Living beyond Ourselves

As we face one of our greatest challenges to date,

we need to ask and answer four essential questions.

Question 1—Who are we?

“Jesus returned to Galilee powerful in the Spirit. News that he was back

spread through the countryside. He taught in their meeting places to

everyone’s acclaim and pleasure.

He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on

the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he

was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found

the place where it was written,

‘God’s Spirit is on me;

he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,

Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and

recovery of sight to the blind,

To set the burdened and battered free,

to announce, ‘This is God’s year to act!’

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down.

Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, ‘You’ve just

heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.’”

Luke 4:14-21

The Message

v Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit .

v Churchgoing—Jesus example.

v Jesus reads scripture: Isaiah 61:1-3

Jesus describes his ministry:

Ø “to preach the Message of good news to the poor”

“more than financially poor, utter helplessness,

complete destitution, afflicted, distressed”

Ø “to heal the broken hearted” (Isaiah 61:1)

“to break the strength, or health, or power of someone”

Heal = cure, restore

Ø “to announce pardon to the prisoners”

Psalm 107:10 “suffering in iron chains”

Psalm 107:11 “for they had rebelled against the words of God”

Ø “and recovery of sight to the blind”

To heal physical blindness is good, but spiritual blindness is the chief focus of Jesus’ words. IICor.4:4 explains that this spiritual blindness is like being enveloped with smoke.

Ø “to set the burdened and battered free”

People whose mind, body, or emotions are unable to function appropriately.

Ø “to announce ‘This is God’s year to act.’

These people were staring in the face of God’s favor, His gift of grace to everyone—Jesus the Christ! “Year” can be translated “any definite time.”

Who are we?

We are the poor, the broken hearted, the prisoners, the blind,

the burdened and battered, who have received (or who can

receive today) God’s gift of grace in Jesus Christ.

Question 2—What are we doing?

a-Growing and maturing as followers of Christ.

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him

in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”

Colossians 1:10 (NIV)

and

b-Sharing Christ with others.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

10-7-07; RJB