TITLE: So Easy a Child Could Do It:

TOPIC: The Easy Burden of Simplicity

TEXT: Matt 11:25, 19:14

THEME: Christ makes following Him simple enough for a child to understand

Cosmonaut Gherman Titov

He let it be known that on his excursion into space he had not seen God

Three American Astronauts

They opened the pages of Genesis and read for the world to hear, “In the beginning God created

the heavens and the earth.”

How can two people sharing a similar experience and

witnessing the same evidence come to two entirely different

positions?

How can two people sharing a similar experience and

witnessing the same evidence come to two entirely different

positions?

It is not a matter of intelligence or of evidence

Matthew 11:25

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Matthew 19:14

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Why is childlike faith the criteria God uses to save us?

I. Because evidence alone is inadequate (Matthew 11:20-24)

Atheist Daniel Dennett

”People of all faiths consider it demeaning to ask God tough questions…Christianity is addicted to a blind faith.”

Sam Harris

“Faith is nothing more than the license religious people give one another to keep believing when reason fails.”

Sam Harris

“Tell a devout Christian that his wife is cheating on him…and his is likely to require as much evidence as anyone else, and to be persuaded only to the extent that you give it to him. Tell him that the book he keeps by his bed was written by an invisible deity who will punish him with fire for eternity if he fails to accept every incredible claim about the universe, and he seems to require no evidence whatsoever.”

Matt 11:20-24

20 “Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Matt 11:20-24

22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Jesus gave to these people more than enough evidence to

persuade them of who he is

Jesus gave to these people more than enough evidence to

persuade them of who he is

The problem is he did not fit their paradigm of what the Messiah was to be like. They had different expectations and criteria before they would accept him.

A. We can never know everything

A. We can never know everything

Even the expert in a given field is an amateur outside his field of expertise.

B. Our presuppositions shape how we interpret the evidence.

Naturalism

It teaches that everything must have a naturalistic explanation therefore; miracles, prophecies and the resurrection are all musings and beliefs of an unenlightened culture. The biblical and historical evidence that supports Jesus’s claims is discarded because of their gird of reality does not include the supernatural.

Christianity starts by assuming the existence of God

Proverbs 1 “ 7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Genesis 1:1

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” This simple affirmation is an appropriate start for scriptures.

Notice:

• It does not begin with a defense for the existence of God- It simply assumes His existence.

Notice:

• It does not begin with a defense for the existence of God- It simply assumes His existence.

• It states that there is a beginning and everything that has a beginning must have a Cause- God is there at the beginning and is the cause of the beginning.

Notice:

• It does not begin with a defense for the existence of God- It simply assumes His existence.

• It states that there is a beginning and everything that has a beginning must have a Cause- God is there at the beginning and is the cause of the beginning.

• It states that God supersedes nature and may act outside its laws.

Notice:

• It does not begin with a defense for the existence of God- It simply assumes His existence.

• It states that there is a beginning and everything that has a beginning must have a Cause- God is there at the beginning and is the cause of the beginning.

• It states that God supersedes nature and may act outside its laws.

• It does not start off with a statement about man- it fact it argues that man is His creation.

C. We can be easily deceived.

Jeremiah 17:9

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

D. We do not want to believe in God

Psalm 14:

1 The fool says in his heart,

“There is no God.”

They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;

there is no one who does good.

Psalm 14

2 The LORD looks down from heaven

on all mankind

to see if there are any who understand,

any who seek God.

3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;

there is no one who does good,

not even one.

Why is childlike faith the criteria God uses to save us?

II. Because other approaches depend on our abilities (I

Corinthians 1:26-27)

I Corinthians 1:26-27

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

I Corinthians 2:7-8

• “No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

I Corinthians 2:18-19

• “18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

• “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; • the intelligence of the intelligent I will

frustrate.”

A. We cannot achieve the requirements apart from faith.

Hebrews 11:6

“6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Ephesians 2:8-10

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

B. Our efforts lead to pride.

I Corinthians 1:28

“God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.”

I Corinthians 8:1

• “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge. But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.”

C. God opposes the proud.

James 4:6

• “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:5

• “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Genesis 3

• The great lie Satan used to deceive is that God does not have your best interest in mind in acting on your desire you will be like God. Nothing has changed. Pride continues to deceive into believing that we know better than God and in doing so find ourselves in the wrong side.

Albert Einstein

"I'm not an atheist. I don't think I can call myself a pantheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written.

Albert Einstein

The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books, but doesn't know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God. We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws, but only dimly understand these laws."

III. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to follow him

Why is childlike faith the criteria God uses to save us?

III. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to follow him

A. Salvation is available to more than the:

III. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to follow him

A. Salvation is available to more than the:

a. Strong

III. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to follow him

A. Salvation is available to more than the:

a. Strong

b. Intelligent

III. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to follow him

A. Salvation is available to more than the:

a. Strong

b. Intelligent

c. Beautiful

III. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to follow him

A. Salvation is available to more than the:

a. Strong

b. Intelligent

c. Beautiful

d. Influential

III. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to follow him

A. Salvation is available to more than the:

a. Strong

b. Intelligent

c. Beautiful

d. Influential

e. Good

III. He wants everyone to have the opportunity to follow him

A. Salvation is available to more than the:

a. Strong

b. Intelligent

c. Beautiful

d. Influential

e. Good

B. Salvation is available to everyone.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

APPLICATION

1. The essence of our faith is so simple even the simple can understand and accept it. Don’t make it complicated

APPLICATION

2. We must begin with God. It changes how you approached reality.

APPLICATION

3. Don’t be intimidated in your faith because someone is smarter or louder, and more dogmatic. Jesus calls you to a childlike faith that they cannot accept because of their pride. God will not speak to those who will not hear.

APPLICATION

.

4. Rejoice that Jesus has made himself known to you.

John Polkinghorne

The simple man said, "Ah, I'm not sure if it's a rope or a python tail, but it's my only chance, so I'm grabbing it and holding on with my whole life." He was saved.