Blaine Harper Dedication

Revelation 22:18-21....

I wanted to start here this morning to make sure we understand the importance of dedicating our children to the Lord......It is actually dedicating our lives to what Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” .........The last part is what Garret and Kayleigh are vowing to do, today!

So, we move into the seriousness of this promise.......Jesus is coming quickly...........That is as serious as it gets.....Jesus started off John’s vision in Revelation 1 with the same promise.....Revelation 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”.......Which is to come........Also, in Revelation 3:11 “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” ........

The Bible calls the time period after Jesus ascended back to the Right Hand of God the Father, the “last days”.........It is the last time for humanity.......When the time for Jesus’ return humanity on earth will end....this is our time period.....

Scripture seems to point to a rapture of Jesus’ church before His 2nd coming........No one knows that time or date.........Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

I know this does not sound like a baby dedication......but there is a reason for our faith.....Jesus said in John 3:15 “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” ............Whenever the day we appear before Jesus, we desire us and our children to appear with Christ in Glory.......

Colossians 3:4 “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

This is the reason.....to dedicate our children to the Lord......they are His, just as we are His......whether we believe or not, we are all His......and in order to live forever in His glorious presence we must believe in the sin offering and the life of Jesus Christ!

To dedicate a child to the Lord is to dedicate your lives to instructing this child in the Lord Jesus Christ!

The OT speaks of doing this Deuteronomy 6:4–9 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”

Jesus is coming quickly.......this is not threatening judgement, this is a glorious event for the believer.......a hopeful event for those that know and believe in Jesus Christ! We must nurture them in Christ, admonish/teach them of Christ! Bring them to a belief that makes them hopeful for Jesus’ return, as John stated after Jesus declared that He was coming quickly......Even so, Come Lord! The desire to see Christ, to abide with Christ, to be like Christ as John said.

Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” ..........Blaine’s knowledge of Christ brings Him to a joy as this man that Jesus spoke of finding a treasure......finding Jesus is a finding a glorious treasure that never ends!....

Isaiah 25:8–9 “He will swallow up death in victory; And the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; And the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: For the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; We have waited for him, and he will save us: This is the Lord; we have waited for him, We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Listen to what Peter says about this faith in Christ....2 Peter 3:12–14 “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”

Titus 2:13 “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

I want to see Blaine as he grows, in this state, looking for Jesus!!!!

Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee.”