weekly sermon

      10-12-08

Overcoming Child Of God!

This year I turned 47 years old and people tell me all the time that I look like I am in my lower 30's. I do not necessarily believe that it is due to my outward appearance as much as it is my inward appearance. What I mean by this is; I keep my mind young and that gives the appearance that I am younger than I truly am. I like to think that I have an adult mind of a child. I do have an adult mind, of course, but I like to think simple as a child for many reasons.

The thing I like about the mind of a child is; they are amazed by everything, they are astonished by everything, they are alert to everything, and they are very trusting toward everything. A child is always amazed of things around them because those things are new to the child. They are astonished because they have not learned about those things yet and they still leave them in awe. The child's mind is alert also because those things are new to the child, so they will see more than the adult mind. The child's mind is trusting toward everything because the world has not yet tarnished them so that they are trusting in areas where we as adults may take into consideration before trusting.

Have you ever showed a child something they have never seen before? Watch the sparkle in the eyes of a child when they see something they have never seen. Watch the excitement of that child as they take in something new. That look of a small child, with a small child's mind, on Christmas morning is the ultimate expression. They get so very excited over something that, to us, would be ordinary.

Have you ever seen a child standing on a high platform and the adult tell them to jump? The child does not even think about it, they just jump. Why do you think that is? The child has never had someone say jump then let them fall, so they are still trusting of the one that told them to jump. This is the trusting mind that we must find and attempt to keep.

By now you are most likely wondering where I am going with this subject. I want us to talk about, and understand, what it takes to overcome the world and have the mind of a child when it comes to God. What does the Bible say about children and how we are to be like the children of the world?

Turn with me first to Matthew 18:3, "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

What does this verse tell us? It says that for us to be able to enter the kingdom of Heaven, we must be converted and become as little children. If we are to be converted, what are we to be converted from? We are to be converted from the person we were when we were lost to the new creature, we become, once we have been found in the light of Christ. Once we have been converted then all things become new to us. If these things are new then we will be as little children in Christ and have that same awe and excitement as little children do to new things. We can also find this in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Next let us look at Matthew 19:13-14, "Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put [his] hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. (14)But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

In Matthew 19 we see Jesus telling the disciples, who told the children to stay away from Jesus, that they are to allow the children to come to him because the kingdom of Heaven is made up of the children. We must first remember that we all were once children in the flesh and then, if we have been converted, we are now children of God. If this is the case then all those in Heaven are children of God.

Turn with me next to Romans 8:16-17, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (17)And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together."

This verse tells us that the Spirit will be witness to God that we are His children. If we are converted and are truly the children of God then we are heirs of God, just as we would be heirs to our parents on earth, and joint-heirs of Jesus Christ. If we are truly joint-heirs of Christ, then we are entitled to all that Christ has for us. Christ will stand before the Father and be our witness to the estate we are to receive, as heirs of the throne. This has to be exciting news. We convert to the life Christ has laid out for us, we become new creatures in Christ, with all the old things in our past going away, we allow our minds to become as little children that we may see these new things, and finally we become heirs of the kingdom of God. We can collect all the things we want on this earth, but when we pass away, all these things will stay in this world and the only thing we will look forward to is the life to come. If we want to make sure our life after this one is a life full of reward, we must overcome this world and live as though we are heirs of Christ.

Look with me at John 8:39, "They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham."

This verse says that they are children of Abraham and that if they are the children of Abraham then they are to do the works of Abraham. If you were the child of Abraham then you would the works of Abraham, if you were the child of Joseph, then you would do the works of Joseph. Now that you have been converted and are the child of God, then you must do the work of God. Jesus, from the beginning of His ministry, stated that He came to do His Father's will (John 6:38, "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me."). Jesus knew from the very beginning that He was sent to do the will of His Father and He acted as THE child of God, that He could do God's will. We are now converted to children of God, and we are to do His will, just as Christ was to do the same will.

Once we have been converted from the old ways we were use to, and became the new creature in Christ, then we must overcome the world so that we are not in the world but of the world. What do I mean by this? We are all born in the flesh and are born into this world, but even though we are in this world, we do not have to be of this world. This means we do not have to conform to the world and be like the world, but we are to conform to Christ and be like Christ. Look with me in Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." This verse tells us exactly what I have been saying. We are not to be like the world, but be transformed by our "child like" mind, that we may do the will of God. This is us overcoming the world to do the will of God.

And lastly turn with me to Revelations 2:7, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

This verse in Revelations tells us our reward for overcoming the world and man. If we convert from our old self, transform our mind to that of a little child, and overcome the world to do the will of God, then we will eat of the tree of life. There are two things to notice here. First, that we will eat of a tree, but not just any tree, the tree of life. This tree of life means life everlasting. Lastly notice one more thing, where the tree is located. This tree that we will eat from, that gives us life everlasting, is located in the middle of the paradise of God.

Stand on a chair, close your eyes for me, and jump. Do not think about it, just jump and take that leap of faith. Faith is all it takes to have the mind of Christ and overcome this world. If you truly want to be converted and take that first leap of faith as a child of God, then all you have to do is say a simple prayer.

Say this simple prayer with me, Dear Lord, I want you to be the Lord over my life, forgive me of my sins, and give me the gift of everlasting life. Amen.

If you have said this simple prayer, then we believe that you have received salvation. We would love to rejoice with you, so please drop us a note, in our link, to let us know and confess Jesus before man, so that we may send you a few things that we hope will help you in your new Christian walk.
 

With Love in Christ,

Pastor Stone