Full text/Audio/Video at https://gracesummit.org/Messages/20231119 So, Larry Crabb talks about this – and I think why good people wound others – and this is what his books are about, as he was wounded by these things. Our form of faith and discipleship – that goes like this – if we follow the playbook, which is viewed as a book of laws, rules, command, practices, and examples – if we do all of that, as fully as possible – life will work and turn out the way it is supposed to and you will be blessed “If we get it right -we’ll enjoy deep peace, our kids will love us, our souls will be refreshed and rested, our ministries will be successful…” – and all that worked for a long time until it didn’t. You know how your bank account goes up like an escalator and comes down like an elevator? I think that is how this works – we have this escalator of discipleship – and then stuff happens to us and we go down like off a cliff!. ... I am going to take some license with this – this is not serious biblical exegesis – allow me this – after the son goes through his confession – we don’t hear the father say the things we expect to hear – “I forgive you – what is the moral of this story – what could you have done differently” – He basically ignores the son and turns to the servants and says – let’s have a party – my son is back! I think this is the father’s way of doing faith and church! The way he does it – a celebration of the resurrection – a celebration of new life in Christ – a celebration of grace, mercy, and forgiveness – and I believe that is the way the Bible wants us to read the Bible! It says it right here – this son was dead and is alive! 25 "Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. “Oh no! Dad is backsliding! Music and dancing! He is going to hell!” ... Here it is – his Larry Crabb moment: 29 "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; The older son was living a life of faith and discipleship that was ‘doing it right’ – and it worked for him for so many years… 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.' So, it worked, until it didn’t – and when it didn’t work – he went off a cliff! He needed to UNLEARN his understanding of discipleship, faith, and church. 31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. (it is not about doing it right – it is about the generosity, love, and grace of the father!) 32 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'" We do not need to perform to ‘get stuff from God’ – it is not based on our performance, but it is a celebration of the resurrection. Practical applications – keep unlearning and re-learning Matthew 11: 28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke (teaching and discipleship) upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Does your discipleship cause your soul to rest? Or does it bring anxiety? 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." I have mentioned this in the past – I always think of Dennis Knable when I read verse 30 – For those of you who didn’t know him – our churches merged and he became a pastor here – and with 10 years of friendship – he always wanted to lighten peoples’ discipleship load. That is just the type of person he was. Preachers and pastors tend to emphasize that following Jesus is hard. Yes, following Jesus will bring suffering – it is a reality and part of life – but Jesus is clear – it is not a heavy burden – not a great weight – but easy to bear and light. And that just doesn’t’ fit our culture and world at all – we believe things should be hard – and yes, it is hard – but I think He is speaking of guilt, shame, performance – spiritual burden He doesn’t want us to bear – He bore them for us on the cross. First, lighten the load – first, for ourselves and for others. We need to learn to become wounded healers. Henri Nouwen – wrote a book – The Wounded Healer. Jesus is the wounded Healer – By His stripes, we are healed. But we can become wounded healers. Hebrews 4: 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. He has been through everything we have been through – suffered, wounded – so that we can have freedom. “We must realize our power to speak or minister on God’s behalf to wounded people depends on our ability and willingness to speak out of our own woundedness”
