Come Home: An Invitation to Connect to the Father’s Heart

00:00 - Speaker 1 Oh, I'm so glad that Jesus died on the cross and took the shame and the pain and the sickness and the rejection so I don't have to take an ounce of it. Jesus died and ran before I could get there to say no, no, no, don't touch him. This is my son, who I love. What a God who says I'll take the judgment for them, I'll take the rejection for them, I'll take the rejection for them. 00:26 - Speaker 2 Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Pastor Boyan Jancic and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you. That he has a real hope and a future for you. 01:05 - Speaker 3 Well, it's my pleasure to introduce our guest speaker. Look, you might not know this, but in pastoral circles, like all of my colleagues think I'm absolutely crazy for having a guest speaker on Easter Sunday, Because Easter Sunday is when a senior pastor should preach, I guess as an advertisement to the church, you know? But if you haven't decided by now whether you like me or not, I don't know, Just make your decision now. But the hand of God is an evangelist, Nathaniel. He's been a friend of this house for 15 plus years and he has the word of the Lord in his belly for you today. Come on up and greet him. 01:52 - Speaker 1 Bless you, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Can we just give Jesus a shout of victory in this place? I said this in the first service, but Jesus gave death a curfew. He said you can only hold me for 72 hours and after 72 hours, death could never hold me or anyone else who accepts me, which means you may die, but you're never really going to die. You have eternal life because of Jesus. I'm so glad he rose from the dead and he gives us life. If you are excited about that, give Jesus a praise. Hallelujah, praise the Lord. Are y'all ready? All right, let's get into this word. I'm really excited to be here, man, and to celebrate with you guys. For those who are first time visitors, y'all don't know me, but I'm your uncle. Yes, yes, and you will learn to love me or at least tolerate me, okay, no, but like Pastor Boyan said, I've been preaching here at City Life for over 15 years. I know I look young, I am young, but yeah, I can't wait, man. So I don't have a typical Easter sermon, like I was here last year. I had a typical Easter sermon, but it's not a typical Easter sermon, but every sermon's an Easter sermon, because Jesus resurrected from the dead. Now you have life. So every sermon is an Easter sermon, so let's get into it. 03:33 Luke, chapter 15, luke, chapter 15. We're going to read verses one and two. Luke, chapter 15, one and two. Praise the Lord, my whole family's here with me, my wife's in the back, so because the baby she didn't want to bring the stroller and you know she's like no, babe, I don't want to be a disturbance. And then my son yells every time I preach that he's trying to preach with me, or just maybe he thinks he could preach better than me. So she's like I want to save everyone. That all right. 04:03 Luke, chapter 15, verse one. I'm reading from the Amplified version. I don't usually read from the Amplified, but I'm reading from the Amplified for these two verses. And then the rest of the verses I'm reading from the New King James, and then at the end of the sermon I'm going to read two other verses and then I'm going to be reading it from the Message Bible. So I'm all over the place, but I hope we catch what God's trying to say to us today. Are y'all ready? How many resurrected people we have in the house? All right, some of y'all couldn't shout because you're not resurrected yet. But after this sermon I believe you are coming to Jesus. All right. Luke, chapter 15, verse one. Here's what it says. 04:44 Now, all the tax collectors and sinners, including non-observant Jews, were coming near Jesus to listen to him. Verse two both Pharisees and scribes began muttering and complaining, saying this man accepts and welcomes sinners and eats with them Verse 11. Sinners and eats with them Verse 11. So I skipped something. If you don't see what I did in the text there, I read two verses and then I skipped over eight verses, eight or nine. Okay, I skipped over a few verses there because those two verses after the Pharisees and the scribes had this discussion between themselves. 05:35 Why is Jesus eating with the worst people in society? Why is Jesus around the people who are ostracized in the eyes of people, in the eyes of culture? Why is Jesus hanging out with the worst of the worst sinners? Jesus has a response for them and he tells them three stories, parables we call them. A parable is just a natural story with the spiritual meaning at the end of it. So he shares three powerful parables and this is the first time reading these parables that I actually something clicked in me and I understood it fully. So the first parable that Jesus talks about is the parable of the 99 sheep. Of the 99 sheep Well, actually a hundred, but one goes astray Jesus leaves the 99 and he goes after the one sheep that was lost. And then the second parable Jesus talks about are y'all still with me Is the parable of the lost coin. 06:43 This parable is very, very significant to the story and I didn't understand it until I actually read it in the context. The second one had to do with a woman who had 10 coins. That was her livelihood, that's all she had. She didn't have any Bitcoin, she didn't have the wallet, she didn't have a 401K. Her savings were 10 coins, 10 mites. She loses one, so for her it's very significant. She gets her lamp, she looks for it, searches all over her house and finds it, and when she finds it she rejoices that she finds it. And that's when the Holy Spirit said those two stories. 07:28 Jesus allowed the last story to be the summary of those two stories. You're like okay, what does that mean? I always read the next story and it's the story of the prodigal son. You ever read that story before or heard that story? You've heard the word being a prodigal, that story before, or heard that story. You've heard the word being a prodigal. You know, I always read that story thinking that it was the story of the prodigal son or the lost son. And then that's when the Holy Spirit said no, these two stories summarize that story. This is not the story of the prodigal son or the lost son, it's the story of the lost sons with an S. And I said what do you mean God? He said look what I did in the two stories, how I summarize what I was going to talk about in the next story. 08:11 The first story he talks about a sheep going astray, leaving and going into the wilderness and the shepherd having to leave the comfort of that place and get the sheep. The second story is someone who was in the house, a coin that was in the house, like the older brother was in the house, but got lost in the, which shows me something you can be in church and still be lost. Talk about it. You see, I knew how quiet people were going to get. You know, you can come to church every Sunday and not know Jesus. You can come to church every Sunday and have a warped perspective about who Jesus really is. All right, so now that brings us to this story. Y'all ready for this? I thought that was good, but the first service liked it better. We're gonna read a few verses. Then he said so he's telling his third story. 09:20 Now he told the first two stories lost sheep, lost coin lost out in the wilderness, lost in the house. Now he's going to tell you. I'm going to show you the example. There's a younger brother. That younger brother lost in the wilderness. The older brother lost in the house. Oh, y'all got it. Okay, look at this Now. 09:45 He said a certain man had two sons, two sons. So the story's not about one son, because Jesus was just. He had one son, he would have made a big deal. Why did Jesus say two sons? Because he wanted to let you know. The story's not just about the one son and we've emphasized and put all the focus on one son. But Jesus wants you to put the focus on both sons, because both sons were lost. One was lost in rebellion, one was lost in religion. Ah, that was good. I ought to say amen, amen, wow. 10:22 And the younger of them said to his father so this is the younger son, father, give me the portion of my goods that fall on me. So he divided them. His livelihood, his livelihood, that means everything he worked for. He divided it. He said all right, take your portion. I'm going to keep reading. Not many days after the younger son, gathered all together, journeyed to a far country and there he wasted his possessions with prodigal living, verse 14. But when he has spent all, there arose a severe famine in the land man. You know when God lets everything dry up so you can come back to him. 11:03 - Speaker 3 You know when God lets everything dry up so you can come back to him. 11:07 - Speaker 1 You know when God allows everything to fail so that you can come back to him. You know when God allows that relationship to not work out, so that you can. You know when God allows things to happen so you can come back into covenant, because you know the most important thing to God is covenant with him, it's relationship with him. It's not your comfort and you will allow everything around you to fail just so you can come back into the house and you can be blessed. Hellman allowed temporary discomfort in this moment so you can come back to me and you can be in the house and you can be blessed. What a good God. We're thinking oh, god's messed up. God's like no, no, no, you don't understand. I had a perfect plan. I want you to come back, son Daughter. I love you so much. I'm going to allow all this bad stuff to happen to you outside the house, because when you come back in the house you'll be. 12:10 But when he had spent it all, there arose a severe famine in the land and he began to be in want. That means all the money he got he lost it. Right scam. They scammed him. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country and they sent him to the fields to feed swine. So he was feeding pig. 12:25 You have to understand this in the Jewish context. This is a good Jewish boy, right? The good Jewish boy leaves his dad's house and guess what job he gets? The worst job for a Jewish person he has to take care of the pigs. That's not kosher. That's not right in the Jewish eyes. No, no, no, we don't mess with swine. There's, no, there's no pork on our fork. There's pork on my fork. I'm in Jesus. The swine is divine. Hey, glory. 13:08 I'm going to talk a lot about food in this service. And he would have gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything, verse 17. But when he came to himself, he said how many of my father's hired servants have bread enough to spare? And I perished with hunger. Comes up with a plan Ha, I'll arise, I'll go to my father's house. I'll say to my father father, I've sinned against heaven and earth before you and I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. And he arose and came to his father, but when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight and I'm no longer worthy to be called your son verse 22. But the father said to his servants bring out the best robe I don't need to talk about you being a servant bring out the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on it. If you like it, then you should have put it on him and put a ring on it. If you like it, then you should have put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet and bring the fatted calf here and kill it and let us eat and be merry. For my son was dead and he is alive again. He was lost and he is found and they began to be merry Now. 14:46 His older son was in the field and as he came and drew near to the house he heard music and dancing. Hold on how you dance so loud. You hear it? What kind of like stepping. They brought a whole step crew stomped the yard out there. 15:11 So they called one of the servants and asked what this things meant. What does it mean? I hear singing, I hear dancing, what's going on? Look what it says. And he said to him your brother has come and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf. 15:34 Now where I'm going to get to the preaching, you're like man, there's a lot of reading, but y'all need to see this. But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore, his father came out and pleaded with him. The father leaves the party to plead with him. And he answered and he said to his father Lo, these many years I have been serving you, I never transgressed your commandments at any time, and yet you never gave me a young goat that I might make merry with my friends. Verse 30. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, how you know, he spent his money on harlots. He just got back home, how you know, you killed the fatted calf for him. And he said to him son, you're always with me and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make Mary and be glad, for your brother was dead and he is alive again and was lost and is found. May God bless. The reading of his word is found. May God bless the reading of his word. 16:59 Most people who identify this sermon identify it as the story of the prodigal son. But I venture to say that this is not the story of the prodigal son, because if you actually look at the word prodigal, it doesn't mean loss. The word prodigal means to spend without restraint and to spend without restriction. So I venture to say that the real prodigal is the father. The prodigal was the one who, even though his livelihood got taken from him, he comes back to the younger brother and gives him everything back again plus. 17:29 But we got to start the story from the beginning. We got to start the story from Jesus and who he was speaking to. First of all, jesus was addressing two types of people here. One was the Pharisees and the scribes, who were the religious people of the day, who were the judgmental people of the day, who are the people who looked at everyone's sins and everyone's mistakes and judged them based off their failures and their faults and their mistakes and their shortcomings and their transgressions. And then there was another group of people. They were just called the sinners and tax collectors. Tax collectors were literally the worst people of that society, because they didn't. You didn't just pay taxes to them, they literally stole your money. So Jesus got a whole category sinners and tax collectors Like this is even in Jesus' days tax collectors. Can I tell you how many times I called the IRS 6,845 and can't get one answer. So Jesus is speaking to two groups of people the sinners and the supposed righteous people. And guess who he addresses in the story the sinner and the supposed righteous person. 18:48 So the story starts with a son, younger brother, immature, because you know, what I realized about something Is that just because you get it first doesn't mean you're going to keep it. An inheritance gain. The Bible says this the inheritance gain too early is lost in the end. Some of you are going after quick schemes to make money and you're never going to be rich that way. All right, I'm gonna get off that. I thought I felt in my spirit to say that that some of you are looking for temporary things, things that don't take long, in order to be wealthy, rich schemes, and guess what? You're going to end in destruction and death. 19:34 And so this younger brother thought let me just ask my father for what belongs to me right now. Just because you get something doesn't mean you have the maturity to handle it at that moment. Be careful what you ask the father for. Lord, I want to be married. You don't have the maturity for marriage yet. Lord, give me my business. You don't have the maturity to handle the business. Oh, this is good, because if you get it too early you will lose it in the end. Good, because if you get it too early, you will lose it in the end. It wasn't like this in the first service. 20:18 There's some sharp correction coming from the father. So look at this. Can we get back to the text? So there's this younger brother and he says I want my inheritance, I want what belongs to me and the father's. The Bible calls it the father's livelihood. That means everything that he worked for, everything that he labored for. Half of it was going to the younger brother, half of it, essentially, was going to the older brother. And so the younger brother said I want my part of the inheritance. He gets his part of the inheritance and the next day he's like I'm moving out. 20:50 The Bible says he goes to a far away country, a place where the father couldn't find him, far, far away from the house, far, far away from the father's presence, far, far away from connection to the father. He goes as far as he could possibly go and when he goes there he starts spending his money on crazy stuff. The older brother exposes him and talks about what he saved his money because he probably sent him some postcards like yo I'm living it up out here Probably sent him a few postcards. Yo, let me tell you I took some molly last night. I met this girl last night. Ooh, they got quiet. He's definitely attacked and he lives this life. That's crazy. And in no time he loses everything. In no time he wastes away what the father gave him. And that's when God stopped me and said why are you wasting away your life? I gave each and every one of you an inheritance. I give each and every one of you a life to live, and some of you have wasted away your life on things that don't matter. You've left my presence, you've left my house, you left connection with me and you've wasted away your life. 've left my house, you left connection with me and you've wasted away your life. But today's the day to go back to the father. He's calling you back to himself. He's calling you back because he loves you and so look at this. You have to see where life led him to. It was the most disgusting place you could possibly be. The Bible says he got so desperate and so hungry that he said I'm just going to eat the food that we give the pigs. He got to the point where he's sitting in a dirty pig pen and he's like I'm so desperate and so hungry I'll eat something that I know will destroy me. See, some of you have that void on the inside of you and you don't realize what it is. It's a God-filled hole. Only Jesus can satisfy the longing. Only Jesus can satisfy the void in your soul. Only Jesus and his word, the bread of heaven, is the only thing that can satisfy the broken place on the inside of you. But you've been running after everything else and you're willing to eat things you know that are poison. He got to the point let me just eat this thing, because at least it can give me temporary satisfaction, even though it gives me eternal damnation, he said. The Bible says he got the pig food in his hand and then something clicked. The Bible says he came to himself. See, today is a day of decision. It's a day for you to come to yourself and realize I'm not living up to the standard God wants me to live, because I'm disconnected from the father and I'm disconnected from the father's house and I'm disconnected from a relationship with him, and I'm disconnected from the father and I'm disconnected from the father's house and I'm disconnected from a relationship with him and I'm disconnected from his love and his grace and his mercy. And it's time to get back. It's time to get back to the heart of God. It's time to get back to knowing him. Some of you have strayed so far and you don't even realize you're a son of God, but you don't even live in the reality of who you are because you've strayed from who he is. But it's time to get back. You know what I realized, and I heard this quote and it completely blew me away that you're born looking like your parents, but you die looking like your decisions. You're born looking like your parents, but you die looking like your decisions. And he had a decision to make there. Am I going to die looking like a pig in a pig pen or am I going to die looking like the son that I am? You have a decision, every one of you have a decision. Will I die in the pig pen of sin? Will I die in the pig pen of transgression? Will I die in the pig pen sin? Will I die in the pig pen of transgression? Will I die in the pig pen or will I live as a resurrected being in the house of God, as a king and priest before the living God? Will I live in the victorious mind that Jesus has given me? You got a choice to make today. Are you going to live your best life or are you going to live your own life? Because your going to live your own life, because your best life is your life in Jesus? I know the world told you your best life is YOLO. Your best life is doing your own thing. Your best life is just forgetting about what everyone tells you. No, your best life is your life in Christ. It's not a perfect life, but it's a life of peace, it's a life of joy, it's a life of prosperity, it's a life of favor, it's a life of grace, it's a life of love, it's a life of compassion, it's a life of forgiveness. Oh, I want that life. I want eternal life. So I'm almost at my point. Are y'all still with me? All right? So the father lets the son go. The son is in this pig pen and he has an awakening. Let me go back to my father's house. Let me go back to my father's house and maybe he'll let me be a servant, because the servants in his house at least they have bread. Maybe I can just get a couple of pieces of bread. He'll just let me back and I can just ask him if I could just be a servant. And so he said he goes back. This is the part of the scripture that really blew my mind, because I looked at the first two parables and in the first two parables it looks like whoever is the main person in the story is looking for something right. The shepherd leaves the 99 and what Searches for the one sheep. And then in the other story there's a woman looking for a coin and the Bible says she turns her house upside down, flips all the mattresses, gets everything off, and then she looks for. And I'm looking at this story and I'm like it doesn't seem like the father was looking for the son. But then when you read it in the context, you understand that he actually was. He wasn't just in his house like, it's okay, he'll come back. That wasn't the father's disposition. The father's disposition was like if I just see my son from a distance, I'll go out and get him, I'm gonna look for him. And you know this because it says it clear in the scripture. It says the son was a far distance away and the father had his binoculars out. Oh, that looks. He walks like my son. He looks like my son, he has the image of my son, looks like my son, he has the image of my son. And so you know what the father does. Oh, this is so good. The father. The Bible says he takes off running. Y'all may not understand this, but in the Eastern culture, during Jesus' time, grown men didn't run. It was actually a shame for them to run. Why? Because they had to pull up their robe and expose their legs. See, it's not like now, men wear shorts and you see everyone. It was a disgrace and you see everyone. It was a disgrace, it was an embarrassment for a man to pull up his robe, expose his nakedness. Oh man, we have a God who pulled up his robe, exposed his nakedness, embarrassed himself on a cross. We have a God who left the comfort of his home. Heaven was his home. He left the comfort of his home because he looked down and he saw my son is coming back and there's no way he can actually get life if I don't go there first and meet him. There's no way I I gotta beat him there. Let me run. Think about the divine running to the cross before you could get there. Imagine the divine running to judgment. Before judgment comes to you, you have to look at it in the context. In the context when a son went astray and spent his father's inheritance. When he would come back, they would meet him at the city gates, the whole entire community, and they would take a pot, they would throw it at his feet and the pot would break into a million pieces. And I was saying, hey, you're broken and you've broken covenant with us, you're completely dead. And if we can't put these pieces of these pots back together, then that's a sign that you can never be put back together in this community. Oh, y'all don't get it. So the father didn't just run to run. He ran because he knew judgment was waiting for the son at the gate and before judgment could get to him, the father got to him. Oh man, today, can I say something? There's judgment out there, but the father ran to you first so that you won't be judged with the world. Oh, I'm so glad that Jesus died on the cross and took the shame and the pain and the sickness and the rejection so I don't have to take an ounce of it. Jesus died and ran before I could get there to say no, no, no, don't touch him. This is my son, who I love. Oh, what a God, what a God who says I'll take the judgment for them, I'll take the rejection for them. And so he runs before him and he gets there before everyone else, and his son has a whole speech that he prepared. Oh, dad, I messed up and I failed you and can I just be your servant? And as he's giving the speech, the father doesn't even entertain any of the talk. The first thing the father does is the Bible says the father starts kissing him all over. If you look at the word in the Greek, it means he kissed him all over. He was like every part of you is beautiful. Yeah, you smell like pig. Yeah, you haven't showered in weeks. You just took a long journey. Even the dirty parts of you I love. Oh, what a father, what a God. Even the dirty parts of you. I love Even the parts of you that have shame. Yeah, yeah, I'm going to kiss those parts, oh man. Then the Bible says he wraps his arms around him and he hugs him. And I actually looked up that word to hug, and it's the same word that's used in Acts, chapter 13, where it says the Holy Spirit came down. Actually, acts, chapter 10, where it says the Holy Spirit came down on Cornelius' house and it says it fell on them. That's the same word, for fell was the word that was used for hug, which means at that moment he didn't even say much. All he did was show up and the Holy Spirit came on him. Can I tell you something, people of God, I know you feel disconnected from God, but the moment you repent, the moment you come to him, the moment you turn from the pig pen and you turn to him, he goes my Holy Spirit's here with you, my presence is here with you. He raps to them, he says kiss them, and then he has a whole speech. It's like I want to do four things for you, and it's the four things that happen for everyone who says yes to Jesus. The first thing he says take off this old robe. The first thing he says take off this old robe, take off this filthy, pig scented, dirty robe off of him, because that doesn't identify him anymore. Now I want you to put a clean robe, the best robe. Look at it in the Greek it literally means a long robe. Long robes are only worn during special events. Get my longest robe. Why? Because it took more material to make. It was more expensive. Get the most expensive robe. Don't put that cheap stuff on him. I want a full Gucci outfit. No, no, no, no, no, no. Not the Primark stuff. I rock with Primark. I rock with Primark. Primark comes through in the season that needs to come through Right. There's seasons for Primark. There's seasons for Primark. There's seasons for Gucci. Amen, the church say amen. I'm buying no Gucci t-shirt, a regular white shirt. Devil is a liar. Primark baby you good enough. Primark baby, you good enough. But put on the best outfit on him I'm talking about. Get the outfit I'm saving for Easter. Get the Coochie sweater. Some of y'all didn't laugh because you don't realize Pastor Boyan's wearing a Gucci sweater and some of you just don't like to laugh. But I hope Jesus saves you today and puts some joy in your soul. Got some angry saints out here, got some angry saints out here. So I'm looking at the story and it's right at this moment Put the best outfit on him, which is what Jesus did for us. He took away our robe of sin and he put on us the robe of righteousness. And you know I say this often, but I'm going to say it again You're not a sinner Once you accept Jesus. You're an ex-sinner. Now you're a saint. Now you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You can't be righteous and a sinner at the same time. The math ain't mathing. You are now righteous because of the cross, because of Jesus and what he did for you. Then he said I'm gonna do a second thing for you. I got you. First thing I'm gonna put a robe on you. Second thing I'm gonna put sandals on your feet. He puts these sandals on his feet. You have to understand the significance and the culture of sandals on the feet. Only those who were part of the household sons in the household had sandals on their feet. Everyone else servants walked barefoot. And so when he came there, he said let me just be a servant, let me be a servant. And the dad goes shh. Put the shoes on his feet. Show him he's not just a servant, he's a son. You know, you're not just a servant, you're a son. Some women like I'm not a son. Yes, it's not about gender, it's about position. Your position is you are a son of God. So he puts the sandals on his feet, he puts the robe on his back and then he does another thing he takes his signet ring. It's like get my signet ring and put it on his finger. Some of you are like okay, cool, it's a ring. Nope, in that culture, the signet ring was significant. It was the ring that was used for every transaction, so it was like an American Express black card. It was like alright, let me give a better example. It was like I got 10 million dollars in crypto and I'm giving you my crypto wallet. He doesn't just spend everything, but here you can take my crypto account and the password here. Hold on, no, no, no, he don't deserve that. No, no, no, right, he don't deserve that. You know what he deserves to work harder. You can ask my son. For me, that son would have been working for months. That's my nature. I'm trying to be more like Jesus. He would have been working for months. Boy, you better go out there and make sure that the sheep are in order. You better go out there and make sure you cut the grass, because for three years that grass hasn't been cut because you was out there living a debaucherous life. I would be like you, nasty, you so nasty. You out here spending my money on nasty stuff. Yes, be a servant for two months. No, no, no, take those shoes off him. Stay with your outfit. Maybe in two months I'll let you get a shower. That's crazy. Okay, maybe I'm not that extreme. Stay with your outfit. Maybe in two months I'll let you get a shower. Okay, maybe I'm not that extreme, but you have to understand what he really deserved. It was judgment, it was wrath. It was being disconnected from community. It was not being close to the Father, it was not being a part of the household. It was being eternally separated from the presence of the father. But the father looked at all the sins and was like I'm not just going to, you know, because some of you think you come to Jesus and you just get I just get eternal life and that's a big thing. But you don't just get eternal life. You get everything that is wrapped up in Jesus, which is the signet ring, the robe of righteousness, the sandals that signify your sonship. And then the last thing that he gave him was a party with a fatted calf. Oh, I'm talking about a cow. They had some oxtail up in there. Okay, y'all ain't excited about oxtail, like me. He said I'ma get the fatted calf, not just the regular calf. We're going to have some real. You know, I sell like $40 a plate. Now this man said I'm going to cut a whole cow and not the small one. I'm going to get the fattest one. I'm going to. We're going to have some oxtail tonight. Boy, some of y'all don't know about the oxtail. If you don't know about oxtail, you need deliverance. God's going. Before you leave this earth you need a taste of oxtail. Taste and see that the Lord. Just find you a corner Jamaican spot I'm talking about. It may look a little shady on the outside, but they can have the best oxtails. Just say excuse me, sir ma'am, and they may not be nice to you. Don't leave the store. I know y'all want good service, y'all? Bougie, they're not nice to me. No, no, they're not going to be nice. I'm warning you now. The Jamaican lady may not even pay attention. What does mine want what she want. What do you want? What you want? They may talk, just like that, it's worth it. Stick around for the oxtails. They're going to change your whole life. So I want oxtail and I want rice and peas. I want some plantain on the side. I want some cabbage. My God, I feel the anointing. Some of y'all look lost. They have more connection with the sermon than the food. But I'm gonna throw this big meal. I'm going to put the most expensive thing on the plate Wagyu A5, japanese steak. I'm making people hungry here, but I'm throwing this big feast for him. And then the Bible says the feast was so insane that you heard the dancing from a block away. I'm talking about a big bash. I'm talking about like a real Caribbean party. You know Caribbean parties. You be hearing from like six blocks away, like, oh yeah, my neighbor's having that barbecue again. See, only New Yorkers can understand this. If I went to some church in Illinois they'd be like what is he talking about? Heard the dancing and the music and the singing from blocks away and the older brother comes in. Hold on, were you supposed to have a party? What's going on? They didn't tell him about the party. They didn't tell him about the celebration. What's going on about the celebration? What's going on? And then one of the servants goes. You don't understand what's happening. Your brother was lost. He was in the pig pen. He was deep in sin, he was living a life that was disconnected from the house and from the father. And he came back home. And the reason why I say this is a story of the two lost sons, because the older son's response showed me that he was in the house but he was still lost. It showed me that, even though he was in the house, he was disconnected from the heart of the father. Because you know what he looked at his younger brother coming back. Instead of that being a moment of rejoicing, he said this is a moment of anger. How come he deserves that? He messed up so much? I should be getting this. I worked so hard and he started putting his works before God's grace. Well, you know what I've been faithful all these years and you never made me oxtail. What I've been faithful all these years and you never made me oxtail. You never killed a fatted calf for me. And the father looks at him and is like okay, you don't get it. You were in the house. Everything that was here was already yours. He lost all of it because he left the house. Which shows me something. Which shows me something. This poverty message don't make sense. The poverty is for those outside the house, the insufficiencies for those outside the house. But once I get into the house, all the benefits of the house is mine, the ring is mine, the robe is mine oh, I just need someone to shout up in here the sandals are mine, the fatted calf is mine, it's all mine once I'm in the house. Are you in the house today? Are you part of the covenant? Are you connected to the father? Because that's the place of blessing. So the older brother exposes himself, and I'm going to show you how he exposed himself, because he was lost in religion. Look at the things he said to the Father. Look at the things he said to the Father, look at the ways you can see he was lost even though he was in the house. The first thing is he had a comparative spirit. He was living in comparison. You know you're lost, even though you're in church, when you start comparing your sins to other people's sins. Ooh, I like this. And you know what church people like to do. We like to compare the world's sins to our sins. No one's saying amen, but this is good. He said but I didn't sin like he sinned and you threw him a party. You didn't throw me a party, I didn't do what he did. He spent his money on prostitutes. I didn't. He spent all his money on OnlyFans. I didn't. Okay, quiet, quiet, quiet. Then the second thing he did was he had a transactional type of faith. He thought because I did, I should get. Let me tell you something you doing it doesn't is not the reason why God does. Oh, this is good you, what you do and how well you do. It is not the reason why God blesses you. He blesses you because he's good. Think about it. The younger son did nothing but make mistakes. He did nothing but sin. He did nothing but fail. He did nothing but spend his father's money on harlots and be in a pig pen. He did nothing right when his father's money on harlots and be in a pig pen. He did nothing right. When you look at it and the father's like I'm going to bless him anyway, because a blessing is not based on what you do, it's based on how good I am. The next thing is that the older brother had an entitlement. He was like you own me, because I've been good that you should do this for me. And then the last thing is that he lacked joy in his relationship with God Because the father was like okay, cool, cool, cool, we're just coming to the party, because the party ain't just for him, it's for the party is not just for the servants. Even the servants were at the party and he wasn't at the party. The party is for you, but don't be so self-righteous that you're like you know, just let them do their thing. Oh, this sermon was just. You know, why did Pastor Nate not preach a sermon about resurrection? It shows me you're an older brother. Why? Because this word is tailor-made for younger brothers to come back home. But you're concerned with the sermon and not with the message. Oh, this is good. I want to share a few verses, because I saw something really powerful, and we're going to end with this point right here. We're going to end with this point right here. In every single story, something was lost, then found, and then there was rejoicing and celebration. So I don't want us to end off this sermon without celebration, because this morning, dozens of people gave their lives to Jesus. I believe by the time we end today, dozens more are going to give their lives to Jesus, and online we're going to have more than that. Join the party, get into the party, do your loud dances, do your singing? That annoys someone next to you, some of y'all older brothers, because the singing annoys you. Sing louder, I don't care. You off tone, you got no rhythm. You got no. Older brothers, because the singing annoys you. Sing louder, I don't care. You off tone. You got no rhythm. You got no, I don't care. Clap, clap, clap. 51:10 - Speaker 3 Older brothers don't like jokes either. 51:12 - Speaker 1 Older brothers hate jokes because they don't want to laugh, oh gosh. But this is the moment, because there's two types of people. You're either the younger brother or the older brother. You're the one looking at your good works. Oh man, I'm in the house, but you're disconnected from the heart of God or I've gone astray. I'm living a life that I'm not even I'm ashamed of. I'm doing things that I never thought that I would do. I'm completely disconnected from God and his presence and from the father, and I need to get back. Whatever you are, the father's waiting for you. You know what's interesting? The father came and looked for both of them. 52:04 Look at the text. He looked for one of them outside of the house and then the Bible says, while he was at the party, he realized my oldest son's not here. Where's my oldest son? Let me go look for him. And he goes out of the party In the house. But out of the party In the house. He was lost, but he was in the house and he's like yo, I'm pleading with you Come into the party. 52:33 No, I'm good, I'm not coming in. This is your invitation to come into the party. Oh, there's a party. And can I tell you something. This is your invitation to come into the party. Oh, there's a party and can I tell you something? The party starts here and it continues in eternity. Oh, come on somebody. So if you can't rejoice here on earth, you're going to be super uncomfortable in heaven. If you can't shout here on earth, you're going to be super uncomfortable in heaven. If you can't dance here on earth, you're going to be super uncomfortable in heaven, cause you can't dance here on earth. You're going to be super uncomfortable in heaven because there's going to be rejoicing and partying and dancing in heaven. I just need about three people who are willing to dance and shout in this place. Woo, all right. 53:24 I'm calling to the two groups of people and I'm going to ask you to raise your hands. You're like I'm the older brother. There's no more joy in my salvation. There's no more joy Even though I'm in the house. I'm disconnected from God. I really never gave my life to Jesus. Yes, I did all the churchisms, I know all these songs, but I don't know God and I want to have a relationship with the Father. I want you to just raise your hands right now. Come on. If that's you, if you're the younger brother and you're like man, I've strayed. I'm here for Easter because my cousin, my brother, my baby mama invited me, but I want to get connected to God because I need this and I just wasted my life away in the pig pen. 54:11 I want every single person if that's you, I want you to raise your hands high. Come on, either one. Raise your hands high, high, high, come on, come on, come on. You're saying God, I need you, god, I need you, god, I need you, god, I need you. If that's you, I need you, God, I need you, god, I need you, god, I need you. If that's you, I want you to stand to your feet right now. Stand to your feet. Older brother, younger brother, don't be ashamed. Stand to your feet because we want to rejoice with you. It's not to embarrass you. We want to shout with you, we want to praise with you. Come on, look at those giving their life, y'all being too cute. 54:44 The Bible says the angels rejoice in heaven when one. I dare you to begin to worship God and glorify God. Amen. Luke, chapter 15, and I'm done after this. Luke, chapter 15, and I'm done after this, luke, chapter 15. We're going to look at verse 6 and 7, the last few verses that I gave you, and I'm reading from the NLT, luke, chapter 15, those last few verses. 55:22 Look at this, sorry, from the message. Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn't you leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after the one that you lost until you found it? It says you can be sure you will put it across your shoulders, rejoicing when it got home. Call all your friends and neighbors saying Celebrate, celebrate with me. You know God is asking you to celebrate with him, which means it's not the angels that are celebrating in heaven, it's God himself celebrating in heaven. And then God goes. I'm going to call all my friends. Are you a friend of God? I'm going to call all my friends Yo, pass the boy on. Another one got saved. I'm rejoicing. Are you going to celebrate with me? Are you going to come to the party? All right, let's look at the other verse, because I'm trying to show you something. I think it's nine and ten or eight. Message Bible gives you the whole entire block. So, yeah, this is it. 56:50 Or imagine a woman who had ten coins. She loses one, won't she light a lamp and scare the house, looking in every nook and cranny. That's ridiculous. Nook and cranny, that is a Caucasian version right there. I never heard a black person say nook and cranny I'm sorry y'all, I'm sorry, I'm not trying to judge. I never heard it. Black person say nook and cranny. I'm sorry y'all, I'm sorry, I'm not trying to judge. I never heard it in my life. 57:26 - Speaker 3 Okay. 57:39 - Speaker 1 Looking in every nook and cranny Until she finds it. And when she finds it, you can be sure she'll call all her friends and neighbors. I don't even know you like that, but this is something to rejoice about. I found my lost coin. Count on it. That's the kind of party I told you coming to the party. That's the kind of party God's angels. It was at least 10, 15 people who gave their lives to Jesus. It says that's the kind of party God's angels throw. Every time one lost, not 15. So there's a party for one. All right, y'all quiet If there's a celebration for one. 58:46 You see, this is what I need everyone to stand to your feet and we're gonna give God a shout for the probably about 60 people who gave their lives to Jesus today. Hold on hold, on hold, on hold, on hold, on hold on the shepherd's. Like I got the sheep, I got the sheep. Now I'm going to call all my friends Come celebrate with me. The woman loses the coin. I'm going to call all my friends Come celebrate with me. 59:15 The prodigal son comes back home. The lost son comes back home. I'm going to get all my servants to come celebrate with me. And you know, the only one who's not celebrating the religious person, the Pharisee, the person disconnected from God. But everyone else is rejoicing because this is a momentous, powerful, amazing time to see people who are destined for destruction and damnation come into eternal light. Oh, there's a praise that should invade our spirits when we see one person come, and about 60 people came. So I dare you, just lift up your hands and I want every single person to join the party. It's not just a regular party, it's a praise party, and just give God a shout of praise and thanksgiving. 01:00:24 - Speaker 2 Come on, this is the City Light Church Podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jancic and City Light Church, visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church Podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.