Baby Dedication Sunday

“unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever, humbles himself like this child-this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Later in the same chapter, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. He said if a man has 100 sheep and 1 goes astray will he not leave the 99 and go after the one that went astray. In the same way it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

He even says that in heaven their angels continually view the face of My Father in heaven.

In application, Bridge of Faith does everything within our means and even beyond our means to ensure that children are welcomed in the name of Jesus.

You will see this on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, through the week and in the Summer.

We believe that children our one the greatest assets that this church has. We believe children are more important than any physical thing we own. More valuable than property, buildings, vehicles, and the stuff that the Lord has blessed us with.

We believe that when a child receives the Holy Spirit that they don’t receive a child does of the Holy Spirit, but we believe they receive the entire Holy Spirit.

We believe that children are not the future of the church but they are the church today.

So today we will dedicate babies unto the Lord

Let give you two Biblical examples what we see this looking like in scripture.

Hannah

1 Samuel 1:9–11 HCSB

9 Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh. Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s tabernacle. 10 Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears. 11 Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Hosts, if You will take notice of Your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give Your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”

Hannah prayed and the Lord heard her prayer and looked on her with favor and granted her request. She gives birth to a son.

She named him Samuel because she said I requested him from the Lord.

After he had been weaned, she took him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh

1 Samuel 1:26–28 HCSB

26 “Please, my lord,” she said, “as sure as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked Him for, 28 I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” Then he bowed in worship to the Lord there.

Jesus

One other example

We read this one last week as we study the Holy Spirit

Luke 2:25–32 HCSB

25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple complex. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for Him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took Him up in his arms, praised God, and said: 29 Now, Master, You can dismiss Your slave in peace, as You promised. 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation. 31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples— 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to Your people Israel.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary d. The Presentation of Jesus to the Lord (2:22–38)

The couple was required by the Law not only to have Jesus circumcised (

These give us a Biblical framework of our desire today. We bring the babies to the Lord.

We praise the Lord for the gift of children and worship him for their blessings.

Parents

Believing all of this about what the Lord says about children, then we also believe in how vital it is to support parents in raising their children in the Lord.

While the focus is on the babies, Parents as we saw in Elkanah and Hannah they worshipped the Lord in the temple as a result of their child.

They gave public witness to their commitment to honor God’s plan for their child and serve as partners in the task of honoring God in their home.

Deuteronomy gives us some help when it comes to goals in parenting as Christian parents

Deuteronomy 6:4–6 HCSB

4 “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.

Trust that the Lord is indeed God, the Lord is One

Bible project video through the book of Isaiah. We are to the point in our reading where they are questioning if the Lord is indeed God and so many of our current chapters are exclaiming, boldly in your face that YES God is the the God of gods and the Lord of lords. Know this in your hearts parents.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all you soul and with all you strength.

The Holy Spirit will continue to empower you to live this out if you rely on Him as you parent.

Make the Word of God live in your heart. Read scripture, memorize scripture and think scripture. Let it be on your hearts

Deuteronomy 6:7–9 HCSB

7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Church

As a church, we believe it is vital to support parents in the role of raising children in the Lord.

We believe the parent is the most influential and God designed person to influence a child’s life.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 HCSB

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.

Ephesians 4:11–16 HCSB

11 And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head —Christ. 16 From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

This speaks to apostles, prophet, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

They are to train the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ.

Growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

We will speak the truth in love

We will build up each part of the body building up itself in love

(Invite the families to the stage)

Ryan & Kaylah Bueler with Abigail Juniper Bueler

Mark & Hannah Witcher with Amelia Faith Witcher

Zachary & Megan Gardner with Charlie Robert Gardner & Samuel William Gardner

Matt & Jessica Farmer with Quill Steven Farmer

Babies

We recognize that they are blessing from the Lord

We Praise the Lord for them

We pray for them

Parents

We Will

Trust that the Lord is indeed God and the Lord is One

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all you soul and with all you strength.

Make the Word of God live in your heart. Read scripture, memorize scripture and think scripture. Let it be on your hearts

Church

We Will

Support the work of parents. Find ways to encourage them in their parenting

Pray for parents when they or their children come to mind

Commit to teaching the word of God to children and families.

Ensure that all of our programs, classes, and activities are based in God’s word and continue to remain that way for the life of this church.

Related Media

Related Sermons

Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.