Well, once again it has been some months since I’ve had a chance to sit down and and do something with this… For those who have been sitting on the edge of their seats in breathless anticipation, this is ‘Part 4′ of the last three entries, and was delivered on March 25 of this year (2007). Yes, it gets kinda’ personal… but the message applies to ALL!!!

Matthew 18: 1-6

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

 

 

     The few people who have visited me in my little trailer here in Hartford usually comment on the number of books that seem to fill much of the living room, den, and bedroom. These run the gamut from scientific thesis’ such as this one by Robert Baker, Ph.D. called The Dinosaur Heresies to the almost complete collection of Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonrider’s of Pern series… from books like this physics discussion on the origins of the universe entitled The God Particle to what I believe are all of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation books. I have a lot of Harold Bell Wright’s books, including his most-well-known, The Shepherd of the Hills, a great number of The Man From Uncle books, and scads and scads of Star Trek and Star Wars novels! I have big picture books, such as this one on Case tractors as well as reference and how-to books such as this Complete Idiots Guide to Upgrading & Repairing Computers. One of my favorites is this titled All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Watching Star Trek. I also have one bookcase pretty well dedicated to children’s books, some of which I bought to read to my son as he was growing up, but many that I bought and first read when I was in junior and senior high school. Occasionally I like to pull out one of these and ‘escape’ back to a simpler time and place. I chanced to read one such book this week… this one… A Horse of Her Own. With out going into a lot of detail, an orphaned girl who grew up with and loves horses goes thru a series of trials and events that eventually lead to her being given a very special horse and her uncle and family being brought from Ireland to raise her as their own… in short, a happy ending! You see, back then it seemed like you could pretty-well count on every story having a happy ending!

     Some few years back I wrote a 10-12 week Bible Study using old TV westerns as the basis for my points. We would all sit a watch a Have Gun/ Will Travel, The Rifleman, and others along those same lines, then I would ask a series of questions about what moral lessons could be learned from them and back up those lessens with Scripture. You see, again, back then, most TV shows still had moral values and content as well!

     Not so today!!!

     In the first of this series of talks, way back in January, I told you, among other things, about how we are not to judge our own lives by those around us, but by the example set for us by Jesus when He walked this earth as one of us. I also gave you some statistics regarding STD’s and teen pregnancies, and told you about how a friend of mine from high school felt compelled to have an abortion back then because we had been taught that that was a better alternative to being an unwed mother.

     In the second of these talks, I showed you how the world, in general, and this country, in particular, have become more and more accepting of things that our parents generation would have found embarrassing, their parents would have seen as shameful, and the generations before that would have called just plain sinful… and in the talk right after that one I explained how knowledge is learned so quickly today that the morals and lessons taught us in and by history are often ignored, or, at best, explained away as irrelevant, and then delved into how much we truly need to be accepting and teaching the basics of right and wrong.

     As an example to all of this, I also told you how when her teen age daughter came to her last fall and told her she was pregnant, my friend who had had the abortion in high school accepted her with open arms and worked very hard to show her support of and love for her daughter! Knowing my penchant for writing, I received an email from her last November asking me to critique a little thing she was trying to put together just to kind-of clear her own thoughts and feelings. Upon reading it, I asked her if I might use it sometime, and she said ‘yes’ on the condition that I honor her anonymity, and explain that it really wasn’t a finished, polished piece… it was just a good Christian mother making an observation and trying to understand a little bit about life. Let me read it this morning… It is titled Precious In His Sight

 

     Some time ago my daughter realized she was pregnant. Overnight her life changed dramatically. Previous to this change she had been a college student completely focused on her own life and what pleased her. She partied with her friends and stayed out too late socializing instead of getting needed rest.

     Suddenly with the realization that she was now responsible for the life of a precious child, she was consumed by what was best for this other human being. She ate healthier foods and included more fruits and vegetables in her diet. She exchanged caffeinated and alcoholic drinks for water and juice. She made sure she got plenty of rest, took vitamins, and was more careful about everything she did.

     Sadly, a few weeks later she had a miscarriage. It was a time of great disappointment for her and she struggled with the loss of her child. However, what was interesting was how quickly the changes that had taken place disappeared and were quickly replaced by the old habits.

     Suddenly I wondered why it is that when it comes to a helpless, precious child we quickly become responsible and know what is best for this other human being. Why is it that we consider this human being precious enough to do what is absolutely in their best interest but we do not consider ourselves precious enough to treat ourselves in the same manner?

 

     The Bible says “don’t you know your bodies are the temple of God” and the familiar children’s song says

 

     Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.

 

     Yes, we are all precious in His sight and we should consider ourselves precious enough to always do what is in our best interest whether it be the foods we eat, the drinks we consume, the decisions we make, or the people we choose to call friends. God wants what is best for us just as we want what is best for our children. Never forget that YOU are precious in His sight, precious enough to deserve the very best for your life.

 

     In this passage from Matthew, the disciples are still trying to explain Heaven in earthly terms and ask, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Let me read His answer from the Amplified Bible… which adds some words to help clarify and/or explain what’s being said… this time…

 

     And [Jesus] said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all].

 

     Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

 

 

     First of all, it is very true that we each need to learn to trust… and love!… Jesus and each other as lovingly, as forgivingly, as trustingly… and as openly as a child does his parents! For if we are truly brothers and sisters in Christ, then God IS our Father!!!

     But Jesus goes on, in this passage, to say…

 

     … whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me.

 

     But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin [that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought], it would be better (more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea.

 

     I remember being in this building on Easter Sundays in the sixties when there was literally standing room only! For three days prior, there had been scores of teenagers from all over Illinois and Missouri meeting and studying and singing and fellowshipping and Worshiping God, and on Sunday, each of them, and usually a lot of their families would crowd in to this place for a final Service, and to share some of what they had learned.

     Each summer of my youth, one of the highlights was attending the week-long Vacation Bible School we did each year, as well at some of the other churches in town.

     Now… this building is closed, barred and barricaded at all times but for special occasions and the few hours we meet on Sunday mornings. We are far more concerned about keeping the local kids out than we are about getting them in! Now, don’t get me wrong… I understand the logistics and the need for keeping things secure and safe… but maybe we’re going about it the wrong way!!! Jesus tells us that whoever causes any of these children to stumble and sin is better off with a millstone tied about their neck… and I put it to you that our ignoring of the situations around us… our closing our eyes to the world that exists right outside these windows and doors… our failing to address the physical and Spiritual needs of the children right here around us… not to mention their parents!… is as much a sin to God as if we were enticing them to actually be evil!

     Now, I know the arguments… none of us are as young as we once were… we should be able to sit back and enjoy our ‘old-age’… and many here feel their duty is in pouring over and understanding each and every tiny bit of Scripture. But if we don’t pass on all of that learning and understanding, it dies with us! In John 4:35, 36, Jesus says…

 

     Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.

     And Paul states, in Acts 20:35,

     In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

 

     A Christian’s work in this life is Never done… and all of these facts and figures that I have given you… all of these changes in attitudes and acceptance of sinful things… even the very emptiness of so many buildings like this one each and every Sunday… all point to our failure of working to secure that harvest… and so it is as much us who, by default, are leading these children into sin as it is anyone else!

     You know… in spite of how so many of the stories we learned in our youthful years all seemed to have happy endings… far too many of life’s stories of reality do not! Let’s not add to those unhappy stories just because we feel so secure and safe in our own faithfulness that we ignore those who are not! Just how heavy is that millstone?