Sermon notes:

Welcome to Emmaus!  (Luke 24:13-35)

I.     What did Jesus teach the Emmaus disciples about the Old Testament while on the road?

A.  The _______________ of the righteous (vv.26-27; Luke 11:51).

B.  God’s _______________ of the righteous (Genesis 3:15; Deuteronomy 32:36; Job 19:25; Psalm 37:6-7; Isaiah 54:17; etc.).

C.  What should the disciples have expected concerning Christ, and what should we expect (v.26; John 15:18; 2 Timothy 3:12; Luke 18:7)?

II.    Christ’s teaching alone was not sufficient for recognition of His presence (v.16).

A.  _____________ becomes the place where Jesus is recognized (vv.30-31,35).

B.  However, Christ’s teaching is a necessary _________________ for recognizing Jesus in the meal (vv.25-27; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30).

C.  The importance of meals in Scripture:  *Eden; *Passover; Temple meals; Sabbath meals; *Christ’s table fellowship; *Lord’s Supper; *Emmaus meal. 

(*teaching accompanies the meal).

III.   The Emmaus meal inaugurates the meal fellowship of the Christian community.

A.  It signals the _______________ of the kingdom of God (Luke 22:14-18). 

B.  It signals the _______________ of the Kingdom.  

1.  It takes place ____________ Jerusalem (v.28; Acts 1:8).

2.  The Emmaus disciples are not among the eleven (Acts 2:42; 20:7).

C.  It signals our _______________ in the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:23-32).

1.  Divine Service =  the Lord’s Teaching + the Lord’s Table.

2.  The church, with the opened eyes of faith, knows that until His return, our Lord will be _____________ and yet _____________ in His Divine Service (Matthew 28:20).

Sermon notes:

The Lord takes the disciples to school:  the education of the eleven

 (Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20)

I.   The resurrection of Jesus is His vindication primarily in the eyes of:

A.  Pontius Pilate and the Romans government;

B.  the Sanhedrin (the council that condemned Jesus);

C.  those who mocked Him;

D.  the disciples.

II.   The passion narrative is the disciples’ ____________________________.

A.  They were slow ________________ (17:3-4, 14-17) and weak (26:38-43).

B.  They were ___________________ with Jesus over the nature of His mission (16:21-23; 17:22-23; 19:13-15; 20:20-21; 26:14-16, 30-35, 56).

III.  The resurrection reveals God’s _________________ of Jesus and His mission (Romans 1:4).

IV.  The resurrection is the disciples’ ____________________ (Romans 4:25).

A.  God, who cannot tolerate sin, relates to sinners through ____________________.

1.  “Go…tell His disciples” vs “Go and tell My brothers…” (vv.7,10).

2.  _______________ gather in the forgiving presence of the Lord (vv.16-20; Luke 15:1; John 21:15-17).

B.  Christ builds His church despite _______________________________, by His triumph alone. 

Sermon notes:

“A quiet majesty:  Jesus rules”  (John 18-19)

I.   All four Passion Narratives, especially John’s, focus on Jesus’ ___________ bearing.

A.  Foot-washing (John 13).

B.  Judas (John 13).

C.  His arrest (John 18).

D.  His trials (John 18).

E.   His coronation, investiture, enthronement, Pilate’s proclamation of Christ’s reign (John 19).

F.   His last word (John 19).

G.  His authority to die (John 19).

H.  His burial (John 19).

II.   Jesus transforms His own crucifixion and burial into __________________.

A.  Jesus’ death was the most sovereign and mysterious _______________ of His life.

B.  In Jesus, we see that God rules the universe through _________________.

Sermon notes:

The cross alone is our theology

I.   A King without any _________________ (Matthew 24:46). 

A.  None are _________________ (Matthew 26:56, 69-75; 27:5). 

B.  The human heart is an __________________ (Calvin).  

C.  God will ____________________________ through the circumstances of life.

II.  The power of His death.

A.  The ______________ of Christ awakens the dead and sinners’ souls (Matthew 27:52, 54). 

B.  Faith grows in unexpected places (John 12:20-33; see also Matthew 2:10-12; 8:5-13; 15:21-28). 

C.  _________ responsibility is to proclaim Christ crucified; _____________ responsibility is the conversion of the world.

Sermon notes:

That all people may know we are His (John 13:1-17, 31b-35)

I.     Christ’s new commandment:  “Love one another as I have loved you” (v.34).  

A.  Christ’s love for us (disciples) _______________ our love for other disciples (v.34; 1 John 4:19).

B.  “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you” (John 15:9).

C.  

D.  “Let us do good to everyone, especially those of the __________________________” (Galatians 6:10).

II.    How well do we keep His commandment?

A.  Disputes among disciples:

1.  James and John (Mark 10:35-45).

2.  Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42)

3.  Greek versus Hebrew disciples (Acts 6:1-6).

4.  Divisions in the Corinthian Church (1 Corinthians 1:10-11; 3:1-3).

5.  Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3).

6.  ______________ and you (Matthew 7:5).

B.  “No one can love the Head and hate the _____________” (St. Cyprian; cf. 1 John 4:20).     

C.  Whoever refuses to forgive _______________ his own forgiveness (Matthew 6:15; 18:21-35).

III.   Our witness to the world is not a life that is ______________, but a life that is forgiven and forgiving (John 17:20-21; Ephesians 4:32).

A.  We model not perfection but __________________ (Matthew 5:23-24; 18:15).   

B.  As long as we reconcile, the world is still encountering _____________ (v.35).

Sermon notes:

Where God “hides” Himself (John 12:20-43)

I.     Why does Jesus “hide” Himself (v.36; Isaiah 45:15)?

A.  His _________________ fail to produce faith among the people (v.37). 

1.  His miracles are attributed to the devil (Mark 3:22; Matthew 12:24; Luke 11:15).

2.  His miracles make Him a national security risk (John 11:47-50).

B.  Human wisdom (i.e., common sense) fails to comprehend God and His ways (vv.32-34; Isaiah 55:8; 1 Corinthians 1:21a; 2:14). 

1.  Common sense seeks God in the wrong places:  success, political power, prosperity, popularity, etc. (v.43). 

2.  Common sense _____________ man’s approval with God’s approval.

II.    Christ “hides” Himself to _____________ Himself. 

A.  God ______________ any association with human power, strength, or       prestige (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

B.  Therefore, it pleased God to reveal Himself through another way—the way of ________________, the way of “foolishness,” contrary to common sense (1 Corinthians 1:21-24).

1.  Through His own __________________ He will accomplish our salvation (Matthew 27:46).

2.  Christ will accomplish more through His _______________ than through His strength (v.32).

3.  Through the ____________ He suffers for us, He manifests His glory.

4.  Through His ____________ He gives us His life (v.24).

III.   Christ’s suffering explains ours (vv.25-26).

A.  “Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (v.25).

B.  Christ’s _____________ will be displayed through our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Sermon notes:

“He said WHAT? Hard sayings of Jesus”

“Marriage & divorce”  

I.     Jesus will not play the “Lawful Divorce” game. 

A.  The Pharisees assume divorce has God’s approval (Deuteronomy 24:1-4).  The only debate regards the ____________________. 

1.  The Pharisees want to _________________ themselves. 

2.  Are we any different? 

B.  Jesus reaches back to God’s original design for marriage (Genesis 2:18,21-24).

1.  Marriage is a _________________ institution (v.6).

2.  Jesus will not debate “__________________” (Luke 12:13-14).

II.    The Pharisees will not go down without a fight (vv.7-9).

A.  “Why then did Moses command . . . divorce” (v. 7)?    

B.  “Because of your hardness of heart Moses ________________” (he did not command) “you to divorce your wives” (v. 8a)

C.  Jesus ______________________ on God’s original design for marriage (v. 8b; James 4:10; 1 John 1:8-10).

1.  He seeks our _____________________________ (Matthew 4:17).

2.  Our response:  Hebrews 4:7b or James 4:10?

III.   God’s (Christ’s) faithfulness endures.

A.  God does not _________________ His people (Hosea 2:14-23; John 3:17; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:24-32; Romans 8:1). 

B.  His ability to forgive ________________ our ability to offend (Psalm 103:10-12; Matthew 18:22). 

C.  God gives gifts to the church, including being ___________________ (vv.11,12d; 1 Corinthians 7:25-35). 

“Living in the Spirit”  Romans 8:1-11                    Rev. Lou Vician

                    ( ______________________ ,  ________________________ )