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Well, good morning.
If you've got your Bibles with you, go ahead and open them up to Luke chapter 18 is where
we're going to be this morning.
As we've been kind of working our way through the gospel of Luke since Christmas, we've been
not going through necessarily verse by verse, but making sure we're strategic and focusing
in on several passages.
And so as you, have you been navigating through this journey with us, you'll see if you kind
of look ahead into chapter 19, that next week where we're going to find ourselves is the
triumphal entry that Jesus is getting closer and closer to approaching Jerusalem, which
means the cross is more, is nearer than it was before as his ministry is culminating and
as he's heading there.
And so what we're going to notice and see is not that Jesus has been soft before because
he hasn't, but he's loosening the filter a little bit of what he's saying and the impact
and being a little bit more blunt in his teaching.
And we're going to see that in three verses that we're going to look at this morning.
Luke 18, we'll start reading at verse 15 in just a moment.
Before we do that, though, let's go to the Lord in prayer.
God, I thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity to be gathered in here together.
Lord, I thank you that we have the opportunity to sing songs to you.
Lord, that we have an opportunity to open your word.
And Lord, I pray that as we study this morning, as I share, Lord, as we read, as we pray, Lord,
that you would open hearts and open minds to hear your message, Lord, and that we would
be transformed more and more into the image of Christ, Lord, and that that is who we would
radiate and what people would see and what they would come to know simply, Lord, by being
near us, by hearing the words that we speak and seeing the actions that we share.
And so, Lord, I thank you for every individual that is in here.
Lord, as we're just going to be reminded in your words and here in just a moment, Lord,
we are so grateful for our children who are gathered right now as well, worshiping you,
studying your word, offering prayers, and maybe just maybe, Lord, maybe one or few or many right
now in this moment could come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior, and we'll celebrate
you for it.
And it's in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
What Jesus is, he's loosening that filter a little bit, speaking bold words.
What we're going to notice today is Jesus is really going to kind of go counterculture.
And Jesus is going to go counterculture, not with the Pharisees that we're kind of used
to, where we're used to the Pharisees saying or doing something, and Jesus stepping in and
going, hold up, time out, that's not what you're going to do.
But what we're going to see here this morning is that Jesus is going to do that with the
disciples.
Jesus is going to go to those who should get it, those who should know, those who've been
encountered this, go, hold up, time out, you're missing it.
Let me correct you and set you on the path that you need to understand as he's headed in
his obedience toward Jerusalem.
So let's start reading Luke 18, verse 15.
It says, now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them.
And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked him.
But Jesus called them to him saying, let the children come to me and do not hinder them
for such belongs the kingdom of God.
Verse 17, truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall
not enter it.
All right.
Now, this is the passage, these three verses, what we're going to look at this morning.
And if we're not careful, we'll only see the children as the illustration.
And now we're going to do that at the end of the message.
We're going to take like the back half and understand this illustration that Jesus is giving us.
But if we're not careful, that's the entirety of the message is the illustration.
But verse 16 is something that we also need to see as well.
And what Jesus is going to do is establish the value of children for the disciples to understand.
Now, remember, the disciples are going to be the church planners.
The disciples are going to be the ones carrying on and moving forward in the mission of God
when Jesus ascends into heaven.
They're going to be the one filling the streets of Jerusalem and going out all over Europe,
North Africa, the Middle East, and some all the way even to as far as India
and carrying and proclaiming the gospel.
And so as Jesus corrects or rebukes those disciples,
like he here establishes like, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
These are God's creation too, equally made in the image and likeness of God as you have.
And so we've got to understand the value of children.
And it's what comes out in these first two verses that we read.
Now, Jesus is a known person and people flock to him.
When people hear that Jesus is coming into town,
that for some of them he is a spectacle that they must see.
They've heard stories and they want to find out who he is for themselves,
maybe not necessarily for salvation, but for other reasons.
Jesus is a known person.
He's known as a healer.
I mean, just imagine if you've gotten word that there's this man who has brought dead people back to life,
that is called blind people to see again,
that is literally walked up to people who have been paralyzed,
who have been lame their entire life.
And Jesus says, get up and go.
And they stand themselves up,
not with weak legs anymore,
but with the full strength that an adult would have.
And immediately they begin to walk.
You'd be like, man, I need to check that out.
Like, he's coming to town.
Like, he can do things that normal people can't do,
even if you don't think he's the Messiah.
There's some things about him.
You're like, I got to check this out.
So people flock to him.
Also, Jesus is a teacher that's different than the norm.
All right?
Now, every so often, I feel like, politically speaking,
what kind of happens in our country,
regardless of what side that you may fall on,
is that there's someone who comes out in your political party
who kind of goes a little bit counter against
and maybe speaks into an area that you're like,
oh, I like that.
I want to hear some more about that.
And so we dive into that.
Like, the first time that I can remember that happening,
I don't know if you remember this,
was when the Ross Perot thing happened, right?
And so Ross Perot came and people were like,
whoa, that's some things that I like.
Let's go find this out and hear more of what he has to say.
Well, there's kind of been that movement within Christ as well.
In Jesus' ministry, he's a teacher
that's going a little bit different than the norm.
And so people hear he's coming into town, right?
Like, they can't get on YouTube and watch him.
He's here.
Let me go find out what he has to say.
He's also done some things that are different
that would have caused specifically different groups of people
to feel like, man, that's someone I can approach.
One of the things that maybe we don't emphasize enough,
but we need to,
is Jesus not just including,
but Jesus welcoming and valuing women.
And it's been the case throughout Scripture
of what God does and how God works and God moves
as men and women both made in the image of God
in the Imago Dei.
And so Jesus' teaching is like,
no, no, I know before this was only like for guys,
but ladies, like you can come forward too.
And we see in his ministry and those that are surrounding him
that his inner circle is not just men,
but his inner circle is women as well.
And then on a whole other side,
the group of people, both men and women,
who have been excluded,
you got to think there's people who are sinners,
who have been culturally established,
that they're not the norm and they can't come.
And Jesus says, no, no, no, no, I welcome you.
So as Jesus walks into these towns
until he says things that makes people mad
and causes them to scramble,
a lot of these people are like,
no, he heals dead people, he welcomes sinners,
he welcomes women, he's going counterculture.
Man, I wanna hear what he has to say.
He's kind of got like this phenomenon
that is following him.
And so what we see here is that as Jesus enters
into this town, as he's teaching,
there are people who are hearing this buzz about who he is.
And so they're like, let's bring our babies to him, right?
Let's get close to him.
And literally what they're doing is as Jesus passes by,
when Jesus sits down to teach,
they're like, hey, hold my baby.
Hold him.
That by you holding and touching my child,
that my child might be blessed.
Now, not because he's the savior, right?
That's not their motive,
but because of what they may believe him to be,
whether he is that or not.
And the disciples see this happening.
And the disciples are like, no, we got an agenda.
We got things to do.
We got people of importance.
We got people of value, right?
The disciples are more maybe used to the ladies coming forward
and the sinners coming forward,
but babies, what is this?
And so if the movement for them,
if this movement is gonna happen, right?
Like it won't be because of toddlers and babies, Jesus.
Let's clear these out from where you are.
But look back at verse 16.
But Jesus called to him saying,
let the children come to me.
Do not hinder them for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
Now, at this point, Jesus isn't giving us the illustration.
Jesus is placing value on kids right there in that moment.
So the illustration is gonna come in the next breath.
But right now, who are you to stop a child from coming to me?
In fact, clear the way, bring on the babies, right?
This is Jesus's ministry.
This is his life.
This is who he is.
And so a couple of things before we kind of dive
into the illustration of this,
I want us to understand that children need to come to Jesus.
And as a church, as adults,
as men and women who say we're mature in our faith,
we need to make sure that we understand that
and that we implement that and that we don't fall.
Parents, listen to me,
children's ministry workers,
or those of you who are hearing this
who should be serving in children's ministry,
but you're not, right?
Listen to this, okay?
The Bible is not just for good moral teaching
so that our kids will behave.
It's not that for you.
It's not that for them.
So many times when we sit down with our kids,
we just want to take the Bible
and help our kids be more respectful.
Not that it's a bad thing.
It's a good thing.
There are these lessons that we can take from
and that we can learn.
But the root of all of this, right,
is the proclamation of the gospel.
Jesus says,
let them come to me,
for such belongs the kingdom of God.
That is what Jesus wants to focus in on,
is that as they come to me,
here's what they can gain.
Not right behavior,
but the kingdom of God.
And so for us,
if we value children the way that we say
that we value children,
the importance of what we need to do
is sit down and proclaim the kingdom of God.
I had a parent call me a few weeks ago.
So on a weeknight,
and my phone started to ring,
and I was sitting down to eat some dinner.
And answered,
and he said,
hey, but I just want to tell you something
that happened in kids' ministry this week.
I'm like, all right.
He said,
my daughter on the ride home
says to me,
daddy,
do you know who Jesus is?
And he said,
yeah.
Who do you think Jesus is?
And his younger than preschool age daughter
begins to lay out an explanation of the gospel.
Of who Jesus is,
of what Jesus came to do,
of what Jesus did,
of what Jesus asked from us,
and what it looks like
when a life is repented before God.
And his statement to me at the end of that
was thank you for not babysitting my kids,
but thank you for sharing the gospel with them.
Children should come to Jesus,
and we need to push that through.
But also the second thing,
church,
don't be like the disciples here.
Don't hinder children
from coming to Jesus.
Don't dismiss the value,
the truth,
of what children
and children's ministry means
in the engagement
of the body of Christ.
Because Jesus says,
for to such
belongs
the kingdom.
So as important
as this is right now,
as important
as this is
what we're doing,
right?
As that
fifth grade
small group leader
sits down
with that group of kids
and imparts
the gospel,
it's of equal value
that's there.
And we
as a group of people,
we as the body
of Christ
should engage
in that.
And so my concern
for us this week
is that we would just
slide through
verse 15
and verse 16
and land on
verse 17
but miss
what Jesus
is laying out
in here
as the value
of children,
the continual
proclamation
of the gospel.
But let's jump now
and look back
at verse 17.
The illustration
that Jesus
is going to give.
Jesus says,
truly I say to you,
whoever does not
receive the kingdom
of God
like a child
shall not
enter it.
Now,
we've got to pause
here for a second
because Jesus
gives us a qualifier.
Jesus says,
hey,
look at yourself
here for a moment.
Look at the people
who say they want
to be a part of this.
Here's what it needs
to look like.
Whoever does not
receive the kingdom
of God
like a child
shall not
enter it.
Not might not
enter it
but shall not.
Jesus speaks
to a definite
motive here
of what he is
seeking for them
to understand.
There's got to be
a faith
like a child,
a response
like a child
and what will even
look like continual
fruit like a child
in order to enter
into the kingdom
of God.
Now,
the difficulty
for you and I
in this world
is there's going
to be sinful
tendencies
that you and I
face on a day-in,
day-out basis
that prevent us
from being childlike.
Right?
Now,
there are sinful
tendencies that cause
us to be childlike
but there's also
sinful tendencies
that prevent us
from being childlike
and this is what
we're going to look
at in here.
Three things
that I believe
that we can draw
from this
and begin to understand
of what it means
to have the faith
like the child
so that verse 17
rings true for us
and the first
is this,
wonder like a child.
Wonder like a child.
Have you ever played
peek-a-boo
with a baby?
You ever done that?
You ever played
peek-a-boo
with an adult?
Right?
Two different reactions.
If you don't believe me,
next time you're in line
at a grocery store
and there's a baby,
play peek-a-boo.
Next time you're in line
at the grocery store
and there's not a baby
and there's a person
standing in front of you,
play peek-a-boo.
Right?
See what reactions
you get.
Now,
if you're a mom
or you're a dad
and you're standing there
with your baby
and you come up
and play peek-a-boo
with them,
just understand
you are now engaged
for the next three hours.
Right?
Because the moment you stop,
that child begins to cry
and that parent's
going to be on you.
So, all right,
you're going home with them.
You're going to help them
do the groceries
and peek-a-boo
the whole time.
Right?
Well, here's what I'm getting to.
When you play peek-a-boo
with a baby,
it amazes me, right?
They are always surprised.
You know what a child
never does?
A baby never says,
nah, I knew that was coming.
Right?
Like, you're going to do that.
You're going to wait
and peek-a-boo
and they're going to lose it
every single time.
They always laugh
every time
and they never want it to end.
They're continually amazed
with the fact
that a grown adult
will put their hands
over their face,
pretend like they're not
in the room
and then whether you wait
a second or a minute,
throw your hands back
and say those magical words
or that magical word,
peek-a-boo.
They're amazed
every single time.
And what we see in Scripture
is that when mature men
and women of faith
encounter God,
they're amazed
and struck into wonder
every single time.
And so there's a lot
to be learned
as a believer in Christ
from watching an adult
play a silly game
of peek-a-boo
with a child.
That as that child
is amazed
and captivated,
so too does the King of Kings
and the Lord of Lords
that every time
you open up His Word
wants you to be captivated
by who He is.
That every time
that we fall on our knees
in prayer,
there's a desperation
in the moment
because He hears us
and is with us.
That every time
that we gather
together in a room
or we're sitting
in our car
on the way to work
and that song comes on
and we begin
a reckless abandonment
of singing
in the car
or in here
because the King of Kings
and the Lord of Lords
is listening to us,
there's a part of us
that's there
that we are like the child
who's there
with a peek-a-boo
caught in the amazement
of God.
But the Bible describes
that there's an internal struggle
that you and I have
and what prevents this
and what moves this
from us
and it's because
we're fascinated
with the beauty of new.
We're fascinated
with wanting to move
from the next thing
to the next thing
and we very rarely
just want to stop
and kind of dig
in the moment
with where we are.
That at our core,
we're not satisfied
and so what
that projects to
is unless there's
something that's
brand new,
we just want to
move on.
Over time,
we become bored
with what we know
and we think
will only be satisfied
with that
which we don't have
and it's sinful
and it's where
we find ourselves
with God
and instead of
digging in,
right,
we just want
to move out.
The hardest battle
that I've walked through
with people
and as they seek
to grow in their faith
comes around
the two-year mark.
Someone new
comes to Christ
or maybe you've
walked away
and you're now
re-engaging back
in your relationship
with Him,
re-engaging with the church
and there's about
a two-year
of what I've seen
about a time frame
and over those
first two years
what you're getting
a lot of
is you're new
in Christ,
you're young
in Christ,
you're immature
in Christ
and so you show up
and you're like a child
and you're like feed me
and we're like great,
I'll feed you
and I'll feed you
and your small group
leader's like we'll feed you,
we'll feed you,
we'll feed you
but then at some point
in time we go
well and now
there's a moment
that you gotta grab
the spoon
and you gotta dip it
in yourself
and in God's word
and you gotta feed yourself.
You gotta dig in here
for just a moment
and in those moments
when the difficult
point comes
of digging in
and feeding yourself
around that two year mark
is where most people go
well nah,
I'm out.
I'm out,
this is too hard
and instead of digging down
our tendency
is to quit
and we quit
in a couple different ways.
I want you to picture
someone who's digging a hole.
Jesus uses digging a hole
and a foundation
all the time
about what it means
to walk in relationship
with him
and I've seen this
in my life
at different points
and times and seasons
and in the life
of so many others
that we walk along beside
as they seek to grow
in their relationship
with Christ
that when it comes time
when they kind of hit
that two year mark
and they begin to dig down
and dig down
and then all of a sudden
that they hit a spot
that's a little rough
that's a little hard
and they don't know
what to do.
The first thing
that often times
people do
is they set
the shovel down
and they just sit there.
I'm not gonna dig anymore.
I'm gonna wait
until someone else
can do this for me.
I've tried
and it's too hard.
You know I've had
a quiet time
for about three days
and I'm not really
understanding a lot of it.
I've really tried to pray
but God's really not
answering my prayers
in the way that I think
that he should
or I don't know
what to say.
So I'm just gonna wait
and let someone else
do that for me
and instead of being amazed
by the wonder of God
and being able to understand
that we've gotta just
kind of dig down
and dig down
or the second thing
what I think
is even more troubling
is we just drop the shovel
and walk away.
So you know what?
This ain't worth it.
The life that I had before
was a little bit easier.
The life that I had before
wasn't as complicated.
The life that I had before
didn't cost me as much.
I'm sitting here
and my arms are strained,
my back's wore out
and so I'm just gonna drop it
and walk away.
Jesus calls us
to something different.
He calls us like a child
and to be fascinated
at every moment
and at every part
with who he is.
So man, yeah,
sometimes it's like
digging a hole
at my house.
Man, we have 345 feet
of sand at my house, right?
And you just dig
and dig
and then I go
to my parents' house
in North Augusta
and they have about
this much topsoil, right?
And about 345 feet
of clay
and so digging
at their house
is like,
oh, I just removed
the grass
and now I broke
my shovel, right?
And so regardless
of wherever we are
with every scoop,
no matter how much
comes out,
as we dig in,
as we press down into,
there's the wonder
and the amazement
of the child of,
I didn't know
what was next.
I didn't know
what was there.
It was like a child
with peekaboo.
I don't care
how many times
you stand there
and do it,
it amazes
and I don't care
how many times
that we stand there
and read another word
or read another page
or offer up a prayer
or engage in a song
or hear a story,
there's the amazement
and the wonder
about who God is
and what God has done
and what God is doing.
The wonder of a child.
The second thing
that I want us to see
what scripture supports
is to be dependent
like a child, right?
Now, in order
for a child
or an infant
maybe specifically
to get what they need,
they are dependent
on people
who care for them, right?
Like whether you have kids
or not,
like you know this.
You know that in order
for a child
to get things,
they need you.
I'm understanding
that more and more
even as my kids
are entering
into their teenage years
because I'm getting
a lot of daddy I need,
daddy I need,
and we're walking
through,
do you need,
do you want,
like where are we at,
how many pairs of shoes
do we need, right?
But it's what we're
going through,
they're dependent
on me.
Like Emma and Grayson,
they've never made
a mortgage payment,
right?
I'm stoked
when they cook
Kraft macaroni
and cheese for lunch
on a Saturday,
right?
Like this is where
we're going,
they're dependent
on us
and God says
that he wants
his children,
that God wants
his people
to be the same way.
Think about the
illustrations,
the pictures
that God paints
of who he is
to his people,
right?
He's God the Father.
Jesus over and over
and over again
says that he's
the good shepherd
all the way back
into the Old Testament
where we continually
hear and get
the picture
of the shepherd.
That God is his shepherd
and the people
are his sheep.
And I love that.
And here's why
I love that picture
so much.
Because no matter
how old
a sheep gets,
no matter how many
years they've been
with the shepherd,
no matter how well
they know the rest
of the flock,
no matter how many
times they've grazed
in the field,
the sheep
are dependent
on the shepherd
for everything.
Right?
The shepherd
protects them,
the shepherd
sustains them,
the shepherd
disciplines them,
the shepherd
guides them.
Now here's
what's hard
for us
as Jesus
puts this
into counterculture
for us
a little bit
for then
and for today.
If we look
at how we
raise up children
and this is
a good thing,
I'm not preaching
against this.
I'm trying
to push
forward
with my
children
in this.
Alright?
So here's
a good thing
in our world
that we do.
As my kids
mature,
where I'm hoping
they go to
in relationship
with me
is more
and more
independence,
not dependent.
So at a young age
as a baby,
they were really
dependent on me.
And as they
grew older,
they became
more and more
dependent on me.
So now
we're at the
point where
one of our
kids comes
and asks me
a question
about what
they need
to do
and I know
an answer
that I'd like
to give them
but the answer
that I give
them is
what do you
think?
What do you
think you
should do?
Because in
five years
and before that
but in five
like when you're
out of the house
and you're
on your own
and you're
in that apartment
or that college
dorm room
like you gotta
make your decision
then in that
moment.
So what do you
think?
So we want
our children
to gain
independence.
Get a job.
Find your own
way.
Figure out who
you are.
Buy a home.
Start a family.
Begin within
yourself to
cultivate a life
that God
has for you.
And so here's
the hard part
of it.
As they
mature,
we want them
to gain
independence
but the gospel
calls us
that as we
mature in
Christ,
we gain
more and
more dependence
on him.
The more
mature I
am in
Christ
causes me
the more
and more
to realize
how dependent
I am
on him.
So when I
was young
in my faith,
when I was
immature in the
things that I
would do,
I would be
the sheep
that says
I want to
wander off
and go find
out what
this pasture
is like.
But I want
to wander
off and figure
out the path
for my own.
But I want
to do these
things and God
says no,
no,
you're
like a
child,
you're
like a
child,
you're
like a
child,
you've
got to
be
dependent
on me.
And so
that in
everything
that you
do,
in every
decision
that you
make,
that is
run through
and filtered
through the
gospel,
everything,
everything.
So saved
at 22,
I'll turn
42 next
week,
20 years
of salvation
and here's
what I
understand
more today
than I did
when I got
saved,
that I need
God more,
that I need
God more,
and that I
need God
more and
that I'm
not capable
in and of
myself to do
anything in
my dependency
on him.
So every
decision I
make, I want
it bathed in
scripture and
in light of the
gospel that is
in me and who
I am so that
God leads me on
the path and on
the process of
who he is and
that's what being
dependent on God
looks like.
And that's hard
for us because
somewhere along the
way we've taken the
earthly standard of
maturity and we've
applied that to our
spiritual life.
I don't need to
pray about that.
I know what God
wants.
I know what we
need to do.
James says in his
letter in James
chapter 4, he
says do not be the
person that says I'm
going to make a plan
and go to this town
and this town and
this town and make a
certain amount of
money and then go
and leave but instead
bring all things
before the Lord.
Be dependent on
him with everything
with who you are,
with everything that
you're about.
Oh but I got work
stuff, bring it
before the Lord.
Be dependent on
him.
And then lastly
what I want us to
see and we'll close
on this point is not
only do we need to
wonder like a child
and be dependent like
a child but we need
to be desperate like
a child.
Now there's not a
creature in this
world more desperate
than a baby.
Here's what a baby
can do.
Thought a lot about
this.
I got a little bit
of experience.
A baby can sleep.
A baby can cry.
A baby can eat.
A baby can have
bodily functions,
right?
And last and probably
the most important
thing, a baby can
look cute.
I can't really think
of anything else that
a baby can do.
That's what babies
do.
They cry.
They sleep.
They eat.
They go to the
bathroom.
They throw up.
They look cute.
Now only two of these
five do they do
correctly, right?
Like no one has to
teach a baby how to
cry.
They don't like
something.
They let you know by
raising their hand and
say, mom, dad, excuse
me for a second.
I don't like.
No, they cry, right?
They know how to do
that.
They do that well.
Babies know how to
look cute.
They're just born
without ability,
right?
They can just sit
there and look at
you and you're like,
I'm done, right?
Like I'm in this
moment, right?
They can do that.
But everything else,
right, we gotta train
them up.
We gotta teach them.
We gotta work through
this, right?
The hardest thing for us
and we finally achieved
this at like year six
was teaching our kids
to sleep, right?
Like they couldn't get
it.
They couldn't move in
that.
And so we were all,
we were a family of
sleep deprived individuals
till like seven years
ago, right?
Like we even gotta teach
them how to go to the
bathroom correctly, you
know?
Like no, no, no, no.
Not on yourself.
Like that's a bad idea.
Like here's what you need
to do.
And they fight against
that.
Like kids and who they
are, like they know they
need to eat but yet
they're like, but I can't
figure this out.
Like I can't move my
thumbs and I can't do
what I need to do and I
don't even have the
strength for us.
That doesn't amaze
you.
Like they don't have the
strength for the spoon
but all of a sudden a
baby can go ninja on you
in a minute, right?
And like catch you in
the nose and you're done.
I don't understand it,
right?
So a baby has to be
trained in what to do.
And if they face a
problem, their answer is
to cry.
They can't fix it.
They can't do anything
in and of themselves.
If a baby is hungry,
they can't fix that
themselves.
They need it to be done
for them.
Whatever is natural for a
baby at the very beginning,
right, still leads them in
their points of desperation.
Let's prove it to you.
All you moms and dads out
here with babies, next week
we're just going to have the
nursery open.
Just going to need you just
to drop them off.
Nobody's going to be in
there, right?
You're like, well, then I
guess I know that I'm not
coming back here ever again,
right?
No.
No, we wouldn't do that.
Why?
Because they're desperate.
They need someone to clean up
what they've done.
They need someone to take care
of what they can't take care
of.
If you leave a baby alone to
figure things out, here's what
happens.
They die.
They come into this world
blind, helpless, afraid, weak,
and unless someone steps in,
every child that is ever born
is headed toward instant death.
Every one of them.
There ain't a baby in this world
who survives on their own.
So go back into this setting
with Jesus.
He's there and mamas are
handing their babies over to a
man that they've never seen
before.
There's a crowd and people were
pushing and trying to fight to
get to where he is.
The babies are there and
they're being handed and pushed
back and forth as the disciples
say no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
And I would have a feeling,
scripture doesn't say this,
but I've been around enough
babies to know, right, that
there begins to be a noise
that happens and the babies
begin to cry.
And Jesus says, unless you're like
that, you can't enter the kingdom
of God, right?
Unless you're as desperate as they
are, then you can't enter in.
The Bible teaches that you and I,
apart from Christ, that we are like a
baby, that we are blind, we are
helpless, that we are afraid, that
we are weak, and that we are headed
for instant and eternal death.
Unless Jesus steps in and saves us.
As we close this week, I want to ask
you the question, do you have the
wonder and amazement for God?
Are you dependent on him to guide
you and to lead you?
But I think the most important thing
that we see, and that we're going
to close with this, is have you
understood and do you understand
understand that you and I cannot
bring ourselves life?
The law won't bring it.
The people around us won't bring.
The only one that can bring life
is Jesus.
And are you desperate for him?
Would you pray with me?
Lord, we come to you this morning.
Lord, thanking you for who you are.
Lord, for what you've done.
And for what life looks like with you.
Lord, I pray that we would have the
faith of a child.
Lord, that we would be in wonder of
your word.
In wonder of our relationship with you.
In wonder of what you've done,
what you're doing, and what you will
do.
Lord, that we would be captivated and
amazed by the work of your hand.
In the miracle and in the ordinary.
Lord, I pray that we would be dependent
on you.
Not for our way or what we think needs
to be done.
Lord, but that we would understand that a
desperation for maturity is not found in
our independence from you, but in our
dependence from you.
So, Lord, with everything, with who we are,
may we bring it before you.
May every decision that we have to make
be poured over and may your will be
sought out.
And, Lord, lastly,
as a child is desperate to be saved,
may we be desperate for you.
A child who cannot defend themselves,
a child who cannot sustain themselves,
a child who cannot give themselves life,
a child who is laying there,
stuck in the mess that they've created for
themselves, blinded by their sin,
afraid of what tomorrow holds,
helpless, weak, wounded,
and crying.
Lord, may we understand that that's who we are.
And while a child cries for
anyone to save them,
Lord, may we be desperate and cry out to you.
It's not religion that saves us,
it's not the law that saves us,
but it is Christ and Christ alone.
Faith by grace.
And so, Lord, I pray,
if there's anyone here this morning
who does not know you,
Lord, that today will be the day
in their moment
where they become desperate
for the King of kings
and the Lord of lords
to save them.
And it's in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
We're going to go into a worship set.
Two more songs.
I want you to respond
like a child this morning.
All right?
I want you to respond
in the wonder
of who God is.
I want you to respond
in the dependence
of how you need Him
for the next breath
that you take.
Without Him,
it will fail you.
And I want you to respond
in the desperation
that you have
to every day
to be saved from yourself.
So would you join me
as we stand
and respond to Him?
Thanks again for listening
to the Willow Ridge Church
weekly podcast.
We hope that you enjoyed
listening to this week's message.
If you'd like to learn more
about who we are
or explore additional resources,
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