Untitled Sermon (2)

STAYCATION PT 2

Our Job As Parents And Grandparents Is To Create A Desire In Our Kids For The Things Of God.

ILLUSTRATION

If you’ve ever been to Disneyland or Disney World you’re familiar with the ride and the song, “It’s a Small World.” However, before it appeared at the Disney parks it first showed up at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The ride was originally called “Children of the World” and when you rode through the exhibit, you heard the national anthems of dozens of countries played at the same time. When Walt first heard that he knew that wouldn’t do. So he commissioned the Sherman brothers, Disney writers, to come up with a happy song. The result was, “It’s a Small World” and they changed the entire exhibit to fit the song. The song was never copyrighted and Disney claims it has been sung and translated into more languages than any other song. It’s somewhat of a brain worm -- so you may be humming it the rest of the day -- which is better than some things that could be stuck in your brain.

When it comes to God’s world, it is a small world. God loves everybody, and especially small children. Children have always been interested in God.

One Christian schoolteacher asked her young students to write some letters to God. I hope they make you smile.

Dear God, Thank for you’re the baby brother but what I prayed for was a puppy. —Joyce

Dear God, If you give me a genie lamp like Aladdin I will give you anything you want except my money or my chess set. —Raphael

Dear God, I want to be just like my Daddy when I get big but not with so much hair all over. —Sam

Mark 10:13-16 (GW) Some people brought little children to Jesus to have him hold them. But the disciples told the people not to do that. When Jesus saw this, he became irritated. He told them, “Don’t stop the children from coming to me. Children like these are part of the kingdom of God. I can guarantee this truth: Whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a little child receives it will never enter it.” Jesus put his arms around the children and blessed them by placing his hands on them.

WE don’t know if the children suffered from ailments or if parents merely wanted their child to receive some sort of blessing from Jesus,

BUT we can see the character of God revealed in his response.

The disciples did not have time for these kids and were critical and disapproving that they were there

Jesus was upset that the disciples were treating the children unfairly and challenged them that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”

BUT -- JESUS received the kids with open arms -- willing to make time for them and their families

SO -- I’d like to make some observations about children.

1. IT’S GOOD FOR PARENTS TO BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO JESUS

We read, “People were bringing little children to Jesus.” (Mark 10:13)

It’s fun to bring your kids and grandkids to Jesus.

It’s important for parents and grandparents to bring their children to church and to make sure they have spiritual training from the earliest age.

Bringing OUR CHILDREN to church is NOT an option. We make them GO to school to be successful at jobs -- WE NEED TO MAKE THEM COME TO CHURCH TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN LIVING LIFE

It’s rare -- but every now and then I’ll come upon a set of parents who don’t want to influence their children spiritually. They just want them to grow up and be exposed to many different ideas and when they are old enough they’ll decide for themselves. That’s a dangerous strategy.

Proverbs 22:6 (GW) Train a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not turn away from it.

I want to give you a different aspect of this verse ....

THIS word “TRAIN” in the Hebrew language -- It was a word used by Hebrew midwives who delivered babies. They would roll their forefingers in a mixture of olive oil and sweet crushed dates. Then they would slip their finger into the infant’s mouth and massage the palate to stimulate the sucking instinct. They were creating in the baby a desire for nourishment.

Our job as parents and grandparents is to create a desire in our kids for the things of God. It is to SHOW THEM that the things of God are sweet and nourishing to them. And once you create that desire in them to know God -- they never really lose it.

2. CHILDREN ARE NOT AN INTERRUPTION

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me…and he took them in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” (Mark 10:14, 16)

ILLUSTRATION

A fine dining establishment in Chicago recently made headlines for tweeting about allowing kids to eat at a high-end restaurant. Many people chimed in — declaring that, indeed, there should be kid-free zones where adults can dine in peace. (“Chicago Chef’s Crying Baby Tweet Stirs Up Controversy,” Good Morning America, ABC News,

PLAY VIDEO HERE— YOU TUBE — Children Interrupt BBC News Reporter

The viral clip shows professor and father Robert Kelly being interviewed live from his home office. His daughter and baby come bursting through the door, and the mom skids in to try to salvage the situation. The parents show incredible restraint in a tense and awkward situation. Children have a way of humbling a person with their bluntness and overflowing joy. Even in this video, we see the father crack a knowing smile.

Kids are TOTALLY unpredictable.

CHILDREN bring so much Life - Joy - Freedom - into our church family life They have such an expressive freedom in loving Jesus.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME -- Children — especially babies — can be demanding at times. They don’t know to follow cultural rules or how to engage properly with polite society. However, as believers, we know that children are a gift -- and we should be GRACIOUS when our lives are interrupted by them — especially within the context of the church.

Titus 2:1-5 (GW) Tell believers to live the kind of life that goes along with accurate teachings. Tell older men to be sober. Tell them to be men of good character, to use good judgment, and to be well-grounded in faith, love, and endurance. Tell older women to live their lives in a way that shows they are dedicated to God. Tell them not to be gossips or addicted to alcohol, but to be examples of virtue. In this way they will teach young women to show love to their husbands and children, to use good judgment, and to be morally pure. Also, tell them to teach young women to be homemakers, to be kind, and to place themselves under their husbands’ authority. Then no one can speak evil of God’s word.

WHY -- LET ME PARAPHRASE -- Your Message Will Be CAUGHT Before It Is TAUGHT!!!!

We all have a responsibility to BE THAT SPIRITUAL EXAMPLE

TEENS can mentor middle school or elementary students.

ADULTS -- there isn’t a time in our lives when we’ve paid our dues and can opt out of investing in the next generation. The wisdom that a mature person in faith and/or age and experience can offer the younger person is immeasurable.

The easiest time for people to come to Christ is when they are children.

In America 50% of Christians come to know the Lord before age 13

64% come to Christ before age 18

77% come to Christ before age 21.

And only 23% of the Christians in the U.S. came to Christ after the age of 21

So Parents, And Grandparents -- If You Have Kids In Your Family -- I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BRING THEM TO CHURCH CONSISTENTLY

It will never be easier for them to trust Jesus than it is RIGHT NOW.

3. TO ENTER GOD’S KINGDOM YOU MUST BE LIKE A CHILD

Jesus said, “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15)

The only way ANYONE at any age can come to Jesus is to receive His kingdom LIKE a child.

What Does That Mean -- Children Have ...

A. A sense of awe and wonder

I can remember the first Christian song I learned. It was awesome because I really believed it. SING IT -- but through the eyes of a six-year-old. “Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus love me. Yes, Jesus love me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.”

I have never encountered any truth more profound than what is taught in that song.

B. A simple trust

We try to make things too complicated. Theology is deep -- but you aren’t saved by theology. We’re saved by grace through faith. Saving faith is simple.

When you were a child you didn’t have to worry about what you were going to wear or eat -- because your parents were going to provide for you.

That kind of absolute trust and confidence should be the way we relate to our Heavenly Father today. He has told us that we don’t have to worry about any of these things. He will take care of us.

C. A spirit of forgiveness

As adults -- when someone injures or wrongs us -- we are slow to forgive. We tend to carry grudges. Some of you can think of people right now who have hurt you and you still haven’t forgiven them. You’d rather nurse your grudge than let them go.

Kids are quick to forgive. They don’t carry grudges. They can be fussing with their playmates -- but in a few minutes they’re playing again.

ILLUSTRATION

When I was about 12 years old, I got into a knockdown-drag-out fistfight with one of my best friends, Gary. We were playing baseball and we argued whether a ball was foul or fair. We were yelling, and pretty soon, the fists were flying. The game was over and within ten minutes Gary and I were drinking Mountain Dews with our arms around each other. The fight was completely forgotten.

Would you ask God to allow you to BE like a child and be quick to forgive?

CONCLUSION

It was on a cold, rainy Monday morning in New Jersey. A visiting pastor announced that he would preach daily morning services every week during Holy Week. A ten-year-old boy walked through the rain to attend the service. When the visiting pastor walked out -- he saw that the boy was the only person in the church. Years later, after the boy became a man, he wrote about his experience on that Monday morning. “I wondered what the Minister would do, but when the hour set for worship arrived the pastor walked into the pulpit and began the service as if the church was filled to capacity. He looked down at me with a smile of great sincerity and spoke earnestly to me about the love of God. When the time came for the offering, the minister held out the offering plate and I walked to the front and placed my nickel in the plate. The pastor smiled at me and placed his big, gentle hand on my head. In walking back to my seat, I knew this man’s God was a real God, and that every child mattered to God. It left a lump in my throat, and I cannot think of it today without emotion.”

That was a turning point in the spiritual development of this boy. He started reading the Bible every day for the rest of his life. His name was Cecil B. Demille, who would grow up to become one of the most successful movie producers in Hollywood. He produced movies like, “The Ten Commandments,” “The King of Kings,” and “The Sign of the Cross.” He once said, “My ministry has been to make religious movies and to get more people to read the Bible than anyone else ever has.”

STAYCATION -- Instead of going away to serve on mission -- there are lots of ways to HAVE THE MISSION ON OUR MINDS in OUR own community -- especially when it comes to our children

Every Sunday & Wednesday we have the same opportunity to impact and influence children. Let’s welcome them and treat each one of them as if they are the next Cecil B DeMille or Billy Graham!

Remember -- it’s a small world … after all!