Adam Brown | New Thing Same God

♪ Welcome to Reach KC, everybody ♪ ♪ It's so great to have you with us ♪ ♪ I just want to invite y'all to stand up and join in ♪ (gentle piano music) ♪ There was no way until you made one ♪ ♪ Grace upon grace, honey, look here ♪ ♪ And even though I don't deserve it ♪ ♪ You did it ♪ ♪ Even on the morning, you gave it ♪ ♪ You and I let you keep me on your mind ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ Oh, my life, you've been right here by my side ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ Oh, my life, you gave it to me ♪ ♪ Oh, my life, you gave it to me ♪ ♪ And even though I don't deserve it ♪ ♪ Oh, my life, you gave it to me ♪ ♪ Even though I don't deserve it ♪ ♪ Oh, my life, you gave it to me ♪ ♪ God, you gave me on your mind ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ Oh, my life, you've been right here by my side ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ God, I'm if the bulk of my head ♪ ♪ You gave me chance after chance ♪

♪ Have you chance with God ♪ ♪ God, I'm giving all that I am ♪ ♪ You gave me chance after chance ♪ ♪ And God, I'm lifting both of my heads ♪ ♪ You gave me chance after chance ♪ ♪ After chance, and God ♪ ♪ I'm giving all that I am ♪ ♪ God, I'm giving all that I am ♪ ♪ God, I'm giving all that I am ♪ ♪ God, I'm lifting both of my heads ♪ ♪ You gave me chance after chance ♪ ♪ After chance, and God ♪ ♪ I'm giving all that I am ♪ ♪ You gave me chance after chance ♪ ♪ After chance, and God ♪ ♪ Let you keep me on all my God ♪ ♪ I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ Oh, my love ♪ ♪ You will ride here by my star ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ You and I ♪ ♪ Let you keep me on all my God ♪ ♪ I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ Oh, my love ♪ ♪ You will ride here by my star ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪

♪ God, I'm so proud and I'm here to testify ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ I'm all right if they say I'm out of my mind ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ ♪ God, I'm just grateful for you ♪ (audience cheering) [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC]

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] ♪ God, what a God ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ What a God, what a God ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ God, what a God ♪ ♪ God, what a God ♪ ♪ God, what a God ♪ ♪ And my love is the ♪ ♪ And my love is the ♪ ♪ Lord, Lord, your ♪ ♪ I see my love ♪ ♪ Oh, I see my love ♪ ♪ You are my love, yeah ♪ ♪ With a heartless face on each inch ♪ ♪ And your hands ♪ ♪ Now I don't know what this is ♪ ♪ And I've seen this so far ♪ ♪ And I've seen it all ♪ ♪ Lord, I've seen my love ♪ ♪ For at the same time ♪ ♪ You are my love ♪ ♪ Don't worry, it's the only thing you've seen ♪ ♪ That I've heard it all ♪ ♪ But feel your heart and never see your name ♪

♪ I still have it all ♪ ♪ Your treasure is high ♪ ♪ But ever since I ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything, you are my everything ♪ (gentle music)

[MUSIC PLAYING] ♪ ♪ ♪ Smooth with a pound ♪ ♪ Here it goes now ♪ ♪ Smooth with a pound ♪ ♪ Smooth with a pound ♪ ♪ Smooth with a pound ♪ ♪ Smooth with a pound ♪ ♪ Break my walls now ♪ ♪ Smooth with a pound ♪ ♪ Smooth with a pound ♪ ♪ Smooth with a pound ♪ ♪ I'm a father ♪ ♪ For the heaven was your name ♪ ♪ Sing louder ♪ ♪ Let this place hear our twin praise ♪ ♪ Feel your hearing ♪ ♪ The sound of heaven's our cheer ♪ ♪ The sound of heaven's our cheer ♪ ♪ Our father ♪ ♪ All of heaven was your name ♪ ♪ Sing louder ♪ ♪ Let this place hear our twin praise ♪ ♪ Feel your hear ♪ ♪ The sound of heaven's our cheer ♪ ♪ The sound of heaven's our cheer ♪ ♪ Spirit break out ♪ ♪ Break my walls now ♪ ♪ Spirit break out ♪ ♪ Let me come now ♪

♪ Keep Jesus ♪ ♪ Your name will empty out your glory ♪ ♪ Shaken up beyond His eyes ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ Keep Jesus ♪ ♪ Your name will empty out your glory ♪ ♪ Shaken up beyond His eyes ♪ ♪ Just be vital ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ We want to see our kingdom here ♪ ♪ Spirit break out ♪ ♪ Break my walls now ♪ ♪ Spirit break out ♪ ♪ Let me come now ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [MUSIC PLAYING]

Happy way, Lord. How many of us need the spirit to break out in our lives this morning? How many of us need the spirit to break out over our families this morning? That he would break addiction in our lives this morning? That he would return to prodigals home this morning? That fathers would return to their sons? That daughters would return to their fathers? Come on, let's sing it out one more time, baby, can we do that? Come on, let's just declare it out today, Church. Let's let the Lord, let's inhabit the praises, come on! [Music] Come on, let's sing it from the bottom of our hearts, Church. [Music] Would you come down, Lord? [Music] [Music] [Music] How would you have your way? Would every moment in this place glorify you this morning? [Music] May every life encounter you. [Music] May you move forward. [Music] God, we give you the honor, we give you the glory, and we give you the praise. Come on, can we make some noise in the house of the Lord this morning? [Music] Hey, before you find a seat, would you turn to one of your neighbors and just give them a high five? Say, "Hey, it is so good to see you here this morning." [Music]

Glory, glory. [Music] Man, what a moment. [Music] For those of you that may not be new here, we're so glad to be back. [Music] And even more importantly, those of you that are new here, we welcome you home. Amen. [Music] We're just so glad that you joined us. And just excited to see what the Lord is going to do in the house this morning. You know, I think about it. As I was standing down here on the front row, I was quickly reminded that 15 years ago, I was sitting in prison. And I was sending $3 green checks from a $30 pay slot at K&T. A $3 green check, which was my tithe. Out to Raina Bible College. Simply just because I didn't know where else to tithe at the point, but I knew that I was sowing seeds into a future that God was going to open up. Amen. And then whenever I got out, I went through about a year of just grinding, living on my little sister's couch. Come on, somebody. Do you want a piece of humble pie? There's a piece of humble pie. Then I moved to my mom so I could get on the bus line and was scared to walk to the bus line because I didn't know how to Metro bus work. Amen. Just right down the street from here. I'm not lying.

I was intimidated as heck. And then to be able to walk in this morning. seasons that may feel painful, may feel like God is not doing anything. The faithfulness of God rings true as long as we continue to pursue Him above and beyond. Anything else in our lives. Amen. If I could have some musters come forward. This is a moment. Don't feel obligated. But this is a moment where I believe that we get to extend our worship service. Because anything that I give, I get to give to the Lord, whether it's my time, my talents, or even my treasures. So if you're in here this morning and you are one of the members of our church, feel free to honor the Lord with that. If you aren't, then hey, you can stick around for a while and see how we move and what we've got going on. And that's okay. That's okay. We love you. So God, we just believe that you will continue to be who you say that you are. That you would lead us in faithfulness and fruitfulness so that we would continue to honor you with everything that we have. So God, we lift you up this morning. May every gift be given to you with a cheer for heart this morning. God, may we honor you and give you praise in Jesus' name. [Music] Can we give it up for the Lord one more time? Hey, I just want to welcome everybody home. Maybe this is your first time or your first time in a long time. Hey, we would love to connect with you. You can tag the thing in front of you, tap or scan the seat in front of you so that we could connect with you, get some information from you. We would love to just reach out and have somebody from our team get to hear your story and just plug in with you because we believe here that God is looking for every single person in this room. And maybe you just happened to stumble in here and maybe you thought, hey, you know what, I don't even feel like I belong here. But we are a church that believes God is looking for unlikely people from overlooked places to do extraordinary things through your life. And so you are not too far from the Lord. I promise you, you are right where you need to be today. Hey, man. Well, hey, I just want to take note that when we look around this room, there is just so much to celebrate. Right. There have been prayers prayed, sacrifices made, especially this last couple of weeks. I mean, hard hours worked from multiple different teams and just so many things going into behind the scenes and

moments where we had to trust God for stuff that we couldn't even see. I mean, if you would have walked in here Wednesday of last week, you would have never thought that we was going to be having church this morning like we are. Amen. But because of some of the wonderful people that we have been able to work alongside of and just great teams, it's just been phenomenal. And yet here we are. And so can we give God some praise just one more time? But as thankful as I am for this building, guess what? It's just a building. This place will burn. I hope it don't. But it will burn. And in my mind, I'm thinking more about the people who is going to walk through these doors in the coming Sundays ahead, in the coming months ahead, in the coming weeks and years ahead of us. I'm talking the family that's barely holding it together. Right. The person that is fighting in a day And maybe it's the mother that's been praying for her children or the person who has been away from God for so long that they wonder if they could ever even come back. But listen, we are making room because there are people who still need to come home. Amen, there are people who still need to be able to be welcomed into the arms of the Father. And maybe you are one of those people today. Maybe you're sitting in a new place, right? But you're carrying such familiar pain, right? You may never even be able to be happy. And you can say pastor, I understand that that's for you. And you may even be happy for what God is doing in the church, but you're wondering if he's even doing anything in your own personal life, right? And I want to look at a passage for a moment today where God speaks to people who needed hope for what came next. I want to look at Isaiah 43 for just a moment where he says, hey, I want you guys to forget all of that because it is nothing to what I am going to do, right?

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun. It's already in the works. Even though your situation may not look like it, do you not see it? For I will make a pathway through the wilderness and I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. See, God is speaking to Israel here, his covenant people about deliverance from captivity, right? And they knew the history of what he had done. The people knew it, right? They knew about the Exodus. They knew about being set free. They had walked through the sea with seeing the walls of the water beside them. In fact, just a few verses before this, God reminds them of that very thing in Isaiah. And then he tells them, hey, don't dwell on the former things. Don't dwell on even the deliverances that I've had because I am doing something new. Think about that. The God who made a way through the sea was now promising a way through the wilderness, right? The God who had the same God, just another demonstration of his faithfulness. It's the same God. See, their circumstances look different this time. Their deliverance was going to look different this time, but the God bringing them through, guess what, had not changed.

He is the same yesterday today and forever more. And I think that that's where our confidence has to rest today because we don't know everything that this next season will hold. You don't know what the next season in your life. We don't know every challenge that we will face, but we know that God has brought us this far and he's gonna carry us through. And so I wanna talk from the topic today. New thing, same God. New thing, same God. See, earlier in the chapter, the nations are challenged to present their case for the gods that they worship. They were called to be witnesses. He said, "Bring the blind and bring the deaf." And some scholars said that these were people that back then would not even have been able to be called as witnesses in the courts, yet even they had to be witnesses to what God was doing. See, they may not have liked it, but they had to watch. And when God is doing something, guess what? People have to notice it. When God is doing something in your life, people have to notice it. Why? God does things, God is no small God. God is a big God and God does big things. And he's not looking for just some small time thing to do in our life, he breaks chains, he splits sees,

he does things and redeems people that have been stuck in captivity for years. I've been stuck in captivity for 27 years before he finally set me free. See, he delivers his people even right in front of their enemies. Come on, somebody. Then they've got to watch. 'Cause see, when God is doing something new, guess what, it shouldn't be hard to see. It shouldn't be hard to notice. And I'm believing right now, even, that God is doing a new thing in some of your lives, something that others are gonna have to witness in your life. There's been people that have been speaking down on you. The enemy has tried to stop you, but guess what? God is your deliverer. If he is for me, who can be against me? If no weapon formed against me shall prosper, then why am I worrying about what anything that is coming against my family? Come on somebody, God is delivering your family right now. He is bringing them back as far as the east is from the west. He is setting your children free. He's breaking generational things that have been passed down through lineages. God is writing the rest of this story and you're going to be able to walk in victory. So I'm sitting in my office the other day preparing this message. I look over on my bookshelf and I see this Bible. You see how it has tabs in it? That's how you know I was a young believer because I needed to find the book that I needed to read. Amen. I'm not knocking you. I'm just having fun. I remember the Lord speaking to me something in this passage in Isaiah 43 and I actually have a date because that's what I was

doing at the time when I was pleading for my son to be reunited with me after six years of not being able to see him when I was incarcerated in prison. But in October 9, gosh, I wish it was October 9 today. That would have made it even cooler. Of 2011, God spoke to me and said that he would gather them from the east and from the west and that he would reunite our family. See, God made a promise. But the tricky thing is, is it took years to see the victory. It took years to see the victory. See, there comes a time where we have to quit dwelling over the past and look at the new things that God is doing because we can be blinded by the things that are happening in the past. We can be blinded by the things that are happening. See, there is something that we have to recognize as we enter into this new season. We have to become so attached to how God is moving now because we can easily become so attached to how he moved before that we struggle to recognize something new. If we hang on to how he moved in the last season, guess what? He brought me my son back. I wish he was here today. But he's starting defensive lineman in varsity. Come on, somebody. And he said he's watching online. So if you are, buddy, I love you. And I'm giving Isaiah Brown a shout out this morning. But we can become so attached to how God moved before that we struggle to recognize what he is doing now. And that doesn't always mean that the previous season was even bad. Right? That's so easy to hold. But see, some of those seasons, even if they were bad, guess what? They built our faith. See, those seasons developed our character. But it's all about perspective. You can look down on those seasons, but see, some of those seasons taught me how to pray when I had no other options in my life. See, we should thank God for those seasons, even if they were painful, because those seasons is what drew us into the Lord. Those seasons is what showed us his faithfulness. Those seasons is what brought us to a miracle worker. See, a lot of us want a miracle, but we don't want a situation that requires one. But see, if you get a miracle, you got to be in a desperate situation that requires one. And the story that he is writing for your tomorrow, guess what? It may not look like the script that you expected today. But here's the truth is that we can honor God in the previous season and still remain open to what he wants to do now. See, we can cherish the moments without insisting that every method, every routine, every experience that we have had in our past days, the exact same, we limit God's capacity when we do that. And somebody may be thanking pastor, that sounds good for the church. But you don't know my life. Well, let's go back to the beginning of the chapter. In Isaiah 43, verses 1 and 2, it says, "But now, oh Jacob." See, he's remembering

by the former name, Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you, oh Israel, which is your new name, right? The one who formed you says this, "Do not be afraid. For I have ransomed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. And so when you go through deep waters, guess what? I will be with you. And when you go through rivers of difficulty, guess what? You won't drown. It may feel like it. You may feel like somebody is holding you underwater, like my wife's older brother, but it may feel like that. It's true. When you walk through the fire of oppression, it says that you will not be burned up. See it? Don't say that you won't walk through the fire of oppression. It just says you won't be burned up when you do. The flames will not consume you. And I think it's interesting before God even announces the new thing. He reminds the people of who they are. He reminds them of who they are. He says, I have ransomed you. He said, I have called you by name. He said, you make that personal this morning, you, every single one of you, you are mine. Jesus said that he came to give his life as a ransom for many. See, our redemption cost him something. It cost him something. He went to the cross for every single one of us rose again so that we could have faith through him and we could be forgiven and receive new life. See, this is the good news of the gospel church, that every single one of you and I have the opportunity, but see belonging to him doesn't mean that we're never going to face deep waters. See, notice the language of Isaiah when he says, when you pass through the waters, when you walk through the fire, see, some of us are rebuking things that maybe God is trying to use to form us. See, you've been casting out some stuff thinking it's the enemy trying to over spiritualize something that God has been trying to develop in your life because maybe he sees something in you that you don't even see in yourself and he says, if I could just get my people to humble themselves and pray and walking through this life and understand the assignment that I've placed on their life, but I don't like the fire. I don't like deep waters. See, God's people would face real trouble, but his promise was that they wouldn't have to go through it without him. So if you're walking through difficulty today, don't assume that his presence has left you. No, no, no, no. The waters don't mean that he has forgotten you. The fire doesn't mean that you no longer belong to him. We can trust him even in the middle of what we cannot understand yet. See, then, as the chapter moves forward, God describes the way in the wilderness and the rivers through the desert and he tells us who that provision is for and it's for his people, whom he formed for himself that they might declare his praise. My boy was down here worshiping in

the back of his shirt says, I'll turn it into praise. See, people he is delivering. Guess what? There are people on the other side of that promise. People that he's delivering, people he is sustaining, people who will make his goodness known, and that brings us something that we cannot afford to miss in this new season, that God may be doing a new thing, but guess what? His heart is and always will be for people. His heart for people has not changed. All throughout scripture, we see him moving toward people in mercy, calling them back to himself. And when Jesus came, we saw that in the heart and flesh and blood of who he was. He touched lepers, right? He called tax collectors. He stopped for people others would try to silence. He welcomed sinners and called them to repent and hear me church. Jesus didn't come for your preferences. He came for people. And if we are going to follow him, guess what? We have to let his heart shape ours because it's easy to get excited about a new thing. Trust me, I could be the most excited until it requires something different from us. And so we have to adjust our routine to accommodate somebody. And so somebody needs the time that we've planned to keep for ourselves. Hello. I've margined out this area of my life and you will not invade it. I just mimicked somebody in here. I don't know who sounds like that, but You're like, "I don't know why he's talking about me." (audience laughs) I mean, you know, we get excited about a new thing until loving someone actually becomes inconvenient. Oh, you've been inconvenient, I've been inconvenient. That's why we see on the wall in the hallways, we all jacked up, come on somebody. (audience applauds) But see, that's when we discover whether we are willing to actually genuinely make room for people. And in the middle of all this newness, we must remember the grace that has brought us here. See, we never must become so comfortable in what God has given us that we forget the people

he has called us to reach on the way. I remember when we was looking for a new building. Right, we used to be at 29th and Van Brant. And shout out to the East Side, baby, you know? And man, I'm not kidding me and my wife where the time we go in Jericho, March, everything. I mean, we're believing that things are gonna fall down, pastors are gonna come and give us deeds of buildings. And I mean, we're just laying hands on that joker and praying and, "Come on, Lord, won't you do it? "Won't you do it in blue springs, God?" (congregation laughing) One day, Chris, the pastor showed up. We said, "Dumerical's gonna happen." I think he actually seen us on his cameras and thought we was gonna rob the joint. (congregation laughing) Who are these tattoo freaks looking in all the windows? Laying hands on the windows. Now, is there heat sensors on these things that's gonna go off? (congregation laughing) This is real. Then he comes in, prays over us, and then says that we'd be the right fit for the community, and yes, we will. He says, "We'll own or finance it to you, hallelujah." Then we drive away and God said, "No, "you're losing your testimony.

"You gotta stay on the East Side of Kansas City "because I've been building something there "in the desolate areas, and we're coming to rebuild something. "We're going to the desolate areas. "We're going to the places that nobody wants to go. "We're gonna start something that nobody else is doing "because God is gonna get the glory." (congregation cheering) 'Cause see, if I went to Blue Springs, I could have bragged about it, it was me. It was my persona. It was all this, but when God does it on the East Side, (congregation cheering) see, some of y'all forgot we was on the East Side 'cause it looks so good in this room. (congregation laughing) They was remind, "Oh, shoot, we are on the East Side." (congregation laughing) Yeah, we had to demo 10,000 square foot 'cause they kept stealing all the copper out of it. (congregation laughing) I wish they would have at least tied on it so we could have helped finish this part of the building. (congregation laughing) Anyways, I got a long way to go and a short time to get there, which brings me to a part of a passage that I wanna land in today in Luke 15, right? Because the truth is, is that when we discover whether we are willing to actually genuinely make room

and then in the middle of all of the newness, we have to remember that God brought us here. We can't get comfortable. Luke 15, verses one and two says that the tax collectors and other notorious sinners, come on, notorious sinners in the room, amen. (congregation cheering) (congregation laughing) Hey, own it, you know? Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus' teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people and even eating with them. How despicable. Me. The people Jesus welcomed were the people that the religious leaders resented and Jesus responds with stories to them about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a father with two sons. And through these stories, he confronts their resentment. So as we step into this new season, I want us to consider three ways that we must share the Father's heart. Three ways that we must share the Father's heart, and the first way is this, pursue the missing. Pursue the missing, verses three through seven, says, So Jesus told them this story. If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the 99 others in the wilderness and go search for the one that is lost until he finds it, and when he finds it, will he joyfully carry at home on his shoulders? And when he arrives, he will call together his friends and his neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep, and in the same way there is more joy in

heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over 99 others who are righteous and haven't straight away. Well, that's not a very nice word to the church. Well, it was to the Pharisees and religious leaders. I know. That's what a lot of people are in church nowadays. We talk a good talk, but are we really about it, though? See, before we look at this sheep, though, let's remember why Jesus is even telling us this story. See, tax collectors and sinners are drawing near to him, and the Pharisees and scribes are complaining because he's welcoming them and eating with them. See, Jesus responds by asking them to consider a shepherd who has 100 sheep and losing one. See, the shepherd still has 99, but the presence of the 99 doesn't make him indifference towards the absence of the one. See, he still understands and knows that something is missing, and what's missing matters enough for him to go after it. See, the sheep was lost, but it had not lost its value. See, its distance from the shepherd didn't make it disposable, and I think we need to remember that when we personally look at people, because guess what? People's addiction hasn't erased their value. People's criminal record has not erased their value. People's broken marriages has not erased their value. Their repeated failures has not erased their value. They're years away from God. Guess what? Has not erased their value. They are people made in the image of God who need the same saving grace of Jesus, and for some of us, this is personal because we remember being the one that people had given up on. We remember what it feels like to have our reputation enter the room before us. You can tell when people have been talking about you when you walk in the room, "Man, come on, somebody." But somebody told us about Jesus. Somebody prayed for us. Somebody showed up in our lives, and before we were people making room for others, we were people who needed somebody to make room for us. And that ought to shape the way that we see the person who has yet to walk through these doors that reach Kansas City. Jesus says the shepherd goes after the lost sheep until he finds it. There's a movement that happens in that statement that I think we need to recognize. There is an effort, there is a willingness to leave what is familiar and go where the sheep is. See, then Jesus tells us another story. A woman has 10 silver coins and loses one. Right? And she lights a lamp and sweeps the house and searches carefully until she finds it and the shepherd goes out and the woman searches the house. And in both stories, the value of what is missing moves someone to action. See, concern actually becomes pursuit. And that is where this challenges

us as a church because we can say that we care about lost people. We can agree that people need Jesus. We can even pray that our church is to grow, but are we willing to move toward an actual person? Somebody with a name. Somebody with a story. Right? A life that may take time to walk alongside, and it's going to get messy, and you got to put a bib on them spiritually and kind of give them a little bit of clean up. You know what I'm saying? And burp them every once in a while in the That's what my son does when he's getting burped. That's what new believers do too A life that may take time to walk beside because pursuing people guess what it involves more than just hoping that they eventually find us We just gonna be here. We're gonna build beautiful buildings and hope that the neighborhood notices us No, maybe it can be maybe it could begin with a conversation at work Maybe it could begin with the neighbor that lives beside you that you're tired of seeing do all of the stuff that they do Maybe it's the people that you get annoyed by maybe it's a phone call to someone who has pulled away from church or pulled away from the Lord and Invitation followed by hey, guess what? I'll meet you at the front door where they're holding them wonderful signs that says I'm so glad to see you For somebody else maybe it's offering them a ride to church. Well, it's out of my way Well, what if Jesus said that about you Well, he's out of my I was way out of his way But when we sing songs like restless love he says he will knock down walls he will go through things He will find a way to find you See for somebody else it may mean reaching back out after the first invitation went unanswered Well, they just ain't trying to hear what I got to say well, then keep saying it See we cannot manufacture Repentance or even save anyone else only Jesus is the Savior. Don't forget that You can't save them She don't want to be safe Y'all are terrible and bad influences But see he has called us to bear witness to him and We can be faithful with the person that he has placed in front of us who is missing that you have stopped looking for Who did we stop inviting because we just got tired of the negligence who have we quietly decided that is gone too far? Who have we reduced to a problem when Jesus calls us to see them as a person? See at reach we know what it's like to see God work and unlikely people from overlooked places and we can't forget that now church

Even a new building we must never become the place where we settle into comfort and lose concern for the lost We have made more room now and now we have to ask God to enlarge our territory to enlarge our willingness to reach more people because guess what an open seat If you got an open seat besides you you could almost lay a hand on that joker because it represents an Opportunity for somebody else to hear the gospel that could possibly change their life It's only Jesus And notice what happens when the shepherd finds the sheep he puts that joker on his shoulders, and he's rejoicing He's singing all the way back to the house like skipping I don't even know what it would look like but Yippity-doo-dah day is kind of what I just had in my head See the woman gathers her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her Right, and then Jesus explains the connection that there is even more joy in heaven when one person repents That's the story that the that we're talking about See we're praying for more than just someone to enter into our building We want them to turn to Jesus we want them to receive his grace and then we want them to become passionate followers of him New thing same God the second way, and I have to move quickly Heaven help me the second way that we must share the father's heart is welcome the returning See verses 11 through 24 to illustrate the point further Jesus told them this story a man who had two sons the younger son told his father I want my share of my estate now before you die so his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons a few days later his younger son packed all of his belongings and Moved to a distant land where he had wasted all of his money on wild living and about that time his money ran out Come on somebody and a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve him into the fields to feed the pigs and the young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked fabulous to him but no one gave him anything and when he finally came to his senses come on somebody how many of us have came to our senses he said self I've had that talk in a cell the time or two at home even the hired servants have food I didn't have no hired servants though we had a trailer on our grandma's property at home even the hired servants have food enough to spare and here I am dying of hunger I will go home to my father and say father I have sinned against both heaven and you and I'm no longer worthy of being called your son please take me on as a hired servant so he returned to his father's house while he was still a long way off his father saw him come and filled with love and compassion he ran to his son embraced him and kissed him

and he said to him father I have sinned against both you and heaven and I'm no longer worthy to be called your son but his father said to the servants quick bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet and kill the best calf that we have so that we can cook it because we need to celebrate with a feast for this son of mine was dead and now he is returned to life he was lost but he is found and so the party began may we be party people that reach Kc come on true repentance brings us to a place where we stop defending our distance and start returning to the father then Jesus turns our attention to the father and while he's still a long way off his father sees him and he fills compassion and he runs and he embraces him and he kisses him before the son could even get through his confession he is already in his loving father's arms and the son came home carrying a confession but his father met him with compassion and the father knows that his son is sinned and the welcoming invitation doesn't minimize the seriousness of his rebellion no no no no it reveals the depth of the father's joy over his son's return and remember who's listening to Jesus remember it's the Pharisees and the religious leaders who are offended because he is eating with these lowly people and through this father Jesus shows them the heart of what it is actually like to be welcomed to see people whose presence requires an explanation I walked into a music store the other day and as I was walking in to go get a couple of cables that we needed I was met at the front door by one of the employees so that he could apologize for the man that was sitting on the floor waiting on a ride when I walked in man my heart broke and then as I'm standing there checking out one of the guys says hey will you guys go get some pulpery because it stinks over there I thought man how the father's heart is breaking in these moments because that is not what it is he calls them to go get the best that he's got so that he can meet him at the door and treat him like they was never gone and begin to love on people that may have felt lost and may have felt like they never had anything else in their lives and so we have to ask ourselves when someone takes a step toward home what will they encounter will they will they encounter somebody that's willing to learn their name will they encounter somebody that's willing to find him a seat and sit next to him no matter what their conditions look like because guess what people need a friendly entrance guess what welcome opens the door but discipleship walks beside them

and we must remember that every one of us are here because we stood in grace too and we still do today we needed patience we needed correction we needed people who could see that God was still working in our lives because the truth is is we have to resist becoming irritated with people for being unfamiliar with the language of the house they just entered right we prayed for people to come now we must prepare our hearts to receive them a larger room means very See, maybe today you hear this story and recognize yourself as the younger son and you know what it's like to drift. You know what it's like to make choices that you cannot take back. You know what it's like to sit in this room and feel overwhelmed with emotion because you don't feel like you should even be here. You know what it's like to feel like you have been looked over. Well, here's your invitation to run to the father because the father is running towards you and bring an honest confession and that brings me to my third and final way that we must share the father's heart and it's to celebrate the restored. To celebrate the restored, verses 25 through 32 says this, that meanwhile the older son was in the fields working and when he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house and he asked one of his servants what was going on and they said, "Man, your brother is back. "Your father has killed the fat and calf "and we're celebrating because he's here." Older brother was angry, wouldn't even go in the house

and his father came out and begged him. But he replied, "After all these years, "I've slaved for you, never once refused "to do a single thing that you told me "and all that time you never gave me even. "One young goat for the feast with my friends "and yet even with this son of yours comes back "after squandering your money on prostitutes "and you celebrating him by killing the fat and calf." And his father said to him, "Look, you're son. "You have always stayed with me "and everything I have is yours. "We had to celebrate this happy day "because your brother was dead and has come back to life. "He was lost, but he has now found a man. "Think about that for a moment." The younger brother had finally come home, but now the older brother is standing outside and refuses to go in, which tells me this, that you can be close to the father's house and still be so far away from the father's heart. See, remember where this chapter begins. Religious leaders were complaining because Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them. And now Jesus describes an older brother who is angry because his father welcomes the sinner and prepares him a mill. See, this story confronts the very attitude that prompted their complaint. See, they're being invited to recognize themselves

and this brother, and I think that we have to be willing to recognize ourselves, too, because listen to what comes out of him. He said, "After all these years, I have served you. "I have obeyed you, and yet you never gave me "even a young goat to celebrate with my friends." And he began presenting his record to the father and his brother's restoration had exposed something that was already in his heart and that he believes his service has earned him something that his father has failed to provide. Listen, when we start keeping score, somebody else's blessing can begin to feel like our loss. We can surf faithfully and still allow resentment to grow in our hearts. We can show up every single week and work our fingers to the bone and quietly begin to think that the house should revolve around us. Our seat, our schedule, our preferences, our recognition. And then someone comes home who needs time and attention and patience and grace. And instead of rejoicing, we start calculating what it is costing us. Church, let me remind you this. Jesus didn't come for our preferences. He came for people. And then comes out of the most tender moments in the story the father goes outside. And he's already run towards the sun

returning from rebellion. And now he comes out and pleads with the sun standing in resentment. I find it interesting that the father moves towards both sons. See, he called his older brother son too and he reminds him of their relationship and he explains why they must celebrate and his brother was dead and is now alive and he was lost and he was found. But there is a reason for the joy but the older brother has to decide the brother he's willing to share that joy. See, Jesus ends the story without telling us what he decides. Don't you hate that when he does that? [BLANK_AUDIO] Never mind, I can't tell you." (congregation laughing) Away from me, you demon! See, it doesn't say, does he soften his heart? Does he walk inside? Does he embrace his brother? We aren't told these details. The invitation remains before him. And I think today that that same invitation remains in front of each one of us. And as I think about this new season, I want us to picture something. Picture a Sunday shortly down the road from now that a family walks through these doors and you don't know them yet

and they may not know anyone here. And honestly, you cannot see the conversation that they had in the car on their way here of, like, "Should we even do this?" Like, what are we doing? We've never even been to church before and what if they know about us? What if they've heard the stories? What if we don't fit? And the truth is, is they almost turned around but they came inside. And someone welcomes them. Someone helps them find the city kids check in. Someone helps them get their kids. Somebody nills down and says, "Hey, Kim, what's your name?" Well, my name is Adam and guess what I'm the pastor here in. I would be happy to lead you down here and get your kids checked in. See, someone makes room in a row and saying, "This is where I've always sat." Guess what? We'll move that chair to the back next week. See, they hear the gospel. "My God begins to deal with their hearts." Now, imagine that family is yours. See, imagine it's the son that you've been crying over. Imagine it's the daughter that you've been praying for. Your brother who said that he would never set foot in a church again because of what happened

when they were younger. Imagine someone you love finally coming to a place where they are ready to surrender to Jesus. How would you want us to receive? How much patience would you want us to have with them? How willing would you want us to be to make room for them? See, we have this opportunity in one of us. We have people to pursue church. We have returning people to welcome church. We have restored lives to celebrate church. And we must never become so comfortable in what God has given us that we forgive them people that he has come to reach. See, for some of you, the next step today is to come home. You recognize yourself and the younger son and you know the distance, you know the emptiness, you know what it is to keep defending the choices that are hurting you. And guess what? You've been turned to Jesus today. For others, the next step is to surrender what has already happened in your heart. You've stayed involved. You've served relentlessly, but somewhere along the way, compassion has given over to criticism. And you've actually begun keeping score. And today, the father is calling you to receive his correction and share his joy. And as in church, we can surrender this season to him. May we never forget that before we were the ones making room

that somebody made room for us. See, the father has given us every reason to the choice. So today, the invitation is before us. Will you join the father's celebration or will you stand outside defending your preferences? The choice is before. [instrumental music] I can't have everybody stand looking for just a moment. May that resonate in our heart right now. May that resonate in our spirit right now. God, the invitation stands before us. Father, forgive my resentment. Remind me of the grace that you have shown me God and teach me how to love people you are bringing into my life. Maybe you're in here and you've never had a personal relationship with Jesus. Guess what there is room for you to do? fight down in front of one person so if you're in here today and you say pastor that's me that's me i need to have a personal relationship with Jesus maybe you've had one or maybe you've walked away from him a long time ago and you need to do that today and you say i need to have that relationship with the Lord today i want to do it i don't want to wait any longer can i just get you to slip up your hand right now in this room come on don't be afraid to make that commitment come on i see hands all over i see hands all over the room hey if that's you but you need bold enough to just step out right here and come over to my left you're right we got a team right here that wants to pray with you come on come on come on can we celebrate with them church come on can we celebrate with them church come on he said that when one comes home

that we will rejoice we will rejoice may we rejoice now maybe just maybe you're in this room and that's not you but maybe you identify with the older brother or maybe you're just in a situation right now where you've been stuck up the things of the past and you want to see god doing something new in your life hey as i have this wonderful worship team begin to lead us in worship if that's you could we just take the next 60 seconds and let's either just step out of your seat and come down here and flood the altar and lay it down at the altar and just lift our hands and say god i want to make room for you today in my life i want to make room for you in my heart i want to make room for you in my spirit god i need you to do something so extravagant in my life because i have been bound by the things of this world i have been bound by the things that i have locked into and god i need you today in this place right now and i just need you to move here doing something right now in this place come on that's worship church and i want to do whatever you want to do whatever you want to and i will make room for you do whatever you want to do together you want to need a Jesus have a way have a way so shake up the ground for my tradition break down the walls for my religion your way is better shake up the ground for my tradition break down the walls for my religion your way is better your way is better shake up the crowd for my tradition break down the walls for my religion your way is better your way is better shake up the crowd for my tradition break down the walls for my religion your way is better your way is better and i will make room for you to do whatever you want to do whatever you want to and i will make room for you to do whatever you want to do whatever you want to do god bless you reach we love you guys see you in the next video!