Jeremy Hoover

When we're told to "have faith" amidst our worry and anxiety, we're really being told to seek first the kingdom of God. Keeping godly priorities is the only way to assure ourselves victory over fear and worry.

In contrast to the "expert" who sought to minimize the category of "neighbor," Jesus teaches us that our neighbors are anyone we encounter who needs mercy.

Last Sunday I introduced the concept of four transformational relationships. My point was simple: if we will commit ourselves to growing in relationships with four "categories" of people--as defined clearly in and by scripture--we will be transformed.

The four categories (or areas) of relationship are: with God, with other believers, with neighbors, and with strangers. You can find more about these four transformational relationships, including my presentation outline and slides, by clicking the link. The actual presentation can be streamed or downloaded here.

Below the graphic I explain how to begin practicing, or living, these four transformative relationships.

Building off this outline, I recommend starting with your relationship with God. Because we are dealing with spiritual relationships (not merely social) our base point must begin with God. I suggest combining your regular worship attendance with a regular commitment to prayer and bible reading. You can begin simply: prayer can be either intercessory or thanksgiving, and your bible reading can be as little as one chapter each day. But begin. It's the beginning of this process and the time that you carve out for it that create the space for God to teach you and draw in to a deeper, growing relationship with him.

Next, I suggest that you focus on one of the other areas of relationship. Suppose you want to develop transformative relationships with other believers. The associated action for this area is mentoring relationships. One of the best ways to achieve this is to attend one of our bible classes on either Sunday morning or Wednesday evening. At the bible study you will be around other believers. You can then invite one or two of them to join you for coffee where you can discuss the lesson further or talk about your bible reading our spiritual growth. Look for others that you can share something with, but be careful to realize that this is a two-way street: you need to receive also, not just give.

You should be regularly participating in your relationship with God and in at least one other area. You balance this out with occasional work in the other two areas. For example, you can practice evangelism with your neighbors (biblically, your neighbors are anyone you encounter with a need) merely by being friends with and serving co-workers, family members, and even geographic neighbors.

In the bible (primarily the Old Testament), "strangers" refers to foreigners or those who pass through the land. Symbolically for us, "strangers" are those who pass through our lives. I recommend that we seek to serve them in order to leave the impression of God's love upon them. You can accomplish this by volunteering somewhere, walking your neighborhood and seeing what develops, or by some other way that puts you in contact with people that you will not see too often. Make it your goal to serve them in a gentle, humble, and loving way.

To grow spiritually, you need to take action. God calls us to action. Jesus told us to "go and do likewise (Luke 10:37). These four transformative relationships balance our spiritual growth and help us to grow and minister in the areas of relationship the bible instructs us in.

Please pray about how you should begin this journey...and then begin!

Download an MP3 of Reminders to Repent.

Repentance is one of those elusive topics we consider from time to time. Although we often view repentance as a feeling, Jesus teaches us that repentance is about choosing him and drawing closer to him. In this sermon, learn 5 different ways of understanding repentance and be drawn closer to God as a result.

What are your thoughts about repentance? Please leave them in the comments.

Another angle, this time on how temptation opens a door for sin, which grows larger and larger until it becomes a huge problem for us, unless we turn it away.

I'm preaching from Luke 4:1-13 on Sunday. Here are some notes and study questions to get you thinking about Jesus, temptation, and your own spiritual growth.

Did You Know?

• Luke portrays as the "new Adam," much like Paul does in 1 Cor. 15. He expressed the absolute humanness of Jesus by mentioning how hungry Jesus was, and much like how Adam faced false promises from the serpent in Genesis 3, so Jesus must endure the false promises of the devil. "He has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin" (Heb. 4:15).
• Luke also reports the presence of the Spirit in Jesus. Make no mistake--Jesus didn't endure these temptations because he used "magic powers" to overcome. He became the example par excellence for us by relying on God through the Spirit. He taught us, through his example, the power of the Word of God and the Spirit of God in our lives.
• Jesus overcame temptations about physical needs, power, and pride by relying on the power of the Spirit and the promises of God.
• Note that the devil did not go away permanently; he only left until "an opportune time" (4:13).
  

Study Questions

• Why did Jesus have to face these temptations?
• How did he get through them?
• Why did the Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness (4:1)?
• Why did the devil twice bait Jesus as "the Son of God" (4:3, 9), but not on the second temptation (4:6)?
• Why did Jesus respond to the temptations with the phrase, "It is written," twice (4:4, 8), but not on the third temptation (4:12)?
• Why does Luke remind us that the devil only left Jesus "until an opportune time" (4:13)?
  

God established Jesus as the True King and the True Servant in Jesus' baptism (with reference to promises from the First Covenant). Likewise, in our baptisms, we covenant with God to submit to Jesus' authority, to live like him as a servant, even in suffering, and to follow him into ministry.

Watch a slideshow presentation of Sunday's sermon, or listen to or download just the sermon audio below.

Study notes for this sermon are available here.

Download these notes (PDF).

As everything can't, and shouldn't, be crammed into a sermon, here are some additional study notes for you to reflect on ahead of, and after, Sunday's sermon.

Introduction (Luke 3:15-20)
We're studying Jesus' baptism and the implications of it as reported in the Gospel of Luke 3:21-23. John the Baptist has been preaching and leading people to be ready for Jesus, but a misunderstanding has arisen and some are wondering if John himself might be the Messiah!

John corrects this in Luke 3:15-17 by proclaiming that one "more powerful" than himself is coming. The difference between the two is in their baptisms--John is a baptizer in water, the Coming One will baptize with the "Holy Spirit and fire." This is simply a biblical way of saying that the Coming One's baptism will judge-and-purify the repentant one being baptized and will also unite that one with God through the Spirit. (Many biblical references testify to the power of the Spirit to guarantee our salvation with God; for example, Ephesians 1:14; Acts 2:38-39.)

Although the Gospel of Luke reports that John's "fire and brimstone"-style of preaching is "good news," the downside to John's testimony is that he suffers imprisonment that eventually leads to his murder. Sometimes being on the front lines for Jesus means taking on risk that you won't be accepted...or worse. Yet, Jesus still calls us to remain faithful to him.

Jesus' Baptism (Luke 3:21-22)
Jesus' baptism itself is presented to us differently in Luke than in Matthew or Mark, where the emphasis is on the new age being brought into place in Jesus (Mark) or on who is doing the baptism and what this means (Matthew). In Luke, the Gospel neither tells us who or how Jesus was baptized. But we learn that Jesus prayed after his baptism, and that during that time heaven opened--which is another biblical way of telling us God was doing something new and important in Jesus--and a voice speaks!

The voice is not directly attributed to God the Father, though the language used makes clear it is this God who is claiming Jesus as his own beloved Son. This language is interesting also for what it tells us about Jesus and his relationship to God and role as the Messiah, God's anointed one who would save the world.

Psalm 2:7
There are two aspects to God's speech that tie in to Old Testament promises. First, God calls Jesus his "Son." Specifically, the voice says, "You are my Son." This is a direct quote from Psalm 2:7, in which God is speaking to the king of Israel. God calls the king his son and tells the king that he--God--has become his father. The function of the psalm was to bestow legitimacy upon the king as an agent of God, rather than that agency wresting solely among the priests. Yet, it took on a messianic function as well, and was used by Jews to think about the coming new age when God would restore their fortunes. The Messiah would be God's Son. And here, in Luke 3:22, God claims his Son, the King--Jesus.

Isaiah and the Servant Songs
Secondly, God claims about Jesus that he loves him and is well pleased with him. This phrase is connected to Isaiah 42, and to the set of hymns in Isaiah that are known as the Servant Songs. In these Songs, a representative of Israel is set up who will suffer to atone for the sins of Israel (in this way, the representative serves Israel). These songs became messianic prophecies, and here, in Luke 3:22, God claims Jesus as his suffering servant, foreshadowing the ministry (and death) Jesus would have.

The language from Luke 3:22 is specifically linked to Isaiah 42:1, in which God says, "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, / my chosen one in whom I delight; / I will put my Spirit upon him...." Of course, Jesus receives God's Spirit in Luke 3:21, and this concept is picked up again in Luke 4:14-30 (which references a different of the Servant Songs).

Summary
One last thing to note in Luke 3:21 is that nothing special occurred around Jesus' baptism (only after). In fact, Luke clearly tells us that Jesus was one of many who were being baptized. This is important because it relates to us Jesus' common humanity with us. He is not different or "above" us--he is one of us. As Hebrews says, we are Jesus' brothers and sisters (Heb. 2:11).

Yet, in sharing a commonality with us, Jesus is distinguished in being our representative as well. ("Servant" [cf. Isaiah 42:1] often carried the notion of being someone's "trusted envoy" in ancient near eastern culture.) Yet he is also our King (Psalm 2:7). In leading us, he represents us, and suffers for us, so that we can be made whole before God and rescued.

Is it too much to submit to our king's authority and to live like him?

Thanks to a technical problem caused by yours truly, you'll have to put up with a shortened version of my sermon!

Repentance is not based in feelings but in action that lives out God's kingdom values. Repentance requires a response, demands that we live a lifestyle that shares God's love with others, and requires specific actions on our part.

Sermon: Repentance Requires Response