00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:03 Halloween and Community Engagement

01:21 Christian Perspectives on Halloween

02:51 Biblically Informed Conscience

07:47 Parable of the Dishonest Manager

09:42 Rich Man and Lazarus

12:35 Faith Like a Mustard Seed

16:22 Unworthy Servants and Forgiveness

18:30 Closing Prayer and Farewell

Find out more about Compass Bible Church.

Learn more about our Bible Reading Plan.

Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

Hey everyone.

2

Welcome back to another edition

of the Daily Bible Podcast.

3

What's up?

4

It is the 28th, so that means

in just three short days,

5

Halloween itself will be upon us.

6

That's gonna be on Friday, so.

7

We held our fall fest on the 26th,

and we do that for a lot of reasons.

8

We do that because we wanna do it on a

Sunday 'cause it makes sense for people.

9

We also do that because we want on

the night of Halloween itself, our

10

people to be in their neighborhoods.

11

And the reason why we want you to be

in your neighborhoods is not because we

12

are here condoning, you know, black arts

or the evil of Halloween or anything

13

like that, but we also know that this

is probably the one of the main nights

14

of the year where you're gonna have

more of your neighbors outside than

15

at any other time during the year.

16

And they're gonna be coming along and

you're gonna have parents bring their kids

17

by your house and they're gonna be ringing

the doorbell, singing trick or treat

18

or whatever, and then their parents are

gonna be standing there on the sidewalk.

19

So we want you in your

neighborhoods because we want you

20

to be engaging your community.

21

We want you to be a light there.

22

We want you to be having

conversations with people.

23

So one of the things that, that

we love to do on Halloween night.

24

Every year as we bring our fire

pit out, we set it on our driveway

25

and we sit outside with our candy

so that as kids come up, they can

26

grab some candy and that we can talk

with the neighbors that are there.

27

We'll bring out some more stuff.

28

So some of the kids like to make us

some more while they're standing there,

29

and that gives us a little bit more

time to talk to our neighbors too.

30

All that to say listen, I know

there's a lot going around and

31

there is every single year you

see reels, you see YouTube videos.

32

Is Halloween Satanic and should Christians

abstain completely from Halloween?

33

I'd say there's a measure of conscience

on this, and if your conscience.

34

Convicts you that you shouldn't be

involved in this, that you feel like this

35

is a participation in that which is evil,

then don't stand against your conscience.

36

Okay.

37

I get that.

38

But I do think there's a room for

us to say, okay there's a lot of

39

differing things about Halloween.

40

Not all of it is directly

associated with the occult or

41

witchcraft or anything like that.

42

There are things that have to do with.

43

The Reformation, all Saints Day,

the day of the dead, so forth and so

44

on, that have more ties actually to

the church than they do to anything

45

that is of the occult either.

46

So there's freedom in this and I think

there is a potential for us to make

47

an impact in our community by being a

light in our neighborhoods on Halloween.

48

So that's why we would say this Friday,

if you're not convicted, that this is a

49

matter of conscience not to participate,

make sure that you're participating.

50

That's one reason why we don't

do Fall Fest on Halloween night.

51

Yeah.

52

What about.

53

The conscience though.

54

You talk about this and you did

talk about it on Sunday, so maybe

55

it'd be, it would be worth unpacking

it for this particular area.

56

Clearly your conscience

is totally fine with this.

57

There's nothing inside

of you that says mm-hmm.

58

I, I shouldn't participate,

or I can't participate.

59

Yeah.

60

How would you counsel someone who

says, you know, I'd like to get there.

61

Yeah.

62

I am bother right now because I

think it's gory and I, I heard on

63

the podcast one time that there's

days where people are sacrificing

64

animals and they're doing evil things.

65

Mm-hmm.

66

And force and all those things.

67

How would you counsel someone to

inform their conscience in such a way

68

that it would allow them to partake

of something like this with ease?

69

What we talked about on Sunday is

having a biblically informed conscience.

70

The Puritans wrote quite

a bit on this as well.

71

And that is that the Bible

needs to be our guide.

72

The Bible needs to be that

which binds our conscience.

73

So when we have something in scripture

that clearly prohibits an action or

74

an activity, then we can say with

Christians, okay, yeah, I can't do this,

75

but there are going to be things that.

76

Are matters of conscience that we're not

gonna apply across the board for everyone

77

to say, no one here can do these things.

78

And yet they're not gonna be black

and white things in the scripture.

79

They're gonna be more

things that are personal.

80

So for example, with Halloween,

maybe you've got somebody that

81

was saved outta the occult, right?

82

And so for them, all of a sudden you've

got a night where they have memories of

83

things that they did on Halloween night.

84

They've got images,

they've got experiences.

85

So for them, their conscience is wounded

by the idea of going out and participating

86

in this because their background, their

past, what Jesus saved them out of.

87

I'm not gonna look at that

person necessarily and say,

88

I think it's a good thing.

89

You need to engage in these things.

90

You need to be out and you

need to be participating.

91

That said, I think

there's a broad spectrum.

92

I think there's a much bigger difference

in dressing up as something that's

93

ghoulish and gory and horrific and

celebrating the occult and playing with

94

a Ouija board versus sitting out on your

driveway with a bowl of candy as the

95

cute little kids in the neighborhood

come by dressed up as Cinderella and.

96

Like 'em, McQueen and

giving them a candy bar.

97

I think there's room for

there to be a variance there.

98

So as Christians, I would say

there's wisdom for us to be careful

99

not to have the appearance of evil.

100

So I think we need to be careful not

to engage in the things of the occult.

101

You know, if your neighbor who's an

atheist next door is having a Halloween

102

party and says, why don't you come over

and you know that this is gonna be a

103

place where there's not godly things

happening there, then I think your

104

conscience biblically informed, should

say, I'm not gonna go, but I think.

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If it's a matter of can I

have an opportunity to engage

106

my lost neighbors in this?

107

And is there something inherently sinful

or evil in me handing a candy bar to a

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little boy that's dressed up as a baseball

player while his parents are there and we

109

have an opportunity to say, Hey, here's

an invite to our church for this Sunday.

110

I think that's okay.

111

And I think any other day of the

year, we could all get behind that.

112

It's just the association with the

occult and the darkness that we

113

automatically say we're gonna throw

the baby out with the bath water.

114

That's an important point.

115

I think growing in maturity is learning

how to weigh and measure things

116

with a careful and nuanced hand.

117

And I know nuance has some

negative connotations these days.

118

People don't like when

anyone uses that term.

119

What I mean by that though, is

thinking carefully about what you're

120

doing and why you're doing it.

121

For instance.

122

Participating in this event for some

bothers their conscience because

123

they think it's a day of evil, and

I can understand why they would say

124

that if they have any experience in

this, right, they sacrificed cats

125

or what have you I can understand.

126

However, I still might over the

long term, say John or Nancy.

127

You can take what was evil and redeem it.

128

Yeah.

129

And make it good.

130

Good point.

131

You can look at the darkness and say, I

wanna bring the light of Christ into this.

132

And with a measured and thoughtful

faith saying, I, I wanna do what I can

133

to insert the light of Christ into the

darkest places in my culture without

134

solely my own faith in the process.

135

And I think that's really one of the

questions I would ask, can you do this

136

without sacrificing your holiness?

137

And I think you can Well do that.

138

In fact, you can be like my neighbor

and have your Christmas tree set up

139

already, jingle bells and still be

handing out candy to the neighbors

140

and say, Hey, God bless you guys.

141

Where do you go to church?

142

Or whatever you say.

143

You can find ways to connect

with their neighbors because

144

you're coming to your front door.

145

Yeah.

146

Now I say, Nancy, John, this

can be redeemed for good.

147

Yeah.

148

If you can take evil and

redeem it for good, why not?

149

Right?

150

Why not do that?

151

Right?

152

And this requires you to know

your Bible so well that you can

153

say, okay, in all that God says.

154

Jesus expects us to know the lighter laws.

155

And the weightier laws.

156

This is what he challenges

the Pharisees with.

157

He says, you guys will honor the

light laws of tithing, mint and cumin

158

spices going down to the nitty gritty.

159

Mm-hmm.

160

He says, but you neglect the weightier

matters of the law, which tells me

161

that Jesus recognizes, and he even

intends that we understand his law

162

in both lighter and weightier ways.

163

Which means can I say, Lord,

do you want me to be holy?

164

Of course, I'm not gonna do Halloween.

165

That's a law.

166

On the other hand, he tells me

to go after making disciples.

167

Mm-hmm.

168

Okay.

169

I have two laws and they seem like they're

in conflict, make disciples and be holy.

170

How do I do that?

171

Well, I'm gonna have to harmonize

it too and say one of these is gonna

172

have to take priority and precedent

over the other, which does that.

173

And I'm only using two laws here.

174

Obviously there's more that we can

add to this equation, but you get the

175

idea of what I'm trying to get to.

176

Right.

177

God gives us his word and he gives

us the responsibility to carefully

178

interpret and apply his word such

that we don't do damage to either one.

179

And I think faithfulness in a complicated

age like ours is knowing your word so

180

well, that you could take all those

scriptures and say, okay, based on what

181

I know about God and his word and his

people, how do I harmonize these things?

182

We think.

183

One of the best ways to harmonize it is to

love your neighbors by being part of that

184

community and shining the light of Christ

to the best of your ability, whatever

185

that looks like, by opening your doors

and interacting with their neighbors.

186

Yeah.

187

Yep.

188

Hey, Luke, 16 and 17.

189

Today we've got an opening here of

the parable of the Dishonest Manager,

190

which is interesting, and it's hard

because Jesus commends the guy that's

191

dishonest here and it's one of those

like, what, why, what's going on?

192

And it's not so much that he's commending

the dishonesty, but the shrewdness

193

that this man has to win favor with

people who will then receive him

194

into dwellings when he's in, in need.

195

This is exactly what, how

we're looking at Halloween.

196

Exactly.

197

This is part of that.

198

Yeah.

199

I wish I would've remember this.

200

Yeah, there you go.

201

Well, now you do.

202

And so the equation there is that we

would be shrewd with the resources that

203

he's given us to win people for Christ.

204

And what that looks like.

205

Yeah, maybe that is passing out

candy on Halloween and engaging

206

the king size candy bars, the king

size, king Jesus, king Jesus size.

207

Candy bars, candy bars, and handing

those out to people and having

208

an open door for the gospel.

209

And then all of a sudden the implication

is if they beat you to heaven, that

210

they're gonna be there to welcome

you into heaven when you get there.

211

And how cool will that be?

212

Just encouraging us not to just think it

is gonna happen naturally, not just to

213

think everyone is gonna be this altar call

moment, but sometimes salvation happens

214

in the nitty gritty of life and use your

resources to get people to that point.

215

After this, he talks to the Pharisees who

he describes there as lovers of money,

216

Luke does, who are listening to all these

things, and they were mocking Jesus.

217

And so he.

218

Confronts them and confronts their

hypocrisy here verses 14 through 17,

219

knowing that they loved money and they

loved status and basically accused them

220

of missing the forest for the trees.

221

They were so busy attacking him

and mocking him while others were

222

busy responding to his teaching

with great passion and zeal.

223

And I think that's what he means when he

says that people are forcing their way.

224

Into the kingdom that their zeal,

their passion for Christ is leading

225

them into the kingdom with great

excitement and great exuberance.

226

Meanwhile the Pharisees are

rejecting in missing the point on it.

227

You've got another well-known

parable here, and that's the rich

228

man and Lazarus, which introduces

some interesting questions here.

229

And so the scenario is Lazarus dies

and goes to heaven, and he's in

230

Abraham's bosom as it's described there.

231

Then the rich man dies.

232

So the implication is that those

that are in heaven can see those

233

that are suffering in hell.

234

Pastor, I Do you think that's pushing

to make a universal point on that?

235

Is that pushing the meaning

of the parable too far here?

236

Or is there room to say that we'll have

an awareness of the suffering of the

237

lost while we are in the presence of God?

238

That's a tough question.

239

my huffing and puffing

is the heaviness of it.

240

I don't know.

241

I don't know.

242

Let me just answer.

243

I'll start with, I don't know.

244

I'm not sure, but I do have opinions

about it that are loosely held and

245

could be swayed if I would say,

oh, that's a compelling point.

246

I don't think Jesus ever

says this is a parable.

247

I don't think he ever says that.

248

Okay.

249

And so I'm tempted to give this

more weight than just, this is

250

a story meant to communicate.

251

An idea because Jesus gives

names to these people.

252

He doesn't do that for any other parable.

253

And so I'm wondering if he's

communicating something that he

254

has personal experience with.

255

I've seen this.

256

Here's what happens.

257

Lemme tell you this story.

258

So it's possible that this is more than

a parable, but if it's a parable and

259

it's meant to fit within all these other

things that Jesus is doing, then I could

260

say, yeah, I'd be pressing a parable.

261

Mm-hmm.

262

To do too much to say, oh, this

is the way it is for everybody

263

in heaven or the afterlife.

264

But if it's more than a parable,

maybe there's something to it.

265

And only maybe because this is still

before Jesus died, rose again and

266

ascended to the right hand of God.

267

Yeah.

268

And I now believe things are

very different in the afterlife

269

because of that transaction.

270

So I do think either way you're

still on very, difficult ground.

271

I wouldn't say it's terra firma

because you're still saying,

272

oh, maybe it's like this again.

273

If we're talking about Sheol, the Old

Testament conception of the afterlife,

274

and Jesus seems to be alluding to

that, that's gonna be a different

275

experience than what we have today.

276

If we were to die.

277

Yeah.

278

Yeah.

279

I think the argument in favor

of this being perhaps not a

280

parable is the naming of Lazarus.

281

But I think when you go back to the

others, aside from the ESV saying the

282

parable of, he starts 'em the same way.

283

There was a man who had two sons in

chapter 15, verse 11 chapter 16, there

284

was a rich man who had and then chapter

16 verse 19, rich man and Lazarus.

285

There was a rich man who

was clothed in purple.

286

So Jesus doesn't identify

all of his teaching as.

287

Here's a parable that I'm teaching you.

288

That's an editorial comment that the

ESV makes, but you're right, this is

289

one that he names the man Lazarus here.

290

So that's possible that it could be more

than a parable, it could be actual Mm.

291

In reality there.

292

Mm.

293

One of the things that's worth

note though, is what the.

294

Rich man begs, he says, send

Lazarus back to tell my brothers.

295

And Jesus says they have enough

to know they or Abraham does.

296

They've got enough to know they've

got Moses, they've got the law.

297

And again, he's saying this in

the context of the Pharisees.

298

In other words, you guys should know this.

299

Jesus said in John's gospel, he said, if

you believe Moses, you would believe me.

300

And so it's kinda the same idea there

that the Old Testament foreshadowed and

301

pointed to Christ and now Christ is here.

302

And to reject the Old Testament

is to ultimately reject him.

303

All right, Luke chapter 17, we have

him again dealing with the severity

304

of needing to treat sin radically.

305

And we've got a mini church discipline

section here in 17, beginning of

306

verse three says, pay attention to

yourselves if your brother sins rebuke

307

him, and if you repentance forgive him.

308

And if he sins against you seven times

in the day and turns to you seven times

309

saying, I repent, you must forgive him.

310

So again, similar to what we

wrote about in Matthew chapter 18.

311

There you've got.

312

The reference to faith, like a

mustard seed there, which, let's

313

talk about that for a second.

314

Pastor Rod.

315

Should we see this as saving faith alone,

or is this, man, I need to have just

316

faith like a mustard seed as I'm going

through a trial, in God's goodness,

317

in that faith, like a mustard seed

is gonna grow, is this, should we see

318

this as more than just saving faith?

319

Or is this faith that is.

320

Limited to just that initial

faith that we exercise in Jesus,

321

that all that has to be is small.

322

I think it's operational faith.

323

Yeah.

324

So what I mean by that is not only

saving faith, I think saving faith

325

also can be relatively small.

326

And I think what Jesus is getting at

is he's talking about the operation

327

of your faith on a daily basis

as you're going about your life.

328

It really isn't a lot

that God's asking for.

329

He's asking you to trust

him and to do what he says.

330

And so I would say it's

operational, although I wouldn't

331

say it's exclusively that.

332

And I would say small faith is also

what's necessary to become a Christian.

333

He doesn't ask you to jump over

the moon or to do a thousand

334

pushups or showcase your faith.

335

He's just saying believe and trust.

336

What do you think?

337

Yeah, I would agree.

338

I think you're right on that.

339

And so many times the fate

that we have when we're going

340

through a trial is so small.

341

Yeah.

342

And that's encouraging.

343

Yeah.

344

It is encouraging.

345

Only need a little bit.

346

E even the father, when Jesus was.

347

Bemoaning the fact that this was a

faithless generation and the father

348

said, I believe help my unbelief.

349

Yeah.

350

That small faith in saying, God, I need

more faith than I have, I have enough

351

faith to know I have to turn to you.

352

I have to cast myself

on you in this season.

353

Gimme more faith than I have right now.

354

I felt that before.

355

Yeah.

356

He talks about the 10 lepers here,

which is a good reminder to us to say,

357

Hey, we need to make sure that we are

thankful to the Lord for our salvation.

358

Yeah.

359

Lots of cats there.

360

10 leopards.

361

Leopards, uh, I got, yep.

362

Because only one returns,

only one returns thankful.

363

And so we as Christians, should

be regularly giving thanks for

364

the salvation that we have.

365

And then he gets into talking

about the coming of the kingdom

366

and he makes a statement there.

367

He says, the kingdom is

368

And the reason he says that is because

the king was literally in their midst.

369

Jesus is there he's there in the presence.

370

It doesn't mean that the

kingdom had been inaugurated.

371

This is not support for a

metaphorical a thousand years.

372

This is not an amillennial verse

that's saying that the kingdom

373

is here and he's inaugurating it.

374

In its metaphorical sense now, but

rather that the king is there and

375

where the king is, so is the kingdom.

376

But later on he, he tells us

in verses 23 through 24, he

377

says, there's gonna come a day.

378

They're gonna say to you,

look there, or Look here.

379

Do not go out or follow them for as

the lightning flashes and lights up

380

the sky from the one side of the other.

381

So will the son of man be in his day?

382

That's the coming kingdom.

383

And so it's gonna be un unmistakable.

384

So it's there in a

veiled form with Christ.

385

It's there in, in his kenosis,

Philippians chapter two, where he is

386

veiled his full glory and his humanity.

387

But before we get there, the

Messiah has to suffer, and

388

that's what he says in verse 25.

389

He must first suffer many things

and be rejected by this generation.

390

Then comes the kingdom and that we've

read about that recently in one Peter,

391

one Peter chapter one verses 10 and 11,

where Peter said, the prophets inquired

392

carefully searching what time or place

the spirit of Christ within them was

393

indicating when he predicted that this.

394

Son of man or that the

Christ would suffer.

395

And then the subsequent glories

afterwards, Jesus is referring

396

to that right here, that

suffering and then the glories.

397

But the kingdom will

come and it's gonna come.

398

Suddenly, and that goes back to our

need to be ready for the coming kingdom.

399

And so those that are lost in Luke 1737,

those are the ones that are taken away.

400

They're gonna be taken away into judgment.

401

And so we wanna be ready

for the return of Christ.

402

We don't know when that's gonna happen,

but we do know that it is going to happen.

403

I love this chapter because one of

the things that's highlighted is Jesus

404

greatness and our relative smallness.

405

I know this is earlier than what we were

just talking about, but in verse 10, one

406

of the right mindsets that Jesus commends

of his people is we are unworthy servants.

407

We've only done what was our duty.

408

When's the last time you

thought about yourself that way?

409

Mm.

410

When's the last time that you said man?

411

I was just thanked for this.

412

Praise God.

413

Thank you.

414

But I'm a unworthy servant.

415

I, I'm just a, I'm, I am doing the Lord's

work, and this is his work through me.

416

Yeah.

417

This is the right mindset.

418

If every Christian in every church

had this mindset, our churches

419

would be radically changed.

420

Yeah.

421

We would not fight.

422

We would not need to forgive one

another because there would be such

423

a palpable humility our relational

crud would get dealt with quickly.

424

We would not need to assert

ourselves or to dominate or feel

425

like we need our pound of flesh.

426

You have to remember.

427

Jesus saved all of us from the gutter.

428

We were not the best and the brightest.

429

We were not the dog and pony show.

430

We weren't the ones who are

winning first place, right?

431

We were the last place people,

and yet Jesus saved us.

432

We are just unworthy servants.

433

We've only done what was our duty.

434

This is the right mindset.

435

I would love for you to cultivate this,

and especially speaking of forgiveness,

436

when Jesus says If someone repents

seven times, you have to forgive him.

437

I don't think he's

kidding about that, right?

438

Jesus calls us to reconcile.

439

There must be at least an attitude

of reconciliation and ideally a

440

transaction of reconciliation.

441

And it's so important.

442

Jesus will say, look if you're about to

go worship the Lord Sunday morning, you're

443

about to sing praises and say, mm-hmm.

444

You know how great you are.

445

Mm-hmm.

446

If you remember your brother has something

against you, go deal with that before

447

you lift your hands to Jesus and worship.

448

Yep.

449

It's that important.

450

So let me encourage you, think

of yourself rightly, you're an

451

unworthy servant, all of us are.

452

Mm-hmm.

453

And then let that humility

drive you to keep.

454

Short accounts with the

people that God has saved.

455

Yeah.

456

And this flew so well into that 10

lepers because the one that comes

457

back is the one that recognizes

that he's an unworthy servant.

458

Yep.

459

The others are like, well, he saved me,

but I had less leprosy than you had.

460

So I mean, look at, I'm

better than you are.

461

And instead the one is like, no.

462

And thank you for saving me.

463

Yeah.

464

I, I'm unworthy.

465

That's right.

466

Well, let's pray and then we'll

be done with this episode.

467

God give us such a mindset, I pray that.

468

This mindset, it doesn't come naturally.

469

It grates against our flesh.

470

Our flesh wants recognition.

471

Our flesh wants the acclaim and

the praise of men, but help us to

472

serve and labor and work for you

and not for the applause of men.

473

And so we want to make sure that our

rewards for our labors are not only gonna

474

be the applause we receive here and.

475

Earth, but the, ultimately the

commendation that we'll receive

476

from you one day when we hear well

done, good and faithful servants.

477

And so until that day, Lord, help

us just to do what you've called

478

us to do and to love one another.

479

Well in that process as well.

480

We pray this in Jesus' name.

481

Amen.

482

Amen.

483

Keep reading your Bibles, tuning

again tomorrow for another edition

484

at the Daily Bible Podcast.

485

See it.

486

Bye.

487

Bernard: Well, thank you for

listening to another episode of

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the Daily Bible Podcast, folks!

489

We're honored to have you join us.

490

This is a ministry of Compass

Bible Church in north Texas.

491

You can find out more information

about our Church at compassntx.org.

492

We would love for you to leave a

review, to rate, or to share this

493

podcast on whatever platform you're

listening on, and we hope to see

494

you again tomorrow for another

episode of the Daily Bible Podcast.

495

Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

496

Yeah.

497

I would agree with

everything that you said