Sunday, October 16, 2011
*Below you will find the testimony of Joe Saladin, as well as some thoughts I shared at the end of the service on “The Blessing of Childlikeness.”
Baptism: Joe Saladin
&
The Blessing of Childlikeness
Joe’s Testimony…
Some of you may have heard parts of this story but I would like to fill in the blanks. Many years ago I was resigned to the fact that if there was a God, that he was no longer speaking to or cared about His creation. I slowly drifted away from belief and became numb to all things spiritual, but God works according to His plans and His ways. Fortunately for me, even though I had given up on Him, He had not given up on me. Has anyone ever experienced something that for whatever reason just seemed to work out or the pieces just seem to fall into place even though they never should have? I honestly believe now that there are no coincidences and all things have a purpose.
Without even knowing at the time it was inevitable that our family would come to this place. I can look back now and see the hand of God pushing me along, guiding me to a place He knew where I needed to be. My assignment here was no accident, and the place we chose to live wasn’t a coincidence either. For example, even though I cannot explain it, I knew that coming to her to La Luz,
On the way there I began singing a song in my head, I could not hear the singing from inside the church yet, but for some reason I had this song in my head. When I got to the parking lot I could hear the faint singing from inside, and to my amazement, it sounded like the same song I was humming in my head. Still doubting what I was hearing (more shocked than doubt) I opened the door and sure enough the entire congregation was singing… Holy, Holy, Holy, LORD God Almighty! I knew right then that this was more than mere coincidence. Well, it has been 2 years give or take since that day and I can say that it has not been a perfect trip. There have been many bumps, hills, valleys and pitfalls, but the LORD is patient.
I have struggled a long time with doubts, fears, a lack of faith, just to name a few of my shortcomings, but God is good. I have prayed and searched through scripture, sometimes taking two steps forward and three more back, but along the way I have found that if you continue to ask, seek and knock the door will be opened, just as Jesus stated in Luke chapter 11 vs. 9-10:
. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”
This body of believers has done so much for me. You have prayed for me and have patiently waited for me to see the light. God gave me the desire to read the scriptures and this was key to the change He has worked in me. The Holy Spirit now dwells in me, he revived my dead heart and renewed my soul. Reading His word daily is important and we must all strive to be in it as much as possible. I still have a lot to learn and even more to understand, but I know for certain that God is my redeemer, he sent his Son to die in my place that I may have eternal life with Him. I understand now that there is nothing that I have done or could ever do to earn this, and it is through God’s Grace alone that I am saved, all you have to do is believe in Christ. I stand in front of you now to declare that I believe, and have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It states in John chapter 3 vs 16:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Now the difficult part (at least for me, for now), sharing the good news of God’s salvation with others. It is going to be a big change for me but with God all things are possible. After all isn’t it our job to go out and make disciples of all nations? It never ceases to amaze me on how often the things I am concerned about our convicted of get brought up in a sermon, or a conversation. Take for example
This isn’t the end of the story though, it is just the beginning. With your help and God’s I will continue to grow in my understanding, mature in my faith, and strive to live a more Christ like life. This new way of living will be an example to others. Jesus said we are salt and light, an example to others that will ultimately lead them to Him. As he stated in Matthew chapter 5 vs 13-16:
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Praise Be to God! I know my Redeemer Lives!
The Blessings of Childlikeness
Do you remember when you were baptized, when you first began to trust Jesus and to walk with Him? Do you remember the joy of being a new creation, the peace of being forgiven and cleansed? Do you remember? It was like being a child with a loving Father.
What happens to us over the months and the years? Much of what happens is due to the truth of I Peter 5:8, which tells us that we have an enemy, an adversary, one who is constantly against us. As a roaring lion, Satan walks about, seeking whom he may devour. One of the ways he devours us is by stealing our childlikeness.
Think about the innocence of a child. I am not saying that children are sinless, but we all have to admit that there is a certain innocence about children who are raised in a good home. They haven’t seen the ugliness of the world we live in. They don’t know any better than to think that everyone is as loving as Mom and Dad. We fear for their safety -- both physically and spiritually -- but they don’t know there is anything to fear. No wonder they are so cheerful, as they go about life.
We know from the truth of God’s Word that when we were saved, we became children of God. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power [authority, right, privilege] to become sons [children] of God” (John 1:12). Now let me ask you a simple question: Do you still feel like a child?
The truth is that preserving spiritual childhood is not an easy task. This is where we find our enemy hard at work. Let’s take a minute to read Mark 10:13-16…
And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have Jesus take you up in His arms today and bless you? Isn’t that exactly what He wants to do. I’m not talking about some mystical, new age experience. I am talking about simply recognizing that we are the children of God, loved by the Father and by His Son. Let me mention a few of the ways Satan tends to steal our childlikeness…
1. You find yourself falling to some habitual sin. It doesn’t matter whether it is lust or envy or some bad habit. Because of the presence of this sin, you feel dirty and unworthy.
2. Or perhaps you have experienced deep and repeated hurt, inflicted by the people around you. Unlike a child, you conclude that the safest way to live life is to keep your defenses up at all times.
3. Maybe it is your repeated failures. You begin to feel like it’s no use; you will never be able to please a holy and righteous God. You feel like you have tried and failed, and there is no use to try any more.
4. Or maybe you have just seen too much. You have concluded that it is foolish to talk about childlikeness in a messed up world like this.
Is there any hope for us when we feel soiled because of the sin around us and by the sin in our own lives, when it seems that a sense of childlikeness is in the distant past? Our hope is in the One to whom we come and say, “Our Father, which art in heaven.” Yes, He is in heaven, but that isn’t the end of the story. “Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth!” (Ps. 113:5-6). When we have been justified through faith in Christ, we who were the enemies of God on high become the beloved children of a loving heavenly Father.
Let’s read Rom. 8:15-17, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Wow! We who have been redeemd by the blood of the Lamb have been adopted into the God’s family. We are His children, regardless of how old we are. And we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The closest English concept we have is that of “Daddy.” Again in Gal. 4:6, "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." God knows our weakness. He understands how we tend to lose the sense of being His dear little children. So He puts within us the Spirit of His Son, who helps us to cry out, “Abba, Father.”
There is only one other place in the Bible where we find the word “Abba.” Do you know where it is? It is on the lips of our Lord Jesus. Do you know when Jesus cried out, “Abba, Father”? Let’s read it from Mark 14:36, "And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." It was when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, facing the reality that He was going to be hung on the cross. Talk about seeing too much! Nevertheless, Jesus could rest in the arms of His Father. Like a little child, He cried out to His faithful and loving Father. No wonder the Father sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts to cry “Abba, Father.” Jesus faced the temptation to be cynical and defensive in a messed-up world.
Please don’t misunderstand. I am not saying that we need to go back to being childlike. No, we need to move forward to childlikeness. If we try to go back, we will inevitably look for a sentimental feeling that is based on the way things are around us. That is not reality. I am suggesting that we move forward into childlikeness.
Please think with me about Peter. Here was a man who had a certain childlikeness about him. While we may say that he put his foot in his mouth quite often, we would also have to admit that he wasn’t cynical and soured on life. Until that day when he denied Jesus three times. Can you imagine what that did to Peter. No wonder he went out and wept bitterly. We are not given the details, because we don’t need them; we know how Peter felt. If you have ever failed the Lord miserably, you understand how Peter felt. So how did Jesus deal with Peter? Let’s read it in John 21:15-19…
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep. 18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." 19This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
Jesus did not look backward. He did not try to get Peter to return to the past. Nor does the Lord want to return us to the past. We will not regain our childlikeness by trying to recover a past feeling or experience. We can be childlike with our eyes wide open to the wicked world in which we live, realizing that we have failed our Lord. Jesus dealt gently but firmly with Peter. Jesus urged Peter to tend those who belonged to Him. He entrusted Peter with a very important task. Nor did Jesus give something easily accomplished. Jesus basically told Peter that obedience would cost him his life.
Now move forward about a month to the day of Pentecost. Jesus has now ascended to heaven, but on this day He sent His Spirit. Bear in mind that this is the same Holy Spirit, whom the Father has sent forth into our hearts to cry, “Abba, Father.” Influenced by this Holy Spirit, Peter and the other believes began to speak about the wonderful works of God. The people were amazed because they were able to tell them about the wonders of God in various languages. Had it not been for the restoring work of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit, Peter might have said, “I’m not going to say anything. I have learned to keep my mouth shut. The last time I told the Lord I would do something, I failed miserably. I’m not going there again.” That’s not what happened. Trusting God as His heavenly Father, he stepped up and began to tell those people about what Jesus had done, especially how God had made the Jesus they crucified by Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). On the surface, it would seem that Peter was a fool. Didn’t he know that the people who crucified His Master would not be kind to the man who accused them of killing their Messiah? No, he wasn’t a fool. He was a child who trusted his Father completely.
Have you read I John lately. It is not exactly what you would call a letter for a little child. John speaks bluntly, does he not. He says things like, “He who commits sin is of the devil” (I John 3:8). And, “Love not the world, nor the things in the world” (I John 2:15). Nevertheless, he addresses his readers as “little children” no less than nine times. He learned it from Jesus, who said, "Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you" (John 13:33).
Some of you here this morning have not yet become God’s children. Because that is true, you carry a heavy burden, the weight of your own sin. Childlikeness isn’t even in your vocabulary. Please listen to the invitation of Jesus in Matt. 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Notice how tenderly Jesus speaks. Won’t you come and rest in Him who gave His life for you. Repent and believe the good news. Won’t you despise your sin? Will you not be ashamed of rebelling against Him who created you and sent His Son to redeem you? Then throw yourself on Jesus, the Jesus who took your place on the cross and received your punishment for sin.
Let’s conclude with a simple little verse. I asked Joe to memorize this verse. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). This is a verse about childlikeness. The Lord doesn’t offer to take us back to the place where we had not sinned against Him. Rather, He promises to forgive us, that is, to send our sins away from us, and to cleanse us. Though we have sinned, we can be clean again. In humility and childlikeness we can look up to Him and cry, “Abba, Father.”
If you have been trying to bear burdens that you were never intended to bear, won’t you look up to your loving heavenly Father this morning? Would you come to Him as a child and ask His forgiveness, knowing that He died that you might be able to rest in Him, regardless of how you have failed Him, of how you have been hurt, of the ugliness you have seen in this world?
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