Strategic Relationships Unlock Revival —2/1/26 with Communion

God’s Fatherly heart is revealed as a pursuing, rejoicing love that leaves the safe celebration to seek the one who is lost. The narrative moves from the shepherd and the lost coin to the familiar story of two sons, exposing how proximity to the father (staying at home, doing the work) can mask a hardened heart that lacks empathy. The elder son’s anger and invented accusations point to a deeper problem: assumptions and self-righteousness close the door to compassion and prevent the household from being a truly safe place for return. By contrast, the father’s response models grace—he runs, restores, and throws a feast—celebrating reconciliation rather than inspecting sin.

This posture frames the call to be sent ones: every believer, by virtue of conversion, is enlisted into the reconciliation work. Statistics mentioned in the talk underscore a gap between willingness and action—many would come if invited, yet very few extend invitations—so the task is practical as well as spiritual. The necessary work begins inward: asking the Father to search the heart, repenting of attitudes that repel rather than receive, and allowing God to align affections with his. That inward work naturally overflows outward as believers are asked to name people to pray for, set reminders to intercede, and make simple, repeated offers of welcome—coffee, dinner, an invite to church—trusting that God values the one who returns more than the many who never wandered.

Communion closes this invitation with a reminder: restoration is grounded in Christ’s broken body and spilled blood, and participation in the feast both celebrates what God has done and commissions the community to join in the ongoing process of reconciliation. The call is not to perform for approval but to reflect the Father’s heart so the church becomes a safe, welcoming place where the lost can find life, forgiveness, and a home. Practical next steps include heart-examination, sustained prayer for specific people, and consistent invitations that demonstrate God’s longing for restoration.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God's heart pursues the lost The father leaves the celebration to go after the one who has strayed, showing that divine love seeks restoration before it judges. This pursuit reframes evangelistic work as accompaniment with grief and joy rather than inspection; the priority is recovery, not reputation. Believers are invited to imitate that posture: to grieve with those who wander and to rejoice loudly when restoration comes. [19:47]
• 2. Proximity does not equal intimacy Showing up and serving at the Father’s house can coexist with a heart that is distant from the Father’s affections. Intimacy requires inward formation: allowing God to shape motives so actions reflect his joy, not personal scorekeeping. The elder son’s presence could not substitute for compassion, and faithful service must be examined for humility and empathy. [16:26]
• 3. Assumptions close doors to compassion In the elder brother’s absence of facts, a story about sin was invented—demonstrating how quick judgments erect barriers to welcome. When the community supplies narratives that shame instead of restore, returnees hear condemnation where they most need mercy. The discipline of suspending story-making and asking the Father for clarity preserves space for repentance and rehabilitation. [16:49]
• 4. Invitation is simple, urgent work A large majority would respond to an invite, yet only a small fraction extend one; the gap reveals that mission is often practical and overlooked. Small, repeated offers of welcome—coffee, a meal, or church—partner with God’s work and can catalyze significant spiritual restoration. The call is to persist without assuming quick results, trusting that steady, humble invitation participates in heaven’s rejoicing. [08:20]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:12] - Testimony introduction
• [05:21] - Prayer and community response
• [07:43] - Luke 15: the leaving of the 99
• [08:20] - Invitation statistics and the gap
• [11:47] - Parable of the two sons introduced
• [15:36] - Proximity vs. intimacy explained
• [19:47] - The father leaves the celebration
• [23:35] - Faithfulness vs. the father's heart
• [27:47] - Practical steps: examine your heart
• [29:58] - Pray, list, and invite specific people
• [31:35] - Communion and restoration
• [34:26] - Healing prayer and closing

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary:

Bible Reading

Luke 15:11-32 (ESV)
"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. 'Not long after, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a distant country and there he squandered his wealth in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. He went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I am perishing here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry, for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to make merry. Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this means. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and pleaded with him. But he said to his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command. Yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours comes, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 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.’"

James 5:9 (ESV)
"Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door."

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (ESV)
"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

Observation questions

1. The younger son asked for his inheritance early, which was unusual. What does this request reveal about his heart and his relationship with his father? [12:13]
2. When the younger son returned, the father "felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." What does this immediate and enthusiastic response tell us about the father's heart? [12:42]
3. The older son was angry and refused to join the celebration. What specific accusations did he make against his younger brother? [16:49]
4. The passage in 2 Corinthians speaks of a "ministry of reconciliation." What does this ministry entail, and how are believers entrusted with it? [26:09]

Interpretation questions

1. The sermon highlighted that "proximity does not equal intimacy." [15:36] How does the older son's situation illustrate this idea, even though he was physically present and working for his father?
2. The sermon pointed out that "assumptions close doors to compassion." [16:49] How did the older son's assumptions about his brother's actions lead to his anger and refusal to welcome him back?
3. The father in the parable left the celebration to go after the older son. [19:47] What does this action reveal about the father's persistent love and his desire for reconciliation, even with those who seem to be "on his side"?
4. The message of reconciliation is described as a ministry entrusted to believers. [26:09] What might be some of the "trespasses" that God is not counting against the world as we are called to share this message?

Application questions

1. The sermon emphasized that God's heart pursues the lost. [19:47] Think about someone in your life who may be distant from God. What is one small, tangible way you could show them God's pursuing love this week?
2. We are called to be "sent ones" involved in reconciliation. [26:09] What attitudes or assumptions might be hindering your own heart from fully embracing this ministry of reconciliation? How can you ask God to search your heart in this area? [27:47]
3. The statistics shared indicated a significant gap between people being willing to come to church if invited and the small percentage who actually extend invitations. [08:20] What is one practical step you can take this week to bridge that gap by extending a simple invitation to someone?
4. The older son's heart was revealed in a time of celebration. [20:16] When do you find your own heart is most revealed? How can you ensure that your celebrations reflect the Father's joy over the lost being found?
5. The sermon encouraged us to name people to pray for and set reminders. [29:17] Who is one person the Lord has put on your heart to pray for specifically this week, and how will you remember to pray for them?
6. Communion reminds us that restoration is grounded in Christ's sacrifice. [31:35] How can participating in communion empower you to be a participant in God's ongoing work of reconciliation in the lives of others?