Sermon Central
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A Children's Blessing
Contributed by Scott Spencer on Mar 30, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: Is it enough to desire God? Is desire alone sufficient to enable you to follow God? Granted, we must have desire, but is desire alone sufficient?
Jesus Blesses Little Children
13 And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.
14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
15 “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.
The Rich Young Ruler
17 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.
19 “You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’ ”
20 And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.”
21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
22 But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.
23 And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
25 “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Looking at them, Jesus *said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
28 Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.”
29 Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake,
30 but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.
31 “But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”
NASB
Is it enough to desire God? Is desire alone sufficient to enable you to follow God? Granted, we must have desire, but is desire alone sufficient?
Many people desire things and never attain them. It is true that if you never have a desire, you will never begin to attempt to achieve that desire. But having nothing more than a desire in no way insures that you will achieve your goal. It takes more than desire. There must be the ability and there must be some appropriate action that takes place based on that ability.
It really it isn't enough to desire to receive what God has to offer. Once we have the desire, we need to ensure that we are in a position to receive, and our heart attitude determines if we are in that position. The Scripture reveals that there are certain attitudes of heart which serve to open the door to the Kingdom of God. To be in possession of these attitudes or qualities of heart is to be open and responsive to the Lord and to be able to receive what Jesus has to offer.
From our passage today we will see two kinds of people with two qualities of heart. Their heart qualities determine what kind of people they are. And what kind of person we are determines whether we will inherit eternal life. There are certain qualities which enable a natural man to become a spiritual man. We shall look at these qualities today as we examine Jesus' encounter with the children and with the rich young ruler.
The Triumph Of A Childlike Heart
13 And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.
14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
