Entering The New – EP76 (Matt 18:3)
Matthew 18:3
"And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Hello and welcome to the One Thing podcast. We're coming close to the new year. And everyone's thinking: How do I want to enter this new year? Do I want to enter this new year in shape? Do I want to enter this new year with the goal of becoming more fit? Do I want to change my style of eating? Do I want to enter this new year with a sense of being better with my money, or being more motivated in my life? And we're all thinking of how are we gonna to enter into this new year - how will we begin, and how will we continue, and what is our goal? What are our thoughts fixed on? What are our minds set to do?
"God is saying today, ‘I'm calling for a change that goes deeper than the flesh’..."See the real question today isn't just, ‘How am I going to enter the new year?’ But it's, ‘How will I enter the kingdom of God?’ You see, we can enter so many new years over and over but still never change - still be far from God. We can work on changing our body, our lifestyle and so many other things that only affect the flesh but God is saying today, ‘I'm calling for a change that goes deeper than the flesh,’ - it goes into your soul. It goes into your spirit.
"And so the question today...are you going to enter into the kingdom of heaven?"And so the question today as we come into a new year - we're coming close - not just how will you enter the new year, but are you going to enter into the kingdom of heaven? I'm not just referring of “heaven” - the day that we die - but I'm saying even now, as we come into a new year into a new time, will you be in the kingdom power of God? Will you be walking according to His Word? Will you be walking in the power of the Holy Spirit as a person who has been changed, touched and transformed by God?
Matthew chapter 18 verse 3, Jesus says, “‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom...’” Today, brothers and sisters, we are not looking to just change our bodies or to change or be motivated to be better with certain things in our lives. But today God is calling us to enter the kingdom of heaven. And He says that we must change. What is it that needs to change? See our mindset and our hearts need a transformation.
He says, “Unless you become like little children…” What are little children like? I love when I speak to my little nephew and some of the kids that I see in church, and I love their simplicity. I love that you can speak to them - you can talk to them - and there’s such an innocence in all of their responses. You can say, ‘How are you doing?’ and they're just like, ‘Great, of course I'm doing great!’ You know, I love the fact that not only do they have such an innocence, but there is a simplicity. You can tell them to go into the corner and to grab a certain toy and to share it with you and they’ll move! You can ask them how to do a certain game or to play with a certain toy and they’ll tell you, so simply, because in their heart there is a simplicity that is pure, and it is a purity and a humbleness that God is looking for also in His people.
"...as we come close to this new year we wouldn't just be looking on the outside for things of the flesh…[but] That the Spirit of Jesus would touch our hearts."Will we become like children? Will you become like a child? I pray today, that as we come close to this new year we wouldn't just be looking on the outside for things of the flesh to maybe shift or change, but that there would be something truly incredible that happens on the inside. That the Spirit of Jesus would touch our hearts. That we would again come, and enter into the kingdom with a childlike mindset - with a childlike heart - submitting to God saying, ‘Father whatever You do, I'm gonna follow. Whatever You say I'll do it. Whatever You speak, God I will believe it.’ And that we would enter in changed - transformed by the power of the Gospel, that calls us out of darkness into light that calls out of our own way of thinking. That calls us out of the old heart that is just corrupt and stony. And calls us into the softness - the childlike softness toward God to worship Him, and to sit and to be with Him all the days of our lives. Not just in this new year but all the years of our lives.
So I pray today that we would enter in. We would be thinking about this new year in light of the Gospel - in light of the power of God. And that truly, we would change and become like little children. Praying you be blessed this new year, and that in this new time, God would do all that He has set forth to do in our lives. Amen.