The Business of Jesus, Part 3

We trust that that's your Desire this morning that God is so precious to you that you can walk in intimacy with him. Let's pray together father We are grateful once again for what you have done in our lives We thank you that as we gather together on this great and wonderful day of the week the first day of the week that we can spend time looking at you I Pray father that we would see only Jesus today and that as a result of seeing you we would see more of our of ourselves And that Lord we would understand where we need To confess our sin that we might be more and more like you and so today as we study once again the Word of God Open our eyes that we might see Wonderful things out of thy law.

We pray in Jesus name. Amen Luke chapter 2 is where we're at today Luke chapter 2 and we're going to finish the second chapter of Luke.

Yes, sir We are flying through this great gospel beginning in February and now working through what the last Or the first couple of weeks here of October We're gonna finish the second chapter in our study of Luke's gospel And we have seen where through the first two chapters Luke has emphasized the identity of the coming of Messiah Who is this Messiah that's going to come and we saw the testimony of Zacharias and Elizabeth That old priest and that Wife of his who were to testify as to the coming of the Messiah as well as to realize that their son John the Baptist Would be the forerunner to the Messiah Then we saw Mary and Joseph and how God would use them in a great way to testify as to the identity of their son Jesus Christ our Lord and then we saw the testimony of the angel Gabriel and as well as the Testimony of the other angels there in Bethlehem as they would see say great and glorious things about our our Savior Jesus Christ And then we had the testimony of Simeon that old man in the temple and then of course Anna Her testimony as to the coming Redeemer But now we come to Jesus Christ himself and his very own personal testimony as to who he is and this becomes pivotal this becomes Absolutely essential for you to understand the rest of the book of Luke if you miss what Jesus says here He just says one simple statement, but if you miss this then you're gonna miss everything else That's going to follow so you need to to be able to get this That's why we have camped out here on this last paragraph to understand Exactly what Jesus is doing and what it is He says because he tells Mary and Joseph that he must be in his father's house or some translations stated he must be about his father's business that one statement is Absolutely crucial for you to understand the rest of the book of Luke Now when you first read it, you might not think it's that big a deal But in reality it is Number one is because it's the very first time that any person has referred to God in heaven as his personal father Israel saw God as a father, but they saw him as a father of a nation collectively They saw him as the father of creation But no one would ever dare call God in heaven his own personal father So when Jesus does that?

It makes a huge statement And so we're going to see that as it begins to unfold for us what he says about talking about his father in heaven being personal to him and As we see this and trace this through the book of Luke you will see how it becomes more and more pronounced Because what Jesus says here?

Determines his earthly destiny It tells us about his earthly ministry. Yes, but it also determines his earthly destiny And so we need to come to grips with it. We remember we're talking about the business of Jesus and We saw where the business of Jesus is rooted in his spiritual his physical his mental intellectual Development and we saw that where the child Jesus would begin to grow and grow and where the mind of God encompassed the mind of a man And we told you that if we're going to be about the business of Jesus Then we must obtain the mind of Christ We must have his mind in us that we might be able to follow his words And then we saw how the the business of Jesus was realized in his practical duties in the at Passover Where he was one who would keep every aspect of the law and if we are going to be about the business of Jesus we not only need to obtain the mind of Christ, but we must obey the mandates of Christ and Then we saw thirdly.

This is where we left off last week that to be about the business of Jesus We must understand that it is revealed or was revealed in his unusual discussion in the temple and This is an unusual discussion Because he would sit among the leaders of his day and he would ask questions. He would listen to their responses and Then of course his parents would come and they would ask that infamous question. Don't You realize that we've been looking for you we have anxiously been looking for you. Where have you been and Jesus then would say you should have known Where I would be You should have known There should be no question here.

I Had to be about my father's business. I had to be in my father's house I had to be preoccupied with doing the mission that has been prescribed for me From eternity past you should have known that Mary you should have known that Joseph but they didn't and then as a result of saying that the text is very clear because it says Verse 50 and they did not understand the statement which he had made known to them Now think about that if Mary and Joseph didn't understand the statement What makes us think that we have a better grasp of that statement?

I? mean after all they live with him for 12 years, right and Mary was the one who had the angel Gabriel come to her and tell her about the virgin birth and the the whole virgin Conception thing and how how the whole miraculous supernatural birth of the Son of God would take place She experienced her right, but yet she still didn't understand the statement And they had lived with Jesus for 12 years. They had seen absolute perfection absolute obedience moment by moment and yet when Jesus says You should have known that I had to be in my father's house they didn't understand the statement Folks we need to understand the statement because if we're gonna be about the business of Jesus We told you last week you have to now own the message of Christ You must obtain the mind of Christ.

You must obey the mandates of Christ and you must you must own the message of Christ you must own this message. You must own this statement. You must own exactly what is happening here because the gospel listen hinges on Jesus says right here The whole gospel hinges on this statement now think about this 30 years of living and only one statement of Christ is recorded only one This is it only one event in the first 30 years of the life of Christ is recorded and this is it think of all the things that he probably would have said throughout those first 30 years and think of all the places he would have Gone and would have done But this is the only event the only statement that's recorded of our Lord therefore it must be Significant it must be the primary incident in the first 30 years of his life.

It must be the most important Conversation in the first 30 years of his life for it to be recorded in the scripture and it is And so you're thinking well, so he says I must be about my father's business what's the big deal What's monumental?

Let me explain it to you you see as he called God personally his father He was doing something. No one else had ever done and this is throughout his ministry In fact, if you look over to Luke chapter 10 turn with me to Luke chapter 10 for a moment We're gonna go through a lot of verses today So you might not be able to turn to all of them So you're probably gonna have to have pen And pencil ready or you can always buy the CD or the tape whatever you want to do after we're done here But Luke chapter 10 verse number 21 Christ says I praise thee Oh father Lord of heaven and earth that thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and disreveal them to babes Yes, father for thus it was well-pleasing in thy sight All things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows who the son is except the father and who the father is except the son and Anyone to whom the son wills to reveal him did you get that this is very important Not only is Christ talking about his relationship with his father who is in heaven but he makes it very clear that no one understands this relationship unless It's revealed to them this past week my son had a conversation with a man who called into the church and was trying to argue with our church's position on the try you nature of God and So drew calls up to my office and says that I got this guy in the phone He's he's trying to argue with me that Jesus isn't God and that there's no Trinity in the Bible What do I want to tell him?

What should I tell him? I said very simply tell him this that the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God So you're obviously talking to a natural man. You're obviously talking to an unbeliever That's the first thing you tell him and then you say the only way you're gonna understand the try you nature of God is if God Reveals it to you and obviously he has not revealed it to you because you do not understand it Okay, that's the way it is.

No one understands the try you nature of God unless God decides he's gonna reveal it to them That's what it says in Luke 10 Unless God reveals it to you. You're not going to get it. Listen, and if you don't get it You're never gonna be saved Did you get that? If you don't get it, it means you're not gonna get saved Because the only way you can get saved is to believe in the try you nature of God himself that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh that God the Father God the Son and God the Spirit are one and God is very clear in Luke 10 about my father's business and yet My father and I are one and let unless And if you don't get that it's because it has not been revealed to you now turn over with me if you went to the gospel of John because John the eighth chapter is very Important when it comes to understanding the relationship with this other son the father it says in verse number 18 of John 8 I am he who bears witness of myself and the father who sent me bears witness of me So there again, Jesus is talking about his relationship to his father in heaven and no one had ever done this before Jesus is the first one the first individual to look at God in heaven as his own personal father And this is the verse number 19.

And so they were saying to him. Where is your father? Jesus answered, you know, neither me nor my father if you knew me you would know my father also Why because as Thomas asked Show us the father in John 14 and Christ says if you've seen me you have seen the father And then it says over in verse number 38.

I speak the things which I have seen with my father Therefore you also do the things which you have heard from your father verse number 49 They accused Christ of having a demon and he answers. I do not have a demon, but I honor my father and you dishonor me Again down in verse number 54 Jesus answered. I glorify myself My glory is nothing it is my father who glorifies me of whom you say he is our God and You have not come to know him, but I know him and if I say that I do not know him I shall be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word Again, he emphasizes his relationship with the father That's all throughout the book of John because John listen John's emphasis is on the deity of Christ That Jesus Christ is God in the flesh That's why he could say I and my father are one What Jesus says back in Luke chapter 2 is very simple my father In heaven Has a mission for me his son.

I am the son of my father in Heaven and if you go and and you were to read through the book of John and look at just the different aspects of the Relationship between the son the father you will begin to see the intimacy that's there because they are one in the same Now notice this Christ says I have to do this.

I Have to be about my father's business all throughout the gospel of Luke. There is this divine must this divine urgency in Luke chapter 4 He says I must preach the kingdom of God over in Luke chapter 9 He says the Son of Man must suffer Luke chapter 13 The Son of Man must go on his way Luke chapter 24 the Son of Man Must be delivered up over in Luke chapter 24 The Son of Man must suffer these things over in Luke 24 44 the Son of Man must do these things in order to fulfill the prophecy of the Old Testament All throughout the book of Luke there is this divine must this providential propulsion that keeps Christ Doing what has been prescribed for him from eternity past Because he is the Son of God Now remember what the angel said to Mary in Luke 1 35 that in your womb is the Son of God That's very important If you go and you read what Nathanael said in John chapter 1 He talked about seeing the Son of God if you go and read John 11 27 Martha testifies that Jesus is the Son of God If you go over to Mark chapter 14 verse number 33 the disciples on the boat after a miracle of a storm being calmed They realized that Jesus Christ was the Son of God if you read Matthew 16 Peter testifies to the fact that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God over in Acts chapter 9 verse number 20 in Romans chapter 1 and 2nd Corinthians 1 19 Paul talks about the fact that we preach Christ as the Son of God Now people say well, of course, he's the Son of God.

What else would he be? Ah, remember Mary and Joseph Did not understand the statement and so many times you say yes Jesus is the Son of God, but don't understand the statement like Mary and Joseph. We think we do But we don't necessarily It's interesting to note in Matthew chapter 4 and Luke chapter 4 in the temptation of Christ that Satan refers to Christ as the Son of God since you are the Son of God God turn these stones into bread So Satan knows that Christ is the Son of God the demons know that Christ is the Son of God What do we have to do with you Jesus of Nazareth the Son of God?

They would come they would claim so the demons knew that Jesus was the Son of God Satan knew that Jesus was the Son of God Martha knew it the Apostles knew it the gospel writers wrote about it Do we understand that Jesus is the Son of God? remember John 20 Many other works did Jesus it says in verse number 30 that are not recorded in this book but these are recorded that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that Believing in him you might have life in his name You have to believe that Jesus is the Son of God in order to obtain eternal life so Because this is the most single important statement he ever made and it's recorded in Luke chapter 2 as he talks about his father in heaven and Him being his son What makes this so unique turn with me to John chapter 5 for a moment?

John chapter 5 in John chapter 5 you have an incident that happens at what is called the pool of Bethesda which is the house of mercy every year we go to Israel we we put the people around these five porticoes and we preach on John chapter 5 and We sit there and we we gather around and we understand that at that location at that exact location We are standing on the place that everything about Christ turns for the worst You stand on the place in the same location where everything turned against Christ It's a story of a man who was paralyzed for 38 years And they had this belief that once an angel would come in and move the waters They would bubble up and the first one in we get healed But this man being paralyzed for 38 years Had no man to put him into the water.

So when the waters bubbled up, he couldn't get healed That was the the myth of the day And so Christ comes along and sees the man who's been paralyzed for 38 years and says hey you want to be made? well Then the guy says well, of course I want to be well, but I have no man to put me into the pool and Jesus says to him They got your palate And walk the man stands up and he walks.

It's an amazing story and Then as a result of that listen to this it says Now it was a Sabbath on that day verse 10 therefore the Jews were saying to him who was cured it is a Sabbath And it is not permissible for you to carry your palate Now here's the guy who's been paralyzed for 38 years and the very first conversation He has with the religious establishment is this you can't carry your palate.

What are you doing? You can't it's a Sabbath day. You can't pick up your palate and walk that violates a Sabbath It wasn't like wow, man. This is great. You you're able to walk. How did that happen? This is amazing Praise be to God. No, it's you violated the Sabbath Even though you've been paralyzed for 38 years, you still can't carry your palate on the Sabbath day amazing story But he answered Then he made me well was the one who said to me take up your palate and walk and they asked him who was the man Who said do you take up your palate and walk?

But he who has healed did not know who it was For Jesus has slipped away while there was a crowd in that place, you know I I love to marvel at the ministry of Jesus. He heals a guy and he slips away. He wants no recognition Us today we'd want the recognition We go on TV, you know bring the people we've healed on TV You know put them up on the stage so everybody can see how great we are Jesus just slips away because he wants no recognition He wants the man to be healed and then it says Afterward Jesus found him in the temple Jesus always finds you you never find Jesus.

Just please remember that He found him in the temple and said to him behold You've become well It's good to see you You're up and around Do not sin anymore said nothing worse made to follow you whoo, so the man knows That Jesus knows He is the way he is because of his Sin And the only one who knows What took place in that man's life 38 years ago is God So he must be God in the flesh must be Jesus The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who made him. Well Listen, here he comes already verse 16 for this Reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus because he was doing these things on the Sabbath But he answered them my father is working until now and I myself and working for this cause Therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him because he not only was breaking the Sabbath But also was calling God his own father making himself What's the next phrase?

Equal with God now you have to understand the Jews knew Exactly what Jesus was doing and what he was saying And it's at that place in the pool of Bethesda that the whole tide turns against Christ because he Claims to be equal with God and all he said was my father is working and so am I? Meaning that I am the son of God And so they set their hearts and minds to persecute him and to kill him because he made Himself equal with God that means listen if you want to know a definition of what it means to be the Son of God It means you are equal with God or you are one with God That's what it means.

I'm gonna explain that to you in a moment now turn to John 10 for a moment John 10 John 10 verse number 30 Christ says I and the Father are one Verse 31 the Jews took up stones again to stone him now Why would the Jews want to stone?

Christ because he said he was one with the Father with the job as witnesses will tell you why he was one with the Father in purpose You don't stone people for being one in purpose with somebody else You stone him because they claim to be God the Jews only stone people for blasphemy so verse 32 Jesus answered them I showed you many good works from the Father for which of them are you stoning me the Jews answered him for a good work. We do not stone you but for blasphemy and because you Being a man make yourself out to be God See, that's the whole minute.

That's the whole point The whole point is they said you are blaspheming you are blaspheming because you are claiming to be God in the flesh Now if Jesus isn't God in the flesh stone him kill him crucify him But if he is God in the flesh Look out see Because if he's not God in the flesh, then he is Blaspheming God, but if he is God in the flesh, then he's not all of his statements are true You see that is the crux of the issue In fact, if you turn over to John chapter 19 for a moment I know these are a lot of verses and I know this is a little bit more theological than it is practical but if you don't get this folks listen you're gonna miss a whole bunch because you got to know what to say to the Jehovah's Witnesses when they come to your door or The Mormons when they come to your door or any other cult that comes to your door and says that Jesus is not God in the flesh And it says this in John chapter 19 Verse 7 the Jews answered him.

We have a law. This is Christ before Pilate We have a law and by that law he ought to die because he made himself out to be what the Son of God You see the reason Christ was crucified is because he said he was a son of God and if he is He's God in the flesh if he's not he's a liar So he either he is or he's not And they said the reason we're going to crucify him is because we have a law and this man claims to be the Son of God They knew that the Son of God was equal with God himself And then it says down in verse I'm sorry.

Turn me over to Matthew 26 Matthew 26 he's before Caiaphas and the high priest said to him in verse 63 I adjure you by the Living God that you tell us whether you are the Christ the Son of God So the high priest says are you the Messiah? Are you the Son of God in other words? He said are you the Messiah the one who was equal with God? Are you claiming to be God in the flesh? And then over in verse number 40 of Matthew chapter 27 When the people spoke against him as he hung on the cross You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days save yourself If or since you are the Son of God come down from the cross verse 43 He trusts in God let him deliver him now if he takes pleasure in him for he said I am The Son of God you see the reason Jesus hung on a cross is because he claimed to be the Son of God In other words, he claimed to be one with God.

He claimed to be equal to God. He claimed to be God in the flesh See the Son of God is a divine title. It's not an earthly title Jesus was not the son of Mary. Jesus was not the son of Joseph. He was the Son of God And this becomes very important why Because when you when you interpret the Bible you must interpret the Bible with a Jewish mind not a Gentile mind You must understand the the culture of the Jews Because every time Christ used the phrase the Son of God he used a Greek word who he asked which always listen always refers not to birth and not to origin But always refers to position and equality always Always without exception In Hebrew, it's called bar in Greek.

It's called who yas and So you must understand that Christ was never the little-born one of God He's Always one with God now the Bible has a myriad of illustrations about this Just let me give you a couple of them and you know them Acts chapter 4 there was a man called Bartimaeus and Bartimaeus was called what a son of what of Encouragement remember him remember Bartimaeus the son of encouragement now when it says that it doesn't mean that Bartimaeus parents were mr And mrs.

Encouragement and Bartimaeus was their son. Hi. This is our son Bartimaeus encouragement No, he is one with or equal with Encouragement we ask is the word that's used now.

How about this James and John they were called the sons of Thunder it doesn't mean that mom and dad's name is Thunder It means that these young men had the characteristic of being hotheads because they are one with they were equal with thunder when Christ talks about people being the sons of Disobedience when we are unbelievers, we are sons of disobedience That means we had the characteristic and nature of disobedience. That is who we are We are one with disobedience, but when we become saved we are called now sons of the light That is now we are equal with and the characteristic of our lives is one with light Not disobedience to darkness.

You see that It's used all throughout the scripture you can go to Matthew 13 38 what talks about the tares that are sown among the wheat and they're called sons of the wicked one They were equal with the wicked one Satan himself Do to army 13 13 bar Belial or sons of Belial those who are equal with? Belial or Satan himself Luke 20 36 talks about sons of the resurrection those who believe in Christ and have given their lives to him are one with equal to Resurrection that is we have resurrection power because we are sons of the light over in Luke 10 verse number 6 it talks about the sons of peace or Matthew 8 12 the sons of the kingdom So we have many illustrations to understand what sonship is all about Sonship is about rights inheritance ownership Equality position it has nothing to do with origin with birth or generation Now folks that is so important to understand because the common guy you talk to off the street who's involved in a cult doesn't understand That they don't get that But because you're here today you understand that let me give you another example of this Crisis called by John on five separate occasions the only begotten Son of God right the only begotten Son of God Now that's an important phrase Because you must understand the word monogamous the word mono only good not oh to be born That is the only begotten one the monogamous That Is very important because that word also Listen is used not only of Christ, but is in reference to the one who is the recipient of the inheritance?

It's similar to the word Protocos where Christ is the firstborn of all creation and Colossians 115 The Protocos is the one who is the firstborn that is he is the premier one He is the primary one of all the ones that have been born. He is the primary one He is the first one That's important Why because Christ is called the monogamous?

He is called the firstborn because he is the Rios of Christ of God. That is he is the Son of God And I don't want to get too technical with you this morning But you need to understand this because every cult that comes to your door Doesn't get this and they rebel against this they don't say that Christ is God of the flesh, but we do say that We do say that. In fact, let me give you an illustration of this Hebrews 11 verse number 17 Hebrews 11 17 by faith Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises was offered up Offering up his only Begotten son now, let me ask you a question.

Was Isaac the only son born to Abraham? No, in fact was Isaac the first Born son to Abraham answer. No who was? Ishmael but Ishmael is not the monogamous of Abraham he's not the only begotten. He is not the Protocos That's Important to understand because what he did was he offered up the son of the inheritance That's why in Genesis 22 God says take now your son your only son Isaac.

Wait a minute Abraham had Ishmael at the time. So why does God say take your only son Isaac? It's because he is the primary one. He is the recipient of the inheritance. He is the firstborn He is the premier one. He is the one who has the right to all the privileges and inheritance as a son Folks that's what it means when Christ says that he is the son of God He was and is equal with God See Christ is the eternal Son of God Christ had no origin as a human.

He was born but as a son Remember, it's a son. That's given. It's a child. That's born The son is given because the son always existed Isaiah chapter 9. He is the everlasting Father that is he is the father of eternities The son is the father of eternity to be the father of eternity or to be the originator of eternity You must be eternal. Therefore.

The Son of God is eternal. The Son was given but the child was born Christ the man was born but Christ the Son of God was given because he always existed and the only way you're gonna understand that Is if God reveals it to you and if you don't understand this morning, it's because God has not revealed it to you It's not because I haven't explained it. Well It's because God has not revealed it to you It's as simple as that either Jesus is God or he's not If Jesus is God, he can save your soul. If he's not he can't save you Because he's the Savior of the world And so we need to come to grips with that You see here was Mary and Joseph Sitting in the temple listening to the words of Christ and he is saying you must know that this is where I had to be This is who I am.

I am NOT your son Mary. I am NOT your son Joseph I am the son of my father in heaven and I must be about his Mission for me his business. I must be in his house with his people Because I am accountable to him. I am his son He is my father and by saying that he is claiming Equality with God and this one statement is the statement that sets the tone for the rest of the book of Luke So he is affirming what Zacharias and Elizabeth affirmed what Mary and Joseph affirmed What the angel Gabriel affirmed what the other angels affirmed what the shepherds affirmed What ultimately the wise men would affirm what Simeon affirmed what Anna affirmed They all affirmed that Jesus is the Messiah the son of the Living God and now Christ is stating I am that son of my father who was in heaven and I must be about his business and This becomes pivotal because this is the gospel.

There is no gospel of Jesus is not God because there is no salvation without Jesus because there is no other name and under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved It's the name of Jesus Christ our Lord in only the perfect sinless spotless lamb of God Could die for the sins of the world So at 12 years of age Christ understood sonship, in fact look at Psalm 2 for a second Psalm 2 verse 7 a messianic Psalm Says I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord.

He said to me thou art my son today I have begotten thee ask of me and I will surely give the nations as thine inheritance and the very ends of the earth as thy Possession listen that tells you the definition of divine sonship divine sonship is about inheritance Not about origin It's not about birth or generation. It is about Inheritance and the rights and privileges of the one who is equal with God himself Jesus Christ our Lord the Messiah And that's what Psalm 2 is all about and that very claim would infuriate the Jewish establishment the religious leaders of his day and They would ultimately put him on a tree because they did not believe he was the Son of God They would not believe that he was God in the flesh and if you're here today And you don't believe that Jesus is God in the flesh you In effect have said I'm gonna put him on a tree and I'm gonna kill him because he's a blasphemer That's what you're saying And everybody who's a part of a cult doesn't believe that Jesus is God in the flesh is Siding with the religious establishment of the Jewish day and saying listen Jesus is not God.

He's a blasphemer he needs to die and Yet in doing so in doing so you fulfill the ultimate plan of God because that's how he redeemed our souls From sin See the plan of God is marvelous And it works exactly as he wants it to work. So Having said all that remember the Bible says this listen in verse 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and he continued in subjection To them and his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

Can you imagine the overload of Mary's mind? I mean it had to be the the ultimate she was on overload her entire life Trying to figure out what is going on here How does this happen and how this perfect spotless son is rejected by her other sons and other daughters? You know, how does that work? And so she you know talk about a dysfunctional family Okay Mary is trying to put together the pieces that Jesus is Spilling all over the place because he is a perfect spotless son of God and the other brothers and sisters don't believe it Mary had her hands full Of trying to remedy the family's condition and trying to get her sons and daughters.

Remember this is Jesus This is God in the flesh. This is a Messiah right mom, right? They put the mom in a mental Institute if they could They ultimately though believed after the resurrection After the resurrection So here's the point the business of Jesus Was revealed in his unusual discussion in the temple, this is who I am you got to own that message you have to own the message that Jesus is God in the flesh and that Jesus would take his cross and he would die for your sins in mine and Taking up that cross and following Christ is owning the message is believing the message enough to die for it Believing the message enough to stand strong so much you're willing to lose your familial relationships because of it when was the last time you knew of someone who stood so strong for the gospel that they would be willing to lose mother father brother sister because of that stand See, that's what Jesus said if any man come after me and hate not father mother brother sister He's not worthy of me If he may come to me and take not his cross and follow after me He's not worthy of me because this is the message.

This is who I am And you have to be as the choir sang before I preached yeah I've got to be so precious to you so important to you that you will do whatever I ask That's owning the message. But one last point and as we got four points in your outline the business of Jesus This is in verse number 52 Was reflected in his personal dedication Remember if you want to be about the business of Jesus, you must obtain the mind of Christ You must obey the mandates of Christ. You must own the message of Christ and fourthly you must without reservation Observe the model of Christ Observe the model of Christ Verse 52 tells us and Jesus kept increasing the wisdom and stature and a favor with God and men why because verse 51 says he continued in Subjection to Mary and to Joseph Folks, you understand the magnitude of that statement Here is the Son of God who is accountable only to his father who is in heaven.

Here is God in the flesh willingly subjecting himself to sinful earthly Mary and Joseph Folks, let me tell you something if you want to be about the business of Jesus, you must observe the model of Christ.

I Continued his objection to earthly parents who were sinful How about you? you see if we're gonna observe the model of Christ, it's the model listen of submission We don't like that word Because we want to be authoritative We want to be the one in authority. We don't like the word submission, but here is the perfect Son of God Who had his own life mapped out for him and knew exactly who he was and what he was about at age 12 But yet he had over the next 18 years Continue in submission to sinful parents kind of makes you want to rethink your childhood, doesn't it?

About how unsubmissive we are as children to our parents growing up And we are far from perfect as children, right? But that's what he did And we must learn to observe that model that model of submission Submitting to authority even though we might not like it submitting to authority even though it might be out of whack submitting to the authority that God has placed over us because he has modeled that for us The Bible says he continued to grow in wisdom and his stature and in favor with God and man Let me tell you something.

You will never be well-pleasing to God if you are unsubmissive to the authority that's over you you never will and You will never find favor with man if you are unsubmissive to those in authority over you Because nobody wants to be friends with the rebellious Nobody wants to be friends with those who are unsubmissive Nobody wants to be friends with those who want to walk their own way They want to be friends with those who understand the truth of submission to authority. That's what the Bible says Listen, he continued in favor with God and with man Because of a life of ultimate submission Folks, let me tell you something This is the perfect son of God who never sinned who never said an angry word who never said anything wrong We never did anything wrong, but he knew He knew his place in life He lived it perfectly The problem with us is we don't know our place And we don't want to be in submission to anybody.

We want to run the show And God says first of all be in submission to me as your father who is in heaven and the way that's why the Bible says when you submit to one another you submit to one another as unto the The Lord right submission is not about submitting to my parents Submission is about submitting to my God That's who it's about.

It's not about submitting to my boss at work. It's about submitting to God It's not that you refuse to submit to your boss at work. It's that you refuse to obey God himself That's the issue. It's a hard issue that says I will not do what God says I will do what I want to do and therefore I will rebel against authority.

I will not submit to it See and that's the real issue We submit to those in authority over us as unto the Lord we do it for the Lord We don't do it for the person. We're accountable to We do it because our Lord is precious to us we do it because of who he is a son of God We do it because he modeled to us how it is We are to live our lives and as he grew over the next 18 years He grew in favor with God and with man because he was the ultimate in submission And if you want to be about the business of Jesus you will observe the model of Christ as Best you can Because you've already obtained the mind of Christ You're committing to obey the mandates of Christ and you own the message of Christ.

Let me tell you something. Here's a point. Listen If you are unwilling to observe the model of Christ It's probably because you don't own the mind of Christ and because you don't own the mind of Christ You refuse to obey the mandates of Christ and the reason you refuse to obey the mandates of Christ It's because you do not own the message of Christ That's the point and what Jesus does here Is set for us the entire rest of the book of Luke and we will embark on a journey that will absolutely blow your mind as we understand deity wrapped in humanity Let's pray father we thank you for this day and the power of your word in the truth That's there and I praise you and thank you Lord for the opportunity We have to dive into the Word of God to see you and I pray Lord that today you you would have used your word to stretch our minds and to open our eyes that we might see the glorious gospel of Christ himself and Follow you with all of our hearts with all of our soul with all of our mind With all of our strength I Thank you Lord for those who are here today I pray for the one or the two or three or four however many there may be Who have yet to embrace?

Jesus as God That today would be the day. I Pray for the soul that's lost this morning Father they would be found by you And thus rescued from their sin That they might live For Jesus Christ himself you pray in Jesus name. Amen