Good morning. Let's all stand together and sing hymn number one. Number one in our hymnals. O worship the King, all glorious above, and gratefully sing His power and His love Our shield and defender The ancient of days Pavilion in splendor Anchored it with praise O tell of His might O sing of His grace, whose robe is the light, whose canopy space, His chariots of breath, the deep thunderclouds form, and dark is His path on the wings of the storm. Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air. It shines in the light. It streams from the hills. It descends to the plain. And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in thee do we trust. ♪ Nor find thee to fail ♪ Thy mercies how tender ♪ How firm to the end ♪ Power maker, defender ♪ Redeemer and friend Be seated, we'll sing hymn number 256. 256. When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll.

Forever, my Lord, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well It is well with my soul. It is well with my soul. It is well It is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, Though trials should come, Let this blessed assurance control That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate And hath shed His own blood for my soul. It is well. with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. My sin, O the bliss of this glorious love, My sin not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.

It is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be signed. The clouds be rolled back. as a scroll. The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend. Even so, it is well with My soul, it is well. with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul.

I have a couple of announcements. I know that many of you ask me about my friend Bill Kelly's wife. Last that I heard an update, she was taking both cancer treatments. They had given her some blood to make her feel better and doing two kinds of cancer treatments. I'm sure it's very trying still, but they are, I guess, hopeful. And Eileen has requested prayer for her sister, Kathy Markson.

She's had shingles for three and a half weeks and is having a very difficult time with that and asked that you would remember them. Steve Reese called me this morning, wished that he could be here. He had to take his mother-in-law, she had fallen, and had to take her to the emergency room and they've transferred her to Vanderbilt. So if you would remember them.

Though we sing that song, it's right well with our soul. Isaiah 11 says, say ye to the righteous, it is well with them. Turn with me to Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2. Turn it off. It's been two weeks since we've been here. I'm certainly glad to be seen and to see. And I'm grateful for the weather that allowed us to be here. You know, the Lord's in control of that, but we grateful. I tell you, I've looked forward to this. I told Shirley, I said, I'm looking forward to preaching. I'm so looking forward to it. But let's read, you remember we was dealing with Simon's prophecy and then Anna's prophecy. And then in verse 39, let's read down to the end of the chapter.

And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. 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, the Passover. And when they had fulfilled the days as they returned, the child Jesus carried behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother knew not.

But they supposing him to have been in the company when a day's journey, and they sought him among kinfolks and acquaintance. And when they found him not, that'd be an awful thing to search for Christ and not be able to find him, wouldn't it? That'd be an awful thing. Find him not. And when they found him not, they returned, they turned back again to Jerusalem. But this is what they did. If you don't find him, just keep on seeking. Keep on seeking. It's what it says, seeking him. And that's the key to everything about Salvation, seeking Christ.

And it came to pass that 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 understandings and his answers. And when they saw him, you know how many times they said him, him, him, him, saw him, heard him, looked for him. Him. And when they saw him, in verse 48, 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. And he said unto them, How is it that you sought me? wished you not, or would you not, that I must be about my father's business. And they understood not the saying which he spake 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.

Now we do want to remember those things that you mentioned. Let's pray. Our Father, our great, glorious God of heaven and earth, the sustainer and giver of life, we're so thankful to be able to come into your presence, thankful to be able to meet together with the saints of God. We indeed were glad when we said, let's go under the house of the Lord. Let's go and worship the Lord. Let's go and seek his face. Seek his power. Seek his grace. Seek his mercy. Seek his salvation. Seek his will.

And, oh, Lord, we come to do all those things. And, Father, we thank you for the gospel, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please enable me to speak today with some wisdom, with some understanding to make the scriptures alive and real and vital to our hearts and souls. And our Father, we thank you for that you've restored some's health and they're able to worship with us today. Father, we also pray for those that's been mentioned.

We pray for Steve, pray for the dear brother, the wife and husband who are going through the cancer treatments. And Lord Jesus, we Pray for Ellen and Rick. Oh, Lord, these poor people go through so much all the time. But, Lord, we ask you for our lost loved ones. God, be merciful to them. And, Lord, save people in this place. Save sinners here and do it for Christ's sake. Amen. Let's all stand together and sing the hymn of the day in the bulletin.

Before the throne of God above I have a strong, a perfect plea, A great high priest whose name is love, Whoever lives and pleads for me. My name is graven on his hands My name is written on his heart I know that while in heaven he stands No tongue can bid me to depart. Because the sinless Savior died, My sinful soul is counted free. Forgot the justice satisfied To look on Him and pardon me One with Himself I cannot die My soul is purchased with His blood. My life is hit with Christ on high, with Christ my Savior and my God. Be seated. I hope you got Luke 2 still. We find our subject down in verse 49.

He asked his mother and his father, how is it that you sought me? How is it that you seek the Lord? How is it that you seek him? How is it that you sought me? How do you seek me? How is it that you seek me? That's what our Lord said. And then he said, wished you not, I'd be about my father's business. There's an old preacher I heard say one time, when I die, I want to put on my tombstone, here lies a lifelong seeker after the Lord. And once you start seeking him and you find him, you'll seek him for the rest of your life. You'll make his life to be everything to you. You'll make him to be everything to you. And what a question our Lord asked his mother and father. He said, we sought you sorry. We, you know, I remember one time we was at this, was at the Golden Gate Bridge and we stopped there.

A lot of people were there. And this little boy, five years old, got lost. And everybody there was in a panic, especially his parents. They were in an absolute panic. Everybody was looking for him, hollering for him, and they found him. And everybody there was so relieved. There's a good crowd. And that's the way it was when these folks were seeking, the mother and father were seeking their son.

He went missing for three days. Three days. And they, you know, can you imagine just how anxious they were? How scared they were? How troubled they were? And they sought him sorry. And when they sought him and found him, he said unto them, why is it that you seek me? He asked his mother and father that, how do you seek me? Why are you looking for me? Why are you looking for me? And oh my.

And we're here today seeking the Lord. We're here today to hear His voice. We're here today to hear about salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ. And our Lord asks us, how do we seek Him? Why do we seek Him? How have we sought Him? A lot of folks today will get together and they'll seek him. They'll sought after him. They'll say we, Jesus is here. They'll say he's on an altar, but he's not on an altar. He's at the right hand of God. He's not in traditions. He's not in traditions and things that we held to be our traditions all of our lives.

Our Lord says, you know, he went and he saw his disciples. The Pharisees said they saw his disciples not washing their hands after they ate and before they ate. And he said, how do you transgress the traditions of the fathers? They weren't worried about God in the relationship with Christ, worried about the traditions of their fathers.

But oh my. There's some valuable, valuable lessons. Let me get to them before I get into my message today. There's some valuable lessons here today. Here's a lesson for married people. Great lesson for married people. You know, it says down here in verse 41.

Now the parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. The married couple. Husband and wife, Joseph and Mary, said it's time to go up for the Passover. God started the Passover in Egypt. And the Passover is the blood was shed of the lamb, put on the lintels of the door. And God said, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. So God said from there's every year you're going to do this as a memorial of me bringing you out of bondage, bringing you out of Egypt, bringing you out with blood and with power.

And so they went up there to do this as a memorial of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Passover. So here they come and they're married. They're married. What a wonderful lesson. These people were poor people and there's a long journey up there. A long journey. But they went up to the distance was par, but they honored God. They honored God. They honored God's message. They honored God's salvation. They honored God's Passover. They honored that.

And it says they went together. Ain't that what it says? And his parents went to Jerusalem, his parents. They went together side by side, helping one another. What a great example. And then it says, look what it says, and they took their child Jesus with him. Oh, when he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the feast of the church. Oh, my. They took the Lord Jesus with them. Oh, my. And here's a lesson for young people, young folks that are here. Our Lord was only 12 years old, 12 years old. Yet he went with his mother and father to remember God, the memorial of God, the memorial of Passover. He was just a child, yet he attended.

And then it says there in verse 46, look what it says in verse 47. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding. And verse 66, came to pass after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors and lawyers, hearing them and asking them questions. He heard what these fellas had to say, and then he'd ask them questions.

And that's one wonderful way to learn. You hear something and you ask a question in your own mind about things. That's the way I do the scriptures. I ask questions of the scriptures. And oh my, he asked questions. And oh, they were astonished, and he was subject to his parents. Look what he said down in verse 51. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and then was subject unto them. Subject unto them. Parents ought to be subject to their children. I mean, children ought to be subject, excuse me, to their parents. And then our Lord said, How is it that you sought me? This is a lesson for all of us. How is it that you sought me?

Don't let nothing, don't let nothing, nothing in this world hinder our commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ. Let nothing ever hinder our commitment to Christ. Paul said, I know whom I have believed. And I'm persuaded that whatsoever I've committed unto him against that day, he's able to keep it. And commit your soul, commit your life, commit everything to Him. Don't let nothing hinder your relationship with Christ.

Nothing. Because if something can, it will. I'm telling you. If something can't hinder you, it will. But oh my, Daniel said, I seek you morning, noon, and night. And oh, bless His name. He loved us and gave Himself for us. And then he says, excuse me, how is it that you sought me? How is it that you sought me? Oh, look down verse 42.

And when he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. How is it that you say you do it just after the custom? Is that the reason why? Everybody's a Christian twice a year. You know that? Everybody's a Christian twice a year.

Christmas and Easter. Christmas is for his birth. Easter's for his resurrection. And most people don't know either one, a thing about either one of those, his birth or his resurrection. They want to worry about, they like about his birth, the fact that he's born, and they like that he resurrected. But what about his life? What about the cross? What about the sin bearer? What about a substitute? What about somebody saving us by his blessed grace? What about somebody bearing our sin in his own body?

Now, it's a wonderful thing. I love to go to meetings. I love to go to meetings. But it's more than custom to me. You know, Christ is our life. People say, you need to make Christ the most important thing in your life. No, no, no, no, no. Christ himself is our life.

And they went up. They went up. I tell you what, our Lord Jesus Christ, most people religious go because it's a habit. Instead of saying, I was glad to go under the house of the Lord. And then they fulfilled the days. Look in verse 43. And when they had fulfilled the days, they done everything they're supposed to do. They went up there and stayed as long as they're supposed to stay, done everything they're supposed to do. And that's what most folks in religion want. They want to go and do the best. You know, it's not just the best you can do.

They went up there and they fulfilled the days. And I'll tell you something, beloved, we got more than just our days. Our days is as a tale is told, but fulfilling the days. Fulfilling the days. They did just exactly what they're supposed to do. They fulfilled the days. Seven days of unleavened bread. Then eating the Passover. Eating the Passover. And oh my. and all fulfilling the days.

Most folks think just doing our duty, that eases our conscience. And then look what he said in verse 44. But they supposing him to have been in their company. Oh, my. Oh, I know Jesus is with me. I can take you to the place and tell you the time. I know Jesus is with me. I got saved when I was six years old. I got baptized when I was 14. I accepted Jesus when I was 18.

They're supposing him to have been with them. I'll tell you this. So many times over the years, you go preach the gospel to somebody saying, if what you're saying so, what about me? Well, what about me? They suppose that Jesus was with them. Do you suppose that Christ is with you? Do you reckon he is? Or do you just suppose it? You think it is.

Well, I've went to church all my life. What's that got to do with the relationship with Christ? I read my Bible. Good, you ought to. But supposing him, that's the worst thing that anybody can do. One old preacher said one time, he said, the safest place to hide from God, buy your Bible and join a Baptist church.

And they'll never bother you. You know why some of these churches are so big and have such great crowds? People can go. and not be known, and not be bothered, and not be troubled, and nothing's going to bother their conscience because the preacher ain't going to say nothing. He's going to tell them how grateful they are that they're there.

Oh, we can't spell church without you. And so they come in there, and they sit there, And they suppose that they're going someplace where Jesus is. And that preacher gets up and talks about Jesus, makes an invitation for Jesus, and tries to get people to accept Jesus, and try to get their hearts open to accept Jesus. And they do all these things to get folks to accept Jesus, supposing Him to be with them.

Brother, you got to know. You can know whether Christ is with you or not. I mean, you can know. You know what 1 John says? He that hath the Son hath life. And this is the record God gave us of His Son. And he that hath the Son hath life. You cannot suppose that Jesus and Emmaus did not have life. If you got Christ, you got life. Oh, my. You know, religious presumption. You know what presumption is.

Oh, Bruce Crabtree said the other day, said these bunch of people is going to bungee jump. And they're going to jump off this big cliff, a big something or other. And he said they all got together and prayed, said, Lord, keep us safe while we do this. And he said, he said, he said, you're talking about tempting the Lord.

Pray before you jump. That's presumption. That's presumption. Satan took our Savior to a high pinnacle, said, jump. He said, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. But presumption, oh, Keep me back from presumption. Presumption is you just automatically presume that I got it. Presumption is awful. And all religious presumptions everywhere.

And people say, boy, we got to be right. Look how many people we got. We got to be right. Look how many baptisms we had. We got to be right. Me and Jesus is tight. Got to be right. Too many of us. Got to be right. And why shouldn't people have presumption with the Jesus that's set before man? He's pitiful. He is pitiful. He is pitiful.

What kind of savior is it that has to knock to have entry? What kind of Savior is it that can't save unless you have the will? What kind of Jesus is it that can wash you and yet you never be clean? What kind of Jesus is it that saves you and then you can be lost again? What kind of Jesus is that?

The Christ of the Bible, when he said, how is it that you sought me? The Christ of the Bible is omnipotent, all-glorious, all-sovereign, with all power in earth given unto him. All power has been given unto him that he should give eternal life to as many, as many as thou hast given me. Oh, listen. The Christ of the Bible. And I'll tell you what, I love him just the way he is. The very fact that thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save. Not try to save, hope to save, wants to save, but must save. Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall Save who?

His people. From what? Their sins. That's the thing, you know. The issue between God and men is sin. It's not a heaven and hell proposition. We're born sinners, and how in the world is our sin going to be taken care of? We can't do nothing about it. Well, our Lord Jesus, bless His name. How do you seek Him? I seek Him as a Savior. I seek Him as a Lord. I seek him as a king. I seek him as my high priest who offered a sacrifice for my sins. I seek him as a substitute who God laid on him my sins and my iniquities. I seek him as a savior.

Oh, my. Oh, the Pharisees thought he was with them. They were elect. They were chosen. They had a pedigree. Oh, we have Abraham and Moses. They had the law and the ceremonies, the temple and the priesthood. But oh my, oh Lord, have mercy on us. There's three different, there's three different ways of the effects of true doctrine on a person's heart. Three different ways it affects people. And our Lord said, how is it that you sought me?

It'll make a man mean and arrogant. It'll do one of that. And know it all, make them presumptuous. Make them mean, make them arrogant. Know it all, presumptuous, obnoxious. I preached a message one time on how can I know I'm saved? How can I know I'm saved? Men that I'd known for a long time says, boy, boy, He said, that's not enough.

That's not enough. That's not enough. You're just talking about sinners. That's not enough. Well, our Lord himself said, I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. If I talk about sinners, I'm talking about us. I'm not talking about somebody else. I'm talking about us. We talk about us, but oh my.

The second thing is not only we'll do that, but that people were just rejected outright. I said, I don't believe it. I'm not going to believe that. I'm just not going to believe it. I'm not going to believe in election. I'm not going to believe in sovereignty. I'm not going to believe in free grace. I'm not going to believe in sin, a man being a sinner. I'm a good person. I'm just not going to believe those things. I'm not going to believe it. I'm not going to believe the gospel. I'm not going to trust Christ as my only savior.

I'm good enough. Oh, my. And then the third thing it does, it'll break your will. It'll break your heart. It'll put a love in your heart for Christ and His gospel. And you'll love Him for who He is. You'll love Him for His person. You'll love Him for His person. Oh my. And you'll love Him for Him teaching you. You'll love Him because He saved you. You'll love Him because He's precious. You'll love Him because He's your only hope, your only righteousness.

And oh my, here's the thing. Here's the thing, look what else it says here. Back up in verse 44. They thought him as in his company and they went a day's journey. A day's journey. You know, David says, my days are as a hand's breath. Make me to know the end of my days. Our life goes so fast, so fast. And in the scriptures, it's called a day. A day. A day. Boast not thyself of tomorrow. Don't boast yourself of tomorrow. Don't say, I'm gonna go here, I'm gonna go there, and I'm gonna buy, and I'm gonna sell. Don't you boast yourself of tomorrow. For if it's the Lord's will, you'll go here. If it's the Lord's will, you'll go there. Uh-uh.

Our lives, our lives are as a tale that's been told. All of us right now, how we can think of people that we've known for years and years and years, the Lord's took them home, and their life is a tale that's been told. When they got to the end of the way, their lives is a tale.

What tale did their lives tell? What was it that they told us by their life? What was it they told us by how they love Christ or not love Christ? Their commitment to Christ and not commitment to Christ. Their lives told us some things about them. And when we remember them, we remember that life that they told us about, we say, oh my, boy, what a blessing they were. What an encouragement they were.

Their life, their tale's been told. Listen, my life right now, I'm telling a tale. I'm telling a tale. When I get through with this thing, what kind of story have I told? What's my life told? What's my life told? You ever think about that, what's my life told? Because when I leave this world, when you go and face somebody in a casket and you look at them, they're dead.

And you know, you'll say, boy, what a wonderful, wonderful soul. What a wonderful life he's lived. What a wonderful life he brought, and blessing he brought to my life. What a wonderful tale this man told. Oh, my. And I tell you, they went a day's journey. And when they got to the ways, oh my. And then look what else it says there in verse 44.

And they sought him among their kin's folks and their acquaintance. Oh, I can't find him. I can't find him. My kin folks surely know something about him. My cousins, my uncles, my aunts, my brothers, my sisters, somebody knows where he's at. And then their acquaintances, they went around their acquaintances. But let me tell you something about that.

Most folks, when they hear the gospel, and they believe Christ, you know, and they hear it, and they hear it, and they hear it, and then they want to go visit their kinfolks. and their acquaintance, and they'll start telling them what they've been hearing, and they say, oh, I wouldn't go back there again. I wouldn't go back there again. Oh my, I wouldn't do that. And you'd never see them again. Listen, this salvation's for, it's a personal thing. Your kin folks don't know nothing about it. Maybe your acquaintance know nothing about it, but you're the only one that can know. Only one that can know.

And oh my, well they found him. They found him. They found him, oh my. Look when they went looking for him. And then in verse 45, they found him not. That is one of the most troubling verses of scripture, when they found him not. Oh my. Get to the end of your day's journey, your three day's journey, and here you come, and you get ready to lay down, and you say, I found him not. I found him not. I didn't find him. I didn't find him. Oh boy. And then they went and they And so in verse 45, when they found him not, I'm grateful they didn't stop there.

And they turned back to Jerusalem, looking for him, seeking him. And it came to pass that after three days, three days typical of our Lord's life, death, and resurrection, they found him in the temple. They found him worshiping God, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. And look what it says about our Savior.

And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. Everything about him is astonishing. Everything about Christ is astonishing. It's astonishing. What an astonishment. What astonishing things. Oh my goodness, you can ask him a question, he'll give you the answer.

And look what it says, and when they saw Him, they were amazed. When you see Him, and when you saw Him, you were amazed, weren't you? Weren't you amazed? When you saw Christ, and you really finally saw Him, and saw your need of Him, and saw your need of Him, you looked, and you looked, and you looked, and you looked, and you came, and finally, God in His sovereign mercy, and you found Him. And you sought him, and you were amazed. Absolutely amazed. Amazed. Oh, my. Look what happens.

And his mother said unto him, son, why hast thou dealt with us? Why did you deal with us like this? Why didn't you go home with us? And your father and I sought you. And he said unto them, how is it that you sought me? How is it that you sought me? Oh, my. And they found him just exactly where he's supposed to be. What was he doing when they found him? He said unto them, how is it that you sought me? How did you seek me? How did you seek me? You seek me in your word? Did you seek me in myself? Did you seek me in my Savior? Did you seek me as Lord? Did you seek me as the one sin of the Father? How is it that you sought me?

And don't you believe, would you not believe, that I must be about my Father's business? Oh, He's got to be about the Father's business. And the Father's business, and I'll try to hurry up here. The father's business is to save his people, bring glory to himself. The father's business is to honor him, to glorify him, to satisfy him. His first and foremost concern was to do what his father sent him to do. And oh, my. Where is the people that's interested in God's glory? And our Lord Jesus Christ came to accomplish salvation, came to honor God, save sinners in a just way.

And then he asked them, how is it that you sought me? You seek him in your works? You seek him because you're a good person? Are you seeking him by water or baptism? Religious habit. They sought him sorry. And they sought him for three whole days. They didn't stop. They didn't stop. They sought him for three whole days. Three days they sought him. And when they saw him, they were amazed. I heard years and years ago a fellow, Henry Mahan, as a matter of fact, who it was. Folks, you know, were fixed to go to an altar and all that.

And Henry stopped and said, listen. He said, coming up here ain't going to do you any good. Coming up here ain't going to do a thing in the world for you. He said, if you're going to find Christ, go home. Go home and seek him there. You seek Christ. Don't seek for him anyplace else. You seek him for who he is. Seek him in his word. Seek him in prayer. Seek him from your heart. Seek him from your soul.

If you have a need of him, and I tell you what, when you see him, when you see him, just like his mother and father, and I tell you what, I was soaring when I found him. I was soaring over my sin, soaring over my old wretched will, soaring over my self-righteousness, soaring over my lies on God, soaring over him, and when I soared, and when I found him, And when I saw him, and God omised to see him, I truly was amazed that God could have anything to do with me. How could God, a holy, righteous, just God, have anything to do with me? helpless and hopeless. How could God possibly, possibly even look in my direction?

Job asked the question, what is man? What is man? That you're even mindful of him, that you think of him. And most people think, well, of course, God owes it to me. God don't owe anybody anything. And if you get anything from God, it's going to be through Christ. It's going to be because He's the Savior. It's going to be because He wills to do it. He's going to do it because He is the only hope you've got in this world. And He's the only one that's got a righteousness that can make you acceptable to God. I was ever a believer in this building this morning saying, how could God ever look in my direction? How could he have anything to do with me? And when you found out he did it before you ever knew anything about it, you'll stand amazed. And once you stand amazed, you're always amazed, huh? Stand amazed.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost. But now am found, was blind, but now I see. T'was grace that taught my heart to fear. And grace my fears relieved How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed His grace that through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. It is grace that brought me safe thus far. And grace will lead me home when we've been there 10,000 years bright shining as the sun. We've no less days to sing God's praise. than when we first began. See you Wednesday night, God willing. Lord bless you.