Uh Greetings, friends and new listeners. I'm Sharon Knotts, thanking you for joining us today on The Sound of Faith. Because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Today's message, My Father's House, takes us from an eager 12-year-old Jesus who told his parents, I must be about my father's business. to the thirty year old man who performed his first miracle at a wedding, and shortly thereafter shocked everyone when he cleansed the temple of the money changers in his righteous indignation.
And it's time for us, God's sons and daughters, to rise up in righteous jealousy for true worship to be restored, and declare, This is my Father's house. Let me just say happy Father's Day to all the fathers and grandfathers. Amen. And even those who were fathers in the Lord to people. Amen.
Godfathers and those who. Love to mentor other people. We want to just say, God bless you today. It's our honor to honor you. And before we get into the scripture today, I want to start off with a true story that I've read.
about a young boy whose name was Ben Hooper.
Now Ben Hooper was born Many years ago, I don't know exactly when he was born, but it was many years ago. Probably my guess is in the 40s or the 50s. And he was born to an unwed mother. in the foothills of the mountains of East Tennessee. And at that time, and in that part of the country where people were very conservative, a child that was illegitimate.
was greatly ostracized. And so when little Ben was growing up, he had no friends. No one would play with him. The parents wouldn't let their children play with him. He hated Saturdays because on Saturday his mom would go down into the town to the general store and they would pick up their supplies for the week.
And when he went in that store, everybody was just buzzing and talking and the kids were mocking him and the parents were saying, did you ever find out who his father is? Or, I wonder who his daddy is. Anyone ever find out, figure out who his daddy is? He hated it. And in those days, they didn't have mandatory kindergarten, so When he was six years old, he went to the sixth grade.
And then all of the the abuse really stepped up. And the children wouldn't have anything to do with them. In fact, the parents would say, why should a kid like that be playing with our children? And so at recess when all the other kids were outside playing, little Ben would stay indoors and sit at his desk and read. And at lunchtime, he would sit all alone by himself and eat his lunch.
while all the other children socialized. And this was Ben's life for the next six years. But when Ben was 12 years old, something happened. He began to hear people talking, and they were very excited, and everyone was all a buzz about this new preacher. that had come to their church.
And everybody seemed to be in love with this new preacher. They talked about he was a young man, and they talked about how much charisma he had, and they talked about how loving he was and non-judgmental, and he just accepted people for who they were. for who they are. and they said it would he would just light up the whole room with his smile. And Ben was hearing more and more about this preacher, and it really struck a chord of his curiosity and he thought, I want to go hear this preacher.
So the next Sunday, even though Ben had never been to church one day in his life, Because his he and his mother would not be welcomed in church. And so, though he had never been to church a day in his life, he decided that Sunday he wanted to go and hear this preacher.
So he went late. and left early.
So that nobody would hopefully notice that he was there, and if they did, that they wouldn't have time to say anything to him.
So he heard the preacher that day. He was just so what he didn't realize was just coming alive and blessed by this by the message that the preacher preached. It just did something in his little heart.
So he decided to go back next week. He did the same thing. He went the next week and the next week and the next week and week after week he went and he could just, for the first time in his life, hope was building in his heart. Hope that even an illegitimate kid like him who didn't know who his father was that there was hope for him. And as always, he would Go late and leave early.
But about the sixth or seventh Sunday, by then he was growing so much, he became so enthralled in the message, he didn't pay attention to how late it was or what time it was. And before he realized it, the service was over. And he got up to try to hurry up and run out the church before anyone saw him. But the aisles were clogged because people were stopping to talk. And you know, how we do after church.
And he was having a hard time getting through all the people. And he's trying to work his way down the aisle through the people when all of a sudden he felt a hand on his shoulder. And he turned around and when he looked up, He was looking in the smiling eyes of that young preacher. And that preacher asked the question that all those people in that town had wanted to know for 12 years. He said, whose boy are you?
And before little Ben could even utter a word. The preacher said I Oh, I know whose boy you are. I know who your father is. Why, the family resemblance is unmistakable. You're a child of God.
And with that, he patted little Ben on the back and he said, young man, you have a great heritage.
Now go out and live up to it.
Now, two thousand years ago, in a little town. of Nazareth, A teenage girl Who was not married? Became pregnant. And she was engaged. And when her fiancé found out that she was pregnant and he knew they had not been together.
He broke off the engagement. Until one night he had a dream. And Gabriel, the messenger of God, came to him and said, Joseph, Don't be afraid to marry Mary. For that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bear a son.
And you will call his name Yeshua. Jesus, which means God's salvation. for he will save his people from their sins. And Joseph obeyed the word of the Lord. and he married Mary.
And they had A normal life in Nazareth. And everybody in Nazareth believed that Joseph was. Jesus Father. Even if there were some people that were closer to the family, and maybe they had figured out that. She must have been pregnant when they got married.
They still believed that Joseph was. The father. Amen. And so they lived A normal life in Joseph grew up in a normal Jewish family. And he worked alongside Joseph in the family business.
The carpenter shop? Just like all the other sons. In the village, they would have worked in their father's family business. Maybe they were the ones that somebody made pottery for the town. And some were farmers and raised crops, and some raised herds and flocks.
So Joseph and Mary and Jesus had an ordinary Jewish family life. In Nazareth was a small town, and I preached this once before. I forgot what message it was in, but I went into great detail about Nazareth. and that they were all closely related and why they were closely related. And so everything was a normal Jewish family.
But all that changed. When Jesus turned twelve years old. All right. Amen. I want to ask you a question.
I don't want you to look in your Bibles. I don't want you to look on your smartphone. I don't want you to get out your iPad. And if I'm, you know, if I miss something, you know what I'm saying. She didn't say uh uh Android.
Whatever. In that category I want you to use this. And I don't want you to call out if you know the answer. If you know the answer, raise your hand. What were Jesus?
First recorded words. What were Jesus' first recorded words? Anyone want to take a guess? All right, I see you bond with her hand up.
Okay, say it nice and loud. I am about my father's business.
Okay, it was actually a question. But you got the right thing. She said, I'm about my father's business.
Now, I want you to turn in your Bible now. to Luke the second chapter and we're going to look at it. Amen. And if I had a gold star, I would give it to you, Yvonne, but I don't have one, so. I'll blow you a a Jesus kiss.
Okay, yeah. Amen. Okay, Luke 2 and verse 41.
Now, his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind. I like the way they say the child. The child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
But they supposing him to have been in the company went a day's journey. and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem seeking him. And it came to pass after three days They found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors. both hearing them and asking them questions.
And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and his answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed. And his mother said unto him, Son, Why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold thy father, and I have sought thee sorrowing. Who?
Behold, I am thy father. have been looking for you, sorrowing. And he said unto them, Well, how is it that you sought for me? Or how is it you were looking for me? Wist you or knew you not?
That I must be about. My father's business? And they understood not the saying which he spoke unto them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them. but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
and Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.
So we see here that Jesus, at the age of 12, was traveling with the family to Jerusalem because, as I've told you before, God required That the Jewish men, three times, he said, you are to appear before me in Jerusalem at three different feasts, and one of them was Passover. Obviously, this was something they did every year because it said, as was the custom.
So, I'm going to think that they had been doing this regularly every year, they were able to go up to Jerusalem. And they would have traveled in a big convoy of family and friends. That's how they would have traveled, amen. A whole group would have gone together from the town of Nazareth.
So they went up, they had the feast. Jerusalem would have been packed to the gills with people because of what I just said. It being a required feast for them to come and appear before God.
So it would have been packed with all kinds of people. Amen? And so they had already been to the feast, now are on their way home. They've already traveled a whole day. before they realized they hadn't seen hide nor hair of Jesus.
And you think, well, why would it take a day?
Well, you know, young people tend to gravitate to young people. And you know, young people like to all hang together and they like to hang in the back. How many know that? Young people like to hang in the back.
So they probably thought he was in the back. With all the other teens. Amen. But somehow they realized that none of the teens had seen Jesus since they left. None of his cousins, none of his brothers, none of his sisters, no one had seen Jesus, and they realized that he was not with them.
So they left the convoy and they went back to Jerusalem looking for him. And they looked for him for three days.
Now by that time they had to be frantic. And I know he wasn't a toddler, I know he was 12 years old, but still you can imagine all kinds of bad things happening to your kid when the city's running over with a whole bunch of strangers. And you haven't seen him for three days, and you've looked everywhere. But on the third day, they got the bright idea to go to the temple. And when they got there, he was there.
And not only was he there, here he's seated surrounded by doctors.
Now, this means PhDs. These are people that are doctors of the law. These are people that thoroughly knew the Torah and knew Moses' teachings. And there he is, both. answering and asking questions.
Asking questions. See, he was already starting the rabbinical style of teaching. You say, what do you mean? The rabbinical style of teaching is to answer a question with a question. And if you read Jesus, especially when he talked to the Pharisees and scribes, they would ask him something, he'd say, Well, you answer me this, and then I'll answer you.
Because the person who's asking the questions controls the conversation. Amen. And so there he was, not only answering their questions, showing that he had a knowledge of the word, of the Torah, but he was asking them questions, showing that he already was receiving revelation. from his father. And so there they found him in the middle of all of these doctors and PhDs, and his mother, his parents, were amazed.
They were amazed.
So that lets me know Jesus didn't walk around the house quoting the scriptures. He didn't walk around the house saying, Everybody, all you kids now sit down while I. They were amazed.
They were amazed, though, that all of Jesus studying and learning, because he would have gone to school and learned. Amen, because at 13 he would have to have his bar mitzvah and he would have to know the commandments. But the thing is, is that Jesus was not doing anything out of the ordinary that they would be so amazed. Defined him there. In this situation.
And so when Mary says, Son, she was reproving him, Why have you done this to us? I mean, we have been frantic. We have just been sorrowing. We've just been so upset, worried to death about you. Why did you do this to us?
And in the rabbinical style, That's why I said you were right, but In the rabbinical style, he said, Well, why is it that you were looking for me? What an answer! Why were you looking for me? Oh, you've only been gone for three days. Why were you looking for me?
Don't you know? I must be about my father's business. And if I'm about my father's business, I'm reading his mind now, why didn't you come here in the first place? You would have found me three days ago. Because if you're about your father's business, you're going to be in your father's.
House! Amen. A lot of people say that they are about their father's business, but. Half the time you can't find them in their father's house. Oh, that's getting on the wrong message right now.
Yeah. Here's the thing, this amazed Mary even more. She kept this in her heart and she pondered over these things because, in this moment, this 12-year-old boy. was declaring his sonship. He was declaring his sonship.
He was saying, Joseph, I love you. You're a fine man, but I know who my father is. I know who my father is. Amen? And I'm about his business.
Now, because he was still a child and only 12 years old, the Bible says he obeyed them. and were subject to them. And he went home with them. Because He was still a kid. And it was not time for his ministry.
Amen. And Mary kept all these things in her heart. This made a huge impact on Mary. She was amazed at how he had handled. himself with these learned doctors of the law.
And she was astounded that he had declared so bluntly his claim to sonship.
Now believe me, if anyone knew Who Jesus' Father was. It was Mary. Amen. If anybody knew who his father was, it was Mary. But to hear him say it like that.
To hear it come out of his 12-year-old mouth after 12 years, to hear him say, I must be about my father's business. That's why I'm in my father's house. It amazed her. It astounded her. Amen?
Because for twelve years Apparently, Mary and Joseph had raised Jesus like any other ordinary Jewish boy was raised in this family. Amen. In fact, she had four other sons. James and Joseph, Simon and Jude, and at least three sisters, at least, the sisters aren't named, but at one place in Matthew it says, are not all his sisters with us? In order to say all, it's gotta be at least three.
Otherwise, if it was one, obviously, it would say his sister. And if it was only two, they would say, aren't both his sisters with us? But the fact that they said, all, let you know, she had at least three daughters, four sons, and at least three daughters, he grew up in a normal Jewish family. But now Mary saw the stirrings of the Spirit of God on her son. And for the next 18 years, this stirring only increased.
And the Bible says, as we read, he increased in wisdom and stature and favor with God.
So he grew in four ways: wisdom. He increased mentally. Stature. He increased physically. Favor with God, he increased spiritually.
Favor with man, he increased socially and emotionally. Amen. He had to grow from that 12-year-old boy, and he was not ready for his ministry until 18 years later when he was 30 years old. Amen? But when you know that God is your father and you are his child, you will have a burning, unquenchable desire in your heart to be about your father's business.
And that's our Father's Day message for today. Amen? And when somebody wants to know, where are you? Where are you? Especially on Sunday, if your family unexpectedly shows up from out of town or some long-lost friend shows up and they're looking for you and they come to your door and knock on your door and nobody's home, your neighbor's going to say, They're in church.
Their neighbor's going to say, You need to go to feed tabernacle. That's where you'll find them! Amen. Where will you be on Sunday? You should be in the temple.
You should be in church. Not on the golf course. Come on now. And we'll explore it too. Knocked down at the beach.
Not even home mowing the lawn and washing the car. Cleaning the windows and doing the laundry. Not even doing that all-important paperwork for your job. This is God's time. Do that on their time.
Serve God and go to church on his time. Amen. But you're going to be in your father's house about his business.
Okay, so here's the thing about it. If you're about your father's business, then you're going to be in your father's house. Amen. And when people start using Sundays for everything else, they're not about their father's business. They are not about their father's business.
Now Jesus, we're gonna go forward because We we have to jump to 30 years old because there's nothing between age 12 and age 30. I'm telling you, there's no such thing that Jesus made mud people and raised them up. All these stories that are not in the canon of the scriptures. There's a reason why they're not there, folks. The reason why some of this stuff is not there is because it's not reliable and it's untrue.
Jesus did not do anything with his ministry till he was 30. And at 30, he had to be baptized. Amen. And then he had to be tempted in the wilderness of Satan. And passed that test, and then and only then was he ready for his ministry.
Amen? So let's go to John, the second chapter.
Now, Jesus is 30 years old. He's already been baptized of John. We've already seen the dove has come down and a lid on his shoulder, and a voice has come from heaven. This is my beloved son, in whom I'm well pleased. We know that he's gone into the wilderness and was tempted of Satan, the three great temptations.
And the first one that Satan said was: If you are the Son of God, Turn these rocks into bread. I know you're hungry. After 40 days, you're starving. And if you're the Son of God, prove it. He didn't have to prove anything.
The last thing he heard was, This is my beloved Son, in whom I'm well pleased. And I believe that God said that for a variety of reasons, but one being that he knew that when Jesus had already fasted 40 days in the wilderness and was weary and weak and hungry, that Satan was going to come and challenge him on that. And he wanted him to be able to hear in his spirit those words ringing out. Amen. So now we are in John the second chapter.
And we're going to come to Jesus' beginning of his miracles and his ministry. And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. and his mother and the mother of Jesus was there. And both Jesus was called and his disciples to the marriage. And when they had wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
And Jesus said unto her, Woman, What have I to do with thee? Here he goes with the question. What have I to do with thee? Mine hour's not yet come. His mother said unto the servants, Whatever he says unto you, Do it.
And there were set there six water pots of stone in the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus said unto them, Fill the water pots with water, and they filled them up to the brim. And he said unto them, Draw out now and bear it unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. And when the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made.
into wine, and knew not whence it was, but the servants which drew the water knew. The governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and said unto him, Everyone at the beginning does set forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse, but you've kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory. and his disciples. Believed on him So, Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding.
Let me tell you something: a Jewish wedding is a festival thing, festive thing. I know all weddings are, but the Jewish wedding, there's a lot of dancing, and I don't mean that slow dancing type of thing. I mean they're kicking their legs up, they're going around in circles, they lift the groom up on a chair, they lift the bride up on a chair, and they're dancing all around with them up on the chair. And everybody's just hollering. It's just a happy thing.
It's a very happy, joyful, joyful thing, a Jewish wedding. And the thing about it is the Jewish wedding reception in those days lasted seven days. Seven days they celebrated. Amen. Remember when Laban tricked...
Jacob and he didn't get Rachel, the first time he got Leah, and when he found out, he was so upset. What did his father-in-law say? He said, give Leah her week, and then I'll give you Rachel. In other words, don't say nothing. Come on, let her have her week of celebration.
Don't ruin it for her. I'm gonna give you Rachel. At the end of the week, I'll give you Rachel. But let Nia have. her own bridal reception.
So they lasted a week. And so there's nothing more embarrassing than to run out of food at a reception. Or to run out of drink at a reception. Amen? To run out of wine.
And so this is what happened. Amen. Yeah. Amen. What a powerful house cleaning message, my father's house.
Do you know who your father is? Jesus did, at age twelve, when he stayed behind at the Temple in Jerusalem to discuss Scriptures with the learned doctors of the law. When his frantic parents found him three days later, he calmly replied, Knew you not that I must be about my father's business? Eighteen years later a thirty year old Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding, a joyful, celebratory occasion but shortly after he marched into the temple and in righteous indignation threw out the money changers and their merchandise, declaring, This is my Father's house. The disciples were in shock until they remembered the Scripture, The zeal of thine house has eaten me up.
But do you know that just three years later he had to do it again? and that time he blasted them. You have made my father's house a den of thieves. Saints, it's time for the true sons and daughters of God to rise up in righteous indignation against the false worship and made-for-money messages being preached today under the pretense of prosperity. If you know who your father is, it's time to be about his business, and that includes holy house cleaning in the body of Christ, throwing out the false, and establishing the truth.
My father's house is available on C D for a love gift of ten dollars for the radio ministry. Order SK one six three and mail to Sound of Faith PO Box 1744, Baltimore, Maryland, 21203. or go online to soundoffaith.org where you can also order on MP3 that's soundoffaith.org. But to order by mail, send a minimum love gift of $10 to P.O. Box 1744 Baltimore, Maryland 21203.
And if you enjoy the radio messages you're hearing, Why not consider sending a larger gift to help us support the time on this station? Request SK163 Until next time. This is Sharon Knott singing Maranatha.
