Sent: Jesus Sets Us FREE

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has SENT me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,”

Through the H.S., this divine calling was passed on first to the disciples…the church...and all followers of Jesus

— The proclamation the Jesus came to set us free

Yet, we recognize that with it comes fear; of the unknown, what others may think when God asks us to do something that seems bigger than we are.

Matthew’s gospel–Joseph’s encounter with an angel

(S3)

20 An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus would bring his PEACE to the world.

Fear could have stopped Joseph from his divine calling as the earthly father of Jesus. Yet, he is given a special ability to SEE…the peace needed in the world and his role in it.

Fear can stop us as well...

Do we see ourselves as those who are SENT to bring the PEACE of Jesus that heals?

(S4)

Jesus came to set us free, to SEE where we are to be SENT with the good news of His birth

Where is there need for reconciliation…what is our role in it?

Bible Study

The world needed Jesus then and still does; even more today. It needs those who are SENT to bring the peace of Jesus who heals.

God’s peace came into the world in the birth of a child to a young couple set to be married.

(S5)

18 “This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph.

…Engagements were a year long event. A binding agreement like marriage...To break it off was to file for a divorce—Death.

It came with great commitment, the father was asked for permission. The families would have begun the preparations for the event in which the whole community would take part.

— Everyone knew of the engagement and would know of her early and unplanned pregnancy.

— Joseph’s fear? What people would think...

Today, if you’re engaged, and things kind of go weird, you can just break it off.

How the child came to be

(S6)

18 ...but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit..(NIV)

Imagine the conversation...Mary sits down with her fiancée after a day’s work and says, “Joey, dear… I’ve got something to tell you. I’m pregnant.

But don –don – don – don’t –don’t jump to conclusions! The good news is, it’s by the Holy Spirit!”

Good news!!!@!!!

Now guys…put yourself in Joseph’ place…I know you have been with someone else... Don’t give me this spirit mumbo jumbo, who is he, I’m going to…

If you factor out the God factor, he’s got two options:

— The chick is crazy, or a liar...

—Divorce her quietly...

Divorce her quietly? Rumor mill…people whispering behind their backs, at the local coffee shops, in the church parking lot. The prospects of respect in the community weren’t looking good.

— Mary’s perspective she would be forever marked in disgrace...

— Joseph’s perspective, he would loose honor in the community.

Good luck getting another father to give his daughter to be married to him. Finding a job. Getting people to do business with him.

Taking his donkey in for an oil change. “You know, we don’t work on that kind of donkey here”

(S7)

Some commentaries say that divorcing her quietly was actually a very noble and honoring thing to do. Still, his options are not good.

19 Joseph not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decides to break the engagement quietly

At first Joseph is unable to SEE the God option…

“Temporary short sighted impairedness

His was impaired from seeing…fear, that he was being sent...

Fear can hinder our sight as well

Millet Learning Center—Those with the ability to see what we often miss

(S8)

It is the spirit of God who opens his eyes to see...

20 “an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.”

Probably the same words Mary said to him that very morning, I told you it was this spirit — Just like a man, to not listen to his wife…

His eyes are opened with the Good News of Jesus

(S9)

21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Customary that the child was named on the eighth day (Luke 2:21)

Jesus, a God-given name—Jesus Sent with a God-given purpose...

to bring Good News to the poor- proclaim the captive released, the blind will see, the oppressed will be set free,”

Jesus came to set free to SEE and be SENT...

How are followers of Jesus SENT to bring the good news of the healing peace of God...

Jesus, who thirty years later, stood in the synagogue, read from the words of the prophet Isaiah, as was custom, but as he rolled the scroll up he says,

Today this scripture is fulfilled because you have heard it.

The same Jesus who was sent by God to set people free: from sin, hopelessness, and despair. Who gives sight to the blind and release those oppressed by the world and its stifling circumstances.

The same Jesus who spoke those words,

“As you sent me into the world, father, so I have sent them.”

Giving all who are filled with the H.S. the ability to not only SEE, the hurt in the world in our community, but to respond, as those who are SENT, in Jesus name.

Miss Ruby’s ability to see—hosting a group of men experiencing homelessness.

VIDEO

She has a disability, but through it, she is given a special ability to see Jesus in people.

Like Joseph things can seem awful bad....What if our perspective changed and we saw ourselves as those who are SENT...

(S10)

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 ...her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Joseph felt trapped, unprepared, wanting to do what would seemed proper in the worlds eyes...instead he would respond in obedience to God’s call of being sent...

Its easy to be to busy planning, shopping, wrapping, cooking, and cleaning to see where God is wanting to sending us.

—Temporary short sighted impairedness can be a disability. It can keep us from being those who are sent.

We have a choice to SEE what’s wrong with the world and to be a part of what makes the world right. Jesus sets us free to be sent

— The Good news of Christmas sets us free to bring PEACE that heals.

(S11) — JESUS sets us FREE to be SENT

It is through the Holy Spirit, Jesus gave the ability to see the world differently than most, to see Jesus there and there, in our midst, in every person we meet... like Miss Ruby.

Who has God put on your heart this Christmas season? How will you see others differently?

How is God sending you to deliver the gift of peace, the best gift you could ever give.

You don’t have to wrap it, you don’t have to go out and purchase it, because its free, the price has been paid in full with your name attached to the label. To roxey, with love!

Challenge

Lord, help us to see how, where and to whom we are being sent

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