1 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:07,080 We need the Holy Spirit. Amen, We need him. 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:11,040 He is the gift of God. When the disciples who lived 3 00:00:11,040 --> 00:00:14,880 with Jesus, sat with Jesus, ate with Jesus, embraced Jesus, 4 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:20,560 witnessed Jesus, heard Jesus. After all of that intensive 5 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:26,400 exposure to the person of Jesus, the Son of God in flesh, the 6 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,440 Lord told him before he ascended into heaven, you need to wait. 7 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:34,200 You need to wait until the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon 8 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:38,200 you. Education is important. 9 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,960 Study is important. Gaining knowledge is important. 10 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:47,360 Experience is important. But none of that can substitute 11 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:52,360 the power of the Holy Spirit. And the true minister lives with 12 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:56,760 a consistent awareness that if it's not for the Holy Spirit, he 13 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,240 will not truly know fruit and effectiveness. 14 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:04,640 And his preaching and his witness and his service is that. 15 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,480 That's not just true for the preacher in that Upper Room. 16 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:08,880 It wasn't just preachers in there. 17 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,040 You had men and women in there who all needed the power of the 18 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:16,040 Holy Spirit. And so I say that to you in the 19 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,480 beginning of this time, so that we can seek His power together, 20 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:24,160 and ask that he would clothe us with His endowment and His 21 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,440 grace, so that this would not be an empty time. 22 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,920 It would not be a vain time, it would be a time of great power. 23 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:37,360 Lord, we ask you with all of our hearts, forsaking any confidence 24 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:42,160 in anything else. We believe in the Holy Spirit, 25 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,880 and we ask that the Holy Spirit would not be grieved, and he 26 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,320 would not shrink from this place or this moment. 27 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:56,280 We ask that He would be pleased to move freely and Lord. 28 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,640 We ask that the Holy Spirit would help us see Jesus Christ 29 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,120 and to glorify and honor Him. Lord, we relinquish any trust 30 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:11,440 and eloquence, personality, charisma, any schemes of man, 31 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:16,320 and we just ask for the pure raw power of God. 32 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,560 This is our longing. And thank you for a place that 33 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:24,120 believes that you can do amazing things through the word preached 34 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,880 and heard. We submit this time to you 35 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:31,440 asking that we would never be the same as a result of our time 36 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:33,760 in Jesus name. Amen. 37 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:42,040 Mark chapter 10, verse 13 to 16. Mark chapter 10, verse 13 to 16. 38 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,200 Apart from the singing, one of my favorite sounds is the sounds 39 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,320 that I'm hearing right now. Pages being flipped. 40 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,520 Mark 10, verse 13, Let's read together. 41 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,920 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them. 42 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,400 And the disciples rebuke them. And when Jesus saw it, he was 43 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:13,800 indignant and said to them, Let the children come to me, do not 44 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:17,200 hinder them, for the such belongs the Kingdom of God. 45 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,800 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of 46 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:23,760 God like a child shall not enter it. 47 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,560 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands 48 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,240 on them. It is no coincidence that the 49 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,520 Holy Spirit turns our attention to Jesus ministering to 50 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:39,360 children, following his strong teaching about marriage and 51 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,520 divorce. We are all aware that the 52 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,800 severing of a union between a man and a woman has a great 53 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:51,240 price, and the greatest damage occurs to those who are the 54 00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:55,160 offspring of a man and a woman who have come together in that 55 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,680 covenant. And one of the harms that come 56 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:04,840 from this painful separation, at least in the life of a children, 57 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,880 is that many of them tend to convince themselves that they 58 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:13,840 are somehow the cause of their father and mother walking away 59 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:19,720 from each other. The psychological confusion and 60 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:26,320 destruction that comes from the unfortunate situation of divorce 61 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,200 is just one of the many testimonies of the devastation 62 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,360 of it and the reason why God absolutely abhors it. 63 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:35,960 Now, we don't know the condition of the homes of these children 64 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,800 who have come to Jesus, but its placement here is quite 65 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,080 encouraging in the backdrop of what Jesus is taught about. 66 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:45,560 And here's what you can take from this encounter. 67 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,320 There's many things to learn from this, but when you look at 68 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,040 where it's positioned, how it follows, what we just learned 69 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:56,560 last week about the severity of this separation known as 70 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:00,720 divorce, Jesus is the most dependable and reliable source 71 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,600 of love. Jesus is the most dependable, 72 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:10,200 reliable source of love. Your father is prone to 73 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,480 disappoint you. And maybe for you in this place, 74 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,080 some of you in this place, he already has. 75 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:19,640 In a very significant way. It's possible for a mother to 76 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:23,480 withhold the affection and the attention that a child needs. 77 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,120 But when you look to Jesus here, you have to understand that his 78 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,400 care for you and that his love for you is unswerving. 79 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:35,880 It is absolutely certain. You may be wondering why I'm 80 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,880 saying that to a room that's mainly comprised of adults. 81 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,800 Because you would be amazed to know that even parents today and 82 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:46,800 grandparents today are still walking with a limp because of a 83 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,120 wound that they received from somebody who was supposed to 84 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:54,920 nurture and build them. The bruise of betrayal, the 85 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:58,400 sense of distrust that has come from that traumatic experience, 86 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:00,080 and now it's projected on other things. 87 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,280 And it's carried into marriages, their own marriages. 88 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,240 What they've seen in their mother and father now is 89 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:13,280 bleeding into other areas of life and even David. 90 00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:16,600 David was a full grown warrior when he wrote the Psalms. 91 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:21,120 And yet through the inspiration of the Spirit, he alludes to the 92 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:25,960 pain that can come from disappointment, from somebody 93 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:29,720 like a father or a mother. What did he say in Psalm 27, 94 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:32,280 verse 10? For my father and mother have 95 00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:37,560 what they've forsaken me. This is a man who's gone to war. 96 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:39,520 This is a man who had battle scars. 97 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:43,280 This is a man who has faced giants, and yet he can attest to 98 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:48,720 the severity of what it is like when a father or mother walks 99 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:54,600 away, fails, does not live up to the standard that to which they 100 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:56,600 were called. But David doesn't write that 101 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,560 Psalm as just an expression of sorrow or woe, because in the 102 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:03,000 same breath he gives the solution, he gives hope. 103 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:05,840 For my father and mother they have yes, walked away. 104 00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:09,960 But the Lord will take me in, the Lord will take me in. 105 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,520 And that's what David yes, by the Spirit, yes, God speaking 106 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:15,960 through David is saying about the Lord. 107 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,480 But the Lord himself says something to us in a text like 108 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:23,440 this. And Isaiah 4915, where he asked 109 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,240 the rhetorical question, can a woman forget her nursing child? 110 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,080 Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no 111 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,120 compassion on the son of her womb? 112 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:35,440 Then he says, yeah, even these may forget. 113 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:39,480 It's possible. It's possible even for a mother, 114 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:42,880 for the baby that she's carried in her womb for nine months, to 115 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:48,200 be negligent, to be selfish, to care about self, even at the 116 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:50,040 expense of the well-being of that baby. 117 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,160 Even these may forget, but it goes on to say, but the Lord 118 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,280 will not forget you, The Lord will not forget you. 119 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:00,240 You know what I take from this? Especially when you think about 120 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,480 David's words. David is not speaking 121 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,520 theoretically about his relationship with the Lord. 122 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:09,360 When David says, yeah, my father, my mother, it's possible 123 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,600 for them in my life and in your life to walk away, to walk away 124 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:15,560 from each other, in essence, to walk away from you. 125 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:22,200 And the same thing that you should expect from a mother or 126 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:26,360 father, personalized affection and attention from both of them. 127 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,320 He parallels what was missing from them. 128 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,760 And he says, well, what I was missing in them I found in the 129 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:37,240 Lord meaning when you rehearse about the love of God, the 130 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,720 personal love he has for you, it's actually experiential. 131 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:44,960 The love of a father and a mother is not theoretical. 132 00:08:45,560 --> 00:08:49,760 It's not just an idea. It's felt, it's known, it's 133 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,360 tangible, it's observable, it's tasted. 134 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,560 And he's saying what I'm missing from them, I got from the Lord. 135 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:00,960 That tells me that Christ is experienced. 136 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:05,280 Not just learned, not just taught. 137 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,080 There's something that is actually impressed on your life 138 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,840 as you walk with Him. We believe that we walk with 139 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:17,080 him, He walks with us, and he transfers and deposits his love 140 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:19,640 in our lives. And it's real. 141 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,560 It's not just preaching points. It's not just lovely melodies. 142 00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:26,040 It's real. It's sticks. 143 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:31,760 It transforms. And there's something about the 144 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:34,720 Lord Jesus that these parents or relatives, we're not told 145 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:36,720 explicitly that they were parents, but you're assuming 146 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:38,480 that they are. There's something about the 147 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,280 person of Jesus Christ that was clearly perceived for them to 148 00:09:41,280 --> 00:09:43,880 feel confident enough to bring them to the Lord and say, would 149 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:47,400 you bless my child, would you touch my baby? 150 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:51,200 And so they approached the Lord in this way. 151 00:09:51,680 --> 00:09:53,440 And you know, many crowds have come to Jesus. 152 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:54,960 Many groups of people have approached Lord. 153 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:56,840 We've seen many episodes of that. 154 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:59,680 And most of the time, they had what questionable motives? 155 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:03,640 But there's something about this group of people at this juncture 156 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:07,720 that is quite exemplary. We should praise these parents 157 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:09,960 for what they're doing here as they bring their babies to the 158 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:11,080 Lord. You know why? 159 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:12,640 It's because they believe something. 160 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,080 This is an act of faith. You know what? 161 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,800 They believed that their children were not too young to 162 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:24,400 receive a blessing from Christ. They believe that the Lord has a 163 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,360 heart for the young and is willing to honor the faith of 164 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,200 those who are responsible for their children to be blessed by 165 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:31,560 him. And the Lord honor that faith. 166 00:10:31,560 --> 00:10:35,080 How young were these children? I think they were teenagers. 167 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:36,080 Think they were young adults. No. 168 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,080 Go back to verse 16. What do you see? 169 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:39,920 And he took them in his arms. They were young enough to be 170 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:44,280 held in his arms. Infants to toddlers. 171 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,800 And the scene here of Jesus scooping up these children. 172 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:55,200 You know, if you're a minister, you should be relatable. 173 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:58,280 If you're a minister, you should be approachable. 174 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:02,880 If you're a minister, you shouldn't be sour and scary. 175 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:09,800 Here's Jesus that children can feel safe in his arms, and it 176 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:13,120 reminds me of this verse that's often not referred to when it 177 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,560 comes to the discussion of children in the Word of God. 178 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,840 I want you to see it with your own eyes in Acts 7, verse 20. 179 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:25,160 Look what Stephen says about God concerning one particular baby. 180 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:30,160 In Acts 7, verse 20 and this marvelous sermon that he gives 181 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,840 to the religious leaders, he makes mention of the person, the 182 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:39,320 birth, the destiny of Moses. And in Acts 720 we read at this 183 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:44,720 time Moses was born and he was beautiful in God's sight. 184 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,560 He was beautiful in God's sight and he was brought up for three 185 00:11:49,560 --> 00:11:53,240 months in his father's house. What does it mean that he was 186 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,000 beautiful in God's sight? Was he a cute baby? 187 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:58,200 Maybe. Was the adorable? 188 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,000 Sure. But it's deeper than that. 189 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:02,480 Because notice he says at this time. 190 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:04,280 What time? Well, he says right before this, 191 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:07,800 reminding the history of the nation of Israel that they were 192 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,600 slaughtered, the Hebrew children, when they were under 193 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,000 captivity in Egypt, they were slaughtered. 194 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,680 There was a massacre of these Hebrew boys. 195 00:12:16,680 --> 00:12:20,160 And in the backdrop of such a darkness and evil and vileness, 196 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:24,040 there was the birth of a baby Moses. 197 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,320 And that sight, I'm sure, was delightful to the Lord. 198 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,040 And not only was it delightful for the simple fact that this is 199 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,960 his gift into the world, this is an expression of his design and 200 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:35,920 his will. But this was an expression of a 201 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:39,200 faith, of a faith that came from Moses parents who were not 202 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:41,480 afraid of the King's edict. And so they said, you know what? 203 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:43,520 No matter what the king says, we're going to have a baby. 204 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,120 And so Moses comes on the scene, and I'm sure that this pleased 205 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:51,120 the Lord as well. And moreover, as you know about 206 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:54,680 Moses, there was a destiny connected to this baby, one that 207 00:12:54,680 --> 00:12:57,160 would bring glory to the God of Israel and that would liberate 208 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:00,440 the people of God. All in all, you know what 209 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:02,440 Stephen is saying? Stephen is saying that we serve 210 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:04,600 a God who looks favorably upon children. 211 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:08,880 He looks upon a child like Moses as an example, and he does not 212 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:12,360 consider their existence, even at this stage of life, to be 213 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:14,720 unimportant. Insignificant. 214 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:18,680 No. Even though they're helpless and 215 00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:21,480 vulnerable, it's a beautiful sight to God. 216 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:24,400 It's a beautiful thing. And this is not the only place 217 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,400 where Moses is called beautiful. So you're in Acts. 218 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:30,240 Go to Hebrews and look at Hebrews 11 verse 23. 219 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,280 Now we're being told about the faith of Moses's parents. 220 00:13:33,680 --> 00:13:38,000 There's an interesting connection between Acts 720 and 221 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:46,320 Hebrews 11/23 and Hebrews 11/23. We're told by faith. 222 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,440 Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his 223 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:53,760 parents because they saw that the child was beautiful. 224 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:55,520 Hold on. Axe says that he was beautiful 225 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:59,320 in the sight of God. It's a beautiful sound, right? 226 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:05,720 We're told in Axe that it was a beautiful sight to God. 227 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:08,480 Now we come to Hebrews and we're told it was not just a beautiful 228 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,320 sight to God, it was a beautiful sight to the parents of Moses. 229 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:13,920 It's the same Greek word, by the way. 230 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:21,160 It's a very interesting word. Doesn't this excite you saying, 231 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:24,480 what do we make of this? Any parent sees their baby and 232 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:26,360 sees that it's beautiful, but it's a deeper thing, especially 233 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,120 when you connect with Acts. Here's what I take from this 234 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:33,920 Moses's parents saw Moses the same way God did. 235 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:41,720 They were in one mind with God. And the reason why this excites 236 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:44,840 me is because it shows that it's possible to perceive, it's 237 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:48,320 possible to interpret events and people the way God does. 238 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:52,920 You see what's beautiful, the way God sees it as beautiful. 239 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,320 You see what's ugly, the way God sees it, that's ugly. 240 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:56,320 And you say, well, that's a nice thought. 241 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:57,880 It's not a nice thought. It's necessary. 242 00:14:59,360 --> 00:15:01,080 It's a necessary thought. You're saying, why? 243 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,760 Notice the wording of Hebrews 11/23 by faith. 244 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:07,280 Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his 245 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,160 parents. That's a death sentence. 246 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:11,160 You're you're going against the King's edict. 247 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:13,560 You're supposed to surrender those babies, and they're 248 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:14,840 supposed to be thrown into the Nile. 249 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:18,040 But they chose to secure this child and risk their lives for 250 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:19,320 this child. Why? 251 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:24,160 What's the connection? Because because they saw that 252 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,560 the child was beautiful again, Not just because it was an 253 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,680 adorable baby. Because they saw something 254 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:32,720 deeper than that. They saw what God saw. 255 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:38,320 When you see as God sees, it will determine so much. 256 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:43,160 The way you decide, the way you move, the way you react, the way 257 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:46,960 you engage, the way you do, anything you see as God sees. 258 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,760 Because that's how they did it. They saw as God saw, and that's 259 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,240 what made their decision to risk their lives and faith. 260 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:57,440 If you see your wife the way God sees your wife, your marriage 261 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:59,840 would be different. If you see your husband the way 262 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:03,440 your God sees your husband, your marriage will look different. 263 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:06,280 If you see this church the way God sees this church and the 264 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:08,640 church at large, your attitude towards the church will be 265 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,280 different. If you see money the way God 266 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:13,680 sees money, your attitude towards money will be different. 267 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:16,320 Any aspect of life, any facet of life. 268 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:20,160 If you just see it the way God sees it, you will know ultimate 269 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:22,680 blessing from it, because God is perfect. 270 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:30,080 And that includes the way you and I see children, because 271 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,560 Jesus saw children far more differently than the disciples. 272 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,320 Did you come back to Mark 10, And what do you read? 273 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:38,760 We read in verse 13. And they were bringing children 274 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:39,960 to him, that he might touch them. 275 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,960 And the disciples rebuke them, rebuke the parents. 276 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:48,360 So here you have these toddlers and these babies approaching the 277 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:52,280 Lord. And these disciples saw them as 278 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:56,600 an interruption. They saw them as a hindrance. 279 00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:59,960 And we're not told for the unnecessary rebuke why this 280 00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:02,560 happened, but we can assume we can guess that they had. 281 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:06,200 They had a good reason for it. At least they thought so. 282 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,800 Their intention was pure. They wanted to protect their 283 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,560 Lord. They realized that their Lord 284 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:15,599 was already invested in so much diseases and demon possessed 285 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:19,160 souls and sermons. And so they saw these children 286 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,880 coming as as just an unnecessary time of ministry. 287 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:26,839 This is not priority. And so they began to shoo the 288 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:30,600 parents away. And you can imagine what they 289 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:32,840 said. Look, the Master is very busy. 290 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,760 He has so much on his plate. We're running a short amount of 291 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,080 time here. And as much as your children are 292 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:40,360 adorable, they're beautiful, but they're not. 293 00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:42,320 They're not the most important thing at this time. 294 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:47,720 And so just please walk away. There's there's not enough time 295 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,280 for this, this whole ordeal. Oh, how they were wrong. 296 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,920 You know, I read this. I mean, these are the disciples 297 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:59,440 of Jesus. Like, these are the closest 298 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:00,840 representatives. These are the ones who are 299 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:03,040 supposed to be trained to be apostles and lay the foundation 300 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:05,760 of the doctrine of the church. And you know what you and I take 301 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:08,200 from this little incident here? It's very, it's very encouraging 302 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:10,840 because you're going to encourage, you're going to 303 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:12,560 encounter this at one point or another. 304 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,600 Often times, the disciples of Christ don't represent Christ 305 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:23,560 faithfully. And you see this exemplified 306 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,160 over and over again in the Gospels, right? 307 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:31,440 The disciples who represent Christ, they didn't do it so 308 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:33,520 accurately and faithfully at times. 309 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,240 Why is that shown to us over and over again? 310 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,760 I think one of the reasons to prepare you to also know 311 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:42,800 disappointment from those who represent Christ, and for it not 312 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,880 to cause your heart to disregard the person of Jesus Christ. 313 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:49,600 How many today are not in church because they've been hurt by the 314 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,480 church? They're not obeying the Lord 315 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:55,280 because of the failure of those who claim to know the Lord. 316 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:58,680 OK, You have the disciples here who shunned away parents to 317 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,680 receive blessing from Jesus. Did they turn their backs on 318 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,240 Jesus? And. 319 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:06,360 But more than that, more than just looking at the disciples 320 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:08,000 and saying, yeah, I know some Christians like that. 321 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,360 Yeah, yeah, Let's look to our own selves and let's look at 322 00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:13,920 this and use this as an example to say, Lord, I don't want to do 323 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,840 this. It's easy to look at Other 324 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:18,520 Christians say, yeah, I know some Christians who are like 325 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,400 that. Yeah, Lord, I look at these 326 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:23,880 disciples, and they had good motives. 327 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,360 They were trying to protect you, guard you, keep you. 328 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:31,240 And they were wrong. They missed the mark. 329 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,720 And I found myself thinking this, thought, reading this over 330 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:37,560 and over. Lord, I don't want to rebuke 331 00:19:37,560 --> 00:19:41,920 what you receive. And I don't want to accept what 332 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:47,360 you reject. I want to be as closely and 333 00:19:47,360 --> 00:19:49,760 nearly to your thinking as possible. 334 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:53,520 Please help me. I don't want to miss it like 335 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:56,240 these disciples missed it. And you know how you and I can 336 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:58,160 be assured that we have the mind of Christ. 337 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:04,040 You renew that mind of yours with the word of God, and you 338 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,360 allow this word to conform you and change you and challenge you 339 00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:11,720 and mold you so that you can see as Christ sees. 340 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:17,400 And people get into legalism and people get into lawlessness 341 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:21,640 because of that very failure to not make this the supreme filter 342 00:20:21,640 --> 00:20:24,360 of their lives and the determiner of their decisions 343 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:27,480 and convictions. And here are these disciples who 344 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,480 have who have turned away people that Christ wanted to come to 345 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:35,080 him. And just look how different the 346 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:37,520 thinking of Christ is in comparison to his own. 347 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:41,960 Look at verse 14. But when Jesus saw it, so Jesus 348 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:44,560 saw the disciples pushing these parents, these mothers and 349 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,920 fathers and uncles away. When Jesus saw it, he was 350 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:52,760 indignant. That is a very, very strong 351 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:55,920 word. It's the same word that was used 352 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,320 of the Pharisees. When they saw and heard the the 353 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:02,520 sounds of the children in the temple receiving Jesus with 354 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,840 Hosannas, they were very much displeased. 355 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,520 It's the same word. And listen to this. 356 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:15,600 This is the strongest word attributed to Jesus and how he 357 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:18,160 felt about his disciples and all the Gospels. 358 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:23,760 The strongest emotion which tells me how much this means to 359 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,040 the Lord. This is a very important thing 360 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:28,480 to Christ. For him to feel this way, to to 361 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:33,480 have that righteous anger toward his own followers concerning 362 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:36,280 children, says something about how he feels about children. 363 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:41,480 It's the only place in the Gospels where such strong 364 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:44,360 emotion from Jesus was directed towards his followers. 365 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,800 And here's the mind of Christ concerning these babies. 366 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:49,720 They are not insignificant to him at all. 367 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:56,600 They are worthy to be ministered to with spiritual emphasis and 368 00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:01,720 great priority. Look at these precious words 369 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,680 again. But when Jesus saw it, he was 370 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:08,440 indignant and said to them, Let the children come to me. 371 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:15,440 Let them come to me. Now why would the Lord say this 372 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:19,600 if he did not believe that there was the ability for blessing to 373 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:21,840 be transferred from him to these children? 374 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:24,200 Why would he say something like this? 375 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:27,040 Unless blessing would occur when children are exposed to the 376 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:30,560 reality of Christ, let the children come to me. 377 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:33,960 Something can happen to these children as they come to me. 378 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:37,360 And one might say, well, yeah, that's obvious because this is 379 00:22:37,360 --> 00:22:40,160 the physical Christ on earth. This is a special segment of 380 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:43,080 human history. And so no wonder there was a 381 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,760 unique access to God in the flesh. 382 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,560 No wonder they would be blessed. But the Bible is very much in 383 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:54,360 favor of the possibility that they can still be blessed today 384 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:57,800 as they are exposed to the reality of the person and truth 385 00:22:57,800 --> 00:22:59,360 of Jesus Christ. You know, one of my favorite 386 00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:02,000 examples of this is in a text that doesn't really directly 387 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:07,040 teach that, but it infers that and and it's a text that deals 388 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:08,880 with actually marriage and divorce. 389 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:10,360 And so when you go there, you'll see it. 390 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:12,880 I'm sure you'll see it now. And 1st Corinthians 7. 391 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:14,640 Very important teaching about marriage. 392 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:16,440 Very important teaching about divorce. 393 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,520 And tucked in, there is an instruction to believers who've 394 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:24,480 been saved in their marriage, and their spouse is an 395 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:26,760 unbeliever. What is a believer supposed to 396 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:29,680 do if they've come to Christ in their marriage and the 397 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,680 unbelieving spouse refuses to accept Christ? 398 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:35,560 You know what Paul tells that unbelieving spouse stay in your 399 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:41,160 marriage because the temptation. The temptation would have been, 400 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:43,080 well, there's no compatibility here. 401 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,880 This is a challenge here, This is difficult here. 402 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:49,120 And it's even possible for the Corinthians to have heard from 403 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:51,880 other Christians that if you as a Christian, remain married to 404 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:54,200 this unbelieving spouse, you're going to be defiled. 405 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,800 You're going to be contaminated. And so Paul is hearing this 406 00:23:57,800 --> 00:23:59,480 right. Corinthians is a response to 407 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:02,520 many questions and inquiries, and he's giving answers to these 408 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:03,840 things. And one of the things he says is 409 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,120 if you are an unbelieving spouse and you're married to somebody 410 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:09,080 who is a believer, rather, if you're a believer married to 411 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:13,240 unbelieving spouse, stay put. Now, if they want to leave 412 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:15,680 because of your faith, then be at peace. 413 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,280 But as long as they're willing to remain with you, stay. 414 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,000 And what's his motive? What's his reason? 415 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:27,000 Verse 14 of Chapter 7 For the unbelieving husband is made holy 416 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:33,280 because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy 417 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:37,360 because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be 418 00:24:37,360 --> 00:24:41,720 unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 419 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:45,280 You need to stay. Why? 420 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:50,240 Because your husband, your wife would be made holy and even your 421 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:52,400 children, they would be made holy. 422 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,000 Holy in what sense? Not in a salvific sense. 423 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,440 Paul's not saying that if you are a wife who is a believer 424 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:00,640 that your salvation is transferred automatically to 425 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,320 your husband just by mere association. 426 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:05,880 He's talking about a sanctifying holiness. 427 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:10,080 He's talking about an influence and a protection that would come 428 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:13,640 from your presence. You being in close proximity. 429 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:17,640 You living your day-to-day in one same household offers 430 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,240 something, some spiritual blessing to those who are 431 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,080 associated with you. That's what he's speaking about. 432 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:26,160 There's something to be projected or something that 433 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:28,520 would radiate from your life as a believer who's walking with 434 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:30,920 the Lord. There's a supply and a shield of 435 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:36,240 grace that would be removed if you were to willfully walk away 436 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:40,320 from that unbelieving home. And so it says something about 437 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:46,720 the power of your walk with the Lord, that others are directly 438 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,520 and indirectly blessed by it, somehow blessed by it. 439 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:53,960 And notice how Paul includes children as recipients of the 440 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,000 blessing of a believer's presence, meaning children are 441 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:01,480 capable of collecting the spiritual benefits of a parent 442 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:05,160 of a relative who is walking with God. 443 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,800 And even if it's just one doesn't have to be both. 444 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:11,280 Let that inspire you. For you who are struggling for 445 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:14,240 you, who are wrestling because you don't have a father who 446 00:26:14,240 --> 00:26:16,200 loves the Lord for your daughter, for your son, 447 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,360 understand that Paul doesn't speak about both parents being 448 00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:22,840 believers, Just one. Just one can make that spouse 449 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:25,360 holy, can make the children holy. 450 00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:29,080 The wisdom that you walk in because you're a Christian, the 451 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:31,160 grace that you walk in, the counsel that you offer, the 452 00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:34,440 prayers that you pray, the inspiration of your walk with 453 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:40,120 God will not be void of impact. Paul saying there is impact, 454 00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:43,920 there is some effect, there is some reward to be known for the 455 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:45,640 person who does not believe the God that you believe. 456 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:51,160 And though salvation is not assured, the proximity of a St. 457 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:54,000 can even lead to salvation. In what sense? 458 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,440 We'll think about it from the child's perspective, as they see 459 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,520 the life of a believing mother and an unbelieving father, or 460 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,200 vice versa. And over time, as they they're 461 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:06,240 able to register and understand things, reactions, actions. 462 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,440 All these things that take place can eventually Paul's saying to 463 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:12,600 some sense, some sense inspire that child. 464 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:17,000 To say, I want the God of my mother, I want the Lord of my 465 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:23,720 father, and this situation is specific, but the principle can 466 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:27,280 be broadened. Children can acquire Christ 467 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:30,400 centered, spirit inspired blessing. 468 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:35,720 They can be recipients of it, they can absorb it, they can 469 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:37,680 register it, they can receive it, you know. 470 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:39,000 So what does that mean for you and I? 471 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:42,280 Very simple. Let us actively believe and 472 00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:45,680 engage in faith to seek the touch of Christ for our little 473 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:50,600 ones. What you teach, what you model, 474 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:53,840 what you exemplify, what you posture your children to be 475 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:58,640 exposed to, can produce reward, can produce work. 476 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:02,000 Is it any? Think about it like Satan is 477 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:03,240 recruiting them as young as possible. 478 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,720 Why do you think? Because they're able. 479 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:08,400 They're able to be influenced. They're able to conform. 480 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:12,160 They're able to submit themselves to a system of 481 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,960 belief. One of my favorite examples of 482 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:19,040 this possibility or this inspiration about how children 483 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,360 can be exposed to the light through your life and mine 484 00:28:23,120 --> 00:28:26,200 through your decision to be faithful enough to say, Lord, I 485 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:28,200 believe that my child as young as possible, just like these 486 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:31,960 believers here, or these people rather coming to the Lord Jesus 487 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:34,680 with their children. You can believe the same for 488 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,320 your own. I've mentioned this before, so 489 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,720 forgive me if I'm bringing it up again, but we can be stirred up 490 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:41,760 by way of reminder. There's the scene that never 491 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:43,720 fails to move me in the book of Acts. 492 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:47,000 It always stirs my heart. It's a scene where Paul comes 493 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:49,960 and visits a group of believers and they're convincing him 494 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:53,200 please don't go to Jerusalem because the Spirit revealed that 495 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:54,600 if he goes, he's going to get in trouble. 496 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:56,640 And Paul says, look, don't make this difficult for me. 497 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:00,960 I'm going. Paul was that kind of a leader. 498 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:06,400 He was, I set my face toward there, I'm going and they stop 499 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:09,480 fighting about it. And I said, fine, if you're 500 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:16,040 going to go, let's at least lead you to your final departure. 501 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,680 And so as they make way for Paul and his missionary team to 502 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:24,560 leave, you get this beautiful picture of this farewell. 503 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:31,560 In Acts 21. In Acts 21, verse 5, Luke near 504 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:38,680 rates, he says When our days there were ended, we departed 505 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:43,320 and went on our journey. And they all so the believers 506 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:47,720 that they met with, right? They all with wives. 507 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:56,200 And who children did they leave? The kids at home with wives and 508 00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:00,880 children accompanied us until we were outside the city and 509 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:02,880 kneeling down on the beach. We prayed. 510 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:09,840 Can you imagine it? What these believers did as Paul 511 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:11,760 prepared to make way to Jerusalem is that they brought 512 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,960 their children with them. Was that intentional? 513 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:20,800 You better believe it. And here's what I believe that 514 00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:23,960 moment did. These children were exposed to 515 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,200 their parents and other disciples, honoring a man of 516 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:30,760 God. These children witnessed the 517 00:30:30,760 --> 00:30:33,520 unashamed public testifying of their faith. 518 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:36,600 Where were they? They were at a beach and they 519 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,360 knelt on that beach. They were not ashamed of their 520 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:41,800 God. They were not ashamed of their 521 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:44,240 Jesus. And here are these children 522 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:48,840 witnessing their parents Teach your children before you eat 523 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,960 when you go out for lunch. Today we're going to pray for 524 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:53,000 our food. Don't be ashamed. 525 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:59,600 They witness their parents unashamedly declaring their 526 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,640 faith in Christ. Not only that, they're learning. 527 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,280 Saying how are they learning? Or they're learning in the power 528 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:10,440 of prayer, are they not? They're seeing that you can 529 00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:13,720 commit a person, you can commit a journey, you can commit the 530 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:19,440 future to God on behalf of somebody else. 531 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:24,880 So here are these children standing in the presence of 532 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:27,640 parents and relatives living out their faith. 533 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:32,560 Don't underestimate how important it is to expose your 534 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:37,920 children to these things, everything that was just said. 535 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,240 Jesus himself gives the qualifying reason for why these 536 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:41,840 children should not be hindered from coming to him. 537 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:45,000 And it's back in Mark chapter 10 and as an extension why they 538 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:49,000 should not be neglected by us and cherished by us. 539 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:53,120 Instead, he says let the children come to me in verse 14. 540 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:57,240 Do not hinder them for to such. Here's the reason for to such 541 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:03,320 belongs the Kingdom of God. What does that mean? 542 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:07,680 But as such belongs the Kingdom of God. 543 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:12,680 Well, one can make the case that Jesus is saying that heaven is 544 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:17,360 filled with subjects who are children, meaning there's a 545 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:22,840 special grace that is laid upon the life of a child, a special 546 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:26,280 condition that's placed upon the lives of young ones. 547 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:29,960 What do you mean by that? Well, they have a special 548 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:34,040 reception in heaven if they were to die at a certain point in 549 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,320 their lives where they cannot comprehend the difference 550 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:39,400 between good and evil, where they can't make the distinction 551 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:45,560 between right and wrong. In a sense, Jesus is saying here 552 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:48,520 that for a child to have an early departure from the earth 553 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:53,040 will be seen as innocent and will be accepted into the arms 554 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:55,440 of God. And that truth has about 555 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:57,840 tremendous comfort for those who've experienced tragedy in 556 00:32:57,840 --> 00:32:59,880 the loss of their babies or their toddlers or the little 557 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:03,480 ones. And that truth is not difficult 558 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:07,760 to see throughout the Bible. There are so many examples 559 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:11,120 throughout the scriptures that teach this concept that there is 560 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:15,040 a point of accountability and that there is a line that is 561 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:17,920 drawn in the life of a person where before that line, they are 562 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:21,040 not held accountable for their inability to choose or make the 563 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:22,800 difference or discern between right and wrong. 564 00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:25,840 And then after being responsible for your actions and your 565 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:28,480 decisions. So here's some rapid fire 566 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:30,560 references. OK, so put on your seat belt. 567 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:36,560 Take out the pen #1 Deuteronomy 139 Deuteronomy 139, where the 568 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:40,480 Lord speaks to that generation who have not believed in God 569 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,640 concerning the promised land, and He assured them that your 570 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,640 little ones who do not know the difference between good and 571 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:50,200 evil, they will enter into it. Notice God did not hold the 572 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:55,120 little ones accountable for unbelief for the same mistake 573 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:58,120 that the parents made who clearly had the ability and the 574 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,400 understanding that this is right and this is wrong. 575 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:03,680 God is a just judge. Your children will not be held 576 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:06,080 accountable for this because they don't know the difference 577 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:08,000 between right and wrong. One of the most famous ones in 578 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:11,560 Second Samuel 12 verse 23 where dated, fasted and prayed for the 579 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:16,080 life of that baby that he and Bathsheba had together and the 580 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:19,040 baby died. He gets up he washed himself. 581 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,480 He anoints himself and he sits at the the table and he feasts 582 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:25,400 and the the the people in his Kingdom were confused the 583 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:27,400 administrators and his service. How are you doing this? 584 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:32,639 And he could confidently say I will go to him, but he will not 585 00:34:32,639 --> 00:34:36,360 return to me. I will see him again. 586 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:38,520 I can't have him back. I pray that I fasten he's not 587 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:40,320 coming back. But I know one day I'm going to 588 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:42,960 see him. And I mentioned this many times 589 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,400 in Bible study before. Notice that when his son Absalom 590 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:47,760 died, he was a full grown adult. He did not have the same 591 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:50,320 confidence, did he? What did he do? 592 00:34:50,760 --> 00:34:52,840 Oh, Absalom. Absalom. 593 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:57,520 Oh, Absalom Absalom. I wish it was me. 594 00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:02,240 Why would he react that way? Perhaps because David understood 595 00:35:02,240 --> 00:35:04,800 that Absalom was not in the same place as the baby was. 596 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:11,160 Isaiah 7, verse 16. After that famous prophecy 597 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:15,720 concerning the virgin who would have a son, we're told. 598 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:19,160 We're told there about this child that there would be a time 599 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:22,920 before he would know the choice, the difference between the good 600 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:24,840 and the evil. So you have just three texts. 601 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:29,320 There you have Deuteronomy 139, Second Samuel 1223, Isaiah 716, 602 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:30,920 if you want another one, Ezekiel 16. 603 00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:33,200 In that chapter, we're told about these children who are 604 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:36,160 sacrificed to Molech, who are suffering in the sizzling hands 605 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:39,200 of an idol. And God says they are my 606 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:43,480 children, they are my children, They belong to me. 607 00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:47,400 So that's a comforting truth, is it not? 608 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:50,760 That's a comforting truth, but that's not the primary thing 609 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:52,200 that Jesus is communicating here. 610 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,320 That's that's not the main drive here of what he is saying by 611 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:58,200 saying for the such belongs the Kingdom of God. 612 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:02,200 What Jesus is alluding to here is that there are some features 613 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:04,680 of a child. There are characteristics that 614 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:09,560 are unique to a little one that should be and must be shared for 615 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:14,880 those who would inherit heaven, and some would say OK for the 616 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:18,440 such to such such like these belongs the Kingdom of God. 617 00:36:18,640 --> 00:36:20,640 So maybe it's the innocence of a child. 618 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:26,680 Innocence. It's tough to make a conclusion 619 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:30,400 based on innocence. They're not always innocent, are 620 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:32,160 they? No. 621 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:34,400 And if there is any innocence, as you just heard, it's out of 622 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:38,720 ignorance. And that's not to say that 623 00:36:38,720 --> 00:36:42,000 children are born morally neutral without a sin nature. 624 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:45,840 It's just that God has a grace for those who cannot formulate 625 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:47,720 or understand the difference between right and wrong. 626 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:50,720 Maybe it's purity, the purity of a child, Right? 627 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:55,800 It's it's about the cleanliness of their hearts and how they 628 00:36:55,800 --> 00:36:57,240 they have more of a blank canvas. 629 00:36:57,240 --> 00:36:59,520 And others who have walked in this world long enough and have 630 00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:02,640 been splattered with sin and all these other things that have 631 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:04,600 corrupted the mind and polluted the soul. 632 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:08,720 It doesn't seem like that's what Jesus is stressing either, 633 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:14,240 because again, this is a certain kind of child he is referring 634 00:37:14,240 --> 00:37:16,040 to. Again, in verse 16, he scooped 635 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:18,120 up these, these children in their arms. 636 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:20,960 So when you look at the context and when you look at the type of 637 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:24,360 children Jesus is referring to, the thing that makes the most 638 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:30,200 sense is that he is referring to helplessness, helplessness. 639 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:32,120 This sermon is really getting assistance from babies that I 640 00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:33,560 don't know why. You're just hearing them over 641 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:35,440 and over, which I'm not disturbed. 642 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:42,200 I'm so happy that they're here. Helplessness as they're being 643 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:48,800 held by the arms of the Savior depended on him, needy of him. 644 00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:55,320 A child can't feed himself, a child can't change himself, a 645 00:37:55,320 --> 00:38:01,040 child can't provide for himself. A child simply lives empty 646 00:38:01,040 --> 00:38:08,520 handed and totally dependent and Jesus says for the such belongs 647 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:11,120 the Kingdom. In the same way, a child can't 648 00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:14,880 do a lot. If you want to enter into my 649 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:19,600 presence forever, you also have to be able to say I can't do it. 650 00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:27,480 I can't do it for myself. I need it to be given to me. 651 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:33,280 I need this to be a gift. I need this to be extended to me 652 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:37,000 by God's mercy. That's what Jesus is saying. 653 00:38:37,080 --> 00:38:42,600 And this would be a blow to those Pharisees who lived and 654 00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:44,960 taught this work based salvation. 655 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:49,040 Jesus saying if you want citizenship in my world for all 656 00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:53,160 of eternity, you need to see yourself as helpless just like 657 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:56,920 this child. And he builds on that does he 658 00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,120 not? He builds on end in verse 15. 659 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:03,840 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God 660 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:08,440 like a child shall not enter it. So he says to such belongs the 661 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:10,440 King. Now, he says, you got to receive 662 00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:14,760 it like a child. How does a child receive things? 663 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:19,640 Our nieces and nephew from Canada were here a couple 664 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:21,120 weekends ago. And because we're not going to 665 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:24,160 see them for Christmas, we got them gifts early. 666 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:27,920 And on the final night they were here before the Sunday service 667 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:30,560 and before they left after the service, we had a chance to open 668 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:35,200 up those gifts. And when the uncles extended 669 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:39,080 those gifts to the nieces, especially, you know what didn't 670 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,080 happen? They didn't open the gifts and 671 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:46,080 say, well this is fantastic ammo, I appreciate it. 672 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:48,720 Thank you for the thoughtfulness of this gift. 673 00:39:48,720 --> 00:39:51,400 But you know, I've realized in the past few months I've been 674 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:55,880 saving up for this gift, the very same toy, and I plan to 675 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:59,680 purchase this gift for myself. I realized that there is a self 676 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:02,120 satisfaction that comes from earning something for yourself. 677 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:04,560 So I appreciate the gift, but this year it's on me. 678 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:09,160 One that would be extremely strange and probably 679 00:40:09,160 --> 00:40:15,480 frightening. You know, they didn't negotiate 680 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:18,480 with us, you know, Thank you so much. 681 00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:22,200 I'll pay for half of it. Or, you know, I'll pay you back 682 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:24,400 eventually. Kids don't do that. 683 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:27,360 They don't talk like that. You know what happened? 684 00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:33,240 With silent smiles, lit up faces, extended arms, and simple 685 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:37,560 acceptance. They received, they received. 686 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:42,720 That's how Jesus wants you to receive his salvation. 687 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:47,840 He doesn't want you to give terms. 688 00:40:49,000 --> 00:40:51,880 He doesn't want you to try to earn it or earn it in part. 689 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:58,680 Receive it like a child. So Jesus, don't reject these 690 00:40:58,680 --> 00:40:59,360 children. You know why? 691 00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:01,000 Disciples? Because they are the ideal 692 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:04,960 illustration of what it means to belong to me and how to respond 693 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:12,600 to my gospel. And if a child, in his neediness 694 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:17,240 and his helplessness and his humility and simplicity, is an 695 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:21,080 example of how we are to receive Christ, and perhaps verse 16 is 696 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:25,280 an illustration of how Christ responds to the one who extends 697 00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:28,480 childlike trust. Look at verse 16. 698 00:41:29,240 --> 00:41:35,320 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands 699 00:41:35,320 --> 00:41:39,440 on them. Do you know what's waiting for 700 00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:42,440 you as you simply give him childlike faith? 701 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:48,600 Embrace, embrace. This is not a contract. 702 00:41:50,440 --> 00:41:52,680 It's not a legal thing. As much as our salvation 703 00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:58,720 includes legal procedure, Jesus, he does more than just touch 704 00:41:58,720 --> 00:42:04,000 these children. He picks them up and he embraces 705 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:10,520 them and he blesses them. If you were to receive Christ 706 00:42:10,520 --> 00:42:14,680 today, there is an embrace from the Son of God waiting for you. 707 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:19,720 That's what he's after. That's what he loves more than 708 00:42:19,720 --> 00:42:23,920 anything else. Not your performance, not your 709 00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:27,400 professionalism, spiritually speaking, not the depth of your 710 00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:31,880 knowledge. You just simply saying I need 711 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:35,440 you. I need you. 712 00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,680 I can't do it on my own. I can't save myself. 713 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:43,920 I failed over and over again. I keep getting myself messy. 714 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:47,920 I'm thirsty. I'm hungry. 715 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:56,400 Please receive me. I've heard many gospel 716 00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:58,760 presentations in my life. I'm sure you have as well. 717 00:42:58,920 --> 00:43:01,720 Maybe you have heard this. Maybe you haven't. 718 00:43:01,720 --> 00:43:04,880 I personally can't recall a time where I've heard a gospel 719 00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:12,920 invitation that included receive Jesus like a child, receive him 720 00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:20,480 like a child, come wobbling to him, stuffy. 721 00:43:23,360 --> 00:43:27,440 Maybe not understanding much in life, but understanding like 722 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:30,280 what a child should understand for their mother or father. 723 00:43:31,160 --> 00:43:35,280 Mom feeds me. Dad protects me. 724 00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:41,000 No hesitation going to them as a reflex, realizing that you can't 725 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:44,760 do it without them. Do you believe that about Jesus 726 00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:46,880 Christ? Does that offend you? 727 00:43:48,240 --> 00:43:49,880 Good. This gospel is offensive. 728 00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:53,400 Surely I must do something. It's as ridiculous as my niece 729 00:43:53,640 --> 00:43:56,440 telling me all that I just told you earlier and receiving a 730 00:43:56,440 --> 00:44:00,120 gift. Just come. 731 00:44:02,120 --> 00:44:07,840 Just receive it. Submit yourself, crucify your 732 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:13,160 pride, nail yourself righteousness, die to yourself 733 00:44:13,720 --> 00:44:17,880 and come to Christ like a child. And he said what? 734 00:44:18,720 --> 00:44:26,520 That's not it. The words of Jesus so shrink, 735 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:31,000 would you today, but he's after more than anything else, is a 736 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:35,440 heart that realizes I can't do it on my own. 737 00:44:35,880 --> 00:44:43,080 I need you. Well, we thank you that as we 738 00:44:43,080 --> 00:44:47,280 prepare to eat at this table, you have reminded us of our 739 00:44:47,280 --> 00:44:52,720 helpless state and the love that you have for us. 740 00:44:54,680 --> 00:44:58,120 And we pray that our hearts would be prepared to partake of 741 00:44:58,120 --> 00:45:04,480 this wonderful ordinance that displays the beauty of the 742 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:09,760 gospel in Jesus name. Amen.