WHEN FAULT IS FOUND-V—Luke 4:16-30
Finding Fault with God’s Grace forfeits....
Jenny pregnant/Involved in a car accident & falls into a deep coma/Asleep for nearly 6 months/When she wakes up she sees that she is no longer pregnant— frantically asks the doctor about her baby.
The doctor replies, "Ma’am you had twins! - a boy and a girl. Your husband on military assignment/So your brother named them."
The woman thinks to herself, "No, not my brother ... he’s not very bright!"
She asks the doctor, "Well, what’s the girl’s name?"
"Denise."
"Wow, that’s not a bad name, I like it! What’s the boy’s name?"
"Denephew."
Jenny found fault with her brother’s graciousness.
We likewise forfeit a great deal when we find fault with God’s grace.
The synagogue of Nazareth despised the grace offered them in Jesus.
Religious people can find fault with God’s grace.
What is forfeited when God’s grace is frustrated?
When fault is found with God’s grace, we forfeit...
1. Godly Influence
2. Rest
3. Guidance
4. Anointing
5. Good News
6. Status
7. Healing
8. Freedom
9. Sight
10. Power
11. Opportunity
12. Focus
13—When fault is found we also forfeit
FAMILIARITY(:22)
—Explanation:(:22)Clarity/Parameters/Boundaries/Confusion
“And all were speaking well of Him, & wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; & they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
Yes, there appears to be great wisdom & authority in Jesus’ words & actions, but....
Familiarity w/God is either...
a)Shallow—Head knowledge
b)Deep—Heart knowledge
“Is this not Joseph’s son?”—
Mat. 13:53-58—READ—54-56—“And coming to His home town He began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished, & said, “Where did this man get this wisdom, & these miraculous powers? “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, & His brothers, James & Joseph & Simon & Judas? “And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
God works thru human vessels...
2Cor. 4:7—“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God & not from ourselves;...”
—Argumentation:
Lk. 1:34-35—“And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered & said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, & the power of the Most High will overshadow you; & for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.”
Jn. 1:9-11—“There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, & the world was made through Him, & the world did not know Him. He came to His own, & those who were His own did not receive Him.”
—Illustration:
Identify you all by facial features/Familiarity reveals
Carriage tours/Horses have blinders/Tunnel vision/Unfamiliar with true character of surroundings
Stone Mtn. from behind/Just a rock/Familiarity reveals world’s largest relief carving— art, history, symbolism & effort
Application:
?You Forfeited God’s FAMILIARITY?
?You Found Fault with God’s grace?
14—When fault is found we forfeit
DEMONSTRATION(:23)
—Explanation:(:23)Proverbial Wisdom/Philosophy
“And He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your home town as well.’”
“Physician, heal yourself!”—
Jesus, Your condition is warrants the very cure you claim to offer others.
Misunderstood their grave condition—the gravity of sin & Jesus’ sinlessness
“Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your home town as well.”
“Capernaum”—:14-15—Previous ministry
Jealousy
—Argumentation:
Mat. 12:30-32—“He who is not with Me is against Me; & he who does not gather with Me scatters. “Therefore I say to you, any sin & blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. “And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come.”
Mat. 7:1-5—““Do not judge lest you be judged. “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; & by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. “And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ & behold, the log is in your own eye? “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, & then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
—Illustration:
Contractor/
Student/High high school ranking/Poor in college environment/Demonstration
Coaches/Fired & hired based entirely on # of wins/Team different
—Application:
?You Forfeited God’s DEMONSTRATION?
?You Found Fault with God’s grace?
15—When fault is found we forfeit
HOSPITALITY(:24-27)
—Explanation:(:24-27)Celebration/Privilege/Visitation
INHOSPITABLE
:24—“And He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his home town.
Celebration—
Local Heroes—
Seemed ludicrous that God would choose one of their own.
*Inhospitable to God’s design
SHELVED/OVERLOOKED
:25—“But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years & six months, when a great famine came over all the land;
:26—“& yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
1Kngs. 17
Why would God go elsewhere?—Acceptance vs. Rejection
:27—“And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; & none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.””
God’s visitation missed
Argumentation:
Cursed Fig tree
Greater knowledge requires greater responsibility
—Illustration:
‘Inhospitable’—Desert/Car insurance for teens, muscle cars, sports cars
‘Overlooked’—Home search/Coastal areas(hurricane)—California(earthquakes)— Kansas(tornado)—Siberia(cold)—GA(hot)
Application:
?You Forfeited God’s HOSPITALITY?
God has provided hospitality to you, will you respond appropriately?
?You Found Fault with God’s grace?
16—When fault is found we forfeit
Restraint/Control(28-29)
Explanation:(:28-29)Peace/Balance/Temper/Appetite/Drive
:28—“And all in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;
“Rage”—Violent/Uncontrolled anger
:29—“& they rose up & cast Him out of the city, & led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.”
“Cast Him out”...“Led Him”—Forcibly
—Argumentation:
Jn. 16:2—“They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.”
Rom. 16:17-18—“Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions & hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, & turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; & by their smooth & flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.”
Rom. 8:6-9—“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life & peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”
—Illustration:
Passenger jet taking off from Hartsfield/Reaches cruising height/Captain makes usual announcements over the intercom—"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight number 293, non-stop from Atlanta to Los Angeles. The weather ahead is good and therefore we should have a smooth flight, Now sit back and relax. - UH OH!"
Silence!
Captain comes back on the intercom & says: "Ladies and Gentlemen, I didn’t mean to alarm you , but while I was talking a cup of hot coffee spilled in my lap. My pants are totally ruined!" A passenger in Coach says: "That’s nothing. My pants are totally ruined too!"/RESTRAINT
Credit/Abused/No Restraint=slavery
—Application:
?You Forfeited God’s CONTROL?
?You Found Fault with God’s grace?
17—When fault is found we forfeit
DESTINY(:30)
—Explanation:(:30)Purpose/Fulfillment/Direction
“But passing through their midst, He went His way.”
Jesus’ went His way....To bestow God’s grace elsewhere.
Nazareth chose another way.
—Argumentation:
Jer. 10:23—“I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself; Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.”
Prov. 20:24—“Man’s steps are ordained by the LORD, How then can man understand his way?”—By understanding the LORD!
Jn. 14:6—“The thief comes only to steal, & kill, & destroy; I came that they might have life, & might have it abundantly.”
—Illustration:
Byron/Before Christ=No future/After Christ=Successful future/See life differently/DESTINY
—Application:
?You Forfeited God’s DESTINY?
?You Found Fault with God’s grace?
CONCLUSION
Action:
When fault is found with God’s grace we forfeit...
FAMILIARITY
DEMONSTRATION
HOSPITALITY
RESTRAINT
DESTINY
Godly Influence
Rest
Guidance
Anointing
Good News
Status
Healing
Freedom
Sight
Power
Opportunity
Focus
Children’s— ‘Unseen but not unproven’
Can opener
Can of corn(or anything canned)
Ask, ‘Do you believe there is corn in the can?’
Ask, ‘Do you believe this can opener will open the can?’
Most will answer that they believe.
Likewise, we can trust Jesus because He tells us the truth.
Presented 07/01/01am to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 31797
