With a Childs Heart
Proverbs 22:6
6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
When we speak of a child, it can mean different things.
ľ There is the child that is an infant.
ľ There is the child of God.
ľ There is a New Born Christian Child.
Every child needs to be trained and pointed in the way they should go.
There was only one child that came in this world with full direction in the way they would go and that was Jesus.
The rest need to be shaped and molded into what they should be.
The parent trains the baby and dedicates them to God and God will give that child a purpose for being.
The church is responsible to train and feed the New Born Christian in the ways of the Lord. We love to say come as you are but we to often stop after they come.
The Child of God is responsible to study to show themselves approved by God. There are so many children of God who know so little about the father.
Jesus could have come into the world as a:
ľ Full grown man
ľ Middle age man
ľ He choose to come as a child.
Jesus knew that with a child¡¦s heart He would touch the world.
There is something precious about a child¡¦s heart.
It takes an evil demon processed person to hate and hurt children.
Just this week on the news is the story of a mother who choked and drowned her little five-year-old boy.
If you don¡¦t already know it, this woman is processed of the Devil.
We as the family of God often go lacking in the way we mold our own children and grandchildren.
They are often allowed to say, wear, and do anything and we don¡¦t want to hurt their feelings. I have really seen this a lot in this new generation of grandparents.
The Bible says:
Proverbs 13:24
24 He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
This statement is hard but true. The old statement this will hurt me more than it will hurt you, was a statement spoken out of love.
One of the key words here is ¡§PROMPTLY¡¨. The rod can¡¦t be used just because you are having a bad morning, a bad day, or are in a bad mood.
On the other end of this we can not put them in a box or bottle and keep them away from the world either.
I have seen this attempted at the point where the child is not shown love but shown a mean spirit that will drive the child away from anything to do with the church when they are grown.
We say we have the love of God in us but we often don¡¦t show it at home.
Jesus loved children.
Matthew 19:14-15
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.
CHILDREN ARE IMPORTANT
Children where important to Jesus and should be to us.
Children are to be welcomed and accepted especially by those of the household of faith.
There was a young boy who had never been to church
His family did not send him to church nor did they attend.
One day a school friend asked him to attend Sunday school with him.
He finally agreed and off they went to Sunday school.
The boy loved Sunday school and learning about this man named Jesus.
He couldn¡¦t wait to go home and tell his parents and he was excited about coming back again.
After the class the Sunday school teacher asked him if he could wait for a moment, she wanted to talk to him.
She informed him that if he were to attend this school, he would have to dress like the other kids. He would need to wear some better clothes.
Well the little fellow had worn the best he had.
His heart was broken and he ran home crying.
He would never sit foot in another church the rest of his life.
A CHILD MUST BE SHAPED WITH CARE.
ľ A child must be molded
ľ The word mother means Molder
ľ We need to mold children in the image of Christ.
ľ We mold a child by example and association
ľ They are molded by being taught what it means to fear God
There once was a man who had a good dog but he started running with the sheep eating dogs. Guess what? The good dog got shot ago with the sheep eating dogs.
Association with the people of God is all so important.
We have so many children who not brought to Christ.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BRINGING A CHILD TO CHRIST?
They grow up learning to love
To care
To be devoted
To worship
They grow up learning the power of God
God¡¦s in control
God is supreme
God is our Ruler
God can do all things
Grow up learning Hope and Faith
Learn to expect a blessing
Learn to trust
Learn they have something to look forward to in life
Grow up learning what is true
Learn what is factual (is it based on the Word of God)
Learn what is correct
Learn what is proper
Grow up learning inner peace
They have calmness in life
They have harmony among others
They lack uproar
When children where brought to Jesus the disciples did not understand.
Some of our churches have grown so used to having no young people in their services, they are no longer able to relate to their spiritual needs.
Our young brothers have almost totally turned away from the church and we must find out why before it is to late.
The disciples tried to send the children away.
Could this be what we have done unintentionally?
Jesus came to earth from the Kingdom of God in the form of a child.
He rebuked the disciples for trying to send the children away.
Children where bought to Jesus at an early age.
Luke 18:15
15 Then they also brought infants to Him ¡K
WHAT DID JESUS DO WHEN THEY WHERE BOUGHT TO HIM?
He layed hands on them and prayed for them.
LAYING ON OF HANDS WAS A SYMBOL OF SPECIAL BLESSING AND DEDICATION.
Gen 48:14
14 Then Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head¡K
NOT ONLY IS THE LAYING ON OF HANDS IMPORTANT TO AN INFANT BUT ITS IMPORTANT TO EVERY LEADER. MOSES LAYED HANDS ON JOSHUA.
Num 27:22-23
22 So Moses did as Jehovah commanded and took Joshua to Eleazar the priest. As the people watched,
23 Moses laid his hands upon him and dedicated him to his responsibilities, as the Lord had commanded.
EVERY CHILD OF GOD MUST BE TRAINED UP IN THE WAY THEY SHALL GO.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR ARE YOUNG PEOPLE.
Prov 8:32
32 "Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
(NKJ)
If we want to have blessed children, we must show them the love of God.
A child¡¦s heart can change the whole world.
I know its true because Jesus came as a child and changed the whole world.
When He came they sang Joy to the world the Lord is born, let earth receive their King.
The angles peeled back the curtains of heaven and formed a choir in the sky.
The stars looks down and one-stepped forward to be a spotlight on a child¡¦s heart that would be like done other.
Men stopped working and came from the fields because of this special child.
The voice that would say seven last words at cal very, first cried out from the crib.
Men and Women, Boys and Girls would never be the same.
Jesus bought true love into the world and left us a commandment to love one another.
We need to let the world know that yes Jesus loves you.
Red and Yellow, Black and White that they are precious in His sight.
Jesus is calling the church to bring our young men and women back to Him.
Jesus wants back what the enemy has stolen from us.
He wants yours sons back from the streets and the nightclubs.
He wants our daughters back from the nightmare they have been living in.
Jesus wants you to know that there is hope and hope is still alive.
We may not be able to fully identify with them and their ways are not are ways.
Remember God said our ways are not His ways but He loves us.
I¡¦m so glad that one day when I was Lost.
I had a mother who made me get out of that bed and marched me down to the Shiloh Baptist Church.
I thank God that I one day when I was lost, that I heard a preacher tell me that I could me saved.
One day when I was lost Jesus died upon the cross.
I know it was the blood save me.
SONG:
WITH A CHILD¡¦S HEART YOU¡¦VE GOT NO REASON TO WORRY.
WITH A CHILD¡¦S HEART YOU¡¦VE GOT NO REASON TO CRY.
NO NEED TO WORRY - - NO NEED TO CRY.
JESUS WILL FIX IT; HE WILL BE THERE BY YOUR SIDE.
WITH A CHILD¡¦S HEART.
WITH A CHILD¡¦S HEART YOU CAN TOUCH THE WORLD AROUND YOU.
WITH A CHILD¡¦S HEART JESUS CAN SURLY USE YOU.
JESUS IS CALLING ¡V CALLING YOU RIGHT NOW.
HE WANTS TO USE YOU ¡V HE WANTS TO SET YOU FREE.
WITH A CHILD¡¦S HEART.
