Are You the Good or Bad Son? Are You the Wise or Foolish Servant? Heaven or Hell?

Thank you so much for tuning in and Welcome everyone – Hope you’re well!  I’m your host, Ben Lively, and you’re listening to “Shaken Awake” – Episode #62!  

 

I want to thank you for tuning in with us today, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing right this very moment.  It means everything to me to share the messages that God’s lays on my heart to share.  

 

And, as always, I promise you another great show – But, more than anything, my HOPE for you today, and always, is that you have an actual encounter with the Lord, not just another podcast episode.   

 

Quick ask – if you’ve found value in these episodes, would you take 30 seconds after the show to go to submit a quick review and star-rating in your app.  This is what potential listeners look for when deciding whether to give a show a listen – which is confirmation from other listeners that it can bring value.  Would you do that for me, IF and only IF you find value in these episodes?  For those of you that already have - I can’t thank you enough. 

 

Also, spread the word; pass on a link to your friends or family or colleagues that the Lord prompts you to send to – there are many people that need to hear these messages and scripture and God will see to it that it gets to them.  Then, He’ll do the rest.

 

So, without further delay, let’s get ready to invite God in with us, right here, right now and allow Him to speak directly to your heart and minds.   

 

 

So, today’s topic is on “Heaven or Hell? The Gold Coins and the Prodigal Son Explain How To Earn or Avoid Either One”

Jesus told His Disciples this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So, his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

“So, he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So, the party began.

“Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

“The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

“His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

 

What is a Prodigal?  A prodigal is a person who squanders money recklessly and selfishly, then comes to regret their foolish behavior. Today, the term PRODIGAL has come to represent the repentant return of a person, no matter the reasons they left in the first place.

The Prodigal Son is also called The Lost Son in most versions of the Bible because of the son’s wayward ways.

What is the main message of the Prodigal Son?  The main message of The Prodigal Son is that it doesn’t matter how far we stray from our Heavenly Father or how much we squander the gifts he provides, he is always delighted when we turn back to him. His unconditional love is waiting for us to return home where he greets us with open arms. Every lost child (a sinner, meaning all of us) who is found (turns to God) is cause for the greatest celebration.

Do you relate to the prodigal son or the “good” son?  One interesting aspect of the Parable of the Prodigal Son is that we either seem to relate to the “good” child or the prodigal child. Our perspective can change over time, so it’s helpful to understand the parable from both perspectives.

Which son we relate to may change depending on where we are in our Christian journey. At times, we may be seeking God in earnest and relate to the older son. Other times, we may have let the priorities of the world come between us and God and we may relate more to the prodigal son. In any case, the parable speaks to all of us, no matter our perspective. 

If you relate to the prodigal son, look inside. Find God dwelling there. See the beauty he knows is inside, even if it’s hidden. See the worth he sees in you. Ask him for forgiveness and welcome him into your heart. He forgives you!

If you truly ARE the ‘good’ child, look no further than within your own heart. Are you happy with how the Father is treating you on a daily basis – by providing food and shelter, a job, a family? His unconditional love, comfort, and grace? I believe the answer would be YES for most people. God has given you all you need – and more. You are blessed.

Be grateful for those gifts. Holding a grudge against the prodigal son accomplishes nothing more than putting a barrier between you and God. Besides, one day it will be you needing forgiveness and you’ll be thankful when He welcomes you back with open arms.

If you’re the prodigal son, which we all are at some point due to our sin, be grateful for the unconditional love and forgiveness that will greet you when you come back home. Make a concerted effort to curb further disobedience or disrespect.

No matter how close you currently are to God, rest assured that he loves you with agape love that’s greater than we can even comprehend. When you fall, he’ll be there to catch you. When you stray (and you probably will), he welcomes you back. His love for you is independent of any other relationship he has. You are all his!

Whether you relate to the prodigal child or the good child, the parable of the prodigal son is really about living your life between you and God and not worrying about keeping score with anyone else. Be thankful he’s there for you when you follow him and will always be there to welcome you back if you fail him.

Wherever you are in your Christian journey, the lesson is the same. It’s all about our personal relationship with God and recognizing that no matter our thoughts or actions, he loves us and welcomes us with open arms when we turn to him.

 

Matthew 25:14-30 (NLT)

Parable of the Three Servants

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

“The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

“After a long time, their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” 

“The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’

“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

“Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

“Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

For centuries, the parable of the talents has been interpreted in varying ways. Most of the time, the perspective changes depending on who’s doing the interpretation. But to get to the bottom of the parable, we need to decode its details.

 

So, what’s a ‘talent’?

In Jesus’ time, talent is used as a unit of weight equivalent to about 80 pounds. But when used as a currency, one talent is about 6,000 denarii – a standard Roman coin which is the usual payment for a day’s labor. So, during those times, one talent is equivalent to 16 years’ worth of labor. With this, we can understand why the master was outraged when the servant didn’t make use of something that he can probably only have once in his life.

 

Throughout the parable, Jesus gives us details that give us a clue on what he wants us to take away from it. Here are some of the interpretations of several of the parables’ notable details:

 

If it isn’t obvious by now, the master represents Jesus. He talks about him going on a journey which clearly is an allusion to his impending return to his father’s side. His return, obviously, refers to his second coming. The master asking his servants about what became of the talents is Jesus telling us that when he comes again, we will all have to account for what we did with what he has given us.

In Jesus’ time, it’s not uncommon for masters to entrust their servants with large sums of money. But as we’ve learned, one talent is 16 years’ worth of pay. That amounts to more than a million dollars in today’s money. With this, we can see how much trust the master has for his servants to give them such a huge sum.

 

On the part of the servants, they could have run away with the money. Or do what the third servant did to save them the hassle of investing the money. But they didn’t. They remained faithful to their master even when he was away and made good use of what he was given.

 

God gifted and entrusted us with blessings.  The things we have in life are blessings from God and he has entrusted us with them. He hasn’t given us all the same things. We each have differences in financial status, health, intellect, skills and talents, etc. No matter how much or how little, they are all gifts from God.

He expects us to use our gifts wisely.  What will we do with the blessings we’ve been given? God gives us free will to choose. He loves us so much that he allows us to freely decide our path in life. He desires that we grow our gifts for His glory, but it’s up to each of us to decide. Will we help the needy? Clothe the naked? Feed the hungry? Show mercy? Grant forgiveness? Love one another? Or will we waste our money and blessings? Hide or misuse our talents? Use our skills for evil instead of good? Worship money and financial status above God?

He doesn’t judge us all by the same standard.  The talents (gold/coins) were given according to each person’s ability. We are created with different skills and abilities and are never entrusted with more than God knows we can handle. He ensures we have the money, resources, aptitude, skills, and ability to accomplish His will for our life, no matter how small or great the goal is.  He assesses our performance not based on how our accomplishments compare to others, but upon how well we’ve lived for His good and glory according to our abilities and resources.  “To much is given, much will be required.”

We will be held accountable.  Judgement Day will eventually arrive. We don’t like to think about our Divine Father as a judge, but I like to compare God’s love to a perfect human father. Even though such a man doesn’t exist, we can imagine that a father who loves his children and wants the best for them has expectations of them. He sets rules and boundaries to keep them safe and on the right path. When they go astray, he corrects them. So it is with God’s judgment. He looks kindly on those who use His gifts and blessings well and prudently. He’s disappointed in those who turn away from Him and choose to bury their gifts or misuse them. Indeed, He says they will be judged harshly.  And by harshly, take a hard look, as I have – many times, at verse 30 – when the Master says “Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  What does that tell YOU will happen?

We are called to grow in the Lord.  The Lord gives according to our abilities, but as we prove ourselves trustworthy by choosing God’s will, growing in faith, and sharing His glory, He entrusts us with more. This is similar to how a child earns his parent’s trust by doing the right things in small matters until he proves himself worthy of more freedoms and perks, blessings, etc.

As we seek Jesus with all our heart and work for His good, we deepen our relationship, prove our growing abilities, and eventually become entrusted with more blessings to be used for God’s glory. It’s an expanding cycle of God’s amazing will that is ours if we are willing to work for it.

This parable may have been written thousands of years ago but that doesn’t mean it’s not relevant anymore. Yes, the concept of master and servant may have been outdated as well as most of the details in the story. But the lessons remain true no matter how many centuries have passed.

 

 

Success Is Not Possible Without Taking Risks.  The third servant is a basic example of what would happen when we are too afraid to take risks. We can’t attain success without taking risks along the way.

 

In Everything That We Do, We Must Seek to Glorify God.  The faithfulness of the two servants despite their master’s absence is a testament to their commitment to glorify their master. Even if he isn’t physically present, they used his given talents to do what he would have wanted them to do. The same goes for us. In everything that we do, we must seek to glorify God. We must use what he has given us according to his purpose.

 

Each of Us Have God-Given Talents.  Just as how each servant received a different amount of talent, we too are given diverse skills and abilities. You may not be a born singer or dancer but surely there’s something you’re good at. After all, we can’t all be singers and dancers. Being good at reading other people’s emotions is a talent. Even having nice, neat handwriting is a talent. It’s up to us how to make use of that God-given talent to suit his purpose.

 

God’s Reward Depends on Our Effort.  In the parable, the master rewarded the two servants but punished the last one. The same is true for us too. We get rewarded for the good things we do and punished for every bad action. That’s why when we do good to other people and use God’s given talent to make life better for others, we receive more blessings.

Before we wrap up – I want to encourage you all to reflect on both of these parables.  Read them and reflect on them – use the Bible as a mirror.  What can you learn from these two parables in particular that will become a steppingstone for your life and for living a life worth living for Him?  He leaves these in your hands to take seriously and obey – after all, one day, He only says “Well done, My good and faithful servant,” to those who actually were.

 

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So, before we end today’s show, I just want to thank you all again for tuning in and I HOPE you were touched by today’s message and scripture.  If you’d like to reach out to me, please call me directly at 4074933208, email me at ben@shaken-awake.com, or check out the show at shaken-awake.com.

 

Until next time, take great care of yourself and each other, and God Bless You ALL.