Becoming a Child Again

Take your bibles if you would turn to Mark chapter nine to start with this morning. Mark chapter nine. Alright. I was encouraged this past Wednesday night. We had I think 16 kids here.

Five of them were teenagers on Wednesday night and that that was a great blessing. Some of them were supposed to come back this morning but you need to pray that that happens. The Lord will will work in their life. The the lives of their family had a a fellow called me on the way here Wednesday and said, I noticed your sign as you having that club that Bible club tonight and what time is it and and I'm going bring my kids. I talked to him.

When he came, he said he was going to try to come this Sunday or another one. So, pray for them that these this family will come and and visit us on Sunday as well and they'll keep coming on Wednesday night. So, that that was a great great blessing and pray that that will that ministry will continue to grow where our kids all over the place within a block of this church and they need the Lord. We'll talk a little more about that in just a few minutes. Mark chapter nine verses 31 to 37.

Jesus speaking with his disciples. It says in verse 31 of Mark nine, for he taught his disciples and said unto them, the son of man is delivered into the hands of men. They shall kill him and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying and were afraid to ask him. And he came to Capernaum and being in the house, he asked them, what was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?

But they held their peace. For by the way, they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest. They knew that wasn't the right thing. So, they didn't open their mouth. And he sat down and called the 12 and say it unto them, if any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all.

And servant of all. And he took a child and set him in the midst of them. And when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, whosoever shall receive one such children in my name, receiveth me and whosoever shall receive me, shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for your word.

For an important reminder here this morning of the importance of becoming a child again First of all, being born again through childlike faith but also in humbling ourselves in serving our Lord In obedience and submission. Without personal ambition. Lord, change our ambition. Direct our ambition. To be a desire to bring glory to your name.

And to exalt Jesus Christ. And to be the salt and light that you have called us to be in this world. And thus impact and serve others. In your name. Lord, we pray if there's one here today that has not been born again.

Through faith in your son, I pray that you would give them childlike faith today. To simply receive your gift. And receive your son, my faith. That they might too become a child of God. In Jesus name, we pray.

Amen. Becoming a child again Jesus begins here answers the disciples question concerning who is the greatest in the kingdom. A question that in this particular passage, they didn't ask him something they were disputing among themselves that of course, he knew about. We see the question first of all or the dispute. The disciples despite their clearly articulated faith in Christ's deity were yet self centered and ignorant in their understanding of the kingdom of God and of Christ's purpose in coming to Earth.

They didn't understand it all yet. They were still quite confused as they had been brought up in a culture and under a teaching that was quite confusing. And so they weren't quite there yet. Despite Christ reiterating his plan to go to Jerusalem to be crucified and to rise again they were still arguing amongst themselves as to who was to be the greatest. Here Christ is concerned as I'm sure he was and as he reveals in the Garden Of Gethsemane before his arrest, concerned about what is coming, what is not too far down the road at this point.

And his disciples are over here. Bickering among themselves as to which one is the what? The greatest. When I say it like that, it makes me think of Muhammad Ali. I'm the greatest.

That isn't for us to determine and there is one who is the greatest and it isn't you and it isn't Muhammad Ali His name is Jesus We can do. We can do do that. Who has who has it right, who should be in charge, so forth and so on. They argued amongst themselves as to which would be honored with the preeminent place in the master's kingdom. Luke 22.

They've enlisted the help of their mothers. That is James and John in Mark 10 and Matthew 20. And we're so bold at times even to ask Christ if they could have the best seat. In the kingdom. They still had a lot to learn but then again, so do we.

So, we deceive the disciples question and their dispute and we're going spend the rest of the time today on Jesus's answer. Jesus's answer. Jesus had an answer that maybe wasn't quite what they expected. Certainly, was not the answer they would have gotten from the Pharisees or at least not the example the Pharisees left. Not the answer they would have gotten from the rulers of this world of Herod or of Rome.

No, they got a a different kind of answer. In in Mark chapter 10 later on, Christ deals with this again with them and I I read the verses earlier. I think I I have it up here. I'll backtrack here to read it. We'll read this more than once this morning.

In verse 42, Christ says to them concerning this, he says, you know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise Lord ship over them and their great ones exercise authority upon them. In other words, they grab a hold of authority. They grab a hold with great ambition of positions of honor because they are concerned about who? Themselves. Because they think who is worthy?

Themselves. Because they want power, they grasp a hold of it. They grasp a hold of authority over other people's lives. That makes them feel powerful. But Jesus said to them, here in Mark 10 but it's so shall it not be among you but whosoever will be great among you shall be your what?

Minister. And whosoever of you will be the chiefest shall be the servant of all those. Word servant and minister come from the same root Greek word. Means, sir. One who serves, not one who tells people what to do but one who willingly does things for other people.

Verse 45, Christ goes on to say, for even the son of man, that is Jesus himself, came not to be ministered unto, to be served, but to minister, serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. Again, another reference to the cross that they were still in denial about. There are three points that I want to make from this passage in Mark and and Matthew that we're going to read here in just just a moment if you want to turn there to Matthew 18. Jesus took a child beckoned a child to come over that was in the house nearby with him and he asked the child to sit there on his lap with him and he used the child to illustrate three very important points that he needed to make to them that day that they needed to grasp a hold of and sometimes it helps to have an an object lesson and so Christ used the child as an object lesson for these grown men. To humble them and to help them to remember the importance of what he is going to say here.

In Matthew chapter 18, it says and at the same time, the disciples came the disciples unto Jesus saying, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them and said, verily I say unto you, except you be converted and become as a little as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Now, we'll stop there for a moment before we continue in that passage to address this particular point and we also see it reiterated here in Mark chapter 10 and verse 15 where Christ says, verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. Point number one, unless they, not just disciples but anyone who was listening, unless they were converted, born again, and became as little children, they would never even enter the kingdom. Nonetheless, be honored in it.

They were all concerned about being honored with their great position. As many were. When Christ said, unless you come to me with the faith of a child, as a child, you won't have to worry about whether you're honored in the kingdom. If you don't come to me with the faith of a child, you won't even what? You won't even enter the kingdom of heaven.

So, what did he mean? What did he mean by this? Well, three things that are are true generally of children that relate to this. Number one, children have a simple trusting faith. Children have a simple trusting faith.

When they're little, they can climb up on something. When I was when my kids were little, sometimes we'd go to the park. There was a big rock there. I don't think it was actually a rock. It was made out of fiberglass or but anyway it looked like a rock and they would crawl up on top and then I would hold my hands out and I would say what?

Jump. And usually They would jump. Now, was that a dangerous thing to do? Was that a risky thing to do? Not in their mind because they knew that they knew that dad was going to what?

They knew that dad was going to catch them. Now, that would be a riskier thing to do now because they would probably just knock that over, okay? But they had a simple childlike faith. You said, jump, I'll catch you and they jumped. You know, that's what Jesus does.

Jesus comes to us and he says to us, jump. I will catch you. Jesus says, for whosoever believeth in me shall not perish but have everlasting life. He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Jesus says to us in his word, if you will trust me with your soul, with your eternity, with your salvation.

I will save you. Jump. And when we are saved, when we're born again, that is what we do. It's not just saying the words of a prayer. It's not walking an aisle.

It's in our heart. Choosing by faith. To place our soul, our eternity, our life in the hands of Jesus Christ who says to us, I will forgive you, I will save you. But you must believe Jump. God's word emphatically declares that the justified shall live by faith.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Salvation is a matter of expressing faith and trust in Jesus, the son of God, to save you from sin and hell. Where there is no faith, there is no what? There is no salvation. Where there is not faith.

To trust Jesus, to trust God, to save our soul. Those who hear the gospel in particular and resist, his offer. Who put off his offer and say, I'll think about it. Well, I'm not sure. Who reject his offer?

Not now. Often become harder and harder hearted. Insulating themselves from the truth of the gospel by their repeated resistance. I have seen people grip a pew. Because they didn't want to walk an aisle.

And I've seen them weeks later no longer gripping the pew. Not because they walk forward, not because they trust but because they're no longer convicted. How sad that is. It happened in the case of Israel. God said, having eyes to see, you no longer see.

Having ears to hear, you no longer hear. Your heart has become hard because of your resistance. And your unwillingness to believe. And trust in me. How important it is that when God convicts our heart of sin and our need of salvation that we don't put it off till tomorrow because tomorrow may never what?

Tomorrow may never come. We must be willing to jump into his arms and faith. Or else we'll never be saved. Children have simple trusting faith. Also, children come with no accomplishments or achievements to offer.

Children receive help willingly particularly from those they believe love them. They have few accomplishments or assets to offer others for their assistance. They simply receive it in good faith as a gift with no strings attached. When you give a child a gift on their birthday or Christmas or whatever the case may be, the child doesn't often say, Okay, what do you want from me? But sometimes you offer a gift to an adult and in their mind if not out their mouth says, I wonder what they want in return.

But not so children. They are willing to receive a gift as a what? As what it is. A gift. They don't have much to offer in return.

They receive help with a project or help with a game. Because they believe you mean what you say and if you offer help freely, then that's what it is. Likewise, God tells us in his word that salvation is a what? What is salvation? It's a it's a gift.

That's what it is. Whereby grace are you saved through faith? That not of yourselves, nothing that you have earned or can earn. It is the what? The gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

You cannot be saved through your works. You cannot be saved by your accomplishments. You cannot be saved by bartering with God for you have nothing to offer him. It is only when we come to the realization that we have nothing to offer and that Jesus offers to us salvation freely by grace through faith in him alone and what he did for us on Calvary's Cross that we can receive that gift and become part of his family. As many as received him, that is Jesus.

To them gave you power to become the sons or the children of God even to them that believe on his name. In order to enter God's kingdom, you must become like a child. Simple in your faith. With no accomplishments or achievements to offer. But in freely receiving God's gift of eternal life.

In number three, children have no secret agendas or few preconceived notions. Children are for the most part an open book. When they ask for help they're genuine in their request and haven't ulterior motives or expectations like adults often do. Why is it that you might think, well, what do you want from me? You know, sometimes we say, hey, can you do me a favor?

What does that mean? Well, that means, well, you do this for me and I'll what? I'll do this for you and that's the way we we sometimes deal with other people and and we get we get used to that. We get used to people having sometimes ulterior motives that we we don't recognize or or see. But kids they're more open.

They're more open to others and to believe them and they're more open themselves. In that way, we need to be more like children. If one is to enter the kingdom of the heaven, you must first be converted, that is saved, born again through simple faith in the offer of salvation which God offers to his son. Apart from such saving faith in him, to save, there will be no entering God's kingdom. At least one of Jesus' disciples most definitely did not meet or whatever meet this prerequisite.

His name was Judas. While the other disciples were genuinely seemed genuinely ignorant, Judas' problem was a little deeper. He was truly in it all for who? Himself. When it looked as though he wasn't going to get what he wanted, he abandoned Christ for a bag of what?

For a bag of silver. Judas did have ulterior motives and those came to light when the rubber met the road so to speak. Jesus' disciples and most Jews of the day had also been brought up with many preconceived notions and teaching contrary to the gospel of Christ which must be shed and a new start made. When in John three, Jesus tells Nicodemus, you must be what? Born again.

Among other things, that denotes that there must be a what? A new start. There must be a new start. A brand new start. An abandoning of the previous for the new.

Nicodemus had been brought up in a system that had been perverted by the doctrines of men in place of the doctrines of God. Evidently, God had been convicting Nicodemus because when he came to Jesus, he came questioning and Jesus knew his heart and so Jesus said, Nicodemus, you gotta be born again. Now, you gotta be born again by the spirit. For being born in the flesh is not enough. Being born a Jew is not enough.

You must come to God through faith and be born again into a new life by the spirit. You must have a new start. You must abandon the old to receive by faith Jesus Christ. The new at least the new to you. The Jews in Jesus day thought that being a good Jew and doing their best to keep the law, what they called the law was enough.

Many others in Jesus day like those to whom Paul ministered in Athens, worshiped many false gods and idols. These they would have to turn away from in order to receive the true and living God. Many put their faith in their material possessions. They did it then. And they do it now.

Many put their faith in their own personal accomplishments. They did it then and they do it now. I don't need God. Look what I have. Sadly, they can't see what it is they don't have and what they so desperately need.

Salvation. Jesus. Others put their faith in the works of the church and religious leaders or other religious practices. Priest cannot absolve you of your sins. The church did not offer you salvation by its works.

Or religious rituals or practices. The only one, only way one can be saved is to cast aside these preconceived notions and ulterior motives and come to Christ as a what? As a child. And received by faith the gospel of Jesus Christ. That you're a sinner.

That without Christ, you'll die in your sin and spend an eternity in hell. That God loves you and doesn't want you. To go there. He is calling you unto himself through faith in his son. Will you come?

As this child came to Jesus that day and Jesus beckoning call. Will you come to Jesus also? That's point number one. We're not quite finished yet. We have point number two.

Not only is Christ concerning himself with the salvation of the lost and their need to come in faith as a child but also he wants to teach his disciples here about the way to honor. Before God. The way to exaltation And the way to be exalted in the presence of the Lord is to humble yourself. Before him. And to choose not to Lord over others.

But to serve them. The position point number two of honor and God's kingdom is reserved not for the boldest or the loudest or the most ambitious but for the most humble like unto Christ himself. It says in verse four of Matthew 18, if you're there, it says, whosoever therefore shall humble himself as a little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. It says in Matthew, Mark in in Mark 10 again, it says, halfway through but but it shall not be among you that but whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister and who shall whosoever of you will be the chiefest shall be the servant of what? The servant of all.

What that means, the person who is going to be the greatest in the eyes of God and the greatest of the kingdom of heaven is the person who fights not for the top but the person who fights for the what? Who fights for the bottom. The person who fights to be the servant of all. Rather than the authority of all. Or for the honor of all.

But the one who fights for the honor of Jesus Christ. That person is greatest in the eyes of God. That person will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Children are humble and simple in their approach to life. Children are naturally simplistic in their approach to life and recognize their place in it as children.

Yes, I know they sometimes are strong willed. Yes, I know that they are mischievous. Yes, I know these things. But children generally recognize themselves to be children. While adults recognize themselves to be the ones in charge who are calling the shots.

And not so willing often to be the ones to serve. Children are naturally, Imma read this again because I didn't read it all. Naturally simplistic in their approach to life and recognize their place in his children while adults estimation of themselves and their importance is often inflated by pride and arrogance and ambition. In ancient times children in particular were treated with contempt as an insignificant element in society. Children are to be seen but not what?

Heard. And in some cultures children are not to be seen either. Okay? They were insignificant. They had nothing to offer.

They were just what? Children. Even the word for child and the word for servant in Aramaic the language that they spoke mainly in Canaan, in Israel, in Jesus' day. This word for child and servant in Aramaic is the same word because children were servants. Servants were children.

Children were treated as servants. Yet, Jesus chose a child to illustrate greatness very contrary to the culture of his day. As children and as our savior we must shake off our ambition to be the greatest. We must shake off our ambition to be the wealthiest. We must shake off our ambition to be the most popular, to be the most powerful among our peers, and seek instead to promote them.

Even above who? Ourselves. Putting on the mind of Christ. Now, some of you should have this passage memorized by now but I'm going to read it anyway because I, it must be, it must be one of my favorites because I go back to it all the time. The Philippians chapter two, Paul says this, beginning in verse three, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory.

Let nothing be done with ambition to exalt who? Yourself. That's what it means. Somebody's alarm is going off and must have some kind of alert. So, sounds like there's more than one.

Presidential alert, maybe that's it. I don't know. Did y'all get that test this week? Everybody's cellphones go off. Presidential alert.

I don't know. President tell me anything but anyway, Philippians chapter two verse three, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory for the purpose of exalting self but in loneliness of mind and humility of mind, let each esteem other or exalt others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Now, I memorized verses five to 11 way back in junior high and I I can quote that without even thinking a whole lot about it.

But I should have memorized verses three and four to go with verse five because verse five is referring back to three and four. When it said, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. It's referring to a attitude of humility and service to God and to others. That's what Christ did when he left heaven and he became a man and he died on the cross for our sins. For as it says in Mark ten forty five, as we read a minute ago, Jesus said, for even the son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life A ransom for many.

If you turn back to John chapter 13, John 13 John 13, turn with me if you would. We're going to look at verses three to five and twelve through 17. John chapter 13, Jesus exemplifies, illustrates this concept to his disciples as they are in the upper room preparing for the Passover meal and then Lord's supper before his arrest in the garden. He wants to leave some important lessons with them and this is one of those lessons is how to be a servant. How to humble yourself like a child.

Matthew, I mean, John 13 and verse three. Jesus knowing that the father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God. Jesus knew who knows who he is. He knows why he's here. He knows his purpose.

Goes on to say in verse four, he rises from supper and laid aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself like like a maid. After he poured water into a basin and he began to wash the disciples feet and wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. His disciples were shocked. He is the son of God. He is the master.

Why in the world was he washing their feet? Well, maybe because none of them were willing to humble themselves when they came in the room and to wash the other people's feet. Maybe they were too proud to even wash their own feet. So, Jesus went to the door and got the bowl and the water and he ran around and he washed their dirty feet. In verse in verse 12, so after he had washed their feet and had taken his garments and was sat down again, he said unto them, know you what I have done to you?

You call me master and Lord and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. He know these things, happy are you.

If you do Jesus gave them an example to remember that the master humbled himself to wash their feet and to serve them as the lowest servant in the house. If we are to be the servants of our Lord, if we are to understand his example and follow it, then, we need to strive to be the best servant of Christ and assist others rather than seeking a position of being served. Doesn't matter whether you're the pastor, whether you're the deacon, doesn't matter whether you're the Sunday school teacher or the boss at work, doesn't matter if you're the dad or the mom, doesn't matter if you're the governor or the president. We are to be servants of the king of kings and Lord of lords You may be exalted to high position here but here isn't going to matter very long. What's going to matter?

Is what comes next in your standing before God. If we do this, as Jesus asked, we will not only find fulfillment and joy in this life as he says here in verse 17. If you know these things, happy are you if you do them. We will also make a difference in this world. People think somehow that the way to make a difference is to to rise to a position of power so you can tell everybody what to do.

But that isn't what I read here, is it? Christ says the way to make a difference to be salt and light in the world which he has placed you is not for you to gain power so that you can make people do what you want them to do. Is to fight for the bottom so you can serve them, teach them, love them, and help them to be what God wants them to be. That truly makes a difference. And then number three, if we follow this, we will also lay up for ourselves treasures somewhere else and that is treasures in heaven.

Point number one, if you're going to come to Christ, you want to enter the kingdom, you must come with the faith of a child. Point number two, if you're going to be great in the kingdom of heaven, you must come with the attitude of a child and that of a servant and not as a lord and point number three, furthermore, God rewards those who protect and encourage children in the way of righteousness. While there is a special punishment awaiting those who turn them away from God or do evil unto them. In Matthew chapter 18 and verse six, it says, but who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him than a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Another passage says, you will wish you had basically this, you will wish you hadn't been what?

Born. Children have a special place in the heart of God and what a joy it is to protect them from evil and have the opportunity to point them to their loving creator and welcoming savior. Ministries and ministers must not allow other concerns to cause us to forget the needs of children. Why place such importance on reaching children with Vacation Bible School or Joy Club on Wednesday nights or children's church particularly when we have few children of our own at this present time. Particularly, when they sometimes calls us headaches.

Particularly when their ministries can be costly and they bring in little revenue. Why? Focus so much attention on children. Because God does. Because Jesus did.

Because Jesus says here, Mark ten fourteen, but when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased when people turned the children away because they didn't want to deal with their noise and they they didn't want to deal with their energy. He said it was he was much displeased and said unto them, suffer or let the little children come to me and forbid them not for such is the kingdom of heaven. God is interested in children. Children grow up to be adults. And it's best to get them in the kingdom of heaven and easiest to get them in the kingdom of heaven while they're young.

And God rewards those who do. However, to those who would use children for their own selfish means, to those who would abuse and molest them, kidnap and enslave them. You say, kidnap and enslave them. We don't do that. No, you probably don't but you do realize that that is still happening in the world in which we live.

At a unbelievable pace. All around this world. People who ignore and neglect them, people who lead them astray, encouraging them in destructive lifestyles, telling them lives about God and eternity. They will one day wish that they were never born. Some of the biggest names in our world today from music to movies to athletes encourage children to live a life ignoring the God who made them and the moral laws that he established.

They will have to answer to God for that one day. The biggest names in science from Charles Darwin to Isaac Asimov to Bill Nye, the science guy, to Richard Dawkins, and Neil DeGrasse Tyson distort the truth and mislead children to abandon belief in God early in life. With school boards and teachers who propagate the lie of evolution in classrooms across our nation and world. Satan knows that the place to get people is when they're young and impressionable. Vulnerable to his lies.

Lies to which they are exposed so early and so often in life today, underscore the need even more to reach them with the gospel and to get them in church and under sound teaching of God's word and show them the compassion of Christ from an early age. Wanna grow this church? We need to start by showing compassion for others. Particularly children. We need to be to be do that that.

Endeavor We This morning, I would like to ask you three questions as we close. Have you been born again? Have you received Christ with childlike faith? Except a man be born again, he shall not see. The kingdom of God.

If you haven't, you can today. Number two, are you serving him in humble childlike faith and obedience? Are you serving your own ambitions? One day, you'll stand before God and if you've done it for yourself, you're going to watch it all go up in what? You're going to watch it all go up in smoke.

You will have wished that you had fought one one the the the one one insisting, assisting them to get on the narrow way that leads to eternal life. For God has a place for you to serve. Are you serving? Are you telling others? About Jesus.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for your word. Thank you Lord for the reminder of the importance of be to We're that. Jesus Christ. Lord, give us a zeal and a burden for others to serve them and to serve Christ Jesus our savior without a claim, without without a place of honor, but to honor and exalt our savior find happiness in serving Jesus and I pray Lord if there's one here today that's never trusted in Christ as savior come as we give this hymn of invitation we pray in Jesus name amen