Sermon Tone Analysis

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elder/deacon (Next week…then we will begin)

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service Saturday the 19 at 230

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Intro

Mancini’s random questions:

Counting steps 51% - 49% yes wins

2 routes within 1 step…the other about 7 more

Important things we need to know

No Movement from one place to another happens without steps.

The truth: There’s always steps.

We never move from point a to point b in one move.

We move one step at a time.

I am in the process of building a fire pit.

It wasn’t build a fire, then add rocks around it.

I dug out a section of my yard

leveled it

added gravel

put down the first layer

used liquid nails to put down the next layers.

added lava rock

I’ll add the steel ring after making some modifications

Then I’ll cut some granite tile and mortar that to the top.

Then I will light a fire.

Anyone who has been impacted by addiction knows you overcome addiction not in a moment, but through steps.

you admit you have a problem

That there is a need for a higher power

and so on...

If you’ve made a significant life change either positive or negative, it didn’t happen all at once, you took steps.

If you got in shape, it wasn’t in a moment.

I joined a gym, I am getting stronger and fitter…but I didn’t walk into the gym and turn in to Dwayne Johnson.

In the same way I didn’t get out of shape one day when I walked into a McDonald’s.

I did it one step at a time.

This basic premise, if applied to our spiritual life, maturity, our walk with the Lord would seem to indicate that we don’t “become” a mature follower of Jesus all at once either.

We take steps.

But logic shouldn’t be our guide to spiritual growth.

The question, is what do we see in God’s word?

In this story from the childhood of Jesus, I believe we see the logic confirmed.

It’s interesting, we don’t get much insight into Jesus as a child, just one story in Luke…today’s passage.

there are other childhood accounts of Jesus written…but all far after the fact and in otherwise theologically suspect writings.

Not in anything the early church found faithful.

but here’s a couple moderately amusing ones.

When Jesus was 7, he made clay animals and had them come to life.

The other kids told their parents who wouldn’t let them play with the wizard.

Apparently they were muggles.

Several stories about the child Jesus getting angry about other kids ruining his ponds, (as a pond builder, I get it) and causing them to dry out like his ponds.

The parent’s complained to Joseph about his son killing their kids and in one instance, in obedience to his parents he kicked one of the lifeless boys in the rear and brought him back to life.

The best for workmen among us like Caleb, was a story of him helping Joseph to make a bed in his carpentry shop and finding the two pieces of wood unequal, (apparently Joseph didn’t measure twice cut once) he simple grabbed one and stretched it to match.

That is where we get the california king size bed

The stories are interesting…but not reliable, and not helpful.

So Why did Luke include this one?

Real person: Luke wanted his readers to know with certainty that Jesus was real.

He anchored the narrative with real places, real events, connections to real people and real history.

A real baby goes through a process to become a man.

Luke is using this one recollection, probably of Mary to establish this reality about Jesus.

Clear identity: He also lets us know that even in his childhood, Jesus had a clear understanding of his identity.

He needed to go through steps, like the rest of us, but he took those steps not from an identity he crafted for himself, but one given to him by the Father.

Even in this little story, this simple moment, the life of Jesus can change us.

We can see truths for our life in his clarity of identity, how he prioritized his steps…because just like you and I, he had to grow and learn and make decisions.

Luke 2:41-52 Recap with comment

Terrified parents

Amazing kid

Some cheek to momma

But obedience and change

So the question for us is this.

If Jesus needed to grow and learn, what guided the steps he took?

What factors influenced the direction he would go as he took steps of growth?

Priorities that Led Jesus’ Steps

High Value on God’s Word

The panicked parents return to Jerusalem and where do they find him?

Luke 2:46 “After three days, they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.”

The fact that his answers and understanding were astounding people is secondary.

Yes, he was impressive.

His knowledge was deep…but what was he doing?

Listening and asking questions.

Too often we hear a passage, decide what it means and then we lock in.

It’s like the story of the toddler who was about to hit her head on a bar at the playground.

When her mom shouted “DUCK!” she turned around a quacked…then hit her head on the bar.

Or a story I’ve shared before of the day my friend Tommy Johannes asked me what his initials were when our first grade teacher asked us to write them down.

I told him his were TO…and when Mrs Jackson corrected her and said they were TJ, I argued.

“My mom told me mine were SH…which are the first two letters of my first name…and the first letter of each…ooops...

I one time thought of writing a fictional story about a Mexican wrestler who vowed to fight against bible verse a day calendars and coffee cups with only one verse on them.

I called him the Contextador.

Every time someone would say, don’t worry, God has plans to prosper you and not harm you, Jeremiah 29:11!

He would pop in and save the day with an accurate understanding of the story, not a sentence out of place.

God’s word was not meant to be read a verse at a time, it was meant to be heard in full stories, more than once, in community, with reflection and meditation.

And I have never found a verse that when put in it’s context doesn’t become even more powerful…maybe not as easy to swallow…but actually powerful to change us.

But so often, we allow one idea we heard once about a passage of scripture, or God’s character to define how we think about it.

Jesus was astounding people with his understanding…and he was still listening and asking.

We can learn much by doing the same.

Secondly,

Jesus Prioritized the Father over Friends or Family

intro

Luke 2:48-50 “When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this?

Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked them.

“Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?”