Sermons by Pastor Matt Erickson (Page 28)
Jubilee
In His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus launches His public ministry in Luke 4:14-30 by quoting from the Messianic passage of Isaiah 61. His words excite everyone, but in two different ways. Some are thrilled with the possibility of God’s favor coming to them, while others are confused to the point of anger. SERMON OUTLINE “He began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’” (Luke 4:21) Three Implications of Jesus and Jubilee The Polarizing Potential of…
Prepare
In Luke 3:1-38, John the Baptist appears as a forerunner to the Messiah. John is the Elijah-like prophet foretold, crying out in the wilderness for people to prepare for the Lord. Jesus comes to be baptized and we know He is the one for whom we all have been preparing. SERMON OUTLINE “The word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for…
Growing
In Luke 2:22-52, Jesus is dedicated at the Temple and grows up physically. As He grows, there is a growing awareness that something unique is appearing in Jesus. SERMON OUTLINE “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52) Jesus Growing (Luke 2:16, 40, 43, 52) Growing Light (Luke 2:25-32, 36-40) Growing Clouds (Luke 2:33-35) Growing Revelation (Luke 2:41-49) Growing Confusion (Luke 2:33, 50) DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Answer one of the following questions: What is…
Prophet
In Luke 1:57-80, John is born to Elizabeth and Zechariah. His name is prophetic and his role is prophetic. Zechariah’s tongue is loosed and he sings a prophetic song of what is to come with John. SERMON OUTLINE “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.” (Luke 1:68) The Miraculous Name of the Prophet (Luke 1:57-63) The Infectious Joy Surrounding the Prophet (Luke 1:64-66) Fulfilled Promises and the Prophet…
Visitation
In Luke 1:26-56, Mary is visited by an angel and invited into God’s plans and favor. She is “highly favored” and responds to God’s invitation with ideal yielding of any disciple to their master: “may your word to me be fulfilled.” Mary and Elizabeth meet and their children leap in anticipation. Mary rejoices with the famous Magnificat, praising God for remembering and visiting His people. SERMON OUTLINE “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to…
Promise
This week, Pastor Matt kicks off a 10-month exploration on the Gospel of Luke by looking at the promise of miracle children in Luke 1:1-25 who portend the promise of God. SERMON OUTLINE “But the angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.’” (Luke 1:13) Hungering for the Promise (Amos 8:11-12) Preparing for the Promise (Luke 1:5-17) Shocked by the Promise (Luke…
7 on Multiplication
A church that is becoming a reflection of Revelation 7:9-10 aims to establish strong and continuous leadership growth and multiplication. We will talk about 7 categories of leadership growth (using the Ministry Leadership Growth Model) and prioritize annual ministry residents and summer interns. The Apostle Paul wrote, “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). Sermon Outline “There before me…
7 on Mission
A church that is becoming a reflection of Revelation 7:9-10 aims to grow externally through missional engagement. We are looking at missional church planting (e.g., missional communities, people moving into targeted communities), missional multisite, and increased opportunities for field-based community work (e.g., Bread of healing, Neighborhood Learning Center). Jesus summarized the church’s mission in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea…
7 on Discipleship
A church that is becoming a reflection of Revelation 7:9-10 aims to make new disciples and grow current disciples deeper. We want to see that through increased conversions, small group participation, and triad development. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching…
Praying Like a Master
When the disciples had spent enough time with Jesus, they asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). With the disciples, we need to learn from Jesus’ essential teaching on prayer in Luke 11:1-12. Sermon Outline “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1) The What of Prayer (Luke 11:1-4) Addressing the Father Declaring His Name and His Kingdom Requesting what we need: provision, forgiveness, endurance The How of Prayer (Luke 11:5-10) With shameless audacity By asking, seeking, knocking The…
Making Space for Prayer
Jesus is the Master of prayer, and He makes space for prayer. We see this throughout the Gospel of Luke, and it comes clearest in Luke 5:16: “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” What does Jesus’ pattern of making space for prayer teach us about our own life of prayer? Pastor Matt kicks off the first part of a long-term exploration on the Gospel of Luke with a look at Luke 5:16, 6:12a, and 9:18a. Sermon Outline “Jesus often…
Messy Ends
The book of Judges ends (Judges 17-21) with an odd assortment of stories that take a different direction than the previous stories, leaving us with the sad state of affairs of a group of people with no leader where “everyone did as they saw fit” (17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). SERMON OUTLINE “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.” (Judges 21:25) Five Things We Can Accomplish without a Leader’s Help (Judges 17-18; 19-21) Mixed-up Worship…