OceanSide church of Christ

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NEWNESS OF LIFE

Aaron Cameron

INTRODUCTION

u  We have been talking about some “advanced material” over the past couple of weeks

u  Gospel Meeting, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus

u  Sometimes, it is good to be reminded of the foundation on which we should build

u  A few Facebook posts and stories inspired this sermon

u  We all know children, we all love children

u  Children can not only be a comparison for a new Christian, but they also serve as strong reminders of our duty and reflections of God’s love for us

WE WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF

u  When babies are born, they trust implicitly that someone will take care of them

u  Babies will instinctively grip the finger of an individual

u  Similarly, when we are first baptized, we trust implicitly that we will be “taken care of” by our Christian family

u  Membership in local congregation

u  Form bonds or strengthen bonds with people we have become close to

u  I Peter 2: 1-2

u  As experienced Christians, we need to ensure we do all we can to serve those that are less experienced than we are

PLANNING, OR SURPRISE?

u  Babies are brought into this world, sometimes through much preparation and planning, or sometimes it’s a surprise

u  Some couples take many months, or years of planning to start

u  Some need assistance

u  We should never feel saddened or inconvenienced by a new life

u  Sometimes, gaining faith and believing in Christ can take a long period of study

u  However, it may be a surprise – individual who has been attending has things “click into place”

u  Psalm 127:3, Hebrews 11:1, 2 Timothy 2:15

SPECIAL CARE

u  Some babies born early need additional care – NICU

u  Advances in medical technology, caring staff

u  John 16:21

u  Similarly, some of us are “born” – baptized – early in life.

u  May experience questioning of faith later, especially in college or going through a situation – we need additional care

u  Advances in technology make the Gospel easier than ever to access

u  We can support these folks through prayer, study, reaching out

u  James 1:2-3, 12

 

TIMID AT FIRST, THEN TESTING OUR LIMITS

u  Babies are careful at first

u  Sleep a lot

u  Eventually learn to crawl, walk, be more physically active

u  When we are first baptized, we are very careful, very timid

u  We are unsure of our place in the congregation, and unsure of where or how to use our talents

u  Must have support from leadership, older members – study, encouragement, experience

u  Colossians 3:21 – important for fathers

u  Do not provoke your fellow Christians, lest they become discouraged

 

THE DELIGHT OF A CHILD

u  One of the most amazing sights is the smile of a child

u  Delight – excited, happy to see parents at end of a long day

u  Being apart is difficult on both parents and children

u  To God, our love for Him is one of His favorite things

u  We need to be delighted to get up on Sunday, get out on Wednesday, to assemble with others

u  We need to be excited to pray, to be thankful, to humbly ask

u  We need to be elated to have time to study the Bible

 

A BEHAVIORAL FOUNDATION

u  Babies form a behavioral foundation that lasts their entire lives

u  Encouraged by parents, grandparents, other relatives

u  Takes a long time to build trust but they do eventually

u  Proverbs 22:15 – mistakes are opportunities to learn

u  Proverbs 22:6

u  We should never stop showing love to one another

u  We should always be full of respect for one another

u  We need to form good habits

u  Philippians 2:3-4

u  Deuteronomy 6:6-9

 

CONCLUSION

u  Sometimes, especially as we conclude our “Just One Soul” theme for the year, we must be reminded how we are to act toward those who are experiencing hearing the Gospel for the first time.

u  We must never esteem ourselves higher than others. We must have a culture of respect and enthusiasm.

u  We must be excited about God.

u  We must encourage one another when we stumble.

u  We must encourage non-Christians to hear the Word, believe in that Word and develop a core of faith, acknowledge they are sinners and repent from that behavior, confess their belief in Jesus, and be baptized to wash away those sins and be born again.

u  “Children go where they find sincerity and authenticity.” – Eric Cantona

u  “You have to love your children unselfishly. That’s hard. But it’s the only way.” – Barbara Bush

u  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. – John 3:16