In this room right now. There are two kinds of people. There are two categories, two buckets. If you will, that I believe when left to our own devices, every single one of us myself included will find ourselves in one of these two places. What are the two kinds of people? I would describe them as the wandering and the weary first, the wandering. When I say wandering, what I mean is that these are people who try to find meaning and purpose through pursuing pleasure in the world. Now, at the surface or on the surface, it makes emotional sense to pursue pleasure, doesn't it? Like it makes emotional sense to think? Well, God wants me to be happy, right? I have these cravings, I have these desires. And so I'm gonna go into the world and I'm gonna try to fill whatever void I have with money, power, drink, sex promotion stuff, whatever it is, I'm gonna, I'm just gonna be me. You do you, I'll be me and we'll all be happy and we choose what we want when we want, how we want it. And so we live in a culture that prioritizes individual authority right? Even in church world, the protestant movement really started as a protest against something. And so we want individual autonomy and we don't want anybody to tell us what to do. And so we want to go and then you combine that with the resources of a capitalistic culture that then removes an absolute truth. And now everything becomes subjective. And so now it's like, well, it's what I make it. And so if it makes me happy, you can't tell me otherwise. And so we wanna pursue pleasure. The problem with the pursuit of pleasure is not that we pursue it too much, but that we stop too soon. It's kind of like if you get full on the appetizer and the bread or the chips and salsa before the, the main course comes, you know what I'm talking about? Like you order this big meal and then you have like four bowls of chips and salsa beforehand. And so then the meal comes and you're not hungry anymore, right? Like we, it's like we misappropriate. Now don't get me wrong. I love me some chips and salsa. But and now I'm just craving it. Sorry, I got distracted. And so, but we fill our minds too quickly. So it's not that we pursue pleasure too much. It's that if we pursue it, not enough because true joy, true pleasure ultimately comes through God and how God designed our lives to be. And so what happens is when you're pursuing the world when you've wandered away, wandering, ultimately leads you to wing, you wander and it leads to wonder and you wonder. Ok. Is there, God, is he out there? And it seems like you're almost always there. Right. Well, as soon as I get into high school, ok, as soon as I get into college, as soon as I find that boy, that girl, I, as soon as I get that spouse and I get married, as soon as I get the job that I always crave, as soon as I get the house that I wanted, or the car that I wanted, as soon as I have Children, as soon as the Children get out of the house, right? Like as soon as we and we always have this almost their next mentality. But while we're searching for meaning, we end up feeling ultimately empty and it is a two edged sword because if you pursue something strong enough and you get it and then you realize that doesn't actually satisfy what you need for your soul. Where do you go from there or on the other side is if you never get it, you never get the money, the promotion, the person, whatever, you're always left feeling empty and envious. So you have the wandering in the pursuit of the world on one side. And it's common. I want you to understand that like that it's a default mode that we live in that we're searching. Right. It's almost like the newborn baby coming out and the baby is just hungry. The baby is searching for nourishment and food. Like it's just built in a certain way. Like it's created in a way where you're searching. Well, on the other side, if you're not wandering, you have the weary. These are the people that it's ok. It's not the pursuit of the world. It's that we just have to work harder. These are the grinders. These are the religious. These are the morally good, meaning I just have to do more, give more, serve more and it will eventually figure itself out. The problem is is that when you're based on works, you get exhausted, you're not left empty, but you're exhausted. And then what happens is it, you, you go from being joyful to being judgmental because if you're working really hard and then something happens to you, you think that's not fair, right? We talked about that last week that what happens when life isn't fair when you're working so hard. And then someone gets a diagnosis in your family or you lose the job or somebody who you think is not working hard or is not following the rules gets quote unquote blessed. You get mad because you're getting better and they're getting and you really, you end up getting bitter and because now you're frustrated with the world. So one, you're, you're just diving headfirst into the world and say give me all the pleasures. Give me all the things. I wanna try it. The other one, you remove yourself from the world and say, oh the world's going to hell and I'm gonna judge everybody else with it, right? You can see how these two camps come into play. The problem with the wandering and the weary is that they both miss the mark when it comes to our identity. And so today I wanna share a message that's not just a message from scripture, but is a message that is core to who I am. If you want a little insight into the foundation of what I believe, why I believe it and the foundation of this church, you've picked a good Sunday to come because you're gonna hear things that maybe you've heard me say before. But it's just because it's what I truly believe and try to live by, not perfectly but consistently and I come back because this message is called a way back home because whether you've been pursuing the world or you've been grinding and working. I want you to know that there is always a way back home for you and there's hope for you. And if you're taking notes, I want you to write this down because I believe this with all that I am is that you have to live from your identity and not for your identity, you have to live from your identity, not for your identity because we live in a world that will try to define you and you will be left either empty or exhausted. And I wanna share with you a better way. See this message comes directly from one of the most famous passages in the Bible. It's called the parable of the prodigal son, but it's actually talking about two sons. And so I would say it's the parable of the prodigal sons. You could even say it's the parallel of the prodigal father because no one seems to make sense in this story, it doesn't add up. But yet it plays out the two categories we just talked about. Now as a refresher through our series, we're in a series entitled Stories of the Kingdom because Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God through parables. And a parable can be defined as a practical story. Jesus tells to illustrate a spiritual truth. So the root word, a parable actually means to come alongside or align with. And so you take an invisible spiritual reality and you place it next to a visible tangible story that the audience can understand. And you get a little bit more insight into who God is and in the heart of Christ himself. And so the Kingdom of God, we define this way that the Kingdom of God is God working through the power of God, um or the power of God working through the people of God. So there's a king, they're his, they're his people. One day, there will be a new heaven, new earth. But currently right now, you can experience the spiritual kingdom of God with the presence of God or the Holy Spirit living in you and then how we live and how we treat one another. Now, in this story, which is found in the gospel account of Luke. If you don't have a Bible, I invite you to pick up one here at our guest services table or even have a, take a Bible box out in the lib uh in the lobby and because you can read it, you can study it and go through. So we're gonna be in Luke chapter 15. Now, the word prodigal is the story of the prodigal son actually means reckless, wasteful extravagance. You know, you're not typically using the word protocol today. I don't think you, you use it like you're not using protocol. Well, this employee in an email is protocol today. Like you don't typically see that and it's oftentimes tied specifically to this story. And so you're gonna see just extravagant waste. And so we, we start here in Luke chapter 15 and we get our con context in verses one and two. It says now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. Now pause. You could have just said sinners, but people hate tax collectors so much that they get their own category, right? It's like there's NFL fans and then there's Seahawk fans, right? You know what I mean? There's like NBA fans and then there's Laker fans, right? Like it's a little different, it's college football fans and there's Michigan fans. OK. Some of us are in the presence here. I'm just bitter cause they beat us anyway. Um No, I, I love sports and I love the rivalries, right? But we create these separate categories. Well, in this day, why are tax collectors hated so much? Well, the Roman Empire, the largest empire in the world was ruling all the way from what is now Great Britain over to India. And you can only do that with two things, a massive army and a lot of money. And so how do you get this money to fund the massive army that then you can use to oppress the people they would employ by force, they would employ locals to then tax the people to then fund the armies that then they would turn around and oppress the people with. So you want to talk about being mad, you're already being oppressed by another country, another set of people. And we're talking extreme and so murder, rape, theft. I mean, this is very extreme where people would be killed and then hung on the outside of the wall like it, it's like the movie stuff that you see about and the extreme things that came from somewhere, right? It came from places like the Roman Empire over these things. What was happening. And so imagine one of your own, a family member, a neighbor, a friend who is responsible for taking your money, profiting off that getting rich and then giving that money to the empire that then is taking from your family. And so they hate these guys so much so that they say they're sinners and then there's tax collectors. But yet here is Jesus coming into the scene and, and treating people equally And when he would eat with them in that culture, to dine with someone was seen as to accept someone to receive that person, he would eat with them, he would go to their house as well and dine with them. In fact, one of his disciples, Matthew was a tax collector. There's another story about Zachaeus, the wee little man in there was a tax. So like Jesus was dining with these people, he's talking with them and sinners and people who are pagan and living wildly and going through all this stuff like hold up, but yet they're surrounding him. And then verse two, it says, and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying this man receives sinners and eats with them. How could he? Now before we knock the Pharisees, you have to understand that these guides memorize the first five books of the Bible. OK. They followed all the laws, they were educated, they were smart, they were holy, they were moral, they were seen as the model citizens. Now. Yes, they would oppress the people. Why? Because they would judge them. You're not keeping all the rules, right? They were so good at keeping rules. They would add rules just so they can keep them and show how good they were. They were the ultimate rule, followers, they were arrogant, but there is reason for their arrogance. And so it's in this context that Jesus tells the story and he builds up the story, talks about a lost sheep, then talks about a lost coin and then it talks about a lost son. And so Jesus is speaking to where the tax collectors and the sinners can hear. But so that the Pharisees will engage uh Pastor Tim Keller, a great book called the Prodigal God. Highly recommend. He says this. He says Jesus told this story because his purpose was not to warm our hearts, but to shatter our categories through this parable, God challenges what we know about God sin and salvation. And so you're gonna notice a few differences here. He's gonna address the two categories. So the sinners, those that pursue the world, those that are rebellious. And then the Pharisees, those who are exhausted, those who are working and then those who are religious and so whatever category you're in today, whether it's rebellion or religion, this story is for you and this story is for me. No, I didn't have some crazy rebellious testimony. I was blessed to grow up in a Christian household right? I used to hear these testimonies like man, I wish I was, had a cooler story, you know, like I was a drug dealer on the streets. But then I turned five. I was like, yeah, I accepted Christ when I was young. But what I realized through this, this really story and this gospel is that sometimes God saves you from things and something, sometimes God saves you from yourself. And so in these two categories, I realized that God saved me from my own religion. God save me from this effort of trying to work my way to being saved. And that all testimonies, all stories are based on the fact that we are dead in our sins and made alive through Christ. And so every testimony I want you to know is amazing, incredible, and a miracle. And so that we see the heart of Jesus for everyone. And so let's just see this here. So we pick up our story found in verse 11. And Jesus said there was a man who had two sons and the younger of them said to his father, father, give me the share of property that is coming to me and he divided his property among them. Now, pause there. He said, give me my inheritance. This is important for a couple reasons. Number one, you only receive your inheritance when someone dies. And so what he was saying to his father was I care so little about our relationship. I wish you were dead. Give me what's coming right now. Give me what's mine? I want the gift, not the giver. I want the stuff, not the savior. I want, I want my things right now because I know what to do. Also. We have to keep in mind that back then. Land was seen as legacy and held for generations to come. Now, moving to Arizona has been a unique experience now, I've been here 10 years. So it feels almost local but everyone came from somewhere else. If you find someone that was born in Arizona, it's like finding a unicorn. You're like, wow. Right. And the people that have lived here are probably tired of the expression, what you live here. You were born here. Right? And so cause everyone moved in and so there's new starts, new beginnings, new traditions. But it, but in this culture, in this time, a piece of land could be in someone's family for hundreds of years. So not only is he asking for his inheritance, asking for his land, he's gonna sell that land to spend and waste that money. So you're wishing the family member dead, you're losing the legacy and the generational uh profit and, and, and generational wealth of your family. You're risking your reputation, you're risking everything. But I also want you to catch something that we're gonna come back to that. I, I didn't really notice until recent years. Is that and the father divided his property between them, meaning that both brothers got their inheritance, just hang on to that for a second. We're gonna come back to that. So both got what their inheritance early. OK. Verse 13. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into the far country. And there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country and he began to be in need. I wonder if he had a bunch of friends that went with him, party who middle Eastern Vegas, baby. Let's, you know, like, I don't know this, like what happens in the far country? Stays in the far country. Um But then he stops picking up the tab and all the friends desert him, right? I wonder if people have even experienced that where as soon as you stop giving, there's no one left to give to you. And so he begins to be in need. Verse 15. So he went and he hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country who sent him into the fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate. That just does not sound good, right? Like how many of you would like? What would you like on the menu today? Well, I would like um a pig pod, please. And also think about the Jewish context. Of this passage, right? Who couldn't even eat pork. And now he is longing for the pods that are fed to the pigs. But then it says, and no one gave him anything. He didn't even get to eat that. He's not even eating the food given to the pigs in the pigs die. He doesn't have a cute little spider to write messages in the web for him. He is sitting there in the side next to Charlotte, there at, at the web and everything going man that looks good. I wish I could have a little bit. Let me talk about rock pigsty bottom. But verse 17 is so key. It says, but when he came to himself, for those that have loved ones or maybe themselves have gotten away from God, it won't change until verse 17 happens and you come to yourself until you come to yourself. God doesn't enable but freely gives and with free will people respond. But it's interesting that when you got nothing left, you do come back to realize that God's actually all you need. And then when you recognize yourself, you recognize the need for God. And when you believe in God, you'll actually find yourself. That's why it's an identity thing, right? He reached a point in the middle of a Middle Eastern summer day that we know here in Arizona at 120 in a pig sty. When you're envious of the pig food at some point, he goes, what am I doing? And I wonder if you've had that point where you're like, what am I, what am I doing? And he comes back and he said, how many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread. But I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father. And I will say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before you and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants and he arose and he came to father. So he practiced his speech. If you've ever been in trouble with your parents or a spouse or a close friend or an employer, right? You practice that speech in your head. Now see what what happened was I, I accidentally like now in politics today, no one takes responsibility for anything anymore. Right? No one's ever been wrong ever in a political office, right? We don't say I am wrong. I am sorry I messed up. You were right in politics. We say, hey, mistakes were made, right. Mistakes were made. We got to move forward. But the younger son, no, no, no, no, no. I I came to my, I realized I was wrong. So he's practic his spee practicing his speech. He's humble life, humbled him. He's got nothing left yet. He comes to the father. But notices here that while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt judgment about time. No, felt compassion. Some of you came here today and just needed to hear this message. God sees you. God sees you because no matter how far away you are from God. God is never far away from you that if you would turn and just simply simply and humbly come back to the Father. He is ready arms wide open, filled with compassion. And in this case, it says, the father saw him felt compassion and ran in that culture. If you had authority, if you had power, the last thing you would do is run, running was saved for the servants, for the kids, for the slaves. You don't run if you're the owner of the house that shows that you're desperate, but he ran and he embraced him and he kissed him and look if you're coming from a pigsty and you're starving, you can't smell good. But in all the nastiness, in all the mess in everything away and all the guilt and shame that he had the father busts through it and says you're back and the son starts to go through his speech, right? He says, Father, I've, I've sinned against heaven and before you that I'm no longer worthy to be called your son and the dagger. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. OK. I don't care about that. He said to his servants bring quickly the best robe, ok? Who has the best robe he does? So he's saying give him my robe. He says put it on him and put a ring. Why the ring on his hand that represents the family name, the family crest, the family authority. Give him my robe, give him my ring and for heaven's sake, put some shoes on, right? He's saying give him all that is mine. All that is mine is yours that you are my child, that you are loved and all that I have is all that you are and I love you and you are enough and he doesn't stop there. He says, bring the fatten calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate for my son was dead and he is alive again. He was lost and is found and they began to celebrate. He didn't say well, your apology was good enough. He didn't say you will work off your sins. He didn't say it's about time I told you. So he says, welcome home and they start start throwing a party that gets bumping, right? Like there is music, there is dancing. They bring in the famous middle eastern rapper 50 Daenerys and like, all right, like it's, it's a celebration of everything like they're going crazy. Why he is dead. He is alive, he was lost, he is found, he didn't earn it. He was given it. So that in that generosity now we go to the older brother, the pharisee and the story he says the older son was in the field and he came and drew near to the house and he heard the music. He's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, what's going on here, right? You can't have a party right now. It's not time for a festival. What is happening? And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, your brother has come, your father has killed the fattened calf and because he's received him back in his safe and sound to which the brother rejoiced. No, he was angry and refused to go in. Now notice this, the father ran to the younger son. The father also runs to the older son. He doesn't say well fine, you stay out there. It says that he came out and he entreated and he invited him back in too. But the older son answers the father. Look these many years I have served you and I never disobeyed your commandment and yet you never even gave me a goat. It seems like a weird ask if you're asking me, right? Like you have all the kingdom, all the land, everything and you wanna go, right? Like like dream bigger man. You know what I mean? Like it's like I just wanted to go like you have a fast. I don't know. Anyway, he says you didn't even give me a goat to celebrate with my friends. And when your that son of yours came, we do that when we don't like something. We disassociate ourselves with somebody, don't we? All right. All parents have done this when the kid messes up, they go to the spouse, they go, your son did this, right? Your daughter did this, right? Or it's your friend, your friend got in a car accident. Even though you know what I'm saying? We, we wanna separate ourselves from the center, right? We pull ourselves away. So your son, in case you forgot the one who devoured your property with prostitutes. Hello, dropping truth bombs out here like this is extreme and you killed the fattened calf for him. What was the father's response? And he said to him, son, you are always with me and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad for this. Your brother was dead and is alive, was lost and is found. Remember in the early part of that story when he divided the kingdom among them, it's like the father was saying, yo, you want a goat, go get a goat. It's already yours. All that is mine is yours. Why are you working for something that I already gave you? Why are you trying to prove yourself when you already own it? You already have it. Some people try to define themselves by their rebellion but too many, especially inside the church and this is a camp that I've fallen into before we try to define ourselves by our religion. And we think if we just work harder, if we just give more, if we just do more, that makes us better than this person. And then God will love me. When God's saying, I've already given you everything for God. So loved the world that he gave his only forgotten son. Why are you trying to work for a gift? He's not saying don't work but to check your heart and your motivation that our life is a response to the grace of God, not a requirement, a reward for it. And here's what's interesting. The story ends there. The prodigal son gets resolution but the older brother, religious son does not. And here's why I think, I think because he was speaking about the tax collectors and sinners, but he was speaking to the Pharisees. And so he doesn't end the story. It's like he tells the story and then he turns to them and says, aunt, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna rejoice with those who get saved? Are you gonna celebrate and take part in what God has given you? Are you gonna be over here in the field by yourself thinking you're the only right one and that the rest of the world is going to hell, but you are doing things right? And you're better. At least I'm not that person thinking one day you're gonna get a goat. May I ask you two questions? How do you view God and then how do you view yourself to see the younger brother viewed him as like someone, he had to get away from. The older brother viewed him as someone to be afraid of. And here's the reality that you will not find your identity through rebellion nor religion, but through a genuine relationship with Jesus. This is why I say that you have to live from your identity, not for it. And so what about you today? I don't know how you came into today's service. Maybe addicted to something, struggling with something, pursuing something just searching, come home everything. Ah, it's been too long. It's been, I've been too far. I've done too many things. If God only knew. I want to tell you. God knows and you know what he's saying? He's saying come home, I'm gonna strike up the band. We're gonna rejoice, we're gonna party. I might give you your identity. I'm gonna forgive your sins. You don't make it to heaven on your worst day. But here's the thing we have to remember. You also don't make it to heaven on your best day. There is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation. That's why it's called a gift. That's why it's called grace. And so if you're tired of running that race that the world is trying to set before you and you're not being satisfied by what this world has to give to you, I invite you come home and if you're on the other side and you're not feeling empty, but you're feeling exhausted. I got another thing to do. I got, I gotta give, I gotta, I gotta work. I gotta do it. And man, I've, I've fallen again. But if I just squeeze my fist a little harder, if I put my head down and, and plow a little longer and I just do enough things it'll pay for itself. No, it won't. You don't have to work for something that's already been given to you that you don't have to be defined by your religion or by your relationship with Jesus. That what's his is yours? Says that if you now know the truth and that truth will set you free. He says that if a sun sets you free, you are free, indeed, you'll get that goat. It's already yours. Can we be a church of party people, a church that comes back and welcomes the tax collectors and the sinners next to the Pharisees and the religious and come back and say we are not defined by our rebellion. We are not defined by our religion, but rather we are defined by Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sins and for mine and because he rose again, I can rise again and I have forgiveness and I have freedom and my identity and my life is secure in him that will allow you to take a deep breath. Come on, let's be some party people in here. Let's not be the people on the sideline that judge the sins of the world. Let's not be the ones in the middle of that and saying, I'm gonna find my worth in that drug, that drink that sex, that money, that power. But say nope, I'm not gonna be defined by that rebellion. I'm not gonna be defined by that religion. I am a son or a daughter of God who is loved and will reign with Him forever. Will you pray with me dear heavenly Father? For those who have wandered my prayers just simply come home. God will greet you with open arms. You are, you cannot dig yourself a hole that God's grace and love is not deeper, still come home. And God, for those who've maybe been in church for years and tried to work their way up the ranks. God come home. I mean, we recognize the freedom and the joy that we already have in you so that we can freely give and serve and love and ultimately live from our identity and not for it. In this freedom we sing and so then we pray amen will stand.