Sunday, January 17, 2021 - Luke 4:14-30 - Freedom Community Church - Pastor Rob Lloyd

Sunday, January 17, 2021 - Luke 4:14-30 - Freedom Community Church - Pastor Rob Lloyd - Battle Ground, Washington, US

Sunday Service Time: 10 AM
Sunday Service Location: 1919 SW 25th Ave, Battle Ground, WA 98604
Phone: (360) 975-9356
Email: info@freedomcommunity.church
Prayer Request: wepray@freedomcommunity.church
Mailing Address: 1400 NE 136th Ave, Ste 201, Vancouver, WA 98684

Sermon Notes:
Luke 4:14-30

Last week we watched as Jesus defeated Satan with the Word of God, and now that trial period is over, we will see the result:
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee (population of 3 million; more than 18 states in the continental US), and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region (that’s a lot of coverage). 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Jesus has now returned to where He thought He was going after His baptism. But now He’s going in the overflowing power of the Holy Spirit.
• We know the power of the Holy Spirit was already upon Him, and now we see Him being filled with the Holy Spirits power again.
• And being that Jesus, who had the Holy Spirit, also had this encounter of having the Holy Spirit coming upon Him to lay upon Him more power, and being Jesus was our perfect example of how to live this life victoriously, then we can assume this should be a naturally occurring thing in our lives too.
• Eph. 5:18 makes this point in that its written in the present imperative tense, meaning it would read something like “be being filled (or “keep on being filled”) with the Holy Spirit.

So, there is a difference between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and filling of the Holy Spirit. The indwelling is promised to everyone who receives Jesus (John 7:37-39, Gal. 3:2).
• But the filling of the Holy Spirit comes as we yield to Him, just as Jesus displayed as He let the Holy Spirit drive Him into the wilderness and then depended upon the Holy Spirt during the entire experience, in order to glorify the Father.
• When we’re not yielding to the Holy Spirit (which is shown in our lack of obedience to what God has called us to be engaged in, and our not abstain from what He’s told us to have no part in) (Eph. 5:14-18), Ephesians 5:19 tells us we can quench the Spirit.
Folk’s, we need an outpouring of the Holy Spirit right now and we can have it. But because we leak, we need to keep the spigot open and constantly pouring into us. So, ask yourself, are you yielding to Him? If not, you’re going to get drained!

16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

Sticking with the understanding that Jesus lived in a way that we can and should follow, because He is our pattern for living, did you notice it was His custom through all His life to attend weekly services.
• Of course, those were synagogue services because Jesus is Jewish, and the church wouldn’t come into existence until after His assentation (Acts 2). But this is certainly the pattern He has given us.
o No wonder the enemy is working so hard to close churches down.
• And what was the focus in synagogue? Teaching of the Word!

Now, we must go back a few verses and remember Jesus was being spoken about everywhere by now because of the amazing things that were happening as the Holy Spirit was working in Him. So, when they handed Jesus the scroll, there was no way they were unaware that He was someone special in God’s plan. They just hadn’t decided how special. We will come back to this.

17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

We’re not sure if this was assigned reading or if Jesus chose this passage from Isaiah 61.
• If He chose it, wonderful because it was written of Him and had been waiting all this time to be fulfilled.
• On the other hand, if it was the assigned reading, then it shows what we so often see in our own services as we are working through a book and see it perfectly fits the season of life that we’re in.
• Either way, what a display of God’s intimate involvement and fore planning in the lives of His creation.

And as Jesus told them these passages spoke of Him (providing the answer they were looking for), He read five things that would identify Messiah when He came. And you can look at these from 1) the practical needs of our humanity (Ps. 146:7-8, “The happiness of those whose help is the Lord”), or 2) from the spiritual side, or 3) from both.
• I believe we should understand both apply, but since its pretty straight forward to see the ways in which Jesus did all these things and more while ministering (which bore witness of His claim to be Messiah),
• we will focus on the spiritual fulfillment of each here.

1. He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. Jesus did preach to those others considered out casts, unworthy and even unclean. The cast offs of society. And He got ridiculed for it by the religious.
• But I think the greater understanding is the poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3). The poor in spirit are those who understand their absolute dependence on Gods mercy because of their fallen condition.
• And that they are utterly dependent on Him for life itself.
• This would describe those who came to be baptized by John and who then were ready to receive Jesus. And it describes those today who understand their own depravity and need for salvation.

2. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted. Up to this point they were in their sins, awaiting Messiah. But all this just changed. 1 Pet. 2:24 says of Jesus, “by whose stripes you were healed (my emphasis). For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls”.
• And Psalm 107:20 says, “He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions”.
• Sin steals the joy God intended for us to carry in our hearts and instead breaks them.

Wasn’t this true of you personally before you came to Jesus? Or if you haven’t come to Him yet, aren’t you listening today because you have reached a point where your heart can’t take anymore?
• And it’s not just our sin that breaks our heart, but the sin of everyone. And its effects on us all.
• I still remember the darkness lifting the moment I received Him. I still had trials coming my way, but on the other hand, I began to see everything differently, and it was wonderful.
• It was the day Jesus healed my broken heart. Will you let the love of Jesus heal your heart?

3. To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind- In John 8:32 Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and truth shall make you free.” So those who came to Jesus would see what they had never seen; the truth! Their eyes would be opened.
• And after they argued back with what He just said (John 8:33), He continued “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:34-36
• Sin has made captives of every person who ever walked upon the earth, with the exception of Jesus.
• And because it never took Him captive, He is able and willing to set us free!

4. To set at liberty those who are oppressed- We’ve seen that sin takes us captive and it’s our own doing. But oppression is something brought upon someone by another.
• Later in this book, we’ll witness Jesus deliver people both oppressed by demons and by other people.
• And in Psalm 146:7 it says of the Lord “Who executes justice for the oppressed”. And to be clear, that’s not a question, it’s a guarantee!
• But this oppression being addressed here is the oppression of sin. Sin is the enemy and Jesus defeated it at the cross! (Col. 2:13-14)

Folks, Jesus ministry in the stage we are currently includes liberating us from oppression. But He also does the work of executing justice for the oppressed at the right time. And there’s a new season coming, and in it our King will pour out vengeance on all that oppresses Him and His children. It’s always part of liberation.

5. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord- many have wondered if this specifically speaking about the year of Jubilee (Lev. 25) which happened every fiftieth year and gave people a two-year vacation, canceled all the mortgages and debts, and required that anyone who’d sold themselves into slavery to be set free.
• And it could be this was one of those years. But even if Jesus was using the year of Jubilee as an illustration, the actual year of Jubilee wasn’t the main point.
• What He’s saying is like the year of Jubilee foreshadowed, this was the point in time when Gods deliverance arrived, bringing renewed beginnings and rest from burdens. What a blessing!

What’s also important to see is where Jesus stopped, because the very next words of this prophecy are “And the day of vengeance of our God”. He stops here because this portion of the prophecy was still future. But it’s not too much longer into the future before this verse applies.
• And since it can’t take place until we are taken to be with Jesus, that’s coming even more rapidly!

Isn’t it amazing how often the subjects surrounding the end times are brought up in scripture? Is almost like the Lord wants us to keep our focus there 😊, even though so many in the church are turning from this topic.

22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ”

So again, when it said in verse 21 that Jesus said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”, don’t make the mistake of believing this was the end of His teaching. It was the beginning.
• But as He spoke (after claiming to be Messiah), something about His teaching instantly drew them to the grace of God coming out through His words. It was attractive to their hearts.
• And all of us who love to engage with the Lord in prayer have experienced this ourselves. As He speaks to us, it’s like the two disciples that unknowingly encountered the resurrected Jesus. And afterward said “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us in the road…” Luke 24:36

But somewhere during His teaching, the sceptics began seeding the questions of doubt, specifically if Jesus could really be who He said He was and if this prophecy could really speak of Him because they all knew Him from the time, He was a boy.
• It’s such a shame because they appeared to be so close and yet Jesus knew their marveling wasn’t going to be doing any transforming, because they would refuse to receive Him.
• And He dealt with their calls (really their feelings of entitled demands) that He do the work in His own hometown that He had done elsewhere, to prove to them He was Messiah.

That’s the wrong attitude towards God, yet its pretty much what many still say; “if your God and you want me to follow you, prove it”. The work of proving has been done. Now is the time for humbling and receiving.
24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath (outside of Israel), in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

They thought among themselves that regardless of what they believed (apparently even regarding the truth of Messiah), they would go to heaven just for being Jews. And they felt if Jesus was Messiah then they should be entitled to even more because He grew up in their town.
• So, when Jesus, through these historic events, reminded them the prophet Elijah was sent out of Israel to do what he was not sent to do in Israel (1 Kings 17:8-16), and his successor Elisha was sent to a gentile to do what he had not done for the Jews (2 Kings 5:1-15), this was a major rebuke.

28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

Do you kind of feel like that’s what’s going on still to this day? I mean, aren’t people still losing their minds when Jesus won’t do what they want Him to do, or let them tell Him who He should be?
• Isn’t there a sense of entitlement among so many that says in one way or another “who are you, God, to tell me I don’t deserve heaven.” And then they respond with violence towards Gods messengers.
• But just like what takes place after they reveal their hearts, Jesus simply slips away from their sight.
• Yet the result is none the less the same today. The Savior they couldn’t control slips away from them, leaving their wrath to lead them to destruction. Because without Him, they’re doomed.

We started by learning being filled with the Spirit comes through yielding. We end seeing destruction comes through resisting Jesus for the illusion of control. And the distance between these two is becoming more notable. One comes with eternal blessing and freedom. The other with everlasting torment. It’s no different today, so don’t be worried. Jesus is familiar with these responses and it won’t change His eternal plan!