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WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
LUKE 4:14-44
Introduction
I have lived in several different places during my almost 50 years here on this earth.
Many of you know that I grew up in Southeast Georgia in a town by the name of Brunswick which was more or less the size of Muncie. However I actually grew up about miles outside of the outskirts of the town. (That was called “out in the country” where I come from)
I spent the first 19 ½ years of my life around that town. It was a place that was known for its smells. Certain of these smells that would turn the stomach of ordinary people. But they were smells that were crucial to the economy of that area.
Brunswick Pulp & Paper Company (The Pulp Mill–They processed pine trees into paper.)
Hercules Powder Company (Hercules–They processed fat lighter stumps into resin.)
Various seafood companies in the area (like Lewis Crab Factory and Sea Pak) had processing houses that had their own smell distinct smell. (Crab, Shrimp, and Scallops)
Then there was the smell of the marshes and the smell of salt in the air when you got over near the ocean.
A lot of folks didn’t like the smells. Nevertheless, I can still tell by the smells when I’m getting close to home! For the first 19 ½ years of my life I didn’t know anything different.
After graduating from Brunswick Junior College, I left Brunswick, GA for Valdosta, GA (about
2 ½ hours away) in January of 1976 to attend Valdosta State College. It was a place known for the beauty of its azalia bushes and for its football–High School football. Valdosta’s High Schools were not only state powerhouses in football but also national powerhouses. It was a college town that relied heavily on the College for much of its economy just like Muncie does.
I moved back to Brunswick after leaving college and married Susan. A year after we were married, we moved to Chattanooga, TN to attend Tennessee Temple University. It was known as a tourist town (Lookout Mountain, Rock City, Ruby Falls, The Incline Railway and various Civil War Battlefields). It was also a college town with at least two universities in town.
When we moved back to Brunswick, I was associate pastor at Church for four years and then I was called to pastor my first Church in Jasper, FL, which was a hole in the wall town not near anything. Not only was the town not near anything but we weren’t even near the town. Our Church was “way out in the sticks” which is further out than just being “out in the country.”
From there we moved back to Brunswick for just a few months before I wound up Pastoring my second Church in Greenbrier, TN. I still haven’t figured out what Greenbrier is known for or even what kept it being a town. It was a quiet little town except when the gossip mill was running and it usually ran most of the time.
We actually only lived in Greenbrier a few months before moving to Springfield, TN, which was just five miles north of Springfield and we lived in two separate places there for eleven years before we moved here.
So, I and my family have lived in a few places. Some of you may know what that’s like and some of you have no idea what I’m talking about because all you have ever known is this area.
Sometimes we are born into a family that lives in a certain place.
Sometimes we move to a certain place because a job requires it or we are going to school there.
Sometimes we move to somewhere because we are moving back to be with family.
Other times we move somewhere out of choice. (Retiring to a place like Florida.)
We will see that the two places where Jesus lived are the two towns mentioned in our text today –Nazareth and Capernaum.
Nazareth would be considered Jesus’ hometown. We all know Christ was born in Bethlehem, but He was raised in Nazareth. For that reason He was known as Jesus of Nazareth or as a Nazarene. It is much like my Son having been born in Valdosta, GA, but being raised in Springfield, TN. Which do you think he calls his hometown? If you cut him he bleeds Tennessee orange. Some of you bleed Kentucky blue. Now, every normal person bleeds Georgia red! AMEN!
So, Nazareth is the place that the Lord lived most of His life growing up.
The other place Christ lived was the town of Capernaum. After His temptation in the wilderness:
Matthew 4:13–“And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:”
Now, just as no two towns that I have lived in or that you have lived in (or ever will live in) are ever the same (they are all different) we see that these two towns were different in a very important way.
NAZARETH WAS RESISTANT TO JESUS. CAPERNAUM WAS RESPONSIVE TO JESUS.
And I want to suggest that, figuratively speaking and spiritually speaking, we each live today in one of these two towns.
For those who are Christians, I want to warn you that it is very possible for you to have been responsive for a time in your life, but at some time in the past, present, or future for your life to move to an area in your life and join in with those who are not responsive to Jesus. It is possible for you to move from the place of responsiveness to the place of resistance.
After His Baptism by John the Baptist and temptation by Satan, Jesus returned to the Galilee area to began His ministry. (Vs 14-15)
Last week we saw how that John the Baptist’s preaching pointed folks to Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one of God. Our text here says that Jesus’ fame began to spread.
Then we see that Jesus visited two towns–One where He had lived, Nazareth and one where He now lived. One was resistant to Jesus and the other was responsive to Jesus.
My question today is this–where do you live Spiritually today? I’m not talking about the past.
I’m talking about the present. I’m not talking about your plans for the future. I’m talking about today! Are you living in Nazareth, resistant to Jesus? Or are you living in Capernaum, responsive to Jesus? Let’s look at the Scripture.
I. ARE YOU LIVING IN NAZARETH? (Vs. 15-31)
What do we notice about Nazareth.
A. They Were Familiar With Jesus. (Vs. 15-22)
We see here how that Jesus gave a wonderful introduction of Himself as the Messiah through His presentation in the synagogue.
Although the people who heard Him admitted that He spoke gracious words, they could not get past the fact that He was someone that they knew.
They thought that they knew Jesus well, but they didn't.
Today many have a similar problem.
They have heard about Jesus all their lives.
They have gone to church all their lives.
They are familiar with Him, and yet they really don't know Him.
If you mention Jesus, and they'll say, "Oh yea, I know who Jesus is."
But they don't act like they know Him. And they just shut off when something is taught about Him that goes against who they think that Jesus is or who they want Him to be.
Others get so familiar with Jesus that they just have the attitude of, “Well I already know that, ” or “I’ve already heard that,” and they just stop listening.
We are in great danger when we get so familiar with Jesus that we begin to take for granted that we know Him better than we really do or we ignore Him.
We need Jesus to be fresh to us each day! Rather than just being familiar with some of the old truths about Jesus, we need to revisit them anew with expectation.
They Were Familiar With Jesus.
B. They Were Faithless Toward Jesus. (Vs. 23-24)
Jesus knew what these people were thinking.
They were using a proverb or saying of that day, "Physician heal thyself."
The meaning is this: Suppose that a man attempts to heal somebody else when he was himself diseased in the same manner. It would be natural to ask him to FIRST cure himself, and thereby show that he was worthy of confidence.
The connection of this proverb, here, is this:
“You profess to be the Messiah. You have performed miracles at Capernaum. You profess to be able to deliver us from our maladies, our sins, our afflictions. Show that you have the power, that you are worthy of our confidence, by working miracles HERE, as you profess to have done at Capernaum.”
This also reminds us of the words that Jesus was mocked with on the cross,
Luke 23:35–“And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.”
Jesus used another saying of the day on them. “No prophet is accepted in his own country” or “No prophet is without honor except in his own country.”
Have you ever heard the saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt.”
They had the very Son of God living among them for years, yet they gave Him no honor when it was clearly evident that the Spirit of God was working in Him and it was because they were familiar with Him and that caused them to not believe Him.
Other places, including Capernaum, received the Lord Jesus and He was able to do great things in their midst! But why did Jesus not work miracles in Nazareth?
Matthew 13:58 - "And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief."
Have you ever wondered why God doesn't do more around here?
Have you ever wondered why God doesn't do more in your life?
Could it be that we are just as unbelieving in some ways as the people of Nazareth.
They Were Familiar With Jesus. They Were Faithless Toward Jesus.
C. They Were Frustrated With Jesus. (Vs. 25-30)
In verses 25-27, Jesus mentions two Gentiles who received miracles. There were plenty of Jewish widows and Jewish lepers, but God chose to heal these two Gentiles. Why? There are two things to consider here:
1. One would be the general state of unbelief of Israel in the days of Elijah and Elisha.
The people of Nazareth were showing the same unbelief, therefore, there were no miracles.
2. The other thing to consider is that God is not obligated to act just because someone thinks that He should!
Don’t think for a minute that we can command and demand things from God!
These people now took their unbelief to the outer limits.
They got frustrated and angry with Jesus. Why?
Because He told them the truth and they didn't want to hear it.
We can get that way sometimes.
We can frustrated and even angry with people who tell us the truth about God or about our behavior, or lack of faith, and we don't want to hear it.
We can even get frustrated or angry with God because He confronts us with His truth and we don't want to hear it!
ARE YOU LIVING IN NAZARETH?
II. ARE YOU LIVING IN CAPERNAUM? (Vs. 31-41)
A. It Was A Place Where Jesus’ Doctrine Was Respected. (Vs. 31-32)
Jesus did the same thing in Capernaum that he did in Nazareth.
He taught them. He taught them with authority. That’s something that the rabbis of that day didn't do. They just quoted other rabbis! But, Jesus taught them with authority and He taught them with power! There was power and conviction in His words.
Why was that? Yes, He was and is the Son of God, but also remember that the Spirit of God had descended on Him at His baptism and that according to vs.14, "he returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee.”
Now, what was the difference between Nazareth and Capernaum?
Luke tells us about one Sabbath Day in Nazareth and then of Sabbath Days in Capernaum. Jesus spent one Sabbath in Nazareth, but several in Capernaum.
What was the difference? After just one Sabbath Day in Nazareth, the people rejected Him and His word.
But Capernaum was evidently receptive to His teaching. That's why He stayed longer!
How receptive are you to the Word of God?
Do you listen with anticipation and interest?
Do you listen with enthusiasm?
Do you pay attention? Do you care?
Sometimes people get nothing out of God's Word because they are not receptive to God's Word.
It Was A Place Where Jesus’ Doctrine Was Respected.
B. It Was A Place Where Jesus’ Power Was Demonstrated.
1. Satan’s Power Was Defeated. (Vs. 33-37)
The people were receptive and then Jesus’ power was demonstrated as the demon possessed man was released from his bondage.
In this situation the devil, through one of his demons, had a man bound.
Of course, the devil is no match for the Son of God!
Oh that we would realize this! The Lord Jesus came to give us victory over sin and to release the power of Satan from our lives!
2. Jesus’ Power Was Manifested. (Vs. 38-39)
Jesus healed Peter's Mother-in-law.
This was a great victory! Notice how, out of gratitude, she got up and served.
Does Jesus heal disease today? He does, according to His perfect will.
But more importantly He heals the diseases of the heart.
Only the one who is receptive to Jesus will experience His healing touch of the heart.
Capernaum was a responsive town for a while. Unfortunately Capernaum eventually showed its unbelief.
Matthew 11:23–“And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”
3. Jesus’ Power Was Magnified As His Ministry Multiplied. (Vs 40-43)
Where unbelief is abundant, Jesus is hindered from doing many mighty works. (Nazareth)
But, where faith is abundant and the Lord Jesus is able to many might things and He is both magnified and glorified and His ministry is multiplied.
Where Jesus is able to do many mighty things, it leads to more people seeking Him out.
Conclusion
Where do you live today? And don’t get smart with me and give me your address after the service or make some comment like “look it up in the phone book.”
I’m talking about Spiritually speaking. Where do you live?
Are you living in a place like Nazareth–Familiar with Jesus, but Faithless and Frustrated?
Or are you living in a place like Capernaum?
A Place Where Jesus’ Doctrine Is Respected,
A Place Where Jesus’ Power Is Demonstrated.
Satan’s Power Is Defeated.
Jesus’ Power Is Manifested.
Jesus’ Power Is Magnified As His Ministry Is Multiplied.
Home Page Contact Us Service Times Sermons Are You Going To Heaven?
NOTICE: THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!