Drop The Stone | “It’s Safe To Come Home” Sermon

Sermon Series: “Drop The Stone”  Sermon:  “It’s Safe To Come Home”

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.   Mother Terresa

Matthew 7:1 (NLT) “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.  For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”

Suffering is built into the structure of being self-righteous.

The Sin of Judgement will always make its way back to you.

It’s not someone else or the system that needs to be fixed. (JUDGED or ATTACKED)

The only solution is sacrificial love, ascribing unsurpassable worth to others.

In an October 2022 Barna survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, three out of four (74%) say they want to grow spiritually. Additionally, the same proportion (77%) say they believe in a higher power. Nearly half (44%) say they are more open to God today than before the pandemic.

It’s Safe To Come Home

Luke 15:1-3 “Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He spoke this parable to them, saying:’”

Hebrews 1:2-3 “…spoken to us by His Son, who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…”

The religious leaders and guides of the day had a poor concept of God. 

They were great rule keepers. You would hire them.

Jesus came to represent God. He tried to correct their understanding of the Father.

Mathew 23:27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”

Luke 15:4-7 Lost Sheep “… and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”    Leave the 99 for 1

Luke 15:8-10. Lost Coin “… light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? …she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me,…”.  Forensic thorough search for coin.

Luke 15:11-24  “And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.”    Culturally:— you are dead to me

“And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.”     Prodigal:—Waster

“…joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. …and no one gave him anything.”  An unnamed character who will take everything you have.

“But when he came to himself,” “When he finally came to his senses,…”  (NLT)

“That brought him to his senses.” (The Message)

This is the A.H.A. moment.

1. Awakened — What am I doing?  2. Honesty — I’ve screwed up!  3. Action — Time for a change.

Tell the devil; “I changed my mind.”

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”   The three part speech.

“But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”   (Over and over with tender love TPT)

The Father covered him with his love. Bore his shame.

“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  “But the father said…”     Enough of your nonsense!

“‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;…” Righteousness — Worth — Sonship

“…for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”

Please don’t misunderstand your Heavenly Father. He’s never not loved you.

Just how long did it take for that son to get out of his pig stink and get on the dance floor?

1. One Hour    2. Two Hours.  3. Three Hours

Jesus loves a wild party!

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