공동체와 양육

Don`t Leave the Church Without It (Lk. 2:41~52)

2019.04.07P. Cha

Do not assume your Christian life is fine, or that Jesus is with you. Check whether you are growing like Jesus: walking with the Father, learning his truth, and knowing who you are.

Do not assume Jesus is with you (vv. 43-45)

Once I lost my two-year-old daughter Eileen in a mall because I assumed she was fine while I lost track of time in a gadget store. I found her at the Disney store, panicked and thankful. Joseph and Mary made the same mistake: each assumed Jesus was with the other, and it cost them a day back and a day of searching. Is Jesus really with you, or do you only assume so because you are a pastor's child or a small group leader? Jesus warns of those who say, 'Lord, Lord,' yet hear, 'I never knew you.' Who is Jesus to you? Has he changed everything?

Stay and go as God leads (vv. 41-43)

Luke shows how Jesus grew, physically and in his relationship with the Father. When the feast ended, Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. He was not acting like a teenager. Probably the Father invited him to stay for deeper time together. Israel in the wilderness learned that the journey is about going together with God, staying when he stays and moving when he moves. Jesus says, 'Come to me and I will give you rest,' and offers an easy yoke. If you are yoked with him, you learn to trust and you know his peace. Do not just sit through worship; connect with God and walk out with him.

Grow deeper in the truth by asking (vv. 46-47)

Jesus sat among the teachers, asking questions and listening, and all were amazed. He was committed to learning God's word and ways. In the 90s Korean American churches saw a 'Silent Exodus' of young adults who quietly left. Causes included hypocrisy and a lack of mentors. Unanswered questions mattered too, such as how God can be three persons. Parents should answer, 'Let's study it together,' not 'Shut up.' As a teenager I questioned a Mormon coworker and was shocked at his beliefs. A friend and former small group leader joined the Moonies because truth never anchored in her. Come to ABF classes, such as the Case for Christ class. Grow in the knowledge of truth, not only attend.

Listen to a sermon with an alert, receptive heart

Mortimer Adler's How to Read a Book says that reading well means asking questions, finding the main point and the author's intent, and applying what you learn. Listening to a sermon needs the same care. Someone who has attended for twenty years has heard at least a thousand sermons, and the words can pass through one ear and out the other. The sermon starts when the pastor receives the word, so pray for the preacher and prepare your heart. Sleep enough, stay alert, and open the Bible to check that the preacher speaks what it says. The Holy Spirit speaks to a receptive heart, and if you hear 'do not worry' but keep worrying, you have not listened.

Know who you are in the Father's house (vv. 48-49)

Mary stressed her distress, but Jesus answered, 'Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?' At twelve he already knew his identity and purpose: to please the Father and carry out his vision. Worship renews who God is and who we are. The Sabbath command is the longest of the Ten Commandments. It tells us to stop, because we are not machines like the slaves in Egypt, and to rest, delight and reflect. God rested like an artist enjoying his masterpiece, you. He set you free as his beloved child to build his eternal kingdom with him. Life is not about years, possessions, or places visited.

Apply to Life

  • Let us check whether Jesus is truly with us and has changed everything in our lives, instead of assuming he is.
  • Let us yoke ourselves to Jesus, staying when he says stay and moving when he says go, and trust him for his peace.
  • Let us ask questions and grow in the truth of God's word, using classes like ABF so that our faith is anchored.
  • Let us prepare to hear sermons by praying for the pastor, resting well, and opening the Bible, and then put what we hear into practice.
  • Let us use the Sabbath to stop, rest and remember who we are as God's beloved children, and live for his eternal kingdom.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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