There’s so much more to the Christmas story than the angels, the shepherds, the wise men, Mary and Joseph and the baby in the manger. The gospel writer, Luke, a careful historian, presents the story of the birth of Jesus as the part of the fulfillment of God’s plans and promises to send a Messiah to the people of Israel and so, it was into a particular time and place that Jesus came into the world. But before He came, someone else had to come -and his name was John and his parents had their own story.

Message

Outline

• Christmas approaching!
• Back to chapters 1 and 2
• Luke’s classic prologue/introduction
• See how Luke tells us of…

1. Ordinary people in the plan of God (v.5-10)
2. An extraordinary visit from an angel of God (v.11-17)
3. A less-than-ordinary response from a man of God (v.18-25)

A man in two worlds
Impossibilities: no problem to Him!
Faithlessness: can never nullify His!

Sometimes the things that happened to Jesus are quite surprising. In Luke 7:36-50, Luke tells us of hos he was reclining at a dinner party when a surprise guest entered and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair and anointed them with her gift of perfume. The host of the dinner party was rightly shocked, but Jesus, ever one to ‘practise what he preached’, drew a lesson from it, that was no surprise – except to those who continue to trust in their own self-righteousness.

Message

Outline

• The sixteenth in this series
• Back into the narrative
• What is this Kingdom of His like?
• See how this interaction tells us of …

1. The intruder who shocked the party (v.36-38)
2. The guest who shocked the host (v.39-46)
3. The promise that shocked the guests (v.47-50)

Everyone reclining – no-one standing
The horizontal and the vertical
Gratitude. Thankful hearts.

Collisions happen. People get hurt or die. But what happens when llife collides with death? Or, to put it more exactly, when the Lord of life collides with someone who is dead? In Luke 7:11-17, the situation at Nain is sad, but the ministry of Jesus gives hope – real hope in the face of death!

Message

Outline

• The fourteenth in this series
• From Capernaum to Nain
• Collisions…
• See how this interaction tells us that …

1. Death and sorrow were heading out of town (v.11-12)
2. Life and hope were coming into town (v.13-15)
3. Joy and amazement went all over town (v.16-17)

Jesus and funerals…
An invitation to have confidence!
An invitation to trust Him!

After Jesus had completed his long teaching intensive, Luke records that he returned to Capernaum where His ministry had previously been well received. There, according to Luke 7:1-10, He was approached by the Jews on behalf of a Roman centurion – a man who had power at his fingertips, but no power to deal with disase and impending death. But this man saw that Jesus did have authority and submitted himself to One greater than he, implicitly trusting that whatever Jesus commanded would come to pass! Great faith indeed!

Message

Outline

• The thirteenth in this series
• Back in Capernaum
• The Roman centurion
• See how this interaction tells us of the ..

1. Reason why Jesus could have chosen not to help the man (v.1-3)
2. Reason why the Jews said that Jesus should help the man (v.4-6a)
3. Reasons why the response of this man is a great help (v.6b-10)

How the story ends…
The God who is too big to fail!
What Naaman discovered…

In Luke 6:43-49, Jesus is finishing his teaching intensive on how His disciples ought to live. The text is very much connected to the previous versess in which Jesus spoko of making careful and merciful judgements – especially about people – and this certainly applies in the way we are to look at others and view the reality of their profession. Words are part of it, but fruit will be the greater evidence, as will the need to be hearers and doers of His word.

Message

Outline

• The twelfth in this series
• The end of His teaching intensive
• Don’t be foolish!
• See how Jesus taught that we ought remember that …

1. Your fruit gives you away (v.43-45)
2. Your foundation may give way! (v.46-49)

Dr Smith and Dr Smith
The bottom line
Hear and do!

In Luke 6:27-36, Jesus is still teaching His disciples about their responsibility to be His people in a world that hates them. After instructing them on what constitutes ‘blessings’ and ‘woes’ for his followers, He now makes it clear that His disciples will be known by a special kind of love – one that even includes love for their enemies. What this looks like in practise and why this is necessary is also made plain!

Message

Outline

• The tenth in this series
• Something overlooked!
• The character of this ‘new Israel’…
• See how Jesus taught a kind of love and…

1. What this love looks like (v.27-31)
2. Why this love is necessary (v.32-36)

Corrie Ten Boom…
What our Father God is like!