THE ESSENCE OF JESUS’ KINGDOM

Great Commission Series

THE ESSENCE OF JESUS’ KINGDOM

Read: Luke 4:22-30

Big Idea: The Kingdom of God doesn’t cater to our pride or pedigree—it runs on grace, and grace will always surprise us.

 

Intro: Have you ever thought you were about to be applauded—but instead you got rejected? That’s exactly what happens in Nazareth. Jesus had been preaching around Galilee. Word was spreading, miracles were happening in Capernaum. Then He came home. This was His big hometown moment. The synagogue was standing room only. Everyone wanted to hear the boy they’d watched grow up. Remember, the synagogue wasn’t just any meeting hall. It had roots going all the way back to the exile in Babylon, when God’s people had no temple. They came up with these “meeting houses” where the Scriptures were read and explained. By Jesus’ day, every little village had one. People took it seriously. You didn’t come there to chat, eat, or even take shelter from the rain. You came because it was consecrated to God.

 

On Sabbath mornings, families would hurry through the streets to get there—because you were supposed to be eager to meet with the Lord. Then, walking home, they slowed down and lingered, not wanting the day to end.

 

That’s the atmosphere Jesus grew up in. Luke says, “He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.” (Luke 4:16)

 

Can you imagine what must have been going through His mind? The familiar blast of the Sabbath trumpet from the synagogue ruler’s roof. The same aging faces in their same old seats. The same liturgy He’d heard since He was a boy sitting in the back. Now He’s the one standing in front with the scroll.

 

He’s handed Isaiah. He reads it in Hebrew, translates it into Aramaic for His neighbors—and then He does something no one expected. He stops before their favorite line. Rolls up the scroll. Sits down. And says: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

And with that, Jesus launches His public ministry—not with vengeance, not with hometown pride, but with surprising Bible truth.

 

Here’s the question: What if God’s Kingdom welcomes the very people you’ve written off?

 

1. What If Jesus Skips Over You?

 

Luke 4:22-23 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

 

That sounds like they were impressed. But the word Luke uses can also mean they “testified against Him.”

 

From the very start, they weren’t pleased to have a hometown celebrity—they were insulted by His audacity in editing the Scriptures.

 

When they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” They were scoffing not admiring. “Who does this carpenter’s kid think He is?”

 

People are always more ready to see greatness in strangers than in those they know well.

 

Let’s recall what Jesus read:

 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because he has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;	PROCLAMATION
To proclaim liberty to the captives	JUSTICE
And recovery of sight to the blind,	COMPASSION
To set at liberty those who are oppressed; (Isaiah 58:6)	JUSTICE
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”	PROCLAMATION

 

The way Christ edits the Isaiah passage He read forms a literary device called a chiasm. Seeing it unlocks the point He makes.

 

Whatever is in the middle and not repeated in the chiasm is the heart of His mission. What’s in the middle? Compassion.

Proclaiming truth and working for justice matter deeply, but they are empty without the love of Christ.

 

1 Cor 13:2-3 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith…but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor…but have not love, it profits me nothing.

 

Why were Nazarenes in the synagogue so touchy that day? Because of what He left out. He didn’t finish the verse from Isaiah 61.

 

He didn’t read, “and the day of vengeance of our God.” That was their favorite part.

 

Nazareth was a settler town, planted to push Gentiles out of Galilee. Their whole identity was built on vengeance and national triumph. Some of their translations of Isaiah even added words about Gentiles being humbled. And Jesus just cut that line out.

 

Then He said: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)

 

“Today.” That’s one of Luke’s favorite words. To Zacchaeus: “Today salvation has come to this house.” To the thief on the cross: “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”

 

In Luke, “today” always means God breaking in right now.

 

But for Nazareth, “today” wasn’t good news. It was offensive. Jesus had gutted their dream. Not a single word flattered their Israelite pride.

 

Grace feels insulting when you think you’ve earned the front-row seat.

 

2. What If Outsiders Trust God Better Than You?

 

Jesus doesn’t back off. He pokes the hornet’s nest:

 

Luke 4:24-27 Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah… but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.

 

Translation: God skipped over Israel and blessed outsiders.

 

illus: In 1906, God used a poor, blind-in-one-eye Black preacher named William Seymour to spark the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles. At the time, America was deeply segregated. Seymour wasn’t even allowed to sit inside Bible classes. So, he stood in the hallway and listened through the door. That’s how hungry he was for God’s word. And God met him—not with scraps, but with power. What happened next changed the world. The revival sparked the Pentecostal/charismatic movement in the American church. People from all nations and races gathered, worshiped, and were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom crashed in. The people in Nazareth didn’t like that God blessed outsiders. But He still does. And if you’re thinking God can’t use you—or someone who doesn’t look like you—look at William Seymour. He didn’t even get a seat in the classroom… but God gave him a seat at revival’s table.

 

The scandal of grace is that it lets in people we think should be left out.

 

Jesus brings up a Gentile widow from Sidon — enemy territory, Jezebel’s backyard.

 

She was down to her last handful of flour, ready to cook a final meal and then die with her son. Elijah shows up and says, ‘Feed me first.’ Outrageous! But she trusted, gave away her last bite — and God made her flour and oil last until the famine ended.

 

That’s faith: humble trust and obedience. And Jesus tells Nazareth, ‘God skipped over Israel’s widows and blessed that woman instead.’ No wonder they bristled.”

 

Then Jesus mentions Naaman — commander of Israel’s enemies, a Syrian general with leprosy.

 

He expected a flashy healing, but Elisha sent word: “Go wash in the Jordan.” Naaman was insulted. The Jordan was muddy compared to the rivers back home. But when he finally humbled himself and dipped seven times, he came up clean.

That’s faith: laying down your pride to obey. And Jesus tells His neighbors, ‘There were plenty of lepers in Israel, but God healed a Syrian instead.’ They heard that as treason.

 

The message could not be clearer: “You think blessing is your birthright. But the ones who really receive it are those with humble, trusting faith – even if they are Gentiles.”

 

A starving widow and a powerful general. A woman and a man. Both outsiders. Both examples of faith. And that’s what made the crowd furious: if this is how God works, then He’s not playing favorites with us.

 

Notice the balance: one woman, one man. One poor, one powerful. Both Gentiles. Both models of faith.

 

Gal 3:26-28 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

 

Just like Israel missed those blessings back then, Nazareth was about to miss what Jesus was offering.

 

Is it possible that the people we assume are disqualified often trust Him more than those who’ve been in church their whole lives?

 

3. What If You Push Jesus to the Edge?

 

Luke 4:28-30 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

 

They were cut to the heart. Isn’t it true that learning what we should already know is often the hardest lesson of all?

 

The synagogue erupted in fury. Out with Him! They couldn’t stand His presence another moment.

 

This wasn’t just mob rage. It was the penalty for blasphemy: push Him off the cliff, then stone Him if He lived.

 

Why blasphemy? Because in their minds, if Jesus was rejecting their national dream, He was rejecting God. And if you reject God, you’re a heretic.

 

Luke wants us to see: Jesus didn’t just stumble into this. He provoked it. He pulled back the curtain on their hidden pride. And what was their last defense? Anger and violence.

 

But look at how He handled it: “He spoke no angry word. He worked no spectacular wonder of their choosing. He simply walked through the mob.”

 

Imagine that. No shouting. No miracles. Just authority. That itself was a miracle.

 

And doesn’t it echo Calvary? Here the crowd sneers, “Physician, heal yourself.” At the cross they sneered, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.” Same spirit, same rejection.

Modern ways we push Jesus to the edge: disregarding His bride, living like the world, speaking criticism instead of encouragement

 

When Jesus doesn’t fit your mold, will you repent—or will you push Him to the edge of your unbelief?

 

Conclusion: Don’t Miss the Kingdom Standing Right in Front of You

 

Nazareth had the Scriptures, the synagogue, and the Son of God in their midst—and they shoved Him away.

 

And here’s the unsettling truth: the biggest danger to God’s work often comes from insiders, not outsiders.

 

Jesus wasn’t first rejected in Sodom, but in Nazareth. He was not betrayed by pagans, but by one of His own disciples. He was not crucified in Babylon, but in Jerusalem. “He came to His own; and His own did not receive Him.”

And as far as we know, He never went back to Nazareth. Rejection can be final.

 

Grace will either humble you or harden you. It will either offend you into surrender or offend you into rebellion.

 

illus: In the 1970s, an engineer at Kodak invented the very first digital camera. It was revolutionary—decades ahead of its time. But when Kodak's executives saw it, they shelved it. They were afraid it would kill their film sales. They missed the moment—and it cost them everything. The company that could have owned the future instead filed for bankruptcy. Nazareth did the same. They shelved Jesus because He didn’t fit their system. And they missed the Kingdom standing right in front of them.

 

Don’t miss your moment.

 

For Prayer Ministry:

“Lord, don’t let me cling to entitlement.”

• Nazareth thought God owed them blessing. Maybe you’ve carried that same pride. Today is the day to lay it down and open your hands to grace.

“Lord, give me the faith of the outsider.”

• Like the widow who trusted with her last crumb, like Naaman who humbled himself in muddy water, I want a faith that obeys, trusts, and surrenders.

“Lord, keep me from shoving You away.”

• The people of Nazareth pushed Jesus to the edge. Maybe you’ve resisted Him because He doesn’t fit your mold. Today you can welcome Him instead of rejecting Him.

 

The Apostles’ Creed (Modern English)

 

We believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.

We believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
one holy Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

 

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Transcription

 

Find Luke chapter four in your Bibles.
And if you're new, I'm Trevor Davis, I'm GCC's pastor and I'm going to take Ernie's plea seriously to pray for God to move in our land over these next several weeks because we need Him. I don't want a Christian martyr's death to die out in two weeks, do you? But Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead and has been at the right hand of the Father for more than 2,000 years. And so the gospel has been lit on fire ever since that time and the flames never going to go out. But I agree with Ernie.
I think right now in our nation only the pilot light is maybe still lit. But I think that God is about to fan that into flame. And so I want to cry out to God that he would move across our land and all the evangelical churches be filled and have to build buildings and start new congregations because people are coming to Christ, not just coming to church. And so this is, this is what we're excited we're going to pray for. Hey, I want to cheerlead right now for our matching grant season that we're in.
I believe that God's going to stir the generosity of our people and we're going to blow through that hundred thousand. Just way past that. I want to tell you how Angie and I are approaching it. Every month we give a certain amount of money. It's the first thing that comes out of our income to the Lord through his local church.
None of that is going to count for what we give to this hundred thousand dollar matching fund. It's going to be above and beyond that. In other words, we're not going to take a portion of what we already give and claim it for the fund. We're asking God to stretch our generosity. So that's my challenge to you people on our church.
And you give regularly, make this hundred thousand thing, stuff you don't normally give. And if God drops it out of heaven, if you look up and go, why did I just find a $20 bill in my pants pocket? I didn't know was there. God's saying, yeah, that's for that matching grant. The idea is this, God will give it to you if he can get it through you.
So I want you to think about that. So I want to cheerlead for that. Also I want to say that for the next couple of weeks we are in break for small group term because of fall break at school and some things. And so it's the perfect time to register to be a part of our small group ministry. If you're not in it already, you can tap the back of that chair, you can mark your.
Your ministry card. I want to find a small group today, and my wife and I administrate that ministry right now. And so we'll be contacting you if you want to be a part of our small groups. Best time of the year to join up is right now. All right, so today's part two of a series inside of a series that I started last week from Luke chapter four.
Last week, the first half of the text was the essence of Jesus ministry. Today it's the essence of Jesus Kingdom. Luke chapter 4. And the verses are 22 through 30. Luke 4, 22 through 30.
And they read this way. So all bore witness to him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, is this not Joseph's son? He said to them, you will surely say this proverb to me. Physician, heal yourself.
Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in your country. Then he said assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly. Many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land. But to none of them was Elijah sent, except to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. And none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath and rose up and thrust him out of the city. And they led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down over the cliff. Then, passing through the midst of them, he went his way.
Brothers and sisters, the word of the Lord. Let's pray together. Father, I'm so grateful for all of the ministry of the Spirit. We've already received today the prayers and the songs and the communion table and the greetings of the saints. And Lord, it's been good.
And I pray God that we have something left emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually for the preaching of the Word. Father, we pray for a gospel humility to be on our congregation that as we sit under the systematic and exegetical teaching of the Bible week after week, Lord, the word of God would do its work in the hearts of the believers here. God, we wouldn't be filled with pride. We would be filled with the love of Christ and the humility that comes with it. Would you do that for us, Father?
Give us ears to hear today in Jesus name and a faith filled church said, all right. I wonder, have you ever thought you were about to be applauded, but instead you were rejected? Has that ever happened to you in your life? Because that's exactly what happens in Nazareth in our text today. Jesus had been preaching around the area of the area called Galilee.
And word was spreading and miracles were happening in the town just across the way called Capernaum. And then Jesus came home. It was the big hometown moment. And the synagogue that morning was standing room only. Everyone wanted to hear the boy they'd seen grow up.
And I want to remind you that the synagogue was not just any meeting hall. It had roots going all the way back to the exile in Babylon, when God's people had no temple, they had no meeting place to go and be with God. So they came up with these meeting houses, they called them. That's what synagogue kind of means. And in the meeting houses, that's where the scriptures were read and where the scriptures were explained and some prayers were offered.
And by Jesus Day, every little village had a synagogue. And I want you to understand that people took it very seriously. You didn't come to the synagogue to visit with your neighbors and chat. You didn't eat at the synagogue. You couldn't even take shelter from the rain in the synagogue.
You came, and it was only open because it was consecrated to God and for God. So on Sabbath mornings, families would hurry through the streets to get to this place. Because you were supposed to be eager to meet with the Lord. You were supposed to want to do it. And then when the families would walk home after Sabbath synagogue meetings, they walked slowly through town.
They lingered, they lollygagged is the old word. Because the idea was they wanted this day not to end. We've been with the Lord. It's the Sabbath day. It's the best day of the week.
So that's the atmosphere that Jesus grew up in. Luke says in a verse from last week's message, he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. And as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he stood up to read. Can you imagine what must have been going through his mind? He had heard the familiar blast of the trumpet, the Sabbath morning trumpet from the synagogue ruler's roof.
That happened every day. It happened every Sabbath day. He saw the same aging faces in the same seats they were always in the. That he remembered them when he was a boy. Nothing's new under the sun.
We kind of claim our seats at church today. Still, the same liturgy that he had heard since he was a boy, sitting in the back. The women and the children sat in the back of the synagogue, the men with the rabbis up front. And now he's the one standing up with the scroll in his hands. He's handed the scroll of.
Of Isaiah the prophet. They handed him that because Isaiah the prophet was their favorite book of the Bible. Their whole city was founded because of what one text said. In Isaiah, Jesus finds the text that he wants to speak on, and he reads it in Hebrew. But that's the language for the scholars and the rabbis.
Not everybody knew Hebrew. They all knew Aramaic. So then he translates it for all his neighbors there into Aramaic. And then he does something no one expected. As he's reading in their favorite text, he stops before their favorite part of the verse, and then he rolls the scroll back up and he hands it to the attendant and he sits down and he says, today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.
And their mouths drop open. They're thinking, you didn't even finish the verse, dude.
We know who you are.
The Messiah fulfills this.
And with that, Jesus launches his public ministry. And he doesn't do it with vengeance. That's the line he left out. He doesn't do it for hometown pride. This was homecoming Sunday.
He does it with surprising Bible truth. That's what I'm going to teach you today. Here's the question. What if God's kingdom welcomes the very people you've written off like normal? I divided my sermon into three questions I have from the text to us today.
So question number one.
What if Jesus skips over you from Luke 4, 22 and 23? So all bore witness to him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, is this not Joseph's son? Be careful that you don't read this verse wrong. They don't speak any gracious words.
In this verse, Jesus is the one speaking the gracious words. And that phrase, so all bore witness to him is ambiguous. In the original language, it can go either way. It can mean positive or negative. The context tells you which.
And you have to make a choice. Because when it says, so all bore witness to him, it can mean, so all bore witness against him. And in our context, that's exactly what it means. They don't start out enjoying Jesus and then switch. And then he says something they don't like and they flip the switch.
They are negative from the beginning because of the text of scripture he read and how he read it. From the very start. They weren't pleased to have a hometown celebrity. They were insulted by his audacity in editing the scriptures. Now, how many of you know that Jesus Christ is.
Is the living word of God and the Bible's his, so it's okay that he does this. They just didn't know who he was. So I'm going to show you in a second how he does it. But when they said, isn't this Joseph's son? They were scoffing.
They were not admiring. It was not nostalgia. Oh, look at our hometown kid. He was a preacher boy. Now he's a full grown man.
Now he's a rabbi. He. That's not what they meant. When they say, isn't this Joseph's son? They're saying, who does this carpenter's kid think he is?
And so they're negative against him from the very beginning. And may I just say something? Isn't it true that people are always more ready to see greatness in strangers than in those they know? Well, now I want you to recall what Jesus read that got them all stirred up.
It'll be on the screen. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. And you'll Note that's Isaiah 58, 6. It's not Isaiah 61 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Now, you may not have noticed it, but I even edited what I just read to you.
I left out to bind up the brokenhearted, because most of the English translations you read, except for our King James and our new King James doesn't have the phrase bind up the brokenhearted because the most reliable manuscripts don't have it. And when Jesus read it in the synagogue that day, it wasn't in his text either. So when Jesus reads the text that I have for you on the screen, he even inserts a verse from three chapters earlier. And we have to ask ourselves, what in the world is going on here? Well, Jesus gets to use the Scriptures for his purposes any way he wants to.
And the way he edits the Isaiah passage, he does so to form a. A literary device. That is perfect timing for that screen to go out. All right, you'll have to just listen to me. Because he has a.
It's a literary device that he formed called a chiasm. It's ring structure. It goes A, B, C, B, A. So there's some things that repeat and there's one that doesn't. So I'm gonna show you this way.
When he says, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the po, that is proclamation. Do we see it now? Okay, out to the right of. Because he's anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. You should, if you're taking notes, write the word proclamation.
When he says to proclaim liberty to the captives, that is a justice line. So justice, proclamation, justice and recovery of sight to the blind. That is compassion. And then to set at liberty those who are oppressed. And he inserted this from Isaiah 58, 6.
That's another justice line. And then to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. That's proclamation again. Proclamation. Justice, compassion, justice.
Proclamation. In the Old Testament and in your New Testament, lots of scripture is formed in chiasms like this because they didn't have chapter and verse divisions. And it was the way that the author showed you. This text goes together. Now, when you have a chiasm, whatever's in the middle and whatever's not repeated is the heart of the message.
And here compassion is the heart of Jesus message. And it's also the heart of Jesus mission. So when he reads this text, he inserts another justice line. He stops before and the day of vengeance before our God. And they recognize what's in the middle of the chiasm.
They understand that Jesus is saying, I'm starting a ministry today that shows the love and compassion of God. Not just to you Jews who are in the synagogue, but also to those that you were hoping God would take vengeance on. My gospel is for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. Romans 1:16. So now Jesus has said the whole reason that your city exists, to push the Gentiles out of Galilee.
I am undoing it right in your synagogue today.
Friends, love and compassion is not just for the Jews. It's also for the non Jews called the Gentiles. It is for the whole world. For God so loved the world, all the people groups, that he gave his one and only Son, that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.
I have a question for you. What happens when we proclaim truth and when we work for justice without the love of Christ? That's called government. That's called politics. When you try to do Things that we think are good without love, there's no power in it.
They're not plugged into the source. And it's why there's so much frustration and so much brokenness in our land is we've taken what God's assigned to the church and we've been so lazy. We've said government, you do it. You exact justice and you proclaim truth. And you don't love the world that you're governing over anyway.
And we'll be over here in our holy huddle trying to see how much God loves us. The apostle Paul said this in 1st Corinthians 13, 2, 3. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, but have not love, it profits me nothing. You know, if I proclaim the truth by the gift of prophecy and by understanding mysteries and words of knowledge, and have the gift of faith, but I don't do it with compassion.
It benefits no one if I try to work justice by feeding the poor, and I do it without love, and nobody benefits.
But I want to ask you a question. Why were the Nazarenes in the synagogue so touchy that day around Jesus? It's because of what he left out. He didn't finish the verse from Isaiah 61, he didn't read. And the day of vengeance of our God and friends, that was their favorite part of the verse.
Let me just give you a quick history lesson. Nazareth was a settler town. It was planted to push Gentiles out of Galilee. Their whole identity was built on vengeance and national triumph, nationalism. They were flag bearers of the nation of Israel.
Some of the translations that they had in their scrolls of Isaiah even added words about Gentiles being humbled in their presence. And Jesus cut all of that out when he read that part of the Bible in their synagogue. And then he said, today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. That's verse 21. You should look in your Bible, go to verse 21, and circle the word today in Luke's Gospel.
When the word today is on Jesus lips, I'll give you the three instances when he goes to Zacchaeus, the tax collector's house, the guy that was the pariah in the city and everybody hated him. There's no way that guy's going to heaven. Jesus says, after Zacchaeus repents, today salvation has come to this house.
When there's a thief hanging on a cross, Next to Jesus, who looks over and says, lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus says, today you'll be with me in paradise. And when he stands before his hometown congregation in Nazareth and he reads the Bible they handed to him, and he goes to their favorite text of Scripture and he reads it and he edits it, and he says, my kingdom is a kingdom of love and compassion. And he says, today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing and anytime. In Luke's Gospel, Jesus has the word today on his lips.
Here's what it means. It always means, God is breaking in right now. He's breaking in right now. God's kingdom right now. You know, the apostle Paul picks up on this and in Second Corinthians 6, where he says, now is the accepted time.
Today is the day of salvation. You can get right with God and be adopted into his family and become a child of God. And you can do so today.
God's kingdom is breaking in right now. Don't miss it. But the word today for Nazareth wasn't good news. It was offensive to them. Jesus had gutted their dream.
Not a single word he spoke flattered their Israelite pride and friends. Grace feels insulting when you think you've earned a front row seat and somebody else gets it.
Let me ask you this question again. What if Jesus skips over you?
Question number two. What if outsiders trust God better than you?
So he's already got them stirred up. He might as well finish this whole sermon on the same note. So Jesus pokes the hornet's nest even more in verses 24 through 27. Assuredly I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his home country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah.
But to none of them was Elijah sent, except to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. And none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian. Ladies and gentlemen, this is called pouring gas on the fire you already lit.
Translation, God skipped over Israel and blessed outsiders. That's the summary of Luke 24:27, Luke 4:24:27. Now let me illustrate this. In 1906, God used a poor blind in one eye black preacher named William Seymour to spark in Los Angeles, California, what is now called the Azusa Street Revival or the Azusa Street Outpouring. At the time, America was deeply segregated, as you know, and Seymour wasn't even allowed to sit in the classroom.
In Bible Classes. So he stood in the hallway and he put his ear up to the door and he listened in for anything he could hear. And he took notes. That's how hungry he was for God's word. And God met him there, not with scraps, but with power.
And what happened next changed the world. The revival sparked what we now call the Pentecostal Charismatic movement in the American church. And let me do a quick aside on this illustration and tell you that what Ernie said earlier about the decline in the American church is real and true. But around the world, the church is exploding in every continent and the numbers are exceedingly high. And they're all just about charismatic.
It started on the day of Pentecost. And this was a booster shot here at Azusa Street. People from all nations, all races, gathered together there in Los Angeles. They worshiped and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. And the kingdom crashed in.
It was one of those today moments.
You know, the people in Nazareth didn't like that God blessed outsiders. But can I tell you something? He's still doing it. And if you think God can't use you or he can't use someone who doesn't look like you, then I just want to say, look at William Seymour. He didn't even get a seat in the classroom.
But God gave him a seat at revival's table. Which one would you pick?
See, the scandal of grace is that it lets people in that we think should be left out. Jesus brings up a gentile widow from Sidon. Sidon was enemy territory. That was Jezebel's backyard, if you remember that special lady. She was down to her last handful of flour and a little bit of oil.
She's ready to cook a final meal and then die with her son. And. And Elijah the prophet shows up. And you're not going to believe what he says to her. He doesn't say, can I pray for you?
That God would bless you. He says, feed me first.
Can we agree? That sounds insensitive, and I would even say outrageous.
But she trusted in the word of the Lord and she gave away her last bite. And God made her flower and her oil last until the famine ended. Can I tell you something? That's faith, humble trust and obedience. Jesus tells Nazareth God skipped over Israel's widows and blessed that woman instead.
No wonder they didn't like this sermon. And they bristled at it. Then Jesus mentions Naaman. He's commander over Israel's enemies. He's a Syrian general, except he has leprosy.
That's a double curse. In the mind of an Israelite, you're a Syrian and you're leprous. He gets word go to Israel's prophet. I've heard that he does fancy miracles. Maybe he can cleanse you of your leprosy.
So he gets his caravan and his entourage and he goes. And he goes up to the gate where Elisha the prophet is. Elisha doesn't even come out to meet him. So you're not on my calendar today. He sends a servant girl to say, hey, there's going to be a leprosy guy at the gate.
Tell him to go dip himself in the waters of the Jordan river seven times. Then he can go back to Syria. He'll be fine. Naaman expected a flashy healing with fanfare, but Elisha just sent word, go wash in the Jordan. And Naaman leprosy.
And all decided. I think it's a good time for me to feel insulted. He said, the Jordan river is really like a stream. It's muddy compared to all the rivers. We have way more beautiful rivers in Syria.
Cleaner. But you know, when Naaman finally humbled himself and dipped seven times in the muddy water, he came up and all his leprosy fell off.
You should read your Bible. It's got awesome accounts of the power of God in it. I want to say to you again, that's faith. Laying down your pride to obey. And Jesus tells his neighbors, there were plenty of lepers in Israel, but God healed a Syrian instead.
And the crowd that morning heard that line as treason.
And the message couldn't be clearer. You think blessing is your birthright, but the ones who really receive it are those with humble, trusting faith, even if they are Gentiles.
All right, let's take inventory. A starving widow and a powerful general. A woman and a man, both of them outsiders. Both of them Jesus holds up as examples of faith.
And that's what made the crowd furious. This is what it was saying to them. Well, if this is how God works, then he's no longer playing favorites with us.
And notice the balance. One woman, one man, one poor, one powerful. Both Gentiles. It reminds me of Galatians, chapter 3, verses 26, 27 and 28. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, or your translation may say Gentile. There is neither Jew nor Gentile. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
All these distinctions that Those in the synagogue in Nazareth live their life by. At least we're not like them, and at least they're not with us. Jesus erases all of them in one sermon. And the apostle Paul reiterates it in Galatians 3.
Listen to me. Just like Israel missed those blessings back in the days of Elijah and Elisha, Nazareth was about to miss what Jesus was offering.
Is it possible that the people that we assume are disqualified often trust God more than those who've been in church their whole lives?
What if outsiders trust God better than you? Question number three. What if you push Jesus to the edge?
28:30. So all those in the synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath, and they rose up and they thrust him out of the city, and they led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built that they might throw him down over the cliff. And then in one of the most understated lines in all of your Bible, then passing through the midst of them, he went his way. I want to know more about that.
So at the end of Jesus sermon, they were cut to the heart, but not in the good way like they were cut to the heart. At the end of Peter's sermon in Acts 2, they were cut to the heart because they just realized we thought we were wise, and now we know we're ignorant. Isn't it true that learning what we should already know is. Is often the hardest lesson of all? It's like you've been in church for how many years and you didn't know this?
So the synagogue erupted in fury, out with him. They couldn't stand his presence for another moment. And I want you to know that this wasn't just mob rage. This was religious protocol. It was the penalty for blasphemy.
The penalty for blasphemy is throw a person off a cliff if they survive the fall, throw rocks on their head in the ravine, if they survive it. Why blasphemy? Because in their minds, if Jesus was rejecting their national dream, their nationalism, then he was rejecting God. And if you reject God, you're a heretic. So the cliff.
You go.
Now listen to me. Luke wants us to see something. Jesus didn't just stumble into this. He didn't get in the middle of his sermon and look out and go, oh, they're not enjoying this. Oh, they're not with me.
And it's like, I don't know how to backtrack or get out. No. Jesus provoked this.
He pulled back the curtain on their hidden pride. He did it on Purpose. And what was their last defense? Listen to me. When you don't have an argument to make, you turn to anger and violence.
And I want you to see how our Lord handled it. One commentator said, he spoke no angry word. He worked, no spectacular wonder of their choosing. He simply walked through the mob.
Will you think about that for a second? No shouting from Jesus, no miracles. No, I would have done this. I would have done one of those. Whatever Moses did at the Red Sea force fields and you know, Waltri, make sure they could.
I would have done. But he doesn't do any of that.
He just walks through them with authority and they dare not touch him.
When he exercised his authority, I want to say that that itself was a miracle.
And friends, doesn't it echo Calvary in synagogue? They were known to quote a verse, physician, heal yourself. They sneered at him. Physician, heal yourself. And at the cross, when Jesus was hanging on the cross, the crowd sneered.
He saved others himself. He cannot save.
Same spirit, same rejection.
I got to thinking, what are some modern ways that we push Jesus to the edge?
You want me to go there?
The one thing I kept coming back to is disregarding his bride. I love Jesus. I don't like his church. That is like coming up to me and saying, trevor, I really like you, but Angie, I can't stand. Guess what?
We don't get to have a relationship because you're wrong. Now, I know that no one would ever dislike my wife. Right? You ain't going to heaven if you do so anyway.
But the bride of. Listen. The gospel is the hope of the world and the church is the steward of the gospel. You don't have a choice whether you are positive and a fan of the church of Jesus Christ or not. That was his idea.
He thought it. He's building it. The gates of hell will not stand against it. You don't get to be a critic.
You don't get to have Jesus without a local church. The word church in the New Testament appears something like 103 times. And 96 or 97 of those 103 occurrences are references to local congregations. This whole idea of, well, the church is just all Christians everywhere. Yeah, like five times in the New Testament.
But God's principle of proportion says, if you want to honor me, you do it in a local church. Let me ask you a question. Who's your pastor? If you're sitting there and going, you are, Trevor, if you're not a member of our church. I'm not your pastor.
I'm your chaplain. I preach sermons that you Listen to, if somebody dies in your family, you'll come and ask me if I'll do the funeral and then I'll have a decision to make. Am I going to be super gracious? Because, see, you wouldn't take a step toward us, but you want all the benefits and graces of a local church. You just don't want to contribute to it.
Listen, do you have a congregation that you've united with? And you said to them, watch my life and hold me accountable and be a testimony of my Christian testimony. If you don't have one, that's pushing Jesus through the edge. Jesus loves his church and gave himself for her. Do you agree?
Another way that we push Jesus to the edge is after our baptism, we go back and just live like the world. And you can't tell a difference in our everyday life than the unbeliever in the cubicle next to us, at the bar, at the club, at, wherever you are. There is no visible or tangible difference between you and the unregenerate. And the Bible says, whoever loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. So we push Jesus to the edge by living a lukewarm, worldly Christian walk.
We push Jesus to the edge when we choose to speak criticism about our brothers and sisters in Christ instead of encouragement.
Now, look, this list is endless. My time isn't endless today, but I could absolutely break every toe on your feet and mine by modern ways. We push Jesus to the edge. So let's just agree together that we humble ourselves before the Lord and ask ourselves, what if you push Jesus to the edge and repent of it today? What if Jesus doesn't fit your mold for him?
Will you repent or will you push him to the edge of your unbelief?
In conclusion, by the way, I like to pat myself on the back for a second here. When I say in conclusion, I always mean it. I don't go back. And so I'm landing this jet here. In conclusion, don't miss the kingdom standing right in front of you.
Nazareth had the Scriptures. They had the synagogue, the meeting house of God. They had the Son of God in their midst, and they shoved him away.
And here's the unsettling truth. The biggest danger to God's work often comes from insiders, not outsiders.
You don't believe me. Jesus wasn't first rejected at Sodom and Gomorrah. He was first rejected in his hometown of Nazareth.
Jesus wasn't betrayed by a pagan religious guru. He was betrayed by the kiss of one of his own. Jesus wasn't crucified in pagan Babylon. He was crucified in God's capital city, Jerusalem. Or as John wrote, he came into his own and his own received him.
Not as far as we know. Biblically speaking, Jesus never went back to Nazareth. Do you know what that means? Rejection can be final.
My brothers and my sisters. Grace will either humble you or it will harden you. You can't stay the same when you encounter grace. Grace will either offend you into surrendering to God or it will offend you into rebelling against God. But you won't stay where you were.
You can miss your moment. In the 1970s, that was probably the best decade ever to be born in. I don't know why I would say that, but bell bottoms and whatever you people wore. I was just a baby being all cute.
In the 1970s, an engineer at a company called Eastman Kodak. Hey, all you older crowd. You realize the younger kids around you don't know what Kodak is.
In the 1970s, an engineer at Kodak invented the very first digital camera. You heard that, right? In the 1970s, decades ahead of its time. It was revolutionary. But when the Kodak executives saw it, they shelved it.
They were afraid it would kill their film sales.
They missed the moment and it cost them everything. The company that could have owned the future filed for bankruptcy. Nazareth did the same. They shelved Jesus because he didn't fit their system. And they missed the kingdom standing right in front of them.
Look at me. Don't miss your moment.
That may be today. Pastor. How do I apply this to my life? Let me give you three prayers to pray for prayer ministry today.
Number one. Lord, don't let me cling to entitlement.
Nazareth thought God owed them blessing. Maybe you've carried that same pride. Today's the day to lay it down and open your hands to grace. Number two. Lord, give me the faith of the outsider.
Like the widow who trusted with her last crumb. Like Naaman who humbled himself in muddy water. I want a faith that obeys God. I want a faith that trusts. I want a faith that surrenders.
Number three. Lord, keep me from shoving you away.
The people of Nazareth pushed Jesus to the edge. Maybe you resisted him because he hasn't fit your mold. Today you can welcome him instead of resisting him.
Do you receive this word today? Well, let's stand together. Prayer team. You guys will come. Most of you on this side of the room, maybe one over here.
Don't let this word that God has planted in you be stolen today. Come for prayer as they get into place.
We adjourned our service last week, confessing the Apostles Creed. I want to do that one more time together. One of the earliest collection of Christian doctrine that the church was known to confess together in their early meetings. We have it in modern English. And what I want you to do is I want you to read this along with me, confessing it out loud.
And then we'll be adjourned. Then it'll be time to pray for people. Here we go, everybody. Good? All right.
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day, he rose again. He ascended into heaven and and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, one holy church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen. Come for prayer. To the mission field you go.

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Come and join us this Sunday at the Great Commission Church for a truly remarkable and uplifting experience.  Great Commission Church is a family-friendly church in Olive Branch, MS. Great Commission Church is not just any ordinary place of worship; it's a vibrant community where faith comes alive, hearts are filled with love, and lives are transformed. Our doors are wide open, ready to welcome you into the warm embrace of our congregation, where you'll discover the true essence of fellowship and spirituality. At Great Commission Church, we are more than just a congregation; we are a family united by a common mission – to follow the teachings of Christ and spread His love to the world. As you step inside Great Commission Church, you'll find a sanctuary that nurtures your faith and encourages you to be part of something greater than yourself.

We believe in the power of coming together as a community to worship, learn, and serve. Whether you're a long-time believer or just starting your spiritual journey, Great Commission Church welcomes people from all walks of life. Our vibrant services are filled with inspiring messages, beautiful music, and heartfelt prayers that will uplift your soul. Every Sunday at Great Commission Church is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and connect with others who share your faith and values.

At Great Commission Church, we believe that faith is not just a solitary endeavor but a shared experience that strengthens and enriches us all. Our church is a place where you can find purpose, belonging, and the encouragement to live a life in accordance with Christ's teachings. Join us this Sunday at Great Commission Church and experience the transformative power of faith in action. Be part of a loving and supportive community that is committed to making a positive impact in our world. Together, we strive to fulfill the great commission to go forth and make disciples of all nations. We look forward to having you with us at Great Commission Church this Sunday, where faith, love, and community intersect in a truly amazing way.

Great Commission Church is a non-denominational, family-friendly Christian church located in Olive Branch, Mississippi. We are a short drive from Germantown, Southaven, Collierville, Horn Lake, Memphis, Fairhaven, Mineral Wells, Pleasant Hill, Handy Corner, Lewisburg and Byhalia. Great Commission Church is conveniently located, making it easy to find and attend. Many people have even called it their go-to “church near me” or the "Church nearby" because of how accessible it is and how quickly it feels like home.

See you Sunday at Great Commission Church in Olive Branch, Mississippi!