Appleton Gospel Church

Super Natural is a sermon series on the miraculous works of Jesus in the Bible. The Gospel is Preached to the Poor — God’s heart is moved by our needs. God’s only Son was given for our greatest need. The poor respond in worship and witness. Recorded on May 16, 2021, on Luke 7:11-17, by Pastor David Parks.

Sermon Transcript

So all year, we’ve been focusing on the Person and Work of Jesus. And today, we’re finishing a series called Super Natural. As we’ve said, everywhere Jesus went, he did three things: he preached about the kingdom of God, he called men/women to follow him, and he did miracles. Jesus said about his ministry, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” And we’ve looked at each of these miracles in turn, as signs authenticating the person/work of Jesus. But also, as living parables teaching us about the character of God and his desire for us, his people. So today, we’ll finish this series by considering the statement, “and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” What does that mean? Why would that matter? Well, if you have a Bible/app, please open it to Luke 7:11.

Luke 7:11-17, “11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.”

Now, at first reading, this might not seem like the best example of preaching good news to the poor, but I think you’ll understand more after we unpack this text together. So first, Luke was a physician and a historian who became a Christian through the ministry of the Apostle Paul around the city of Ephesus. Luke didn’t follow Jesus in Palestine but rather did a careful investigation into the person/work of Jesus by interviewing eyewitnesses who had followed Jesus. v. 11.

Luke 7:11, “Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him.” Ok, so Nain, right? We all know where that is. Well, let’s look at a map here. Nain was in the region of Galilee near Nazareth and southwest of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus did much of his early ministry. Luke says that his disciples are with him and there’s a large crowd of people following as well. Perhaps they had heard about Jesus and wanted to hear him preach. Or perhaps they had a need and were hoping for a miracle from him. But either way, Jesus is very popular at this point. Let’s keep going with v. 12.

Luke 7:12, “As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.” Let’s pause here. So the crowd following Jesus meets with another crowd, one who is part of a funeral procession. And who died? Luke says that it was the only son of a mother who was also a widow. Now, this is significant. Why? Because in this day, in this time/place, a woman’s security was found in her family. There were few social safety net programs, no government aid. You either had a family who could work and provide and take ...

Super Natural is a sermon series on the miraculous works of Jesus in the Bible. The Dead are Raised — What is our hope in life and death? The dead are raised by the word of Jesus. His power is accessed by faith and works itself out through the whole of the Christian life. Recorded on May 9, 2021, on Mark 5:21-43, by Pastor David Parks.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we're focusing on the Person and Work of Jesus. And today, we’re continuing a series called Super Natural. Everywhere Jesus went, he did three things: he preached about the kingdom of God, he called men/women to follow him as his disciples, and he did miracles. In Matthew 11, When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” Jesus expected the works to authenticate his words, to prove that he was who he claimed to be. But also, these works serve as living parables that teach us about the character of God and his desire for us, his people. So today, we’re considering the statement, “the dead are raised.” What does that mean? Well, if you have a Bible/app, please open it to Mark 5:21.

Mark 5:21-43, “When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” 35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” 36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” 37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this,

Super Natural is a sermon series on the miraculous works of Jesus in the Bible. The Deaf Hear — On a road trip, Jesus healed a Gentile who was deaf and speech impaired. What do we learn from this encounter? Healing happens in uncomfortably close proximity to Jesus. Healing comes from and results in the ministry of the word. Recorded on May 2, 2021, on Mark 7:31-37, by Pastor David Parks.

Sermon Transcript

All year, we're focusing on the Person and Work of Jesus. And today, we’re continuing a series called Super Natural. Everywhere Jesus went, he did three things: he preached about the kingdom of God, he called men/women to follow him as his disciples, and he did miracles. In Matthew 11, When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” Jesus expected the miracles to authenticate his ministry, to prove that he was who he claimed to be. But also, these works serve as living parables that teach us about the character of God and his desire for us, his people. So today, we’re considering the statement, “the deaf hear.” What does that mean? Well, if you have a Bible or Bible app, please open it to Mark 7:31.

Mark 7:31-37, “31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

So Mark’s gospel was written by John Mark in the mid-60’s AD. Mark was an assistant to the Apostle Paul and Peter and here, we have Jesus taking a road trip and being amazing. Let’s start back with v. 31 and try to uncover the meaning of this text.

Mark 7:31-32, “Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.” So Mark describes this road trip that Jesus, and we're assuming his disciples, take which would’ve taken weeks if not months. Let’s look at this on a map. To walk from Tyre up to Sidon and then looping back down around the Sea of Galilee to the Decapolis is 100-200 miles. Now the Decapolis was a region to the east of the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee, named after 10, Greek-speaking Gentile cities. In Romans 1, the Apostle Paul wrote that the gospel “is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Jesus’ ministry reflects that pattern as well, first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. So it’s here, in this Gentile context that some people brought a man who was deaf and could hardly talk to Jesus. And they begged Jesus to place his hand on him, meaning to heal him. How would Jesus respond? v. 33.

Mark 7:33-35,

Super Natural is a sermon series on the miraculous works of Jesus in the Bible. The Leper Cleansed — Jesus reached out and touched a man, healing him from leprosy. This miracle teaches four things: Sin is a stain. Sin separates. Jesus cleanses the stain of sin. Jesus reconciles in relationship. Recorded on April 25, 2021, on Matthew 8:1-4, by Pastor David Parks.

Sermon Transcript

Today, we’re continuing a series called Super Natural. Everywhere Jesus went, he did three things: he preached about the kingdom of God, he called men and women to follow him as his disciples, and he did miracles. In Matthew 11, When John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask if Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”

Jesus expected the miracles to authenticate his ministry, to prove that he was who he claimed to be. But also, these works serve as living parables that teach us about the character of God and his desire for us, his people. So today, we’re considering the statement, “those who have leprosy are cleansed.” What does that mean? Well, if you have a Bible or a Bible app, please open it to Matthew 8:1. Let’s read together: Matthew 8:1-4 (NIV), “When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

So Matthew, who was also called Levi, was an Apostle of Jesus. Matthew was a tax collector before he became a Christian, which probably means he was wealthy but not welcome in his community. That probably gives him a unique perspective on this story of welcoming and healing an outsider. Let’s start again at v. 1.

Matthew 8:1, “When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him.” So Matthew places this account immediately after the famous Sermon on the Mount — the mountainside being where Jesus was preaching which makes sense to accommodate the large crowds who were following him at this time. The Apostle gives us the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5-7 as a sample of the preaching ministry of Jesus and then goes on to report 10 different miracles as a sample of the miraculous ministry of Jesus. The cleansing of the leper, here, being the first of those 10 accounts. Let’s continue in v. 2.

Matthew 8:2, “A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” The term leprosy covered a variety of skin diseases at the time, some of which were curable but some were not. Today, leprosy is called Hansen’s Disease and, thankfully, is fairly rare, but only in the last 30 years or so. However, in Jesus’ day, it was a terrible affliction. Leprosy is caused by a bacterial infection and over time, one of the effects is that it deadens your ability to feel pain. This is dangerous as it can lead to other wounds, especially on your hands or feet, without realizing that you’re hurt. Pain, it turns out, is a very effective way to let us know when there’s a problem. The ancient Jewish people had a law regulating such diseases. 

Leviticus 13:45-46, “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt,

"Super Natural" is a sermon series on the miraculous works of Jesus in the Bible. The Lame Walk — Jesus healed a paralyzed man when he saw the man's faith. The miraculous healing became an opportunity to demonstrate his authority to forgive sins. But what about the miracles in the Bible? Did they really happen? Are they still possible today? What are modern Christians supposed to think about such things? Recorded on April 18, 2021, on Mark 2:1-12, by Pastor David Parks.

Super Natural is a sermon series on the miraculous works of Jesus in the Bible. What does it mean that Jesus healed a man born blind? Jesus heals uniquely and purposefully. Healed eyes are meant to be focused on Jesus. Who Jesus heals, he won't abandon — the blind see. Recorded on April 11, 2021, on John 9, by Ted Selker.

Easter Sunday means death no longer wins, the future is sure, and hope is alive. In a world still reeling from the threat of disease, racial injustice, and political division, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is especially good news. His victory is offered to all. Hope is alive! Recorded on April 4, 2021, on Luke 24, by Pastor David Parks.

This is the story of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. His story is one of suffering and sacrifice. But Good Friday is the ultimate expression of God's love for all. Recorded on April 2, 2021, on Luke 22-23, by Pastor David Parks.

What Did Jesus Teach? is a sermon series on the teaching ministry of Jesus in the Bible. What did Jesus teach about the Bible? His teaching to the disciples on the road to Emmaus shows that every text points to Christ. And every text is meant to deepen our fellowship with him. Recorded on March 28, 2021, on Luke 24:13​-35, by Pastor David Parks.

What Did Jesus Teach? is a sermon series on the teaching ministry of Jesus in the Bible. What does it mean to be a Christian? You cannot be a Christian without becoming a disciple or a follower of Jesus. This is not necessarily an easy way. After all, the way of Jesus is the way of the cross. But it's the only way to find eternal life. Recorded on March 21, 2021, on Mark 8:34​-38, by Joe Makeever.