1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:09,040 So today I want to build on what we were discussing yesterday 2 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,840 with the with the worship team, and I want to just quickly give 3 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:18,560 you the title of the sermon this morning. 4 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:24,560 It is simply Father, I respond to you now. 5 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,200 I know that in this family, I love it. 6 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,800 It's a lounge. In this lounge, God has healed 7 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:36,320 hearts as the Father heart of God has broken in, has cascaded 8 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:41,400 into your lives. Today I want to say to you that 9 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:45,640 all of our worship is essentially this learning how to 10 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:51,880 see our Father in heaven rightly so that we can respond to Him 11 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:58,880 correctly. Worship is simply the act of 12 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:03,080 ascribing value to something. I want you to think of that for 13 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:07,200 a minute. Worship is simply ascribing 14 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:12,080 value to something. We live in a day and age where 15 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:17,280 people are realizing that smashing Macca DS week in and 16 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,720 week out is not good for your body. 17 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:22,320 Isn't that true? Are you? 18 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,120 Are you with me? OK, you can sneak a McDonald's 19 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:30,360 burger from time to time, but the reality is this is that very 20 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:34,920 quickly over the last recent time, people are realizing that 21 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:40,280 our bodies are precious. And so we've learnt to ascribe 22 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,400 value to our bodies, to stop eating certain things and to 23 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,880 look after our bodies. The reason why I'm giving you 24 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:53,720 this illustration is every person under the sun understands 25 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:59,440 worship intrinsically, whether it's your body or as I noticed 26 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:03,400 the other day, there are a whole lot of mountain bike people here 27 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:05,680 in Pretoria. Apparently it's an obsession 28 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:13,280 ascribing value to health because it's important you spend 29 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:15,600 a whole lot of cash to get a mountain bike and spend your 30 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,920 whole Saturday mountain biking. And what that says is we can 31 00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:22,840 even begin to worship things incorrectly. 32 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:30,760 The truth is this. As we start off today, worship 33 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:37,040 is simply learning to value something, to respond to it 34 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:42,600 correctly. It's the same with God as we 35 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:46,760 discover Him, as we begin to realize that He's more 36 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:51,000 beautiful, that we could ever realize that He's more profound 37 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:55,240 and wonderful than words could ever describe, something happens 38 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,680 inside of us. We realize I've been living in a 39 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,320 certain way. I've been acting in a certain 40 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:01,640 way. I've been responding in a 41 00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:04,480 certain way. But Jesus deserves more. 42 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:11,320 But the key to it all is learning to see Him correctly. 43 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:18,960 This brings me to my specs. I'm becoming a bully. 44 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,560 I'm turning 47 in August. Yeah. 45 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:24,680 A shame. A shame. 46 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:27,840 Some naughty guys that stood up front here. 47 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:32,160 A shame. And my eyes have begun to go. 48 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,520 If I took these off, I'd struggle to see you. 49 00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:38,360 I need to wear the right lenses to see correctly. 50 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,320 Well, some might mistake Melissa for someone else. 51 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:45,080 That would be unhelpful. That would be unhelpful. 52 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,360 But the truth of the matter is this. 53 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,000 You have come in here today, whether it's your first time or 54 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:56,000 50th time and life has happened at you and to you. 55 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:07,200 In my 46 and some change years, life has happened to me and my 56 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:12,360 life experiences have formed a lens. 57 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,120 And there are many things in my life that I haven't seen 58 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,200 correctly and it's darkened my gaze. 59 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,080 It's real. There's Eugene, it's him, but 60 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:33,240 he's not that tanned. Oh, there's Eugene, that's who 61 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,160 he really is. Are you following me? 62 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:43,720 Lenses alter the way that we see things that are real, but they 63 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,160 are not the true representation of them. 64 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:53,800 And in learning to worship so that we can rightfully respond 65 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:58,720 to the majesty of who our God is, what God wants to do is come 66 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:03,360 deal with these things. The first thing that Jesus said 67 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:09,000 on the mission of transforming Project Planet Earth was repent, 68 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,960 for the Kingdom of God is bearing in upon you. 69 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,880 That word repent is being twisted to mean all sorts of 70 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:18,800 things. And I don't want to go into 71 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:23,680 those details, but what Jesus was saying was see, rightly, 72 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:30,040 because the kingdom's upon you in those days, they had a a 73 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:35,680 perspective of who Christ was. They had been anticipating him 74 00:05:35,840 --> 00:05:38,200 for centuries. The prophets have been speaking 75 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,600 for so long, the Messiah's coming, the Messiah's coming, 76 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,120 but because of disappointment, because of delay, because of 77 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:49,880 discouragement, and because of the Romans, life happened at 78 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,960 them. Their lenses became twisted, and 79 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:57,400 the Messiah that the Scriptures promised, the suffering servant 80 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:02,120 who would lay down his life for the whole world, past, present 81 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:07,800 and future, was reduced to a king with a sword who would 82 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:13,320 destroy the Romans. You see, it happens to the best 83 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:17,960 of us. Now, just before I move on, this 84 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:20,520 is really important. I want to leave you with a 85 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,160 little picture as I speak because I want to take you on a 86 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:27,440 journey briefly in Genesis and then land on Luke 15 and then 87 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:37,560 we're done, sort of. Zoe, our eldest child, was about 88 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,920 three or four months weeks old. Excuse me. 89 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:46,240 And it was just so beautiful to see her, a connection with 90 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,560 Melissa. She would smile the moment 91 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:54,240 Melissa walked into the room because she had attached to mum 92 00:06:54,520 --> 00:06:57,800 and the smell of mum would cause it a smile. 93 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:03,480 But Dad was on the back burner. Dad didn't have the right goods 94 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:08,880 to help Zoe, and I have to admit I thought I was quite a secure 95 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:12,040 cat until I began to realize here's Zoe. 96 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:16,240 She's my beloved daughter, made in love and joy, and yet she's 97 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,280 not responding to me. But a day came about three or 98 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:23,160 four weeks, and apparently the clever people tell you that a 99 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:27,400 child of that age's eyes begin to focus appropriately. 100 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:33,520 And I'll never forget that moment. 10 Montreal, 100 101 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:35,960 Chelmsford Rd. all that time ago. 102 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:44,560 And I bent over Zoe and she saw me and she saw me. 103 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:47,720 You've got to know what happened to me. 104 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:51,600 It wasn't. I'm aware that there is this 105 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:58,360 human being called Dad around. She saw me and it changed our 106 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:02,120 relationship. It changed her ability to 107 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,080 connect with me in a profound way. 108 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:09,960 Suddenly it was now Mum and Dad in her life. 109 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,080 I want you to remember that as we speak for the next few 110 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:21,800 minutes, God wants to change our lenses so that we can see Him 111 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:26,760 rightly, that we might worship Him in the deepest connection 112 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:31,440 that we are made for. Hey, it's exciting stuff, this. 113 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:36,760 When we say worship, many of us think of falling down. 114 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,120 It's true. It's about adoration, but if you 115 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:43,080 understand the Scriptures and you understand the heart of our 116 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:47,600 God, he's not looking for a people to kowtow before him and 117 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,360 say, yes, Sir, no, Sir, 3 bags full, Sir. 118 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,400 He has come to draw us into an intimate relationship. 119 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,560 And having said that, the New Testament's overarching theme of 120 00:08:59,560 --> 00:09:03,160 worship is this Greek word that I don't know if I pronounced it 121 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:04,880 correctly. It's proscuno. 122 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:12,080 It literally means to come forward, to step forward, to 123 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,880 kiss. Isn't that amazing? 124 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:21,840 This is the heart of God's plan and purpose for us as as people 125 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:26,080 worship. But as I have just said that 126 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,640 right now, words are like intimacy. 127 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:33,080 Words are like coming close and closing the gap. 128 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:35,360 Hey my buddy, nice to see you again. 129 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,680 Can make some people feel a bit strange because we've got some 130 00:09:40,680 --> 00:09:44,760 perspectives about intimacy. We've got some perspectives 131 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:48,960 about how to connect with God. Maybe you've come from a 132 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,600 tradition that says it's OK to keep God at arm's length. 133 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:56,520 Come to church on a Sunday, worship him, you know, as as 134 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:59,880 passionately as you can. But but gosh, Rory and three CR 135 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:02,600 crew don't, don't, don't take me any further. 136 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:08,120 I wonder if the reason for that is, is because of lenses. 137 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,080 Genesis 1-2 and three, are you following me here? 138 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:16,920 Because it's really important. Genesis 1-2 and three is a 139 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:21,120 profound beginning to all things here. 140 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:27,120 ABBA creates the galaxies, he throws out the stars, and he 141 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:29,680 names them by name. And then the pinnacle of his 142 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:31,760 creation is when he gets on his knees. 143 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:33,440 You've got to get this, everybody. 144 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:39,640 He's been speaking creation, but now he gets on his knees and he 145 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:44,000 fashions with his own hands in the dust of the earth. 146 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:52,400 Man think of that. And he forms this body, and he 147 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:57,680 is yet not a living being. He is a shell to be filled with 148 00:10:57,680 --> 00:11:00,440 the breath of God. And how does God do this? 149 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:05,120 He gets on his knees and I was a lifesaver from a wee 150 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,520 whippersnapper running around in a Speedo from the age of age of 151 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:10,480 eight. It was spectacular, spectacular 152 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:17,040 in my opinion. And they taught us at the 153 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:23,080 youngest age Surf Life saving Proficiency Award SPA how to do 154 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,760 CPR. In this moment. 155 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:31,440 It was the kiss of life where God, the creator of the 156 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:38,080 galaxies, bent over and with his very lips breathed into man. 157 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:44,320 Now this is where I'm going. Who did Adam see first? 158 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:51,240 In an instant his eyes opened, and he saw in those eyes 159 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,440 everything. I'm made for you. 160 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:59,080 I'm made by you. I'm made to connect with you. 161 00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:04,840 And suddenly this relationship is born out of seeing clearly. 162 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:08,840 Seeing clearly. And he walked in the cool of the 163 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:12,640 day. And God was even more genius. 164 00:12:12,680 --> 00:12:18,360 And he made woman praise the Lord, and they walked in the 165 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:22,200 cool of the day. Unfettered relationship between 166 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:25,960 God, themselves and creation and each other. 167 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,520 It says at the end of Genesis 2 that they were naked. 168 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:34,640 They were covered in glory. OK, they were naked and 169 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,840 unashamed. The emphasis of the writer there 170 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,040 is this. There was nothing between them, 171 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:43,920 nothing between God. They saw clearly. 172 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:51,560 But then Genesis three man alive was a moment of distorted lenses 173 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:56,360 from seeing God clearly. That's Cabanga came into the 174 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:00,760 garden, the serpent. I'm at home here. 175 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:02,960 I'm being myself, thank you. It's all your fault. 176 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:13,320 The serpent came in the garden. Diabolos, the one who smears 177 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:19,440 character to separate Diabolos and he asks the question, did 178 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:24,080 God really say? He cast a question mark on God 179 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:29,120 and slowly but surely a lens came over their eyes and they 180 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:33,880 couldn't see him clearly to the extent that before this they 181 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,240 were walking in intimate connection with God. 182 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,560 Suddenly they were afraid of Him. 183 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:43,920 What is the issue? The issue, friends, is lenses. 184 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:50,600 He walks into the garden. They hear the sound of the Lord 185 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:54,560 walking in the garden that they knew so well, and they hid away. 186 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:02,600 Lenses are powerful. Lenses are real. 187 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:06,000 Lenses are an issue in Genesis 3. 188 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:13,480 Lenses are still an issue today. Turn with me, please, to 189 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:16,080 Genesis. Excuse me, Luke 15. 190 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,680 Thank you. Thanks, Roman. 191 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:21,400 I don't know how I'm looking with this thing, but it's like 192 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:23,600 poking in my eye here as I preach. 193 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:26,720 He did. Yeah. 194 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,240 Turn me to Luke 15. This is a well worn text, and 195 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,960 I'm going to finish here. Are you following me so far? 196 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:37,880 Because the question I'm sure you're asking yourself already 197 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:38,360 is. OK. 198 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:39,840 Rah. How do you deal with these 199 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,080 lenses? Good question. 200 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:47,680 Look at this Luke 15. You know the story, the parable 201 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:54,920 of the lost coins, etcetera, and then the parable of the lost 202 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:58,440 son. Let's read it briefly and then I 203 00:14:58,440 --> 00:14:59,920 want to hone in on something specific. 204 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:02,720 There was a man who had two sons. 205 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,000 The younger one said to his father, father, give me my share 206 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,400 of the estate. So he divided his property. 207 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,800 I'm sure it's already been torture, but that was an insult 208 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,240 beyond insults. Dad, you're dead to me. 209 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:20,280 Give me my cash and let's buy. He was a selfish son. 210 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,320 Not long after that, the youngest son got together, the 211 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:29,200 same boy all he had, and set up for a distant country and there 212 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:31,760 squandered his wealth in wild living. 213 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:35,400 Later we know the older brother says he's been sleeping around 214 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:40,360 and acting no good. After you'd spent everything, 215 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:44,000 there was a severe famine in that whole country because 216 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:46,360 things will catch up with you eventually. 217 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:52,400 And he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out 218 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:56,920 to a citizen of that country, who sent him to the fields to 219 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,840 feed pigs. You understand the context? 220 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:06,160 This is getting worse, from bad to worse. 221 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:10,640 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were 222 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,680 eating, but no one gave him anything. 223 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:18,360 The moralists, I just want to say, you know, the religious 224 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:21,000 goody 2 shoes would say, yeah, he got what he deserved. 225 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:29,240 When he came to his senses, he said, how many of my father's 226 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:31,200 hired servants have food, food to spare? 227 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:36,400 And here I am starving to death. He came to his senses. 228 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:42,560 Remember that I will set out and go back to my father and say to 229 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:46,200 him, Father, I have sinned against heaven in you. 230 00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:48,880 And again, the moralists and the religiously correct would say, 231 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,520 yeah, exactly. You're getting it right. 232 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:54,760 But he had something fundamentally wrong. 233 00:16:55,720 --> 00:17:00,760 I am no longer worthy to be called your son and make me so. 234 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,040 Make me like one of your hired servants. 235 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,200 So he got up and went to his father. 236 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:07,119 Press pause. What you going after here, Ryan? 237 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:11,000 He was a son who was incredibly selfish, took something in 238 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:13,160 advance, told his dad, you mean nothing to me. 239 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,359 You're dead. Squandered it in wild living. 240 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,960 Ended up feeding pigs. He became a slave to sin. 241 00:17:21,319 --> 00:17:24,839 He became mangled by life experiences. 242 00:17:25,599 --> 00:17:32,000 He ended up with lenses. He he came to his senses in one 243 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,200 right regard. I've got to sort my stuff out. 244 00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:38,080 Where am I going to go? Where's the only safe place? 245 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,320 My old man's home. My dad's home. 246 00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:44,040 But there was a fundamental problem. 247 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:48,000 He maybe was coming out of being a slave to sin, but he had the 248 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:52,240 wrong lens. His twisted lifestyle had 249 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:56,160 twisted his view of everything. I'm not worthy to be called a 250 00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:02,640 son, but who determines that? And he went back to his father 251 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:05,720 and he said to his dad, just take me. 252 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:13,480 An ulcer from the outside in his life experiences was determining 253 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:16,520 his view of himself. I'm no longer worthy. 254 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:19,520 I'm a piece of rubbish because I've been living like a piece of 255 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:22,760 rubbish. And secondly, surely my loving 256 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:27,800 father, who has always acted graciously to me my entire life, 257 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,080 will treat me like a slave or a servant. 258 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:38,160 Lenses twist our view of ourselves and we project them 259 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:43,880 onto our good, good father. But what does God? 260 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,680 Well, we know, we know he's speaking about the father, but 261 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,120 what does the father in the story do? 262 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:55,640 He doesn't say a word. He doesn't even trade truth 263 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,520 blows with him. He doesn't sit him down and try 264 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:01,320 to counsel him and say, hey, that's what you went through. 265 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:02,840 That's what you saying about yourself. 266 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:03,880 But I just want to tell you this. 267 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:06,000 What does he do? He turns around. 268 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,720 Let's let's look at it. But while he was a long way off, 269 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,760 that means this daddy was on tippy toes. 270 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,360 He's working, but every moment he's looking, where's my boy? 271 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:24,800 And he saw him a long way off. And he broke with tradition. 272 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:33,800 He pulled up his man dress. For a man of those days, you 273 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,440 weren't supposed to bare your skinny, hairy legs. 274 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:41,000 It was for kids to do that, you know that He pulls up his man 275 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:45,080 dress and he just began to run. My son is coming. 276 00:19:45,360 --> 00:19:48,600 And the son says what? He says he doesn't trade truth 277 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:50,840 blows. He turns around and says this 278 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,360 servants, he's talking to his son. 279 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,360 He's having a conversation. But he turns to the servants and 280 00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:00,840 he says, quick, bring the best robe. 281 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,080 Put it on him. Put a ring on his finger, 282 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:07,320 sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf. 283 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:09,360 Kill it. Let's have. 284 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:16,440 Joel, the best robe belonged to him. 285 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:22,520 The dad this is. I wish we had hours to talk 286 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:26,520 about this. The ring was a ring of legacy in 287 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:31,640 the family. He didn't trade truth blows with 288 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:35,480 him. He embraced him and broke 289 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:44,440 something over him. The only way I'm done, the only 290 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:50,520 way we can deal with our lenses, is not to sit in a dark corner 291 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:56,560 and trade truth of truth. There are two things that I want 292 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:04,360 to point out to you #1 Philip. I've told you, as you see me, 293 00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:08,520 you see the Father. If you want to trade lenses #1 294 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:16,720 Jesus is the first lens, the perfect representation of God. 295 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:21,800 And something begins to change, and he calls us to believe upon 296 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:24,360 him. But there's a second which is so 297 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:29,200 exciting. You see, when Dad ran back to 298 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:33,080 get the sun, as he saw him approaching, it says that he 299 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:36,000 threw his arms around him and kissed him. 300 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:41,680 That word kiss means to do what I do with my kids even though 301 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:46,040 they have deep voices now and pimples. 302 00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:52,320 I kiss and I kiss and I kiss and I kiss pross cuneo. 303 00:21:55,120 --> 00:21:58,000 But he threw his arms around him. 304 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:02,720 That word is a cool little Greek word called epiphypto. 305 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:10,680 Epiphypto is used in Acts chapter 10 verse 44, eight verse 306 00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:20,520 16 and 11 verse 15, and it's used of God the Holy Spirit 307 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:29,760 coming upon the church. How do we change our lenses? 308 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:36,200 One, we believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ, He is the 309 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:41,840 reinterpretation of all things, the perfect representation of 310 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:43,960 the Father as Rory was saying earlier. 311 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:48,720 And secondly, he wants us to receive His Spirit. 312 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,280 Let me tell you who the Holy Spirit is. 313 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:57,400 In John chapter 14, Jesus says himself, I will not leave you as 314 00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:01,680 orphans. I will give you another just 315 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:05,280 like me. I will come to you talking about 316 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:12,320 Holy Spirit, God the Spirit, friends, is not some idea out 317 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:14,320 there. Let me tell you who He is. 318 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:21,040 He is the passionate, fierce, fiery love between the Father in 319 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,160 heaven and His Son on His throne. 320 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:28,120 And the Spirit is the passionate, fiery love between 321 00:23:28,120 --> 00:23:33,160 the Son and the Father. And this is what He wants to do. 322 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:37,800 He wants to sandwich us in his love. 323 00:23:39,360 --> 00:23:45,800 Cliff and EMS, I need you. EMS, you gonna be. 324 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:49,080 You're gonna be the last. No, no. 325 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:50,160 You know, it'll be a bit awkward. 326 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:51,400 Come here, Cliff. Man, we haven't. 327 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:52,440 We haven't figured this out. Yeah. 328 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:56,520 This is the last Son. Your name is Father God. 329 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,000 Bear with me here. God's not a woman. 330 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:05,840 The wayward son gets caught up come EMS in the hug 331 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:18,160 and breaks every chain in his mind. 332 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:23,800 Thank you. The only way our lenses can be 333 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:28,640 transformed is to realize, number one, that we have lenses, 334 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:35,480 two, that they're quite probably twisted and maligned. 3, believe 335 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:41,520 upon the Lord Jesus, and four, say, Holy Spirit, you've got to 336 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,480 show me what love is because no one else can. 337 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:51,720 And our response as we close is to throw up my hands and just 338 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:59,160 say, come epiphypto, fall upon me, fall afresh on me, love me. 339 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:08,520 Neuroscience is proving this, that we learn through 340 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:15,160 experience. Today, as we end, I'm done. 341 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:18,600 We're going to provide an opportunity. 342 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,440 I'm going to jump up and sing a song. 343 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,520 It's really simple. You might know it, you might not 344 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:26,080 know it. I certainly don't want to 345 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,880 prescribe how. Maybe you want to respond, maybe 346 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:32,160 you want to sit down, maybe you want to stand up. 347 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:35,200 Who knows? That's really your decision to 348 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:38,680 take. But my encouragement is this. 349 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:41,160 Maybe you've walked in with the lenses today. 350 00:25:41,960 --> 00:25:44,720 Maybe you think that Father God is mad with you because you've 351 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,440 been living away with life. I want you to know something. 352 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:51,600 Don't let your past distort your lens of who God truly is. 353 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:58,840 Jesus has revealed, and the Spirit proves that the Father 354 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,280 values you more than you could ever realize. 355 00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:06,640 It's time to have a moment to Epipepta. 356 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:07,800 Can we do that?