WEBVTT - When God Doesn't Listen 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. 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Download the uns stap and use the 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:20.840 code I heeart fifty at sign up to receive a 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:23.400 fifty dollars bonus when you find your account. That's code 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:26.400 iHeart fifty when you sign up at unest dot co 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:29.320 for a fifty dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.440 --> 0:01:30.120 UNEs dot co. 0:01:30.959 --> 0:01:34.880 There's no use beating yourself up living condemned. 0:01:35.440 --> 0:01:39.280 God's mercy has covered everything you've done wrong. 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:42.960 If you want to get God's attention, start speaking the 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:44.319 language of faith. 0:01:44.880 --> 0:01:45.160 Father. 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:48.960 Thank you that my files have been deleted. Thank you 0:01:49.000 --> 0:01:51.920 that you're not counting my sins against me. Thank you 0:01:51.960 --> 0:01:56.680 that I'm covered by your mercy. Hi, this is Joel 0:01:56.720 --> 0:02:01.000 and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. We enjoy spending 0:02:01.000 --> 0:02:03.360 this time with you. I know you're going to leave 0:02:03.440 --> 0:02:04.760 encouraged and inspired. 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:07.960 Make sure you subscribe to get new messages every week 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:10.760 and follow us on social media to stay connected. 0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:12.440 We appreciate your support. 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:18.760 It helps keep the ministry going enjoy the message. Will 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:21.720 God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes. 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:24.959 And if you're ever in our area, please stop buying. 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:28.120 Be a part of one of our services. I'll promise you. 0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:31.200 We'll make you feel right at home. I like to 0:02:31.240 --> 0:02:34.799 start with something funny. And one Sunday morning, this man 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:35.840 walked in church. 0:02:36.160 --> 0:02:37.480 Were in old blue. 0:02:37.280 --> 0:02:41.240 Jeans, an old T shirt, beat up cowboy hat. 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:43.120 Some of the members were appalled. 0:02:43.600 --> 0:02:48.040 They sent notes to the pastor expressing their concerns. Afterwards, 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:50.919 the pastor told the man that he needed to pray 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:54.399 and ask God what he should wear before he came 0:02:54.440 --> 0:02:57.440 back to his church. The next Sunday, the man walked 0:02:57.440 --> 0:03:00.880 in dressed exactly the same I said, I told you 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:04.119 to ask God what to wear before you came back 0:03:04.160 --> 0:03:07.520 to my church. The man said, I did ask God, 0:03:07.880 --> 0:03:09.560 but he told me he didn't know what. 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:12.120 To wear because he's never been here before. 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:16.760 All right, say it like you mean it. This is 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:20.040 my Bible. I am what it says I am. I 0:03:20.120 --> 0:03:22.520 have what it says I have. I can do what 0:03:22.600 --> 0:03:25.320 it says I can do. Today I will be taught 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:29.720 the word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:33.240 my heart is receptive. I will never be the same. 0:03:33.800 --> 0:03:38.400 In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want to talk 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:42.840 to you today about when God doesn't listen. We know 0:03:42.960 --> 0:03:47.280 that God is omnipresent. He's everywhere at the same time. 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:52.120 He can see everything and he can hear everything. But 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:57.880 there's a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is unintentional. 0:03:58.480 --> 0:04:02.400 You can be asleep and hear your alarm. You weren't listening, 0:04:02.720 --> 0:04:07.360 you were simply hearing. Listening means you've tuned in, you've 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:11.600 given your attention, you're interested. A while back, I asked 0:04:11.640 --> 0:04:14.680 Victoria if she had gone to the grocery store. I 0:04:14.800 --> 0:04:18.440 was looking for the short answer, but Victoria is much 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:19.920 more expressive than I am. 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:23.400 She likes to give the details. She told how she 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:24.440 had gone. 0:04:24.240 --> 0:04:27.600 And who she ran into, and what they had been doing, 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:31.760 and how their cousins, next door neighbors, grandfather's best friend 0:04:31.839 --> 0:04:34.599 had just had a baby. And I wasn't looking for 0:04:34.680 --> 0:04:37.320 any of that. I just wanted to know, did you 0:04:37.360 --> 0:04:41.200 get the chicken wings? The whole time she was telling 0:04:41.240 --> 0:04:45.040 the story, I was hearing it, but I wasn't listening. 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:48.040 I was there, but I wasn't tuned in. 0:04:49.080 --> 0:04:54.680 It may surprise you that even though God hears everything, he. 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:56.040 Doesn't always listen. 0:04:56.800 --> 0:04:59.920 There are certain things the scripture tells us that God 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:01.040 he doesn't. 0:05:00.640 --> 0:05:01.520 Pay attention to. 0:05:02.440 --> 0:05:05.680 Now, I wonder if we're talking to God about something 0:05:06.040 --> 0:05:08.640 that he's hearing but he's not tuned in. 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:13.440 He's right there, but he's not listening. Luke fifteen. There's 0:05:13.480 --> 0:05:14.839 a story of two sons. 0:05:15.279 --> 0:05:19.080 The younger son asked his father for his inheritance early. 0:05:19.640 --> 0:05:22.039 He knew it belonged to him and he wanted it right. 0:05:22.080 --> 0:05:26.000 Then his father agreed. The young man took the funds 0:05:26.000 --> 0:05:30.839 and left home. He went out and started partying, living wild, 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:35.240 spending it on all kinds of wrong things. We Eventually 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:38.280 the money ran out. There was a great famine in 0:05:38.320 --> 0:05:42.200 the land. Nowhere to get food, he ended up working 0:05:42.320 --> 0:05:45.239 in a hog pen, having to eat the hog food 0:05:45.320 --> 0:05:49.440 to survive. It was nobody's fault except his own. 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:51.800 He brought the trouble on himself. 0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:57.560 Sitting in the hog pen, dirty smelly, feeling depressed, he 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:01.320 began to think about home. He said, even the farm 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:05.560 hands that work from my father eat three meals a day. Here, 0:06:05.640 --> 0:06:08.720 I'm starving I'm going to go back home and see 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:11.400 if my father will hire me as one. 0:06:11.200 --> 0:06:15.320 Of his staff. He had his big speech all lined up. 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:19.279 He had already practiced what he was going to say, Father, 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:24.040 I have sinned against you and against God. I am 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:27.599 no longer worthy to be called your son. I don't 0:06:27.680 --> 0:06:30.839 deserve to live in the house. I'm just asking you 0:06:30.920 --> 0:06:34.200 to hire me as one of your farm hands. The 0:06:34.279 --> 0:06:38.320 son returned home. You can imagine how nervous he was. 0:06:38.640 --> 0:06:42.800 He had practiced this speech again and again. When his 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:46.280 father saw him a long way off, he took off, 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:50.480 running toward the sun. I'm sure the son thought, oh great, 0:06:51.040 --> 0:06:54.080 he's so upset. He's not even going to allow me 0:06:54.320 --> 0:06:56.960 back on the property. He's going to come out here 0:06:57.000 --> 0:06:57.960 and beerate. 0:06:57.720 --> 0:06:59.720 Me and tell me how foolish I've been. 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:03.680 But when the father got to the son, he grabbed 0:07:03.760 --> 0:07:08.080 him and hugged him, wouldn't let him go, gave his 0:07:08.120 --> 0:07:11.960 son a kiss. I can see the father weeping tears 0:07:12.000 --> 0:07:13.760 of joy, so excited. 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:18.239 Now it was the son's big moment to give his speech. 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:22.160 He knew this would either make him or break him. 0:07:22.600 --> 0:07:27.320 He started off, Father, I'm unworthy to be called your son, 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:32.000 I've dishonored the family name. I've made so many mistakes. 0:07:32.360 --> 0:07:36.840 He did it so passionately, so genuinely, But the scripture 0:07:36.960 --> 0:07:39.920 says the father wasn't listening. 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:43.840 Right in the middle of his big speech. 0:07:43.960 --> 0:07:47.240 When the son was pouring out his heart telling how 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:51.480 unworthy he was, the father was no more paying attention. 0:07:52.240 --> 0:07:55.480 He looked over at his staff and said, quick, go 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:58.000 get the best robe and put it on my son. 0:07:58.680 --> 0:08:02.240 Go get a ring for his shoes, for his feet, 0:08:02.400 --> 0:08:04.160 and kill the fatted calf. 0:08:04.440 --> 0:08:07.120 We're going to have a party. My son was lost, 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:08.480 but now he's found. 0:08:09.360 --> 0:08:12.600 I can see the son thinking, Dad, I'm trying to 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:17.680 tell you how unworthy I feel, how sorry I am. 0:08:17.680 --> 0:08:19.280 But you're not even listening. 0:08:20.160 --> 0:08:24.120 Are you telling God everything wrong with you, how many 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:25.440 mistakes you've made. 0:08:25.680 --> 0:08:28.840 How you don't deserve to be blessed God? I blew 0:08:28.880 --> 0:08:31.640 it again. I don't see how you could even love me. 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:36.079 Can I tell you? God is not listening. You are 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:37.439 wasting your breath. 0:08:38.080 --> 0:08:42.400 This can save you a lot of time and emotional energy. 0:08:42.480 --> 0:08:46.680 You are not worthy because of what you did or 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:47.200 didn't do. 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:52.320 You're worthy because of what Jesus did. You don't have 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:55.600 to go to God and try to convince him to 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:58.040 forgive you. Convince him that. 0:08:57.960 --> 0:09:00.840 You know you're not good enough, You're just a weak 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:02.000 worm of the dust. 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:03.880 He tunes all that out. 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:08.280 If you want God to not only hear, but to listen, 0:09:08.960 --> 0:09:12.600 then go to him with the language of faith. Father, 0:09:12.760 --> 0:09:16.320 thank you that your mercy is bigger than my mistakes. 0:09:16.679 --> 0:09:19.160 Thank you that you're not holding my past against me. 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:23.440 Thank you that I'm forgiven, that I'm redeemed. Don't go 0:09:23.559 --> 0:09:28.560 through life beating yourself up, dwelling on your mistakes and failures. 0:09:29.000 --> 0:09:32.640 The moment you ask God to forgive you, he forgave 0:09:32.760 --> 0:09:37.600 you. You don't have to keep going back to God and saying, 0:09:37.920 --> 0:09:41.479 I'm sorry for what I did. I'm just so undisciplined. 0:09:41.800 --> 0:09:45.599 I know I don't deserve your goodness. I can imagine 0:09:45.760 --> 0:09:49.800 God turning to the angel Gabriel and saying, is someone 0:09:49.920 --> 0:09:53.880 saying something. I hear it, but I'm not tuned into that. 0:09:54.880 --> 0:09:58.199 When you're telling God all the times you failed, how 0:09:58.240 --> 0:10:02.160 you don't deserve to be blessed, God is not saying, good, 0:10:02.760 --> 0:10:06.920 I'm glad you finally feel unworthy. I'm glad you're finally 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:08.040 down on yourself. 0:10:08.679 --> 0:10:10.080 He's not paying attention. 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:15.240 All that's doing is making you feel bad about yourself. 0:10:15.720 --> 0:10:19.880 It's keeping you from expecting his favor. That's why the 0:10:19.920 --> 0:10:24.040 scripture says, come boldly to the Throne of Grace. 0:10:24.040 --> 0:10:27.280 To obtain mercy. When you need mercy. 0:10:27.840 --> 0:10:33.080 Don't go to God guilty, condemned, weak, Go boldly, Go 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:38.040 with confidence, knowing that you're forgiven, knowing that God is 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:42.080 for you. Yes, you may have blown it, but like 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:45.960 this young man, God is running towards you right now, 0:10:46.679 --> 0:10:49.840 not to condemn you, not to make you feel guilty, 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:51.160 but to love you. 0:10:51.920 --> 0:10:52.959 Well, Joel, shouldn't I. 0:10:52.920 --> 0:10:57.720 Tell God how bad I was and how unworthy I feel? 0:10:57.960 --> 0:11:02.320 You can, but he's not listening. God listens to the 0:11:02.440 --> 0:11:06.840 language of faith. He doesn't listen when we're beating ourselves up, 0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:08.040 telling him. 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:09.040 What we don't deserve. 0:11:10.040 --> 0:11:13.640 The enemy would love for you to live feeling condemned. 0:11:14.480 --> 0:11:17.480 He'll remind you of all the times you haven't measured up. 0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:18.839 It may not be. 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:22.680 Something big, but even small things. You didn't spend enough 0:11:22.720 --> 0:11:26.240 time with your children last week, you should have worked out, 0:11:26.720 --> 0:11:29.360 you got mad at your neighbor, you were late to school. 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:32.560 There's always some reason that. 0:11:32.480 --> 0:11:35.480 We can feel bad about who we are. If you 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:39.480 give into these lies, you'll go through life feeling wrong 0:11:39.679 --> 0:11:44.720 on the inside. Now, I found most people accept condemnation 0:11:45.600 --> 0:11:49.920 easier than they accept mercy. They believe the lies from 0:11:49.960 --> 0:11:53.760 the accuser more than they believe what God says about them. 0:11:54.280 --> 0:11:57.920 That they're forgiven, that you're redeemed, that you're made worthy. 0:11:58.840 --> 0:12:02.600 When you make a mistake, go to God, ask for forgiveness, 0:12:02.880 --> 0:12:07.200 and then move on. Don't keep asking again and again, 0:12:07.520 --> 0:12:11.600 bringing up the same failures. First time you ask God 0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:15.440 to forgive you, he not only forgave you, he. 0:12:15.320 --> 0:12:17.120 Doesn't remember it anymore. 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:20.520 When you go back and ask God again and again, 0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:24.240 he says, what are you talking about? I have no 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:29.640 account of that. When God forgave you, he deleted your files. 0:12:30.320 --> 0:12:33.360 He doesn't have a big server up in heaven where 0:12:33.360 --> 0:12:36.480 he's keeping a backup copy just in case he changes 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:40.560 his mind. The scripture says, God has cleared a record. 0:12:41.360 --> 0:12:45.080 He has no account of what you keep asking him 0:12:45.320 --> 0:12:47.320 for forgiveness for now. 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:49.240 You know who is keeping a record. 0:12:49.720 --> 0:12:53.400 You know who has forty seven backup copies. The enemy, 0:12:53.480 --> 0:12:57.120 he's called the accuser of the brethren. He'll remind you 0:12:57.200 --> 0:13:00.320 of everything you've done wrong for the last thirty year years. 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:04.760 If someone is bringing up negative things from your past 0:13:04.840 --> 0:13:06.280 and your thoughts, you can be. 0:13:06.280 --> 0:13:08.000 Assured it is not God. 0:13:09.000 --> 0:13:12.200 In this story of the prodigal, the young man didn't 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:15.880 even ask for forgiveness. Just the fact that he turned 0:13:15.880 --> 0:13:18.560 from his old way, the fact that he left the 0:13:18.600 --> 0:13:22.439 hogpen and came home, that was enough for his father 0:13:22.559 --> 0:13:26.480 to forgive him. You may not have done everything perfect 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:30.040 in life. You can find plenty of reasons to live guilty, 0:13:30.520 --> 0:13:31.599 feel unworthy. 0:13:32.400 --> 0:13:35.880 But just the fact that you're here, just the fact. 0:13:35.640 --> 0:13:39.760 That you're listening, is a sign that you've turned toward God. 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:43.960 It's a sign that you've headed toward the Father's house. 0:13:44.640 --> 0:13:48.960 Right now, the Father is running towards you. You may 0:13:49.000 --> 0:13:52.160 have your big speech all lined up. You're ready to 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:55.800 tell God how unworthy you are, how you don't deserve 0:13:55.880 --> 0:13:56.680 to be blessed. 0:13:57.320 --> 0:13:59.880 Save your speech. He's not listening. 0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:04.600 There's no use beating yourself up living condemned. 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:09.040 God's mercy has covered everything you've done wrong. 0:14:09.679 --> 0:14:12.640 If you want to get God's attention, start speaking the 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:14.040 language of faith. 0:14:14.600 --> 0:14:14.880 Father. 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:18.640 Thank you that my files have been deleted, Thank you 0:14:18.720 --> 0:14:20.880 that you're not counting my sins against me. 0:14:21.320 --> 0:14:23.840 Thank you that I'm covered by your mercy. 0:14:24.960 --> 0:14:28.280 Too often we think we have to pay God back 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:29.239 for our mistakes. 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:31.320 If it's something big. 0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:34.720 We have to beat ourselves up for six months lost 0:14:34.720 --> 0:14:35.320 my temper. 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:37.800 Told my coworker off, that's. 0:14:37.600 --> 0:14:40.240 A medium sized sin. I got to be down on 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:43.040 myself for a couple of weeks, plead with God again 0:14:43.080 --> 0:14:44.960 and again. God, I blew it. I don't know what's 0:14:45.000 --> 0:14:45.600 wrong with me. 0:14:46.440 --> 0:14:49.120 The whole time. God is hearing. 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:52.520 You, but he's not listening when we're trying to make 0:14:52.600 --> 0:14:56.480 up for our mistakes. What we're really saying is, Jesus 0:14:56.560 --> 0:14:58.840 didn't finish everything on the cross. 0:14:59.480 --> 0:15:01.000 Let me pay for this one. 0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:03.080 I need to get back up on the cross for 0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:06.920 a little while. Now, understand the price has. 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:08.760 Already been paid in full. 0:15:09.240 --> 0:15:13.720 All your sins, past, present, and future have been taken 0:15:13.760 --> 0:15:18.320 care of. The Way to honor God is not by 0:15:18.360 --> 0:15:23.680 being down on yourself, living guilty, feeling unworthy. It's by 0:15:23.760 --> 0:15:28.000 receiving his mercy. It's by getting up when you fall 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:32.160 and trying again. It's by still believing for his favor, 0:15:32.640 --> 0:15:36.560 still expecting his goodness, even though you've spent some time 0:15:36.880 --> 0:15:37.720 in the hogpen. 0:15:38.520 --> 0:15:39.400 Even though you've. 0:15:39.200 --> 0:15:42.680 Made poor choices, you have that boldness to put on. 0:15:42.600 --> 0:15:46.320 Your robe of righteousness. You put on that crown of favor. 0:15:46.920 --> 0:15:50.600 You enjoy the party that your father threw because you 0:15:50.680 --> 0:15:54.440 came back home. Suppose the son said, Dad, I don't 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:57.880 deserve these new clothes. I don't deserve this ring that 0:15:58.000 --> 0:15:59.560 represents I'm in the family. 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:01.280 Don't throw a party from me. 0:16:01.840 --> 0:16:04.200 Just let me live out in the barn. I need 0:16:04.240 --> 0:16:07.240 to pay you back for all this trouble. The father 0:16:07.280 --> 0:16:07.680 would have. 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:11.040 Said, what are you talking about? Are you kidding? You're 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:13.480 my son. I wanna be good to you. 0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:18.400 The way to please God is by receiving his mercy. 0:16:18.520 --> 0:16:22.080 Sitting in the hogpen, this young man made a decision 0:16:22.560 --> 0:16:24.120 that changed the course. 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:24.560 Of his life. 0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:29.240 He said, I will arise and go to my father's house. 0:16:29.920 --> 0:16:33.720 He was saying, yes, I've made mistakes, Yes I brought 0:16:33.720 --> 0:16:36.680 this trouble on myself, but I am not going to 0:16:36.760 --> 0:16:40.520 let one bad season ruin the rest of my life. 0:16:41.240 --> 0:16:44.080 I Am not going to sit here condemned. I'm going 0:16:44.120 --> 0:16:46.160 to arise now. 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:49.120 You may have made some poor choices, You're not where 0:16:49.120 --> 0:16:52.040 you thought you would be in life. The accuser is 0:16:52.040 --> 0:16:55.040 telling you it's too late, You've blown it too bad, 0:16:55.240 --> 0:16:58.880 just sit on the sidelines. No, you are one decision 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:03.120 away from seeing God's show out in your life. The 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:07.639 plan he has for you was not canceled because you 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:13.359 spent time in the hogpen. Those decisions didn't disqualify you 0:17:13.640 --> 0:17:14.520 from his favor. 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:17.440 All you have to do is arise. 0:17:18.280 --> 0:17:21.560 Shake off that guilt, quit believe in the lies that 0:17:21.640 --> 0:17:25.440 you've seen your best days, and start heading towards your 0:17:25.480 --> 0:17:31.040 father's house. Start making decisions that honor God. Break away 0:17:31.080 --> 0:17:34.280 from things that are causing you to compromise to be 0:17:34.440 --> 0:17:35.439 less than your best. 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:39.280 It's not too late, You're not too far off course. 0:17:39.760 --> 0:17:43.880 God still has amazing things in your future if. 0:17:43.720 --> 0:17:45.400 You'll dare to arise. 0:17:46.440 --> 0:17:50.320 I believe one reason this young man had the boldness 0:17:50.359 --> 0:17:53.960 to go back home was deep down he knew who 0:17:54.040 --> 0:17:58.720 he was. He knew what family he belonged to. When 0:17:58.760 --> 0:18:04.680 you understand your position, it will change your condition. When 0:18:04.720 --> 0:18:07.240 you understand you were a child of. 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:08.439 The Most High God. 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:15.159 You weren't created to live condemned, guilty, defeated. God created 0:18:15.200 --> 0:18:19.440 you to be victorious, to reign in life, to leave 0:18:19.520 --> 0:18:23.280 your mark. Now your condition may be way down low 0:18:23.840 --> 0:18:25.440 because you've made poor choices. 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:28.600 You don't think you deserve to be blessed. It was 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:29.240 your fault. 0:18:29.880 --> 0:18:33.960 The right attitude is I may have made mistakes, but 0:18:34.040 --> 0:18:38.720 I understand my position. The creator of the universe breathe 0:18:38.840 --> 0:18:42.600 life into me. I may not feel worthy, but I 0:18:42.680 --> 0:18:46.280 know he's made me worthy. So I'm going to arise 0:18:46.720 --> 0:18:50.280 and go to my father's house. In the father's house, 0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:55.160 there's mercy for every mistake. In the father's house, there's 0:18:55.200 --> 0:18:59.840 no judgment, no condemnation, no putting you on a guilt trap. 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:02.160 It's interesting when. 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:06.560 The son came back home, his father never once brought 0:19:06.640 --> 0:19:10.640 up the son's past. He never once said, I'll forgive you, 0:19:11.000 --> 0:19:14.040 but you don't deserve it. I'll let you live here, 0:19:14.440 --> 0:19:18.360 but I'll always remember what you did. There was no judgment, 0:19:18.800 --> 0:19:23.360 only mercy. When the father could have been upset, he 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:26.040 was full of kindness. When there could have been a 0:19:26.080 --> 0:19:28.320 big argument, instead. 0:19:28.320 --> 0:19:31.480 There was a big party. What keeps some. 0:19:31.600 --> 0:19:35.120 People away from God is they have the wrong image 0:19:35.119 --> 0:19:38.639 of him. They think when they come back home, there'll 0:19:38.640 --> 0:19:42.040 be all this guilt. I told you so, look how 0:19:42.080 --> 0:19:45.159 foolish you've been. That's not the way our God is. 0:19:45.680 --> 0:19:48.840 When you come back, there'll be a party, There'll be 0:19:48.880 --> 0:19:49.639 a celebration. 0:19:50.640 --> 0:19:52.600 Now you may have made mistakes. 0:19:53.160 --> 0:19:56.280 The accuser is telling you stay away, stay in the 0:19:56.320 --> 0:19:56.840 hog pen. 0:19:56.920 --> 0:19:58.600 God would never accept you. 0:19:59.359 --> 0:20:02.639 But I believe deep down like this young. 0:20:02.440 --> 0:20:07.240 Man, you know who you are. You know God's calling 0:20:07.400 --> 0:20:08.280 is on your life. 0:20:08.880 --> 0:20:11.280 You can feel him speaking to you right now. 0:20:11.600 --> 0:20:15.320 Why don't you arise. Let today be a new beginning. 0:20:16.040 --> 0:20:20.520 No more living guilty, beating yourself up, telling God everything 0:20:20.560 --> 0:20:24.840 you've done wrong. He's already forgiven you. Come on back 0:20:24.960 --> 0:20:29.119 to the father's house. When the prodigal son returned home, 0:20:29.760 --> 0:20:33.600 imagine the next week he went to his father and said, Dad, 0:20:33.680 --> 0:20:35.320 I'm sorry for what I've done. 0:20:35.680 --> 0:20:36.600 Please forgive me. 0:20:37.320 --> 0:20:40.280 The dad said, son, you're forgiven, don't worry about it. 0:20:40.880 --> 0:20:43.520 The next day he comes, Dad, I can't believe I 0:20:43.600 --> 0:20:44.160 left you. 0:20:44.240 --> 0:20:47.760 Please forgive me. The father says, son, I forgave you. 0:20:48.400 --> 0:20:52.040 What if the son kept coming week after week, month 0:20:52.080 --> 0:20:56.199 after month, even though the son had good intentions, the 0:20:56.240 --> 0:21:00.560 father would get frustrated, say, son, you're wasting your time. 0:21:01.119 --> 0:21:05.800 I've forgiven you. Now do me a favor. Receive my forgiveness. 0:21:07.040 --> 0:21:10.040 I know people that ask God to forgive them for 0:21:10.160 --> 0:21:14.359 the same thing over and over. It happened twenty years ago, 0:21:14.840 --> 0:21:16.280 and they're still bringing it up. 0:21:17.119 --> 0:21:18.560 They think they're showing. 0:21:18.240 --> 0:21:21.840 God that they're sorry, but God is not listening. 0:21:22.800 --> 0:21:25.360 Well, Joel, I'm doing it because I feel this guilt, 0:21:25.720 --> 0:21:26.520 this remorse. 0:21:27.080 --> 0:21:31.359 The guilt is not from God, that's the accuser. The 0:21:31.520 --> 0:21:35.159 language of faith says, I may feel guilty, but I 0:21:35.240 --> 0:21:38.679 know I am forgiven. You can't go by how you feel, 0:21:38.800 --> 0:21:41.119 because feelings don't tell us the truth all the time. 0:21:41.560 --> 0:21:43.000 You have to go by what you know. 0:21:43.560 --> 0:21:46.399 God, you said I'm forgiven, So I'm gonna get in 0:21:46.480 --> 0:21:50.520 agreement with you and believe that I'm forgiven. There was 0:21:50.560 --> 0:21:53.840 a nine year old boy named Sam. He was visiting 0:21:53.960 --> 0:21:57.040 his grandparents during the summer. They lived out on a 0:21:57.080 --> 0:21:57.800 big farm. 0:21:58.280 --> 0:21:59.480 He had this slingshot. 0:22:00.160 --> 0:22:02.280 All during the day he would go through the woods 0:22:02.440 --> 0:22:06.159 shooting at different targets. He wasn't very accurate, but he 0:22:06.280 --> 0:22:08.120 kept practicing and practicing. 0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:11.320