What Jesus Said
Jesus Is Lord
Sunday, February 18, 2024
Welcome!
Call to Worship:
Isaiah 55: 1-3, 6-7 Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;
and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. . . . Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Intro:
We continue in Luke and things are beginning to heat up. Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit, continues to teach and perform miracles in areas like Galilee and then makes a point to go back home to make an announcement that will expose the true hearts of the people. His words cut like a knife and showed what lay beneath their religious exterior. His words of truth set the wheels in motion for the plotting of His death.
What were these words that stirred them so vehemently in their heart?
His proclamation that He is in fact the sent and anointed One-the Messiah!
How do His hometown neighbors respond to such claims? Exactly as Jesus knew they would is why He went there to share this profound truth.
In Matthew 10 we see Jesus sharing another powerful truth at a later point in His ministry:
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
Meaning He came to expose what was in our hearts and to turn our hearts to Him, but not all would see or honor Jesus as Lord and Messiah. Notice His words-whoever acknowledges Me, I will acknowledge before My Father. Whoever does not…I will disown before My Father. This is the division that was about to erupt in the Jewish community and this division remains today.
Luke 4: 16-30 NIV
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. He stood up to read, 17 and 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 proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
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 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. 23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” 24 “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 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. 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. 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 off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
I want us to notice the responses of religious leaders and all those in the synagogue. Look more closely at how they react, how they change, and what is motivating that change in their response. Look at their heart, for this is what we want to learn from and be aware of in our own hearts.
- Pride Produces a Superficial Faith.
Here is their hometown boy-known as Joseph the carpenter’s son; now grown up, and reading the Scripture on the Sabbath like many men would do as they became able. He spoke with great authority and grace. He was fascinating to listen to, all eyes were on Him.
Luke 4:22 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.
Well done Jesus, son of Joseph! Very good delivery. All seemed good and they seemed supportive, Until…Jesus kept teaching and one by one started ruffling their religious feathers, exposing the true condition of their hearts. They did not like what He was saying at all and instantly became offended at what Jesus was insinuating. After all, didn’t Jesus know who He was talking to? Didn’t He remember they were the teachers of the Law, they were the example for others to follow? How dare He make any assumptions they were spiritually poor or blind, or for goodness sakes-that they were slaves to anyone!
Luke 4: 28-29 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 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 off the cliff.
Now they were indignant. Where was their true worship to God Almighty who has every right to expose their sin and call them to greater holiness? Where was their humility to receive truth and correction? Where was their faith to believe their awaited Messiah was right there in front of them offering them freedom from the sin that binds, if only they would receive Him?
All gone. Pride filled their heart instead. Pride won’t allow us to see what is right in front of us or receive it by faith. Pride keeps our hearts on lockdown instead of fully open to receive the freedom Christ was sent to bring us.
Matthew 15: 7-9 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’
Isaiah 29:13 13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
How often can this yet happen in the Church today? They worship Me in Vain-their teachings are merely human rules. They honor Me with their lips but their hearts are from Me.
This is the division Jesus was talking about that would happen by His coming. You see God isn’t about us being religious and having beautiful exteriors looking all polished and put together. He is about us humbling ourselves to recognize our great need for a Savior to free us from the sin that entangles us. He is about us reaching out to receive all He freely gives us and being thankful for His abundant grace. He is about us being in a relationship that is close, loving, and trusting as we listen to Him and follow Him. He could care less about all our religious practices if they are not done with a heart of true worship to Him.
The Word of God will expose what lies within our hearts and that is on purpose, so we might see our true condition and allow Jesus to purify our hearts and fill us with righteousness. We can’t do either of these things on our own because we on our own are not righteous or pure. We need our Savior.
Jesus came to show the true depravity of mankind apart from Him.
- Jesus Exposes the Condition of Our Heart.
Now here is what is ironic and all too true yet in religion today:
As soon as these people of faith were offended by Jesus’ words, they were filled with rage so much that they drove Him out of the synagogue intending to kill Jesus! Not exactly the understanding of Love Your Neighbor God intended, is it?
The religious elite were ready to murder Jesus in an instant for ruffling their feathers.
Luke 4: 28-29 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 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 off the cliff.
How often can this happen today within the Church? Maybe not to the point of murder-although that is part of religion’s history; but how about thinking evil towards another Christian; towards a brother or sister in Christ? We get offended and we lash out, plot against them; or write them off altogether. We’ve all seen it.
Proverbs 16:2 All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.
We tend to overlook our true motives and say, “I’m basically a good person.” That makes us feel better so we don’t really have to address what lies within. I’m pretty good. Well no you’re not if you’re considering killing someone because they offended you. No, you’re not if you can plot against someone else. No, you’re not, apart from Christ-none of us. And “pretty good” doesn’t save anyone. Pretty good is not holiness.
Jesus looks at our hearts and shows us our motives; just like He caused them to act on what was within their hearts. He will bring to the surface what we are carrying within.
He will show us if we are rejecting Him in any way as these leaders were. Something we can ask ourselves and ask the Spirit to make known to us- Lord am I rejecting You in any way from fully leading me in my life; from fully being my Lord; from fully receiving all You desire to bless me with?
This is good and healthy to do. Remember there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus- His purpose for revealing what lies within our heart is from a place of love so we can deal with it; get rid of any darkness and be filled with His light and truth. This is what brings us into proper worship and greater peace and joy. So ask these questions and don’t be afraid of what is made known to you. Be grateful and let Him work it out for good.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Let us remember the Word of God in Christ Jesus. Let us not reject Him as He’s speaking to our hearts, let us receive Him and all He makes known to us.
- “The Religious Crowd” Will Not Submit to Lordship.
The Pharisees were the religious elite in Jesus’ day; they were the teachers of the Law. They were an example of how to live righteously. But when Jesus stood before them and made His proclamation of who He was and is; they would not bow down to Him as their Lord. They clung to their rules instead of clinging to the only One who could truly save them. They were more concerned about their appearances and outward power than they were about their true salvation.
Jesus called them out again during His ministry.
Matthew 23: 27-28 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
They thought that following the Law, or at least the laws they chose to adhere to, made them powerful, important, and rich in life-they had it all. Jesus speaks to this false understanding of what makes a person rich and what is most important in life:
Revelation 3:17 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Jesus was saying you don’t get it. You are spiritually poor and blind. You don’t have the keys to the My Father’s Kingdom unless I give them to you. You are wretched before our Holy God unless I cover you in My righteousness. I give you a sight to see, and it is by believing in Me you receive the riches of My Father’s Kingdom. You are looking at what you have in this temporary world; you need to focus on what you are lacking and can have that is eternal.
The other issue these religious elites had with Jesus is He started sharing how God sent mercy and healing, not to people of Israel at certain times through the prophets Elijah and Elisha-but to pagan worshipers and gentiles! Jesus’ point was God’s mercy is for all as He chooses. It is not just for Israel and as sovereign God sees fit; He will pour out His mercy and blessings upon whomever He desires to accomplish His purposes. This was outrageous to the religious crowd because they were the chosen ones; the elite; the set apart and no one else deserved the blessings and favor of God-especially not gentiles.
Romans 9:18 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
Those who truly submit to Jesus as their Lord, understand this is a blessing and for good when God shows mercy and kindness to whomever He chooses. We welcome it and pray for it for we know His ways are higher than our ways. We know He is good. Let us be careful and aware when we start deciding whom God should show favor and mercy that is not for us to decide. He is God; we are not.
- Accept Jesus as Lord and Christ.
Luke 4:21 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus read the Scripture from the prophet Isaiah in their hearing that day as an invitation to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor I am here now in loving grace and compassion for all who will receive Me. Receive My invitation and receive Me as your Lord and Savior. Be set free!
He later asked His disciples to affirm who He was so they professed it in their hearts.
Matthew 16: 15-16 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
When Jesus read the Scripture from Isaiah He stopped at the point of proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor for that is why He came at that time. What follows right after that is yet to come but surely will when Jesus returns: to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,
Jesus’ second coming will be about righteous judgment for those who like the Pharisees refused to receive Him as Lord and Messiah. This invitation to receive Him stands yet today; to fully receive Him; to fully worship Him as your Lord; to fully walk in the freedom He came to bring us.
Who do you say Jesus is?
Conclusion: To be a follower of Christ, we must accept that Jesus is both Lord and Messiah over our lives. He is who He says He is. Jesus is asking for our hearts to surrender to Him in loving trust so His Spirit can lead us into the freedom He was sent to proclaim.
Let’s pray.
Offering
Final Blessing: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence—2 Peter 1:2–3
Announcements: Ladies prayer group Wed at 9. Next Sat is the One Heart Seminar-ladies going does anyone want to carpool-let me know who is going. Annual Mtg March 10th. Talk with Dawn about Italian Night. 16th
New small group starting Monday night Learning to Hear God’s Voice 6 pm-come join us!
Prayers: Susan not feeling well
Bday’s: Kelly Falk 2/20 Any others?
Final Song
