequently a lot of times we isolate
and and and kind of put them in a
judgmental category the people who may
have been out there once her time but
really started following and obeying God
and what happens is they’ve started to
be faithful but they get discouraged and
being faithful because they’re not
seeing the fruit or the favor or the
miracle in the manner and the timing
that they really thought they were gonna
see it and so today I came to encourage
somebody that we’ve been talking about
the lost and you coming in but today I
need to encourage people who are already
found I need to encourage some fathers
who have been doing the best that they
can and feel like giving up I need to
encourage some mothers who have been
standing in the need of prayer and been
standing for a child and it’s like it’s
this effort cannot happen and you need
to be encouraged today today I want to
encourage a student who’ve tried over or
you’ve been to every Community College
that would accept you and you’ve never
been able to seem to get that degree or
do and it just seems like there’s
opposition today the title of my message
is grace for the faithful because
there’s some of you that have been
faithful and you kind of sit back and
like God is there grace for me like I’ve
been doing the right thing I’ve been
serving I’ve been praying like like I’ve
held myself like I’m not here loose but
you late loosie loosie goosie over here
get man after man and they fine Lord and
they there and I’m over here holding on
to you and you’ll learn and I’ve been
faithful and I’ve been doing it right
and I’ve been holding myself why ain’t
they married now and I gotta be the best
suit I gotta be the mayor honor don’t
come on you’ve been doing things right
in your business but somebody who used
to do it crooked started doing something
else in their business blew up and and
what happens a lot of times is we sit
here and we try to be faithful but the
enemy starts using our consistency
against us
and and he starts he starts taunting us
that he’s got really a good good father
is he really chasing you down it seems
like he’s chasing them down but he’s
leaving you here but the devil is a liar
today you have to understand that your
faithfulness is producing something for
your future and I want to encourage you
not to give up not to be faint in heart
not to try to go get a bigger testimony
of rescue what are you talking about cuz
I you see her all these people that have
all these like I was dangling from
building in sin yeah y’all know what I’m
saying and I was strung out on drugs and
I was I was sleeping with somebody while
being up it’s like all of these like
it’s all of these like huge stories and
then God as I was bout to fall down to
my desperate knee
then he swooped in and rescued me and
I’m a pastor well everybody don’t have
that testimony and in the church many
times we we lift up the the Jerry
Springer testimony ok we be honest and
we was like they were on drugs yesterday
and now they’re filled with the Holy
Spirit and gas and I like we celebrate
that and we should celebrate it but many
times sometimes we exclude those who
used to just be in Pride and God did
transformation surgery on their heart or
they they made a wrong decision and
decided to really make God their Lord
like everything doesn’t have to be some
big destructive story thank God for
saving us out of the I need to talk to
those people today cuz for seven weeks
we’ve been talking to everybody but I
want to tell you that there is grace for
the faithful um there’s a story in Luke
15 that I could literally preach like 10
hours on this one scripture because it’s
so much meaning it but today it’s the
story of the prodigal son I don’t know
that story
today I want you to allow me to
represent it like I want you to not
already go into this message with the
preconceived notion of what I’m gonna
say because you know there’s certain
stories that we identify with and would
be like oh okay I know what he’s about
to say no you don’t God has given me a
fresh view of this and today we’re not
gonna talk about the prodigal as much
we’re gonna talk about his older brother
we’re gonna talk about the one who
didn’t go out the one who stayed and
some of the things that formed in his
heart that tried to keep him away from
the father and I want to see if we can’t
learn something so i’ma read this whole
story this passage and I want you to see
that there is grace for the faithful
look at it first one says tax collectors
and other notorious sinners often came
to listen to Jesus this goes back to our
message last week that that that grace
in truth like when we minister in grace
and truth all type of people are gonna
be attracted these tax collectors and
sinners were attracted to what Jesus was
doing look at verse 2 it says this made
the church people Pharisees and teachers
of religious law mad they complained
that he was associating with such sinful
people
he was even eating with him and doesn’t
that sound like us a lot of times like
once we get saved and we get washed and
we get that there’s certain people the
pastor shouldn’t be with that there are
certain people that the ministers the
men and women of God that they shouldn’t
be around but we’re not just a church
that does the message of the Bible we
use the method of the Bible it’s that
these people were attracted to the grace
and truth that Christ was pointing and
church people were mad that he was
associating with them now I don’t want
anybody to take this message out of
context or misconstrue this and so I
need you to see something that really
helped me because there’s a lot of us
that aren’t fully out of the situations
that we were in but we try to save
people that are still in them and it
ends up drawing us back in like I see so
many people like y’all come out that
door
that tribe life I gotta go back and get
my brows I gotta go get back that was
last week
like you you need some transformation to
happen in your heart you need some of
you used to do bad business deals or
under-the-table business you you need to
have a season of learning the truth of
getting some different roots in you
because if you’re if you’re trying out
for varsity but you still got freshman
skills you’re gonna get ran every time
and that’s what happens for many people
in the body of Christ we get changed we
get saved but that’s why we have to be
renewed in our mind because we are still
becoming and transforming into the image
of what God has created and so what I’m
trying to tell you is what God sends you
back into an area or to minister and
reach out to people you need to know
that it’s for a purpose it’s so that you
can be effective not infected I’m gonna
say that again most people are going
into situation I gotta rescue my girls
who’s sleeping around and doing all that
stuff maybe your first step is to get
hold maybe your first step is to get in
a small group to be committed to serve
somebody else we try to put on this
super hero tape right out the bat and go
out and save everybody but God says I
want to make sure that you have an
anchor I want to make sure that when you
go back into these environments in these
worlds you will be effective not
infected and why are you saying that
Pastor Mike cuz a lot of people try to
use this method of Jesus thing to be
very close to what they’re very familiar
with and it ends up drawing them back in
okay can we be honest how many of us
have been too close to stuff that we
came from and it it dropped draw to us
who drew us what’s the word rule it drew
us and we’re family we all teach in this
it drew us back in come on let’s be
honest
oh girl you work with her you need to
quit that job you need to you need to
start something because God said I want
to do a transforming work on the inside
of you so now Jesus goes through three
stories in this whole thing I’m not
gonna read them for the sake of time but
he’s basically
all type of people around Jesus is going
in to be effective not infected and then
he tells a story about a lost coin a
lost sheep and then he tells the story
of the prodigal son and basically what
he’s saying through all of these stories
he’s saying yo like if one of my
children is gone from me
I’ll leave ninety-nine people who are
doing the right thing to go get that one
and the religious people’s like nah the
ninety-nine is cool he said but they’re
not yours they’re mine and so I’ll go
after the broken I’ll go after the
hurting I’ll go after the lost and so
the religious people are sitting there
frustrated and the people who are
sinners and notorious for all this stuff
they kind of leaning in and then he goes
into the prodigal son story listen to
this let’s pick up at verse 11 it said
to illustrate the point further so he’s
already told two stories he wants to
tell him even more emphasize Jesus tells
him this story a man had two sons the
younger son told his father dad I want
my share of the estate
now before you freaking God that’s how
it that’s how it comes across in my head
he said so his father agreed to divide
his wealth between his sons a few days
later this younger son packed all his
belongings and moved to a decent land
I’m freaking getting out of here dad and
there
he wasted all his money in wild living
about the time his money ran out a great
famine swept over the land oh I could
preach that in the funny how when you
run out your situation runs out too I
mean never mind let’s just sit let’s
just keep going and he begin to starve
he persuaded a local farmer to hire him
and the man sent him into the fields to
feed the pigs the young man became so
hungry that even the pods he was feeding
the pigs looked good to him but no one
gave him anything
you know what I got to stop there cuz I
need to get through this whole thing but
I’ve realized that I’ve gotten older
there is a grace called go ahead then
grace like when you want something so
bad and God’s trying to keep it for
you but you say give me my freakin
inheritance or give me that job or give
me that husband or give me oh come on
let’s say or give me that degree and
gods saying this is not the time this is
not the place I got something for you
it’s seven months up the road but you
really want this bet the father didn’t
have to give him his inheritance if it
was my father’s then sit down go to your
room didn’t get nothing but this father
had a grace in him that said if this is
what you really want go ahead then and
this is a dangerous place to be that God
gives you what you want that he’s been
trying to hold back from you because if
you get it you have to sustain it
and it will always run out on you like
and what I’m telling you is that there
are some people in here who’ve been
doing what you want like God’s been
trying to get you to go a direction and
you’re like and we’ve said stupid stuff
like I used to say well if God doesn’t
want me to do it then he’ll stop me no
he gave you choice and so when he says
you shouldn’t do that and we say stuff
like something told me not to do that
that’s God something told me not to go
to her house at 2:00 a.m. that was
common sense and God do you understand
what I’m saying
but but what I’m trying to tell you is
that there’s some things that you can
force and God says go ahead then just in
his grace he would rather you hit rock
bottom and realize that the only thing
that can save you and the only thing
that can change you is him and so some
of us are living and go ahead then
situations and I came to encourage you
right now before you’re eating out of
the pigs pin turn before you’ve hit rock
bottom
repent you don’t have to be looking at
this pig slop saying mmm my God if I
could mr. pig II can you share please
I want you to get the picture of this
what this young man used to eat
he’s now coveting what it eats what God
has on a table spread for us in his will
we end up slaving and being jealous of
things that aren’t even on the level
because we we win ahead without God I’m
encouraging every person in this room
don’t live in that go ahead then grace
because God has a perfect will for you
that will produce his results in your
life can I get a big a man if you need
scripture to back that up go to Romans
1:24 where it says so God abandoned them
to do whatever shameful things their
hearts desired as a result they did vile
and degrading things with each other’s
bodies they traded the truth of God’s
Word for a lie so they worship look look
how powerful this is so they worshiped
and served the things God created
instead of the creator himself I want
you to know every person in this room
there is grace for you even if you’re in
the pigs pin right now but you have to
turn so now we keep going in verse 17 it
says when he finally came to his senses
because there’s a moment where you’re
finally going to come to your senses
like this is nasty I used to eat
chick-fil-a now I’m up here eating
whatever this is it’s he said to himself
at home even the hired servants have
food enough to spare I am here dying of
hunger I will go home to my father’s
house and I’m gonna say this and you
know how when you get in trouble and you
get find out and you’re on your way home
and you know you about to get in trouble
you start practicing your speech like
what you would see what had happened was
this is what he does
what okay this one I’m saying father I
have sinned against you both heaven and
you and I am no longer yeah that’s good
I am no longer worthy of being called
your son please take me as a higher
servant oh that’s gonna work he gonna
like that that’s what he was doing right
here so then he gets his note he
to the house and he literally says now
watch the grace of God the unmerited
undeserved
unearned favor and kindness of God he
said and while he was still a long way
off oh this is good the father saw him
coming what I came to tell you is at the
moment you turn and start walking in the
direction that God has for you God is
not waiting for you to get perfect and
get right in front of him say God Here I
am spotless he says as soon as he sees
you coming he said while he was still a
long way off practical terms why he was
still cousin why he was still trying to
figure out is this the way why he still
smelled like dirt
why he still looked like what he’d been
through look what the father does this
is why he was a long way off his father
saw him coming how do you see him coming
when he’s a far way off that means he
was looking for him the same way God is
looking for you no matter what you’re in
what frustration he’s looking for you
and it said filled with love and
compassion I love this he ran to his son
see what religion teaches you is that
when you start running to God he’s
standing there on the porch like told
you is coming back told you so son come
on bring you little raggedy self in here
let’s get you cleaned up get the water
he’s my godson you see but that’s not
what our Father does our Father at the
moment he sees that you turn he doesn’t
wait for you to get there he comes
chasing you somebody needs to hear this
right now grace is not us coming to God
it’s God coming to us grace is him
saying you know what they’re not perfect
yet but I’m gonna hit this dog matter of
fact I hit this run cuz I see the one
who was lost and I want to be with them
so bad I can’t wait for them to get they
act together I see that they try and I’m
coming towards them that
is the grace of God and look what
happens the Sun starts in his speech he
said wait daddy before you start
improves I hit skroe and he says father
I have sinned against both you look
verse 21 he says and heaven and you and
I am no longer worthy of being called
your son the Father don’t even
acknowledge his dumb little speech he
doesn’t even listen look at him he don’t
even say that’s good son look what he
says but it’s but his father said he
didn’t acknowledge it he talked to the
servants quick bring the finest robe in
the house and put it on him cover him
get a ring on his finger which signifies
Authority and put sandals on his feet
because only slaves walk around barefoot
that is my son oh my god I need you to
see this when we when we are in the
middle of our mess and we turn towards
God he is not looking for our excuses in
our why he is so excited that we are
home that he doesn’t care about our
speeches and proving it to all the
servants see what we would have thought
is that dad may have come around and
said to all of the servants my son is
back he has repented he’s apologized he
is now worthy the father said get the
finest robe which means I’m gonna cover
him can you understand this that he
still smelt like pig slop when God the
Father covered his mess I can’t take
away the smell yet he could have called
for the bath first that’s what the
church would have done we would have
said clean up before we waste this good
robe What did he say cover him that’s
what the grace of God does for you it
says covering yeah they messed up but
they’ve repented and they’ve received
recovery oh I need to send my son to
stretch on a cross and guess what he
didn’t die to put your sin on layaway
he died once and for all I’ll cover it
then he said give him authority and put
sandals on his feet cuz he is no longer
a slave he is my son can somebody thank
God for the grace that has been extended
to you so now he’s standing there
probably just confused like this is not
what I expected to happen and it said
and kill the calf that we have been like
like we have been fattening this calf
it was almost if the father had been
preparing for his child to come home
you can’t fatten the calf in three hours
that means that from the time he left to
the time he came back he knew that at
some point his faith was that at some
point his child would come back and they
were gonna throw a party for him the
same way that God is standing out every
day saying I’ve knocked again today
hopefully today is the day that they
come back and get in my presence
verse 24 23 the end of it says we must
celebrate with a feast for this son of
mine was a dead
he didn’t come do you notice that his
the dad didn’t call him of radical he
called him a son and most of the time we
we refer to people by what they did the
father didn’t even acknowledge because
any man that be in Christ he’s a new
crime just trying to help us understand
the grace of God and he said he was dead
and has now returned to life he was lost
but now he is found so let the party
begin
DJ turn up like they started a party at
that moment all the service was like I
am glad he came out today was gonna be a
long day but like they started turning
up now watch so I want you to see if
you’re lost if you’re broken if you’re a
prodigal I want you to know that the
last seven weeks of this series has been
towards you
but because the mission of this church
is to talk to lost people and found
people the rest of this sermon I got to
talk to people who are kind of like the
older son that have been faithful who
have done the right thing who who keep
who been doing it for a long time and it
just seems like has the father forgotten
about me because I feel that a lot of
people have been weary in this season
and are about to give up and about to
start doing things or about to go find a
prodigal season like you know what they
celebrate him when he done wild out in
and come back while out and come back
and you know you don’t even know how to
do it right you don’t I’m saying have
you ever heard people like that no they
ain’t supposed to be sinning and stuff
and they try to go out and like they
cuss wrong like like like there’s stuff
that just don’t work I would give you an
example but I just I don’t I want to
keep this PG okay so so but but many
times if we’re honest that’s how we feel
like maybe I should go out and do
something maybe I should get the
father’s attention when his attention
has never left you and you look at it
because I was hard on the prodigal sons
that on the big brother I was hard on
him because I was usually too practical
like I was doing wild and out and just
god I need your grace this pig slop is
nasty lord I that was me but for the
past eight years I’ve been walking with
God and three of them have been a pastor
of a church like I’ve been walking hard
with God and so I’ve changed from the
prodigal to the Big Brother like many of
us like we once were the prodigal but
now we’ve been faithful we’ve been given
we’ve been coming we’ve been certainly
been trying our best and the attitude
can change because something has
happened and we forgot to identify and
celebrate with what the father is doing
while knowing that he has not forgotten
about us and that’s why the title of
this message is grace for the faithful
look at verse
we’re gonna go to verse 24 I believe it
is 25 it said meanwhile the older son
was in the field working when he
returned
home he heard music and dancing in the
house now get this picture he done came
home for the past let’s just say five
years every day no celebration carrying
whatever he was carrying doing what it
working I’m out here being faithful and
he’s aren’t huh they didn’t pull out the
fattened calf i all this sir is it a
holiday did I miss something
are they are they partying with that
turtle first of all why didn’t somebody
come get me like that would have been my
first question y’all know I’m still out
here working gonna start at a party and
didn’t even invite your boy so he got a
attitude from the beginning y’all know
he seized it from it and you know you
start walking different when you have
attitude he got an attitude now look and
so he asked one of the servants hey bro
what’s going on bro your brother back
yeah yo brother back he may yo your
father killed the fattened camera Wiens
take off in here bro and we are
celebrating because he is safe at home
and I love your brother bro I love your
brother you got to think they are having
a party now watch the older brother was
angry like many of the churches when we
see God blessing somebody who only been
believing for a week
like you you your first time in church
was last week and you got a new job you
got married you got like how this
happened for you in a week
come on let’s be honest I’ve been
applying to that that’s school for years
and you just decided on a whim to put in
your application and they got your
scholarship
what is it has anybody ever been there
where you’re like what is happening okay
and so what happens is the seed of anger
tries to get in your heart he said he
was angry and then look at his play he
wouldn’t go in so literally because he
got angry he would not enjoy something
that would be beneficial to him because
he was mad that it happened for somebody
else I want you to see this right now
the attitude of anger jealousy
entitlement competition comparison it
will keep you out of what would bless
you so he stayed out and he was like I
am NOT coming in and the sermon was like
re bro I’m going back to the party but
he would not come in just like many of
us won’t serve people who we don’t feel
deserve like just like many of us want
we won’t because we want to stay out and
let everybody know that we do not agree
with the Father blessing them and they
don’t deserve it but we’ve been faithful
and I want you to see this right here
look what it says the older brother was
angry and wouldn’t come in this is so
beautiful his father came out and begged
him but he replied all these years I’ve
frickin slaved for you and never once
refused to do a single thing you told me
to do and in all that time you never
gave me even one young goat that is a
weak request like he should have asked
for a boat or something he asked for a
goat okay
you’ve never given me goat for my
friends for a feast Diddy Billy Diddy
Travis no he did it yeah when this son
of yours comes back after squandering
all your money on prostitutes and you
celebrate him by killing the fattened
calf his father said look at me look
into my eyes dear son you have always
stayed by me listen to this and
everything I have is yours like there’s
so much power in this because this young
man was not seeing himself as an heir to
the throne he was seeing himself as a
slave but he was living below what God
saw of him because the father said
everything I have is yours we had to
celebrate this happy day for your
brother was dead and has come to life he
was lost but now he has found what I
want to encourage people who have been
faithful just a couple of things because
I can feel you like I was going
somewhere else with a different message
today and always peer said no I got to
talk to some of my kids who’ve been
doing the right thing who’ve been trying
who been praying for a husband praying
for why praying for kids praying for the
business doing things right but they’re
getting a little frustrated cuz they
think I don’t see them and we’re
celebrating the ones who are making
little milestones and you said I’ve been
here this whole time and these are a few
points that I want you to know if you’re
faithful and and you’ve been in that
season the first one is sustaining grace
is just as amazing as saving grace like
like when somebody gets radically saved
we shout but we need to shout when
somebody’s stayed consistent and this is
the thing is that many of us do not find
pleasure in consistency because
everybody wants to celebrate the
firework they don’t celebrate the fire
that allows the firework to be lit
nobody likes a match and be like oh
shoot
you know fire but without the
consistency of that fire
you never see a fire work and and and
and I’m trying to just help people who
have been faithful that anytime God ask
you to do something anytime you’ve been
struck anytime that God asks you you’re
consistent you keep serving you keep
loving you keep going you keep doing it
God’s saying without you there’s no fire
work and the enemy would try to make you
feel that your consistency is nothing to
be proud of and the enemy would have to
try to make you feel that God doesn’t
see what you do but sustaining grace if
not for the great deal I could not be
anything that I am right now if God
didn’t wake me up this morning if he
didn’t if he didn’t give me a right mind
if he didn’t do those things and a lot
of times we celebrate when somebody gets
off of drugs and then comes in it but he
woke me up
I’m not crazy I’m still here after
everything I’ve been through after
everything you’ve been through you’re
still here y’all we have to get amazed
by sustaining grace and this is
something that you have to anchor in
your heart when you’re faithful because
God wants you to know that it’s him
still sustaining you let me give you
another point you need to talk if you if
you if you literally are in a place
where you see us celebrating or you see
others celebrating somebody else and
anger and jealousy and hurt gets in your
heart this might be the reason cuz you
need to talk to the father not a servant
see this this dude came in from the
field and his first communication was
not with the father his first
communication was with the fellow up
here and the peer was not thinking he
wasn’t a son he was a servant so he had
a different perspective when you talk to
people who are not on the level they
understand what God is doing they will
allow a perspective to get into your
heart into your mind
that have you thinking like a slave oh
oh this is a
son thinking like a slave you can tell
it because he tells his father in a
couple of verses later he says I have
slaved for you he forgot who he was
because he was talking to the wrong
people
I’m telling you right now I know there’s
some situations in your life that it
feels like you’re being looked over go
talk to the father see cuz when you talk
to the father maybe he would have got a
different perspective on what was really
happening
the father probably would have told him
son there’s no need to be frustrated
remember for the past 22 months how
you’ve seen me stand out and watch you
go to the field and then I stand out
there a little longer looking for your
brother see when you go out to the field
what you’re doing is being consistent so
I don’t have to worry about you I can’t
depend on you part of my joy comes when
I look out and I see you doing the same
thing that I asked you to do six months
ago and you’re still being faithful
matter of fact that’s the father he
might have said to him that’s the only
thing that’s giving me hope is that I
have one son that’ll do what I’ve asked
him to do I feel like a failure as a
father because one of my sons after
everything I poured into him has gone
off and squandered it but every time I
see you I’m reminded of God’s
faithfulness because you have done the
same thing and you’ve kept serving and
you’ve kept giving and you stayed
faithful to one wife and you’ve
completed what you say I’m just saying
he might have given him a different
perspective son remember those sandals I
gave you three years ago and then I gave
you new ones
but I asked you to keep the old ones
those are the sandals I just put on your
brother’s feet see what was old for you
it’s now new for somebody in the only
reason I gave him those sandals is
because you’ve walked this road before
and now that he’s coming into a newness
of who he’s supposed to be I need
somebody to show him how to walk y’all
better y’all better help me you remember
that robe that’s the same exact robe
that I had made for both of you cuz you
buffered he was talking to the wrong
person and when we start talking to
friends and colleagues I don’t know why
they keep passing me up for this
promotion girl I know I know I don’t
know why they keep after you
either that’s the same friend that told
them not to hire you like that’s what
you don’t know you gotta go to the
father so I’m telling you it’s time for
us if we’re if we’re in that place of
trying to figure out how to be faithful
go to the father look and it told us um
the next point is the father this is the
most beautiful one is the father even if
you’ve been faithful the father still
pursues the faithful see when I read
this story before this is kind of my
whole point right now it’s that I always
saw that the father or God ran to the
one who was out there while an hour he
met him in a point of his knee but I
never saw it until this week that this
is where grace comes in because he
didn’t just go and pursue the one who
was out there he pursued the one who was
in it got angry and stepped out you
might have missed it look at it verse 28
the older brother was angry and he
wouldn’t go in so his father came out
this is Grace that even if you’ve served
God and if you’ve loved them and if you
stood but you had a moment of pride or
entitlement or jealousy or anything
God’s not saying well cuz I mean most
fathers would have been like stay out
there then more stake for us but this
father left the party do y’all see he
did the same thing for the one who was
in the 99 the one who did what was right
he did the same thing for him that he
talked about in two other parables that
he would do for the one he did it again
and he left the party to go out and then
it says he begged his son now you know
the way I was raised you don’t really
see fathers begging sons it’s like I
asked you once
you know what I’m saying but think about
the love and compassion you would have
to be to be reasoning with this young
man and trying to let him know no no son
this is not to come against you or maybe
he said this this is not competition
this is completion when you stay
faithful and now the sons returned
we’re a family again and this is the
picture that God’s trying to create all
your brothers and sisters out here
wiling to see he disassociated with
being his brother it literally says in
the text the son says this son of yours
not my brother and what we started
thinking is that these people don’t have
anything to do with us and so we can
come in these hookers these Liars deezen
and he said no no remember that’s your
brother that’s your sister and when you
stay faithful and they come back then we
don’t get in competition we complete
what God was trying to do what I’m
trying to do is encourage somebody today
who’s been faithful I need you to
continue to be faithful keep serving
that husband who’s still not all the way
there keep loving on those kids keep
doing the right thing keep serving in
the children’s ministry well Lord I’ve
been called to the platform he said I
know that’s why I’m asking you to give
you everything to those children cuz
they’re the ones that’s gonna be in your
church I’m asking you to lead your
congregation now but you’re trying to
leave that assignment to get on a
platform
he said you’re trying to leave this
relationship that I’ve called you to to
what you think is gonna be better and
I’ve already planned this for you be
faithful and look at this last point
faithfulness is not slavery its sonship
see a lot of times we we get the wrong
perspective and we think that because
we’ve been faithful like woe is me just
gonna stay here and serve the church all
my friends are moving to LA in New York
and this net
Tulsa do that like we just weren’t alsa
can’t wait to get out of here can’t wait
to you can’t wait to get out of your
destiny you you can’t wait to get away
you’re looking at what the world has
given you a perception of of what
success looks like in God said but I
have a plan for you and he said when
you’re faithful to what I’ve called you
to that’s not slavery well I just got to
do it cuz the master says so this is
sonship look at it
he literally tells him in verse 31 dear
son you have always stayed by me and
everything I have is yours I just wanted
to come cuz God gave me a revelation he
said Michael at any point at any day at
whatever the leisure of this older son
he could have taken a fattened cow
killed it and threw his own party but
because he was thinking like a slave he
acted like a slave and he was waiting
for somebody else to throw him a party
for being faithful and God told me
Michael I want you to go and courage
somebody that they no longer have to
wait for a pastor to notice them for a
husband for a wife for a boss to notice
them he said you have been faithful and
you have been my son throw your own
party y’all didn’t hear me God told me
to tell somebody that you’ve been
waiting for the recognition of man and
for somebody to say you’ve been doing a
great job he said everything I have is
you need to just make a decision some of
us we are waiting while I’ve been
celibate for six months and nobody sees
it throw your own party
get up.get hear me throw your own party
there is something that has to rise up
on the inside of you that says I have
been faithful I have stood by God I am a
son I
daughter and I will not let the
celebration of others
let jealousy and anger come in my heart
the prodigal didn’t have access to the
things he needed to throw a party but
everything that is my father’s is mine
so I need healing claiming I want peace
receiving I need grace take it like you
don’t go into your own house and ask to
eat cuz you own it matter of fact I
don’t go into my father’s house and ask
to eat cuz I know anything he put in
that refrigerator he knew he had five
boys you hear what I’m saying and when
we come over we’re not saying dad
there’s only a small drizzle of juice
left do you think that it would be fine
if I take the car I need to get a cup I
just take the carton and why cuz
everything that is his is mine stop
waiting for somebody to offer you
something throw your own party do you
all hear what I’m saying
stop wait oh no somebody needs to get
this throw your own party God has been
faithful you have been faithful standing
in the knowing of who you are and throw
your own party to be your neighbor I’m
about to throw my own party see some of
y’all some of y’all don’t even get it
some of you don’t get it you would
rather somebody else tell you you’re
doing good but if you’re always waiting
on man’s approval you will always stay
outside of the will of God he’s already
giving it to you this young man had been
thinking like a slave so he didn’t think
he could throw his own party but his
faithfulness gave him access
I came to encourage you as your
faithfulness to that wife your
faithfulness to that assignment your
faithfulness to that job he’s giving you
access ask of God go to the throne of
grace boldly tell God I want this
marriage to work and don’t but I have
been faithful I’m reminding you of your
word to me that says he
who began a good work come on somebody
it’s gonna be faithful to complete I am
your son everything that you pay for on
the cross Healing it’s mine and I will
not stand here and act like a slave and
you’ve called me a son there are some
people in here who are about to give up
and I know we’ve been going after the
lost in this series but let me talk to
the family keep serving keep loving keep
staying because what God is going to do
is give you grace
for your faithfulness listen to this
last scripture Galatians 6:9 it says so
let’s not get tired in doing what’s good
another translation you might know says
don’t be weary and well doing at just
the right time you love it we will reap
a harvest of blessing now saying don’t
give up now cuz you don’t know what I
got back here for you don’t don’t stop
right now don’t get ugly now don’t don’t
don’t give up on him now just right at
the right time I know when it’s gonna
happen it’s on the way you gotta trust
me
at the right time you will reap a
harvest of blessing blessing look at the
caveat if you don’t give up and some of
you are at the point to give up and I
wanted to come and tell you don’t give
up like like God sees you keep being
faithful keep tithing keep serving keep
loving cuz when you do harvest time is
coming but God it seems like everybody
that’s wiling out gets the blessing God
said I can count on you like like you
don’t realize that the deed to this
whole thing when I die is in your name
like like we’re glad your brother’s back
but he’s got to learn how to walk this
thing I can depend on you I can build a
church on you I can trust you with hard
situation
I could give you a family to raise them
I can give you a bad boss and watch me
rise up in you did y’all hear what I’m
saying to you cuz I will give grace to
the faithful if that’s you in this place
and you’ve struggled with what’s
celebrating like you outside the party
right now you’re just like oh I hate
them you want to dance but you just
tapping your feet cuz I ain’t going I’m
not gonna saw I’m gonna be angry I’m
gonna be bitter I’m gonna be mad I’ll
never say it but I have it in my heart
you’re saying I I don’t want to live
like a slave no more I want to live as a
son imma throw my own party this week oh
you know what I’m gonna celebrate this
weight that I lost you don’t see that
I’m skinnier but I’m nine pounds damn
and I don’t care I’m taking my shirt off
like you y’all see what I’m sayin like
some of y’all uh you better celebrate
your wins you don’t know how many more
of them you have it gives joy and
strength for the next day I used to push
people out ba because one time this week
you better throw your own party cuz
everybody will not celebrate what God is
doing in you and if and if you hold off
your seventh celebration your heart grow
sick so today there’s grace for the
faithful don’t your own party if you’re
in this room and you’ve been in that
place like I was you saying man I’ve
been faithful but I just haven’t seen it
and maybe some anger or bitterness or
frustration or comparison got into my
heart but I want to be free from that
I’m on assignment today to pray for you
and I just want you to stand up all over
this building just like if that’s you
it’s not for everybody but it’s for you
I want you to stand up cuz cuz the other
series that’s for everybody else this
today was for you God made an
interruption in this sermon series to
talk to you specifically oh I thank God
for His Word lift your hands all over
this place I want to pray for you father
I thank you that there is grace for the
faithful every person who has done
and tried their best to stay to your
word and do what you called them to do
and father maybe they haven’t seen the
results in the timing father I thank you
that you have not forgotten about them
father that you have made a specific
moment you have carved out a time of the
harvest and blessing that is gonna bless
their socks off father I thank you right
now that they are becoming more sturdy
and anchored in what you have said about
them that they are the head and not the
tail that they are above and not beneath
father God that you don’t think more of
somebody else father you’re just
completing this circle you’re completing
it father I thank you that they would
have strength to be faithful even when
it’s hard even when it’s frustrating
even when it seems God that you don’t
see I thank you right now that you are
renewing their strength like Eagles that
they’re gonna be able to soar like never
before and we will give you the glory
honor and praise for it because there is
as much grace as you have for the lost
God there are grace for the faithful and
we trust you and thank you for it in
Jesus name
come on if you receive that will you
give God a shout of praise in this place