Heritage Bible Church

Whack-A-Mole was a popular arcade game back when arcades were a thing. But the metaphor persists. We all have the experience of dealing with problems that just seem to keep coming back. Pride is that way. In Luke 17:1–10 Jesus addresses his disciples with a warning concerning the Pharisees' great problem of pride. Striving to enter the narrow gate requires humility. So does living together in the kingdom under Jesus' rule.

In only one parable does Jesus name his characters. Luke 16:19–31 introduces us to Abraham and Lazarus. Lazarus means "one whom God helps." We meet this poor man outside a rich man's gate, helpless in this life and neglected by the well-clothed and well-fed rich man. But differences in this life don't carry through to the next. In fact, the afterlife brings a great reversal for both men. We learn that heaven or hell awaits every person. For Lazarus, his story lives up to his name. What are these places like? Crucially, what makes the difference for what side of the great chasm we end up on in eternity? In this passage we move from a gate to a great chasm to an ancient book.

Your money is more valuable than you think. This is clear from how often Jesus spoke about our money and our wealth. Luke 16:1–18 is one such stretch of teaching. Here Jesus tells one of his most perplexing parables. Yet, read properly, this story in which Jesus commends a dishonest manager teaches us something about eternity, evangelism, and everything else.

Sons can be expensive. Some of what it costs to raise a son is reasonable and expected. There's the expense of food and clothing and an education. But some sons surprise their fathers, as did the youngest of two sons in Jesus' famous parable in Luke 15:11–32. This son requested his inheritance, then squandered it all. How would the father receive him back after such insult and abuse? More to the point, how would we respond to the father if he spent part of our inheritance to celebrate our younger brother's return?

The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. That's not just the message of a single memorable verse, Luke 19:10. It's the movement of Luke's book and the imagery that dominates the longest story and parable Jesus tells. In Luke 15:1–10, Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep and the lost coin as a setup for a longer story of two lost sons, more famously known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. But there's a reason we're not going to call it that—a reason that will become clear as we listen to this famous passage in the context of Luke's gospel.

"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry." The people of Nineveh turned from their evil ways, and God relented from sending disaster upon them. And now Jonah is angry. Angry enough to die. God dealt with the evil in Nineveh, and in this final chapter of Jonah's story, it's time for God to deal with the evil in Jonah. Through yet another miraculous object lesson, God teaches us a lesson about our hearts and his own. And in doing so, we learn this whole story isn't really about Jonah, it's about God.

"Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time." God rescued the rebellious, unrepentant prophet in dramatic fashion. And though the story continues, it also returns to where it first began. God, again, sends Jonah with a message for the people of Nineveh. This time he obeys. The people of Nineveh respond with repentance, and God relents of his judgment. But neither Jonah nor Nineveh deserve praise; no, the glory for this great act of mercy belongs to God alone. In Jonah 3, the mercy of God comes to Nineveh. Listen to see God's word in action as mercy comes to repentant sinners.

"And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah." The rebellious prophet chose death over life. He was done with God, but God was not done with him. So God sent a fish. As strange as this rescue plan is, surely it will change this man's heart. As Jonah sinks beneath the waves, nearing his final breath, and then as he lays inside the belly of the fish, he prays. But is this prayer as good as it sounds? Or is the darkness not just around Jonah, but in him too? Listen to hear and discover the truth that salvation belongs to the Lord.

We strive to grow our knowledge through most of our life. Whether through direct training in school or through practical experience in life, we are all trying to grow in what we know. Knowledge is necessary for our wellbeing in this life. But what does it mean that God gives us spiritual knowledge? And if it is a gift, then what's expected of us as Christians? This Sunday we will spend time in 2 Peter 1 grappling with Peter's instruction to the church to take joy in God's gift of knowledge and his following instruction to make every effort to grow spiritually. Listen as we take great encouragement in our spiritual walk as we settle our hearts on what God has given to us through Christ.

"Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah." This wasn't the first time God spoke to a man, with a plan to speak through that man. Something unique happened with this prophet though—he rebelled. And he rebelled hard. But God wasn't ready to give up on him. With all creation at his disposal, God pursued him. And that's good news for us. God pursues rebels. He loves us too much to let us succeed in our sin, so he pursued us all the way to the cross. In Jonah 1, we find the start of an unbelievable story: God pursues undeserving sinners.