The Father’s Business

Series Overview: Temple to Temple

• New super-series: 20 sermons on Jesus from now through Holy Week

  • Mini-series within it: “The Son Introduces the Father”

  • Today’s sermon: “The Father’s Business” (Luke 2:41-52)

• Upcoming schedule:

  1. Oct 18: Taylor Foster preaching on Calling Disciples (John 1)

  2. Water to Wine (Jesus’ first miracle)

  3. Nov 1: Nicodemus and being born again

Core Themes

• Jesus at 12 in the temple: first NT mention of the Father’s house

  • “Did you not know I had to be about my Father’s business?” (KJV)

  • Jesus knows his identity and mission even at 12, with no anxiety

• What the Father’s house is:

  • Creation itself (stars, cosmos, bioluminescence)

  • Jacob’s ladder: “the gateway to heaven” (Gen. 28)

  • Each believer is a gateway to heaven, an ecosystem of heaven

• Logos vs. Rhema:

  • Logos: the written word, God’s pre-existent nature, Scripture

  • Rhema: the spoken word, what the Spirit is saying now

  • Both are needed; rhema gives clarity on personal mission

• The Tribe 4 Imperatives:

  1. Stand in the courts (come with no agenda, ask what God wants to say)

  2. Study like a scholar (logos, wisdom)

  3. Listen like a prophet (clarity and courage)

  4. Act like an apostle (turn the world right-side up)

• Jesus’ core mission: to show us the Father

  • “This whole book is about a dad trying to get his kids back”

  • Religion has to die: the Father is not religious, he’s relational

  • Matt. 6: the Father already knows your needs; trust him

• Your assignment: be about the Father’s business in your sphere

  • Arts, education, business, politics, community

  • “Your view of the Father determines how you follow Jesus, engage your assignment, and relate to others”

  • Destiny plays out in community; division is the enemy’s primary weapon against it

Closing Charge

• Spend time this week asking: who is this Father to me?

• Ask for your rhema word: what is the Spirit saying over your life?

• Jesus returned and remained in subjection to his parents: learn to operate well inside community

• Prayer focus: anointing to be a house of God, ecosystems of heaven around each person, clarity of individual and corporate mission