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Chapter 36 - Summary
Summary
For the last four and a half months we have been studying the Parables of Christ. While they are not the only guidelines to the Christian life, they point to our need for a goal and life style which is far better than any goal or life style which we can find or invent for ourselves in this world.
Anyone of us can look up at the stars in the night sky, or come face to face with some difficult situation in life, and see that we are so very small on the grand scale of things. We can recognize that in our physical bodies, we have insurmountable restrictions and limits on what we can think, do, and accomplish in this life.
Our functional life begins at birth and ends at death. Times are difficult enough during our life, but after death we have absolutely no control over our circumstances. That is, on our own we have no control. We can always ask whether there is more to life than just existing and hustling from day to day. And especially when trouble enters into our life, and things just look hopeless. The world can gang up on us and unless we happened to have been born into a silver spoon environment, then most of us will wonder sooner or later, whether life is really worth it all.
These parables teach us that life is full of potential. And the outcome of our life really is ours to control, but we just have to recognize truth from the deception and then learn truth so we can make informed decisions throughout our life. Good decisions lead to many opportunities. Bad decisions lead to fewer opportunities.
Our existence can have tremendous meaning and we can become an integral part of history if we pursue Gods word throughout our life.
On the other hand, if we ignore God and His counsel, and pursue our own definition of truth, then we will discover (probably too late) that we will lose out not only in this life, but we will lose out on infinite blessings in the next life, and become nothing more than historical filler. Not a very good legacy.
The following is an alphabetical summary of the parables which we have just finished studying.
Barren Fig Tree - Unbelievers and, believers who are negative, are discarded from participation in history. They are nothing more than historical filler.
Dinner - Compassion - Negative people have no consideration for others. They merely sit back and watch the show of life as it were and presume that they are not participants in life.
Dinner - Honor - Negative people seek honors that they are not entitled to. They have no qualifications for honors of life, yet they presume that their mere existence qualifies them.
Dinner - Indifference - Indifference toward the spiritual side of life leads to ignorance, and therefore the negative person makes poor choices in life.
Dragnet - History has limits. A beginning and an end. In the end, the angels will sort out the good from those who are not good.
Good Samaritan - Academic knowledge, academic wisdom are not good enough to solve ones problems in life, nor to get one into heaven.
Good Shepherd - There is only one path to God, only one divine to watch over us, only one means to spiritual fulfillment.
Hidden Treasure - Discovery, and recognition of phenomenal treasure comes through knowledge in doctrine.
Laborers in the Vineyard - Salvation is the same throughout history.
Lazarus and the Rich Man - Those who will listen will listen, and those who won't, won't.
Leaven - A very small thing can influence the whole batch.
Lost Sheep - Each believer is valuable. God sets no limits on gathering believers to Himself.
Lost Coin - God goes to great lengths to find and help believers recover.
Lost (Prodigal) Son - God extends salvation and grace to all sorts of people.
Mustard Seed - Spiritual success is certain despite the huge worldly odds set against it.
Pearl - Positive believers actively search for the treasures of the spiritual life.
Persistent Friend - Persistence in prayer yields results.
Pharisee and the Tax Collector - The content of ones soul and attitude are more important than the outward appearance of the individual.
Poor Woman's Gift - God always provides the means to give to bible study and charity.
Rich Fool - Misplaced priorities.
Sensible Steward - Promotion goes to the faithful.
Sower - Spiritual production is directly related to a positive attitude toward God and doctrine.
Ten Minas - Eternal rewards will differ between believers based on spiritual production.
Ten Talents - Blessings in eternity, for those who advance to maturity, are beyond imagination.
Ten Virgins - One needs to be prepared in life, and preparation comes through daily study.
True Vine - There is only one true spiritual life, one true God, one true access to God, and one true eternal future.
Two Debtors - We have an insurmountable debt on our lives, and we have a responsibility to acknowledge that debt, and come to an understanding that we cannot pay it off without supernatural help.
Two Sons - Recognition of ones flaws leads to being obedient to God whereas ignoring ones flaws in life lead to disobedience toward God.
Unjust Judge - The world is unjust. True justice will only come from God. Constant prayer is a must in order to obtain justice in the long run.
Unjust Steward - People will go to great lengths to obtain something in life for themselves, and never gain their goal. How much more will they have if they spent that much effort in their spiritual lives.
Unmerciful Slave - Self righteous people make up their own biased rules for life. They lack genuine forgiveness toward others.
Wedding Feast - Patience and preparation are virtues in the spiritual life. Both come from spiritual growth.
Wedding Feast - Two - Gods valuable invitation has a criteria which must be followed.
Wheat and Tares - The world is full of competing opinions. One cannot discern between them unless there is Bible doctrine in the soul.
Wicked Vine Growers - Negative people are discarded in history and positive people will replace them.
Final Question
What is the most valuable thing you can ever own?
A. Your home.
B. Your friends.
C. Your career.
D. Your spiritual life.
End of Lesson
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