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if Hey, welcome to Prairie Lakes church. We are so glad that you're with us great choice this weekend and don't ever forget this. I know you've heard it a bunch. And and if you're new this may be your first time but this is who we are. We're no matter church. And what that means is this no matter who you are where you been or what you've done or even what's been done to you God loves you and you can look for him in this place. You can you have to have it all figured out. You don't got to be perfect. You can have lots of questions. You can have lots of doubt you can have lots of fears, but you're in the right place, so we're really glad that you're here. So here's what needs to happen this weekend. We kind of need to get cracking because because there's just some stuff that we've got to talk about and we've got to get clear on. So let's let's do kind of a big recap here and then we'll we'll move forward to this weekend. All right, so we're in this series called moved. All right and the whole moved is this and it it connotates, you know forward momentum not being in one spot not being stuck because being stuck as we all know as a terrible thing whether it's your truck or your marriage, but here's our our contention at Prairie Lakes is this That the worst place to be stuck is spiritually the worst place to be kind of grinding to a halt or spinning your wheels or just treading water is in the spiritual realm on the inside stuff in this relationship with God through Jesus's son. So that's what we're talking about this now. Here's the discipleship path.

Okay. So so all of us are on this journey, right all of us are but the danger with with this path right is that we can get stuck literally in any one of these spots and the point of the series is that we want to help you identify two things. Number one, where am I on this? So so last weekend, we we just sat in this spot of the spiritually curious if you remember here's what we said, Jesus loves spiritually curious people and so do we right and so we spend our whole time last week just on what this means And how Jesus responds to it how we should respond to it. So that's where we're last week. So this week we're going to take another step into this next phase of the discipleship path that's called new believer and that the great thing is that that last week we had over 13 people.

Stepped over what we call the faith line to become new Believers in Jesus, right? Yes. Yes. That's it's a great big deal. Now, here's what I know. I believe this to be true. Also if there are some of you that that maybe you maybe you made that decision, but you didn't you didn't tell us okay or maybe during this week you just you know, you just felt like I can't be stuck here anymore. I've got to move to here. Listen. If you've made that decision, you didn't tell us here's all you have to do is text the word faith line one word faith line to 99581.

Just please let us know because we want you to move into this thing into this new phase of being new believer. We want to help you with that. We want to help you and this discipleship path. So so please do but here's what we're gonna sit this week. We're gonna sit in this spot called new believer. Now, here's the big deal with this because this is this is a big deal becoming a Believer is the most important decision that you make in your whole life.

My grandfather said to me years and years ago John you may grow up to be president someday, but I didn't but he said the most important decision you'll ever make is for Christ is for him. And and when you become a new believer, right and this is the big deal when you make that step over the faith line, and we're going to talk a lot about that.

I'm here's what happens. It's not the end point in the journey. Okay, it's it's not it's the most important step. You can ever make the step over the faith line, but it is they first step in a New Journey next week. We're gonna talk about what it means to be being discipled and then the next week after that is what it means to to be a disciple maker and there's this movement on this path. So so this decision to be a new believer is the most important one that you can make and in fact nowhere else in scripture.

Does it talk in these kind of words other than this this this concept or the step of becoming a new believer. We're going to be in this passage Luke 15, we're going to turn there in a minute, but there's three phrases in Luke 15 that one phrase that gets repeated three times and no where else in the Bible. Does it talk anything else like this? Okay. So in Luke 15, there's this phrase that verse 7 that says I tell you and this is Jesus talking that in the same way.

Talking about a lost being found, right somebody who's lost being found somebody moves from non-believer spiritually curious to new believer. I tell you that in the same way. They'll be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents then over 99 righteous persons who do not need to repent. He says that in verse 7, he says the same thing again look at it in verse 10 in the same way. Jesus says I tell you there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents and then at the end of the story in Luke 15 at the end of the story in verse 32, he says, but we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found my friends know where else does it talk like this that the heavens party and celebrate when someone steps over the faith line. It's the big deal. It's The point remember the whole point of Jesus, right? Why did Jesus come why do we learn about him? Why do we worship him? Why is he the king of the universe? Here's why John 3:16. Remember that famous verse for God so loved the world that he gave us one and only son talking about Jesus that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Remember Jesus came to seek and save the lost. So my friends this is the point. This is why we do what we do and it's a big deal around here. We're always giving opportunities. We're calling for decisions being a no matter Church where people can find him go on the journey. That's why we exist. I've had people say to me you've been way too much time on the faithful. I hope I listen you can't spend too much time on on the face line. Okay. So back to discipleship path. Just sit with me again.

When you move okay discipleship path when you move on this, okay, when you move from uninterested the spiritually curious to this spot. I want to sit in here and I want to talk about this what happened. And now what do we do? Okay, what happened to me if I'm a new believer and what do we do? What do I do with it now when I'm in this spot, so here's what I would like.

Everybody get your Bible out and turn to Luke chapter 15. Okay, so it's Matthew Mark Luke John and we're gonna sit in sit in one story. Okay one story that I think the clearest picture of what it means to become a new believer a follower of Jesus and the this story is from the mouth of Jesus himself.

So everybody Luke 15. It's a great picture of the process from the mouth of Jesus. All right, so Luke, 15 everybody Matthew Mark Luke, John Luke's the third gospel. So 15 is one of the great chapters of my one of my favorite chapters the Bible because Jesus tells three stories, right? The first one's about a lost sheep. The second one's about a lost coin and the third one's about the prodigal son. In fact, there's really two have been there. We're going to talk about one today. So we go to verse Luke 15 everybody go to verse 11 and that's the story where we're gonna start now once you just just to sit this okay sit on this for a moment. Listen to how Jesus starts the story.

He says this. There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father father. Give me my share of the estate. So he divided his property between them. And not long after that the younger son got together.

All he had said off for a distance country and there squandered his wealth and this not look what it says in a wild living. Okay. So listen, Jesus sets the problem out right away. And here's the problem the common problem for all of us. The common problem for all of us is sin. Okay, the common problem for all of us is sin.

My way my pleasure. And if you just stop on that just for a minute and think about it think of all the message you've gotten yourself into it in your life, you know, whether it's a mess at work or school or home or with your parents or with your kids or with your spouse right? Think of all the messes, you've got yourself into they can all come back to this this core problem of sin. And here's what really sin can be described. I want things by way. Right and I want to do things for my pleasure almost doesn't matter what the situation is it boils down to this. This is what she's says. There's this younger son. He says, give me what's give me give me what I want right my way and I'm gonna go where I want to go and I'm gonna do what I want to do. So this is the core issue. This is the problem all of our messes them from this. This is why Jesus come because we all have a sin problem. In fact Paul enrollments just makes it very clear when he says this he says for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God listen.

There's some of you and we kind of live in this culture that says hey everybody's really good to the core. Nope. We're really not good at the core. Now as everybody always as bad as they can be absolutely not we see the evidence of goodness all the time. We really do. But we all every human being.

Is affected and infected with this problem is called the sin problem. And here's what the sin problem does to us. Here's what it does. It wants me to do things my way and from my pleasure. all the time Now we have a sin nature and what we mean by having a senation. We're all born this way. Right? It's the nature is this think of it as driving your car when your front end is out of alignment? Okay, and what it always does it always pulls right it always pulls it always pulls to the ditch and if you and if and you try your best right, but if you if you let up for a minute, if you let for a minute, you're gonna go to the ditch. That's what the sin nature is always the pole to the ditch all and eventually you're gonna end up in a ditch. You just are that's the same nature but even kids right Pastor John to our kids sinful.

Absolutely are now they are innocent before God until they can become an age where they can decide for against God. Okay, we're not sure what that age is and in the Jewish law was the age of 12, but we know there's some variation there. We don't know what it is. But there's a time when somebody actually accepts or rejects. Okay, but but even kids are born this way. You say really my little innocent. Yeah, you know what they will cry when they want something and they only want what they want and they will eat a cookie with the Oreo full of their mouth. And you say did you eat a cookie and now go home I didn't did you teach him to lie? No, it is natural. Okay. So my friends start with this Jesus says in the story, we all got this problem. And the problem is I want my way and my pleasure. Okay. Go back to the text.

Now, let's go a little farther start at verse 14 now. And of course 14 it says this after he had spent everything. There was a severe famine in the whole country and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to his citizen of that country who sent him to his field to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating but no one gave him anything.

Okay, so here's Jesus now and here's kind of the the second phase in in this moving to becoming a new believer. We all have the sin problem. But here's phase. Number two. Nothing on Earth cures the sin problem. Nothing does. And in fact until I figure that out and get sick of myself. I'll never come to Christ.

See, here's what we do. Here's what here's what we do as human beings. And here's what I do. Right. I want to do everything that I can to fix the problem. I I turn to trusted systems right? Well if I just if I just get an education then if I have vacation, then I'll then I'll be happy and then I can have this and that I can be this and we know is that doesn't make us on the inside better. We know that well if I can get a new relationship or a relationship and if I can just get that one. Well then that will that will fix this problem that I have inside of me. Well if I can just get that next thing or that new thing that'll fix the problem. But here's what we now trusted systems whatever it is people Relationships things stuff none of it fixes the problem The Trusted go-to's don't cut it.

And when you realize your plan isn't working. Sin, is the inside issue. And notice what happens to this this young man notice what happens to him? He gets to the end. He says, you know, I'm I I'm in a spot it want to be so I'm gonna try to get myself out of it. I'm gonna go get a job. I'm gonna do this and it doesn't work. It doesn't happen.

It doesn't I can remember my own story My Own Story. I can remember being sick of myself. I finally got to that point where I tried my identity set in athletics my identity set in in my personality my identity set in my family my identity set in whatever I did right or however, I looked right my identity was all of these things.

And I tried everything. I'll never forget that moment when I was sick of myself. That moment when I was laying there by myself. And I realized there is something deeply wrong with me. And I can't do anything about it.

and my friends it's exactly what happened to this man in this story. So we've got this common problem that's called sin my way my pleasure. Nothing on Earth cures that's in problem. And and until I get sick of myself Nothing's Gonna Change.

And I want you to see what happens next. Until you are having a discontented heart that leads to Jesus. Nothing's going to change. And in fact, my friends just catch this for a minute. If you've got people in your little Iowa your circle that are kind of shaking their fist at God or pushing away from God. Here's the prayer for them.

That they would have a discontented heart. That leads to Jesus. Here's this guy. And he said I'll try this and that didn't answer the call. I'll do whatever I want have all the pleasure and then he said well, I'm gonna I'm gonna fix it by doing this and that didn't do it.

but I want you to see what happens next he gets this discontented heart and that causes him that causes him to confess and believe that causes him to confess and believe so go back to the text and look at it with me. Look what he does. So in verse 17, here's what it says. So when he came to his senses, is that just a beautiful phrase. He said how many of my father's hired men have food dispared here. I am starving to death. I will set out go back to my father and say to him father. I have sinned and listen to it now against heaven.

and against you I'm no longer worthy to be called your your son. Make me like one of your hired men. So we got up and he went to his father. My friends want you just to sit in this just for a minute.

This is the moment. When you move from Darkness to light when you confess. I can't do it. I can't fix it I have sinned. I don't deserve. And you confess that and we use this word bible is this word repent and repent means this I've been going this way and that's the wrong way repentance.

It says I'm going to quit going that way and now I'm going to go this way. And so this son right the sun who who was in the right spot, but he ran from his father to something else and here's repentance.

Turning from that something else. back to the father My friends his greatest move is this he came to his senses and said what am I doing? I can't fix this. I can't do it. I can't.

And my friends listen, here's where we have to be really careful where you have to be really careful when you come to Jesus. And when I came when I came to Jesus, I didn't earn it. You didn't earn it. I don't deserve it. You don't deserve it it really it's it's the grace of God. It's it's something that we can't earn. It's it's the gift that's sitting there it is.

And we can't get it but we get fast and we believe we confess that I can't do it. But Jesus has done it for me. Jesus has done this for me. I don't deserve it. In fact, I love this verse from Romans 5A. I I go back again and again and again when I start to think I've done something.

For God but God demonstrates his own love for us in this. Well, we were still sinners Christ died for us. He didn't wait for you to straighten up didn't wait for you to get your act together and wait for you to figure it out. Jesus died for you Eve and when you are saying And that's the beauty of this confess and believe that's who Jesus is. That's what he did. Now this let's go to the last kind of part of this. Okay?

So I the common problem is sin, right? Okay, that's that's clear. We all know that nothing on Earth cures to sin problem that that's that's one of the Tipping points confess and believe Jesus is the only way and there it is, right that's step the faith line. That's new believer. And here's what the new believer has to do now.

The new Believers simply has to do this receive the gift. Receive it especially in Iowa. We're so prone to have to I've got to earn something or you know, hey, we got something free for you. No, no. No, there's got to be a catch to it or hey, no, no, I don't deserve that or I haven't earned that and that's just a natural part of us Iowans.

But go back to the text now and and look out. So remember in verse 20. He said this so he got up. And he went to his father. And here's what it says. 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 through his arms around him and kissed him and the son said father of sinned against heaven and against you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son and look at verse 22 and here's this little little word again, but so up in 20 he said but while he was still a long way off and now in 22 says but the father said You know, sometimes we have a picture of of what the what what Jesus is like what he's like what he's like, but with Jesus there's always his butt and he's always gonna surprise us. His love is deeper than you thought it can be his grace is deeper than you thought he is Mercy is stronger than you thought it can be and that's why both times this is but here's what he's like, but here's what he's like and look at this last part in 22, it says 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 fat and calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate for this son of mine was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found so what to say so they began to celebrate.

My friends listen when you receive this gift you good. I knew identity and a new family a new identity and and the new family Paul kind of says the identity part this way and second Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul later said this therefore if anyone is in Christ, that means you No matter who you are where you've been what you've done or what's been done to you if anyone steps over line is in Christ.

The new creation has come. The old is gone. The new is here. And what's new what's new you get a new identity. When you say yes to Jesus, you release the chains of sin and bondage. You can now become the person you are actually created to be the actual person.

You can't be anything that you want or your parents want or your current feelings? Well, I'm sorry to tell you this but you can't I didn't go to the NFL. I thought I could I'm not I couldn't play in the NBA right you can here's what you can be. When you step in the receive the gift of Jesus. You can be the person that they created the universe actually created you to be.

Not Mastered by sin not a slave to emotions not Mastered by fears. Not the some of your mistakes not the victim of your past. You have a new identity now you are in Christ and you are free from that and not just a new identity friends. A new family go back to the text. I want you to see what the father did. So in 22 it says but the father said but okay the big word 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. Every one of those things symbolizes this you're a part of this family. This is the family robe the protects you this is this is you're part of this. Now you're covered in this family. The ring was a symbol of a sword like a Signet ring, right the symbol of authority in the sandals on your feet that you were in the family slaves didn't get sandals.

Only daughters and sons got sandals. And my friends when you when you became a new believer, will you become a new believer? Not only a new identity in Christ. But you get a new family that you belong to a new family that you're that you're a part of that you that you belong to and now you move into this family. You're not just a rump in a seed at Prairie Lakes Church. You're a part of this thing called the family.

So so the question is, what do I do now with the new me? What do I do now back to the discipleship path? I want you to see this. So so when you get to this spot, here's the danger that faces us really and every one of these phases but the danger of this right here is that you get stuck here.

And some of you some of you been stuck here, okay. And some of you who are in brand new Believers. I don't want that for you. Some of you made a decision. You stepped over the faith lying a long time ago and you've been sitting in that spot still because you didn't do anything with it. You didn't move in that spot you sat there.

And there's nothing worse. Than being a baby Christian. Year after year after year. Jesus design is that you grow and you move and you move and here's how this can be more than decision. You just made here's the key to not getting stuck as a new believer.

You you take steps you take these small steps, you take these big next steps. You you have to do it. One of the greatest the big milestone from from new believer into being discipled as the is baptism. Just think about baptism at Prairie Lakes.

Here's how we do baptism. And and you become a you become a believer in Jesus and you have a new idea you're transformed. You're a new identity your new person. You have a new family and baptism is this it's the picture of that right? So so you get in the water and we practice immersion baptism because we think it's the best we think it's the best picture. Okay, there's all kinds of mode you can sprinkle you can pour you can dunk like this, right? That's not really the point. We just think this is a really great picture and here's the picture baptism.

You're standing in the water. And now that you're a new believer you have you you are new person you you have died to yourself. Okay, no longer me, but Jesus in me. And under the waters this picture of you just being it's no longer about me. It's about Jesus. My old self is dead.

And then when they bring you up out of the water, the picture is just as Jesus was raised to New Life. Someday, you will be raised to New Life and in this moment, right because you're a believer in Jesus. This is the picture of you being a new person.

Clean before God. And that's why this baptism is so important and if your believer you've never been baptized, we we say you you've got to do that, right? You need to take that step. And and if you're one of these new Believers you one of your big next steps is this you you get baptized but it's not just that right. It's not just that you got to get yourself an environments and relationships that move you that move you in this new person that you are this new family that you're in so what do I do? Here's what you do ready?

You take what we call these next steps. And here's what they are. You you get to this thing called Prairie Lakes church. Now we the best Church. No, we the perfect Church absolutely not but this is your family. And you you to take these steps you start to attend. Regularly. What that does is you get this weekly this regular feeding and you get sent home with stuff and you get sent home with the word and you and you're gonna be around people. So we think that's really important that you attend regularly. We think it's really important that you connect relationally that you get in the group. We're gonna talk about that little bit but you get in a group some other people and listen don't play games remember about the spirits the Curious Thing That Jesus love was their authenticity you get in this group you guys and I don't know much and I want to know more and the best way for you to know more and grow more is to put yourself with some other people think that's super important.

Another thing that we think is really important is you begin to serve you begin to say. Hey, I'm a part of this family now, so, how can I help this thing? Be better. How can I help this thing reach more people who are where I was and and you jump in and you serve it when you serve you kind of get On The A Team with some people and you you kind of getting relationships with them and you you can see that it matters and and that it makes a difference.

And another thing you start doing is is you start giving and you start saying this I'm a part of this thing and and everything is different about me. Now. What I have really is a mind, it's really God's and you start that but listen, there's these these steps that you have to take because if you don't you're gonna sit here And though we celebrate new believer.

A new believer. That doesn't move it's a pretty sad place to be. And we don't want that for you. We want you to move we want we want you to you to go and and we want you to get yourself with these environments and relationships right off the bat. So if you're not in that if you're not there we want you to do that. And and and we have we have spots for you. We have places for you. No matter no matter where you're at right now matter what campus you're at, wherever you're at now or around the world. We've got spots for you to just gain some baseline knowledge. We have we have a Bible Savvy that really helps you understand how the Bible was was put together.

We have classes called first principles groups called first principles that you can get in and listen. We have this beautiful Faith line book. We want to get that in your hand. It is it is it explains what the faith line is and it has 14 days of things that you just need to know and learn about who Jesus is but how much he loves you about how the new you is wired and programmed and and what's next we think it's a beautiful starting place.

My friends listen some of you you just stepped into this knows. Yes now, don't be stuck. Okay, don't be stuck as some of you you've been stuck here. Okay, you have to find the admit that to yourself. I got to hear but I didn't do anything. I was afraid to get in the group. I was afraid to serve I was afraid of the vulnerable with anybody. I was afraid to study because I didn't want to look stupid right? All listen that's in the past now.

We want you. to move and if you're in this spot right now. Here's here's what we're asking you to do just like we did last week. Text moved. To 99581 moved to 99581 and just click on new believer and and in that new believer webs and that new believer spot. There's all these big and small Nick steps that you can take that they're all right there. We want this for you. I want this for you.

This is the phase of your development back to the discipleship path. This is the phase of your development where our next steps really if you can get them planted now wait till next week and then wait till two weeks. And and you can move you can really move.

And be the person. that God actually created you to be the only you that you were created to be. my friends let's Move I'm going to pray for us right now right now.

Let's pray together. Very bow your heads. Let's pray. So father, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for the freedom and the hope and the peace that we have with Jesus. And that we don't have to stay stuck in our past. But you've called us to a New Life.

And father right now, would you help us to get past our defenses? to move past our our fear of vulnerability To move past God a sense of of loss but move to a sense of gain.

And help us God to move. Take the right Next Step. We give this to you. We're grateful the name of Jesus. We pray amen.