Feb
16
2015
Profound Simplicity
Posted in Salvation 2 Comments
My church is a multi-generational church.
That should not be surprising, but for many churches it is.
Our families are together throughout the entire service.
Only small babies and toddlers age three and under, are in the nursery.
The sound of the children is music to God’s ears.
Young parents need encouragement since every rustle of a paper puts them on alert.
The sounds that they are used to may not be the sounds that everyone appreciates.
They worry needlessly, since those sounds are the sounds of life.
After we sing in worship, the children all come forward for a children’s sermon.
Each week I see more children sitting on the floor, the first pew, or the platform steps.
Each week I am so encouraged since I see before me the future of the church.
The church is in good hands.
I smile at the answers the children give to the questions the pastor asks them.
Often they are right on target, bringing their innocence to their remark.
I love when a child respectfully interjects a comment that may seem off topic.
But it isn’t; in that child’s mind, a connection was made and they are bursting to tell.
This must delight the heart of God tremendously.
The faith of a little child.
I witnessed a little one boy joyously proclaim, Jesus kept getting bigger and bigger.
Since this little one is growing, he can relate to Jesus being a little boy just like him.
Isn’t that the truth of the Gospel?
Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth as a helpless baby.
His mother needed to feed Him, change Him, and teach Him to walk and talk.
A child gets that and can relate to Jesus as a child, but needs to know Him as their Savior.
When we sanitize the Gospel and polish it up for adult tastes, we miss the point.
We miss the point terribly.
We forget the profound simplicity of the Incarnation.
The Son of God came to earth as a baby, grew and grew, enduring everything we endure.
Who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)
Jesus, fully God, became fully man so He could bring us back to God the Father.
We adults analyze and criticize the Gospel until it is unrecognizable.
Children just listen to the greatest Story ever told and can relate to this Baby Jesus.
However, they cannot keep Jesus a baby forever; they need to watch Him grow.
Jesus kept getting bigger and bigger.
He taught about the Kingdom, healed, and performed miracles that pointed to His Father.
Jesus was misunderstood, rejected, and nailed to a cross.
Kingdom living always goes against the status quo and that made the leaders nervous.
The boy, interjecting his remarks so beautifully in the children’s sermon, was like Jesus.
Jesus, who in the temple, amazed the rabbis because of His answers and His questions.
Jesus who got excited about the things of His Father in His Father’s house.
That same excitement is present in the faith of a little child.
We cannot dismiss a child’s comments as insignificant.
Their questions come as they are beginning to process the Gospel message.
The Gospel is a story for children, which is really a Story for all of us.
I saw the Gospel lived out after our service was over and everyone began to leave.
One father was waiting in the pew.
His wife had gone to the nursery to get their young son.
As I stood there talking to someone, I heard it.
Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Spoken with such joy and abandon.
I saw a little toddler leave the hands of his mother and run to his Daddy.
He ran as fast as his little legs could take him.
He ran with the static electricity making his hair stand on end.
Every ounce of his being desperately wanted to run into his Daddy’s arms.
His Daddy was waiting.
His Daddy was smiling.
His Daddy had his arms ready to catch his son as his son raced towards him.
To this little boy there was no one else in the room but his Daddy.
That is the Gospel.
This little boy is getting bigger and bigger and learning about Jesus.
In faith, he will come to realize that Jesus died for his sins on the cross and He rose again.
When he trusts in Jesus for his salvation there will be such joy, such abandon.
Because of Jesus, we can now call God the Father, Abba.
Daddy!
Can you see it?
Running into the arms of our Daddy, calling His name all the way.
Looking up and seeing that our Daddy is waiting for us.
He is waiting with open arms ready to envelop us with the Love that is ours.
The Love that has been ours all along.
God is not distant or far off; He is very near, very close.
And He is smiling.
Run into the arms of your Daddy, calling His name with abandon.
Nothing delights the heart of God more.
Even when we are far off, He is near.
He is waiting to receive His children in His arms.
Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!
Run as fast as your legs can take you, calling His name all the way.
This brought tears to my eyes, as I thought of my earthly father, now with the Lord, and what a great Daddy he was–such a great role model to lead me to my heavenly Abba Father. I really anticipate running to Him when I get to heaven, knowing how much He loves me (and all of us). God bless you, Gina, for your wonderful posts.
I think of that as well, Sue.
Finally running into my Father’s arms.
Like Job to finally say,”My ears have heard of You but now my eyes have seen You.”
Gina