LIKE A CHILD Week 4

Good Morning

Good Morning and Welcome to Freedom Chapel. My name is Pastor Terry, my wife Michelle and I serve as the lead pastors here at Freedom Chapel. We exist to bring hope to our community we do that by being a Place to Belong, Church for the Whole Family.

If you are new with us this morning would you please take the time fill out that little flap on the side of your bulletin. If you put it in the black boxes by the back door we will make a donation in your name to a local charity and send you cookies. Church can we show our guests some love this morning.

Christmas Family Service

Roll that Video Mr. Media

Merry Christmas!

This week we conclude our series called Like a Child. The entire goal of this series has been to change our perspective and view of the Kingdom of Heaven. We make things so heavy.

Mark 10:15 (ESV)

15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

Tell you part of the Christmas story—read rest from Luke 1

God sent an angel to Nazareth to a Mary, virgin engaged to Joseph.

Do not be afraid—favor with God.

With child—give birth to a son—give him name Jesus!

Luke 1:34–37 (ESV)

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

MY GOD CAN DO ANYTHING.

Omnipotence—Almighty 345 x bible—used only for God.

Problem, challenge, an obstacle—how can I overcome this?

Children—turn to God—simple faith—believe God!

We are surrounded by hopeless situations.

Covid

Cancer

Marriage Problems

Financial Situations

Shortages and Outages

A lot of us Say God can do anything but many of us Don’t believe that God can do anything.

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This is why we need to return to a Child like Faith.

We need to return to believing that Our God is With Us

We need to return to believing that Our God is For Us

We need to return to believing that Our God Forgives Us

We need more than ever to begin to Understand That Our God can do anything

CHILDLIKE FAITH BELIEVES

MY GOD CAN.

Jeremiah 32:17 (ESV)

17 ‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

Do you believe in Miracles?

My God Can

Can God save your marriage? Can God help you overcome?

Can God mend broken relation? Can God heal you or loved one?

Can God provide financially? Can God save your unsaved…?

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MY GOD WILL.

People believe God can—but don’t necessarily believe he will!

Might do it for you—probably won’t do it for me.

Dale Pancake: I believe God Hears ME and answers my prayers.

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Israelites verses Philistines

Saul—you can’t fight giant—you’re only a child.

Saul’s Mentality was that Goliath was to Big to Beat

David’s Mentality was that Goliath was to Big to Miss

David—who are you to come against the armies of the living God?

1 Samuel 17:45–47 (ESV)

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,

47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”

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My God can—My God will!

What About when God doesn’t heal?

Praying for Dorinda

Childlike—innocent—growing deepening mature faith.

Mary and Jesus

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EVEN IF GOD DOESN’T, I STILL BELIEVE.

Childlike faith is big enough to handle a “no.”

Faith isn’t built on what God does—who God is.

My problem with some of the Music being sang today.

We need to quit looking for the things God does and start looking at Who God Is.

HE IS THE GOD WHO IS FAITHFUL WHEN WE ARE FAITHLESS.

2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV)

13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

HE IS THE GOD WHO CANNOT LIE.

Titus 1:2 (ESV)

2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

HE IS THE GOD WHO CANNOT BE TEMPTED TO EVIL.

James 1:13 (ESV)

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

HE IS THE GOD WHO CAN NOT CHANGE HIS BASIC NATURE.

Numbers 23:19 (ESV)

19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

I don’t know who said it but a wise Christian man once said.

When walking with God you are living in one of three situations. you are either coming out of a hard time, living through a hard time, or about to enter a hard time.

John 16:33 (ESV)

33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Child like faith leads me into a mind set that says EVEN IF GOD DOESN’T, I STILL BELIEVE.

Like three young Hebrew men facing death.

Daniel 3:16–18 (ESV)

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Are you Facing a My God Can situation

2. Are you Facing a My God will situation.

3. Are you facing and Even if God doesn’t

EXTRA MATERIAL

Pray for AC, Car, Catie leading Jack to X, Sam and rain

Pray for my Grandma, Arm, Amy

Cannot deny himself. (2 Tim 2:13)

Cannot lie (Titus 1:2)

Cannot be tempted to evil (James 1:13)

Cannot change his basic nature (Numbers 23:19)

4 His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed? Job 9:4

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Ps 24:8

21 Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. Deut 7:21

26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. Isa 40:26

8 O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you. Ps 89:8

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:1-4

2 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.

Job 42:2