Monday Nights @ First B (18)
First B Jackson
2015-12-01

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Hey friends. For a topic tonight, wanted to talk about the story of the little children and Jesus. And you can find that story in three of the four gospels, but I wanted to go over the little children and the Jesus story that's in the book of Luke. Because within the chapter 18 of the book of Luke, we find not only the story of Jesus and the little children, but on both sides of it, we find corresponding stories or parables that help prove and explain the importance of what Jesus says about the little children and Jesus. Isn't that a nice picture?

And also within this chunk of the book of Luke, we'll find topics like works, the kingdom of God, and most importantly, grace. So let's start with reading and talking about the story of the little children and Jesus, and then we can talk about the surrounding scripture. The scripture will be up on the screen, and you can read along with me. Starting with chapter 18 verse 15. People people were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them.

When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called to the... Called the children to him and said, let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. This story of what Jesus says about these little children is profound and heavy, but it's so short right there that it's easy to just read it and kind of slide right through it and just keep on going.

But I wanted to slow it down and really think about it as a topic tonight as Jesus and the little children. So here again is verse 17. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it. That's big. Jesus is saying that no one, no one will receive the kingdom of God unless they receive it like a little child.

I say that's big because Jesus is talking about the kingdom of God. I mean, I don't know if there's a bigger topic. The kingdom of God. Jesus puts it so simply in that just a couple of verses there. But I really wanted to dig in and try and understand what he means.

The first thing that we'll have to understand is what does he mean when he says the kingdom of God or what is the kingdom of God? And I believe it's kind of everything that we Christians and just people are imperfectly striving for. The kingdom of God is Jesus himself. The kingdom of God is the knitting together of divinity and humanity. Or in other words, it's Jesus Jesus is the kingdom of God in person.

The kingdom of God is the community, the fellowship of those that have been and are being shaped by him, so us as a church body. The kingdom of of God is asylum for your soul. It is heaven. It is eternity, and it is all of those things. So when Jesus says that we won't receive the kingdom of God unless we receive it like a little child does, that's huge.

So that's the first part of understanding this. And the second part, the next question that we need to answer is what does it mean to receive something like a little child? When I first read the Bible and the Gospels, I thought maybe Jesus just liked little kids a lot for some reason. Maybe because they're so innocent. Or they're less tainted than us adults.

Or maybe they simply just haven't sinned as much or as often as us adults do because we sin every day. It's just a part of being a human. Is that what Jesus meant when he said we must be like little children to receive the kingdom of God? I don't think so. Because it doesn't make sense for a couple of reasons.

Kids weren't revered in the New Testament like they are now. You know kids, everybody loves kids now. I mean, I'm not saying that you're not right to love kids, but kids weren't revered in the New Testament like they are now. And in fact, most sources say that it was just the opposite. Society was not sentimental about children and had no illusion about any innate goodness in them, and children had no status in the New World Testament in that society.

So Jesus isn't telling his disciples or us that we need to be innocent as a child or that we need to live joyfully like a child. I'm just fitting since I want as is in all these other rooms. Or that we need to not be jaded by life, not be jaded by the human experience. I believe the difference that Jesus is talking about between us and children is this. There is no question of children having yet to merit anything.

They just haven't lived long enough. They haven't merited anything in their life. On the other hand, we as adults, and in our human nature believe that we can earn God's grace, which sounds silly and dramatic, but I can't tell you how many friends whether I have, whether they know Jesus or not, have told me that if I'm a good person, then I will get into heaven. Or all of that Bible stuff, it's just like a handbook to be a good person. Or they say, if I do the very best I can, live the best...

The very best life I possibly can, and then if heaven is real, I will get in. And in fact, I used to say that to myself. I have distinct memories of having that conversation with numerous people. But what that thinking is missing is that we can never earn the kingdom of God. No matter how good we are, what good deeds we've done, or how good of a Christian you've been, there's...

It's not something that you can earn because the kingdom of God is that good. It's perfect. Jesus is saying to us that children are our model because they have no claim on heaven. If children receive anything, it must be as a gift. The point is is that there's nothing any of us can do to earn a key to the kingdom of God or earn our place in eternity with Jesus.

We must simply receive it like a little child receives a gift. Amen. Paul said, for it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves. It is a gift of God. It's not from ourselves or our works.

It's from above. That's in Ephesians eight through nine. So to exemplify this point, this point of receiving something like a child as a gift, we need to read the little children and Jesus story in juxtaposition with the story that's right before it and right after it in the book of Luke and in the other three gospels that it said. Then we can begin to understand the significance or the meaning of what receiving something like a child is. These stories before and after the story of Jesus and the little children remind me of the ditches that Ray and Carl are always talking about, about the extremes on either side and about how you have these ditches on either side.

But the truth is always in the middle, and you can find, you know... Usually Ray's up there and he walks across the stage and talks about license on one side and and works and and the opposite out in the other ditch and Jesus being right in the middle of that. And I think that this ditch analogy is a good analogy for when we're talking about kingdom of God as well. The first story that we're gonna read is being in one ditch, and the last story on the other side of Jesus and the little children is in the other ditch. And the truth being in the middle where Jesus talks about little children.

So let's read the first story in juxtaposition to the little children story, and we'll find... And we'll get a perspective of how it's impossible to enter the kingdom of God, which is a big deal. Everything that we want, that we yearn for, that we hope for, it's impossible to earn or, pardon me, enter the kingdom of God unless we receive it like a child does as a gift. So again, the scripture will be on the screen if you wanna follow along with it. This is right before the little children in Jesus, and it's the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and look down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable. Two men went up to the temple went up to the temple to pray. One, a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, God, I thank you that I'm not like other people, robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of all that I get.

But the tax collector stood at the distance. There we go. But the tax collector stood at the distance and he would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you this, I tell you that this man rather than the other went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

So here, we find the first stitch. In this stitch, we find the Pharisee and those that are confident of their own righteousness that looked at and and look at what this dude says actually when he's praying to God. We'll go to verse 11 right here. He says, God, I thank you that I'm not like other people, robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of all I get.

This dude in his prayers is telling God how good he is, which is kind of silly. I mean, he's telling the ultimate good, God, how good he is. It's kind of silly, but he's telling God how good he is and how he's earning God's grace. In fact, he already believes. He's already earned it.

He's making a list to account for his salvation. He's thanking God that he's not a sinner, that he's not an evildoer, that he fasts, and that he gives a tenth of all he gets. Now if you look at the difference in in the prayer at the Pharisees perspective of the self righteous perspective, and the difference of the perspective of a child, you can see a big difference. A huge gap. The Pharisee immediately starts a list, a justification and account of why he deserves God's grace.

On the other hand, a child has no claim of earning or receiving anything upon merit or the accounts of the past because the child is young. It hasn't earned this this kingdom of God, everything that we're striving for. It hasn't earned that on on its good deeds or not sinning. And here's the hard part is that the Pharisee is not alone in that ditch, this first ditch. I think I might have gone too far.

I received everything as a gift. But here's the hard part. The Pharisee is not alone in the ditch, and we can bring this into our world too and just... And the people that you may know. Remember when I talked about my friends that say if I'm a good person, I will get into heaven, Or if I do the very best and live the best life I can?

If heaven is real, then I will get in? That's that same sort of thinking. That's in that ditch. And do you think that way? I mean, I I used to think that way.

I I remember saying that to people. And I can imagine maybe you guys know people that think that way or maybe you think that way. Or do you think that you've been a good Christian for a long time? That you serve in many ministries and that you deserve a better seat in the kingdom of heaven than the person that may converted yesterday, the brand new Christian, or the alcoholic believer that keeps falling off the wagon, or the believer that didn't wait till marriage to live with a boyfriend or girlfriend, or the thief that died on the cross next to Jesus. You know that it wasn't on his merits.

It was the last moment of his life that he accepted it as a gift. Because let's remember the parable of the wedding feast in Luke 14 where the lesson is not to exalt yourself. Pardon me. With the lesson is not to take the seat of honor, rather take the less the less honored seat, then you will be exalted, not humbled. We'll have the scripture on the screen for that real quick.

I just wanna run through it. But when you are invited, take the lowest place so that when your host comes, he will say to you, friend, move up to a better place. Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Verse 11, being the main point here, do not exalt yourself for being a good servant.

For no matter how good you are or what good deeds you've done, you cannot earn the unbelievable gift of God's grace. The unbelievable gift of the kingdom of heaven, the gift of Jesus. Or an even more relevant verse is from Luke nine verses 46 through 48. An argument started among the disciples to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him.

Then he said to them, whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest. So this first stitch is about the self righteous people that believe they've earned... Already earned their way into eternity, into Jesus' God's good grace. We have this...

The Pharisee in the first stitch and the people that believe they've already earned God's good grace. Now if we read the story directly after on the other side of the road in the other ditch, the story after Jesus and the little children will just jump into that ditch and read that. The rich ruler in the kingdom of God. A certain ruler asked him, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Why do you call me good?

Jesus answered. No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder.

You shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony. Honor your mother and father. All these I have kept since I was a boy, he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, we still like one thing. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.

Then come, follow me. When he heard this, he became very sad because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him, pardon me, and said, how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. Those who were this then asked, who then can be saved?

Jesus replied, what is impossible with man is possible with God. Now look at the first words that this rich ruler said to Jesus in verse 18. A certain ruler asked him, good teacher, what must I do to inherit life? What must I do to inherit eternal life? The keyword here is do.

He believes that there's some works or some action that he can do to earn salvation. Similar to the other ditch and that they both believe this gift of grace, incredible gift of Jesus and the kingdom of God must be earned or can be earned. And Jesus later tells him that he must sell everything and give it to the poor and then follow him. Now Jesus says this because Jesus knows when he's talking to this rich ruler that this man's wealth is the obstacle that is keeping him from trusting in Jesus. His wealth is the obstacle that's keeping him from receiving this gift, gift of the kingdom of God, the gift of Jesus himself.

Have you ever or do you met or do you know... Have you met someone that a rich person that is like this? This rich ruler? A person that's unwilling to accept a gift because of their own pride and their own wealth and they get their self worth in their own wealth? It's not too difficult to imagine.

I have a little video that I'm gonna show that's this social experiment where it's a homeless man giving... Trying to give money rather to just people that are on their way to their jobs or in their everyday life, you know. Got a nice tie on and white pants. I don't know why. I just took a dig at myself right there.

We'll we'll watch this video and you can see what I'm talking about where you can start to understand how this rich guy feels. How Jesus knows that that's the obstacle that is stopping him from following Jesus and being able to accept something as simple as a gift something like a child accepts a gift. So watch this real quick.

Wait. Wait, sir. Sir. I'm just trying to help you out today. I don't need a

Wait. Just something.

God bless. That's okay, though. I don't wanna be hungry, though. Okay. Well, I'm here.

Here. Buy yourself something nice today. Are you trying to be funny? Sorry. Sir.

Sir, before you pay your meter. Oh, I'm good, man. Thank you. No. Look what my sign says.

No one has ever gone poor from giving, and I just wanna get back to you. Oh, okay. Well, let me give you something. You see that? That's a bench.

You gotta earn your way up now.

Last one bad. He puts on his glasses. That's a bench. And that's... I added...

We edited, like, half of that video out. The other ones are a lot more volatile and and a lot harder on this guy. He's just trying to give something as innocent as a gift. It's it's intense and you can see how people get their self worth from money and how hard it is for them to accept something simple, a simple gift because of that pride and their self worth and where that comes from in the money. And Jesus knows that that pride, that self worth is this rich ruler's obstacle from accepting that gift, from following Jesus.

So Jesus goes on later and he says in verse 25, indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus is using this example what I was just talking about because it's humanly impossible, obviously, to fit a camel through the eye of a needle. But he's making this point that there is nothing we can humanly do again to inherit the kingdom of God. It's humanly impossible to put a camel through the eye of the needle. There's nothing we can humanly do to inherit this gift.

It is a gift, and we must receive it as such. The works, the doing has already been done in the form of the perfect life and atonement offered in Jesus. And that is illustrated in 27. We can't do it. We can't stick a camel through the eye of a needle, but it's...

Well, it's illustrated right here. Jesus replied, what is impossible with man, sticking a camel through the eye of a needle, is possible with God because it's already been done. The perfect life, the atonement. So in conclusion, the truth is not in those two ditches. It's in the middle.

It's accepting the kingdom of God like a child does as a gift. Our salvation is not dependent on our good deeds or our bad. And that's good news because... It's good news because not just our victories and our good deeds that will be forgotten, but our deficits and our flaws and our sins. Those are forgotten and forgiven.

So let's accept the kingdom of God. Let's accept forgiveness. Let's accept the unbelievable gift of God's grace. The gift of being in God's good favor. The overwhelming...

I don't use that word very often either. The overwhelming gift of being so deeply loved by Jesus Christ without having done anything to deserve it. And let's accept all of these things like a child does, as a gift. Now I know it's easier said than done too. Accepting gifts can be really hard.

Sometimes some of us have a hard time just accepting a compliment. I know that when I get a gift that I feel like I don't deserve, I feel really bad and I feel like I want to make it up to them right away or I want to almost want to give it back. And it's hard to accept gifts. But when I know this when I'm on the other side of it and I'm giving a gift to someone and if they feel that way, that's certainly never my intention to make them feel guilty or bad. Right?

When you give a gift, that's not your intention. If it is, then it's a weird reason to give a gift. The intention is to express love. And that is why God has given us the gift of his grace. Amen.

The gift of Jesus. The gift of the kingdom of God. Not because he wants us to feel guilty or for us to earn it or because we have to earn it, but because God immeasurably immeasurably loves us. And again, I know it's hard to accept gifts and it's it's sort of a weird thing to take away from this. It's like, oh, just accept things.

Just accept a good gift. But I guess the point is that it's not on your past deeds, your good or bad. And Paul is a perfect example of that. He served as a as a coat rack as they were stoning... Was it Steven?

Steven. Yeah. And persecuting Christians all across the New Testament world. So you know that when Jesus came to him on the road of Damascus and said, why do you persecute me and, you know, follow me? And Paul did it right away.

He didn't do it because of his past deeds or because he deserved it. He did it as a gift because he didn't merit any of it. So like Paul, we have to accept it as a gift. And that's all I got, but if you guys will end with a prayer with me. God, I just wanna say that we love you.

And we're so grateful for the gifts that you have given us. And we know that everything above nothing is a gift from you. And I pray that we learn to humbly accept the gifts that you have given us with a grateful heart. And while we're not trying to earn your love or gifts, I pray that we do continue to do the works of serving you. And here's this important part, not so that we can earn your love for this gift, but so that others will come to know your love too through us.

Amen. Amen.