P.O. Box 53055    
Los Angeles, CA 90053   

CONNIE: Did you know that God wants to throw a party in your honor? Join us today as we look at the Gospel of Luke—a Gospel for all people— and discover God’s Good News for everyone, including you!

CONNIE: Giving God’s trumpet a Certain Sound for more than 70 years, this is the Voice of Prophecy.

CONNIE: Hello, I’m Connie Jeffery,

LONNIE: And I’m Lonnie Melashenko.

CONNIE: Lonnie, it’s a Monday afternoon as we record this program, and early this morning when our office staff gathered for worship, we heard an amazing story that illustrates the point of our program beautifully.

LONNIE: That’s right, Connie. Our young Internet webmaster, Jeffrie, shared his testimony, and believe me, when you talk about the Gospel being for everyone, his is a fantastic story.

CONNIE: Jeffrie came to join our staff and completely update and revamp our web page at VOP.COM about two years ago, but many of us had never heard the full story of how he became a Christian until this morning.

LONNIE: I’m sure many of our listeners who have visited us on the web would be surprised to learn that the man who put it all together was a Muslim up until just three or four years ago.

CONNIE: Jeffrie told us about how he, as a Muslim attending a Christian college, was converted partly by the influence of a gang member who didn’t know how to pray.

LONNIE: That is quite a story.

CONNIE: We all laughed as we tried to picture what was happening, because here was this young gang member—supposedly a Christian—in need of spiritual help. And who should come to his aid but his Muslim roommate, Jeffrie. Now, Jeffrie was accustomed to praying toward Mecca 5 times a day. But he didn’t know how to help his roommate.

LONNIE: So Jeffrie went out and found a Christian friend and asked him how Christians pray. Then he went back and taught his roommate how to pray the Lord’s Prayer.

CONNIE: And afterwards he asked Allah to forgive him for praying like a Christian!

LONNIE: But we’re happy to report that, partly because of that experience, Jeffrie is now a vibrant, happy young Christian. And perhaps even more amazingly, his roommate—the one who didn’t know how to pray—has become a Christian pastor!

CONNIE: That story is just one example of how God makes His kingdom open to all who will come to Him and rejoices in receiving each new child of the kingdom.

LONNIE: As we look at the gospel of Luke today, we’re going to be focusing on how Jesus opened the kingdom to everyone, and to get us started we have an interview with New Testament scholar, Dr. John Brunt, a professor, administrator, and pastor.

KEN: Dr. John , I just want to welcome you to our program today.

JOHN: Well, thank you. It’s nice to be with you Ken.

KEN: For our listener’s sake, Dr. John is in transition right now. He’s been Academic Vice President for Walla Walla College for the past twelve years and prior to that was professor of New Testament at the same college. Right now you’re on your way down here to California though, aren’t you?

JOHN: That’s right.

KEN: Soon you’ll be pasturing the Azure Hills church in Grand Terrace, right?

JOHN: Yes.

KEN: John, today we’re talking about Luke of course. When you think of Luke, what’s special about this gospel?

JOHN: Oh, there are a lot of things actually. Luke is of course, in some ways very similar to Matthew and Mark. They call all three of them synoptic gospels.

KEN: Right.

JOHN: And yet there are some unique features about Luke. For one thing, it’s special that he tells us quite a few things that we wouldn’t know if we didn’t have his gospel. He’s the only one that tells us the story of the Good Samaritan, the story of the prodigal son,

KEN: A precious story.

JOHN: The story of persistence in prayer, those strange stories you know about prayer, and the people who come and persist. In one case it’s a woman who’s trying to get justice from a judge

KEN: Right

JOHN: And finally the judge gives in because of her persistence. He’s also the only one that tells us the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the foolish rich man, Zaccheus the wee little man who climbed up in the tree.

KEN: We’d be missing a lot if we didn’t have Luke wouldn’t we?

JOHN: Oh yes, we sure would.

KEN: Is there any particular theme that comes out in Luke that we might miss without Luke?

JOHN: Well, I think that probably the theme that is most striking in Luke is the emphasis on salvation for all.

KEN: Oh yes.

JOHN: Luke shows that the gospel is for everyone, for Jew, for Gentile, and he emphasizes this. It starts out right at the beginning in the hymn when Simian talks about Jesus, that He will become a light that will be a revelation to the Gentiles, to the nation.

KEN: To all nations, enlightenment to the pagans in one of the translations that I was reading.

JOHN: That’s right and Luke emphasizes that being the Jesus isn’t just for any one people, He is for everyone and he does it by picking out some of the groups that would have been outcasts. For instance the Samaritans.

KEN: Right.

JOHN: And we have the story of the Good Samaritan. We have the story of the ten lepers and only one came back and he was a Samaritan. So Jesus came for them. He came for the poor. We have the story of the rich man and Lazarus where that poor man who is outside not having enough to eat is then taken to God’s kingdom. He emphasizes that women were included in the gospel. The story of the resurrection of the widow’s son at Nain in chapter seven is only in Luke. The story of Mary and Martha, the story of Anna the prophetess that recognizes Jesus when He comes to the temple. There’s a very interesting section right here at the beginning of chapter eight and this is only in Luke where it emphasizes that women were among the disciples.

KEN: Yes.

JOHN: I have a New English Bible here and it reads that after this He went journeying from town to town and village to village proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. With Him were the twelve and a number of women who had been set free from evil spirits and infirmities. Mary known as Mary of Magdalena from whom seven devils had come out. Joanna, the wife of Kuza a steward of Herod, Susannah and many others. These women provided for them out of their own resources so everyone is included in the gospel in Luke.

KEN: Very good point. What about Luke himself? We have about a minute left here. What can we say about Luke himself that maybe that makes this emphasis come through? Who is he, what’s his role in life?

JOHN: Well, according to Paul, he was a beloved physician. Paul tells us that in Colossians 4:14. He traveled with Paul. He apparently was a Gentile himself and so he has that emphasis. He of course feels included himself, and there is great joy. One of the themes in Luke is the joy of salvation. There is joy in heaven when one sinner repents.

KEN: That comes out over and over again you were pointing out to me a little bit earlier how the gospel begins with praises and joy and how does it end?

JOHN: It ends the same way. We have all these hymns in fact, that at the birth of Jesus everyone breaks out into song, Mary, Elizabeth and Anna and Simeon and then at the end they were worshipping Him in Jerusalem after Jesus ascends and it says they were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. So there’s this emphasis all the way through on praising God. The appropriate response to the gospel for us is to praise God with out voices and with out lives.
KEN: Well John, thank you very much for sharing those insights with us and for reminding us to praise the Lord.

CONNIE: That was Steve Darmody with a song that picks up on one of the themes found in Luke—the theme of praise. And as always, if you’d like to know more about our music, we invite you to stop by our web page at VOP.COM.

LONNIE: Of course it’s not only music you can learn more about there. You’ll find a lot of resources—sermon transcripts, past programs that you can listen to. And recently we’ve added a search function so you can look for material on any topic in the resources we’ve posted for you there.

CONNIE: One of the neatest things you’ll find at VOP.com is the Discover Bible School. Thousands of people have had their lives blessed by digging in and learning to study the Bible with the aid of these 26 lessons. And you can do the lessons either on the web page, or by correspondence through the mail.
LONNIE: Either way, we really encourage you to take a look at the Discover Bible Guides—your guide to understanding some of the most important teachings of the Bible.

CONNIE: The Discover Bible Guides are provided as a free service of this ministry. You can enroll online at VOP.com or by writing to us at Voice of Prophecy, Box 53055, Los Angeles, 90053. Again: Box 53055, Los Angeles, 90053.

LONNIE: We also have a toll-free number that you can call and an address in Canada for our friends north of the border. We’ll give that information a bit later, so stay tuned.

CONNIE: Right now, let’s listen to Lonnie’s message, “Luke—a Gospel for All People.”

Luke—a Gospel for All People.

LONNIE: Maybe you’ve heard the classic Tony Campolo story about the prostitute he met in a diner in the middle of the night in Hawaii, and I won’t take the time to tell it in detail here. It’s the punch line I want to get to anyhow.
Tony met this young woman one night and heard her tell her friends that the next day was her birthday and that she had never had a birthday party in her whole life.

So what did Tony do? He talked to the owner of the diner, who volunteered to bake a cake. Then he went and bought balloons and decorated the place. The next night when that lady of the streets came in, she had her first birthday party ever. And when it was all over, someone asked who he was and what he did. When they found out he was a minister of the gospel, these people of the night asked what kind of church he was a minister in. His answer is classic Campolo: A church that throws parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning.

Now, I must admit, that’s a bit different from most of the churches I’ve been in. It seems like the church tends to be open only certain hours each week and even when they’re open, churches can seem like kind of exclusive clubs. A place for members only. A place where someone coming in off the street might not be made to feel comfortable.

But is that the way Jesus intended the church to be?

Consider two of the stories that we find only in the book of Luke. We’ll be looking at chapter 15, if you want to follow along in your Bible.

Notice that the chapter begins with trouble for Jesus: “ ‘then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them’ ” (Luke 15:1, 2, NKJV).

It’s kind of like the Campolo story, isn’t it? Jesus is out with the real people—the people who most need salvation, and they are the ones who are attracted to Him.
But what happens?

The stuffed shirts come along and say, “You know, you really shouldn’t be associating with that kind of people. After all, birds of a feather flock together. If you’re going to be a success, you need to learn which parties to go to and which to avoid!”

Jesus responds to their criticism with three stories, two of which are unique to Luke—they’re not told in any of the other Gospels.
First is the story of a lost coin. A woman has ten of these silver drachmas, which represent about a day’s wages, and suddenly she discovers one of them is missing. She turns the house upside down looking for it, and when she finally finds it she throws a party to celebrate.

Then there’s the story of the prodigal son—the boy who’s gotten lost from his father’s house. He’s taken all his inheritance and gone away to a place where Dad can’t control him anymore, and he’s spent it all. Now he’s empty-handed and doing the lowest form of menial labor imaginable—living with and feeding someone else’s pigs. The pigs seem better off than he is. So he decides to go back home and see if he can hire on as a servant with good old Dad. After all, his family’s servants at least eat better than he’s been doing lately.

You know the story. When the lost boy returns, Dad is there waiting for him. Waiting to receive him back into the family. And after he puts a ring on the boy’s finger and puts his own cloak over the boy’s filthy clothes, what’s next? A party! A time for music and rejoicing.

But notice something here, in Luke 15. Somebody else comes onto the scene, and what’s his reaction?

“Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ But he was angry and would not go in” (Luke 15:25-28 NKJV).
What’s this other kid so angry about? Why won’t he join the party?
Here’s what he says: “ ‘Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends’ ” (Luke 15:29, NIV).

He’s a serious-minded kid who’s never done anything wrong. And he’s never had a party.

Do you get it? Do you see why Jesus told this story at this time—right after the serious-minded pharisees had come to Him and complained about His apparent light-hearted lifestyle?

“You’re not supposed to be too happy in the church,” they say. “Church is about seriousness, preparing for the judgment, getting the victory over sin, self-sacrifice and tough-it-out obedience to God. There’s no time or place for rejoicing!”
Where are the pharisees in this story? They’re the older brother, aren’t they. The ones who want to turn their back on the sinful younger brother and make him suffer for his wrongs.

But where is God in this story?

He’s the father, welcoming his wasteful, sinful, prodigal son back into the home.
Expressing joy in the return of one who had chosen not to be a part of the family.
Jesus tells this series of three stories: The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, specifically to teach the pharisees and scribes something. Sure, it’s OK to be serious about your religion—the father doesn’t condemn the older son—but it’s also important to be joyful about your religion. Joyful about the salvation of souls.

Luke’s Gospel focuses our attention on this point, right from the start. In the very first chapter—in another story that no other Gospel writer shares with us—he tells us that what we’re about to hear is Good News—something to be happy about. When the angel Gabriel comes to tell Zechariah that he’s about to become the father of John the Baptist, notice what he says: “ ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news’ ” (Luke 1:19, NIV).

And then in chapter 2 we find more good news from heaven. The angel announcing the birth of Jesus to Bethlehem’s shepherds dispels their fears with these words, “ ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people’ ” (NIV).

And at the very outset of His ministry, Jesus stood up in the synagogue in His hometown and reads this text:

“ ‘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’ ” (NIV).

The Gospel is good news. It’s something to be happy about. And as Dr. Brunt pointed out in our interview today, it’s good news to all people.

Luke, the author of this Gospel, was, after all, a gentile himself. A gentile who had the privilege of meeting and working with the great apostle to the gentiles, Paul.

The sense of joy in the salvation that had been extended to him must have permeated Luke’s understanding of Jesus’ mission on earth.

The Gospel of Luke reveals to us a Jesus who was at home with all people. He didn’t look down His nose or turn His back on anyone.

Not tax collectors. Not sinners. Not even lepers. Not even Samaritan lepers. There’s another story that only comes up in this Gospel. It’s told in chapter 17.

As Jesus is journeying toward Jerusalem—toward His ultimate fate, the crucifixion at the hands of those who won’t accept Him and His teaching, He’s approached by a delegation of lepers. Now, the lepers don’t dare come right up to Jesus and ask Him to heal them. Leprosy made a man or woman a total outcast. A leper wasn’t allowed into decent society. They had to live on the fringes. So these ten lepers stood some distance away from Jesus and called to Him, asking Him to heal them.
And Luke makes it clear that Jesus didn’t discriminate. He didn’t say, “OK, I’ll heal the people of my own race, but you, Samaritan, go find your own healer!” No, He healed them all, without regard for race, color, creed, or national origin! And Luke makes sure we know that it was only the Samaritan who came back to thank Jesus.

The gospel is for all people. It’s for Luke. It’s for me. It’s for you. Whoever you are, wherever you are. Wherever you come from. Whatever you’ve done. The gospel is for you. It’s the good news that God cares so much about us that He was willing to send His only Son down to earth to minister to us, and to show us that God loves us.

Jesus came to earth, knowing full well that He would have to suffer and die for our sins. And so my friend, He wants to be your friend. He wants to associate with you just as He did with the tax collectors and sinners.

He wants to rejoice with you. In knowing that you have come to Him for salvation.

Won’t you do that, just now? Whether you’re a long-time Christian, who’s been living with the Father all your life, or a prodigal child who’s been out living on the wild side, or someone who’s always felt like you were on the outside looking in, as far as salvation was concerned.

The gospel invitation is there for you. The invitation to come home to the Father. Won’t you do it just now? If you will, Jesus says there’ll be joy in heaven. In fact they’re just liable to throw a party in your honor!