Todays Message

0:49 So we're in a series called The Jesus Road. as Pastor Chad mentioned, we're going to dive into Luke 15. It's actually one of the most infamous chapters in the Bible. It's the story of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, the lost son. Luke chapter 15, the theme is God seeks the lost and invites everyone. I'm talking And everyone, every age, every skin color, every demographic, he invites everyone into his kingdom. Do you believe it? The theme is that his door is always open. And what is the door? The door is Jesus. Jesus gave his life for you and I. And if you walk through that door, I believe you are going to live a life free. live a life full of his fruit, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-discipline, love, all of the above. I love what his word says. John 10 9, Jesus says, I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. I love Zoe. If you can't tell, I've been here over nine years now. It's an honor. It's a privilege to be on this stage, to be able to share with you my story, what God is speaking to me. Oh, thank you. Thank you.

2:21 But what I love about Zoe is that we're a praying church. We're a generous church. We're a faith filled church. But we're a real church. We keep it real here. And so I got to tell you, although we believe that Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life, there is also truth that an enemy is trying to come for your heart, trying to come for your mind. And so today we're going to see in the word of God that there are ways to protect you from the enemy. There are ways that you can stay rooted and planted in the promise that God has for your life. And so today I want to share the title of the message. The title of the message today is Lost But Not Least. Do you believe it? You're not last on God's list, okay? You are number one. You are his number one priority. There is nothing that you do in life, there's no failure. There is no sin that cancels you out. As you move through life, as you make decisions, as you make choices, you're not being ranked. You stay number one. You stay on his heart. He is a gracious God. He doesn't see you for what you accomplish. He sees you for his beautiful creation. He knit you in your mother's womb. He knows how many hairs are on your head.

3:51 He knows when you lay down, when you sleep, when you wake up, his word says, I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety for the Lord was watching over me. Psalm 3-5. Aren't you glad that there's a God that is with you as you go through life, as you go through trials, that he does not leave you. He is with you in all things. So church, let's pray before we get into the word. Father God, thank you. Thank you that the loss mattered to you. Thank you that you will never leave us. You will never forsake us. That our story is not over, Lord Jesus. So we invite your spirit into the room. Would you encourage us today through your word, through this message? We love you. And in your mighty name, we say amen and amen.

4:44 We're going to jump into verse 1 here. Jesus is speaking to a group of people of all ages, demographics, skin colors, professions, and it says in verse 1, now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus, but the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, this man welcomes sinners and eats with them. The Pharisees are basically saying, wait, wait, wait, what's happening? You're about to teach the word of God, but you have these sinners sitting here, these public outright sinners, people whom we dislike, who do not deserve your grace, you have them here. That's not fair. That's not okay. The Pharisees aren't denying that the word of God is true and there's a promise, but they're trying to determine and tell us who can have a seat at the table, but are you thankful that that's not our God and everyone's invited?

5:45 They're too biased. They still have hard hearts. They just can't see what's in front of them. Jesus, the Messiah, is showing them the way. They're just blinded. They're just blinded. And so Jesus is going to go on and tell them stories, stories so that they can relate, stories that they can maybe hear and answer and audit their hearts. And so we pick up in verse 3. Then Jesus told them this parable. Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the 99 in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? Come on, in this world, the rules of probability, y'all, we're going to choose the 99, right? Like 99 is better than having one, but that's just not our God. Our God isn't about numbers.

6:43 he doesn't conform to the patterns of this world where the world says, y'all take the L on the one. That's not our God. He's going after you. He's going after you. And so verse five, and when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and his neighbors together and says, rejoice with me. I have found my lost sheep. I tell you that in the same way that there will be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent. Aren't you glad that he's willing to go after the one? The one is you. The one who has wandered. The one who thinks their way is better. That is trying to take control of the situation. We are the sheep. I don't know if you know this about sheep, but They're D-U-M-B.

7:43 They ain't that smart. I like to think I'm smarter than the sheep, but maybe I'm not. Where they see food far away, away from the 99, they go to it. Me too. You're trying to fill a void. You're trying to gain a title. You're trying to feed yourself something that this world is telling you that you need. And you're going to wander, and you're going to get lost. But I'm just so thankful. I'm so thankful that his word says that he will come and he will look for you. And until he finds you, he will keep looking and he will carry you home. So point one of the message today is God's love is relentless.

8:29 Relentless means continuing without stopping. It means to be incredibly persistent. It is not weak. It is strong. It never gives up. That is God's love for you and I. He created us in his image. That's how much he loves us. But sometimes it actually can be harsh and unforgiving in order for you to be called home. God's got to be harsh and unforgiving sometimes. So my story a little bit, like I said, I'm born and raised Jersey. I've been here, though, for over 17 years. I came to LA maybe like many of you searching the title I wanted to be a dancer I wanted to achieve greatness I still do there's nothing wrong with that do not get it wrong do not get it twisted God will put desires on your heart and he wants you to go out and achieve them he'll give you dreams but he doesn't want you to make it an idol so I came out here to LA to dance you know like America's best dance crew. Yeah, I'm dating myself. Or maybe if you want to put it in bed, I wanted to be a Lakers girl. Yeah, I'm 5'1". Not happening. But that's what I told myself.

9:46 I told myself I was coming out here to achieve a dream and a goal that God has called me to, but if I'm being honest, what I was doing was running from shame. I was living a life lost and wandering from God feeding my soul living in New York City living the dream going out hanging out with friends and it just wasn't serving me and so I decided to go I decided to make excuses I decided to feed my own needs instead of looking to the one that would give me my true identity and so that's not the whole story like I said I've been here 17 years. God did a work in me. I was lost and found again. I wandered. He came back for me. I ran and ran and ran again, and here I am. You won't find me on that dance stage again, but look at where I'm at.

10:40 And I don't say that to boast about me. I don't know if you know, but your testimony is a weapon when you glorify God. And the story is, is that when I was running and when I was chasing identity and titles and success, God turned it around. He redeemed me. He put me on this stage and I will take any room, any car, any floor, any coffee shop for the opportunity to share God's love. And that through Jesus, you may have life. And that your identity is you are the same. You are a child of God who have been called to a purpose to glorify his name.

11:28 He's a God of redemption. So today, I don't know where you're at. I don't know what life has thrown at you. I don't know what you're living. Maybe you're struggling to pay the bills. Maybe you don't know what you're going to do for school and you're choosing a major that you don't even really think you want to do. Can I tell you, give it to God. Stop wandering. Quit measuring how far you are from God and put your trust and faith in him. You're not too far gone. You're not lost. You're just looking in the wrong places. Would you invite God with you into those places so that he may redeem what he has given you? Ask yourself, ask yourself, what are you trying to control that God is supposed to carry?

12:18 And in the same vein, maybe you don't relate. Maybe you're like, nah, I'm good. My faith is all the way up here. I'm on level 10. but maybe you feel a little far, far down the list of the things that you desire in your heart. You may feel far from the desire to be married. You may feel far from the desire to get the job promotion. You may feel far from receiving the gift of heaven, a child. But God's love, his unrelentless love it never ceases it's shown through his faithfulness to provide to protect to move to give purpose to your life so will you come back to God will you let him carry you will you realize that the world is temporary but his love and his promise is eternal there is nothing that you can do there is no choice that you can make that is going to turn you away from the promise of God on the right path. He will come back. He will carry you back on that path.

13:23 He will never stop. Do you believe it? we pick up in verse 8 in the parable of the lost coin or suppose a woman has 10 silver coins and loses one doesn't she light a lamp sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it And when she finds it, she calls her friends and her neighbors together and says, rejoice with me. I have found my lost coin. In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Do you see how the first parable and this story tie together? What was lost is now found, and there's a party in heaven, and that God is rejoicing over what was once lost. that's you I don't know if you realize it heaven goes crazy when you come home there is joy there is laughter and there is worship and so it's talking about a coin how many of you still find value in a coin I don't know about y'all but like once it's in my pocket what's in my purse I don't know I don't know where it goes I don't even use it when's the last time you used a penny but giving context to the story in the story coins have value a lot of value that one coin could have provided meals for the entire family could have put the roof over their head that one coin had value and so what did she do she intentionally searched for it she turned on that light. She cleaned and she swept so that she could have clear vision and she searched.

15:20 Let's be real. You and I, we take the L on the coin. For real though. Like you put it in your pocket. It's in the hamper. It's on the bottom of the hamper now or maybe it's in the laundry. I don't really know but you've lost sight of the coin and its value. Point two of the message today is that God values what others often dismiss. Can I tell you? Can I tell you God values you? Where the world sees a lost cause or a failure, that's not what God sees. God sees treasure. What did he say? What did I tell you? You're on the top of his list. You're not lost. You're not least. You're first. He values you. There's a calling on your life. but he's reminding us that it's okay if you're lost it's okay if you're wandering the theme of my life this year you're going to hear it I say it all the time my friends are probably like stop saying it Jill but two things can be true at the same time you can be lost but you still hold value let me say it again you can be lost but you still have value There may be someone in your life that is trying to tell you different.

16:38 There's somebody in your life that maybe tells you you're not enough. You're not worth that job. You're not worth that promotion. There could be a teacher in your life telling you that maybe you shouldn't, maybe you shouldn't go that route for that major. Maybe you should try this. Who are you letting speak over your life today? Who are you letting define your value? Can I encourage you and remind you that your identity is that you are a child of God? He loves you. And sometimes we can't recognize actually that we're lost ourselves. In this story, this coin is lost in the house. Can you sit here today and ask yourself where you are comfortable, where you are familiar, in your workplace, in your classrooms, in your homes, wherever you're at, are you lost?

17:42 Have you been asking God? Have you been seeking God? Or have you just been coasting? You live in your daily life. You feel fine. You feel okay. But that's not the way that God designed our lives. He designed our lives so that we may have it to the full, that we may experience joy, that we may experience life and worship and praise and community.

18:13 So are you living a life of complacency? Are you dismissing yourself what God has called you to? Are you dismissing a gift or a talent that took too much work, too much effort, and you said, nah, I'm good. I'm good.

18:34 Are you dismissing a value of yours that God wants to redeem? Don't let your insecurity convince you that what God has placed in you is insignificant. because most of the time what you think is insignificant, God thinks is great. He thinks it's amazing, and he wants to use it for his glory.

19:01 So if you have something on your heart, if you feel like God's calling you to something, do it. Go after it. Seek it. I love this, this verse. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29, 11. He has a future for you. You're not just sitting here supposed to coast through life. Your life can be a blessing to other people. quit telling yourself lies that you're too far gone quit telling yourself that you're not worth it god skip over me and go to the next oh i know that spoke to somebody you're easily dismissing and counting yourself out when god says no you matter i love you i'm coming after you the lies of the enemy are just not true it's in God's nature to love us deeply and passionately every single one of us God loves his people and he created us to be in community because he loves his people and he wants to share them all together and so this is where his relentless love is going to get you because it's harsh and unforgiving we're a church here we're a church that loves what God loves. So we love people. And that's why we have connect groups. That's why we have connect groups because God loves people. And we want you to be around people that will hold you accountable, that will keep you planted, will keep you rooted, keep reminding you of who God is. But how many of you are so easy to dismiss what God values, are so easy to dismiss, I don't need to go to that connect group. Oh, I know, I know that's speaking to some of you. I don't need to go to that connect group and sit in traffic in 30 more minutes and meet people that I don't really know so that I can feel uncomfortable. I can sleep in one more hour instead of jumping on that Zoom Bible study with Caitlin and Izzy so God can speak life and his word can change my heart. I'd rather sleep the

21:07 one hour. What are you dismissing today? Don't dismiss what God loves and what God values. He values people. He values community. Get in a connect group. Be around people. and here comes the next story the infamous story about the lost son we pick up in verse 11 and Jesus continued to speak to them there was a man who had two sons the younger one said to his father father give me my share of the estate how many of y'all are the youngest the babies in the family raise your hand and how many of y'all think you're the smartest one. No, I'm playing. Don't answer. The younger one said to his father, father, give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them.

22:07 More context. When you're reading the Bible, you need context. I got to do it. I got to Google. I got my study Bible. No, it's like I need it. Context. The younger son is asking for his share of the estate and his inheritance. Do you know what that means? He's basically saying, dad, I don't need you no more. I got this. I got a better plan for my life. Father, forget this. I don't need this. They would normally get this inheritance, this estate, when the father passes. So what he's saying is, I wish you were dead. I don't need you no more. I know better. And so we read on, seeing what happens to the younger son. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country, and there squandered his wealth in wild living. Yes, it says wild. You can imagine what that looks like. Wild, wild living. He moved to LA, and he went wild. He went out to the clubs. He partied. He hung out with friends. He was buying alcohol. He did all the things.

23:14 You put the name to it. You know what wild living means. Okay. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. What he could not control came after him. He could control that he went out. He took that money. He spent it however he would like, but the world came crashing after him. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. he had it all, or so he thought. He had all the money. He had all the friends. He was going out every day.

24:06 He was going out every night. He constantly had people around him. He was partying. He was having fun. He was doing it his way. And then where did he end up? In a pig pen. How lost do you have to be to end up in a pig pen, where pig's food seems attractive to you? What's your dark place? What's your pig pen? What are you sitting in today because you took control that you never were supposed to take control of, where you're chasing a title again and a rank and a need that you were not supposed to chase?

24:45 But remember, God's love is relentless and he values you. And so I love, we pick up in verse 17. When he came to his senses, he said, how many of my father's hired servants have food to spare? And here I am starving to death. I will set out and go back to my father and say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants. And so he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and he kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

25:40 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For the son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and found. And so they begin to celebrate.

26:09 In every story, in every parable of this chapter, Jesus is emphasizing that there is joy in heaven when the lost comes home, that he is open arms running towards you when you come home. Do you believe it? Are you excited? Does that stir you up? Does that change you knowing that his grace is for you? There's nothing that you can do to earn it. Point three today is God welcomes us home with celebration.

26:46 The father is literally running. And this man is a rich man. He is honored in the community, in the city. There are people that can run for him. There are people who could probably pick him up and then run with him. There is no reason he should be running. But gosh, gosh, can you picture it? The father running down the dirt road, which I can imagine is very long. Running after his son. Because what God values, he runs towards. He pursues.

27:23 This young son, it cost him so much to go out. It didn't cost him just money. It cost him his dignity. But he humbled himself. he remembered how good and gracious and plentiful that the the harvest was in his father's house and so can I ask you today will you remember God's goodness when you are lost when you've taken the wheel and you've taken control in your life will you remember that there is a God that will welcome you back with open arms. I love it where it says, when he comes home, he runs to his son. He puts a robe on his back. He puts a ring on his finger. He puts sandals on his feet. Because what I hear is that God got him a new outfit. Can I get an amen? I'm coming home. I'm asking for a new outfit. But I'm just kidding when I say that. What he's doing is giving him a new identity. Can I get an amen when you come home. When you come home and you humble yourself after you've sinned, after you know that you may have come short of the glory of God, but you know that the God of the universe, he loves you, and you repent and you come home, do you know that you will not be shamed you will not be judged and he will remind you of your identity that you are a daughter and a son of the Most High God he will treat you like a queen and a king and a prince that is who he is I don't know about you, but I was a funny kid.

29:13 At the age of six or seven, I vividly remember this. I vividly remember this. I ran away from home. I thought that was a good idea, you know? Like, I'll show you, Mom and Dad. Yeah, you're on the screen. You don't even know. Maybe you don't know. Maybe you don't remember this. Six or seven years old, you can't tell me to go to bed. You can't tell me to put away my clothes. And so what did I do? I built up the courage to run away. And what did that look like? That was going down the driveway. Maybe sometimes it was the stop sign. Y'all laughed though. I'm sure it took more steps and a lot more courage than you think it did to run away. But what was I doing the whole time? I was grumbling. I was moaning. I was saying, you'll see. You're going to miss me when I'm gone. And I would keep looking back on my shoulders, looking back at the door, waiting for mom, waiting for dad to come be like, Jill, come home. What are you doing?

30:11 You're being ridiculous. Come home. And no shade to my parents. But they were never there because this probably happened in like two, three minutes. My driveway really wasn't that long. I was just, like I'm saying, I ran away trying to prove a point. But I was always looking over my shoulder, looking to see if my parents were out there waiting to call me home. But in this story, this story, what does it say? But while he was still a long way off, while you were still lost and you were wandering all the way down the road, guys, God's eyes were on you. And then what did he do? He ran. I'm going to say it again. he ran towards you. God loves you so much that he ran. So where are you in life that he has to come come chasing after you?

31:04 today can you ask yourself are you looking back wondering who's following you are you scared are you fearful i hope not can i encourage you today that there is a god that is with you he goes before you he goes behind you he is beside you he is a he is a light he is a warmth he is the prince of peace and wherever you go he is with you today and he is calling you home and he has open arms. then we pick up if you remember there are two sons there are two the story isn't just about the one so in verse 25 it says meanwhile the older son was in the field when he came near the house he heard music and dancing so he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on your brother has come he replied and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound. The older brother became angry and fused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, look, all these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when the son of yours who was squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him? My son, the father said, you are always with me. Everything I have is yours, but we had to celebrate and be glad because his brother of yours was dead and alive again and is lost and is now found.

32:51 Worship team, you can come join me. My last point today is that his celebration is an open invitation. Will you join him? There are many of you here today, you've been coming to church for a while or your whole life. Or maybe you've never heard the good news of Jesus, and I'm here to tell you today, though. If you're too busy being jealous of what everybody else has, about the party that God is throwing for someone else, and you're too busy to join the party, you're going to miss it. You're going to miss it. It's an open invitation. Don't let the enemy convince you that you're not invited. Oh, he would love for you to miss the party. Sit at home.

33:44 Have FOMO. Be wondering who's at the party. What kind of food there is. But what God says is that you're invited. Check your heart. Are you holding resentment? Are you holding trauma that's keeping you from coming back to the party? What does his word say? His word says in Romans 12, 15, rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. You need to be part of the celebration because if you miss it, God is not going to be able to do the good work in you. God often sends people. God sends people so that you may receive life. You may receive grace. You may receive mercy.

34:28 He wants to redeem you. He wants to chase after you. And some of you here today, again, I don't know what you're going through. you don't have to be like me where you moved across country to run away from shame to be lost I told you my story your story it's complicated it's got chapters I'm just coming out of a season where what loss looked like was sitting on the bedroom floor crying to God, crying to God, where have you been? Why have you left me? And like I said, we're a real church. I'm telling you, we're not always on the mountaintop. We're not always faith-filled. But what it is true is that God, God, he's perfect. He's always there. He never changes. His faith never changes. His grace is always there. His mercy is ready for us. So when And I'm crying.

35:31 I'm crying loss on the bedroom floor and whatever that looks like for you. I'm crying because he ended a relationship that I thought was the one. I'm crying because he told me to leave a job full of amazing, beautiful people. That it was no longer for me. That it was not serving me. I'm crying because I don't know what's next and I'm lost. but because I'm around people, but because I'm around community, because I'm in church, because I'm planted, his love, his love reminds me that he will chase after me. He will pursue me. His love is relentless. I'm not on the bottom of his list. I'm at the top of his list. I'm his only priority. And two things can be true at the same time. You and I can both be number one in God's life. Do you believe it today? Will you stand with me, church? The shepherd rejoiced.

36:34 The woman rejoiced. The father rejoiced. He's sharing these stories to teach us that God celebrates found people. Do you want to be found, church? Do you want Jesus to come after you? The question is not whether there's room. There is always room. Will you accept the invitation and be part of the party?

36:59 The kingdom of heaven is for you. It is eternal. There we will feel no pain. We will feel no judgment. It does not matter your title. It does not matter your bank account. in the kingdom of heaven we will feel peace we will feel God's love I love what Joyce Myers said one time it's a come as you are party there is nothing that you can do there is nothing that you can say there is nothing that you can perform that will give you the forgiveness the grace of God that will bring you home he just says yes come to me and that you can live a free life, a free life of salvation. And so today, there will be an invitation for you to come home. Will you join the party? Will you join the party when the one comes home? Will you join the party when when you said yes, if you're here and you've been in church before, will you have the same fire in your heart? Will you say, will you have the same joy and praise in your lungs that when you said yes to Jesus, you're also going to have that same praise when someone says yes to Jesus today. Let's have a party. Let's celebrate with one another. I don't want to become numb to what God is doing. I don't want to be a lukewarm Christian. That's not what God has called me for.

38:23 And I know that's not what God has called you for. So today, church, let's pray and let's go to God.