The Wait Is Over

I can still remember how excited my hometown church was when they heard that I had accepted a call to ministry. It was almost if I were a part of their biological family. They swelled with pride, they told everyone they knew just how proud the were of me and it was an incredible time for me and for them.

He then had done some teaching and began to build a team and a reputation as a tip teacher. He had not been dubbed messiah yet but he had definitely began to show his stripes a bit.

So you can imagine how excited his home town Synagogue was when they heard that Jesus had come home.

I can still remember how excited my hometown church was when they heard that I had accepted a call to ministry. It was almost if I were a part of their biological family. They swelled with pride, they told everyone they knew just how proud the were of me and it was an incredible time for me and for them.

I can still remember how excited my hometown church was when they heard that I had accepted a call to ministry. It was almost if I were a part of their biological family. They swelled with pride, they told everyone they knew just how proud the were of me and it was an incredible time for me and for them.

For most of the people in that little church this was the greatest possible thing that could happen. A young person who grew up in their midst would accept a call to ministry. In many ways they saw me as a way that they could make an impact beyond their corner of the world.

I still hear from them from time to time and they always look back to that time in that little churches history as a defining moment for them.

We all have times in our life as well that we would clasify as a defining moment in our lives. A moment in time that everything comes together for a wonderful moment, Weddings, Birth of a Child, Landing the firs big Job, An OU or OSU national championship.

We celebrate these things not because they are rare…except for the OSU national Championship stuff, but because these are usually the culmination of a life time of dreams. Waiting for God to bring your spouse into your life, dreaming of a boy or a girl to share your life with, college, trade school and graduate degree’s for your job.

Every defining moment in our lives starts as something we hope for or dream of…Most of these also requires following a plan that we Hope will lead us to that moment.

Individuals and churches who achieve their sacred moments have to learn and live certain characteristics or disciplines to achieve God’s defining moment for them.

The passage we have read outlines those things.

NLT

What a dramatic and amazing way to begin a ministry!  Jesus had just returned to Nazareth, his home town, after being baptized by John in the Jordan River, He had just finished up spiritual battle with the devil and instead of taking break he went back to Galilee to teach through the whole region

He taught regularly His words were amazing people and he was becoming kind of a big deal…… It was a defining moment for Hometown synagogue local boy makes good kind of thing. But it was also a defining moment for Jesus.

We get a glimpse into the spiritual practice and discipline of Jesus out of which this moment emerged. 

It is interesting also to get a glimpse into the spiritual practice and discipline of Jesus out of which this ministry milestone emerged.  He was empowered by the Spirit (v. 14).  He was in the habit of being in the Synagogue on the Sabbath (v. 16). And he was deeply rooted in Scripture (vrs. 18-19).  The rhythm of these practices was the firm foundation on which the milestone could emerge and be erected.

He was empowered by the Spirit (v. 14).  He was in the habit of being in the Synagogue on the Sabbath (v. 16). And he was deeply rooted in Scripture (v. 18-19). 

It was these things that shaped His Mission on Earth. It is these things that shape our Mission on earth as well.

In the reading of the scripture and his short teaching he would lay out the Characteristics that would be necessary to be used by God in this new movement.

What a dramatic and amazing way to begin a ministry!!  Jesus had just returned to Nazareth, his home town, after being baptized by John in the Jordan River, He had just finished up spiritual battle with the devil and instead of taking break he went back to Galilee to teach through the whole region

What a dramatic and amazing way to begin a ministry!!  Jesus had just returned to Nazareth, his home town, after being baptized by John in the Jordan River, He had just finished up spiritual battle with the devil and instead of taking break he went back to Galilee to teach through the whole region

He taught regularly His words were amazing people and he was becoming kind of a big deal…… It was a defining moment for Hometown synagogue local boy makes good kind of thing. But it was also a defining moment for Jesus.

In the reading of the scripture and his short teaching he would lay out the Characteristics that would be necessary to be used by God in this new movement.

The Spirit of the Lord is given to us for action.

Too much of modern day Christianity is focused on what does being filled with the Spirit do for me.

Jesus lays out a plan that has nothing to do with me.

An Individual has not started living until they can rise above the narrow confines of their individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity --Martin Luther King Jr.--

Internalize God’s Mission to the world.

Involved in God’s Mission

NLT

Luke 4:18–19 NLT

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, 19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

We must

What would a ministry of announcing the Lord’s favor look like in your community?

4.   How is our presence in our communities good news for the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed?

2.   What are the spiritual practices and disciplines you are accustomed to doing which posture you to receive milestones for your ministry?

3.   What does Jesus’ ministry description mean for us as we carry on as Christ’s body on earth?

4.   How is our presence in our communities good news for the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed?

5.   What would a ministry of announcing the Lord’s favor look like in your community?

A few weeks ago I said that in order to be a church that was and engaged follower of Jesus it must be of the both Incarnational and Missional.

A few weeks ago I spoke of the essentialness of a Chruch being both incarnational and Missional.

Incarnational: To be a present living example of Jesus in the Lives of others

Missional: To be the dynamic expression of the Love of God in our Communities and world.

Both of these concepts require a Church or a Community of Faith to make sure that ministry is never about just completing a task…but about inviting people into relationship.

Relationship with God, the Church and with the individual. This is hard and messy but that is the ministry that Jesus was outlining in this passage.

This is the Mission that God still calls us too.

The First Missions Trip I took kids on as a youth pastor was to the KC Rescue Mission Tell story....This trip ended up being one of these kids greatest experiences not because they remembered pulling weeds, doing dishes and cleaning up construction messes.

It became a defining moment because they were able to put faces, and stories with the reason for doing the task.

A Church that is Incarnational and Missional puts faces with the Task of ministry.

In order to be seen as a people that care we must in fact care about the community and the individuals we serve.

What if

Instead of giving away a turkey...what if we actually took that time to make friends and follow up on them personally instead of the only correspondence being from the institution of the church.

Instead of doing VBS...we individually stayed involved in the lives of the families of the Children we teach?

Instead of working the Block Party…we intentionally buddied up with a family exchanged numbers and continued the relationship.

Instead of doing a Bible Study…we let Bible Study Change us and communicated how that has happened.

Instead of taking communion…we recieved the presence of God through the remembrance of His body and Blood and shared that with everyone we come into contact with.

Not doing for the physical but for the spiritual.

What if we replaced the task of ministry with authentic caring relationships as Ministry?

In the same way the Incarnational and Missional Church that is the expression of Jesus in our world needs to be the one that not only completes the task of feeding the hungry, caring for the needy.

In what ways have you make ministry a task?

How can transform your idea of Ministry from a task to

How does God want you to change that?

Modern Christianity has replaced relationship in ministry with doing the “Task” of Ministry.

The Incarnational and Missional Church that is the expression of Jesus in our world needs to be the one that not only completes the task of feeding the hungry, caring for the needy,

Gather, Grow, Serve, Multiply

Jesus did not come to earth with the objective of dying on the cross…He came with objective of making an eternal relationship with you and me.

The Eucharist of Communion in the early church was part of a larger community meal-likely a kind of potluck or covered dish supper. At Corinth the affluent church members, because of their flexible work schedules could arrive early wit their ample provisions. But those who had to worked stated hours could not arrive as soon, and those who were poor could contribute little or nothing to the community table. Rather than waiting for everyone to arrive, the wealthier members of the congregation began feasting early in the evening. By the time the others arrived most of the food and drinks were gone, and some of the people were indeed intoxicated.

Paul went on to say in Corinth that they did not understand what it meant to be the body of Christ. Their selfish acts stand in judgment over them.

This is what is meant when it says not to come to the table in an unworthy manner.

As we ponder our response to this message by coming to the table let remember that we do not have to wait for Jesus to come and help us to be the Church to people in our world. Not only do we come to the table together to receive the presence of God…but we can bring others to the table with us…

The Church is called to share this meal not simply as a morbid funeral dinner but as a way of sharing in the current presence of God.

That is why it is so important that when we come to the table as one. As we come to the table together let us remember that not only is it

That is why it is so important that when we come to the table

If you are new we respond to the message by receiving what we call communion. It is based on the night that Jesus was betrayed.....

We are an open Communion Church so we invite all who know Jesus as saviour to come to the table and receive the presence of Jesus inside of us through the symbols of the Juice and the Bread.

So filled with the Holy Spirit’s power He went to Church as he always did on the sabbath. As He had done throughout the region Jesus stood to read the scripture.

Benediction/Closing Prayer: In you, O Lord our God, we find our joy, for through your law and your prophets you formed a people in mercy and freedom, in justice and righteousness. Pour your Spirit on us today, that we who are Christ's body may bear the good news of your ancient promises to all who seek you. Amen.

It is important to note what a big deal this was reading in the service was by invitation only. It was not something that was simply part of the routine the scripture was the life blood of the synagogue....

Pour your Spirit on us today, that we who are Christ's body may bear the good news of your ancient promises to all who seek you. Amen.

They did not know it yet but this message to the Home Synagogue of Jesus was going to set the foundation for Jesus entire mission! He was handed the scroll of Isaiah and Jesus looked for the place he was going to start.

V18-19