Jesus Friend of Sinners
Lent Series, March 9 - April 17
Luke 7:34, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of sinners’
Jesus came eating and drinking, and we called him a glutton and drunkard - a friend of sinners (Luke 7:34). In this series we will not only be challenged to follow the footsteps of Jesus, but we revel in the grace that we are the “sinners” that have been invited to the feast. And, in keeping with the season of Lent, we will be encouraged to examine the sin that keeps us from the feast.
APRIL 27, 2014
CENTRIFUGAL CERTAINTY
Text: Luke 24:36-50
Luke's concern for certainty (getting the story straight from reliable witnesses) carries through right up to, and especially with, the resurrection of Jesus. We will explore why it matters that the resurrection is bodily.
APRIL 20, 2014
The Victory of God
Text: Luke 24
On this Easter Sunday, we conclude our series ‘Jesus, Friend of Sinners’, in which we have been focusing on the meals Jesus eats with sinners, by looking at the final meal Jesus eats in the gospel of Luke - a meal with two disillusioned disciples, who find the resurrected Jesus in their midst.
APRIL 13, 2014
The Resolve of God
Text: Luke 19
On Palm Sunday we see the crowd cheering “blessed in the King”, becomes the crowd chanting “crucify him”. And so, the question for us, as we alongside the crowd hailing Jesus king, is: will we change our tune when we realize the depth of servanthood to which Jesus calls us.
APRIL 06, 2014
The Lamb of God
Text: Luke 22
Jesus shares the Last Supper with his disciples, and in so doing demonstrates how his death will provide a new kind of exodus - a new kind of salvation from bondage. In the Lord’s Supper we ingest the means of our salvation; we enact the future; and we inhabit table manner appropriate for the kingdom of God.
March 30, 2014
The Salvation of God: Zacchaeus
Luke 19
The Son of man came to seek and to save what was lost - this is the mission of Jesus on earth…the mission of which we are taken up into. How do we speak of salvation in a way that connects to people, or even to ourselves? What is salvation? We see that, in this story, salvation is evidenced by a man able to release his money, and being willing to abide by the economy of Jesus.
MARCH 23, 2014
The Inclusiveness of God: the two lost sons
Luke 15
Jesus shows that both sons wanted the Father not for the Father, but for the Father’s goods. The younger son - the immoral/irreligious - wanted his Father’s inheritance. The older son - the moralistically religious - obeyed the Father seemingly to be rewarded. The Father extends a feast of forgiveness, and bids both sons to participate.
MARCH 16, 2014
The Pursuit of God: lost sheep, lost coins, and lost sons.
Text - Luke 15
Jesus, in telling these three parables, is defending his actions before the Pharisees and the Teachers of the law, who question Jesus feasting with sinners. Jesus shows that his actions are aligned with the heart of God, who rejoices when sinners are found. There is a call here for the church to make space for relationships with those who do not follow God, while also calling them to turn toward God.
MARCH 9, 2014
The Feast of God
Text: Luke 10
Jesus tells us ‘when you have a dinner, do not invite your friends or family, but invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind’. After a man tries to relieve the tension of this statement by deferring to the “future feast”, Jesus tells a parable about the table of the feast has already been set.