Little animals (Pro.30; S.Sol.2:15) The discipline of little children Today: good things about little people –Not only do parents teach their children, but children teach their parents –Nu :1-3; v.31; Dt.1:39

I Jesus Used Little Children To Teach Object Lessons 1.Mt.18:2,3,4,5, little children (6-7) 2.Mt.19:13-14, little children 3.Jn.13:33, little children 4.1 Jn.2:1, little children –Nine times in 1 John

II We Must Become Little Children Jn.1:12 Jn.3:3-5 –Water –Water = baptism. Ga.3:26-27 –Spirit –Spirit =revelation. Ac.2:…37-41

III We Must Not Become Little Children In 1.Spiritual immaturity and its consequences 1.Spiritual immaturity and its consequences, 1 Co.3:1-3 2.Childish behavior 2.Childish behavior, 1 Co.13:11 3.Gullibility 3.Gullibility, Ep.4:14 4.Ignorance 4.Ignorance, Hb.5:12

IV We Must Become Little Children In Humility 1. Humility, Mk.9:33-37 –33, Jesus asks them a question! –34, when they thought He wasn’t listening, they talked freely –35, competition w. brethren is sinful, and unwise. The way up is down –36-37, a little child was a non-citizen, the lowest of the lowly, yet...

Malice 2. Malice, evil, maliciousness; ill-will –1 Co.5:8 MaliceMalice is a vicious disposition of mind, a “hateful feeling” WickednessWickedness is the active exercise of malice –1 Co.14:20, a father (4:15) to children: “Go ahead and act like babies, if you want to, in freedom from malice, but in common sense, try to act like grownups!”“Go ahead and act like babies, if you want to, in freedom from malice, but in common sense, try to act like grownups!”

Purity 3. Purity, 1 Co.7:14 –Paradox: an unbeliever who is sanctified –Husband or wife becomes a Christian; must s/he leave the unbelieving mate? No! –The unbeliever may be influenced by the believer (he is in daily contact w. saintly conduct)

If anyone denies this conclusion… –Paul argues from children to parents childholyThe child of this union is holy holy marriageholyIf holy, then it is produced from a marriage that is holy must not be dissolvedIf the marriage is holy, it must not be dissolved 2 Co.7:12 Co.7:1 –Bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God –Bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God (ESV) –Salvation depends on it (Hb.12:14)

Imitation, Ep.5:1 4. Imitation, Ep.5:1 love –Imitate His love, Mt.5:43-48 Sonship implies likeness No likeness = no sonship light –Imitate His light, Ph.2:15 Our words and our actions attract people to the light of God 3 Jn.11 –Do not imitate Diotrephes –Avoid some examples

Obedience 5. Obedience, Ep.6:1-3 –Children obey and honor (revere, respect) –Children of God also obey and honor PhariseesNot as Pharisees (Mt. 15:8) citizensNot as some citizens (1 Pt. 2:17)

Dependence 6. Dependence. 1 Tim.5:8 –Mt.18:…25 –Mt.15:26 “The faith of a child” – “The faith of a child” No passage says it

Mk.10:15 comes close We usually think the babe must receive kingdom as an adult Jesus reverses it: the child sets the pattern for the man!Jesus reverses it: the child sets the pattern for the man! Mt.11:25 teachable, humble; free of prejudice and stubborn- ness –Babies are: teachable, humble; free of prejudice and stubborn- ness trust, hope –Babies: trust, hope

Growth 7. Growth, 2 Tim.1:3; 3:14-15 –Timothy, a little boy, learned his letters, words, sentences, para- graphs in Bible –Look at him now! (Ac.13-14…16)

From birth to maturity Birth 1. Birth, 1 Pt.1:22-23 (= v.3) –Instrument: Word of God Bond 2. Bond, 1 Pt.1:22-23 –Physical babies bond w. mother, then father and siblings –Some spiritual babies do not bond with: FatherFather BrothersBrothers

Elimination 3. Elimination, 1 Pt.2:1 –Therefore –Therefore... –Laying aside –Laying aside... repeats the point True love does not act unseemly Nourishment milk 4. Nourishment, 1 Pt.2:2-3 (milk) milk –In 1 Co.3:2 and Hb.5:12-14, milk rebukes those who remained babies Corinthians had not eliminated bad attitudes that Peter describes (v.1)

The new birth produces changes the word eagerly and frequentlyEven the mature crave spiritual milk (the word, 1:23, 25) like a baby craves milk: eagerly and frequently DesireDesire: to have a strong desire for, w. implication of need. Ps.42:1; 119:131 –Our spiritual appetite should be as strong as a baby’s natural appetite! –Hungry babies don’t have to be told to drink their milk TastedTasted: To hear Word is to hear Lord