"Mind Your Own Business"

“Mind Your Own Business”

INTRODUCTION: Read Luke 2:41-49

Jesus is 12 years old, and ALREADY, He is focused on doing God’s “business”. The people just didn’t understand – 2:50.

This morning, I want us to explore what it means to be about the Father’s “business”. Has anybody ever told you to “Mind your own business”? We’re usually told that, when we have our nose where it doesn’t belong! Well, this morning, God is going to tell us to “mind your own business” … but in a POSITIVE way.

Have you ever had your own business? I once went into business for myself …. I wasn’t very successful at it. I was a lousy businessman. If some of us ran our “physical business”, like we ran our “spiritual business”, we would be bankrupt in no time! That’s what’s happening to many of us … we have become “spiritually bankrupt”.

Let’s take a look at our “business” … being about our “Father’s business”. How do you start a business? You need to get a PERMIT … take out a LICENSE. Some people have INHERITED their business. That’s what’s happened to you, as a Christian. It is my FATHER’S business. Have you ever seen a business called “_____ and Sons”. It’s a FAMILY thing.

That’s what God has done for us … He put us into HIS BUSINESS … “Almighty God and Sons”. When we were saved, and placed into God’s family, we became a part of our Father’s business.

In our text, Jesus is 12 years old. This was the age when they went from their mother’s instruction to their father’s instruction. They became a man in Israel. They began to learn a trade. They were obliged to accompany their parents to the Feasts on Jerusalem. It was time to take what they had learned from their mother … and APPLY it to their life.

Jesus said that He needed to be about His “Father’s business”. What business did God have for Him? In John 4:34, Jesus said - John 4:34 – “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” The business that Jesus had to do, ultimately led Him to the cross of Calvary.

WHAT IS OUR BUSINESS? Turn to 1 Thessalonians 4:11. The word “do” means ‘mind’ … “mind your own business”.

NOTICE that Paul says “your own” business. We aren’t to do ANYBODY ELSE’S business … BUT … our own business. Satan wants you to do HIS business. BUT … you’ve got your FATHER’S business to do. The Devil wants you to be preoccupied with so many other things … things that will take your mind off of doing God’s business.

Satan’s got some “business deals” for you! Have you ever had someone say to you … “Boy, have I got a deal for you … this is too good to pass up!”. That ought to put up some red flags! There’s an old saying, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is!” Beware of great deals. Have you ever bought something because it was cheap … BUT … looked like it was a good deal? I once bought a watch from a magazine … it looked like a great deal. The picture showed a watch with hands … and underneath was a screen that displayed the time. When I got the watch, the hands were painted on … all that told time was the cheap display below!

Satan had some really great sounding business deals … that sounded so good … that kept them away from their Father’s business.

1.- ADAM/EVE – “Boy have I got a deal for you! You can have wisdom, wealth, and fame. All it will cost you is 1 apple!” Beware of the apples the Devil offers you … they are full of worms. We need to be about our Father’s business.

2.- LOT – “Boy have I got a real estate deal for you! I’ve got some prime acreage in Sodom that’s sure to go up in value. You can’t lose!” What happened? Lot moved there, forgot about his Father’s business, and lost it all in fire & brimstone.

3.- JONAH – “Boy have I got a deal for you! A cruise … inside a living, breathing submarine! An indoor swimming pool … all the fresh seafood you can eat!” Jonah took the deal … because he wasn’t about his Father’s business.

4.- JUDAS – “Boy, have I got a deal for you! Easy money … for just a kiss! What can go wrong? That 20 pieces of silver is as good as yours!” The result? He went out and hanged himself!

The Devil’s business will lead you away from doing YOUR business … the business of your Father.

We see an example of that in the early church. Turn to Acts 6:3. The church had a ministry of feeding the widows.