THE STORY OF DR. LUKE
Text: Col. 4:14, Luke 1:1-4, Acts 1:1-4, 2 Tim. 4:11
Introduction
1. Illustration: When our daughter-in-law, Emily, graduated from nursing school I told her, “Welcome to the family business!” You see, my mother was head nurse in the nursery at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, OH for 25 years. In addition to my mom, my sister was a nurse, my brother John was the CEO of Mercy Children’s Hospital in Toledo, OH, my sister-in-law was a nurse, my other sister-in-law worked in the accounting department at a hospital, my nephew’s wife is a doctor, my niece Crystal is a nurse, and now another one of my nieces, Monica, has decided to leave being a school counselor to go to nursing school. Medicine is our family business!
2. This morning I’d like to look at the story of one of the most important biblical writers, Dr. Luke.
3. He’s important because he is the only biblical writer who was a Gentile, but he’s also important for many other reasons.
4. Dr. Luke was, as you might imagine a…
a. Doctor
b. Historian
c. Evangelist
d. Faithful
5. Read Col. 4:14
Proposition: From Dr. Luke we learn to be faithful and resourceful in all we do to build the Kingdom of God.
Transition: First, as my title indicates, he was a…
1. Doctor (Col. 4:14).
A. The Beloved Doctor
1. In Col. 4:14 Paul says, “Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas.”
a. First, and foremost, Luke was a doctor, and as Paul mentions here, the beloved doctor.
b. He was a traveling physician, and he went with Paul for most of his second and third missionary journeys.
c. On more than a few occasions, Paul was whipped, beaten, caned, stoned, and Lord knows what else, and Luke was able to take care of his physical needs.
2. In addition to Paul’s many beatings for preaching the Gospel, in 2 Cor. 12:7, Paul says, “even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.”
a. Many scholars believe that Paul’s thorn in the flesh was some sort of physical ailment, and it’s very likely that Luke took care of this physical problem whatever it might have been.
b. The important thing for us to see here is that Luke used his marketplace skills to further the Kingdom.
B. Market Place Ministry
1. Illustration: Christ met unbelievers where they were. And He met them most often in the marketplace, not in a place of worship. He realized what many Christians today still don't seem to understand. Cultivators must get out in the field. According to one count, the Gospels record 132 contacts that Jesus had with people. Six were in the Temple, four in the synagogues and 122 were out with the people in the mainstream of life. Lost people aren't commanded to come to church, but the Church is commanded to go to the lost. Be like Jesus and find the lost by ministering in the marketplace. - unknown
2. Be like Dr. Luke and use your marketplace skills to further the Kingdom.
a. “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Col. 3:17)
b. Your mission field is where you work.
c. It is your opportunity to look for opportunities to share Jesus with people.
d. Whether it’s your co-workers or the customers and patients you deal with every day.
e. God is opening doors for you to further the Kingdom and you may not even realize it.
f. Luke used his medical skills to further the Kingdom, so use your marketplace skills to share the Gospel.
Transition: In addition to being a doctor, Luke was also a…
2. Historian (Lk. 1:1-4).
A. An Accurate Account
1. In addition to being a doctor, Luke was also a very accurate historian.
2. In the beginning of his gospel, Luke writes, “Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. 2 They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. 3 Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, 4 so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.”
a. I’d like to focus on vv 3-4, where Luke says that he carefully investigated everything from the beginning.
b. The thing about Luke as a historian was that his historical facts were impeccable.
c. When Tina and I were in bible college, we had a professor named Dr. Brian Messner, who already at the age of 25 had earned his PhD, and it was in ancient Roman history. So, ancient history was his thing. So, one day I asked him how accurate was Luke’s history? He told me that Luke’s historical writing was so accurate that they had to re-write the history books. He said that in places where they thought Luke was wrong, archeological studies discovered that Luke was right on the money!
d. As a Gentile believer, Luke’s purpose in writing this accurate account was to let Gentile’s know that the Gospel was for them too.
3. So, he wrote this Gospel and Acts to a man named Theohilus.
a. His name means “friend of God,” which some people thought was a fictitious name, but by calling him “most honorable” Luke shows that he was a Roman authority who had become interested in the Christian faith.
b. Luke wanted to make sure that he got the true story of who Jesus is and what he did for all of us.
c. He used the skills, like attention to detail, and investigation, that came with being a doctor, to write an accurate account of the life and ministry of Jesus.
B. Use What You’ve Given
1. Illustration: Late 1800's/early 1900's Sir William Ramsey was a well-known archaeologist and historian. He was professor of humanities at Aberdeen University. He was the world's most imminent scholar on Asia-Minor, and its geography and history. He read the book of Acts and said, "The book of Acts is a highly imaginative and carefully colored account of primitive Christianity" (in essence, "of my knowledge of history, I have no respect for Luke as a historian"). Then he went to the Middle East for the express purpose of proving the Bible wrong in its history. He came home and wrote the book, "Luke, the beloved physician" in which he proclaimed Dr. Luke to be one of the world’s foremost historians. Here's a quote from Sir William Ramsey...this was after looking carefully at the evidence: "I take the view that Luke's history is unsurpassed in its trustworthiness. You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian, and they will stand the keenest scrutiny, and the harshest treatment."
2. Make the best use of what God has given you.
a. “... When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” (Lk. 12:48).
b. Look church, if God has given you a gift or an ability, he expects you to use it.
c. In fact, if we look at what Jesus said here, he requires it!
d. Whatever your gift or talent may be use it to the glory of God.
e. If your gift if teaching – teach!
f. If your gift is working with accounting and numbers – count!
g. If you’re a nurse – nurse!
h. If your gift is music – make beautiful music to the Lord!
i. If your gift is fixing stuff – fix stuff.
j. If your gift is cooking – cook!
k. Whatever it may be do it all to the glory of God!
Transition: So, Luke was a doctor, a historian, and he was a…
3. Evangelist (Acts 1:1-4).
A. Further Instructions Through the Holy Spirit
1. While it is certainly true that Luke was a historian, it is just as true that he was an evangelist.
2. He was more than a historian. He was a historian that wrote with a theological purpose, and that purpose was to show that through the power of the Holy Spirit the early church spread the message of Jesus love to the world. In Acts 1:1-4 he writes, “In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. 3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.”
a. The Book of Acts takes up where his Gospel left off.
b. Again, he writes to this Roman official named Theophilus, and he begins by telling him that Jesus spent 40 days with his disciples and gave them instructions through the Holy Spirit.
c. It’s kind of interesting that Luke says that Jesus gave them instructions through the Holy Spirit, because this book is all about how the disciple’s turned the world upside down through the power of the Holy Spirit.
d. In fact, the book could easily be entitled the Acts of the Holy Spirit.
e. The book shows how the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to evangelize the world as they knew it.
f. It’s also interesting that he says that Jesus talked to his disciples about the Kingdom, because evangelism is about furthering the Kingdom of God here on earth.
g. This book was Luke’s way of spreading the Good News of the Kingdom to the Gentile world.
B. You Shall Be My Witnesses
1. Illustration: Dr. Howard A. Kelly was in the habit of wearing a button with a question mark on it. He bought them and has given them out by the hundreds. He used it as a springboard to talk about Christ. A stranger would ask, “What does that question mark mean, Dr. Kelly?” He replied, “What is the greatest thing in the world?”
a. Knowing that they are speaking to a physician, some reply, “Health is the greatest thing.” Others in answer to the inquiry say, “Money.” “No,” Kelly would reply, “the biggest question in the world is: “What do you think of Jesus?” Then he would proceed to speak for Jesus.
b. He was busy caring for his patients in the hospital but was never too busy to speak a word for Jesus.
c. Jesus said, “you will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth.”
2. Like Dr. Luke, we are all called to be witnesses for Jesus.
a. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
b. Once a member of the congregation walked up to the pastor after the service and said, “I thought evangelism was your job?” to which the pastor replied, “No, that’s every Christians job!”
c. Dr. Luke was a physician, and a historian, but he was also called to be witness for Jesus.
d. Think how selfish it would be if someone knew a cure for cancer and kept it all to themselves.
e. Think of a certified mechanic who saw someone broke down along the side of the road and kept on driving by and said, “it’s not my job!”
f. Think of a highly trained soldier who didn’t want to serve his country.
g. This is what happens when any Christian chooses not to be a witness for Jesus.
h. God open opportunities for us to be your witnesses.
Transition: But most importantly, Luke was…
4. Faithful (2 Tim. 4:11)
A. Only Luke
1. In addition to being a doctor, historian, and an evangelist, above all, he was faithful. Here in 2 Tim 4:9-11, Paul writes, “Timothy, please come as soon as you can. 10 Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.”
a. At this point Paul is in Rome under house arrest as he waits to go before Cesar.
b. Everyone it seems has abandoned Paul, except Luke.
c. Luke had been his companion and doctor on most of his second and third missionary journeys, and now he is at Paul’s side taking care of his physical needs as well as ministering to Paul spiritually.
d. He is the only one who had Paul’s back through it all.
2. It’s also possible that Luke was Paul’s writing assistant for this letter.
a. I can imagine that whenever Luke was with Paul a pen and parchment paper were close at hand.
b. But we can see that Luke was faithful to Paul. He was at Paul side in his hour of greatest need.
c. Every one of us needs a friend like Dr. Luke!
B. You Show Yourself Faithful
1. Illustration: John Wesley once said: "Give me a hundred men who love nothing but God and hate nothing but sin, and I will shake the whole world for Christ." It doesn’t take many… but it does take someone who decides to be faithful. In December 1944, the German army launched an unexpected attack. In what was to become known as the Battle of Bulge, the Nazis drove deep behind Allied lines. Writing in WW II about the reaction of the American troops to this attack, James Jones said, “No one of these little road junction stands could have had a profound effect on the German drive. But hundreds of them, impromptu little battles at nameless bridges and unknown crossroads, had an effect of slowing enormously the German impetus… These little die-hard ‘one man stands,’ alone in the snow and fog without communications, would prove enormously effective out of all proportion to their size.”
2. One of the things by which you can identify true Christians by their faithfulness.
a. “To the faithful you show yourself faithful;” (Ps. 18:25)
b. You can identify true believers by their faithfulness to Jesus.
c. You can identify true followers of Jesus by their faithfulness to their brothers and sisters in Christ.
d. Are we the kind of Christians that others can count on?
e. Are we the kind of Christians that are not only there when times are good, but also when times are bad?
f. Are we the kind of person that Jesus can count on?
g. To the faithful he shows himself faithful.
Conclusion
1. This morning we looked at the story of one of the most important biblical writers, Dr. Luke.
2. He’s important because he is the only biblical writer who was a Gentile, but he’s also important for many other reasons.
3. Dr. Luke was, as you might imagine a…
a. Doctor
b. Historian
c. Evangelist
d. Faithful
4. What’s the point? Make the most of what God has given you and use it for his glory.
