Rise Above it Like a Child
Mark 10:13-16
Message #36
It’s September 2020. I continue to be overwhelmed and a little consumed by the condition of our nation today, the extreme level of polarized opinions, and violent demands, and flat-out violence; the unbelievable entitlement justifying the destruction of people’s lives, looting, destroying, physical attacks – and murder.
The incredible levels of hate and the unbelievable level of mind control in the media that makes us think and feel and do exactly what they tell us to – especially the darkest and most powerful media of them all, social media.
And I want us so badly to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. But I don’t need to review the dire straights our culture with you today; even if you’re trying to limit your intake of the mind control media, you are still very aware of the unprecedented trouble that we are in as a nation.
So, all I really need to do today is apply God’s Word to our lives and to encourage and exhort us to personally and genuinely apply God’s Word to our lives. Fortunately, the very next set of verses in our verse-by-verse study of Mark is perfectly applicable to our need today. Isn’t that awesome?
We’re just going to jump right in today.
Mark 10:13(a) (NLT)
13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them . . .
We love children, don’t we? It is so important that we regularly, genuinely connect with children because it may be our only hope to not lose the childlike qualities that Jesus himself says are required for us to receive the Kingdom of God into our lives.
Children are incredible – their view of life is incredible. Their wonder of the world, their questions about things around them, their excitement and awe and wonder of things that we’ve long since forgotten, their transparency in their feeling and their humility in their view of themselves, and most of all, their absolute trust in their parents.
The trust of a child in their parents is ultimately the perfect picture of the trust that is required for us to receive the Kingdom of God into our lives. Jesus is going to tell us today if we don’t have the trust in him that a child had in their parent, then we cannot receive the Kingdom of God into our lives.
And Jesus is about to tell us if we don’t receive the Kingdom of God with childlike traits, then we will never enter the Kingdom of God. Mark 10:13(a) again.
Mark 10:13(a) (NLT)
13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them . . .
This is like us bringing the Children’s Ministry into the sanctuary when the most important pastor we could think of was here, which causes the disciples to respond like many of us might.
Mark 10:13(b) (NLT)
. . . But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
Whoa, what are these kids doing in here? Don’t you realize we’re doing some important spiritual things here? Don’t you realize who this is? What are you doing bringing the kids in here?
And maybe Jesus would respond to us the same way he responded to the Disciples.
Mark 10:14(a) (NLT)
14 When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples . . .
Jesus was annoyed. He was indignant. He was angry at the Disciples. And so, Mark 10:4(b),
Mark 10:14(b) (NLT)
. . . He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
The NKJV says, “Jesus was greatly displeased” with the actions of the Disciples. And so, after scolding the Disciples, Jesus says, 14 . . . Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
Just think about how Jesus feels right now. Jesus knows the children have the secret to receiving the Kingdom of God. They have the secret that we need to learn – from them. And so, how does Jesus feel watching the Disciples trying to keep the children from him? Verse 14 tells us how Jesus felt – he was angry.
Guys, we can’t receive the Kingdom of God without learning the secret that the children know instinctively. And please believe me when I say this is also the secret to how we can rise above all that is so wrong in our culture today.
And so, Jesus tells them again in Mark 10:15.
Mark 10:15 (NLT)
15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
…will never enter it? Does that give us the motivation to learn what it means to receive the Kingdom of God, like a child?
The “Kingdom of God” is both a present and a future realm. When we receive it – like a child – the Kingdom of God comes into our lives with all the blessings and promises of God, and all the responsibilities of being citizens of the Kingdom where Jesus is our King.
The Kingdom of God – is eternal life. But the Kingdom of God is also where we walk in the fruit of the Holy Spirit today. The Kingdom of God is where Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control – all reside.
And we receive the Kingdom of God into our lives for eternal life, for all the blessings and promises of God, and for all the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom of God is a present and future description of God being with us and us being with God.
Right now, more than ever in my life, I believe we need to genuinely and truly receive the Kingdom of God into our lives in order to rise above the rapid decline of the culture around us. In order to not get sucked into the craziness, and the polarized opinions and the hate. In order to not get sucked into what the media giants want you to believe and in order to rise above it all and be part of the solution.
We must learn to truly receive the Kingdom of God into our lives like a child, and in verse 16, we see a picture of how Jesus responds when we do receive the Kingdom of God like a child.
Mark 10:16 (NLT)
16 Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
That’s what we want – for Jesus to lay his hand on our lives and for him to pour his blessing into our lives and through our lives to others.
Isn’t it shocking how simple Jesus makes it? Receive the Kingdom of God – like a child – and we receive his hand of blessing on our lives. So, the only question has to be HOW do we receive the Kingdom of God like a child?
I want to credit Deeperdevos.org for some of my inspiration here. Let me give you just three childlike qualities that enable us to receive the Kingdom of God like a child. And let me say just once, I’m talking about a healthy parent-child relationship (the way God designed it to be).
#1). Childlike Dependence
A child has a natural, unquestioning dependence on their parents. They are full of adoration for their parents, and they have confident trust in their parents. They humbly depend on their patents for all things necessary for their lives.
God wants us to have that childlike dependence on him.
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
But, do we, though, really? Do we come to God full of adoration and confident trust, knowing that all we need comes from him – from his mercy and his grace? Or, have we kind of taken things into our own hands? Are we making up our own mind without even coming to God? Have we taken sides? Or have we become polarized in our opinions? Which is exactly what those driving the destruction of our culture want.
Childlike dependence is coming to God for everything we need to get us through this difficult time. It’s coming to God in confidence, trusting that he will lead and guide us, and then gladly, receiving our direction from him.
The second way we receive the Kingdom of God like a child is:
#2). Childlike Humility
When referring to “a childlike trait,” the best definition for humility is a correct assessment of yourself. As Romans 12:3 says, not thinking of yourself more highly than you ought to think.
Just in the prior chapter in Mark Chapter 9, the Disciples were arguing about which of them was the greatest. Jesus tells them, “If anyone wants be first, he must be last and least of all,” and then Jesus put a child in the middle of them as his example of the “last and least of all.”
Here’s why. A child (at least a well-behaved child) knows he’s not in charge. He’s not calling the shots… Dad is. Dad’s in charge. Dad’s calling the shots. We’re going where dad says. We’re doing what dad says, and that is the exact humility required to receive the Kingdom of God.
Our Heavenly Dad is in charge. Our Heavenly Dad is calling the shots. We’re going where he says. We’re doing what he says. We are not in charge – our heavenly Dad is. And because of our adoration, trust, and dependence on him, we come to him grateful he is in charge and not us. Childlike humility is wanting God to be in charge and happily following his lead.
And finally, the third childlike quality we must have to receive the Kingdom of God is:
#3). Childlike Trust
Trust comes from childlike dependence and humility. When we’ve made ourselves dependent on God for all things and when we have surrendered our self-will and are humbly glad that God is our God and that he is in control.
Then, the highest trait necessary for us to receive the Kingdom of God into our life and for us to rise above the turmoil of our day comes easy.
The highest trait necessary is childlike trust. Our Heavenly Father is completely, one hundred percent, in every way – trustworthy. He is more trust “worthy” than we can ever know. He created us – he formed us – he knows all our days. He goes before us and behind us. He hems us in on all sides. He is at work for our good – in all things. He has guaranteed to complete the good work that he has begun in us, and nothing, nothing, nothing can ever separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We can have complete trust in God IS what will ENABLE US to RISE ABOVE the troubles of our day.
Guys, we desperately need to receive all that the Kingdom of God is in order to rise above the troubles of these days. And Jesus says the only way to receive the Kingdom of God is with childlike traits.
Childlike DEPENDENCE
Childlike HUMILITY
Childlike TRUST
Guys, lets rise above all of the darkness in our culture today, and let’s receive the Kingdom of God into our life like a child daily.
Let’s commit – every day – to childlike dependence, humility, and absolute trust in God, and we will receive the Kingdom of God today that comes with new life today. That comes with new life – the blessings and promises of God and the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and we will be able to rise above it all.
The incredible levels of hate and the unbelievable level of mind control in the media that makes us think and feel and do exactly what they tell us to – especially the darkest and most powerful media of them all, social media.
And I want us so badly to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. But I don’t need to review the dire straights our culture with you today; even if you’re trying to limit your intake of the mind control media, you are still very aware of the unprecedented trouble that we are in as a nation.
So, all I really need to do today is apply God’s Word to our lives and to encourage and exhort us to personally and genuinely apply God’s Word to our lives. Fortunately, the very next set of verses in our verse-by-verse study of Mark is perfectly applicable to our need today. Isn’t that awesome?
We’re just going to jump right in today.
Mark 10:13(a) (NLT)
13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them . . .
We love children, don’t we? It is so important that we regularly, genuinely connect with children because it may be our only hope to not lose the childlike qualities that Jesus himself says are required for us to receive the Kingdom of God into our lives.
Children are incredible – their view of life is incredible. Their wonder of the world, their questions about things around them, their excitement and awe and wonder of things that we’ve long since forgotten, their transparency in their feeling and their humility in their view of themselves, and most of all, their absolute trust in their parents.
The trust of a child in their parents is ultimately the perfect picture of the trust that is required for us to receive the Kingdom of God into our lives. Jesus is going to tell us today if we don’t have the trust in him that a child had in their parent, then we cannot receive the Kingdom of God into our lives.
And Jesus is about to tell us if we don’t receive the Kingdom of God with childlike traits, then we will never enter the Kingdom of God. Mark 10:13(a) again.
Mark 10:13(a) (NLT)
13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them . . .
This is like us bringing the Children’s Ministry into the sanctuary when the most important pastor we could think of was here, which causes the disciples to respond like many of us might.
Mark 10:13(b) (NLT)
. . . But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
Whoa, what are these kids doing in here? Don’t you realize we’re doing some important spiritual things here? Don’t you realize who this is? What are you doing bringing the kids in here?
And maybe Jesus would respond to us the same way he responded to the Disciples.
Mark 10:14(a) (NLT)
14 When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples . . .
Jesus was annoyed. He was indignant. He was angry at the Disciples. And so, Mark 10:4(b),
Mark 10:14(b) (NLT)
. . . He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
The NKJV says, “Jesus was greatly displeased” with the actions of the Disciples. And so, after scolding the Disciples, Jesus says, 14 . . . Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.
Just think about how Jesus feels right now. Jesus knows the children have the secret to receiving the Kingdom of God. They have the secret that we need to learn – from them. And so, how does Jesus feel watching the Disciples trying to keep the children from him? Verse 14 tells us how Jesus felt – he was angry.
Guys, we can’t receive the Kingdom of God without learning the secret that the children know instinctively. And please believe me when I say this is also the secret to how we can rise above all that is so wrong in our culture today.
And so, Jesus tells them again in Mark 10:15.
Mark 10:15 (NLT)
15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
…will never enter it? Does that give us the motivation to learn what it means to receive the Kingdom of God, like a child?
The “Kingdom of God” is both a present and a future realm. When we receive it – like a child – the Kingdom of God comes into our lives with all the blessings and promises of God, and all the responsibilities of being citizens of the Kingdom where Jesus is our King.
The Kingdom of God – is eternal life. But the Kingdom of God is also where we walk in the fruit of the Holy Spirit today. The Kingdom of God is where Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control – all reside.
And we receive the Kingdom of God into our lives for eternal life, for all the blessings and promises of God, and for all the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom of God is a present and future description of God being with us and us being with God.
Right now, more than ever in my life, I believe we need to genuinely and truly receive the Kingdom of God into our lives in order to rise above the rapid decline of the culture around us. In order to not get sucked into the craziness, and the polarized opinions and the hate. In order to not get sucked into what the media giants want you to believe and in order to rise above it all and be part of the solution.
We must learn to truly receive the Kingdom of God into our lives like a child, and in verse 16, we see a picture of how Jesus responds when we do receive the Kingdom of God like a child.
Mark 10:16 (NLT)
16 Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.
That’s what we want – for Jesus to lay his hand on our lives and for him to pour his blessing into our lives and through our lives to others.
Isn’t it shocking how simple Jesus makes it? Receive the Kingdom of God – like a child – and we receive his hand of blessing on our lives. So, the only question has to be HOW do we receive the Kingdom of God like a child?
I want to credit Deeperdevos.org for some of my inspiration here. Let me give you just three childlike qualities that enable us to receive the Kingdom of God like a child. And let me say just once, I’m talking about a healthy parent-child relationship (the way God designed it to be).
#1). Childlike Dependence
A child has a natural, unquestioning dependence on their parents. They are full of adoration for their parents, and they have confident trust in their parents. They humbly depend on their patents for all things necessary for their lives.
God wants us to have that childlike dependence on him.
Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
But, do we, though, really? Do we come to God full of adoration and confident trust, knowing that all we need comes from him – from his mercy and his grace? Or, have we kind of taken things into our own hands? Are we making up our own mind without even coming to God? Have we taken sides? Or have we become polarized in our opinions? Which is exactly what those driving the destruction of our culture want.
Childlike dependence is coming to God for everything we need to get us through this difficult time. It’s coming to God in confidence, trusting that he will lead and guide us, and then gladly, receiving our direction from him.
The second way we receive the Kingdom of God like a child is:
#2). Childlike Humility
When referring to “a childlike trait,” the best definition for humility is a correct assessment of yourself. As Romans 12:3 says, not thinking of yourself more highly than you ought to think.
Just in the prior chapter in Mark Chapter 9, the Disciples were arguing about which of them was the greatest. Jesus tells them, “If anyone wants be first, he must be last and least of all,” and then Jesus put a child in the middle of them as his example of the “last and least of all.”
Here’s why. A child (at least a well-behaved child) knows he’s not in charge. He’s not calling the shots… Dad is. Dad’s in charge. Dad’s calling the shots. We’re going where dad says. We’re doing what dad says, and that is the exact humility required to receive the Kingdom of God.
Our Heavenly Dad is in charge. Our Heavenly Dad is calling the shots. We’re going where he says. We’re doing what he says. We are not in charge – our heavenly Dad is. And because of our adoration, trust, and dependence on him, we come to him grateful he is in charge and not us. Childlike humility is wanting God to be in charge and happily following his lead.
And finally, the third childlike quality we must have to receive the Kingdom of God is:
#3). Childlike Trust
Trust comes from childlike dependence and humility. When we’ve made ourselves dependent on God for all things and when we have surrendered our self-will and are humbly glad that God is our God and that he is in control.
Then, the highest trait necessary for us to receive the Kingdom of God into our life and for us to rise above the turmoil of our day comes easy.
The highest trait necessary is childlike trust. Our Heavenly Father is completely, one hundred percent, in every way – trustworthy. He is more trust “worthy” than we can ever know. He created us – he formed us – he knows all our days. He goes before us and behind us. He hems us in on all sides. He is at work for our good – in all things. He has guaranteed to complete the good work that he has begun in us, and nothing, nothing, nothing can ever separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We can have complete trust in God IS what will ENABLE US to RISE ABOVE the troubles of our day.
Guys, we desperately need to receive all that the Kingdom of God is in order to rise above the troubles of these days. And Jesus says the only way to receive the Kingdom of God is with childlike traits.
Childlike DEPENDENCE
Childlike HUMILITY
Childlike TRUST
Guys, lets rise above all of the darkness in our culture today, and let’s receive the Kingdom of God into our life like a child daily.
Let’s commit – every day – to childlike dependence, humility, and absolute trust in God, and we will receive the Kingdom of God today that comes with new life today. That comes with new life – the blessings and promises of God and the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and we will be able to rise above it all.