A Child of the King! Part 1

by John Lowe
(Laurens SC, USA)

A Child of the King
July 24, 2006
"The Kingdom of Heaven"

Lesson: "A Child of the King!
"
Matthew 19:13-15 (NKJV)
Children are very trusting, and Jesus said that that was a quality that the citizens of heaven will have.
He loved children, because they believed what He said, and they weren’t all wrapped up in the cares of the world.
For the most part, they were innocent and happy.
In the 19th Chapter of Matthew, there’s an incident recorded that we’re all familiar with, and it shows the Lord’s special love for children.

13 Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

For five weeks now we have been discussing a wonderful place called the Kingdom of God.
But, as we have discovered, the Kingdom is not a place as much as it is a lifestyle, a mindset, and a way of living.
Being a citizen of the Kingdom of God is the most important decision that one will ever make in one's life.
As citizens of the Kingdom of God we are called to:
• Embody His name.
We have taken His name—we call ourselves Christians—and that carries with it a responsibility.
We shouldn’t ever do anything that would hurt our testimony or damage the Lord’s good name.
• Embrace His mission.
God's Mission is the same today as it was in the Old Testament—To redeem a lost humanity to Himself and to allow His people to participate in that mission.
• Obey His Word.
If Israel was to enjoy the blessing of the Promised Land, obedience must pave the way.
Exodus 19:5 says, "Now IF you obey me fully and IF you keep my covenant..."
Jesus’ reemphasized these words for us when He stated, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27)
Obedience to the word and will of God through Christ is essential for Kingdom Living.
So, remember that as citizens of the kingdom of God we are to Embody His name, Embrace His mission, and Obey His Word.
However, we not only find ourselves being citizens of the Kingdom of God, we also discover that we have another identity—WE ARE CALLED TO BE A CHILD OF THE KING!
It’s one thing to be a citizen, but it’s an entirely different thing to be a child.
Being a child means that I have a greater obligation to carry out the three characteristics that we mentioned.
Why is that?
It’s because we are members of the family, and here’s something great: The Bible declares that we are joint heirs with Jesus.
We will even share His glory.
Have you ever thought about what it means to be a child or what it would be like to be child-like in our thinking or in our relationship with our heavenly Father?
When we think of being a child we often think of being immature, selfish, mischievous, or spoiled.
But our relationship with God as Father and us as a child is very different from an earthly relationship.
Think of children for a moment.
There are many characteristics that our children display with us that correspond to our relationship with our heavenly Father.
One of those characteristics is trust.
In Proverbs, we are told to, “Trust In the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."(Proverbs 3:5)
There is a lot of wisdom in the Proverbs, and this verse is no exception.
What Solomon is saying here is that we must make a full commitment of ourselves—spirit, soul, and body—to the LORD.
We must trust Him not only for the salvation of our souls but also for the direction of our lives.
It must be a commitment without limitations.
There is another child-like characteristic that we should have, and that’s obedience.
Luke said of Jesus, "Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” Luke 2:51
The humility of Jesus is seen in the words “He ... was obedient to them.”
Although He was the Creator of the universe, He took His place as an obedient Child in this humble Jewish family.
If we too want to be obedient children, the Bible tells us not to do something.
We are told in 1 Peter, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” 1 Peter 1:14
Peter has something very important to say here.
It’s that obedient children should not be involved in the same sins that characterized their former life.
Now that they are Christians, they should pattern their life after the One whose name they bear.
But if they choose to conform to the ungodly world, they are denying their heavenly character.
The things they did in the days when they lacked spiritual knowledge should be put away, now that they have been illuminated by the Holy Spirit.
We are told in Romans, "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on Cod's mercy." Romans 9:16
Here, Paul is saying that it doesn’t make any difference how hard you try or how much you want it, salvation only comes to us, because God wants to show us mercy.
Being a child of the King means that the King is my Father.
And because I am a child of the Father:
My Father provides for my every need.
When Paul wrote, "But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus," that’s what he is talking about.
This promise follows the gift that the Philippian church gave to Paul to take care of his needs.
In other words, because they had given of their material resources to Paul, even to the point where their own standard of living was endangered, God would supply their every need.
I’ve heard it said that God supplies the needs of His people—not out of His riches, but according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
If a millionaire gave a dime to a child, he would be giving out of his riches.
But if he gave a hundred thousand dollars to some worthy cause, he would be giving according to his riches.
God’s supply is according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, and nothing could be richer than that!
You may want to think of verse 19 as a bank note drawn upon the bank of faith:
My God—is the name of the Banker.
Shall supply—that’s the promise to pay.
All your need—describes the value of the note.
According to His riches—that’s the capital that the bank has.
In glory—is the address of the bank.
By Christ Jesus—is the signature at the foot of the note, without which the note is worthless.
It’s only because you are in Christ Jesus, the giver and Mediator of all spiritual blessings that God says, “I will supply all your needs.”
But, he doesn’t stop there, because—
My Father also gives me unconditional love.
The prophet Jeremiah wrote this: "The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3)

There are those who will ask the question, “How can God love these people?”
The prophet was speaking to the Jewish people with the same message he brought them before.
It’s a good question, but let’s widen it out just a little and ask, “How can God love us today?”
He has said, “God so loved the world…”
Not only does God love Israel; He loves the world, and He loves you and me.
And He said that He loves us with an everlasting love.
In light of His love for us, we should love others, and we shouldn’t ask, “How can God love them?”
My friends, how can God love me?
How can God love you?
We should be amazed that God loves any of us.