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LUKE-(wear stethoscope) (comes in holding a baby)

1.)  Every birth is a miracle!  Isn’t it?

And every child is a gift from God! 

But nearly 20 centuries ago, there was a miracle of miracles! 

A baby was born, He was the Son of God. 

I give the details of this miraculous birth in my writing about Jesus.  Shepherds, angels and said, “Glory to God in the highest and peace to His people on earth.”

Place baby on the hay-straw.

2.)  Good morning everyone!  I am Dr. Luke.  Your pastor, Cletus Hull has asked me to speak with you today. I am a medical doctor and a Greek--different from the others who have spoken here--Matthew and Mark.  I joined the apostle Paul’s evangelistic mission team. Paul was a missionary evangelist to the world.  I met the great apostle and we hit it off together.  We became fast and intimate friends in the Lord.  And I became a full-time member of Paul’s evangelistic team.  I wrote Luke and the Acts of the Apostles-Holy Spirit. 

3.)  Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of history.  Some of you think he’s a myth.  I too, wanted to know the truth about Jesus.  I have an inquiring mind and I’m profoundly interested in every facet of the life of the Lord Jesus.  I interviewed many eyewitnesses--I never personally meet Jesus.  But I wanted to know the truth.  4.)  Lift up the scroll--say, “I am interested in the real Jesus--who he was as a man and person.  The Jesus who sits where you sit in life, feels what you feel, is tested and touched by what touches you.” 

5.)  I had an eye for the social outcasts, disenfranchised, sick and offended.  Everything I wrote about Jesus was framed by the real presence of the Holy Spirit.  For Jesus was a real person who claims and is the Savior of the whole world, Jews and Gentiles.  Today we will revisit a few of the words of Jesus, his actions and the world Jesus lives in--because it has everything to do with the world YOU live in.

6.)  There are five areas of my writing, the gospel of Luke, which I would like to relate to you this morning.  Walk to table to talk about the Holy Spirit.

7.)  First of all, everything I wrote for you is framed by the real presence of the HOLY SPIRIT.  (Light the candle on the table.)  The light represents that though we (my friends, Matthew, Mark, John wrote these gospels, hold up scrolls, the Holy Spirit was guiding every word and thought that I would write.)  Pick up Luke scroll. Hold up.  From the beginning of my gospel, the Holy Spirit was involved in the life of Jesus. 

8.)  Pick up baby, stand by table, hold before people, Jesus was born by the Holy Spirit.  Conceived by the Holy Spirit.  The birth of John the Baptist, was filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb of his mother.  Walk over to baptistery.

At Jesus baptism, the Holy Spirit came down on him, like a dove, and said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased.” 

9.)  Go over to podium to read scripture Jesus read… (take SCROLL with you-unroll it)

10.)  Listen to these words of Jesus when he began his ministry,

from the prophet Isaiah,

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

11.)  Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your front of all of you!”  The people wanted to became angry.  Who does he think he is?  They took the Lord Jesus to the edge of a cliff in town but he just turned around and walked right through the crowd. 

12.)  The Holy Spirit--who wants to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God?  Fill up cup with water in a bowl, in a pitcher of water. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit which Jesus had, you will be very weak Christians.  I want to pray for all of you that you would receive the Holy Spirit in power today. 

13.)  Say a prayer for the people, then

Put on head piece

14.)  HEALING--put on head piece and hold up stethoscope.  I am a medical doctor.  I’m interested in the human body.  I took the Hippocratic Oath-given in the 4^th century before Christ by Hippocrates-that I would preserve life to the best of my ability.  I have a keen eye for those who are sick, as Jesus said, They that are sick, need a physician.  I’ve come a long way as a doctor.  At one time I only believed in natural methods of healing, of giving herbs and drugs, which are God-given, but also now I also believe in the supernatural healing which comes through prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.  For Jesus Christ is the Great Physician.  I have recorded 20 miracle stories of Jesus. The power of the Lord was present to heal the people.  I want to tell you about two of those events in the life of Jesus.

15.)  There was a women with bleeding condition, doctors couldn’t help her, moved thru crowd, se was desperate.  Jesus felt power go out of him. 

16.)  Mother, a widow whose son died, widow of Nain. Jesus touched the boy.  Stood up and talked.  Jesus raised him from the dead.  I specifically wrote, “He gave her son back to his mother.”  Jesus gives back and has power over death and sickness.  17.)  Take off head piece.  Anyone need healing, touch yourself and join me in prayer right now. Jesus came to meet human needs.

18.)  GENTILES--Do you know that all of you are here this morning because of me, Luke?  Not really me, but the Lord Jesus.  But what I’m trying to say is that I’m the only Gentile writer in the New Testament.  The apostle Paul, who was Hebrew, was very open to having me around with him. But some of the other disciples weren’t.  In my gospel, I write about.  I am the only writer who calls Jesus the Savior.  For as Matthew, told he came for the Jews, but I want to add that Jesus not only came for the Jews, but for the whole world.  He died for the whole world.  Do you understand that?  That means YOU! 

19.)  Point at people. 

20.)  I want to tell you a parable--a story that Jesus gave called the GOOD SAMARITAN (walk up to the stage with SCROLL).  Read from scroll as they come in side door.  Jesus’ love for you is good news for all of you.  His message of love is for everyone.  Each of you have the opportunity to respond to him in faith.  Even Gentiles like yourself. 

21.)  WOMEN and CHILDREN--I record the names of many the women that knew Jesus.  You see, women were only property in the days of Jesus.  Men were here and women were here.  Mary Magdalene, whom you’ve heard of, Jesus cast 7 demons out of her. 

22.)  On one occasion, I wrote this down, the people were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

23.)  One day I was walking through Jerusalem and saw a homeless man begging on the streets.  Two parents, mother and dad were walking by with their child and the baby reach toward the homeless man like this, EXPLAIN the rest.

24.)  Which leads me to my 5TH area of the life of Jesus for you today.  That Jesus loves all people--even the OUTCASTS and rejected of our society. 

25.) Bridget then walk up to the stage and starts to sing “Wee Little Zacchaeus.”  26.)  Ron Schrag walks in from side door and climbs up on the ladder.  I interview him on ladder.  Jesus the rejected, the sinners, disenfranchised, those who have been cast out of their families. 

27.)  Walk over to communion table to talk about Emmaus.  Stand behind the table.  Did you know that have recorded 11 meals with Jesus and other in my gospel of Jesus?  How do we get to know each other better? 

28.)  Finally I want to tell you about two men who met with Jesus after his amazing resurrection from the dead.  They were walking to a town called Emmaus and saw Jesus our Lord.  Walking along way, met a man who explained how all the scriptures of the Hebrew Bible lead us to the Messiah, the Savior, Jesus.

29.)  Walk up to table with communion elements.  Sit down explain, stand up, hold cup and bread Jesus disappeared.  They recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread.  HOLY SPIRIT did this.  Drink from the cup and break the bread--it is a miracle what Jesus did-he Died for your sins and the sins of the whole world.

30.)  I hear that some of you have been to EMMAUS?  Right?  What was that like?  Should others go?  How many want to see the Lord, today.  That is what the gospel of Luke of Luke is all about.  Showing you who Jesus really is.  I’m convinced after meeting so many people who knew Jesus personally.  Do you want to meet Jesus today?  He’s here in plain view.  He’s in the person sitting beside you.  He’s been trying to get your attention all of your life, by the presence of the HOLY SPIRIT. Do you hear a small voice speaking in you to call or bless someone this week?  That’s the HOLY SPIRIT talking to your heart. 

31.)  Join me in singing this easy song, let’s stand together (find music stand, book and guitar)

After I’m done with song I will walk off.

32.)  Joyce gets Shawn and form people to come forward for communion.

33.)  Janet will lead communion service and explain it to everyone.

34.)  Benediction  

But you will receive power when the HOLY SPIRIT comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem (Lower Burrell, New Kensington, the Kiski Valley), and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."