Part 2: Luke 3:21—4:30

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Growth Group Study Booklet

Living for Jesus By making, maturing and mobilising disciples For His Glory

Part 2: Luke 3:21—4:30

Lakeshore’s Gospel DNA - Page 3 Introduction to Luke - Page 4 Suggested Reading - Page 5

Study 10 – Luke 3:21-38 - Page 6 Study 11 – Luke 4:1-13 - Page 8 Study 12 – Luke 4:14-30 - Page 10

The Genealogy of Christ - Page 12 Luke Overview & Map - Page 15

Diary Dates

Sunday November 22 LT’s Farewell Sunday Tuesday November 24 Senior’s Morning Tea Sunday November 29 (11am) Special Members Meeting Sunday December 13 Summer Series begins Sunday December 20 (9am service) Family Carols in the Church Friday December 25 (9am service only) Christmas Day Sunday January 31 2016 Launch Sunday & Luke series (Part 3) begins Friday March 25 (9am service only) Good Friday Sunday March 27 (Normal services) Easter Sunday

2 Lakeshore’s Gospel DNA

As a church, Lakeshore is committed to being centred on the gospel in all that we do. That is, we want to be Christ-centred, Bible-saturated, servant-hearted and mission driven. Christ-Centred As Christians we know that we would be lost without Jesus, our only hope in life and in death. We know that God’s entire plan, as we read it in the Old and New Testaments, is centred on Jesus. We know that if we leave Jesus out of any part of our lives or our church, than that part of our lives or our church will become unhealthy and dangerous. Because of this, Jesus needs to remain at the centre of everything we do. Bible-Saturated Jesus is the living Word of God, and the Christ-centred wisdom and plan of God is revealed in the 66 books of the Bible. Through the Bible, God provides everything we need for life and godliness. By his Holy Spirit, he graciously enables us to understand his Word and to live in response. The Bible must saturate all that we say and inform all that we do. Servant-Hearted The life of a Christian is to love others as Christ has loved us. We know that Jesus has served us by dying for us, because he loves us. As a result, we can live lives of loving service, laying down our lives for those around us. As we do this, the beauty of the Gospel of Jesus is seen. Mission-Driven The greatest act of loving service we can do for any person is to introduce them to Jesus, through the same gospel message that has changed our lives. The purpose of God in all of history is to redeem a people for Himself. We are called, as individuals and as a church, to be part of that mission, as a costly priority in all that we do.

Living for Jesus By making, maturing and mobilising disciples For His Glory

3 Introduction to Luke

Luke was a physician and a travel companion of the apostle Paul (Col. 4:14). He wrote this Gospel and its sequel, the book of Acts. The earliest possible date of Luke–Acts is immediately after the events that Luke recorded in Acts 28, which would have been c. a.d. 62. Both Luke and Acts are addressed to “Theophilus” (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1), about whom nothing more is known. Luke’s broader audience consisted primarily of Gentile Christians like Theophilus.

Luke informs us from the beginning (1:1–4) that his is not the only Gospel to have been written nor the only Gospel account that could be written (cf. John 21:25). Nevertheless, the church has always recognized the great gift that the third Gospel is to us. There are many beautiful and essential teachings of Jesus and pictures of the gospel that come to us from Luke alone.

While the historical and theological witness of all four Gospels contains many consistent themes, Luke describes for us the gospel and its application in several specific and important ways. At the broadest level we learn from this Gospel account that the gospel is multi-faceted and full-orbed. That is, the gospel is explained and applied as being about our whole lives, physically and spiritually, externally and internally, for now and for the future, in our relationship with God and with others. The gospel is not simply a message about religion and the “religious” portion of our lives. Rather, Luke’s presentation helps us see clearly that the gospel of Jesus is about the comprehensive blessedness of God available to us through Jesus Christ.

At a more specific level Luke retells the stories and teachings of Jesus in a way that consistently emphasizes that the gospel is a matter of the heart, the inner person, not mere external religion. Jesus constantly reveals the heart motivations behind our actions and pushes us toward opening our hearts in humility toward God. As a result, the gospel in Luke is often presented as a call to reevaluate everything in the world according to God’s perspective, not ours. This means valuing humility over prestige, mercy over justice, favor with God over favor with people, and—especially challenging to us—valuing a rich relationship with God over the power of money.

To emphasize this comprehensive understanding of the gospel, Luke uses a variety of complementary images to describe it. The gospel includes the message of peace, the offer of forgiveness of sins through repentance, the promise of inheriting eternal life, the invitation to enter the kingdom of God, and the joy of being with Jesus as a disciple. In all of this, the gospel is good news because it announces the grace and peace that have now come to sinners in Jesus Christ.

From the Gospel Transformation Bible (Study Notes for Luke by Jonathan Pennington).

4 Suggested Reading

Some recommendations for further reading related to the content and themes of Luke:

Luke: An Unexpected God A Spectator’s Guide to Jesus By John G. Mason By john Dickson A helpful and readable introductory A great book to give someone who is commentary on the book of Luke, interested but doesn’t know much written by an Australian. about Jesus.

The Gospel: How the Church The Cross of Christ Portrays the Beauty of Christ By John Stott By Ray Ortlund A book for those who would like to A short, readable book that looks at think more deeply about the death of the way the gospel should be lived out Christ on the cross. in the life of a church.

Resources used in preparing this study booklet: - David E. Garland, Luke, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (2011). - John G. Mason, Luke: An Unexpected God, Reading the Bible Today Commentary Series (2012). - Luke’s Gospel: Investigating the Man Who Is God, Community Group Study Guide, Mars Hill Church (2010). - Luke: The Saviour King, Small Group Discussion Questions, Christ Church Gladesville (2014). - Tom Wright, Luke, Bible Study Guides for Everyone, SPCK Publishers (2011). - The ESV Gospel Transformation Bible, Crossway Publishers (2013). - The ESV Study Bible, Crossway Publishers, 2008. - Websites: www.visualunit.me, www.challies.com.

5 STUDY 10 Luke 3:21-38

Kick Off: Do you know about any heroes, villains or other interesting characters in your family tree?

Key Verse: Luke 3:21-22

Big Idea: Jesus is perfectly qualified and prepared for the task he has come to do.

Investigate:

Read Luke 3:21-22.

1. Why do you think Jesus was baptised?

2. What has the Holy Spirit been doing so far in Luke? (e.g. Luke 1:15, 17, 35, 41, 47, 67, 80; 2:25-27; 3:16; also 4:1, 14, 18) How will being anointed by the Holy Spirit prepare Jesus for his future ministry?

3. Luke 3:23 contains echoes of Psalm 2:6-8, Isaiah 42:1-4 and Genesis 22:2. What does the voice of the Father from heaven reveal about Jesus?

Read Luke 3:23-38.

4. What names do you recognize in this genealogy of Jesus, and what do you know about them?

5. a) Why do you think the author chose to record Jesus’ human ancestry at this point in his account?

b) What key aspects of Jesus’ identity are revealed by this family tree?

6 Think & Apply:

6. Every Christian is called to follow in Jesus’ footsteps (Matthew 28:18-20, John 20:21, 2 Cor. 5:20). What is there in this passage to give you confidence that Jesus is worth following?

7. If you are a Christian, the same Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus lives in you also. What are particular ways in your life right now where you need to rely on the Spirit’s power to help you speak and live like Jesus?

Practical Action for the week: Take a few moments this week to pray for our pastor LT and his family, and to pray for our church as we enter this interim period. What specific ways can you continue to “make every effort” (Eph 4:3) to uphold the unity of the church and to be part of Lakeshore’s continued gospel ministry during this period?

Prayer:

In your group prayer time:

1. Share prayer requests and pray for one another in your group.

2. Use a copy of the Lakeshore Church prayer points (either from Sunday’s bulletin or from the weekly email) to pray for people and events across the church.

Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Luke 4:1-13. Coming Up:

7 STUDY 11 Luke 4:1-13

Kick Off: When or where do you experience hunger in your life? (Physical, emotional or spiritual?)

Key Verse: Luke 4:4, 8, 12

Big Idea: Jesus relied on the power of the Spirit and on the Bible to enable him to resist temptation

Investigate:

Read Luke 4:1-13

1. What echoes of the story of Adam and Eve can you see in the account of Jesus’ temptation?

2. a) What would the implications be if Jesus turned the stone into bread (verse 3)?

b) What would the implications be if Jesus worshipped the devil (verse 7)?

c) What would the implications be if Jesus threw himself from the temple (verse 9)?

3. How do Jesus’ responses to the devil reveal what kind of King he would be?

4. a) What is significant about the way Jesus defeated Satan and resisted temptation?

b) What was the role of the Holy Spirit in these events (verse 1)?

8 Think & Apply:

5. What are some ways that you are tempted to sin, or to shortcut God’s plan of sanctification for you? (Think of some of those attractive temptations that are obvious and some that are not so obvious.)

6. As a group, choose some of your answers to questions 6. Together, practice applying God’s truth from the Bible as a defence against these temptations.

Practical Action for the week: This week, you will definitely be tempted to sin. Take those opportunities to put your answers to question 6 into action. Use God’s word as your defence against temptation, trusting the Holy Spirit. Come ready to share how you went next week. (Have a look now at next week’s opening question so you know what to expect!)

Prayer:

In the group prayer time:

1. Share prayer requests and pray for one another in your group.

2. Use a copy of the Lakeshore Church prayer points (either from Sunday’s bulletin or from the weekly email) to pray for people and events across the church.

Read Ahead: For next week’s sermon and growth group, read Luke 4:14-30.

Coming Up:

Sunday November 29 (11am) Special Members Meeting Sunday December 13 Summer Series begins Sunday December 20 (9am service) Family Carols in the Church Friday December 25 (9am service only) Christmas Day Sunday January 31 2016 Launch Sunday & Luke series (Part 3) begins

9 STUDY 12 Luke 4:14-30

Practical Action from Last Week: How did you go putting the lessons from last week’s passage into action? If you can see there were moments that you could have done so but you didn’t, talk about those.

Kick Off: What have you done in your life that would surprise the friends you grew up with?

Key Verse: Luke 4:21

Big Idea: Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah provoked surprise, hatred and opposition.

Investigate:

Read Luke 4:14-22. 1. Look at Jesus’ quotation in its original context in Isaiah 61:1-2. a) What would Jesus’ original Jewish hearers have been thinking of when he first read this passage?

b) This passage is a kind of “mission statement” for Jesus’ ministry. Looking at each part of the statement, how did Jesus go on to fulfill these things?

2. What is Jesus claiming in verse 21, and why is this a big deal for his original hearers?

Read Luke 4:23-30 3. What point is Jesus making in verses 25-27 by telling these stories about Elijah and Elisha?

4. a) How do the people initially respond to Jesus?

b) How would you describe the attitude of those from his hometown in verse 22b-23? (See also Isaiah 53:2b)

c) Why does the attitude of the crowd change so dramatically in verses 28-29?

Think & Apply:

5. What are the most important things we as a church community should be doing to continue the things Jesus came to do in Luke 4:18-19?

6. How has God fulfilled the promises of Luke 4:18-19 in your life?

7. Are there ways where you are like the people of Nazareth and are taking Jesus for granted? What are some ways you have a hard time believing his promises or following his commands?

Practical Action for the week: It’s easy to get complacent and have a “business as usual” approach to following Jesus. What is something concrete you can do this week to break out of this, maybe by trusting Jesus for something different or by obeying him in a risky way?

Prayer:

In the group prayer time:

1. Share prayer requests and pray for one another in your group.

2. Use a copy of the Lakeshore Church prayer points (either from Sunday’s bulletin or from the weekly email) to pray for people and events across the church.

Coming Up:

Sunday December 13 Summer Series begins Sunday December 20 (9am service) Family Carols in the Church Friday December 25 (9am service only) Christmas Day Sunday January 31 2016 Launch Sunday & Luke series (Part 3) begins

11 Notes

12 Notes

See www.Challies.com for a larger image

14 See www.Challies.com for a larger image

15 Lakeshore Church Statement of Faith

About God We believe that there is one, living and true God, the Maker and Supreme ruler of heaven and earth.1 He eternally exists in a loving relationship of Father, Son and Spirit – one God in three persons.2 God is sovereign in all things; 3 creation, revelation, redemption, judgment and establishing his kingdom. God is inexpressibly glorious in holiness and is worthy of all glory, honour and praise.4

1. Deut. 6:4; 1 Tim. 1:17 2. Matt. 3:16-17, 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Rom. 8:9-11. 3. Isaiah 46:9-10; Daniel 4:34-35. 4. 1 Chron. 29:10-13; Rev. 5:12-13; Rom. 11:36

About humanity We believe that men and women are created in the image of God, enjoying a unique dignity in creation, a dominion over the created order and a relationship with God.5

Since our first parents, Adam and Eve, fell into sin, human nature has become universally sinful,6 positively inclined to evil, with sin [both original and actual] impacting every area of our lives ; we are all guilty before a holy God,7 we are all under the wrath and just condemnation of God, we are all unable to turn to God ourselves;8 we are lost and without hope apart from salvation in Christ.9

5. Gen. 1:26-27 6. Gen. 6:5; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:10-12 7. Rom. 3:9-19 8. Matt. 19:25-26; Rom. 8:7-8 9. Luke 19:10; Eph. 2:1-5, 12-13; 2 Cor. 4:3-6; Titus 3:7

About the Bible We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the divinely inspired and infallible Word of God.10 It is the supreme and final authority for all matters of faith, conduct, experience and opinions.11 The Scriptures are sufficient both for knowing God 12 and for equipping us with everything we need for life and godliness, and for the building and equipping of the community of believers, the church.13

10. 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21 11. 2 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 4:12; Psalm 119:105 12. 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; James 1:21; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Rom. 1:16. 13. Matt. 4:4; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:2-4; Acts 20:32

About Jesus Christ We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God;14 fully God and truly human.15 He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.16 In taking on human flesh, he entered fully into human experience, endured temptation, lived a sinless life in perfect obedience to his Father, yet suffered at the hands of men, according to all the scriptures had foretold.17 We believe the Lord Jesus accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross – as a substitutionary sacrifice for sinners.18 We believe he was buried but on the third day God bodily raised him from the dead.19 He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, as intercessor, advocate, and ruler over all.20 He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.21

14. Isaiah 9:6; Mark 9:7; Luke 22:70; John 3:16-17; Gal. 4:4; 1 John 4:9-10; Hebrews 1:1-2. 15. John 1:1-3, 14; Hebrews 2:14-17 16. Luke 1:26-35 17. Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15; Acts 3:13-15, 18. 18. 1 Peter 1:18-21; 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:4-6 19. 1 Cor. 15:3-4 20. Phil. 2:5-11; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1; Matt 28:18 21. Acts 10:42; Acts 17:31; Matt. 25:31-46; Rom. 2:16; John 5:22

About Salvation We believe that salvation is a free gift that comes only by God’s unmerited and undeserved grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is not by human merit or good works.22 There is only one name under heaven by which we can be brought into relationship with God, the name ‘Jesus Christ’.23 Through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, our representative and substitute, the guilt, penalty and power of sin are removed.24 In this death, God demonstrates his own love for us most perfectly and establishes his victory over Satan.25 The Holy Spirit enables the sinner to be regenerate, or born again 26 – that is to repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ 27– guaranteeing us forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life.28 The proper evidence of regeneration is voluntary obedience to the gospel, the fruits of repentance and faith, and newness of life.29 As saved sinners, we now enjoy the blessing of union with Christ and assurance of right relationship with God, yet we await the final consummation of our hope with the return of Christ, the resurrection of our bodies and life with him eternally.30

22. Eph. 2:8-9; Phil. 1:29; Rom. 3:24; Acts 18:27; 1 Tim. 1:14; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5 23. Acts 4:12; John 14:6 24. Rom. 6:6-7 & 14; 1 Peter 4:1-3; Rom. 8:2 25. Rom. 5:8; 1 John 3:8, 4:9-10; Gal. 2:20; Heb.2:14-15 26. John 3:3-8; 1 Pet. 1:1-2; 2 Thess. 2:13; Titus 3:5. 27. John 3:3, 18; Acts 11:17-18 28. Rom. 5:8-11; 1 Pet. 1:2-5; Eph. 1:13-14 29. Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 5:17; Titus 2:11-14 30. Eph. 1:2-6; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Thess. 4:16-18; 1 Cor. 1:4-9; 1 Cor. 15:51

About the Spirit We believe the Holy Spirit indwells all true believers and keeps them for the day of redemption.31 He is co-equal with the Father and the Son, yet his role is to bring glory to Jesus Christ, convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.32 The Spirit works to illuminate believers’ minds to grasp the truth of Scripture.33 The Spirit’s ongoing work is to sanctify the believer, transforming us more and more into the image of Christ,34 especially through the word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness and prayer.35 The Spirit produces fruit in the lives of believers, and empowers his people for witness and service.36 The same Spirit grants gifts to all believers – not for self indulgence or personal satisfaction – but for the privilege and responsibility of the building up of God’s church.37

31. 1 Cor.3:16; Rom.8: 9-11 32. Acts 5:3-4; Heb. 9:14; John 16:8-11, 13-14 33. 1 Cor.2:9-14 34. 2 Cor.3:17-18. 35. John 17:17; Gal. 6:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:5; Eph.5:17-18; 1 Thess. 5:17; Luke 18:1 36. Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 3:16-21; Acts 1:8. 37. 1 Cor.12:4-11; Eph. 4:7-13

About the Church We believe the universal church, the body and bride of Christ, is composed of genuine believers in the Lord Jesus Christ38 and exists to worship, serve and glorify God.39 All members of the universal church are to be vitally committed members of a local gathering of believers.40 The visible, local church is a community of men and women gathering around God’s word, seeking to use their gifts to build the church in love and to bear witness to Christ,41 seeking the extension of His rule over all peoples for His glory and their joy.42

38. 1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 1:22-23; Rom. 12:5; Eph. 5:25-30; Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9 39. Eph. 1:5-6, 12, 14; 1 Pet. 2:9; Phil. 1:11; Heb.10:25 40. Acts 2:44-47 41. Eph. 4:11-16; Matt. 28:18-20 42. Gen. 12:3; Psalm 67:1-4; Luke 2:10-11

About the Future We believe that the end of the world is approaching; 43 that at the last day Jesus Christ will return to the earth, visibly and personally, to establish his kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth.44 We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost – that a solemn separation will take place: the lost will be adjudged to endless punishment and the saved to eternal life with Christ.45 God will preserve and keep all who truly belong to Christ for that last and great day.46

43. 1 Peter 4:7; Heb. 1:1-2. 44. Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thess. 4:16-18; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:13 45. Daniel 12:1-3; Matt. 25:31-34, 41, 46; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Rev. 20:11-15. 46. John 6:39, 10:28-29; 1 Pet. 1:3-5

Coming Up