Go After The Prodigals

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The units stap 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:14.360 makes it easy for grandparents and family friends to give 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:17.160 funds to a child's investment account for a limited time. 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.400 Download the uns stap and use the code I heeart 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:21.720 fifty at sign up to receive a fifty dollars bonus 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:24.280 when you fund your account. That's code iHeart fifty when 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.280 you sign up at unest dot co for a fifty 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:30.120 dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:30.920 --> 0:01:33.640 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:33.680 --> 0:01:36.440 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:36.560 --> 0:01:38.920 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:38.959 --> 0:01:40.480 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:40.800 --> 0:01:43.520 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:49.720 your life. Well, God bless you. It's always a joy 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:52.040 to come into your homes, and if you're ever in 0:01:52.080 --> 0:01:54.240 our area, please stop buy and be a part of 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:56.720 one of our services. I promise you we'll make you 0:01:56.760 --> 0:01:59.400 feel right at home. Thanks so much for tuning in, 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:02.040 and thank you again for coming out today. I like 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:05.080 to start with something funny and one day Adam said 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:08.280 to God, why did you make Eve so beautiful? And 0:02:08.720 --> 0:02:11.679 God said, so you would love her. And Adam said, well, God, 0:02:11.680 --> 0:02:14.800 why did you give her such long flowing hairn God 0:02:14.840 --> 0:02:17.760 said the same thing, so you would love her. Said well, God, 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:19.680 why did you give her such a great figure? He 0:02:19.720 --> 0:02:22.280 said it again, so you would love her. Adam said, 0:02:22.280 --> 0:02:25.000 all right, God, you made her so beautiful, so attractive. 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:29.639 Why did you make her so dumb? God said that's easy, Adam, 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:35.040 so she would love you. Hold up your bible, say 0:02:35.080 --> 0:02:38.000 it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I 0:02:38.040 --> 0:02:38.800 am what it says. 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:39.160 I am. 0:02:39.600 --> 0:02:41.919 I have what it says I have. I can do 0:02:42.000 --> 0:02:44.600 what it says I can do. Today I will be 0:02:44.680 --> 0:02:48.360 taught the word of God. I boldly confess. My mind 0:02:48.440 --> 0:02:51.640 is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be 0:02:51.720 --> 0:02:56.799 the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. I want 0:02:56.800 --> 0:02:59.919 to talk to you today about going after the prodigal. 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.640 We all know people that used to be strong in 0:03:03.680 --> 0:03:08.160 their faith. They used to be in church, cited about God. 0:03:08.600 --> 0:03:12.080 You'd see them week after week, serving, giving, helping others. 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:15.720 But somewhere along the way they fell off course. They 0:03:15.720 --> 0:03:20.480 had a disappointment, a sickness, a divorce that got discouraged, 0:03:21.000 --> 0:03:23.800 or maybe they made poor choices and now they feel 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:27.440 guilty and condemned, like they don't really belong. In the 0:03:27.440 --> 0:03:30.320 Book of James talks about how we have to go 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:33.600 after the prodigals. We have to go after the people 0:03:33.639 --> 0:03:36.520 that have fallen away. It's not enough to just think 0:03:36.760 --> 0:03:39.320 I wish they were here, I really miss them. I 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:42.520 wonder where they are now. You've got to be proactive. 0:03:43.160 --> 0:03:45.920 God is counting on you to go get that person, 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:49.680 pick up the phone and call them, stop by their house, 0:03:50.040 --> 0:03:53.080 send them a note, reach out to them in some way. 0:03:53.760 --> 0:03:57.960 We have a responsibility to bring these people back. You 0:03:58.000 --> 0:04:00.960 don't have to tell them what they're doing wrong, don't 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:05.520 condemn them, Just tell them three simple things. We miss you, 0:04:06.320 --> 0:04:10.560 we need you, and we love you. Friends. Love heals, 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:15.400 Love restores when people know that you care, the fact 0:04:15.400 --> 0:04:18.800 that you took time to express your concern. That's what 0:04:18.880 --> 0:04:21.960 brings prodigals back home. I had a friend that I 0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:25.080 grew up with and every summer during high school we 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:29.200 would play basketball together at the neighborhood church. That's where 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:31.680 he and his family attended. They were some of the 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:35.400 main members. They're faithfully there every week, plus he was 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:38.840 very involved in the youth program. Well after high school, 0:04:38.880 --> 0:04:41.440 we went our separate ways, and I hadn't heard from 0:04:41.480 --> 0:04:44.000 him in many years. One day I was talking to 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:47.480 another friend and he told how this young man had 0:04:47.520 --> 0:04:53.000 gone through a divorce, dropped out of church, gotten very discouraged. Basically, 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:56.360 he had lost his passion for life. When I heard that, 0:04:56.680 --> 0:04:59.400 something rose up on the inside. I thought, I'm going 0:04:59.440 --> 0:05:03.000 to track him down and encourage him. Hadn't spoken to 0:05:03.080 --> 0:05:05.919 him in over twenty years. I tried to call, but 0:05:05.960 --> 0:05:08.640 I didn't have the right number, and checked with other friends, 0:05:08.640 --> 0:05:11.920 but they too had not kept in touch. I finally 0:05:11.960 --> 0:05:14.520 got a hold of a high school teacher and they 0:05:14.560 --> 0:05:17.400 gave me his parents' number. They had moved to a 0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:20.160 different state, and when I called him, of course, he 0:05:20.279 --> 0:05:24.160 was excited and we laughed and reminisced about old times. 0:05:24.560 --> 0:05:28.159 Then I told him the real reason I'm calling is 0:05:28.200 --> 0:05:30.840 because I know you've been through tough times. You've had 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:34.440 a disappointment, you're not in church anymore. I want you 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:37.920 to know that God has a new beginning. We miss you, 0:05:38.320 --> 0:05:42.000 we need you, we love you. I didn't condemn him, 0:05:42.400 --> 0:05:44.560 I didn't try to pressure him into change and didn't 0:05:44.600 --> 0:05:47.640 preach a sermon. I just let him know that we cared. 0:05:48.279 --> 0:05:51.120 He had never been to Lakewood, and really I wasn't 0:05:51.120 --> 0:05:54.280 trying to get him to come here. But the next Sunday, 0:05:54.720 --> 0:05:57.640 sitting on the third row, there he was with his 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:01.480 mother and his father, his parents. Joel, we hadn't been 0:06:01.520 --> 0:06:04.839 in church in fifteen years, but your phone call was 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:08.520 the turning point. Today this young man is remarried, he's 0:06:08.560 --> 0:06:13.080 back in church, very involved fulfilling his destiny. All it 0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:17.040 took was one phone call, just a little bit of effort, 0:06:17.320 --> 0:06:20.160 a little time, a little energy, and what happened. A 0:06:20.200 --> 0:06:24.720 prodigal came back home. I've learned we can't help everyone, 0:06:25.200 --> 0:06:29.080 but we can help someone. God puts people in our 0:06:29.160 --> 0:06:32.560 path on purpose. What would happen if we all took 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:35.880 time to reach out to a prodigal? The person you 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:39.000 used to play basketball with, They used to sit by 0:06:39.040 --> 0:06:41.839 you in services, they used to usher in your section, 0:06:42.320 --> 0:06:44.599 they used to greet you when you came in. Now 0:06:44.600 --> 0:06:48.920 they're nowhere to be found. They're discouraged, they're struggling. Life's 0:06:48.920 --> 0:06:52.240 trying to push them down. All they need is to 0:06:52.279 --> 0:06:55.760 hear you say, we miss you, we need you, we 0:06:55.839 --> 0:06:59.160 love you. It's amazing what it does for people when 0:06:59.240 --> 0:07:02.600 they know you care, lights a new fire on the inside. 0:07:03.400 --> 0:07:06.600 The closest thing to the heart of God is helping 0:07:06.720 --> 0:07:10.440 hurting people. When you take an interest in someone that's 0:07:10.480 --> 0:07:14.680 fallen away, someone that's struggling, someone that's lost their sense 0:07:14.680 --> 0:07:18.120 of purpose, I can assure you God will take an 0:07:18.120 --> 0:07:21.200 interest in you. He will make sure that you are 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:24.920 well taken care of. The most important thing in life 0:07:25.400 --> 0:07:28.960 is not our accomplishments. It's not how successful we are 0:07:29.440 --> 0:07:32.520 or how many people know our name. The most important 0:07:32.520 --> 0:07:37.120 thing is helping other people. And Jesus talked about how 0:07:37.160 --> 0:07:41.040 if a person causes someone to fall away from the faith, 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:44.160 it would be better for that person that caused it 0:07:44.400 --> 0:07:47.600 to have never been born. He used very strong language. 0:07:48.400 --> 0:07:52.200 Just the opposite is true when you restore the fallen, 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:55.600 when you go after the prodigals and help get them 0:07:55.680 --> 0:08:00.000 back on the right path, there's nothing more pleasing to God. 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:02.640 And read the Bible twenty hours a day, quote every 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:05.320 scripture in the New Testament, and that's fine. But when 0:08:05.400 --> 0:08:08.080 you reach out to one of his children and get 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:11.040 them back on course, there's nothing that God won't do 0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:16.200 for you. I think about as a father. If you 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:19.440 help me in my time of need, I'll be grateful, 0:08:19.720 --> 0:08:21.840 I'll thank you, I'll do my best to pay you back. 0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:25.000 But if you help one of my children in their 0:08:25.040 --> 0:08:28.000 time of need, that's a whole different story. If you 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:32.480 help lift them out of despair, if you rescue them 0:08:32.480 --> 0:08:35.200 from harm, if you steer them down the right path, 0:08:35.559 --> 0:08:38.120 there's nothing I won't do for you. You'll be my 0:08:38.200 --> 0:08:41.600 friend for life. That's the way God feels when we 0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:45.839 help one of his children. Jesus told a story about 0:08:45.840 --> 0:08:49.520 a shepherd that had one hundred sheep. Ninety nine of 0:08:49.559 --> 0:08:54.240 them were doing great. Ninety nine of the sheep were happy, healthy, 0:08:54.360 --> 0:08:59.720 on course. But he said, if just one sheep wanders away, 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:03.600 so just one sheep goes astray, the shepherd will lead 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:07.600 the ninety nine and go after the one that tells 0:09:07.640 --> 0:09:11.920 me we should be looking not necessarily at who's in 0:09:12.080 --> 0:09:16.040 church each week, but who's not here. I can see 0:09:16.040 --> 0:09:18.720 the ninety nine. I celebrate all of you, but part 0:09:18.760 --> 0:09:22.000 of my focus is where is the one who have 0:09:22.120 --> 0:09:25.520 I not seen in a few weeks, who has fallen away. 0:09:26.200 --> 0:09:28.120 It's not enough to just come in and hang out 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:31.719 with my friends and celebrate God's goodness. We have an assignment. 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:34.600 We have to lead the ninety nine and go after 0:09:34.640 --> 0:09:38.080 the one lost sheep. That means you may have to 0:09:38.120 --> 0:09:41.160 stop by their house sometime. You may have to invite 0:09:41.160 --> 0:09:43.680 them to dinner and see what's going on. You've got 0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:47.760 to be willing to be inconvenienced to make sacrifices. You're 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:51.280 looking for that one lost sheep. And it's great when 0:09:51.320 --> 0:09:54.720 your family and friends are happy, healthy, everybody's moving forward. 0:09:55.160 --> 0:09:59.520 Celebrate that, but at the same time, be aware of 0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:04.319 who's non here, who's discouraged, who's struggling, who's headed down 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:07.520 the wrong path, who's dropped out. That's when we have 0:10:07.559 --> 0:10:10.760 to kick it into gear and go after the one see. 0:10:10.800 --> 0:10:14.480 Every one of you should pasture your own group. There 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:17.400 should be ten or fifteen people you see here every week. 0:10:17.760 --> 0:10:20.400 They sit close to you, They usher in your section, 0:10:20.880 --> 0:10:24.600 they check your children in at the nursery. That's your congregation. 0:10:25.240 --> 0:10:29.120 That's the people God's put in your life. Watch after them. 0:10:29.480 --> 0:10:33.240 Be aware when they're not here, notice when they're discouraged, 0:10:33.440 --> 0:10:36.120 when they're not the same. If you haven't seen them 0:10:36.120 --> 0:10:39.360 in a few weeks, don't just think, well, I hope 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:41.959 the church checks on them. Wonder where they are. No, 0:10:42.400 --> 0:10:44.800 let me tell you a newsflash. You are the church. 0:10:45.320 --> 0:10:48.000 They are a part of your flock. Reach out to them, 0:10:48.440 --> 0:10:52.320 call them, find them on Facebook, send them an email. 0:10:52.679 --> 0:10:55.199 God is counting on you to bring that sheep back 0:10:55.240 --> 0:10:58.839 into the fall. Here's the key. I can't bring in 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:02.080 your sheep. I don't have the relationship one on one 0:11:02.120 --> 0:11:05.240 like you do. You can't bring in my sheep. God 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:07.440 is counting on each one of us to watch after 0:11:07.520 --> 0:11:11.240 our own flock. Read a story about a gentleman that 0:11:11.280 --> 0:11:14.640 taught Sunday school. His name was mister Kimball. He was 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:19.760 very successful, a businessman, very influential, and he taught junior 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:23.720 high boys back in the eighteen hundreds in a small church. 0:11:24.360 --> 0:11:26.920 One day he noticed that one of his students, an 0:11:26.920 --> 0:11:29.520 eleven year old boy, had not been at class for 0:11:29.559 --> 0:11:33.679 several weeks. He was very concerned. The next day, after work, 0:11:33.840 --> 0:11:36.760 he headed out on the streets of Boston looking for 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:39.880 this young boy. And he searched and searched, and finally, 0:11:39.920 --> 0:11:43.480 after a few leads, he found the boy's home, knocked 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:45.920 on the door and told the parents who he was 0:11:46.000 --> 0:11:49.000 and they said, the boy is not here. He's across 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:53.079 town working at a shoe store with his uncle. Mister 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:56.240 Kimball took the long ride across the city and found 0:11:56.240 --> 0:11:59.480 the shoe store. When he walked in, the little boy 0:11:59.520 --> 0:12:02.439 saw him. He was so surprised to see his Sunday 0:12:02.480 --> 0:12:05.760 school teacher. He thought it was just a coincidence, and 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:07.880 he'd come in to have some kind of work done 0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:11.360 on his shoes. Mister Kimball said, no, I didn't come 0:12:11.400 --> 0:12:14.480 to have any kind of shoe repair. I came because 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:18.360 I'm concerned about you. Where have you been? Are you okay? 0:12:18.760 --> 0:12:22.600 Is there anything that you need? The little boy so surprised, 0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:25.640 he said no, I just quit coming to class because 0:12:26.080 --> 0:12:28.640 I didn't think it mattered. I didn't think you really 0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:31.080 knew my name, and I certainly didn't think you would 0:12:31.120 --> 0:12:34.040 miss me. Mister Kimball looked him in the eyes and said, 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:37.480 young man, it does matter. I need you. You're a 0:12:37.640 --> 0:12:41.559 very important part of my class. That young boy practically 0:12:41.640 --> 0:12:45.200 never missed another Sunday school class. He went on to 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:49.760 become the most influential minister in the eighteen hundreds. His 0:12:49.840 --> 0:12:52.920 name was D. L. Moody. He touched his generation in 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:56.600 an amazing way. It can all be traced back to 0:12:56.720 --> 0:13:01.920 mister Kimball. Had Mister Kimball after the prodigal a young boy, 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:05.599 had he been too busy, or had he just celebrated 0:13:05.679 --> 0:13:08.440 all the other boys in the class, not aware of 0:13:08.480 --> 0:13:11.760 who wasn't there, then I doubt that D. L. Moody 0:13:12.000 --> 0:13:14.920 would have touched the world like he did. The real 0:13:15.000 --> 0:13:19.040 question today is who are we missing? Who is not 0:13:19.200 --> 0:13:21.920 here that used to be here, or who is not 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:25.360 here that should be here? A family member, a friend, 0:13:25.520 --> 0:13:29.280 a coworker. Some people today they've not only dropped out 0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:32.040 of church, they've dropped out of life. I want us 0:13:32.080 --> 0:13:35.719 to have a new passion to go after them. Growing up, 0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:38.440 we had a dog named Scooter. He was a big 0:13:38.480 --> 0:13:42.560 german shepherd, and Scooter loved to chase squirrels. If we 0:13:42.640 --> 0:13:45.640 saw a squirrel in the yard as children, we would 0:13:45.679 --> 0:13:49.760 say sickham, scooter, sickam. The Scooter could be laying down 0:13:49.920 --> 0:13:53.880 half asleep, but when he heard that word sickam, he 0:13:53.920 --> 0:13:56.600 would take off run in ninety miles an hour. Half 0:13:56.640 --> 0:13:59.640 the time he'd never even see the squirrel, but if 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:02.040 he thought there was a squirrel to be found, and 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:04.920 he heard that word, sickam, he'd take off with great passion. 0:14:05.920 --> 0:14:07.720 The word I want us to get in our spirit 0:14:07.800 --> 0:14:12.480 today is not profound. It's not theological. You can find 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:14.360 it in the Book of Joel, but not in the 0:14:14.400 --> 0:14:18.880 Bible Joel. That word is sick them. The family member 0:14:18.960 --> 0:14:21.720 this off course sick them. The friend that used to 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:24.640 sit by you sickam. The neighbor that used to come 0:14:24.640 --> 0:14:29.080 to church, sick them. The coworker that dropped out of life, 0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:35.240 sick them. My challenge is sickam, Lakewood, sickam. Our attitude 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:38.920 should be I'm on a mission from God. If you're 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:42.360 a prodigal, you better watch out. You're on dangerous ground. 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:45.480 I've got you in my sights. I'm on call, I'm 0:14:45.520 --> 0:14:48.360 on text, I'm gonna email, I'm gonna pray, I'm gonna believe, 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:51.280 I'm gonna visit, I'm gonna encourage. I'm not gonna leave 0:14:51.320 --> 0:14:56.840 you alone until you come back home. Why. Because we 0:14:56.960 --> 0:15:01.080 miss you, we need you, we love you. Each year, 0:15:01.120 --> 0:15:04.760 I have our staff call every person that comes to Lakewood, 0:15:05.120 --> 0:15:07.600 at least everyone we have a record of. There are 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:10.600 some eighty thousand different people that come annually. And of 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:13.000 course we can't reach them all, but I have the staff. 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:15.920 Tell the people Joel and Victoria are checking on you. 0:15:16.440 --> 0:15:18.960 They want you to know that they love you, they 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:22.760 need you, They're looking for you. Listen, Lakewood wouldn't be 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:25.720 what it is without each one of you. You may 0:15:25.760 --> 0:15:27.560 come and say, way up at the top and think, man, 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:30.440 nobody even knows me. They don't have a clue. I'm here. 0:15:30.600 --> 0:15:34.520 Let me tell you you're needed. You make the service better. Well, 0:15:34.560 --> 0:15:36.880 I just watch on television, Joe. You don't even know me, 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:39.800 may not know you, but we need you. We love you. 0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:42.760 You're a part of this ministry. Now, look around in 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:46.040 your life this week at the people God's put at 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:50.240 the office. The receptionist, she seems discouraged, she doesn't seem 0:15:50.280 --> 0:15:53.440 like her normal self. Reach out to her. That's the 0:15:53.480 --> 0:15:57.000 one sheep that's going astray. The place you buy gas 0:15:57.080 --> 0:16:00.600 each week, the normal attendant isn't there. Don't go the 0:16:00.640 --> 0:16:04.000 next six months wondering where he is. Ask another coworker 0:16:04.240 --> 0:16:06.840 something wrong with him? Is he sick? Did he get 0:16:06.880 --> 0:16:09.880 laid off? Did he have an accident? Then you can 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:12.080 at least send a note or let them know that 0:16:12.120 --> 0:16:16.240 you're praying. When people know that they're missed, they're needed, 0:16:16.440 --> 0:16:20.240 they're appreciated. It makes what they're going through much easier. 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:23.280 And a lot of times we don't recognize who God 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:26.440 has put in our lives. Some people, like the eleven 0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:29.760 year old DL Moody, they're going to be world changers, 0:16:29.960 --> 0:16:32.760 they're going to be history makers. But right now they're 0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:36.520 off course. They're discouraged, they've lost their sense of purpose. 0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:41.320 You can be the mister Kimball in their life. Well, Joel, 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:44.400 I don't want to get involved in their business. If 0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:47.520 I call them, they may be embarrassed, they may even 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:51.920 get offended. Now understand, they are your business. We have 0:16:51.960 --> 0:16:55.000 a responsibility to help bring back the people that have 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:58.800 fallen away. Don't leave them alone. They may not respond 0:16:58.840 --> 0:17:01.640 the first time, or the fifth time, or the twenty 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:05.399 fifth time. But keep calling, keep texting, keep knocking on 0:17:05.400 --> 0:17:08.399 the door, keep praying, keep believing. At the right time, 0:17:08.720 --> 0:17:13.240 your message will go through. Right now, the soil of 0:17:13.280 --> 0:17:16.840 their heart may be hard and rocky. They won't listen 0:17:16.840 --> 0:17:19.080 to you, goes in one ear and out the other. 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:21.640 The more you talk to them, the worse they get. 0:17:22.119 --> 0:17:25.520 Here's the good news. The seed you are planning is 0:17:25.600 --> 0:17:28.680 alive and it will never die. Do you see on 0:17:28.760 --> 0:17:30.919 the news they found a seed the other day that 0:17:31.119 --> 0:17:35.199 was thirty thousand years old, and it's still alive. The 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:37.800 only thing that kept it from growing is that has 0:17:37.880 --> 0:17:40.640 never been put in the right soil. Will you keep 0:17:40.680 --> 0:17:44.479 planning those seeds and at some point God will change 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:47.520 the condition of their heart, and the seeds you have 0:17:47.640 --> 0:17:50.679 planted will take root and come to life. What am 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:55.120 I saying? You're never wasting time going after a prodigal 0:17:55.520 --> 0:17:59.200 The seeds are going in. For many years, my mother 0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:01.560 prayed for a man by the name of Bill Nash, 0:18:01.920 --> 0:18:06.120 country Western singer, very talented, very popular. My mother had 0:18:06.119 --> 0:18:09.040 never met him, but she would see his name on 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:12.520 the marquis, the side of the freeway. Bill Nash in 0:18:12.600 --> 0:18:17.560 concert tonight. Bill grew up in church, His parents were missionaries, 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:21.159 came from a great family of strong faith. But in 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:24.000 his late teens, Bill got off course, running with the 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:27.800 wrong crowd, got into drugs, and instead of singing in 0:18:27.920 --> 0:18:31.120 church like he grew up, he started singing in the bars, 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:35.760 the nightclubs. Down deep. Bill told how he was miserable. 0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:39.400 He knew God's call was on his life, but like Jonah. 0:18:39.640 --> 0:18:43.920 He was running. Every time my mother passed that sign 0:18:44.040 --> 0:18:47.359 on the freeway Bill Nash in concert, she would pray 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:50.919 again and again, Lord, thank you that you'll work it 0:18:50.960 --> 0:18:54.200 in Bill's life. Lord, bring him back home to the church. 0:18:54.960 --> 0:18:58.320 Mother had never met Bill Nash, never seen him in person. 0:18:58.520 --> 0:19:02.520 Why was she so interested. She understands this principle. We're 0:19:02.560 --> 0:19:07.000 supposed to go after the prodigals. Jesus said, it's the 0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:10.840 sick who need a doctor, not the healthy. It's great 0:19:10.880 --> 0:19:14.159 to come in each week and celebrate together. This is important, 0:19:14.600 --> 0:19:18.800 but our real work begins when we dismiss these services. 0:19:19.160 --> 0:19:22.560 Let's go find the sick, the prodigals, those that have 0:19:22.640 --> 0:19:26.840 gone astray, those that are struggling with addictions, those that 0:19:26.920 --> 0:19:30.000 feel like they've made too many mistakes that they wouldn't 0:19:30.000 --> 0:19:34.200 be welcome. Make an effort to bring somebody back into 0:19:34.200 --> 0:19:37.080 the fall. It's easy to think, Ah, Joe, it's their 0:19:37.160 --> 0:19:40.920 own fault. They made the mess. I've tried to warn them. 0:19:41.080 --> 0:19:42.719 I don't want to get my hands dirty. 0:19:43.240 --> 0:19:43.280 No. 0:19:43.400 --> 0:19:47.600 Galatian six 's one says, you who are mature are 0:19:47.640 --> 0:19:53.080 to gently restore those that are falling away. Notice gently restore, 0:19:53.640 --> 0:19:56.960 In other words, don't have a holier than thou attitude. Man, 0:19:57.000 --> 0:19:59.320 what's wrong with you? You grew up in church. You 0:19:59.320 --> 0:20:03.000 should know better than this. We're not supposed to condemn people. 0:20:03.480 --> 0:20:06.679 Be little people. Make a spectacle of them. That's going 0:20:06.720 --> 0:20:12.160 to drive them further away, It says gently restore. That means, hey, 0:20:12.280 --> 0:20:15.240 I know you've had some setbacks, but God's mercy is 0:20:15.280 --> 0:20:18.040 bigger than any mistake. God wants to give you a 0:20:18.080 --> 0:20:21.320 new beginning. Why don't you come back home. It's not 0:20:21.440 --> 0:20:24.960 the same without you. That's what's going to draw people back. 0:20:25.440 --> 0:20:29.080 The scripture says, it's the goodness of God that leads 0:20:29.119 --> 0:20:34.080 people to repentance. Today, many people have the wrong concept 0:20:34.080 --> 0:20:38.520 of God. They've made mistakes, they've gone astray, and now 0:20:38.960 --> 0:20:42.160 they think that God is mad at them. God has 0:20:42.160 --> 0:20:44.800 a ball bad up in heaven, just waiting to push 0:20:44.840 --> 0:20:49.720 them down further. They live guilty, condemned, feeling wrong on 0:20:49.760 --> 0:20:53.000 the inside. The last place they want to go is 0:20:53.040 --> 0:20:57.040 to church. They think they'll even feel worse. What's the problem. 0:20:57.440 --> 0:21:00.800 They've heard all about the judgment of God. They haven't 0:21:00.840 --> 0:21:04.000 heard much about the goodness of God. And yes, in 0:21:04.040 --> 0:21:07.360 the Old Testament, God did get angry with people at 0:21:07.400 --> 0:21:10.800 certain times. But friends, the good news is we live 0:21:11.000 --> 0:21:14.760 under the New Testament. Because of what Jesus has done, 0:21:15.040 --> 0:21:18.359 God is not mad at us anymore. One of the 0:21:18.400 --> 0:21:22.800 best compliments I've ever received, an older gentleman told me, Joel, 0:21:23.280 --> 0:21:26.680 You've made God good. He grew up in a church 0:21:27.080 --> 0:21:29.800 where he heard that God was mean. He could never 0:21:29.840 --> 0:21:33.480 measure up. He just wasn't good enough at eighteen years old. 0:21:33.480 --> 0:21:36.240 When he got old enough, he dropped out. Hadn't been 0:21:36.280 --> 0:21:39.240 back to church in thirty years. He said, When I 0:21:39.320 --> 0:21:42.480 heard about the goodness of God and how God was 0:21:42.600 --> 0:21:45.720 for me, how he had mercy for my mistakes, and 0:21:45.760 --> 0:21:48.760 how he wanted me to live in victory, it changed 0:21:48.800 --> 0:21:53.119 my perspective of God. It helped restore his faith. Today 0:21:53.160 --> 0:21:57.040 he's back in church. My mother prayed year after year, 0:21:57.160 --> 0:21:59.919 again and again for Bill Nash, and one day, through 0:22:00.080 --> 0:22:03.400 a series of events, Bill decided to get his life 0:22:03.440 --> 0:22:07.000 turned around. He wanted to go to church, but didn't 0:22:07.000 --> 0:22:10.560 really know where he should go. He thought most churches 0:22:10.800 --> 0:22:13.960 probably wouldn't want somebody like me. I've lived a rough life, 0:22:14.600 --> 0:22:18.560 got a reputation for being a partier. Turned the television 0:22:18.600 --> 0:22:21.960 on and he saw my father talking about the goodness 0:22:22.000 --> 0:22:26.240 of God. That Sunday he came to Lakewood the old auditorium, 0:22:26.440 --> 0:22:29.159 sat in the very back, and Usher saw him and 0:22:29.200 --> 0:22:31.960 recognized him, got him hooked up with my mother, and 0:22:32.160 --> 0:22:34.680 my mother gave him a big hug and told him 0:22:34.680 --> 0:22:37.120 how she had been praying all these years and him 0:22:37.119 --> 0:22:40.480 being there that day was a dream come true. Bill 0:22:40.600 --> 0:22:43.640 Nash with tears coming down his cheeks. That day at Lakewood, 0:22:43.680 --> 0:22:48.120 he felt loved, wanted, accepted. A few months later, Bill 0:22:48.240 --> 0:22:52.000 Nash gave his first Christian concert right there at the 0:22:52.040 --> 0:22:54.960 old Lakewood Church. He's been using his talents for the 0:22:54.960 --> 0:22:55.800 Lord ever since. 0:22:55.840 --> 0:22:55.959 Then. 0:22:56.240 --> 0:22:58.400 Bill Nash, right here on the front road. We all 0:22:58.440 --> 0:23:05.199 know him and love him, great Man of God. Come on, 0:23:05.280 --> 0:23:10.080 we don't love him that much. That's what happens when 0:23:10.119 --> 0:23:13.760 you reach out to a prodigal Almighty God goes to work. 0:23:14.280 --> 0:23:17.560 God begins to deal with the person in the natural. 0:23:17.800 --> 0:23:19.959 Like with Bill. It may look like they're never going 0:23:20.040 --> 0:23:23.400 to change. They're so far off, they're not receptive. I'd 0:23:23.400 --> 0:23:26.640 be wasting my time. No, God knows how to soften 0:23:26.680 --> 0:23:30.359 the soils. You don't have to condemn them. Love is 0:23:30.400 --> 0:23:33.920 what never fails. Just sow the seed. We miss you, 0:23:34.280 --> 0:23:37.320 we love you, we need you. Let God do the work. 0:23:38.119 --> 0:23:41.960 Sometimes we think that we're supposed to convict people, We're 0:23:42.000 --> 0:23:44.000 supposed to make them feel bad. Hey, man, where have 0:23:44.119 --> 0:23:46.560 you been? Don't you know you're a sinner. Don't you 0:23:46.600 --> 0:23:49.159 know where you're headed. Some people think they're supposed to 0:23:49.240 --> 0:23:53.840 try to scare the hell out of people. But our 0:23:53.960 --> 0:23:58.280 job is not to convict people. Our job is to 0:23:58.359 --> 0:24:02.480 sow the seed. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts. 0:24:03.000 --> 0:24:08.200 The word gospel is literally translated good news. Our message 0:24:08.240 --> 0:24:11.080 is you may have made mistakes, but the good news 0:24:11.200 --> 0:24:14.600 is God has mercy. You may have fallen off course, 0:24:14.800 --> 0:24:17.480 but the good news is God is waiting with open 0:24:17.640 --> 0:24:20.760 arms to receive you back. You may have had a setback, 0:24:21.080 --> 0:24:23.520 but the good news is God can turn it into 0:24:23.600 --> 0:24:26.840 a setup to do something greater. When you go after 0:24:26.880 --> 0:24:34.480 the prodigals, remember it's good news. Don't be angry, harsh, judgmental, condemning. 0:24:34.760 --> 0:24:39.359 Have a smile on your face, be kind, loving, forgiving, merciful. 0:24:39.560 --> 0:24:42.840 You're sharing good news. Years ago, there was a minister 0:24:43.080 --> 0:24:47.000 that was touching the world, doing great things, very well respected, 0:24:47.600 --> 0:24:50.200 but he had some people accuse him of a lack 0:24:50.280 --> 0:24:53.920 of integrity. These rumors spread and took on a life 0:24:53.920 --> 0:24:56.600 of their own. They got blown way out of proportion. 0:24:57.400 --> 0:25:00.320 Very little, if any, of what people were saying was 0:25:00.359 --> 0:25:05.240 really true. But he was so heartbroken, down and discouraged 0:25:05.480 --> 0:25:09.160 he stopped ministry. Month after month went by, you didn't 0:25:09.200 --> 0:25:12.600 hear anything from him. He's much older than me and 0:25:12.880 --> 0:25:16.480 much more experienced. But deep down I really felt like 0:25:16.600 --> 0:25:19.960 I was supposed to call him and encourage him. My 0:25:20.160 --> 0:25:23.560 mind told me every reason why I shouldn't do it. Joel. 0:25:23.600 --> 0:25:26.080 You're gonna embarrass him, You're gonna put him on the spot. 0:25:26.080 --> 0:25:28.400 He's gonna get mad at you. He knows so much 0:25:28.400 --> 0:25:30.760 more than you, Joel, Why would he even listen to you? 0:25:31.080 --> 0:25:34.320 On and on, and I kept putting it off. One morning, 0:25:34.440 --> 0:25:37.119 I woke up and I felt it so strongly, and 0:25:37.160 --> 0:25:40.240 I called him. He was so depressed I could hardly 0:25:40.359 --> 0:25:43.800 hear what he was saying. He answered in the weakest, 0:25:43.960 --> 0:25:48.440 most possible voice. He said, Joel, I'm done. I don't 0:25:48.440 --> 0:25:51.879 have any fight left in me. He was very convincing. 0:25:52.480 --> 0:25:55.000 I didn't have all the answers. I didn't know how 0:25:55.040 --> 0:25:57.800 to cheer him up. All I knew to tell him 0:25:57.960 --> 0:26:01.560 were three things. We miss you, we need you, we 0:26:01.640 --> 0:26:05.240 love you. Five minute conversation. I hung up the phone. 0:26:05.480 --> 0:26:08.119 I thought to myself, that was the biggest waste of time. 0:26:08.480 --> 0:26:11.480 Didn't do him any good or meet any good. In fact, 0:26:11.560 --> 0:26:14.239 it did just the opposite. Instead of me cheering him up, 0:26:14.280 --> 0:26:17.760 he depressed me. I felt like I wanted to quit 0:26:17.840 --> 0:26:22.359 after that. Two months later he called back and told 0:26:22.400 --> 0:26:25.280 how he had already decided to get out of the 0:26:25.320 --> 0:26:28.360 ministry before I had called. He was going to formally 0:26:28.400 --> 0:26:31.960 resign and start doing something else. But he said, Joel, 0:26:32.040 --> 0:26:35.880 when I heard you say we need you, something began 0:26:36.000 --> 0:26:39.159 to stir on the inside. I began to feel a 0:26:39.200 --> 0:26:42.480 sense of purpose, and I quit thinking about my failures. 0:26:42.800 --> 0:26:45.800 I quit listening to all the accusing voices, and I 0:26:45.840 --> 0:26:49.879 started to dream once again. He got back in the ministry. 0:26:50.080 --> 0:26:53.320 Today he's as strong as can be, touching more people 0:26:53.440 --> 0:26:57.280 than he ever did before. It's amazing what happens when 0:26:57.320 --> 0:27:03.400 people know they're needed. They're missed one phone call, one text, 0:27:03.640 --> 0:27:07.400 one visit to you, it may seem insignificant, but when 0:27:07.480 --> 0:27:11.080 people know your care, it breathes new hope back into 0:27:11.119 --> 0:27:15.320 their spirit. I'm asking you to go after the prodigals. 0:27:15.960 --> 0:27:19.719 Who is not here that should be here, A family member, 0:27:19.880 --> 0:27:23.760 a friend, a coworker. They've gone astray. Leave the ninety 0:27:23.840 --> 0:27:27.359 nine and go after the one. There are people just 0:27:27.480 --> 0:27:30.160 like my high school friend. All they need is one 0:27:30.200 --> 0:27:34.840 phone call just to know your concerned. God will use 0:27:34.880 --> 0:27:38.399 your act of love to ignite something new on the inside. 0:27:39.080 --> 0:27:42.160 You remember my dog Scooter and that word sick them? 0:27:42.440 --> 0:27:45.960 Go after them, track them down. What would happen if 0:27:45.960 --> 0:27:49.160 we would all bring someone back with us to church 0:27:49.359 --> 0:27:52.240 next week that used to be here. We could touch 0:27:52.240 --> 0:27:56.240 our community, our world in a much greater way. Look 0:27:56.280 --> 0:27:58.960 around at the people that are close to you. That's 0:27:59.040 --> 0:28:02.480 your congregation. That's the flow. God's putting you a charge 0:28:02.520 --> 0:28:05.640 over Watch after them each week when they're not here. 0:28:05.680 --> 0:28:08.040 Don't just think, well I miss them. Find out where 0:28:08.080 --> 0:28:11.080 they are. Let them know you're concerned and that you 0:28:11.160 --> 0:28:14.359 did miss them. Listen, if you'll make it your business 0:28:14.560 --> 0:28:17.240 to take care of God's children, God will make it 0:28:17.320 --> 0:28:20.360 his business to take care of you and your children 0:28:20.600 --> 0:28:23.160 as you help others stay on the right course. God 0:28:23.240 --> 0:28:26.320 will make sure you and your family fulfill your destiny. 0:28:26.560 --> 0:28:29.560 And I believe and declare you will become everything God's 0:28:29.600 --> 0:28:31.720 created you to be. Amen. Do you receive it today? 0:28:33.720 --> 0:28:36.520 We never like to close our broadcast without giving you 0:28:36.560 --> 0:28:39.320 an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. 0:28:39.760 --> 0:28:44.160 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:28:44.320 --> 0:28:49.000 repent of my sins, Come into my heart. I make 0:28:49.080 --> 0:28:52.640 you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that 0:28:52.720 --> 0:28:55.840 simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in 0:28:55.880 --> 0:28:59.120 a good Bible based church, keep God first place. He's 0:28:59.120 --> 0:29:01.320 going to take your place that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:01.520 --> 0:29:04.520 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:04.520 --> 0:29:07.920 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:08.000 --> 0:29:10.520 keep you encouraged and inspired all through the week. 0:29:10.640 --> 0:29:12.880 Help us to continue to share the message of hope 0:29:12.880 --> 0:29:16.360 with those all around the world. Visit Joelosting dot com 0:29:16.480 --> 0:29:19.080 or click the link in the description to partner with 0:29:19.160 --> 0:29:19.680 us today. 0:29:19.920 --> 0:29:22.360 We hope you'll share this message with a friend and 0:29:22.480 --> 0:29:25.280 be sure to follow us on social media. We're praying 0:29:25.360 --> 0:29:28.440 for you. I know God's best is still ahead. We'll 0:29:28.440 --> 0:29:29.280 see you next time. 0:29:31.280 --> 0:29:33.760 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:33.840 --> 0:29:37.560 for their mental health struggles. 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