INCREASING LIKE JESUS: DR. MENSAH OTABIL – SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE, 9TH JANUARY, 2022
SPECIAL SUNDAY SERVICE BY DR. MENSAH OTABIL (GENERAL OVERSEER INTERNATIONAL CENTRAL GOSPEL CHURCH (ICGC) CHRIST TEMPLE, ACCRA GHANA)
TOPIC: INCREASING LIKE JESUS
DATE: 9TH JANUARY, 2022
TEXT: LUKE 2:39-40; LUKE 2:51-52
Let’s rise up together as we take our DECLARATION OF INCREASE in this Year of Increase:
Are you ready? Say with me:
I confess today that Jesus Christ is my LORD and Saviour. In Him I have life, His Abundant Life.
The Lord is my Light and Strength. As He is, so has He made me. By His Spirit I Increase in Word and in Wisdom. In Faith and in Favour.
The Lord has said: “In Blessing, I will bless you. In multiplying I will Multiply your Seed.”
So, I can boldly say: My God shall Increase me more and more. What I Place in God’s Hands grows into Overflow.
Though I begin small, my end shall Greatly Increase.
In this Year of Increase, I grow in Grace and in Strength. To be all that God wants me to be.
In Jesus’ Name – AMEN!
Today I have Titled my Message: INCREASING LIKE JESUS.
So I want to make Jesus Christ the focus of our Increase – We are going to watch His example; we ae going to see how He Increased as a Person. And we are going to see how that applies to our lives.
DID JESUS EVER INCREASE?
Well, we are to find it in the Bible – Luke 2:39-40. And it reads (NKJV):
39 So when they had Performed all things according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own City, Nazareth.
40 And the Child grew and became Strong in Spirit, filled with Wisdom; and the Grace of God was upon Him.
… This is how the Scripture records the Life of Jesus.
And at this time, He had been dedicated to the Lord in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Now, according to the Law in His day, was that Dedication should have taken Place a bit earlier. But Dedication also goes with Purification of the mother! And Purification takes Place forty (40) days after the child is born.
So in Jesus instance, His Dedication and Purification all happened together. And this is happening when Jesus is forty (40) days old.
And so the record of the Scripture is what happened to Jesus between forty (40) days old. And the next record of Him would be when He is twelve (12) years old.
So, He is forty (40) days old; before He gets to twelve (12) years old, the Bible says “He GREW.” – And the Greek word that is used there speaks of a Process of Development.
Jesus Christ is born a baby, and He grew – There was a Process of Development.
IN WHAT WAYS DID HE GROW?
The Three (3) Ways that the Passage talks about:
- First, it says that He was STRONG IN SPIRIT.
That means He had built Spiritual Disciplines into His Life.
Jesus had built Spiritual Disciplines into His Life! – He was Strong in Spirit.
- The Second thing is that He was FILLED WITH WISDOM.
… He was Knowledgeable and Mature.
- And the Third thing the Passage says is that GOD’S GRACE WAS UPON HIM.
What does it mean when the Passage says: “God’s Grace was upon Him?”
It means that People could see the Hand of the Lord upon Jesus.
So, from when He was forty (40) days old, He started growing.
Of course, He is growing Physically but He is Strong in Spirit. He is Full of Wisdom – God’s Grace is upon Him.
… And that is a very Significant indication of Who Jesus is.
It is from this Level that He went into the Temple at the age of twelve (12) to talk to the Biblical Scholars.
And we are going to look at that very soon.
But just to Note that when Jesus grows, by the age of twelve (12) He had so much self awareness that He could tell His own Parents – “Didn’t you know that I had to be about my Father’s Business?”
He knew what His Mission was. He knew what He had been Called to do by age 12.
Why? – Because He grew Strong in Spirit; He was filled with Wisdom and the Grace of the Lord was upon Him.
Now He goes to the Temple, and in the Temple He is talking to these big, big Scholars.
It’s like a twelve (12) years old boy who enters a Major Theological Seminary and sits with all the big Theologians, and start having a chat with them.
Can your twelve (12) years old do that? Can your twelve (12) years old hold a conversation with Scholars. And when you were twelve (12) years old could you have done it? – I couldn’t have done it!
But Jesus could.
And He sat among these People for three (3) days talking, conversing.
What was it about this twelve (12) years old that was so Special?
Well, His Parents eventually got Him from the Temple. And Jesus said “Didn’t you know that I had to be about my Father’s Business?” And so they took Him home.
Let’s go to the next Passage – Luke 2:51-52. It says:
51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was Subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in Wisdom and Stature, and in favour with God and men.
Jesus Increased! – First, He grew. Now INCREASED.
The word that is translated in English is different from the word that is translated grew.
And the word Increased means to Advance, to go Forward, to make Progress.
So by the age of twelve (12), Jesus is way above His age mates. But He didn’t stop there! He Increased – He went forward, He moved on.
The word that is translated ‘Increased’ in Greek is a word that is used to talk about when People are clearing a Path.
For example, an Army is going into a battle and there is a bush – They need to cut the bush so that they can create a Path to go into. It was also used by Sailors to talk about moving their Ship forward.
So, when the Scripture says that Jesus Increased, it means He made Progress; He Advanced and He went Forward.
In what Ways did He do that?
First, Jesus Increased as a Person.
Why do I say that?
He was born as a Son of God because the Angle Gabriel had told Mary – “When she conceived, the Child in her would be the Son of God.” Jesus did not become the Son of God; He was a Son of God at Conception.
So, if Jesus is the Son of God at Conception, then why must He grow? Why is He Increasing? What aspect of Him is Increasing. And this is so important.
Because He is already the Son of God. He is not growing to be the Son of God; He is not maturing to be the Son of God; He is not Increasing to be the Son of God.
So in what Way is He Increasing if He is already the Son of God?
Jesus had to grow His body and Mind to the Level of His Spirit.
He grew His body and Mind to the Level of His Spirit.
He is the Son of God way up there. But His Body is the body of the son of Mary. His Mind is the Mind of a Young child but Spiritually, He is the Son of God.
Now, if He leaves it that way, there will be a big gab between Who He is Spiritually, and Who He is Physically.
And so what Jesus does is – He has to grow to match up Who He is in the Spirit.
And He did that by growing in Three (3) Ways:
- First, He Increased in WISDOM.
That word Wisdom means: Intelligence, Skill and Mastery.
Jesus is the Word of God; but as a Human, He had to Study the Scriptures. He learned and read His Own Word.
He also had to develop the Principle of Logic, Rhetoric, Debate that were used by Rabbi and Theologians of His day.
Jesus Increased in Wisdom – He is the Son of God Spiritually; but His Mind had to match up to where His Spirit is. He had to learn, He had to grow to be at the Level of His Spirit.
Can you imagine if Jesus had not grown in Knowledge, He had not grown in Wisdom. He had not studied Scriptures – He just went about saying “I Am the Son of God, I don’t need to learn anything, I know everything.”
What would have happened at the Temptation of Jesus?
Because Satan came to Him and said: “If You are the Son of God (which He was) turn these stones to bread (Temptation).
How did Jesus respond?
He didn’t say – “I Am the Son of God.” He said “IT IS WRITTEN.” How did He know it was written?
… He had grown in Wisdom and in Knowledge to match up with where His Spirit was.
If He didn’t do that, at His Test, He would have failed.
So it’s Possible for you to be Called by God to Greatness; but your Mentality and Wisdom and Understanding would be very low.
In that sense, your Wisdom does not match your Calling. But in Jesus, His Wisdom matched His Calling.
Satan tempted Him and He Passed because He Increased in Wisdom.
- And not only did He increase in Wisdom, the Passage says that: – He increased in STATURE.
That word means: Age, Size and Maturity.
Jesus Christ was not born a full grown Man. He grew as a baby into Adulthood.
But not only did He grow in Age and in Size, He grew in Maturity – Stature is Age and Maturity.
… So, He is growing in Wisdom, He is growing in Maturity with His age;
- And the Third thing is that He grew in Favour with God and with Man.
He was Graceful, balanced and well adjusted.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM JESUS ABOUT INCREASING?
- We must learn that our Knowledge must match what God has Called us to be.
If a Child is born to a reigning King or Queen, that Child (Potentially) is a King. If he is a boy, he is a King. If she is a girl, she is a Queen.
But that Child must learn the ways of Kings so that his Knowledge would match up with his Calling. Otherwise he would be a King by Calling; but he would be a Servant by Mentality.
Whatever God Calls you to be, you must match it with your Knowledge.
Let me take it a little further, and bring it down from Jesus to us.
Let’s say God called me to be a Medical Doctor – That’s my Calling. I am a Doctor.
And let’s imagine that Somebody Prophesied to my mother and said – “Hey Mama, you are Pregnant today and that boy in your womb is going to be a Famous Doctor.”
From my mother’s womb, “I am a Doctor.”
But I need to grow in Knowledge,in Stature, to become a Doctor.
And can you imagine if I grow up saying – “I am a Doctor! A Prophet said I am a Doctor; God even said I am a Doctor. And I don’t need to learn about a Doctor (and never learn).” What will happen is: my Calling and my Wisdom will have a gap.
There is a gap between what I am Called to be and what I have learned by Wisdom to become.
The Challenge with many of us is that there is a big Prophecy upon our lives, but we are way below our Calling.
It’s like a Pastor, God says – “My son or daughter I have Called you. I am going to use you to Change the world. You are going to Preach to Nations.”
But you never studied the Bible! You don’t develop the Principles of Communication. You don’t develop your Logic; you don’t develop your Rhetoric, you don’t develop any of these things because, you are Called.
If that is your Attitude, your Calling would be way up here; but your Wisdom would be way down there.
But Jesus Christ, the Son of God way up there – born as a baby; He had to grow His Wisdom to get to the Level where He knows Who He is.
… He Wisdom matched His Calling! And your Wisdom must match your Calling.
So the question you need to ask yourself: Does my Wisdom, my knowledge, my intelligence match my Calling?
Have I increased in Knowledge to the Level of what God has Called me to be?
If God speaks to you and say: Son, Year 2022 you are going to make Millions of dollars (somebody say Amen to that). So God says – Son, this Year you will make Millions!
That is your Calling!
But your Wisdom must move from ten to Millions. Because the Wisdom it takes to be a Millionaire is very different from the Wisdom it takes to be a ‘Thousanaire.’
… The Wisdom it takes to be a ‘Thousanaire’ is different from the Wisdom it takes to be ‘Hundrednaire.’
There are People who cannot make beyond a certain amount of money. They don’t have the capacity to do that! They don’t have the Knowledge, Wisdom, the Stature, the Maturity, the Attitude to do that!
So even if God has Called them to be that, their Mind, their Stature is below that.
What God wants you to do – You are going to grow your Wisdom from baby Stage to the Highest Calling.
And each one of us this Year, that’s going to be our Challenge. We are going to look at the gap between what we know and what we are called to be.
… The gap between what I know and what God has has Called me to be.
Do you know what God wants you to be? Do you know what He has Called you to become?
In any area, you have to match up your Wisdom!
Jesus grew in Wisdom, in Knowledge. He didn’t grow as a Son of God -:Son of God is established.
But He grew in Wisdom to become all that God has Called Him to be.
Let us not allow a deficit to Stand between our Potential and our Reality.
If God says: “I am going to do something Great with you” you must be a Master in that area to become all that God wants you to be.
- The Second Lesson we can learn from Jesus is that – Our Maturity must match our Physical Growth and Age.
Progressively, we get to be better People as we age – That is growing in Stature. Maturity matching age!
And it happens to all of us where sometimes we are growing in age, but we are not improving. The Scripture says, as our age is, so shall our Strength be!
As I grow older I am not going to be as Physically Strong as I was when I was twenty (20) years old. And all those who are older (reading this Message now on the Label of DMC) can bear me Witness – That by the time you get to be fifty (50) years and above, your body has limitations, your knees have limitations, your joints have limitations.
But your Mind must not have Limitations; your Maturity must not have Limitations.
So, although I cannot do what I used to do when I was twenty (20), I should be far more competent now than I was twenty (20) years old.
I don’t like listening to myself much; because when I listen to myself, I get so angry (and I am correcting myself). Hence, I don’t listen to myself. I self-correct too much!
Once in a while I listen to myself – If I listen to the way I used to Preached twenty (20) years ago; I know without any doubt that, as I have grown in Age, so have I grown in Wisdom and in Maturity.
My mode of communication is better, my expression is better.
Why? – Because, as we Age, we must be better People. And that’s what Jesus did – He Increased in Stature.
… This year: Increase in Wisdom, Increase in Stature – Amen!
- And the Third thing we would Notice about Jesus is that: He Increased in Favour with God and Man.
And What does it mean? – Our Relationship with God must reflect in our Relationship with People.
If you look at the Two Passages we read (Like 2:39-40 and Luke 2:51-52): the first one, when Jesus is very Young – He grew, the Grace of God was upon Him. Then the Second one, He Increased and He grew in Favour with God and with Man.
The first time, He only knew how to relate to God. But as He grew up, He had to learn how to relate with People because Jesus had to learn the ways of People.
“And He grew in Favour with God and with Man.” – That is Increase!
I cannot say: “I am so in touch with God. Oh, the Anointing is so much upon me; but I can’t do the Natural things that are required for me to become Successful.”
I. You are so Anointed, but you can’t get along with anybody!
II. So Anointed, you can’t build a Team;
III. So Anointed, you can’t get your Marriage to work;
IV. So Anointed, you quarrel with everybody.
… What kind of Anointing is that?
If you are going to grow in Favour with God and the Anointing of God is upon you, it must reflect in your Human Relationships.
So this Year (2022), this is also something we want to Target ourselves with:
I. That we would grow not only in Wisdom and in Stature, but we would grow in Favour with God and Man.
II. We would relate well with People and we would relate well with God. God is going to like us, people are going to like us.
We can handle things at the Human Level, and still handle things at the Divine Level.
That’s how God wants us to be – People who are able to handle things at the Divine Level and still handle things at the Human Level.
… That is the way the Scripture says Jesus INCREASED.
Later on when you read about Jesus, what increases about Him is His FAME and His Ministry Increasing.
But before all of that Increase – The Fame and the Ministry Increase; there was a Personal Increase; where He grew to become Who He was Spiritual.
And I Pray for you this Year (2022) – That you will be all that God wants us to be – Amen.
How do we become all that God wants us to be?
We are going to grow in Wisdom, in Stature and in Favour with God and Man.
And when we do that, we become ALL THAT GOD WANTS US TO BE.
In Year 2022; we are increasing in Person, we are increasing in Wisdom, we are increasing in Stature, we are increasing in Favour – to be what God wants us to be.
GENERAL PRAYER
Why don’t you just talk to the Lord wherever you are or reading this Message now on the Label of DMC, and just ask Him to help you this Year (2022) to be ALL THAT HE WANTS YOU TO BE.
… Just talk to Him!
CLOSING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, this Morning we come to You, fully recognizing Your Grace upon our lives; Your Calling to us, Your Gifts to us.
For we know Lord, You have Called us to Greatness, You have Called us to Significance, You have Called us to make Impact, You have Called us in various Professions!
And Father we ask that this Year (2022), You will help us, that there will be no mismatch between our Calling and our Wisdom.
That there will be no mismatch between our Potential and our Reality.
That where there is a gap, You will teach us to grow in Wisdom as Jesus did; to grow in Stature as Jesus did; to grow in Favour with God and Man as Jesus did.
Help us Lord to Increase on every sides – To Increase in Faith, in Word, in Knowledge and in Understanding.
And may Christ be Glorified in our lives this Year, as we start seeking to become all that You want us to be.
In Jesus’ Name – Amen and Amen!
Give the Lord some Praise this Morning!
Thank you so much for staying all through to read.
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