Coming To Jesus As Children

INTRO:

WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM PRECIOUS CHILDREN. THEY ARE

GOD’S GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT, GOD’S ASSURANCE OF HIS

INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE, AND GOD’S INSTRUMENTS OF

EXAMPLE TO ADULTS. JESUS WAS TEACHING SOME STUBBORN

"RELIGIONISTS" ABOUT SALVATION AND HE SEEMED TO BE

UNSUCCESSFUL IN COMMUNICATING TO THEM.

(V.2) "AND HE CALLED A LITTLE CHILD UNTO HIM AND

SET HIM IN THE MIDST OF THEM...AND SAID:

(V.3) "EXCEPT YE BE CONVERTED AND BECOME AS LITTLE

CHILDREN, YOU SHALL NOT ENTER THE KINGDOM

OF HEAVEN..."

(V.4) "WHOSOEVER THEREFORE SHALL HUMBLE HIMSELF

AS THIS LITTLE CHILD, THE SAME IS THE GREATEST

IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN."

THE QUESTION ARISES, THEN, HOW SHOULD WE COME TO

JESUS?? THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS SUGGESTS TWO ANSWERS:

I. WE ARE TO COME WITH TOTAL TRUST

1. LITTLE CHILDREN "TOTALLY TRUST"...UNTIL THEY

HAVE TO BE TAUGHT TO "BEWARE"...

2. EVER HELD A NEWBORN? THAT CHILD TOTALLY TRUSTS

AND DEPENDS UPON THE ADULTS IN HIS LIFE FOR

EVERYTHING. TOTAL TRUST IS BASED UPON THE

ASSUMPTION THAT "SINCE YOU GUYS BROUGHT ME INTO

THIS WORLD, I SAFELY ASSUME YOU WILL BE

PROVIDING WHAT I NEED FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT,"

3. CHILDREN HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF TRUST AND LOYALTY.

4. AND WE ADULTS USUALLY RESPOND TO THAT TRUST BY

PROVIDING WHAT THAT CHILD NEEDS. A BOND DEVELOPS

THAT COMPARES TO NO OTHER BOND IN THIS WORLD.

5. JESUS SAID "THAT’S HOW YOU SHOULD COME TO ME...

WITH THAT KIND OF DEPENDENCE...THAT KIND OF TRUST

AND I WILL HONOR THAT TRUST BY RESPONDING TO

YOUR FAITH AND GIVING YOU ETERNAL LIFE.

6. SO, FIRST, WE ARE TO COME TO JESUS WITH TOTAL

TRUST.

II. WE ARE ALSO TO RESPOND WITH A TEACHABLE HEART

(V.4) "WHSOEVER SHALL HUMBLE HIMSELF AS THIS LITTLE

CHILD..."

1. HAVE YOU EVER TAKEN TIME TO OBSERVE A TODDLER?

2. EVEN A FIVE MINUTE CONVERSATION WILL CONSIST OF

A MILLION QUESTIONS "WHAT’S THAT?" "WHY" ETC.

3. LOOKING AROUND THEM, THEIR EYES ARE FULL OF

WONDER AND AMAZEMENT AT GOD’S CREATION...THEY

HAVE SUCH A CAPACITY TO LEARN...CAPITALIZE ON

THOSE "TEACHABLE MOMENTS"...THEY DON’T LAST

FOREVER.

4. IF THAT CHILD IS TO GROW AND DEVELOP PROPERLY

THEY MUST BE TAUGHT BASIC LIFE SKILLS,AS WELL

AS INTRODUCED TO THEIR WORLD...AND WITHOUT THE

INTERACTION WITH "ADULTS" WHO TAKE TIME TO TEACH

THEM, THEY WOULD MOST LIKELY BECOME MENTALLY

OR SOCIALLY DISABLED.

6. WHEN WE COME TO JESUS IN TOTAL TRUST, WE THEN

BECOME "AS A BABE" SPIRITUALLY...AND WE ARE

TO BE "READY ALWAYS TO LEARN"

7. I ONLY WISH WE WERE AS EAGER TO LEARN OF GOD

AS A TODDLER IS TO LEARN ABOUT HIS ENVIRONMENT..

8. WE SHOULD NOT COME WITH PRE-CONCEIVED NOTIONS...

WE SHOULD NOT COME TO JESUS WITH CLOSED MINDS...

WE SHOULD COME WITH TEACHABLE HEARTS...EAGER

TO LEARN ABOUT HIM AND GROW IN HIM.

9. WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AS OUR TEACHER, WE CAN

GROW AND DEVELOP SPIRITUALLY INTO A MATURE

CHRISTLIKE INDIVIDUAL...WHICH IS HIS GOAL FOR US

(AND HOPEFULLY OUR GOAL AS WELL).

CONCLUSION: WHEN WE COME TO JESUS WITH TOTAL TRUST

AND A TEACHABLE HEART, JESUS PROMISES TREMENDOUS

BENEFITS...JUST A FEW (AND THERE ARE MANY MORE):

1. SALVATION

2. CONSTANT COMPANIONSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

3. PURPOSE FOR LIVING

4. ASSURANCE OF HIS RETURN (HOPE: GUARANTEED ASSURANCE)

5. GUARANTEE OF "BETTER THINGS TO COME" AFTER WE

ARE FINISHED ON THIS EARTH.

INVITATION:

1. WON’T YOU COME TO HIM TODAY AS HIS HOLY SPIRIT

CALLS YOU???

A) IN TOTAL TRUST

B) WITH A TEACHABLE HEART

C) TO RECEIVE TREMENDOUS BENEFITS

2. "COME UNTO ME...ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY

LADEN...AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST."

3. HE WILL SAVE YOU, TEACH YOU, AND KEEP YOU..FOREVER!

*WHAT MORE COULD ANY KID ASK FOR??

*COME TO HIM AS A CHILD TODAY...WHILE HE WAITS FOR

YOU. HE LOVES YOU...HIS ARMS ARE OPEN TO RECEIVE

YOU. COME TO HIM NOW.