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.
