 Today, we're going to be looking in chapter 9 here in the Gospel of Mark. We're going to be looking at verse 30 through 37. And what I'll do is I'll begin reading here at verse 30, read to verse 32. As is my normal way of teaching, I'll give to you a reminder of what we've gone through. That helps us to be fresh for this section. It also helps those who perhaps were not with us last time to know where Jesus is moving and where Mark is recording and the events that relate to that. And so I'll give you a prolonged introduction as I normally do. Build this up and then move in to the passage. So beginning at verse 30, reading to verse 32, Mark chapter 9, Mark writes, then they departed from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know it, for he taught his disciples and said to them, the Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of men and they will kill him. And after he is killed, he will rise the third day. But they did not understand this thing and were afraid to ask him. As I've been sharing with you, Jesus has entered into his last six months of ministry with his disciples. At this point, he's spending less time with the multitudes and more time with his men. This is so he can give them further instruction concerning his kingdom and also have them prepared for his upcoming death. As we saw in our last study, Jesus delivered a young boy from demon possession. This demon had tortured the boy since he was very little, perhaps even from infancy. The boy's father had come to see Jesus, to ask him for help. But Jesus was not available. Jesus was on the Mount Transfiguration with Peter, James and John. And so because Jesus was not there, he went to the apostles and he asked the apostles who had remained behind to help. Now Jesus came down from the mountain and as he did so, there was a crowd that was a growing crowd and it was forming even as he was coming down the mountain. And in Luke chapter 9 verse 38, Luke tells us that a man from the crowd had cried out asking for his help. Matthew 17 verse 14 said, A man came to him kneeling down to him and begged for deliverance. This father was beside himself with grief and frustration. He had gone to Jesus' men and asked them to intervene on his behalf, but they had failed. And it's not that they didn't try, they had tried. It's just that they tried and failed. They couldn't do it. And the failure on the part of Jesus' men had undermined his faith even more. This is where the man in Jesus' men had made a mistake. The man had put too much faith in Jesus' men and the men put too much faith in themselves. You see in the past they had been empowered by Jesus to cast out demons and they had. But this time they failed and now they need to learn a lesson. And the lesson is simple. Don't rely on past success. You need to be on the alert and prepared at all times. So Jesus had to give both the man and the apostles a lesson in faith. To the man Jesus pointed out that all things are possible to him who believes. But to the men Jesus pointed out that small faith in a great God can move mountains. So at this point Jesus leaves the northern border area and he begins to travel down south. Now he's doing this again. He wants to minister to his disciples without interruption. He had just given his men a lesson on faith. Now he has to give them a second, a lesson on humility. Now I'm going to talk about humility for a moment. Kind of lay a foundation. Humility is not necessarily a virtue that is valued by modern society. As a matter of fact we don't honor humility. We actually as a society honor arrogance and pride. And we know that perhaps it just takes one or two illustrations to point that out. Somebody scores a touchdown and what's he do with the ball? Does he hand it to the reference say thank you very much and walk? No, he does a dance, he slams a ball in the crowd, cheers. We are very much into rewarding pride and arrogance. We really are. Humility is just not a virtue that people request or even regard. In a world that values pride and personal greatness, humility is considered weakness. Now this attitude of humility, this appeal to pride began actually in the garden. We see it in the garden where Satan told Eve that she could eat up the forbidden fruit because when she did so she would be like God knowing good and evil. And also we see this appeal to people to move in a direction that can amount to in your own mind greatness from really the beginning. And I was looking at this and I wanted to see how was humility regarded in ancient culture. And one writer said this, he said in ancient Greece humility was unknown. Even in Greece perhaps the most ethically aware of all ancient cultures, humility played no part in the good life. So humility was regarded as weakness, it was not regarded as a virtue. 18th century philosopher David Hume wrote, humility neither advances a man's fortune in the world nor renders him a more valuable member of society. Neither does it qualify him for the entertainment of company nor increases his power of self-enjoyment. So humility may not be valued by fallen man but it is foundational in the kingdom of God. And that's because humility rises from a willingness to see yourself as you really are. It's simply an accurate understanding who we are at our place in the world and for believers. It begins when we understand who we are and what God has done for us. This knowledge of who we are leads us to treat others with kindness and grace. Because when you realize what you are and what you've been, how can you not treat somebody with kindness? How can you not treat them with grace? And that's especially true when we're seeking to minister to someone who has failed. A fellow believer, humility is a proper understanding of self and that's truly necessary. In Galatians chapter 6 verse 1 says, brethren if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. So a truly humble person is aware of who they themselves are and that helps you to value other people. In Philippians chapter 2 verse 3 Paul said, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit rather in humility value others above yourselves. So as we see in a moment the apostles battled with pride so they needed to learn the lesson of humility. Verse 30 tells us that they departed from there and passed through Galilee and he did not want anyone to know it. Now when you read your Bibles and as we've been reading through Mark, but you can see this in the other Gospels, we see that Jesus ministered in this region for some time. He ministered there often but now he's developing his men and so he's wanting to focus his attention on the things that they need to know. He's going to continue doing public ministry but he's concentrating more intently on them because he's going to depart from them soon and they have much to learn and that especially relates to something he wants to teach them. They especially must learn lessons that will form their character and so he's about to teach them something about humility. Verse 31 says, he taught his disciples and said to them, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him and after he is killed he will rise the third day. Now that's something that he has been emphasizing recently when he was up there in Caesarea Philippi as we saw before he had ministered there and he had told him he was going to be betrayed and he had spoken to them concerning these things and at that time the Apostle Peter, well that just didn't sit well with him and that's why he said, Far be this thing from you that it should happen to you and that's when the Lord Jesus had to rebuke him and let him know, no this is the foundation, this is why I have come. So he's already begun sharing with them concerning those things. In chapter 9 here at verse 12 he had said the Son of Man must suffer many things and be treated with contempt so he's beginning to share with them in layers that things concerning him and how he's going to be treated. You see this is what they need to have reinforced in their understanding and this is something that's new to them. He has to reinforce in their understanding that the Messiah is going to be a suffering servant. He has to reinforce in them that the Messiah is one who's going to die and that's something that was very new to them. They did not understand that the Messiah was to be sacrificed. You see this wasn't something they'd been taught. This isn't something that the rabbis had had taught them about Messiah at all so it bothered him. In 1 Corinthians 123 Paul said it like this. He said we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, a stumbling block to Jews. You see the general expectation concerning Messiah during the time of Jesus was simple. Before Messiah came there'd be a time of terrible trouble and tribulation. Before Messiah arrived there would be a forerunner, Elijah. And after these two events Messiah would arrive and he would establish his kingdom. The thought of a suffering servant dying for them on a cross was foreign and because of this Jesus had to clearly emphasize that he was going to die. And so he had to emphasize that with them. You see in Luke 9.44 he said let these words sink down into your ears. The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. Let this sink down. You've got to receive this. It has to go deep within you. And so with that in mind he's preparing them for his betrayal and his death. What he has to say is of utmost importance and he greatly desires them to understand it. The thought of him being betrayed and dying is something they don't want to hear. So as we've seen some of the things that he was teaching them would be understood later. His suffering and his death was something they needed to understand at that time. So he begins to remind them. He reminds them of his upcoming death. He reminds them of what was going to happen. And in doing so he shares three basic things with them. Notice this in verse 31. First he says the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. He's going to be betrayed. That is mind-boggling to them. They couldn't believe that he would be betrayed and they had no idea who it would be who was going to do that. They didn't know. I mean how would you even believe that somebody would actually betray him that word betray means to give up treacherously. It means to abandon. He's saying I'm going to be betrayed into the hands of men. I'm going to be handed over for judgment and even punishment. And he knew it was Judas who's going to do it. Now Judas is an interesting character. We'll see him more often as we go through the gospel and all. But when you look at Judas out of all of the men he was very trusted. How do we know that? He was the treasurer. He held the money bag. You don't give to someone. You don't trust your funds. You just don't do that. Jesus gave to him the authority to handle the money bag. And so he was the treasurer. And when Jesus even at the table says one of you will be betraying me the men began to ask is it I? Is it I? Is it I? They didn't even consider that it could be somebody else. They said is it me? Is it my heart? Am I going to do that? And even Judas himself said is it I? They didn't suspect Judas at all. They didn't suspect him. So when Jesus says he will be betrayed that's something hard for them to get hold of. But Judas was going to be the one who did it. Jesus knew it. In John 13 verses 18 and 19 I speak not of you all. I know whom I have chosen but that the scripture may be fulfilled. He that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it comes that when it does come to pass you may believe that I am he. He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. He was speaking of Judas. So he is going to be betrayed. He's going to be given up treacherously and abandoned. Second they will kill him. Now it's been struggled with the thought of this that Jesus would be put to death by the Romans the Jews. But this was something they would later see was necessary for their salvation. Paul later on in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 3 writes Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And then he said he will rise the third day. This was something else that they did not understand yet the centrality of his resurrection. You see after he was resurrected they would come to see what he meant. His resurrection is the center of our faith and the heart of our message. See we preach a gospel that includes Jesus Christ dying on the cross. But that gospel in order to be good news includes the fact that he died but rose from the dead on the third day. And so Jesus Christ taught that. He taught his men to know that. And if Jesus died and remained in the grave then all of his teachings that he gave up to that point are useless. In 1 Corinthians 15 verses 14 through 17 Paul said it like this. He said if Christ has not been raised our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that we are then found to be false witnesses about God for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised for if the dead are not raised then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised your faith is futile. You are still in your sins. We preach the gospel. Jesus Christ crucified but that he rose the third day from the dead. That's what we teach. That's what we believe. He said we if this is not so later in 1 Corinthians 15 he would say we have of all men are most miserable because the life that we're living is one of many times persecution and suffering. And we're going through all of this for what? For a man who lied. C.S. Lewis said it very well. He said either Jesus Christ is the Lord or he's a liar or a lunatic. If he's a lunatic he's going to be saying oh yeah I'm going to be raised from the dead you need to believe in me I'm going to come back with my angels and we're going to wipe out the earth and all of that. Only a lunatic would say that if it's not true. A liar well how can you call Jesus Christ a prophet or a good man or a good teacher if he's lying to you because good teachers and good men are not liars. So either he is the lunatic or he's a liar or he's the Lord. Those are your three choices and we as Christians we believe that he actually was raised from the dead on the third day and that's what he's teaching his men but his men are not expecting that to take place. They don't understand it says in verse 32 and they're afraid to ask him. They're not ready for what he has to say and they're hesitating and asking a question. Now Matthew and Luke give us greater insight into why they didn't understand. In Matthew chapter 17 verse 23 it says the disciples were filled with grief. In Luke 9 45 it says they didn't understand what this meant it was hidden it was concealed from them so they did not grasp it and they were afraid to ask him about it. They have sorrow hesitation to ask a question but the sorrow and grief they have is understandable. He's saying I'm going to die and they love him for them the idea of him dying would cause them to be sad but that sorrow is actually an expression of unbelief. In John 14 28 and 29 he said you heard me say I'm going away and I am coming back to you. If you loved me you would be glad that I'm going to the Father for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens so that when it does happen you will believe and so he prepared them for this monumental thing called a resurrection and so they're at that point they're having difficulty and they're not really wanting to ask him but once again he lays a layer of understanding on them. After that we move into verse 33 then he came to Capernaum and asked and and rather and when he was in the house he asked them what was it you disputed among yourselves on the road. They kept silent for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest and he sat down he called the 12 and slapped them around no he said he sat down called the 12 and said to them if anyone desires to be first he shall be last of all and servant of all then he took a little child and set him in the midst of them and when he had taken him in his arms he said to them whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives me and whoever receives me receives not me but him who sent me. So Jesus is in Capernaum and he's in a house. Now as we've been going through the Gospels we've seen that he goes to this particular place called Capernaum which is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in the north to the little to the west that he administered out of Capernaum and often in several of his men actually lived there or were from around there Peter Andrew James and John and Matthew all lived in the city or near it. At this time Jesus is more than likely once again in the house of Simon Peter and Andrew because he had been there before we saw that in Mark 1.29 what he's doing now is he's instructing them about humility and he's going to do so by asking them a question notice verse 33 what was it you disputed among yourselves on the road what was it you were arguing about now if you look at a map Caesarea Philippi which is the area the region they're coming from is to the north and if they taken a road and they're walking it's about 50 to 60 miles for them to get there during the day of Christ you could walk up to 20 miles in a single day so we're talking about a two and a half day perhaps a three day journey so on this two to three day journey Jesus walking with the men the men had gotten into an argument now they're trying to keep this to themselves but Jesus is well aware of what was going on and it makes me laugh when I was looking at this and preparing this it makes me laugh to think of how we think we can keep things away from the Lord in Psalm 139 verse 4 even before a word is on my tongue behold oh lord you know it all together you're aware but they think they can hide this from him so we asked verse 33 what were you disputing about that word disputing means debating or arguing it speaks about a heated conversation it wasn't a light conversation at all they were getting angry and going at one another but notice in verse 34 they they kept silent for on the road they disputed among themselves who's the greatest now just a short while before they were arguing loudly but now they're strangely silent who's the greatest is the argument that word greatest in the original language speaks of that which is a leader it speaks of that which is larger it speaks of the elder who is the greatest now think about what's going on right now and I want to develop this with you recently Jesus was there in a place called Caesarea Philippi and as we saw Jesus asked the man who do men say that I the son of man am and we see how the apostle Peter said some say that you're John Elijah Jeremiah you're one of the prophets but who do you say that I am you are the Christ the son of the living God blessed are you Simon by join a flesh and blood is not revealed this to you but my father in heaven Simon you have received spiritual revelation how do you think Simon felt when he got that spiritual revelation when he speak into Christ in Christ's commanding him he must have felt that he had somehow arrived in a certain place not only that but Peter James and John had been just recently they were on the mount transfiguration the other nine had been at the foot of the mount they were on the top there with Jesus as he was transfigured before them they saw the glory they they saw Elijah saw Moses they partook in that what do you think they thought about themselves as they're coming down and we were just on the mountain you guys can't even cast out a demon that's kind of what's going on and so now the boys are together and they're walking for two and a half three days and they're saying you know you're important who's to say you're not you are as a matter of fact I personally think you're great not as great as me but you're great keep trying you know do some spiritual calisthenics you'll grow up you'll be like me the attitude we say is that possible why not that's what they were doing they were arguing uh Peter you're not that great oh wait a minute let me ask a question you're man you remember that time I took a walk on water enough said how can you say how can you say that I'm not the greatest how could you possibly say that I walked on water while you sat in a boat let's not talk about it I don't want to embarrass you you all know it that kind of attitude you think the men could be that way why couldn't they why couldn't they and the other other guys James and John yeah well we were up there we actually uh saw Elijah and Moses you guys hear about them I can tell you what they look like but I can't tell you my lips are sealed but anyway who do you think you are says Lebeyes who here knows anything about him Lebeyes you've got three names because he does three different names describing one man who are you who do you think you think that it's not possible of course we know that it is possible why because a human being's in need of a savior just like we are and when they have spiritual experiences it could go to your head to the point where you are more than willing to argue about who is the greatest in the kingdom now we all know that Jesus is but I'm right next to him you know we know that later on James and John's mom who is going to come and ask for them to have positions of honor in the kingdom and it's kind of one of those nepotistic kind of things because James and John are Jesus's cousins so James and John can say yeah yeah Peter it's cool but we're blood blood blood in blood out that's us right we're blood that does take place and so Jesus has to teach him a lesson that people don't really want to learn it's called the lesson of humility these people had had Peter James John even Andrew was part of some of those things they had had special experiences that the others had not shared and that would have given them opportunity to consider themselves the elders and that didn't sit well with the other apostles now it's telling how this comes after Jesus once again spoke of his betrayal and death they should have been discussing that not who's the greatest in the kingdom now why would they be discussing that while their belief was an immediate establishment of the kingdom and since they thought it would happen quickly their ambition not affection had been stirred so in response Jesus does not speak of the nature of greatness he speaks of the road to it so notice in verse 35 he sat down he called the twelve he said to them if anyone desires to be first he shall be last of all and servant of all he begins by referring to the desire to be first now many a Christian and many a pastor has struggled with the desire for preeminence and Jesus speaking of the religious leaders of his day said that they were guilty of desiring preeminence he said that they do all their deeds to be noticed by people in Matthew 23 verse 5 and sadly the need for attention can drive us to even serve expecting to be noticed sometimes those they are leading are willing to give them the attention that they're seeking when you have a minister who serves for attention there will always be people around him who will give them the reward of attention it's one of those things that especially when God uses you in a wonderful way that can go to your head and before you know it you begin to think that it's because of you that these things are happening and you'll always have somebody around you clapping for you cheering for you and telling you that you're the best and if there's anything that we like to hear it's we like to hear things like that it goes to your head and nobody is totally invulnerable to those things you have to die to those things you have to be aware of those things sometimes in ministry ministers will do things to be seen by men i learned this i started learning this before i was saved when i was about 16 maybe 17 we were having a day in our in our PE class we had to we had to go swimming i'm no swimmer so my friends and i were at the shallow end of the pool just kind of stand around talking and i was like i said probably junior or senior at that time and we're just kind of talking amongst ourselves we had to you know stay there the whole gym period so we're visiting and as we're talking i heard a voice and i turned around and on the other end of the pool is the high dive and there's a freshman a 14 year old little boy standing on the edge of the high dive at the board on the board and he was yelling and that's what drew our attention because he was yelling coach look at me i'm gonna jump and as i looked at him there's this little guy just standing on the edge is a little guy 14 years old or so and standing on the edge of the of the board and he's saying look at me coach i'm gonna jump and i'm looking at him and the coach is is not noticing that he's doing that so he keeps yelling he kept yelling coach i'm gonna jump watch me i'm gonna jump and then finally the coach turns and looks at him he says what he's said i'm gonna jump and then he jumps and so i i i'm a 16 17 year old kid and we don't have a whole lot of mercy in our hearts at that age and and i'm thinking and what's with this guy i mean what do you need to be noticed jumping up and i'm jumping up and okay shut up you're not sure where my heart was but later on the lord taught me something i haven't forgotten ever and it's been a long time ago that he began to teach me and that was simply this some some people need attention because they don't get it anywhere else he may not have had a dad in the home he may have been you know ignored there could have been a thousand and one reasons why this little guy needed the attention of someone he thought was important so the lord began to speak to my heart about that and he said you know you have to have kindness to those who who have been without but you also have to be careful because within you is is also the seed of the desire to be noticed for the things that you do so die to that don't boast about yourself don't boast about your accomplishments don't try and impress people just serve me because that's the lesson of humility to give god all the glory and all the credit you see when we begin to exalt with religious leaders and begin to try to treat them like royalty what it does is it exalts in them pride and it extinguishes humility they thought that they were hiding this from Jesus but Jesus was aware of their hearts Luke 947 says that Jesus perceiving the thought of their heart took a little child and said him by him perceiving the thought of their heart he saw it and he needed to give them a lesson on humility he wanted them to know that greatness in his kingdom begins with the heart of service all of us have a desire to be known and i'm not saying that it's wrong for us to have a natural desire to have friends and those who love us and even those who encourage us i just believe that we have to be very careful that we don't do things to be seen by man and rewarded through their attention because Jesus taught us it's wrong he says you don't give to be seen you'll get your reward you don't pray to be seen you'll get your reward you don't fast to be seen you'll get your reward from men do these things in secret god will reward you openly he taught us those things but all of us want people to know who we are and so that's that can be a very destructive thing in the ministry and especially in the heart of a pastor it wasn't that long ago i was invited to to to a local prayer meeting it was a it was a marriage prayer breakfast prayer meeting they had asked me if i would close the meeting in prayer and so i'm sitting there and there's several pastors and and the first pastor jack hybs jack got up and he prayed a beautiful prayer and mary lowa got up and said who who can talk after jack hybs and so you know everybody cheered because of that and all of that and i'm just kind of sitting there and then all these other guys we now have pastor so and so pastor so and so and finally i come up at the end to pray and the guy introducing the people praying looks at me and says i'm sorry i don't know your name so i hit him no and so he you'll remember remember david david david no i i started you know like what are you going to do well do you go up to be known or do you go up to exalt the lord the lord has been teaching me this for so many years and i'm so here i'm really kind of used to it i'm really kind of i am used to it as a matter of fact and you know what it's a good place to be to know that the one who knows your name is jesus christ and it doesn't matter if anybody else does is a good lesson to have it really matters it really does and i say that i say that sincerely in matthew 10 24 and 25 the disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his lord it's enough for the disciple that he be as his master the servant as his lord in luke 22 27 who is greater he who sits at the table or he who serves is it not he who sits at the table yet i am among you as a one who serves greatness in the kingdom of god has a different standard the measure of a man is not how many servants he has but how many men he serves and his men needed to learn to put others and their needs before their own in romans 12 10 it says be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love in honor giving preference to one another the men needed to learn the lesson of humility god opposes the proud in luke 14 7 through 11 he told a parable to those who were invited when he noted how they chose the best places saying to them when you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast do not sit down in the best place less one more honorable than you be invited by him and he who invited you and him come and say to you give place to this man and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place but when you're invited go and sit down in the lowest place so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you friend go up higher then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you for whoever exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted learn the lesson of humility and that's the lesson they need to learn and so how is he going to emphasize this verse 36 he took a little child and set him in the midst of them and when he had taken him in his arms he said to them whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives me and whoever receives me receives not me but him who sent me so this child is not named notice that but commentators have speculated it may have been one of the Apostle Peter's kids now this is a little child notice he uses the phrase little child that speaks of a toddler the word can also be used to describe an infant and when you have a picture of his Jesus tenderly scooping up a small child and holding him in his arms now why would he be a model of humility well a small child has yet to have accomplished anything that would be noteworthy they have no actual power they haven't achieved anything in the world they're small they're weak they're dependent they require constant care and protection at that time they weren't even taught the law until they were 12 years of age the rabbis considered it a waste of time to try and teach them until they were older but Jesus took the child up in his arms and he used the child as an example to his men notice what he says in verse 37 he who receives one of these little children in my name receives me as he's holding him he's teaching his disciples a lesson when we are sent out with the message of the gospel we are representing him to the world the non-believing world can have different reactions to our message as well as to us those who aren't believers can reject the gospel and reject those who are bringing it mark 6 11 says whoever will not receive you nor hear you when you depart from there shake up the dust under your feet as a testimony against them assuredly I say to you it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for that city they can reject you even friends and family may reject us because we love the Lord again that's part of the cost of being a disciple in Matthew 10 34 through 36 do not think that I come to bring peace on earth I didn't come to bring peace but a sword for I've come to set a man against his father a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law see ladies and a man's enemies will be those of his own household but there are others who embrace the message of the gospel and in doing so they're embracing not only us but the one who sent us in Matthew 10 40 he who receives you receives me and he who receives me receives him who sent me now Matthew gives us more insight Matthew 18 verse 3 when he says assuredly I say to you unless you are converted and become as little children you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven let's look at that for a minute the key to entering the kingdom of heaven is to humble yourself the word humble again speaks of making yourself low to be converted requires one to be willing to be humbled and become like a little child in James 4 6 God resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble so in what way can I look at a little child and learn spiritual lessons well one little children are very trusting if you make them a promise they will hold you to it because they know that you said they know daddy you said daddy you said yeah yeah I did no daddy you said they know they I've heard how many times have I heard that daddy you said I know I know well they're trusting they they they know that that you said it so you're gonna do it has he said it and shall he not do it if God says you shall be born again when you believe in me and you will enter into the kingdom of heaven has he said it and will he not do it how can I be saved by trusting him and taking him at his word another thing about little children is they believe that in for me as a son to a father that their father can do anything I thought my dad could do anything I remember let me give you an ancient history lesson take a moment when Disneyland opened up here in California I was five years old when it opened up I wanted to go to Disneyland with my brother I didn't care if he went I wanted to go to Disneyland with all my heart and they used to have a program Disney Disneyland program all kinds of things my dad knew it and now we're aware there's such a place as Disneyland well one day my dad says to us kids on Saturday I've got a surprise for you so we didn't know he didn't tell us what it was Saturday came they got us dressed up I remember being put in the car as we're sitting there it's pouring rain poured rain but my dad's gonna do something because he told me and I know it's going to be special because he made a promise and he'll keep his word that's how I thought as a five-year-old we couldn't go to Disneyland we didn't know it was closed we didn't know that's where we're going so instead we went up into the Venice area where my family lived and off we go to Venice and and we pulled into this little hamburger place that used to be there and he bought his hamburgers and we thought man we're living big a hamburger and we've got a surprise and so I still remember showing up in front of my aunt's house climbing out and it started to snow thank you daddy thank you for making it snow I thought my dad made it snow I really did my brother and I were just jumping around picking up daddy made it snow thank you for your surprise daddy it's the greatest my dad never told us I didn't make it snow my dad just my lying father took glory your father can do anything one time my dad told me go get a tool it's in the garage and I climbed over a fence no actually I went down the side and went up the driveway to go in the garage and when I got to the garage my dad was already in the garage and I looked at him and I said how'd you get here how'd you get here I flew my dad told me I flew over the house son I was in a hurry I believed he flew over the house why not because my dad had told me he's Superman and Superman flies made sense to me and so my father could do anything well obviously my daddy couldn't but my father in heaven can and so if he has said it shall he not do it is he not powerful enough to make it come to pass that's how children think babies are also very loving and very dependent they're just the sweetest little things and they just they just care I've had the joy of having my son Joseph and my daughter-in-law Karina live with us um she conceived just prior to moving in so she was pregnant she moved into our house and they had sold their home and they were going to be purchasing another one and and they said can we live with you for a month or two well they're still there and um and my granddaughter is six months old going on seven months so that tells you how long they've been living without paying rent and so so we've had the joy of revisiting small children because my granddaughter Olivia is three and my other grandbaby is six months going on seven months my Nora and so we've had the joy of revisiting babyhood by having them with us and one of the things you know how loving my Olivia is is one of the things as Marie and I will be sitting down on the couch and every night it's a ritual her dad brings her down and brings her to us and he'll say which one's it going to be but before she comes she'll be yelling here come somebody and so I yell out here come somebody here come somebody like the queen is arriving and she'll come in and then she'll look at us and he swings around and he'll say who do you want to kiss first who do you want to kiss first you know do that she always kisses mom grandma and that's why I kicked Marie out of the house for a few days she always kisses grab me first and then she kisses pop but it's our ritual and and and it's become very beautiful for us it's been a sweet time to have that and and my Nora whenever she sees us she kicks her little feet and smiles they're so loving and and there's we're supposed to be too aren't we how can what are we to be as as Christians they shall know you're my my disciples if you have love love for one another love is the birthmark of the believer what are you to be like we're to be loving they're also very simple they don't require long answers they don't a little boy says to his daddy daddy where do I come from and daddy's driving in mama's city next and she looks at him she says you got to answer that one I'm not going to where did I come from well son um kids only eight years old how do I explain you know when you like women and you get married and and you kiss them and you hold them sometimes why do you want to know you know he says I don't know he says you know my friend comes from Ontario and I was just wondering where I come from you know they require they require innocent responses they don't need long answers and they are also very dependent they rely completely on their caretaker is that not what we're supposed to do and then finally this is something I've discovered perhaps it may be just unique to my experience they never resist a gift they don't resist gifts as a matter of fact they expect more but they never respect they never reject one I've never seen them reject it oh no father please give that to my brother no they don't do that they take it and is there anything else God is offering us a gift God is offering us a gift be like a little child don't reject it he's offering it to you little children don't reject a gift and finally we're to be trusting him because Jesus is holding a toddler as he's given the teaching and we're to be as trusting of him as this little child is resting in his arms Deuteronomy 30 verse 20 love the Lord your God obey his voice cling to him for he is your life and the length of your days cling to him hold fast to him while he is your life he is our life and he prolongs our days ultimately as we enter into eternity with him so the humble the peaceful and dependent relationship keeps us secure as we serve him have faith but also have humility father we ask that you would work with him