Sunday Morning Sermon Sermon - Pastor Jeff Shipley (Date:07/25/2021)

Now, I want you to pay attention. It wasn't anything in Israel. It wasn't their military size.

It wasn't the type of people. We're going to be in Luke chapter 15 this morning.

Luke chapter 15. And I'm going to be honest with you. This was not what

I had wanted to preach about today. I wanted to go ahead and get into a couple of other things.

Basically, I wanted to look at the apologetical viewpoint of progressive

Christianity. But last week, we had three folks come to know

Jesus in here. And from that, I had another person come to me and say,

Pastor, I believe in God. I totally believe in God.

But I don't know that I'm a Christian. And they seemed perplexed or confused by that dichotomy.

But I'm here to tell you that all over churches in America today, there are people with a moral understanding, and there are people whose bodies are in a church building, but whose souls are not in the hands of Christ.

So I want to look at two things today. First of all, for those of you who do not understand what true repentance is, we're going to look at that.

But for the believer also, I would like you to be encouraged that at the hands of repentance also comes the beauty of reconciliation.

Yes, this sermon to you is brought to you by the letter R. We are going to be talking about recognition.

We need to understand where we are. Number two, we're going to talk about our need for a resolution.

And then lastly, for believers, we're going to look at the doctrine of reconciliation.

Luke chapter 15, a passage that has been touted by every preacher, every priest and minister over the ages.

I will read just a portion of it to you. You will probably know it as the prodigal son.

Chapter 15 starting in verse 17. When he had come to his senses, meaning he had no longer been an idiot, he said, how many of my father's hands have more than enough food and here

I am dying of hunger? Guys, repentance is an absolute necessity for salvation.

On your little sheets of paper, I wrote to you or I typed out Luke 24 verses 46 through 47.

And it says, he also said to them, this is what is written, the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations beginning at Jerusalem.

Over the years, the church and pastors and priests and basically religion have done a disservice to God's kingdom.

What they have said is this, if you ask for forgiveness, you will be forgiven.

But that is not the reality of Scripture. You see, there cannot be forgiveness without repentance.

And I know that's an unpopular message today. I realize that in churches today, you can have the smoke machines, the lights, and the ootsy -klootsy little feeling goosebumps and you feel like you've had a spiritual encounter with God.

Emotion is irrelevant to the presence of the Holy Spirit. You want to know what you feel like when you're in the presence of God?

Look at Scripture. It wasn't everywhere in Scripture they weren't sitting there going, Woo! When you came into the presence of Almighty God, what did everyone do?

They fell flat first on their face before a holy and righteous God, recognizing their sin, their shame, and their failures.

They were in awe, fear, and respect of the holiness of God.

Wasn't no, What up JC, high cappin', dabbin', cool, my best buddy in the house.

Garbage. You know what that is? That's a way to try to entertain people to get their minds changed to go through life in a religion rather than letting the

Holy Spirit of God change their hearts. You see, repentance is not of an act.

Guys, this is what so many people don't understand. This is where this young man was.

He was in a place and he said, I need to do something different. But he didn't just repent of an action, he repented of his heart.

Guys, repentance is not going, I walk up and smack terror in the face and go, oh

I'm sorry, I'll never do that again. That is not biblical repentance. Biblical repentance is not a repentance of an act, it is a repentance of a life.

Your heart is desperately wicked. Your heart is the causality of you doing stupid things.

Boys, when you go on www .hotpastors .com, you know what

I'm saying? And there's a picture of me there. You're sitting there going, oh

I don't need to look at that anymore. You see, you're trying to repent of one small thing.

You're trying to repent of a result of the causality of a sinful heart.

You've got to give Christ all of your life. See? Oh, I need to repent of alcoholism.

No, you need to repent of the arrogance. You need to repent of your pride. You need to repent of your sin.

Guys, you've got to recognize how deep entrenched you are in that sin.

Look at this. It says he came to his senses. How many of you have ever lived in sin and you're a

Christian? Okay, you're a Christian. And you've lived in sin for a while. You know, yeah.

Any Christian didn't just raise your hand. There's a word in the Greek for you. It's called a liar.

Okay? It's called a liar. You know that point where you get? Have you ever looked in the mirror?

I remember doing this. I remember looking in the mirror and going, what are you doing?

Have you ever done that before? Have you ever sat there and started praying and go, Lord, forget it.

I'm such a big, fat, stupid loser. He ain't want to listen to me.

Maybe I'm the only guy in here like that. Okay? But that's where I've been. Have you sat there and go, oh, you know, some lady up here singing, just as I am.

Pastor Jeff, you're walking down the aisle, you're crowd building, snot running all over the place, getting on my clothes as you're hugging me, going,

I'll never do it again. 24 hours later, you're back in that pig pen again.

Guys, doesn't that stink? Don't you hate that? Well, I'm going to let you in on a secret.

That's exactly what you need to do. Oh, I know. Well, you've been told your whole life, never hate.

That's not scriptural. That's not scriptural. I want you to learn how to hate.

I want you to learn how to hate. Oh, I know Jesus is a little white guy with the blonde hair and the blue eyes, smiling with little cherub angels, little fat, fluffy sheep running around.

I know how you were raised. But get rid of that felt -bored, lie theology and come to know scripture.

Listen to this. Psalms 97 .10 says this. You who love the Lord. In other words, he's addressing his people.

You who love the Lord. Watch this. Hate evil. It is a command to hate evil.

Watch this. He protects the lives of his godly ones. He rescues them from the power of the wicked.

Revelation 2 .6. Yet you do have this. In other words, Jesus is giving.

Remember, this is the little Jesus guy. He's giving his church an attaboy. And this is what he says.

Yet you do have this one thing going for you. You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which

I also hate. You want to start overcoming some sin?

Stop flirting with it and start hating it. Stop flirting with it and start hating it.

It is a strength that will get in you. Listen, I'm one of those guys in life,

I hate losing more than I hate winning. I'm just the way

I am. I cannot play board games. Not only do I think they're a way, but I mean like at Monopoly, I'm going to win.

All right? I'm going to win. I will cheat. I will lie. I will steal money.

And here's why. Not because I want to win, but because I hate losing.

It's always a competition with me, unless I'm losing. Then it's just fun. But when I'm winning, it's a competition.

I hate losing. Guys, have you had that distaste in your mouth?

Have you come to a place where you realize that sin and the Christian can never walk hand to hand together?

If you're in this room, and you're a born again Christian, I might be boring some of y 'all, and you're usually those idiots who are living in sin.

So stop fidgeting, put your stupid phone down and listen, before you ruin your life and pitch your life away.

Listen. You come to a place where you think you can be a born again believer and walk hand in hand with sin.

You're one of those idiots who think that time cancels out the effects of sin. I'm here to tell you, and I've got 30, 40, and 50 year olds in this room with scar tissue to prove it, that sin will rob from you more than you were willing to give to begin with.

It will keep you longer than you intended to stay. And it will not only damage you, but everyone your life touches, so that the sin of the fathers will be visited on the children.

Listen to me today. You have to come to a recognition of how powerful sin is and the call to hate it.

Listen. Don't be one of those Christians that find, okay, for those of you that played sports, you're going to get this.

For those of you who didn't, I don't know. Well, it's not just sports. Even if you were a band nerd, you know, when you were doing the duh, you know, what are these people, flag corps peoples and all that, you know, even if you're a band nerd, you get this, okay?

Because I remember practicing three a days and I remember the band nerds were down there out in the hot sweat and sun marching around in circles with some dude yelling at them.

Okay? All right? I hated playing with those people who always found an excuse to quit.

Couldn't stand them. Can't stand them. I still have that feeling for church people.

I'm going to be honest with you. There was a guy and his wife here last week, and this is what he said.

He said, I agreed with everything you said, but we are used to a more structured church experience.

First of all, when you walked in the door, what made you think there was any structure to this at all?

Look at our door greeter. It's Rodney.

Okay? This ain't high church, but watch this. You know what he was doing? This is what he was doing.

I don't like this, this, or this, and that is the reason I don't want to hear the word of God.

No, here's the real reason. You're finding a reason to quit. You're finding a plausible reason to try to soothe your soul from the conviction of God that your religious understanding is going to send you straight to hell instead of the gates of heaven.

You keep trusting in that religion. You keep trusting in the structures of men, and you will find yourself at the absolute wrath of God in hell.

It is not religion that will ever save anyone. You need to recognize that reality.

Guys, look what it says. He came to his senses. Guys, some of you in here are justifying.

This is the last thing on this point. You're justifying your sin by something.

You're in your world. Guys, I'm not an alcoholic.

I'm not. But I'm 30 years sober. You know why? Because, man, I love that cocaine.

Whoo, baby, right? Man, I love it. I can still hear that sound, baby.

I love it. But watch this. I'm not an alcoholic.

Why? Yesterday's a perfect example. I got up yesterday, and it was 130 degrees, it felt like, you know?

Oh, Memphis weather, you know? Three raindrops, and you feel like you're in Vietnam, you know?

Or South America or something, you know? You're waiting for a zebra to come running by.

Well, that's Africa. But you know what I'm saying. Little pygmies with an anaconda.

I don't know. But I'm out there sweating, and I'm toiling, and I'm edging my yard.

And, I mean, it is not an edger for the weak, son. It's like 30 horsepower, and I haven't edged my yard in 15 years.

It's like... You know, it's trying, so I'm pushing it through, and I'm sweating.

I mean, and I like the sweat. I like working in the heat. And I remember walking in my shop, you know, and you know what

I wanted so bad after doing that? Who said it? Of course the love shed it.

Vicky. I wanted a beer -a. Okay? I ain't talking about no beer.

I don't want some mocha, latte, frappy IPA. I wanted a bud.

Budweiser. Man. In the old days, there wasn't nothing like a bud after working after a hot

Shirley nose. I'm just kidding. I'm kidding. I'm sure... Rain a nose!

There's nothing... What? You are so stinking cute.

Guys, I ain't gonna drink one. You know why? Because I recognize this.

That anything that flirts with that old life of Jeff, I don't want to mess with. I don't.

Because I'm not that strong. I mean, I know my limitations.

I know if I start playing with it. Old playmates are bad for me, but so are old playgrounds.

Guys, recognize the power that sin has over you. Now, second thing for repentance.

It's not just recognizing. It then involves a resolution.

Now, for those of you under the age of 30, let me explain to you what that word means. It means that I am resolved.

I was doing this. Now I'm going to have a change of the will of the mind and the body to do something completely different.

Read with me. Verse 18 and 19. It says this. I will get up from where I am.

I will get up, go to my Father, and say to Him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in Your sight.

I am no longer worthy to be called Your son. Make me like one of Your hired hands.

Guys, isn't God's grace good? I mean,

I love God's grace because here's what it means. It means I can do whatever

I want and still go to Heaven. You know what I mean? No, that's what it means.

That means I can live like a godless heathen. I can be that godless pig, but because I prayed

Jesus in my heart and once saved, always saved, I'm going to Heaven.

By the way, those two things, pray Jesus in your heart and once saved, always saved, are found nowhere in English, Greek, or Latin, anywhere in Scripture.

Nowhere. So bet your eternal destiny on the sayings of Baptists and you're going to Hell.

Listen to me for a second. Look at where this guy is. He recognizes where he's at, but then he resolves to do something different.

Now, I'm fixed to offend some of you woke folks in here. If you're some of them woke folks in TV land, if you are one of them woke folks, get ready because you ain't going to like me.

Watch this. It says this, I will get up. Guys, in his clear thinking when he came to his senses, he didn't try to change the pig pen.

He got out of the pig pen. Now, let me tell you something for a second, some of you in here, especially some of you youngins that are in here.

And the children need to be, listen, the children's church is like, well, they're only in fifth grade. I got fifth graders who can't decide whether they're a girl or a boy.

I got fifth graders that think because you're white, you're a racist. I got all these idiots out there in the cultural world, they're not dealing with junior high anymore.

They're giving out condoms to 10 year olds. Guys, you've got to understand this.

Listen, you've got to come to a place where you understand this. In this world, I am not here to change the world.

I am not going to spend my life trying to change how the world thinks.

Here's why. It is apart from Jesus Christ, it cannot comprehend the things of God.

Lost people say, well, I read the Bible, it doesn't make sense. You know why? You're lost. It ain't going to make sense to you.

The preaching of the gospel is foolishness to them who believe. You hand a lost person a

Bible, it's going to do them no good without the Holy Spirit of God. It is the Holy Spirit of God that regenerates your soul.

Guys, listen to me for a second. You've got to get an understanding. If you are a believer in here today, and you are being convicted of your sin, stop trying to change the pig pen and get the heck out of the pig pen.

Look what it says. I will get up, I will go to my Father. Now for those of you that weren't raised in church like me, let me explain how this dude got here.

Real quick. Real quick. You see, he was a rich boy. He was one of them privileged

Jews. You know? He was one of them kids who was real rich. So he's decided he wants to go party hard because he's tired of living on the farm working with his dad and brother.

And he says to his father, give me my share of the inheritance now and let me go about my business.

Father says, okay, Bucky. And he gives him his share. Dude runs off to another land and he is rooting and tooting and shooting up and drinking and partying and chasing broads or dudes or whatever he was chasing.

And all of a sudden he gets broke so he has to take a job as a Jewish person feeding pigs.

Pretty humiliating. But his pride wouldn't let him do anything else at the moment.

So he got in the pig pen and he was eating the pig food because he was so hungry.

Now, when he decides it's time to repent, he says,

I will go to my father. Do you know why most people don't repent of their sin?

They're too prideful. They're too prideful. Come on, some of y 'all need to be shaking your heads in here because I ain't talking about the street walking prostitute on Jackson Avenue.

I'm talking to you. You're too prideful. In other words, you little old church woman or some of you,

I've been a member of this church for... You're who I'm talking about because your gossiping tongue is as detestable to God as the drug addict down there.

But God ain't talking to you. God's talking to all those other people.

He's talking to liberal Democrats. He's talking to them queer folks. He's talking to everyone else but me.

Listen to me. If that's your thought process, that prideful mindset absolutely proves the fact that you're the one, the

Holy Spirit of God is talking to you. You know what this parable is about? You know who Jesus was talking to?

He was talking to the sinners and the church folks showed up and go, why are you talking to sinners?

You need to separate yourself. And Jesus said, well, let me tell you a story. And he told them this.

I will go to my father. But here's the part of humility that is absolutely just screaming at you and if you don't look at it, you will miss it.

You know how many times I have heard folks say something to me like this? Well, I used to go to church but something bad happens.

Something bad happens. First of all, idiot, you can't go to church.

This is not a church. It's a gym. This is the church.

You're either a part of the church or you're not. It's not a destination.

It's a living organism. Number two, if you have a plausible excuse of somebody hurts you or somebody didn't do right to you, the very person you need to go to today if you want to get your heart right is that person and get that bitterness and anger up on out of your heart.

You know what humility will do for you? It will take that absolute deep -seated bitterness in you and it'll wash it away quicker than anything.

Some of you in this room, you're angry at your mamas or your daddies or your

Sunday school teacher, your husband or your wife and you hate them and maybe they did do you wrong.

I can't remember who said this. I think it was Origen or Nietzsche but he said this.

He said this. If you don't forgive others, I will not forgive you. Oh, wait a minute.

That was Jesus Christ. Let that sink in just for a second again.

If you don't forgive others, I will not forgive you. So wrap your head around that but don't just sing just as I am without the humility to actually make the change to be different than who you walked in here as.

Watch this. It says, I will go to my father and say to him, I love this part.

I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. You know what he does here?

He makes no excuses for the situation he is in. Let me talk to you a little bit about CRT.

Isn't that what it's called? Isn't that it? And what's that stand for again? Critical race theory.

Yeah, that's it. Guys, now this is just my opinion as your pastor and a father of five.

If your school is teaching that humanistic garbage, you absolutely need to get your kids out of that place.

Because let me tell you what it's doing to them. It has nothing to do with reconciliation. What it has to do is feeding the self -importance of the individual and the victimization of that individual rather than the repentance that a soul needs to be set free.

Understand this today. Wrap your head around this. I'm telling you, anything the culture of this world offers you separate from the word of God is not going to be beneficial to you or your family.

It says, I am going to go to my father and say, I sinned. I failed.

I did this. What he is doing is taking personal responsibility for where he is at.

All of this other cultural stuff is saying it's not your fault. It's everyone else's fault.

Guys, let me tell you something. If you are in jail for the 15th time, it ain't everybody else's fault.

Quit trying to blame the economy for your stupid decisions.

Oh, well, I didn't know why I killed those five people other than they was home, but I have an issue with my brain.

I was dropped on my head as a kid and it's not my fault that I keep robbing and murdering people.

Okay. Well, I have 115 grains that will fix that for you real quick, fast, in a hurry.

Guys, understand this. When God said, if any man kills another man with malice, drag him from my altar and put him to the sword, it has nothing to do with forgiveness.

It has to do with consequences for actions. And our society and our nation has lost that.

This guy sat there and said, I'm going to go to my father. I'm going to apologize because the only reason

I am in this situation is because I have sinned against God first and then I have sinned against my family.

What personal mistake are you struggling with that is not your fault?

Now, I know some of you in here. Maybe you were molested as a kid or maybe your ex -husband beat you up and you have lived in the victimization and the banner.

In other words, your only identity is you're a victim. Guys, let me tell you something.

Your continual degeneration of failures is because of your mindset because the child of God is told in Scripture that we are more than overcomers.

We are conquerors. And my enemy is not the world or the culture or homosexuals,

Christians, or Walt Disney. Quit boycotting Walt Disney, okay? The problem is we have a lack of humility that we have first sinned against God.

Our churches are not in the state they're in because of the neighborhood changing. Our churches are in the state they're in is because we are too prideful to make the changes in our own lives.

Is that too much truth for you? Guys, you are in a place where you are 100 % responsible for where you act.

Now, here's something else. You might be there for the sole purpose of God trying to reconcile you back to Him.

Notice what this guy did. He started getting hungry. He was in a bad place.

Some people say, well, you know, you can't come to God unless your heart leads you there. Listen, a hungry stomach or jail time or you getting cancer or your marriage going in the toilet will get you right with God quick, fast.

It will start you seeking that process to find God. Don't think that that's not part of God's hand.

Now, I'm not saying cancer is God's way of... No, no, no. It's an effect of a sinful fallen world.

But don't make the mistake to think that because you're in a bad spot, God hates you and doesn't want you back.

Because here's the next part. If you recognize where you're at and then you make a resolution to change, here's the beauty of what repentance will bring.

Now, notice this in getting down there in verse 20. So he got up.

Watch this. He got up. In other words, he was walking towards sin. Now he's going to walk back to his father.

Now watch this. He got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, the father saw him and was filled with compassion.

He ran and threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father told his slaves,

Quick, bring out the best robe and put it on him. A ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it.

And let us celebrate with a feast. Because this son of mine was dead and is alive again, and he was lost, and now he is found.

And so they began to celebrate. This guy was driven by needs. Okay. But he came to a place where he went back to his father.

You see, he didn't just leave the land he was in.

He didn't just leave the pig pen and go find another pig pen. Guys, some of you, with your little codependent relationships, you're trying to fill that emptiness in your heart with something other than Jesus Christ, you're going to leave one chick and go find another chick.

Usually, you women, you're going to go about four or five bad boys, and you're going to have so much baggage, scar tissue,

TWA won't even let you fly. You've got so much baggage. Listen to me for a second.

Don't leave one pig pen and go find another. Guys, the same stupid is going to be there.

It's just a different name. Okay. If you want to leave the pig pen, it takes two things.

It takes you making a resolution to leave and then turning to the only source of peace, and that's

God the Father. Now look at this guy. He comes to a place and he walks up to his dad, listen, and he says nothing.

He didn't get a chance to say to his dad. He had a prepared speech. You ever had an argument with someone in the car and you're by yourself?

You know what I mean? You know? Your wife. Right? And you're in the car, man,

I'll tell you what, and you're arguing all the way to the worst. Or you messed up and you know you need to fess up, and so you rehearse that speech too.

Guys, what's really beautiful is before you even get to the throne of God, God's already going to meet you where you're at.

Man, I'm telling you, I'm telling you, an absolute reversal of pride into humility will bring

God rushing from His throne of grace to rescue you where you're at. While he was still a yet far way off, the

Father saw him. Now watch. The Father saw him and had compassion. You know what compassion is?

Can someone tell me what compassion is? Great. Wonderful theological scholars in here.

Glad you've been going to church for 30 years. It's done a lot of good. All right, watch this. Compassion is this.

It is love in work clothes. Okay? I can feel sorry for somebody.

That ain't love. I can love my children a whole bunch.

I can love my church family. Well, you know, I love them, but there ain't no buts.

There ain't no buts. Watch this. Love will turn into compassion, and compassion is only measured by action.

Watch this. Let me explain this to you. Maybe I can explain it to you in a little better way. How you doing, baby?

I sure love you. Man, baby. You sure look fine.

Maybe the next day. Man, I really enjoyed that conversation we had. You know, you're the only one that understands me.

You're the only one that gets me. I just feel so connected with you.

Girls. Women. It ain't just girls. Some of you dumb women still fall for that garbage.

You know, there is no guy that's ever walked up and gone, what's up, baby?

They know how to get you, you little insecure, codependent, daddy issue women. All they got to do is mess with your heart.

Get you thinking that they actually care. Now watch. Here's what compassion, if you want to know what a man is like for you ladies, watch this.

If he sacrifices his wants, needs, and desires for you.

You see, one is an emotional feeling. Compassion is sacrifice. See, do you understand what love and work clothes is?

It's that compassion of sacrifice. And while that boy was still coming, the daddy ran.

Now look, the boy starts giving his speech. Like, in the car, he sits there and goes, Father, you know,

Father, I have sinned against heaven in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

This is what the father did. He didn't sit down and go, well, let's have a conversation. Right? He sat there and dismissed everything the son had rehearsed.

Didn't even reply to it. He turned to his slaves and said, hey, bring a robe to put on my son's back.

Put a ring back on his fingers and sandals on his feet. The father wasn't listening to the religious service.

God don't care about your music, the clothes you're wearing. God don't care about how fancy your prayer is.

Real repentance isn't what you do with your words. It's where your heart leads your body to do.