Sunday 29 th July 2007 Evening Service Jesus – THE EARLY YEARS HIS TEACHING BEGINS Luke 4:14-30

PSALM 89:15-18 (p. 345) 15 O greatly blessed the people are the joyful sound that know; In brightness of thy face, O LORD, they ever on shall go.

PSALM 89:15-18 (2/4) 16 They in thy name shall all the day rejoice exceedingly; And in thy righteousness shall they exalted be on high.

PSALM 89:15-18 (3/4) 17 Because the glory of their strength doth only stand in thee; And in thy favour shall our horn and pow’r exalted be.

PSALM 89:15-18 (4/4) 18 For GOD is our defence; and he to us doth safety bring: The Holy One of Israel is our almighty King.

Prayer

CONGREGATIONAL READING OF GOD’S WORD

CONGREGATIONAL BIBLE READING Colossians 1:15-20 (NIV)  MINISTER:  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

CONGREGATIONAL BIBLE READING Colossians 1:15-20 (NIV)  PEOPLE OF GOD: He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church.  MINISTER: He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

CONGREGATIONAL BIBLE READING Colossians 1:15-20 (NIV)  ALL (minister and people): For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Paraphrase 39 (Luke 4:18-19) Hark, the glad sound! The Saviour comes, the Saviour promised long; let every heart prepare a throne and every voice a song.

Paraphrase 39 (2/7) On him the Holy Spirit pours the promised sacred fire; his power and wisdom, zeal and love the anointed Son inspire.

Paraphrase 39 (3/7) He comes the prisoners to release in Satan's bondage held; the gates of brass before him burst, the iron fetters yield.

Paraphrase 39 (4/7) He comes to cleanse the human mind from thickest scales of sin, and by the entrance of his words give light and life within.

Paraphrase 39 (5/7) He comes the broken heart to bind, the wounded soul to heal, and in his gospel to the poor God's riches to reveal.

Paraphrase 39 (6/7) The silver trumpets sound aloud God's year of jubilee; our debts are all remitted now and we may all go free.

Paraphrase 39 (7/7) Our glad hosannas, Prince of peace, your welcome shall proclaim, and heaven's eternal arches ring with your beloved name. (Language slightly updated by Praise Trust.)

SCRIPTURE READING Luke 4:14-30 (p. 1030)

Luke 4:14-30 (p. 1030)  Jesus Rejected at Nazareth:  14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.  15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.  16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.

Luke 4:14-30 (p. 1030)  17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:  18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,  19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.

Luke 4:14-30 (p. 1030)  20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.  22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. Isn't this Joseph's son? they asked.

Luke 4:14-30 (p. 1030)  23 Jesus said to them, Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your home town what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'  24 I tell you the truth, he continued, no prophet is accepted in his home town. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.

Luke 4:14-30 (p. 1030)  26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.  27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed— only Naaman the Syrian.  28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.

Luke 4:14-30 (p. 1030)  29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff.  30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

SERMON JESUS ‘ THE LOCAL BOY ’ – HOW HIS TEACHING BEGAN Jesus The Early Years - Luke 4:14-30

JESUS – THE ‘ LOCAL BOY ’ TEACHES (Luke 4)  GOSPELS are more than biographies…  Luke brings forward this incident (recorded much later by Matthew and Mark) to highlight the importance of TEACHING in Jesus ministry.  The story – worship at Nazareth…  Standing to read, sitting to teach…  The Message? “Scripture is about me!”

A Striking Passage in Luke 10 …  22 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." 23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

1 - JESUS MINISTERED IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (& SO MUST WE!)  Luke is particularly interested in teaching on the Holy Spirit… (Luke 1.35, 41; 2:25, 27; 3:16, 22; 4:1, 14, 18).  Peter: “…the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” (1 Pet 1.12, ESV).  Paul: “…our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” (1 Thes. 1.5).

1 - JESUS MINISTERED IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (& SO MUST WE!)  The Contemporary Church must keep together THE WORD and the Power of the Holy Spirit.  God alone can carry the Word home to people with power…  Never neglect the “Sword of the Spirit” as you seek his power…

2 – JESUS ’ MINISTRY BROUGHT GOOD NEWS TO PEOPLE (& SO MUST WE!)  Good News for… the poor, the prisoners, the blind, the oppressed.  Is this spiritual, or social, or both?  The freedom offered in Luke 4:18 (freedom / release / deliverance / in Greek aphesis) is Luke’s usual word for forgiveness.  Both good words and good works are needed, both are right: Jesus did both.

3 – JESUS ’ MINISTRY WAS REJECTED BY MANY PEOPLE (AS OURS MAY BE … )  4:22 - POPULAR… the local boy!  But GENTILES? That’s astonishing, too much to accept. Their joy turns to fury.  The examples of Elijah and Elisha provoke them to murderous rage (4:30).  The Gospel gets a mixed response – then and now.

Christ remained so balanced…  Word and Spirit – together…  Spiritual and material poverty – human needs met together…  Ready for a mixed reception…  WE need what John Stott calls the BBC!  (Balanced Biblical Christianity!)

PSALM 68:7-10,19-20* (p. 85) 7 When you, O God, went out and led Your people through the desert plain— When through the wilderness you marched, 8 Earth shook and heaven poured down rain Before the God of Sinai’s hill, Before the God of Israèl.

PSALM 68:7-10,19-20* (2/3) 9 O God, with showers you refreshed Your heritage so dry and bare. 10 And so your people settled down And made their habitation there. And from your overflowing store You made provision for the poor.

PSALM 68:7-10,19-20* (3/3) 19 Praise to the Lord, our Saviour God; Our burdens daily he relieves. 20 Of our salvation he is God; Truly he is the God who saves. The Sovereign LORD defeats the grave; He has the power from death to save.

God Calls Us to delight in Christ and to Share His Hope.