A. “There is, beyond the azure blue, a God concealed from human sight” (Genesis 1:1; Romans 1:20)
B. “He tinted skies with heav’nly hue and framed the worlds with His great might” (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3)
II. Specific revelation
A. “There was, a long, long time ago, a God whose voice the prophets heard” (2 Peter 1:16-21)
B. “He is the God that we should know” (John 17:3; 2 Peter 3:9; John 14:6)
C. “Who speaks from His inspired word” (Romans 10:17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)
III. The creation of man
A. “Secure is life from mortal mind; God holds the germ within His hand” (Genesis 2:7; 1:26-28)
B. “Though men may search they cannot find, for God alone does understand” (Job 38:4-7; Deuteronomy 29:29)
IV. The sacrifice of the Son
A. “Our God, whose Son upon a tree, a life was willing there to give” (Ephesians 2:14-16)
B. “That He from sin might set man free, and evermore with Him could live” (Romans 6:16-18; Ephesians 3:10-11; Matthew 25:34)
I. The influence of faithful friends (Luke 5:18-19)
A. They refused to give up (Luke 8:14)
B. “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are” (1 Corinthians 15:33)
II. The immensity of Jesus’ power (Luke 5:20-25)
A. The judgment of the scribes and Pharisees (Acts 26:5; Matthew 23; 5:20; Deuteronomy 18:18-22; Mark 14:64)
B. Jesus demonstrated His power to forgive and heal (John 3:17)
III. The importance of a proper response to Jesus (Luke 5:25-26)
A. They were amazed (Luke 2:47; 4:36)
B. They glorified God (Luke 5:25)
C. They were filled with fear (Luke 5:8)
D. “We have seen strange things today!”
I. God doesn’t expect you to do everything all at once
A. The Great Commission (Mark 16:15) was preceded by a limited commission (Matthew 10:5-7)
B. Our obligation begins in our own backyard (Matthew 10:5-6)
C. We need to obey the initial “little” command (Luke 5:3) before we “launch out into the deep” (Luke 5:4)
II. We are not doing it alone
A. “They signaled to their partners” (Luke 5:6-7)
B. Don’t be anxious or scared (Luke 5:9-10; 1 Samuel 8:6-7)
C. Even Jesus was not 100% “successful” (Mark 10:22; John 6:65-66)
D. Don’t give up (Galatians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:58)
III. The importance of our attitude
A. Peter seemed reluctant (Luke 5:4-5)
B. Don’t complain (1 Corinthians 10:1-11; Philippians 2:14-15)
C. Full commitment (Luke 5:11; 9:57-62; Romans 12:1-2)
INTRO. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me” (Luke 4:16-30)
I. His authority in teaching (Luke 4:31-32)
A. When what we want (tradition) trumps what God wants (revelation), then we are in trouble (Matthew 7:28-29; 15:3-9; Colossians 3:16)
B. We must look at what Christ commanded (Ephesians 5:23; Matthew 28:18-20)
II. His authority over the supernatural/spiritual realm (Luke 4:33-37)
A. Demon possession in Scriptures (Mark 9:22)
B. Why did Jesus forbid the unclean spirit from testifying? “Consider the source”
C. The people were astonished, and Jesus’ fame spread
III. His authority over disease (Luke 4:38-44)
A. Peter’s mother-in-law (Luke 4:38-39)
B. Compassionate healing (Luke 4:40-41; Matthew 14:14; 20:34; Mark 1:41)
C. The reaction of the people: “Don’t go!” (Luke 4:42-44)
INTRO. The importance of righteousness (Matthew 5:6; 23:26-28; 25:46)
I. “Blessed” indicates happiness (Deuteronomy 33:29)
A. The blessed man refuses some things (Psalm 1:1)
B. The blessed man delights in God’s Word (Psalm 1:2; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; James 1:21-25)
II. Bearing fruit for the Lord (Psalm 1:3)
A. The tree is planted intentionally (Psalm 34:14-16)
B. “In its season” (Matthew 7:17-19; John 15:1-2,4-6)
C. “Whatever he does shall prosper”
III. Further contrast between the ungodly and the righteous
A. Ungodly “are like the chaff” (Psalm 1:4)
B. They will one day lose God’s blessings (Psalm 1:5)
C. It is a special blessing to be known by the Lord and to be counted by Him as righteous (Psalm 1:6; James 2:22-23)
A. Jesus Christ Himself (Luke 4:1-2a)
B. He had the ability, but it would have been against God’s will (Luke 4:2b; Romans 1:9-10)
C. Overcame using Scripture (Luke 4:4,8,12)
II. Who is the tempter?
A. “That serpent of old” (Revelation 20:2; Genesis 3:1)
B. “A roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8)
C. “An angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
III. The pinnacle (Luke 4:9)
A. “On top of the world”
B. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” (1 Timothy 3:6-7; Galatians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 10:12)
IV. Resist!
A. If we fall, we will fall hard (Luke 4:11; James 1:15)
B. Satan will flee (James 4:7), but not forever (Luke 4:13)
C. God gives us the power to resist through His Word (James 1:12; 4:8)
I. “Earth holds no treasures but perish with using…”
A. Where is your treasure? (Matthew 6:19; 13:22; Luke 12:15-21)
B. A greater citizenship than “American” (Philippians 3:17-21)
II. “Out on the hills of that wonderful country…”
A. Happy (Matthew 5:3-12)
B. Contented (1 Timothy 6:6-8; Hebrews 13:5)
C. Free (John 8:32-36)
D. “Loved ones are waiting and watching my coming…” (1 Thess. 2:19)
III. “Why should I long for the world with its sorrows…”
A. Sin is pleasurable, but the consequences are destructive (Hebrews 11:24-26; Luke 16:19-24)
B. No sorrow in heaven (Revelation 21:4) but singing (Revelation 15:3-4; James 5:13b)
IV. “Heaven holds all to me”
A. “Brighter its glory will be” (Hebrews 10:34; 11:16)
B. “Joy without measure will be my treasure” (Mathew 13:44)
A. Deceived (Matthew 7:15, 21-23, 24-27)
B. The churches of Asia (Revelation 2:2-5, 13-16; 3:19)
II. Where do we look?
A. America? (Mormons 1830, 7th Day Adventist 1830, Christian Sceintist 1866, Jehovah’s Witnesses 1872)
B. Earlier? (Methodist 18th century, Baptist 17th century, Presbyterian and Lutheran 16th century; Catholic authority is not Christ but the Pope)
C. Jerusalem in the first century
1. Prophesied in Isaiah 2:2-4
2. Commanded in Luke 24:46-47
3. Established in Acts 2:36-41)
III. Jesus is in the house of God (1 Timothy 3:15)
A. Jesus’ opinion of the church (Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28; 2:47; Eph. 2:16)
B. He is the Savior of the body (Eph. 5:23; Matthew 11:28-30; Romans 6:17)
A. Sinners Jesus will receive (Luke 15:2; Romans 5:8)
B. The lost sheep (Luke 15:4-7)
C. The lost coin (Luke 15:8-10)
D. The lost son (Luke 15:11-32)
II. Using circumstances
A. The Samaritan woman (John 4:6-9, 13-14, 39-42)
B. Avoid the temptation to blow off an opportunity because you don’t believe much good will come of it (David Lipscomb and J.W. Shepherd)
III. Deal with sin empathetically
A. We must tear down walls, not build them up
B. The Samaritan woman (John 4:16-18)
C. Show empathy, but do not excuse sin (John 8:3-11)
A. “He will be great” (Luke 1:30-33)
B. Yet, no fanfare or celebration in the little town of Bethlehem (cf. Micah 5:2)
II. The announcement of the angel (Luke 2:8-14)
A. Angels caused fear in man (Luke 1:12-13, 29-30; 2:9-10)
B. A joyous announcement (Luke 2:14; cf. Philippians 2:7-8)
C. Jesus identified as “a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (cf. Isaiah 59:1-2)
III. The excitement of the shepherds (Luke 2:15-20)
A. Urgency
1. …of the shepherds: “now,” “with haste”
2. …of the gospel (Acts 16:32-33; 2 Corinthians 6:2)
B. Spreading the news (Luke 2:17, 20)
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12)
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