July 16, 2017
Morning Service

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 

   There are likely many reasons why we as Christians are to be as little children.  1. Children have sincere hearts. 2. They trust what they are told. 3. They pick up on things quickly and 4. Yes they imitate very well. Experts say 85% of brain growth occurs from birth to age 3. Therefore if we remain as little children we should be continually be growing in Christ. We would readily accept and absorb the word and would be molded as we grow to imitate God. Ever see the plastic faces that can be clamped over a melon when it is young? The melon will grow until it fills the face mold which is a negative and once the melon has matured it will be a positive image of the face mold. This is why it is so important to have children in church and the younger the better. Anyone who has raised a child can understand the importance of teaching them while they are young. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has gone back to school at an adult age for one thing or another. Learning just doesn’t come as easy as we reach adulthood. Jesus was displeased with his disciples for withholding the children. Children are impressionable; adults are so much more difficult to teach, we are set in our ways. We all know there comes an age when a child approaches adulthood that he has begun to develop his own way of thinking, he has his own opinion on things. If we haven’t exposed them to the positive things they need to grow by then the breaking process becomes a near impossible challenge. It’s much easier to break a horse while it is young than to wait until it reaches maturity. Children were important to Jesus, important enough that he got upset with his disciples for holding them back…. Mark 10:¹³ Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.                                                                                                                             As Christians here is how important it is for us to take on the virtue of a child:             Matt. 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

^{Ephesians 5: 2} And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.                                                                                                Be as children and walk in love that pretty much sums it up. It’s pretty simple when you think about it, nothing complicated about that. But then again if we are to be like children simple is best. The more complicated the instructions the more likely we are to make mistakes. Mendy hears me complain all the time about instructions, nothing is simple any more. Gone are the days when everyone was their own shade tree mechanic. Keep it simple. The scribes came trying to trip Jesus up…   Mark 12: ²⁸ Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. ³¹ And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  Love God and love your neighbor as yourself….there is no greater commandment! Sounds simple enough but yes there are people that it requires effort on our part to love them. It doesn’t say love the good neighbor on this side of you and it’s OK to dislike the other one. Nothing is said about picking and choosing who to love and who not to love. Luke 6: ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

     Romans 13: ⁸ Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

 1 Corinthians  13 As Christians we can do everything right, do it to the max, go above and beyond but if we leave out that one little thing called love all the rest is to no avail. Love is the crux of it all, it’s the key to unlocking the demands of what we are to do to make heaven our home. Children and dogs will love you without asking anything in return, no questions asked, just loyalty given. That’s what God expects of us. Love him like a child would love. Imitate God’s love just like a child would. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. Can you imagine having a love that great?! To give up your own life for someone is one thing but to give up your son and to top it off for people who will despise you and do evil things in your name. People who will kill and deceive and seek to destroy everything you stand for and to know all this in advance. God gave up his Son Jesus to be crucified for all both small and great, rich and poor, old and young, male and female, good and evil, slave and free, Muslim and Buddhist, Jew and Gentile. As brother Greg said in a recent sermon it’s not just for Jews alone, Jesus paid the debt for all! That my friends is True Love! God gave his Son for the ultimate Sacrifice that the blood of no amount of lambs could begin to reconcile. 1 John 3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. Just saying it isn’t enough, we have to live it. Ephesians 5:2 says….And walk in love, walk is an action word. The one thing I want to be known for when I’m gone is that I had a soft heart. That I had a love for my fellow man and did what I could to help those whom I could.

Prayer: Dear precious Lord give us the desire to have the kind of love that a little child would have. Help us to love as you love and to do it with a childlike earnestness. Give us the realization that we must walk in God’s love….amen!