The Well Church of the Nazarene

In Luke 15, Jesus tells three parables of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. But the stories are less about lost things and more about the heart of God who searches for those who are far from Him. The Upside Down Kingdom reminds us that while people may focus on the what or who went wrong, heaven celebrates those who are found.

In Luke 10:25–37, Jesus never calls the Samaritan “good,” yet his compassion crosses cultural and religious boundaries and reveals what true goodness looks like in the Upside Down Kingdom. In a story filled with questions, we are left with one that matters most to Jesus; “Will I become a neighbor who shows mercy?”

In Luke 8, a storm reveals the disciples’ fear, but it also shows the power of Jesus’ presence. In the Upside Down Kingdom, faith is not the absence of fear—it is learning to trust the One who is in the boat with us.

In the upside-down Jesus notices and restores people the world overlooks—a sick servant, a grieving widow. He crosses boundaries of power, purity, and social status to show us that in God’s kingdom no one is invisible, and faith is revealed in our response to the unnamed. 

Jesus confronts an upside-down view of Sabbath by showing that God’s rest is meant to restore life, not restrict it. True Sabbath invites us to trust God enough to stop and be made whole, creating space for God to work IN and THROUGH us. 

In our culture today, we often see those who resist God’s voice find security in their circumstances, while those who follow do so out of humility, obedience, and trust. In Luke 4 and 5, Jesus reveals that being called is not about being ready or feeling qualified, but about responding to His mission--even when it challenges our comfort and expectations. This is the upside-down kingdom of Jesus. 

Jesus reveals an upside-down kingdom by seeking out Zacchaeus, a man written off by society, and offering grace before demanding change. Luke 19:10 captures the heart of Jesus’ mission—to seek and to save the lost, even when it creates tension with our religious expectations and what cultural considers normal.

From three, wise, gift-bearing kings to a power-mongering king, to a tiny baby born a King, the final days of the Christmas season may seem filled with drama. But, is it really a tale of We Three Kings? Is it a clash of two kings? Or will it be a promise fulfilled by the King of Kings?

The promises spoken by the prophets don’t end with a baby in a manger; they continue in the life Jesus lived. In Hebrews 2, we see Jesus as the pioneer of true humanity, revealing not only who he is, but who humans were always meant to be. This sermon invites us to look beyond Christmas morning and consider how God’s promise continues through a way of life marked by humility, service, and self-giving love.