Luke - HAMPTON ROADS CHURCH: Recent Episodes
Hampton Roads Church
Preachers from the Hampton Roads Church, including Edward Anton, Phil Booker, Shaun McDonnell, Kirk Valencia, Matt Fisk, Jeff Throne, and Lex Campaldini preach through the Gospel of Luke
Zacchaeus was a picture of shame and an object of scorn as he perched from the tree to see Jesus. But he was able to come down from that tree in acceptance and honor. Why? Because Jesus was on his way to go up the tree for Zacchaeus. Jesus went up the tree to bear his (and our) scorn, shame, sin and rejection. He likewise leaves us with honor, dignity, purpose, and peace.
This final installment of Luke-Acts celebrates the clarity and security of Grace. Jesus offers a double cure: freedom from slavery to sin (repentance) and freedom from guilt & punishment of sin (forgiveness). Moreover, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and fellowship.
During the harvest festival of Pentecost, God brings in His harvest through the work of the Holy Spirit and through Spirit-filled men. They're not drunk, they're just uninhibited because they're living by the Spirit rather than by the constraints of the flesh.
Acts 1 and 2 are tightly tied to Luke's Gospel. Here we find the epilogue to Luke's Gospel.
Despite an open tomb, open Scriptures, open eyes, open professions and open minds, the disciples wrestle with unbelief before Jesus. Ultimately, they will finally experience true mind change, true Metanoia, true faith.
Contemplate the depth of this truth: "He is not here. He has risen!" Now ask yourself "So What?" and "What Now?"
A special family time midweek service to focused on the death of Jesus and what that sacrifice means to us.
This is the horrid hour — when darkness reigns. In preparation, Jesus prays to endure the defilement of sin so that we might become the righteousness of God.
During this sermon and communion message, Ed Anton considers the significance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover in light of Jesus' establishment of the New Covenant as He prepares for His own sacrifice for us.
As Jesus's disciples marvel at the grand stones and works of wonder — especially the Temple itself with heavy gold plates that reflected the morning sun and 40 foot tall monolithic marble pillars — He reframes the sights with a godly perspective. In less than one generation, Israel will experience a foretaste of the Day of the Lord with desolation wrought by Rome. And sure enough, all that Jesus predicted in 33AD and all that Luke wrote in 64AD came to pass with uncanny accuracy in 70AD.
Bill Throne preached through Jesus' teaching on the hypocrisy of the respected and religious scribes in direct contrast to the sincerity of the poor widow who offered two small copper coins out of her poverty.
Through His brilliant commentary on Psalm 110, Jesus schools the religious leaders on the magnitude of the Messiah. He is both the Son of the David and David's Lord. And His Throne will be the seat of ultimate authority.
The religious leaders try to punch back at Jesus as He continues to confound them on the Temple Mount during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover). Seeking to skewer Him on the horns of a dilemma, they ask Jesus whether the tribute tax should be paid to Caesar or not. He easily and masterfully sidesteps their craftiness with composure and brilliance. Give It Up For Jesus! And then after marveling at our Lord, Give It Up To Jesus as "give to God what is God's."
After entering the Temple, Jesus confronts the religious leaders head on with a parable about a vineyard that will be given over to others. The leaders understood that the parable was leveled against them. In response to losing God's blessings and losing God's commission, they cried out "God Forbid!" We can learn a lesson from their poor stewardship of God's provisions: Walk In Hopeful Anticipation of Christ's Return Work the Harvest Welcome a Prophet or 2 (or 3)
Jesus enters the Temple for a series of tension filled conflicts with the leading elders, teachers of the law, and Pharisees who actively seek to assassinate Him. Encounter Jesus at His finest as He exposes religious leaders who hide behind manmade authority while they reject God's real authority. This same authority is now bestowed on us who follow Jesus. Follow our Boss … Like a Boss!
Jesus Comes to Conquer; He comes to Cleanse; He will come again! Join the crowds in raucous celebration of the arrival of Jesus, our victorious Messiah.
The beauty of the mullet is you can have it both ways, business in front and party in the back. There is only one way to make it into the Kingdom. To gain that citizenship into the Kingdom of heaven we need to start living like a citizen of heaven now, not later.
Steve Stevenson takes the pulpit in Hampton Roads Church to preach on the Kingdom and the Coming of Jesus.
Tanner Versage returns to Hampton Roads Church to preach on the blindness that Jesus cures.
Here's a midweek lesson on one of the most helpful and valuable of parables from Jesus on prayer.
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1–8, NIV)
This most difficult of parables of Jesus nevertheless provides a lesson to put our focus and our investment in heaven rather than on earth. This short address during a midweek meeting offers a helpful insight into this parable and a useful perspective on our possessions.
In Legoland, church looks good and is all in order, but this is not real life. Jesus tells us that in real life we will sin against one another. What we do and how we respond says a lot about our faith and our mindset as a servant. This sermon challenges us where we live, in real life. What do we do when someone sins against us, and how do we handle sin in each others lives? Jesus challenges our hearts and actions so that we can have real, Godly relationships with each other.
Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2 It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister[a] sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.”5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
We're Gonna Get It! We'll all get judged. We'll all see God's justice clearly. We'll all have perfect understanding of the Gospel - but some will "get it" too late. Pursue repentance now, and grab those whom you can to make sure they get what you've got.
We end up in dark, dirty, shameful places when we choose sin over Jesus. In this parable of the coin, Jesus reassures sinners that: It's Where We Are, But It's no Who We Are God Won't Back Off Until We're Back
On May 24th, Pentecost, Ed Anton preached about God's brilliant fulfillment of the Old Testament feasts — especially the Feast of Harvest or Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. Not only is this day His Church's "birthday", it's also His Nation Israel's "birthday" as this is the day in Exodus 19 when God makes His covenant with Moses and Israel from atop a blazing Mt. Sinai. As God harvested His people from bondage (NO MORE CHAINS), He also has harvested His people from sin (NO MORE STAINS), and will eventually harvest us on His final Day of the Lord into a new Earth and new Heaven with new bodies (NO MORE PAINS).
Jesus issues an Epic Invitation which requires both a Monumental Consideration and an Unconditional Resignation for every follower. He offers neither comfort nor ease. He offers only persecution, battles, hunger, and God! Let all who love Him sincerely and not merely with lip service count the costs and follow!
It's God's will to gather us close to Him, but it's also His lament that it is not our will to be gathered to Him.
It's shocking to hear from Jesus that only a few with find eternal life. Thus, Luke 13:22-30 proves to be one of the most sobering sections of the Gospels for anyone — especially for those of us who think that we're already counted among the "few."
Using two very interesting parables, Jesus describes the Kingdom as fast spreading yet completely repulsive. Gain insight into Jesus' metaphors and resolve to never compromise the Kingdom message — no matter how revolting your hearers may consider it.
Organized systems are better than disorganization. But systems never trump Jesus, and for Jesus systems never trump people. Here He heals a woman severely disabled for eighteen years to make His point.
Jesus affirms that we've got the discernment to realize that we need to repent — and to do so quickly. Moreover, He also lets us know that He's done all that He can to exhort us to repent (which of course will include dying on a cross for our sinful indulgences, providing us the Word, and arranging time and space for us to prompted to seek Him). He's emphatic about repentance because it is our deliverance from slavery to sin AND because it's better than the alternative: perishing.
““I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”” (Luke 12:49–53, NIV)
He's Coming... so Wake Up ... and Gird Yourself. Have you ever entertained seeds of doubt about the return of Jesus? He gets it. And so He addresses it here. Stay watchful, because He's coming at a time you won't expect.
We all worry. We all know we shouldn't worry, but in the moment it's tough to shake ourselves out of our pit of despair. Jesus not only commands us to not worry but in Luke 12 he gives us reasons to help us stop worry dead in it's tracks in our lives.
Jesus provides ample reasons to not worry as he reassures us of the Father's benevolent and intimate care for us. Our best safeguard against worry is a life redirected toward God's Kingdom rather than one focused on self and stuff.
Jesus calls us to avoid the weak and cowardly hypocrisy of insincere religion. Rather we are to be real and fearless. With Him, with His Spirit, we are more than able. Jesus provides three great reasons for our fearless authenticity: 1. You're Worst Case Scenario is Heavenly 2. To God, You Have Great Worth 3. The Holy Spirit Lives in You!
A Christmas Carol is a classic morality tale of repentance by Dickens. The Bible provides the great insight into how one is able to come to repentance and conversion through the work a Spirit — The Holy Spirit.
Jesus calls out hypocrisy in the religious crowd surrounding him by issuing five woes (plus a bonus woe). So,woe!, you just may be a hypocrite if: You make molehills into mountains You are narcissistic You hide sin You make religion a burden on others It's for show
After silencing his critics with sound logic, Jesus now turns his attention to other critics in the same crowd who look to test Jesus by demanding a sign from Him. Jesus points to the Ninevite's response to Jonah and the Queen of Sheba's response to Solomon as faithful points of reference for His hearers. Yes, they repented as Jonah's preaching and Solomon's wisdom, but we have One who is greater now calling us to repentance.
Take a stand that gets noticed. Take a strong stand. Take a clear stand. Take a stand for Jesus!
Jesus both exposes racial prejudice and promotes real love for neighbors in this brilliant parable.
Jesus holds up the adainos or shameless audacity or impudence of a supplicant as worthy of imitation for the way we pray. Said another way, put some Chutzpah in your prayer life!
Not only is it convicting that Jesus' disciples ask for help in their prayer life, but they also ask for it in the context of community! Who is your "us" that prays together? Who is your "us" that seeks to better learn to pray together? In this section of Luke, we all learn about prayer from Jesus.
While it sounds somewhat grandiose, it is nonetheless true that "We're On a Mission From God." The harvest is huge; the workers are few; eternity hangs in the balance; evil will fall; we'll rejoice in the Spirit — because We're On a Mission From God!
Here is the basic but epic call to truly follow Jesus. It's a call that eclipses even the call to prophetic office from Elijah to Elisha. It's the most significant enterprise we can fathom, and it's our call.
Jesus returns from the Mount of Transfiguration to find His disciples both faithless and powerless in the face of great evil.
Here, upon the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus affords us a "Sneak Peak at Glory" & confirmation that "The Great Exodus is Coming." This mountaintop moment is a great moment in the Gospel to reflect on fullness of Jesus before He leads us all on His divine mission to Jerusalem.
Jesus resolves the building tension of Messianic fever as He reveals that He is indeed the Christ. However, the idea of Christ must be reframed and reconsidered by his disciples. Likewise, the expectations of the Christian must also be reframed and recaptured today for us to be true to His calling to deny self, take up the cross, and follow Him.
As disciples, we come in the name of the great King Jesus. We've what it takes, but we've got to use what we've got.
It's never too late to bring Jesus your shame and pain (no matter what that shame and pain is).
Jesus takes a pronounced detour away from his mission to the Jews in order to rescue a demon-possessed Gentile on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The demons are unable stand against Jesus' will, the man is rescued. A string of "begging" winds its way through this powerful narrative...
Jesus falls asleep while a storm rages and his disciples are faced with a choice fear or faith. In our lives we are faced with the same choice fear or faith with the storms that rage in our daily lives. These are moments not to cower in fear but to the opportunity to grow and refine our faith.
Jesus delineates four typical responses to the Bible via His parable: the path or the hardened heart, the rocky soil or the shallow heart, the thorny ground or the profane heart, and the good soil or the mature fruitful heart
He who has been forgiven much loves much, he who has been forgiven little loves little. Jesus contrasts the Pharisee and the Sinful Woman to teach a valuable lesson about grace: don't skip out on deeply evaluating sin before grasping for forgiveness.
Jesus leverages his assurances to John the Baptist to describe what he considers to be greatness. It's NOT the vacillators who play to the crowds; it's not the satin clad sycophants who cower from speaking truth to power; it's not the fickle entitled consumers shopping for self fulfillment. Instead, it's a prophet. And even GREATER... John the Baptist. And even GREATER than John the Baptist … all who have been translated into the Kingdom. Thus, YOU are greater than John the Baptist, and YOU are greater than all the prophets.
Jesus encounters a Gentile of worthy faith. This faith takes Jesus at His Word and provides an upward call for all who profess faith in Jesus today.
Jesus turns the world's values upside down and inside out with this call to love even your enemies. Love — Agape — is not the sentimental, emotional, romantic, familial love. Instead it is a love forged in the will of every Christian (because Christ first loved us). It is a love of selfless, active, service. Some fear this love, thinking it will make one a doormat. To the contrary, this is a courageous love that is: Active Not Passive Fully Christian
In this Sunday sermon, Ed Anton lays out an introduction to Jesus' "Sermon on the Plateau" with the setting and content of the four blessings and woes. Jesus unfurls the upside down values of His Kingdom with blessings and woes pronounced to both His disciples and the crowd. We All Will Receive Blessings - Where Do You Want Yours Delivered? We Are All Prophets - What Kind Are You? Jesus concludes with a charge to be a true rather than false prophet; a prophet who will be honored/blessed when His kingdom comes into full view.
Despite social taboos, Levi humbly accepts Jesus call to drop everything and follow him. Upon doing so he throws a banquet for the despised of the community. The two receive self-righteous backlash until Jesus reveals the true issue at heart: If you do not think you're sick you will not see a need for Him.
Four faithful men are undeterred by the throngs of disputing and deliberating Pharisees (introduced here in Luke's Gospel) who block their way to Jesus. They make every effort to get a paralyzed friend in front of Jesus. And it's a good thing. Jesus both heals the man and forgives his sins! And the bed that once carried the man is the bed that he can now carry. Make every effort to get to Jesus, the Son of Man, for full deliverance.
Jesus changes the trajectory of this leper's life as he tenderly touches him, cleanses him, and restores him to his relationships. This is a powerful picture of Jesus and powerful reminder of our cleansing by Jesus.
Jesus begins his public ministry in his hometown of Nazareth but instead of being a good ol' hometown hero, he challenges his listeners to the very core by examining and fulfilling a scripture near and dear to their hearts, ultimately asking "Are you familiar or faithful?"
We watch Peter go from Fascination to Fear to Filth to Faith as he encounters the Unblemished Holiness and Unlimited Grace of Jesus Christ.
Jesus establishes a base of operations in Capernaum where begins a full frontal assault on evil by casting out evil spirits and preaching righteousness. As He dominates demons, it becomes evident that "even demons believe and shudder." This passage offers us an opportunity to take stock of our faith in Jesus. A Sunday sermon by Ed Anton of Hampton Roads Church.
Jesus begins his public ministry in Luke's Gospel back in his hometown synagogue. Jesus preaches from Isaiah 61 by confirming the prophecy in himself! This lightening bolt lights up the synagogue, but not as much as Jesus' commendation of faith in a Sidonian widow and a Syrian leper. Each expressed faith in God in such a way to inspire us today.
Driven by the Spirit, Jesus is led out into the wilderness to face the devil, the accuser. He sets a righteous example for us on how to overcome temptation in our lives. Armed with God's Word and what Jesus' righteousness has done for us, His victory can be our victory in the showdown's of our lives!
Luke's Gospel now begins the pivot from John the Baptist's ministry to Jesus' ministry, beginning with His baptism and temptation. Jesus tells us that He must be baptized to "fulfill all righteousness." And so He does as He arrives as the New Adam. On this New Year, we have a New Adam and a New Resolve (the same resolve for righteousness that Jesus exhibits at both His baptism and temptation in the desert).
As Christmas draws near in 2013, Ed Anton preaches a sermon on John the Baptist's preparations for the coming of Jesus Christ in Luke 3:15-20. Jesus will come as both Deliverer and Judge as seen in John's picture of the winnowing fork. You Better Watch Out He's Gonna Find Out Who's Naughty or Nice So Be Good for Goodness Sake
John the Baptist breaks four hundred years of prophetic silence to prepare the way for Jesus. He best prepares us for Jesus by calling us to repent (Metanoia) and to prove that repentance by bearing its fruit. But to bear good fruit, we need to go deeper to the root of our sin and self focus. This sermon by Ed Anton helps us to do just that.
Lex Campaldini preaches a sermon on Luke 2 that considers the persevering faithfulness of both Simeon and Anna as Jesus is presented at the temple. This proves to be a timely lesson for us during the holidays as we want what we want NOW, and what we want is often very individualistic. Simeon and Anna, by contrast, waited and waited and ... wait for it ... waited for the redemption of all God's people. They did not persevere for their individual wants or needs. Instead they remained steadfast in prayer for a selfless common good.
Luke's account of the birth of Jesus begins with an edict from the greatest of all Roman emperors, Augustus Caesar. A decree issued from his lips in Rome moves pawns across the board even in the backwaters of Palestine. But who is the real pawn here? Augustus is merely a tool in the hands of Sovereign God. The Kingdom arrives to disrupt Empire. Jesus arrives to expose the futility of searching for peace without surrender to true Sovereign.
As God introduces John the Baptist, the crowds of worshipers wonder "What will this child be?" He will be no less than the greatest of all God's prophets! He will Break the Silence and Pierce the Darkness to bring hope to the hurting and forgiveness to the repentant.
Ed Anton begins a long journey for the Hampton Roads Church as they begin a study in the Gospel of Luke