Feb 5, 2023
The Feast of The Father
“Bring the fattened calf and kill it.  Let’s have a feast and celebrate!  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.  So they began to celebrate.”   Luke 15:23-24 Even though we live in a fallen world in which we often experience suffering and sorrow, the Kingdom of God is designed for JOY!  It is our decision whether to be a part of it, or to be apart from it. The Feast of the Father is offered because … God understands the human condition.
  • “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10)
God sent the divine solution.
  • “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” (John 3:16)
  • “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast … in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 8:11)
God offers a new communion.
  • “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.” (Matthew 22:1)
  • “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples…” (Matthew 26:26)
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  • Feb 5, 2023The Feast of The Father
    Feb 5, 2023
    The Feast of The Father
    “Bring the fattened calf and kill it.  Let’s have a feast and celebrate!  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.  So they began to celebrate.”   Luke 15:23-24 Even though we live in a fallen world in which we often experience suffering and sorrow, the Kingdom of God is designed for JOY!  It is our decision whether to be a part of it, or to be apart from it. The Feast of the Father is offered because … God understands the human condition.
    • “There is no one righteous, not even one.” (Romans 3:10)
    God sent the divine solution.
    • “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” (John 3:16)
    • “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast … in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 8:11)
    God offers a new communion.
    • “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.” (Matthew 22:1)
    • “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples…” (Matthew 26:26)
  • Jan 29, 2023The True Elder Brother
    Jan 29, 2023
    The True Elder Brother
    “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. . . Both the one who makes men holy and the those who are made holy are of the same family.  So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.”   Hebrews 2:9 & 11 The parables of The Lost Sheep and The Lost Coin (Luke 15:3-10) both prominently feature someone who searches diligently for that which is lost.  Interestingly, that character seems to be missing from the third parable we commonly know as The Prodigal Son.  Then it may dawn on us:  Shouldn’t it have been the elder brother?  But his help is conspicuously absent.  Timothy Keller wrote, “By putting a flawed elder brother into the story, Jesus is inviting us to imagine and yearn for a true one.” (The Prodigal God, p.84)
    We are blessed that God sent us a True Elder Brother.
    • Jesus Christ identifies as our “brother.”  Matthew 12:46-50 & Hebrews 2:9-11
    • For Jesus, there are no “acceptable losses.”  1 Timothy 2:3-4 & 2 Peter 3:9
    • He was willing to pay the price for our reconciliation to God.  Philippians 2:6-8 & Ephesians 1:7
    • We are called to be like Jesus, not the elder son or the Pharisees. 
    • He has given to us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19). 
    Will we accept it?
  • Jan 22, 2023The Lost Elder Brother
    Jan 22, 2023
    The Lost Elder Brother
    Luke 15:25-32 Jesus told a parable about two lost sons, not just one.  There is more than one kind of lostness.  Though the elder brother prided himself in his goodness—as compared to his younger brother who had been openly rebellious—he actually shared some of the same bad attitudes and motivations.
    • He questions the ways of his father and his authority.
    • He is not above being openly disrespectful of his father.
    • He loved his father’s stuff more than he loved his father.
    • He is willing to fracture the unity of his family.
    We see signs of lostness in the heart of the elder brother:
    • He held a deep anger.
    • His obedience was joyless and mechanical.
    • He felt disdain toward his younger brother.
    • He did not understand his father’s love.
    • He was judgmental and unforgiving.
    If we identify these same signs within ourselves, we need to seek a change of heart through Jesus Christ.  Only through him do we learn to truly love, forgive and sacrifice.  Even lost elder brothers can be found!
  • Jan 15, 2023The Lost Younger Son
    Jan 15, 2023
    The Lost Younger Son
    Luke 15:11-24 The Younger Son’s Heartless Request and the Father’s Surprising Response
    • “Father, give me my share of the estate.” (v.12)
    The Younger Son’s Senseless Rebellion and the Father’s Broken Heart
    • “The younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” (v.13)
    The Younger Son’s Humble Return and the Father’s Extraordinary Reception
    • “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” (v.21)
  • Jan 8, 2023The People Around Jesus
    Jan 8, 2023
    The People Around Jesus
    Luke 15:1-10  Introducing “The Prodigal God” by Timothy Keller:
    • This series is a study of Jesus’ parable we tend to call “The Prodigal Son,” though a better title would be “The Loving Father” or “The Two Lost Sons.”
    • Though we think of “prodigal” as meaning wayward or rebellious, in truth it means “recklessly extravagant.” We will be looking at God’s extravagant love toward all of His lost children!
    Who were the people around Jesus in Luke 15?
    • There were the tax collectors and “sinners” who came to learn. (v.1)
    • There were the Pharisees and teachers who came to judge and criticize. (v.2)
    In his parables of The Lost Sheep and The Lost Coin, Jesus reinterprets for his audience how God responds to those who are lost. (vv. 3-10)