The Gospel of Luke #16

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:05.080 Unto the Lord's Word this morning. We need his illumination to come upon it. 2 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:10.839 And so let us first pray before we read God's word. And now, 3 00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:14.439 Lord, we come to THY holy word, the word that you, 4 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:18.800 through the ages, have protected, the word which you have kept pure, 5 00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:26.879 the Lord that even today, about two thousand years separated from you, we 6 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:32.399 still have that word, that faithful word, that we can trust him. 7 00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:36.000 And so, Lord, we thank you for your word. We thank you 8 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:43.240 particularly this morning for the Gospel accounts of your earthly life and ministry and how 9 00:00:43.320 --> 00:00:46.719 much it has to teach us. And so, Lord, I pray, 10 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:51.840 as we look at this account where you were rejected by the people of your 11 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:57.439 own hometown, and I pray that you would speak to us and help us 12 00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:02.399 not to be offended, as you said to uh your apostles. Would you 13 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:07.680 be offended also? Lord? We would not be offended, but would want 14 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:11.640 to hear your word and we'd wanted to speak to our hearts this morning. 15 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:17.920 So illuminate us, make it clear, enlighten our eyes that we maybe hold 16 00:01:17.959 --> 00:01:22.159 wondrous things out of your law. For this we pray in Christ name. 17 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:27.799 Amen. If you turn in your bibles to follow along with Luke Chapter Four. 18 00:01:30.359 --> 00:01:36.680 I'm going to be reading UH Luke Um, beginning with verse, excuse 19 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:40.680 me, Verse Fourteen, and through verse thirty. And again I remind you 20 00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:45.959 that this is God's word. and Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit 21 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:49.599 to Galilee and the report about and went out through all the surrounding country and 22 00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:53.640 he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And he came to 23 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:57.280 Nazareth, where he had been brought up and, as was his customer, 24 00:01:57.319 --> 00:02:01.120 went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and he stood up to read and the 25 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:05.359 scroll of the Prophet Isaiah was given to him. He and rolled the scroll 26 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:08.319 and found a place where was written the spirit of the Lord is upon me, 27 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:13.319 because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He 28 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:16.000 sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, 29 00:02:16.919 --> 00:02:21.599 to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of 30 00:02:21.599 --> 00:02:24.000 the Lord's favor. And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to 31 00:02:24.039 --> 00:02:29.240 the attendant and sat down and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed 32 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:31.960 on him and he began to say to them. Today, this scripture has 33 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:37.560 been fulfilled in your hearing, and all spoke well of him and marveled at 34 00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:39.800 the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, is 35 00:02:39.879 --> 00:02:44.960 not this Joseph's son? And he said to them, doubtless you will quote 36 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:49.560 to me this proverb, physician Hell Yourself. What we have heard you did 37 00:02:49.560 --> 00:02:53.400 at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well. And he said, 38 00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:55.719 truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 39 00:02:57.639 --> 00:03:00.639 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows and Israel in 40 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:02.599 the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six 41 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:07.560 months and a great famine came over the land, and Elijah was sent to 42 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:10.000 none of them, but only to Zopath in the land of Sidon, to 43 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:14.639 a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in 44 00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:17.199 the time of the Prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but 45 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:21.840 only name and the Syrian. When they heard these things, all in the 46 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:24.879 synagogue were filled with wrath and they rose up and drove him out of the 47 00:03:24.919 --> 00:03:28.800 town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was 48 00:03:28.840 --> 00:03:32.199 built so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their 49 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:36.840 midst, he went away. Thus, since the reading of God's word, 50 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:45.960 please be seated. So last week we finished looking at the temptation account of 51 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:50.800 Jesus and the Wilderness and looked at how the main temptation of Christ throughout his 52 00:03:50.919 --> 00:03:54.599 life was going to be to avoid going to the cross. Well now this 53 00:03:54.680 --> 00:04:00.000 morning we come to the return to his own hometown and we're going to look 54 00:04:00.039 --> 00:04:03.960 get the rejection that comes to him there at that town. And I want 55 00:04:03.960 --> 00:04:09.400 to start with looking at verses fourteen through one. And so I told you 56 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:13.800 last week, when we look at the second and third temptations of Jesus in 57 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:18.079 Luke, that those temptations were exactly the opposite in Matthew and that what was 58 00:04:18.120 --> 00:04:23.040 the second temptation and Luke was the third temptation in Matthew and vice versa. 59 00:04:23.560 --> 00:04:28.399 And I told you then that Luke was not so interested in telling the chronology 60 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:31.839 of the events, but he has interested more in themes and putting things together 61 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:39.199 in a certain order. And I mentioned that in the Temptation Account Luke has 62 00:04:39.240 --> 00:04:45.560 opposed to Matthew, doesn't give time marker words. He uses just a conjunctive 63 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:49.720 word that just goes on. In Greek it's Kay, but in in English 64 00:04:49.720 --> 00:04:55.399 it's a simple word. And and if you look through this chapter here, 65 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:59.120 you'll see there's a lot of hands at the beginning of verse and that that's 66 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:01.600 all luke is do this is putting them together. But he's not saying, 67 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:06.079 like Matthew does, and then and afterwards. He's not doing that because it's 68 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:11.800 not a chronology that he's doing and not. Why is that important here? 69 00:05:11.879 --> 00:05:15.800 Because again, verse fourteen starts with add why does that matter? It matters 70 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:23.839 because there's about a year of ministry that occurs between verse Thirteen and Verse Fourteen 71 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:29.319 here of Luke Chapter Four, and that can be confusing to people because Luke 72 00:05:29.399 --> 00:05:32.000 doesn't record it or talk about it. He talks about Jesus returning in the 73 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:36.439 power of the spirit to Galilee, but he doesn't tell us what happens in 74 00:05:36.759 --> 00:05:42.319 that first year. And all of those events are recorded for us by John. 75 00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:45.160 Well not all of them, but the ones John Chooses de pick in 76 00:05:45.240 --> 00:05:50.720 that year and they're found in John Chapter one through four. But a man 77 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:55.800 by the name of Dr Stalker UH divided the Ministry of the Lord into four 78 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:59.759 parts. He said first there was the Year of obscurity, which is what 79 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:03.199 gives to us in his Gospel, and then there is a year of public 80 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:08.360 favor Um, which would be this year, although it doesn't really start with 81 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:12.040 much public favor, but uh, that's what he calls it. Then there 82 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:15.600 is a year of obscurity and then he says there is the end. Now 83 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:17.600 I don't know that that's inspired or anything I got, but but it does 84 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:21.399 kind of give us a cycle of the Lord's Ministry and I think those kind 85 00:06:21.399 --> 00:06:26.439 of things happen again and again. So it can appear in your bibles at 86 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:29.839 verse fourteen, happens right after verse thirteen, but I want you to see 87 00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:33.560 that it doesn't. And so Jesus coming in the Holy Spirit, power the 88 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:38.439 spirit. This is Luke's third reference to the Holy Spirit in this chapter. 89 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:42.480 If you're talking, we are following, I should say. And so we 90 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:46.680 see that in verse one he was full of the Holy Spirit and also led 91 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:50.759 by the spirit. Now he comes in the power of the spirit and Luke 92 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:56.360 mentions the report of him goes out throughout the surrounding country. So we have 93 00:06:56.920 --> 00:07:01.360 a summary of the activities of Jesus beginning in Verse Fifteen, that he's teaching 94 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:08.480 in all the synagogues being glorified of all. And although most of the versions 95 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:13.439 translate the verb there he taught, which is is a fine translation, but 96 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:19.000 the more literal translations translates he was teaching. And the reason because in the 97 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:24.480 Greek this isn't imperfect, which means that it's not a completed action. And 98 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:27.800 so instead of just and he taught, it's it. I think better. 99 00:07:28.199 --> 00:07:30.839 You know, and I'm not criticizing our translation, but I think it's better 100 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:34.680 to say that he was teaching, because it gives us an idea of the 101 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:43.000 importance of teaching in this ministry time of Jesus. But the reception is going 102 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:46.000 to be a little different in Nazareth. It begins, as Luke says here, 103 00:07:46.519 --> 00:07:49.480 has his custom was. In other words, what was his custom? 104 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:55.000 His custom was to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath Day. I'm going 105 00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:58.920 to come back to that and the application and you might be able to guess 106 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:01.399 a little bit what I'm gonna you in that. But as his customers, 107 00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:05.800 it says he stands to read. Now, in those days the ruler of 108 00:08:05.800 --> 00:08:11.480 the synagogue could really pretty much decide whoever he wants to to do the reading. 109 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:13.920 And give this sermon, he would decide he was qualified and do that. 110 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:20.079 So apparently the ruler of the synagogue and Nazareth has asked Jesus to do 111 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:24.319 this. But before everything is done and Jesus has finished, he's going to 112 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:31.240 find rejection here at Nazareth. Now again, the Gospel accounts can be a 113 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:35.720 little confusing when you try to compare them, because if you read Matthew and 114 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:39.600 Luke, excuse me, Matthew and mark, it appears that Jesus rejection at 115 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:45.879 Nazareth happens much later than Luke gives it here, and this gives rise to 116 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:52.159 many to believe there are actually two rejections at Nazareth. Now I think really 117 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:58.039 there's only one, because uh Jesus says the same thing about no profit being 118 00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:01.919 acceptable in his own town, and he bade sally says the same thing in 119 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:05.120 Matthew and mark, and so I believe these are the same. But some 120 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:09.960 say that Luke puts it at the beginning of Jesus Ministry because this is going 121 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:13.679 to be kind of the way his ministry is going to go. He's gonna 122 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:18.360 Start, people are going to be wondering at him and excited and then they're 123 00:09:18.679 --> 00:09:20.080 uh, they're not going to like him at all and they're and they're going 124 00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:24.720 to reject some reject him. Hendrickson in his commentary says the Ministry of Jesus 125 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:33.639 usually follows three stages enthusiastic interest, then amazement and then rejection. It's also 126 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:41.240 interesting to think about this Um Jesus, we know, was born at Bethlehem, 127 00:09:41.240 --> 00:09:45.120 a center of Ministry. When we read the Gospels, appeared to be 128 00:09:45.159 --> 00:09:48.480 out of Capernum, where Peter was from, and that appears to be where 129 00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:54.399 center of Ministry was. And yet he will always be known as Jesus of 130 00:09:54.559 --> 00:10:01.679 Nazareth. In part of the reason this is interesting is because there seems no 131 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:07.840 good reason to identify with Nazareth. You might remember Nathaniel's comment to Philip in 132 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:11.559 the beginning of the gospel of John, where he says can any good thing 133 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:18.360 come out of Nazareth? That's the reputation that Nazareth had those days. And 134 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:22.159 the town of Nazareth. You can't find it mentioned in the Old Testament anywhere. 135 00:10:22.440 --> 00:10:26.080 You don't find it mentioned in the Jewish talment anywhere. You don't even 136 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:31.039 find it mentioned in the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus. So it's pretty 137 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:37.279 a negligible town, and yet our Lord is going to make its name great. 138 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:41.919 Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Yes, indeed, something good 139 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:46.559 can come out of Nazareth. Our Lord comes out, and so over seventeen 140 00:10:46.600 --> 00:10:52.559 we have a summary report of a sermon preached by Christ. Now we have 141 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:56.039 a lot of the teaching of Christ recorded, but this is the only place 142 00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:01.440 we have which is kind of a summary of a sine dog sermon. And 143 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:05.480 really this account is thought by many to be the earliest account we have of 144 00:11:05.559 --> 00:11:13.120 a synagogue service. Now, those who have researched a synagogue service say that 145 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:16.639 it had these elements. There would be the Shima, which was Deuteronomy six 146 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:22.279 four. Here Israel, the Lord, our God is one Lord, and 147 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:26.399 there would be blessings and thanksgivings with that. Then there'd be a prayer with 148 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:31.039 an amend by the congregation, just like we do, reading from the pentituch 149 00:11:31.399 --> 00:11:35.600 or from the first five books of the Bible, very similar again what we 150 00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:39.679 did here this morning are reading from the Prophets. Uh. They would then 151 00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:43.080 have and then a sermon like we're doing here, and a Benediction, like 152 00:11:43.159 --> 00:11:48.039 we will do so very similar. So the services of the Church today are 153 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:52.919 very similar to what the synagogue services seemed to be. And we're told that 154 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:56.000 the role of the Prophet Isaiah was given to him. Now what we don't 155 00:11:56.039 --> 00:11:58.559 know, because none of the gospel writers tell us us. Was this role 156 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:03.480 pick doubt by Jesus beforehand, or was this where the ruler of the synagogue 157 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:07.600 just gave him and he began to read? There? We we don't know. 158 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:11.799 But we know that our Lord knew exactly what he wanted to read and 159 00:12:11.879 --> 00:12:16.919 as the man Jesus has been studying the scriptures throughout his life, he knew 160 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:20.759 where the scriptures were and he knew what he wanted to say, and so 161 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:26.120 he read the verses. Here in verse eighteen and Nineteen had come to us 162 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:33.120 out of Isaiah Sixty one versus one and two. Now I noted earlier that 163 00:12:33.240 --> 00:12:39.279 says Jesus was continually teaching wherever he went. But what's interesting here in this 164 00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:46.320 verse is three times in this passage we have the word for preaching or proclaiming, 165 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:50.360 and so Jesus not only his teaching, but his ministry is also to 166 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:56.840 preach or to proclaim. We have that the puritans used to say God had 167 00:12:56.879 --> 00:13:01.720 only one son and he made him a preacher. Now What's interesting to me, 168 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:05.759 for that might be a little interesting to you. I read that in 169 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:09.799 somebody's commentary. There wasn't a puritan and in my reading and the Puritan this 170 00:13:09.879 --> 00:13:15.320 morning, writer Thomas Goodwin, said exactly that. So well, that's that's 171 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:18.399 interesting. I didn't even know the Puritan said it until I read it in 172 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:20.799 another book and now here I come upon it in my daily reading. So 173 00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:24.960 that was good. Um. But if you're looking at the Isaiah scripture this 174 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.360 morning, which I don't know that any of you are need to be, 175 00:13:28.440 --> 00:13:33.279 but if you're looking at Isaiah sixty one and that you are comparing it to 176 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:39.000 the scripture here that Luke gives us, we find that it's not exactly the 177 00:13:39.080 --> 00:13:45.080 same. For example, Jesus skips the phrase in Isaiah to bind up to 178 00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:50.679 brokenhearted and the phrase opening the eyes of the blind that Jesus used in the 179 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:54.639 Old Testament. It is the opening of prison to those that are bound. 180 00:13:56.559 --> 00:14:00.120 And I'm not going to go into all the reasons why there are differences here, 181 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:03.159 but there are good reasons that are here. It could be that the 182 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:07.399 scroll of this synagogue was actually translated that way because there were different translations depending 183 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:11.039 upon the Septuagient, the Greek translation they had and different things like that. 184 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:16.159 It could be that some of this is Jesus comment on the passage, or 185 00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:20.159 could be that Jesus is interested in giving the main intent of the passage, 186 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:22.440 or could be a lot of other things. But that that really doesn't matter. 187 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:26.919 There's nothing out of the ordinary or nothing conflicting here in what Jesus says. 188 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:30.559 But the question of people, I'm sure you've heard this before, if 189 00:14:30.559 --> 00:14:33.879 you've ever heard a sermon on this passage. I'm sure this has been brought 190 00:14:33.960 --> 00:14:37.200 up to you and this is something you're very familiar with, which is why 191 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:41.080 does Jesus Stop the passage when he does? Why does he stop reading where 192 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:46.399 he does? Because he stopped reading with to proclaim the year of the Lord's 193 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:50.720 favor and he doesn't go on to say and the day of vengeance of our 194 00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:54.519 God. So why does he do that? Now there's different ideas and I'm 195 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:58.919 sure you've heard, and probably there's truth to this, that the reason is 196 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:01.519 that his first coming was not to come in the day of vengeance but was 197 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:05.840 to come to proclaim liberty. But he will come again, the second time 198 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:11.120 for judgment, and perhaps that's why he does it. But again, Jesus 199 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:15.559 says, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Now, what is 200 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:18.080 the year of the Lord's favor? You probably know what it is. It 201 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:22.200 was the year of you believe it was the year when slaves were set free. 202 00:15:22.200 --> 00:15:24.759 It was. It was the year when deaths were canceled. It was 203 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:28.639 the day that all of this stuff that Jesus is talking about here in this 204 00:15:28.840 --> 00:15:35.279 passage is what he's come to do. It's defined for us and what's going 205 00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:39.039 on is given to us in Leviticus, Chapter Twenty Five. But Jesus comes 206 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:43.879 to give liberty, and he said in John if the sun set you free, 207 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:50.080 you will be free indeed. So the question is, how do we 208 00:15:50.200 --> 00:15:56.919 understand what Jesus says here about his ministry? Is he speaking literally or is 209 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:02.679 he speaking spiritually? My aunt's it would be yes. That's how I would 210 00:16:02.759 --> 00:16:06.440 answer it. We could say, is he speaking of the literal poor, 211 00:16:06.559 --> 00:16:11.519 the literal captives, the literal blind and the literally oppressed, or is he 212 00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:15.039 speaking spiritually of those who are poor in spirit, those who are in captivity 213 00:16:15.080 --> 00:16:19.440 to the devil, those who are blind in regards to spiritual things and those 214 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:26.480 were spiritually oppressed by the devil. I think scriptures lead to both. Acts 215 00:16:26.519 --> 00:16:30.000 Ten thirty eight. How God annoying that Jesus of Nazareth, with the Holy 216 00:16:30.039 --> 00:16:33.159 Spirit and power, he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed 217 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:37.399 by the devil, for God was with him. But I think we also 218 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:42.240 have to include literal because he did open the eyes of the literal blind right, 219 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:45.480 and he did these other things. So I think we can say both 220 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:49.120 of those are there. And so in verse twenty, Jesus Rolls The screw 221 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:53.279 up, scroll up, gives it to the attendant and sits down and every 222 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:57.759 eye is upon him. Why? Because he sat down time for the sermon. 223 00:16:57.799 --> 00:17:02.440 I told you that the living in the parables study knows that. I 224 00:17:02.519 --> 00:17:06.559 talked about how, uh in the beginning of Matthew Thirteen, when Jesus gives 225 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:10.720 the parable he goes to the boat and sits out and everybody else stands and 226 00:17:10.759 --> 00:17:14.400 I said I think that's a good practice. I should be sitting, you 227 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:18.480 all should be standing. A spurgeon said it would stop people from falling asleep 228 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:21.400 in church. Um If we did that, although I've known people that can 229 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:23.960 sleep standing up, so maybe that wouldn't work either. But I could lobby 230 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:27.680 for that practice, but I won't here. But Anyway, uh, because 231 00:17:27.799 --> 00:17:30.240 then I know sometimes I'll be listening to a sermon don't have to stand, 232 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:33.880 so I don't want to do that. So Uh. In Verse Funny One, 233 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:37.799 though. He has a very short application. He says today the Scripture 234 00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:44.039 has been fulfilled in your hearing. And we think about that. That's not 235 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:48.559 the greatest application there's ever been given to a sermon. Now, every time 236 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:51.279 I'm preach a sermon it's my goal at the end of the sermon to make 237 00:17:51.319 --> 00:17:55.599 application. I want expositive to text to as best I can, but then 238 00:17:55.640 --> 00:17:57.960 I want to apply the text here everyday life. I seek to do that, 239 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:03.599 maybe to give a better understanding of your salvation or understanding of the Lord. 240 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:07.799 But in all the sermons I've ever preached I've never had an application as 241 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:14.160 wonderful or powerful as this. He says this is the day you've been waiting 242 00:18:14.200 --> 00:18:18.119 for. This is the greatest day in the history of mankind. This is 243 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:22.960 a day when all of the prophecies you've been studying are coming true. This 244 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:26.680 is where God is coming to do what he has promised. This is a 245 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:30.480 day of salvation, this is a day of liberty, this is all of 246 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:33.200 these things. I am the one you're waiting for. I am the fulfillment 247 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:38.079 of all these script scriptures. This is a wonderful time and of course all 248 00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:44.559 the people get excited and there's great rejoicing and the Latin no, not exactly. 249 00:18:45.079 --> 00:18:51.160 The first reaction is quite positive. If we begin looking from verses twenty 250 00:18:48.920 --> 00:18:53.599 two says all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were 251 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:59.400 coming from his mouth. But then they began to think about that for a 252 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:03.599 little bit and they say, isn't this Joseph's son? Now, this is 253 00:19:03.640 --> 00:19:08.200 the last reference to Joseph in the Bible, chronologically, the last reference we 254 00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:12.920 have to him. Now Mark gives us a fuller account of this statement. 255 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:18.000 And Mark six three. Is Not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, 256 00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:21.839 brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon? And are not all 257 00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:26.359 his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him. So they 258 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:32.279 hear what he says and they're excited about it, but then they start thinking. 259 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:36.480 Wait a minute, we know this guy. We know his family, 260 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:40.559 we know what he did when he was brought up here, and they started 261 00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:45.039 thinking about him and and and they think, well, no, this, 262 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:51.000 this cannot be the guy that's going to fulfill all those scriptures. And Jesus 263 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:53.720 then UH begins at verse twenty three, to get to the heart of what 264 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:59.759 he's saying. He says you're gonna probably say the proverb physician, heal thyself, 265 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:03.759 which what it means in his context. Is What they're saying is, 266 00:20:03.160 --> 00:20:07.079 if you're gonna do healings like you've done in other places, do it here 267 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:11.039 in your hometown. That's what they mean by that. When he says that 268 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:15.839 proverb. Do the things you did, do it here as well. In 269 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:19.680 First Corinthia's Paul says the Jews demand signs, and that's what they're doing here. 270 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:23.160 But the one thing we know what God is. He doesn't have to 271 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:26.920 give into our demands, does he? We can want science doesn't mean God 272 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:33.240 has to give those signs. Now. Jesus could have done those works in 273 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:37.519 Mark's, the count he says, a very strange thing he says, and 274 00:20:37.559 --> 00:20:41.359 he could do no mighty work there, except he laid his hands on a 275 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:47.720 few sick people and healed them and he marveled because of their unbelief. Now 276 00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:49.119 I don't know what that means. A few sick people. I don't know 277 00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:52.400 if that means. You know, I couldn't do anything with, you know, 278 00:20:52.519 --> 00:20:56.599 tuberculosis or paralysis or anything like that. But but you know, he 279 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:00.400 could. He could heal covid or, you know, the common cold or 280 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:03.480 something like that. Guy, I don't know what it is, but the 281 00:21:03.519 --> 00:21:07.440 phrase he could do no mighty work there sounds wait a minute, no, 282 00:21:07.160 --> 00:21:11.400 he's God, he can do what he wants. Why couldn't he do mighty 283 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:15.640 works there? Well, Calvin has a good comment. He says not that 284 00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:18.799 it is in the power of men to bind the hands of God, but 285 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:25.240 that he withholds the advantage of his works from those who are rendered unworthy of 286 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:30.000 them by their infidelity. I think that's a very good comment on that particular 287 00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:34.920 phrase. And so Jesus Marvels in his human nature at the response that he 288 00:21:36.039 --> 00:21:41.240 is receiving here in his hometown. But one thing to note. Nobody, 289 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:49.359 even Jesus greatest enemies, nobody denied the fact that Jesus indeed did miracles. 290 00:21:49.400 --> 00:21:55.839 Even the Pharisees and the scribes and his address. Even they admitted that Jesus 291 00:21:55.880 --> 00:22:00.519 did Miracles in Verse Twenty Four Editors. What's a I'm? A kind of 292 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:04.079 proverb that has been said through the years in different forms and actually, for 293 00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:08.799 the first time in Luke we have the word Amen. Luke only uses the 294 00:22:08.839 --> 00:22:14.359 word six times, just much fewer than the other gospel writers, but it 295 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:19.039 is used by Jesus to say I'm I'm saying something important here. Of course 296 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:23.200 everything Jesus says is important, but this is something Jesus is saying. I 297 00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:29.599 want you to really hear what I'm saying here. And he says no profit 298 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:37.480 is acceptable in his hometown. Our proverb goes something like familiarity breeds contempt, 299 00:22:37.880 --> 00:22:41.720 but it's the same proverb. When I've gone back to my hometown, Rochester, 300 00:22:41.799 --> 00:22:45.319 Minnesota, to preach, I know there are people in the audience. 301 00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:48.839 UH, now they're getting less and less now because I'm getting older, but 302 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:52.880 I know there were people in the audience that think, wait a minute, 303 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:56.319 I remembered this guy. He used to smart off to me in Sunday school 304 00:22:56.440 --> 00:22:59.000 class. I know that's hard for you to believe and you could never think 305 00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:02.519 I could do such a thing, but it's true and they would, they 306 00:23:02.519 --> 00:23:04.240 would. I'm sure they would think that and I even heard it from people. 307 00:23:04.680 --> 00:23:07.079 You know, I never thought you'd turn out too much. You know, 308 00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:11.240 you, uh, the way you started and all of those things, 309 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:15.680 but this is very true to a lot of us. And then Jesus is 310 00:23:15.720 --> 00:23:21.039 going to say something in the next three verses that's going to really anger the 311 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:25.799 church, the crowd, and he's going to tell two Bible stories that his 312 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:27.839 listeners, as well as you, are going to be well acquainted with. 313 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:33.480 And he's going to tell the story of Elijah and the widow that's found in 314 00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:38.200 first king's chapter seventeen. and Jesus does add something here that's not found in 315 00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:42.000 the Old Testament account. He says that the heavens were shut up for three 316 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:45.240 and a half years. We're not told that in the Old Testament. Now 317 00:23:45.319 --> 00:23:48.759 James also repeats that. So people say, well, how can they know 318 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:52.400 that? Uh, you know that that? Uh, it's not in the 319 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:56.799 Bible. Well, Jesus was there, so I think he knew. So 320 00:23:56.839 --> 00:24:02.839 we can accept that. And he tells that story and again it relates how 321 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:06.079 Elijah was there in the home of this widow of their path and the flower 322 00:24:06.119 --> 00:24:08.599 in the oil never ran out as long as he was there. And then 323 00:24:08.599 --> 00:24:14.000 he tells another story that relates to Elijah's successor, Elisha. He tells a 324 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:18.319 story that we're probably very familiar with again that is found in second kings five 325 00:24:18.359 --> 00:24:22.000 of name and the Syrian Leopard. It comes to Elisha and you know the 326 00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:25.359 story always told to wash in the Jordan River and all of those things. 327 00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:30.200 So you might wonder, why are the crowd so angry that he tells those 328 00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:34.240 two stories? I mean, what, what's? What's so bad about that? 329 00:24:36.200 --> 00:24:41.920 I'll come back to that. Let me finish with vers. The crowd, 330 00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:45.440 as I said, gets angry, very mad, and I want you 331 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:51.480 to notice they're not just a little angry. Okay, they're really upset to 332 00:24:51.559 --> 00:24:56.319 the point they want to kill him. That's how upset they are. Now 333 00:24:56.039 --> 00:25:02.240 I have had people in my ministry that have not been exactly enamored with my 334 00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:07.039 sermon, and there may be some here this morning, but nobody has ever 335 00:25:07.160 --> 00:25:11.039 wanted to kill me. That I know after I finished the sermon, that 336 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:15.440 that's never happened to me before. So one thing I think I can say 337 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:19.119 positively about our Lord's sermon. I don't think we can describe it as seeker 338 00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:23.680 friendly. Um. That that much I gather from from what he says here. 339 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:26.960 And so in Verse Twenty Nine it says they brought him out to the 340 00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:32.319 brow of the hill so they could throw him off the cliff. Now this 341 00:25:32.359 --> 00:25:36.640 isn't the first time people have tried to kill Jesus. You might remember Herod 342 00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:40.599 and his attempt, and it won't be the last time either. And of 343 00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:45.880 course they will finally succeed with what with killing him. But Verse Thirty says 344 00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:48.480 passing through their midst, he went away. Now that's one of the most 345 00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:53.200 enigmatic versus in the New Testament. Really isn't what? You read that and 346 00:25:53.200 --> 00:25:56.319 you go, how does that work? You know, what did he do? 347 00:25:56.559 --> 00:26:02.079 Is it a miracle and he's got out this peer and reappear somewhere else, 348 00:26:02.200 --> 00:26:04.680 or or what it did? The hearts of the people all change and 349 00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:08.319 you're kind of like Luke, tell us more, but he doesn't Um. 350 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:12.400 So we're not sure exactly, but he is going to leave Matt Nazareth at 351 00:26:12.440 --> 00:26:17.559 this time. And I love the provocative statement Fred Kradock makes here. He 352 00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:25.119 says Jesus doesn't go elsewhere because he's rejected. He's rejected because he went elsewhere, 353 00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:29.200 and I think that's very perceptive. And as far as we know, 354 00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:34.160 Jesus never returns to Nazareth again. John says he came onto his own but 355 00:26:34.279 --> 00:26:38.559 his own did not receive him. James Edwards says the N I v Subtitles 356 00:26:38.599 --> 00:26:47.000 this section Jesus rejected at Nazareth, but the text suggests that Jesus also rejected 357 00:26:47.440 --> 00:26:53.200 Nazareth. So let me make some applications this morning. One of the things 358 00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:56.759 I mentioned earlier and I want to come back to is as we look at 359 00:26:56.799 --> 00:27:02.799 the ministry in life of Christ, we see in several scriptures that he was 360 00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:08.559 regularly in attendance at the synagogue services. Now, the synagogue services are not 361 00:27:08.599 --> 00:27:11.440 found in the Old Testament. We don't we don't get him from there. 362 00:27:12.039 --> 00:27:18.519 They apparently started either towards the end of that period or in the intertestamental period 363 00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:22.559 when the temple was destroyed and people wanted a place to worship, and that's 364 00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:29.160 where the synagogues were born. But it was in obedience to God that his 365 00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:36.680 people would gather together on their Sabbath Day and the Lord was faithful in attendance 366 00:27:37.160 --> 00:27:41.079 at the synagogue has his custom was. Now you might say, well, 367 00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:44.440 yeah, he was the preacher, he had to be there, but I 368 00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:48.160 don't think that's the main reason. He's doing it in obedience. He is 369 00:27:48.279 --> 00:27:53.319 going as a pattern to us. That tell us that we need to gather 370 00:27:53.440 --> 00:28:00.039 together regularly on his day. Has was his custom. It's not one of 371 00:28:00.039 --> 00:28:03.599 these like well, we've all mad people like this. Wow, I don't. 372 00:28:03.640 --> 00:28:06.319 I don't have to go to church to be a Christian. So you've 373 00:28:06.359 --> 00:28:11.279 all heard somebody say like this. The Christ was obedient to the laws that 374 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:17.079 said you need to attend with God's people. Deuteronomy twelve, five, you 375 00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:19.559 shall seek the place the Lord, your God has chose out of all your 376 00:28:19.559 --> 00:28:25.759 tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, 377 00:28:26.759 --> 00:28:30.079 the Psalmist says, and saw made four. How lovely is your dwelling 378 00:28:30.119 --> 00:28:33.039 place, O Lord of hosts. My soul longs, it faiths for the 379 00:28:33.079 --> 00:28:37.200 courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the 380 00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:41.319 Living God. Even the sparrow finds at home, and the swallow a nest 381 00:28:41.359 --> 00:28:45.720 for herself where she may lay her young. At your altars, O Lord 382 00:28:45.720 --> 00:28:48.480 of hosts, by King and my God, blessed are those who dwell in 383 00:28:48.519 --> 00:28:53.039 your house, ever singing of your praise. See how I think of our 384 00:28:53.079 --> 00:28:57.880 Lord's words to disciples. I mentioned before the Lord's supper where he said with 385 00:28:59.039 --> 00:29:03.039 great and word. There is the actual word lust. With Great Lust, 386 00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:07.640 I have lusted to eat this password. He's coming to the end, he's 387 00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:11.759 coming to his death and he wants to be with God's people. He knows 388 00:29:11.799 --> 00:29:15.880 how important is. Our Lord wants to do that. Well, you say. 389 00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:18.559 Well, yeah, but I don't really care for our pastor's sermons. 390 00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:22.720 Hey, think about the sermons Jesus had to listen to him. I mean 391 00:29:22.920 --> 00:29:27.079 there was nobody on par with him right there was nobody could say, Oh, 392 00:29:27.160 --> 00:29:30.480 I could have done a lot better with that. Of course he could, 393 00:29:30.359 --> 00:29:36.079 but he was in attendance, he went. So let's be faithful to 394 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:40.640 the House of the Lord on his day. But I want to go back, 395 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:45.200 and our songs today are centering around this, if you didn't notice. 396 00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:49.279 But the question, what is it that made the people so angry? You 397 00:29:49.440 --> 00:29:55.200 just told a couple of Bible stories. That's all he did and you looked 398 00:29:55.200 --> 00:30:00.319 at it while you so mad. He didn't say anything. The scriptures didn't 399 00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:03.440 say and he said. The truth is that the fact that he said a 400 00:30:03.480 --> 00:30:08.799 prophet wouldn't be accepted board his own hometown. Maybe, but more to the 401 00:30:08.920 --> 00:30:18.279 point are the examples he chose to bring that day in the story involving Elijah, 402 00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:22.920 he's bringing out the point there were many widows in Israel during the days 403 00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:26.960 of Elijah, but Elijah wasn't sent to any of them. He was sent 404 00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:33.200 to a widow in Sidon, a gentile territory, in Zeropeth. He was 405 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:40.799 said, to that area. That's not Israel, that's a gentile. And 406 00:30:40.880 --> 00:30:47.279 then he adds the story of Elisha when he says there were lots of lepers 407 00:30:47.319 --> 00:30:52.559 in the days of Elishah in Israel. But who gets cured? Not only 408 00:30:53.519 --> 00:31:03.839 Assyrian, not only a gentile, but an actual enemy of Israel. That's 409 00:31:03.920 --> 00:31:07.359 who was hell, James Edwards says, at the time of Elijah being sent 410 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:15.079 to name and Naman was a Syrian general besieging Israel. So we need to 411 00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:22.079 recognize what the topic what this first sermon is talking what is it that angers 412 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:26.559 the people? And the thing that angers them shouldn't surprise us because it's the 413 00:31:26.599 --> 00:31:30.880 same thing that's been angering people even in the church for years. When you 414 00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:37.400 bring it up and it's the doctrine of election, that's what's making the man. 415 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:41.160 God could have sent Elijah to any widow, but God said no, 416 00:31:41.440 --> 00:31:47.640 you're going to this gentile. Out of all the widows that could have been 417 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:55.200 Elijah could have went to, God elects a widow in Sidon, and that 418 00:31:55.480 --> 00:32:00.319 doesn't seem good to the these Israelites that day in the synagogue. God gives 419 00:32:00.359 --> 00:32:08.240 sent any leper in the land of Israel to Elisha, but instead he sends 420 00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:14.880 an enemy, a gentile, and this is the one that is healed. 421 00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:22.039 And just as the people in Nazareth hated that doctrine, people still hate it 422 00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:25.960 today. And let me say that is a good clue to the fact that 423 00:32:25.960 --> 00:32:31.000 the doctrine is true. When the natural man hates something, it's a good 424 00:32:31.240 --> 00:32:37.319 sign to us that is true. The doctrine of election, because it's taught 425 00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:43.440 so many places clearly in the Bible, is hated. Why is it hated? 426 00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:50.200 Because it takes glory away from me and I want the glory. I 427 00:32:50.279 --> 00:32:53.720 want to say I chose God, I want to say I found God, 428 00:32:54.160 --> 00:33:00.359 and then somebody says God wasn't lost, he found you, and there's something 429 00:33:00.680 --> 00:33:06.119 about that that bothers me. In my free will, I want I want 430 00:33:06.160 --> 00:33:09.039 to I want to say that I have something to do with it, but 431 00:33:09.240 --> 00:33:15.359 people have always hated this idea and they've always rebelled against it. I read 432 00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:20.839 in the biography of Martin Lloyd Jones years ago that when he was preaching, 433 00:33:20.880 --> 00:33:23.279 he was he was sharing the pulpit at Westminster Chapel with G Campbell Morgan in 434 00:33:23.319 --> 00:33:30.279 the morning and then he preached at night. Mostly and and Morgan was an 435 00:33:30.359 --> 00:33:35.799 Armenian, and and h Lloyd Jones was was a calvinist, and it was 436 00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:38.200 sad that when people would go to the service at night they would kind of 437 00:33:38.200 --> 00:33:43.960 say under their breath and without mean, we're going to hear that calvinist tonight. 438 00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:49.119 They didn't want to hear Lloyd Jones. And in that sense we would 439 00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:53.440 much rather be able to say we had something to do with things, but 440 00:33:53.519 --> 00:33:59.960 then he chose us in such a way we can't even figure out why. 441 00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:01.240 Isn't that what it's all about? When you think, I mean when I 442 00:34:01.279 --> 00:34:07.200 was committed Armenian, you know what it was? That that changed my whole 443 00:34:07.200 --> 00:34:09.079 mind. I mean some of what was reading, I was doing us, 444 00:34:09.079 --> 00:34:13.039 for sure. But then I started thinking. I had a brother three years 445 00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:17.760 younger than me and we were as unlike each other as any two people probably 446 00:34:17.760 --> 00:34:22.559 could have been. He was always in jail or a children's home or a 447 00:34:22.639 --> 00:34:27.039 hospital or a jail or a prison or Fort Leavenworth. He was always somewhere, 448 00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:30.360 and I just scared to do anything wrong. I never did anything I 449 00:34:30.440 --> 00:34:34.519 was so afraid and I would always think we were born in the same household 450 00:34:34.519 --> 00:34:37.559 and all of this. Well, why, why did we turn out so 451 00:34:37.679 --> 00:34:42.679 different? And I couldn't come up with an answer. And and people say, 452 00:34:42.719 --> 00:34:44.320 well, you know, you were a lot smarter than your brother, 453 00:34:44.360 --> 00:34:45.719 who I was. I'm not going to deny that. I'm not gonna sound 454 00:34:45.840 --> 00:34:49.599 really humble here today. I was smarter than my brother, but he was 455 00:34:49.639 --> 00:34:52.159 no genius, so don't it's not saying a lot. But I'd say, 456 00:34:52.199 --> 00:34:55.880 well, why was I smarter? I had nothing to do with me. 457 00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:00.679 God created me the way I was. I I didn't just all of a 458 00:35:00.760 --> 00:35:05.480 sudden learn more something like like this. is where it was. Because said 459 00:35:05.480 --> 00:35:08.079 well, well, you were more tender hearted. Well I was. Well, 460 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:13.280 why was I more tender hearted? Nothing to do with me. God 461 00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:17.159 made me that way, and so we say why? Why? ME, 462 00:35:19.320 --> 00:35:22.159 Calvin writes. But still we ought to hold that none are chosen in preference 463 00:35:22.159 --> 00:35:27.800 to others for their own excellence, but that it proceeds rather from the wonderful 464 00:35:27.840 --> 00:35:31.840 purpose of God, the height and depth of which, though the reason may 465 00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:37.840 be hidden from us, we are bound to acknowledge in the door. And 466 00:35:37.920 --> 00:35:40.400 you can hate that doctrine as much as the people of Nazareth hated it, 467 00:35:40.440 --> 00:35:45.360 but it's still true, because it gives all the glory to God. What 468 00:35:45.760 --> 00:35:47.559 am I able to Glorian? What can you glory in? What do you 469 00:35:47.599 --> 00:35:52.400 have? There's nothing, as Paul says, is the Corinthians. What do 470 00:35:52.440 --> 00:35:55.559 you have that you didn't receive? And if you received it, why are 471 00:35:55.559 --> 00:36:02.000 you boasting like like you didn't receive it, but God has done that. 472 00:36:04.199 --> 00:36:07.880 And finally, let me look at the condition of those who came. Christ 473 00:36:07.000 --> 00:36:09.880 came to preach the Gospel too. I said, it could be either natural 474 00:36:09.920 --> 00:36:14.840 or spiritual, but let me deal with it spiritually. When it's this poor, 475 00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:17.119 and this relates to what I just said as well, the word poor 476 00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:22.320 there is the word that means reduced to beggary, as there gives it first 477 00:36:22.360 --> 00:36:29.239 definition reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms. Its second definition is destitute 478 00:36:29.239 --> 00:36:34.079 of wealth, influenced position or honor. It's the same word found in the 479 00:36:34.119 --> 00:36:38.679 first beatitude. Blessed are the poor in spirit. There's another word in Greek 480 00:36:38.760 --> 00:36:44.039 that means working poor, but this is not that word. We're not working 481 00:36:44.079 --> 00:36:49.119 poor, we are destitute beggars. We are like the beggar and in Luke 482 00:36:49.239 --> 00:36:52.800 sixteen that Jesus talks about, that was covered with sword and the desire to 483 00:36:52.800 --> 00:36:57.519 be a fed from the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, that 484 00:36:57.599 --> 00:37:01.920 the dog came and licked his swords. That's us. So I'm thirty four 485 00:37:01.960 --> 00:37:06.039 eighteen. The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed and 486 00:37:06.199 --> 00:37:09.519 Spirit Isaiah Sixty six. To all these things my hand has made, and 487 00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:13.679 so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is 488 00:37:13.719 --> 00:37:16.159 the one to whom I look. He was humbled and trite and spirit and 489 00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:21.920 trembles at my word. Second, he preaches to the captives. We were 490 00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:28.400 all captive. The Greek word literally means a captive of war. It's those 491 00:37:28.440 --> 00:37:30.840 who are captive to any kind of sin, secontivity. Twenty six that they 492 00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:35.880 may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, being 493 00:37:35.920 --> 00:37:39.599 captured by him to do his will. Malcolm Muggeridge, who is the British 494 00:37:39.679 --> 00:37:45.079 journalist who came to Christ very late in life, he wrote all other freedoms, 495 00:37:45.119 --> 00:37:50.159 once won, soon turned into new servitude. Christ is the only liberator 496 00:37:50.599 --> 00:37:55.519 whose liberation lasts forever. Spiritually, we're blind, according to second Grintians, 497 00:37:55.559 --> 00:38:00.800 fore, for the God of this world has blinded our minds. And then 498 00:38:00.840 --> 00:38:04.800 it says set at liberty those that are oppressed. Earlier, earlier, it 499 00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:07.760 says give liberty to the captives. That word liberty, if you look it 500 00:38:07.880 --> 00:38:12.880 up in your lexicon, that this. This is a fine translation. But 501 00:38:13.599 --> 00:38:17.599 in the King James The other fifteen times this word is found, it's translated 502 00:38:17.679 --> 00:38:24.440 as forgiveness or remission. This is what Jesus comes to give, in whom 503 00:38:24.480 --> 00:38:30.199 we have redemption to his blood, the forgiveness of our trestpasses according to the 504 00:38:30.320 --> 00:38:35.239 riches of His grace. Because that's what we really need, folks, His 505 00:38:35.360 --> 00:38:40.480 forgiveness, Charles Wesley said, he breaks the power of canceled sin. He 506 00:38:40.599 --> 00:38:50.800 sets the prisoner free. We need the forgiveness of sins. So I want 507 00:38:50.800 --> 00:38:54.559 to close this morning by asking you the question who do you see yourselves as? 508 00:38:57.360 --> 00:39:00.760 Do you see yourselves as those who are conquered by to whom you had 509 00:39:00.800 --> 00:39:07.599 nothing to do with, and you see God's work totally in your salvation? 510 00:39:07.960 --> 00:39:13.960 And let me tell this story and then we're done. One Sunday the pastor 511 00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:19.119 of a church in London saw former burglar kneeling beside a judge of the court 512 00:39:19.119 --> 00:39:22.079 of England. And it happened to be the very judge who had sent him 513 00:39:22.079 --> 00:39:28.920 to jail, where he served seven years. After his release, the burglar 514 00:39:28.960 --> 00:39:32.119 had been converted and became a Christian worker. Yet as they knelt there, 515 00:39:32.159 --> 00:39:36.400 the judge and the former convict, neither one seemed to be aware of the 516 00:39:36.400 --> 00:39:39.800 other. After the service the judge was walking out with the pastor and he 517 00:39:39.840 --> 00:39:44.960 said to the Pastor, did you happen to notice who was kneeling beside me 518 00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:50.039 at the communion rail this morning? The pastor replied yes, but I didn't 519 00:39:50.079 --> 00:39:57.119 notice that you noticed. They walked together in silence for a little while and 520 00:39:57.159 --> 00:40:04.239 then the judge said what a miracle of grace. Pastor nodded in agreement. 521 00:40:05.239 --> 00:40:12.559 Yes, what a marvelous miracle of grace. And the judge said, but 522 00:40:12.639 --> 00:40:15.960 to whom do you refer? The Pastor said, why, to the conversion 523 00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:22.280 of that convict, the judge said, but I was not referring to him, 524 00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:27.880 I was thinking to myself. Pastor said, you're thinking of yourself. 525 00:40:27.920 --> 00:40:31.800 I don't understand. The judge replied. It was natural for the burglar to 526 00:40:31.840 --> 00:40:36.800 receive God's grace. When he came out of jail, he had nothing but 527 00:40:36.840 --> 00:40:39.840 a history of crime behind him and when he saw Jesus as a savior, 528 00:40:40.519 --> 00:40:45.320 he knew there was salvation and hope and joy for him and he knew how 529 00:40:45.400 --> 00:40:49.960 much he needed that help. But look at me. I was taught from 530 00:40:49.960 --> 00:40:52.199 the earliest infancy to live as a gentleman, that my word was to be 531 00:40:52.280 --> 00:40:55.360 my bond, that I was to say my prayers, to go to church, 532 00:40:55.480 --> 00:40:59.880 take communion and so on. I went through Oxford, took my the 533 00:41:00.039 --> 00:41:05.079 Greece, was called to the bar and eventually became a judge. Pastor, 534 00:41:05.639 --> 00:41:09.239 it was God's grace that drew me. It was God's grace that opened my 535 00:41:09.239 --> 00:41:15.719 heart to receive it. I'm a greater miracle of His grace. I pray 536 00:41:15.840 --> 00:41:20.519 that's how you see yourself this morning. Let's pray, Lord, we thank 537 00:41:20.559 --> 00:41:23.639 you for your word. And indeed, we were those who were captive. 538 00:41:24.559 --> 00:41:28.199 And these we are, those that were poor and had nothing to offer, 539 00:41:29.360 --> 00:41:34.719 but in your marvelous grace and mercy, you came upon us. But we 540 00:41:34.760 --> 00:41:38.679 all have our own particular natural story of our life, but each of us 541 00:41:38.719 --> 00:41:44.639 that belonged to you and are confessing you this morning our triumph of your grace. 542 00:41:45.719 --> 00:41:50.400 You overcame US somehow, Lord, our strong will, for without you, 543 00:41:50.599 --> 00:41:52.480 God, we would still be in the paths of Sin, choosing on 544 00:41:52.639 --> 00:41:59.000 righteousness, choosing to walk away from you. But because of the great love 545 00:41:59.039 --> 00:42:04.440 wherewith you loved us, because of your great mercy, we are triumphs of 546 00:42:04.480 --> 00:42:12.079 your grace and we have nothing, nothing, Lord, nothing to claim but 547 00:42:12.199 --> 00:42:15.280 your grace and your love. And Lord, I there are those that are 548 00:42:15.320 --> 00:42:21.320 here this morning that have never come to you. I pray you would make 549 00:42:21.320 --> 00:42:27.199 it clear to them that they also are poor and need you, that they 550 00:42:27.280 --> 00:42:31.199 also have nothing to offer but God, that your grace may triumph over them 551 00:42:31.239 --> 00:42:36.199 as well. And we pray, Lord, that your will would be done 552 00:42:36.880 --> 00:42:39.679 in the lives of your people this morning. But we ask it in Jesus 553 00:42:39.760 --> 00:42:43.679 name Amen Man