Luke 5:33 – 6:11 – Good News for the Religious

Preacher: Adam Johnston

Big Idea: Jesus is too great, too authoritative and too exposing to fit into human systems.

Aim: Rejoice – Jesus is better. Listen – Jesus is authoritative. Confess – Jesus is exposing.

1. Jesus is better than anyone else - try him (5:33-39)

2. Jesus has more authority than anyone else – listen to him (6:1-5)

3. Jesus exposes our heart unlike anyone else – be convicted by him (6:6-11)

You can also watch online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnvL8Uz54PQ&list=PLvkEGFYh96AlZCsPkTGEEiMdk9DWCP4hf

Questions for us: What would be the problem with trying to live like a married person and a single person at the same time? What did people notice about Jesus and his disciples in verse 33? What does this tell us about Jesus? How might we trifle with Jesus can only end up miserable? What was the underlying problem when the Pharisees accuse Jesus’ disciples of breaking the Sabbath command? What is Jesus claiming and how does that mean we should approach him? What was the Pharisees’ issue with Jesus healing this man? What do we expect Jesus to do when we read of him? Are there areas in your life where you are doing what you want rather than what Jesus says? Will we follow Jesus even when we’d want to do something else?

Luke 5:12-32 – Good News for the Helpless

Preacher: Adam Johnston

Big Idea: Jesus is willing, able and came to save sinners.

Aim: Humble yourself, come to Jesus and rejoice that he is willing and able to save you.

1. Helpless Man 1: Jesus is willing to save (vv. 12-16)

2. Helpless Man 2: Jesus is able to save (vv. 17-26)

3. Helpless Man 3: Jesus came to save sinners (vv. 27-32)

Luke 5:1-11 – Good News for Sinners

Preacher: Adam Johnston

Big Idea: Peter is convicted and reorientated as he encounters Jesus through his teaching and power.

Aim: Listen to Jesus’ teaching with amazement, confess and follow him.

1. Jesus’ Priority – Teaching (vv. 1-3)

2. Jesus’ Power – The Miraculous Catch (vv. 4-7)

3. Jesus’ Person – God Appearing to Peter (vv. 8-10a)

4. Jesus’ Plan – Fishing for People (vv. 10b-11)

Questions for us? Would you stay standing for the length of a sermon to listen to Jesus? How is Jesus’ teaching described? How does your attitude toward God’s word compare to the crowds? What might help you grow in eagerness and delight in listening to God’s word? Why do you think Jesus commands Peter to let down the nets? How might we have had opportunities to see the evidence of Jesus power even before we were Christians? How should that strengthen our trust in Jesus? Why do you think Peter’s amazement led to his reaction in verse 8? How is recognising our sinfulness essential to right relationship with God? How does what Jesus says to Peter in verse 10 offer grace, an invitation and a promise? What confidence do we have that Jesus can make us fishers of people? What confidence should we have? What steps could you take this week to grow in listening to Jesus, grow in a right sense of who you are before Jesus, and grow in mission as Jesus’ messenger?

Luke 4:31-44 – Good News for the Oppressed

Preacher: Adam Johnston

Big Idea: Jesus’ identity is demonstrated through the authority of his words in teaching, healing and delivering.

Aim: Be amazed by Jesus, whose authority is shown in teaching, healing and delivering.

1. Jesus’ words have authority (vv. 31-32)

2. Jesus’ words have authority over evil spirits (vv. 33-37)

3. Jesus’ words have authority over disease (vv. 38-39)

4. Jesus’ words renew the world (vv. 40-41)

5. Jesus’ words must be heard far and wide (vv. 42-44)

Questions for us? How can we cultivate fresh awe and excitement when reading about Jesus in Scripture even when we are familiar with the stories? What was it about Jesus’ words that amazed the people of Capernaum? How should we respond to Jesus’ words? How do we see the evidence of the authority of Jesus’ words in these verses? How should that cause us to respond to Jesus? Jesus' miracles give us glimpses of a future restored world. How does this perspective shape the way we endure suffering and hardships now? What do we see about Jesus’ priorities and how does that challenge us? What have we learned about who Jesus is in these verses and how should that shape how we feel about him?

Luke 4:14-30 - The Good News Announced

Preacher - Richard Hawes

Introduction: Freedom’s Context

A Toy Shop      

A Chemist Shop

A Good Message (4:14-19)

 Freedom for the Prisoners

 Sight for the Blind

 Freedom for the Oppressed

 The Year of God’s Favour

 A Good Reaction (4:20-23)

Today

A Hard Message (4:24-27)

 Elijah and the Widow

 Elisha and the General

 What have I to lose?

A Hard Reaction (4:28-30)

 Vengeance and Favour

QUESTIONS:

2) Why do you think the people of Nazareth initially reacted with amazement, but then quickly became hostile toward Jesus? What does this teach us about how people may respond to the truth?

3) Jesus mentions the proverb “Physician, heal

4) How do we see the citizens of Nazareth rejecting Jesus in favour of their own expectations and comfort? In what ways can we be guilty of this same rejection in our own lives?

5) What is God calling you to be and do, who in your life are you being sent to with the Gospel of Christ?

Luke 3:21 – 4:13 – Preparation by Trial

Preacher: Adam Johnston

Big Idea: Jesus’ identity as the Son of God is endorsed by the Father, proved by his heritage and tested by temptation.

Aim: Have confidence that Jesus is the Son of God who came to save his people.

Jesus is:

1. The Son of God – Proclaimed by the Father (3:21-22)

2. The Son of God – Qualified by Birth (3:23-28)

3. The Son of God – Victorious in Temptation (4:1-13)

Questions for us: Have we ever had the experience of trusting someone who then let us down? Do we ever find it hard to trust Jesus? What effect would the hearing his Father’s voice from heaven have had for Jesus at the beginning of his ministry? How should this help us trust Jesus too? How does Jesus family tree connect him back to? What does this tell us about what Jesus came to do? Who does Jesus’ family tree connect him across to? How should that help us trust him? What does this passage show us about the Devil? What does the Devil offer Jesus in each of the temptations? How does each function as a test if Jesus will trust his Father? How should this convince us we can trust Jesus? Do we trust God’s word enough to rely on it in times of temptation?

Luke 3:1-20 – Preparation by Prophet

Preacher: Adam Johnston

Big Idea: The Lord requires and works a heart-deep, action-packed repentance in his people.

Aim: Turn from your old ways to the Lord in heart-deep, action-packed repentance.

Jesus is:

1. The Lord who rules everywhere (vv. 1-2)

2. The Lord who requires an about turn (vv. 3-6)

3. The Lord who required heart and action change (vv. 7-14)

4. The Lord who will come in judgment (vv. 15-20)

Questions for us? What’s the difference in knowing the boss’s bio and knowing the boss? Why does Luke list the rulers in verses 1-2? What is he telling us about Jesus? How does John prepare the people for Jesus? What does he call them to do? What is a. baptism, b. forgiveness, c. repentance? Is repentance a one-off event? What does repentance look like? How does John speak of people who associate with him without repentance? What might we be called to turn from? How might repentance lead to genuine concern for others for us? Who does John say Jesus is and what has he come to do? What does baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire mean? How is that a comfort to us?

Luke 2:41-52 – How well do you know Jesus?

Preacher: Adam Johnston

1. How well do you know Jesus (vv. 41-52)

Questions for us? Have you made any New Year's Resolutions? What would hold you back from resolving to know Jesus better? Wrong beliefs about him? Wrong attitudes towards him? Wrong expectations of him? How well did Mary and Joseph know Jesus? What does Jesus think it is essential for us to understand to know him? How might we stumble over Jesus’ divinity and not grow to know Jesus? How do we see his divinity in his passage? How might we stumble over Jesus as our example so not grow to know him better? What does he set an example for us in, in this passage? How might we stumble over his humanity so not grow to know him better? How is his humanity a comfort to us? Will you resolve to know and marvel and rejoice in him this year?

Luke 2:22-40 - While you are waiting

Preacher: Tom Hallett

Matthew 1:18-25 - Saving Christmas

Preacher: Adam Johnston

Our nativity service - Christmas 2024.

With thanks to Faith in Kids for the script of the nativity.