Really Bad Predictions In a recent article in The Futurist magazine, writer Laura Lee catalogues some of the worst predictions of all time: "Inventions have long since reached their limit, and I see no hope for further developments." —Roman engineer Julius Sextus Frontinus, A.D. 100 "The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon." —John Eric Ericksen, surgeon to Queen Victoria, 1873

"Law will be simplified [over the next century]. Lawyers will have diminished, and their fees will have been vastly curtailed." —journalist Junius Henri Browne, 1893 "It doesn't matter what he does, he will never amount to anything." —Albert Einstein's teacher to Einstein's father, 1895 "It would appear we have reached the limits of what it is possible to achieve with computer technology." — computer scientist John von Neumann, 1949 "The Japanese don't make anything the people in the U.S. would want." —Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, 1954

"Nuclear powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality within ten years." —Alex Lewyt, president of the Lewyt Vacuum Cleaner Company, quoted in The New York Times, June 10, 1955 "Before man reaches the moon, your mail will be delivered within hours from New York to Australia by guided missiles. We stand on the threshold of rocket mail." —Arthur Summerfield, U.S. Postmaster General under Eisenhower, 1959 "By the turn of the century, we will live in a paperless society." —Roger Smith, chairman of General Motors, 1986 "I predict the Internet... will go spectacularly supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse." —Bob Metcalfe, InfoWorld, 1995

“What do people place their confidence in?”

Harold Camping

DISCUSSION GUIDE 1.List some of the background facts for the Gospel of Luke: a. Luke is the longest book in the New Testament b. Over 50% of Luke’s Gospel is unique, not found in any other New Testament accounts c. Author – Luke, Paul’s missionary companion Facts about Luke 1. He was from Antioch of Syria 2. He was a physician 3. He was single 4. He wrote from Achaia 5. He died at the age of 84 in Boetia

DISCUSSION GUIDE d. Date of writing – late A.D. 50s or early A. D. 60s e. Recipients 1. Theophilus – probably a government official whose name means “lover of God” 2. Gentiles – The Gospel is for all people (Luke 2:10) f. Purpose of Luke’s writing – to give an accurate, eyewitness account of Jesus, the Son of Man and “Ultimate Savior” to the Gentiles

DISCUSSION GUIDE 2.Was Luke the first account written about the life of Christ? (Luke 1:1) No, many accounts had already been written.

DISCUSSION GUIDE 3.How were these accounts about Christ communicated? (v. 2) They were passed on by eyewitnesses and “servants of the Word”, people who proclaimed the Gospel to the early church.

DISCUSSION GUIDE 4.Although we have the written Word why is it imperative that we pass on the Gospel through word and deed?

DISCUSSION GUIDE 5.What does the phrase “from the beginning” in (v. 2) mean? These servants of the Word were with Jesus from the start.

DISCUSSION GUIDE 6.How does Luke establish his credibility in (v. 3)? He says he has followed Jesus from the start and wrote an orderly account.

DISCUSSION GUIDE 7.Why is the phrase “that you may know for certain” such an important point? (v. 4) Luke wanted to establish credibility and confidence in his account of the life of Jesus.

DISCUSSION GUIDE 8.How many things in this life can you “know for certain”?

DISCUSSION GUIDE 9.Do you know for certain that Jesus is the Ultimate Savior of your soul? Why or why not?

Overview of Luke 1:1-12:48 Purpose: “That you might know the certainty of the things (about God’s purpose through Jesus) that you were taught.” Preface 1:1-2:52 Preparation 3:1-4:13 Presentation 4:14-9:50 Passage 9:51-12:48 Two Miraculous Conceptions - 1:5-56 A Story to Count On - 1:1-4 Two Magnificent Births - 1:57-2:20 High Cost of Following - 9:51-10:24 Many Signs of the Kingdom - 8:26-9:17 The Promised Prophet - 4:14-44 A Unique Son/Savior - 3:21-4:13 A Voice from the Desert - 3:1-20 An Uncommon Boyhood - 2:21-52 Darkness that Precedes Glory - 9:18-50 Amazing Words and Works - 8:4-25 Warning Against Pitfalls - 12:1-48 The Spread of Faith - 7:1-8:3 A Sermon to Practice - 6:17-49 A New Authority in Town - 5:27-6:16 A Gathering of Followers - 5:1-26 The Certainty of Conflict - 11:14-54 Disciples’ Disciplines - 10:25-11:13

Luke 1:1-12:48 Purpose: “That you might know the certainty of the things (about God’s purpose through Jesus) that you were taught.” Preface 1:1-2:52 Preparation 3:1-4:13 Presentation 4:14-9:50 Passage 9:51-12:48 Two Miraculous Conceptions - 1:5-56 A Story to Count On - 1:1-4 Two Magnificent Births - 1:57-2:20 High Cost of Following - 9:51-10:24 Many Signs of the Kingdom - 8:26-9:17 The Promised Prophet - 4:14-44 A Unique Son/Savior - 3:21-4:13 A Voice from the Desert - 3:1-20 An Uncommon Boyhood - 2:21-52 Darkness that Precedes Glory - 9:18-50 Amazing Words and Works - 8:4-25 Warning Against Pitfalls - 12:1-48 The Spread of Faith - 7:1-8:3 A Sermon to Practice - 6:17-49 A New Authority in Town - 5:27-6:16 A Gathering of Followers - 5:1-26 The Certainty of Conflict - 11:14-54 Disciples’ Disciplines - 10:25-11:13