Jan 9, 2022 Sunday Worship Service

I guess we already did that s.

Well, I was thankful for your presents. This morning were thankful that we can take the opportunities to think about Jesus, probably in ways. We have not imagined before. But we're going to do that through this program that we have going to be a year-long discussion about Jesus and his life and hope that you will come and learn more about Jesus. Hope that you can bring your friends and your neighbors. Even young ones to learn more about Jesus. I know that. there's many, many children today are ignorant of Jesus because they have never been to church. And they've never understood who Jesus was and what he came to do for each and every person. So it would be good to have young children. Come to learn more about Jesus. And so as we think about this particular story or thinking about The Greatest Story Ever Told, I think, when it comes to around Easter time, they usually have the Ten Commandments and they call that the greatest story. But this is The Greatest Story Ever Told and it concerns Jesus, the Christ Jesus, the Christ. Jesus and Christ is not his last name. That's a description. He's the Messiah. The anointed one is what that word. Really means Jesus the anointed. And so, we think about Jesus, we think about all that he's done for us, and we've been studying this morning in Bible class his life prior to his ministry. Remember he had a three-year Ministry it when she had to accomplish all that. He could accomplish to get men and women ready for the new hero, which would be the Christian era and or the gospel era and the era of the church church would be established. And then it would be the responsibility of the church to Proclaim Jesus the Christ. And the church is not this for walled area. It's you and me and each of us have a responsibility to share the gospel message with others, and to keep sharing that message. And so when we teach them, hopefully they'll begin to learn and I'll be able to teach others also is Paul says in 2nd, Timothy Chapter 2 and verse two. And so that's the way the church was designed to grow and eat successful generation has that responsibility. So as you think about The Greatest Story, Ever Told, we're thinking about the idea that it's great. It's great. Because first of all, it's about Jesus. It's great because the message that is an eternal message has impact on our eternity until therefore. It's a great, great message. It's a great story and we need to understand just how significant it really is. And so it will be looking at from the Gospel of Luke this morning. Luke is representative. If you will of the four gospels, each one, being a little bit different and that Matthew Mark and Luke are called the synoptic gospels in that, they maintain basically the same information of with a little difference among each of them. But job, the Gospel of John is a book that is quite different than the other three. So the synoptic gospels, share the same information. So we'll just be looking at Luke this morning to make things a little bit easier for us. But as we think about the gospel, let me think about its many facets to it. Think about what Paul said in 1st Timothy Chapter 3 beginning and verse 16, You said, God was manifested in the flesh. He was justified in the spirit. He was seen by angels. He was preached among the Gentiles. He was believed on in the world and was received up in glory. And if you will, that's the summary of the gospel. Paul just gives this that wonderful summary that we can take the hard, but there's a lot of points in between that we're going to be filling in as we go through this particular study. And as we begin this morning, we're going to taking a look at the beginning of the Book of Luke.

Luke chapter 1 beginning and verse 1 through 4. It's called a prologue. Is prologue. Is the beginning Point, basically. Look the setting up what he's going to ride about and to whom he's riding. And so he supplies this information for us, Lucas a position. He's a Christian. He's a worker or a servant of Jesus Christ. He's not an apostle, but he is a servant of Christ and he was called upon to write this particular the pistol. So here's what Luke record. He says, as much as many have taken in hand, to set an order, a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled Among Us. Just as those who from the beginning, where I witness Witnesses and Ministers of the word delivered them to us. Having had perfect understanding of all the things from the very first to ride to you and orderly account. Most excellent Theophilus that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed as we pointed out in the beginning of our Bible class. This was the point of for his writing, this book about Jesus, and as he's riding the prologue, he's pointing out some things. I think that are important for us to understand At the time of his riding, you were many who took to writing about the events of Jesus Christ and about the events of the growth of the church. And so Lucas riding after all, after the fact he's writing some years after even the establishment of the church. And so he's not riding at the time that these events took place after. So while Jesus had already been resurrected, had gone back to heaven, the church was established and it was on your way people took to writing. And so if you or a member of the Jerusalem Church and many there in the city of Jerusalem, were scribes, those who took to writing about different things. Many people took journals and wrote about those. In fact, we have manuscripts written by scribes and just simply from people who Attending church services. Let tell us things about the first-century church and about the first century people. And so all of this was going on and evidently there was some error involved with some of the writing, it caused some confusion, among the Christians, and so Luke decides that he's going to write this in an orderly manner. Chronologically. And so he's going to say an orderly account. And he's riding this to a man, by the name of Theophilus. Literally, the name means lover of God, and he's writing to him because he has a little bit confused because he understands what the apostles are saying, but then, he's been reading the material that's been circulating for a number of years. Put out by many Brethren and some of the things don't match up. So he's confused and I'm sure he's been in a discussion with Luke. So Luke decides to write an orderly account for him. But he's writing to him but for us. It's all the sacred scripture of Luke. It's certainly part of the cannon, part of the scripture or what we call the sacred writings. So, this is the reason why he's putting forth this particular letter that you may know that certainty of these things. Now he's research this, he's 10. He's looked at some of the, the writings of the people. And he's gone back and he's talked with some of the Apostles. Remember, he said that he was going back to those who were eyewitnesses of these things that who were Ministers of the word and those were the apostles. And so he's getting the information from them and he's getting information from what was written and he's putting it all together in this letter and he does so in an orderly fashion. So as we look at what we just read, there's a basic body of beliefs available to all the first century church that were written down by individuals individuals like you. Get all, you may come here, some people come and they take notes and and when they died those notes fell to the ground or we're in some container and then two thousand years later somebody, stumbles across this container and they find your nose. It's so those notes. Give a glimpse of the church in the first century. And so, a lot of the writings that are found are those types of writings, in addition to the manuscripts of the books of the Bible. So it gives us a lot of information. So at the time there was riding that was going on. And some of those people would, they didn't have recordings video recordings, that didn't have CDs, DVDs, didn't have two sets. Two didn't have record players. They didn't have all of that. So they had to rely upon people riding. And these scribes would write down just about everything. And then he talks again about the eyewitnesses and servants were ministers. And those are the apostles, and so, Luke studies these things. So, yes, he's an inspired Rider. Notice. He's using his own work ethic to bring this, all about. Those, God is working with him along the way and then he recorded the exact truth about the things without the Oculus has learned. And so we can share in those things together. But as we think about that, I want us to see something is very similar. In the book of Acts noticed, this is the way Luke records, the very beginning of the book of Acts. As I said this morning, you got Luke one, which is his gospel. And then he have a loop to, which is the book of Acts. And now he begins there by saying the former account. I made all the officers riding back to him again of all that Jesus began both to do to teach until the day when she was taking up after he threw the Holy Spirit and give them Commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen to whom. He also presented himself a live after his suffering by many infallible proofs being seen by them during 40 days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. I told we have that to consider as we think about the writings of Luke, but they're very similar and thought and the point about both is that he's reminding Theophilus about these things. It's so we have on record here, the purpose for which he is riding sadly. Consider the Gospel of Luke, we think about there's one gospel, but four versions are four different accounts of the one gospel. Panda and Lucas just giving us his version if you will his perspective, but as we think about as it relates to Jesus Christ. We know that Matthew and Luke provide us genealogies genealogies. In Matthews account. Matthew goes back to Abraham to define the lineage of Jesus Christ. In Worcester County, goes back to Adam. Show the one you have the idea that Matthew was writing to the Jews and he's proving the point that he comes from the lines of Abraham and also, from the wall by the son of David. And so, handsome, become the son of David. And then Luke records in his version the idea of going back to Adam and then we follow the genealogy all the way through and at the end Luke says he's the son of man.

Mark Azar, John calls him, the Son of God, who calls him, the son of man, John calls in the Son of God because of his God, he comes from God. He's God who became human. We just read that. I can just read for us. In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God. And the Word was God. The literal language is, in the beginning, was and continues being the word was with God and who is God. And so, we have here, Jesus Christ, being called the word that he is, God and that God became flesh and verse 14, and he dwelt among us and we beheld, his glory. So, Jesus became flesh. Jesus the second person of the godhead became, man. And so this is what Luke is providing for us, giving us a noble or Matthew gives us a normal genealogy. While Luke is just a human genealogy concerning that of Jesus Christ. But as we think about the genealogies of Christ, obviously, Abraham begat Isaac & Isaac, begat, Jacob, and Jacob, he got and so forth and so on. So the birthing process along the way, the birthing process Loop does the same thing, but then it comes to Jesus. And in chapter 3, we learn about the birth of Christ and his gospel account. Whereas in Matthews account at the chapter one and in John's, it's also in chapter one, but then it looks account. It's chapter 3 cell, he provides us some information. About John because John was the prophet That was supposed to come and to prepare the way of the Lord. So John takes front-and-center because of that Prophecy in the Book of Luke, and John Combs. And he prepares the way of the Lord. He prepares the way of the Lord, by having people be baptized for the Forgiveness of their sins to prepare them for the coming Messiah. And then when he does finish his work, what does he say? Jesus coming down and he says, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. So now he's presenting to the world, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and now John said, I must decrease and he must increase. Do you think about that for just a second? John was given an ultimate responsibility? And he did it. Well. That could go to someone's head pretty quickly. They could say, look what I did and I never give up their Authority. But John knew his place. He knew his role and although he did a great thing for God. He humbled himself and he made it known that he had decreed. He doesn't step out of the Limelight and give the Limelight to Jesus, and he was willing to do that happily to do that. And so we did. And so, we come to the birth of Christ in chapter 3 in Luke's account. John gives us a reference to the birth of Christ. As we just read, he goes back beyond the physical birth of Christ. Whereas the other accounts, get a physical birth of Christ. John goes back into eternity. In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and the Word was God. With him, all things were created.

By him. Jesus Is God, and Jesus was the one who created all things. Father God designed. What was to be created. Jesus is the one that did the creating and that it was the Holy Spirit who came and did the finishing touches to all of creation. And it was the Holy Spirit that made known all of this information Network learning today. And every Sunday. He's provided the word of God to mankind. So, we have here, the genealogies of Matthew, and Luke. Matthew again was written for the Jews Loops account. He was written for Gentiles. In particular marks account was written for Romans and John's account was simply to Proclaim. Jesus is the son of God. To everybody for everybody, both Jew and Gentile. And how do you think about the genealogies of of Matthew and Luke? Again? We talked about the birth of Christ? What we talk heavily about the birth of Christ. And I know that we just got over the Christmas season, but we're going to be going back and talking about the birth of Christ because there's a lot of things about the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. The birth of Christ, God becoming flesh that many are not familiar with All the heaters, The Christmas Stories. The peanut stories about the Life of Christ and those types of things but there's more to it in God's word then what usually he is presented. So we'll be spending some time talking about that. So John's introduction is different than the others and it gives us a glimpse of his majesty. Give us a glimpse of him being in glory that he is one with a father. He's one with a spirit. They're all one together, remember. It was in Genesis chapter one, that it says in the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth, the word. Therefore, God is Elohim. It's the plural form of the word L, which is singular. So the plural form is used Elohim God. So there's a plurality that comprise God and then a little bit later and verse 26 and 27. It says, and God said, let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. So right off the bat or hit in the face, with the idea that God is plur, is a plurality? He's worn. But he's got three different persons or personalities that comprise God, which is also the godhead divine nature. There are three who are divided because there are three who are Eternal and three are one God. That's the point. And so God. Together, they hold up one day if I'm a and I said, you know what, we're going to make the world. We're going to make this thing call the Universe. I want to make this one little planet were going to call it Earth, and we're going to put people on there, and those people are going to sit. So we need to be prepared. So we need a remedy. So what are we going to do about it? Who's going to go on behalf of us in Jesus? Raises hand said. I'll go. I'll be the one. I'll be the one who has to go to Earth and to die for the sins of the world. And so he did that. That's his role. The father had his role, the Holy Spirit had his role. And they all still have a role to get together today working on behalf of you and me. But Jesus had accomplished his role upon the cross of Calvary dying for our sins. So God again, was manifested in the flesh. That's the idea are called Incarnation. They call it God incarnate. God became flesh. That's what that means. And as we think about that, we think about The beginning of time that we think about how God left his home in glory. That she had all, all the accolades of Heaven. He had all the honor in heaven. The Angels bowed their knees before. Jesus Christ, getting you praise and worship.

And he entered into a sick world. He left a home of sinlessness. To a place full of sin sinfulness. Where he was hated and where he was despised, where he was rejected, where he was spit upon. Where he was scores to the point that the flesh came off his bones and he was beating. and then, finally, After all that he was nailed to a cross. Free suffered and died for you and me.

The world into which Jesus entered was a sick sick world. And here's what Paul says about that world because that world still exists today. Notice what Paul says here in Romans chapter 1 because although they knew God, they did not glorify him. That's one step in the process of forgetting God. They did not glorify him as God. Step number to nor were they, for God? When you leave God out of your mind, obviously, you don't thank God that gets to the point. That there's no prayer life either. But became futile in their thoughts. Step number three, and her foolish Hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools. And changed number 5, the glory of The Incorruptible, God into the image made like corruptible, man, and burns and four-footed, animals and creeping things. Don't you? Think about what the prophets of old said about these people making idols? These people would sit down and able to hold out a piece of rock or a piece of wood and they designed this rock or piece of wood into an idle which Diamond, which they knew was a rock, which they knew was a piece of wood and they fall to the ground and they worshiping, that's what he's talking about here. He said that's how far mankind left God, you know, God created everything, you put man in the garden, man said man left up left the garden but then population exploded and has the population exploded over time, man, got farther and farther away from God to the point in which Paul writes two thousand years ago in the Book of Romans chapter one. He's talking about the not only times past but times present. No, this is exactly who we are as a society as a culture and literally has a world of people. Therefore, I also gave them up to uncleanness in the lust of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves. Step number six. Change the truth of God for a lie. And stuck number seven worshiped and served the creature themselves rather than the Creator who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason. God gave them up to vile, passions. And then, right after this, we learn that the women gave up the natural use of women or other man and Came together with women and the men gave up the natural use of the woman.

And got together with men. Cancel the seven steps. Show us that, at the end of the day, man is immoral because he keeps God out of his mind. That's how darkened in Hardin and Calais mankind has become. And so just a little bit later after this notice with Paul says. This is a a catalog of sins. If you will. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to the base mine to do those things with your not being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness covetousness, maliciousness full of Envy Strife, defeat evil mindedness. They are Whispers. That biters, haters of God, violence, proud, bolsters, inventors of evil, things disobedient, to parents undiscerning, untrustworthy unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful who knowing the righteous Judgment of God that those who practice, such things are deserving of death now watching, Not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

There comes a point in our lives, as Christians, that we need to stand up for Jesus Christ. And one of the ways in which we stand up for, Jesus Christ is to see that. This is simple. And that without you, okay, that what your sinful just because the world is doing these things, doesn't give us the right to say. Well that's just them and that's okay. What we're doing is we're giving those sold over to Satan. But Jesus is light. The one that rule the world, the light represents true, then that right needs to be spread by you and by me. So we need to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You think about the garden one more time? When the gardens are windows, serpent came to Eve in the garden. She said, God said, if we eat it at fruit in the day that you eat of it. You shall surely die. Satan came along and said, You shall surely not die.

And then Satan goes on to say this. He goes in the day that you eat of it. Your eyes will be open. Knowing Good and Evil. Your eyes will be open. Oh, no, he did not Open the Eyes of man, He closed the eyes of mankind. Look at Paul says, the 2nd Corinthians chapter 4, the house, the hidden things are saying, not walking and craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to Every Man's conscience in the sight of God, but even if our gospel is veiled, it is Vale to those who are perishing. I noticed this whose Minds the God of this age has blinded. Who do not believe less the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ for, he is the god who commanded light to shine out of Darkness, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That's the purpose for Jesus coming. To give light to those who have been blinded blinded by Satan. And the only way a person can have their eyes open is by the gospel, By the Light of the Gospel, by the truth. Until we find here. Jesus can open your eyes. And he will do. So only through the Gospel of Jesus Christ for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the gospel. It is the power of God to Salvation for everyone, who believes for the Jew first, and also, for the Gentile, it's by the gospel through the gospel that are opened. But if you blind yourself from the gospel, you've blinded, the very power that can that can change your life that can alter your wife that can transform your life. That's the power of the Gospel. You can do all that. Jesus. Simply said he that believes and is baptized shall be saved. It's very plain. It's very simple. It's very clear. He that believes in the gospel and is baptized shall be saved. You want to do that this morning? You can you have that opportunity to put Jesus Christ on in baptism? Maybe you've done that in the past. You were baptized into Jesus Christ or somewhere along the way Satan blinded you from the gospel. Any water from Christ in? Jesus says, you can make that return by simply repenting of your sins. If you bought states are willing to do that today, once you do. So, as Together, We Stand and sing.