The singular focus of Jesus exemplifies for us a kind of purposefulness in life that we could only hope to imitate in some small measure. Death was both chasing Him and standing before Him as Herod sought His life and the religious leaders and fickle crowd in Jerusalem would soon call for the end of the same. With these things in mind, Jesus’s compassion is stunning. His longing to embrace and shelter Israel’s capital, in spite of her bloody history (and future), is positively stunning and challenging. Helping us to understand this, Pastor Daniel brings to light the following truths from this passage, emphasizing the central message, “The right way to respond to hostility is with compassion.” We find this to be the case in that 1) God does not allow opposition to His work to prevent its accomplishment, 2) God weeps over those who oppose Him, 3) God allows people to reject Him, and 4) God allows those who reject Him time to repent.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff

Though the church has had debates on the topic of what has been called “Lordship Salvation,” Jesus never seemed to have much trouble deciding whether or not people needed to be fully devoted God to be a part of His kingdom. His parable illustrated what is required of those who want to participate in this heavenly kingdom. Everyone had excuses for why they couldn’t commit themselves to the “great banquet;” every one of those excuses meant that none of those people would be able to have any part of what the master was offering. Pastor Daniel speaks to the truths in this text by explaining how “those who truly desire God attend the banquet.” Looking at the context that brought about the telling of this parable, he then pulls out the application points of 1) Don’t say silly things that are pleasant but untrue (things that detract from the hard truths people need that lead them to repentance and trust in Christ), 2) Realize that to desire the world is folly and an insult to God, and 3) Desire God and accept His gracious invitation.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff

(Part I) It’s easy to get comfortable as a Christian living in the developed and wealthy West. There are lots of opportunities to spend lots of time with other Christians as Christian groups fight for our religious freedoms and as we listen to Christian radio while driving to our favorite Christian bookstore. To be sure, many of these things are gifts from God, but did Jesus intend us to insulate ourselves to the point where all we feel is annoyed when non-Christian people do un-Christianly things in our presence? Pastor Daniel, in this two-part message, seeks to guide us toward Jesus’s heart for the lost. He emphasizes the great love that God has for the lost through a look at the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. In helping us to evaluate whether or not we have this kind of love, he encourages us to ask ourselves these questions: 1) Do I notice the lost? 2) Do I seek the lost? 3) Do I rejoice when the lost are found?

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff

Stories of repentance and restoration are so very much at the heart of what we love to hear in Christian circles—they stir our spirits, build our faith, and remind us that there is hope to be had in the midst of a world that often feels quite the opposite. But the reason we have such stories is because of the deep and dark reality of sin in all our lives before that light dawns. At the core, we’re not restored from or repent of mistakes, naughtiness, or hang-ups. Without Christ, we’re unrighteous people washed over with sin, unwilling and unable to be reconciled to God. It is the truth about the hopelessness of that state that makes this parable about the returning prodigal and his welcoming father so very glorious. Pastor Daniel, in looking at this text, highlights the nature of our need for hearts of true repentance by examining the reality of our sin, the result of our sin, and repentance from sin. This repentance is characterized by an intellectual recognition of sin, an emotional reaction against it, a decision to turn from the same, and then fruit that comes as a result of this turning.

Summary by Seth Kempf, Bethany Community Church Staff