In working on this sermon, I was drawn towards remembering my youth. How innocent I was to a degree, but also how deceptive I was as well. For instance, do you remember the very first lie you told, or maybe the first item you may have stolen? Regardless, when sin entered our life, we immediately became subject to the effects of sin.
A local Pastor was walking the streets around his parish, and he saw a young boy was trying to ring the doorbell of a house, but being too short, he couldn’t reach it. The Pastor walked up, and rang the doorbell of the home for the boy, then he asked the boy “What do we do now?” and without any hesitation, the boy said, “Now we Run!”
Even for this young boy, I want you to notice something, when sin affected us even as a child that we are enticed to do things ungodly, God's never left the boy. He never left us, he never forsaken us, we are always in his presence, yet we don’t seem to claim the victory. In your bulletin insert, you should have a typed phrase that I found to be very helpful for me every day, “Trust what you know to be true, over what you feel to be true!” This is what I truly believe God is telling each of us, as he did the disciples.
Yet, in today's scripture reading in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus made it quite clear about how children have a special significance in both behavior and duty that we adults need to comprehend.
So lets read starting at verse 13, “And they were bringing children to Him so that He would touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this , He was indignant and said to them, “Allow the children to come to Me; do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them. “
When we think of Children, Jesus shows us even today; they exemplify dependence and receptiveness, not necessarily humility. Jesus is telling us here it is not the receiving of a child but receiving of the kingdom of God. Jesus' concern in ministry was the awakening of men to be responsive; much of the opposition to him came from those who lacked imagination, receptivity, and the childlike capacity to act at once upon what they understood.
How many of you also remember how your parent or guardian said something to you like, “Why don’t you listen to me? Why didn’t you do as your told? Why, Why Why…”
Jesus said to his disciples, “How long am I to bear with you?” This is seemingly apparent that the disciples again was missing the point of what Jesus was saying more often than not. Another way of putting it “How could they be with Christ so continuously, seeing what he cared about most, hearing the words, and still fail so dismally to understand him?” That is exactly our problem today! We see, we hear, we experience, yet we don’t believe! Most of the time I think its because if we do not understand something, we lose focus, interest and even lower its priority in our life.
Billy Graham said this in his crusades, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Does a person turn on the radio or television, listen or watch the information that is coming over the miles of wires or over the air radio signal, and the moment we realize we don’t understand it, we immediately turn off the radio or television. Just because we don’t understand something does not mean its not good or even for our benefit. Just as we don’t fully understand God, the bible tells us that we walk by FAITH, not by sight. Not by what we don’t seem to understand, and it seems to be a stumbling block for us.”
So in trying to help you understand the importance of accepting God in everything we do, I want to emphasize today how we can and should Go To God as a little child would. You can trust in him!
What does the Psalms tell us, “Vindicate me, Lord , for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.”
Let me ask you something, how do we rest in this life? Do we take a breather, listen to music, go on vacation, etc. We tend to do things to find rest and refreshment. Sometimes we do things that are seemingly ungodly to the verge of insulting to get relief from the world.
What is Jesus telling us with the children, basically saying come to me, I will give you rest! Come to me and I will sustain you! Come to me and I will save you, protect you, and so on.
When Crowfoot, the great chief of the Blackfoot confederacy in southern Alberta, gave the Canadian Pacific Railroad permission to cross the Blackfoot land from Medicine Hat to Calgary, he was given inreturn a lifetime railroad pass. Crowfoot put it in a leather case and carried it around his neck for the rest of his life. There is no record however, that he ever availed himself of the right ot travel anywhere on the CPR Trains.
The promises of God are often treated in this way by Christians. They hang them on their walls in beautiful plaques; they treasure them in little promise boxes they play invitingly, “Standing on the promises of God.” But they do not claim the promises for themselves in times of need. Of what use are they on plaques and in boxes if they are not in our hearts.
When God states to us to come unto him, are we truly reflecting on him as being good to his word? Are we truly having faith in trusting him in all he promises?
When we have a surgery coming up, do we not try to place faith in the doctor's ability? When we have an anxiety attack like I do, do we try to go to God in prayer and seek his sustenance in getting through it, to find relief? Absolutely!
Just like the Blackfoot Chief, we are given promises, but we tend not to use them. We maybe acknowledge them and sometimes remember them, but we don’t practice them or use them.
When God says “I will never leave you or forsake you,” do you really believe him?
When God says “Come unto me all of you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” do we come to him in faith?
In the book fo Deuteronomy God told Moses and the people, “See, the LORD your God has placed the land before you. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not be afraid or discouraged." The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged."
One of my favorite verses in the Old Testment is in the book of Joshua. Remember, when Joshua assumed responsibility of the leadership after the death of moses, he had some big shoes to fill. But listen what God told Joshua, “Now after the death of His servant Moses, the LORD spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, you and all these people, and cross over the Jordan into the land that I am giving to the children of Israel. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses. Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea. No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give these people the inheritance of the land that I swore to their fathers I would give them. Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.” Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
WOW!
Inclosing friends, remember, when God makes a covenant, when God makes a promise, when God tells us something, he truly means it. But guess what! We have to take the steps. Yes it may be hard to do, but trusting in him, he will give us all the strength, all the faith, all our needs met, but we rely on him and put our faith in him.
Even with Gods promises friends, Gods instructions to Joshua still apply to us, “Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.”
We can’t be sinful and expect blessings. We can’t live a life of disobedience and expect peace. We can’t expect to live victoriously if we continue to disobey God. Remember friends, he is our saviour, our Lord, but he is a just and righteous God whom seeks a relationship with each of us, and we can trust in him and Love him, Amen.