And you know, this week, it really is, it is Thanksgiving week. It's here, church. It's here. It's hard to believe, isn't it? But it's here. So you know what? Give thanks. Give thanks. You know, you stop to think about all the things that God has done for you, and you realize that, like the psalmist said, his thoughts towards us are as the sand of the sea in number. We have so much to be thankful for. And I encourage you with this, don't just give thanks, be thankful. Giving thanks is an action. You know, and it's easy to give thanks a couple days of the year. But we as Christians, We're called more than just to give thanks. We are called to be thankful. And if you're looking for a way to show the world that Christians are different, you know one of the easiest ways to show the world that Christians are different is that Christians are thankful. That we try to obey the admonition of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 18. That we in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. concerning you. So give thanks, be thankful because we serve a great God. Now this morning we're going to be looking at really the greatest thing that we have to be thankful about and that is the Lord Jesus Christ and why he came. And I think it's so important for us to remember that first and foremost Jesus Christ did not come for you and I to have our best life now. Now, He desires for us to have life abundant, but His primary purpose in coming wasn't for us to have our best life now. It wasn't for Him to impart wisdom. It wasn't for Him to heal the physical infirmities of mankind. But His primary purpose in coming, the Bible teaches us, was to seek and to save that which was lost. And church, that is good news. It was good news back in Bible times. It's good news in 2019. It is good news that Jesus still seeks and saves that which was lost. Now our news cycle seems to be stuck on bad news, doesn't it? It doesn't seem to matter where you live or what side of the aisle you're on or what station you turn on. It seems that everybody is just filled with bad news. Bad news, bad news, bad news. I heard a report the other day and it cracked me up. And it went something like this, we hate to report this, but violent crimes and hate crimes have only decreased by a certain margin this year. And I said, wait a minute, they've gone down? Isn't that good news? But it seems like everything has gone down. The bad news slant. And you know what? It's easy to fall into that trap, isn't it? Oh, it so is. I can remember times when I was coaching basketball, and Coach Nitschke can attest to this, we would beat a team by 50 points. And we would go into the locker room and be all excited, and I'd say, guys, that was a great game, but this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this. Life's full of bad news. And it's easy sometimes to get swept up in this hypersensitive, hypercritical culture. But this morning, we've got some good news for us. This morning, the Bible's got some good news for us. The Holy Spirit's got some good news for us. His name is Jesus. Look with me, if you could, at this passage. Let's dive right in, beginning in verse 14. The Bible says, And Jesus returned in the power of the Holy Spirit into Galilee. And there went out a fame of Him throughout all the region round about. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And 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 for her to read. Hey, I've got a little bit of good news for you according to the word of God this morning. First of all, can you see it with me? Can you see the heart of Jesus? Can you see the heart of Jesus this morning? I've got some good news. Because you see Jesus here in Luke chapter 4. We see that Jesus is on the rise. You go backwards in the chapter and Jesus has just overcome the temptation in the wilderness. He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. He was tempted of the devil. He overcame the devil. The Bible said that he came out of the wilderness in the power of the Holy Spirit. And he's teaching with clarity and authority unlike any other teacher of that day. But at this point Jesus had crowns. At this point Jesus had clout. He was the hot ticket. I mean people were coming from miles around just to see and hear Jesus. But you know what I love about Jesus? Jesus didn't run straight to Jerusalem. You know what happens if somebody picks up a little bit of clout and a little bit of momentum today? Oh, all of a sudden they're off to a bigger ministry. All of a sudden they're off to a bigger city. All of a sudden they're written out the big venues, you know what I mean? But Jesus didn't run to Jerusalem. Jesus didn't book the big venues. Jesus didn't grab a book deal. He already had one, but that's beside the point. The Bible says that Jesus went to Galilee. And he ministered in those cities and towns, and in particular, the one we're looking at, he went to Nazareth. Now Nazareth was the place where Jesus was brought up, but can I fill in a little bit of information about Galilee and those regions to this morning? Galilee and the regions and the towns in Galilee, including Nazareth, these were not big towns. These were not towns where fancy people went to. These were not towns where fancy people came out of. These were small, little podunk, back roads, back desert, because they didn't really have woods in that area, towns. You know, there was even a saying about Nazareth. Wasn't there? Nazareth, when Jesus came out of Nazareth, what did the people say? Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Like, really? But when Jesus came out victorious, and Jesus came filled with the Spirit, and Jesus began to draw crowds. Do you know what Jesus didn't do? Jesus didn't live for the pomp. Jesus didn't minister for the power. Jesus went to the small towns and the people that no one else would. You know, that's why we see things in the ministry of Jesus, like John 4 and verse number 4, where it says that he must, needs, go through Samaria. You realize places like Samaria were places that no self-respecting Jewish person would ever go. Their racism and prejudice against the Samaritans were legendary. And yet Jesus must need to go through Samaria. This is why we see things in the ministry of Jesus, like Mark chapter 10, beginning in verse 48, as blind Bartimaeus is crying out, son of David, have mercy on me. This blind man on the side of the road, this beggar, this man that the crowds just walked by, he's a nuisance, he's a beggar, he's dirty, he's useless. In fact, look what happened. Many of the people charged him that he should hold his peace. the people around Jesus said shut your mouth blind man you're in the way get out of Jesus's way be quiet but he cried with a more great deal saying thou son of David have mercy on me look what Jesus does in verse number 49 and Jesus did what stood still it's why we see Instances like Luke chapter 17, when Jesus, though he was dining in a Pharisee's house, the Bible says, allowed a sinful woman to come and anoint him. Why Jesus and Matthew said, suffer the little children to come unto me. Because the heart of Jesus wasn't about the pomp. And the heart of Jesus wasn't about the power. And the heart of Jesus was never about the prestige or the prayer. I remind you, He had all that in heaven. If Jesus wanted the power and the praise and the prestige, if He wanted the popularity, Jesus would have stayed right where He was. But old Paul wrote in Philippians chapter 2, beginning in verse number 5, that we should let this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God verse number six thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation took upon him the form of a servant and was made and the likeness You see, if Jesus wanted power, He would have stayed in heaven. And if He wanted praise, He could have just stayed in heaven. And if He wanted pomp and circumstance and glory and honor, He could have just stayed in heaven. But the Bible says that He willfully emptied Himself of it all and took on the form of a man like you and like I. Why? Because His heart, His heart, His heart is for people. People. all people, everywhere, every person. The Bible says that He laid all that aside to seek that which was lost. Matthew chapter 18 and verse number 11 says this, for the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. And I want you to understand this morning that the good news of this passage and the good news of this book is that the heart of Jesus is for you. That the heart of Jesus is for you. The president may never know your name, but Jesus does. He not only knows your name, He knows you. Including all that stuff that you don't want anybody else to know. Yet He loves you anyways. I remember on vacation we went down to Florida and we got to spend a little time with my brothers. And like family does when they get together, they begin to kind of recollect a little bit. They begin to kind of remember. You're all going to do it on Thursday too. We're going to get together and we're going to talk with our families about that time crazy Uncle Jimmy did this. grandma did that or the brother did this and boy weren't those good times and wasn't that funny and I can't believe and we started recollecting but what sometimes happens when my brothers and I get together we start recollecting about all of those not not so wonderful things that we did when we were growing up my brothers mostly not me okay But I can remember we're sitting there, and they're talking, and they're talking, and they're like, you remember that time, and you remember this time, and what about over here? And I'm like, guys, be quiet. Like, my wife doesn't even know this stuff about me, okay? Shh. She still thinks I'm a good person. And we laughed and we carried on, but you know what? Jesus knows every single thing about you, including those things that you would never want anybody else to know. He knows you, but in spite of you, and in spite of me, you know what the good news is? His heart is for you. That He loves you. That He not only loves you, but He has sought you out. We read Matthew 18 and verse 11 a few minutes ago that the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which is lost. The very next verse, verse number 12 said this, How thank ye if a man of a hundred sheep and one of them be gone astray. Doth he not leave the ninety and nine and go into the mountains and seek that which is gone astray? God, through Jesus Christ, has sought you because He loves you. Because He loves you and He cares for you. He desires you. I've got some good news for you today. The heart of Jesus is for you. And the reality is some of us this morning don't love ourselves. Some of us this morning, we really hate ourselves and we transpose that on all the other relationships we have around us. God doesn't love me. God can't love me. Wrong. He loves you. He loves you. When your mama doesn't even love you anymore, He loves you. And He died for you. And some of us this morning have for far too long held God at a distance. Understand this morning the good news is that He loves you. He desires you. You know what? You're His child and you've messed up. He still loves you. The heart of Jesus is for you. The heart of Jesus is for you. For every man, for each man. Hey, I've got some good news. Can you see the heart of Jesus this morning? Not only His heart, but look with me beginning in verse 17. The Bible says, as Jesus here goes to Nazareth and he goes to the synagogue, the Bible says, as was his custom. By the way, if Jesus made it his custom to go to church, don't you think we should too? That's just a side note for free. Jesus grew up in Nazareth. Chances are his minister, if he had one, was part-time and unlearned. And yet Jesus, as was his custom, went to church. That's a side note, that's for free. Look forward to seeing everybody tonight for the youth service. The Bible says in verse number 17, and Luke chapter number 4 if we could, and there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and the recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book and gave it again to the minister and sat down and the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened upon him. He began to say unto them, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. Hey, this morning I got some good news for you. Number one, I want you to see the heart of Jesus. The good news is this morning, no matter who you are, no matter where you've been, no matter how far off you are, the heart of God is for you. Number two, I got some more good news. Can you see the hope that's found in Jesus? Not only the heart of Jesus, but I want you to see the hope in Jesus. And Jesus here takes the scroll of Isaiah and begins to read a couple of different passages. Isaiah chapter 61 and Isaiah 58 are the two passages that he kind of puts together here. And Jesus here quotes this Old Testament scripture about himself. And it's a beautiful scripture about the hope that's to be found in the Messiah. I want you to see here all of the different things that we've listed. Can I summarize it for us? The hope in the Messiah, the hope found in Jesus. First, it's true freedom. It is true freedom. You look at that list. To preach the gospel to the poor. To heal the brokenhearted. To preach deliverance to the captives. Recovering of the sight to them that are blind. To set at liberty them that are bruised. Hey, no matter your angst this morning, Here's the answer. There's good news to the poor. The word here used for poor was those that had no recourse and no help. They were reduced to begging. They had no way to actually provide anything for themselves. They were solely desperate on other men. And the good news to the poor is this, is through Jesus Christ, there is equal opportunity and access. You know, the poor doesn't have a lot of opportunities today, do they? They don't. They don't have a lot of opportunities in the business world or the real estate world, or they don't have the same opportunities in the education world. They don't even have the same opportunities in the medical world, do they? You know, in some religions they don't have the same opportunities. Some religions are built on caste systems, where the upper class stay the upper class, and the lower class, they are locked down where they can't advance. Some of the cults you'll even see that the way you advance within that cult is that you have to pay a lot of money to take these specialized classes to be able to gain this secret knowledge. And that's how you move up. You pay the money to take the class to gain the knowledge. There's no opportunity there. There's no access there for the common man, for the poor man, the man who's destitute. But the good news is this. In Jesus Christ, there is equal opportunity and equal access. You know, we looked at that physically, you can look at that spiritually. You know, that same word there is used by Jesus in Matthew chapter 5 to refer to those who are poor in spirit, those who are broken at heart, those who realize that they are depraved and undone, those that realize, you know what, I don't deserve heaven, and I don't deserve God, and I don't deserve hope. Do you know what? For the most wicked among us, there is hope in Jesus Christ. It's true freedom. So we see to the poor, we see the healing of the brokenhearted, deliverance to the captive, sight for the blind, liberty for those who were crushed. In other words, there is no one so shameful. There is no one so stuck. There is no one so scarred. There is no one so slave that Jesus cannot set them free. Some of us this morning have been absolutely crushed by life. In Jesus, there is true hope and there is true freedom. Some of us have suffered and we have been the victim of just horrific circumstances and we are broken hearted and it seems sometimes broken hearted beyond repair. In Jesus, there's hope, there's true freedom. Do you see this morning? There's nobody so stuck. Some of us this morning have been so captive to sin for so long that we have all but given up the fight. We have accepted it in our lives and we have allowed the devil to build this stronghold and we feel we're never, never, never going to get out. But in Jesus, There is hope. In Jesus you are not stuck. And in Jesus you are not scarred. And in Jesus you are not in Jesus. There is hope. The Bible says in John 8 verse number 36, that if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Can I give you some more good news this morning? 1 John chapter 3 and verse number 8, the Bible says this, He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. That's good news. That's good news. The good news this morning is that in Jesus Christ there is true freedom. Can I put it this way? No matter your angst, He is your answer. Are you hungry this morning? Do you just feel in your soul that this life has not satisfied you, that there must be something more? Are you hungry this morning? Jesus said in John chapter 6 and verse number 35, He said, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." Do you need some direction this morning? Sometimes in life we just feel like we're chasing our tails, don't we? We feel like we're spinning in circles. We don't know where we're going and we don't know how to get out of it. Do you need some direction this morning? Jesus said in John chapter 8 and verse number 12, and the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Do you need a place to belong this morning? Do you need a family? Do you need to know that you're home in a place that's safe and secure? Do you need that? John chapter 10 and verse number 7, Jesus said this, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. Verse number 9, Jesus said this, He said, I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. You know what I see there? I see belonging, I see sustenance, I see stability, I see everything that we need to thrive spiritually. John chapter 10 verse 11, Jesus said this, He said, I am the good shepherd and the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. John chapter 11 and verse number 25 we see this, Jesus saying to her, I am the resurrection and the life. What's the worst this life can do to you? What's the worst this life can do to you? It can take all you have, I think of Job, take all you have and then one day put you in the grave. But you know what, if this life, this short span takes all that you have and puts you in the grave, Jesus looks at us and says, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 14 and verse 6, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me. No matter your angst this morning, He is your answer. He is your answer. Do you see the hope? Do you see the hope? There is true freedom in Jesus Christ. There is true freedom in Him. But not only is there true freedom, but there's also a true future. Jesus said this in verse number 19. He ended out His reading with this. He said, to preach the acceptable year. of the Lord. You look back in Isaiah and you see the context of all that was going on and Isaiah there and Jesus by way of extension was talking about what we would call the Jewish year of Jubilee. Every 50 years, God had ordained a year of Jubilee. And it was a time in which all debts were canceled. It was a time in which property reverted back to its original owners. It was a time in which all who were slave or servant were set free. It was a time of restoration. It was a time, as you would say, of a fresh start. Could you imagine, I thought about this, could you imagine how people would use that to their advantage if we had that today? Well, the year of Jubilee is coming up next year. It's going to be a good Christmas this year, isn't it? Charge, charge, charge. But that was not God's intent. God's intent was not an abuse of grace. God's intent was to provide a fresh start. I want to encourage you this morning with good news. That in Jesus Christ, not only can you have true freedom, but you can have a true future. You can have a true future. It's not always that it goes away, but it is always that God makes a way for you to go on. It's not always that you forget, but it is that God allows you to go forward. It is the reality that God is bigger than your fears, the reality that God is bigger than your failures, that God is bigger than your flaws. That in Christ, the Bible teaches, 2 Corinthians 5, 17, we are new creatures. That all things are passed away and behold, all things are become new. It is the reality, no matter how far from God that we have drifted, that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Some of us this morning would say, you know what, I would give anything for a fresh start. You can have one this morning in Jesus Christ. You can. I've got good news. No matter your situation, do you see the hope in Jesus? Do you see the heart of Jesus this morning? His heart is for who? It's for Do you see the hope this morning? Whether this morning you find yourself poor or broken hearted, whether you find yourself captive or blind or crushed, bruised, there is hope in Jesus. But you know, for all this good news, it didn't end so well. We didn't read it in our scripture reading, but will you note verse number 22 with me? The Bible says, "...and all bear him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is this not Joseph's son?" Huh. Joseph's son. Is this not Joseph's son? And the Bible teaches, you read through, that they begin to take offense at the sermon that he begins to preach. And he reminds them that God doesn't always work in their ways, and that God will not work with their unbelief. I want you to see how it ends. Don, if you would, I know it wasn't on the list, but verse number 28, if you would. You can look there in your Bibles. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath. And they rose up and thrust him out of the city, and they led him to the brow of a hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him headlong. In other words, they got so mad at Jesus that they grabbed him, they threw him out of the city, they took him up to the edge of the cliff, about a 45 foot cliff there, and they were ready to throw him headfirst over the cliff. Why didn't they see his heart? I mean, his heart was for them. Why didn't they see the hope? Everything that they had ever wanted was all brought together in one person, in Jesus. Why didn't they see his heart? Why didn't they see the hope? Because they had some hang-ups. that wouldn't allow them to get there. I note here their shallow exposure. Their shallow exposure, their familiarity. The Bible says that every wide eye was on Him. It was clear Jesus didn't teach like the other teachers. When Jesus spoke, sometimes, sometimes We think of Jesus as a rather austere teacher who merely sits and says, I'm sorry, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn. for they shall be comforted." Sometimes we picture Jesus as a very mild, very austere, very monotone preacher. You look at the descriptions that were given to Him, that's not the case at all. You look at how people responded to His message, that wasn't the case at all. And yet, these people After hearing Jesus speak, every eye was on Him. They could not take their eyes off of Him. And they said, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Isn't this Joseph's kid? I mean, we grew up with him. We went to school with him. We played in the fields with him. We worked with him. We went to Temple with him. We went to Sabbath with him. We know him. Who does he think he is? Who does he think he is? And for their familiarity with him, they were not able to receive him. Because of their shallow exposure to Jesus, they missed what Jesus was all about. They thought they knew him. They did not know Him. Can I caution us today? Most of us think we know Jesus. Don't we? Oh, I know Jesus. You talk to the average man on the street and the average man on the street thinks he knows. Jesus we all seem to think that we know Jesus well, we know him because You know, I have a Bible and and I grew up in church and my grandma she was a godly woman and my grandma prayed before every meal and she prayed with us at bedtime and I know Jesus because I see all those religious things on Facebook and I know Jesus because I have googling can ask Google things and I know Jesus No, we don't No, I don't. No, you don't. The reality is, is when we think we know Jesus, we settle for familiarity. We settle for knowing about Him. We settle for knowing His fame. But you know what you find? You find the more you actually get to know Him, just how unsearchable and indescribable He is. It's like what Paul wrote in Romans chapter 11 in verse number 33. He said, oh the depths of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments in his ways past finding out. The psalmist said it this way in Psalm 145 in verse number three. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. And his greatness is what, church? It's unsearchable. We quoted the verse already, 2 Corinthians 9, verse 15. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable, it means indescribable gift. The more you really get to know Jesus, the more you realize He's more wonderful than you ever imagined. That He's more wise than you ever imagined. That He's more loving than you ever imagined. That He's more understanding than you ever imagined. That He's more holy than you ever imagined. That He's more powerful than you ever imagined. That He's more infinite than you ever imagined. The more you get to know Him, the more you realize you don't know Him that well at all. Oh, their hang-up was they thought they knew Jesus. You know what? A lot of Christians miss what God has for them because they come to church and they sit in a pew and they think, yeah, yeah, yeah, I've heard that before. I know that. How many of us have missed out on the blessings of God because we think, I already know that. I've already done that. I already know Him. No, we don't. We need to fall in love with falling in love with Jesus. We need to fall in love with Him all over again and seek Him, and seek Him, and seek Him. And the Bible says if we seek Him, we shall find Him if we search with all our hearts. You know where their hang-up was? They missed Him. They missed His heart, and they missed His hope because they thought they knew Him already. Not only were they hung up on their shallow exposure, but also on their shallow expectations. The part we didn't read is God reminding them that He doesn't always work the way that they think He should work. But you know what? When famine came and when trouble came in the Old Testament, that sometimes God took His man out of Israel and He went to Gentiles. He went to other people and other places that those Israelites would not have approved of. Reminded them that God doesn't always work the way they think they should. And you know, these people of Nazareth, they missed it. They missed the good news because, number one, they thought they knew Him, but also, number two, because they thought they knew what He should do. Jesus clearly indicated to them that God does not operate according to their expectations. And buddy, they got so mad at that that they tried to throw him off a cliff. Some of the most dangerous words in the Christian faith are, but I thought. But I thought God would. But I thought this. But I thought that the prayer would be answered this way. But I thought God was going to heal this or bring this or send this. And the truth is we get so messed up when God doesn't do it our way. We get so messed up. You know what? We don't look to throw them off a cliff. But we do wonder, is this really worth it? I mean, is this really what I signed up for? Can we be honest this morning? You've thought it. But doesn't God owe me? Is this really worth it? And you know what? It doesn't go according to our expectations. And if we're not careful when our experience doesn't match our expectation, then we can get all hung up and miss what God desires to do. Forgetting the reality that according to Isaiah 55 beginning in verse number 8, that His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. So many people miss who God is and so many people miss what God is doing because God won't do it their way. I beg you this morning, don't miss His person and don't miss His process because of your pride. Don't miss it. I've got good news. I've got good news that the God of all the universe, the creator of the heavens and earth, the God who holds it all in His hands and hung the moon and the stars into place, and the God who did it all, the God of the universe, His heart is for you. I've got good news that no matter your problem, no matter your angst, no matter your sin, no matter your situation, Jesus is the hope you've been waiting for. In Him are all the promises of God, yea and amen. And I'm going to tell you the best news, the best news is that Jesus Christ, just like He did 2,000 years ago in Luke chapter 4, Jesus Christ stands ready today. I tell you verse number 21 of this passage, and he began to say unto them, this day is the scripture fulfilled in your ears. And I am so glad to tell you that this day, today, that the heart of God is still for you, and that hope in Christ is still available for you, and it's available for you right now. You don't have to go home and clean your life up and come back. You don't have to figure out A, B, C, and D. You don't have to fill out an application. What you are waiting for is here. And it's not a what, it's a who. It's good news. It's good news. This morning would you taste and see that the Lord is good? This morning would you recognize again that the Lord God is a sun and shield? Would you recognize again that God would give you and that God would be to you grace and glory? That no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. As James would put it, that every good and perfect gift cometh from above. There's good news. There is good, good news. He's more than you think He is. He's bigger than you think He is. He's greater than you think He is. He is more benevolent than you think He is. He is more than just a babe in a manger. He is more than a dead pale figure on a cross. He is the risen Lord. He is the very Son of God. And He stands ready to be your hope, to be your help. And He's closer than you think He is too. If today you will hear His voice, don't harden your heart. This day, He stands ready. If you are willing, you don't have to leave with the same bad news you brought in. I've got good news. Could we stand together this morning with our heads bowed and eyes closed, our musicians coming to the instruments?