AS A CHILD
REVIEW LAST WEEK….
We talked about things that made us afraid, or excited perhaps in a good way like roller coasters. We acknowledged the difference between that kind of “fear” verses things that make us nervous, or truly afraid. We talked about things which, as an adult may cause us some concern, or even fear. Things like health, finances, physical harm, old age and even death itself. We talked about how, sometimes as a child we found ourselves afraid of the darkness.
As adults, as we gain knowledge of the world, it is very easy for us to fall into the trap of believing we can learn enough, gain enough power or influence or confidence within ourselves to be convinced that we are in control of our lives, and to a large degree, the world around us.
There is an old saying “Knowledge is Power,” and there is great truth in these words. Knowledge of how finances and business work in this world is surely an asset. Knowledge of how the stock market works for example is valuable to becoming financially successful. We can go to colleges and universities and learn to become doctors and lawyers. Knowledge and skills learned and honed in a skilled trade such as carpenter, plumber or mason also can lead us to success in the world.
But too often, when we find ourselves successful in our endeavors, satan begins to whisper into our ears that we accomplished these things on our own and we are in charge of our destiny. We begin to feel we can handle any situation, face and overcome any challenge. We begin to forget to seek the Kingdom of God.
But then, something may happen in our lives, or in the life of someone close to us; something over which we have no control. A devastating disease, a financial disaster, fire, auto accident… a tornado, or any number of things that can happen in this life and suddenly we find ourselves helpless.
And then, then we find ourselves crying out Lord, Lord why is this happening? Lord Lord help me. Lord, I am helpless, I can do nothing, I beg of you Lord, help me. Again and again we ask ourselves why we always wait until we’re in trouble to call out to God for help, guidance and peace.
I believe that ultimately we all want to be in the Kingdom of God. We want to know how to obtain the Kingdom of God. We seek to know what the Kingdom of God is like.
Yes, knowledge is power and I’ll tell you where you find the most powerful knowledge you can ever obtain; Knowledge that will equip you with supreme power; Even power over death itself.
In this Book is the knowledge of power. This book does not contain the Word of God. This Book IS the Word of God and we need to be in this Word each and every day of our lives.
God speaks to us through His Word He tells us how we can receive the Kingdom of God giving us the grace of humility, the joy of peace, the wonder of love and the power over death!
When we consider the temporariness of life, of the frailness of these bodies and their ultimate failure, is not this knowledge more valuable than any other?
So what must we do to obtain the Kingdom of God?
In today’s Scripture, Jesus gives us the answer. Jesus, in simple everyday language tells us how we, you and I can receive the Kingdom of God.
READ SCRIPTURE (LUKE 18:16, 17)
The Kingdom of God is manifested in the life of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. But look at what Jesus says, we must “RECEIVE” the gift AS A CHILD.
Consider how a child joyfully receives a gift; At Christmas, or birthday, or for no special reason. A child is excited and can’t wait to open the gift and see what it holds.
But as adults, for most of us at least, we find it easier to give than to receive. Indeed, the Word teaches us it is better to give than receive. Yet, for us to obtain the Kingdom of God, we must receive it.
We are offered this wonderful, eternal gift. We can’t do anything to earn the gift. But we must receive it, and receive it as a child.
Have you ever considered the faith of children? A child does not have to DO anything to be provided for by his parents. A parent doesn’t say “I will feed you this week if you make your bed.” “I will love you if you pick up your room and water the dog.”
As parents, we simply love our children, no matter what they do. Oh, they may aggravate us; surely they cause us sadness at times and great joy at other times. But through all the times, we still love them; Just as God loves each one of us.
A child from birth is helpless and cannot provide for himself. A child just accepts what comes.
How does a child love an abusive parent? A child is so innocent, so surrendered.
Do we understand and realize we cannot get to what God has in store for us any other way than by receiving it? By accepting the gift He offers which is given through Grace?
There is only one way to receive the gift. By surrendering EVERYTHING and releasing control of all things in your life to Him.
A child has little recourse; a child must surrender and trust. But as adults, we learn depend on other things for what we need.
What we as adults must learn and believe is that He is the heavenly Father and He provides all!
Once we give to Him all, everything – to the One who provides all and controls all, then we discover our desperate desire to know the One to whom we give our faith.
Jesus wants us to understand what it takes to receive the Kingdom of God. Mark chapter 10, verse 15 reads identically to Luke 18:17. When things are repeated in the Word, take note, it is repeated for a reason.
Where is the Kingdom of God? Why is it so important for us to understand the urgency of this message?
When we pray the “Lord’s prayer,” what do we pray? We pray that “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
How can we see the Kingdom of Heaven on earth?
Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus replied as recorded in Luke 17: 20-21…”The Kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation. (21) nor will people say “Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you!”
The kingdom of God is where? Within you! That’s where you will find the Kingdom of God … when? When you receive it as a child.
If we have faith like a child, then God can pour living water through us because our faith is in Him. And in that faith is the expecting for Him to come in where He lives.
Jesus tells us this in Luke 12: 32-34
“Do not be afraid little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. (33) Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. (34) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
When we consider the big picture, things of this world suddenly become far less important than things of the Heavenly, eternal world… things beyond today.
But, aren’t we all children of God. Are we? Are we all children of God?
What do we know about children? They do not worry about things they have no control over. Children have faith in their parents because they know they are loved and the one who loves them provides for them.
We have to “become” like little children because we don’t truly understand God’s provision…. How does a child not worry about where his next meal will come from? But, we, as adults, when we are in the world don’t understand this?
Jesus tells us in the scripture just before what we’ve just read, in Luke 12: 27-31
“Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you? O’ you of little faith: And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom and these things will be given to you as well.”
A child cannot provide for himself… or can he? Is it because he cannot provide for himself… we hear about homeless children all the time that somehow survive… but for a child with a parent, he recognizes the consistency of provision by the parent.
He recognizes, he trusts, he believes. He understands in a childlike manner, what Jesus tells us of the Lilies in the field.
When a child is about to cross a street, does the child naturally know to look both ways and watch for traffic as they cross? No, they just grasp the hand of the father and walk next to him.
As adults, we say we believe, and I believe to some degree all of us indeed do believe in Jesus. But do we believe as children? Or do we wait for a crisis or until things just seem to work out and we get the business of the day out of the way and then we can start to believe?
Do we think that knowing what the scriptures say, to be able to quote chapter and verse without understanding and believing the Word, to gain great knowledge of what the Word says without faith makes us wise?
READ LUKE 10:21
God will reveal to those who come as little children, trusting, humble, wanting to please for pleasing sake. God simply asks us to be obedient to His word.
In our trials, God is always trying to get us to simplify our relationship with Him. He wants us o look at the trial and see how His glory might be revealed. He wants our relationship to be like that of a child; Total dependence on Him. God uses trials for us to draw close to Him and come to a place where Jesus lived and then we do not allow our hearts to be troubled.
Sin and satan are not God’s order, but are in direct permission of His providence.
We are so familiar with our sin nature, but there is within us the desire to be in the divine nature. As we make the divine nature more familiar, we are more aware of sin, and we desire to be Holy.
We need to let go of the natural virtues we have worked so hard to obtain, to be viewed by the world as morally upright. The only way to enter His Kingdom is to be poor in spirit. Our Holy God can never come near us because of our sin. But it is through the death of Jesus on the cross that through Him and ONLY through Him can we enter the Holy of Holy’s... But to do this, we must be totally surrendered to God.
Natural virtues are not what we are working toward. Jesus had no “natural” virtues, but only a total dependence on and obedience to God.
If we learn to surrender, to acknowledge our sinful nature, to totally rely on God, as a child relies on his parent, then on that day as Jesus promises in John Chapter 14, verse 20 “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
When we come to that point when we realize the foolishness of believing we are in control of anything, when we learn to totally surrender our life to God, when we become “AS A CHILD,” then Jesus will come and live inside of us, then we can receive the Kingdom of God and on that very day, we can begin living in the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen
