Wisdom Grace
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Wisdom Grace
THE THREE ESSENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH: Lessons from Young Jesus - Young People Series
THE THREE ESSENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH: Lessons from Young Jesus - Young People Series
Ultimately, the message for young people is clear: growth in all three areas—physical, spiritual, and mental—is essential, but developing the latter two requires intentional effort. By following Jesus's example of seeking wisdom and spiritual maturity, young people can build the strength needed to navigate life successfully. As they grow in wisdom and spiritual strength, they should stay humble, not boasting in their own abilities but in their relationship with God. As Jeremiah reminds us, true glory does not come from wisdom, might, or riches, but from understanding and knowing God.
Chapter Markers
00:00:16 - The Growth of Young Jesus
00:03:10 - Physical Growth Happens Naturally
00:05:44 - Spiritual Growth Requires Intention
00:10:00 - Mental Growth: Being Filled with Wisdom
00:14:16 - Strength Through Wisdom and Spirit
00:20:26 - Humility in Spiritual Strength
Growth of young Jesus. If you have your Bible, kindly turn to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2. We're going to read around 42 till the very end, looking at the young life of Jesus, focusing on the growth of young Jesus. And growth is an essential part and parcel of life. We all have to grow, we all have to grow up. For you, as young people, you're not always gonna remain as young. Life demands growth. If we don't intentionally grow, life will enforce growth on us. But let's see in the areas in which Jesus Christ, the Bible says, grew in, and I believe, these two essential areas in our lives, especially as young people, we need to grow in them, just as our Lord Jesus Christ did. I'm going gonna read from verse 42, luke, chapter 2. Verse 42 it says and when he was 12 years old.
Speaker 1:So we see that Jesus Christ is a teenager. That is the age of decision-making. That is the also the age of accountability, especially in the Jewish culture. So when Jesus, the ages specify when Jesus was 12 years old, something happened. They went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. Usually when you're at that age, your parents will take you to the temple, they will take you to Jerusalem to introduce you or to get you familiar with the things of God. Jerusalem was like the religious hub of Israel. So we see here that the age of Jesus Christ is specified. Jesus Christ is 12 years old, meaning that Jesus was in the same boat as you and I are. Jesus Christ was a young man. So Jesus Christ understands what it means to be a young person. He understands the identity crisis that young people go through. He understands the peer pressure that young people go through. He understands the identity crisis that young people go through. He understands the peer pressure that young people go through. He understands the chaos, the almost the chemical reactions in young people. So that is why Jesus Christ can relate with you guys as a young person. So he was a boy under the governance and the guidance of his parents. His parents took him to Jerusalem. So, as young as we are 12, 15, 16, you're still under your parental rule, so you have to listen to your parents. Because Jesus Christ did the Bible says in Luke 2, verse 40 now 40 now and the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. I'm going to jump to Luke, chapter 2, verse 52, because of time, and it says and Jesus increased in wisdom, stature and in favor with God and men.
Speaker 1:The focus really is on growth, like I said. So there are growth stages of the boy Jesus, focusing on these three areas Number one, his physical growth. Number two, his spiritual growth. Number three, his mental growth.
Speaker 1:Young people these are the three essential areas that you and I will need to grow in. We need to grow physically, we need to grow spiritually, we need to grow mentally. Growing physically is automatic because your natural human body does it by itself, without your consent, without your permission. However, for you to grow mentally, you have to be intentional. For you to grow mentally, you have to learn, and then for you to also grow spiritually, it has to be intentional, and it also takes dedication, time and effort. So spiritual growth and mental growth demands effort from your end. That is not something that is going to initiate itself. Whereas physical growth initiates itself, your body enlarges as you get older, but when it comes to that spiritual and the mental growth it demands you put in the work, you invest your time, your resources, for example, coming for Bible study, for example, attending the morning prayer sessions.
Speaker 1:So let's look at the physical growth of Jesus. We can find that in Luke, chapter 2, verse 4. The Bible says and the child grew. And the child grew, meaning that Jesus was once a child. Now Jesus have passed the age of a child into a boyhood. You're not always going to be a child, you're not always going to be under your mom's roof, you're not always going to be mama's boy or daddy's girl. You have to grow up from a child to a young lady, to a young man. It's a process, life is a growth process. Jesus Christ grew as a child into a boy, at this particular account, at the age of 12. And if we go down to Luke, chapter 2, verse 52, the Bible says and Jesus increased in stature. That word stature means his physicality, his body enlargement.
Speaker 1:Physical growth is something that we see in our human development, that every human being has to grow up. If you're not growing physically, then something is wrong with you when it comes to health. But every human being automatically grows physically. Let's look at the spiritual growth, which is really the emphasis, especially when it comes to young people. Yes, we can grow physically, it's natural, it happens automatically. But when it comes to spiritual growth, you have to decide to want to grow in faith, you have to decide. To want to grow in faith, you have to decide you want to grow in your relationship with God. Just because you're in church does not mean that you're growing. Just because you anger around Christians does not mean that you're growing. Just because your mom is a pastor does not mean that you're growing.
Speaker 1:Look at the spiritual growth of Jesus. That is in Luke, chapter 2, verse 40. And the child grew. That is the physical growth the Bible says. And became strong in spirit and became, meaning that for you to become. It's a process. We are not just human doings. We are human beings. Just because you do something doesn't mean you're growing. What makes you grow is that you becoming. When you're becoming, changes occur, transformation takes place. Jesus became meaning that in the process it became what? Strong in spirit. So we see the spiritual growth of Jesus. He became so he was spiritually sensitive.
Speaker 1:To be strong in the spirit, meaning that you know the things of the spirit, you understand the things of the spirit, you fear the things of the spirit. When we talk about the things of the spirit, it pertains the things of God, things that are written in the Bible, things that reference God. So Jesus Christ became strong in the spirit. He was sensitive in the spirit. He was also matured in the spirit to become strong.
Speaker 1:When I look up that word becomes, became strong in the spirit. It's a Greek word. It means to actually become, to have like a force, like an inner being, a character, like the non-material faculty. So meaning that when we say that you are strong in the spirit, it also means that you have strong character, moral character, strong character, moral character. That is why the fruit of the Spirit entails characteristics such as love, kindness, gentleness, patience. So when we talk about you are in the Spirit, not only you possessing power, but you also possess moral qualities.
Speaker 1:So Jesus became strong in spirit can also mean Jesus was a man of morality. He was a young man who had values. He was a young man who had virtues. He was a young man who walked in righteousness. So, young people, spiritual growth entails you embracing, setting certain standards among your friends, having standards for yourself, having boundaries for yourself where you have to go, not everything you have to do. You are spiritually inclined with the things of God. You fear God, but you have to make the effort to grow spiritually.
Speaker 1:Another example of somebody who was young that the Bible says that this person was also strong in the spirit was John the Baptist. And this phrase strong in the spirit was John the Baptist, and and and and these phrase strong in the spirit was actually mentioned to when John and Jesus were young. So spiritual maturity, one of God, spiritual sensitivity, it's not about age. There are people who are 12 years old, who are matured, who have character, who have standards, who have good reputation, spiritual discipline. The Bible says for John the Baptist that so the child grew and became strong in spirit.
Speaker 1:Now let's look at the mental growth of Jesus, three essential areas that we need to grow in. Look what it says in Luke, chapter 2, verse 40. And the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom. Filled with wisdom, wow. Filled with wisdom. Filled with wisdom, wow. And now let's jump to luke, chapter 2, verse 52.
Speaker 1:The bible says jesus increase in wisdom, wow, filled in wisdom, and increase in wisdom. What does that mean? Filled? When you're filled, it's like you pouring water in a cup or in a bottle and sometimes you can determine if you want that water to be completely full. But the Bible says that Jesus was filled with wisdom. He was filled with wisdom and the Bible also state that Jesus increased with wisdom. So if Jesus was filled with wisdom, that means that Jesus was already full with wisdom. But that was not enough. Jesus is the continuous learner, constantly learning as a human being, again, as God, he's the fullness of wisdom. As God, he knows everything. As God, it doesn't need to learn. But as a human being, even though Jesus is filled with wisdom. In Luke, chapter 2, verse 52, the Bible says Jesus increased. When you increase, you grow. When you increase, you expand. When you increase, you enlarge. So what we are seeing here, jesus was not satisfied with the level of wisdom he had. Jesus was determined to continue to learn.
Speaker 1:You as young people yes, you're in school. I know you're reading your books, you're doing your assignments, but formal education is not the end of learning. Formal education is not the end of learning. Formal education is not the end of learning. There's a saying by my favorite mental, jim Rohn, state that formal education can make you a living, which is when you finish primary school, high school school, you go to college, you go to university. They will teach you, they will prepare you, they will equip you for you to be employed, working for other people. But this man state that informal education informal education, like I said, it's you taking the time, the effort and the resources to invest in your knowledge, to invest in your knowledge, to invest in your skill set in whatever area that you're interested in. So when you acquire your informal education by reading books, attending workshops, listening to podcasts on YouTube, getting knowledge, that informal education will make you a fortune. It will make you a fortune. It will make you a fortune.
Speaker 1:So we, as young people, we need to be long life students, because you can never exhaust the materials of life. Life is mysterious. There's always something for you to learn. When I was your age I'm still young sometimes I think that I know it all, but when life humbles you to tell you that you know what, you have no clue how to manage your finances. You have no clue about what love is. You have no clue how to manage your finances. You have no clue about what love is. You have no idea about family. You have no clue about being in a professional setting. So what do you have to do? You have to be humble to learn.
Speaker 1:So we see that the mental growth of the young Jesus focuses on his mental capacity. Focuses on his mental capacity. I have to learn, I have to acquire knowledge. But the knowledge that Jesus was acquiring was from the word of God. Young people, some of you are very smart, very smart in your academic, but are you intelligent? Are you smart enough in the things of God? Are you proficient in the Word of God? Can you quote a Bible verse? That is the best knowledge you can get the knowledge from the Word of God. Amen.
Speaker 1:So Jesus was filled with wisdom and Jesus increased in wisdom. Jesus was not satisfied. He was constantly learning, constantly learning. But now look what it says. Just to clarify that the Bible says when Jesus was a boy, he was filled with wisdom, increasing wisdom. Now, when Jesus was an adult, look what Paul says about him in first Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 30. But of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom, wisdom from God, who became, who became?
Speaker 1:Even though Jesus had the spirit of wisdom, jesus had to go through the human process to become the wisdom of God. Just because you are gifted, you have to own your craft. If you're a singer, you have the seed, you have the raw material of singing, but you have to own your craft. If you're a singer, you have the seed, you have the raw material of singing, but you have to own your craft, you have to cultivate your craft, you have to develop your craft so you can become excellent in what you're doing. That is the case of Jesus. For him to be called the wisdom of God, he had to become. Look what it says in verse 24, first Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 24, for Paul is still emphasizing that. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. So, young people, for Jesus Christ to have such title started when he was young, for him to be considered, for him to be recognized, for him to be called the power of God and the wisdom of God.
Speaker 1:Jesus started learning at the age of 12 in the temple, when he continued to read. He was interested in learning Colossians, chapter 2, verse 2 to 3. Colossians, chapter 2, verse 2, to read. He was interested in learning Colossians, chapter 2, verse 2 to 3. Colossians, chapter 2, verse 2 to 3. Look what it says that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding. Wow, this is Paul speaking to us as believers to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are eating all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge.
Speaker 1:When you read the book of Proverbs, one of the emphasis from the author Solomon is in all that you're getting, get wisdom, get understanding that wisdom is the principal thing. If Jesus Christ himself acquire wisdom, who are you, young man? Who are you, young woman? Not to pursue wisdom, not to pursue wisdom, not to pursue knowledge About life, about everything that is essential to you. Pursue knowledge in your finances. Pursue knowledge how to relate with people. Pursue knowledge how to serve God. Pursue knowledge. And if you don't have wisdom, you don't have knowledge. The Bible says ask God. God will freely give it to you, because in him are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge that we need to live an effective life.
Speaker 1:Finally, the Bible says that the glory of the young people is your strength and the glory of the old is your wisdom. Wisdom is not just for the older people. Wisdom is not just for your parents. God wants you to acquire wisdom. Use your strength to learn to acquire wisdom. Use your strength to learn. Don't use your strength to party. Don't use your strength to gossip. Don't use your strength to become contentious. Use your strength to learn. Use your strength to pursue wisdom. Use your strength to become strong in the spirit. Wisdom is strength. Being in the spirit is strength. So, young people, if you want to be strong, have wisdom. If you want to be strong, be in the spirit. As it says in Proverbs, chapter 24, verse 5, a wise man is strong. Yes, this is the theme of strength. Your strength is not just your physical muscle. Your strength can also be in you getting wisdom, because the Bible says a wise man is strong. When you are a wise woman or a wise young man, you are strong, you are able to navigate life.
Speaker 1:And the bible says in ephesians, chapter 3, verse 16 he will grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened, to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man. So, if you want to be strong, be in the spirit. These are two powerful requests. If there's anything you're going to get in this life that we have heard today, especially if you're a young man, a young woman. If you want to be strong in life, pursue wisdom. If you want to be strong in life be in the spirit. Then in Jeremiah, abba says thus says the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might. Nor let the rich man glory in his riches, but let him glory, glory in his that he. Nor let the rich man glory in his riches, but let him glory in his that he understands and knows me. Wow. So I have said that you need to acquire wisdom and you need to be in the spirit.
Speaker 1:But sometimes, when God makes you a wise man or a wise young woman, or strong in the spirit, you can preach, you can sing. Sometimes we can become cocky, we can become proud. So god is not making you strong by giving you wisdom. God is not making you strong by allowing you to be in the spirit just for a show, just for you to boss people around. No, that is why god is saying I want you to be humble. I don't want you to boast because you're the wisest woman in class. I don't want you to boast because you're the wisest young man among your friends. I don't want you to boast because you're the most spiritual person. No, If you are going to boast, boast that you know God and God knows you. If you are going to be proud, be proud of God, be proud that you know God, be proud of his attributes.
Speaker 1:And the Bible says in Zechariah, chapter 4, verse 6,. So he answered and said to me this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel. Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord. Like I said, strength can be found when you walk in the spirit. Strength can be found when you are led by the spirit. Finally, jesus embraced Jesus because Jesus is the fullness of wisdom, jesus is the wisdom of God and Jesus is the power of God. Really, to summarize what I've said, if you want to have these two essential attributes in life, especially for you as a young man and as a young woman, embrace Jesus, because Jesus is going to be your strength, jesus is going to be your wisdom.
