OUR MISSION: To guide those far from God into the new start found in Jesus Christ.

Observation One Jesus Revealed Luke 6:17-19 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. “Nazareth was a very insignificant town. It was about 60 acres, with a maximum population of about 480 at the time Jesus was born.” Lee Strobel – “The Case for Christ” (p ) 1 in 10 men were literate Whole villages and communities shut down their trade for days The enormous crowds that Jesus drew were without precedence

Observation Two Blessings & Judgments Luke 6:20-26 Blessed are you … Woe to you… Jesus contrasts two categories of humanity As a church we are called to be a counter cultural community “Woe to you” = a source of harm or judgment “hap” = luck / chance / fortune

Observation Three Wealth Luke 6:20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Luke 6:24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.” Laziness Proverbs 10:4 “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10 "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." Injustice Proverbs 13:23 “A poor man’s field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

Observation Four Comfort Luke 6:21a “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.” Luke 6:25a “Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.” 1.3 billion people on this planet earn less than $1 per day “We entered the 21st century and new millennium as the most economically prosperous people in the history of the world. By any historical comparative or cross national measure, we enjoy unprecedented private affluence and enormous wealth.” - Charles Colson If you own a car you are in the top 6% of wealthiest people in the world. If you own a car and live in your own house you are in the top 3% of the wealthiest people in the world

Observation Four Comfort Luke 6:21a “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.” Luke 6:25a “Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.” The Kingdom to come and the great eternal comfort Isaiah 25:6 “On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine--the best of meats and the finest of wines.” Revelations 19:9 “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” Question… Where do you find your comfort?

Observation Five Power Luke 6:21b “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” Luke 6:25b “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.” Victims Worldly insignificance God’s love is the love that a father has for his child There is a Kingdom beyond ‘Roman’

Observation Six Fame Luke 6:22 “Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.” Luke 6:26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” Idolatry The ethic of the Kingdom is to go out rather than to go in Proverbs 29:25a “Fear (or reverence) of man will prove to be a snare…” Proverbs 1:7a “The fear (or reverence) of the L ORD is the beginning of knowledge…”

“love your enemies” Luke 6:27-36 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic…” 1. Let it go… 2. Do good… 3. Bless those who curse you… Proverbs 26:20 “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.” James 3:6 “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

“love your enemies” Luke 6:27-36 “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic…” 4. Mistreatment… 5. Don’t return evil for evil… 6. Give freely… 1 Corinthians 13:5 “Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 7. Its all about others…

OUR MISSION: To guide those far from God into the new start found in Jesus Christ.