God's Shocking Grace | Luke 4:13-30

At the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus made some outrageous claims. First, he declared himself to be Israel’s promised Anointed King (Messiah - Luke 4;16-18a). Second, he declared that in his coming, Israel’s promised salvation had dawned (Luke 4:18b-21). At first, those in the synagogue at Nazareth who heard Jesus testified to his words of grace. Unfortunately, they quickly turned skeptical and asked him to prove it by doing the same kinds of miracles he had done elsewhere (Luke 4:22). 
 
Jesus’s words of lavish grace turned into words of shocking grace. Jesus warned them that he was going to do no works in their midst but instead go to the Gentiles (Luke 4:22-27). As a result, the Jews in Nazareth responded with rage and rejected Jesus, seeking to kill him (Luke 4:28-30). 
 
Allow me to share two lessons for us from Jesus’s words of lavish, shocking grace: 
 

1. Jesus has introduced the season of grace - “The Year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:19).

The Jews expected the Messiah to come and bring salvation and judgment at the same time. Jesus, however, tells them that he has come to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (v.19). He cites Isaiah 61:2, but he leaves off the last part: “and the day of vengeance of our God.” 
 
In his coming, Jesus announced a season of grace, an age of salvation. This age will continue until he returns. At his return, the day of God’s vengeance will arrive.  
 
What difference does this make for us?
Just as Jesus came preaching the good news of the kingdom, and just as he commanded his apostles to preach that gospel too, so also, we are commissioned to preach the gospel to all peoples until Jesus returns. THIS is the age of salvation. And WE are the instruments of King Jesus to announce the good news. High Pointe, we need your help! 

• Pray that the Lord would raise up a champion or two to lead and organize English as a Second Language as a service and outreach to our community. This is a tremendous opportunity to seek the good of our city, serve and love our neighbors, and proclaim the gospel. 

 

• Make a list of unbelievers in your life and pray for them. Seek opportunities to speak of Christ. Invite them to church so that they may hear the gospel preached and see the love of Christ among us. 

 

• Pray for urgency. We have until Jesus returns. At that time the season of grace will be no more. So, let us redeem the time because the days are evil, and judgement is eternal. 

 

2. Jesus’s grace is often shocking (Luke 4:24-27).

It was shocking that Jesus compared his hometown to the people who reject (and kill) the prophets. Then, it was even more shocking when he used Elijah and Elisha as examples to communicate that he was not going to work among them but among the Gentiles. 
 
What difference does that make for us?
God’s grace is often shocking. There are people we can think of who deserve God’s judgment now. But again, so did we, and God saved us. How should we respond when God saves those we think are beyond his grace? Luke 15 is a wonderful text to answer this question. We should rejoice with all of heaven when one sinner repents and comes to Jesus. 

• Consider the fact that you deserved eternal judgment, but God saved you. Let that humble you and rejoice in God’s shocking grace. 

 

• Make a list of those you assume are beyond God’s grace. Pray for their salvation. 

 

• Make a habit of rejoicing whenever any sinner repents and turns to Christ. 

 
 Jesus has come to seek and save the lost. And in his providence, he uses us to announce the good news that the kingdom has arrived in him. Let us join together in this mission so that God may be glorified in the worship of the Son. 

Opportunities to Serve and Grow at High Pointe 
(For Opportunities to Serve at High Pointe, click HERE)  

High Pointe Parenting Seminar | THIS Saturday, February 8 | 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Raising children can feel overwhelming as you try to navigate the many voices telling you what to do and not to do, but God has already given you everything you need to be faithful parents. Children don’t need perfect parents. They need a perfect Savior, and you already have everything you need in Christ, the only perfect one.
 
In this parenting seminar, Juan and Jeanine Sanchez want to provide a down-to-earth, practical guide for parents that will help them move from survival mode to joyful, Christ-dependent parenting. For every parent who may be exhausted and discouraged, they can take heart from the simple, biblical principles Juan and Jeanine will share from Scripture. Register here. Childcare closes TODAY at 4 PM. 

Senior Adult Lunch | Sunday, February 9 
Please join the Senior Adults for lunch after service this Sunday. Lunch will be immediately after the morning service at Luby's on 1410 East Anderson Lane 78752.  
 
Life Classes | Sunday at 9:00 AM
Life Classes are meant to equip High Pointe for life as a Christian. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and join us. Childcare is available for ages 8 months through Pre-K. This session, we are offering the following classes from January 26 to May 25:

• Evangelizing through Mark: A class designed to equip you to share the gospel using just the book of Mark. Together, we’ll discover how simple Bible study can become a powerful tool for engaging coworkers, neighbors, and friends with the message of the gospel. 
• Discipling Through Ephesians: Together, we'll explore how the book of Ephesians provides a simple yet profound model for discipleship. We’ll discover the richness of our union with Christ and the beauty of our unity as His Church, equipping us to be and make more mature disciples of Christ. 
• Spanish Life Class | Los Atributos de Dios: La vida entera de una persona es afectada por quien adora.  Para adorar adecuadamente al Dios de la Biblia, debemos tener una comprensión correcta de Sus atributos.  Conocer Sus atributos de acuerdo con Su propia revelación en las Escrituras nos permitirá realmente conocer a Dios y comprender mejor las Escrituras. 
• Youth Life Class | The Pentateuch: We will follow the storyline of the first five books of the Old Testament. Students will discover God's plan for humanity as it unfolds through Abraham, Moses, and Israel. The aim of the class is to help teenagers learn how to read, study, and apply the first major section of their Bibles.
• Kid's Life Class (K-5th grade): This course will be for children K-5th grade, using The Gospel Project, a study that helps kids dive deep into the big story of the Bible as God's plan to rescue His people through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Sunday AM Preaching Schedule: Pray regularly for the ministry of the Word at High Pointe. Also, prepare for our gatherings by reading the sermon text, thinking it through, and asking questions about the text before Sunday. Here is our (tentative) preaching schedule designed to help you prepare for Sundays:  

• January 19 | Luke 3:1-20 | What Does Repentance Look Like? | Pastor Juan 
• January 26 | Luke 3:21-4:13 | Lead Us Not into Temptation | Pastor Juan 

 
Begin praying as you prepare to gather with us this Sunday at 10:00 am.
 
Gospel Partner of the Month:  The International Mission Board of the SBC
The International Mission Board (IMB) exists to serve Southern Baptists in carrying out the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.
 
With almost 47,000 churches cooperating to send missionaries through the IMB, we can support over 3,500 missionaries full-time in the international mission field. Take some time to work through the IMB website to learn more about how your regular giving through High Pointe is supporting Great Commission work worldwide.
 
On-Call Pastor
To better care for you, High Pointe, we have an “on-call” pastor available for emergencies after office hours and on weekends. To reach the on-call pastor, call 512-837-7725, extension 1.