This week we began a new sermon series at LPC on John Stott's book, "The Living Church." If you have never heard of John Stott, there are some wonderful resources for you to learn more about his life and ministry.
- Read the New York Times article from 2004 by David Brooks.http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/30/opinion/30brooks.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Who%20Is%20John%20Stott&st=Search
- Read the Lausanne Covenant. http://www.lausanne.org/en/documents/lausanne-covenant.html (You can read Stott's commentary if you are interested.)
- Review Stott's 1974 sermon, "I Have A Dream Of A Living Church." It is printed in the Appendix of his book, "The Living Church."
You do not have to agree with everything that Stott writes, but one thing for sure he invited us to take the Bible seriously and to allow the church to be informed and inspired by the biblical message.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Luke 4:14-30 – Jesus Begins His Public Ministry
Luke 4:14-30 – Jesus Begins His Public Ministry
- Jesus began his public ministry in his hometown synagogue by reading and interpreting the text from Isaiah 61. This was the practice adopted by the early church and is still at the center of our Reformed tradition. How important to us is the notion of the authority of the Bible? In what sense does the Bible's authority impact our personal lives and the collective life and mission of our church?
- Try to identify with the congregation in Nazareth. How must they have felt about Jesus? Did they believe that Jesus was their Messiah? Why did they become so angry with him?
- The Bible (and particularly the Luke 4 text) define our identity and the mission of the church. Who are we as Christians? What is the mission of Jesus and his church? How is this identity and mission being reflected in and through LPC? To what reforms do Jesus' words call us?
