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• Practical examples include showing up to birthdays and celebrations, listening to them, and being available. |
• The speaker shares a story about Kendra, a girl with disabilities, who was loved and cared for by her teacher, Miss Lowry, with the simple yet powerful words "I wish you were mine." |
• Adults in the community are encouraged to come alongside children and invest in their lives as safe and loving influences. |
• The importance of protecting children |
• Prayer for the blessing and protection of church family's children |
• Requesting energy, strength, perseverance, love to care for and teach children |
• Asking God to protect children from evil and temptation |
• Praying for children to thrive in the kingdom of God |
• Requesting God to teach adults to learn from their children's vulnerability and humility |
[0.00 --> 14.78] One more time. Let's do that. Good morning, everyone. There you are. There you are. |
[16.12 --> 22.00] Well, as Pastor Sid mentioned last week, we're going to preach all summer a series called |
[22.00 --> 28.42] The Hard Sayings of Jesus. And what's behind this series is basically the recognition that |
[28.42 --> 34.14] if you read through just the gospel accounts of Jesus' ministry and Jesus' teaching, there are |
[34.14 --> 39.40] going to be many moments where you are moved and you see the beauty and the richness and the goodness |
[39.40 --> 45.52] of Jesus' teaching. But it's very likely there's going to be things that Jesus says that bother you, |
[46.06 --> 51.78] that ruffle your feathers. And you're thinking, like, why would He say that? And why would He say |
[51.78 --> 55.90] it like that? And when we come across these passages, and we all do in one way or another, |
[55.90 --> 60.16] the goal is not to ignore it. Sometimes that's what we do as Christians, like, hey, that's not |
[60.16 --> 65.12] in the Bible. Let's not talk about it. Or we want to race past it and not know what to do with it. We |
[65.12 --> 71.80] actually want to sit with and listen closely to the hard sayings of Jesus, recognizing that He is the |
[71.80 --> 77.94] smartest, wisest person. He is the living Word, and we want to listen to even the things that we find |
[77.94 --> 82.92] difficult. And so, because it's summer camp celebration, in the 9 a.m. service, we had a zillion |
[82.92 --> 88.94] kids up here, and it's very loud and wonderful. I picked a passage that's connected to children, |
[89.06 --> 93.64] where Jesus teaches on children. So, if you have your Bible, digital or physical, turn with me to |
[93.64 --> 97.82] Matthew chapter 18, and we're actually going to read verse 1 to 7, not 1 to 5. |
[97.82 --> 107.20] At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, |
[107.96 --> 114.66] Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? He called a little child whom He placed among them, |
[114.76 --> 122.64] and He said, Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter |
[122.64 --> 129.32] the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes a humble place, becoming like this child, is the |
[129.32 --> 136.14] greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. |
[137.22 --> 142.74] If anyone causes one of these little ones, those who believe in me, to stumble, it would be better |
[142.74 --> 147.74] for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were drowned in the depths of the sea. |
[147.74 --> 154.22] Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble. Such things must come, |
[154.30 --> 160.10] but woe to the person through whom they come. It's a heavy teaching, isn't it? |
[162.44 --> 167.60] Well, when you become a parent, it's almost inevitable that people will come up to you and |
[167.60 --> 173.20] give you advice, quotes about parenting or golden nuggets, whether you ask for them or not. |
[173.80 --> 177.14] Brittany and I are one of those couples, and over the years we've heard a lot of good wisdom |
[177.14 --> 181.42] and teachings and quotes, and I'm going to share just three things that we've heard over the course |
[181.42 --> 188.98] of our life as parents. The first one is this, parenting is like hiking. The walk can be grueling, |
[189.04 --> 193.56] but the view is beautiful. The second one, there's a little more dark humor for you. |
[194.46 --> 199.36] When you become a parent, you can finally understand why some animals eat their young. |
[200.88 --> 207.04] Told you, I warned you it was dark. And yet we get it, right? And finally, more seriously, |
[207.62 --> 213.44] children can be our greatest teachers if we have the humility to learn from their lessons. |
[214.06 --> 217.38] And that last one actually resonates a lot with the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 18. |
[218.68 --> 223.34] Now, Jesus never had his own biological children, but when we read the Gospels, |
[223.42 --> 230.94] we see regularly that as he's teaching, children are drawn to him. And I think it's worth pausing just to |
[230.94 --> 236.48] imagine and think about how this happens not just once, but on a regular occurrence as he teaches in |
[236.48 --> 242.54] crowds. There's something about him that draws the children. In fact, they're so drawn and magnetized |
[242.54 --> 247.72] to the person of Jesus that the disciples think they need to intervene by pushing the kids away. |
[247.82 --> 254.82] And Jesus rebukes his disciples saying, let the children come. The kingdom belongs to these children. |
[254.82 --> 264.86] Like, Jesus saw them. He loved them for who these children were. And he wanted to bless them. Like, that's Jesus. |
[265.00 --> 272.10] He really had a deep and beautiful view of and relationship with children. And I don't know about you, |
[272.18 --> 277.24] but as I think of my own life as a parent and all the rest, there's something in me that celebrates |
[277.24 --> 286.12] worshiping a king who truly loves children. And in this passage, Jesus gives some very strong teaching |
[286.12 --> 292.84] on children. The first half of Matthew 18, he says, first, we must become like them in vulnerability |
[292.84 --> 298.02] and more. I'll say that more in a minute. And the second half, he says, we must do everything in our |
[298.02 --> 303.70] power to enable them to flourish and to protect them. And we're going to look at both of these sides |
[303.70 --> 309.12] this morning of Matthew 18. Now, one piece of important context before we get into this passage |
[309.12 --> 313.70] that's helpful to note is that every culture has a view of and relationship to children. |
[313.82 --> 317.12] When you grow up in a society, there's just a way we understand the role in society, |
[317.44 --> 323.60] how we relate to kids. Canada's no exception. And you need to know that in the first century of Jesus' day, |
[324.58 --> 329.82] kids were not that important. It's actually a very tough life for kids. A lot of them, |
[329.82 --> 334.82] they were seen as property. They didn't often get named because they first wanted to make sure the |
[334.82 --> 339.60] kid would survive. And they didn't really have any social value until they could work and provide |
[339.60 --> 343.94] money for the family, or they could get married and have kids. Kids were usually seen, especially |
[343.94 --> 349.26] young kids, as property, not as people. And you have to keep that in mind because what Jesus says is |
[349.26 --> 355.44] punchy and strong in our context, but it is especially challenging and strong in His own. |
[355.44 --> 360.60] And so with that in mind, we'll dive into this passage, which starts with a question, |
[360.72 --> 364.06] a question that makes me smile. The disciples come up to Jesus, and what do they say to Him? |
[364.70 --> 369.94] Jesus, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? I just love that question. They've asked |
[369.94 --> 374.90] this in more than one place. And maybe they're expecting a story of some, like, spiritual hero |
[374.90 --> 380.88] from the Old Testament. Or maybe, this is my likely guess, they're trying to figure out how they |
[380.88 --> 385.42] climb to the top. They're like, okay, how do I get to the top of spiritual greatness? How do I |
[385.44 --> 390.12] become someone who's great in your rule and your kingdom? And Jesus just totally flips the script |
[390.12 --> 396.46] on them. What does He do? He draws their attention to a child. And by the way, I love how Matthew |
[396.46 --> 402.24] includes the detail that Jesus, like, planted the child in the audience. And He draws their attention |
[402.24 --> 405.86] to this child that He places there, and then He says these words. And by the way, if you've got a kid |
[405.86 --> 411.56] around you or a child around you, I want you to look at that child and hear me read these words again |
[411.56 --> 421.02] from Matthew 18. Truly, I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will |
[421.02 --> 426.62] never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of a child |
[426.62 --> 435.26] is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Isn't that a fascinating teaching? And maybe you've got some |
[435.26 --> 440.30] questions, you know, like, I will be honest with you as a parent, and I've had, I have four kids, |
[440.30 --> 445.50] and I remember when they were young. There have to be ways where Jesus is not thinking that we must |
[445.50 --> 450.44] become like children. Like, let's just be honest. I see one person nodding, like, this can't be true |
[450.44 --> 456.88] in every way. Kids can be painfully selfish. Tell me I'm wrong. They can be hard. It's hard for them to |
[456.88 --> 462.88] control their emotions. They can't be trusted with a great deal of responsibility. They break things. |
[463.54 --> 467.20] My home is like, there's so many broken artifacts around my house. |
[467.20 --> 473.06] So these are not the ways that Jesus is referring to children. In fact, in verse 4, he hints very |
[473.06 --> 479.76] directly at what he's getting at. He talks about the humble, lowly position of children. And commentators |
[479.76 --> 484.04] will all say that the way that Jesus is getting at becoming like children is in vulnerability, |
[485.32 --> 491.94] dependence, and trust. And if you are around kids, you've got kids, you get this. Kids are painfully |
[491.94 --> 500.98] vulnerable, incredibly trusting, to a fault, and very, very dependent. Maybe if you've got kids or |
[500.98 --> 505.62] you're around kids, you'll know that they'll walk into the most dangerous situation. And as long as |
[505.62 --> 510.70] you're somewhere nearby, how fitting to have a child cry right now. This is perfect. You can walk, |
[510.76 --> 514.52] the kid can walk in the most dangerous situation, but as long as you're around as a parent or the |
[514.52 --> 518.86] adult, they're like, I'm good. They're here. Even if you have no idea what you're doing, the kid is fine |
[518.86 --> 524.50] so long as they're near you, right? And there's so many times where you just see how vulnerable they |
[524.50 --> 529.70] are on their own, right? The risks they take without realizing it, all the things that they |
[529.70 --> 535.40] will do that could end their life if they don't have a parent intervening. But you also know how |
[535.40 --> 540.42] needy they are. Like if you're a parent, you're going to resonate with this one. Think of how many |
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