Cornerstone PLUS

Turn to John's gospel, and our reading is gonna be John chapter 1 verses 1 to 14. This is an astounding passage of scripture. John chapter 1 verse 1. In the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god. He was with god in the beginning.

Through him, all things were made. Without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from god whose name was John, He came as a witness to testify concerning that light so that through him, all might believe.

He himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own but his own did not receive him yet to all who did receive him to those who believed in his name He gave the right to become children of god.

Children born not of human descent nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of god. The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us We have seen his glory, the glory of the 1 and only son who came from the father, full of grace and truth. Good morning. As Dean said, my name is Tom. I'm the assistant pastor here at the church and, let me, again, extend a very warm welcome to you if you're here visiting friends and family, particularly friends and family of Daryl and Marie and Lauren great to have you with us.

We won't actually be turning to that bible passage until near the end of the talk. But it would be good if you could keep your finger in it. Just so you're ready to turn there when we come to it. Let's bow our heads and begin with prayer. Father, as we've sung, we thank you that your son, the lord Jesus, breathed out and formed and shaped this creation through his powerful word.

We thank you that he sustains all of life that he is the creator. And we thank you lord that you have also breathed out these very words that we have just read. We pray that your Holy Spirit would please speak to us now as we open up your living word. And we ask it in Jesus' name. Oh, men.

Now to, call somebody childish, as you know, is rarely a compliment, is it? If you call someone childish, occasionally, we might use it in a positive sense So you might say that somebody has child like enthusiasm, which would be, a compliment of sorts. But mostly it's negative, isn't it? When you call somebody childish, what you mean is that you are embodying something bad about child. It could be a tantrum when they burst out with a silly or immature outburst.

It could be somebody who needs the last word in every argument. You know, they will not let things lie until they have sealed the discussion with a final word. It's childish to do that, we might say. Ignoring someone is childish. Do you know I walked right past her and she wouldn't even look at me, how very childish or somebody's spoiling an event Did you see what he did there?

He wasn't enjoying the party very much, so he thought he'd kick off and spoil it for everyone. How very childish she was. Even kids as they grow up start to use it as an insult, don't they? Maum, I'm not wearing these silly pajamas anymore. They're for babies.

They're baby ish. And in 1 sense, it is a reasonable insult. There is lots that we can learn from children about how not to behave. And the Bible would agree with that from a faith perspective We are told to leave childish ways behind that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, that we must have a mature faith and not be childish in our understanding. Lots of things to avoid.

But it's not all negative. In fact, the Bible tells us that there is also much good we can learn from children, even from very small children. And that is gonna be our focus this morning. As we have gathered to give thanks for the lives of Lily and Millie, we are also going to let them as our teachers this morning. What can we learn from them about who god is and how to relate to him.

There is lots that we can learn. And the first point that I want to make is this. We can learn that there is a creator. Psalm hundred and 39, 1 of the most famous psalms in this old testament book, a wonderful book of songs and laments and words of praise. Psalm hundred and 39 written by King David, says this.

For you created my innermost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in a secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

Christopher Hitchens, the, the late journalist and atheist said that thanks to the telescope and the microscope, religion no longer offers an explanation of anything important. At 1 time, he's saying God was useful. As a kind of god of the gaps, he was able to explain for us the things that we couldn't explain. The very big things or the very far away things or the very small things or the very complicated things things we didn't know about we could fill in the gaps with god. But now, thanks to the invention of these sorts of things, we don't need him anymore.

We can explain the solar system ourselves without his help. We can explain the inner workings of a sell by ourselves without his help. We can even explain Lily and Millie without his help. And those who might agree with what Christopher Hitchens says might read verse 14 of that Psalm and say, well, of course David would say something like that. This was written thousands of years ago before the microscope and the telescope, they did not have the technology to understand the world.

And what they didn't know, they explained with God. It was simply ignorance, faith, driven by ignorance. But the question I would ask is this, what have we discovered in the last few thousand years which now makes him look ignorant. Is it new technology, for instance, like these scanners, which enable us to actually look inside the womb, to behold a baby that is being knitted together to see their eyes beginning to form and their unborn hearts beat for the first time. To see their toes and their fingers begin to separate and develop is that the sort of technology which makes David look silly?

Or does it make his interpretation even more likely. John Bloom is a professor of physics at Biola Biola University in America. And he says what challenges Christianity is not scientific data but the naturalistic interpretations of the data that many insist must be given. The trend that I see over time is that the more we study and understand the creation through science, the more clearly we see. That it must be the handy work of god.

And then he says, with almost every new discovery, The overwhelming sense grows that life is not simply chemistry, but rather life is stupendously complex, information processing systems, from the telescope to the microscope God's creation is declaring his glory. And that includes Millie and Lily They may not be able to say much at the moment, but in fact they are great communicators. As we look at them, God is declaring his glory. They are fearfully and wonderfully made. And deep down, I think we all know that that is the best explanation for them.

You see, let's suppose that Lily and Millie are just atoms. They are currently arranged in a certain way, but they are waiting to be rearranged in another way. They came from the void and they are going to the void. They are nothing but the product of chaos and unmoved uncaring chance. If that is true, are they any more significant than the content of your food waste bin at the end of the week.

If there is only chaos and no god, then they are not. But do we treat them that way? Or do we, for instance, hold a thanksgiving for them? Do we treasure them Do we take their fingers in ours and marvel at the little details on each finger? Do we look at their smiles and feel a sense of delight.

Because if we do, That is more consistent with verse 14 than it is with godless chaos. That's what you would do with something that is fearfully and wonderfully made. So you see, often it's how we live, which shows the integrity of our worldview and not what we say. Often it's how we live, which reveals the integrity of our worldview, and not just what we say. These girls that we have given thanks for are more wonderful than we could ever know.

And in a million years time, if we are still here, we will be discovering layers of complexity and beauty about them that we thought impossible, but this will still be the best explanation for them. Fearfully, wonderfully. Made. The first thing that Million and Lily are teaching us this morning is that there is a creator. The second thing that we can learn from them though, is how to approach god.

In 1 of the gospels, we've had 1 read from John, but there's another 3 Matthew Mark and Luke. In Matthew chapter 18, we come across this amazing scene where Jesus interacts with a child. Have a look at this reading on the screen. At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He called a little child to him and placed the child among them, and he said, truly, I tell you unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Now, if you know anything about the gospels, you'll know that Jesus' followers, the disciples were often confused about greatness. They thought to be great meant to be strong and religious and well thought after and intelligent. They thought it was tied up with their status before other people. But Jesus turns the tables on them in this moment.

While they're speaking, he brings in a little child. And at this time, they were thought to be of very little value. They were on the outskirts and the margins of society. It wasn't like today. You wouldn't go to them for anything.

And Jesus says, unless you are converted, unless you change and become like this little child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. But why does he use a little child as an example? Why not use something else? Well, because a little child is a pick of neediness. I mean, we saw that.

Didn't we? We looked at Lily and Millie earlier on. We can tell instinctively that they need their parents for everything. Was Lily able to dress herself this morning No. Was she able to change her nappy?

No. Was she able to cook her own breakfast? No. Did she make it here by herself? No.

She needs mom and dad, Dan and Lauren, Daryl and Marie, they need them for everything. And that is what it is like to be a follower of Jesus. Often we have a very inflated view of ourselves, We imagine that we are good enough for God, that we don't need God, that we are strong enough without God. That we are capable without god, that we are smart enough to navigate life without god. But in reality, the opposite is true.

We are weak. Broken, sinful people who are deluded in many, many ways and we need this god for everything. And according to Jesus, If we don't see that, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. You see, that was the real problem with the pharisees in the bible. They were the kind of religious elites.

The pharisees thought themselves to be very important, very self sufficient. They had a super inflated view of themselves, but when Jesus stepped on the scene and started teaching, they realized that in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, they would have to get in line behind the prostitutes and the tax collectors. They had to become humble like little children. And that is still the big reason that people stay out of the kingdom today. Can't trust the Bible?

No. Not enough evidence. No, no. It's pride. We will not be convert we will not be converted.

We will not change and become like a little child and realize we need god for everything. And so as we look at these helpless babies today, and give thanks for them as we should. Let's also learn from them. We shouldn't be childish in our thinking, hear me on that. We shouldn't be childish in our thinking.

Being a Christian doesn't mean that you don't think or reason. Doesn't mean that you abandon your intellect and adopt the way of thinking that a child would have. That kind of childishness is not encouraged What Jesus is saying is that we should be like children in our self assessment. Knowing ourselves to be in need. As we look at them, and their utter dependence upon their parents, They are teaching us that that's what it's like to know god.

That's the second thing. Thirdly, and lastly, we can learn what it is like again to know God. Statistically, What do you think is the most common first word for a baby? According to all the statistics, and it's pretty clear. The most common first word for a baby.

Who said, Dada? That's right. Sorry, mums. According to the telegraph I was reading this week, Dada beats mama as the most common first spoken word according to the survey, which also found 95 percent of parents remember their child's first word and the most common age for children to start speaking is between 10 and 11 months. So, dada, dada, right at the top of the list.

Mama is up there, to be fair, no is pretty high. That's 1 of the very first words they learn no. Our son Caleb has certainly developed that ability in the past month or so. Cat is not far behind. But according to the stats, Millie and Lily, I don't know if this is true of Millie and Lily are most likely to say Dada before anything else.

And even that word without wishing to overstate it, even that word, that first word is like a little sermon, telling us what it is like to know God. The Bible says in Romans chapter 8, The spirit that you receive does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again, rather the spirit you receive brought about your adoption to sonship and by him we cry abba father. And those are 2 very different words. You've got the more formal word father But first, Abba even sounds like Dada, doesn't it? Abba father?

1 dictionary says, that that word is used as the term of tender endearment by a beloved child, I. E. In an affectionate dependent relationship with their father, daddy, papa. And can I say that? That is uniquely Christian.

This is not just a god we're talking about or an almighty or a lord of some kind. A Christian can call God father, dad. It speaks of intimacy and security and relationship. 1 Christian writer called JI Packer summarizes the Christian message like this, What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is 1 who has god as father.

Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better. Than our grasp of adoption. But then he goes on. But cannot this be said of every person Christian or not emphatically, no. Sunshine to god is not a universal status upon which everyone enters by natural birth but a supernatural gift which 1 receives through receiving Jesus.

The gift of sonship to god becomes ours, not through being born. But through being born again. And really, that is the beating heart of the Christian message. Turning from our own sins, trusting Jesus Christ as our Savior and being born into the family of god. Here's how the Bible puts it, and now we have arrived back at our original reading.

Jesus came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him yet to all who did receive him to those who believed in his name He gave the right to become children of god. By nature, that is not something that we deserve. Is it? Because truth be told you and I, we have all acted like stroppy teenagers We have stormed out of the house, we have slammed the door in god's face, and we have wished he was dead. We have lived in his world, and we have put our headphones on trying to drown out any sound or thought of him.

In that way, we have sinned against god We have incurred his anger and we will face it 1 day unless we receive and believe in the name of Jesus. The Bible tells us that god so loved the world that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life. It tells us that god demonstrated his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. It is staggering to think what Christianity is actually teaching. We had it in the reading that just over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ god himself became like 1 of those babies as we looked at them.

He was like that 1 day. He became a man. Came to this world. In order to die for you and for me, to give his own precious life on a cross dying for our sins, taking that very same punishment that we deserved and then bursting out of the tomb, leaving death dead and sin paid for so that if you will say, lord, living lord, thank you. Forgive me.

He will gladly give you the right to become a son or daughter of god. When Lily and Millie grow up, We pray that that will be true for them. But today, it could be true for you. Even this morning. So when we look at these babies, we learn that there is a creator.

We learn how we should approach god, but we should also listen to them. Because statistically their very first word will be a kind of invitation to us. Turn to Jesus, and you will know God as dad. The only question is Are we gonna say no and and clutch hold of our pride? Or will we become like these children and trust completely in Christ.

Let's bow our heads and have a moment of quiet. Perhaps you'd like to Think about anything that we've heard from God's word today, and then I'll lead us in a prayer. Father, we thank you that as we gather here today, and we give thanks for Lily and Millie, we do indeed want to thank you. We thank you that you have known them from all eternity, that you carefully crafted them and have knitted them together and have known them and set your love upon them that you have brought them safely into this world. And father, thank you that as we looked at them even this morning, they were in a sense preaching to us.

They were our first sermon. They were telling us that there is a creator who made them They were teaching us something about what it is like to know you and we pray that each 1 of us here might put aside our pride and become like them recognizing that we need you, our father, for everything. And we thank you that that first word which they may speak, tells us what it is like to know you as our heavenly father and dad, the 1 who loves to adopt us into his family. We thank you for sending your own precious son in order to make that a reality for us. That if we will repent and turn of our sins and trust in him his death and resurrection for us, if we will call out to him as lord.

Then we can be born again into your family, how kind and gracious you have been to us. We thank you in Jesus' name. Oh, man.