A Precious Gift From God

[0:00] Well, good morning, everyone. We're honored to be here this morning as we take part in this dedication service for Brayden Lee Leger.

[0:11] He was born November the 1st, 2018. And so we're going to be spending just a few moments in God's Word this morning as we take a little bit of time to look at what God has to say about children, about what children are, and that they are a precious gift from God.

[0:32] We're going to begin this morning in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 44 and verse number 2 this morning. And we know that children truly are a wonderful thing.

[0:45] They're precious to behold. Isaiah 44, too, is not so much about children, but it's about it's showing that God knew us and that we're all special from even before we are born.

[1:01] God understands us. God knows us. God forms us. And so that's what we're going to be looking at for just the next few moments. Babies are special, and they will change your life forever in so many different ways.

[1:19] For sure, your sleep patterns and also your budget. Before we pray with these parents this morning, let's just look at a few things.

[1:32] And the first thing that we see and that we'll look at is that children are of God. We know that from God's Word, as we mentioned in Isaiah chapter 44 and verse number 2.

[1:50] The Bible says, Thus says the Lord, who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you? Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, for you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

[2:03] So what he is saying to Jacob is that God knew him, that whatever he had planned for him, God had prepared him for that very task, and that God not only knew him, but God formed him while he was still in the womb, before he was born, while he was being carried by his mother.

[2:27] And so that is important for us to understand. We know that if we listen to modern thought that a child is just a mass of cells.

[2:38] Now we see that somewhat changing within the medical community, and to some degree they are admitting that there is life prior to birth, and that it is in fact a human being.

[2:54] And we see that in the enactment of certain laws where there can be homicide, charges against someone if they harm a woman who is pregnant.

[3:08] And so we're seeing that partially change, but depending upon which group you listen to, there are still those who try to say it's not a human being until it's born.

[3:18] But we know that God says, and he says to Jacob here, I knew you, I formed you, and you were wonderfully made while still in the womb.

[3:30] We read several accounts from God's Word where he knew us, he knew you before you were ever born, which tells me that you are someone before conception is made even.

[3:46] God knew you, and God knew me, even before we were ever conceived. God understood and God knew exactly who we were going to be, what we were going to look like, and what his call upon our life was going to be.

[4:03] And so while the debate continues over whether or not a child is a human being, whether you are or not, you become somebody when God knows you.

[4:15] Think about that. You are somebody when God knows you. And he told Jacob, I knew you when you were in the womb. I knew you before you were ever born. Not only does he know you, but he also forms us.

[4:29] God is the one who has initiated that creation process, that creative process where life begins. He made Brayden exactly how he wanted him to be.

[4:42] He determined his birth date. It came as a surprise, but God was not surprised by that. He knew exactly. He determined his eye color, determined his hair color, determined the tone of his skin, the pitch of his voice.

[5:01] And we know that every baby looks different, and God has made babies beautiful in different ways. And so we appreciate what God has made.

[5:12] We know that children are of God. We see that in Isaiah 44, verse number 2. And we know, secondly, from God's Word, that children are also a gift.

[5:29] They are a gift from God. They are a gift from God that have come with instructions. They're in God's Word. That's how we look to see how God wants us to teach, to raise, and to train our children.

[5:46] You know, there are people, child psychologists, who don't like that word train, because they think, well, you know, you train a dog.

[5:57] You know, you train a seal, or you train whatever. You don't train children. Well, I beg to differ. Because part of teaching is training a child how you act in certain situations, how you respond in certain situations.

[6:16] And there are rewards when they are obedient, and there are some negative rewards when they are not obedient.

[6:30] And so we know that training and disciplining is part of life and part of training. But they are a precious gift from God.

[6:40] And what a precious gift they are. And it's a gift that needs not be taken for granted. Braden has been blessed.

[6:50] And Carrie and Kimberly have been blessed with a precious gift from God. So as we begin this morning with a charge, so Carrie and Kimberly, that's why it's important for you to be the parents that God has intended for you to be and called you to be.

[7:09] He trusted you enough to give you this new addition to your family. And so by doing that, and in doing that, keep him in an atmosphere of a loving father and a loving mother.

[7:25] Keep him in a place where he can know and learn to trust God. Keep him in church where one day he will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

[7:39] We know that children are a precious gift from God, but they also bring great responsibility. And I know you guys are up to the challenge.

[7:50] And we have to understand and make sure that we know that when God entrusts us with a gift, he expects us to take care of that gift. He expects us to invest in what he has provided us, just as in the gifts of the Spirit.

[8:05] He doesn't give them to us just for us to look at and adore and appreciate. He expects us to invest time. He expects us to invest resources and to return to him a return on his investment.

[8:19] And so that is the same with children as we teach and as we nurture and as we discipline and watch them grow. Children are precious.

[8:30] Children are a special gift from God. And we also know that children are grand.

[8:41] You know, it's a wonderful thing for us to be taking part in this. It's been said that the wonderful thing about grandkids is that you can love them and spoil them, but most importantly, you can return them.

[9:00] You know, it is always special to be able to spend time with them and to be able to be with them, to have them with you.

[9:11] But, you know, there's a time, the appointed time, you can return them and let the parents go back to the sleepless nights and the readjustment of their schedule.

[9:24] You can spoil them and feed them and load them with lots of sugar. When you hear grandpa say, it's time to go home, and then they're bouncing off the walls, right?

[9:36] Well, we try not to do that. But sometimes children, you will hear your own children say, mom, dad, who are you?

[9:49] And where were you when I was growing up, right? Because I had all these rules I had to live by. I couldn't eat sugar. I couldn't do this and I couldn't do that.

[10:01] And what happened? Did aliens come and replace you? Because now you give in to everything that our kids want. Well, you know, that's a grandparent's job.

[10:14] It's a parent's job to be the ones who are doing that. And I understand grandparents. There are times when we have to discipline too. There are times when we have to to take that parental role as well because it's all our responsibility.

[10:29] And especially in a family church like ours, sometimes it's the rest of the body of Christ job to say, hey, don't do that. Don't run in the hallway because you might run over someone.

[10:41] And you know what? We expect them to obey. That's just part of respecting your elders. And that's part of the family, the family of God, the body of Christ.

[10:52] And so children are also grand. And as we give this charge, we give this charge not only to the parents, not only Carrie and Kimberly, but also to grandparents as well.

[11:05] You know, they don't just learn about God at home. They can learn and ought to learn about God wherever they are in our home and to be good role models.

[11:17] For aunts and for uncles, the same thing. For cousins, the same way. You'll have, you who are older cousins, you have a responsibility as well to be a good role model to Braden.

[11:35] The rest of the body of Christ, church members, you know, we have the responsibility as well to be good role models, to be those who love God and who are taking part in praying for the family, praying for all those involved in the raising and the care and the nurturing of little Braden.

[11:59] And so it's a responsibility that we shouldn't take lightly. It's a responsibility, actually, that came long before any other institution because marriage and the family is one of the first institutions that God formed.

[12:18] After he formed Adam, he then formed Eve. And then he gave them that responsibility to fill and to replenish the earth or to fill the earth.

[12:29] And then again, after the flood, Noah, his family, was told, was given that responsibility. And so we know that it is a weighty responsibility.

[12:42] It is going to have its challenges. It's going to have its fun times. It's going, there are going to be memories that you will form and create as he is growing.

[12:56] But just remember, we understand that children are a gift from God. And they are precious. And yes, they are grand.

[13:07] And we need to remember that. In just a moment, what we're going to do is have the parents come up. We're going to have the grandparents come up. And we're going to take the time to pray with this family who are coming this morning to dedicate this child to be nurtured, to be raised in a loving, godly home, and with the nurture and admonition of the Lord to be one day, if the Lord tarries and waits that long, to be a godly young man who loves God, serves God, and who follow whatever God's call upon his life is, whatever that may be.

[13:58] And so we will be praying in just a moment. And not only will it be for the family, but it will also be for the rest of the body of Christ to take up the responsibility of praying for this family, praying for the rest of the body of Christ as we encourage and pray for one another.

[14:21] And I think the children are going to be coming back in as we get ready to have a word of prayer. So I would like to ask if the family would come up at this time. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[14:31] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.