Title: Children Matter
Theme: To show the importance of Children in the family and passing on our heritage to the next generation.
Text: Deuteronomy 6:4 – 7; Mark 9
Introduction
I want to begin by sharing with you one of the most famous scripture in all of Judiaism. It was so important that it transcended into Christianity Jesus brought it forth in Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 10.
To the Jew it was called the Shema
Opening Scripture
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 says: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. (the Shema)
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Key words:
“teach diligently” – prick the heart,
Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God
Hebrews_4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Proverbs_22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
How? You have planted the word in their heart.
Teach consistently” – talk with them – in your house, by the way, when you sit, down, when you rise
There should be a desire to pass on the word of God to your children. Why? Children matter to God.
Quote from Sermon on Children Matter
“The western church has blatantly disregarded God’s command for parents to pass the faith on to their kids, and then we have the gall to wonder why our children are leaving the church in droves! We have abandoned God’s mandate to pass the faith on to our children. We have outsourced our duties as Christian parents to an hour once, or maybe twice a week, and that is being generous. We cannot blindly ignore one of God’s greatest commandments and expect it to go well with us. “
This is so true. Too many times we expect an hour or two of church to replace the many hours of television. We are not growing, so we blame a service or the messenger. Yet we are missing the intimate moments with God. We are missing those times that God wants to get alone with us. To quiet the noise around us.
Matthew 6:5 – 6 reminds us: "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
The key here is to be intentional.
Passing Our Faith onto our Children
Being Intentional about bringing our children to Jesus. Letting the word of God prick their heart.
Why? Children Matter
Psalms 127:1-5 A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. (2) It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep. (3) Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. (4) Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. (5) Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Heritage – inheritance to be passed on. That it why it is vital that we pass on our faith.
Transition to Mark 9
To bring our children to Jesus. Matthew 17 tells the story of a desperate father who did the same. He knew he had to get his son to Jesus.
Mark 9
It all begins with a powerful experience on the mountain. Matthew 17 started out great. We find Jesus, Peter, James and John on the mountain top.
Jesus was transfigured:
The word "transformed" (metemorphothe PWS: 4031) means a change into another form; a transformation; a change of countenance; a complete change. Luke said, "the fashion of His countenance was altered" (Luke 9:29). Note how the gospel writers described what happened.
"His face did shine as the sun and His raiment was white as the light" (Matthew 17:2).
"His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them" (Mark 9:3).
"The fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistening" (Luke 9:29).
Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Matthew II.
This reminds me of what happens when we get alone with God or even we experience a touch of His spirit. We are transformed. Changed. Caught up in His glory.
It was so wonderful and powerful that Peter wanted to stay here. Hey Jesus let us build three shelters here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
Temptation: We can stay here. We can make this place a temple.
Yet Jesus knew that there was a dilemma. The ministry was not only here on the mountain but it was also in the valley. There were people that needed Jesus to meet them where they are.
It is in the mountain where we get our encouragement but it is often times in the valley where we do ministry.
Down in the valley Jesus finds a troubling situation.
A father had brought his son to the disciples. This son was struggling keeping his balance and falling into the fire. Jesus attributes it to a demon. Yet when this son is brought to the disciples.
(Mark 9:14) And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.
(Mark 9:15) Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.
(Mar 9:16) And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?"
(Mar 9:17) Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.
(Mar 9:18) And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."
Desperate People:
A desperate boy who could not control his actions
A desperate father who could not help his son
Desperate disciples who could not cure the boy
Helpless
This is the first step toward your healing, deliverance, answer, renewal in your life. It is humbling yourself before almighty God and admitting you are helpless
The boy was helpless. He could not control himself. It was out of his power. He was possessed by and evil spirit. He could not control it.
The father was helpless. He was at the end of his rope. There was nothing he could do. It is bad to see something happen but even worse when it happens to your children.
The best he could do is make sure the boy didn’t get hurt. He would be there to rescue him when he was thrown into the fire or in the water. He was “damage control”
Sometimes that is all we do. That is run damage control.
In our Relationships – we are just trying to keep the peace
In our Finances – playing the juggling game (borrowing from one credit card to pay another, pretending that everything is OK, etc.)
Ignoring health/warning symptoms
In our soul we are just Going through the motions with the Lord but something is missing – a sincere hypocrite!
The disciples were helpless. They were “helpless” also. They tried to cast out the demon but to no avail. Why? Probably because they disputed amoung this selves. God don’t work in confusion or disunity. As we will learn later this demon was to be cast out only by prayer and fasting. A unity of that.
(Mar 9:17) Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.
(Mar 9:18) And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not."
The good news is that helplessness can be good. This man had brought his boy to Jesus. He came with tears and cried out to him. He at this point was willing to do anything. Whatever it took. I believe he came in desperation.
This helplessness/surrender opens ourselves up to God. This is where we say, “Lord have your way. Whatever you want. I surrender myself to you. You know what is best. You know what I must do. Lord I am in your hands”.
Call Upon Jesus
But the father made the right decision by calling upon Jesus
"He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him" (Psalm 91:15).
"Then shalt thou call, and the lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity" (Isaiah 58:9).
"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not" (Jeremiah 33:3).
Thought 1. Note two things.
1) The father was seeking and interceding for his child.
2) Christ's heart was tender and compassionate toward the child. There had been only one thing lacking—someone with faith and power to stand in the gap. There simply was no one.
How many children are gripped by desperate needs both physical and spiritual? How many are trapped by sin? Where are the parents who are concerned enough to seek Jesus, not half-heartedly and haphazardly, but genuinely? Where are the parents who seek Him, persevering until He answers? As in the above case, Jesus is willing to meet the needs of our children, but where are the parents who seek Jesus with the fervency of the father? And where are the servants of God who can lead parents to trust Christ?
Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Matthew II.
The Cure – Bring Him to Me
(Mar 9:19) He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."
The Key to everything. Bringing them to Jesus
(Mar 9:20) Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.21) So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. 22) And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us."
(Mar 9:23) Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
Faith the grain of a mustard seed.
Luke_17:6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
(Mar 9:24) Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
(Mar 9:25) When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"
(Mar 9:26) Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." 27) But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
What is ailing the sin sick world is the influence of the devil in their life. The working of demons to distract them and pull them away.
This comes out by Prayer and Fasting
(Mar 9:28) And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" 29) So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."
Conclusion
This morning we have come to bring our children to Jesus. We have come to bring our grandchildren to Jesus. We have come as desperate and helpless people needing Jesus to intervene and change their lives.
I want you to bring your child up and lay them on the alter. If you do not have their name on a paper there are some here for you.
