Jesus was always at work

JESUS WAS ALWAYS AT WORK
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me?
wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s
business?—Luke2:49 (A.V.).
GREAT TEXTS
Always at Work
1. We know how it sometimes happens that a scene which has been for years
familiar and beloved suddenly greets us with a new impression. We have
caught it from some unexpected angle, or a flying light has shot over it,
bringing out some colouror some effectof perspective or of contrastthat we
never before hit upon. There it is, the old habitual place, which we fancied
that we knew by heart, and yet there is a look in it to-day which we had never
suspected, which we had always missed. A touch of beauty, a flash of
significance, has given it a new consecration. The novelty of the effectis
heightened by the very factthat it is brought out of material so intimately
known.
Now, is not this often the case with the Four Gospels? Thosewonderful
books—how wellwe seemto know them! From our earliestmemories the
familiar rhythms have sung “the old, old story” in our ears. We turn the pages
only to pass the eye along its habitual and anticipated sequences. And then, by
a sudden stroke now and again, a fresh gleamof light falls, and some
fragment of the gospelstory starts into swift and radiant prominence. We had

read that bit a thousand times before, yet it lay unmarked; pleasant, indeed,
and helpful, one perhaps among many that we liked, yet with no specialnote.
But to-day it stands out as if alone. A peculiar force lies about it. A splendid
meaning breaks from it. How is it we can have passedit over so easily? How is
it we evermissed its vivid interest?
Some such prominence has fallen in our day on the scene recordedby St.
Luke to which the text refers. So strangely alone it is, this tale of the boyhood
of Jesus, pluckedout of the heart of that silence which broods round the long
hours of the Lord’s growthat Nazareth. Ah, how we pine to penetrate within
that shrouding silence—the silence during which the blessedPlant sprang up
out of the dry ground. Would that we might follow the unrecorded process in
the mystery of which He passedfrom the unconscious impotence of the Babe,
passive in the manger, swathedin swaddling-clothes, to that full, ripe,
conscious manhoodof His ministry—complete, self-mastered, sure-footed;
clearin aim, in purpose, in decision;calm, measured, deliberate, and
determined. Betweenthe two moments lies the whole story of the upward
growth.
2. If the veil of silence has fallen on so much that we cannot but desire to look
into, with what an outbreak of relief do we fasten on this solitary story which
the diligence of St. Luke has been guided to rescue out of all the hidden
mystery of growth, for our loving attention! Here he has been allowedto bring
before us, not merely the broad or secretprocessby which His human nature
won its advances, but a most signalmoment of its increase, whenit arrived at
a new level, as it were, at a bound.
Such a moment is never forgotten, the moment at which the boy ceases to see
through the eyes of others, ceases to speak, to think, as others do about him;
when he sees withhis own eyes, and faces his ownworld, and seeks forhis
own interpretation of it. Such moments, when they come, are full of a great

awe;we are rapt into a solitude of our own, in which we forget our earlier
interests, which have become as a very little thing. We are absorbed in the
passionof a spiritual discovery; we are caught up, young though we be, into
the solemnity of those swift and sudden intuitions which have the
Powerto make
Our noisy years seemmoments in the being
Of the eternal Silence.
Many a man or womancan recallechoes ofsuch times. Perhaps, long after we
have forgottenthem, we drop upon some fervid or grave resolution, written
with our unformed hand, in a youthful diary, the recordof some such
momentous awakening. We smile as our eyes fall on that record, yet smile
with a sigh of sad regretthat, with all wiserintelligence, we have not retained
the intense and earnestseriousnesswhichmakes sacredthat old scrawl.
3. The words of our text, then, are the only words recoveredfrom the
childhood of Jesus. All the precious memory that Mary kept in her heart
appears to have died with her.
She told it not; or something sealed
The lips of that evangelist.

Legends survive, enough; offspring of crude if devout imaginations, and so
obviously spurious that there has never been any serious attempt to include
them in sacredwrit. In thirty years, one saying, and one only, survives. These
are the first recordedwords of Jesus, and every syllable is precious. The poet
Wordsworthsays that the child is father of the man; and surely in these words
of Jesus we geta hint of all that the man Jesus is everto become. As in a
mountain lake one sees reflectedthe mountains and the forests and the
processionofthe clouds, so in this single sentence of Jesus is mirrored the
entire New Testamentland and sky.
4. What do these words signify? They claim Sonship—“my Father”;they
claim also the necessityof obeying the demands of Sonship—“Imust”; and
they claim that what the Fatherdemands of the Son is Service—“aboutmy
Father’s business.” So we have—
I. Sonship.
II. Surrender.
III. Service.
Sonship
“My Father.”
1. In His first words, Jesus claims Divine Paternity, and for Himself Divine
Sonship. When His mother said “Thy father and I have soughtthee,” she

meant Joseph, but when Jesus said“my Father’s business,” He did not mean
Joseph, for He was not about Joseph’s business when in the Temple,
questioning, and being questioned by the doctors. We canput no other fair
interpretation on the phrase “my Father” than that which makes it refer to
God, His Divine Father. It was His business that He was about when in The
temple, not Joseph’s.
“My Father.” This was Jesus’ name for God. When He spoke to GodHe
always calledHim “Father.” WhenHe was successfulin His work, He said,
“Father, I thank thee.” When He was overcome with grief, He cried, “Father,
if it be possible, let this cup pass.” WhenHe pleaded for His disciples, He said,
“Father, keepthrough thine own name these whom thou hast given me.” On
the cross He prayed, “Father, forgive them,” and with His last breath He said,
“Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” This is the word He wanted all
men to use.
The first use of the name “Father” by Jesus was to name God, not a man. Our
souls first know an earthly father, then climb up as by a beautiful ladder of
the soulto the idea of a heavenly Father. Jesus knew first the Fatherabove.
He lived under Him, carriedHim in the sweetestcentre of His being, had His
will shapedby Him, and was inspired by hope and love and submission to
Him. Little children grow up to callthe man in their house, who gave them
their life and provides that life with home and food, “father,” “my father.”
But Jesus grew up to think of God as all this. From the first He was inspired
by the thoughts of the strength and the love of God, His Father, and was a
loyal child of the will of God.
I was telling her how sternly children were brought up fifty or sixty years ago;
how they bowedto their father’s empty chair, stoodwhen he enteredthe
room, did not dare speak unless they were spokento, and always calledhim
“sir.” “Did they never say ‘father’? Did they not say it on Sundays for a

treat?” A little while later, after profound reflection, she asked—“Godis very
old; does Jesus callHim Father?” “Yes, dear;He always calledHim Father.”
It was only earthly fathers after all who did not suffer their babes to come to
them.1 [Note: W. Canton, W. V.: Her Book, 122.]
2. Christ’s first saying was not a moral precept, but a solemn declaration
concerning His relationto God. He breaks forth on the world at the age of
twelve, and claims to be the Sonof the Eternal Father. Was it now that the
consciousnessofthis greatfactdawned upon Him, or was it present with Him
during the whole of His early childhood in Nazareth? The confident calmness
with which He utters it suggests thatHe was previously conscious ofthe
relationship. As a Jewishboy, brought up in a devout religious home, He must
have been early instructed in the Law and the Prophets. Before He was born,
His mother was visited by an angel, who communicated to her a Divine
messageofmarvellous significance. “Fearnot, Mary: for thou hast found
favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring
forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.”Would not His mother tell Him,
before He reachedthe age of twelve, of this angelic visit and of the mysterious
message? Couldshe, as a fond mother, well withhold it? While studying the
Law and the Prophets, during the early years of childhood in Nazareth, His
eye may have fallen on Isaiah’s significant passage, “Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and beara son, and shall callhis name Immanuel.” Would He not at
once interpret the meaning and, applying it to Himself, understand that He
was the Immanuel who was to be born of a virgin? Had He read, or had there
been read to Him, in the secludedhome of Nazareth, the passagein
Deuteronomy 18:18-19, “Iwill raise them up a Prophet from among their
brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall
speak unto them all that I shall command him”? Had He a glimpse of Himself
when the passagewas read? In the Temple, what portions of the Hebrew
Scriptures were read in the service? Was it Isaiah 53, or Psalms 2, or Psalms
22, or Psalms 72, or Psalms 110? Were these included in the seven days’
service, or in the discussionamong the doctors? Did the child of twelve years
hear any inward voice, saying, I am He of whom Psalmists and Prophets
speak? Was the grandeur of His mission opening out to Him? Was the spirit

of His mission possessing Him? Did He now sayto Himself, in the mysterious
depth of His own consciousness, “Forthis cause came I unto this hour,” “and
how am I straitened until it be accomplished”? Whennow He made the great
announcement to His mother, that God is His Fatherand that He is the Son of
God, did He not set His sealto the angel’s mysterious words, “He shall be
great, and shall be calledthe Son of the Highest”?
We are not warranted in affirming that the child meant all that the man
afterwards meant by the claim to be the Sonof God; nor are we any more
warranted in denying that He did. We know too little about the mysteries of
His growthto venture on definite statements of either kind. Our sounding
lines are not long enough to touch bottom in this greatword from the lips of a
boy of twelve; but this is clear, that as He grew into self-consciousness,there
came with it the growing consciousness ofHis Sonship to His Father in
Heaven.
3. Jesus neverspeaks ofHis holding the same relationship as His disciples to
God the Father. He never speaks to His disciples of “our God,” or of “our
Father,” but of “your Father,” and “my Father”;of “your God,” and “my
God”;implying that His relationship as Sonis of a higher, diviner order than
the relationship of the disciples as children of God. You may reply, that in the
Lord’s PrayerHe says “Our Father.” Yes, but He had said before, “Whenye
pray, say, Our Father.” He puts the words into the mouths of His disciples,
and does not intimate that He uses them Himself when He prays, or that He
uses them conjointly with His disciples. Although known as the Lord’s Prayer,
it is a prayer which He could not offer. It contains a petition for forgiveness of
sins, which only sinners could offer; and He, being sinless, could not join in
the petition.
4. But Jesus saidto the disciples “When ye pray, say, Father.” For to us also
there is a better life than the life of nature, and the Fatherhoodinto which

Christ introduces us means that through faith in Him, and the entrance into
our spirits of the Spirit of adoption, we receive a life derived from, and
kindred with, the life of the Giver, and that we are bound not only to Him by
the cords of love, but also to our parents by the ties of family affection.
Sonship is the deepestthought about the Christian life. It was an entirely new
thought when Jesus spoke to His disciples of their Father in heaven. It was a
thrilling novelty when Paul bade servile worshippers realize that they were no
longerslaves, but sons, and, as such, heirs of God. It was the rapture of
pointing to a new star flaming out, as it were, that swelledin John’s
exclamation:“Beloved, now are we the sons of God.”
“When ye pray, say, Father.” When you are worried, remember that God is
your Father. When you ask God for blessings, rememberhow willing parents
are to give goodthings to their children. God is both willing and able to give
us every goodthing, for everything belongs to God. And because everything
belongs to God, Jesus treatedeverything with reverence. He would not allow
men to swearby heaven or the earth or Jerusalemor their own head, for all
these belongedto His Heavenly Father. He drove the traders from the Temple
because they were desecrating the Temple of His Father. He cheeredthe
hearts of His disciples by reminding them that the house of many mansions
belongs to the Heavenly Father. All people were dear to Jesus becauseallof
them were the children of God. Beggars andlepers and blind men and bad
men, the most loathsome and forsakenofmen were dear to His heart because
they belongedto His Father in Heaven. To be worthy of His Fatherwas His
constantambition and unfailing delight. “My meat,” He said, “is to do his will
and to finish his work.”
The idea that Godis a loving, righteous Father, who has createdme to be His
child, capable of knowing Him and learning to sympathize with Him in love
and goodness, and so to be partaker of His blessedness,and who is educating
me for this inwardly and outwardly at every moment, is an idea which
commends itself to me as light; and I find also that practically it is fruitful and

good. There is no proof of this, exceptin our own human consciousness;but,
also, there is no real proof againstit, and I am compelledto regardit as
eternal truth.1 [Note:Letters of Thomas Erskine of Linlathen, ii. 256.]
God is a kind Father. He sets us all in the places where He wishes us to be
employed; and that employment is truly “our Father’s business.” He chooses
work for every creature which will be delightful to them, if they do it simply
and humbly. He gives us always strength enough, and sense enough, for what
He wants us to do; if we either tire ourselves orpuzzle ourselves, it is our own
fault. And we may always be sure, whateverwe are doing, that we cannot be
pleasing Him if we are not happy ourselves.2 [Note:Ruskin, Ethics of the Dust
(Works, xvii. 290).]
II
Surrender
“I must.”
1. All through Christ’s life there runs, and occasionallycomes into utterance,
the sense ofa Divine necessitylaid upon Him; and here is the beginning, the
very first time that the word occurs on His lips, “I must.”
Mark that greatword “must.” It was one of Jesus’earliestwords, and He
used it to the end. He was not ashamedto saythat there were some things
which He was obligedto do. Let no boy ever hesitate to say “I must.” Many a
man’s life has been wreckedbecausehe never learned, when a boy, to speak
the words “I must.” Jesus early learned the lesson, and so at thirty He could

say, “I must preachthe gospel.” Whenmen stoodamazed at His tireless
industry He said, “I must work the works of him that sentme while it is day.”
This greatword “must” is used about thirty times in the New Testamentin
relation to the mission of Christ, His work, His sufferings, His death, His
resurrection, His ascension, His mediatorial sovereignty, and His final victory
over sin and Satan, and the word proceeds mostly from the lips of Christ
Himself; in a few instances, it also proceeds from the sacredwriters
themselves;but even then, they seemonly to echo the word which He had so
solemnly used, and which, by frequent repetition, He had deeply impressed on
their memory. Forexample take the following—He showed“unto his disciples
how that he must go into Jerusalem, and suffer many things”; “the scripture
must be fulfilled”; “the Son of man must suffer many things”; “I must preach
the kingdom of God”; “I must walk today, and to-morrow, and the day
following”;“But first must he suffer many things, and be rejectedof this
generation”;“the passovermust be killed”; “this that is written must yet be
accomplishedin me, And he was reckonedamong the transgressors”;“the
Son of man must be delivered”; “all things must be fulfilled”; “even so must
the Sonof man be lifted up”; “he must rise again”;“he must reign.”
Sometimes, under the pressure of this awful “must,” although the word itself
is not used, He yet employs phrases which are equivalent, and which indicate
that He is under solemn necessity. “I have a baptism to be baptized with; and
how am I straitened till it be accomplished.” The word“must” is not there,
but the meaning of it is, and the solemn pressure of it is felt. “Now is my soul
troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour; but for this
cause came I unto this hour.” Again the word “must” is not in this passage,
but we hear the echo of it, feelthe pressure of it, and the meaning of it is
significantly emphasized.
2. There is as Divine and as real a necessityshaping our lives, because it lies
upon and moulds our wills, if we have the child’s heart, and stand in the
child’s position. In Jesus Christthe “must” was not an external one, but He

“must be about His Father’s business” because His whole inclination and will
was submitted to the Father’s authority. And that is what will make any life
sweet, calm, noble. “The love of Christ constrainethus.” There is a necessity
which presses upon men like iron fetters;there is a necessitywhichwells up
within a man a fountain of life, and does not so much drive as sweetlyincline
the will, so that it is impossible for him to be other than a loving, obedient
child.
Some very little children sometimes use the word “must” very naughtily.
There is an old saying, you know, “Must is for the king and not for his
people.” But “must” is sometimes a very nice little word. “I must do.” Why
did Jesus saythat? “Oh, I so love My Fatherthat I cannot help it. My love to
My Fathercompels Me to do it.” “Wistye not that I must be about my
Father’s business?”1 [Note:J. Vaughan, Children’s Sermons, 150.]
3. The words “I must” on the lips of Jesus suggestthatthe higher freedom
implies the higher necessity. If ever any man was free that man was Jesus. He,
indeed, achievedthat moral and spiritual freedom after which we toil in vain.
The bondage of the world, the flesh and the devil was a bondage from which
He was absolutely and utterly emancipated. He at leastwas no slave to the
opinion of society, or merely human authorities. In Herod He saw no king, but
only a sinful man whose soulwas in peril. In Caiaphas He saw no priest but
only a fallible mortal, needing to be enlightened by the Spirit of God. He was
free from all unworthy motives and inferior ambitions. He was free from the
hesitationand timidities inspired by doubt. He was the free child of truth,
righteousness, love. And He, the mighty Conqueror and Masterof all wrong
and error, was so because He was the perfect Servant of truth and right. The
higher freedom was the higher necessity.
The law of His childhood was the law of His manhood. Just as one of your
little ones floating a walnut-shell upon a bowl of water calls into operationall,

or nearly all, the laws that operate when an ocean-lineris launched, so within
the utterance of this child-spirit of Jesus there are containedthose majestic
spiritual revelations which go far to compose the gospel. He calledmen to love
God more perfectly, that they might be subdued more completelyto the
obedience of God. He knew that when He taught them to say “Our Father,”
He taught them to say “We must obey God rather than man.” Surrender was
latent in sonship.
Manhoodbegins when we have in any waymade truce with Necessity;begins
even when we have surrendered to Necessity, as the most part only do; but
begins joyfully and hopefully only when we have reconciledourselves to
Necessity;and thus, in reality, triumphed over it, and felt that in Necessitywe
are free.1 [Note:Carlyle, “EssayonBurns” (Miscellanies, ii.3).]
III
Service
“My Father’s business.”
1. When only twelve Jesus had graspedthe greatidea that life must be lived
for a purpose. There is business to do and the business belongs to God. In the
Temple Jesus forgotall about Himself. Some boys study because they are
compelled to, or because they want to make a show, or because they expect to
use their educationin making money later on; but Jesus listenedto His
teachers and pondered the lessons whichthey setHim in order to advance the
glory of His Father. All kinds of work take on new lustre when we think of it
as being given to us by our Father. Men sometimes say, “my business,” “my
studies,” “my plans,” forgetting that God has anything to do with them.

Everything we do, if we do it rightly, is our Father’s business. It is ours and it
is also His. Our life is ours and His, so also is our work. We are interestedin
our tasks, andso is He. We bead overour studies, and so does He. Everything
that touches us also touches Him; and that boys and girls should obey their
parents and pay attention to their teachers is not only their business, it is also
the business of the Heavenly Father.
Many Christians tell me that they have no vocationto service;that they do not
know what to do; that they would be glad to serve God, if only they knew how
and where!These are they who were not on the alert, when first they knew the
Lord, to setthemselves at once about their Father’s business;or who have
fallen from their first love and zeal; or have separatedservice from the
consciousnessofsalvation;and I fear, in many cases,with the abandonment
or the neglectof service, have lost the blessedconsciousnessofsonship. I am
more and more satisfied, as I come to know myself and my surroundings
better, and those of other Christians as well, that we do not so much need to
make opportunities as to embrace them when they are presented to us. The
majority of life’s failures, especiallyin Christian life, grow out of not
promptly embracing opportunities for service. Shakespearetells us that
“There is a tide which, takenat the flood, leads on to fortune.” It is equally
true that there are spiritual instincts and promptings which, if yielded to, lead
on to most blessedand useful Christian life; but which, if neglected, leave the
Christian to comparative shipwreck.1 [Note:G. F. Pentecost, Sermons, 103.]
In matters of business take this as a maxim, that it is not enough to give things
their beginning, direction, or impulse; we must also follow them up and never
slackenourefforts until they are brought to a conclusion.2 [Note:Counsels
and Reflections ofF. Guicciardini.]
I thought of life, the outer and the inner,

As I was walking by the sea,
How vague, unshapen this, and that, though thinner,
Yet hard and clearin its rigidity.
Then took I up the fragment of a shell,
And saw its accurate loveliness,
And searchedits filmy lines, its pearly cell,
And all that keencontention to express
A finite thought. And then I recognized
God’s working in the shell from root to rim,
And said—“He works till He has realized—
Oh Heaven! if I could only work like Him!”3 [Note:T. E. Brown, Old John
and other Poems, 128.]

2. “My Father’s business.” Whatis this business? In one word, it is
redemption, to bring lost humanity into a salvable condition; to provide for
the restorationof purity, blessednessand immortality, to men who have
forfeited all by transgression;to save from sin, its power, pollution, and
penalties, all who apply to God for mercy. Or, in other words, to establishin
this fallen world a kingdom of grace and salvation, whose gates shallbe
thrown wide open, and into which all the alienated race of man may enter, on
condition of renouncing for ever their allegiance to the Evil One, and
consecrating themselves loyally to their Redeeming King.
John Vassaronce spoke to a lady about her soul, and the lady told her
husband of what he had said. “I should have told him,” said her husband, “to
mind his own business.” “Ifyou had been there,” said the lady, “you would
have thought it was his business.”1 [Note:H. Thorne, Notable Sayings of the
GreatTeacher, 65.]
(1) One part of that redemption which was the business of Christ was to offer
a perfect example. When He sums up His ownlife, it is at one time, “I have
finished the work which thou gavestme to do”; “my meat is to do the will of
him that sentme”: at another it is, “I am among you as he that serveth”—as
the Servantof men; “the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give his life a ransomfor many.” And we see why the two go
together. The true child shares the true parent’s thoughts and purposes, and
feels as he feels. And so the child of God, because he knows that He is the
Father of His human creatures, and that He is love, and means nothing but
love for them, must himself begin to share that love, that care, begin to feel the
zeal to help, the wish to serve.
God had written divers books ofexample in the lives of the saints. One man
was noted for one virtue, and another for another. At last, God determined
that He would gatherall His works into one volume, and give a condensation

of all virtues in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now He determined to
unite all the parts into one, to string all the pearls on one necklace, andto
make them all apparent around the neck of one single person. The sculptor
finds here a leg from some eminent master, and there a hand from another
mighty sculptor. Here he finds an eye, and there a head full of majesty. He
saith, within himself, “I will compound these glories, I will put them all
together;then it shall be the model man. I will make the statue par excellence,
which shall stand first in beauty, and shall be noted everafterwards as the
model of manhood.” So said God, “There is Job—he hath patience;there is
Moses—he hath meekness;there are those mighty ones who all have eminent
virtues. I will take these, I will put them into one; and the man Christ Jesus
shall be the perfect model of future imitation.” Now, I saythat all Christ’s life
He was endeavouring to do His Father’s business in this matter.1 [Note:C. H.
Spurgeon.]
It seems as if nothing could be more impossible than to follow our Lord’s
example. He was God, and we are but weak and sinful men. How can we
follow the Divine example in our small, petty life? How can we follow the
Divine example when there is within us so much that is selfish, so much that is
hard, so much that is false, and so much that is ungenerous? How canwe
follow His example? And yet He Himself has told us that even to give a cup of
cold wateris a thing that He will notice, if it is done in His spirit. In His spirit;
and that spirit ought to animate all the actions of every-day life. No doubt it is
here, here particularly, that it seems as if our powerto obey His precepts must
break down. To follow His example—how canit be done? But the Lord
Himself, when He calls us to follow His example, knows our weakness and
knows what is the nature of the task that is put upon us; He enters into all the
folly and all the blindness and all the pains and all the temptations that mark
our characters andlowerour lives; He enters into it all. Without sin Himself,
He nevertheless sharedall the troubles of human life, and as if to encourage us
these strange and awful words have been written by His direction, that He
“learnedobedience by the things which he suffered.” He learned obedience
because He passedthrough all that was needed to make obedience perfect. He
learned not to obey; but He learned what to obey really meant. His humanity

had to pass through what our humanity passes through. He obeyed—He had
no need to learn that—but He learned what was the struggle, what was the
trouble, that perpetually impeded obedience. He learned to feel it, and still He
retains that humanity which felt it, and He sympathizes with every difficulty
that besets our endeavours to please Him. He sympathizes, for He knows it all;
He sympathizes because He has passedthrough it all. And if we are to abide in
Him, we, too, must learn obedience, not only in the sense in which He learned
it; we must not only learn what it is to obey, but we must learn to obey. And
the Lord knows us through and through; He sees whetherwe are following
His example, or not, and His loving mercy is with us all the time.1 [Note:
Archbishop Temple.]
(2) Another part was to offer Himself a sacrifice. Twenty-one years from this
Passover, He Himself must be the slain Lamb, His must be the blood shed.
These shadowytypical ceremonials will then be abolished, and will ceasefor
ever; for He Himself will become the one Priest, the one Sacrifice, the one
Mediatorat the right hand of the Majestyin the heavenly sanctuary. It is said
that He increasedin wisdom. During these seven days of the Passover, He
must have added immensely to His store of knowledge concerning the work
He had to do, and the sacrifice He had to make as the world’s Redeemer. That
Passoverwas anobject-lesson, whosetypicalmeaning He would not fail to
understand and to apply.
It was His Father’s business made Him sweatgreatdrops of blood; His
Father’s business ploughed His back with many goryfurrows; His Father’s
business pricked His temple with the thorny crown; His Father’s business
made Him mockedand spit upon; His Father’s business made Him go about
bearing His cross;His Father’s business made Him despise the shame when,
naked, He hung upon the tree;His Father’s business made Him yield Himself
to death, though He needed not to die if so He had not pleased;His Father’s
business made Him tread the gloomy shades of Gehenna, and descendinto the
abodes of death; His Father’s business made Him preach to the spirits in

prison; and His Father’s business took Him up to heaven, where He sitteth on
the right hand of God, doing His Father’s business still!2 [Note: C. H.
Spurgeon.]
3. This is the necessitythat lies upon every one of the sons of God. In other
words, the law of life, as illustrated by the example of our Lord and Master,
and iterated and reiterated by all the lessons ofhuman experience, is the law
of Divine obedience through human service. The love of God is best shown in
the love of men. Those souls are the most reverent, and most completely fulfil
the Divine will, that yield the most readily and cheerfully to the pressure of
human need.
(1) This business may not be regarded as apart from the ordinary, daily duties
of life. What one is calledupon to perform day by day, howeverordinary and
monotonous, may lie directly in the line of Divine appointment. It is hardly
fair to assume that Josephand Mary were not about their Father’s business.
Nor is there any reasonfor supposing that Jesus meant to imply that they
were not, although asserting forHimself obedience to the higher mandate. By
attending simply and unostentatiouslyto the chosenor appointed task, we
may find the angels of God coming forth to meet us as they met Jacobof old
on his way from Syria to Palestine.
It is possible that some of you may be secretlywishing that you could spend all
your days in public prayer, in the hallowedengagements ofthe sanctuary, in
preaching the gospelor in teaching the young; let me say to you that there is
not an errand-boy in the streets ofLondon who cannot be turning his work
into the business of God; all business may be made our Father’s, by doing it in
our Father’s spirit, and for our Father’s glory. Do not yield yourselves to the
fallacy that religion is separate and distinct from all the common engagements
of life. The doorkeeperin the poorestcommercialestablishmentin this city
may be doing his Father’s business quite as much as the elders and angels that

are around the throne. Everything depends upon your spirit. You may make
the commonestduty uncommon by coming to it in a sanctified and heavenly
spirit.1 [Note: JosephParker.]
(2) The business of the Father may be performed in the treatment we give to
current questions. Every age has its problems. The heart of the Roman
Empire in the time of Tiberius and Nero was stirred by greatquestions, as is
shown by the interrogatories of Pilate and Felix and Herod Agrippa. Our own
age is no exception in this respectto the ages that have precededit. Indeed, it
would almost seemas if Christianity, in its fearless challengeofevery phase of
human thought and of every variety of organizedlife, had createdproblems
which are, and must be for ever, almost the despair of human wisdom and
effort. In whatever direction we turn the light of our faith, we seemnot only to
expose to observationthe deep struggles of the individual soul over the
mysteries of being, but to bring into view those actions, habits, institutions and
relations of men which must be reformed before the Kingdom of God shall
come. We cannot shut our eyes to these things; we cannot push them aside as
of no consequence;we cannoteven fold our arms in indifference before them.
They are here; they demand consideration, and must and will have some
intelligent treatment from us.
How to get the idle rich to abandon their idleness and help to carry some of
the burdens of those who are now too heavy laden; how to equalize to some
extent the favours of fortune and, while discouraging anover-accumulationof
riches in a few hands, take awayat leastsome of the sharperstings of poverty;
how to avert the arrows of misfortune from those who are exposedto the
pitiless assaultof circumstances whichthey have done nothing to create and
which they are powerless ofthemselves to change;how to lighten the work of
those who have too much of it and give work to those who, without
employment, would yet be glad to earn an honestwage;in short, how to exalt
the lowly and bring down the proud, and make the pathway of men blossom
with comfort and kindliness and goodwill, and thus give us a foretaste of

heavenly peace;these are some of the new tasks of this new time. Those who
love their fellow-men are summoned to these undertakings. Those who have
leisure and intelligence are without excuse if they let the summons go
unheeded. The voice that calls is the voice of God, and they who obey the call
may be sure that they are about their Father’s business.
Fawcett’s greatprinciple (which, of course, he shared in generalwith Mill)
was one which would only be disputed in generalterms by an Egyptian
anchorite or an Indian faquir—Live in camel’s-hair raiment, and you may
fairly denounce the rich and regardpoverty as a blessing. Fawcett, who
preferred broadcloth, held that the master evil of the day was the crushing
poverty of greatmasses ofthe population. To make men better, you must
make them richer—that is, less abjectly poor, less stunted and shackledby the
ceaselesspressure of hard, material necessities. Religious, moral, and
intellectual reforms are urgently needed, but they cannot become fruitful
unless the soil be prepared. Apply all your elevating influences, but also drive
the wolffrom the door or they will never have fair play. Men ought to desire
more, or rather ought to have further-reaching desires. Theyshould be more
prudent and thoughtful—oftener at the savings-bank and less often at the
public-house. That was the pith of Fawcett’s teaching as an economist, and
few who callthemselves Christians will admit that it is condemned by
Christianity.1 [Note: Leslie Stephen, Life of Henry Fawcett, 140.]
(3) But, howeverwe act and whereverwe go, we must not lose sightof the fact
that we are all the time in the presence ofthe living God. We may be dwelling
in a world of sense, but we are also in a world of spirit. This universe is God’s
universe. His power is manifest in it, and His spirit pervades it. We cannot go
where He is not. That is the thought which is given to soberus and to impart
steadiness to all our aims. Before it all considerations ofthe temporal vanish.
We are no longermere denizens of this mortal world. We are spiritual beings,
living in a spiritual world, endowedwith spiritual attributes, having an
immortal destiny, and are indeed the children of the Highest.

When the knowledge ofour immortality dawns upon us, how little then our
hearts are setupon the pleasantgarniture of life, and the riches which it then
becomes almosta delight to resign!Our mind is fixed no longeron sweet
colours and sounds, because it knows that it is passing through them, and that
they are but symbols of the fulness and unity that shall be. Those whom we
love are no longermerely those with whom we use delight, and from whom we
gather joy, but souls bound to us for ever by a stainless bond, which no lapse
of time can hurt or break. And therefore we make haste to castout of our life
all sick and jarring elements, and to agree swiftlywhile we are in the way
together.
The thought of sweetthings that must fade is no longera mere poignant
sentiment, but a sign of renewaland freedom. Memories are no longermere
hopeless phantoms, but as the stones ofthe desolate place out of which the
wayfarerpiles his pillow. We do not lose the sense that things belong to us, but
instead of their being things which we hoard for a little and then reluctantly
and pathetically resign, they are ours for ever. The old days of kindness and
regret, when we graspedat what seemedso solid, but lapsed like the snow-
crystal while we held our breath, are no longer times to muse ruefully over
and to forgetif we can, but miry ways which led us, how blindly and dully, to
the house of life itself; and insteadof viewing pain and death as cruel
gradations of decay, through which we fall into silence, we know them to be
the lasthigh steps of the ascentfrom which the view of life itself, with all its
wide plains and woods, its homesteads and towns, will break upon our
delighted eyes.
It may be said, “Canwe live life on this level of hope and expectation?” No, we
cannot all in a moment. But we can return again and again, in times of grief
and pain, to contemplate the truth, and drink fresh draughts of comfort and
healing. The one thing that we must determine is not to acquiesce in being
entangledin the earthly things that catchand wind, like the grassesand

branches of the brake, about our climbing feet. Notto make terms with
mortal and material things, not to abide in them, that is our business here and
now. To take life as we find it, but never to forgetthat it is neither the end or
the goal, that it is at once the problem and the solution.1 [Note: A. C. Benson,
Thy Rod and Thy Staff, 72.]
Guestfrom a holier world,
Oh, tell me where the peacefulvalleys lie!
Downin the ark of life, when thou shalt fly,
Where will thy wings be furled?
Where is thy native nest?
Where the greenpastures that the blessedroam?
Impatient dwellerin thy clay-built home,
Where is thy heavenly rest?
On some immortal shore,

Some realm awayfrom earth and time, I know;
A land of bloom, where living waters flow,
And grief comes nevermore.
Faith turns my eyes above;
Day fills with floods of light the boundless skies
Night watches calmly with her starry eyes
All tremulous with love.
And, as entrancedI gaze,
Sweetmusic floats to me from distant lyres:
I see a temple, round whose goldenspires
Unearthly glory plays!
Beyond those azure deeps

I fix thy home,—a mansion kept for thee
Within the Father’s house, whose noiselesskey
Kind Death, the warder, keeps!2 [Note:Albert Laighton.]
Always at Work
GENERALRESOURCES
"I Must Be About My Father's Business"
Intro.
1. 12-year-oldJesus astonishedthose who heard him, Lk. 2:46-47.
2. His parents were amazed, desperate with anxiety, Lk. 2:48.
3. “Why did you seek me? Did you not know...?”Lk. 2:49
-My Father’s business:Lit., “the things of My Father.”
4. Jesus came to do the Father’s business, Jno. 4:34; 9:4; 17:4; 19:30.
5. We must be about the things of our Father, too.
6. Are you doing the Father’s business where you are at this moment in your
life?

I. I – PERSONALRESPONSIBILITY.
A. There are Things Only I CanDo: PersonalResponsibility, Gal. 6:4-5.
1. To become a Christian, Jno. 8:24; Mk. 16:16.
2. To remain a faithful, growing Christian, 1 Pet. 2:2.
3. To worship in spirit and truth, Jno. 4:24.
4. To withstand temptations, 1 Cor. 10:13.
5. To be soberand watchful, 1 Pet. 5:8.
B. Areas of PersonalAccountability, Gal. 6:1-10. (Rom. 14:12)
1. Towardsinners, 6:1-3.
2. Towardoneself, 6:4-5.
3. Towardteachers, 6:6.
4. TowardGod, 6:7-9.
5. Towardunbelievers and brethren, 6:10.
II. MUST BE ABOUT – NECESSARYTO BE DOING. (Imperative, Urgent)
A. It is Obligatory On Us To Do What We Know Is Right, John 8:28-29.
(Jas. 4:17; Eph. 5:17)
1. Do the will of God from the heart, Eph. 6:6.
2. Stand perfect and complete in all the will of God, Col. 4:12.
3. Whatever you do...name of the Lord, Col. 3:17.
4. Blessedwhenour faith is active, Jno. 13:15-17. (Do as I have done)

III. MY FATHER’S BUSINESS.
A. My Father – My Relationshipwith God is Crucial.
1. By doing the Father’s will, Matt. 12:48-50;1 Jno. 1:6-7; 2:3-6.
2. Fellowshipwith God gives us... (2 Cor. 6:17-18)
a. Every spiritual blessings in Christ, Eph. 1:3.
b. Prayerful access to His throne of grace and mercy, Heb. 4:16.
c. Assurance ofHis presence, provisions, protection, Heb. 13:5-6.
B. My Father’s Business – His Will Be Done. Matt. 6:9-10
1. I must do His will on earth, so I may enter heaven’s eternalkingdom,
Matt. 7:21-23;2 Pet. 1:10-11.
a. By being a living sacrifice, Rom. 12:1-2.
b. By being holy, sanctifiedin my body, 1 Thess. 4:3-8.
2. Doerof the work/wordof God, Jno. 9:4; Jas. 1:22-25.
-Cannot separate the work of God from the word of God!
3. Worship, Jno. 4:23-24 (Acts 2:42).
a. Regularactivity, Acts 20:7.
b. Remember Christ and proclaim His death, 1 Cor. 11:24-26.
c. Edification, 1 Cor. 14:5, 26.
d. Thankful praise and humble submission, Eph. 5:19-21.
Conclusion
1. Josephand Mary did not understand what Jesus meant, Lk. 2:49-50.
2. We do understand; Cannotignore our Father’s will, Eph. 5:17.

3. Jesus spokethe Father’s words and did the Father’s will, Jno. 8:28-29.
4. As His disciples, we must humble ourselves to His training in order to be
like Him – about the things of our Father. Heb. 13:20-21
By: Joe R. Price
Posted:December27, 2016
View all Sermons
I Must Be About My Fathers Business
Contributed by James Thomas on Jan11, 2008
based on 18 ratings
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Scripture: Nehemiah6:3
Denomination: Baptist
Summary: There is a reward in serving God
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I must be about my Fathers business
Nehhemiah 6:3
3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I
cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilstI leave it, and come
down to you?
Luke 2:49
49 And he saidunto them, how is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must
be about my Father’s business?
When we acceptan assignmentor appointment or a job from GOD you can
rest assuredthat the enemy gets busy that very instant. From the moment you
decide to live for Christ and that nothing will detour you. Then you canrest
assuredthat you are getting ready to fight from all sides.
The Bible tells us to love our neighbors and also to love our enemies;probably
because mostof the times they are the same people. Only someone who is close
to you can hurt you. This was the case in Nehemiah’s situation. His presence
here was a threat to the people around him. They felt the building of the wall
would shift the balance of power in the region and rob them of their influence
over the people. If you read on around the fourth chapter you will find that as
he got the wall half built people startedhonoring GOD with their work that
doubt starts to show it’s ugly face. He starts to getdeath threats from his
enemies the bible says in chapter 4vs. 9 that he prayed and seta watchagainst
them.
Trust me the more you try the more the enemy is going to try and throw kinks
in your way every morning you’re on time for work but Sunday you always
seemto have a problem, that’s the enemy……….The word of GOD says…….
every time I desire to do good……evil is always present………youwant to
come to church and the husband isn’t acting right ….you just keepon with
what you’re doing………All greatcauses have greatcritics……… It was
Aristotle who said, “You canavoid oppositionby saying nothing, doing

nothing, being nothing!” Another way of saying it ……is if you don’t want to
hunt with the big dawgs stayon the porch……..
When you start a work for GOD no matter what it is whether it is teaching a
class orpreaching a sermon or just witnessing about the goodness ofGOD.
Not to mention pasturing or building a church…….. Someone begins to feel
threatened………rememberthe enemy doesn’t want you to succeedin
anything you do for GOD……somebodywill have to start questioning your
dedication…… What’s he/she teaching….uh what are they doing over
there……uh why they shout so much…….I don’t like they way he teaches the
bible ….but they couldn’t find Genesis with a magnifying glass, andthey still
think the book of JOB means job……….Youknow overnight
Christians…….poptart preachers………who don’t want to work but
constantly………..seek to hinder your work……….Youcanbe a person who
has the duty of cleaning the church……….The funny thing is …….no else will
want to do it ……but somebodywill always try to criticize they way you do it.
You missed a spot….and you forgot this and you forgotthat……….Uh why
you doing that……. are you getting paid to do it……..uh I wouldn’t do that I
were you……look at them and tell them……..I must be about my fathers
business……..People wantto tell the Pastorwhat to preach……. the ministers
what to say …..How to say it and when to say it…….wellI gotlittle a problem
with that…….. because, and I don’t mean any disrespect…… but I wasn’t
hired by the people…… my words are not mine I speak on behalf of
another………. I heard Jesus saywoe unto you when all men shall speak well
of you….
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Let them talk let them make plans to try and stop you
Ezek 33:7-9
7.So thou, O son of man, I have setthee a watchman unto the house of Israel;
therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

8.WhenI say unto the wicked, O wickedman, thou shalt surely die; if thou
dost not speak to warn the wickedfrom his way, that wickedman shall die in
his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9 Nevertheless,if thou warn the wickedof his way to turn from it; if he do not
turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hastdelivered thy soul.
No one wants to work……. but someone always has a better way to do
it……well getthee behind me satanlet me serve my GOD…………Don’t
worry what they say about you….don’t worry what they try to do……ForI
heard Jesus sayin
People will lie on you…….they will talk about you……..they will plot against
you ….but do me a favor don’t forgetyou are a child of the king……..greater
is he that is in you and me than he that is in the world……..IHEARD Paul say
if GOD be for us who can be be againstus……….
Psalms 121:1 (KJV)
I heard the psalm writer say1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from
whence cometh my help.
2 My help comethfrom the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Psalms 121:2 (KJV)
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Anything GOD does satantries to copy……everything he does is a lie,
everything he says is a lie…..The word says the thief comes to kill….stealand
destroy….He seekskill your hopes……andstealyour joy….and destroyyour
joy….that how he kills you………But we as a people of GOD……. have to
encourage andsupport one another………….Ibelieve if I could talk to Paul
he would tell me that…… 28 And we know that all things work togetherfor
goodto them that love God, to them who are the calledaccording to his
purpose.

Romans 8:28 (KJV)
When you see to be about GOD’S business satanwill always try to hold you
back……….He willalways challenge your commitment……I’m glad JESUS
WAS ABOUT HIS FATHERS BUSINESS FOR OUR SAKE……..SWEET
INNOCENT AND BORN WITH A PURPOSE …….PURE AND WITHOUT
SIN…..BORNINTO A WORLD THAT KNEW HIM NOT…….33YEARS
HE WalkedTHIS EARTH…. 11 YEARS FOR THE FATHER 11 FOR THE
SON……. 11 FOR THE HOLY GHOST………Peterdenied him three times
once for the father twice for the sonand a third time for the holy
ghost……..Threetimes Pilate said he found no fault in him…….. Once for the
Father….. Twice for the Son…..andthe third time for the Holy Ghost……The
bible says in Mark 15 and 24 it was the third hour when they crucified him all
to fulfill purpose 1 for the son1 for the father 1 for the Holy Ghost…THE
BIBLE SAYS THEY WROTE THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. IN 3
LANGUAGE HEBREW GREEKAND LATIN. ONE FOR THE FATHER
ONE FOR THE SON AND ONE FOR THE HOLY GHOST. Jesus gave up
the ghosthe died,he died but on the third day he got up with all power in his
hand.
Our Purpose – Being about the Father’s Business – (Luke 2:49; Ex. 33; John
20:21)
Last week in one of my devotional times with the Lord, I was reading in
Exodus where God led Mosesand the Children of Israelout of Egypt as a
pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. Moses knew that ultimately
God was leading them to the Promised Land, but he also knew that the
journey would be accomplishedby following the pillar day by day. When the
pillar moved, the whole camp moved. When it remained still, so did the camp.
At one point (Ex. 33)it seems Godgrew wearyof the Israelites doubting His
provision, and He told Moses to take them on to the PromisedLand. God

promised to provide an angelto go before them and drive out the “ites” from
before them, but God was not going to continue with them as the pillar of
cloud and fire. But Moses refusedto go anywhere that the PresenceofGod
did not precede them. What impressedme was the fact that Mosesdid not
want a map … he wanted a guide. God offered a map, but Moses wantedthe
Presence ofthe Lord to be his Guide. So often in my life, I want God to show
me what the coming day, week, month or year will hold. I want to know where
the road narrows, where the dangers lie, so that I can prepare. I want a map.
The only problem with a map is that it is never clearenough, never detailed
enough, and often is no use if we get off course the leastbit. I remember once
in college receiving a very clearand precise setof directions to getto a
friend’s house for an evening meal and playing bridge. I was impressedwith
his map. All went well until I came upon a road closedbecause ofan accident.
I did not know the area well enough to re-route myself. I tried, but to no avail.
As it turned out, that was the only road in the area that would take me
driectly to his house. The only other waywas a long way around. So … when I
calledhim he said, “You sit tight and I will come to you.” He came to do what
his map could not … to be my guide. How much better to have a Guide than a
map, someone who is a living map, who canadapt to the road conditions, the
dangers, and constantly shifting circumstances life throws at us. Moses
wanted a Guide, not a map. I agree!I can read a map as well as the next
person, but a guide is infinitely better than a map. So, regularly I ask the
Lord where He is leading us and how He would have me to lead His church.
But I need more than the direction He wants us to go. I need Him to go with
us as our Guide! One cleardirection He has led us into last year was to
develop our purpose statement. It gives us cleardirectives as to what we are to
be about, as wellas what is beyond the scope of His direction for us at this
time. In terms of a family business, the purpose statement tells us what our
business is … and what is none of our business!It describes where God is at
work around us, and the call to join Him in His family business. Let me
remind you of our purpose statement and how it embraces the direction we
sense the Lord is giving us. We exist to glorify God by attracting and winning
people to faith in Jesus Christ, by nurturing them in our Christian family, by
bringing them to Christ-like maturity, and by involving them in meaningful
ministry. Two weeks ago we lookedcarefully at the first part of that

statementand determined that Holy Spirit was guiding us this year to make
attracting and winning people to faith in Jesus a priority. We found ample
biblical precedentfor this direction. Chris is leading our youth ministry to
reachat least29 students for Christ this year! What a tremendous goal!That
is the spirit of the first part of our purpose statement. Last week we lookedat
the secondaspectofour purpose statementthat has to do with nurturing
believers in our Christian family and bringing them to Christ-like maturity.
We lookedatthe spiritual health of our congregationand the call of Holy
Spirit to be about discipling. We consideredthe dangers awaiting folks who
acceptChrist but refuse to grow in Him. We also saw the incredible benefits
of maturing in our faith. TodayI want us to focus on the last element of our
purpose statementthat contains the goal to which we strive. We are a single
household in God’s larger family, the Church of Jesus Christ. The end
2
result of someone coming to faith in Christ and growing to maturity is to
become a productive, reproducing, contributing member of the family. The
last part of our purpose statementis our goalto involve all our members in
meaningful ministry. That ministry is the same one Jesus gave believers from
the very beginning, and it harkens back to the first two aspects ofour purpose
statement. God calls us to be about the family business, which is winning
people to faith in Jesus and bringing them to maturity in Christ. As they
mature, they are then to be put into the family business. And what is the
family business? To win people to faith in Christ, bring them to maturity and
involve them in ministry. Notice what is NOT involved in that statement.
Nothing is said about numbers or buildings or programs or comfort or
preferences. This is not about building a comfortable retirement community
for believers!It is not about the temperature of the buildings, or the selections
of songs, orwhether or not we are going to eat. Those are significant in their
own rite, but the family business is not about that! God’s business is all about
people coming into relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christand
growing in that relationship. We are a localbranch of that worldwide
business!

I am reminded of a story of a greatChristian businessmanwho owned an
Oldsmobile dealership. He had meeting with his entire staff every Monday
morning. In the showroomhe would line them up, from mechanics to vice
presidents. He would ask them two questions. They were always the same two.
“What canwe do to sell more Oldsmobiles? Who do you know that needs a
car?” Every personin the organizationfrom leastto greatesthadbest have
answers to those two questions eachweek. Ifnot, they were no longer
employed there. See, he knew what was his business and what was none of his
business. Everything about that cardealership was about sales and service.
Nothing else had a place there. He wanted everyone who workedfor him to
eat and breathe the sales and service ofOldsmobiles. If we adopted that
strategyhere at FBC, then every morning we meet I would ask you some
questions right off our purpose statement. “Who do you know who needs to
know Jesus? Whatcan we do to reachmore people for Christ? Who do you
know who needs to grow in their faith? What canwe do to bring them to
maturity in Christ?”
Jesus is calling us to be about the Father’s business. He wants us to make it
our own. He wants us to join Him in the family business. I don’t use that term
lightly. It is actually a biblical symbol from Jesus ownlife. When He was only
twelve years old, He knew that the Father’s business was what would consume
Him. When His earthly parents lost track of Him in Jerusalem, they found
Him in the Temple discussing the Word of God with the best minds of the day.
When they askedHim why He had left their side, His answeris insightful. “He
said to them, ‘Why did you seek Me? Didyou not know that I must be about
My Father’s business?’” (Luke 2:49) To make His point about this calling
abundantly clear, He later said, “ForI have come down from heaven, not to
do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (John 6:38) Then He
included us in that mission. As He appearedto His followers in the upper
room, He said, “Peaceto you! As the Fatherhas sent Me, I also send you.”
(John 20:21) So, Jesus came to be about the Father’s business and He has
passedthat calling on to eachpersonwho is a followerof Christ. So here we
are, embarking on 2015 and seeking cleardirectives from the Word of God
about the emphasis we should have for this year.

Our ministries here at FBC are many but in essencethey are two-pronged.
There are those ministries that are focusedon the family of God here at FBC.
These include teaching and discipling, caring for the members, and generally
loving the members of the family.
3
Then there are ministries that are focusedoutside the family of God and into
the community. These include caring for the poor and needy, Celebrate
Recovery, MOPS, DisasterRelief, some of our BeaconTeamwork, etc. Also
included here are our Cooperative ProgramMinistries that reachfrom our
county to the ends of the earth. So whateveryour gifts and interests, we have
a ministry for you to plug into. Do you like kids? We have all kinds of ways
you canlove on God’s little ones. Do you like SeniorAdults? We have loads
of ways you can express your love for the Lord in caring for them. Do you
like Youth? There is so much you can do to pour into their lives. Do you like
to study, to learn, and investigate. We need folks to do that. Do you like to
organize, arrange, and coordinate? Jointhe team! Do you like to serve in the
background, not to be noticed but simply to be of help? We have a place for
you. Do you like worship? There are opportunities galore. Do you have a
heart for folks who don’t know about Jesus yet? We need you to join the
team! Have you been through some really tough times and found God has
been faithful to lead you through them? Would you like to help others who
are in those trying times now? We have a place for you. Has God setyou free
from some addiction or painful experience in your past? Part of being set free
is helping others to find their freedom in Christ as well. We need you! There
is not one of you that do not have something to offer the Lord! “4There are
diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries,
but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same
God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each
one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the
Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another
faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same[a]Spirit, 10
to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another

discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the
interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these
things, distributing to eachone individually as He wills.” (1 Cor. 12:4-11)
The Bible tells us that Jesus has uniquely gifted every one of His children with
specialabilities that the Body of Christ needs to be healthy and grow. “…
from whom the whole body, joined and knit togetherby what every joint
supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its
share, causes growthofthe body for the edifying of itself in love.” (Eph. 4:16)
Offering those gifts and talents back to the Lord through ministry in His
Church is a form of worship unto Jesus. “Forwhoevergives you a cup of
waterto drink in My name, because youbelong to Christ, assuredly, I say to
you, he will by no means lose his reward.” (Mark 9:41)
When you look closelyat the history of the first church there in Jerusalem,
you see an exciting and growing church. And as they grew, they became more
and more concernedabout helping those in need. We learn from Acts 4 that
they focusedon meeting the physical and emotional needs of the burgeoning
family of God. The more they did to share the Gospeland grow those new
believers, the more Holy Spirit brought to them. There is a biblical precedent
at work here. Do you see it? The Father is at work and He is calling us to join
Him in the family business. As we seek to bring Him glory by attracting and
winning people to faith in Jesus Christ, and as we seek to nurture them in our
Christian family and bring them to Christ-like maturity, we are joining Him
in the family business. As we involve these folks in the process ofwinning the
lost and developing the saved, we add more people to the payroll in the family
business.
So here we are today, on the cusp of this New Year, looking at where the
pillar of cloud by day and fire by night is moving. We are looking to see what
God is up to this year and find out how we can
4

come alongside Him in missions and ministry. We find that God is totally
involved in the family business, and His callfor us is to join Him there. Some
of you need to join Holy Spirit in attracting and bringing people to faith in
Jesus. This is your year to share your witness and lead a friend or family
member to acceptChrist in their life. Make it your goal!As I heard Chris say
Wednesdaynight, “Praycircles around them.” Grow the relationship and
trust. Find the right moment to turn the conversationtowardthe Lord. Listen
to Holy Spirit. When He leads you to share your story of faith and how you
came to Christ, do it with love and boldness. Tellthem about the
transformation that has happened in your life and how Godis growing you.
When they are born into the Kingdom, then you need to get them into the
discipleship process. Letthem know they are spiritually babes in Christ and
need to be nurtured and grown. Some of you need to join Holy Spirit in this
process ofnurturing believers and bringing them to Christ-like maturity in
Him. That may take any number of different forms, so you need to listen to
Holy Spirit and follow His lead. He will guide you along the way. You will
grow as you help others grow. You may be calledto love on a certain age
group, or teach, or serve, or write letters and cards, or visit, or help organize
or any number of different forms of ministry in this vast family business God
has here at FBC. It is time to getoff the fence and get involved. Being in the
family business is not a spectatorrole! Every family member has something to
contribute to the family business. From the youngestspiritual babe to the
most seasonedsaint, there is a role for you to play. Don’t ask me what it is …
ask Holy Spirit! All I cangive you is a map! He canbe your Guide. Maybe
you have been sitting on the fence, just observing what all is going on around
here at church. Maybe you even admire many for their involvement. But hear
me, dear brother and sister… the family business is not about one group
sitting and watching and collecting full benefits for being in the family while
others give and give and give. Consider this a wake-upcall! Notfrom me!
What do you care what I might think? Rather read the word and listen to
Holy Spirit yourself. He is calling you to be an active, vital, contributing part
of what God is doing here. I’m not mad at anyone. And I am not trying to
shame anyone into anything. I genuinely think I am sensing the heart of God
for His people to join Him in a mission that is breaking His heart. He is “all
in,” and He is looking for you to make the decisionto join Him in His all out

endeavorto see people come to faith in His Son and grow in that faith. So …
how about it?
* * * Let me make a distinction that we really need to get our heads around.
There is a difference betweenmissions and ministry. Missions is primarily
focusedon sharing the Gospelwith those who have never heard about Jesus.
Ministry is caring for the needs of people (physical, mental, emotional, and
spiritual) and thereby demonstrating the love of Christ. Now mission
endeavors may begin with ministry to secure a platform for sharing Christ,
but the primary goalfrom the outsetis the share the Gospel. Mostministry
endeavors are focusedon meeting the needs of people as an expressionof our
love for Jesus and His love for them. Sharing the Gospelmay or may not be
included, but is where the ministry hopes to end up at some point. When Jim
Allison was working with the DisasterReliefup north last year, he carried a
card in his pocketas a tool. When those they were ministering to askedwhy
they were doing this, he would give them the card that explained that the
ministry was an expressionof their love for Jesus and His love for them. That
occasionallyopenedthe door for a Gospelwitness. It was a ministry that
hoped to be a missionary moment.
5
However, when our missionaries go out from us, their heartbeatis the share
the Gospel. Thatis what is first and foremostin their minds. They may
minister to some needs of lost people, but every ministry is a means to share
Christ. Thoughthese two are often used together, there is a significant
difference. In terms of our purpose statement, glorifying God by attracting
and winning people to faith in Jesus Christ is our mission. Nurturing the in
our Christian family, bringing them to Christ-like maturity is our ministry.
These two describe the family business. Getting them in the family business is
our goal. Does thathelp?

https://www.fbcvision.com/files/2614/2297/7510/3-our-purpose---the-father-
s-business.pdf
Dr. G. Flattery- Sermons onWhatJesus Said
Luke 2:41-52- MyFather's Business
Overview
The aim of this messageis to encouragepeople to believe in Christand to be
committed to His business. The text, Luke 2:41-52, givesus the first recorded
public words spokenby Jesus. WhatJesus saidhere, atage 12, has animpact
on all ofour personal lives and our family relationships.
Eachofthe points ofthe message is appliedto our ownlives. First, we have
noted that children, no matter how intelligent, should obeytheir parents.
Parents, onthe otherhand, should make roomfor the uniqueness oftheir
children. Second, Jesus alonewasthe unique divine-human Son ofGod, but we
have a strong sense ofidentity as human sons ofGod. Third, like Christ, we can
have a strong sense ofdestiny. We know thatGodhas a plan forour lives.
Fourth, we must be obedientto the commands of Christ. We must be about the
Father's business.
Introduction
Many people todayare wearing bracelets withthe letters WWJD, which
means, WhatwouldJesus do? It's animportant question. In finding the
answer, the bestsource ofinformationis the words of Jesus Himself. Today, we
will discuss the very first recordedwords spokenbyChrist. His first words
have to do with who He is and His relationshipwith Godand His family. These
words tell a lot about Jesus andchallenge us to be like Him.
Our text is Luke 2:41-52. We willfocus mainlyon the words of Jesus thatare
recordedin verse , but the full passage provides the context. The New
American Standard versionreads as follows:

41 And His parents used to go to Jerusalemeveryyearatthe Feastofthe
Passover.
42 And when He became twelve, theywentup {there} according to the custom
of the Feast;
43 and as they were returning, afterspending the full number of days, the boy
Jesus stayedbehind in Jerusalem. AndHis parents were unaware ofit,
44 but supposedHim to be in the caravan, andwenta day's journey; and they
{began} looking forHim among their relatives andacquaintances.
45 And when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for
Him.
46 And it came about that afterthree days they found Him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers, bothlistening to them, and asking them
questions.
47 And all who heard Him were amazedatHis understanding and His answers.
48 And when they saw Him, they were astonished; andHis mother saidto Him,
"Son, whyhave You treatedus this way? Behold, yourfatherand I have been
anxiously looking foryou."
And He saidto them, "Why is it that you were looking forme? Did you not
know that I had to be [entois touPatros] inMy father's {house?"}
50 And they did not understand the statementwhichHe had made to them.
51 And He wentdown with them, and came to Nazareth; andHe continued in
subjectionto them; and His mother treasuredall {these}things in her heart.
52 And Jesus keptincreasing inwisdomand stature, andin favorwith God and
men.
It is important to understand the contextof this passage. JosephandMary
regularly attendedthe Passoverfestival inJerusalem. Everymale was expected
to attendPassover, Pentecost, andTabernacles. The FeastofUnleavenedBread
followedthe Passoverandtogetheroccupiedsevendays. WhenJesuswas12,

JosephandMary took Him to Jerusalemto observe the Passoverfestival. We
do not know whetherornot this was the first time for Him to attend the
Passover. Inany case this visit turned out to be very memorable.
According to William Hendriksen, "Jewishsources revealno unanimity with
respectto the exactage whena boybecame a 'bar mitzvah' (sonofthe law),
that is, whenhe attainedthe age ofmaturity and responsibility with respectto
the keeping ofGod's commandments. The prevailing opinion may have been
that at the age of13 a boy should fully shoulderthat responsibility but that in
order to become preparedto do this it would be wise forthe parents to take
him along to the temple even earlier."
Whether atage 12 or13, the time arrived when a boy would bear greater
responsibility. As JohnNollandsays, "vowsbecamebinding, parental
punishment would become more severe, andfasting couldbe expectedto be
sustainedfor a whole day."
Jerusalem, ofcourse, wasthe headquarters ofthe Jewishreligion. Many
famous Jewishteachers wouldhave beenpresentfor PassoverandUnleavened
Bread. No doubtsome ofthem stayedoverto teachin the Temple. This was a
greatopportunity for Jesus to sitas a student among them. He would not have
had this opportunity in Nazareth. WhenHis parents left Jerusalem, He stayed
and visited the Temple.
My messagewillfocus onthe words ofChrist. His words tell us a lotabout Him
and about His relationshipto His family. Bothyoung people and parents can
learn much from this text.
The ReactionofJesus
When JosephandMary left Jerusalem, Jesus stayedbehind. His parents were
not aware thatHe stayed. The absenceofJesus, the searchofhis parents, and
their finding him resultedin a moment of tension. We'llobserve the concernof
JosephandMary and then focus on the reactionofJesus.
Parental Concern

JosephandMary were anxious. We cannotblame them much for this. Have
you everlosttrack of one ofyour children? Any parent who has lookedfora
child he or she couldn't find will understand this. Sometimes itresults in sheer
panic. Usually there is both consternationandjoy in finding the child. The
consternationis born out ofconcernfor the person. Oftenthe parents blame
the child for being lostor away. Sometimesa momentaryrebuke is given. Then
the joy comes!
Jesus Surprised
Mary's question seems normalenough. Keepin mind that JosephandMary
found Jesus onthe third day oftheir search. Inverse 48 we read: "Andwhen
they saw Him, they were astonished; andHis mother said to Him, "Son, why
have You treatedus this way? Behold, yourfatherand I have been anxiously
looking foryou." Mary, the mother spoke, butshe specificallyincluded Joseph,
his father. Theywere both anxious.
Although JosephandMary knew much about Jesus, fullunderstanding had
not yet dawned. Jesuswas bothhuman and divine. According to Luke 1:26-35,
the angelGabrielannouncedthat Jesus wouldbe called(v, 32) "the Sonofthe
MostHigh." WhenJesus was justeightdays old, JosephandMarybrought
Him to the Temple (Luke 2:25-33) inJerusalemto presentHim to the Lord.
The Spirit ofthe Lord came upon Simeonwho recognizedthat salvationwould
come through Jesus. Luke writes (v. 33) "AndHis father and mother were
amazedat the things whichwere being said aboutHim."
When His parents found Him, Jesus was totallypreoccupiedwithHis interest
in spiritual matters. He was surprisedby the anxiety ofHis parents. He asked,
"Why is it that you were looking forme? Didyou not know that I had to be [en
tois tou Patros] inMy father's {house?"}
Jesus was surprisedbythe concernofHis parents. No doubt His own
understanding of His identity was wellaheadofthe insights of His parents.
Clearly, He thought that they oughtto have knownwhy He was in the Temple.
Obviously, His they had not thought ofthis moment as a time whenJesus

would be involved in doing His Father's will. In this moment oftension, He
expressedsurprise.
Jesus was a modelchild. He was perfectforeachstage ofHis growthand
development. To some degree tensionarosebetweenhis role as the sonof
JosephandMary and his role as the SonofGod.
Family Life
Sometimes, infamily life, tensionarises betweenparents andchildren. The
tensions wouldnot be the same as withMary, Joseph, andJesus, butwould be
important to us nevertheless.
We raisedtwo boys. Sometimes, no doubt, we as parents were notas
understanding as we should have been. It was ourduty to be as prayerful and
sensitive as possible to theirneeds. Onthe otherhand, the boys were obligated
to be obedient to us until they reachedmaturity. Now, theyare raising their
ownfamilies. We as grandparents smile a bit whenthey face some ofthe same
tensions.
New tensions arise witheachgeneration. SteveRoemermancalledmyattention
to a book entitled Growing Up Digital. The author, DonTapscott, writes about
the newestgenerationcoming up. He calls this generationthe NetGeneration
or N-Generation. Childrenand young people todayare growing up using the
Internet as an integral part of their lives. Children are becoming authorities.
As he wrote the book, Tapscottinteractedwith300 N-Geners andrecorded
some oftheir comments. Some give theirrealnames; othergo bynicknames.
Puttputt, age 10, writes, "MyMomdoesn'tletme e-mail, so I'mbusy
contemplating a scheme."
One 14 year-oldcalledWWIII, writes: "Techstuffis natural for me, it takes me
a minute to setup a computer. It takes my parents an hour."
Burn, a 14 yearold Free Zoner, says, "Iammaking my dad's business home
page. He knows zippola aboutHTML. He knows how to go places (onthe Net)
but that is not hard."

Loren Verity, age 16, fromVictoria, Australia, says, "Myfatherhates having to
getme to show him how to do things on the computer now, but he does ask
because he has to."
Dectire, age12, fromNew Zealand, writes: "Mymothercan'tevenenter
Windows without step-by-stepinstructions."
· Rufo Sanchez, just11 years old, fromRochester, NewYork, states, "Ican
solve a lot ofcomputer problems with ease, butit tends to tick people off whenI
give them anexactdescriptionof the problem at hand. Mostofthe answers
they give me I have alreadytried and whenI tell them this, they actas if I
shouldn't know as much as I know. Itseems to me that a lot of people ontech-
support lines have not as much experience as I'd like them to have."
Today, young people, pleasenote the attitude of Christ. He was the SonofGod.
He was different than any of us. If anyone had a right to overrule His parents,
He did. But whatdid He do? After expressing surprise, He resolvedthe tension
by returning with His parents and being obedient. Luke writes (v. 51) "AndHe
wentdown with them, and came to Nazareth; andHe continued in subjection
to them." The willof the God, the Father, was forHim was to grow, develop,
and mature under the guidance ofHis parents.
The Sonship ofJesus
Now, inthis very human situation, the Sonship ofJesus emerges.
Jesus was bothdivine and human. We see how this works outin aneveryday
setting.
Parental Understanding
As we have seen, JosephandMary knew the identity ofChrist, but this was still
a moment ofrevelationfor them. After all, they had takencare ofbaby Jesus,
changedhis diapers, clothedHim, nurtured Him, disciplined Him, and taught
Him. They had seenJesus do allthe normal things that children and young
boys do. In allthese things His life was normal. As a model boy, he was obedient
to His Momand Dad. Givenall this, His identify as the SonofGod might have
faded a bit into the backgroundforthem.

Now, unambiguously, clearly, Jesus talksaboutGodas His Father. He had
recognizedJosephas His earthly father and would continue to do so. Butnow,
His emphasis is on FatherGod. This brings everything into focus forHis
parents and, to some extent, advancestheirunderstanding of Jesus.
Christ's Understanding
Did Jesus fully understand, at age 12, whatitmeant that God was His Father?
We know that Jesus (v. 52) "keptincreasing inwisdomand stature, andin
favor with Godand men." (NAS) Certainly, He came to know more fully in an
experiential way whatSonshipmeant. Intellectually, as well, His knowledge
may have grown.
However, we canonlyspeculate aboutthe fullness of Jesus' knowledge.
Alexander McClarendeclared, "We are notwarrantedinaffirming that the
Child meant allwhich the Manafterwards meantby the claim to be the Sonof
God; norare we any more warrantedin denying that He did." We do know
that Jesus knew enoughto be in complete harmony with the will and plan of
Godfor His life. Later, in His ministry, His proclamations make the point very
clear.
Mary's Response
Sometimes, parents have the unique problem of having precocious children.
They have a young personin their home who is exceptional. Theirchild is very
bright or talentedfar beyond his orher years. Itis sometimes difficult to
understand such children.
When Jesus spoke, JosephandMary (v. 50) "didnotunderstand the statement
which He had made to them." However, Marysets a goodexample forparents.
Luke says (v. 51, compare Luke 2:19) "andHis mother treasuredall {these}
things in her heart." (NAS)
Controversy
Throughout the ministry of Jesus, His Sonshipwouldbe challenged. This was
the mostcontroversial aspectofHis life. The controversyoverthis factwould
leadJesus to the cross. Eventoday, this is the greatpoint of controversyin the

world. Manywill acceptHim as a prophet or teacher, butnot as the Sonof
God. Despite controversy, no factis more central to the gospel. Jesus is God. He
is the Son ofGod. Today, we mustacceptHim as the Sonof God. This is crucial
to allthat we are anddo.
Your Decision
The factwould become full blown at the midpoint of his ministry. Jesus gave
His disciples anexam. Matthew (16:13-17) writes:
13 Now whenJesus came into the district of CaesareaPhilippi, He {began}
asking His disciples, saying, "Who do people saythatthe SonofMan is?"
14 And they said, "Some {say}Johnthe Baptist; andothers, Elijah; butstill
others, Jeremiah, orone ofthe prophets."
15 He saidto them, "Butwho do you saythat I am?"
16 And Simon Peteransweredandsaid, "Thouartthe Christ, the Sonofthe
living God."
17 And Jesus answeredandsaidto him, "Blessedare you, SimonBarjona,
because fleshandblood did notreveal{this} to you, but My Fatherwho is in
heaven. (NAS)
Many people claimthat all roads leadto God. Mywife, Esther, andI were
watching Larry King Live on CNN. His guestwas Madonna. He askedher, "Do
you believe in God." She replied, "Yes, Ido. Istudy all religions including
Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and others. Ibelieve that all roads leadto
God." Clearly, Madonna doesnotknow who Jesus is. Because she doesnot
know Jesus, she doesnotknow God.
We do not hold that Christianity is unique because ofpride ofplace, ourloyalty
to our background, orforothersuchreasons. Christianityis unique because
Christ is unique. He is the Son ofGod, the only One worthy to die for our sins.
It was Godwho was inChrist dying onthe cross. The apostle Paulwrites (II
Cor. 5:18-19):

18 Now all{these}things are from God, who reconciledus to Himself through
Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 namely, that Godwas in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not
counting their trespassesagainstthem, andHe has committed to us the wordof
reconciliation. (NAS)
Our Sonship
Many young people, andevenolderpeople, struggle to find their identity. I
have a friend who is over 60 who says he is still asking, "WhatamIgoing to be
when I grow up?" Fortunately, we as believers canwho we are inChrist.
Godis the Fatherofall men, but there is a special relationshipwiththose who
believe in Christ. We are sons ofGodas believers inChrist. We, too, canbe
sons ofGodthrough Christ. Paul(Gal. 3:26, NAS) writes: "Foryouare all sons
of Godthrough faith in Christ Jesus." (NAS)
Christ is unique, the only begottenSonof God, but through Him, we become
sons. We are brothers ofChristand heirs with Him. Whateverelse we maybe,
we canlive with confidence because weare childrenofGod.
You may feelthat you don't count, that you lack talent, thatyou can't relate
wellat school, thatyou are not liked. Justrememberthat you are a child of
God. And God will help you overcome allthe otherproblems.
The Destinyof Jesus
The presence ofJesus onearthwas notanaccident. He came to fulfill a very
definite plan and destiny for His life. Throughout His ministry, He did what
was in harmony with that plan.
NecessaryActions
Jesus declaredthatHe "must" be doing whatHe was doing. He had the inner
sense ofcompulsionborn of the Spirit of God. There was a sense ofdestiny
about it. In Luke's gospel (compare John3:14; 4:4; 9:4; 10:16; 20:9) we note the
following:

Jesus must(dei) preach(4:43),
Must (dei) suffer(9:22),
Must (dei) goonhis way(13:33),
Must (dei) stayatthe home of Zacchaeus (19:5),
Must (dei) be deliveredup, crucified, rise again(24:7),
Must sufferthese things and enterinto his glory (22:37 (dei); 24:46),
Must fulfil all the Old Testamentprophecies withreference to himself(24:44).
Our Savior
The destiny of Christ was to become ourSavior. Inwardly, He had that
compelling sense oflove and duty to seek us out, to searchforus. Thatdestiny
would costHim greatly. EvenChristseemedto be takenback by the intensity
of the suffering.
At aboutthe ninth hour, when Christ was dying on the cross, He criedout with
a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? "thatis," MyGod, MyGod, whyhast
Thou forsakenMe?"(NAS) The Lamsa edition, translatedfromthe Aramaic,
says: "MyGod, MyGod, forthis I was spared!" Anda rendering in the margin
says, "This wasmydestiny!"
Our Destiny
Many leaders have a strong sense ofdestiny. OrdwayTeadstates: "The
greatestofleaders have beensustainedbya beliefthat they were in some way
instruments of destiny, that they tapped hidden reserves ofpower, thatthey
truly lived as they tried to live in harmony with some greater, more universal
purpose or intention in the world."
Many ofthe greatBiblicalleaders were chosenanddestinedof Godfor their
roles. As examples, We think of Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Johnthe Baptist, and
Paul. Typically, theycame to their ministries in humility and uncertainty about
themselves. Then, Godwouldmake itclearwhattheir destiny was.

A sense ofdestinyis sometimes connectedwitha strong sense ofthe mercy of
God. Forexample, letus considerthe attitude of John Wesley.
JohnWesley's father, Samuel, was a dedicatedpastor, but there were those in
his parish who did not like him. On February 9, 1709, a fire broke outin the
rectoryat Epworth, possiblysetby one of the rector's enemies. Young John,
not yet six years old, was strandedonanupper floorof the building. Two
neighbors rescuedthe lad just seconds before the roofcrashedin. One
neighbor stoodonthe other's shoulders and pulled young Johnthrough the
window. SamuelWesleysaid, "Come, neighbors, letus kneeldown. Letus give
thanks to God. He has givenme all my eightchildren. Let the house go. Iam
rich enough." JohnWesleyoftenreferredto himself as a "brand pluckedout of
the fire" (Zechariah3:2; Amos 4:11). Inlateryears he oftennoted February 9
in his journal and gave thanks to Godfor His mercy. SamuelWesleylabored
for 40 years atEpworthand saw verylittle fruit; but considerwhathis family
accomplished! Wycliffe Handbook ofPreaching andPreachers, W. Wiersbe,
MoodyPress, 1984, p. 251
We neednot be in the categoryofthe greatleaders to have a sense ofdestiny.
As believers, we know thatGodhas a plan for eachofour lives. We canallhave
a sense ofdestiny. We are His servants. We are allsons ofGodand are being
led by the Spirit. The Spirit will guide us faithfully to fulfill the plan ofGodfor
our lives.
The Duty ofJesus
Jesus was concernedaboutHis Father's business. His main desire was to do the
will of His Fatherand to accomplishHis purpose. He makes this clearin what
He says next.
The Question
Seeing the concernofHis parents, Jesusaskedtwo questions. The second
question literally asks (Vincent), Didyou not know thatI had to be "in the
things ofmy Father." Translators differas to what"the things" are. The main
translations are "inmy Father's house" or"aboutmy Father's business."
Others translate this phrase with the words "in the affairs ofmy Father" or

"among the relatives ofmy Father." Actually, the Greek textdoes notspecify
any of these things. According to JohnNolland(Word), one approachto
interpreting this phrase is "to opt for multiple layers of meaning through the
use of a deliberatelyambivalent expression." This approachincludes allthe
others.
With regardto the two main translations, there is nota big difference between
"in my Father's house" and"aboutmy Father's business." Itis the Father's
business that is conductedin the Father's house. SotodayIwill highlight the
King James approachwhichis "aboutmy Father's business."Itwas Christ's
duty to be aboutHis Father's business.
Father's Business
Jesus claimedthatHe must be about His "father's business."Whatwas His
Father's business? WhenHis parents found Him, He was "sitting in the midst
of the teachers, bothlistening to them, and asking themquestions."
Jesus was inthe Temple as a thoughtful learner, notas a teacher. Whenthe
rabbis taught, they askeda lotofquestions. Students wouldanswerand ask
their own questions. Itwas veryinteractive. At the time, the business ofthe
Fatherfor Jesus was to be a learner.
The full nature of "Father's business"wouldbecome clearerlaterinthe
ministry of Jesus. We have previews inLuke 1:30-35and2:26-32. JesusHimself
made a strong and comprehensive declarationinthe synagogue atNazareth.
Quoting Isaiah61:1-2, he proclaimed(Luke 4:18-19):
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, becauseHe anointedme to preachthe
gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and
recoveryofsight to the blind, to setfree those who are downtrodden,
19 To proclaimthe favorable yearof the Lord." (NAS)
Throughout His ministry, Jesus proclaimedthe gospel ofthe kingdom, He
healedthe sick, He castoutdevils, He proclaimedreleaseto the captives, and
He setfree those who were downtrodden. The more political aspects ofthis

proclamationwill be fulfilled in a greaterwaywhenHe returns to rule overthe
earth. The ultimate consummationof His Father's business is stillahead.
Our Task
We are oftenchallengedto valiantly do our work. Sometimes, however, we are
not clearonwhat that task is.
RobertOrben asks, "Who caneverforgetWinstonChurchill's immortal
words: 'We shallfight onthe beaches, we shallfighton the landing grounds, we
shallfight in the fields and in the streets, we shallfightin the hills.' It sounds
exactlylike our family vacation."
However, we neednotbe unclear. Jesus has givenus specific commands. What
is our task? Todaywe have focusedonthe first recordedwords ofJesus. As we
continue to readHis words, His heart and vision become clear. He desires that
all people everywhere hearHis gospel. He has giventhe command to "go" and
we must obey.
Conclusion
We have talkedabout: (1) the reactionofJesus to the concerns ofHis parents,
(2) the SonshipofJesus, (3) the destinyof Jesus, and(4) the duty of Jesus. We
have applied eachofthese points to our ownlives. First, we have notedthat
children, no matter how intelligent, should obeytheir parents. Parents, onthe
other hand, should make roomfor the uniqueness of their children. Second,
Jesus alone wasthe unique divine-human Sonof God, but we have a strong
sense ofidentity as human sons ofGod. Third, like Christ, we canhave a strong
sense ofdestiny. We know thatGodhas a plan for our lives. Fourth, we mustbe
obedient to the commands of Christ. We must be aboutthe Father's business.
If you have not yet acceptedChrist, Iinvite you to come to Him today. You can
then build your life on a relationship with this Jesus, the unique SonofGod.
Many ofyou are believers. As believers, we mustbow againandagainatthe
footof the cross. Itis there that we learnmostabout who we are, whywe should
be grateful, andwhy we should commit ourselves to the business ofthe Father.
Let us commit ourselves againtoday.

Invitation
Your comments onthis message are welcome. Youmaywish to ask a question,
tell whatwas helpful to you, discuss a point further, or commentin some other
way. Ifthis messagehas ledyouto acceptChristas Savior, pleaseletus know.
We welcome the opportunity to interactwith you.
Are You About Your Father's Business?
Bible study on discipleship.
At age twelve, Jesus wentto Jerusalemwith his parents for the Passover.
Instead of departing with them to Nazareth, He stayed behind talking with the
teachers in the temple. When they found Him, He responded to His mother's
question saying: "Why is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must
be about My Father's business" (Lk. 2:49)?
The fact that Jesus said "My Father's business" denotes that there is business
that is not His Father's. John says:"In this the children of God and the
children of the devil are manifested: Whoeverdoes not practice righteousness
is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother" (1 Jn. 3:10). In other
words, those who are practicing righteousness are about God's business, but,
those who do not practice righteousness are about the devil's business.
Pause and think about these questions:Whose child am I - God's or the
devil's? Am I about God's business or the devil's business?
Considerthese four aspects ofbeing about God's business. First we must
prepare to be about our Father's business. Have you ever met an earthly son
engaging in His father's business without training and preparation? A son
generallyhas a specialplace in his father's business. As a part of being about
his father's business he engagesin an intensive training program perhaps
going to college and working in the factory, administrative offices, inside sales,
and outside sales. Ason about his father's business faithfully looks out for his
father's interests.

Secondly, those involved in their Father's business must endure suffering.
Jesus is our example of suffering: "Forto this you were called, because Christ
also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
'Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth'; who, when He was
reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered He did not threaten, but
committed Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Pet. 2:21-24). And Paul
says:"Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer
persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12).
Third, God strengthens us to do His will (Eph. 3:16-20;Col. 1:11) while
rejoicing in trials and tribulations (Rom. 5:3f; Jas. 1:2-4). God has set in
motion the spiritual forces of the universe so that no temptation can overtake
us without their being a wayof escapeprovided (1 Cor. 10:13). He works all
things togetherfor good(Rom. 8:28) and abundantly supplies for every good
work (2 Cor. 9:6-11). The only reasonfor not being about our Father's
business is a lack of desire, commitment, and devotion toward God.
Fourth, there is a rewardfor those about their Father's business. On earth, a
son about his father's business receives a reward - an inheritance. But, a son
not about his father's business does not receive a reward. Likewise, those
about God's business receive an inheritance - eternallife. Paul says:"ForI
am alreadybeing poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my
departure is at hand. I have fought the goodfight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crownof righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to
me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Tim. 4:6-8).
Are you about your Father's business? Are you enduring the trials,
tribulations, and persecutions ofthis world to accomplishHis will in your life?
Are you a faithful child of God sealedwith the Holy Spirit of promise
guaranteeing your inheritance (Eph. 1:13-14)?
http://www.biblestudyguide.org/articles/jesus-sayings-of-jesus/sayings-
fathers-business.htm

Being aboutOur Father’s Business
The GospelorGoodNews, Featured, The PurposesofGod, Calling and
Election
I opened my Bible this morning to the verse in Luke 2:49 in which Jesus said
to His parents, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be
about My Father’s business?”
Jesus evenas a child put a higher priority on “His Father’s Business” than on
the concerns ofhis parents. The Scripture does tell us later that Jesus
returned with His parents and lived subject to them. I’m glad that is there,
otherwise I’m sure there would be some kind of movement for children and
teenagers to despise their parent’s authority – even in Christian circles. But
this is not the main point I want to bring out of the passage above.
You and I, if we are spiritually regenerate people, adoptedinto God’s family,
have the same Fatheras Jesus. In fact Jesus saidto his disciples in John 20:17
“I ascendunto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God.”
So now we have the same spiritual Fatheras Jesus. The question then arises:
“Mustwe, as children of the Father, share the perspective of Jesus that “we
must be about our Father’s business”?”
I suppose when we are first born of the Spirit, we actually have very few
correctideas about exactly what “ourFather’s business is”. When my children
came into the world, they didn’t know much. They had no idea that I was
working in Christian media, or as a real estate agent, or whateverit was I was
doing at the time. They didn’t understand my business or know what it was.
But over time, they start to understand.

Jesus was 12 years old when he said these words. He was old enoughto know
what His Father’s business was.
Are we old enough in Christ to understand what Our Father’s Businessreally
is? If we aren’tready to understand what it is, then we can’treally be expected
to “be about it”.
Jesus saidto his disciples after the resurrection, againin John 20, this time in
verse 21: “As the Fathersent me, so I send you”.
Before Jesus couldsay that to us personally though, we would need to have a
real understanding of the dynamics of what it meant in the life and mission of
Jesus to be sent by the Father.
In our personalrelationship with God, after we have spent some time in the
presence ofGod, learning to live well with the Holy Spirit, we too will
ultimately be qualified by Godto understand the meaning of those words and
take up the call to mission they imply. That is what I believe. However, before
we can do that in a full sense, we must also allow our own lives to be recipients
of what the Father’s business provides people with. You ought to feed on the
“product” before you can provide it to others effectively. This is true even
though sometimes we cango beyond what we have personally experienced –
because GodHimself is ultimately the one who supplies the Spirit. But this
scenario is not always the best. Its obviously better to receive God’s peace
before you try to preach on it.
READ A Simple Way to Share the Gospel!Three Circles
What is “Our Father’s Business”?
Tell me what you understand it to be. I will also tell you what I understand by
it.
Our Fatheris into the restorationof His family, and spiritual fellowship. He is
looking for children who are compatible to fellowship with Him at higher
levels. We are all in a growing and learning process,and this will continue for
us also after we die and go to heaven, and then in the New Heavens and the

New Earth after we receive resurrectionbodies. We will continue to grow in
our capacityto know God, to love, to serve, to learn and to fellowship and
rejoice in the goodness ofGod.
The problem we face is all this sin and all these demons running around
trying to spoil everything. They are bringing bondage, enslavement, hurt,
pain, sickness, deathand hardness of heart by whatever means they can,
purely out of hatred for God. So Jesus came for the purpose of destroying the
works of the devil. “Forthis purpose was the Sonof God manifested, that He
might destroy the works ofthe devil” (1 John 3:8).
Part of “Our Father’s Business” then is destroying the works of the devil. This
involves casting out demons, not following the pressure of Satan’s agents,
resisting the devil in prayer, and with the Word, and so on. Jesus did this, and
we are calledto do it.
There is no lack of demons to resist.
Another part of “our Father’s business” is healing. Jesus was anointedby the
Holy Spirit and power, and he went about doing goodand HEALING all who
were oppressedby the devil, for God was with Him (Acts 10:38).
I refer you to the teaching on divine healing on this site for more information.
READ A Simple Way to Share the Gospel!Three Circles
All of these things are really related to the provision of PEACE. Peace in
Hebrew is “Shalom” andit is a big word encompassing the well-being that
God desires for His children. Since “there is no peace for the wicked” (Isaiah
57:21), God’s agenda includes calling on people to forsake wickedness. Ifthey
ultimately refuse, there will be no further chances. Theywill suffer loss
forever. We have to warn people about this terrifying possibility.
The foundation for people receiving Peace is in their receiving JESUS,
because “He Himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). So as we go about our
Father’s business, ouragenda is to persuade people to receive JESUS, who is
PEACE, who is the Prince of Peace.This is evangelism. We are to have our

Jesus was always at work

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