Become Like A ChildNip It In The Bud

Matthew 18:1 MSG At about the same time, the disciples came to

Jesus asking, "Who gets the highest rank in God's kingdom?"

2 For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the

middle of the room,

3 and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in.

4 Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child,

will rank high in God's kingdom. 5 What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my

account, it's the same as receiving me.

Humility, I think that's what it boils down to. Throwing off any sense of accomplishment or ranking and simply turning to Jesus. Can we also consider being born again in relationship to what he says here about start over like children?

We’ve studied in the past the command to be born again. Today can we talk about the problems that are present

after we are born again? God's Word states out right He hates a proud heart.

We read in God's Word Moses was the most humble man ever. Look at

his accomplishments and his relationship with God.

Numbers 12:1 CEV Although Moses was the most humble

person in all the world, Miriam and Aaron started complaining,

"Moses had no right to marry that woman from Ethiopia! Who does

he think he is?

The LORD has spoken to us, not just to him." The LORD heard their complaint 2 (SEE 12:1)

3 (SEE 12:1) 4 and told Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to come to the entrance of the

sacred tent.

There are terrible consequences for harming or misleading one of these humble, meek, child-like people.

Matthew 18:6 MSG “But if you give them a hard time, bullying or

taking advantage of their simple trust, you'll soon wish you hadn't.

You'd be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck. 7 Doom to the

world for giving these God-believing children a hard time!

Hard times are inevitable, but you don't have to make it worse—and it's doomsday to you if you do.

I think he shifts gears a little here to show us how to protect ourselves from falling into this, or any sin.

Matthew 18:8 MSG ”If your hand or your foot gets in the way of God,

chop it off and throw it away.

You're better off maimed or lame and alive than the proud owners of two hands and two feet, godless in a furnace of

eternal fire. 9 And if your eye distracts you from God, pull it

out and throw it away.

You're better off one-eyed and alive than exercising your twenty-twenty vision from inside the fire of hell. 10 ”Watch that you don't treat a

single one of these childlike believers arrogantly. You realize,

don't you, that their personal angels are constantly in touch with

my Father in heaven?

Here is the way I think we should approach what He's teaching here. If there are any activities we enjoy that could put us in a position to be tempted it is much better to miss

enjoying those activities than being led into temptation and fall into sin.

It's simple, but can be quite difficult to do. If the types of books you

like to read are an avenue of temptation, don't read them! If the crowd you run with lends it's self to temptation, find new friends. Do

you have thought patterns that bring about temptation, change

what you think about.

We could go on and on, but you get the idea. It is better to do

without or change what we do, where we go, or what we think than to miss paradise in heaven and end up in the eternal fires

of hell.

Why do we want to "nip in the bud" anything that could be

tempting to us? Because that's where it all starts.

James 1:14 MSG The temptation to give in to evil comes from us

and only us.

We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. 15 Lust gets pregnant,

and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. 16 So, my very dear friends,

don't get thrown off course.

Temptation leads to lust which grows into sin, and sin will kill

us! If we slip up and find temptation staring us in the eye and lust starts to form, do we

have any recourse?

1 Corinthian 10:13 MSG No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never

let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll

always be there to help you come through it.

God has promised He will not leave us without an escape route. It may feel like the temptation, lust, then sin is overwhelming, out of our

control. God will not allow that to happen, we’re only telling

ourselves there’s nothing we can do. What did our savior do when

he was tempted?

Matthew 4:1 MSG Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. 2 Jesus

prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty

nights.

That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: "Since you are

God's Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into

loaves of bread."

4 Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more

than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words

from God's mouth."

5 For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, 6 “Since you are

God's Son, jump."

The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: "He has placed you in the care of

angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub

your toe on a stone."

7 Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: "Don't you dare test the Lord your God." 8 For the third

test, the Devil took him on the peak of a huge mountain.

He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth's kingdoms, how glorious they all were. 9 Then he said, "They're yours--lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they're

yours."

10 Jesus’ refusal was curt: "Beat it, Satan!" He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute

single-heartedness."

11 The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of

Jesus' needs. Each time He was tempted he

came back with the word of God.

The Devil could not stand up against God’s Word, neither the written word or Jesus who John calls the Word. When he had

been repelled by the Holy, Steadfast, True Word of God

he could do nothing but leave.

It’s not easy to back the Devil down, but using God’s word and Strength Jesus gives us and the escape route that is provided, we can make the

Devil flee.Okay, temptation has slipped up on

you and before you know it you have sinned. What now?

1 John 1:8 MSG If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling

ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. 9 On the other

hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won't

let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and

purge us of all wrongdoing.

We come to Jesus as a humble child having been born again and making

ourselves servants, just as Jesus became a servant washing the feet

of his apostles. After we have made Jesus our Lord the Devil

plans his attack.

He will come after us in disguise, perhaps looking like a fun activity

we want to get involved in. Or maybe looking like a group of

friends that are fun to be around or maybe he’s lying await someplace

we like to go.

God’s word says we want to give in to evil that is coming from us. Say a weakness we have a passion for is hiding a

temptation and we give into it. That stirs up lust leading us to

sin.

Believers in God beware! The Devil’s out to get’cha. He’s not going to be holding a big sign says, “Sin Over Here!!” He’s going to have a smile on

his face and pat you on the back.

Overcome him by asking God’s guidance for “nipping in the bud” the areas of your live

where he might be residing.