Experience TRUTH - #2

This is the Truth Network have you ever met someone to good to go to heaven. What organ to me that fella today on experienced truth.

I'm Stu Epperson so excited to have you along with us as we journey through the book of Luke. This is a really a piggyback on a Bible study. We do called Wednesday and the word in a restaurant group called the Dario all throughout North Carolina at all locations. Every Wednesday morning at 8 AM a breakfast and a great time in the world with a bunch of messed up guys like me doing our way through Scripture and today we find ourselves in Luke chapter 18 verses 15 to 25. I find myself seated next to one of my heroes in mentors Robby Dilmore, a.k.a. the Christian Car Guy thanks for being with me today. My friend always in our to see what you're doing up to with this to you not to go to heaven with someone else's flow meter to date probably read the passage of Scripture. There's a whole lot going here in these these nine or 10 verses and then will jump right in. The simple question I Luke 1815 through 25 and they also brought infants to him that he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them and said that the children come to me and do not forbid them for such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. Now a certain ruler asked him, saying, good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life. So Jesus said to him, why do you call me good, no one is good but one, that is God.

You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder. Do not steal, do not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother, and he said all these things I have kept from my youth. So when Jesus heard these things, he said to them, he still lacked one thing you still lacked one thing sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and come, follow me. When he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich and when Jesus saw that he had become very sorrowful. He said how hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God, for it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. So here you have a whole lot of really rich things going on and you have heard that language, I'm sure. Before this broadcast of the eye of a needle.

The rich going into heaven, the disciples asking who can be saved this guy that shows up at Jesus feet. It seems to be the greatest candidate, but he will leaves weeping and brokenhearted that he's not admitted these not brought in to fellowship with Jesus and eternal life. It all starts right here Robbie asked this question real quick. This is a great piggyback to the context as well. However, the disciples treating the children just like the Pharisees treated the public and in Luke 18. Nine through 14. We talked about last week yet so this is really a great story. Two men went to the temple to pray what it would've been a beautiful picture of contrasting parts of the Pharisees, whose whose highest and he's he's praying rollout for want to see it is even says in the Scripture that Scripture says he's praying to himself. He says thank God I'm not like that scalawag publican who would even come all the way under that inner court area and 12 would even lift his eyes to heaven, he was bow down is beating his chest which Hebrews did not beat their chest unless it was like 911.

We talked about that and so this Pharisee is just completely on his pedestal and he's put that guy down in the same spirit. Here you have these people bringing others to Jesus there bringing children in a fasting, save that he might touch them rub you got grandkids there's a power blessing children which talk a lot on your other program.

National injury was over one will will will Google that dollar that podcast which is awesome URL of the blessing of the father. You talk about how Joseph, you know, near the end of Jacob, his father's life. He knows his dad in the past there in Egypt there safe. Joseph brings those two little fellas, Ephraim and Manasseh to into Jacob's presence visible signs for Jacob to touch any physically took Jacobs and he put it on top of their head is fed bless my boys right. Remember that so this is what people try to Jesus as a rabbi. He's the teacher he's God in the flesh, and they want the blessing of him on their children. So there bringing their infants.

These are little ones, you know, you likely know, younger than for maybe sometimes even still being coddled a little bit, little babies that they can't walk themselves silly.

Jesus might touch them. They want a blessing they want to.

May the Lord bless you and keep you and so is over all the many blessings that could be dispensed upon them by Jesus. But when the disciples thought they rebuked them Lysistrata language like get these kids out here what you think these are the exact kids that Jesus says such. He says he called them and said to them, what are we ready. These let the little children come to me do not forbid them for such is the kingdom of God. He saying these are the very people these of these little ones are the ones that the halflings they're the ones that need to be coming to me, such as the King of God. That's a pretty big statement disciples that he were the kingdom of God knows you sit on your right left hand Jesus and the sons of thunder you bickering, arguing and angling Judas with the money and these other guys. Peter always sticking his foot in his mouth. And here they their their energy to says weight, such as the King of God. These kids what a remarkable statement and it pleases this question which is exactly what you could tee off on here now. Well you know what is childlike faith and why. Why is hit the only way to get into heaven is the question that obviously is there before us, but was really cool to me is that Jesus doesn't say let the parents bring their children what he says is let the children come to me, meaning that that that they recognize something the children themselves recognize something that I don't think the people that the rich young ruler. In contrast, is it that those children do not see in the same thing in front of them that the rich when the young ruler is seen. He seeing honor and prestige because he gets to talk to this big rabbi. These children are like that man this this this is real grace for young this past week we've put these two passages together course, we could usual sermon on this and then course, there's and is very similar interaction is in Luke chapter 9 were just talk to the greatest degree is the least the childlike heart. The childlike faith and so on so forth. But the contrasting between that little children in this rich young ruler. The sky it's got it all together is really fascinating and it really shows us into the heart of God, such as the King of God such as King of God.

It's the week it's the little ones is the children you said Robbie. They have this childlike faith. Statistically we talked, we talked our friends from childhood unit, Child evangelism Fellowship all the ministries that do camps for kids that do outreaches for kids vacation Bible school and they all say hands down statistically you're more likely to come to Christ at a younger age because of how tender your hardest insults and hasn't come in and corrupted. It's very rare.

It's awesome but it's rare for someone to come to Christ middle age or little bit later it when you're younger.

So there really is a real appeal here to reach these young people for Christ and to bring them in to to the Lord, water, young which is is really a message to me that you can give me fears teach your kids about the Bible read the Bible to talk to them about God, get them in a church get them in Sunday school, sing the songs of the faith start to build into them.

The gospel in a very young age so that my mom's greater Chico scriptural grandkids.

She talks all in the bed all my kids like she did me. When I was little and she talks him into bed. She quotes books of the Bible to to get the wording you wrote some floats. She quotes a flow to strike unity going to get the word into these little impression onesies little ones and here there's always to be Pharisees, which really disciples were very much like the Pharisees and the can rebuking them the very ones are supposed to be is used to rebuke him innocent know how much we like the daily get these loud kids out of our church will try to have worship your weight as second timeout there to be run the show were gone. Robbie really done gone, as these young people we get a poor end of them. The next generation. Sometimes we get we know the black slaves know the story with this remarkable probably were sharing that there was a church in a little town south of Davie County, where they just build a new building and they had a bus ministry may bring all these kids in other those kids started messing up their new building right number. All walls and all the stuff so that is a big split in the church like we can keep busting these kids and because her turn up our new building so after church says now we gotta keep let me bring my kids and so they start their own church where they let the other people have their new church. They start meet in another building over somewhere else while fast forward 20 years, that big beautiful building is now 20 years old and half-empty because I when you going to that church. You won't find hardly anybody there, but his beautiful buildings to but if you go to other place where they accepted the kids kept bringing the kids you know that places hundreds of flyers like crazy, but it's a perfect example of this very thing well and and here's a real question. Who am I who what young people I bring in Jesus how my investing. How are you right now investing in young people. If Jesus as such, the kingdom of God only get around as young people start to my own home mom kids loan grant your own drag-and-drop your case and your other fishing with your grandbaby, but you're also your fishing for great leaders on radio two. That's why we do know the Christian cargo theater to attract a younger audience as a right.

That's one of our passions with Christian radio with podcasting with all the things were doing is to reach the next generation for Jesus and so that's it.

That's a good word. Children are made a list your they are trusting their impressionable their vulnerable their defensive defenseless there, believing they accept gifts you give a kid a gift knowing if they go. I gotta pay you back or say wow illness and I'm nothing thank you for all you who will be English but that but it was a lovely gift or life to get that little delusional. Having own flat outer my office and got a big basket of gifts any kid anytime, anywhere that comes our radio network Christian Ray Truth Network there to get get a gift get a toy to get his big basket toy since got some really good things in there one time a letter to pick out two toys, but except in Iraq and that they demanded to them.

There's no there's no maneuvering.

There's no quid pro quo. There's no doubt get back and do this time in Italy this or just it is refreshing in God is telling us such as Kim God.

Yes, it's sure there's a demographic fear of a young person who might be a little more tender to the things of God but there's a there's a war every demographic whether your 90 years old hundred years old or 50 or 40 or 30 or 20.

The only way into the kingdom is the low way the humble way to have a childlike faith right Robbie and me there is that we have to become a child every day yellow how you your boot camp you say you know you call him daddy you call your daddy's lap and that sounds sacrilegious all at the God's father is and he's calling us to be his children in the love that that diverse in John 112 as many as received him, to them gave you the power to become sons of God. Children of God over and over again. John the beloved disciple calls the people of first John even even the book of John second John third John my little children, my little children walk in faith, my little children walk in love toward one another and boy don't. Things change when you humble yourself to Sears with the power of God's grace pours in to the weak vessel to the empty vessel to the childlike vessel. Such is the kingdom of God. But then we meet the other extreme, we meet this young ruler. This rich young ruler and organ have to spend more time with him next week because right after this week on experienced truth. But boy, the challenge to the only way to get to heaven if you want to go to heaven yet to become a child while my pride limited at Robbie tell everybody that's it.

That's the deal that goes against the grain of what were made right because we've got it figured out how weak we don't want to turn loose of control don't want to turn loose of of this lack of trust lack of faith is where it goes but that's the faith of a child is a beautiful and yet share the word of God was someone grandchild until that child about Jesus. Tell them the story of Jesus was you next time right here on experienced truth. This is the Truth Network