Blessed From Above

Around the world, today, at the United Church of God, most, if not all, congregations will be celebrating the blessing of the little children. This is a tradition that goes back many, many years, started in the church by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, at least in part from the example of Jesus Christ. Matthew 19, when Jesus was talking to His disciples, I'll just read Matthew 19, beginning in verse 13. Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.

That's the ones who brought the children, the ones that brought the children rebuked.

But Jesus said, Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Originally, the blessing of the little children was performed during the Feast of Tabernacles. I remember those days. But at one time there were so many children that an administrative decision was made to have the blessing of the children performed the second Sabbath after the Feast of Tabernacles, because there were many families who would not be able to be home by that time, the first Sabbath. Now, the blessing of the little children is not a commanded thing to do. It's a tradition, going by the example of Jesus Christ.

Our children are a blessing from God. They can bring joy, and they can bring heartache and headaches at times, as Genesis 4 shows us through the example of Cain and Abel (or “honor or dishonor” by the examples of Cain and Abel)—King David, Solomon, and Jesus Christ, the perfect Son, who honored His Father even in obedience to the death on the cross. I've been dealing with a few allergies, so excuse my voice.

By the blessing of children, like the ancients of old, we desire the best for our children. We ask for their protection, for good health, for success, for their relationship with God and with others. God's Word gives us instructions for our relationship with Him and with one another through the Ten Commandments. The first four outline how our relationship should be with God, and the last six are our relationship with one another. And this starts with the children in the Fifth Commandment.

I want to appreciate Mr. Irvin and his hymns today. Just glancing through our hymnal, I found it's full of references to children and parents. "God Is Calling Children," "Suffer the Children," which we just did, "Men and Children Everywhere," "Be at Rest, Child of God," "For Even From My Youth, O God," "Hearts of the Fathers," "How Shall the Young Direct Their Ways?" "Our Thanks, O God, for Parents." These are awesome songs. I think each one of them could be a sermon in itself. I'm sure that if we took the time to go through them word by word, we would find even more references to children.

My objective, today, is to give a brief overview of these responsibilities. Exodus 20, verse 12, and Deuteronomy 5, verse 16, is the Fifth Commandment. Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. But we, as parents, are certainly not off the hook. We have a very important responsibility to fulfill in that relationship.

If you turn with me to Deuteronomy 6, beginning in verse 6. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. It should always be a constant reminder to us that we have a responsibility to our children.

Proverbs 22, I'll just read this, verse 6, which I'll refer to a little more later. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

This does not mean to beat them into submission. It is more of an admonition to parents and children.

We find in Colossians 3, verses 20 and 21, Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. And here, Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. I remember I was discouraged as a child, not because of being disciplined, but because I was just not encouraged in the church. I'll address it a little bit later.

Having four children of my own, I found out early on that we had four different personalities. How many of you have different personalities in your families? I mean, every one of them. If you're a parent or were ever a teenager, you know what I mean. When it came to discipline, which we didn't have to administer very often, there was a good kid, you know? Our oldest daughter would rather be spanked and get it over with than be grounded. She hated being grounded. Our oldest son, sometimes, was just the opposite. He needed tough love, which was tougher on us as parents than it was on him. Our youngest daughter was one of these, where all you had to do was just look at her, and she melted. She knew she had been caught. Then the youngest one, something happened there with him. He was the least to be disciplined. Why? He learned from his siblings what to do and what not to do. But all in all, they turned out pretty well. I'm pretty proud of them.

For a better understanding of our relationship with one another in God, you can get a copy of The Ten Commandments or Marriage and Family: The Missing Dimension.

We live in what is sometimes a very cold and cruel world, but there are better times coming. Malachi 4, let's turn there. I like Malachi 4. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

I look forward to that day. And please turn with me, if you will, to Zechariah 8. I'm going to read verses 3 through 8. Thus says the Lord, verse 3, I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, the Mountain of the Lord of Hosts, the Holy Mountain. Thus says the Lord of Hosts, Old men

I like this part,

old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age.

I'm getting there.

The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.

You don't see that now.

Thus says the Lord of Hosts, If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes? says the Lord of Hosts. Thus says the Lord of Hosts, Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people, and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.

I find this encouraging because I had a difficult relationship growing up. I stopped attending church at the age of 17. God was merciful to me enough to call me back again in my mid-30s, to love and to understand His ways. Let us never forsake that relationship with our God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Seeing as we have just observed the Feast of Tabernacles, representing that Millennial rule of Jesus Christ, and it is not here yet, we still have a commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God in all the world and make disciples of all nations.

I want to leave you with these last few words from Jesus Christ for edification. I will just read it. It is in Mark 10, if you want to turn there. We will begin in verse 13, similar to what we had in Matthew 19. Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 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. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Have a blessed day.