July 24, 2006
Lesson: "A Child of the King!"
Matthew 19:13-15 (NKJV)
Children are very trusting, and Jesus said that that was a quality that the citizens of heaven will have. He loved children, because they believed what He said, and they weren’t all wrapped up in the cares of the world. For the most part they were innocent and happy. In the 19th Chapter of Matthew, there’s an incident recorded that we’re all familiar with, and it shows the Lord’s special love for children.
13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.
For five weeks now we have been discussing a wonderful place called the Kingdom of God. But, as we have discovered, the Kingdom is not a place as much as it is a lifestyle, a mindset, and a way of living.
Being a citizen of the Kingdom of God is the most important decision that one will ever make in one's life.
As citizens of the Kingdom of God we are called to:
• Embody His name.
We have taken His name—we call ourselves Christians—and that carries with it a responsibility. We shouldn’t ever do anything that would hurt our testimony or damage the Lord’s good name.
• Embrace His mission.
God's mission is the same today as it was in the Old Testament—To redeem a lost humanity to Himself and to allow His people to participate in that mission.
• Obey His Word.
If Israel was to enjoy the blessing of the Promised Land, obedience must pave the way. Exodus 19:5 says, "Now IF you obey me fully and IF you keep my covenant..." Jesus’ reemphasized these words for us when He stated, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27)
Obedience to the word and will of God through Christ is essential for Kingdom Living. So, remember that as citizens of the kingdom of God we are to Embody His name, Embrace His mission, and Obey His Word. However, we not only find ourselves being citizens of the Kingdom of God, we also discover that we have a another identity—WE ARE CALLED TO BE A CHILD OF THE KING! It’s one thing to be a citizen, but it’s an entirely different thing to be a child. Being a child, means that I have a greater obligation to carry out the three characteristics that we mentioned. Why is that? It’s because we are members of the family, and here’s something great: The Bible declares that we are joint heirs with Jesus. We will even share His glory.
Have you ever thought about what it means to be a child or what it would be like to be child-like in our thinking or in our relationship with our heavenly Father? When we think of being a child we often think of being immature, selfish, mischievous, or spoiled. But our relationship with God as Father and us as a child is very different from an earthly relationship. Think of children for a moment. There are many characteristics that our children display with us that correspond to our relationship with our heavenly Father.
One of those characteristics is trust.
In proverbs, we are told to, “Trust In the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."(Proverbs 3:5) There is a lot of wisdom in the Proverbs, and this verse is no exception. What Solomon is saying here is that we must make a full commitment of ourselves—spirit, soul, and body—to the LORD. We must trust Him not only for the salvation of our souls but also for the direction of our lives. It must be a commitment without limitations.
There is another child-like characteristic that we should have, and that’s obedience.
Luke said of Jesus, "Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” (Luke 2:51) The humility of Jesus is seen in the words “He ... was obedient to them.” Although He was the Creator of the universe, He took His place as an obedient Child in this humble Jewish family. If we too want to be obedient children, the Bible tells us not to do something. We are told in 1 Peter, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” 1 Peter 1:14
Peter has something very important to say here. It’s that obedient children should not be involved in the same sins that characterized their former life. Now that they are Christians, they should pattern their life after the One whose name they bear. But if they choose to conform to the ungodly world, they are denying their heavenly character. The things they did in the days when they lacked spiritual knowledge should be put away, now that they have been illuminated by the Holy Spirit. We are told in Romans, "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on Cod's mercy." (Romans 9:16)
Here, Paul is saying that it doesn’t make any difference how hard you try or how much you want it, salvation only comes to us, because God wants to show us mercy. Being a child of the King means that the King is my Father.
And because I am a child of the Father: My Father provides for my every need. When Paul wrote, "But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus," that’s what he is talking about. This promise follows the gift that the Philippian church gave to Paul to take care of his needs. In other words, because they had given of their material resources to Paul, even to the point where their own standard of living was endangered, God would supply their every need. I’ve heard it said that God supplies the needs of His people—not out of His riches, but according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. If a millionaire gave a dime to a child, he would be giving out of his riches. But if he gave a hundred thousand dollars to some worthy cause, he would be giving according to his riches. God’s supply is according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, and nothing could be richer than that!
You may want to think of verse 19 as a bank note drawn upon the bank of faith:
My God—is the name of the Banker.
Shall supply—that’s the promise to pay.
All your need—describes the value of the note.
According to His riches—that’s the capital that the bank has.
In glory—is the address of the bank.
By Christ Jesus—is the signature at the foot of the note, without which the note is worthless.
It’s only because you are in Christ Jesus, the giver and mediator of all spiritual blessings that God says, “I will supply all your needs.” But, he doesn’t stop there, because—my Father also gives me unconditional love. The prophet Jeremiah wrote this: "The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3)
There are those who will ask the question, “How can God love these people?” The prophet was speaking to the Jewish people with the same message he brought them before. It’s a good question, but let’s widen it out just a little and ask, “How can God love us today?” He has said, “God so loved the world…” Not only does God love Israel; He loves the world, and He loves you and me. And He said that He loves us with an everlasting love. In light of His love for us, we should love others, and we shouldn’t ask, “How can God love them?” My friends, how can God love me? How can God love you? We should be amazed that God loves any of us.
There’s a little song that expresses this thought very well:
How thou canst think so well of us
Yet be the God thou art,
Is darkness to my intellect
And sunshine to my heart.
He said, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” I can’t tell you how long “everlasting” is; but I heard a pretty good explanation by a little boy. He said, “I reckon it’s a pretty long time.” The only explanation I have for why God loves us is that it’s not because of anything He sees in us, but it’s because of who He is. John wrote, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us…” God loves you and me, and I really can’t tell you why.
I found this story about a man’s love for his daughter that I’ll share with you—Bruce Reynolds died quietly in a small, New York town. At his memorial service, people became aware of an incredible secret. Twenty-five years before his death, Bruce’s first wife left him for another man and took his only child, a girl named Ivah. Bruce financially supported his daughter with monthly checks even though that expense prevented him from visiting her in Florida. His inability to see her did not keep him from telling her about his love. Every week for twenty-five years Bruce wrote his daughter. Ivah seldom wrote back but it didn’t stop Bruce from communicating his love. Even after a series of strokes that made it impossible for him to write, Bruce dictated the weekly letter to his second wife, Belle. He did that until the day he died. Some thirteen hundred times, from 1964 to 1989, Bruce Reynolds used the modest resources of pen and paper to relay a message of unfailing love for his only child.
Stories like that really touch my heart, and they make me remember the love of God that was made known to us in Jesus Christ. I am overwhelmed by the love of God. If He were to change His mind about us tomorrow, I would be eternally lost, and so would you. But He says that His love is everlasting, and that’s a pretty long time.
The last point I want to make is that—my Father desires a relationship with me that is real and personal. In John 14:23 we are told that Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” Jesus is saying that if a person truly loves the Lord, he will want to keep all of His teachings, not just certain ones. The Father loves those who are willing to obey His Son without questions or reservations. Both Father and Son are especially near to such loving and obedient hearts. In fact He says, “…we will come to him and make our home with him.” And how is it that He makes His home with us? He does it when He places His spirit within us, and we become a Child of the King.
I read this story about relationships that I want to share with you. It seems that a single woman was shocked by the response she received from a personal ad she had placed in the local newspaper. Her ad simply defined who she was and then ended with a straightforward appeal: “I’m actively looking for a husband.” Several ladies responded to this woman’s ad by writing, “You can have mine!” That strikes me as funny. But that’s not the type of relationship that God wants to have with us.
The King of Glory wants to be our heavenly Father, so we can say, “I'm A Child of the King.” There’s a song with that title and it says pretty much the same as I have been talking about.
It goes like this:
My Father is rich in houses and lands; He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands.
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold, His coffers are full- He has riches untold.
My Father's only Son- the Savior of men- Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them.
But now He is reigning forever on high, and will give me a home in heaven by and by.
I once was an outcast stranger on earth, a sinner by choice and an alien by birth.
But I've been adopted, my name's written down- an heir to a mansion, a robe, and a crown.
A tent or a cottage, why should I care? They're building a palace for me over there.
Tho' exiled from home, yet still I may sing: "All GLORY TO GOD, I'm a child of the King!"
I'm a child of the King, A child of the King! With JESUS my SAVIOR, I'm a child of the King!
What could be better than that? Let’s go to the Lord in prayer now, and thank Him for adopting us into His family.
Amen.
