Children—Aaron Stewart
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OK. Maybe we could start here. I see you guys are all down there, so I will stand in the middle, so I could be a little closer to you guys.
So I do have some candy for participation. So if I ask questions and you answer, you can get some candies. If your parents are OK, if you have the candy, maybe you can sing some songs first. I don't know if you guys noticed that.
This hymn sheet we have, the front says Echoes of Grace Gospel in Sheep, but the back says children's hymns. You guys notice that? I don't know if you've seen that before. So maybe we could pick some from the back. If you pick one from the front too, it's OK, But maybe we could pick some from the back because those are more for children and I, I think that would be nice to sing from there. But does anyone have a song we could start with?
Sure #4141.
Around the.
Many children say children.
Sins are all forgiven will happen without the spring and standing glory.
Glory, Glory. Glory, glory, glory.
To God.
What brings them to the world?
That's all right.
Where all this peace and joy and love.
In the children.
Never singing glory.
The shyness.
Precious life being the slug. Behold, behold.
Before we say another one, that's really nice song that's talking about being in heaven in the coming day, right? And.
You know, how did they get there? Says how did those children get there? And that's because of the Savior shed blood. So I'm not planning on talking about the gospel this morning. But if you're not saved, you heard last night you need to be saved. So we're going to talk about today is a little bit past that after you're saved and maybe something that will help you.
So I'm going to tell a story this morning first, not from the Bible, and I'm going to tell a similar story from the Bible and we'll talk about it. And it's about someone who is missing. Okay, Maybe we could send one more song and then we'll get into the story.
47.
#47 when he comes.
To make sure.
That it's all.
Like the stars of the morning.
OK, so I'm going to sit down to tell the story. OK, so.
When I was a kid, I have, I have a big family, lots of brothers and sisters. And so we would go on trips and we go to conferences like here and it would be like a 7 hour drive long drive. And so one of the problems with going on trips with lots of people is making sure everyone's there, right.
So one time, and I don't know if I have all the details of this story right, but one time we were on a trip. So we were on a trip and we were driving and we stopped at a rest area. Anyone stopped at a rest area before on the way somewhere? Yeah.
All right, nodding head gets a piece of candy.
Up Ezra 2. All right, everyone gets around with candy, They all nodded.
Did you guys not? All right, so, so we stopped at a rest area. It was like a gas station to gas up and everyone used the bathroom. And when we stopped, one of my brothers and probably most of you know Uncle Caleb, maybe a few of you don't, but a lot of you know, because you're related, you know Uncle Caleb. So how I remember it was that.
We stopped at the rest area, we got gas.
And then as we were driving, we left. We're driving. My dad decided to count the heads because that's the fastest way to figure out if everyone's there. Count the heads. So you go 12345678. So there are eight kids. So you count. Oh, there was eight. He would look at the rearview mirror, but this time he counted and there was 7.
And then we said, who's missing the names? And Caleb, where's Caleb? And Caleb was not in the van, so Caleb was not there. And he was there before we stopped. So we had to turn around. We were on the highway, I think it was. So we had to turn around and go back to the rest area. And there was Uncle Caleb and little Caleb. And he was young and he was crying because he got left behind. He was missing.
And we found him so.
That was that was scary for him, but it was also scary for his mom and dad, right? Where is he? So I want to tell a story about a person who was missing who's also young. Does anyone have any ideas?
What that could be?
No, but that is, that's a good. That is, that is a person who was lost and then found.
Yeah, you got it. All right. So the story I want to tell is about was in the book of Luke. Does anyone know if there's four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? Does anyone know why Luke is very special? What's what's special about Luke? Does anyone know? There's something special maybe. Maybe you're a little young to know this. It's OK anyway.
00:10:19
So in Matthew we get the Lord Jesus as the king and the Messiah. But in Luke what we get is the Lord Jesus as a person, right as a man. So what's special about that is we see a lot of his feelings and how he felt he was hungry, things like that. But we also see him as a boy, which is very interesting because sometimes when we say.
When we say, you know, we need to follow the Lord Jesus, right and do what he did and he said, well, he was a man, I'm a boy or a girl.
Right. But we have an example of him as a boy. And I think one of the reasons that this example was put in the Bible is for us when we're younger. So we can't understand.
How he was as a boy and even as we're children, we can, we can be like him. We can be like him with his help, of course. So like I said, this is for those of us who are saved. If we're not saved, we can't be like them, right? We know that that we need to have.
New life and we have to have the Holy Spirit that gives us the power to be like him. But I want to read the story because I think it's a very interesting story.
We've read it home not too long ago, but maybe girls forgot. So it'll be, it'll be fresh again. But it's a really good story. So this is in Luke chapter 2 and you don't don't worry. You don't have to be worried about having to read some of it. I'll just read it. We'll go through it step by step and I can ask some questions.
So Luke chapter 2.
And this is maybe we'll start.
With verse 41, maybe we'll start with verse 40. OK, and it's talking about a child. OK, It says a child and the child grew is how verse 40 of of Luke chapter two starts and that child is Jesus. OK, just so you know, I'm not going to read the rest of the chapter, but that's who's talking about And it says and he wax strong in in spirit filled with wisdom.
And the grace of God was a was upon him. So he grew. He grew just like you boys and girls are growing and getting older and you remember when you were. Maybe you don't remember when you were tiny little And then as you grow older and maybe when you're younger, you wish you were older like some of the older boys and you look up to them. But the Lords Jesus grew just like anyone else.
But it says that he's filled with wisdom and we're going to see that he was pretty wise, more wise as a boy than some grown-ups. And so let's continue on. It says now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of Passover. So every year they would go to the feast of Passover like Jews would do. They go to the Passover in Jerusalem every year. That kind of reminds me of going to conferences, right? Maybe there's some conferences that every year mom and dad take us there. And that's good that we get taken to conferences. And this was.
That the that that the Lord's parents would take him to Jerusalem every year. That was good. And so there he was being taken every year.
And it says when he was 12 years old. Who, who is 12 years old here or who is older than 12 here in the front, You are all right, just facing Candy, who is 11, Sam. Oh, both of you guys, all right.
OK, and who is 10? All right, we got a 10. So we're a lot of us are close to the age the Lord was here. All right, who is 7?
Besides Evelyn, All right, who's 6?
I think we have two sixes. Two sixes. Are you 6? Are you 5?
You guys have that one. Oh, you know who is five? Who is five? Oh, you're 8, and I miss 80. Sorry about that. Who's eight? Sorry, sorry, Ezra. All right, let me just hand these. All right, so you're 8. Okay, you can have another one, and you are.
Five. OK, you're five. OK. Yeah, you're the same age. And Natalie, you're 5. Are you 6? So forget your five, OK. And OK, any four? No one. Four. OK, four is a little bit younger than the Lord was here. You can keep as many. Yeah, as any on the floor. You can grab those. So we have quite a few people and a lot of us are close to the age Lord Jesus was right. And I. That's still considered a boy. It calls, it calls the Lord Jesus when he's 12. It calls him a boy. So he's still a boy, but he was getting close to being.
Wasn't he was getting older? But we could still take this lesson for all of us, so it says.
00:15:04
It says when he was 12 They went to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. So there they were going to Jerusalem again and when they had fulfilled the day, so they stayed there for the feast. Now it says as they returned the child Jesus, or really it's the boy Jesus.
Remain, Terry, to remain behind in Jerusalem.
So he stayed there. So they went to leave and he stayed and it says and Joseph and his mother knew not of it, so they didn't know. So this is the same thing. Someone got left behind, someone was missing. So let's see how long it takes for them to notice. How long do you think it took? Anyone know how long it took for them to notice?
All right, we'll read it, it says.
It says and they supposing him to have been in the company. So there's a big group of them to travel and they probably walk the road. I'm not sure what they rode. Any ideas what they might have rode?
Possibly a horse. I'm not sure if they had or surround that time, but it's possible.
Possibly a donkey, One other animal. I'm thinking of Ezra Camel. Yeah, Sorry.
So it's possible they're riding one of those, but they're probably walking too. And we know that the Lords parents were poor, so maybe they didn't even have maybe they just walked. But it looks like a group of them and we see that it was their relations. So they went with their cousins. So they may have gone or, or or brothers, whoever was they may have all gone in a big group together. So.
Says that they were going but they assumed oh OK, he's with the rest of them, he's somewhere in there and they didn't do a head count maybe, but it says.
They went a day's journey, they traveled for all day. So let's just say only 12 hours even that that was a long time to go without noticing he was gone. But you know what? He was a perfect boy, wasn't it? So they may have thought, well, he's just coming along. He's doing, you know, he's doing whatever we expect him to do because we never have any problems with him.
But you know, Uncle Caleb, I think they were a little bit, we were, my parents were worried a little bit sooner because he was a perfect boy. So they would notice something's missing, right? But the Lord Jesus, maybe they didn't notice for a day. So it says that. So it says that they went a day's journey. And it says they sought and they looked for him among their relations and acquaintances. So the people they went with, they looked around. You know, where, you know, is he here? And then you know, he's not here.
They've gone a day's journey.
And it says and when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem seeking him. So now they got to go another days during all the way back. So now it's two days that they haven't found them.
And it says it came to pass that after three days. So I think that counts. The 1St 2:00. So it was a little three days he was missing. Now, what would you think, what you could say if you were left at a rest area or left at a conference and it was a day or three days before you got found? What do you think? And would you be sad or scared without your mom and dad for three days? I think even if you were 12, after three days you might start getting a little concerned.
Right. Well, we see something different with the Lord Jesus, and we're talking about why that is.
Well, it says that they went back to Jerusalem, like we said, and after three days they found him in the temple, right? They found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, doctors or teachers hearing them and asking them questions. So this is interesting. He was in the temple.
He must have somehow got food. We don't know how anyone think of a way he could have gotten food.
Anyone. So if you were alone, what would you do to find food?
Ezra.
Eat grass. Possible. I don't think it would be very tasty. I don't think it would digest very well. Sam. Yeah, you just ask for it. So maybe he was begging for food. We don't know. Maybe he was. But you know what we've seen and we've seen in in other scriptures where the Lord's people, they have been fed by the Lord. So in some way, God took care of his son, right. So God looked down, He saw his son and he took care of him.
So but there he was in the temple. It wasn't saying he was doing it says he was.
Want to find again hearing them, that's a good thing. So when she was 12, he was listening. And you know, maybe when you're younger it's a little harder to stay listening. You know, we can listen for a while, but then I would just see something shiny or something and we look at that or someone comes in the door and we think about the person and we stop thinking about what we're listening to So that happens sometimes and that's why we have candy so that everyone wants to pay attention but.
00:20:15
But you know, when you get older, it's a little easier to listen. Sometimes you you can think a little bit calmer.
And you can understand a little bit more, but here's the Lord Jesus 12. It's still pretty young and he was there hearing. So there were teachers. These teachers would have been probably looking at the Old Testament Scriptures and saying, you know, this is what this means. Let me hear in reading meetings here and addresses their brothers who have the ability to teach and there they work there. They are here teaching about the Bible. And that's the same thing with what the Lord Jesus was listening to. That was obviously the Old Testament and I'm not sure what these teachers were.
Was was right, they didn't have the Holy Spirit necessarily. They didn't have the Holy Spirit dwelling them to necessarily teach right, but they were teaching and the Lord Jesus was listening. And then it's also says that he was asking them questions. So I think that's important for you Kids understand too that we should ask questions when there is when, when, when there's teaching going on and someone says this is what this means. It's good to ask questions. And a lot of times you get your teaching at home from your parents and they tell you.
But it's good to ask questions and to really understand it. Don't you say, OK, I believe it because my parents said it. Now you should listen to your parents, but you should ask questions. So that's what the Lord Jesus was doing. Now here's something really interesting.
Verse 47 it says that all who heard him are all that hurt him, were astonished at his understanding and answers. Does anyone know what astonishing?
Sam Yeah. Really surprised. So everyone was really surprised at what does it say, his understanding that means they say he understands what we're saying. Wow. And you know what? I've learned just I only have the oldest of seven here, but I understand that you kids actually understand more than a lot of people think.
I learned that kids actually can understand a lot.
Right. And sometimes that you guys know that kids know that, but adults don't realize that that you can understand a lot, right? Well, it says they were astonished. They were surprised that he understood all this, and they're also surprised at his answers. Well, I thought he was asking questions.
Well, it didn't say he was asking questions, Sam.
I think that's right. I think either he was answering his own questions or the questions he was asking, or answering other people's questions that they had in their hearts. So how wise was he? How wise is he? So this is where I think he's different than a lot of young boys and girls because he had that special wisdom, right? Don't forget that though he's a boy, he's also God.
Right. We can't forget that part. And his mom in this story forgets that. We're going to see that as she forgets that. So it says that they were surprised hearing him answer questions. He was answering questions that these wise teachers who have been alive way longer than him.
Didn't have the answers to so there's a verse I want a quick read.
In Psalm 119, I can just read it, you can just listen, but this is a pretty interesting verse. Psalm 119 verse 99 and says I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation so.
This is a little lesson for us that the Lord Jesus had more understanding all of them because in his heart was God's will right and.
He's the son of God, so he had more wisdom. But you know what, this can apply to you. You know what? There's a another story that I'm going to try to repeat from something that happened in our family that one of my brothers, Uncle Josh was in school. And this is like third hand that I'm repeating this, but one of his teachers tried to tell him that people were animals.
And it was they were saying that because they were going to say that you're just the same as an animal, which we know or not from the Bible. But you know what he did? He went home and he laughed about it and he knew it wasn't true. He chuckled and he told his mom, my mom, that this is what they said at school. But why did he know it wasn't true? Because he knew from the Bible it wasn't true. So if art, if the Lord, if God's testimonies, it says in the Psalm.
Are our meditation and we're reading the Bible.
00:25:00
When someone says something that even if it's our teacher. Now some, I know some of you here are homeschooled, so maybe this doesn't apply, but you will have someone try to teach you something at some point who's not a believer. And if you hear something that's wrong, guess what? You can say that's not what the Bible says. And you know, you don't even have to tell them necessarily, but you know that what they're saying is wrong. So this is an example from the Lord Jesus as a boy, but this applies to our life and if we are reading the word of God and it doesn't have to be a whole chapter every day.
But if we're always reading the word of God, we will have answers for questions that people in the world are maybe our teachers at school don't really have answers for them. They're they're, they're saying things that are not true. So that doesn't mean we shouldn't respect them. Remember, the Lord Jesus was asking questions. He wasn't preaching and telling them here's what should be done. He was a boy. So he was listening but and asking questions, but he was actually wiser than that. OK, so let's move on.
So it says that.
We'll go to verse 48 and when they saw Jose, that's his parents.
When they saw him, they were amazed. Why do you think they were amazed when they saw him?
That's, that's exactly right. They didn't expect him to be there and they didn't realize what was really in him, that he's the son of God. They didn't realize, oh, that he would be in the temple in this in this spot. They thought maybe they maybe they thought he'd be looking for food somewhere, but he had what was most important to him on his heart, and that's where he was.
OK, so now it says, it says They're amazed and this is the part that I find very interesting. So it says and his mother said unto him, So what is she going to say? So maybe you can't imagine being a grown up, but imagine if you were looking for someone for three days, you finally found them and they weren't upset that you were gone. They were just there in the temple talking or listening and asking questions.
Well, how would you feel?
Ezra.
You feel good that you found them? Yeah. Would you be maybe a little upset that?
Trying to tell you, would you be maybe a little upset that that this person was missing for three days? You think you would, Evelyn?
You be a little upset. Yeah, well, guess what?
The Lord's mother was upset, and when she was upset she forgot. I think maybe she didn't fully understand much or didn't always understand, but she forgot that what she had been told when the Lord Jesus was going to be born, that He was the Son of God. And this is what she said, Son, or really it's child. Why hast thou thus dealt with us? Why are you doing this to us?
She she says.
Behold, thy father and I have sought thee, Siren. Your dad and I have been looking everywhere. We're sad about this. And here he was in the temple, and he didn't seem sad, I'm guessing.
And so she was pretty upset. Now if you if one of you kids hid or or were not coming when you got called and you had a conference and your parents left and your parents were upset with you, would that be right for them to be upset with you?
Yeah, if you were hiding or you weren't obeying them when they called you and you, you knew you were supposed to leave. That would be right if they were set. But was it right for her to be upset here? No, it was not. She had kind of forgotten that he was the Son of God.
So what does it say? She said. Behold, thy Father and I have sought thee sorrowing. There's something wrong there. Does anyone know what's wrong with what she said there?
It's going to be a little harder.
No, no, I mean they maybe they shouldn't have been, but that's not really what's wrong. She she said something wrong and the Lord actually he doesn't really correct her, but he went in his response without outright correcting him. He shows that what she was saying wasn't really right.
She said OK, I'll give you a participation. Sorry. So she said thy father and I.
Who is the Lord Jesus Father?
God, God, That's right. So she forgot this was the Son of God and she thought this was the son of Joseph. And she said, thy father and I.
And that was not right. That was not right that he was not the son of Joseph. And it if you look at this chapter, it says his parents, his parents. It never says his father and mother here because it's not his father. God was his father. And what's important about that, What we, the Lord Jesus shows what's important about that? He said unto them, how is it or why is it that you have sought me? Why are you looking for me? So that's not he wasn't saying.
00:30:23
In a bad.
Bad kid way. He wasn't saying this, he was saying this in a nice way. Why were you looking for me?
And the reason why I was asking is because they should have known that you'd be at the temple. And he says why they why says he says, wish ye not. Now wist is kind of an older English word. It means did you not know? Didn't you know that I must be about or occupied with my father's business? And he says my father.
He didn't say his business because he just mentioned his father. He says my father, what does he say? He say my father is God and my first job is to obey him and do what he wants. And if his father wanted him to be at the temple, that's where he was going to be, right? So that's a lesson for us that we should obey God, right? But what does God say? Children, obey your parents, right? So we need to obey our parents. But in this case here was.
Telling him, being upset with him, but yet he was obeying God's will, his Father's will. So how perfect was he? And his answer was not being bad at all, right? You know, he's perfect. He had a perfect answer to show that what you're saying isn't really right. And this is what I'm doing. But we see some more about what what happens after because I think it's important we don't just stop there.
That the rest of the story is important, so it says.
It says.
In verse 50 and they understood not the saying which you speak into them, they didn't understand what he was saying. So when he said I have to be about my father's business, well what? Who was Mary thinking? His father was Joseph. What was Joseph's business? Anyone else?
Inside Sam, what was Joseph's business? Does anyone know?
Carpenter. Exactly.
Sorry, so he was a Carpenter and you know, in the in the scriptures we see that people say, isn't this the carpenter's son? They expected Jesus was going to just be a Carpenter like his dad. And I don't say justice and that's not very important because I think your dad, Sam was sort of a Carpenter. So I'm not saying just, but the point is that he was far more than the carpenter's son wasn't and his his father was God and he was doing.
His father's business. Well, they didn't understand. Now, this is one of the important lesson I think you kids should understand. You know, sometimes you might feel like this. You might feel like nobody understands what you're saying. Do you ever feel that way?
Yeah.
Both of you nodded. Sorry. So sometimes you might feel like you're misunderstood. You say something and you know, people, just adults, maybe your parents go. I'm not sure what you're saying. They just don't know. Well, think of how often the Lord Jesus had that happen in maybe every time. Maybe every time he said something they were like, what is he saying?
And he was saying the words of God, but they didn't understand.
You know, so how that might be hard, wouldn't it? Wouldn't you feel kind of lonely if every time you said something your parents said, I don't know what you're saying, you could feel a little bit lonely. So imagine how the Lord Jesus felt when he would say something like this. I'm doing my father's will. And they said, we don't know what he's saying, so what's he talking about? But they knew he was special, but they didn't know what he was saying, so.
The next verse I think is very important. So even if you know more than your teachers or maybe even your parents are get something wrong, which I found when I get older that my parents were almost always right when they told me I was doing something wrong. I learned that later on in life. But even if they were wrong, like the Lord's parents here, and even if they didn't understand what he was saying, the next verse is very important. It says and he went down.
With them and came to Nazareth where they live, and was subject unto them in subjection. What does that mean? He obeyed them, He listened to them. And that's very important, that even the Son of God listened to his parents and obeyed them.
That's very important. So that's how important it is to listen to our parents, no matter how we feel, if we feel that they're wrong. And yes, as a parent, I know sometimes we are wrong and but we still need to listen. We still need to be subject to them. And the Lord Jesus shows that perfectly. The one who is the Son of God was subject to his parents who didn't know what he was saying. So I think that's what the one more, one more important lesson. But here's a little lesson for parents, it says.
00:35:26
But his mother kept all these sayings in her heart, so she thought about these things.
She remembered my son is special. He's very special and I'm going to keep these sayings. And so that was good that she she listened. So it says then that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor of God. Man, it's so interesting. Jesus grew, he kept growing just like us. It's so hard to think about the fact that though he's the Son of God.
He's growing like you or I, and that's what I think.
Makes the fact that the Lord Jesus became a person, became a a baby and grew to a boy and then to a man is that he became like us. There's a verse in Hebrews that says I'll just sit and find it quickly about him, it says.
Hebrews.
It is chapter 2.
It says.
Find Hebrews chapter 2, verse 14.
For as much then as or since, therefore the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took part of the same. Because you and I will be saved. Our children, our people have flesh and blood. He took part of the same. He became a person so.
That makes it very special to us. So the reason why I bring out the story is because.
Sometimes we might feel like, well, Lord Jesus was a man, right? And I'm just a kid. But here we have an example of the Lord Jesus as a kid. So he was a kid too. He went to the same things that you didn't probably worse because they didn't understand him at all compared to your parents mostly understanding you. So I just bring this out as a good example. And This is why we need to read the word of God and the Gospels are very important because we read the gospels, we see the Lord Jesus as an example for how we can.
Be OK, so that's yeah, sure. What did the Lord do when he was a boy?
I don't know.
Do you have a thought? Well, let's see what what the word of God says. What can Mark's Gospel?
Got.
Yeah.
Chapter 6.
Someone can read verses two and three. Sure, I'll read that. Mark 6, verse two and three. And when the Sabbath day was come, he began to teach at the synagogue. And many hearing him, were astonished, saying, for once half this man these things. And what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by His hands? Is not this the Carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joseph?
Judah and Simon and are not his sisters here with us, and they were offended at him.
So you have siblings?
But it says that.
We did the work of the Carpenter.
Oh yeah.
Is not this the Carpenter? So he must have done that. That's interesting.
Very good, very good.
There's some candy for you.
OK, so maybe just a couple quick questions because we're getting short on time, but we can give out a little bit more of this candy. I could use it all, but I don't want to. So maybe we could ask a couple more questions and then we could sing one. I'm sorry we don't have time for the verse. Does anyone really want to say the verse?
Because if so, we could do, but OK, we'll just ask a couple questions. So first question is.
How many days did it take?
Did they look for the Lord Jesus? Did his parents look for him until they found it 33?
OK, when they found him. I'm looking at you, Abby, if you want to answer this one. When they found him.
What? How did they act toward him? Were they upset or were they glad to see him?
00:40:07
Both of you got it. There you go. OK, sorry. OK. So yes, they were, they were upset. They were a little bit.
Across within you might say, okay.
What did Mary say when when she said when she addressed him? What does she say that wasn't quite right?
Sam, your father and I? Yep.
OK. And one more question.
What did the Lord Jesus do once they found Him and once they talked with each other? What did he do?
Back with them to Nazareth. Yep. And one final thing, most important part of that When he got back to Nazareth, what did he do then?
This is the one of the most important points. He was subject unto them, right? He still listened to them even though his parents had been wrong.
OK, they think that's it. Does anyone have maybe one?
What are two songs we could sing?
What's that 45 again? Yep, from the back.
OK, 40.
That's it's not in here. This one it got removed. Is there another one?
Do you have a? Do you have a? Oh, it's on some of them. It's not on this one either. What is it?
I'll bring it to all the kids, wings two and two and more in love.
One place, so time to speak. It's true.
1.
For him, now in fire.
Take them, Lord Jesus and life that big, always and true.
One more Sam, 46.
Jesus.
Come to save me.
And he calls and he calls and he calls all the cheap heartbreak elements and take a walk.
Last year.
Since I washed away.