Life Lessons We Learn from Children, Part 2

Imagine what it was when the disciple stood in front of Jesus and challenged him to identify the greatest among them all 12 men were fishing for comp to be the one Jesus would elevate well to their dismay. Jesus had a shocking response rather than choose one of the 12 Jesus brought a little child and others are. Jesus said anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven where in Matthew chapter 18 Chuck titled his message life lessons we learn from children begin with prayer in a world full of noise and activity our father, grant us the ability to be silent before you, that we may hear that still small voice as you speak to us in the busyness of our day, may we find our rest in you, but you might do a work within us, maybe be open to you, Lord, that you may at her and Ron and have free course through our lives find us empty before you, rather than filled with ourselves, that you may fill us with the great things you have for us.

Right thoughts. Great guidance great truth and slow us down. Lord, that we might be still and learn. Again, your God, thank you Lord for the things you taught me these last two weeks I was laid aside, thank you for your patience with me when healing took time and for the things that you communicated that came without words, but were invaluable things to learn. Thank you for teaching all of us, Lord, in the challenges of life and we all have them in the trials it, and we all go through them in those places where we reach we think we cannot go on and you take us on you go with us all the way faithfully ministering to us in our deepest, most profound needs in the daylight of what we have just read. We thank you today for the children who cross the paths of our lives our children and others children, our grandchildren and others grandchildren for the little ones to her so innocent, so inexperienced, who know nothing of the brutalities of life.

I pray that we will never be one to introduce them to such maybe be people of patience and mercy and encouragement and understanding to them, especially to those who cannot keep up. It was a great measure of understanding and patience that we might slow our pace to be a part of their lives as well for your said it best, inasmuch as you done it to the least of these, you got it under me. Today I want to thank you for those who make our our our liberty possible. Those who protect us on the street and in battle those who courageously fight the fight who serve the country. Thank you for each one.

Give them great wisdom and grace. Courage and extra measures of strength for those who serve the cause of Christ and forgotten places who faithfully represent you day in and day out. Unknown and often unappreciated reward them as only you can in ways that bring encouragement and affirmation to their work. Finally, Lord I pray that you will set apart these gifts that we give today they might be used in special ways and lives that we will never meet in places we will never go for causes were not even right now aware of to meet needs that are beyond our our distant imagination minister to us.

Our father and in the process be our vision, lift us beyond our own home in our own backyard in our our own world and give us a vision for your world and what you were doing here and abroad for the sake of Jesus Christ is in his name, but I pray these things and send his name that we give our gifts and everyone said amen. Listening to cipher live, study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures by going to inside world.org/studies and now the message from Chuck that he titled life lessons we learn from children. Mark 933 they're making their way from where they had been to the town of Capernaum sort of evangelistic headquarters if you will for their ministry for Peter lead word Andrew led, but on their waiting to God. Capernaum finally arrived at verse 33. After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in the house, Jesus asked his disciples what were you discussing out on the road. The response they didn't answer why would Mansour keep reading because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. That's what St. Matthew and St. Andrew and St. Peter and say Judas in St. doesn't fit Judas doesn't and and the others were arguing over what Peter said to them, the only one I walked on water and is Jesus piercing the Johnson were the three were taken up on the transfiguration, you know I'm not the greatest on the greatest on the greatest chapter 18 of Matthew. Verse one. So they come to Jesus as I do, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Now you see where the background is in other words, which one of us which of us would be the greatest course that is not what Jesus was interested in addressing because they were arguing about the wrong thing. Interestingly, when they asked who is the greatest in the kingdom. Jesus doesn't point out one or several of them.

Look at verse two.

I love this. He called a little child to him and he put the child among them could be boy or girl and in the Middle East. To this day. Girls are not seen as valuable as little boys.

In fact, they are often the objects of abuse there often not even valued by by the father who want a little boy so let's make this a little girl now will you allow the setting to be that realistic. Your mind has room to think outside the borders, because the passage is all about. This little child, you realize that in 14 versus a little one is mentioned not eight times will show you. Verse two he called a little child verse two he put the child among them.

Verse three unless you become like little children. There's 1/3 reference verse four.

So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child, Mark, that beginning in verse five. Anyone who welcomes a little child for reference verse six. If you cause one of these little ones. There's another reference six. Look at verse 10. Beware that you don't look down on anyone of these little ones still have the little child in their midst. At the very end of the passage of the universe. 14 is not my heavenly father's will that even one of these little ones should perish over and over and over and over. It's about the little child why don't make a figure that because the very one everybody would have overlooked is in fact the object lesson from whom we can learn so much about life and whether a little boy or girl I want you to see the value so valuable that Jesus teaches 12 man arguing over which one of them is the greatest some lessons about life that they needed to have learned early on but didn't by the way. By now they have traveled with Jesus three years and are still arguing over which one of them is the most significant celebrities of the little child were to ever be a little girl and he stands her in their midst. The role wondering what is this about one of the other.

Do this what's important is what normally you and I have to admit we don't learn a lot from anybody because were so preoccupied with our cell's so important. This start being concerned about.

It was number one among you, my visit about that was learned from this child.

So in versus 234 we have standing here an example 2 things of unspoiled innocence, and second, unguarded humility, he put the child among them. Verse two and then he said, are you interested in the kingdom life as I've been teaching or you interested in what heaven is all about. Are you interested in connecting with the world.

I'm trying to introduce you to seek first the kingdom in my righteousness, and all the other stuff of life will be added to or you interested in that start with the child is a child standing among the mentor unspoiled innocence.

No agendato deliver no hidden desires no secret sin, no guile, she's not even aware what she standing there and secondly look at the next statement.

Then I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children will never enter this into this kingdom life so anyone who becomes as humble as the little child thought of that child is by nature just to they are by Dion would be a child of 87 or younger, most likely a childlike humility would be virtually impossible to offend the little one just childlike in every way and he says of a basic lesson to learn in life is the value of authentic humility.

I love the story of the children had informed the club and they were back in one of the kids said every club needs rules so one of the kids. It was good.

It rules came up with three rules in the first one was nobody asked me room number two was nobody act little in room number three was nobody act medium.

I dare you to act medium. Not a big deal nor my you not a little insignificant on unimportant deal nor nor my riches who we are, let's just be who we are blessed humility run its course and keep Christ first and let the rest of the things that happen happen and keep our ego out of it and keep our will on hold out of the way as a little child who can teach us this now this marvelous illustration goes further and Jesus takes it in a beautiful direction, may I meant intercept other thoughts by adding something here that is in addition to what were going to be reading about. It is easy for us to be shortsighted when God gives us children. It is so easy for us because of the familiarity of their lives were around them all the times in their noisy and they make messes and in their involved in all the things that you wish they wouldn't get involved in and they're there to show us so many things about life it, it is easy for us to not see in them the value that they are not getting the more that moment between the years 1961 and 1970, God gave the two of us four children. First, the boy Kurt and then a daughter, Clarice, and then a daughter, Colleen, and finally one other child, Chuck, 61 to 70. In the meantime we lost to that we had along to it kept, but God had other plans and and in the journey.

Life went on all four gifts from God. They they were provided by our loving heavenly father and from whom we were to learn and still are learning many things as we watch them grow. We tumor growing and as life led us in various directions. They were led with us and memories are made of things like this and when I read about these this little child I picture one of our daughters being there or one of our sons when we come to the Scriptures is helpful for you to read your family into this if you're married.

If you have children. Think of this is one of your own and that way to become as it has been for me much more personal. How do we handle our children in verses five through 14 for different possibilities are set forth and I want you to see all four.

Since the child is in their midst and there are no longer arguing over because they're ashamed of themselves for thinking so much about who was the greatest now have a little child, one of the things Jesus teaches them about learning from about life for children. The first is we can accept and delight in them that's in verse five. Look at it for yourself. Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. The word means to receive to accept and even grow to mean delight in it would include being tender with kind toward being loving and merciful and fair and compassionate, forgiving and encouraging affirming seeing the value of God gave us for not using our four because those of the four unknow best of all children the world he gave us for. They're all very different then different temperaments, though they came from the same womb reared in the same home under the same environment as one another, but there was different as they can be. The two boys are not at all like two girls are hardly similar.

All four children of ours whom God gave to us and he uniquely designed each one to be teachers of their parents to be learners from their parents and as they would grow up they would become young men and women hopefully taking the strengths of their parents and hopefully being able to overcome the weaknesses that they got from their parent how valuable it was, as they were given to us that we accept them and welcome that we realize each one was a gift from God. Each one.

The same is true in the body of Christ.

Each one of us called. Interestingly, children of God, and isn't it interesting that when the Israelites were on the earth, and they were doing.

They were making that Exodus out of Egypt and on the way to Canaan. Never what they're called children of Israel to this day there called the Hebrew children. Children here is an image that the Lord uses over and over in the first one is invaluable that we delight in them and we treat them with dignity and with significance.

We guard against comparing them because they're not the same. They have different IQs. They have different EQ's emotional motion. They have different interests in art or in sports or in life. Some learn quickly. Some learn slowly. Some learn the hard way. Some learn easily. Some require more discipline than others required but all four for us were to be accepted and delighted in the same for your children be glad to know that we're not finished with this message from Chuck Swindoll's title to study life lessons we learn from children to see what resources are available for today's topic, please visit us online@insightworld.org and just as you grown to respect and value the Bible teaching you receive on Insight for living each day with I could be encouraged to know Chuck is inspired a generation of young people to embrace the truth as well. While many are turning into the radio broadcast a growing number are connecting with Insight for living by using the convenient mobile app finding us on your social media platforms or by downloading the daily podcast, plus you can dig into the Scriptures that correspond with Pastor Chuck sermons by using the same Bible study techniques he used.

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You've heard him teach about the holy land using word pictures to make us feel like we are actually strolling through the old city learning about Jerusalem is fascinating for sure, but seeing the land of Israel with your own his his life changed. In fact, is absolutely magnificent. And now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll and the gracious hosts and experts assembled by Insight for living ministries. Join us on an unforgettable 12 day tour March 6-17, 2022 at special sites along the way, I will teach from God's word will worship at the Mount of Beatitudes and share the Lord's table at the garden to impact will seal the sea of Galilee together and will visit places where Jesus walked and talked to learn more or call 1-888-447-0444. Just imagine walking along the sacred sites and seeing the Bible, but come to life before your very mark your calendar for March 6-17, 2022 and make your reservation by calling 1-888-447-0444 or go to insight.org/events insight for living ministries tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend. Join us again tomorrow when Chuck Swindoll continues to describe life lessons we learn from children right here on Insight for living. The preceding message life lessons we learned from children was copyrighted in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

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