01.19.25, Jesus at Nazareth, Going Home, Luke 4:14-30
Pre/Post Worship Music – Spotify – Open and Close,
Rick lights Christ candle/Lynn softly plays first song
Songs Sing to the King CCLI License #1294761 Lynn/Linda
O Worship the King CCLI Song #4010902
Passage/Prayer Luke 4:14-30 Cricklins
Song Made for More CCLI Song # 7207758 Lynn/Linda
Impact/Message Going Home Rick
Song How Deep the Fathers Love #1558110 Lynn/Linda
Community/Closing Peace Rick
Closing Music Show Me Your Ways CCLI Song # 1675024 Lynn/Linda
Music (Slides) Lynn/Linda
Sing To The King CCLI License #1294761
Verse 1
Sing to the King
Who is coming to reign
Glory to Jesus the Lamb
that was slain
Life and salvation
His empire shall bring
And joy to the nations
when Jesus is King
Chorus
Come let us sing a song
A song declaring
that we belong to Jesus
He is all we need
Lift up a heart of praise
Sing now with
voices raised to Jesus
Sing to the King
Verse 2
For His returning
we watch and we pray
We will be ready
the dawn of that day
We’ll join in singing
with all the redeemed
‘Cause Satan is vanquished
and Jesus is King
Chorus
Come let us sing a song
A song declaring that
we belong to Jesus
He is all we need
Lift up a heart of praise
Sing now with voices raised
to Jesus
Sing to the King
Chorus
Come let us sing a song
A song declaring
that we belong to Jesus
He is all we need
Lift up a heart of praise
Sing now with
voices raised to Jesus
Sing to the King
O Worship the King (Lyons) CCLI Song #1486
Verse 1
O worship the King all glorious above
And gratefully sing His power and His love
Our Shield and Defender the Ancient of Days
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise
Verse 2
O tell of His might O sing of His grace
Whose robe is the light whose canopy space
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form
And dark is His path on the wings of the storm
Verse 4
Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite
It breathes in the air it shines in the light
It streams from the hills it descends to the plain
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain
Verse 5
Frail children of dust and feeble as frail
In Thee do we trust nor find Thee to fail
Thy mercies how tender how firm to the end
Our Maker Defender Redeemer and Friend
Passage (Slides) Luke 4:14-30 Cricklins
In the power of the Spirit, Jesus returned to Galilee and news spread about him. He taught in the synagogues and was praised by all.
Jesus came to Nazareth, his hometown and went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. He stood to read the scroll of Isaiah which was given to him.
He read “The Spirit of God has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Jesus returned the scroll and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue was looking at him as he began to speak, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at his gracious words. They asked among themselves, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
He said, “You will say to me, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ and, ‘Do what you did at Capernaum.” because no prophet is accepted in his hometown.”
He continued, “There were many widows in Israel through the severe famine, yet Elijah was sent to the gentile widow instead of the Jews.
There were also many with a skin disease in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except the gentile leper.”
The leaders heard Jesus’ words and were filled with rage. They drove Jesus out of the town leading him to the brow of the hill to hurl him off the cliff. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Join me in the prayer of Jesus,
Our Father who art in Heaven hallowed be your name./Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven./ Give us this day our daily bread./ Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us./And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil./For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Music (Slides) Lynn/Linda
Made For More CCLI Song # 7207758
Verse
I know who I am ’cause I know who You are
The cross of salvation was only the start
Now I am chosen free and forgiven
I have a future and it’s worth the living
Chorus
I wasn’t made to be tending a grave
I was called by name
Born and raised back to life again
I was made for more
So why would I make a bed in my shame
When a fountain of grace is running my way
I know I am Yours
And I was made for more
Message Rick [Screen Share until close]
[Series Title Slide – Screen share entire message until prayer]
Understanding Basics
Live like Jesus lived…. In our quest to see, know, and understand, the inner foundation, motivations, intentional steps, and even frustrations of Jesus, we find Jesus going home, back to Nazareth – the city in which he spent most of his formative years.
After the nativity, we first saw Jesus at twelve years old, making a choice to take responsibility for his faith. He was listening, seeking and searching, and questioning everything, especially everything about God. That is what grows and stabilizes faith.
Then, in Luke’s inspired perspective, we move eighteen years later to see Jesus part of a public baptism. The crowd that were baptized along with Jesus were there for cleansing and forgiveness – Jesus needed neither. Jesus had prepared for his baptism since he was twelve years old – his purpose for baptism was to please the Father, to delight the Godhead, the Father, Son, and Spirit.
Following the baptism we know that the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for a time of intense temptation. His strengthened faith, and intentionality in pursuing his calling, served him well in this time.
Today’s passage follows Jesus’ as he returns to his home region of Galilee. Throughout the region Jesus spoke in the synagogues, and performed miracles on the hillsides. Jesus was warmly embraced and, his good news from God, was heard and embraced.
This is important to note, those who listened and watched Jesus in the towns of Galilee embraced Jesus, we hear of no outrage but only positivity. This is true until Jesus spoke in his home town of Nazareth, where things were different.
[Sermon Title Slide] Jesus Returns Home
We do not know how long it had been since Jesus was last in Nazareth. We also do not know if he still had family there. We do know that there were some in the synagogue who knew and remembered Joseph.
Upon his arrival, Jesus received the same warm welcoming response that he experienced in other communities throughout Galilee. Even after Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
[Slide] “The Spirit of God has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Amazingly even at this point we don’t hear an antagonistic response. The people are still impressed with him. Except for a few that begin to ask, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
[Sermon Title Slide]
Jesus may not have heard their words but he did recognize their hearts. He understood they were beginning to doubt him because he was one of them.
When Nathaniel heard about Jesus, before he became a disciple, his first words were, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46) The public perception, and judgement, of Nazarites was similar to someone referring to a group of people as ‘Hillbillys’. There was a judgement in the mind of Nathaniel, and the religious leaders of Nazareth, that nothing good could come out of Nazareth.
At this point, even though they had been accepting of Jesus’ words up to this point, the realization that Jesus was one of them discredited Jesus in their minds.
Jesus’ response was to confront their prejudice. He knew that they wanted to SEE miracles performed before their eyes but, since they had now invalidated the credibility of Jesus due to his roots being also THEIR roots, they now could not even consider his statement regarding the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic statement. They wanted spectacle more than they wanted truth.
Our Lesson
Now, look at how Jesus confronted, and corrected, them – he began by putting a mirror of themselves, forced them to at least see what they were allowing to take place in their hearts and minds. He said to them the things they were thinking and then saying to each other. “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
Then, he does not reprimand them, instead Jesus tells them a story that they already know. A story from their own religious history. A story of two others who are their prophets.
[Slide] “There were many widows in Israel through the severe famine, yet Elijah was sent to the gentile widow instead of the Jews.” And, “There were also many with a skin disease in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except the gentile leper.”
Two stories about God that they knew, two truths about God that they could not deny. One story in which the Isrealites were in famine and starving, and another story in which a skin disease has inflicted the Israelites. In both stories God sent the prophets to the rescue… but, not to the Isrealites. In both stories God sent the prophets to the rescue of gentiles.
One rescue was of a gentile woman, and the other rescue was of a wicked gentile man.
[Slide] Upon hearing Jesus remind them of these moments in history the passage tells us, “The leaders were filled with rage. They drove Jesus out of the town leading him to the brow of the hill to hurl him off the cliff. But Jesus passed through the midst of them and went on his way.”
The response of the leaders can be, and is, perplexing. When a meaning is confusing it is best to search and consider all possible meanings.
[Slide] 2 viewpoints of Jesus’ point, neither is received by the leaders in Nazareth.
- That God did not help the Isrealites but instead helped gentiles – one who was very wicked. Indicating God’s displeasure, at that time, of the Isrealites who had turned from God, and failed to love others.
- God was preparing the people to understand that God also loved and cared for those outside of the Israelite bubble. A warning of what was to come through Jesus and the Apostles. The tent was about to expand beyond them, the table was about to be lengthened.
[Slide] ‘When Jesus reminds the leaders that God’s love extends beyond their borders, they quickly conclude that his good news is really bad news. In order to truly hear and accept Jesus’ teaching, they would have to change their attitudes toward outsiders. They would have to include people they religiously excluded. They would have to believe that God’s salvation is really for all people, and not just for them.’
[Slide]‘This transformation was more than the hearers could handle. In their angry desire to make God’s salvation serve their own purposes, they try to kill Jesus. After the scene in Nazareth we see Jesus live this out, he frees a man from the demons, he reaches out to others who are excluded to touch, heal, and free everyone who comes to him for help. Jesus heals the broken and welcomes the crushed and downtrodden people – tax collectors, hemorrhaging women, prostitutes, the beggars and the homeless.’
[Slide]‘Jesus forgives and frees them, he welcomes them and transforms them. Jesus was called to to bring freedom from sin and freedom from sinful structures. He was anointed to create a new community that would break down the barriers between insider and outsider, Jew and Gentile, rich and poor. In him, all flesh shall see God’s salvation.’
VicarJudith Jones, St. Stephen & St. Luke by the Sea Episcopal Churches, Waldport, Ore., United States
[Slide] Change is difficult, change is hard. Change that challenges us can be impossible. The Jewish religion had taken God’s gift of the Law and made it be a tool of oppression and separation. Much like segments of Christianity have made the Bible a tool of attack. The Jews were called to change and transformation then, just as Christians are being called to change now.
[Sermon Title Slide]
Illustration of Steve Jobs and Computer Speakers, 1990s
Illustration of FSBC Sunday night time change for volleyball
Illustration of Isrealites reaction to second temple
When the prophet Isaiah was speaking for God in the effort to transform the Isrealites from being a people of religious practices without heart – a people who, outwardly appeared to be religious but inwardly had turned away from God, Isaiah warned them.
[Slide] God says, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19)
We exist in a time that is much the same. Church attendance is low, Church buildings are a shell of what they were, Churches who are bucking this trend seem to be turning out Jesus followers who have failed to assume the tool of compassion, mercy, and love. Those who claim to be followers of Jesus in the USA are outnumbered by those who do not. And, we, like the folks that were upset with the second temple, we mourn what was, instead of looking out, forward, and for God’s new thing.
Prayer
Music Slides Lynn/Linda
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us CCLI Song #1558110
Verse 1
How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Verse 2
Behold the Man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
Verse 3
I will not boast in anything
No gifts no pow’r no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Community (Slides) Rick
- Large Fish Catch/Peter Fish for Me, Try Again Luke 5:1-11 Bible
- Study Interest Survey 2 Sundays beginning today
- Weekly Challenge
Closing Peace (Slides) Rick (Slides)
Leader: May the peace of the Lord go with you.
Response: And also with you.
Closing Music Lynn/Linda
Show Me Your Ways CCLI Song # 1675024
Verse
Show me Your ways
That I may walk with You
Show me Your ways
I put my hope in You
Chorus
The cry of my heart
Is to love You more
To live with the touch
Of Your hand
Stronger each day
Show me Your ways
Order, Words, & Voices 