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A few weeks ago, I spoke in a chapel at a day school in Leander, Texas. According to Luke 15:10, the angels in heaven were rejoicing that morning as I watched seven children give their lives to Jesus! Praise the Lord!
My message was on authentic worship, and we defined worship as an allocation of value that is celebrated and adored. Although it is an unpopular thought, we actually worship many things. It is ok to assign value and adoration to people, places, and belongings! There is nothing wrong with celebrating and adoring family and friends; we value education, food, and many other beautiful things. The problem develops when we allow them to take precedence over God and His plans for our lives. God must remain the apex of our worship! "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). To illustrate this idea to the children, I pulled several potential idols out of my bag: an Xbox controller, a baby doll, a TV remote, an iPhone, etc. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with these things, they become sinful idols if they interfere with my love for God and are prioritized over Him. By the way, I Googled, “how many hours people spend on their phone daily," and I was shocked that people are staring at their devices on average for 5.4 hours a day. Perhaps these devices have become idols of worship.
I explained the gospel of Jesus Christ to the children and highlighted the sin of man and our need for a savior (Romans 3:23; 6:23). "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). I asked the kids if they heard God’s voice and sensed a call to surrender and give their lives to Him. Four children looked up, confirming their decision to accept Jesus. After clarifying their desire to trust Jesus and carefully reiterating the gospel, three more children joined them. A total of seven children were now standing, indicating a decision to transfer their trust to Jesus.
Later that morning, I asked the seven kids, one by one, about their decision. One boy said, "I give Jesus my toys, my bed, my games, my food, my life, well... I give Jesus everything." I think this kid personified what Jesus meant when he said: "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). Saving faith is so simple, but unfortunately, many fail to place their faith in Him. "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Do you have child-like faith? Trust in Him today!
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