Who do I look Like

Luke 2:49 He said, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?

Greeting:

Good morning GodChasers! Let’s celebrate The Lord for being here this morning! Welcome, Welcome, Welcome Thank you for being here today!! Let’s welcome and say Good morning to our West Campus! ((REMINDER THEY ARE WATCHING LIVE NOT LATER))

Thank you to our anointed and gifted worship team and musicians!! Thank you all so much!!

Grab your bibles, your bible apps, or draw your attention to the screen and let’s turn to Luke 2:49

While you’re turning there:::

If it’s your first time here at GodChasers, welcome to our amazing church!!!!! I’m Pastor Tabitha Banks and I’m so grateful for each and everyone of you! I get to Pastor this amazing church alongside My Husband/Pastor/Boo/Minessss Our Lead Pastor Donte Banks!!!! GodChasers let’s celebrate The Lord for him!!! Love you babe!

Alright Luke 2:49

Luke 2:49 NKJV “And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

(Pray) You may take your seats.

Pastor Donte has been taking us deeper with this series All About the Father’s Business and I happen to love series because we get to (Say Get To) stack on to a Topic that will grow us, stretch us, and transform us. I am just going to stack on what has already been laid.

The other day I had a few photos come up in my photo memories from one of our family reunions and it reminded me of all the fun, activities, and seeing family on that day. I LOVE FAMILY REUNIONS, I LOVE GETTING TOGETHER WITH MY FAMILY, THE COOK OUT, THE QUESTIONS OF WHO MADE WHAT DISH, THE GAMES, SEEING FAMILY THAT YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IN YEARS, AND SINCE I AM A PLANNER I LOVE THE PLANNING PART AS WELL. THE PLANNING PART IS WHERE EVERYTHING IS DECIDED….WHERE IT WILL BE, THE DATE, THE FOOD WE’LL EAT AND THE FINAL PART IS THE REUNION T-SHIRT.

IN MY FAMILY, WE PERSONALIZE THE T-SHIRT ….WE CUT THE NECK OFF, BACK IN THE DAY, YOU WOULD ROLL THE SLEEVES UP, NOW WE ADD OUR NAMES ON THE BACK, WE DO ALL THE THINGS TO IT TO MAKE IT OURS BUT THE EMPHASIS IS TO ROCK THAT FAMILY T-SHIRT. THE T-SHIRT SHOWS THAT I’M APART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN ME…..

There’s a design that’s common that I’m sure you’ve seen :::: It’s a tree typically with branches of names that showcase the history of the family. It shows the rich legacy of where you come from and at the reunion it’s always fun that family that has not seen you in years can look at you and say…..oh you look just like your Momma. Or oh you look just like your Daddy. They may not remember your name but they know who you are by who you look like.

AND IF YOU’RE IN A SMALL TOWN,, NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO - IF SOMEONE HAS ON THE T-SHIRT YOU AUTOMATICALLY KNOW….OH THEY ARE IN MY FAMILY. IN PALESTINE TX IF I’M AT THE PIGGLY WIGGLY….AND I SEE SOMEONE IN THAT SHIRT - I KNOW THAT IS MY FAMILY.

THERE ARE 2 WAYS TO KNOW YOU’RE IN A FAMILY:

WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE AND

WHO YOU ACT LIKE.

When we look back at the text, Jesus is essentially at a family reunion….he is traveling with his family and relatives to be apart of the Passover feast which is a celebration over several days. He is surrounded by His people and just like how we do AT FAMILY REUNIONS AFTER THE REUNION IS OVER we start packing everything up to head back to our respective homes and HERE is where we find that Jesus makes a decision that draws a line of separation.

When his parents HAVE TRAVELED QUITE A WAYS AWAY THEY LOOK UP AND REALIZE THAT THEY LEFT JESUS. SINCE THEY LEFT HIM, THEY END UP HAVING TO GO BACK TO THE PLACE THAT THEY LEFT HIM.

—->I ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY THAT IF YOU LEFT JESUS…..GO BACK TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU LAST SAW HIM.

WHEN THEY FIND JESUS, THEY QUESTION HIM AND HIS RESPONSE IS “ Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?””

The first lesson we learn here is that no matter where you come from, no matter your family tree -

You get to decide. The scripture tells us in Joshua 24:15 to choose ye THIS Day who you will serve. Yes, we come from a family but the decision to choose Jesus brings us into A NEW FAMILY, A Kingdom family. WHEN I AM PART OF THE kingdom family, MY Business should be to mirror our Father. When people see us they should see our Father, Just like when people see you at the Family reunion they can clearly point out…oh I know who your Father is. Allowing the Holy spirit to transform our character is the business that we should be focused on.

SO NOW I HAVE A NEW FAMILY

I HAVE A NEW T-SHIRT AND NOW THAT FAMILY TREE LOOKS LIKE THE FRUIT THAT SHOWS UP IN GALATIANS 5.

Galatians 5:16: Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. Allowing the Holy spirit to lead us and guide us ensures what we are about the father’s business. All of our family stuff is in there but when we decide, The Holy Spirit fills us with another way of thinking, another way of living and then we begin to produce fruit that looks like our Father.

Lets go to Galatians 5:22-23

Galatians 5:22–23 (NASB95): 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The result of OUR NEW FAMILY TREE is that we produce fruit. Fruit that is recognizeable:

As image bearers of God, people should be able to recognize us as such. This is a process but as we grow and allow the FRUIT TO BE PRODUCED IN OUR LIVES we BECOME MORE RECOGNIZABLE AS THE KINGDOM FAMILY.

THE FIRST FRUIT ON THE KINGDOM FAMILY TREE IS

Love:

we must represent Him with Love. John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you love one another even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By THIS BY THIS all men will know that you are My disciples. By THIS we show that we are about the Father’s business. We have to be careful to truly understand that it is our love one to another that shows we are His. Now we may feel like: I love everybody but think about how we respond when someone upsets us…..when someone cuts you off…..or my favorite one is when we wake up late and we are upset that other people woke up on time…..((PAUSE))

WHY IS EVERYONE ELSE NOT RUSHED…YELLING YOU SHOULD HAVE MADE THAT LIGHT - YELLOW MEANS PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

BUT IT’S THESE MOMENTS THAT LOVE SHOULD BE ALL THE MORE RECOGNIZE-ABLE!!

THE NEXT FRUIT ON THE KINGDOM FAMILY TREE IS

JOY:

Joy: When I’m focused on the Father’s business The Holy SPIRIT will produce Joy in me. I should be able to clearly identify frustration and depression, and replace them with Joy because the Joy of the Lord is my strength. Does it mean that hard things all go away, no but I have the Father with me and he offers me the beautiful exchange of joy for every single one of my sorrows.

THE NEXT FRUIT ON THE KINGDOM FAMILY TREE IS

PEACE:

My mind stays focused on the things of my father and now I have Peace….Peace that surpasses all understanding. When I should be losing my mind I have peace….When things seem difficult I have peace because God is with me! If you think back to every single time you were anxious over something and forfeited your peace God showed up and you realized there was no reason to worry….even in the midst of difficulties, He gives us peace.

THE NEXT FRUIT ON THE KINGDOM FAMILY TREE IS

PATIENCE:

In the Kingdom Family I have Patience. Patience that believes that God’s plan for my life is good and that no matter what the situation or circumstance is right now I trust and know that God is working that thing out for my Good! I’m not going to become impatient and think that I know better about the timing for things for my life, I can be patient in the truth that God is with me. He said He would never leave us nor forsake us so when I AM TEMPTED to try and step in and make my own plan, I can have patience in knowing that God’s plan is good and so is His timing.

THE NEXT FRUIT ON THE KINGDOM FAMILY TREE IS

Kindness: When I look like My Father no longer can I give people what they deserve because I realize that the character of OUR FATHER IS KIND AND WE SHOULD LOOK LIKE OUR FATHER. HE IS KIND AND merciful and He didn’t give US what WE deserve. The more that we understand the mercy and kindness given to us the more we should be able to give it out to others. God literally withheld the consequence that we all deserve and we should extend the same kindness to others.

Proverbs 3:27 instructs us with wisdom Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it. One of my dear friends was telling me about someone asking her for something in particular and she said Yes and her reason was: I would want someone to extend that same courtesy to me when it’s my turn…..She didn’t say If it’s ever my turn….she said When because these moments show up in our day to day where we get to show the goodness that has been extended to us to someone else because I’m representing my Father.

THE NEXT FRUIT ON THE KINGDOM FAMILY TREE IS

Goodness((SOMEBODY SAY GOODNESS)): GOODNESS IS A HEART POSTURE THAT COMES FROM THE LORD…IT SAYS EVEN IF MY SITUATION IS NOT GOOD, IF MY CIRCUMSTANCE IS NOT GOOD MY GOD IS STILL GOOD. MY HEART IS POSTURED TO KNOW THAT GOD IS GOOD….IT KEEPS ME FROM LOOKING AT MY SITUATIONS AS NOT GOOD, IT KEEPS ME FROM POINTING THE BLAME AT PEOPLE AND SAYING THEY AREN’T GOOD INSTEAD I CHOOSE TO SEE GOODNESS BECAUSE GOD IS GOOD

THE NEXT FRUIT ON THE KINGDOM FAMILY TREE IS

Faithful I know that my Father is leading me to remain faithful. He said if you will be faithful in the small things that I place in your hand - I know I can trust you with more. No father will give a child more when they aren’t being a good steward to what they already have. WE SHOULD Care for everything knowing that we DON’T DESERVE EVEN THE SMALL THINGS but our Father’s character is so good that He continually blesses us!

THE NEXT FRUIT ON THE KINGDOM FAMILY TREE IS

GENTLENESS: GENTLENESS REQUIRES US TO HANDLE THINGS CAREFULLY. WHEN I’M DRIVING WITH MY GRAND CHILDREN IN THE CAR, I GENTLY DRIVE ACROSS A SPEED BUMP….I DON’T WANT TO IMPACT THEM SO I’M A LITTLE MORE GENTLE WHEN I REALIZE WHAT MY IMPACT CAN BE ON THEM. THAT’S HOW WE SHOULD RESPOND AND INTERACT, GENTLY WITH EACH OTHER KNOWING THAT I CAN IMPACT YOU. WE SHOULD LEARN TO DO THIS WITH OURSELVES….LET ME REMIND YOU TO BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELVES. SOMETIMES OUR IMPACTS ARE SELF INFLICTED. HANDLE YOURSELF AND OTHERS CAREFULLY.

THE NEXT FRUIT ON THE KINGDOM FAMILY TREE IS

SELF CONTROL: CONTROL YOURSELF. JAMES 1:19 TELLS US TO BE SLOW TO be QUICK TO HEAR, SLOW TO SPEAK AND SLOW TO ANGER.

I HEARD IT SAID THAT WHEN MOMENTS ARISE AND WE LOSE SELF CONTROL, THE PERSON THAT BROUGHT IT OUT SIMPLY BROUGHT OUT WHAT WAS ALREADY IN YOU…THAT’S NOT WHAT WE THINK THOUGH: WE THINK IT WAS THEM BUT WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS TAKE A MOMENT TO BE SELF AWARE. WHY DID I RESPOND THAT WAY? WHY DID THAT MAKE ME SO UPSET? WHY DID I LOSE CONTROL OF MYSELF?

IT WASN’T THEM IT HAS TO DO WITH US.

SELF CONTROL CAN BE PRODUCED IN US WHEN WE FULLY BELIEVE THAT NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER SO WE CAN RESPOND IN A WAY THAT MAY BE DIRECT AND FILLED WITH TRUTH BUT THE BOUNDARY I SET FOR MYSELF IS THAT I’M NOT GOING TO LOSE CONTROL. IT’S NOT ABOUT THEM, IT’S ABOUT ME PLEASING MY FATHER. I WANT TO LOOK LIKE HIM IN EVERY SITUATION.

We get to decide every single day. No matter what your family tree looks like, no matter the decision you made yesterday I just want to suggest to you or remind you that we get to decide - we get to choose to be about the Father’s business. We get to choose to represent Him well.

Your family tree doesn’t determine whether Or not you can be about the Father’s business. Whether healthy or dysfunctional, broken, even generational curses You do not have to be defined by those things. You get to decide that it stops with me….whatever IT is…it won’t go past me. IT RAN IN MY FAMILY UNTIL IT RAN INTO ME.

Our business should be understanding the purpose God has for us and being focused on doing just that,

You may have to Leave what you are familiar with to get to purpose. We should not be more familiar with everything and everybody else’s business and unaware of the father’s business.

You get to interject into your Family the foundations of loving Jesus - that can be the legacy that you leave your family….that I lived a life reflecting My Father and from it, an entire legacy branched off in my family….simply because I decided.

Family it’s the season for us to refocus on the Father’s business.

IF RIGHT NOW IN THIS MOMENT YOU DON’T KNOW IF YOU ARE APART OF THE KINGDOM FAMILY, I WANT TO EXTEND TO YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME APART OF THE KINGDOM FAMILY.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW JESUS AS YOUR PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR, WE’RE ALL GOING TO SAY A PRAYER SO NO ONE WALKS ALONE. IF THAT’S YOU TODAY, REPEAT THIS PRAYER AFTER ME:

FATHER IN THE NAME OF JESUS PLEASE FORGIVE ME OF ALL MY SINS, COME INTO MY HEART, CHANGE MY HEART, COME INTO MY LIFE, CHANGE MY LIFE, FATHER I WANT TO BE APART OF YOUR FAMILY. IN JESUS NAME I PRAY, AMEN

IF YOU SAID THAT PRAYER FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY, THIS MOMENT ISN’T TO EMBARASS YOU, WE JUST WANT TO GET YOU YOUR FAMILY T-SHIRT. ON THE COUNT OF 3 WOULD YOU RAISE YOUR HAND SO WE CAN CELEBRATE WITH YOU?

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