Central Assembly
Pastor Jim Bradford | January 23-24, 2021 | Encounters with Jesus - Part 2, Comforting and Afflicting
Comforting and Afflicting - Luke 4:16-30
Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable
Luke 4:16a
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom...
* This was the culmination of a lifetime of preparation
* Now it was time to return home and announce his mission
Comforting the Afflicted . . .
Luke 4:16b-19
16 ...He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:18 “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,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Luke 4:20-21 NIV
* Jesus is the Messiah who came to comfort . . .
- The poor
- The prisoners
- The blind
- The oppressed
* This is where Jesus sends us as well!
Afflicting the Comfortable . . .
Luke 4:22 NIV
* Jesus broke out of their boxes and confronted their unbelief
Luke 4:24 NIV
Matthew 13:58 NIV
* Jesus broke out of their boxes and confronted their unbelief
* Jesus broke out of their boxes and loved people they didn't love
Luke 4:25-27 NIV
Luke 4:28-30 NIV
Will we let Jesus get away from us too?
- Let's be desperate for revival
- Let's reach wider relationally
- Let's let Jesus out of our own boxes for how he could use us
Luke 4:18 NIV
Luke 24:49 NIV