Prayer & Dedication for Myles Milan Joseph

Introduction

Deuteronomy 6:4–7 ESV

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Psalm 127:3–5 ESV

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Matthew 19:13–15 ESV

13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.

These are challenging days. Much of what we would normally be doing face to face, in person, in the church we are compelled to do virtually. We would love to be together in church to baptize and dedicate precious Myles Milan Joseph to the Lord, but we’re limited. Even still, we praise God that He is not limited.

We know that he is with us. Our Lord Jesus Christ has told us so.

There’s a wonderful song we teach our children, “Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” We heard, in chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew, that people were bringing children to Jesus that he might touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked the people. But Jesus called them to him and said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Jesus loves the little children, and invited his followers to bring even infants to him that he might touch them.

What if you knew your whole life that you had been touched by Jesus? That you had been set apart by him in love? What if you knew that from the very first days of your life God stretched out his hand and rested ever so tenderly on your forehead? And declared, “This child of believing parents is a child of my covenant and therefore belongs in the community of my people. I hereby certify that all my promises and mercies, which I have spoken to my people throughout the ages, are for this child too.” Would it make a difference in how you think about God? I think it would.

Our God is a covenant making and covenant keeping God. He relates to us by way of covenant, by way of promise. He includes in his covenant promises young and old, rich and poor, people from every nation, tribe, and language. He does not discriminate.

Today we get to bring Kyle and Aneika’s son, Miles Milan Joseph before the Lord. There is a particular joy because Myles is the child of believing parents. As God’s word tells us in 1 Corinthians 7:14, the children of believing parents are holy. They are set apart, members of the covenant community, the church. They’re not outsiders peeking through the window looking in on the blessing of covenant community.

He is set apart by God, an expected heir of the Covenant of Grace.

Questions for Kyle & Aneika

Do you Kyle and Aneika acknowledge Myle’s need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?

Do you claim God’s covenant promises in his behalf, and do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation, as you do for your own?

Do you now unreservedly dedicate Myles to God, and promise, in humble reliance upon divine grace, that you will endeavor to set before him a godly example, that you will pray with and for him, that you will teach him the doctrines of our holy religion, and that you will strive, by all the means of God’s appointment, to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?

To the Attendees:

Kyle and Aneika dedicate Myles to the Lord in the presence of others because this is not a private matter, but it belongs to the church. Therefore, as a body of believers, we have a part to play in coming alongside this beautiful family.

Do you all undertake the responsibility of assisting Kyle and Aneika in the Christian nurture of Myles?

Prayer & Benediction

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.