R1640 A Heart of a Child

Today we go to the heart of the matter with our pastor Dr. Don Wilton and his message on the heart of a child. Let's study the Bible together. This is The Encouraging Word featuring the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton well-known seminary professor, author, Pastor, and today is the open God's word together with us will gain some insight on what it means to have childlike faith to have the heart of a child as we study the word know that were available for connecting online right now a team W online.org that TEW online.org today.

Everyone's talking about praying for our nation love to get you more information on what it's like to be praying for our nation together that resource and so many more on our website TW online.org why you're there sign of the day The Encouraging Word devotional from Dr. Don. It's a TW online.org is open your Bibles with me to Matthew chapter 18 want you to look at something in Matthew chapter 18, I'd like to read to you just the first five verses of Matthew and chapter 18 as we worship the Lord through starting his word and hearing the word of the living God to give at that time the disciples came to Jesus in August.

Who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

So Jesus cold a little child and had that child stand with them. Could I just say this to you folks. You know the passage where Jesus and suffer the little children to come to me he was holding a baby. This is a child. Babies don't stand by the way just want to clarify that the Citroen this is Kim Voyager here. He called a little child had him stand among them. Watch what Jesus said and this is what he said I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven cannot put a subordinate. You will never structural way into heaven.

You never give your way into heaven you'll never serve your way into heaven you'll never Churchill you never preach your way into heaven. Unless you become like a little child you will never enter the kingdom.

Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Look at verse five.

Had to include this is a long passage, and whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. May the Lord Jesus give us an understanding today as I invite you to give your life to Christ become a witness for Christ and listen to what the Lord Jesus had to say.

So what did Jesus do your three things he responded to a question he's just responding to a question mark question that your question is coming from a Christian person Christian man, a Christian lady, someone who follows that's made abundantly clear.

Second, he illustrated his response and get this with the child. He didn't just say let me tell you he said let me show you. I want you to just check this video out for a minute. He said Jesus said. He said if you would just all hold on a minute right here in this field. The Sea of Galilee.

Let's pop a video in. I want you to just see our children at camp Voyager. That's what Jesus did say let the children come and it's just look at them and the third thing he did was he applied using the heart of a child.

He applied this most incredible gospel truth America heap. He settled the issue of the war that goes on of this massive pursuit off the rightness from the heart of people in this heap. He labeled the playing field.

If there was any time in which Jesus said it like it is in that it sort of makes me think about little children, you know that I can go home most evenings I go home, walking, make myself a cup of tea. I can do anything I wanted. I love it. Make a peanut butter sandwich I go out stand on the deck sing to myself and think I'm impressing Steve Skinner I can do anything I like, but not Lost Creek. I got home every day and the chief it was just little children and what joy and my son and daughter-in-law grow up on Thursday and when I drove out on Thursday evening at Slack. All of a sudden, the reality of this wound left my house not in a negative way. But Jesus wanted us to see something Jesus wanted us to know what our problem is.

Jesus was looking at the people and saying wanted to stop all this wanted to get off your boat but you understand the great love of God in Christ Jesus wanted to get down to basics wanted to just lay this all aside and understand the depth of my love for you and what it means to not only is that I Jesus can do for you. It's time is some of you right now you're listening and you're right on the edge in your writing, and you're saying I mean Jesus do it now. Give your life to Christ. Now he's listening. He's watching your standing right there.

He said you need to change like a little child, which means you need to have a sense of total abandonment.

Your heart needs to be right because your heart is become so close you're watching the media and you caught up in your politics and you're worried about covert and you concerned about what's next. And Jesus was not saying I don't understand these things he was saying.

Let me give you a clear understanding of what I can do and if you want to know it. Just look at the heart of a child. So how did he respond what Jesus want us to see.

Well, there are many things because this passage is replete with deep theological issues, but I just singled out for them for you to understand why did Jesus bring this child aimed to illustrate his point. What was he saying to us will first of all, I submit that he wanted us to see his ultimate creation. Jesus wanted us to take a hard look at the beauty of his ultimate creation. You know, one of the things we love about little children just so beautiful I so unmarred_subtrust so willing, so giving it so desiring said they open Jesus is saying this is the beauty of my creation, yes, even in the child's lostness that sin because we all can created we are conceived in sin because of the sin of Adam.

That's how we are born and when we are born in this condition.

This creation Bible says God created male and female he created them. He sold that it was good, and the older you are not become the harder we get. I'm being very personal.

Please. There were some somebody here today you you been listening to this for years but your heart is damaged is just hard you you you not a hard person in order ugly person. Not a bad person, you Nada in spiritually, you just got a hard heart you know better, don't you nobody's gonna tell you nobody's got it. I mean this is the way it is right as you decide Jesus save just look at a child behold the person that tenderhearted fresh face.

They should change. Like a little child you know you you and I look at each other and say menace loss thing on Jesus not asking you to start babbling all crying like a baby or a child will behaving like a trice to let your heart and he wants to come in.

What was Jesus.

What did he want he wanted us perhaps to see what he made us his intention number two you wanted us to feel his warm embrace.

I think he brought a little child in because he wanted us to his warm forgive the interruption as we celebrate God's grace perhaps you need someone to pray with you and for you stand ready to do that. That's why Dr. Don insist I am around let you know that 866899 word connect with one of his having them talk and listen. Pray with you right now. That's 866-899-9673 or online at tewonline.org.

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Dr. Don would say would be happy to be your 2 AM friend at 866-899-WORD 9673 now back today's message we don't have any difficulty when we bring children to see and to feel a warm embrace.

Everybody loves. I love I love children love being around it just is a warm embrace mean this just please just know substitute you get around your children, your grandkids's father picked them up and hold hands with them. Love all them you know kiss them in the neck. Karen on the cheek.

You know this is this just a warm thing. You are not become big people hearts get hard and we don't even see Jesus warm embrace anymore friend listen to me you are hurt some of you being abused, assaulted you been malign badly treated you good things that go back many many years.

Karen I went out to some incredible frames, lost wages, the most wonderful wonderful evening lost not with two of our most precious friends. We were we were chatting together and we were swapping some stories even about some hurts you, that goes way back on. I've got hurts costume at boarding school, you know, and I'm one of those wind boarding school in Africa. You think I have you have any hurts are good memories that just deep deep things.

Lotta stuff I've never talked about never and here I am Amanda day but you know you become hurt by life and then those hurts getting to your soul, spirit and and they they begin to govern the way in which you relate and accept the warm embrace of Jesus.

Jesus wanted us to see and feel his warm embrace. He already showed us when he said, suffer the little children all guarantee you Jesus didn't just say boy stand there not luxuries.

I think Jesus probably had 17 cuddles before he lost the boy if he would just stand. We all know that I too felt I we will like. I find it hard to walk by children to not get down one of cold around and you know actually folks I I guess the true mind getting you a little bit silly. You know bubbly hubby with some children down the on the ground you know adults don't mind that they love it.

And what's happened here's what's happened to you because it happens to all of us. We grew up we go to school we get left out of the team. We get abused, maligned, and then we go and we don't like this and then this person doesn't like us and then we get married, even maybe our marriage breaks up and and you suddenly lift you once you knew this beautiful love you. You had such a love affair and then just this came into your marriage and just ripped you apart and lift you with this terrible hardness in your you just got this hardness and Jesus said, take a look at this chart I want you to what was he saying here. I want you to feel my warm embrace.

I want you to see my ultimate creator I want you feel my warm embrace but thirdly perhaps what Jesus was doing with this child as he was illustrating and answering this question was that he wanted us to understand he's complete protection. That's a deep theological thing Jesus was trying to show us. Listen, you become my child I bought you so lost week ducky is Karen in my house with the grandkids love she's out somewhere and I get back home and the kids are with me and it's like 6 o'clock in the evening and I say ducky's coming back in a minute charge out the front door up to the front driveway. We have a neighbor who's just precious is anything she sees this comes out with. Have you ever seen these colored crayons that they give to kids that they mess up your driveway and drew pictures all over my driveway is not a Picasso and they sitting there and they writeup on the driveway and his street, and I'm in the house. Do you mean is this not the silliest thing in the humming my grandkids a lot. How old are they happening right, they all like whatever and what it was. So the little one is like school that's Okay, so chief I look out the window and I suddenly realize that they sitting on top of the driveway, drawing having a wonderful time. But what do I see what what you think. I so I assume motorcars coming soon ducky grandmother Arend is a whole lot atresia also ducky arriving back just so excited and coming around the corner and not seeing two of her little grandkids playing the Kent, can you see what I'm trying not to see anyone can can you see what I'm trying not to see. I can't conceive that folks I can't conceive. So what is my response charge out the front door. Don't stand there next to them and admire their paintings for the next 20 minutes until ducky come, I will leave their side me tell you something the President of the United States could've called me right then and said Don I want to fly you privately on Air Force One to Spain an entire week in Hawaii at the expense of the taxpayers and the white out how to turn them down on the spot.

You know why will we know why because this grandpa would do anything to protect my grandchildren. You know that that's what Jesus wanted us to see when you answer that question should when you become on your totally secure.

Nobody's gonna pluck you out of my hand. I got you. That's why you can be anxious for nothing, that's what that's why you can have the peace of God, would Jesus want us to see wanted us to seize ultimate creation. He wanted us to feel his warm embrace. He wanted us to understand he's complete picture.

But he also wanted us to realize he's designated responsibility. I think Jesus brought that child in to show that disciple see the strong your responsibility. You know, we grapple with that because only God can save who saves only God who convicts only the spirit so therefore let my kids gunplay in the traffic not one minute. I mean even the rich man and Lazarus. When Lazarus looked at Abram and said please send someone back from the dead to go to my five brothers Jesus. It I've designated my responsibility.

I got Moses and the prophets. I had a great friend. Even this week you told me he lost his grandson, would you give your heart to Jesus. That's responsibility see folks we I'm just about to tell you something children wanted children do they feel when we love them. That's what Jesus was showing they listen when we pray we, the designated responsibility by listen when we pray, they grow when we teach. They respond when we listen to them by follow when we lead they go when we place I've yet to find a child who will ever come and sit in the worship service, unless the parents bring. So where are your children today. They go when we place when we place them in worship when we place them in camp when we place them on mission. When we place them in the middle of giving are your children watching you give financially tithing giving to your church are they watching you when we place our children in the middle of our serving invasive your children. Jesus was saying look, I'm putting this child in Ukraine also means question I want you to understand something I want you to realize Jesus save my designated responsibility don't just see the child you go to see yourself with facing a crisis in America because our young people are facing a crisis.

The greatest thing we can do is take care about designated responsibility placed her to bring them, teach them love lead. That's what Jesus was trying to show us in this passage. So, what must we do about how how do we respond I think we go to check our own hearts. I have to check my own. You know when I study this past I'm telling you. The Lord really challenge me. The Lord challenge me on lock on two friends first. M really acting responsibly when it comes to children, young but on the second what God did to me was he honestly did check my own hand own feet own life. I found myself revisiting on to God's ultimate creation to us in his image. What a powerful message for the word of God, the Bible itself with Dr. Don Wilton. I now as he steps in studio approved this message from his well hello again my friends are you ready to give your life to Christ, you know you been listening like this broad is been speaking and he's speaking to. I'd love to help you give your life to Christ right now but if you pray this prayer make this pray because you know that God northern he hears our prayers, but he wants is pray this prayer with me. Dear God, I know that you love me very much.

I believe Jesus came and died on the cross just for me, that he gave his life for me right now.

I confess my sin. Bob I receive you into my heart and into my life in Jesus name I pray.

Well if you prayed that prayer right now in just a moment we going to send you something I want you to listen real careful, because you can take note of. We've got the means by which we can connect together and I want to connect because you're part of my family.

Part of the family of God. You are my brother, my sister in Christ, God bless you today as God is moving.

Perhaps you just prayed with Dr. Wilton to give your life to Christ to rededicate your life let us know. Let us give your free resources at 866-899-WORD chapter number down 866-899-WORD 9673 or online at tewonline.org you Dr. Don Wilton to have these free resources. I hope you connect with us this week.

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