1) Trust that Jesus is the Christ who has divine compassion to raise your loved ones from the dead.
2) Trust that Jesus is the Christ who has divine authority to raise us from the dead.
3) Trust that Jesus is the Christ who has divine power to conquer death.
The Centurion's Faith | Luke 7:1-10
1) Compassion for the lowly vv. 1-3
2) Humility and poverty of spirit of those who know they are unworthy of grace vv. 4-7
3) Receiving Christ by faith, neither by sight, nor by right vv. 8-10
Application for the New Year:
1. Less of self, more of Christ
2. Live by faith, not by sight
3. If you have Christ's Word, you have Christ
Prophecies of the coming of Jesus that predict all the details of His birth:
1) The seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head. Genesis 3:15
2) The seed of Abraham would come to bless all nations. Genesis 12:3, 17:19, 22:18, 28:14, 49:10, Acts 3:25-26
3) The coming of messiah the prince would be 483 years from the command rebuild Jerusalem. Daniel 9:24-26
4) The Star would come out of Jacob to usher in the Scepter of Israel. Numbers 24:17
5) The Magi would come to bow down to Jesus and bring gifts. Isaiah 60, Psalm 72
6) The Son of David would come and have an eternal kingdom. 2 Samuel 7:12-13, Matthew 1:1
7) The virgin would give birth. Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:35
8) Christ would be born in Bethlehem. Micah 5:2
9) The slaughter of the innocents. Jeremiah 31:15
10) Messiah would come out of Egypt. Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:14-15
The gospel promises to help us be merciful and gracious.
The gospel convicts us to be less hypocritical.
Answering an objection: If saving faith produces Christian character, then why does Jesus almost seem to preach it the other way around in His sermon?
The character of the Christian does not define the Christian, but it does identify the Christian, just as good fruit helps us identify a good tree.
The character of the Christian does not save the Christian, but its strength is the result of it being built upon the foundation that does save.
Love unconditionally
Do not love conditionally
We are freed to love in light of our heavenly reward
We are freed to love in light of our new heavenly identity
Blessed are you poor
Blessed are you who hunger now
Blessed are you who weep now
Blessed are you when men hate you
True fulfillment of the law is the fruit of a contrite heart that seeks righteousness in Christ alone.
Being the humble recipient of unmerited grace frees the Christian to even love his enemy.
The blessing of life eternal in the true promised land makes the Christian disciple willing to identify with Christ in His death and even rejoice in the persecutions of this life.
Simon, whom He also named Peter, Andrew his brother, James, and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.
What is our real problem?
What is our real solutions?
Moving forward, how to persevere with hope in the future?
Recovering the distinction between the Law and the Gospel
The Law, in that it is powerless to save us and change our hearts, is less glorious than the gospel
The ordinary gospel ministry as the means by which the Holy Spirit unites us to Christ
Who are these invited children?
How is the Kingdom of God manifested on earth?
What is the blessing of Jesus?
The call of the disciples: It is God who makes disciples.
The diversity of disciples: God works through all sorts of different people.
The weakness of disciples: God uses us, even with all our foibles.
Introduction: Another example of damaging both the "new wine" of the gospel and the "old wineskins" of the law.
How did the Pharisees misinterpret the Sabbath?
What does it mean for Jesus to be the Lord of the Sabbath?
Conclusion: What does it mean for us to rest?
Fasting unrequiredly as an external that should reflect the spirit of our religion.
Protect the new covenant from ritualistic types and shadows, ceremonies, and moralisms.
Protect the purpose of the law in the old covenant in a way that drives us to the newness of the gospel.
The unexpected and confounding method of salvation
We are saved by believing and trusting in God's remedy. God's unexpected method of rescue requires faith!
The interpretive key of Numbers 21 is John 3. Lift high the cross!
The way of the cross
A kingdom not of this world
Avoiding an over-realized eschatology
The hope and peace of being a pilgrim in this foreign land
Jesus pursued Levi before Levi pursued Him, and we must humbly admit that it is the same with us who were dead in our trespasses and sins when Jesus effectually called us to salvation.
Levi's conversion to Christ gave him a fresh start and a completely new beginning to life as he left all to follow Jesus, imitating Jesus' mercy to sinners.
The Pharisees could not respond to the call to salvation and enjoy its fruits because they were unteachable in their self-righteousness.
God answers, "Something horrible will happen."
Habakkuk has hope in heaven.
Habakkuk harmonizes himself with history.
