Gladly Welcomed

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. This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:33.960 You're ready for a comeback, and with Purdue Global you 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:37.200 can do more than take classes. You can take charge 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:41.520 of your story, of your career, of your life. Earn 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:43.559 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:48.559 education employer's respect. It's time, your time, not just to 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:50.960 go back to school, but to come back and move 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:55.840 forward with Purdue Global, Purdue's online university for working adults. 0:00:56.440 --> 0:00:59.920 Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:00.400 --> 0:01:04.160 Paul said in Ephesians, because of our faith in Christ, 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:08.800 we can come fearlessly into God's presence, assured of his 0:01:08.959 --> 0:01:12.319 glad welcome. Not many of us have the audacity to 0:01:12.360 --> 0:01:14.880 think that God would be that happy to see us. 0:01:15.120 --> 0:01:17.399 I mean, he's the creator of the universe. He has 0:01:17.400 --> 0:01:18.640 bigger things to deal with. 0:01:18.800 --> 0:01:22.080 He's not concerned about me or You are God's biggest deal. 0:01:22.240 --> 0:01:25.240 You are his most valuable possession. He made you in 0:01:25.319 --> 0:01:28.000 his own image. There's nothing more important to. 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:28.840 God than you. 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:31.959 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:32.000 --> 0:01:34.759 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:34.880 --> 0:01:37.240 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:40.000 blessing and share it with a friend. We appreciate you 0:01:40.160 --> 0:01:45.280 and pray for God's very best in your life. God 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:45.760 bless you. 0:01:46.160 --> 0:01:48.640 It's great to be with you today, and I hope 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:51.160 you'll stay connected with us during the week through our 0:01:51.240 --> 0:01:55.400 daily podcast, our YouTube channel, social media. We'll keep it 0:01:55.560 --> 0:01:59.200 encouraged and inspired. I'd like to start with something funny 0:01:59.240 --> 0:02:04.360 and I heard about these three aspiring psychiatrists, William, Julie 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:08.520 and Bubba. They were taking their first test on emotional extremes. 0:02:08.840 --> 0:02:12.120 The professor asked William, what is the opposite of sadness? 0:02:12.440 --> 0:02:13.799 He replied, happiness. 0:02:14.280 --> 0:02:17.440 The professor asked Julie, what is the opposite of depression? 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:19.560 She replied joy. 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:23.120 The professor asked Bubba, what is the opposite of woe? 0:02:23.200 --> 0:02:23.720 Woe? 0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:27.000 Bubba looked kind of puzzled, and after a long pause, 0:02:27.040 --> 0:02:28.480 he replied, giddy up. 0:02:30.280 --> 0:02:32.359 All right, say it like you mean it. Here we go. 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:35.600 This is my Bible. I am what it says. I am. 0:02:36.040 --> 0:02:38.400 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:41.160 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:41.240 --> 0:02:45.160 taught the word of God. I'll boldly confess. My mind 0:02:45.240 --> 0:02:48.520 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:02:48.600 --> 0:02:50.920 the same. In Jesus's name. 0:02:51.080 --> 0:02:51.840 God bless you. 0:02:53.040 --> 0:02:56.119 I want to talk to you today about gladly welcomed. 0:02:57.000 --> 0:02:59.960 We have two small dogs at home. They're Shizzoos. 0:03:00.360 --> 0:03:03.639 They're very friendly and playful, and every time they hear 0:03:03.680 --> 0:03:07.440 the garage door go up someone returns home, they run 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:10.440 to the back door and wait. When we open the door, 0:03:10.639 --> 0:03:14.240 they jump up on us so excited. Their tails are 0:03:14.280 --> 0:03:16.880 wagging back and forth. It's like they hadn't seen us 0:03:16.919 --> 0:03:17.680 in two months. 0:03:17.760 --> 0:03:19.880 We've been gone thirty minutes. Now. 0:03:19.880 --> 0:03:22.760 I know they're just dogs, but it still warms your 0:03:22.800 --> 0:03:26.960 heart to know that they're so glad to see you, Paul. 0:03:26.720 --> 0:03:27.800 Said in Ephesians. 0:03:28.240 --> 0:03:32.320 Because of our faith in Christ, we can come fearlessly 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:36.560 into God's presence, assured of his glad welcome. 0:03:37.680 --> 0:03:38.400 Not many of. 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:41.360 Us have the audacity to think that God would be 0:03:41.440 --> 0:03:42.720 that happy to see us. 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:46.040 I mean, he's the creator of the universe. He has 0:03:46.080 --> 0:03:49.040 bigger things to deal with. He's not concerned about me. 0:03:50.000 --> 0:03:54.280 You are God's biggest deal. You are his most valuable possession. 0:03:54.720 --> 0:03:58.280 He made you in his own image. There's nothing more 0:03:58.320 --> 0:04:02.120 important to God than you, it says in Isaiah. He 0:04:02.200 --> 0:04:05.400 has your picture tattooed on the palm of his hand. 0:04:06.000 --> 0:04:08.720 He knows the number of hairs on your head. He 0:04:08.800 --> 0:04:11.280 knows your thoughts before you think them. 0:04:11.800 --> 0:04:14.720 If you will have the right image of God, knowing 0:04:14.760 --> 0:04:18.440 that he gladly welcomes you, his face lights up when 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:22.159 he sees you. He loves spending time with you, hearing 0:04:22.200 --> 0:04:26.240 your concerns, knowing what you're dreaming about, then you won't 0:04:26.279 --> 0:04:29.760 shrink back in fear, intimidated, unworthy. 0:04:30.120 --> 0:04:33.760 You will go fearlessly to him. But so many people 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:36.880 have the wrong image of God. They see him as 0:04:36.880 --> 0:04:38.000 being harsh. 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:40.520 Like he has a ball back waiting for them to 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:42.960 make a mistake, knock them down further. 0:04:43.640 --> 0:04:44.440 Don't come near me. 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:47.680 Man, you've done wrong, you haven't measured up, you knew better. 0:04:48.520 --> 0:04:52.320 But God is not basing his glad welcome on your performance. 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:55.200 It's not based on how perfect you've lived. 0:04:55.520 --> 0:04:59.479 It's based on the fact that you're his child because 0:04:59.560 --> 0:05:03.280 of your faith in Christ, not because of your good works, 0:05:03.720 --> 0:05:07.440 not because you perform perfectly. It's because of who you 0:05:07.560 --> 0:05:12.440 belong to. If Esians one says, long before God made 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:16.880 the world, he chose you to be in Him without fault. 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:20.440 Now you may have made mistakes. You God, of course 0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:24.040 done things you're not proud of. We let the accuser 0:05:24.279 --> 0:05:28.080 heap all the baggage remind us of how unworthy we are, 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:32.040 how we don't deserve God's goodness. Look at what you've done. 0:05:32.200 --> 0:05:33.360 You should be ashamed. 0:05:33.800 --> 0:05:37.920 You know better, You know how God sees you without fault. 0:05:38.680 --> 0:05:39.440 How could this be? 0:05:40.080 --> 0:05:43.760 He's already paid the price for your sins, your mistakes, 0:05:43.920 --> 0:05:44.760 your failures. 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:46.600 He sees you without fault. 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:49.719 But that won't do you any good if you don't 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:55.560 see yourself without fault, if you're down on yourself, living guilty, condemned, 0:05:56.120 --> 0:05:59.400 even though God will gladly welcome you, even though he's 0:05:59.480 --> 0:06:02.200 longing to be good to you. You won't see this 0:06:02.320 --> 0:06:07.240 goodness because you don't come fearlessly into his presence. This 0:06:07.320 --> 0:06:10.440 all started in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and 0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:12.080 Eve ate the forbidden fruit. 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:17.320 Up to then, they were happy, confident, secure. They knew 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:18.120 God loved them. 0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:22.440 They went boldly into his presence, walked with God, talk 0:06:22.560 --> 0:06:27.040 with God. They received his glad welcome, but when they disobeyed, 0:06:27.360 --> 0:06:32.560 the condemnation came. The accusing voice brought fear and intimidation. 0:06:33.400 --> 0:06:36.640 The first thing they did was run and hide. They 0:06:36.640 --> 0:06:39.520 had to get out of God's presence. They knew they 0:06:39.520 --> 0:06:43.560 wouldn't be gladly welcomed anymore. God came and said, Adam, 0:06:44.080 --> 0:06:47.800 where are you. It wasn't so much about his location, 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:49.120 it was about his. 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:50.000 Frame of mind. 0:06:50.920 --> 0:06:54.359 In the Old Testament, they had to make sacrifices to 0:06:54.440 --> 0:06:58.359 cover their sins. But we're under a better covenant. The 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:02.640 price has already been paid, it says in Revelation. God 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:08.839 has washed away our sins past tense. He's already forgiven you. 0:07:08.839 --> 0:07:11.680 You may have made mistakes, You're not where you wanted 0:07:11.680 --> 0:07:16.400 to be. You don't feel worthy like you deserve God's goodness. Now, 0:07:16.480 --> 0:07:20.720 like Adam, you're hiding. God is saying, where are you? 0:07:21.640 --> 0:07:24.680 I long to be with you. I have mercy for 0:07:24.760 --> 0:07:28.920 your mistakes. I have forgiveness for your wrongs. What you've 0:07:28.960 --> 0:07:30.560 done did not stop. 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:34.800 He is glad welcome. The scripture says, come boldly to 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:36.200 the throne of grace. 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:40.440 To receive mercy. Notice to get the mercy, you have 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:41.320 to go boldly. 0:07:42.240 --> 0:07:44.760 You won't go boldly if you think God is mad 0:07:44.800 --> 0:07:45.840 at you. 0:07:45.840 --> 0:07:49.400 You've made too many mistakes, You lost your temper, you 0:07:49.480 --> 0:07:53.239 ran with the wrong crowd, you run your marriage. Mercy 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:57.440 is available, new beginnings are available, but it's not going 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:01.320 to happen if you stay down on yourself, feeling unworthy. 0:08:01.920 --> 0:08:04.680 I don't deserve to be blessed. Get rid of that 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:09.800 defeated mentality. God sees you without fault. He's not holding 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:13.240 your mistakes against you. When you come to him, he 0:08:13.320 --> 0:08:15.240 won't say it's about time. 0:08:15.080 --> 0:08:18.800 I'm so disappointed. What's wrong with you? He will gladly 0:08:18.960 --> 0:08:19.640 welcome you. 0:08:20.600 --> 0:08:24.480 Maybe, like Adam, you're hiding, thinking you can't go to God. 0:08:25.080 --> 0:08:28.240 Every voice says, look at your failures, look at your weaknesses. 0:08:28.360 --> 0:08:31.640 You don't deserve it if you only knew that God 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:33.440 is standing before you right. 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:35.040 Now with open arms. 0:08:35.679 --> 0:08:38.040 He's not just going to welcome you, He's going to 0:08:38.080 --> 0:08:41.360 gladly welcome you. Why don't you come out of hiding, 0:08:41.880 --> 0:08:45.800 come out of unworthiness, come out of condemnation, and receive 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:49.800 this glad welcome God. I know I'm not worthy, but 0:08:49.880 --> 0:08:52.440 I want to thank you that you have made me worthy. 0:08:52.920 --> 0:08:55.360 Lord. I know I have many faults, but I thank 0:08:55.400 --> 0:08:57.640 you that you see me with no faults. 0:08:58.640 --> 0:09:01.720 How do you see God as someone that will gladly 0:09:01.760 --> 0:09:05.079 welcome you, that's looking forward to seeing you, that won't 0:09:05.160 --> 0:09:07.920 judge you, or do you see him as someone that's 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:13.320 hard condemning, holding your mistakes against you. Your perception of 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:17.000 God will have a great impact on whether you become 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:21.800 all you were created to be, and sometimes religion distorts 0:09:21.840 --> 0:09:24.720 the image of God. It can show God as being 0:09:24.800 --> 0:09:28.439 harsh and mean when you can't measure up, use his 0:09:28.520 --> 0:09:31.800 guilt and making you feel unworthy to try to get 0:09:31.800 --> 0:09:36.440 you to live right. But condemnation doesn't make you do better. 0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:40.200 The scripture says it is the goodness of God that 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:45.640 leads to repentance when you understand that God loves you unconditionally, 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:50.200 not if you perform perfectly, but even when you make mistakes. 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:53.920 He has mercy that he finds you without fault, that 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:58.240 he gladly welcomes you. That there's nothing more valuable, nothing 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:00.920 more important to him than you. Then you'll put your 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:04.040 shoulders back, you'll hold your head up high and step 0:10:04.160 --> 0:10:05.880 up to who you were created to be. 0:10:07.080 --> 0:10:08.079 Luke, Chapter fifteen. 0:10:08.600 --> 0:10:11.920 A young man asked his father for his inheritance. Early 0:10:12.559 --> 0:10:15.480 father agreed and gave him the money. The son left 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:18.560 home and went out and lived a wild life. Parted 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:23.120 all the time, wasted his inheritance, making poor choices. The 0:10:23.120 --> 0:10:26.079 money finally ran out. Young men had nothing to eat, 0:10:26.480 --> 0:10:29.440 nowhere to go. He found a job on a farm 0:10:29.679 --> 0:10:33.080 taking care of some hogs. He was so desperate he 0:10:33.160 --> 0:10:36.200 had to eat the hog food to survive. He was 0:10:36.360 --> 0:10:40.760 very down on himself, ashamed, embarrassed. He had no one 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:44.240 to blame except himself. As he was sitting in the 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:48.160 hog pen, dirty smelly, not knowing what he is going 0:10:48.240 --> 0:10:51.360 to do next, he began to think about his father. 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:55.599 He said, even the servants at my father's house the 0:10:55.720 --> 0:10:58.520 better than I do. They have a nice place to stay, 0:10:58.920 --> 0:11:01.559 they have three meals a day, they get paid well. 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:05.760 He thought about how good his father was, how he 0:11:05.840 --> 0:11:08.920 was even kind to the staff. He remembered how he 0:11:09.040 --> 0:11:14.960 was loving, generous, merciful, compassionate. As he contemplated who his 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:17.319 father was, something rose up on. 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:20.200 The inside, a boldness, a confidence. 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:23.640 He said, you know what, I'm gonna arise and go 0:11:23.720 --> 0:11:26.920 back to my father. He didn't say I'm gonna go 0:11:26.960 --> 0:11:29.280 back home. He didn't say I'm gonna go back to 0:11:29.320 --> 0:11:32.400 my family's house. He said I'm going to my father. 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:37.160 He knew everyone may not accept him. There would be 0:11:37.240 --> 0:11:40.600 judgment from people. Maybe friends would look down on him, 0:11:41.040 --> 0:11:43.200 maybe a sibling would say hurtful things. 0:11:43.480 --> 0:11:45.679 But he knew his father was the key. 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:49.319 As he made this journey back home, I can hear 0:11:49.400 --> 0:11:51.440 thoughts telling him, it's not a good idea. 0:11:51.480 --> 0:11:53.880 Your father's not going to receive you. Look at what 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:55.920 you've done good? How dirty you are? 0:11:56.000 --> 0:12:00.560 You better turn around the Whole time he kept dismissing it, saying, no, 0:12:01.000 --> 0:12:04.720 I remember who my father is. If he had the 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:09.520 image of his father being harsh, mean, judgmental, he would 0:12:09.559 --> 0:12:13.240 have never come home. How you see your heavenly father 0:12:13.640 --> 0:12:17.040 will determine whether you want away from him or whether 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:21.320 you won to him. Now, maybe you're staying away because 0:12:21.360 --> 0:12:24.680 you have the wrong image of God. You're letting those 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:28.400 lies play. God won't receive you. You've blown it too 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:32.120 many times. You should live guilty and condemned. No, if 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:36.160 you knew who your heavenly father really is, like this 0:12:36.240 --> 0:12:38.960 young man, you would arise and go to your father. 0:12:39.840 --> 0:12:42.520 When he got close to the house, this big moment 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:43.439 finally came. 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:45.199 His heart was beating fast. 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:49.720 He was trying to believe for the best, but fear, unworthiness, 0:12:49.920 --> 0:12:53.480 guilt was playing louder than ever can imagine. 0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:56.560 He wants to turn around, just forget it. This wasn't 0:12:56.559 --> 0:12:57.800 a good idea. 0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:01.160 Right Then he looks way off in the distance and 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:03.040 sees someone running toward him. 0:13:03.600 --> 0:13:04.680 He thinks, who could this be? 0:13:05.360 --> 0:13:09.480 Is there a problem, an emergency, someone in trouble. They 0:13:09.520 --> 0:13:13.720 get closer and he realizes it's his father. He naturally 0:13:13.800 --> 0:13:16.600 thinks he's coming out here to condemn me, keep me 0:13:16.679 --> 0:13:20.120 off the property. When this father gets to his son, 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:22.760 he grabs him and hugs him. 0:13:22.640 --> 0:13:26.240 With all of his mind. Won't let him go. Remember, 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:28.040 the sun is dirty. 0:13:28.200 --> 0:13:31.959 He has hog feed manure mud all over him, hadn't 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:36.440 showered in days. Smells badly, but it doesn't stop this father. 0:13:37.000 --> 0:13:40.880 He doesn't pay any attention. Our God will get dirty 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:41.880 to restore you. 0:13:42.400 --> 0:13:45.959 He's a God that comes to messy places. The dirt 0:13:46.040 --> 0:13:49.400 on your life, the mistakes you've made, the mess it 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:51.320 will never keep God from. 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:51.800 Coming to you. 0:13:52.559 --> 0:13:55.680 Nothing you've done is too much for the mercy of God. 0:13:56.600 --> 0:13:59.800 His father told his assistant, go get the best robe 0:14:00.000 --> 0:14:02.480 and put it on my son. Get some new shoes 0:14:02.520 --> 0:14:04.920 and put it on his feet. And get the family 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:08.320 ring and put it on his finger. This means that 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:12.440 all of his authority as a son was restored. He 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:15.440 went on to say, go kill the fatted calf. We're 0:14:15.480 --> 0:14:19.120 going to have a party. God knows how to gladly 0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:22.280 welcome you. Would have been nice at the father would 0:14:22.320 --> 0:14:25.160 have just forgiven him, let him come back home, not 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:26.560 make a big deal about it. 0:14:27.240 --> 0:14:30.280 But notice how God doesn't just take you back. He 0:14:30.440 --> 0:14:33.600 restores you. He gives you back what you lost. 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:36.720 This is hard for us to fathom that God will 0:14:36.760 --> 0:14:40.200 be good to us even though we've done wrong. He'll 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:43.480 have a party when I return, But not because I 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:47.160 did something great, not because I accomplished a gold but 0:14:47.240 --> 0:14:47.880 I blew it. 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:49.560 I made poor choices. 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:53.800 This is the goodness of our God. Maybe, like this 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:55.840 young man, you think that God. 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:58.000 Wouldn't have anything to do with you. 0:14:58.000 --> 0:15:01.160 You've gotten off course, you've made misias, mistakes, when the 0:15:01.200 --> 0:15:04.840 truth is God has a robe of honor waiting for you. 0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:07.920 It's not in the hog pen. It's with your father. 0:15:08.760 --> 0:15:10.400 He has a ring of authority. 0:15:10.920 --> 0:15:14.480 He wants to not just receive you back, but restore 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:19.280 what's been taken. Restore your honor, restore your reputation, restore 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:23.480 your joy. You're condemning yourself when he has a fatted 0:15:23.560 --> 0:15:25.880 calf out in the field with your name on it. 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:28.000 Don't believe those lies. 0:15:28.320 --> 0:15:31.800 You'll never really be happy, never be fulfilled, if you'd 0:15:31.840 --> 0:15:35.280 only made better choices. It's time to arise and go 0:15:35.320 --> 0:15:39.080 to your father. When you do, the scripture says you 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:40.720 can be assured of. 0:15:40.720 --> 0:15:41.720 His glad welcome. 0:15:42.360 --> 0:15:45.600 Not maybe, not if he's in a good mood, Not 0:15:45.680 --> 0:15:48.640 if you've never had this problem before. Now you can 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:52.400 be sure he'll be there with open arms. He's waiting 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:57.200 to celebrate your arrival. And we feel the guilt, the condemnation. 0:15:57.600 --> 0:16:00.840 But God sees our failures already. 0:16:00.920 --> 0:16:01.680 Now we have to. 0:16:01.680 --> 0:16:07.280 Receive the forgiveness, receive the mercy, and see ourselves without fault. 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:08.960 This goes against. 0:16:08.680 --> 0:16:12.280 Our natural reasoning, because everything in us says, oh, man, 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:16.760 you're just a poor, old sinner, You're just unworthy. The 0:16:16.840 --> 0:16:19.800 truth is, you used to be an old sinner, but 0:16:19.880 --> 0:16:22.880 when you gave your life to Christ, you became a son, 0:16:23.120 --> 0:16:24.960 a daughter of the most high God. 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:26.840 He has made you worthy. 0:16:27.520 --> 0:16:31.400 You are the righteousness of God. It's not your righteousness, 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:35.040 it's his righteousness. Don't live with the weak worm of 0:16:35.080 --> 0:16:38.960 the dust mentality. I don't deserve God's goodness. 0:16:38.880 --> 0:16:41.600 Like that prodigle. I brought the trouble on myself. 0:16:42.520 --> 0:16:46.840 The scripture says, where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. 0:16:47.960 --> 0:16:51.800 You didn't supersede your allotment of grace. You didn't make 0:16:51.840 --> 0:16:54.760 a mistake so big that God ran out of mercy. 0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:58.440 Instead of living condemned, why don't you go boldly to 0:16:58.520 --> 0:17:02.040 the throne and receive them at mercy. God is waiting 0:17:02.080 --> 0:17:03.560 to gladly welcome you. 0:17:04.080 --> 0:17:04.720 Here's the key. 0:17:05.280 --> 0:17:08.040 He won't force you to come. He didn't make the 0:17:08.080 --> 0:17:11.520 prodigal son go back home. It was the young man's choice. 0:17:12.200 --> 0:17:15.399 When you take one step toward God, he comes running 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:18.840 towards you. Only place in the Bible where it shows 0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:22.040 God running was that this young man that had gotten 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:25.880 off course. God could have come running to heal the lepers, 0:17:26.280 --> 0:17:29.720 running to teaching the synagogue, running to the religious leaders. 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:33.760 Instead he came running to someone that had made mistakes. 0:17:34.520 --> 0:17:37.000 My little dogs I told you about when I get 0:17:37.000 --> 0:17:39.920 home this afternoon, I have no doubt they're going to 0:17:39.960 --> 0:17:42.920 be happy to see me. I am fully convinced they 0:17:42.920 --> 0:17:45.720 will be there with their tails wagging, jumping up on me. 0:17:46.840 --> 0:17:50.560 What would happen if we believed that God will always 0:17:50.600 --> 0:17:52.000 gladly welcome us. 0:17:52.520 --> 0:17:56.080 How much better would we live? How much freer more 0:17:56.119 --> 0:17:57.639 secure at peace? 0:17:58.040 --> 0:18:01.280 If we were confident that God is for us, that 0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:04.960 he sees us without fault, that even when we make mistakes, 0:18:05.160 --> 0:18:09.040 he's waiting with arms held open wide, ready to restore 0:18:09.160 --> 0:18:12.640 us and get us back on track. The enemy has 0:18:12.720 --> 0:18:16.040 worked over time to try to convince people that God 0:18:16.119 --> 0:18:19.120 is out to get us. He's mad at you, he's 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:22.080 counting your mistakes. He's about to knock you down further. 0:18:22.720 --> 0:18:26.479 That is not our God. Don't let the wrong image 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:30.560 of God, keep you from coming to him. The scripture says, 0:18:30.840 --> 0:18:34.119 the people who know their God will be strong and 0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:37.960 do exploits. I believe one meaning of this is when 0:18:37.960 --> 0:18:41.080 you know the character of our God, when you know 0:18:41.160 --> 0:18:44.320 he's for you, when you know he gladly welcomes you, 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:47.720 when you know he sees you without fault, when you 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:51.000 know he comes running. When you make mistakes, then you're 0:18:51.000 --> 0:18:55.240 going to be strong and you're going to do great things. Well, Joel, 0:18:55.240 --> 0:18:59.080 when we make mistakes, I believe we should do better. Yes, 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:03.080 I agree, But you're not a finished product. God is 0:19:03.119 --> 0:19:07.400 still working on you, while he's changing you, while you're growing. 0:19:07.720 --> 0:19:10.239 You have to learn to accept yourself. 0:19:10.400 --> 0:19:13.280 Not beat yourself up when you don't perform perfectly. 0:19:13.840 --> 0:19:15.040 What you struggle with. 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:18.679 The mistakes you've made are not a surprise to God. 0:19:19.359 --> 0:19:22.600 He's the one that made you. You're on that Potter's will. 0:19:23.080 --> 0:19:27.240 He's continuing to mold you. Now, stay positive towards yourself, 0:19:27.880 --> 0:19:31.640 give yourself grace. You can't change in your own strength. 0:19:31.920 --> 0:19:35.159 You keep honoring God and his timing. He'll help you 0:19:35.240 --> 0:19:39.400 to change. Think about Zachias. He was a tax collector. 0:19:39.880 --> 0:19:41.600 They were known for being dishonest. 0:19:41.880 --> 0:19:47.320 Cheating people. He was the chief tax collector. Zakias was despised. 0:19:47.760 --> 0:19:51.160 The people in the scripture described him as scum. It's 0:19:51.200 --> 0:19:54.400 pretty bad when the Bible calls you scum. Jesus came 0:19:54.440 --> 0:19:57.240 passing through the town. Zachias was up in a tree 0:19:57.400 --> 0:19:59.040 trying to get a glimpse of him. 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:00.480 Jesus stopped. 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:03.960 Out of all the people there thousands, Jesus looked up 0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:07.240 said Zachias, come down. I want to go to your 0:20:07.280 --> 0:20:10.800 house and have dinner. This didn't make sense to the 0:20:10.840 --> 0:20:14.480 religious leaders. They complained, why is he going. 0:20:14.320 --> 0:20:16.560 To dinner with a notorious sinner. 0:20:17.680 --> 0:20:21.080 Religion says you're too bad, You've made too many mistakes. 0:20:21.240 --> 0:20:21.919 Stay away. 0:20:22.400 --> 0:20:25.639 But God says, I will gladly welcome you. I'm going 0:20:25.680 --> 0:20:29.000 to come to your house for dinner. Jesus could have 0:20:29.040 --> 0:20:32.480 gone to the mayor's house, the high priest house, to 0:20:32.560 --> 0:20:36.600 the governor's house. This is showing us how God doesn't 0:20:36.680 --> 0:20:41.719 judge the way people judge. If God gladly welcomed Zachias, 0:20:42.240 --> 0:20:46.359 why do you think he's not going to gladly welcome you. Joel, 0:20:46.400 --> 0:20:49.439 I made some mistakes. I still struggle with my temper. 0:20:49.720 --> 0:20:52.920 I gave in to this temptation that didn't cancel out 0:20:52.960 --> 0:20:57.680 his mercy. Run to God, not away from him. Don't 0:20:57.720 --> 0:21:01.080 do like Adam and start hiding. You can be open 0:21:01.240 --> 0:21:04.479 and honest with God. He's not going to judge you. 0:21:05.160 --> 0:21:09.600 It's very powerful when you admit your dependence on him. God, 0:21:09.640 --> 0:21:12.960 I'm struggling in this area. I can't overcome on my own. 0:21:13.200 --> 0:21:15.920 I need your help. That's when you'll feel. 0:21:15.680 --> 0:21:18.719 A strength, a power to do what you can't do 0:21:18.760 --> 0:21:19.359 on your own. 0:21:20.440 --> 0:21:23.280 Zach Ki has went to dinner with Jesus, but he 0:21:23.280 --> 0:21:25.920 didn't lead the same way. He said, I'm going to 0:21:26.000 --> 0:21:28.879 give half of my income to the poor those that 0:21:28.960 --> 0:21:31.399 I have overcharged. I'm going to give four times the 0:21:31.440 --> 0:21:36.159 amount back. Jesus said, this day salvation has come to 0:21:36.200 --> 0:21:40.840 your home. Sometimes we think if we beerate people, tell 0:21:40.880 --> 0:21:43.560 them all they're doing wrong, make them feel guilty, then 0:21:43.600 --> 0:21:47.719 they'll change. Most people already know what they're doing wrong. 0:21:48.400 --> 0:21:51.639 When they hear about a God who gladly welcomes, a 0:21:51.680 --> 0:21:54.560 God that doesn't hold their faults against them, a God 0:21:54.600 --> 0:21:58.840 that shows mercy when they deserve judgment, then they'll change 0:21:59.000 --> 0:22:01.720 and make sure you have the right image of God. 0:22:02.040 --> 0:22:02.880 He's for you. 0:22:03.359 --> 0:22:05.960 He has a great plan for your life. It's not 0:22:06.119 --> 0:22:10.080 focused on all your failures. He has mercy for every mistake. 0:22:10.760 --> 0:22:14.439 He's waiting to gladly welcome you. All you have to 0:22:14.480 --> 0:22:18.400 do is take that step toward him. No more hiding, 0:22:19.000 --> 0:22:22.600 no more living condemned, feeling unworthy. Go to God with 0:22:22.760 --> 0:22:27.719 boldness and receive this mercy, says come boldly to the throne. 0:22:27.880 --> 0:22:29.080 You won't receive it. 0:22:29.200 --> 0:22:32.960 If you go around thinking I don't deserve it, I'm unworthy. 0:22:33.480 --> 0:22:36.080 I'm like zach Kis. I've made a lot of mistakes, 0:22:36.520 --> 0:22:39.719 done things I'm not proud of. God is calling your 0:22:39.840 --> 0:22:42.960 name today, saying, come down out of that tree, come 0:22:43.000 --> 0:22:45.480 out of hiding. I want to come to your house. 0:22:45.840 --> 0:22:50.000 I want to gladly welcome you. Will you receive this welcome? 0:22:50.520 --> 0:22:53.800 Will you shake off the guilt, the condemnation, the past, 0:22:53.960 --> 0:22:57.159 and put your shoulders back and see yourself like God 0:22:57.200 --> 0:23:03.240 sees you, without fault, worthy, righteous? Many times we get 0:23:03.240 --> 0:23:06.920 our image of God from our natural father. If your 0:23:07.000 --> 0:23:09.720 father was loving and kind, will help you to have 0:23:09.840 --> 0:23:13.720 the right perception of God. I know people their father 0:23:13.880 --> 0:23:17.359 was harsh, condescending, wasn't around much. 0:23:17.640 --> 0:23:19.119 They couldn't count on him. 0:23:19.600 --> 0:23:23.720 Don't let that negative image distort who our heavenly Father is. 0:23:24.160 --> 0:23:29.080 God is merciful, he's loving, he's forgiving. Victoria has a 0:23:29.119 --> 0:23:33.040 great father. It's always been good to us. Jonathan was 0:23:33.080 --> 0:23:35.600 a little baby, he'd come to the house and spend 0:23:35.600 --> 0:23:38.160 the night so we could sleep, and he would take 0:23:38.160 --> 0:23:38.919 care of the baby. 0:23:39.520 --> 0:23:41.320 Victoria is very close to her father. 0:23:42.000 --> 0:23:44.359 When she was in her teens, she had just gotten 0:23:44.359 --> 0:23:47.080 her drivers permit and she asked her father if she 0:23:47.080 --> 0:23:48.560 could borrow the car and go. 0:23:48.480 --> 0:23:50.200 To a friend's house in the neighborhood. 0:23:50.840 --> 0:23:53.840 He was a little hesitant, but he finally agreed and says, yes, 0:23:53.880 --> 0:23:56.000 you can take the car as long as you go 0:23:56.119 --> 0:23:59.800 straight there and come straight back home. She said, yes, sir, 0:23:59.840 --> 0:24:03.359 I'll do it exactly that. Well, Victoria is not quite as. 0:24:03.240 --> 0:24:04.560 Holy as I am. 0:24:05.240 --> 0:24:08.720 She did go straight to her friend's house, but she 0:24:08.840 --> 0:24:11.080 picked her up and then they decided to get on 0:24:11.119 --> 0:24:14.520 the freeway and go see some other friends. The problem 0:24:14.680 --> 0:24:17.480 is she didn't put the car in drive. She put 0:24:17.520 --> 0:24:20.600 it in low one that gear is used for climbing. 0:24:21.119 --> 0:24:24.359 She was going down the freeway barely moving, with the 0:24:24.400 --> 0:24:28.879 engine sounding like a jet airplane. The car started smoking 0:24:29.160 --> 0:24:31.040 ten minutes later, the engine blew up. 0:24:31.320 --> 0:24:32.320 The car wouldn't move. 0:24:32.760 --> 0:24:35.639 She pulled over to the side of the freeway. The 0:24:35.760 --> 0:24:38.760 last thing most people would do would be go call 0:24:38.800 --> 0:24:41.479 your father. He's the one that just told you to 0:24:41.520 --> 0:24:45.080 not get on the freeway. Not Victoria, like that prodigal 0:24:45.160 --> 0:24:47.439 she said, I will arise and go to my father. 0:24:48.359 --> 0:24:51.240 She called Dad, I made a mistake. I took the 0:24:51.280 --> 0:24:53.280 car out on the freeway. Something happened. 0:24:53.440 --> 0:24:54.520 Not running anymore. 0:24:55.560 --> 0:25:00.719 If her father was hard, mean, always berating her, she 0:25:00.720 --> 0:25:02.119 wouldn't have run to him. 0:25:02.480 --> 0:25:03.800 She would have run from him. 0:25:04.359 --> 0:25:06.680 The reason she was bold enough to go to her 0:25:06.720 --> 0:25:09.880 father was she knew his nature. She had seen his 0:25:10.000 --> 0:25:15.199 character through the years, loving, kind, merciful. When you have 0:25:15.320 --> 0:25:18.959 the right image of God, even when you make mistakes, 0:25:19.240 --> 0:25:20.400 you'll go to him. 0:25:20.960 --> 0:25:24.320 Like Victoria, you're assured of his glad welcome. 0:25:25.280 --> 0:25:28.399 Her father came, had the car, told do you know 0:25:28.560 --> 0:25:32.240 he never said a word to her about it. Sometimes 0:25:32.359 --> 0:25:35.160 God will clean up a mess we've made and never 0:25:35.240 --> 0:25:35.840 say a word. 0:25:36.280 --> 0:25:39.920 He doesn't condemn us, doesn't find fault, say I told 0:25:39.960 --> 0:25:43.600 you so. It's the mercy of God. That's what happened 0:25:43.600 --> 0:25:46.560 with the prodigal son when he returned home. 0:25:46.880 --> 0:25:51.119 The father who represents God never brought up his past. 0:25:51.359 --> 0:25:53.480 He never said I'll take you back, but you should 0:25:53.480 --> 0:25:56.399 be ashamed of yourself. I hope you learned your lesson. 0:25:56.920 --> 0:26:00.760 The father never said a word about it. Sometimes we 0:26:00.800 --> 0:26:04.240 don't go to God because we already feel condemned, We 0:26:04.320 --> 0:26:07.120 already know we've done wrong. We think, oh, man, here 0:26:07.160 --> 0:26:08.120 comes more judgment. 0:26:08.520 --> 0:26:09.680 He's gonna let me have it. 0:26:10.160 --> 0:26:14.000 No, God is waiting to gladly welcome you, not to 0:26:14.080 --> 0:26:16.960 judge you, not to make you feel worse, but to 0:26:17.040 --> 0:26:17.800 restore you. 0:26:18.320 --> 0:26:20.880 He has a robe of honor, He has a ring 0:26:20.960 --> 0:26:22.239 of authority. 0:26:22.560 --> 0:26:25.640 When you really know who your heavenly father is, you'll 0:26:25.680 --> 0:26:28.720 go to him with confidence, knowing that he accepts you 0:26:29.040 --> 0:26:32.200 faults in awe, that he has mercy for your mistakes, 0:26:32.600 --> 0:26:34.160 that he's not in the judging. 0:26:33.880 --> 0:26:37.760 Business, he's in the restoring business. When our son. 0:26:37.680 --> 0:26:42.199 Jonathan was a little boy, maybe five years old, one afternoon, 0:26:42.640 --> 0:26:45.600 I couldn't find him in the house. I went looking 0:26:45.600 --> 0:26:49.640 for him everywhere. Maybe he's upstairs in his bedroom by himself. 0:26:49.720 --> 0:26:53.200 I went there, but he wasn't there. Went to Alexander's room. 0:26:53.240 --> 0:26:57.119 Nothing wasn't in the playroom. Started to get a little concerned. 0:26:57.680 --> 0:27:00.520 Had my weights in the garage and out when I 0:27:00.560 --> 0:27:02.480 was working out, and I went out in the garage. 0:27:02.480 --> 0:27:04.200 Still couldn't find it. Looked in my. 0:27:04.240 --> 0:27:08.200 Office, in the bathroom, he was nowhere. I finally went 0:27:08.280 --> 0:27:11.600 back to check my bedroom. When I got there, the 0:27:11.680 --> 0:27:15.840 door was closed. I opened it. There was Jonathan sitting 0:27:15.840 --> 0:27:19.920 in my favorite chair, this big green recliner. The chair 0:27:20.040 --> 0:27:22.719 was laid back, his feet were in the air. He 0:27:22.800 --> 0:27:25.200 was eating a popsicle, watching TV. 0:27:25.560 --> 0:27:27.840 He looked at me with a big smile and said, Daddy, 0:27:28.200 --> 0:27:28.720 this is. 0:27:28.640 --> 0:27:33.560 The life as a father. That made me feel good. 0:27:34.400 --> 0:27:35.560 I loved the fact. 0:27:35.480 --> 0:27:38.760 That he felt so loved, so valuable. 0:27:38.400 --> 0:27:41.040 So important that he could come and get in my 0:27:41.160 --> 0:27:45.480 favorite chair. He knew I would gladly welcome him. If 0:27:45.480 --> 0:27:48.080 you want to make your heavenly father proud, get up 0:27:48.119 --> 0:27:51.760 in the green chair, Come boldly to the throne. Believe 0:27:51.800 --> 0:27:56.400 that you're loved, that you're valuable, that you're worthy. Don't 0:27:56.520 --> 0:27:59.920 let a wrong image of God keep you from the blessings, 0:28:00.320 --> 0:28:04.040 the favor, the joy that belongs to you. God sees 0:28:04.119 --> 0:28:07.880 you without fault. He's already forgiven your sins. You can 0:28:07.920 --> 0:28:12.240 come fearlessly into His presence, assured of his glad welcome. 0:28:12.840 --> 0:28:14.440 If you'll do this, I'll. 0:28:14.200 --> 0:28:20.320 Believe and declare strongholds of guilt, condemnation, unworthiness or being 0:28:20.400 --> 0:28:21.480 broken right now. 0:28:22.080 --> 0:28:24.760 Because you know your God, You're going to be strong 0:28:25.119 --> 0:28:28.919 and do great things in Jesus' name if you receive it. 0:28:29.240 --> 0:28:30.439 Can you say him in today? 0:28:31.680 --> 0:28:34.400 I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus 0:28:34.440 --> 0:28:35.080 the Lord. 0:28:34.880 --> 0:28:38.960 Of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, 0:28:40.160 --> 0:28:45.120 I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I'll 0:28:45.160 --> 0:28:46.800 make you my Lord and savior. 0:28:48.320 --> 0:28:50.560 If you've prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:50.600 --> 0:28:51.200 born again. 0:28:51.840 --> 0:28:54.160 Love to send you some free information on your new 0:28:54.160 --> 0:28:54.880 walk with the Lord. 0:28:54.920 --> 0:28:56.600 You can text the number on the screen or go 0:28:56.680 --> 0:28:57.720 to the website. 0:28:57.920 --> 0:29:01.040 I hope you'll get into a good Bible church and 0:29:01.160 --> 0:29:04.600 keep God first place. Thanks so much for listening to 0:29:04.600 --> 0:29:08.000 today's message. I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive 0:29:08.040 --> 0:29:11.520 the latest podcast to keep you encouraged and inspired all 0:29:11.560 --> 0:29:12.120 through the week. 0:29:12.280 --> 0:29:14.480 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:14.520 --> 0:29:17.960 with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com 0:29:18.080 --> 0:29:20.680 or click the link in the description to partner with 0:29:20.760 --> 0:29:21.280 us today. 0:29:21.520 --> 0:29:23.960 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:24.080 --> 0:29:26.880 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:29:26.960 --> 0:29:30.040 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll 0:29:30.080 --> 0:29:30.880 see you next time. 0:29:32.840 --> 0:29:35.600 With millions of books on Amazon, there's a reading feeling 0:29:35.640 --> 0:29:40.000 for everyone. 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