Sermon Tone Analysis

Announce Missions stuff.

Pray

john Stewart

talbot family with loss of their son.

funeral Friday 2pm here

visitation thursday 6-8

Donna Rudd - I serve with Africa’s Hope, and specifically Pan Africa Theological Seminary (PAThS), both of which are under the umbrella of Assemblies of God  World Missions.

We train leaders, pastors and educators on all levels off education.

I work primarily with PAThS, (the doctoral program, and I work with the students to facilitate their enrollment and progression through the program.

When they graduate, they will be the ones who lead the churches and help maintain sound doctrine in the thriving, growing African Church.

Please pray for our PAThS team for strength and wisdom as the program grows.

Pray for our students, who often juggle mountainous ministry duties and financial challenges at the same time they are studying in a very rigorous program.

Pray for their families and their health.

Please pray for me, for wisdom and strength, and for family members of mine who are struggling with significant health issues.

Kovachs - The church can pray for wisdom as we assisting Global University’s India College of Ministry during their time of rapid growth.

In addition, we are working with the Central Asia Theological Institute with their vision to train pastors and leaders to reach the countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and a persecuted people group seeking refuge from a large communist nation to the east of the region.

Tentatively, I will be traveling there in March, and will be needing God’s anointing and protection as I go.

The Gospel of Luke - Jesus is the Perfect Man

Gospel Means – “Good News”

This begs the Question – Good News about what?

Remember – In the Old Testament the Jewish people are looking for a Messiah.

Jesus is the answer to the hopes and longings of the Jewish people.

The Gospels Primarily answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”

There are Four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The First 3 are very similar.

They are referred to as “The synoptic gospels.”

"Synoptists," meaning "syn" = "together" and "opsis" = "a view" - therefore, Matthew, Mark and Luke are the Synoptists (giving a like view) while John relates the Divine aspects of Jesus' life.

The gospels are biographies about Jesus.

Each of the four writers is trying to prove a point about who Jesus is.

ILLUSTRATION: If people were to write biographies about my life, one might write about my relationship with my wife.

Another might write about my relationship with my parents.

Another might focus more on what I do for a living.

The writers would arrange their material in such a way that suits their purpose.

The writers all arranged their content in such a way that their points regarding Jesus would be apparent to their original audience.

Matthew portrays Jesus as King; Mark portrays Jesus as Servant, and Luke portrays Jesus as Son of man.

Matthew writes to the Hebrew mind; Mark writes to the Roman mind while Luke writes to the Greek mind.

Luke is the longest of the four gospels - It is also the longest book in the entire New Testament.

Who wrote Luke?

Tradition tells us that Luke wrote Luke and Acts.

according to very early tradition, Luke the physician and sometime companion of the apostle Paul (see Col 4:14), the only Gentile author in the Bible

It’s interesting that Luke, the only Gentile author in the Bible writes the majority of the New Testament!

Word for word, the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts account for more of the New Testament than even the letters of Paul.

Luke Traveled with Paul

Luke might have pastored the Church in Philippi

Luke was with Paul during his first Roman Imprisonment (Col 4:14; Phil 24)

Who was Luke Written To? (See Luke 1:1-4)

Theophilus is otherwise unknown; in keeping with such prefaces in Greco-Roman literature, he was probably the patron of Luke-Acts, thus underwriting its publication.

The implied readers are Gentile Christians, whose place in God’s story is ensured through the work of Jesus Christ and the Spirit.

Luke is written to establish Theophilus in the Christian Faith; To edify and instruct someone who was already saved, not primarily to evangelize the lost.

Of the three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke), Luke gives the greatest amount of information concerning its own beginnings and manner of production.

Luke’s Goals:

To put together a an account of what Jesus did “among us”

To write an orderly account

This does not mean the book is in chronological order

It does mean Luke had a plan and logic to how he wrote

He investigated things before writing his account so that he can give Theophilus a complete and accurate picture of the truth about Jesus.

He roots the events of Jesus’ life in History

No other writer gives such precise dating for his narrative as Luke

No other writer gives such a complete sketch of Jesus’ career from birth to ascension (The story begins 15 months before the birth of Jesus)

What did Luke Emphasize?

Luke Emphasizes that Jesus is The Son of Man

Luke Does emphasize Jesus is the son of God, but his primary objective is to show Jesus the perfect man

Angels acknowledge him (Luke 1:35)

Demons acknowledge Him (Luke 4:41)

God the Father Acknowledges Him (Luke 9:35)

Luke presents Jesus as a member of humanity who lived the perfect life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Luke Focuses on Jesus’ Humanity by including:

Genealogy from Joseph all the way back to Adam.

Jesus’ development as a human being.

Luke is where we get the most information concerning Jesus’ Birth

Shepherds, angels, etc.

All in Luke’s Account

It’s the only gospel that gives us a story of Jesus as a boy.

Luke 2:41-52

Notice, Luke tells us how Jesus is growing and developing.

Luke’s portrait of Jesus was ideally suited to the Greek mind.

The Greek ideal was human excellence - The Perfect individual - In his gospel Luke shows that Jesus fulfilled this ideal in the highest sense.

Luke Emphasizes that Jesus is the Savior of All

Emphasis on Women - Luke mentions women 43 times.

(Only mentioned in Matthew and Mark 49 times combined)

The Birth of Jesus is seen from Mary’s perspective.

Women supported the Apostles and Jesus Financially (Luke 8:1-3)

Presence of women at the cross (Luke 23:49)

Resurrection reports to women (Luke 24:1-12)

Children receive more prominence in Luke than is usual in writings from Ancient times

Jesus is pictured as the advocate of the poor and oppressed.

Seven or eight of Jesus parables in Luke are concerned with eh contrast of poverty and wealth, or stress economic need.

The Two Debtors (Luke 7:41-43)

Friend at Midnight needing bread (Luke 11:5-8)

Rich Man (Luke 12:13-21)

Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10)

Unrighteous Steward (Luke 16:1-13)

Rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)

Widow and Unrighteous Judge (Luke 18:1-8)

ALL THESE PARABLES BELONG EXCLUSIVELY TO LUKE

Luke Emphasizes the Holy Spirit

There are more references to the Holy Spirit in Luke than in Matthew and Mark Combined.

All the main characters of the gospel were empowered by the Holy Spirit

John the Baptist

Mary