The King Is Looking For You

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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. 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:33.120 Are you ready to move your career forward? Make your 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:36.640 comeback with Perdue Global and get college credit for your work, school, life, 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:39.840 or military experiences. With these credits, you may have already 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:42.680 completed up to seventy five percent of your undergraduate degree. 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:44.800 You've worked hard to get where you are. It's time 0:00:44.840 --> 0:00:46.920 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:49.600 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:51.840 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:55.040 and career. Make it count with Perdue Global produce online 0:00:55.120 --> 0:00:59.720 University for working adults start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:03.360 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:06.600 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. If you 0:01:06.680 --> 0:01:09.280 enjoy today's message, why don't you be a blessing and 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:12.000 share it with a friend. We appreciate you and pray 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:27.240 for God's very best in your life. Well, God bless you, 0:01:27.520 --> 0:01:29.840 and thanks for letting us come into your homes. And 0:01:30.240 --> 0:01:32.720 if you're ever in our area, please stop buying. Be 0:01:32.760 --> 0:01:35.120 a part of one of our services. I promise you 0:01:35.200 --> 0:01:37.600 it will make you feel right at home. But thanks 0:01:37.600 --> 0:01:39.760 so much for tuning in and thank you again for 0:01:39.840 --> 0:01:42.280 coming out. I'd like to start with something funny and 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:45.760 heard about this pastor. He was raising funds for a 0:01:45.800 --> 0:01:50.000 new auditorium. He said to the congregation, anyone who will 0:01:50.000 --> 0:01:53.360 give a thousand dollars can pick out the next three hymns. 0:01:54.120 --> 0:01:57.160 This little old lady in the back raised her hand, said, Pastor, 0:01:57.200 --> 0:01:59.800 I'll do it. He was so excited, said thank you 0:01:59.840 --> 0:02:02.360 so so much. Now, which three hymns would you like? 0:02:02.880 --> 0:02:05.640 She looked over the congregation said I'll take him and 0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:09.640 him and him hold up your Bible. Say it like 0:02:09.680 --> 0:02:12.400 you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:14.920 it says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:17.960 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:02:18.080 --> 0:02:21.359 I will be talked the word of God. I boldly confess. 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:25.160 My mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:28.880 never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:02:30.560 --> 0:02:32.960 I want to talk to you today about the King 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:36.880 is looking for you. Life has a way of pushing 0:02:36.919 --> 0:02:41.080 our dreams down. We can make mistakes and get off course. 0:02:41.600 --> 0:02:44.280 We're not where we thought we'd be, and it's easy 0:02:44.320 --> 0:02:49.360 to live guilty, condemned down on ourselves. Sometimes it wasn't 0:02:49.360 --> 0:02:53.600 our fault. Another person because of what they've done put 0:02:53.639 --> 0:02:57.960 us at a disadvantage. It left hurts and scars. Now 0:02:57.960 --> 0:03:02.000 it's affecting our self image, our sense of confidence, and 0:03:02.040 --> 0:03:06.520 too often we go through life nursing our wounds, blaming 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:11.040 other people, sitting on the sidelines, making excuses. But nothing 0:03:11.120 --> 0:03:14.320 that's happened to you is a surprise to God. He 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:19.200 saw every injustice, every bad break. He knew every mistake 0:03:19.240 --> 0:03:23.200 we would ever make. God is not in the condemning business. 0:03:23.480 --> 0:03:26.600 He's in the restoration business. He wants to put you 0:03:26.760 --> 0:03:29.480 back on the right path so you could still become 0:03:29.800 --> 0:03:32.400 who you were created to be. And you may be 0:03:32.480 --> 0:03:35.680 on the sidelines thinking, look what I've been through, I've 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:38.320 had these bad breaks. I'm stuck in life. Can I 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:41.880 tell you the King is looking for you. The God 0:03:41.920 --> 0:03:45.360 who created the universe is about to pick you back up, 0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:49.320 breathe new life into your dreams, and propel you towards 0:03:49.360 --> 0:03:52.640 your destiny. This is what happened to a young boy 0:03:52.760 --> 0:03:56.040 in the scripture named ma fibis Chef. He was the 0:03:56.120 --> 0:04:00.680 grandson of King Saul and the son of Jonathan David's 0:04:00.720 --> 0:04:05.000 best friend. He was born into royalty, destined to one 0:04:05.080 --> 0:04:09.000 day take the throne. His future looked so bright, but 0:04:09.080 --> 0:04:12.880 at the age of five, everything changed. Both his father 0:04:13.040 --> 0:04:16.159 and his grandfather were killed in a battle on the 0:04:16.200 --> 0:04:20.000 same day. After that, enemy army finished off King Saul 0:04:20.160 --> 0:04:23.520 and his men, They turned toward the city and were 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:27.200 going to wipe out all of Saul's family. When word 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:31.800 reached back at home, Maphibischeff's nurse grabbed him as fast 0:04:31.839 --> 0:04:35.440 as she could took off running, trying to hide him 0:04:35.600 --> 0:04:39.200 spare his life, But as she was going down some stairs, 0:04:39.440 --> 0:04:44.120 she lost her footing tripped and fell. Maphibischeff hit the 0:04:44.120 --> 0:04:48.520 ground so hard that he broke both legs and became crippled. 0:04:49.040 --> 0:04:53.680 He would never walk again. Sometimes in life, well many 0:04:53.760 --> 0:04:57.000 people can hurt us. The nurse was trying to do 0:04:57.040 --> 0:05:00.520 the right thing. She had good intentions, but she tripped. 0:05:01.320 --> 0:05:07.000 Her mistake cost him his mobility. Life is not always fair, 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:12.279 Like mphibis Chef. Somebody may have put you at a disadvantage. 0:05:12.360 --> 0:05:14.960 They didn't mean to, They would take it back if 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:19.320 they could, but they tripped. And now you struggle with addictions, 0:05:19.680 --> 0:05:23.000 with bad habits, with things that were passed down, or 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:25.880 they weren't there to protect you when you needed them 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:29.400 the most. Now you struggle with your self worth, with 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:33.080 your sense of value. They tripped, but we have to 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:37.440 pay for their mistakemphibis Chef became lame in both of 0:05:37.480 --> 0:05:41.279 his feet. If we're honest, all of us have some 0:05:41.520 --> 0:05:45.680 area of lameness to overcome something that could hold us back. 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:50.880 It's easy to make excuses, especially when it wasn't our fault. Joel. 0:05:50.920 --> 0:05:53.680 If they hadn't have tripped, if they would have raised 0:05:53.680 --> 0:05:56.880 me better, if my loved one wouldn't have died, if 0:05:56.920 --> 0:05:59.960 that coach would have treated me fairly. We can blame 0:06:00.120 --> 0:06:03.000 the past, blame how we were raised, blame what we 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:06.719 didn't get. But all making excuses will do is keep 0:06:06.720 --> 0:06:10.039 you from your destiny. You have to take the hand 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:13.240 you've been dealt and make the most of it. It 0:06:13.279 --> 0:06:15.680 may not have been fair, but God knows how to 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:19.479 turn it and use it to your advantage. Too many people, though, 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:23.440 go through life nursing their wounds, always thinking about what 0:06:23.480 --> 0:06:26.320 they didn't get. If Mama would have given me this, 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:29.279 if Daddy would have been there for me, if they 0:06:29.320 --> 0:06:33.159 would have supported me, they would have encouraged me. Most 0:06:33.200 --> 0:06:36.640 of the time, the reason Mama and Daddy didn't give 0:06:36.680 --> 0:06:40.680 it is because they didn't have it to give. Nobody 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:44.919 gave it to them. The problem with blaming others is 0:06:44.960 --> 0:06:48.360 the people you're blaming are blaming the people that raise them, 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:52.040 and they're blaming the people that raise them. Why don't 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:55.200 you rise up and put an end to that negative cycle. 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:58.920 You can be the difference maker. You can be the 0:06:58.960 --> 0:07:02.279 one to set another new standard for your family. In 0:07:02.320 --> 0:07:07.200 an instant, Maphibischeff's whole world turned upside down. Not only 0:07:07.240 --> 0:07:10.720 lost his father and grandfather, not only would he no 0:07:10.840 --> 0:07:14.640 longer take the throne, but he was crippled. He couldn't walk. 0:07:15.240 --> 0:07:17.600 How was he going to make a living, how was 0:07:17.640 --> 0:07:20.280 he going to take care of himself. He ended up 0:07:20.320 --> 0:07:24.720 living in exile, in hiding in a place called Lodobar 0:07:25.440 --> 0:07:28.240 that was one of the poorest, most run down cities 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:33.640 of that day. Lodobar means without pasture. There was no greenery, 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:38.040 no trees. You couldn't grow anything there. It was a wasteland. 0:07:38.920 --> 0:07:42.600 Here Maphibischef is the grandson of the king. He has 0:07:42.760 --> 0:07:46.400 royalty in his blood, but he's living in the slums, 0:07:46.600 --> 0:07:53.120 barely surviving. Here's the key. Your location doesn't change your identity. 0:07:53.400 --> 0:07:57.880 Maphibaschef was living in Lodobar, but he was still royalty. 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:00.400 Other people may not have seen it. He could have 0:08:00.440 --> 0:08:03.400 thought nothing special about me anymore, but none of that 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:07.760 changed who he really was. See our son Jonathan is 0:08:07.800 --> 0:08:11.200 an Ostine in the church and an Ostine outside of church, 0:08:11.640 --> 0:08:14.160 and osteine on a mountain, and ostein in a valley, 0:08:14.600 --> 0:08:18.920 and ostein in Houston, and ostein in Lodibar. His location 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:23.040 doesn't change who he is. In the same way, when 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:26.000 you gave your life to Christ, you were born into 0:08:26.080 --> 0:08:29.960 a royal family. The Most High God breathed his life 0:08:30.000 --> 0:08:32.880 into you. He put a crown of favor on your head. 0:08:33.480 --> 0:08:36.960 The scripture says, He's made us kings and priests unto him. 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:40.400 You may kind of feel like you're living in Lodobar today, 0:08:41.000 --> 0:08:45.040 things coming against you, circumstances you don't like. Let me 0:08:45.160 --> 0:08:49.920 encourage you. Nothing that's happened to you has changed your identity. 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:53.840 No person that did you wrong, no bad break, no 0:08:54.000 --> 0:08:57.559 mistake you've made, has changed your name. You are still 0:08:57.840 --> 0:09:00.760 a child of the Most High God. You still have 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:05.000 royal blood flowing through your veins. You may be in Lodibar, 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:09.199 but don't let Lodobar get in you. That's where you are, 0:09:09.360 --> 0:09:13.320 That's not who you are. Maphibischef thought he was stuck. 0:09:14.000 --> 0:09:17.720 Practically speaking, he couldn't get out. He had no family, 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:20.640 nobody to help him. It looked like that was his 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:25.760 lot in life. Years later, King David was on the throne. 0:09:25.960 --> 0:09:29.360 One night in the palace. He began thinking about all 0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:34.080 God had done, reminiscing about old times, and he remembered 0:09:34.200 --> 0:09:38.240 his good friend Jonathan, how much he loved him. All 0:09:38.280 --> 0:09:41.040 of a sudden, he had a desire to be good 0:09:41.080 --> 0:09:45.360 to Jonathan's family. He asked his staff if anyone was 0:09:45.400 --> 0:09:48.840 still alive from the House of Saul. They said, the 0:09:48.960 --> 0:09:53.000 only one we think is alive is Jonathan's youngest son. 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:57.480 His name is Maphibischef, but he's crippled and he's living 0:09:57.480 --> 0:10:01.720 in Lodobar. David said, get him right now and bring 0:10:01.800 --> 0:10:05.360 him to the palace. I can imagine a dozen of 0:10:05.480 --> 0:10:11.120 David's top military officers take off to Lodibar. When they arrive, 0:10:11.320 --> 0:10:15.400 it's big news. The whole city is buzzing. Everybody's talking 0:10:15.640 --> 0:10:19.680 of all places. The king has sent men into Loudabar, 0:10:20.280 --> 0:10:24.640 the slums, the outcast. One of the officials asked sternly, 0:10:24.960 --> 0:10:28.439 where is mamphibis Chef. They point them in the right direction. 0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:33.359 Maphibis Chef, here's this firm knocking on the door, makeshift 0:10:33.440 --> 0:10:36.960 slum door, and he's afraid and thinks who could that be? 0:10:37.840 --> 0:10:40.880 He scoots over on the ground and barely opens it. 0:10:41.480 --> 0:10:45.560 They ask, are you Mamphibis Chef. He answers cautiously, yes, 0:10:45.640 --> 0:10:49.199 I am. The guard says, come with us. The king 0:10:49.520 --> 0:10:53.720 is looking for you. His heart sinks. He thinks, all great, 0:10:54.160 --> 0:10:56.960 they finally found me. Now I'm as good as dead, 0:10:57.679 --> 0:11:00.960 he said. I'm sorry. I can't come. I can't walk. 0:11:01.520 --> 0:11:05.240 Don't you see, I'm crippled. God said, don't worry, We're 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:06.040 gonna carry you. 0:11:07.040 --> 0:11:07.439 Now. 0:11:07.480 --> 0:11:11.560 He's really worried, thinking this king wants me so badly 0:11:12.000 --> 0:11:15.400 that he sent people to the slums to not only 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:19.000 find me, but now they're gonna carry me to the palace. 0:11:19.440 --> 0:11:23.080 I must really be in trouble. Jesus told a parable 0:11:23.480 --> 0:11:26.480 about a shepherd that had one hundred sheep. If one 0:11:26.559 --> 0:11:29.960 of those sheep went astray, the shepherd would leave the 0:11:30.080 --> 0:11:33.240 ninety nine to go look for the one. He would 0:11:33.280 --> 0:11:37.120 search and search night and day, high and low. He 0:11:37.120 --> 0:11:41.240 wouldn't return until he found that one lost sheep. When 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:44.480 life has pushed you down, somebody tripped and put you 0:11:44.600 --> 0:11:48.320 at a disadvantage, or maybe you've made a mistake, you're 0:11:48.320 --> 0:11:50.800 off course. You don't think you could ever reach your 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:54.520 destiny in the natural. That may be true. But the 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:58.040 good news is the shepherd has left the ninety nine 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:02.520 and he's coming after you. You know why, because your 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:07.720 home is not lodobar. Living addicted is not your home. 0:12:08.480 --> 0:12:13.160 Living depressed, angry in self pity, always in lack that's 0:12:13.240 --> 0:12:17.440 not where you belong. People around you may be that way, 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:21.760 but there's something different about you. You are royalty. You 0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:25.480 have the DNA of Almighty God. And even when you 0:12:25.559 --> 0:12:29.600 can't get there by yourself, God is so good He'll 0:12:29.600 --> 0:12:33.480 have somebody to carry you, somebody to help you do 0:12:33.880 --> 0:12:37.120 what you could not do on your own, a friend, 0:12:37.480 --> 0:12:42.080 a neighbor, even a stranger. He's looking for you. Here's 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:44.600 the thing about God. He's not going to give up 0:12:44.640 --> 0:12:48.160 on you until he sees you in your rightful place. 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.559 He doesn't just try once or twice. He's going to 0:12:51.640 --> 0:12:56.200 keep looking, keep pursuing, keep calling. He loves you too 0:12:56.280 --> 0:13:00.160 much to leave you alone. He knows who you really are. 0:13:00.559 --> 0:13:04.800 He's the one that breathed life into you. Maphibischeff finally 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:07.800 arrived at the palace. The guard set him in the 0:13:07.960 --> 0:13:14.000 entryway and notified King David. He was nervous, afraid, worried. 0:13:14.640 --> 0:13:17.760 He asked the guard, are you sure he sent for me? Yes, 0:13:17.840 --> 0:13:21.320 we're sure. Well, does he know there's something wrong with me? 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:24.560 Does he know I'm crippled that I can't walk? Yes, 0:13:24.600 --> 0:13:28.560 he knows that. He's confused, thinking, why would he send 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:32.480 for me? What do I have to offer him. The 0:13:32.520 --> 0:13:35.160 only thing that makes sense is he's going to pay 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:38.480 me back for what my grandfather tried to do to him. 0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:42.840 He had heard how again and again his grandfather, King Saul, 0:13:43.320 --> 0:13:47.680 had tried to kill David. About that time, the door opens, 0:13:48.160 --> 0:13:52.280 the guard comes to attention. It's the moment he's dreaded. 0:13:52.760 --> 0:13:57.360 David comes walking in. Maphibischeff falls flat on his face, 0:13:57.559 --> 0:14:02.360 laying prostrate to show respect. David sees him shaking there. 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:07.200 He says, Mafibis Chef, don't be afraid. I didn't come 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:10.400 to harm you. I brought you here to be good 0:14:10.440 --> 0:14:14.920 to you, to restore you all the land that belonged 0:14:14.920 --> 0:14:18.480 to your father, Jonathan, and all the land that belonged 0:14:18.480 --> 0:14:22.040 to your grandfather, King Saul. I am giving it back 0:14:22.040 --> 0:14:26.560 to you. Not only that, from this time forward, every 0:14:26.720 --> 0:14:31.320 night you will eat dinner at my table with my family. 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:35.880 If that wasn't enough, he said, Mafibis Chef, look around 0:14:36.080 --> 0:14:39.080 at all these people that are helping me. The guards 0:14:39.080 --> 0:14:41.920 that brought you here, the staff that's waiting on us, 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:45.720 these assistants that are at my command now, they all 0:14:45.760 --> 0:14:49.120 work for you as well. They will farm your land. 0:14:49.680 --> 0:14:52.720 They will do the work and bring you the profits. 0:14:53.120 --> 0:14:57.600 Mafibis Chef was overwhelmed. He thought to himself, you mean 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:02.000 you didn't bring me here to to tell me what 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:06.239 a failure I am, to criticize me, from my brokenness, 0:15:06.320 --> 0:15:09.120 from my lameness. But all that time you were looking 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:12.840 for me was to restore me, to heal me, to 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:17.040 bless me, to make me feel whole again. That's the 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:21.840 kind of God we serve. Sometimes when we hear the 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:25.000 King is looking for us, we think, man, I'm hiding. 0:15:25.560 --> 0:15:27.760 I don't want God to find me. I got a 0:15:27.760 --> 0:15:30.360 lot of weaknesses. Joel, I'm not where I should be 0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:33.680 in life. I feel bad enough about myself. I don't 0:15:33.720 --> 0:15:37.040 need somebody else condemning me. This is where we get 0:15:37.080 --> 0:15:43.800 religion mixed up with who God really is. Religion religion 0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:48.200 can make God hard and mean and angry, like God's 0:15:48.240 --> 0:15:51.160 waiting for you to make a mistake, like He's ready 0:15:51.200 --> 0:15:54.560 to push you down even further. But God is not 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:57.960 looking for you to condemn you. He's not looking for 0:15:58.000 --> 0:16:02.000 you to judge you, looking for you to restore you. 0:16:02.760 --> 0:16:05.720 He wants to give you back all that belongs to you, 0:16:06.080 --> 0:16:11.040 the joy, the peace, the honor, the freedom, the abundance, 0:16:11.200 --> 0:16:14.360 the victory. He wants to pay you back for the 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:17.360 unfair things that have happened. He's not going to push 0:16:17.360 --> 0:16:20.160 you down, tell you how bad you are. Why are 0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:23.320 you limping? Why are you broken? Why are you still 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:27.800 struggling in that area? The Psalmist said, God heals the 0:16:27.840 --> 0:16:32.520 broken hearted, He binds up their wounds. Jesus said he 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:36.640 came to set at liberty those who were bruised. When 0:16:36.680 --> 0:16:40.160 you've been bruised by life, when you're hurt, it's easy 0:16:40.240 --> 0:16:44.080 to get stuck in lodobar, feel sorry for yourself, give 0:16:44.160 --> 0:16:47.400 up on your dreams. God is looking for you to 0:16:47.440 --> 0:16:50.800 bring you out of Lodobar, to heal your hurts, to 0:16:50.880 --> 0:16:54.640 make you feel whole again. Well, Joel, this sounds good, 0:16:54.920 --> 0:16:59.760 But Maphibis Chef was crippled because somebody else tripped. That's 0:16:59.760 --> 0:17:03.720 why God restored him. I'm crippled because of my own 0:17:03.760 --> 0:17:07.159 poor choices. I blew it. I can't expect God to 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:10.800 be good to me. This is what mercy is all about. 0:17:11.480 --> 0:17:14.199 God doesn't give us what we deserve, or none of 0:17:14.240 --> 0:17:18.320 us would have had a chance. Like Mphibishai, we think, 0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:21.359 does God know what's wrong with me? Does he know 0:17:21.480 --> 0:17:24.120 my failures? Did he know my weakness? Is what I'm 0:17:24.119 --> 0:17:27.359 struggling with the good news God knows it all, and 0:17:27.400 --> 0:17:30.000 he still loves you. He still wants to be good 0:17:30.000 --> 0:17:33.680 to you. God doesn't write us off when we get 0:17:33.680 --> 0:17:38.399 off course. He doesn't disqualify us, just the opposite. He 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:42.080 comes looking for you. I've heard it said when you 0:17:42.160 --> 0:17:45.479 make a mistake, God doesn't love you the same. He 0:17:45.520 --> 0:17:49.119 loves you a little bit more. He turns up the intensity. 0:17:49.400 --> 0:17:52.040 He's not going to leave you alone until he sees 0:17:52.080 --> 0:17:56.280 you completely restored. We see this principle in the parable 0:17:56.359 --> 0:17:59.720 of the prodigal son. The young man asked his father 0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:03.960 his inheritance, He left home and wasted it all, partying, 0:18:04.440 --> 0:18:07.960 living while making poor choices. He ended up living in 0:18:08.040 --> 0:18:12.560 the hogpen, having to eat hog food that was lodobar 0:18:12.720 --> 0:18:15.720 so to speak, couldn't get any worse than that. But 0:18:15.920 --> 0:18:20.040 unlike maphibus chef, this was his own fault. He had 0:18:20.119 --> 0:18:27.639 nobody to blame except himself. And sitting in the hogpen, depressed, lonely, bitter, 0:18:28.280 --> 0:18:33.399 the accuser kept bombarding his mind, saying, too bad, you 0:18:33.480 --> 0:18:36.240 blew it. You had your chance. You'll never be happy again. 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:40.840 His mind was filled with condemning thoughts, but down in 0:18:40.880 --> 0:18:45.520 his spirit he heard something whispering. Your father is looking 0:18:45.560 --> 0:18:49.440 for you. He'll take you back, He'll give you your position. 0:18:49.800 --> 0:18:53.760 He's longing to see you. His spirit was saying, come 0:18:53.760 --> 0:18:57.280 back home, but his mind was saying, are you crazy. 0:18:57.800 --> 0:19:00.680 Your father's never gonna have anything to do with you. 0:19:00.680 --> 0:19:04.160 You don't deserve it. He finally got his nerve up 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:07.639 and said, that's it. I'm not staying in this hogpen. 0:19:07.960 --> 0:19:11.639 I'm not living in Lodo Bar anymore. This is not 0:19:11.760 --> 0:19:15.400 who I am. My father has servants that live better 0:19:15.440 --> 0:19:18.720 than me. I'm gonna go back home. When he got 0:19:18.720 --> 0:19:22.040 close to the house, his father saw him from a 0:19:22.160 --> 0:19:25.520 great distance, took off running toward his son, and he 0:19:25.600 --> 0:19:30.560 hugged him. The son hung his head in shame. He said, Dad, 0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:34.080 I'm a failure. I blew it. I don't deserve to 0:19:34.119 --> 0:19:36.560 be called your son. I was just kind of hoping 0:19:36.600 --> 0:19:39.040 that you'd hire me back as one of your servants. 0:19:39.640 --> 0:19:41.720 His father looked at him and said, what are you 0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:46.479 talking about. You're my son. Nothing you've done has changed 0:19:46.480 --> 0:19:50.919 your name. Living in that hogpen didn't change your identity, 0:19:51.640 --> 0:19:53.920 changed how you smell, But we can take care of that. 0:19:54.920 --> 0:19:58.199 He told his staff, go get the best robe and 0:19:58.280 --> 0:20:02.159 put it on my son. One translation says, a robe 0:20:02.280 --> 0:20:06.040 of honor. Here's a god that's been living in the hogpen, 0:20:06.440 --> 0:20:09.240 but now he's about to get a robe of honor. 0:20:09.640 --> 0:20:13.639 That doesn't make sense. This is what mercy is all about. 0:20:14.000 --> 0:20:17.199 It doesn't make sense. We don't deserve it. It's just 0:20:17.280 --> 0:20:20.720 the goodness of God. Think about this. The whole time 0:20:20.840 --> 0:20:24.119 the son was in the hogpen, the father had a 0:20:24.200 --> 0:20:28.119 robe of honor waiting for him. How long are you 0:20:28.200 --> 0:20:31.920 going to let accusing voices keep you from your robe 0:20:31.920 --> 0:20:34.720 of honor? How long are you going to stay in 0:20:34.800 --> 0:20:38.200 lodo bar when there's a seat waiting for you at 0:20:38.200 --> 0:20:41.080 the king's table. Why don't you rise up like this 0:20:41.200 --> 0:20:44.720 young man say, today is a new day. I'm getting 0:20:44.800 --> 0:20:48.040 rid of the guilt, the condemnation, the self pity. I'm 0:20:48.080 --> 0:20:51.200 done blaming others, blaming my past. I'm going to step 0:20:51.200 --> 0:20:55.800 into the freedom, the wholeness, the victory God has in store. 0:20:56.600 --> 0:20:59.560 The father not only gave his son the robe of honor, 0:21:00.160 --> 0:21:02.280 but he got a ring out and put it on 0:21:02.359 --> 0:21:07.800 his son's finger. The ring represented his authority. In other words, 0:21:07.800 --> 0:21:11.320 the sun was restored back to who he was before 0:21:11.359 --> 0:21:14.919 he left. It's one thing to come back, but to 0:21:14.960 --> 0:21:17.760 have a negative marked by your name. Don't give him 0:21:17.760 --> 0:21:21.080 any benefits, no ring for him. You remember what he 0:21:21.119 --> 0:21:24.399 did all that time in the hogpen, made our family 0:21:24.400 --> 0:21:27.560 look bad. That's not the way God is. He not 0:21:27.680 --> 0:21:31.760 only restores, but he makes your whole. You may feel 0:21:31.760 --> 0:21:35.560 like you're off course today, sitting on the sidelines, thinking, Joel, 0:21:35.880 --> 0:21:39.159 I'm just glad to be in Lodabar the way I've lived. No, 0:21:39.560 --> 0:21:43.119 lodo Bar is not your home. The King is looking 0:21:43.119 --> 0:21:46.320 for you. He has a robe of honor, he has 0:21:46.359 --> 0:21:51.520 a ring of authority. Don't let the condemning voices convince 0:21:51.560 --> 0:21:55.120 you that you've blown it too badly. Well, look at you. 0:21:55.119 --> 0:21:58.119 You're still limping, you're still struggling, you're still broken. You 0:21:58.160 --> 0:22:01.960 don't deserve it. It's not because of who you are. It's 0:22:02.080 --> 0:22:05.720 because of whose you are. Your name hasn't changed. You're 0:22:05.760 --> 0:22:09.000 still a child of the Most High God. You belong 0:22:09.200 --> 0:22:13.239 in the palace. When my father was very young, he 0:22:13.280 --> 0:22:17.080 got married, and unfortunately that marriage didn't work out, and 0:22:17.600 --> 0:22:22.080 he was devastated. He resigned from his church. The denominational 0:22:22.160 --> 0:22:25.200 leaders told him he would never pastor again. He thought 0:22:25.240 --> 0:22:29.280 his days of ministry were over. But people don't determine 0:22:29.320 --> 0:22:33.960 your destiny. God does. People will write y'all, judge you, 0:22:34.160 --> 0:22:37.920 condemn you. But God is not in the condemning business. 0:22:38.200 --> 0:22:42.520 He's in the restoration business. The scripture says God's calling 0:22:42.600 --> 0:22:47.359 for your life is irrevocable. That means God doesn't change 0:22:47.400 --> 0:22:51.480 his mind. We may make mistakes, people may trip put 0:22:51.560 --> 0:22:54.800 us at a disadvantage, but that does not stop God's plan. 0:22:55.640 --> 0:22:58.520 My dad got out of the ministry for two years. 0:22:58.560 --> 0:23:02.360 He started selling insurance. The whole time he was miserable. 0:23:03.080 --> 0:23:06.680 One day, like Maphibus chef, the King came looking for him. 0:23:07.480 --> 0:23:11.480 He had to shake off the guilt, the condemnation. Every 0:23:11.560 --> 0:23:14.719 voice said, you're a failure. You don't deserve it. God's 0:23:14.760 --> 0:23:18.040 never gonna use you. His attitude was, now, I'm not 0:23:18.160 --> 0:23:21.600 staying in lodobar. I know God's mercy is bigger than 0:23:21.640 --> 0:23:25.280 this mistake. God not only brought him to the palace, 0:23:25.320 --> 0:23:28.840 so to speak, but God restored what belonged to him. 0:23:29.600 --> 0:23:32.480 He got back in the ministry and pastored Lakewood for 0:23:32.480 --> 0:23:35.600 forty years. Met my mom. They were married for fifty 0:23:35.600 --> 0:23:40.280 four years. What am I saying? Don't let other people 0:23:40.720 --> 0:23:44.439 convince you to settle in Lodibar. You may have a limp. 0:23:45.160 --> 0:23:47.800 Things didn't turn out the way you thought. You went 0:23:47.840 --> 0:23:50.960 through a disappointment. That's all right. God wants to restore 0:23:51.040 --> 0:23:55.280 you back to your rightful position, not a second best life, 0:23:55.840 --> 0:23:58.560 not this is good enough. He wants you to become 0:23:58.760 --> 0:24:01.960 everything you were created to be. Now you have to 0:24:01.960 --> 0:24:05.359 get in agreement with God. Mephibascheff could have said, no, 0:24:05.560 --> 0:24:07.800 I'm not going to the palace. You're gonna have to 0:24:07.880 --> 0:24:11.800 drag me there. He'd have gone bitter, angry, chip on 0:24:11.800 --> 0:24:15.560 his shoulder complaining. David would have said, man, take him away. 0:24:15.760 --> 0:24:17.440 I'm not going to have anything to do with him. 0:24:17.720 --> 0:24:22.120 He went in humility, knowing that he was at David's mercy. 0:24:22.960 --> 0:24:26.320 When you humble yourself and say God, I know I 0:24:26.359 --> 0:24:29.959 don't deserve this, I've blown it. But God, I believe 0:24:30.040 --> 0:24:32.680 you are full of mercy, that you can still get 0:24:32.760 --> 0:24:35.720 me to where I'm supposed to be. That's when God 0:24:35.800 --> 0:24:38.960 will raise you back up put your own path toward 0:24:39.040 --> 0:24:43.360 the fullness of your destiny. Years ago, my father went 0:24:43.400 --> 0:24:46.359 to a meeting at a friend of ours church across town. 0:24:47.000 --> 0:24:50.119 He arrived late, so he sat in the back. In 0:24:50.160 --> 0:24:53.119 a few minutes, this young man came in that looked 0:24:53.240 --> 0:24:57.879 very troubled, very distraught. After the meeting, my father was 0:24:57.920 --> 0:25:01.119 planning on talking to him to incur him, maybe pray 0:25:01.160 --> 0:25:03.919 with him. But in the middle of the service, this 0:25:04.040 --> 0:25:07.200 young man got up and walked out. My dad felt 0:25:07.240 --> 0:25:10.760 so strongly about it he got up and went after him. 0:25:11.119 --> 0:25:14.120 He searched and searched through the lobbies and couldn't find him. 0:25:14.600 --> 0:25:16.480 Went out in the parking lot and looked and look, 0:25:16.560 --> 0:25:19.480 walked around the building, still couldn't find him. Just when 0:25:19.520 --> 0:25:22.080 he was about to give up, he decided to check 0:25:22.119 --> 0:25:25.280 a restroom. He walked in. There were people there and 0:25:25.480 --> 0:25:28.640 he couldn't see their faces, so he stood over by 0:25:28.640 --> 0:25:32.320 the sinks. In a few seconds, this young man walked 0:25:32.320 --> 0:25:35.240 around the corner. His eyes got so big when he 0:25:35.280 --> 0:25:38.679 saw my father. My dad said, I don't mean to 0:25:38.680 --> 0:25:41.240 get in your business. I know you don't know me, 0:25:41.440 --> 0:25:44.959 but God has a great plan for your life. You 0:25:45.040 --> 0:25:49.560 are extremely valuable to him. Tears begin to come down 0:25:49.600 --> 0:25:52.520 his cheeks. He said, my life is so messed up. 0:25:53.119 --> 0:25:55.840 I'm addicted to so many drugs. I don't think I 0:25:55.880 --> 0:25:59.080 could take it anymore. He'd planned on coming to church 0:25:59.119 --> 0:26:02.240 that one last time that night, going back and taking 0:26:02.280 --> 0:26:05.280 so many pills just to end it. He told later 0:26:05.960 --> 0:26:09.280 how he saw my father sitting down the road from him, 0:26:09.640 --> 0:26:12.560 and he especially noticed the shoes that he was wearing. 0:26:13.480 --> 0:26:15.480 He said, when I got up to leave, I saw 0:26:15.520 --> 0:26:18.320 you coming after me. Now did all I could to 0:26:18.359 --> 0:26:22.000 get away, but everywhere I went I saw those shoes 0:26:22.119 --> 0:26:27.000 following me. What was happening? The King was looking for him. 0:26:27.760 --> 0:26:30.879 You can run, but you can't get away from God. 0:26:31.640 --> 0:26:35.359 He'll keep pursuing you, even if he has to find 0:26:35.400 --> 0:26:38.920 you in a restroom, find you in a club, find 0:26:38.960 --> 0:26:42.280 you getting high, find you living in lodobar. He knows 0:26:42.480 --> 0:26:45.000 where you are, and he's not going to give up 0:26:45.200 --> 0:26:48.080 until he sees you in the palace where you belong, 0:26:48.440 --> 0:26:53.000 where you're restored, where you're fulfilling your purpose. That night 0:26:53.320 --> 0:26:55.960 was a turning point in his life. He got free 0:26:56.000 --> 0:26:58.560 from the drugs. He went on to become the pastor 0:26:58.640 --> 0:27:01.000 of a church. Today. That young man is with us 0:27:01.000 --> 0:27:03.680 on the front row. Over forty years later, past Real 0:27:03.880 --> 0:27:08.639 Dangle living so shirt they've touched people all over the world. 0:27:10.280 --> 0:27:13.639 Maybe today you think you're too far gone, made too 0:27:13.720 --> 0:27:16.240 many mistakes, been through too much. Can I tell you 0:27:16.560 --> 0:27:19.760 the King is looking for you, not to condemn you, 0:27:20.240 --> 0:27:23.439 but to restore you, to bless you, to push you 0:27:23.560 --> 0:27:26.760 into your purpose. Life may have thrown you some curves. 0:27:26.880 --> 0:27:29.800 You're not where you thought you'd be, But remember your 0:27:29.840 --> 0:27:33.960 location doesn't change your identity. No matter where you are, 0:27:34.160 --> 0:27:37.000 you're still a child of the most High God. He 0:27:37.040 --> 0:27:40.280 has a robe of honor, a ring of authority. There's 0:27:40.320 --> 0:27:43.199 a seat waiting for you at the King's table. And 0:27:43.240 --> 0:27:45.440 the great thing about God is even when you can't 0:27:45.480 --> 0:27:48.840 get there by yourself, he'll have somebody to carry you. 0:27:49.359 --> 0:27:52.840 And just like David decided to be good to Maphibis Chef, 0:27:53.320 --> 0:27:56.760 I believe and declare people are going to start being 0:27:56.840 --> 0:28:01.280 good to you, favor that you didn't deserve, falling into place, 0:28:01.560 --> 0:28:05.200 You're coming out of brokenness into wholeness, out of Lodobar, 0:28:05.560 --> 0:28:09.800 into the palace, the fullness of your destiny in Jesus's name. 0:28:10.320 --> 0:28:14.560 If you receive it today, can you say amen. We 0:28:14.680 --> 0:28:17.480 never like to close our broadcast without giving you an 0:28:17.520 --> 0:28:20.960 opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would 0:28:21.000 --> 0:28:25.280 you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I'll repent 0:28:25.320 --> 0:28:29.960 of my sins, Come into my heart. I make you 0:28:30.040 --> 0:28:34.320 my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, 0:28:34.520 --> 0:28:37.200 we believe you got born again. Get in a good 0:28:37.240 --> 0:28:40.560 Bible based church. Keep God first place. He's going to 0:28:40.600 --> 0:28:43.800 take you places that you've never dreamed. Thank you for 0:28:43.920 --> 0:28:46.160 listening to the joel OUs Deine podcast. 0:28:46.480 --> 0:28:49.120 Help us continue to share the message of hope with 0:28:49.240 --> 0:28:50.600 those all over the world. 0:28:50.880 --> 0:28:52.480 Visit joelos dein dot. 0:28:52.240 --> 0:28:55.280 Com slash give Hope to give a gift today. 0:28:56.560 --> 0:28:59.440 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:28:59.440 --> 0:29:02.880 you'll subscripo so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:02.960 --> 0:29:06.160 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:06.320 --> 0:29:08.800 I know God's best is still ahead. 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