In the story of the Prodigal Son, are you the younger son or the older son?  Chris Brannon continues in our Parables series with the the parable of the Prodigal Son.    He shows us how the younger son demanded his inheritance, left, spent all the money and came to his senses to come back to his father.  For the younger son, bad decisions led to more bad decisions, leaving him taking a job feeding pigs and wishing he could eat as they did.  Then he came to his senses and had an awakening!  He went back to his father in repentance.  His father took him in and ordered a feast for him!

The older son wanted nothing to do with the celebration.  He represents all those right-thinking, right-living, rule-keepers who want to see repentant sinners publicly punished to teach them a lesson.  Just as the prodigal son still lives today, so does the unhappy older brother.

Chris gives us four marks of self-righteousness.  The first is a sense of being treated unfairly.  The older son felt like he was ignored or forgotten.  This feeling of unfair treatment is always the initial mark of a self-centered attitude.  The next one is a sense of entitlement that comes with good behavior.  That attitude of “if anybody deserves to be treated well by you, it’s me!”  Another one is an over-inflated view of self.  Notice how the older brother describes his own superiority and advantages.  Self-righteousness is always full of self-praise.  The last one is his blame of his father and his contempt for his brother.

Where are you today?  Which brother most represents you?  Do you need to turn around and head back home?  Are you already home and need to come into the party?

What future are you planning for?  Chris Brannon continues in our parables series in Luke 16, the Parable of the Dishonest Manager.  This is one of the most confusing parables that Jesus taught.  We get hung up on the idea that the master commended his steward for his shrewdness.  It can appear to some that Jesus was saying it’s alright to be underhanded in our business dealings.  The master is not representation of God or Jesus Christ.  There is no connection between those two ideas.  The point of this parable goes way beyond honesty in business practices.  In fact, this parable is not about honesty, character or integrity at all, but is about using our God-given resources wisely here on Earth in preparation for our future life in Heaven.  There are three lessons from this parable.

The first lesson is about money and our heart toward others.  The dishonest manager had not done a good thing.  However, he had been careful to plan ahead, using material things to insure a secure future.  Jesus was not teaching that His disciples should be dishonest, but that they should use material things for future spiritual benefit.  This was a good lesson from a bad example.

Another lesson is about money and our view of the eternal.  The reality is that circumstances don’t determine faithfulness, convictions and your strongly held beliefs do.  Dealing with money with a heavenly view is never a matter of how much you have.  It’s about faith in our firmly held convictions about heaven and our future life there.

The last lesson is about money and our attitude toward God.  We’re not talking about an occasional act of obedience.  We’re not talking about a part-time deal.  We are talking about a purchased slave, the property of a master who has singular, absolute control over that slave and that slave could never have that relationship with someone else.  The slave was like a tool for his master to use.  He had no time that was his own, he had no possessions that was not his master’s, he had no movement in life that was not subject to his master.  Who are you going to serve?  you can’t serve God and wealth, possessions or money.  It just can’t be done!

Are you being neighborly to everyone, even your enemies? Chris Brannon continues in our Parables series with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Of all Jesus’ parables, none has worked its way deeper into the American consciousness as the Parable of the Good Samaritan.  The phrase “Good Samaritan” is used to describe any person who goes out of his way to help another.  On the surface, this parable seems to be a simple story about being kind. It’s actually much deeper than that. This story is designed to show each of us how sinful and selfish we really are. That our only hope of going to Heaven is by being justified by Jesus, not by doing good works.

Who is your neighbor? This parable teaches us that the world is our neighbor! There are obstacles that stand in the way of us living out the way of love. One is that we are unhealthily busy, leaving no margin in our schedules for helping. We are also overly engaged with our own life, to the exclusion of others. The religious guys in the parable had plenty of excuses not to help, including being in a hurry, just letting someone else deal with it, and they didn’t want to be defiled.

How is loved expressed? Love is expressed through concern for others in distress. It’s also expressed by turning aside from our lives and agendas to care about others. Another expression of love are kind words to the downtrodden. Generously giving to alleviate suffering is another way. Also, getting messy with those who are in a mess and inconveniencing yourself, going our of your way for the good of others. Who is your brother? Who is your neighbor? Your brother is anyone who is in danger, in need, in pain or in trouble.

Are we going to be like the Samaritan who gives help when help is needed? Or are we going to be caught up in questions about who we’re supposed to help, and when, and where, and how? What grounds the way that we think about neighbors is actually our identity, not theirs. What matter first is who we are.

Why did Jesus speak to people in parables?  Jordan Brannon continues in our Parables series with the tax collector and the pharisee.  God spoke in parables to help people understand the message he was trying to convey.  In this parable, Jesus is teaching that pride over others is bad and humility towards others is good.  This parable was told to those who “despised others”.  The villain is the pharisee because he dares to pray to God and thank Him that he’s better than other people.  The good guy is the tax collector who humbles himself.

There are three questions to finding the foundation of the parable:  The first question is to ask what the purpose of the parable is.  What should the foundational principle do?  The next question is to ask what the ailment is that’s being healed.  The third question to ask is what the specific sin is that is being addressed.  Once you have answered these questions, confirm it in the parable.  For this parable, Jesus told the parable to people who thought they’s made themselves righteous.  The tax collector, who cried out for God’s mercy, gets justified.  This parable tells us that the humble will be exalted.

Listen as Jordan tells us why God wants us to be in a place that depends on Him.  The first reason is because He’s God!  The next reason is because of the specific attributes that are unique to God.  The last reason is because only God alone, while we still pridefully sin against Him, has the creativity to show His love and mercy for us in a way that restores us, without betraying His nature as a just and holy God, through the justification that comes through the death of Christ Jesus!

There are four things that you should know:  The first is that God is God!  The next one is that you desperately need Him.  Another is that God has done the work to return you to Him.  The last thing you should know is that God will continue to work in you!

Why do we do what we do?  It’s partly because of the return of God!  Chris Brannon continues in our Parables series with three parables.  The parable of the two servants, the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids and the parable of the talents.

In the parable of the two servants, the evil servant represents the self-deluded unbeliever who has, nevertheless, identified with the church and pretends to be in service of the master.  In reality, he doesn’t love the master or look forward to His return.  In fact, he doesn’t seem to really believe the master will return anytime soon.  However, the master does return, suddenly and much sooner than expected.  Then the evil servant is exposed for who he really is.  His punishment is as severe as the wise servant’s reward was lavish.  The primary lesson in this parable is that Christ’s return is imminent.  That means that it could happen at any time!

In the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids, the foolish bridesmaids took their lamps to wait for the bridegroom with no extra oil.  The wise bridesmaids had extra oil and were ready when the bridegroom came.  We must always be prepared for the Messiah’s return.  Jesus forbids the kind of presumption that predicts the time and date of His return.  The big idea in this parable is that Christ is coming.  He may arrive later than we expect and we must be prepared for that possibility.  That means remaining awake, staying at the watch and being ready for Him, no matter how late the hour.

The last parable is the parable of the talents.  Two of the servants were wise with their talents and made a return on the investment, planning for the return of their master.  One servant buried what was given to him, failing to plan for the master’s return.  The primary message in this parable is that we need to serve the King while He is away.  We should be diligently working while we look for Him and continue to work and plan with and eye for the future.

There are five points to all of the parables.  The first is that Christ will return, there is no question about that.  The second is that there is to be a judgement by works.  We are not justified by works, but if we do not have works, we are not justified.  We are not Christians.  The third point is that all excuses fall flat before God.  They all fail.  The next point is that many will be absolutely astounded at Christ’s judgement.  Lastly, there is a division for all eternity.  It is a division between heaven and hell, joy and suffering, misery and the happiness of the Lord.

We must be ready, whether He returns right away or waits another thousand years.  While we wait, we must remain faithful to our commitment to the Lord and our God-designed responsibilities.

Grace is not about finishing first or finishing last.  It’s about not counting at all!  Chris Brannon continues in our Parables series with Matthew 20:1-16.  This is the parable of the laborers in the vineyard.  Our culture does not operate on the principle of grace.  Thankfully, God does.  His ways are higher than our ways; and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

There are two lessons that are taught in this parable.  The first is that life is not always fair!  The workers hired last were paid as the workers hired first, but the landowner paid them all the same.  The second lesson is that there is a bigger picture that we are not seeing.  We ought to be careful about challenging God in what He does because we don’t see everything that He sees.  Sometimes it looks like we are not getting what we think we should get.

There are three things that Jesus is teaching us through this parable.  The first is that God is just and he treats everyone justly.  The second is that God is sovereign and He can do what He wants.  The last is that God is generous.  This should eliminate pride.

What should we conclude?  If you want more than you contracted for, don’t contract.  It is the same old issue of legalism versus grace.  We think we want legalism or justice, but grace is so much better.  Chris gives us six truths about God’s grace.  The first is that grace is a gift that costs everything to the giver and nothing to the receiver.  Those who don’t deserve it, barely recognize it and hardly appreciate it still get it!  Another truth is that grace shocks us in what it offers.  Grace also teaches us that God does for others what we would never do for them.  The next truth is that in the end, grace means that no one is too bad to be saved.  God specializes in saving really bad people.  Grace also means that some people may be too good to be saved.  Lastly, Grace is scandalous.

Chris closes his sermon with two truths that can radically transform your thinking and your way of living.  The first is that there is nothing you can do to make God love you more.  The second is that there is nothing you can do to make God love you less.  Like a gift, the only thing we can do with grace is to receive it.

Do you want a fresh start today?  Do you need a new beginning?  You can have one!  How do you find God’s grace?  You just ask for it!  That’s it!  It is that simple.

Is entrance into the Kingdom of God free or is there a cost attached?  Chris continues in our Parables series with two different parables.  All those who have run to Christ and been raised with Him, rejoice in the free gift of grace that has been lavishly poured out onto us.  They know that He has attached no contingencies.  Salvation is free to the sinner who repents.  It is a gift received by faith alone, not a reward to be purchased or earned through good works of any kind.  But is there a cost attached?  If so, what is it?  How much is He asking for in return?  What is Jesus asking of us?

There are three truths revealed in these parables.  The first is that the Kingdom of God is priceless in value.  The treasure includes salvation, forgiveness, love, joy, peace, virtue, goodness and eternal life in Heaven.  The second is that the Kingdom of God is hidden from most.  People are blind to the riches of the kingdom.  The last is that the Kingdom of God has a high cost attached.

Chris leaves us with some questions for reflection:

-Do you choose what is popular over what is right when you are in conflict?

-Are you more concerned about being saved from the penalty of your sin than being saved from your sin?

-Do you give of yourself – time, money, talents, energy, creativity – as long as it doesn’t impinge on your personal comfort or standard of living?

-Are you more concerned about being rejected for your faith by your peers than received by Jesus for sharing your faith?

-Are you satisfied being “good enough” when compared to the secular world?

-Does God truly receive first-love status or is He relegated to second or third-tier pursuits?

-Would you see yourself as consistently playing it safe when it comes to Kingdom initiatives?

-Is your love for others unconditional or is it selective, focused primarily on those who love you in return?

-Have you placed limits on how far you are willing to go in serving God?

-Do you think more about life here and now on Earth than you do eternity in Heaven?

What is your response to the Word of God?  A person’s response to the Word of God is dependent on the condition of that person’s heart.  Furthermore, fruit is the only evidence that one has heard and properly accepted the Word.  Chris Brannon starts off our new sermon series on parables with the the seed and the soil parable.  This parable is not about the quality of the seed, the use for the farm or the sower.  It is about the condition of the soil!  There are four different soils addresses:  roadside soil, rock, weed-infested soil and fertile soil.  The focus is on the soil and the abundance of the harvest.

To go along with the four different soils, there are four different heart conditions.  The first one is the hardened heart.  Sin hardens the heart, and the heart that is hardened sins even more.  The next one is the shallow heart.  These are people who are attracted to the joy and excitement of church where much is happening.  They hear the gospel and seem to fit in.  They make a profession of faith, but then a difficulty comes along.  The third heart is a strangled heart.  This heart is choked by riches and the cares of this life.  Our riches choke out our hearts for following after Jesus.  The last one is the open heart.  It is only the open heart that receives the benefit of the preaching of the gospel and is saved.

Which heart do you have?  Chris talks about preparing the soil of our hearts to receive the Word.  We must do our part and then rely upon the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to convict and change us at the heart level.