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The Critical Transaction
by Gordon MacDonald
Text: Luke 4:16-21
Topic: How to experience the full power of the gospel
Big Idea: Acknowledging the need for change is the most critical transaction in the life of faith.
Keywords: Freedom; Jesus Christ; Forgiveness; Forgiveness, divine; Messiah; Restoration; Gospel; Change
Introduction:
- In the earliest chapters of the gospels you have introductory stories, out of which flow the great themes that will be seen again and again in the life of the Lord.
- In the early chapters of Luke, Jesus has come north to Galilee.
Jesus emerges into the fullness of his identity as the Son of God.
- The phrase "in the power of the Spirit" appears three times in just a brief section, so ought to be given special attention.
- Luke is saying to us that Jesus is emerging now in the fullness of his identity as the Son of God, co-equal with the Father.
- At that time, to be filled with the spirit of your father was to say there was nothing between you and your father; you are as one.
Jesus confronts the people with their need to change.
- At the boiling point of Jesus' public message, the key word will be "repent."
- That the critical transaction in a church is the moment someone says, "I want to or need to change."
- In church, people are meant to experience the power of Almighty God through the gospel, but the gospel can only make sense in the heart and mind of those who want to change.
- Most people don't want to change, and have several excuses why they shouldn't.
- Illustration: E. Stanley Jones had three pivotal questions for those that came to his retreats in India—questions upon which a congregation should meditate before beginning nearly any Bible teaching.
Jesus proclaims his emergence in messianic ministry.
- Jesus reads from Isaiah 61:1-10, and announces the scripture fulfilled.
- The four groups of people who are the target audience in Isaiah's passage, and in Jesus' ministry, are: the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, and the oppressed.
- His ministry is to people who are in an absolutely hopeless state of affairs, who are totally powerless to beat their situation.
- Not only is Jesus' ministry a ministry to the literal poor, but he also uses this metaphor to go into the souls of people.
- While Jesus was announcing his entry into ministry, he was also saying something about the crowd that was listening to him.
Jesus restores us to freedom.
- In the Year of Jubilee, the fiftieth year in history, all debts were settled and all people started anew.
- Jesus announced that the Year of Jubilee was coming, through him.
- There are so many of us who need to be freed.
- Illustration: Greg Louganis' confession that he had HIV, which he had kept secret. What made it so necessary for him to have kept his deceit to himself?
Conclusion
- Do we have the ears to hear what Jesus is saying to us?
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