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Epiphany 3 Yr C - Lk 4:14-21, 1Cor12:12-31, Neh 8:1-3,5-6,8-10 - 24/1/2010Epiphany 3 Lk 4:14-21, 1Cor12:12-31, Neh 8:1-3,5-6,8-10 24/1/2010 Rev Mark Harris The visiting preacher was really getting the congregation moving. Near the end of his sermon he said “this church has really got to walk!” - to which someone in the back yelled, "let her walk preacher!" The preacher then said “if this church is going to go, it's got to get up and run!” To which someone again yelled with gusto, "let her run preacher!" Feeling the surge of the church, the preacher then said with even louder gusto, "if this church is going to go it's got to really fly" And once again with even greater gusto, someone yelled, "let her fly preacher, let her fly!" The preacher then seized the moment and stated with even greater gusto, "if this church is really going to fly its going to need money!" to which someone in the back yelled, "let her walk preacher, let her walk." Sometimes people don’t have the right attitude to the churches mission, do they? Today we’re thinking about our attitude to Jesus mission And how we’re to follow Jesus example. Firstly we’ll see how Jesus filled with the power of the HS, proclaimed the word of God, We’ll then see how he upheld the word of God, And finally we’ll find out how he fulfilled the word of God! Background: Just prior to our Gospel reading this morning, Jesus started out on his mission to save the world, identifying with us sinful people by being Baptised, Then he went through a time of testing in the wilderness, where he was able to resist the temptations that Satan put before him, unlike our forbears who ate the fruit they were commanded not to eat. This section in Luke’s Gospel from 414 to 950 Describes Jesus ministry and is dominated by his teaching and his miracles. And so in our reading today, Jesus has just left the wilderness, and is again being guided by the HS Jesus is very responsive to being Led by God So let’s look firstly at how Jesus proclaimed the word of God Luke 414 Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. Without TV, mobile Phones, or ‘face book’, Jesus fame spread! And what catches people’s interest is Jesus teaching! 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. This word for ‘praised’ is normally reserved for praise to God, but Luke uses it to emphasizes their high view of Jesus’ teaching. What makes Jesus’ teaching stand out is the AUTHORITY with which he teaches. And what Jesus teaches matches up with God’s word! Jesus doesn’t contradict scripture; He gets to the heart of God behind the words themselves! We see that clearly in Jesus teaching on adultery, don’t we? Thinking lustfully is as sinful as committing adultery, [Pause] And so when Jesus teaches, the people listen because Jesus isn’t just reciting empty words from a scripture text, He’s proclaiming the deep truth that’s found in the very words of God. And more than that, Jesus words ARE the very words of God! Because Jesus is God in the flesh, empowered by the HS! But if a major part of Jesus mission was to teach about the KOG, It stands to reason that God’s people must be willing to be TAUGHT! How about us here today? Are we keen to learn from God’s word? Do we look forward to reading it each day? Do we look forward to coming to church, to have God’s word explained? Do we encourage each other to grow and mature in our understanding of God’s word? After all, how can we know how to respond to God if we don’t know what God wants of us? If we’re going to be a church that moves from walking, to running to flying, we need to be people committed to God’s word, just like Jesus! So let’s look now at how Jesus upholds the word of God! V16 When he came to Nazareth, ... he went to the synagogue ..., as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him... V21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Sadly today for some people the scriptures aren’t given much importance in Christian faith. The ceremony, prayers or fellowship are considered more significant than listening to, reading & understanding the Word of God. Why is this? It’s because peoples trust in the scriptures as God’s word has been eroded. There are some scholars today who treat God’s written word as if it’s not God’s word at all. There’s a view in Theological circles today, Based on a hypothesis put forward by a fellow called Wellhausen in the 1870’s Wellhausen’s view was that the “law book” mentioned as the one Ezra obtained wasn’t from Moses, but was just a re-writing of tradition. But... it’s the ordinary people in our OT reading from Nehemiah who tell Ezra in v1 “bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had given to Israel.” The people knew they needed to be instructed And they knew the ‘book of the law of Moses’ existed Which was given by the LORD to Israel. The book of the law wasn’t something invented by Ezra the week prior! To say Ezra wrote the law at that point turns scripture into a lie! But what does Jesus believe? Jesus had no trouble in taking the scriptures as saying what they mean and meaning what they say! You’ll remember that at Jesus testing in the wilderness, He rebuked Satan each time with “it is written” Jesus placed a very high authority on scripture to be able to rebuke Satan with it, When Jesus soul was at stake, He went to scripture for defence! In our Gospel reading Jesus didn’t say ‘O by the way this part of Isaiah probably wasn’t written by Isaiah, and so it’s wrong’ He took the scriptures as God’s word! He clearly KNEW the Isaiah scriptures well enough to LOOK for this specific passage which he quotes from Isaiah 61. He trusted that what the prophecy said was actually FROM God, And more than that, He knew that the prophecy actually applied SPECIFICALLY to Him! If Isaiah 61 wasn’t God’s word, then Jesus the Son of God, Fully filled with the Power of the Spirit, Wouldn’t have quoted it as being fulfilled. Jesus said "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." We need to have confidence in our scriptures! [Pause] Our view of scripture affects the importance we place on it, doesn’t it! If you have a low view of scripture, Then you’re unlikely to ever read it! Or perhaps you’ll only read the parts you find especially encouraging, and skip the rest. And of course if we have too low a view of scripture, We’re not likely to make the effort to get to know God through it, And we’re in danger of becoming like the people in Jesus day who couldn’t see God when he was staring them in the face! Jesus doesn’t have a low view of scripture, Neither do the apostles, and neither should we! Jesus whole earthly life is based around the will of God revealed through the written word of God, in the power of the HS. What’s your view of scripture? How important is the word of God to you? Is it reflected in your time spent in the scriptures each week? 2 Tim. 3: 15 is a challenge to us all, isn’t it? ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. So finally let’s look at how Jesus fulfilled the word of God from Luke V18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. A lot of people expected the grand, regal Messiah to bring His message to the upper crust. But he was born in a stable, to a woman not of noble birth, under shady family circumstances, to bring his message to the poor. Specifically the SPIRITUALLY poor, To those who understand their utter dependency on God. People who’s life is going down the drain, Whose relationships are failing, Whose kids have problems, Whose health is deteriorating, Those who recognise they have NO control in life know they need God’s help. Independent, well-to-do people often have a false sense of security about life, These are the people who still act as if life is in their control. But the poor in spirit don’t live under that delusion, And they’re perhaps more willing to hear the good new Jesus brings. More willing to be taught by Jesus, than to ignore his teaching! More willing to sit under Jesus teaching than sit over it! Just as Jesus’ teaching involved mission to the poor in spirit, So we should be involved in mission to the poor in spirit too, The church’s mission is just an extension of Jesus mission. Application: If we want our church to fly and not just walk or run, we need to humble ourselves under God, We need to understand that before we came to faith, And without Jesus, WE too are the Poor in spirit! And then we can draw alongside others, who are poor in spirit, And share the grace we have found! Jesus ½ brother James says in James 215-16 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? We need to care for people physically, to earn the privilege of sharing the Gospel with them also. And I must say I’m impressed with the way our Parish helps people in need! Willing volunteers help give food to the needy, And of course many people donate to keep the pantry full. I trust we can continue to build on this good work in our community, through the food parcels and the soup kitchen, Into other ways of showing God’s love we haven’t even dreamt of yet. And building on this great work, We need growth in our understanding of God’s word, and how we help people to mature in the knowledge of it. From Nehemiah 8 v7-8 the Levites, helped the people to understand the law, while the people remained in their places. 8 So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. We need to help people understand God’s word. My plan early this year is to get around to each of the home fellowship groups as they start back up, And I also hope to start up some bible fellowship groups for those who are new in the faith, & for those who just feel that they’ve never really looked seriously at the Bible. [Pause] Please be prayerful about these things. If you’re not part of a fellowship study group, please think about joining one. And if you are a member of a group, have a fresh look at how you might welcome newcomers into your group. [Pause] Jesus declared He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." This freedom is what we need and our society needs, and it only comes through Jesus. This verse is a metaphor that everyone who heard it would automatically link to the ‘year of Jubilee’. The Day of Atonement was the day when animals were sacrificed to pay the penalty for the sins of the people that year. And on the Day of Atonement in the 49th year, It was proclaimed that the 50th year would be the year of Jubilee. This meant that in the 50th year, all debts were cancelled, All land purchased from a family in the previous 50 years, Reverted to the original tribes from which they came. All slaves were released without cost. The slate was wiped clean, And this of course points to what redemption is about, Galatians 44-5 God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. All legal obligations are removed through the grace that Jesus provides. How does Jesus do that? Hebrews 9 22 under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Jesus blood, shed on the cross, purifies us from our sins. His death pays the ransom for us So that we can live forever with Him. We’re released from our slavery to sin, And we’re given power by God’s HS to live for him day by day! We go from being blind, to knowing the way to eternal life! [Pause] Do you know the way to eternal life? Has Jesus set you free? Assuming he has, will you commit yourself afresh to growing your knowledge and love of God this year? To finish up with a poem: The Holy Bible and the TV Guide lie on the table, side by side One is well worn, but cherished with pride (Not the Bible, but the TV Guide) One is used daily to help folks decide. (Not the Bible: it's the TV Guide.) As the pages are turned, what shall they see Oh, what does it matter?...turn on the TV. Then confusion reigns, they can't all agree on what they shall watch on the old TV. So they open the book in which they confide (No, not the Bible.....it's the TV Guide.) The Word of God is seldom read. Maybe a verse e'er they fall into bed. Exhausted and sleepy and tired as can be... not from reading the Bible-from watching TV. So then back to the table, side by side, lay the Holy Bible and the TV Guide. No time for prayer....no time for the Word. The plan of salvation is seldom heard. But forgiveness of sin so full and free is found in the Bible.....NOT on TV! |
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