APOSTOLIC ACTING OUT

I THIRST FOR MY FATHER'S BUSINESS

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Luke 2:46-4946And 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. 47And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48And 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. 49And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?”

John 6:38-40“38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 19:28“28After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled saith, I thirst.

When someone owns or starts a business, they have to have customers in order for the business to continue to run.  Without customers, there would be no money and without money, there would be nothing to make the business grow.  To stay in business, the owner would have to stay busy, not only making the business attractive to customers, but also making the business big enough to be successful. 

Another step in creating a successful business is finding honest and hard working employees.  The more employees a business has, the bigger the business becomes, and the more noticeable to customers the business becomes.  If these employees have a passion for their job and dedicate themselves to making the business grow and selling the business to more and more customers, then the business will grow.  

If I thirst for my father’s business, then I am going to desire to make that business be successful.  My father’s business is going to be my life’s goal because I thirst for it.

We all know that we cannot live without water.  Many people die of thirst everyday around the world.  These people would do anything, give anything, and go anywhere to quench their thirst.  No distraction will hinder them if they know where to get a drink.  They are going to go straight for the place where water is, no matter what gets in their way.  Water is the one thing in their life that they need and that is what they are going to live for.  If they go without it they will die, if they get just enough to wet their tongue, then they will live until the next drink.

One definition of thirst is eager desire.  The Hebrew meaning of thirst is of uncertain affinity. 

Jesus had a thirst for His Father’s business.  He had an eager desire to do His Father’s business to an uncertain affinity.  He was addicted to doing His Father’s business. 

Jesus had to do His Father’s business.  What was His Father’s business?  His Father’s business was to die.  Jesus spent His whole life for one goal: to die.  He had to let everyone know that He had to die in order for everyone else to live.  When Jesus was twelve years old, He was in the temple teaching teachers and doctors.  From that point until Jesus was thirty years old, there is no record of anything He did.  That point in Jesus’ life defined the rest of His life and it was what drove Him to His goal, which was to thirst after His Father’s business because He said, “I must be about my Father’s business”.  

When Jesus told His disciples that His goal was to die, Peter protested and here is the result.  

Matthew 16:21-25“21From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 22Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 24Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”

Jesus’ reply to Peter’s protest of Jesus dying was to rebuke Satan out of Peter.  Anything that is against this flesh dying is straight from Satan and we need to tell Satan to get behind us.  

When Jesus was on the earth, He told Satan to get behind Him twice.  When He resurrected and ascended, He told us that Satan is under our feet.  Therefore, when we tell the devil to get behind us, we also need to remind him that he is under our feet. 

Romans 16:20“20And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.”

We need to remember what our Father’s business is and have a thirst for it.  We know what our Father’s business is not.  Our Father’s business is not selling vehicles.  Our Father’s business is not making food and selling it to hungry people.  Our Father’s business is not having a product, making mass quantities of it, and selling it to millions of people.  

Our Father’s business is related to these businesses.  We are trying to sell to people the vehicle of salvation, which is thru Jesus Christ.  We are trying to spread the Bread of Life, which is the Word of God, to every hungry soul.  Moreover, God has a product, the church, there are mass quantities of them, and we are trying to get millions, even billions, to come to them and find out about how all of these things can come true.  

We also have a product, that, in order to become an employee in this business, you must obtain this product, which is the Holy Ghost, and now that we have obtained this product, we are now trying to sell this product to everyone on the face of this earth.

Therefore, our Father’s business is to try to win souls through the soul saving station, the church.  We are our Father’s employees.

Jesus had a thirst for His Father’s business, now it is our turn.  It is our turn to have a thirst for our Father’s business.  Remember, if we have a thirst, we have an eager desire to do it.

Jesus told His disciples to pick up their cross and follow Him.  If we are to be God followers, we have to carry our cross daily.

Galatians 2:20“20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Our Father’s business is for us to die, just as it was for Jesus.  Jesus knew that His Father’s business was for Him to die.  It was in God’s mind since the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:8“8b whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Ephesians 4:22 – “22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” 

It is also in God’s mind for us to die, spiritually.  When we repent of our sins, our old spiritual man dies.  When we are baptized in Jesus’ name, we are buried spiritually.  When we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, we rise again to new life spiritually.  After that, we walk in the spirit, not the flesh. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31“31I die daily.”  

We have to die daily by confessing our sins and asking for forgiveness.  If we are to stay employed in our Father’s business, we have to stay sin free.  We also have to stay in constant communication with the CEO, Jesus Christ.  God advises us to check in daily with the CEO or risk harder work in the business.  Without praying everyday, our everyday lives can become harder.

We must thirst for our Father’s business.  We must thirst for what Jesus’ thirsted for.  Jesus, when He said, I thirst, I am sure that He was not thirsty for vinegar.  Physically He probably was, but spiritually He was trying to fulfill prophecy.  He was also thirsting for something else.  Notice the words leading up to Him saying, “I thirst.  It said, “28After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled…”

Why would Jesus say I thirst after He knew that all things were now accomplished?  Because He knew He had shed His blood for, and burdened the sins of, the whole world. Before He said, “It is finished,” He had a thirst; a thirst for souls.  

1 Timothy 6:7“7For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

There is something non-material that we can carry out of this world with us, and that is souls.  

John 4:34-35“34Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.  35Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.          

Jesus’ meat, Jesus’ thirst, Jesus’ passion, Jesus’ addiction, was to do the will of His Father that sent Him and to do His business, and to finish that work, which was to die on the cross for the sins of lost humanity.  While He was living for that goal of dying, He was winning as many souls as He could meet.  Jesus tells us that the fields are already white for harvest; meaning the world is already ready for us to go out and win it, but we have to die first.  Jesus won souls first and died last, we have to die first and then win souls.  When we have died, then we can help others live.  

Jesus died so He could help the whole world live.  Jesus died for each and every one of us so that we can live.  He wants everyone to be a part of His business.   

Jesus is not willing for anyone to die lost.

2 Peter 3:9“9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 

He wants everyone to be born again.

John 3:3-5 - “3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” 

God wants everyone to receive the product that His business is all about, which is the Holy Ghost.

Acts 2:37“37Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  39For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.