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Life’s trials are unavoidable, but they are not without purpose. Romans 5:1-5 reveals a transformative pathway through suffering: endurance builds character, and character nurtures hope—a hope that is secure because of God’s love poured out through the Holy Spirit. This message unpacks how God uses suffering to sanctify His people, conforming them to the image of Christ while equipping them to serve others. It challenges us to embrace endurance as the bridge between pain and joy, grounded in the unshakable truth of the Gospel, and empowered by the example and strength of Jesus, who endured the cross for our sake.

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Jesus is the Lord and object of worship. Whether fasting and praying, or eating and drinking, our worship should focus on Jesus Christ (5:33-34). The natural tendency is to focus on form rather than substance and religious structures and liturgy rather than God himself.

Jesus taught that we should love God and others rather than fixate on the strict mechanics of the law (6:1-11). Jesus exampled this on a Sabbath in the field where his disciples picked and ate grain (vv.1-5), and on another Sabbath in the synagogue where he healed a man with a withered hand (vv.6-11).

Whether fasting and praying or eating and drinking, stillness or dancing, singing or silence, at school, work, play, or gathered as a church — our worship should focus on Jesus Christ. God longs for a heart that celebrates his presence by responding to him and caring for others.

In Luke chapter 5 we get a more accurate glimpse of who Jesus is. That’s Luke’s primary pursuit, “Who is Jesus?”

  1. Jesus has a holiness that provides us an accurate self-awareness (Simon-Peter in Luke 5:1-11). Jesus’ salvation transforms our relationship to ourselves (a biblical psychologically).
  2. Jesus has a holiness that cleanses us before the Father (the leper in Luke 5:12-16). Jesus’ salvation transforms our relationship to others (sociologically).
  3. Jesus has a holiness that can forgive sin (the paralyzed man in Luke 5:17-26). Jesus’ salvation transforms our relationship to the Father (spiritually).
  4. Jesus has a holiness that overcomes what religion thinks of socially and politically unclean people (Levi the tax collector in Luke 5:27-32). On this point, Jesus provides four illustrations to the scribes and teachers of the law: (1) the physician, (2) the bridegroom, (3) the patch of new cloth on an old garment, and (4) new wine in an old wineskin.

Jesus makes all things new and better!

In Luke 5:12-26, we read two accounts where Jesus cleanses a leper and heals a paralyzed man. Luke provides this historical record to show who Jesus is. When Jesus cleanses the leper, he touches him. Surprisingly, instead of Jesus becoming contaminated (an outcome Old Testament code taught) the leper is cleansed and healed in an instant. And when Jesus sees the faith of the paralyzed man when he is lowered through the roof, Jesus tells him his sins are forgiven. Who can make the unclean clean? Who can forgive sins? The answer is Jesus — who is God with us!

In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus turns an amazing catch of fish (the miracle) into a parable about catching people for the kingdom (the universal lesson that applies to everyone). In other words, Jesus was not merely teaching the word of God as he sat in Peter's boat (5:1,3), he was demonstrating something by his actions and with his words. He showed how he means for his followers to catch people for the kingdom of God. This is what fishing for people entails:

1. Teach the word of God (Luke 5:1, 3)
2. Obey Jesus (Luke 5:4-5; Matthew 28:19-20)
3. Humble yourself (Luke 5:5, 8)
4. Leave the Results to God (Luke 5:6-7)

Here we see two pairs of brothers, four sunburnt fisherman with calloused hands longing for true spirituality who were washing their nets after a long night of failure. They weren’t there for the sermon on the beach, but Jesus caught them to be fishers of people.

Who is Jesus? That is what Luke is answering for us, and that is the most important question you will ever grapple with. In Luke 4:31-44, Jesus reveals himself as the Son of God who has authority in three domains:

  1. Teaching (vv. 31-32, 42-44)
  2. Demons (vv. 33-37, 40)
  3. Sickness (vv. 38-39, 41)

Jesus has authority in every single realm both seen and unseen, physical and spiritual. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

In his first sermon (Luke 4:14-30) at the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus claimed to be the Servant of Yahweh described in Isaiah 61:1-2. Initially, the people spoke well of him. However, when Jesus illustrated his ministry and who the Messiah came to deliver, the people were murderously furious. Why? Jesus referenced two Gentiles (the widow of Zarephath and Naaman). Jesus made it clear that the kingdom of God has no ethnic, gender, political, or economical boundaries. In the end, there is only one boundary/distinction that matters: those who accept Jesus and those who reject Him. Jesus’ teaching revealed that he came for those who are spiritually poor, like the widow of Zarephath and Naaman. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:3-4).

The wilderness scene in Luke 4 teaches us something about the identity of Jesus, the identity of our enemy, and the identity of our struggle.
  1. The Identity of Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God. This was pronounced at Jesus’ baptism, and seen in how the devil attacked Jesus in the wilderness. Twice the devil says, “If you are the Son of God” (Luke 4:3, 9). The Son stands in our place to defeat the devil and the temptation that so often defeats us. He did not necessarily do this to be an example — as if merely quoting the Bible always defeats temptation. Instead, we find in this story a source of endless hope. When we fail, we are assured Jesus has defeated the devil. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
  2. The Identity of Our Enemy. The devil is a transcendent evil intelligence. Satan may not replicate the same exact temptations with us — especially since we are not the unique Son of God. But, he does use the same tactics to exploit our inclination to act independently from God. It’s about faithfulness. Jesus’ responses are insightful (Luke 4:4,8, 12).
  3. The Identity of Our Struggle. We so often misdiagnose our real problems and struggles. The baptism (“you are my Son”) and the temptation (“if you are the Son of God”) are never separated in this life. As children of God, our ultimate enemy is not physical. Our struggle is primarily spiritual. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). Jesus responded to each of the three temptations with scripture which teaches us that loyalty to God involves loyalty to God’s Word.

In Luke 3 we learn how the prophet John prepares the way for God's Messiah. John's ministry is embedded in world history (vss. 1-3) and biblical promise (vss. 4-6). He calls people to repentance with water baptism being a sign of that repentance. He also gives a stern warning (vss. 7-9, 17). John is not after cheap success with a bunch of false converts whose hearts have not repented and truly turned to God. And then we found some surprising encouragement and good news in the genealogy that concludes Luke 3.

The Christmas Holiday is centered around God sending his Son into the world. It’s important that we not only remember the “what” of Christmas, but also the “why”.

We find in scripture that God sent Jesus into the world as an ultimate sacrifice for sin to:

·         show God’s truthfulness and faithfulness to his word and promises (Rom 15:8)

·         be glorified among the gentiles for His mercy (Rom 15:9)

·         show God’s righteousness (Rom 3:25-26)

·         to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15)

This time of year can be very chaotic, stressful, and anxiety laden. Let’s remember to keep our eyes fixed on the main thing; Christ! And remember God’s good purposes and blessings that accompany the baby in the manger. What a privilege it is to know and serve a truthful God who is righteous and just, and who made a way for sinners to be reconciled to himself. Let us glorify His name forever!

Luke 1:29-56 focuses on two women, cousins who are both unexpectedly and miraculously pregnant, and who both anticipate God’s work with praise. This section contains two parts: (1) the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth, where Elizabeth confesses this about Mary’s baby — “my Lord,” and (2) Mary’s hymn (the Magnificat) where Mary magnifies God by confessing — “God my Savior.” As God works in our generation, and as we look forward to Christ's second advent, let us also anticipate His work with praise.

The first section of Luke covers two miraculous pregnancies, and contrasts two different responses to God’s words. First, God miraculously opens the womb of an old woman named Elizabeth, but the focus is on Zechariah’s response of doubt. Second, God miraculously opens the womb of a virgin girl named Mary with a focus on her response of faith.

  1. Zechariah (1:5-25): We may disbelieve God’s plan because we don’t understand it. Zechariah was a righteous man, a priest at the temple in Jerusalem, performing a religious duty, and elderly. Zechariah “did not believe” (1:20).
  1. Mary (1:26-38): We may believe God’s plan because we trust God’s character. Mary was a young lady, held no religious title, was in a rural northern town, and seemed insignificant. Mary said, “let it be to me according to your word” (1:38).

One of the most important questions you can ask about anything, especially a faith claim, is whether it’s true or not. One of the purposes for Luke providing “an orderly account” is that we “may have certainty concerning the things” we “have been taught” (Luke 1:3-4).

The theme of Luke is: The joyful news that God’s anticipated Messiah-King has come to seek and save sinners, and this salvation is available to all who respond in faith, whatever their past life, social status, or ethnicity. 

This sermon gives an overview of the Gospel According to Luke where he proves the expanded kingdom of the Savior King (1) is for all people, (2) has no ethnic or geographic boundaries, and (3) was the reason Jesus came to the earth.

As believers, we have a hope (confident expectation) in how things are going to end. Or even better, how the end of redemptive history is the beginning of an even better story! The Apostle John is writing to real people gathered as real churches (Rev 2-3). They are about to experience a brutal persecution under the reign of the Roman Emperor, Domitian. Revelation is intended to give Christians hope. So how does he encourage believers who are about to suffer? By providing them with a beautiful promise from God of a new heaven, earth, and city of God. A place where "death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (Rev 21:4). Everything will be new (21:5a), it is certain (21:6), we will be completely satisfied (21:6b), and we will be God’s sons (21:7).