Women | Tyler McKenzie

Crossing family. I'm so glad that you guys

decided to show up and hang out at church with us this weekend.

You guys can go ahead and have a seat if you're still standing.

We're super thankful for each and every single one of you, I

want to welcome those of you joining at all of our different

locations. Those of you watching inside and

of course all of you watching online.

This Mother's Day weekend, we have a very special treat.

If you are part of uncommon last year, we brought in three great

communicators and one of those communicators is Tyler

Mackenzie. And I reached out to him and

asked him if he'd be willing to come and share with us this

weekend. For those of you who don't know

him, he is a young leader in a large Church.

Who's making a big impact inside of our movement?

He's the senior pastor of Northeast Christian Church,

which is in Kentucky. And it's either Louisville,

Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky or LaRue Kentucky and he is here to

hang out with us this weekend. So if you guys would, please put

your hands together and do a big Crossing welcome.

For my friend and our preacher this weekend.

Mr. Tyler McKenzie. Christian Smith.

Love it. Yes.

A good morning, good afternoon. Good evening Crossing fan

whenever you're watching this wherever you join us from.

I am so excited to be with you. I'll be in part two of a series.

You kicked off last week called surrounded and we're looking at

the group's people, that surrounded Jesus and how he

interacted with them. And I have been given the

esteemed Honor on this Mother's Day weekend of addressing the

topic of women. Because Clayton was going to

touch that. I'm just like, he told me he's

like, my wife's gonna be an audience and are trying to sleep

on a couch for the next few weeks.

So my wife's not in the audience, she's in Louisville.

She'll never hear this. So here we are.

Now I got to tell you, I have known Clayton for a year to now

and I have admired him from afar.

I honestly wish we lived closer, to be honest with you.

I think we'd be tighter. I think we'd be sharing more

leadership insights. Every time I talk to the guy on

the phone, I learned something new and more.

Importantly I get my passion tank filled up for the mission

of God. God and to take God's love to

the Lost honestly. And so, I would say that you're

lucky to have a leader like him here.

Jerry is a great leader, great leaders, see, great leaders.

And, and I mean, just to watch how this kind of transition is

happening, the two leaders here has been a blessing to me now.

Real quick intro on me. Clayton, has some of it again.

My name is Tyler. I'm from Louisville.

It's love. Just to just really

one-and-a-half syllables Louisville.

Kentucky, I've been there for 10 years but I was actually raised

in Winston-Salem North Carolina. Reason why we ended up when

saying North Carolina was because my dad's Ministry took

us there, which means, yes, I'm a preacher's kid, which means?

Yes, I out likely, or I likely out send most of you like 10 to

1 by the age of 18. Are there.

Any preachers kids about away in this room today?

Yeah, one. Okay, It's because the rest of

them are probably in a county Penitentiary or out, vandalizing

the cars in the parking lot. You know I'm saying because

that's how the preachers kids roll.

Now I want to introduce you to the best part of me.

This is my beautiful family will start on this end.

This is my lovely. Wife of this will be 11 years.

Now, Lindsay McKenzie. She is a worship pastor and she

has a heart of gold. She's my pastor as well, which a

lot of people don't realize with the pastor's wife, a man, she

pastors and ministers to me in profound ways and You know,

locate ladies in the room, I know what you're thinking, when

you see a girl like her. And you see a guy like me,

You're thinking, man, he must be rich.

And it's true. You know, that's why we get into

the ministry. It's for the money, right?

No wrong industry. This is our oldest Palmer.

He is seven years old. He's a baseball player.

This is our youngest Olsen. He's one years old.

He is the Cookie Monster can eat three cookies at once.

I've seen it and this is our middle.

My four-year-old daughter Larkin, Rose.

And that is where I would like to begin my message today on

women. Because until January 17th,

2018. I got, to be honest with you, as

a man of God, I had not thought very much about what it meant to

be a woman of God. I had not thought very much

about what it meant to raise a woman of God.

I had not thought very much about the obstacles that women

face, especially women of God in our world today.

But then January 7th. 2018 happened in everything changes.

Your perspective, changes when you become a parent, right?

Maybe you're a mother of a son, all of a sudden, you start

thinking about, boys, and men, just a bit differently.

Same thing happened to me as father of daughter.

Now, look, I know that everybody's kids above-average.

I get it, but my actually are so, When I started realizing how

incredibly gifted Larkin was, I started asking myself questions

that I've never thought of before, like, well, you know,

why is it that there's never been a female president the

United States? Because she could do it maybe

right? Now better than anyway.

So like I'm just like she could when I realized how incredibly

gifted she was, I I started praying for her husband.

If she marries, when she probably won't I'll probably be

her best guy forever. She ain't him.

She definitely date until 33 but I started praying for her

husband because Because I want a strong man to partner with her.

She's going to be a strong woman.

So men have this joke. Of your, her gas tell it before?

It's not a very good. In fact, it's kind of

ridiculous. When you think about, we have

this joke that we say to each other will be like bro you

really output, I'll kick your butt coverage.

Or man, you married out of your league right ever.

Heard, guys say that you ever said that to a friend before by

looks of the guys in the room right now.

It's true. But I don't know if you ever

thought about that before men, but that's actually not a

compliment to the woman Like, I don't want that for my Larkin.

I don't want her husband someday to out kick his punt coverage or

Mary out of his league. So that she has to marry down.

No, I want her to find a strong enough man, for the strong woman

that I know. She'll be in.

If, you know my wife, she going to take, after she going to be a

strong woman. When I met Lindsey in seminary,

she didn't need a man to give her a reason to exist.

She had God had to give her a reason to make room for me in

her schedule. And I did.

That's what I want for my little girl.

Thanks change. When you have a daughter.

Now, what I've discovered taken deep interest in how Jesus

thinks and talks and interacts with women is that he has a

compellingly beautiful vision for what authentic Womanhood

looks like. And that's what I want to share

with you today because this Vision stands in beautiful

resistance, that's intentional language in beautiful resistance

to the way that our culture falsely defines Womanhood today.

Let's start with our culture. It several years ago, I was

reading a study on societal pressures that both men and

women feel when it comes to being masculine or feminine.

Let's start with the men. These were the words that men

associated with being manly in the United States.

Today words like winning emotional withdrawal.

Defiance violence dominance the Playboy.

Persona self-reliance, the prioritization of work

leadership over women disdain for effeminacy and pursuit of

status, or in other. Urge men here, the messaging

every single day do not be perceived as weak.

And I think that can be incredibly damaging to a man.

Now, on the flip side, I think the societal pressures on women

are even worse. Here were the words that women

Associated be thin. Be pretty be nice, be quiet, be

domestic. Be a good wife and be an even

better mom. Or in other words, if I could

summarize them in three categories, look, sexy mother,

well, and never lead. The study went on to show that

from these three broad categories is where women

experience a tremendous amount of Shame most shame that they

carry with them. So let's just ask the

million-dollar question women and men in the room today.

Is this supposed to be the center of our identity, as

followers of Jesus? But can you go to the previous

3? Let me ask you what's missing

from this list, Jesus followers. Well, noticeably missing from

this list is anything that all did has to do with being a

follower of Jesus noticeably missing from this list, is the

idea that a woman could make the impact outside of the home?

I mean, God forbid, some little girl with the cure for cancer

ever comes across this list right here.

Noticeably missing from this list is well is is the idea that

women have anything to offer men other than sex in a clean house?

What's he know? One of our big problems today is

that there's no balanced voices in this conversation.

You got people kind of on the extreme, right?

That are like, we gotta keep women insubordination and

submission. Then you got people on the

extreme left of like we gotta beat them into submission,

right? And like, it's just where do we

find a balanced voice. I'm telling you.

When you look at how Jesus interacts with with women

throughout the scriptures, not just balanced, it's

Transcendent. He transcends, the like left

versus right right political Fray that everything gets pushed

into today and he gives us a beautiful Vision.

So, I want to cash that beautiful vision for you and I

want to do it by asking a few questions that I think apply

well to these three categories. Here's the first question.

How many kids must a woman have? To be a good follower of Jesus.

How many kids get one? 210.

Okay, you do know that Mary, by the way, Jesus mom had at least

six. There were four boys and it says

Jesus had sisters plural, so at least six.

And I'm just saying, if you want to be like the Blessed Mother,

Some of y'all need to like, double down.

Triple down. It's me.

And you just leave church right now and go home.

Anyways, I'm just let me, let me ask it.

Ask it to you in a little bit of a different way.

Next slide here, how many kids did Jesus and his wife have Now,

the answer to that ridiculous question is zero, Jesus was not

married, Jesus did not have any kids.

So while scripture presents Parenthood, as an absolutely

worthwhile and significant calling for anyone to give their

life to It, also says that there's more to life, there's

more to your identity. There's something more

fundamentally core to who you are than just being a mom or

just being a dad. Now, Jesus hits on this in in

Luke 11:20. Seven.

Luke 11:20

So it says that, as Jesus was speaking a woman in the crowd

called out. God, bless your mother.

To which Jesus like thank you. Appreciate that.

Love her. I'm preaching though the wound

from which you came. Okay, now you're talking about

my mom's womb little strange, the breasts that nursed you.

All right? Don't talk about my mama like

that. So, you know, saying but like if

you could imagine this is he's wild.

He's preaching this woman. Shouts out.

Now, it's important for you to understand, by the way, that

this is what societal Norms said.

And Jesus, sort of patriarchal culture.

This is what it said, made a good woman.

A good woman was based on their child bearing capacity.

Hopefully, it was mostly boys. And hopefully, it was boys that

turned out to honor their family and Community.

Well, and if that was what measured a woman, well then Mary

hit the jackpot. Like you got honor.

Roll student on the back of your car.

Imagine her bumper sticker Son of God, right?

Like, she's just she's doing well.

Now. What I love about Jesus here is

that he doesn't like he doesn't put this woman down and he

doesn't degrade the role of his mother or of motherhood but

rather he antes up. In what he says back to her.

And actually refocuses our wraps, the identity of a woman

around something, even more important than motherhood.

Luke chapter 11 verse 28. Jesus replied says, even more

Luke 11:28

blessed. Interesting, even more blessed

are all, who hear the word of God and put it into practice.

Hmm. By the way, the Greek word here

for blessed is makarios. It basically means honored by

God. So who does Jesus say?

God honors most. Not a woman, not a man.

Not a mother. Not a she bossy CEO.

It says God honors. Most, anyone who simply hears

God's word and puts it into practice, that's what central so

perhaps I could sum it up for you.

Like this next slide here motherhood can honor God or not

they can't a career can honor God or not but what matters most

to Jesus is if you are living God's word.

So if you're a mother in the room say you're a full-time mom.

And you consider that vocationally to be what God's

called you to in this season of your life.

I want you to hear me say right on Go for it.

The next generation will change the world.

The only question is, how and you hold the formative clay of

their hearts and their minds in the palms of your hand as a mom?

You know what I believe, I believe Revival in the nation,

it didn't start in the white house.

It is starting to Supreme Court, it doesn't start in the Capitol

Building. No Revival starts around dinner

tables, it starts in toy rooms, it starts on the drive to

school, and back home every day as you press.

In one small investment at a time into your kids, we have

been called by Jesus to love the lost and make disciples, love

the lost and make disciples, love the lost and make

disciples. When you have kids, the front

lines of that battle is in the bedroom.

On the halt, right? So go after it moms, go after

it, you know, there's a cultural I out there from sort of the

progressive way of thinking that says that if you give your life

occasionally to Motherhood, or if you take decades off of your

career, in order to raise kids, somehow you're a lesser woman

somehow, you're setting things back for women, somehow you're

like supporting the patriarchy or whatever it may be, right?

I would tell you that God would say the opposite, Parenthood can

honor him. Motherhood can honor him again

your Raising up the Next Generation.

Now, this is in part, by the way, while there's so much shame

around motherhood because Mom set the bar so high for

themselves, you don't want to make a steak, you know, MSU kids

up, but here's what we all learn.

About the time when we hit 25, our parents messed us up at

least, even if you had great well-adjusted parents, they

screw you up just a little bit, all right?

And so, as a parent, it's like the goal is just to screw must

be as little as possible, Right? Like just let him get out of my

house alive, right? So that's like, that's, that's

how that's how you end up. so, Put so much pressure on yourself

moms. Today, if you hear anything

here, this, okay, would you mess up confess?

Ask for forgiveness, repent, and John near to Jesus, and that

right there, alone will be one of the best examples you can set

for your children. All right.

Now, on the other hand, for those of you ladies in the room

who have since that or who have not since that calling to be a

mom, or have not been given that opportunity to be a mom, or

maybe you do both, you're like full-time mom, full-time, in the

workplace, let me read this passage to you again because you

need to hear it, Luke 11, 28, Jesus replied, even more blessed

are all, who hear the word of God and put it into practice.

So, you are not a lesser woman either.

There is another cultural. I kind of from the far right

into the spectrum that says that if you're not devoting your life

to like full-time motherhood, or if you're single, or if you

haven't had a kid or whatever it may be, you are a lesser woman.

You're a lesser human. That's a lie from the pit of

Hell. Jesus is Calling here is not

limited based on your age, your marital status or your child

bearing capacity. Because if God isn't calling you

to be a mother or a wife, that doesn't mean God isn't calling.

You just means he's calling you somewhere else.

Answer the call. Question number two, we've

handled motherhood. Let's talk about sexy.

This is almost Blasphemous to say, how sexy do you have to be

to be loved by Jesus? Okay, let's just pause for a

second time out on the sermon and let me, let me take you back

a few days ago. When I was writing this, the

power of this of the questions that I'm asking day is meant to

be in just how stupid and ridiculous.

They are. Okay, the answer should be

obvious. So time in how sexy do you have

to be. To be loved by Jesus.

What a surprise you if I were to tell you today that if you read

all four gospels this week, you would not find one, not one

comment from Jesus or the authors of the gospels on the

physical attractiveness of any of his followers male or female.

Not one. And you want to know why?

Because they didn't care. It didn't matter.

Next slide here. It's interesting.

The gospels presented. Jesus.

Who judges people from the inside out, not the outside in.

and I wonder if, if any of us could get a little better at

that, we live in an outside-in culture, don't we live in a

culture that judges people first based on the color of their skin

or based on the clothes that they wear.

Or based on their physical attractiveness but that was not

a priority for Jesus. You know what Jesus cared about

Jesus cared about heart not hot. We learn a thing or two from

that. Now that being said that is not

to say that biblical Womanhood, our manhood has nothing at all

to do with sex. A brief word on that.

Today I'm already talking about women.

It was just okay PG-13. If you have a young child in the

room, it would be a great time to get a cup of coffee.

Our, our culture has become sexualized and pornified today,

like nothing I've ever seen. We live in a society that is

basically removed all restraints on sex except for consent and we

did it thinking that it would free us.

The idea really started to pick up Traction in the 1960s when

what historians call the sexual Liberation movement or the

sexual Revolution was launched basically the idea behind the

sexual Revolution was that if we stop making such a big deal

about sex, it wouldn't be such a big deal.

So that's the Playbook. Our country's been running for

six decades now. Now we have the we have the

luxury of retrospect you all. Right.

So we can look back a generation later and you tell me how is it

gone? Look around our culture today.

Are we more or less healthy when it comes to sex?

Are women more or less free? When it comes to sex.

So I think I think an argument for health would be a very

difficult argument to make because what I see is I see a

lot of pain, see a lot of confusion, I see a lot of

suffering and I see a lot of that carried on the shoulders,

not of men, but of women and children in our society.

Still today thousands upon thousands of unborn children are

aborted, why? Because sex has been taken out

of its appropriate Bond boundaries today, there is an

invisible father epidemic around our country why the SEC has been

taken outside of its appropriate boundaries, there's a porn

epidemic and it's contributing to the objectification of women.

It's contributing to sex trafficking around the globe and

it's making men look at women. Like they are like some sort of

piece of meat. From a butcher shop.

Why? Because sex has been removed

from its appropriate boundaries Today, there's a movement of

women actually rising up saying that for years.

Now, this has not been working for us like powerful men have

been using sex as a bargaining chip against us, so we can have

upward social mobility and that's not right, that's not

okay. And they're right.

Why? Because sex has been removed

from its appropriate boundaries. Now call me old-fashioned.

That's fine but I believe God put boundaries on sex, I don't

know for a reason. Because it's powerful. when it's

inside of its boundaries, it gives life when it's outside of

its boundaries, you can bring death When it's inside of its

boundaries you can build a family when it's outside of its

fat boundaries, it can tear family down.

When it's inside boundaries it can be the backbone of

civilization and society when it's outside of its boundaries

it can be its Achilles heel. Basically I heard it said like

this one sex is like fire and it's appropriate context.

It can warm the home outside of it, it can burn the home down.

So you know what we need? We need a generation of women

who demand that sex be honored on God's terms within its

appropriate boundaries and then they hold men too.

I will not be objectified. I will not be pornified.

I will not be abused abandoned or thrown to the curve.

I will be honored because I'm created in God's image.

I have enormous dignity eternally undeniably because of

that and Jesus died for me and if Jesus loves me that much so

should you hey, you want to know what, will get a man's attention

failure. So set hard boundaries ladies

and if he walks over those kick his butt to the curb and he may

not come back. And that'll be sad, but at

least, you'll do the next woman a favor.

Oh you know what else we need? We need a generation of men who

say, Amen, we need a generation of men who reject passivity know

what passivity is in men when they refuse to tell other men

What the right thing is to do when they see wrong in their

life, I am sick and tired of hearing the excuse.

Well, that's just locker room, talk.

I'm sick of tired of hearing that, you know, will boys, will

be boys. I'm tired of hearing like the

celebrity say, I never knew. Yeah, you did.

You just have the courage to call it out.

So we need a generation of men who has that sort of Courage who

looks at their brother in Christ sometimes and says I see this in

you it's wrong and I'm not okay with it.

You know what we need we don't need a sexual Revolution that

Great sex, we need a sexual Revolution that respects it.

And the women. and the children and the men that it affects

third question. And the last one.

Got a question for you ladies. How many people must the woman?

Follow? In order to be a follower of

Jesus. the answer is 1, obviously, in order to be a

follower of Jesus, all you have to do is follow Jesus, and you

want to love about Jesus that he actually welcomes women into his

disciples to discipleship Circle.

Luke chapter 8, verses 1, through 3 says Jesus began a

Luke 8:1

tour of the nearby towns and Villages preaching in

announcing. The good news about the kingdom

of God, took his twelve disciples with him, along with

some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases among

them were Mary of magdala from whom.

He had cast out seven demons interesting.

There's Joanna wife of chuza herod's Business business

manager or Susanna and many others who were contributing

from their own resources. Wow, to support Jesus and his

disciples. Now, three things.

Real quick about this, passage one, we see a rabbi a Jewish

rabbi. In the first century with women

in his discipleship Circle. You need understand.

That would have been scandalous. They're traveling with him,

they're sleeping in the same camp.

Like that would have brought great Scandal on Jesus, but he

thought it was worth it. Second, can you go back to verse

2 previous? I'd here, I want you to see the

kind of woman, he brought along with him, Mary of magdala from

whom, he had cast out seven demons.

Now, I'm not even sure what that meant, like it's but I guess

it's not as bad as a demon's. But what does it mean to even

have seven demons in you? Not good.

Okay. And yet Jesus heals her heels

her and then fast forward to the resurrection and all of a sudden

she's takes center stage, she sees the Risen Jesus first, and

she goes and evangelizes, the disciples.

The go to the next slide here. Last thing I want you to notice

is that also in Jesus Circle, were Rich went to Rich with, I'm

just saying they're rich women, women who were bankrolling Jesus

ministry through their financial support.

Can we just take a moment real quick?

Let's pray for the for the rich women in the room.

God thank you. For rich women will you multiply

them in this church in Jesus name?

Amen. This is a circle.

I love this is circle. You know, one day, Jesus was

actually at Marion Martha's house.

And you remember the story Martha was busy with the Woman's

Work, Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus learning.

This is how the story plays out. Luke 10:39.

Luke 10:39

It says her sister, Martha Sister, Mary sat at the Lord's

feet listening to what he taught.

Now, when Martha saw this, she gets a little bit, ticked off

understandably, so she's doing work and Mary's not so verse, 40

says, Martha came to Jesus and she said, Lord, doesn't it seem

unfair to you that my sister just sits here.

Well, I do all the work tell her to come help me. but then Jesus

blows up her understanding of Womanhood right when he responds

like this 41, he says, but the Lord said to her, my dear

Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details,

there is only one thing worth being concerned about Mary has

discovered it. It will not be taken away from

her. Now many people today especially

in women's ministry. Contexts read this as a passage

about busyness. And certainly, we can take

application from it about our business because we live in a

culture of overload, but that is not primarily or fundamentally,

what this passage is about, this passage is about discipleship.

And the first verse it said, Mary sat at the Lord's feet.

That is a technical term for being the disciple of someone

and literally, Jesus looks at Martha in the eyes and he says,

that's where a woman belongs. At the feet of as a disciple of

Jesus. So as we bring this to close

today, I guess I would ask Every Woman listening and watching

this today. Are you Are you a disciple of

Jesus? Do you want to be?

What a beautiful vision of Womanhood, he gives for our

lives. Now it's really not that hard.

To become a disciple. All you have to do is reach for

Jesus. My favorite interaction between

Jesus, and the woman was Mark chapter 5 in Mark 5, Jesus is

Mark 5 · chapter mention

going and he's healing people, he's preaching, he's on his

ministry to her and the crowds are getting really big, they're

pressing in on them. In fact, he's on the way to heal

the daughter of this man named gyrus and the crowds have gotten

like so big that there's kind of like pushing Jesus around and

this, there's this woman who's been bleeding for twelve years,

12 years. She spent all of her money.

On doctors, trying to find a cure for this.

She can't find one 12 years she's been bleeding, but she

just decides Jesus is in town today, and if I can touch him,

maybe he will. Heal me.

So she goes to the crowd, she's not supposed to be in a crowd,

she's unclean. She's been bleeding for years

according to Jewish law. She's supposed to be isolated,

but she goes into the crowd. She starts pushing her way

through the crowd. She just wants to touch the

cloak of Jesus, maybe it'll heal her and she reaches out and

touches him. And you remember what happens?

Immediately. She knows she's well

immediately. Now, when she touches her

though, Jesus stops, and he's in this crowd, he just stops.

And he's like, who touched me? And the disciples like Jesus.

Everybody touching you may like we mean who touched me.

So someone touched me. I felt power go out of me.

And this woman, I don't know if she's fearful or what, but she

hits her knees in front of, she confesses to him what she's

done. And you know how Jesus responds

to her. I love this.

Mark 5 verse 34. It says Jesus said to her

Mark 5:34

daughter, daughter, your faith has made you, well Go in peace.

Your suffering is over. Wouldn't you love to hear Jesus

say that to you today? I want to show you one more

picture of my daughter just because I got the microphone

today. All right.

And, and I want to see. Can you put the picture?

There she is. And I'll tell you what, if you

were to ask, any parent or grandparent in this room, they

could produce a picture of their daughter or their granddaughter

in a second. Because of the affection and

love, they feel for him. Jesus looks at this woman and

calls her daughter. Did you know that?

This is the only time in all four.

Gospel accounts check me on this that Jesus calls, anyone

daughter? This right here.

Why? Well, I believe there's

something going on here. That's more than just a physical

healing. There's a spiritual healing

happen. Here, there's the healing of a

social stigma and emotional burden that this woman has been

carrying around if levitical law was followed by her then because

of her bleeding again. She's unclean which means she

can't go to worship services at her church.

There was a viral model of uncleanness in Jewish circles so

she couldn't risk touching something that somebody else

would touch and making them unclean or making the priest.

Or whatever. As if she couldn't go to Temple,

she couldn't go to worship service and she couldn't sleep

in the same bed as her husband. She couldn't hug her children

without making them subsequently unclean.

This means that this woman for 12 years had been living a life

of isolation as a social Pariah wondering if she's beloved by

her community and family wondering if she's beloved by

God. And what I love about this

Encounter With Jesus is that when she reaches out and touches

him, he doesn't get unclean rather he versus the Mosaic law

and she gets clean and then he calls her daughter.

Daughter. To, which I think.

Boy, you're 30 years old. Who you think you are calling

her daughter? But exactly who does he think he

is calling her daughter. You know what I love about the

Christian story is that it answers one of the core

questions, core longings in all of our heart.

And that is this all of us. Ask it at some point.

Does anyone really want me? Does anyone really care?

Now, if there is no God, then the answer to that, question is

no. I just got to speak real with

you. We're here because of luck some,

random chance explosion produced us where decaying matter on

decaying matter and one day the world is going to implode or

explode into. Like I don't know a bajillion

different pieces and no one's going to remember anything

anyone ever did. So no, you don't matter, but if

the Christian story is true, then you need to know that.

The only reason you exist is because you matter If the

Christian story is right, then the, the only reason you exist

today is because God wanted you, because God wanted to, he didn't

need to create us. He existed in perfect Triune

Community. Father son, Holy Ghost.

Before for eternity past before us, he didn't need you.

He didn't need to know he wanted you.

He wanted to You do not exist by accident, you're not here by

accident. You're here because you are

beloved and desired by God. In fact, I believe that you're

here today, Listening to this message.

Because God wants you to hear that.

You are beloved by God. He wants you and for some of

you, he doesn't have you. So I would just remind you today

that Luke chapter 15 describes our heavenly father as a

Luke 15 · chapter mention

prodigal father pacing on the front porch, waiting for the

Rebel Son, waiting for the rebel daughter to come home.

And when she does you know what the prodigal father does.

He doesn't wag his finger at her.

He doesn't condemn her. He doesn't say you should have

listened to me the first time though.

He runs to her and he had even asked for an apology.

He just runs to The Prodigal Son, Embraces him puts a ring on

her finger, a robe on his back and says, it's time to throw a

party. It's time to celebrate because

my son that was dead is now alive.

My daughter was lost is now found, And but before he can

throw the party, the son the daughter has to come home.

So today I'm inviting you. In fact, at the Crossing, we

expect response. I'm expecting you to respond to

the tug of the Holy Spirit. The love of God.

And your heart today. Right now, we're moving to a

time of decision.