Baby Dedication

A True Baby Dedication

By Jerry Shirley

Summary: really a parent dedication!--THE CONFIRMATION, THE CLARIFICATION, THE COMMITMENT, THE CLAIMING. \

GIVING YOUR CHILDREN BACK TO GOD

Question: Have you ever given your children back to God?

What I am asking is, have you ever really:

Recognized your children are a precious gift from the Lord, and they belong ultimately and always to God first—not to you?

Released ownership of your children to Him understanding God is responsible for the way in which they were designed and already knows the plan and purpose for their future?

Realized God has left it up to you to show them His way?

BIBLICAL EXAMPLES:

Trans: There are many examples of parents in the Bible who brought their children to God and gave them back to Him

1. There is the classic example of Hannah bringing her son Samuel (the son for whom she had prayed), and presenting him to God, and handing young Samuel over to Eli the priest.

1 Samuel 1:27–28 CSB

I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked him for, I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” Then he worshiped the Lord there.

2. Of course, you remember Joseph and Mary brought the infant child Jesus to the temple following his circumcision at 8 days. they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

Luke 2:22 CSB

And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

Trans: But the example of a parent surrendering his child to God that I want us to read about today is that of Abraham offering Isaac on Mt. Moriah.

TEXT

Genesis 22:1–13 CSB

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered. “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there to worship; then we’ll come back to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac. In his hand he took the fire and the knife, and the two of them walked on together. Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together. When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.” Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.

Abraham literally, totally, irrevocably gave Isaac back to God. Man, that had to be hard and painful for Abraham.

After all:

· Abraham loved Isaac. V.2 God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, and sacrifice him ...”

· Isaac had been a MIRACLE baby. He was born when Sarah was 90 and Abraham was 100 years of age.

just try to put yourself in Abraham’s place. It was incomprehensibly painful for Abraham to strap his dear son on an altar and a stack of wood, raise a knife to slash open that boy’s chest and throat, cremate the body and sit by as he smelled the stench of the burning flesh of his boy—and then watch that boy literally disintegrate into a pile of ashes!

Whew! I don’t know if I would do that…even if God asked! But in a very real sense, I know I MUST DO THAT with all 3 of the precious children God has given me.

Do you know—the best thing Abraham ever did for Isaac was to tie him to that altar and to surrender him back to God?

1) Had Abraham refused to give Isaac back to God, he would have forfeited all God’s promises and plans for Isaac. Isaac would have lived and died in obscurity—a nomad, and a nobody.

2) Because Abraham obeyed and gave Isaac back to God, Isaac received the fullness of God’s best plan and promise for his life:

· Isaac became a wealthy man.

· Isaac became the forefather of God’s own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

· Isaac’s life is still having an impact on and blessing millions of people worldwide through his offspring—Jesus Christ.

And so, you and I need to learn from Abraham today. If we refuse and fail to give our children back to God—we may very well be forfeiting God’s best plan and purpose for their lives. And when we entrust our children back to God—we secure for them the covenant of God’s best purpose and plan for their lives.

FOUR ELEMENTS OF GIVING YOUR CHILD BACK TO GOD:

· What does it mean? It means 4 things:

1) Giving your child to God is a CONFIRMATION of your love for God.

· The first thing you are saying when you give that child back to the Lord is simply this...that you love God even more than you love that child. (Your child is a most prized possession…but don’t allow them to take the place of God!) [I love you, child, so much, that I want the very best for you. If that means giving you to God, spanking you, giving you limitations (holding the line), changing my life for your benefit…I’ll do whatever it takes!]

· This is exactly what Abraham proved by his willingness to offer Isaac. He was demonstrating that his love and fear of God were supreme in his life above all else.

· Abraham loved God above the most prized treasure of his life...his only son Isaac.

Matthew 10:37–38 CSB

The one who loves a father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; the one who loves a son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Not only a Confirmation…

2) Giving your children to God is a CLARIFICATION of ownership.

--When you give your child back to God, you are openly declaring that:

· This child is a gift from God.

· This child does not really belong to you.

· This child belongs to God.

(You have the privilege to love and train this child.

But this child is not yours—but God’s!)

· Was this not what had to be on Abraham’s mind when he lay Isaac on the altar? Was he not saying, “Lord, this young man belongs to you—not me?” He was saying, “You do with him as you please. He’s yours!”

· Hey listen! That little boy or girl does not really belong to you—they belong to God! They are a precious gift from God, on loan to you.

Psalm 127:3 CSB

Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, offspring, a reward.

Note: We’d better be careful how we treat and care for God’s property!

Note: Let me tell you something friend. God did not authorize the state to raise children. And God did not authorize teachers to be the primary source of instruction if biblical instruction and life guiding . God authorized Mommies and Daddies to raise kids!

Trans: Not only a Confirmation, Clarification…

3) Giving Your Children To God Is A COMMITMENT to Raise Your Children God’s Way!

Eph. 6:4 says we are to bring our children up “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

· LISTEN...To give your child to God is not just a CEREMONY...It is a COMMITMENT. It is a commitment that you are going to:

· Be a Godly parent. (Parent dedication…requires getting right w/ God)

· Teach this child of Christ. (they will need to be saved)

· Keep this child in church,

· Love this child. (even if loving them means disciplining them/letting God discipline you!)

· Pray for this child.

· Train this child - discipleship won’t happen by accident.

· Make your marriage a priority for this child. (there are other reasons for this too, but this is a great one!)

· Make your home a holy place - Your kids face temptation from every direction. The home should be a place where your children find rest from it.

Parents take control of the electronic devices. Install software that not only protects your kids but also creates accountability for it’s usage. Be the parent. Checking their phones is not not an invasion into their privacy its being a good parent.

And be the example by installing the software on your devices holding you to accountability.

· Put away worldliness.

· Live a righteous life.

· I think some people see baby dedication as a magical ceremony. Let me tell you—this little ceremony means nothing—zero—if you are not making a sincere, life-long commitment to raise this child God’s way!

Ex: I like what Joshua told the children of Israel as they settled into their new home, the Promised Land.

Joshua 24:14–15 CSB

“Therefore, fear the Lord and worship him in sincerity and truth. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship the Lord. But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship—the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the Lord.”

“I want my family to turn out right, and so, as a parent, I’m going to begin to lead them right!”

· Man, that’s the kind of commitment God is looking for in parents today!

Not only a Confirmation, Clarification, Commitment…

4) Giving Your Children To God is a CLAIMING of God’s plan and promises for that child’s life.

· Isaac inherited God’s blessings, protection and promises because his dad, Abraham, gave him back to God.

Genesis 22:15–18 CSB

Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn,” this is the Lord’s declaration: “Because you have done this thing and have not withheld your only son, I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies. And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”

Your children are blessed by your obedience to God

(they have a free will, but you stack the odds in their favor or against them by the way YOU live!)

· As you obey God with your life, and as you give that child back to God, you are posturing that child to receive God’s very best for his/her life.

Proverbs 22:6 CSB

Start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it.

…So, this is what it means to give your children back to God:

1) It is a CONFIRMATION of your supreme love for Christ.

2) It is a CLARIFICATION of ownership (God owns that child).

3) It is a COMMITMENT to raise that child under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

4) It is a CLAIMING of God’s best plan and promises for that child’s life.

· This is exactly what transpired when Abraham took Isaac up Mt. Moriah and laid him on the altar to give him to God.

1) Abraham was CONFIRMING his love and fear of Jehovah.

2) Abraham was CLARIFYING that Isaac really belonged to God.

3) Abraham was COMMITTING to be a Godly parent.

4) Abraham was CLAIMING God’s plan and promises for Isaac.