Regaining Lost Ground

Pastor Shane Idleman: Return to me. He had joy. Many men are upset, they're angry, they're just going through life. Women too, of course. But that joy has left them because of sin. And if you return, that joy will come back again. And God is generous. He will uphold you.

Psalm 32:3 says, "When I kept silent about my sin, my bones grew old through my groaning all day long." When I kept silent. Silence and unrepentance will lead to joyless living.

Guest (Male): Thank you for joining us here at Westside Christian Fellowship, located in Leona Valley, California, one hour north of Los Angeles. Today on *Regaining Lost Ground*, we hear the third and final part of this illuminating Father's Day message titled "The Prodigal and the Promise."

Puritan John Wesley once quoted, "The creation encourages us to imitate Him whose mercy is over all His works. It may enlarge our hearts toward these poor creatures, men and women alike, to reflect that not one of them is forgotten in the sight of our heavenly Father."

Do you feel distant from God? Do you yearn to have a deeper life with Jesus? Dive deep into the Father's love in this powerful uplift by Pastor Shane to look to the work paid on Calvary's cross. The Father is calling the prodigals home right now, anticipating to say, "Welcome home." Here on *Regaining Lost Ground*.

You can hear the whole message at Pastor Shane's YouTube and Rumble channels. Make sure to subscribe today. For more information, visit us online at westsidechristianfellowship.org. We also encourage you to hear more truth from Pastor Shane with the *Idleman Unplugged* weekly podcast. And now, from Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, here is Pastor Shane Idleman.

Pastor Shane Idleman: If you're gently sorry, you say, "I blew it, whatever it takes." Now, of course, you have to use wisdom. But pride is so deadly. Pride destroyed my life, and it can sneak in very quickly. That's why we need to come to ourselves often and realize this is not going in a good direction.

Sadly, many never come to their senses. I don't know why I'm going off on this tangent; it wasn't in my notes. But we have seen so many over the years—many, many marriages—and you wonder how this is possible. One of the guys would speak sometimes, another person on the worship team, and yet they're divorced now. It's because they would dig their heels in.

Nobody would own it. "I won't until they do." Are we back in junior high? When you get two spirit-filled believers, it's hard to break that apart. It's hard because they want the heart of God; they want to know what God wants. Pride will push away what God wants. But we're going to see here when repentance meets grace: the prodigal and the promise.

So, even if you're a prodigal—you guys can pray about sending this message to your prodigals, they'll listen—there is a promise that God has for every prodigal. Everything hinges on a two-letter word: "if." That's why it's so frustrating for many of us. If you have prodigals, you know.

"If you would just turn back to God." "Well, if God's serious, He would turn me. If God wants my attention, He'll get it." No, there's a conditional. "If you return to me," says the Lord, "I will return to you." A deep repentance takes place. Now, God is actively engaged, isn't He? He's convicting them.

If you send them this sermon, they won't want to listen to it, but you'll try. They hear things on the radio; they have friends. God's there, but there's something that some theologians call the "free will debate." When I read the Bible, it's full of "ifs." If you repent, if you do this, if you seek me, if you turn, if you make no provision—there's a responsibility.

And that's the promise. God says "if." I don't know of any time in all of scripture or recorded history where anybody tested God on that—and I'm being facetious, of course—where they repented and turned to God, and He didn't answer. It's a promise that is always kept. "If you return to me, I will return to you." That's a powerful promise.

So, once he repented, it actually started first. He didn't repent once he got home; he had the fruit of repentance when he got home, but repentance started first. As a result of repentance, he got up—I bet he's filled with a little bit of joy and hope now—and he came to his father. But look at this part: when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion.

We get this view of God as if He's waiting to get the belt out because you came back. But it is a picture of God waiting. You can see Him thinking, "Is that my son out there? Is he coming?" There's excitement. See, He doesn't have to punish him because the punishment was what he just went through. He needs to now restore him to hope.

There are consequences for sin that we often have to live with, but it's better to live inside of God's arms, redeemed and inside His will, than to be outside living with the pigs. So, he ran to him as well, and they came together. "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you." That's what he said as he was a great way off.

His father had compassion. We forget about that attribute of God. Have you heard of the attributes of God? It means His character. There's not one attribute above another. People always say, "God is love," and what that usually means is, "I'm going to keep sinning, I don't care. Who are you to judge? God is love."

Well, number one, that's the wrong definition of love. Number two, you forgot about the biggest attribute of God that is mentioned throughout scripture more than love: holiness. So, you're living unholy, but you're using "God is love" to justify your unholiness. What about God's holiness? God is righteous, He is holy, He is graceful, He is love, He is compassionate. It's the totality of who God is.

And one of those amazing attributes is compassion. "If you return to me, I will return to you. I will restore the years that the enemy has taken. I might restore that marriage. I will restore that relationship you used to have with your kids. I might restore you financially. I have compassion on you because you're returning." To me, it's such a great, beautiful picture.

That's why I'm not afraid to preach repentance, because it's not an evil doctrine. It's a beautiful way of reconnecting the sinner back to God—or the saint back to God. Do you know saints need to repent too? Let me clarify that since I'm confusing anyone. There are two words for repentance. There is a repentance where a sinner recognizes that they are lost without God and disconnected from God.

They change their mind about everything; they repent. Now they know God; they're saved. But then once you're saved, sometimes you get on the wrong road. Anybody been on the wrong road? You get a little attitude going, some anger, or an old addiction starts calling your name again and you get caught up in that sin. You need to repent to get back on the right path with God.

You're already saved; you're going to heaven, but you're miserable. You need to fix that by repenting and acknowledging that this is wrong. Some of the most joy-filled times I've ever had is when I've repented. Where did this attitude start to come in from? Why am I distant? Why am I treating people this way? You repent of those things because if you don't own it, you can't change it.

If we make excuses for our actions and our attitude, we're not going to change. Repentance actually changes things. It restores and renews vitality. It restores the joy. Remember that joy? What quenches that joy? Sin and quenching the Spirit. So, the father had compassion, and he ran and fell on his neck—you know that type of hug.

"My son is home. My son, who was lost, is now found. He was dead; he is now alive." That's what sin does to you; it kills that relationship with God. That's why we say "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me." I was blind spiritually, but now I see God's amazing grace. And those people are worshippers.

I've had many people over the years come through our doors. Some people leave because they don't like emotional worship. They say, "I just want to sing a few songs and get to the Word. I don't want to raise my hands or come to the altar." But if you knew what God delivered them from—how dare you! You should thank God He hasn't brought you through some hell or certain things.

Most worshippers are people who have gone through trauma. They know God is their healer. They know God is their restorer. They hold on to Him with everything. They have to worship. It comes from that deep relationship they have because they've hugged God—not physically, of course, but there's a relationship there. He will meet you right where you're at, but you must humble yourself and initiate and pursue.

God will meet you right where you're at, but you must initiate and pursue it. We would never have read about this person had he stayed with the pigs. Is that alarming or what? This incredible story we've never even heard if this son did not come to himself. Again, signs of repentance: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son."

But the father said to his servants, "Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this son who was dead is alive again; he was lost and he is found." Those of you who have returned know there's tremendous joy, isn't there?

The sadness is replaced with joy; the uncertainty is replaced with grace. There's a zeal about life; you're excited about life now. You're excited about God again. There's a joy that returns. It doesn't get darker; it gets lighter. You feel free. Repentance restores you because sin leads to shame, and hopefully, that will lead to repentance. God forgives and then restores.

There's no other sideway. That's what God promises. And I love it when you see the beautiful fruit of repentance. We could have testimony after testimony of the beautiful fruit and joy of repentance that takes place. And here's the key, men: when the prodigal father returns, everyone around them is revived. When the prodigal father returns, everyone around them is revived.

I love to see women returning, but when the father returns, you start to see the family come back to church. When the father leads the way to the altar, that's powerful. When the father apologizes and owns it—instead of complaining, why don't you thank your spouse or your kids for your life? Thank you for the life you've given me.

I haven't mastered this, guys. It's a daily struggle. And I don't know everybody here or listening, but if you're a prodigal father, you can fix a lot in your home because usually the man can wound the kids more than the wife. Usually, the man can cause the family to go into disarray more than the wife. And when the man returns, it's powerful.

You guys know the stats on how many kids come to know the Lord when the father becomes a Christian? The percentage is so high. I can't explain why, but I just see it and I know it. It's a beautiful thing. A verse I pull from sometimes is Psalm 51. How many love Psalm 51? This is David after he just got spanked by God.

"Have mercy upon me, O God." This should be our prayer today as we leave. "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done this evil in your sight.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Look at all these words: whiter than snow, purge me, God forgive me. But it's coming from a contrite heart. It's not somebody fighting God; it's somebody owning their sin.

And then you see what the byproduct is: "Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, Lord, and renew a steadfast, a right spirit within me. Do not cast away your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me."

Interesting: in the Old Testament, God could remove the Spirit from you. I'm glad I don't live in the Old Testament. But what the New Testament believer can do is quench and grieve that Spirit. And the same cry goes out: "Lord, do not quench and grieve the Spirit." And then I love this one: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me by your generous Spirit."

Return to me. He had joy, and it left. Many men are upset, they're angry, they're just going through life. Women too, of course. But that joy has left them because of sin. And if you return, that joy will come back again. And God is generous. He will uphold you.

Psalm 32:3 says, "When I kept silent about my sin, my bones grew old through my groaning all day long." When I kept silent. Silence and unrepentance will lead to joyless living. You'll feel that you're getting older because your spiritual health will affect you physically. Did you know that? Your spiritual health will affect you physically. We could get into lots of scriptures about that.

Interestingly enough, stress, worry, and not being in right relationship with God releases a lot of something called cortisol. Just Google the effects of high levels of cortisol on your entire body. Everything is affected. Now, we need that to run from a lion, but not to be constantly in stress and constantly wound up.

And I saw that in my dad, and on Father's Day, I just remember it. It just breaks my heart. He finally knew the Lord later, but my goodness. A pack of Marlboros didn't help and a pot of coffee—always stressed, always high-strung, and unrepentant. So, men, women, kids—don't lose this opportunity this morning.

I've publicly confessed many times that I needed to return and repent in my late twenties. Thank God, that was the only reason I'm up here today—because of that repentance that happened 26 years ago. And the only reason I'm able to still stand before you is trying to keep a repentant heart—wronging somebody, apologizing, trying to fix it, trying to have a good attitude.

And God will honor that. Joy comes back. You want joy in your family again? Here's a tip as you're driving home—and I know it's going to be hard because of pride. "What'd you think of his talk today?" "I don't know, some good points." "Do I need to work on anything? Because I want to apologize. I want to be a better husband."

It's hard, isn't it? I'm opening myself up too. Later today, Father's Day, I'm getting a list, I'm sure. But you can fix your families, but you have to own it. Watch the joy that that will bring. Your wife might be going, "Yes!" inside. Prayers have been answered.

Pastor Shane Idleman: Hello, this is Pastor Shane Idleman. I wanted to let our listeners know that due to budgeting issues, we will be removing *Regaining Lost Ground* from some of the radio stations that we currently air on. Therefore, to continue listening to the sermons, I want to encourage you to follow me and Westside Christian Fellowship on YouTube and Rumble today, as well as other social media platforms.

Again, due to budgeting issues, we will be removing *Regaining Lost Ground* from some of the stations that we currently air our program on. Therefore, to continue listening to the sermons, I want to encourage you to follow me, as well as Westside Christian Fellowship, on YouTube and Rumble, and also follow us on all other social media platforms as well. If you have questions, please reach out to us at westsidechristianfellowship.org. Again, that's westsidechristianfellowship.org.

Guest (Male): Westside Christian Fellowship is located 60 miles north of Los Angeles in Leona Valley, California. Thank you again for listening to today's message of *Regaining Lost Ground*, where we are reminded daily: times change, truth does not.