INTRODUCTION
As living individual,it is natural for us to grow and change.Being Christians, we must live a life patterned always after our LORD Jesus Christ’s way of living when He walked this planet.
So today, let us focus on this verse in the book of Dr.Luke particularly verses 40,46-47 and 52 and will give us a glimpse of how our Savior lived out His life as a Carpenter,as a Man pleasing always the Father in every area of His earthly existence, fulfilling His mission and purpose and be reminded that the life He lived is the life we should emulate,just as it is written in Luke 6:40-"Everyone who is fully trained wil be like his Teacher."
BODY:
A balanced life is a process of perpetual learning intellectually,physically,socially and spiritually as modeled by Jesus in our text for today.
I-JESUS GREW IN WISDOM:
This is the Intellectual Development.
Jesus as you can see,exemplify the epitome of intelligence when He confronted the teachers, masters of the Law of His day, the Pharisees, and everyone who wanted to test His mettle as a recognized Teacher of His day were amazed and astonished with His answers.As you read the Gospel,notice how knowledgeable the Lord was with the Pentateuch, the book of the Prophets, Historical books and every book in the Old Testament, I am sure He greatly feasts on every pages of God’s words!
How about you?
Howard Hendricks said that if we stop reading, we stop learning, and when we stop learning we stop preaching or witnessing.
There are two factors that influence the most in life; the books you read and the people around you.Aside from the Scripture, what other books or literature are you reading right now? We need to read.Charles Spurgeon was also quoted as saying,"The man who never reads will never be read;He who never quotes will never be quoted;he who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains proves he has no brain of his own.Brethren,what is true of Ministers is true of all our people.YOU NEED TO READ!"
You young people must maintain a consistent study and reading program- understand that you will all be leaders if you are all readers and all readers are leaders!(Mat.4:4).Away with your mtv’s, away with the cartoon network, the axn’s... for the young people of today spend more time watching television and browsing the internet with their friendsters, and their messengers than ever before.Go back to reading wholesome books,Christian e-books,open the internet on Christian websites...
II-JESUS GREW IN STATURE:
This is the Physical Development.
When we say of Stature, it speaks of our lifestyle, eating habits, nutrition and recreation.This aspect of our person influences our self image and also the way other people see us.
Is there anything in your life today over which in obedience to Christ,you do not have any control?
Is your money under control? Do you always overspend?How do you handle your money,or you let your money handle you?
What about your material possession? Are those material things your idol or just your tool?
Is your sexual life under control? Let me give you a suggestion regarding your sex life if it is still uncontrolled.Minimize your TV time... for television always suggests lusts in commercials, vulgar and sexual language in almost all programs and others.
How about your exercise? There should be enough rest,a change of pace in your routine once in a while to break the monotony of daily habits.
Dick Iverson gave three things on how to care for our Physical condition;One-Watch what you eat.This generation is a junk food generation. It dries the brain and renders young people of today slow thinkers.Don’t eat food containing names that are hard to read on the labels of their packings because it indicates one thing; they are chemically produced. Abstain from pork,they carry so many bacterias,carrier of many diseases,cholesterols. Eat more fruits,they got fibers that cleanses our digestive system.Our teeth was not made by God to eat meat because they were designed by Him to fruit eating.Less carbonated drinks and more on plain drinking water and fruit juice from real fruit extracts,particularly yellow and orange ones because they are anti-carcinogenic.Two-Play a sport. Let your blood circulate well and your respiration pulsate with energy.Let your adrenalin flow young people in their proper perspective.You need it.Three-Do not allow stress to dominate you.This is related to one and two. Know that stress is always a product of inactivity and wrong diet.
How about your time?How much do you spend your time with people,when your alone? When your in school or at play?How will do you spend your 24 hours? Redeem your wasted time and start now to balance them.
III-JESUS GREW IN FAVOR WITH MEN:
This is the Social Dimension.
As we mature in our walk with Jesus, notice that the circle of unbelieving friends in our life become lesser and lesser.Is this good? No,because just like Jesus, He always comes in contact with sinners and sharing,healing the sick and oppressed,teaching and telling about the Kingdom of heaven.Is He not branded to be a friend of sinners and the gluttons, and drunkards, and prostitutes and lepers? Let us bring them in in our churches.Yes you can without compromising the truth.
You must live a life of unwavering faith not being tossed by winds of doctrines of men and the patterns of this world. What we received from Jesus eversince we have made Him Lord and Savior of our life is the most potent authority in heaven, on earth, and even under the earth!Reach out for them young people with your balanced life!They will see, they will notice the difference in you. You will see the favor you will have with men without compromising.
IV-JESUS GREW IN FAVOR WITH GOD:
This is the Spiritual Development.
This aspect of your life is part of a larger process.Jesus said it very clearly in the Amplified Bible of Matthew6:33;"But seek,aim at and strive FIRST OF ALL to His Kingdom and His righteousness and His way of doing and being right, AND THEN ALL THESE THINGS TAKEN TOGETHER WILL BE GIVEN YOU BESIDES!"(paraphrase). This last aspect of our personality should be the first to be given much attention as exhorted by our Lord.It should not be compartmentalized,but integrated with every dimension of our life. We can not fully develop in other areas--intellectually,physically and socially if we are not making any progress in our spiritual relationship with God.We can’t grow in any one of these areas without also having an effect on all other areas. The Spiritual growth should be the first,the rest would follow and fall wonderfully in their proper places.
CONCLUSION:
As I close today’s session, let us be reminded that Jesus lived a life of joy,persistence,hardwork, discipline,a time with Father,purpose,compassion and everything in harmonious relationship with His mental faculties through reading, His physique suggests a balanced diet and lots of exercises considering His tenacity in carrying the cross inspite of a full night’s lack of sleep and torture in the hands of the Roman army,yet He endured. He was well loved by men even already dead,Joseph of Arimathea gave his own gravesite for Him all because of God’s favor on His begotten Son!
And you young people are no longer servants of sin,of this secular world, but you are His friends! Because He had trusted you long before you were born.Balance your life now because the life of Jesus is now in you through the power of the Holy Spirit.It can be done!And now as I conclude..."Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for to Him alone belongs all the glory both now and forever!Amen."
