IMMERSIONS For The YOUNG MESSIAH-II—Luke 2:41-52
Attention:
During our church’s worship service, the pastor invites all the young children to join him near the altar for the "Children’s Moments Sermon." One day, with seven small children in attendance, he spoke about the ingredients required to make up a church, using a chocolate-chip cookie as an example.
He explained to the children that, as with a cookie requiring ingredients such as sugar & eggs, the church needed ingredients to make up the congregation.
Holding a cookie aloft, he asked, "If I took the chocolate chips out of this cookie, what would I have?"
A shy six-year-old raised his hand. "Six less grams of fat!," he replied.
That child was immersed in diet talk.
Jesus however, immersed Himself in God’s affairs.
Need:
Luke revealed the boy Jesus to be the Messiah thru showcasing His preoccupation/immersion in God’s affairs.
The boy Jesus immersed Himself in God’s affairs.
Likewise, Those sent by God immerse themselves in God’s affairs.
But How do those sent by God immerse themselves in God’s affairs?
6 substantiations of an immersion in the affairs of God.
Previously we found that,
Immersion in God’s affairs is substantiated thru One’s...
1. WORSHIP(:41)
2. STAGE(:42)
3— Immersion in God’s affairs is substantiated thru...
One’s WRESTLINGS(:43-47)
Explanation: (:43-47)
:43—“When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph & His mother did not know it;”
Having spent the full number of days required of the Feast, the family returned(to Nazareth).
Jesus, still a boy, remained in Jerusalem, unbeknownst to either Joseph or Mary—TR(“His parents”—W-H). Luke is quick to ensure that Theophilus knows that Joseph is only Jesus’ step-father. We are not told the reason for Jesus’ lingering in Jerusalem until :46-49.
Obviously they traveled in a large group of family members &/or friemds, etc. who could be blindly trusted with their Son’s welfare. Each family would have readily provided every need for any of the children present. Thus it is understandable how they could be oblivious to Jesus’ presence.
“Finished”—teleiow—1) To make perfect, complete—1a) To carry through completely, to accomplish, finish, bring to an end; 2) To complete (perfect)—2a) Add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full, 2b) To be found perfect; 3) To bring to the end (goal) proposed; 4) To accomplish—4a) Bring to a close or fulfilment by event—4a1) Of the prophecies of the scriptures. Strong—To complete, i.e. (literally) Accomplish, or (figuratively) Consummate (in character).
“Lingered”—upomenw—1) To remain—1a) To tarry behind; 2) To remain i.e. abide, not recede or flee—2a) To preserve: under misfortunes & trials to hold fast to one’s faith in Christ, 2b) To endure, bear bravely & calmly: ill treatments. Strong–To stay under (behind), i.e. Remain; figuratively, To undergo, i.e. Bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere.
“Know/Unaware/”—ginwskw—1) To learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel—1a) To become known; 2) To know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of—2a) To understand, 2b) To know; 3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man & a woman; 4) To become acquainted with, to know. Strong—A prolonged form of a primary verb; to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applications & with many implications.
:44—“but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, & sought Him among their relatives & acquaintances.”
Jesus’ parents were supposing that He was traveling to Nazareth with someone else in the company/caravan. They traveled an entire “day’s journey” before realizing that He was nowhere in the “company.”
Upon discovering Jesus missing, they searched diligently among their “relatives” & traveling companions.
“Supposing”—nomizw—V.—1) To hold by custom or usage, own as a custom or usage, to follow a custom or usage—1a) It is the custom, it is the received usage; 2) To deem, think, suppose. Hgeomai & nomizw denote a belief resting not on one’s inner feeling or sentiment, but on the due consideration of external grounds, & the weighing & comparing of facts. Hgeomai denotes a more deliberate & careful judgment than nomizw. Strong—properly, To do by law (usage), i.e. To accustom (passively, be usual); by extension, To deem or regard.
“Company”—sunodia—(Eng.—‘Synod’1) A journey in company—1a) Of a company of travellers, associates on a journey, a caravan. Strong—companionship on a journey, i.e. (by implication) a caravan. Used 1X.
“Journey”—odov—N. f.—1) properly—1a) A way—1a1) A traveled way, road, 1b) A travelers way, journey, traveling; 2) metaph.—2a) a course of conduct, 2b) A way (i.e. manner) of thinking, feeling, deciding. Strong—apparently a primary word; A road; by implication A progress (the route, act or distance); figuratively, A mode or means.
“Relatives/Kinsfolk”—suggenhv—1) Of the same kin, akin to, related by blood; 2) In a wider sense, of the same nation, a fellow countryman. Strong—A relative (by blood); by extension, A fellow countryman.
“Acquaintances/Friends”—gnwstov—Adj.—1) Known, notable. Strong—Well-known.
:45—“So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.”
After a careful search of their own company, they could not find Jesus so they returned to Jerusalem to search for Him there.
Another day of traveling time was thus lost.
:46—“Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them & asking them questions.”
Did the three day search for Jesus entail the actual search time in Jerusalem or did it include the day-long journey to Jerusalem?
Regardless, they eventually found Jesus in the Temple.
Jesus had seated Himself in the midst of the teachers.
Jesus was listening intently to the teachers.
Jesus was “asking” the teachers “questions”/interrogating them.
“After”—meta—1) With, after, behind. Strong—a primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly, denoting accompaniment; "Amid" (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive case association, or accusative case succession) with which it is joined.
“Found”—euriskw—1) To come upon, hit upon, to meet with; 2) To find by enquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny, observation, to find out by practice & experience; 3) To find out for one’s self, to acquire, get, obtain, procure.
“Temple”—ieron—The temple of Jerusalem consisted of the whole of the sacred enclosure, embracing the entire aggregate of buildings, balconies, porticos, courts (that is that of the men of Israel, that of the women, & that of the priests), belonging to the temple...Also there were the courts where Jesus or the apostles taught or encountered adversaries, & the like, "in the temple"; also the courts of the temple, of the Gentiles, out of which Jesus drove the buyers & sellers & the money changers, court of the women. Strong—A sacred place, i.e. The entire precincts (whereas naov denotes the central sanctuary itself) of the Temple (at Jerusalem or elsewhere).
“Teachers”—didaskalov—1) A teacher; 2) in the NT One who teaches concerning the things of God, & the duties of man. Strong—An instructor (genitive case or specially).
“Listening”—akouw—1) To be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf; 2) To hear; 3) To hear something. Strong—a primary verb; To hear (in various senses).
“Asking...questions”—eperwtaw—1) To accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate; 2) To address one with a request or demand. Strong—To ask for, i.e. Inquire, seek.
:47—“And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding & answers.”
All(the teachers & audience?) who heard Jesus were astounded by His “understanding”/perceptiveness as revealed by His answers/response.
They had met in this 12 year-old boy, a match for their adult wisdom & reasoning regarding God’s revelation & its right application.
“It is not difficult to ask hard questions, but this boy had astounding answers to their questions, revealing his amazing intellectual & spiritual growth.”—RWP
“Astonished/Amazed”—existemi—1) To throw out of position, displace. To Lose one’s established footing—Displace—Be Beside oneself—Taken aback/unawares. Strong—To put (stand) out of wits, i.e. Astound, or (reflexively) Become astounded, insane.
“Imperfect indicative middle, descriptive of their continued & repeated astonishment.”—RWP
“Understanding”(See :50)—sunesiv—N. f.—1) A running together, a flowing together with; 2) Knowledge. ‘Critical, Apprehending the bearing of things.’ Strong—a mental putting together, i.e. intelligence or (concretely) the intellect.
“Answers”—apokrisiv—N. f.—1) A replying, an answer. Used 4X.
Argumentation:
Lk. 18:18-27—“Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father & your mother.’” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have & distribute to the poor, & you will have treasure in heaven; & come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.””
Lk. 4:1-13—“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan & was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, & afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, & their glory; for this has been delivered to me, & I give it to whomever I wish. “Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” And Jesus answered & said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, & Him only you shall serve.’” Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, & said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. “For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ “&, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered & said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.”
Personal wrestlings with the flesh:
Mat. 26:36-45—“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, & said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go & pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter & the two sons of Zebedee, & He began to be sorrowful & deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here & watch with Me.” He went a little farther & fell on His face, & prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Then He came to the disciples & found them asleep, & said to Peter, “What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? “Watch & pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, a second time, He went away & prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came & found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, & prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples & said to them, “Are you still sleeping & resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, & the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
1Pet. 1:10-16—“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired & searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ & the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, & rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.””
Ps. 63:1-4—“<<A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.>> O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry & thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power & Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.”
Ex. 15:2—1st line of the Song of Moses—“The LORD is my strength & song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, & I will praise Him; My father’s God, & I will exalt Him.”
Deut. 4:29—““But from there you will seek the LORD your God, & you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart & with all your soul.”
Jn. 7:37-38—“On the last day, that great day of the feast[Tabernacles], Jesus stood & cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me & drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.””
2Cor. 13:5—“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.”
Heb. 12:3-4—“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary & discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”
*Eph. 6:11-13—“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand.”
Illustration:
Look into conflicting view of various religions/Test Try & Prove/WRESTLINGS
Yesterday I went to the Literary Bookpost/I was looking thru the Sociology section/Found a book which I flipped thru/Opened with the author’s quandry regarding the existence of a benevolent God in the midst of pain/WRESTLINGS
Scientific discoveries never come easy:
Edison’s incandescent light bulb/Credited with the first commercially practical incandescent light/He tested no fewer than 6000 plant materials for the filament/WRESTLINGS
Application:
?Your WRESTLINGS substantiated by an Immersion in God’s Affairs?
?You Immersed/Absorbed in WRESTLINGS?
? You Immersed/Absorbed in God’s Affairs?
4— Immersion in God’s affairs is substantiated thru...
One’s RECOGNITION(:48-50)
Explanation:(:48-50)
:48—“So when they saw Him, they were amazed; & His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father & I have sought You anxiously.””
Upon finding Jesus in the temple among the Rabbi’s/teachers, His parents were themselves also startled by their Son’s intellect.
Jesus’ mother responded out of fear & hurt at having been treated unfairly/disrespectfully by her first-born Son. She let Him know in no uncertain terms that His willful choice to remain in Jerusalem was a personal affront to their parental calling bringing them anxiety. Her parental concerns overshadowed the amazement of the moment for her.
She wanted to know why Jesus had treated both of them in the manner He did by purposely staying behind in Jerusalem when He knew that they had left for Nazareth. As children typically do, they concern themselves with what they themselves consider pressing issues, to the exclusion of those in authority over them. This results in loss of respect & hurt for the parent(s)/caregivers involved.
Mary let Jesus know that His parents had been searching exhaustively & anxiously for Him. She wanted Jesus to know the pain He had brought to them & thus their love & responsibility for Him. She is concerned with the personal loss to them as parents. Joseph was considered Jesus’ father(though not His biological father) by Mary.
?Is Joseph too mad to speak or is he wrestling with the facts of the prophecies & events which spoke of his Son’s future? ?Is Joseph considering the ‘Why?’ of the situation? ?Are his sentiments voiced thru Mary?
“Astonished”—ekplessw—1) To strike out, expel by a blow, drive out or away; 2) To cast off by a blow, to drive out—2a) commonly, to strike one out of self-possession, to strike with panic, shock, astonish; 3) To be struck with amazement, astonished, amazed. "To be astonished", properly to be struck with terror, of a sudden & startling alarm; but like our "astonish" in popular use, often employed on comparatively slight occasions. ‘Struck with terror; Alarmed; Shocked’.
“Sought/Looking for/Searching”(See :49)—zhtew—1)To seek in order to find; 2) To seek i.e. Require, demand. Strong—To seek (literally or figuratively); specially, (by Hebraism) To worship (God), or (in a bad sense) To plot (against life).
“Anxiously/Sorrowing”—odunaw—1) To cause intense pain; 2) To be in anguish, be tormented; 3) To torment or distress one’s self. Strong—To grieve. Used 4X.
:49—“And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?””
Jesus responded to both of them.
Jesus asked them a question. He sincerely queried why they had been looking for Him.
Jesus assumed it should have been obvious that he “must” be in the temple. They were both well aware of the prophecies regarding Him & were both personally involved in their fulfillment. The temple complex being the area dedicated to worship of Jesus’ Father.
Evidently Jesus sees Himself as having reached the point where He could rightfully be on His own regardless of what His parents thought. Minimally Jesus knew that if He were to follow in His Father’s footsteps, as it were, then He would naturally need to know the ropes of His Father’s dealings.
It was expected that a son, particularly a firstborn son, be raised an apprentice to the honorable trade of his father in providing for his family whether that profession was agrarian, merchantile, constructional, or priestly in nature.
Jesus considers that His chief concern should be obvious to His parents. He finds it hard to see why Joseph & Mary—as recipients of special revelations concerning Jesus— would not have known His location. & thereby there would be no need for their needing to look elsewhere. The place where the concerns of His Father’s were most open & apparent among men was the temple.
Jesus is openly stating/hinting His true Father’s identity & His relation to it. Therefore His ‘biological’ & spiritual Father was God. Luke is careful regarding this truth because He never hints that Joseph is more than a surrogate/adoptive/guardian or foster parent(1:34-35, 37 & parenthesis @ 3:23). However, Joseph is recognized as Jesus’ “parent” with all parental authority(:41).
“Seek/Sought/Searching”(See :49)—zhtew—1)To seek in order to find; 2) To seek i.e. Require, demand. Strong—To seek (literally or figuratively); specially, (by Hebraism) To worship (God), or (in a bad sense) To plot (against life).
“Know”—eidw—1) To see; 2)To know. To see with the mind’s eye, signifies a clear & purely mental perception. Strong—properly, To see (literally or figuratively); by implication (in the perf. only) To know.
“Must”—dei—1) It is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right & proper. Seems to be more suggestive of moral obligation, denoting esp. that constrain which arises from divine appointment. Dei indicates a necessity in the nature of things rather than a personal obligation; it describes that which must be done.
“About”—en—1) In, by, with etc. Strong—a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), & (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between eiv(to, into) & ek(from)).
“Business/House”—en toiv tou patrov mou— ‘In these[affairs/things] of My Father.’ A common Greek idiom.
:50—“But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.”
Though they were parents of the Messiah, neither Joseph nor Mary grasped the nature of the reply given by their Son.
They were unable to piece together the spiritual significance of their Son’s statement. Therefore they did not grasp His need to be directly involved with those things surrounding God’s ‘business.’ Anything else/less would take away His edge in performing His purpose. Bantering about spiritual questions with those trained & wholly dedicated to such was key to Jesus’ identity.
Jesus was well aware of who He was even at 12 yrs. of age.
“Understand”(See :47)—sunihmi—V.—1) To set or bring together; 2) To put (as it were) the perception with the thing perceived. Implies a native insight, knowledge gained through the five senses. Strong—To put together, i.e. (mentally) To comprehend; by implication, To act piously.
Argumentation:
Lk. 10:38-42—“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; & a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet & heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, & she approached Him & said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered & said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried & troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, & Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.””
Jn. 9:1—“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”
Illustration:
Nick Vujicic is an Australian preacher & motivational speaker who was born without arms or legs/He preaches to large audiences about Disability, Hope, & finding meaning in life in the midst of disappointment/RECOGNITION
Finds his disability to be an asset!
Application:
?You Immersed/Absorbed in RECOGNITION?
? You Immersed/Absorbed in God’s Affairs?
5— Immersion in God’s affairs is substantiated thru...
One’s RIGHTEOUSNESS(:51)
Explanation:(:51)Doing what is right in God’s eyes/The right thing
:51—“Then He went down with them & came to Nazareth, & was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.”
He left with them from Jerusalem & returned to Nazareth.
Jesus continued to make Himself “subject” to His parents Joseph & Mary. This is something Jesus chose to do. This is a testimony to all children who would consider themselves beyond their parent’s care & able to live as adults.
Mary treasured these “sayings/words” or events in her heart of hearts Just as she had done with the words of the angel Gabriel at His conception. She maintained all the things she had encountered, pondering all that pertained to Jesus’ identity & the ramifications thereof.
Lk 2:19—“But Mary kept all these things & pondered them in her heart.”
“Left/Went down”—katabainw—1) To go down, come down, descend; 2) of things—To come down; 3) metaph. To (go i.e.) be cast down to the lowest state of wretchedness & shame. Strong—To descend (literally or figuratively).
“Subject”—upotassw—1) To arrange under, to subordinate; 2) To subject, put in subjection; 3) To subject one’s self, obey; 4) To submit to one’s control; 5) To yield to one’s admonition or advice; 6) To obey, be subject. A Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, & carrying a burden". Strong—To subordinate; reflexively, To obey.
“Periphrastic imperfect passive. He continued subject unto them”—RWP
“Kept”—diathrew—1) To keep continually or carefully. Strong—To watch thoroughly, i.e. (positively & transitively) To observe strictly, or (negatively & reflexively) To avoid wholly. Used 2X.
Argumentation:
Gen. 6:9—“This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.”
Prov. 21:3—“To do righteousness & justice Is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”
Rom. 12:19-21—“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
1Jn. 4:2-6—“By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, & every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, & is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, & have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, & the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth & the spirit of error.”
Php. 4:8-9—“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue & if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. The things which you learned & received & heard & saw in me, these do, & the God of peace will be with you.”
1Pet. 3:10-17—“For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil & do good; Let him seek peace & pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, & always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness & fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”
Col 3:17—“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
1Jn. 2:28-29—“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence & not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
1Jn. 3:7, 10-13—“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.”....“In this the children of God & the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one & murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil & his brother’s righteous. Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.”
Illustration:
Suppose Sunday morning, before church, Bubba’s tree falls onto the neighbor’s property, crushing the neighbor’s fence/Bubba takes it upon himself to cut up the tree & mend the fence/It is Bubba’s responsibility/He has done the right thing!/RIGHTEOUSNESS
Application:
?You Immersed/Absorbed in RIGHTEOUSNESS?
? You Immersed/Absorbed in God’s Affairs?
6— Immersion in God’s affairs is substantiated thru...
One’s GRACIOUSNESS(:52)
Explanation:(:52)
:52—“And Jesus increased in wisdom & stature, & in favor with God & men.”
Jesus Himself continued to advance(requiring personal effort) in wisdom. Jesus’ body matured as usual, requiring effort on Jesus’ part. Jesus was no slouch but rather a hard worker, toning His body physically thru His work.
He continued in favor/grace with both God & man.
Jesus was spiritually acceptable in the truest sense, not just in the sense of tradition alone. He had a working relationship with the God of creation.
Jesus was also socially acceptable. He was not an eccentric or a socially maladjusted person. He had a working relationship with His fellow man. Favor with man does not necessarily mean that one will not face opposition by men. Jesus operated graciously in His relationships with others.
These things were also stated early on following His birth circumcision & presentation, leading up to His reaching 12 years of age.
2:40—“And the Child grew & became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; & the grace of God was upon Him.”
“His physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual development was perfect. "At each stage he was perfect for that stage" (Plummer). In favor (cariti). Or grace. This is ideal manhood to have the favor of God & men.”—RWP
“Increased”—prokoptw—1) To beat forward—1a) To lengthen out by hammering (as a smith forges metals), 1b) metaph. To promote, forward, further; 2) To go forward, advance, proceed. Strong—To drive forward (as if by beating), i.e. (figuratively & intransitively) To advance (in amount, To grow; in time, To be well along). Used 6X.
“Wisdom”—sofia—1) Wisdom, broad & full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very diverse matters. The power of reasoning about [truths] & tracing their relationships. Denotes a "mental excellence of the highest sense", to details. Strong—Wisdom (higher or lower, worldly or spiritual).
“Stature”—hlikia—1) Age, time of life; 2) Stature, i.e In height & comeliness of stature. Strong—maturity (in years or size). Used 8X.
“Favor”—cariv—N. f.—1) Grace; 2) Good will, loving-kindness, favor; 3) What is due to grace; 4)Thanks, (for benefits, services, favors), recompense, reward. Strong—Graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, & its reflection in the life; including gratitude).
Argumentation:
Eccl. 10:12—“The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;”
Mat. 12:35—Jesus said—““A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, & an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”
Col. 4:5-6—“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”
1Thes. 4:9-12—“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; & indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more & more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, & to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, & that you may lack nothing.”
1Tim. 2:1-4—“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, & giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings & all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet & peaceable life in all godliness & reverence. For this is good & acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
1Pet. 2:9-12—“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners & pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
Illustration:
Think of those for whom you have a great deal of respect/Chances are they are gracious people/They are gracious towards others, treating them with dignity/If they do not understand a person’s actions, they are willing to give them the benefit of the doubt/They realize that there are always 2 sides to a story or situation/GRACIOUSNESS
Application:
?You Immersed/Absorbed in GRACIOUSNESS?
? You Immersed/Absorbed in God’s Affairs?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
"If I took the chocolate chips out of this cookie, what would I have?”—
"Six less grams of fat!,
? You Immersed/Absorbed in God’s Affairs or your own?
Action:
Immersion in God’s affairs is substantiated thru One’s...
3. WRESTLINGS(:43-47)
4. RECOGNITION(:48-50)
5. RIGHTEOUSNESS(:51)
6. GRACIOUSNESS(:52)
1. WORSHIP(:41)
2. STAGE(:42)
Presented 09/04/2011pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
