Innocence Is Bliss

Nathan Hall

Midland SDA Church

September 22, 2018

THE JOY OF CHILDREN

How many of you have children in your life? They could be your own children, or they could be nieces and nephews. For those of you whose children are all grown up, you may have also received the additional blessing of having grandchildren. Whatever your situation, I believe we all would agree that children bring joy to our lives. There’s something about children that brings a smile to peoples’ faces. Maybe it’s their laughter, their energy, their curiosity or their complete reliance on those who care for them. Yes, there are few whose hearts would not be softened by the gentle tug of a child’s hand.

Psalm 127:3-5                    Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.

Proverbs 17:6                    Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.

As a Dad, I can tell you that the joy my daughter Evelyn brings to me is inexpressible. From the early mornings when she wakes up and I hear her yelling “Daddy!”, to her excitement of playing outside and the many funny things she says, she brings joy to my life. And in just a few short weeks, Hilary and I will be blessed to have another little girl in our lives. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that I could love another child as much as I love Evelyn. But I know that my capacity to love will only increase with another child in my life. My love will not be divided between them but will be multiplied.

JESUS LOVES CHILDREN

I think it’s pretty obvious that Jesus also loves children. From a very early age, our children are reminded of Jesus’ love for them through songs such as “Jesus Loves Me” and “Jesus Loves the Little Children”. We can know that this is true because the Bible is filled with numerous texts where Jesus showed His love for children by healing them and spending time with them. Our scripture today is a great example of this. Please turn in your Bibles with me to Mark 10:13-16.  

Mark 10:13-16                   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.” 15 “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

In these verses, we find both a promise and a warning. In verses 14 and 16, Jesus encourages the children letting them know that they are important to him and are included in those who He seeks to save. Verse 15, however, is very interesting. In this verse, Jesus is warning both His disciples and the rest of the crowd that they must receive the kingdom as a little child, otherwise they will not enter it.

So, what does it mean to be a child? Do you remember what it was like when you were a child? There are many characteristics that children have. However, there are a few key characteristics that I want to focus on this afternoon that will help us get a better idea of what Christ meant when He said we must become like little children.

HELPLESS AND DEPENDENT

All children start out as babies. Babies are born into this world completely helpless and dependent upon their parents or guardians. They need someone to feed them, change their diapers and protect them from things that may harm them. They cannot provide for themselves anything that they need or want.

As babies grow into toddlers, they have developed a special bond with their parents, (through the care and love they’ve received), that leads them to trust their parents unquestioningly. Now, that doesn’t mean that they always obey, but they generally believe everything their parents tell them.

FEARLESS AND INNOCENT (COMPLETE TRUST)

If fact, they trust so much that they can seem to be fearless. Research shows that babies are born with only two fears, the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears are learned in one way or another. One of the main methods that we learn fear is through personal experiences, such as being bit by a dog or seeing something scary on TV. Another powerful way to learn fear is through instruction or counsel from friends and family saying to be watch out for snakes or don’t stick your finger in an electrical outlet. Fear can be a good thing if it protects you from something harmful.

However, because of the protection their parents provide, many children haven’t yet experienced the consequences of their actions. They will try many things that can actually be dangerous. Evelyn is not afraid of much. She has always loved to climb, balance and jump off things. We have these two bar stools at home and she loves to stand between them, with one leg on each. All she sees is something fun to do. She doesn’t see the risk that comes with that action. As her Dad, it makes me happy to see her live life uninhibited by the fears and worries that I experience as an adult. Even though I don’t want her to fall or to be afraid of falling, I do want her to be careful.

As children continue to grow, they start to lose this implicit trust and many times have to “learn the hard way”. We can tell them all we want, but many kids have to experience pain and hardship to know they to be careful. Many of them have not had broken bones or broken hearts. They know nothing of the current state of affairs in the world or the financial stresses that come with maintaining a job and paying bills. Even at this point in their life, they are still pretty innocent.

HUMBLE AND IMPRESSIONABLE

Children rely on their parents to not only protect and provide for them, but to also give them instruction. Children are impressionable. They are like sponges, because they absorb everything they see and hear. Now, this can be good or bad depending on what they are observing. This can especially be true since they tend to pick up on things not implicitly taught and learn to copy the behaviors of those around them. That’s why it is so important that we, as parents and grandparents, put Christ first in our lives. If we are following Him, they will also follow Him through our example. It is not good enough to expect that they will “Do what you say and not what you do”. Ultimately, children have to make their own decision to follow the Lord, but we must do everything we can to lead them to Him.

Not only do children need to learn about loving and following God, they need to learn how to love those around them. They need to know how to give hugs and kisses and say I love you. They need to know when to say “I’m sorry”, “I forgive you”, “Please”, “Thank you”, “Excuse me”. They need to see their parents and grandparents fixing flat tires for stranded drivers, cooking meals and visiting those who are sick. They will become compassionate individuals if these things are modeled for them early on in their lives. All of these things seem pretty simple, but they are very important, since the world around us promotes something completely different.

Children also need instruction when it comes to knowing how to work hard and be responsible. Fortunately, children love to learn and are fascinated with the things around them. Even cleaning the house can feel like a game to them. However, at the beginning, things need to be easy for them to do. They haven’t yet built up the knowledge or strength required to perform many tasks. But as they grow, they will become stronger and wiser and be able to handle bigger tasks.

One of the things that makes children so teachable is their humility. They haven’t yet developed a know-it-all attitude to where they question their parents’ wisdom on a particular subject. That is one of the reasons why they ask so many questions. It’s because they truly want to know the answer. Do any of you remember the “Why” stage? We are in the middle of it right now. It’s why this, and why that. But you know what? I’m loving it right now because Evelyn thinks that her Daddy and Mama are the smartest people in the world.

Some of my favorite moments as a Dad have come from watching Evelyn learn the things that Hilary and I have taught her. To hear her pray on her own, to see her put her toys away without being asked or even to witness her sharing something with another child makes me very proud of her. At the same time, I am so thankful that God has entrusted Hilary and I with raising her. I pray that as she continues to grow and learn that she will see His love for her and love Him more in return.

Proverbs 22:6                    Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

1 Corinthians 13:11          When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

MOLDABLE

Not only do children need instruction and guidance, but they also need discipline. They must be taught right from wrong. The basic idea is to take an undesirable behavior and correct it. Obviously, this isn’t going to be a “one and done” situation. Children will have certain things that they struggle with and continue to do. In these situations, they need firm and loving discipline from their parents to help mold their characters into what God wants us all to be. It is crucial to get this area right. No matter what method is used, it is important that children no what’s expected of them, so it will make sense to them why they are being disciplined. If parents are consistent and loving, then the behavior will be corrected, and the result will be a closer bond between parent and child. As children continue to grow, they will learn to choose what is right. And the result will be a positive reflection on the parents and “the family name”.

Proverbs 20:11                  Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is pure and right.

Ephesians 6:1-3                 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”, which is the first commandment with promise; 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."

Colossians 3:20                  Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.

LOVE AND FORGIVENESS

Children are loving and lovable. Even though they must be taught certain manners, they want to be loved by everyone and they want everyone to get along with each other. They see the good in everyone. They forgive quickly and are slow to judge. Now don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying that children don’t have selfishness and other sinful tendencies. But generally, their lack of experience as a sinner makes them seem more innocent. That innocence is fragile and will eventually be shattered through unkind words and actions done by other children and adults. It hurts me just to think about it, but one of the things that has brought me the greatest pain as a Dad is to witness another child being unkind to Evelyn. And as her Dad, I want nothing more than to run over there and defend her. I want to tell the other child and parent exactly what I think of them. I want to protect her from the heartache. I want to preserve her innocent love toward others because I know that it will only lead her to be less willing to love in the future. Unfortunately, I cannot do that for her. I cannot even be with her all the time. So, it is inevitable that she will learn to defend herself. She will learn that not everyone is kind and loving. This self-protection can be manifested in many ways and is different with each child. When I was a child, I had not experienced much rejection or teasing until I got into school. And to my parents’ dismay, I chose to defend myself physically by fighting anyone who made fun of me. It is not something I’m proud of, but it is very true. As I look back on that time in my life, I truly believe most of those altercations came as a result of my desire to be loved by the other children. Yes, children want to be loved by everyone. And that’s why they are so easily led to do wrong things if they don’t have the right friends.

1 Corinthians 14:20          Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.

1 Peter 2:1-2                      Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.

HEIRS TO AN INHERITANCE

For families with a loving relationship between children and parents, the children are usually deemed the heirs to their parents’ possessions. Now, no matter how much or how little the parents have, most children do not look forward to this transaction because it usually only happens upon the death of the parents. Nonetheless, as heirs, they are either given all of, or a portion of their parents’ possessions depending on if they have siblings or not.

CHILDREN OF GOD

As believers, we are considered children of God. Why else would Jesus, as well as many of the Bible authors, refer to the believers as children? According to Strong’s concordance, the King James Version uses the word “children” 1,778 times and the word son 2,270 times. That does not include words such as child, sons, heirs or born. So, what do we have to do to be a child of God?

Galatians 3:2                      For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

John 1:12                             But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

According to these verses, the only criteria to become a child of God is to have faith in Jesus. So how can the characteristics of children be applied to what Christ wants us to be like as children of God?

DEPEND ON OUR FATHER

Just as children can depend on their earthly parents for food and protection. We as children of God can depend on our Heavenly Father to provide for all our needs.

Matthew 6:30-32             Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Philippians 4:19                 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

TRUST OUR FATHER

Just as children trust their earthly parents, we are to trust God. Now let me stop and just say, that I know we have all heard these same or similar comparisons in the past. But, I ask that for a moment, you would pretend that you’re are a little child. Think of how much a little child trusts their earthly parents. That is how we are to trust our Heavenly Father. Do you trust your Heavenly Father that much? I would venture to say that many of us fall short of that standard. I know that I do.

But what kinds of things do we trust in? We trust that we will receive a paycheck from our jobs. We trust that letters and packages we mail will be delivered to our loved ones. We trust that the lights will come on when we flip the switch. When we get in our cars and drive somewhere, we are trusting each and every other person on the road to stay in their lane and not hit us. How many of you have driven over the Mackinac Bridge? That’s a really long bridge! Did you trust that it would stay strong and hold up under the weight of all the cars driving over it? According to the Mackinac Bridge Authority, the bridge is 26,372 feet long or almost 5 miles. It’s the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere. An average of about 4 million vehicles cross the bridge every year. That’s almost 11,000 vehicles a day. The busiest bridge in the world is the George Washington Bridge, which connects Manhattan and New Jersey over the Hudson River. In 2017, this bridge saw almost 52 million vehicles cross. That is about 142,000 vehicles per day. Now I’m looking at some of you, including my wife, and hoping that I haven’t talked you out of driving over the Mackinac Bridge, or any other bridge, ever again.

The truth is, that we put our trust in things every day that have the possibility of failing us. And that’s also why we have such a hard time trusting. It is because we have experienced too many times when our trust has been broken by someone or something. Fortunately, our God cannot be compared to any of these things.

Numbers 23:19                 God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make good?

And those are just a few of the many texts reminding us of God’s goodness and provision for us.

We have every reason to trust in God. I have in my hand a $1 bill. There is a phrase that is

printed on the back. It is printed on all U.S. currency and is our national motto. It says “In Google We

Trust”. Okay, so I threw that one in there to see if you were paying attention. So, what does it really say?

It says, “In God We Trust”. But seriously, how many of you have turned to Google for answers before

turning to God? It’s sad but true, that in our society, we usually look to answers from other flawed

humans before looking to the One who created us and knows everything. He not only knows everything

but He loves us as only a Heavenly Father can. To emphasize my point, I would like to read a paragraph

out of the book by Ellen White, called “Help In Daily Living”.

Help In Daily Living, page 60

When in trouble, many think they must appeal to some earthly friend, telling him their perplexities, and begging for help. Under trying circumstances unbelief fills their hearts, and the way seems dark. And all the time there stands beside them the mighty Counselor of the ages, inviting them to place their confidence in Him. Jesus, the great Burden Bearer, is saying, “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.” Shall we turn from Him to uncertain human beings, who are as dependent upon God as we ourselves are?

FEARLESS FOR GOD

If, we can trust God, then we can trust what He asks us to do. That means that we should be fearless for

Him. We should be willing to follow Him wherever He leads us, even if we don’t know where we will end

up. We should trust Him when things look hopeless, because our God is an awesome God.

Isaiah 43:2-3                       When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God.

IMITATE OUR FATHER

And as children of God, we will seek to do the will of our Father. That is, with every word and action, our lives will testify of the Father, because we will imitate Him as little children imitate their earthly parents. So, how can we imitate our Heavenly Father?

Ephesians 5:1-2                 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 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.

1 John 3:7-8                        Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 4:7-8                        Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is

born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for

God is love.

Luke 6:35-36                       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. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

LEARN FROM OUR FATHER

We need to be eager to learn from our Father. And in order to learn, we must have a teachable spirit. That means that we must be moldable like clay. That way, He can shape our characters to be like Him. When a potter works with clay, he is not harsh with the clay, but gently forms it into the piece that he wants it to become.

Isaiah 64:8                           But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You are potter; And all we, are the work of Your hand.

And just as a child does not always understand the decisions of their parents, we cannot expect to

understand everything that God does. God’s wisdom is infinite. He is our Creator and we are the

creation. Throughout eternity will continue to learn from Him because He knows all things.

Isaiah 55:8-9                       “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

OBEY OUR FATHER

Just as earthly parents want their children to obey them, our Heavenly Father wants us to obey Him. And when we disobey, we need the gentle correction that only He can give. He knows our hearts. He knows just how to work with each of us.

John 14:15                           If you love Me, keep My commandments.

Proverbs 3:11-12              My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.

LOVE GOD AND EACH OTHER

Just as children desire to be loved and get along with everyone, we all desire to be loved and get along with each other. Yes, sin is a part of us, but it is an unwelcome visitor in a heart that was created to love. We must remember to treat each other with the love that our Heavenly Father has shown us. When we love each other, we are a powerful witness to a world filled with selfishness and hate.

John 13:34-35                    A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

OUR ETERNAL INHERITANCE

Just as earthly parents love to see their children learn, our Father loves it when we learn from Him and

we decide to follow Him. And in the same respect, His heart is broken for us when He sees us suffering

and in pain. That is why He sent His Son to redeem us from this world. And finally, as children of God, we

are heirs to all that God has promised us. And what is it, that He has promised us we will inherit?

Galatians 4:3-7                  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

John 3:16                             For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

As we close our service this morning, I wanted to choose a song to would remind each one of us what it is like to be a child. But, not only that, but a child of God. As you can see, hymn #190 is “Jesus Loves Me”. We all know this song by heart and have sung it hundreds, if not thousands, of times. It is a song from our childhood and is one of the first songs that children learn to sing because it is so simple. As we sing it, I want you to think of yourself as the one of the “little ones to Him belong”. Yes, we are children of God and as children we can completely rely on our Heavenly Father to supply all of our needs.