Come on Down!

Today we start a short series on the Sermon on the Plain

Before we go any further, we’ll deal with the elephant in the room

Is this the same as the Sermon on the Mount? Scholars do not agree

They make it complicated

There are many similarities; but significant differences

In Matthew’s much longer message, it appears that the crowd may be somewhat different

Much included about the Law, more directed to a Jewish audience?

…or is that Luke’s editing?

This is the work of Dr. Luke, making a report to his patron/boss/master Theophilus Luke 1 3

Luke 1:3 (ESV)

...it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus...

…that satisfies my normal writer, recipient and reason segment of a message series

The Simple Approach

Read the text; believe the text

The process in each account is different

In Matthew, Jesus goes up the mountain and sits down to teach

In Luke He comes down and stands to teach

It is not unusual for a teacher/preacher, to use mostly the same material in multiple venues/circumstances; tailoring the message to the crowd present

That accounts for the similarities; allows for the differences without the accounts being in conflict

Challenge, this week read the remainder of the chapter—get hooked and read the rest

Setup

Jesus had begun His ministry; preaching, teaching, healing, casting out demons…creating chaos among the religious elite—but that’s a story for another day—and attracting a crowd

He, at this particular time, has spent the night on the mountain, continuing in prayer

Side note: any major activity should be preceded by intentional prayer

In the morning, as he descended the mountain, He pulled 12 men from among the greater crowd of disciples and named them apostles

Distinctly different words underlie the terms: mathetes & apostolos; we also fine “the twelve” in the Gospels

One follows, the other is sent (there will be a time when Jesus sends out 72 men, specifically empowered; not called apostles

Yes, there are discrepancies in the listing of the Apostles; again, easily rectified: sometimes men are known by two different names…it works out if you study it out…for another day

First thing we note:

English Standard Version Chapter 6

In these days

…and we ask, what days were they

Simple answer: the early days of our Lord’s ministry, it’s starting to gather momentum

to gain critical mass

It will start to shake the world

Size Up

That’s what they were doing: sizing Him up

His reputation is beginning to build, people were trying to figure out who/what Jesus was

Was He the Messiah? the Christ—could it be, the long-awaited deliverer of Israel?

People were rightfully curious, rightfully intrigued, rightfully desiring what this man Jesus could/would do for them

We could call this the 1st recorded “come to Jesus” meeting

The people were coming in from a large area…even possibly gentiles coming from the coast of Tyre and Sidon

Coming to see this Jesus; to hear Him speak, to have Him heal them

English Standard Version (Chapter 6)

came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases

Coming to have demons cast out

English Standard Version (Chapter 6)

those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured

Coming to experience His Power—

…and Jesus obliged them

Luke 6:19 (ESV)

And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

It is this power we focus on this morning

…maybe this is a rabbit trail; but it will return to the text…promise

The power of the living Christ; power that healed the sick; removed demonic oppression

It is only through this power we can be saved

Paul tells us in Rom 1 16

Romans 1:16 (ESV)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

dunamis

The word from which we get dynamic, dynamite (though it’s not great exegesis to talk of the “dynamite power” of Jesus, as some do

…dynamite shatters; the Power of Jesus is used constructively

Lexicon refers to it as power, force or might; deeds showing power, marvelous deeds

Luke is very fond of the term in his Gospel (15x) and in Acts (10x)

We start seeing the term linked to Jesus returning to Galilee in the power of the Spirit in 4:14

Then in Luke 4 36 where we see it linked to His authority

Luke 4:36 (ESV)

And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

We see it again in 5:17, the power of the Lord was with Him to heal

Passing our morning text, we see Jesus delegating power and authority, Luke 9 1

Luke 9:1 (ESV)

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases,

…and just one verse from Acts:

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

During the course of His earthly ministry, His power was clearly shown

The power He delegated was clearly shown

…and for the general, run of the mill lives we live

2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

Settle Up

We might say this is another “come to Jesus” moment—no sarcasm intended

If we are believers, we have recieved power

Power to live a life of godliness; power to be His witnesses

That is delegated to us

Note: The authority supersedes the power

Without the authority to use it, power is of no value

Those of us who are saved have recieved the Holy Spirit—we have all power—and are acting under the authority of Jesus Christ

Not saying that we’re going around casting out demons and healing the sick

…we are NOT apostles, but disciples…followers of Christ

It would appear that this was granted only to the apostles and the 72 specific disciples

BUT, we have the the authority per A. 1:8 to be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria

Sum It Up

It’s been a rambling route to this point

More a fire hydrant than a drinking fountain

First thing is that matter of authority and power

We’ve been granted the authority to become the sons of God…adopted as sons, by the grace of God, through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ

Then, we’ve been give the power to be His witness

The Authority to make disciples

But lets go back to our text

It’s all His power,

The rest of the chapter lays out a pattern for Christian behavior, which we are empowered to live

That’s tough stuff!

Yes it is! BUT, since Jesus granted us the powers he has…and He has the authority to do so, What’s stopping us?

Sneaking into next week’s text just a bit; the end of v.20

…and said

He was going to teach them

We’ll start into several weeks of Jesus’ intense teaching...

Since we’ve been given the authority to become the sons of God; we have the power to live like it

These next lessons will give us some grounding for that.