Getting Down To Business Series

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS

Luke 2:41-52

S: Celebrate Jesus

Th: Priority

Pr: JESUS WAS ABOUT GOD’S BUSINESS.

?: How? How did he do it?

KW: Concerns

TS: We will find in our study of Luke 2:41-52 three concerns of Jesus that show us how to be about God’s business.

The _____ concern of Jesus that shows us how to be about God’s business is…

I. TEACHING

II. TOGETHERNESS

III. TRUST

RMBC 1/9/00 AM

INTRODUCTION:

1. How well do you do when communicating your priorities?

ILL #1095

Among the classified ads in the Quay County Sun was this ad: “Farmer with 160 irrigated acres wants marriage-minded woman with tractor. When replying, please show picture of tractor.”

I guess he clearly showed what his priority was, didn’t he?

Well…

2. What is really important to you?

Do you have priorities in your life?

What motivates you?

What keeps you going?

What are your premier concerns that command your attention and time?

TRANSITION:

1. In two weeks, we officially begin our 50-Day Adventure called “Celebrate Jesus: Discover What Makes Him Attractive to So Many People!”

We are literally joining with hundreds of churches all across America who are participating in this same adventure this year.

In fact, we are one of several churches in western New York and Buffalo area.

I have heard that churches in Pembroke, Leroy, and Buffalo (including Caz) are participating.

We are all participating because of Jesus!

2. The person of Jesus is the very cornerstone of what we believe.

He is the very center of what we believe.

And what we believe about Him is so essential, that our faith literally stands or falls on what He has done and what He has said.

So understanding Jesus and His uniqueness is an absolute essential for us.

3. Last month, we spent a great deal of time celebrating the entrance of Jesus (in the form of humanity) into this world.

We celebrate Christmas, don’t we?

I always look forward to Christmas.

I enjoy the traditions—food, family, and of course, the gifts.

But what I enjoy even more intensely during the season is the worship.

I particularly enjoy it when Christmas falls on Sunday.

I know that you may not (and we miss it this coming year because of leap year), but to me, there is something fundamentally important about God’s people gathering together and celebrating the entrance of Jesus in human form into the world.

As much as we enjoy on that day the matters of family, what is lost is the fundamental essence that is to fill us with wonder and awe.

God has blessed us with His own Presence.

He came to us as a baby.

This should make us pause.

For God “humiliated” Himself to come to us in the way He did.

But He did not stop and remain a baby.

No, He followed the natural course of events for a child.

He went from a baby to a toddler, from a toddler to a young child, from a young child to an older child.

And this is where we find him today…

4. In today’s study, we find the only description of Jesus “growing up” (Luke 2:41-52).

The Bible does not tell us much about Jesus’ childhood.

This event stands alone.

But the early church had a lot of curiosity about Jesus’ exploits as a child.

So they spent a great deal of time writing fictional tales about how they supposed Jesus to be…

ILL

From the Infancy Gospel of Thomas (2nd century):

"When this boy Jesus was five years old he was playing at the ford of a brook, and he gathered together into pools the water that flowed by, and made it at once clean, and commanded it by his word alone. But the son of Annas the scribe was standing there with Joseph; and he took a branch of a willow and (with it) dispersed the water which Jesus had gathered together. When Jesus saw what he had done he was enraged and said to him: ’You insolent godless dunderhead, what harm did the pools and the water do to you? See, now you also shall wither like a tree and shall bear neither leaves nor root nor fruit.’ And immediately that lad withered up completely; and Jesus departed and went into Joseph’s house. But the parents of him that was withered took him away, bewailing his youth, and brought him to Joseph and reproached him: ’What a child you have who does such things.’ After this again he went through the village, and a lad ran and knocked against his shoulder. Jesus was exasperated and said to him: ’You shall not go further on your way,’ and the child immediately fell down and died. But some, who saw what took place, said: "From where does this child spring, since every word is an accomplished deed?"’