Jesus crosses the sea to visit a gentile village, where he is immediately met by a local outcast, who is possessed by several demons.

f3_06_15_25_#147_Luke 10:25-37_The Expert_Trinty Sunday

{ILS} Ignorance, Certainty, or Curiosity

• Sit around with a group of family or friends

• • What is the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?

  • We say a simple phrase to each other in these moments…

  • Google almost always settles…

  • • questions

    • debates

    • even arguments

• Questions are endless & we have that power to search almost anything…

• • Humans have a choice between…

  • • Ignorance

    • Certainty

    • Endless curiosity

{SCR} Luke 10: 25-37- Expert in the Law Tests Jesus

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

{MPT} - Those that tested Jesus so far

• Devil - tested Jesus’ conviction in the desert

• Experts in religion - demanded a sign from heaven

{MPT} - What must I do…?

• Unsaid portion is …”to be certain”

• The agreed upon answer has interesting components

• • Love your God

  • Love your Neighbor

  • Love Yourself

{SCR} 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead

{MPT} - Justify = Prove to be right or reasonable

• I will either show everyone…

• • Jesus doesn’t know the answer

  • Jesus knows the correct answer…according to me

{MPT} - To be righteous in the sight of God

• I want God to see my actions and words and find me faithful

• And a little bit i want God to see others as unfaithful

{SCR} 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.

Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

{MPT} - The Samaritan put the wounded stranger on his donkey

• This is a person going the extra mile, taking the burden of another

• • Who are we willing to do that for?

{ILS} Ignorance, Certainty, or Curiosity

• The roots of these three tendencies

• • Ignorance - intimidation, delegation, or indifference

  • Certainty - mastery, urgency, fear

  • Curiosity - faith, a desire to walk along and wonder out loud

  • • Be curious about God

    • About others ……bc none of us are complete

    • About ourselves

Acts 2:1-21_Pentecost_All Time Notes

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Peter Addresses the Crowd

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 “‘In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.

18 Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

19 I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,

blood and fire and billows of smoke.

20 The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

06_01_25_#145_Luke 25:44-53_Returning to Jerusalem

{ILS} Courtroom Cross-examination

• The stress of proving your knowledge and character in public

• The magnified stress of being publicly questioned by a person hoping to trap you

• You can prep with everyone for the moment, but soon it will only be you.

• You cannot waver, yet things you know can seem fragile and difficult to recall

{SCR} Luke 25:44 Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you--that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

{MPT} The difficult path for the followers of God

• The OT is full of stories of individuals, tribes, nations and kings taking shortcuts

• • Idols they made

  • Alliances they made

  • Enemies they made

  • • If you rank the most remarkable things Jesus did…

    • • Heal those sick for a lifetime

      • Affecting surrounding nature

      • Following the path that had to be followed

      • • No shortcuts

        • No hedges

        • No audibles

{MPT} The central mission is repentance and forgiveness for all

• Unlocked several long held notions from the text

• • nations harmed us, withheld from us, murdered us, WE WILL BE SET APART

  • • How did I choose myself over others?

    • What were the consequences of my choices for me and for others?

• A new cycle must begin and is triggered by the resurrection

• • Visible and physical reminders

  • Remove the shackles from past experiences

{SCR} Mark 12:48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

{MPT} Sending out the Witness

• What could you testify to, regardless of the setting, the stakes, or the people?

• • My God cared so deeply for me, that God sent messengers

  • My God believes so deeply in me, that God will call me to serve as one

Link to scripture passage

My daughters Addison (senior at Tennessee) and Caroline (sophomore at Clemson) join me to discuss the story of Jesus leaving his disciples and his earthly ministry. We compare their experiences in college with the experience of being a disciple hearing Jesus speak, watching him depart from them, and then returning to the Temple in new leadership roles. We recorded in the middle of the kitchen so the audio is a little crazy, including our cat a varying times, but we had fun and set up several points for Sunday.

Click here for the scripture link

Click here for the sermon notes document

Sermon Google Doc