Awakening to Longing: Finding Fulfillment in God
Summary
### Summary
Today, we embark on a five-week series titled "Finding Your Way Back to God," inspired by the book by Dave and John Ferguson. This series is deeply aligned with the mission of Newton CC, which has been to help people find their way home to God for over 40 years. The Fergusons' book is based on hundreds of interviews and thousands of observations, revealing a common pattern in people's spiritual journeys, which they describe as five spiritual awakenings. These awakenings are essential for anyone seeking to find their way back to God, whether for the first time or once again.
The first awakening we explore today is the "Awakening to Longing." Longings are universal and manifest in various forms, such as in the stories we tell, the art we create, and the songs we sing. These longings are also evident in the Bible, particularly in the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15. This parable is not just a tale of a wayward son but a reflection of our own spiritual journeys. The prodigal son had a good life but felt something was missing, leading him to seek fulfillment in distant lands and wild living. However, his journey only left him empty and longing for more.
We all share three fundamental longings: the longing for love, purpose, and meaning. The prodigal son’s story illustrates these longings vividly. Despite having a loving father and a secure future, he sought a greater love, a deeper purpose, and a more profound meaning in life. His quest led him to squander his inheritance and hit rock bottom, highlighting the futility of seeking fulfillment apart from God.
Our longings are not wrong; they are God-given. However, the mistake lies in trying to satisfy them without God. True satisfaction comes not from running away from God but running toward Him. Ephesians 2 reminds us that we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which gives our lives purpose and meaning. Blaise Pascal, a 17th-century mathematician, challenged people to wager on God, to taste and see that the Lord is good. This week, I encourage you to pray, "God, if you are real, make yourself real to me. Awaken in me the ability to see that you are what's missing from my life."
### Key Takeaways
1. Awakening to Longing: Our universal longings for love, purpose, and meaning are God-given and manifest in various aspects of our lives. These longings are not wrong but are meant to draw us closer to God. The story of the prodigal son illustrates how seeking fulfillment apart from God leads to emptiness. [01:20]
2. Longing for Love: The prodigal son had a loving father and a secure future but still felt something was missing. This longing for a greater love led him to make poor choices. Similarly, our deepest longing for love can only be fully satisfied in God, who offers a perfect and eternal love. [10:50]
3. Longing for Purpose: The prodigal son sought purpose in distant lands and wild living, only to find emptiness. We all have an innate desire for purpose, which can only be truly fulfilled in Christ. Ephesians 2 reminds us that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works, giving our lives meaning and direction. [18:32]
4. Longing for Meaning: The prodigal son’s journey into self-pleasure left him empty and longing for meaning. Our search for meaning often leads us to ask big, existential questions. These longings for something better are hardwired into us by our Creator and are meant to lead us back to Him. [22:06]
5. Running Toward God: Our longings are not satisfied by running from God but by running toward Him. True fulfillment comes from living obediently to God and embracing the purpose and love He offers. Blaise Pascal’s wager challenges us to bet on God, to taste and see that the Lord is good, and to find satisfaction in Him. [27:18]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:20] - Introduction to the Series
[02:27] - Continual Journey to God
[03:18] - Five Spiritual Awakenings
[04:23] - Awakening to Longing
[05:10] - Audience Participation
[06:29] - Longings in the Bible
[07:44] - The Prodigal Son Story
[09:36] - Our Story
[10:50] - Longing for Love
[13:10] - The Father's Love
[14:56] - Glenn Wolfe's Story
[16:41] - Longing for Relationships
[18:32] - Longing for Purpose
[20:18] - Childhood Dreams
[22:06] - Longing for Meaning
[23:40] - Big Questions
[25:40] - God-Given Longings
[27:18] - Running Toward God
[28:48] - Blaise Pascal's Wager
[30:45] - Prayer and Invitation
[32:23] - Encouragement to Pray
[33:51] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Luke 15:11-24 (The Parable of the Prodigal Son)
- Ephesians 2:8-10 (Created in Christ Jesus to do good works)
#### Observation Questions
1. What are the three fundamental longings mentioned in the sermon that are illustrated in the story of the prodigal son? ([03:18])
2. How did the prodigal son’s actions reflect his longing for love, purpose, and meaning? ([07:44])
3. According to Ephesians 2:10, what are we created for in Christ Jesus? How does this relate to our search for purpose? ([27:18])
4. What was the father's reaction when the prodigal son returned home, and what does this signify about God's love for us? ([08:44])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How do the longings for love, purpose, and meaning manifest in our daily lives, and why are they considered God-given? ([04:23])
2. In what ways does the story of the prodigal son illustrate the futility of seeking fulfillment apart from God? ([07:44])
3. How does Ephesians 2:8-10 help us understand the concept of finding true purpose and meaning in life? ([27:18])
4. What does Blaise Pascal’s wager suggest about the importance of seeking God, and how can this challenge our current beliefs or doubts? ([28:48])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you sought love, purpose, or meaning apart from God. What was the outcome, and how did it affect your spiritual journey? ([07:44])
2. The prodigal son hit rock bottom before realizing his need for his father. Have you experienced a similar moment of realization in your life? How did it change your perspective? ([20:18])
3. Ephesians 2:10 states that we are created to do good works. What specific good work do you feel called to pursue, and how can you start this week? ([27:18])
4. Blaise Pascal encouraged people to wager on God. What steps can you take this week to "taste and see that the Lord is good"? ([28:48])
5. The sermon encourages us to pray, "God, if you are real, make yourself real to me." How can incorporating this prayer into your daily routine impact your relationship with God? ([30:45])
6. Think about the universal longing for love. How can you seek and experience God's perfect love in your current relationships and interactions? ([10:50])
7. Identify one area in your life where you feel a lack of purpose or meaning. What practical steps can you take to align this area with God's purpose for you? ([18:32])
Devotional
Day 1: Awakening to Longing
Our universal longings for love, purpose, and meaning are God-given and manifest in various aspects of our lives. These longings are not wrong but are meant to draw us closer to God. The story of the prodigal son illustrates how seeking fulfillment apart from God leads to emptiness. [01:20]
In the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15, we see a young man who had everything he needed but still felt an insatiable longing for something more. This longing drove him to leave his father's house in search of fulfillment in distant lands and wild living. However, his journey only led him to a place of emptiness and despair. This narrative is a reflection of our own spiritual journeys. We all have deep-seated longings for love, purpose, and meaning, which are evident in the stories we tell, the art we create, and the songs we sing. These longings are universal and God-given, meant to draw us closer to Him.
The mistake lies not in having these longings but in trying to satisfy them apart from God. True satisfaction comes not from running away from God but running toward Him. Ephesians 2 reminds us that we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which gives our lives purpose and meaning. This week, take a moment to pray, "God, if you are real, make yourself real to me. Awaken in me the ability to see that you are what's missing from my life."
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Reflection: What are the longings in your life that you have tried to satisfy apart from God? How can you begin to seek fulfillment in Him instead?
Day 2: Longing for Love
The prodigal son had a loving father and a secure future but still felt something was missing. This longing for a greater love led him to make poor choices. Similarly, our deepest longing for love can only be fully satisfied in God, who offers a perfect and eternal love. [10:50]
The prodigal son’s story is a powerful illustration of our innate longing for love. Despite having a loving father and a secure future, the son felt an emptiness that led him to seek love in all the wrong places. This quest for a greater love led him to make poor choices, ultimately leaving him more empty and broken than before. This narrative resonates with many of us who have sought love and acceptance in relationships, achievements, or material possessions, only to find that they fall short of fulfilling our deepest needs.
God offers a perfect and eternal love that surpasses all human understanding. His love is unconditional, unwavering, and everlasting. When we turn to God and embrace His love, we find the true fulfillment that our hearts have been longing for. Reflect on the ways you have sought love apart from God and consider how you can open your heart to His perfect love today.
1 John 4:16 (ESV): "So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."
Reflection: In what ways have you sought love and acceptance apart from God? How can you open your heart to receive His perfect and eternal love today?
Day 3: Longing for Purpose
The prodigal son sought purpose in distant lands and wild living, only to find emptiness. We all have an innate desire for purpose, which can only be truly fulfilled in Christ. Ephesians 2 reminds us that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works, giving our lives meaning and direction. [18:32]
The prodigal son’s journey to distant lands in search of purpose is a reflection of our own quests for meaning and direction in life. He believed that by leaving his father's house and indulging in wild living, he would find the purpose and fulfillment he was seeking. However, his journey only led him to a place of emptiness and despair. This narrative highlights the futility of seeking purpose apart from God.
We all have an innate desire for purpose, which can only be truly fulfilled in Christ. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. This gives our lives meaning and direction, aligning us with God's divine plan. Reflect on the ways you have sought purpose apart from God and consider how you can align your life with His purpose for you.
Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV): "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
Reflection: What are the ways you have sought purpose apart from God? How can you align your life with His purpose for you today?
Day 4: Longing for Meaning
The prodigal son’s journey into self-pleasure left him empty and longing for meaning. Our search for meaning often leads us to ask big, existential questions. These longings for something better are hardwired into us by our Creator and are meant to lead us back to Him. [22:06]
The prodigal son’s pursuit of self-pleasure and indulgence ultimately left him feeling empty and longing for meaning. This narrative is a reflection of our own search for meaning in life. We often seek fulfillment in various pursuits, whether it be through career achievements, relationships, or material possessions. However, these pursuits often leave us with more questions than answers, leading us to ask big, existential questions about the purpose and meaning of our lives.
These longings for something better are hardwired into us by our Creator and are meant to lead us back to Him. God has placed these desires in our hearts to draw us closer to Him and to help us realize that true meaning and fulfillment can only be found in a relationship with Him. Reflect on the ways you have sought meaning apart from God and consider how you can turn to Him for true fulfillment.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV): "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."
Reflection: What are the ways you have sought meaning apart from God? How can you turn to Him for true fulfillment today?
Day 5: Running Toward God
Our longings are not satisfied by running from God but by running toward Him. True fulfillment comes from living obediently to God and embracing the purpose and love He offers. Blaise Pascal’s wager challenges us to bet on God, to taste and see that the Lord is good, and to find satisfaction in Him. [27:18]
The story of the prodigal son teaches us that our longings are not satisfied by running from God but by running toward Him. The son’s journey away from his father’s house in search of fulfillment only led him to a place of emptiness and despair. It was only when he decided to return to his father that he found true fulfillment and acceptance. This narrative is a powerful reminder that true satisfaction comes from living obediently to God and embracing the purpose and love He offers.
Blaise Pascal, a 17th-century mathematician, challenged people to wager on God, to taste and see that the Lord is good. This week, take a moment to pray, "God, if you are real, make yourself real to me. Awaken in me the ability to see that you are what's missing from my life." Reflect on the ways you have run from God and consider how you can turn toward Him to find true fulfillment.
Psalm 34:8 (ESV): "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"
Reflection: In what ways have you run from God in search of fulfillment? How can you turn toward Him and embrace the purpose and love He offers today?
Quotes
1. "Yes, finding our way to God is about that one-time moment. That one-time decision. That life-changing moment. That eternity-altering moment when we first come to understand the grace of God. And we begin a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. But I want you to know that finding our way back to God is also a continual thing. It's a part of spiritual progress. It's a part of life. It's a part of growth, progress." [02:27] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "The reality is, is we've all had times when we have wandered from the faith. When we have wandered away from the hope of our eternal home. We've had times when we have not prioritized God the way that we ought to in our lives. We've all had times when we have turned our backs on God. Perhaps maybe just completely turned our backs on God." [03:18] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We all have a longing to be loved, and sometimes that longing to be loved will lead us to places that we never thought we would go. Sometimes it will lead us to do things that we never thought we would do, all in search of a perfect love. That fully satisfies our deepest longing." [14:56] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We all long for purpose in life. You think about a little kid, a little kid about five or six years old, a little kid that has a really good life. He has it made. He doesn't realize he has it made. But one day he's going to grow up and realize that he had it made. Anybody been there before? Start working, start paying bills. Like, man, I had it made back then." [20:18] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We have this innate longing to be loved. A longing that can only fully be satisfied in God. Another longing that we have as human beings is a longing for purpose. A longing for purpose. And in verse 13, Luke chapter 15, we read this. Jesus says, 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." [16:41] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "We all have longings. In fact, longings are so universal in the human race. That they show up nearly everywhere. The longing, the awakening to longing. And these universal longings that we all have. They show up in stories that we write. In stories that we read. They show up in the art that we create. In the art that gets displayed. And they show up in the songs that we sing." [04:23] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "Our longings, they are not satisfied by running from God, but running toward God. Our longings, our universal human longings, they're not satisfied by running from God. They're not satisfied by running toward God. By choosing to rebel against God and be disobedient to God, they're satisfied when we run towards God and we choose to start living obediently to Him." [27:18] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "We have to let our longings, these universal human longings, that we all have deep down inside, we have to let those longings lead us back to him. They can lead us in a lot of different directions. They can lead us to a lot of different things. But we need to let these longings lead us back to God and lead us deeper in love with him." [32:23] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "We all have a longing to be loved. If we look again at what we've read in Luke chapter 15, verses 11 and 12 begins our text. Jesus continued, 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. Give me my share of the estate. Now, obviously, this younger son, had a lot of greed going on inside of him." [10:50] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "We all have this innate longing. Innate meaning our creator God has put it in us. It's like a part of the fabric of our DNA and what we were created to be. We have this innate longing to be loved. A longing that can only fully be satisfied in God." [16:41] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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