Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. You know, I say because you're a Baptist. or a Catholic, or a Buddhist, or a Jew, or something else. Religion cannot save. You can't climb high enough or hard enough.
To get to heaven. On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about how to truly experience the joy of Jesus.
Now here's Dr. Graham with his message: the Grinch that stole Christmas. Begin finding Luke chapter 15. If you've been with us, you know that our Christmas series. Is this story really stories that Jesus told to show us who God is and what God is like?
And that God loves lost people, that people matter. To God. The first story we talked about from the Lord was the story of a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of those sheep was lost and wandered away, and the shepherd went, searched till he found it, brought him home, and what happened? There was a party.
There was a celebration. He called all of his friends together and said, rejoice. For this lost one has is now home, and then there's the story of not only the lost sheep, but the lost silver, the coin, the lady lost. One of ten coins, and she turned the house upside down to find that one coin. And what did she do?
She called her neighbors, her friends, and said, get over here. We're going to have a party. I lost something very valuable and I found it again. And so they celebrated. And then the story of the lost son, the prodigal son, who went away and lived recklessly and rebelliously.
And we see the father waiting, the father wanting, and the father welcoming the son to return, embracing him, kissing him profusely. Says, kill the fatted calf. We're gonna have a barbecue, get a band, we're gonna have a party. They're celebrating, they're having an incredible time. Everybody's having a great time.
celebrating the one who had come home for Christmas. Did I say everybody?
Well, in fact There was one guy. who wasn't having a very good time. And he's the Grinch of this story. He refused to celebrate. And I'm going to show you why.
When we walk through this story that Jesus gave us in Luke 15, he refused to celebrate and to participate. In the joy of his brothers. Return. You know, not everybody. enjoys Christmas.
Certainly, many in the world don't enjoy Christmas and would prefer holidays to Christmas. And secular celebrations to the real meaning of Christmas. We know not everyone loves Christmas. There's some people, maybe I'm even speaking to some people, you don't love Christmas. I mean, it's just not, you know, it's stress-filled and it's financially disabling sometimes, and maybe there's sadness in your home, or maybe, you know, Cousin Eddie's coming for Christmas and you just can't.
Handle it another year.
So maybe you don't love. Christmas, and you're kind of sitting here with your arms folded, bah, humbug, let's get Christmas over so we can go on with life.
Well, maybe you're going to find yourself. in the story that Jesus gave us. today. Is the story of the lost Sibling. The elder brother, and Jesus tells us about him beginning in verse 25.
Many of you have stopped reading at verse 24, and in some ways it would have been nice. Just to have ended the story with the celebration and the excitement of the son who had come home. But Jesus had an additional powerful compelling point. To make. Verse 25.
And his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music. and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked, what these things meant. What's going on here?
Why are we having a party? And he said to him, your brother has come and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound. But he was angry. and refuse to go in. And the father came out.
To entreat him.
Now let's just stop. Right there. There are two kinds of people away from God in this story. Two sinners, and sin is what separates us from God, disconnects us. from God.
There is the reckless Rebellious center. You know him as the prodigal Sun. He threw away his life. He wasted everything. He he's irreligious.
He's immoral. And he's far away from the Father's house and the love. Of the Father, the love of God. That's one kind of person. But there's another person in this story that is a religious sinner.
A respectable sinner. A moral sinner. The fact is that the elder brother who stayed home, his heart was far away from the father. He never went anywhere. And yet In his heart.
He was separated from the love and the joy. and the fellowship. of his father. And this is the elder brother.
Now, by now you probably realize that Jesus was talking specifically here to a group of people. Known as the Pharisees. Remember the Pharisees at the outset of this series we talked about the fact that Jesus loved lost people, that he ate with sinners, that he partied with people that were outside the religious system of his day, the outsiders of the faith. People not particularly good. Sinners of all kinds.
And this drew criticism. from the religious types. From the Pharisees, from the religious establishment, this drew heavy criticism. This man. Cavorts with sinners.
This man hangs out. with people he shouldn't be hanging out with. The outsiders. Look, everything that Jesus did in coming to earth was to include more and more people. A Savior was born for all.
People. A savior of the world. He didn't come just for the religious types or just for Jews. He came for Gentiles and He came for the Romans as well as the religious. When he was born, he was not born in Jerusalem.
The son of a priest? But rather, he was born in humility in Bethlehem, a little town outside of the city of Jerusalem. And there he was worshiped by shepherds, delivered by a peasant girl, a peasant virgin by the name of Mary, and his adopted father Joseph, standing by. And then shepherds came, and yes, the rich and the wealthy came as well. People came from other nations, as in the wise men, to worship the Christ child.
Again, to demonstrate that the gospel is all-inclusive, it includes everyone, not just a select, elite few. Jesus grew up in a little honky-tonk town called Nazareth. It was a Gentile town. That's where he grew up. Again, not under the auspices of the temple and the religion of his day, but in the simplicity of a small town.
When he picked his disciples, he didn't go find the elect and the elite of society. He picked fishermen and tax collectors, just common men, ordinary Joes. To be his most intimate followers and disciples. I could go on and on. When God chose to communicate the message of Jesus to the world, what language would he use?
Well, the New Testament, the Gospels and the New Testament is written in a form of Greek. It's known as Koine Greek. You get the word koine from that word. It means common currency or common coinage. And Jesus, the gospel, is delivered, therefore, not in the elaborate languages of religiosity, but rather it is in the common language of the people.
Everything about the coming of Jesus into the world, everything about his kingdom is to say that everyone is included. That there is no person that God does not love. That there is no nation, no creed, no color, no kind that is not loved by God unconditionally. The Pharisees Couldn't handle that. And so Jesus is speaking through the story of the elder brother to Pharisees.
of all kinds. Religious centers. People who don't see their need for salvation. People who say, you know, the gospel's for someone else, but I don't need Jesus. I'm not a murderer.
I'm not a killer. I'm not an adulterer. I don't steal. If I'm a sinner, I'm a good sinner. I keep the rules.
I go to church. I do what I'm supposed to do. I keep my nose down at work. I'm a good person. Why do you tell me I need to be saved?
Why do you say I need Jesus? Religious, respectable people are just, without Jesus, are just as far away as the young man who went to the far country. You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message: the Grinch that stole Christmas. We all know Christmas is right around the corner. During this Advent season, will you join Dr.
Graham in preparing our hearts to celebrate the arrival of King Jesus? If you're up for celebrating the reason for the season with us, just take your phone out and text the word ADVENT to 59789. Again, text ADVENT to 59789. We want to remind you that your support today will be doubled by a $250,000 matching grant to help ensure PowerPoint finishes the year strong. ready to reach more lives with the gospel in 2026.
When you take advantage of this match, your generous gift will be worth twice as much to help proclaim the life-changing message of Jesus around the world through PowerPoint's TV, radio, and online outreach. We'll say thanks for your gift today with a copy of Dr. Graham's book, Breaking Free from Stress, to help you experience God's peace even in life's most overwhelming moments. To give your gift, just text the word MACH to 59789. Again, that's MACH to 59789.
Now let's get back to today's message, the Grinch that stole Christmas. What was wrong with this guy, this Grinch? First of all, he was joyless. And boy, there's nothing more joyless, more empty. than religion without Jesus.
This older brother He just had no joy in his life. He was unhappy. He was jealous of his brother. He was envious of his brother. Maybe even of his brother's sin.
You know, often there's a thing called projection in psychology. When people get all bent out of shape about somebody else's behavior or misbehavior or sin, it's because they're projecting their own behavior. He was no doubt filled with lust. As a matter of fact, he said in speaking to his father, this son of yours. has been converting with prostitutes.
Now I wonder who told him that. Middle. Did he make it up or was he just projecting his own desires and his own lusts? and his own sin. Maybe he just didn't have the guts.
to get after it like his old younger brother. But he was he was joyless And it was the party that was driving him crazy. You see, his problem was, like the Grinch that stole Christmas, was he had a small heart. Didn't they? He had a shriveled soul.
And he didn't care about his brother. He even said This son of yours speaking to his father. He didn't even call his brother his brother. He was a hater. Including his own.
Flesh and blood. He refused to forgive. And so he was filled with rage and anger, and he isolated himself, and he stayed away, and he wouldn't come in and celebrate. He was loveless. I wonder if he was joyless.
I wonder if he ever prayed for. His brother. I wonder at what point he quit caring. whether his brother ever came back or not. It's a good thing that the elder brother didn't meet his younger brother on the road.
Or the younger brother would have never gotten home. It's a good thing the father met him first. and ran to him and embraced him and welcomed him. He was joyless. Like so many people who just go through the motions.
He was loveless. He didn't care. He cared about One thing, and that was himself. Go back to the text. Chapter 15.
Verse 29, he answered his father, look, these many years I have served you and I've never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. You see his problem? I, me, my. He's in love with self. He's self-indulgent.
He cares only about himself. He cannot celebrate with the joy of his father in the son who came home. He's working hard. You know, he knew his brother. did not deserve the love of his father.
He knew that his younger brother, who had sinned so violently, Didn't deserve A fatted calf. and a party. and a welcome. He just didn't get it.
Now who could ever understand the grace of God? other than to celebrate it. He's out there working hard. He gets nothing. He said, Well, he said, You didn't give me a goat.
He's feeling sorry for himself. He's joyless. He's loveless. Filled with anger, rage. This family is Separated by sin, religious sin and rebellious sin, but sin.
He was also lifeless. He just was empty. of a relationship with his father. He he was just as dead. in his sin as his younger brother.
Yeah. Without Christ. Regardless of our religious expression or experience, we're dead in trespasses and sin, and religion can't save. You hear me? Religion can't save.
You're not saved because you're a Baptist. Or a Catholic. or a Buddhist or a Jew or something else. Religion cannot save. Rule keeping will never get you into the kingdom of God.
You can't climb high enough or hard enough. To get to heaven. This guy thought he should gain the approval of his dad, his father, because he was a dutiful son, obedient son, and he worked hard. But all for the wrong reason, for himself. And what he wanted.
Not want what the Heavenly Father wanted.
So as a result, he was He was joyless. He was... Loveless, he was. Lifeless, and oh yeah, he was clueless, right? He was just clueless as to The real meaning.
of life. And so the father It says, entreated him to come into the house. And that word in treat there's a Very powerful word. It means to conjole, to beg. to plead.
Interesting, isn't it, for both sinners? the rebellious one and the religious, respectable one, for both types, the father went out to meet them. The father ran to his reckless, rebellious son. And embraced him and welcomed him home. And now the father goes, he leaves the party.
And he goes outside where this boy is, this older son, and he begins to plead with him, beg with him. Come on, son. Your brother is back home. It is going to be tough. You know, he's probably going to need rehab.
It's going to be a long way. to fix this guy. But he's home, son. And we're celebrating that. He was dead.
He's alive. He entreats him. But the religious Restrictive sun. Refused. In his rage, in his resentment.
To budge. And he's left standing outside the party. Jesus really doesn't resolve this story. There's no proper ending. We want to know what happened.
But Jesus just kind of left us waiting. to find out. And I believe there's a reason. Because remember the parables are about you and me. We see ourselves.
And The intriguing The call of the Father, the call of God for us to come in, that's. That's our decision. That's our choice as well. He wants you to see yourself in this story. Whether you are a reckless, rebellious, immoral type, or whether you are a religious, Moral type.
He wants you to decide whether you're going to come in. to the party or not. He wants you to make that decision. This story is the tale of Two sons. Oh no, wait a minute.
There's actually a third sign here. The Son of God. The one who's telling this story. The Son who was sent by the Father. on a mission of love, on an errand of mercy.
Said From heaven to the far country of this world. To be born in a manger. Majesty in a manger. To be the savior of the world, to seek and to save the lost. The elder brother.
Hee. shares our humanity. That's why he came. And not just to come to be born, but to die on the cross, to rise again, to fulfill the promise of God through the ages. We have been waiting and waiting and waiting, and maybe you're still waiting.
Maybe you're standing out. In the cold, you're in the dark, you're on the outside. You need to hear again. The love of the Father. and the sacrifice of the Son.
What he has done for you. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message: The Grinch That Stole Christmas. With just a few days left in 2025, We want to invite you to give a year-end gift to help ensure PowerPoint steps into the next year of ministry in the strongest position possible. The good news is that a generous friend has provided a $250,000 matching grant, which means any year-end gift you give by December 31st will be doubled to take the life-changing message of the gospel to more people around the world, people searching for the peace only Jesus gives. Your tax-deductible year-end gift, doubled by the match, will take the message of peace in Christ into more homes, hearts, and lives than ever before.
As a thanks for your gift, we'll send you a copy of Dr. Graham's book, Breaking Free from Stress, to help you defeat stress and anxiety and rest in God's care. To give your gift, just text the word MACH to 59789. That's MACH to 59789. And thank you for helping proclaim the gospel till the whole world hears.
We all know Christmas is right around the corner. During this Advent season, will you join Dr. Graham in preparing our hearts to celebrate the arrival of King Jesus? If you're up for celebrating the reason for the season with us, just take your phone out and text the word ADVENT to 59789. Again, text ADVENT to 59789.
Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? A warm, true, dynamic, vibrant relationship with Jesus is for every day of the year, not just Christmas. You can experience Christmas every day if you know Christ, if the Spirit of God is living in you. But it is true that not only can the best things come out of Christmas, but sometimes we see a lot of bad things. The worst things can come out of this particular year.
Christmas can be a time of reflecting on the miracle and the blessing of Christ coming to us. And of drawing close to God, but it can also be a time when so many people lose the true meaning of Christmas. And just the rush and the hustle and the frantic pace of this time of the year can lead to emotional exhaustion and relational breakdown, and our families are all caught up in just the hassle of this year rather than the joy of this season.
So I want to share with you that it's important to take time out to reflect. Remember And receive the Lord Jesus and the salvation that He has provided for you. If you know Him, what a time this is to tell others about Him and to worship Him in your church. I encourage you to get involved in a Christ-exalting, Jesus-exalting, Bible-believing, loving congregation that is missionary-hearted and taking the gospel to the world. And this is a great time to do that.
If you've been out of church, why don't you get back in the church and serving Christ? And if you don't know Christ, would you stop right now? And just still your heart and and invite Christ to come into your life. By trusting Him as your Savior and Lord, turning from your sin and receiving Jesus Christ into your life. The Bible says, if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus, believe in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead, we will be saved.
Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. To be saved means that you're forgiven of all your sins, that Jesus gives you abundant life and eternal life forever, starting right now.
So receive Christ. Whatever you're doing, stop. Rushing around this moment and invite Jesus Christ into your life. This is your moment. This is the God moment.
This is the day you've been waiting for. Trust in Jesus right now. I want to invite all of you to join me at jackgraham.org. And when you do, you're going to find resources for your Christian life, messages and message series that we've done in the past, Bible studies. It's all accessible, it's all available, it's all free.
And so go there and use it. We do appreciate your online donation. If you can support PowerPoint and the fact that we're giving away these resources to people who need them just free of charge, if you can afford to support PowerPoint, if God is leading you to give to us, that would be a great thing. And you can do that online. Just go to jackgraham.org.
And you will find there a donation button and you can hit it and use your credit card and you can bless us. And I pray that we've been a blessing to you. And I promise you, if you're able to give and if the Lord leads you to give and help us, it will be a major blessing to us at this time of the year. If you want to request prayer, we want to pray for you. There are people standing by right now.
who will pray with you and pray for you.
So please let us know how we can serve you. God bless you. And again. Merry Christmas. And that is today's PowerPoint.
Remember that when you give a gift to PowerPoint, your gift will be doubled by a generous matching grant.
So text the word match to 59789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about the young mother who carried the savior of the world. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
