ONEFAMILY Outreach

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ONEFamily Outreach exists to "Connect Kids to Community and Communities to Kids." Have you considered having a mission week for your church? This is one of my favorite "in-depth" ways of reaching out with the Great News of Jesus Christ. Activities can include:

Interactive and participative praise concerts for children, youth, and families;
Morning staff studies on "Authentic Leadership" and "Building a Culture of Intentional Courtesy"
Brown-Bag Luncheon Studies for your community focusing on our scriptural call to justice;
In-service for your volunteers or teachers on reaching today's youth and families with the vibrant, living, message of Jesus Christ;
Evening parent seminars based upon two of Jerry's recent books: "Significant Conversations: Helping Young People Live Meaningful Lives," and "The Deepest Longing of Young People; Loving Without Conditions."
Local networking with other area groups (secular or faith-based) regarding prevention and intervention strategies for high-risk and incarcerated youth;
Humorous and thought-provoking school assemblies (secular or religious, elementary through high school).

ONEFamily Outreach is primarily supported by your donations and by trainings, workshops, retreats and concerts.

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The Mission Statement of Jesus, the Christ

Luke 4:14-21

Epiphany 3c

Luke 4:14-21

[Lk 4:14] And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. [15] And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

[16] And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. [17] And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

[18] “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, [19] TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”

[20] And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. [21] And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (NASB)

Luke 4:14-15

And Jesus returned to Galilee

Jesus had been raised predominantly among the people of Galilee and it was to those people that he would make the first pronouncement of God’s Good News (also meaning “perfectly of God’s plan”). Sometimes, the hardest place to go when the Lord enters our life is to our own home. We want to go where people don’t know us, where we have no “history,” where our opinions matter because, after all, “anyone from 20 miles out of town is an expert.” Yet, the greatest testimony is not what strangers say about us—but what our own family says. That is where consistent behavior either does or does not testify to our claims. Does my own family testify that I have become a consistent Christian? If not, that is where my first ministry needs to focus. That is where Jesus went to began his ministry and where he was initially, “praised by all,” until he made the announcement, “Guess what, I’m a Christian.”

At that point, Nazareth would refuse our Lord’s claim, but they could not refute his actions and the power of his words. Truly, the one testimony that no one can refute is consistent behavior.

In the power of the Spirit

No one attributes the actions of Jesus to his prayer life and the compelling power of the Holy Spirit more than Luke. It is the Holy Spirit that guides John the Baptist, Mary and Elizabeth, the prophets Anna and Simeon, and finally Jesus at this critical juncture of the Divine’s incarnate arrival.

We can almost imagine Luke questioning the eyewitnesses and saying; “How did you know what to do? How did you know what to say?”

And their response was; “By the power of the Holy Spirit.”

From the moment of Christ’s baptism, our Lord’s life became a total response to the direction of the Holy Spirit. It was not a subtle prompting either. In verse 4:1, Jesus is “arrested and led away” by the Holy Spirit [GSN71 ago] into the Devil’s Lair [GSN2048 eremos] by the Holy Spirit.

In 4:16, our Lord returns to Galilee in the dynamic power (also known as dynamic or dynamite force [GSN1411 dunamis]) of the Holy Spirit.

Unlike those who are listed above, I often have a problem hearing the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is not because the Spirit is absent; it is because I either plug my ears or just plain ask the wrong questions in my discernment process.

I ask; “Lord, should I buy a new truck?” The Spirit responds with the consistent response of Jesus; “No, one thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [Lk 18:22].” However, when I don’t hear what I desire, I respond by saying, “Why doesn’t the Holy Spirit speak to God’s people anymore?”

The real question for us today is, “Why would we think that the intensity of Christ’s call would diminish, especially to a culture locked into consumerism?”

The Holy Spirit hasn’t cushioned the intensity of God’s radical call; “You shall have no other gods before Me.” [Dt 5:7] God’s voice is no less clear today than it was to Abraham. Instead, it is our hearing that has become increasingly selective.

To hear God as clearly as John the Baptist, Mary, Elizabeth, Anna, Simeon, and Jesus we need to be as unencumbered as they were. In truth, the fewer our encumbrances; the better our hearing.

Try this out on a personal level today. Sometime today, make the attempt to listen to someone without adding your agenda. Do not allow yourself to say anything more to that person than to ask defining questions: “Tell me how that felt? Tell me what you are learning?”

The fewer our encumbrances and the smaller our agenda, the better our hearing.

It seems one of God’s major purposes for our short lives is to continually un-encumber us so that we may finally be able to clearly hear the Holy Spirit. So, what encumbrances could I get rid of today?

Luke 4:16-19

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me”

There was a hush upon Jesus’ synagogue. The stories of his works and preaching no doubt preceded him to his home in Nazareth. They would be thinking; “Jesus had always been a good boy and a reputable carpenter (though he certainly had a dubious childhood).”

Tales of miracles and riveting preaching fanned out before our Lord like a grass fire spreading over the dried hills of Galilee, now it would be time to explain these “stories” to his own congregation, to his peers and elders alike. They were the one’s who presumed to know “who Jesus really was.”

When Jesus steps up to read, he is handed the Isaiah parchment (probably to many approving nods). He starts with Isaiah 61:1 but he stops halfway through verse 2 (that would certainly raise some eyebrows). Where was the part about God’s vengeance?

Isaiah 61:2

[Isa 61:2] To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn. (NASB)

Vengeance, especially on the Romans, and particularly on the garrison in Nazareth, would be a favored topic for the average Synagogue crowd. Instead, it is almost as though Jesus tells the story of Little Red Riding but alarmingly, the wolf repents of his rapaciousness, forgiven, and invited in for stew.

Jesus was certainly not what the crowd expected in Nazareth that Sabbath morning. But what if this Jesus came to our services this weekend? Would his message “jive” with our Sunday message?

Let’s just take the basic meaning of these one-and-a-half verses. First of all, “the Spirit is upon him,” why?

“BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED [v14].”

Can we unequivocally make that statement in our own worship services? Can we say; “The Spirit is obviously upon us because we go to the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed.” Can we say that this is why God has anointed us and thus, we can dare claim to be followers? Is that the mission of our church or do we say; “That was Christ’s mission, but we’re still hammering out our own vision statement.”

I am always baffled by churches that seek to write their own vision or mission statements. Was there something wrong with Christ’s? If these one-and-one-half verses were good enough for our Savior, then how are we going to add or distract from them?

My sense is that no matter what we do, we will only dummy his words down; make them more comforting and a little less challenging for ourselves to bear. Over the years, I have heard many church leaders state; “This stuff about the poor, captive, blind and oppressed is purely allegorical.”

What is really important to understand is that the members of Jesus’ synagogue would be expecting to hear that reading on that day. Like those who follow the lectionary today, they Jews had a traditional calendar for the readings of the Pentateuch, the wisdom books, and the prophets as well. The reading would not surprise them, it was the statement that Jesus made after the reading that would shock and surprise them: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

The congregation certainly did not expect to hear those words on that Sabbath day!

Yet, it is clear, that Jesus timed his arrival in Nazareth to match the reading of that scripture. He didn’t choose it, it was handed to him, but he knew which Scripture would be placed in his hands that day. He CHOSE that day. He CHOSE that scripture as his personal mission statement and the mission statement of all Christians who would follow our Lord.

Now, we, in turn must shock and surprise those around us as well with the words, “Today this scripture will be fulfilled by us in this community!”

To preach the gospel

The words that Christ chose as his mission statement are like ripe berries ready to burst upon the lips of the poor. They are richest in the original Hebrew:

· To preach the Gospel [HSN1319 basar] to the poor [HSN6035 anav];

There is no separate word for Gospel and preaching it in Hebrew. To have the prophetic word of God was to give it away; where, how, or when, was far less important just doing it. One did not have the Word of God; it had you.

Jeremiah 1:9

[Je 1:9] Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, behold, I have put My words in your mouth." (NASB)

Isaiah 55:11-12

[Isa 55:11] So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

[12] “For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." (NASB)

And the Good News was for the poor. The term means the afflicted; literally, it means someone whose back is bent by the load of the oppressor. Some might say; “Phew, that excludes us because the oppressed are not in our church.” But Jesus isn’t talking about who is coming to my church; he is talking going out to be his church.

The afflicted are often a cash register away from us; they are two to three hands distant from the fruit we eat or the designer clothes that we wear. They work two jobs but still cannot make a living; they are one accident or illness away from homelessness or their foot has already slipped down into that mud hole and they cannot find solid footing with which to climb out. Instead of hopelessness, will they find our hands extended with compassion?

It is to those people to whom the Good News is sent. That is the mission of those who claim the Christ. For if we claim Christ than we bear the Good News—and we must bear that Good News to where it was destined.

Are we Good News to the oppressed or not?

· To proclaim [HSN7121 qara] release [HSN1865 derorto] the captives [HSN7617 shabah];

The Lord was “stating throughout the land” that the ransom of all hostages had been paid. This is very close to the closing statement Christ makes about the “favorable year of the Lord.”

Every fifty years the Jews would celebrate the “Year of Jubilee” whereupon three things would occur:

1. The land of Canaan would revert to the original tribes allowing even the impoverished to own land;

2. The land itself would have a year of rest (this also occurred every 7 years);

3. The manumission of Israel; anyone who had been sold into slavery due to poverty or debt would be released.

Jesus came to proclaim that he was the beginning of a new order; he was announcing to his own neighbors that the Jubilee Year of God had arrived through his pronouncement in that very spot and on that very day. This announcement of the Jubilee Year would have a significant meaning for the poor for they were always a mere step from slavery. If they were unable to pay their debt they could be forced into slavery while their family was left to rot. For example, a tax collector could demand from someone an exorbitant fee and then could lock up the man until that fee was paid. Normally, it didn’t pay to lock up the male (the breadwinner) so, the Tax Collector would take the man’s wife or child as a slave until that bill was “paid in full.”

The fullest meaning of the Lord’s Prayer takes a central tenet from this part of Christ’s mission statement. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” literally translates into; “Pay my ransom, Lord so I can pay the ransom of others.”

Remember the story of the Vizier who was set free from a king’s wrath? The Vizier had embezzled an obscene amount of money (in the story the amount was greater than the gross national revenues of all of Israel). However, this Vizier, in turn, jails a beggar who owes him mere pennies [Mt 18:21-35].

That is our story! We have no room to demand collection of another given the extent of our debt; but, even more, will the King find us paying the ransom of others out of sheer joy because our ransom was paid in full?

Perhaps, the greatest individual way we can “pay the captive’s ransom” today is to restore dignity to the institutionalized. Not just the incarcerated, but the forgotten and neglected in our rest homes, detention centers, or “alternative education” programs. Christ adamantly tells us not just to accept the forgotten if they come to our church, but to seek the rejected as well!

We may measure the cost in terms of time and inconvenience but that is not the measurement our Savior used to measure the payment of our ransom. Thankfully, no cost was too high for him to pay towards our restoration.

· Recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed;

If we take the summary of the two stanzas above, “recovery of sight to the blind,” and, “to set free those who are oppressed,” we can get a telescopically clear sense of Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah and his mission. Jesus not only restores sight to the blind, but he also brings purpose to the life of the broken in spirit.

Can you imagine if we reclaimed this mission of Jesus in our churches and quit trying to make ourselves “market savvy” with statements like; “The church that is real, relevant, and relational!”

For goodness sake, we make Jesus sound like a car salesman! Let’s quit playing word games with the eternal and take up the mission of Jesus the Christ. Let the poor call us good news.

“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

If we could only understand what great news this announcement of Jesus was for the poor, captive, blind, and oppressed. However, the question needs to be asked; “Is it good news for us?”

Perhaps the best responses to this question might well be for us to ask:

1. Do we fit one or more of these categories of the vulnerable? If so, then “yes.” This is Great News for us.

2. Are we in relationship and working toward the freedom of someone(s) who is vulnerable? If so, then “yes” this is Great News for us.

3. Are we driven by a passion to restore the vulnerable? If so, then “yes,” this is Great News for us.

To the extent that we are working to complete Christ’s mission we can say this will be Good News to us. However, to the extent that we have heard Christ’s mission and not responded, this Good News will become our really bad news, even if we claim that Jesus is our Lord [Matthew 25:31-46].

We can’t take on the name of Jesus Christ if we don’t take on the mission of Jesus Christ. That would be the greatest hypocrisy. This is less a statement of judgment than of consequences. How could we ever find heaven joyful if we don’t find releasing the oppressed and impoverished joyful now? If we don’t see Jesus Christ in the least of these now—we won’t have some magical transformation then. We will be like Dives, the rich man, sniveling from hell that Lazarus should dip his finger in water and give him some refreshment. Dives still didn’t get it! He thought he could still tell Lazarus what to do.

Let us serve Jesus Christ today, “and him in his most vulnerable form” (Mother Theresa). Let us join him in his mission and not try to create slick, new, marketing slogans that have nothing to do with the name or mission of our Lord. Let us experience his anointed power because we:

· PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.

· PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,

· SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED; and we

· PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.

How do we ultimately know that we are living the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ? Simple… when the poor cross the street to tell us their good news. “Remember that job you helped me get?” “Hey my year sobriety is coming up, can you come to the ceremony.” “Thanks for helping me through that stint in detention, I am back in school and with my parents now.”

That’s the kingdom of heaven. That’s the mission of Jesus.

About the Author

Jerry Goebel has worked with youth and young adults for over thirty years. Twenty of those years have been spent focusing primarily on reaching out to at-risk youth on the streets or in the juvenile court system. Jerry developed ONEFamily Outreach, which trains mentors to work with disconnected youth (incarcerated youth, youth in recovery, and youth who are expelled from school). Jerry travels extensively to teach adults how to become more effective in empowering young people to become a positive influence within their communities

To contact or book Jerry for a presentation in your area write or call:

Jerry Goebel

ONEFamily Outreach

jerry@onefamilyoutreach.com

http://onefamilyoutreach.com

(509) 525-0709

Other Works by Jerry Goebel

Weekly Gospel Study based upon the Lectionary Cycle (membership, by donation)
To subscribe, go to: http://onefamilyoutreach.com
Jerry began these studies when he was a missionary in the Yakima County Jails. The focus of these in-depth commentaries was to provide knowledge about Jesus Christ, his culture, and his language, but also to reveal the compassion of our Lord and our call to discipleship. A very important aspect of this study was to provide practical applications for the readers as well as challenge them to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.”

Youth Curriculum Accompaniment to the Weekly Gospel Study (membership, by donation)
To subscribe, contact: jerry@onefamilyoutreach.com
Every week, Jerry takes a group of adults into the local County Juvenile Detention Center to lead “Significant Conversations.” Though this outreach is part of the public education component of the detention center the material is based upon values found in each week’s reading. Each session has a brief overview of the topic followed by a series of strength-based, open-ended questions, that help the young person move the values from their hearts to their minds, and finally to practical application. Whether you work with young people or adults, in a secular or faith-based climate, the principles used and the topics chosen will have an impact on the people you see.

The Deepest Longing of Young People: Loving Without Conditions $14.95 (paperback)
To order, go to: http://www.smp.org/ItemDetail.cfm?ItemNum=3823
This book is a faith-based overview of the needs of young people in a culture that has a difficult time understanding the difference between performance-based approval and unconditional dignity. It is a scriptural framework for engaging a young person in a healthy adult relationship in today’s society.

Significant Conversations: Helping Young People Live Meaningful Lives $14.95 (8.5 x 11 inch spiral bound with printable worksheets)
http://www.lulu.com/content/486979
Significant Conversations is a workbook for adults who want to have a meaning-filled relationship with a young person. There are 14 conversations in this workbook and each section includes an adult overview, a youth overview, and an opportunity to “expand your emotional vocabulary.” Finally, each of the conversations ends with strength-based, open-ended questions that deepen the impact of the topic and a weekly calendar that identifies opportunities for applying the topic to one’s life.

Is There Hope For Me Now? $8.95 (paperback with writing space for journaling)
http://www.lulu.com/content/495682
This book is actually for young people who are going through a rough time. It helps them to work through some critical issues by journaling about such important matters as their emotions, forgiveness, choosing a healthy self-identity, and creating a positive vision for their life.

Musical Collections $12.95 (CD’s, each with 15 original works by Jerry Goebel)
To subscribe, go to: http://onefamilyoutreach.com/bookscds.html
Jerry’s career began in the late 1970’s when, as a teenager, he left home to begin a musical career that has lasted three decades and spanned the world. During that time, Jerry received five popular music awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers as well as being nominated for two Dove Awards from the Gospel Music Association.

Copyright Notice

Scripture Quotations noted from NASB are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION of the bible. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

The New Testament Greek Lexicon based on Thayer’s and Smith’s Bible Dictionary plus others; this is keyed to the large Kittel and the “Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.” These files are public domain.

The Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon is Brown, Driver, Briggs, [DFF1] Gesenius Lexicon; this is keyed to the “Theological Word Book of the Old Testament.” These files are considered public domain.