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In September of 2023, Monica Johnson Markwork shot a salesman, thinking that he was a hitman come to kill her. Not all mistakes can turn deadly, but there is always a danger in not understanding why someone is there, especially Jesus. Why has he come? Our text today clarifies for us what precisely Jesus was sent for.

Most of the slang of the 90's has disappeared, and probably for the best. "Radical" meant something that was awesome or exciting. We don't use it that way anymore, instead meaning something nearer to dangerous or someone who pushes the limits. Many want to see Jesus as radical - but only formed in their fashion. Yet he is truly radical, both in his time and in ours. The two miracles before us help us to see how.

Simon Peter has seen miracles, but this one strikes him to his core, and brings him into the service of Jesus. He is now, and will remain evermore, a disciple. This is what all Christians are to be, those who follow and listen to Jesus. Our text today helps us to understand what discipleship is to be, seen in the example of Simon and the miracle of the fish.

Many people have a functional relationship with Jesus. They come to church because they are supposed to; and while they don't deny him, there is a lack of deep and abiding affection for him. Today, we hope to change that, for in our brief passage we see some of the best of Jesus. Friends, let us flourish in Jesus!

Sermon Audio from Crossway Christian Church

We all face temptation. It might not necessarily be sin, but all sin begins here. Jesus, driven into the wilderness by the Spirit, will face the temptation of Satan there, and overcome. We, too, can overcome temptation in our lives, if we pay attention to Jesus' faithfulness.

Today, we have the honor of performing the three ordinances of the church: baptism, preaching, and the Lord's Supper. It is a time of great rejoicing, as we remember and experience the grace of our God. In addition, we open to a baptismal text: the baptism of Jesus. What does this great text mean for us? It reveals to us both Jesus' ministry and his meaning.

Wally Pipp was a decently average first basemen for the Yankees in the 1920s. One fateful day, he sat out with a headache and never started for them again, passed by the great Lou Gehrig. From this, we say that people get "pipped." John the Baptist would get "pipped" as well, but for him that was the point. He was called to prepare others for Jesus, a work we listen into today. Be prepared to listen Be prepared in repentance Be prepared for Jesus

So far in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus has had a lot of hype. A miraculous conception simply for the man who was to announce his coming; a virginal birth; angelic announcements and prophetic revelations. Will he be worth the hype? He is. And he starts to fulfill that hype in Luke today.

Sermon Audio from Crossway Christian Church

Academics, especially in the sciences, are often proclaimed as underpaid servants of the good. They spend their lives in laboratories and offices, working out the mysteries of the universe for the greater good of humanity. But the truth is that they are driven by the same worldly passions as the rest of us, if not more so: fame and recognition are, in many respects, the be-all-end-all of their professions. God, too, is in the fame business. But he seems to go about getting his name known all wrong. He reveals himself to the lowly and the meek, not the kings and great men in power. Yet, in doing so, he shows us his greater glory. As we approach our text, let us see the greatness of God in the fact that: 1. God presides over the mighty 2. God is pleased with the meek 3. God puzzles the masses

Musicals are an odd thing; just when the action gets going, the characters break out in song. For some, stopping the action is hard to stomach and makes little sense. But that stoppage is the purpose – to slow things down and help the audience feel what the characters feel. That is Luke’s point as well; the songs of Mary, Zechariah, and later Simeon stop the action, and bring us into their frame of mind. Today, the focus is on the baby John, as he is already preparing people for the work of Jesus. We, too, are to be prepared for Jesus. Let us see three ways in which John’s birth helps us to be prepared this morning: 1. Prepare in fear of Jesus 2. Prepare for freedom through Jesus 3. Prepare for forgiveness in Jesus

Our God is full of joy and gladness, as it could be translated in 1 Timothy 1:11, we preach the gospel of the “joyful God.” Just so, he also longs for our happiness and joy in all things, whether through good times or bad. Mary has been given a high and lofty task and has taken it on with resolve and faith. But today we hear of her joy in the Lord. As we listen to her, let us rejoice as well! 1. Rejoice in God’s means 2. Rejoice in God’s majesty 3. Rejoice in God’s might 4. Rejoice in God’s mercy 5. Rejoice in God’s memory 6. Rejoice in God’s magnanimity

The Roman Church has made much of the person of Mary; in many instances too much. They have provided some clarity lately, however, as they have stated that speaking of Mary as a co-Redemptrix with Jesus is never appropriate. Such news is good, even if it doesn’t go far enough. We, however, need to not push too far in the other direction, for Mary and the events surrounding her were not normal by any means. Today, Luke sets out for us the uniqueness of that event. We ought to appreciate that uniqueness through these 5 aspects this morning: 1. Reputation 2. Conception 3. Reception 4. Protection 5. Profession

We all make promises in this world and, hopefully, try to keep them. Yet we know that there are hundreds of factors that can keep us from upholding our word, many of which are out of our control. But this is not so with God – his promises are always kept, even if we don’t always recognize them. Today, Luke emphasizes the nature of how God keeps his promises to us, both individually and corporately. As we think through our text today, note: 1. The persistence of his promises 2. The power of his promises 3. The prosperity of his promises