SPEAKER_00 0:03

When Jesus walked this earth, he said, Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven. Are we aligned with Jesus' heart and actions towards children? This Sunday we celebrate Children's Day with a special guest speaker, Mr. David Leon.

SPEAKER_03 0:24

My second Pastor Richard, I was uh a bit worried that he started to list all the countries that I've been to by God's grace, and then I'll have shorter time to preach. But indeed, it's so good. I want to greet the church. Good morning, especially the children. Can you uh don't be distracted by your gift? I know you're excited, yeah, yeah. But uh let's be focused because this is for you today. Of course, the gift is for you, nobody's gonna take that away from you. And if anybody wants to take that away from you, you say, no, it's mine, not yours. So I think the last time I preached here in YCCA was in 2017. How many of you were here or at by then? You were here already, and hopefully you can remember me, but I can't remember you. But it's okay, as long as we remember the Lord, and the Lord remembers us. Amen. So, indeed, it's my tremendous privilege and honor to bring God's word to you on this very special day, and uh, I do have many friends whom I know or have known in the past, and some of them are my students, and uh I'm so sorry that I actually forgot their names sometimes. You know, when your hair is getting whiter, then uh you tend to also white out some names in your memory, or your names in your memory bank are wiped out or wiped out. Right, so here we have um the passage that was read to us by uh Michael, the archangel. Yes, ah, all right, Caleb. I'm gonna need your help after this. Good. I've seen him since he was a well long time ago, yes. So, what is once again I want to say happy children's day to all the children who are 12 and below, and those who have a child inside you. Do you have a child inside you? So please look at the person next to you, on your right, on your left, behind you, and say it with eyes of love, I can see a child inside you. Ready? Go. I can see a child inside you. Yes, praise the Lord. So the seventh topic that I have given to Pastor Daniel is when we welcome children. Can we all say that one to go? When we welcome children. I wonder if you have welcomed the children just other than clapping for them when they came up to sing, but what about those who didn't come out to sing? Have they been received? Have they been welcomed? And so I pray that at the end of today's sermon and after the service, besides the lemon squeeze that you give to your own children, you can ask other children, that means children of other parents, can I also hug your child? But be appropriate, please. Why do we welcome children? Because they're so cute, is it? Or is it that they're so cool? Or maybe they are so clever. They uh can use the laptop already when they're about two to three years old. They can swipe here and there, and they can select their own uh cartoons or video clips, and some of them know how to get back. So, some grandparents, or by the way, uh Pastor said, I'm already a grandfather. Hey, praise God, hallelujah! So we've got one grandson, the very first one, and he's coming to 11 months. His name is Jyra, like Jehovah Jyrah, Jyra, the Lord who provides. Well, yes, they can be cute, they can be cool, they can be clever, but let's look at what the Bible says. So today I'm gonna have three things that I would like us to remember, not just in our heads, but in our hearts, and also through our hands. What do we do with the children we have in our midst? And not just in our midst, but beyond the Anglican church, beyond Singapore. I was just telling Pastor Danel, of course, they are my Facebook friend and IG friend. So they know that I was just in Surabaya 1st to 4th of October, and there are so many children out there on the islands, and you're going to Bali for your church camp. So I don't know whether besides going to the mall and going to the beach, maybe, maybe, just a suggestion to your camp committee as you plan. Maybe you can do some missions work to visit some children who are in need in Bali. But let's get back to the first lesson that I would like to share with all of us. Number one, when we welcome children, we welcome, can you read the words in red? One, two, go. The God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The reason is because they are three in one. Now, Matthew 18, verse 5, the first passage in the NIV, the New International Version, and whoever, say the word. In red, can you say the word? This like this, yes, right. Who and whoever? One such child in my name, me. And that's Jesus himself saying. But in Mark's uh account, in Mark 9, 36 to 37, in the New King James Version, it says, Whoever, say the word? One of these little children in my name, me and whoever receives me. Me, uh, not me, but him who sent me. Huh? Wait, wait, wait, wait. Uh, some people call me Uncle David, some people call me Pastor David, some measure, Brother David. Isn't it confusing? Jesus said this. What? Whoever receives me, receives not me. But he just said, receive me. And he said, No, not me, but him who sent me. That's why I have said at the very first lesson, the point, that point one, is that when we receive Jesus, we actually receive the one who sent him, which is God the Father. And because we believe in God three in one, so we also receive the Holy Spirit. Or welcome the Holy Spirit. And so I say this to you, brothers and sisters in Christ at YCCA. Your church should always be so eager and expect God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be present in your midst. Do I hear Amen? And one of the keys to unlock or to invite the presence of God, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, is when you welcome and receive one. How many? Just one. One of these little ones, including the two that actually came up, I think that one was uh Bevelyn, your daughter, right? Yeah. And you don't reject. She needed mommy to help mommy, and it's so mommy gonna carry her and then do the action with all of you. That's so wonderful, that's so precious. Because the word of God says, Jesus himself said in Matthew 18 and as well as Mark 9, when you receive one of these little ones or children, you receive me, but not just me, but him who sent me. And when we welcome Jesus and God the Father, we also welcome the Holy Spirit. Do I hear Amen? And so, right now, uh in the New Living Translation says, anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf, wow, you are welcoming on behalf of Jesus. Because Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. What colors? Red and yellow, black and white, and everyone in between. So I added that. Yes, true because why only red and yellow, black and white? Then what about those who are not within these few colors? But it does mean any color, any skin color you have. Jesus loves the little children of the world. Praise be to God. And so we welcome on behalf of Jesus, one of the little children, and when we do that, we welcome not just Jesus, but also the Father who sent him. So, Caleb, this is where I need your help. As Jesus called the little child to stand in the midst of us, I'm gonna invite you to come and stand next to me, not in the midst of the sanctuary. I need your help. Look at this next slide first before you come up, okay? The next slide tells us uh I want to do the Trinitarian welcome. Trinitarian means the three in one: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. I'm gonna call instead of John here, because at first I didn't uh know that whether to be a John. Is it a John, a child by the name of John here? No, no, yes, no, okay, never mind. So, so okay, Caleb, uh, you be the John, okay? Uh I'll call it Caleb and they say, I'm Uncle David, as you know me. And I say, I welcome you in the name of the Father, and then I'll shake your hands, and you shake my hand, please. And and of the son Jesus, and then we claps our hands together, like you know, brothers, buddy in Christ, because Jesus is not only Savior and Lord, he is also our brother in the in the kingdom and the Holy Spirit. Then we open up our fingers and fly up because the dove is a symbol or one symbol of the Holy Spirit, and then we're gonna do the you know thumb to thumb and say to each other, Jesus loves you. That's number one best good news. That's why it's a thumb. And then after that, we tap each other's hands and say it's a clapping, I love you too. Alright, Caleb? Please welcome Caleb in the name of Jesus. Come on.

unknown 10:51

Woo!

SPEAKER_03 10:59

So okay. Ready? So come now. You're gonna do to the person next to you, and especially those who are in front of the children or behind the children, you do to them, right? So here we go. Caleb? Hi, I'm Uncle David. I welcome you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Jesus loves you. I love you too. Give me a big clap. Yeah, well done. Yeah, all right, good job. Come, so can you please you can do it seated? Do you understand? So the person is you because there's a child in every one of us, we are all children of God, especially those in front, those with your family and the children that are ready? Do it now, do it now. Come on, do not be hearers of the world, but do us also. Yes, yes, so the auntie behind you come, Richard, Richard, Pastor Richard, behind you, behind you. See uh yeah, the newcomer, brother, and is it Andrew? Is it Andrew? Yeah, somebody please. Welcome, Andrew, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Jesus loves you. I love you too. Well, even if you didn't get the actions correctly, it's okay. Because it's okay not to be okay. But whatever it is, I think it's the heart of receiving, welcoming one little child. But for those of us who are grandparents, very great-grandparents, say, what? This is not for me. I would like to suggest to all of us, really, that when you think more deeply about it, in fact, we have read it in scripture just now. Oh, that was read. Unless you turn or change and become like little children, not to become childish, but childlike. That humility, that spontaneity, that that joyfulness, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. I'll come to that, which is the second point. When we welcome children, we welcome people who belong to God's kingdom. Matthew 19, verse 14, and Mark 10, 14, and Luke 18, 16. Because Jesus said those famous words. I didn't say it, but Jesus said, Let the what little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. That means those who were there with him as the disciples were stopping people from bringing children to be blessed by Jesus. We'll look at that in the third point later. And Jesus, hey guys, in the modern translation, stop it there. Why are you stopping the parents or the grandparents or the uncles and aunties or the teachers to bring children to be to be blessed by me? And then Jesus said, The reason is this, for theirs or to them belongs the kingdom of heaven. To them, those who are right there, and those who are like them. That's the Greek translation or the meaning of the Greek sentence, such as these. Like them, those who are like them. So, therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, whatever age or maturity you are at, when you are like these children, the kingdom of heaven belongs to you. But let's look afresh at those who are with us now. Some of you wish to have children. I pray that God will bless you with the gift of conception. Those of you who are married, or those who are single going to be married soon. And those maybe who are married already for some time, and you somehow have not had any children yet. And you long to have one. Because you desire to bless those who belong to the kingdom of heaven. And so, what happens when you don't do that? Boys and girls, what do you think? If people stop you, whoever they are, stop you or hinder you, make it difficult for you to come to Jesus, to know Jesus, and to be loved by Jesus, what do you think happens? Or what do you think Jesus will feel? Can you think about it, boys and girls? There are some places or some countries where they don't allow children to come to church. In a very big country that starts with the letter C. Up to 18 years old, they are not allowed to be seen in church. And so you are very blessed to be in a country like Singapore where there's freedom of worship and you can come to church as it were any Sunday or any time. So there are countries, national leaders, and even people who just don't like children. So noisy. Keep quiet. Or they say, uh, send them somewhere, you know, near the car park there, their Sunday school lessons. I've seen that was many years ago. I hope it doesn't happen anymore. But the church worship was inside the aircon dining hall of a restaurant. I mean, but the children's Sunday school out in the car park under the hot sun. When I saw that, I I nearly I was preach I was preaching that day. But because it's my first time, I didn't scold the church. But I just it pained my heart, and I believe it pained the heart of Jesus. The adults were enjoying the acorn, but the children were enjoying the hot air. I'm not sure whether they enjoyed it or not. What happens? Well, I want to suggest this to you from the word of God. The next slide shows you everybody says, one to go, we will make Jesus upset or angry with us. Whoa. There are not many times in the Bible that we have it recorded that Jesus was upset. Or the word in Mark 10, 14 in the ESV English Standard Version says, But when Jesus saw it, what was it? The action of the disciples, those who have been following him, those should have who should have the same heartbeat or heart affection for children. They say, No, no, no. Maybe they will say, the Bible didn't break off for us, say, Jesus is too busy for children. He's very tired. Maybe he was tired too. But when Jesus saw them stopping the people from bringing children to be with him, Jesus was indignant. Everybody says indignant. What on earth does that word mean? Well, it means things like this, angry, or very much displeased, or just unhappy. Surely, as the church, as the people of God, we don't want to make Jesus angry or very much displeased. Or unhappy. Why should he manifest his presence and his glory in the church that makes him angry? Of course, we say his love. He's forgiving, he's patient. And he's so merciful because we pray, Lord, have mercy on us. Yes, he may visit and still come. But we need to have that right attitude of worship. And as part of that, we must ensure that we do not make Jesus upset or angry. Of course, when we sin against God, it makes him sad, it makes him unhappy. And so if that sin or that act of disobedience is that we hinder, we prevent, we make it difficult for children, as young as they are, to receive the love of Jesus and to be taught in his word so that they can be arrows that have been shot out to hit God's targets to bring others to Jesus, then we have to reflect and we have to ask ourselves as adults, whoever we are, are we doing that? And if you're not, then we thank God. But if we are in any way, like what Matthew 18, verse 6, which we didn't read, but it actually follows from what was read by Michael. Jesus said, if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me, that means we say children can believe in the Lord. Children, do you believe in Jesus? Yes, that's right. And if we cause one of these children who believe in Jesus to stumble, that means to be disheartened, to it's not a literal falling down, but it's a spiritual falling down. They lose faith in God, they doubt God's word, and therefore they sin against God. It would be better for them to have a large millstone. Everybody says large millstone. One, two, go. Large millstone hung around their neck. Haha. How big is your neck? About that size. And to be drowned in the depths of the sea. In biblical terms, the sea is a place that is representing evil. And so in the depths of the sea, that is right at the bottom of the sea. It's a place that is far away from God. Wow. Surely we don't want to be far away from God. We do not want to be surrounded by evil. Now let me show you a picture of the last millstone. This first one may not seem to be very large. Well, during Jesus' time, a millstone would be one that is used to be pulled by a donkey or some other work animal around the grinding vat to grind, say, wheat or some of this like beans. But if you look at the word large millstone in the next picture, it typically, typically during the time of Jesus, could have weighed 3,300 pounds. Now, what on earth is that converted to about 1,500 kilograms? How heavy are you? Now, maybe some of you are hopefully not 100 kg, but let's say you are 100 kg, or maybe 50 kg. Caleb, maybe you are 50 kg. I don't know. But I I'm I'm 63. I was 70, but I lost weight. Thank God for that. So let's say 50. How many of such 50 kilograms people would be 1500? Come on, boys and girls, P6s. PS value over already. So you can you can do a mental sum. 15 divided by 50. Come on. Pastor Richard, you know. Many, right? Well, just say many. And that weight hung on your neck. We say in single 100% guaranteed chop should die. Imagine one ton. And in some translation, no offense to our Filipino brothers and sisters, one tana mera. One tana mera. One ton. Done deal. Finished. Sure drowned. Now that's a very stern warning. One of the very few stern warnings that Jesus is speaking to people, other than those warnings that he gave to the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And it is just because the disciples in this case, or whoever, actually stops or prevents children to be brought to him. Besides rebuking or scolding his disciples, Jesus did something very special. He showed them the positive. He was upset, but then he didn't let his anger continue. But instead, he did what Mark 10, 14, or 16 tells us. This is what a priest during the time of Jesus would have done. And that's why the people recognize that Jesus is capable or has the authority, has the power to do the blessing. And so the next slide shows that's right. And he took the children in his arms, not to strangle them, but to place his hands on them and bless them, not blast at them. The blessing them is really an invocation. Alright, children, that's the big word. That means it's a call to God, the Father, to give whoever is being prayed for, like what Jesus Pastor Daniel prayed for all the children, that they'll grow up to become men and women of God, after God's own heart, that God will protect them, etc. etc. And I want to suggest to you, parents, grandparents, spiritual fathers, those who are singles, for example, or those who may be widowed and you are alone. Would you kindly offer your hand of blessing? Does that just when Pastor didn't say, as I pray, can you stretch out your hand of blessing? To pray for one such child. Offer. Don't just, how are you today? I'm fine, okay? Really? Well, not that you don't trust them, but you know, sometimes we're just too casual. Oh, I'm fine. I'm okay. But sometimes if we ask a bit further, oh right, hmm. But is there something that I can pray for you? Don't say, are you sure you're okay? Is there something that can pray for you? No, I PSLE over, exams over, but for those who are still having exams, that's probably one of the top things they want to pray for by exams. It's just not pray for your exams, pray for you. Pray for the exam for what? It's pray for you, will have that confidence, the calmness, and the ability to remember. And even when the question is some surprise question, that you will not be so anxious. Stuff like that. So I want to suggest to you that after the service, you can not grab a child but say, invite a child. Can can Uncle David pray for you? Just bless you. I know just the pastor didn't bless you already. And for that, may I suggest that you get to know their names. That's just I try to know Michael, uh, Caleb, etc. etc. These are your children. They belong to you, and they belong to God's kingdom. Third lesson, third point. Let me give it to you. When we welcome children, we welcome God's representatives of greatness. Wow, children, I think you will love to hear this. That as far as God is concerned, He has chosen you to be His representatives of what it means to be great in the kingdom of God. That means you are useful people, not useless. But a lot of times the church uses less of you. Useless can be useless. Besides having them to sing and dance, what else can you get them to do? I was just teaching one workshop in Surabaya, doing at this uh Assembly of God in um teachers' conference all across the whole of Indonesia, and there are about 200 over them. I was conducting one workshop empowering families and kids in missions. I hope you can consider doing that. Bring bring you know families together or cells, which comprises families. And if you need that, go and ask Bevelyn or Cassandra. They would have some skills that have picked up from me. If not, yes, uh, I'm free for consultation. Seriously, because there's there's this thing about children being used, being empowered by God to become agents of transformation. The children in Indonesia, for example, who are prayer warriors to pray for the two billion children in the world right now, and Indonesia Children Prayer Network is in the lead, is leading us in Asia. They pray 24-7. That means 24 hours, several days a week. Of course, not all the 24 hours, but they take time slots. You can use them as prayer warriors. Matthew 18, 1 to 4, we have already read, actually starts. We read 2 to 5, but it started off by the disciples coming to Jesus because they were discussing along the way who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? The answer should have been Jesus. But they were talking about themselves. This among us, who is the greatest? Well, I'm Peter, I'm Andrew, I'm you know Bartholomew, I'm this, I'm that. And then Jesus didn't answer them. He said, Why are you asking this question? I'm the greatest, huh? But Jesus used a child, calling a child to him or to put him in the midst of them, and then say, truly, that means this is the truth. I kid you not. That means better listen carefully. Unless you turn or change and become like children, you will never don't talk about even being great or greatest, never even step in, never even enter the kingdom of heaven. Don't even talk about being great or the greatest. So Jesus used the child as his representative of greatness. Why? Because the child, like what Pastor Daniel actually prayed, because they have that humility. A child, in terms of humility, is the basic is dependent on someone else, in this case, an adult, to raise him or her up, to teach, to educate, to nurture, beginning from the parents. And Jesus then said, Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Wow, because is it Jesus set the example? He humbled himself. Though he was God, he humbled himself and became man, came in the form of human being, and was obedient to death. Death on the cross. Therefore, God raised him up and given him a name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. You read that in Philippians chapter 2. So, therefore, brothers and sisters of Christ, boys and girls, whoever you are, Jesus highlighted for us the need first to be humble or to take the lowly position, the dependent position of a child in order to enter God's kingdom. So when we repent of our sins, we're actually humbling ourselves and say, God, yeah, have mercy on me. I don't deserve this. But thank you for your mercy and your grace. And that's how we can enter God's kingdom by our faith in Jesus Christ, not in ourselves, by his grace. So let's have a hundred and eighty degrees change in our heart's attitude as we view children, not only today on Tuesday weekend, but every day from now on. As we humble ourselves before God, just like little children, because only then will we be able to enter God's kingdom and become great and greater and greatest in terms of being used by God to raise children, to reach them, those who are still not in the kingdom, to root them in the word of God, so that they are empowered by God's word and the spirit to be released. Did you see that? Did you realize I give you the four hours? And that's part of the 414 window movement, four years to 14 years old, worldwide movement, and release them as God's agents of transformation. I don't have time to tell you, but in this conference, I heard of so many miracles that children in El Salvador have performed by the power of the Holy Spirit. They pray for the sick and they get healed. They pray for one child who has got allergy to water. That means cannot touch water. Even drink water must use a straw. If the water touches her lips, it will have a lot of sores. And another child prayed for this older child and she got healed. Instantly. Then she can go to the water slide and even eat ice cream. God is using children all over the world. I pray the same for Singapore children. So I bring this back from Surabaya to the church in Singapore and beginning with you. You are the first one. I said, I'm saying this too. So let's believe that God can use our children because they are representatives of God's greatness. And so let's humble ourselves, as 1 Peter 5.6 tells us, so that God, under God's mighty hand, He will lift us up, including the children. If anybody looks out on you and ridicules you and says lousy things that hurt you, you don't be proud, you be humble. And say, God, I forgive that person. I humble myself before you because I know from your word, 1 Peter 5.6, you will lift me up, you will raise me up. Because humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less. But thinking of God more. So, in closing, I know I've gone on a little bit more than 30 minutes. Sorry. Let's show the video clip as a summary of what Jesus did so that if we say we are his disciples, we must also do. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 35:53

Some people brought their children to Jesus so that he could bless them by placing his hands on them. But his disciples told the people to stop bothering him. When Jesus saw this, he became angry and said, Let the children come to me. Don't try to stop them. People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God. I promise you that you cannot get into God's kingdom unless you accept it the way a child does. Then Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them by placing his hands on them.

SPEAKER_03 36:29

Since children are a blessing from God to the family, to the church, and to country, let us welcome them, receive them by inviting or calling them, especially those who still do not know Jesus. And then, as they are being invited into your community, you embrace them with the love of Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 36:46

And then you bless them in your praise.com. Have a blessed day.