Rest Assured
The Red Letters • Sermon • Submitted
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· 102 viewsYour response to the powerful, lifegiving words of Jesus reveals the condition of your heart.
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With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Series Theme: The Red Letters of the Bible are ablaze with the light of Jesus' passion, love, and determination to willingly come to our world and give up His life so that all can know life in Him.
Series Theme: The Red Letters of the Bible are ablaze with the light of Jesus' passion, love, and determination to willingly come to our world and give up His life so that all can know life in Him.
Introduction
Introduction
According to my calculations, ancient Judah had more than 20 kings during her history, including David and Solomon. Many of the kings were corrupt and led the people into idol worship and immorality. But there were a few that were faithful to the Lord and led the people according to His principles.
Hezekiah was one of those kings — from about 715 B.C to 685 B.C (approximately). At one point during Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria entered Judah and besieged her fortified cities with the intention of conquering Judah. This story can be found in .
The main thing that stands out to me is the faith of King Hezekiah. When he heard about the massive and powerful enemy’s intention to destroy Judah, he prepared the people and the city — and trusted the Lord.
One thing he did was to have his people stop up access to the springs outside the city.
Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water? (v. 4)
Then Hezekiah directed that all the broken sections of the wall be repaired and that all the towers be heightened. He made sure that all the supporting terraces of the city were fortified. And an abundance of weapons were manufactured.
He was a man of faith and Godly wisdom — so he did everything he could do, with the Lord’s help, to prepare his people for whatever Sennacherib threw their way.
I love what Hezekiah said to His people after they had completed all the preparations
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.
“And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said!”
The King James version puts it this way:
Usable Outlines and Illustrations 31. Words on Which We Rest
The people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah
That reminds me of what attorneys say sometimes: I REST MY CASE! Or, THE DEFENSE RESTS!
They say this when they are confident that they have presented enough evidence to support their case
In general it means that you are confident in the truth you have presented.
The people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah. In other words…they were encouraged and gained great confidence in his words.
Usable Outlines and Illustrations 31. Words on Which We Rest
“Above us, the silence of the stars; beneath us, the silence of the graves: between them, the voice of Jesus, and in this we rest.”
Above us, the silence of the stars; beneath us, the silence of the graves: between them, the voice of Jesus,and in this we rest — Ian McPherson
If the people of Judah, so long ago, confidently rested themselves on the words of Hezekiah, we can much more confidently rest upon the words of Jesus Christ!
There is a problem, however. Sometimes people respond to Jesus’ words with a deaf ear. How should we respond to who Jesus is and what He says?
Big Idea: Your response to the powerful, life-giving words of Jesus reveals the condition of your heart.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:
Prayer
Transitional: Before we can begin to believe and follow Jesus words…
Rest assured in the identity of Jesus (Luke 4:18ff)
Rest assured in the identity of Jesus (Luke 4:18ff)
Exposition:
In , we find Jesus back in His hometown, Nazareth
He had been very busy since they last saw Him
His baptism — empowering of the Holy Spirit
40 days in the wilderness being tempted
Chose some of His disciples
Went into the towns and villages of Galilee — preaching a powerful message of repentance
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
News about his message and miracles had spread far and wide — people back home had heard all about it
“Will he come to the synagogue on Sabbath? Will he perform miracles here? Do you really believe all that stuff? We know his parents and brothers and sisters”
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Jesus
They had no idea of the true identity of Jesus — they were ignorant — even though they knew the stories of His amazing birth and how His parents escaped to Egypt with Him to spare His life.
Jesus is who He says He is!!!
We could spend time looking at the historical records — they definitely prove that Jesus truly existed and that He stirred up a lot of people — and that He was crucified (shroud of Turin) — and that His body disappeared — and that a bunch of people claimed to see the risen Lord — and that His followers stayed true to Him…even if it meant martyrdom. Who would give their life for a hoax?
Let’s look at what Jesus said about Himself...
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
Luke 4:
I can just imagine that day, as Jesus entered the synagogue — when people caught sight of Him — everyone became silent
Because He has anointed Jesus
He had obviously read the scripture here before — and we can be sure that His reputation as a great preacher had preceded Him
It was customary for people to read from several parts of the O.T. on the Sabbath
It was customary for people stand when they read
He unrolled it and found the place — He knew what they needed to hear that day
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:18
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
Is 61:
They would have recognized the passage from Isaiah where Jesus was reading — it was one of many prophetic passages pointing to the coming Messiah (Isa 61:1-2)
They would have recognized the passage from Isaiah where Jesus was reading — it was one of many prophetic passages pointing to the coming Messiah
They didn’t see, yet, what Jesus was doing — that the words He spoke were actually His own words…the words of Messiah.
Transition…maybe they would be convinced when he came right out with it
The scripture is fulfilled in Jesus
The scripture is fulfilled in Jesus
It is important to note that after he read the passage, He sat down and began to speak
This was the customary position when someone began to preach/teach
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
The scripture is fulfilled in Jesus
The scripture is fulfilled in Jesus
Luke 4:20
He went on to make sure they understood what He was saying --- they didn’t look upon Him as a great teacher or Messiah — He was one of their own --
So when He said “A prophet is not welcome in His own town” they began to see it
Then He reminded them that the prophet Elijah, during the famine in Israel, ministered to a Gentile widow…when there were many needy widows in Israel
He reminded them that the prophet Elisha, though there were many lepers in Israel, and yet not one of them was cleansed except Naaman, a Syrian king.
All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
Luke 4:28
Application
How do you respond to the words of Jesus?
You may not respond as angrily as the people of Nazareth, but do you, by your actions, reject His words?
Check your heart today---are you so confident in Jesus’ words that you are willing to lay down your life for Him
His words are life…He is the Living word…His words bring conviction, repentance, and freedom for those that accept and believe them
Transitional: Are you confident in the identity of Jesus today? LIsten to His voice…you can be
Rest assured in the words of Jesus
Rest assured in the words of Jesus
Some respond to Jesus’ words by believing
Some respond to Jesus’ words by believing
He Calls people to repentance
He began His public ministry throughout Galilee bringing a message of repentance
Many of the people were religious people, but they were blind to the truth and their hearts were darkened by sin and pride
He still calls people to repentance
He Preaches good news to the poor
He has sent me to preach good news to the poor
Who are the poor?
Not materially poor — but those that are spiritually bankrupt — lost — confused — searching — like sheep without a shepherd — easily led astray
They desperately need the good news — the real deal — not a counterfeit
He sets the captives free
Who are the captive?
People that don’t know Jesus and have not responded to His good news yet, are imprisoned
There may not be walls, fences, and guards…but they are prisoners none-the-less
Prisoners of darkness…spiritually dead…
He brings sight to the blind
Who are the blind?
Many people think they know the truth or they think it doesn’t matter what they believe
Many say they don’’t believe in God…or that they believe in another god…or maybe multiple gods
Caught in confusion and the deception of Satan
Freedom for the oppressed
Who are the oppressed?
Abused, mistreated, addicted, hopeless, suicidal,
Application
Who do you know that falls into any of these categories?
Living a bad life…doing bad and destructive things. They might even be religious people
Jesus calls them to repentance — to turn from the way they are going and to follow Him
Spiritually blind or possibley caught in addictions?
Caught in abuse, mistreatment, neglect, hopeless, suicidal?
Jesus spoke the words that should great hope
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
CHALLENGE
Isn’t it frustrating to see that the people of Jesus’ own home town rejected Him and tried to kill him? Their response to Jesus words revealed their rebellious and blind hearts
If you respond to Jesus’ words by believing, repenting, and following Him you are in the most enviable of positions. You now are a son or daughter of the Lord.
With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
How do you respond to the words of Jesus today?
Here’s why you can rest assured in His words
Because Jesus is utterly dependable
Because Jesus said how important His words are
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
John 6:
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.
Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
We rest on Jesus words because they empower us to live for Him
Rest in Jesus words — and your life will take on new and deeper meaning
You will hear His voice and you will desire to follow His plan