Sermon Tone Analysis

Good News

This morning we are kicking of a brand new sermon series.

A series I’m excited about.

I’ve never preached thru Luke but this morning we begin a series that will take us thru Easter.

I just believe we need some good news.

I just believe we need the Gospel.

I just believe we need Jesus.

So we are going to take some time to rediscover Jesus.

We are Christians.

We follow Jesus.

We follow the life and teaching and power of Jesus.

It seems that in our current cultural moment that we need more of Jesus not less.

In this age of discontent, deconstruction, and deconversion the only hope is Jesus.

We can find contentment in Jesus.

We can find a solid foundation in Jesus.

We can find transformation in Jesus.

Now when I talk about discontent and deconstruction and deconversion I want to be clear - I am often discontented with the church and our public witness and our faithfulness, I think that deconstruction can be helpful in leading us back to Jesus, but I also believe that the answer isn’t in deconversion or walking away but in discovery in coming in closer.

We need to discover again the beauty and power and mystery and revelation and truth of Jesus.

We need to discover again the life and teachings and miracles and kingdom of Jesus.

We need to fall in love with Jesus again.

Thats the Gospel.

That’s the Good News.

Jesus is the Good News.

The life and death and resurrection of Jesus and all that entails is the Good News.

So we are going to spend some time rediscovering this Good News and coming closer to Jesus to begin this new year.

To help us come closer to Jesus we are beginning a 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting tomorrow, we are doing a bible reading plan together, having a night of worship next Sunday night, every Wednesday in January will be a night of prayer, and we will have a focused daily prayer calendar.

I am so excited about this.

I believe that thru prayer and fasting and worship and bible reading and preaching that we are going to come closer to Jesus and in that closeness we will discover a greater peace and hope and joy and love and unity and purpose.

Sunday’s matter.

Sundays are for life.

I hope you will make a commitment to be here on Sunday, to pray, to fast, to read.

There is Good News.

So lets open up the scriptures and let fall in love with Jesus all over again.

A Gospel Narrative.

A Good News Story.

Luke begins his book by telling us his purpose.

Luke 1:1-4

Luke‘s opening sentence spells it out- this is a narrative, a story, written to preserve the eyewitness and servants accounts of the Life of Jesus.

But it‘s not just a story.

Its a true story.

It’s a good story.

It’s a compelling story.

It’s an investigated story.

A story written to help Theophilus as he grows in his faith and understanding Jesus.

It’s a story Theophilus could be certain about.

It‘s a story that we can be certain about.

Luke wrote his Gospel so that everyone who read it would know that this gospel is gospel for all.

Gospel literally mean ”Good News”.

And Luke’s Gospel is Good News for all.

Luke emphasizes the prophecies of the OT that Jesus would be “for all” and that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the hope and life for all no matter race or creed, male or female, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile.

And that Jesus empowers His followers with the Holy Spirit.

See Luke didn’t write The Gospel of Luke only, but Luke also wrote the Book of Acts.

Luke really is a two volume set.

The Good News of Jesus (the Gospel of Luke) and the Work of the Church Empowered By The Spirit (The Acts of the Apostles).

So Luke is this Gospel Narrative, its a Good News Story.

And it begins with the birth of Jesus.

Origin Story

Every hero has an origin story.

And the Hero of Luke, the Savior of the world, Jesus has an origin story as well.

We just came thru Advent season and Christmas.

We’ve talked a lot about the origin from the Prophet Isaiah and the Prophet Micah.

But the origin story actually begins in the first book of the Bible.

God promised that through the seed of a women (not from the seed of a man) that the serpent, the devil, would be crushed.

Look.

In Genesis 3:14-15

This is called the Protoevangelium - its the first mention of the good news of a Savior who will come from a woman to crush Satan.

This origin story doesn’t make sense in the natural.

This origin story requires a future miraculous event.

A child can not be born without a man.

At least not naturally.

A child can not be born without the seed of man.

At least not naturally.

But here is the promise from God that the seed of a woman will crush the head of the serpent.

The promise also says that the seed of the woman will be bruised in the battle but that the serpent will be dealt a fatal blow.

Fast forward to Luke.

Luke 1:26-37

How will this be Mary asked?

I’m a virgin.

The angel answered, the Holy Spirit will do it.

Jesus was the seed of the woman promised to Eve in the Garden fulfilled in the womb of Mary and bruised on the cross but exalted from the tomb crushing the power of the serpent.

The origin story is fulfilled At the birth of Jesus.

And this is Good News to the world.

Good News To Elizabeth

After Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spririt she went to visit her relative Elizabeth.

Now Elizabeth was pregnant too.

She had been barren.

Her and her husband Zechariah were old.

One day Zechariah as the Priest enters the temple for sacrifice and God tells him that he and Elizabeth will have a son.

John.

The guy who will be known for eating locust and wild honey and baptizing folks in the Jordan River.

Well Mary goes to visit Elizabeth.

And as soon as Mary enters the room the preborn John leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit.

And she yells out in excitement “The mother of my LORD is here.”

Elizabeth, filled filled with the Spirit recognized by the Spirit that the baby in Mary’s womb was the fulfillment of the promise to Eve in the Garden.

And these three women celebrate.

And then Mary sings a song.

Good News To Mary

Luke 1:46-56

Mary says, God has looked at me with favor.

That‘s good news for Mary.