As Children

As Children

Matt 18:1-6 and Mark 10:13-16

Reading the Scripture

- We find something about how we think

- And our adult values

- We see the disciples discussing

- Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven

- They are concerned with positions, titles and rank

- These things are very important in the world

- Our relative worth and value in the world

- Is measured by the position we hold

- By the titles we have

- Or by the rank or status we hold

It is sad that some very wonderful, beautiful people are seen as valueless

- Because they have no power, no money, no titles and no social rank or status

- I remember my grandmother

- I remember when I was a child

- Running up to her and hugging her waist

- My grandmother was a simple woman

- Who had worked hard to raise a house full of children

- After she lost her husband

- She worked as a cook on a ranch

- And worked with my “step” granddad

- Riding for the Forest Service

- They lived in a simple cabin in the mountains of Montana

- She had little money and no social status to share

- But I loved her

- And thought of her as the most wonderful grandmother there ever was

- I loved her simply because she was my grandmother and because she loved me

My story carries tow truths

- 1st the world has it all wrong

- The truth turns everything upside down

- What’s valuable in not position, title or rank

- What is important is love, faith and hope

- The 2nd truth is that we lose our innocence as we grow up

- Children’s values are based on love

- While our adult worldly values are based on self and image

How is it that children can get it right

- While we adults get it wrong?

Jesus tells us we must become like little children

- Like a small child

- Who hasn’t yet picked up the world’s values

- Who still has his innocence to believe and hope and love

- Without the restriction or perversion of the world’s values

- We have to become and in a very real way

- Remain childlike in our faith and hope and love

- If we want to have a share of the kingdom

What does that mean?

- It means we must become like a child

- Children are powerless, dependent and innocent

- They believe the message of the Gospel

- And accept the love of God with open arms

- They don’t have problems believing in what they can’t see

- Their faith gives substance and assurance to what they believe

- Adults tend to rationalize and look for logical explanations

- Logical reasons to accept what we know of the Gospel

- We look for a God of substance

- A God we can use

- But our God does not want to be used

- But loved

- He wants us to come to Him

- The same way I ran to my grandmother

- With open arms and complete love

Children are precious to Christ

- And He wants us to tell them about Him

- Look at the warming in our passage

- It is a fearful thing to be found leading a child away from faith in Christ

- There is a judgment for those who cause a child to stumble in their faith

We are to be agents of encouragement

- Examples of love, faith and hope

- For children

- For how else will they know the truth

- And find the Lord who loves them

- Who invites them to Himself?

- We are changed by Christ to encourage, support and help children

- In their growth- physically and spiritually

- We are called to make efforts to help those

- Who are powerless and innocent

- To show them the love of God

- And the wonders of His love

That fits with the special emphasis we have in these few weeks

- The Baptist Children Homes

- Do those things we may not have the opportunity to do personally

- To support, encourage and teach children

- To demonstrate Christ’s love for them

- And to lead them to know Him, the author and perfecter of faith

- The One who loves them

- And the One who asks them to put their hope in Him

We are given an opportunity to help, to be a p[art of this ministry

- We can be a part of the effort to be there for these children in need

- How can we fail to respond?