WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Luke 4:14-44 (God's Word translation)
How many people have lived in the Tri-Cities your whole life?
• How many of you live in the same house you got married in?
• How many of you live in the same house you were born in?
• I have figured out that I have lived in 17 cities, and lived in 21 different houses in 56 years (that’s living in a different house every 2.7 years)
Sometimes we are born into a family that lives in a certain place.
• Sometimes we move to a certain place because a job requires it or we are going to school there. (Add college then I add 2 more cities and 4 dorm rooms).
• Sometimes we move to somewhere because we moving back with family.
• Other times we move somewhere out of choice. People often retire to a place like Florida.
Two of the places that Jesus lived were two towns mentioned in our text.
• One place was his hometown of Nazareth. We can assume that he lived there over 25 years.
• The other place was the town of Capernaum (Matthew 4:13 tells us that Jesus went to live there after his baptism).
These two towns were different in a very important way.
• NAZARETH WAS RESISTANT TO JESUS
• BUT CAPERNAUM WAS RESPONSIVE TO JESUS
And I want to suggest to you today that, figuratively speaking, you live in one of these two towns.
• And I want to warn you that it is very possible to be a Christian, and still be resistant to Jesus.
In Luke 3 we read about the baptism of Jesus.
• In the beginning of Luke 4, we are told about the temptation of Jesus.
• After His baptism and temptation in the wilderness, Jesus began His public ministry.
Now we come to our text.
• Jesus will visit two towns where he lived or had lived. One was resistant to Jesus and the other was responsive to Jesus.
• My question is where do you live Spiritually?
• Do you live in Nazareth, resistant to Jesus or in Capernaum, responsive to Jesus?
• Let’s look at the difference: (we are going to take the scripture in sections)
I). WHAT HAPPENED IN NAZARETH?
A). THEY WERE FAMILIAR - Vv. 15-22 (read)
• Jesus gave a wonderful introduction of himself as Messiah through the presentation in the synagogue.
• Although the people admitted that they noted his gracious words, they couldn’t get past the fact that he was the son of someone that they knew.
• They thought that they knew Jesus well, but they didn't.
B). Today many have a similar problem.
• They’ve heard about Jesus all their lives ~ they’ve gone to church all their lives.
• But they really don't know Him. Mention Jesus, and they'll say, "Oh, I know who He is." ~ But they don't act like they know Him.
• They don’t want to learn more about Him: their excuse is "Oh, I've heard that before!"
C). Folks, we are in great danger when we get so familiar with Jesus that we take Him for granted or ignore Him.
• In Nazareth they were familiar & so they thought they knew Jesus.
II). THEY WERE FAITHLESS - Vv. 23-24
A). Jesus knew what these people were thinking.
• They were using a saying of that day, "Physician heal thyself."
• They wanted to see Him perform some miracles as He had done in Capernaum.
• But Jesus used another saying familiar to them: "A prophet isn’t accepted in his hometown.”
B). They had had the very Son of God living right there with them for years, and they didn’t respect or believe Him.
• Other places, including Capernaum, did!
• Do you know why Jesus didn’t do very many miracles in Nazareth? Matthew 13:58 - "it was because of their lack of faith."
C). Have you ever wondered why God doesn't do more around here?
• Have you ever wondered why God doesn't do more in your life?
• Could it be that we are just as unbelieving in some ways as the people of Nazareth.
III). THEY WERE FRUSTRATED - Vv. 25-30
A). Jesus tells these Jewish people about two Gentiles who received miracles.
• He tells them that there were plenty of Jewish people around, but God chose to heal these two Gentiles instead.
• Just maybe there are two things to consider here:
o One is that there was obvious unbelief by the people of Israel in the days of Elijah and Elisha. And the people of Nazareth were showing the same unbelief. Therefore, there were no miracles.
o The other thing to consider is that God is not obligated to act just because someone thinks that He should!
B). Wow, these people got angry with Jesus. They tried to kill JESUS! Why?
• Because He told them the truth and they didn't want to hear it.
• We can get that way sometimes.
• Oh maybe we don’t try to actually kill the preacher, but let’s conspire to get rid of him or her.
C). When we get angry with people who tell us the truth about our behavior, or lack of faith, we are really getting angry with God because He is confronting us with His truth and we don't want to hear it!
DO YOU LIVE IN NAZARETH? OR DO YOU LIVE IN CAPERNAUM?
IV). WHAT HAPPENED IN CAPERNAUM? Vv. 31-32
A). First, Jesus did the same thing in Capernaum that he did in Nazareth.
• He spoke in the synagogue and He taught them with authority.
• There was conviction and power in His words.
• While in Nazareth the people rejected Him and His word; the people of Capernaum were receptive to His teaching.
B). How receptive are you to the Word of God?
• Do you listen with interest? Do you listen with enthusiasm?
• Do you listen and pay attention at all? Do you care?
• Sometimes people get nothing out of God's Word because they are not receptive to God's Word.
V). INSTEAD OF JESUS BEING RUN OUT OF TOWN ~ THE DEVIL WAS. Vv. 33-37
A). The people were receptive and the devil was released.
• We need to remember that the devil is no match for the Son of God!
• Oh if we would realize this! Jesus came to give us victory over sin and to release the power of Satan from our lives!
B). Not only was the devil released, but SICKNESS WAS REMOVED - Vv. 38-41
• Look at the end of v. 38 again! (read)
• Why did they ask ~ because they believed!!!
VI). THERE’S A GREAT WARNING HERE THAT WE MISS BECAUSE TOO OFTEN WE DON’T PUT 1 & 1 TOGETHER AND GET 2: Look at Matthew 11
A). Verse 20 says that “Jesus denounced the cities where He had worked most of His miracles because they had not changed the way they thought and acted.”
• Now look at vv. 23-24 (read)
B). The lesson: Being receptive to Jesus means that we change the way we think and the way we act!
• That’s the PROOF we have of our belief in Jesus.
• It’s not our words ~ it’s our thoughts and our actions!!!
C). Truly accepting Jesus means that we ABIDE in Him ~ that we LIVE in Him.
• Doing as He does ~ Loving as He loves ~ Living as He lives!
• Sadly, Capernaum eventually showed its unbelief, and they were judged harshly for it!
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
