Lesson number three. In the mind of Christ, having the mind of Christ. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. The topic to emulate Christ is devotedness to God.

Let's turn to Luke chapter 2. Chapter 2 and verse 49. This is when the Lord's parents, when they all went to Jerusalem to the temple, as was required by the law, and then as they left, they left and they thought that Christ was with them, and they couldn't find him. So they're looking for him, and Mary and Joseph, and in verse 45, when they found him, they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 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 Christ were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, his parents saw their son Christ, 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 that I must be about my father's business?

He was devoted to doing what we looked at last week, his father's will. But in this lesson, in lesson number three, he's devoted to his father and he's going to be about his father's business. And he was amazed that they didn't realize that. So this is one of the first times, the first things that come out of Christ's mouth is His devotedness to His Father.

Now, John chapter 4, if you want to flip over there, verse 34. And starting in verse 31, In the meanwhile, his disciples, Christ's disciples, prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that you know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, hath any man brought him ought to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.

So from From the beginning when Christ was young on this earth to his last words, it is finished. This whole life, the whole life, his pilgrimage began with the words, I'm about to do my, about my father's business, I'm devoted to him, I love him, I worship him, to it's finished. He did that which his father asked him to do and he never strayed from the path. Always and only, singularly, was Christ's devotedness to his Heavenly Father. His chief end was always, I must bring glory to my Father. He never wavered, not like us, where we have fits and starts. The Lord convicts us, and in all, we're concerned. And then we go back, oftentimes, to things that we enjoy, which is the world or whatever. But he didn't have any fits and there was no starts. He wasn't hot and then cold. He had his actions, his thoughts, his attitude was consistent. Consistently devoted to his father. There were no ebbs and flows, but day in and day out, he must be about his father's business.

Look with me at Psalm 16. Psalm 16, verse Psalm 16, verse 8. This should be what we say, but this could also obviously be applied to the Lord Christ. Psalm 16, verse 8, I have set the Lord always before me. Always before me. My devotion as such is without question. It's without question. So that's the introduction.

Now the first and only point Here, what about us? What about us? We say we're named after Him. Christians. Is that true? Is it just a name? Do we put it on the shelf? Can we in some measure have this same mind? Let us have the same mind. This mind, it doesn't vary when it's warm out, it doesn't vary when it's cold out, it doesn't vary morning, it doesn't vary afternoon. I've had several folks that have told me, which is, it's not complimentary and they were not complimentary in this particular person, but they said, he's one way in the pulpit and he's a different way outside the pulpit. Now that's not, that's not good. That's not good.

Christ was the same, whether he was in front of Pharisees, who he knew did not believe, whether he was in front of the woman at the well, the woman with the issue of blood, he was the same. He was devoted to the Lord, the Lord, the Father. He was devoted to his Father.

Our desire, our thoughts, and our attitude should be as Paul in Philippians, you don't have to turn there, Philippians 3, And verse 13, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. That shows devotion. That's devotedness. And incidentally, that word devotedness, it's adoration or reverence. Adoration or reverence.

Can we ask assistance, guidance, motivation from the Holy Spirit to know this one thing needful? Remember in Luke 10, and you don't have to turn there, Luke 10, Mary and Martha, they both were believers. But one gets a little bit off, too busy, cumbered about with much serving, which is what we do. But you say, well, she was serving the Lord. Somebody had to do it. Yeah. And that's, you know, we'll use any kind of excuse we can. She took the better part. She sat at his feet and listened.

You know, and Linda and I were talking the other day. He, you know, he fed thousands of people. And then it wasn't right after that that the disciples, they were, well, what are we going to do? These people are out here. They just saw the miracle. Could he not? Could He not feed more people? Could He not, in that instance, take care of it? So may we ask the Holy Spirit for guidance to be devoted like Mary. She chose the one thing needful. Or can we speak the same believing action as Paul?

Now, we're going to be here, Lord willing, if the weather permits, Sunday. This is the message. Acts, this is wonderful, Acts chapter 27. Acts chapter 27. I want to give it away, but I've got it in my notes before I finish Sunday's message. So, Acts chapter 27. Turn there with me. Now, the context is that they're in that ship and they're going to Rome. Eventually they're going to make it Rome. and they're running into trouble. As a matter of fact, they're running into a lot of trouble. There's a wind called the Heraclodon. It's going to take the ship out. And everybody's afraid.

Look at what, verse 21. But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said, Sirs, you should have hearkened unto me and not let loose from Crete and have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you, be of good cheer. What? First of all, you don't know anything about sailing. What do you mean, be of good cheer? Let's continue. For there stood, there shall be no loss of any man's life among you but the ship. So you're gonna lose a ship. That means money. Somebody's, you know, the Northeast Trade Company, they're gonna lose the ship. But nobody's gonna die.

Look at verse 23. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, God, whose I am and whom I serve. There's our anthem. That's it right there. Those words, underline those words. God in tomorrow, whether you go to school or you don't go to school, whether we have a storm or not. God, whose I am and whom I serve. What a statement of Devotion.

You know, sometimes there's in the scriptures, there's half a phrase or a phrase, Matt and I would talk about this, it says it all, there it is right there. And Lord willing, we'll develop that this Sunday.

Who's he speaking to? A bunch of his friends, right? Who's he speaking to? A bunch of his believing friends, nope. No, not at all. He didn't change when he was with this company, and then with this company, and then that company. He told them unashamedly, God, whom I am. This is whose I am and whom I serve.

People, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Well, you were created to glorify and serve God. So that shows devotedness to me in the middle of trouble, and we'll get into that, Lord willing, this weekend.

In heart, in deed, and in life, can we not say, I'm God's, and I serve him? Before anything, before we pay the bills, before we have the money to pay the bills, or don't have the money to pay the bills.

Everyday life, the believer walks to a tune of a different drummer, to use a colloquialism, and Christ is our captain. We each have some appointed task in the church to perform, to occupy till he return. May we be found where he places us and give our all to him, his service, his glory, and his people. This is our privilege, it's our duty, it's our desire.

Let us not be like those of Meraz. Turn with me to Judges chapter 5. Let us not be like these people. Judges chapter 5. And verse, let me get there, Judges 5, verse 23. It says, Curse ye, Meraz, saith the angel of the Lord. Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof. Why? Because they came not to the help of the Lord, and to help of the Lord against the mighty. They talked, but they didn't do.

What are we told about James? Don't be a hearer only, but a doer. Let us not be, there's no devotion here. Matter of fact, the Lord says curse them because they could have helped, they were supposed to help, but they didn't.

Let us be like Isaiah chapter six. at work, at home, at school, wherever. It shouldn't make any difference. Let us be this way. Isaiah chapter 6 and verse 8. Isaiah 6 and verse 8. Also I the prophet, I the believer, male, female, boy or girl, if you're a believer, I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then I said, here I am, send me, send me. That's devotedness, that's devotedness.

This shows a willingness, a love, a camaraderie in the ways of the grace and ways of the gospel and the ways of Christ. Send me, send me.

Another good example would be Turner, Luke 21, the widow's might. She gave everything. Well, she didn't have anything for the next day. She trusted the Lord that would provide for her. She didn't possess much, but what she did, she gave in full faith, relying on the goodness of the Lord God to sustain her for tomorrow. She walked by faith.

Knowing, Romans 8.28, all things work together for good. Now we don't see it, we don't understand it, But there comes the devotedness. I don't understand, I don't trust, but like Job, there's so many examples. The Lord gave, He took away, blessed be the name of the Lord. There's devotion. He didn't understand why all this stuff happened to him. His friends thought he sinned. He looked past that. He looked past that.

So, Let us be as Paul, let us be as Job, let us be as this widow, let us not, let us be as Isaiah, and let this mind that was in Christ in His pure devotion to His Father, let that same mind be in each of us, being devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ. Because to go back to acts. We're not our own. We've been bought with the price and we are to serve him.

May we do so. Bruce, would you close this please?