Jesus for Everyone

This blog is to supplement the current teaching series through the Gospel of Luke at Beaverton Foursquare Church, in Beaverton, Oregon. We are providing weekly self-study/digging deeper questions for those desiring to go beyond the scope of the sermon in your exploration of the complete passage. We are also providing links to the sermon introduction videos filmed for this series on-location in Israel. Our prayer is that we can better learn how to live and love like Jesus this year!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Week 3 December 23-24, 2011 "Shepherds' Response"


Luke Series - 03 - Shepherd's Response from Beaverton Foursquare on Vimeo.

Introduction:
I love the view from Herodium, the site from which this video segment was filmed. Looking west at the hills of Bethlehem, the very hills upon which simple shepherds would have been tendin their flocks one night when all heaven broke loose at the angel's announcement to them, simple shepherds, that the Shepherd King had been born!

Text: Luke 2:1-17

Sermon Notes: "Away in a Manger"
3 times the story tells us that Jesus was born in a manger.  The manger is a signpost.

Moses:  “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3-4)

Isaiah:  “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”  (Isaiah 55:2)

Jesus:  “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:51)

“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19)

Points to Ponder:
The video segment does a good job of contrasting Herod's paranoid and maniacal grasp for power and control with Jesus humble birth, righteous life, and innocent death. Herod's kingdom lies in ruins while Jesus' kingdom is now found all over the world. It is a pattern repeated throughout history of man trying to be in charge, respected, and if not loved then feared. God will always oppose such efforts and ultimately humble the proud. Yet He used the humble to make a way that we all could escape our lost condition and be embraced, adopted as heirs into the everlasting Kingdom of God...through simple faith in Jesus Christ.
Questions to ask:
  • Why was this great announcement made to shepherds instead of kings and priests?
  • How did the shepherds respond to this news? (There are at least four things they did)
  • How will we respond to this story? Will we follow the shepherds' example?
  • List two specific ways you will follow their example this week!
 
Devotional Journal:See http://b4lukejournal.blogspot.com/ for SOAP style journaling from the Gospel of Luke.

To view our entire Christmas Eve Service, click on this link: http://vimeo.com/34422215

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