When Silence is Golden
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Child Dedication
Child Dedication
CHILD DEDICATION
The Bridge Church
Sunday, June 9, 2019
In just a couple of moments, I will be calling upon several parents to come forward in order to dedicate themselves and their child to Christ. I want to remind us that child dedication boldly declares three foundational truths about the human condition.
1. That these children are precious to God, their lives are sacred because they are created in God's image to have the capacity of personally relating to Him.
2. In spite of the innocent beauty of these children, we recognize that they are sinners. We’re all born that way.
“For I was born a sinner, yes since my mother conceived me” (NLT)
3. Child dedication recognizes & declares that Jesus is the rescuer. Jesus invited the little children to come because He knew, better than anyone else did, that they needed Him, too.
“There is salvation in no one else!
God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (NLT)
Let’s Welcome the families to the stage!
H
Lincoln Tillery…………………………………..Qadree & Jessica
Tobias Elliot Dykes…………………………….Zac & Kate
Wesley James Kauffman……………………..Matt & Jeri
Alivia Grosso………………………………….. Dan & Sara O’Brien
Josiah Timothy Franks………………………..Tim & Jessica
Jayce Andrew Daniel Franks………………….Tim & Jessica
Madelynn Paige Franks………………………..Tim & Jessica
Alex Steven Porter Jr. ………………………….Tim & Jessica
Salvatore Joseph Spinelli………………………Brittany & Joe Spinelli
Harper Ann Hanna……………………………….Ryan & Sara Hanna
Aimyaiah Coleman……………………………….
Violette Newman…………………………………
Why do we do child dedications at The Bridge Church?
Thanksgiving Boxes
1. The basis of dedicating children to the Lord can be found in the Old Testament and continues throughout the rest of the Bible.
“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” (NLT)
These verses establish a basic foundation for a Christian home.
o God’s design for the home involves a life of faith and
a lifestyle that honors Him.
o Raising our children to know & honor God involves a commitment from each parent.
o Knowing God should impact our everyday lives.
2. The precedent for the ceremony of baby dedication may be found in multiple biblical examples:
o The presentation of Samuel by Hannah
o Even Jesus was presented by Joseph and Mary.
o Paul reminded Timothy that "from a child" he had known the sacred Scriptures.
o Jesus considered "the little ones" infinitely precious, and he said "Permit the children to come to Me, do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
THE COVENANT OF PARENTS
If it’s your intention to present you child to the Lord, and to pledge yourselves to "bring your child up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord," Pastor Aaron will ask each of you in unison to respond with “we do” to the following promises:
1. Do you recognize your child as the gift of God, and give heartfelt thanks for God's blessing?
2. Do you dedicate your child to the Lord who gave him or her to you?
3. Do you promise as parents to raise your child(ren) to demonstrate the character of Jesus (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control)?
4. Do you ask God's blessings upon your child's life, to guide, guard, and direct your child through all his or her years?
THE PRAYER OF DEDICATION
As an act of dedication, Pastor Aaron (or another pastor) will ask you to please repeat the prayer of dedication after them.
"Lord Jesus,-- we present our child to you, -- believing in your loving care, -- and with the prayer -- that our child(ren) -- would one day respond -- to the work of your Spirit -- to bring him/her -- to trust in Jesus as Savior."
Thanksgiving Boxes
-you’ve got the list, boxes will be in Lobby. Make sure you sign before you take...
Work is still happening on the A.C. We can celebrate the 4ton units
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My wife and sister & law, Joanna seem to have this superpower. NOISE doesn’t bother them.
kids screaming...
dogs barking...
horns honking...
tv on in one room...
music playing in the other...
kids screaming...
babies crying...
feet apparently attempting to break through the wooden slabs on the stair case...
did I mention kids screaming?
Oh and then there’s alarm’s blaring…my wife can lieterally lay in bed while the alarm is going bah bah bah…
I try so hard to let it not bother me, but it gets to me and I sit up and I’m like do you hear that? She’s like, “what?” “THAT!!!!”
And then there’s a tea pot whistling…my sister in law puts water on to boil and then she’s talking on the phone and it starts to whistle…and she’s still talking on the phone...
look at her… she smiles and waves...
And I say, “do you hear that?” She’s like “what?” I’m like that! That loud whistle!!
And she goes, “oh yeah, that’s just for tea...”
And I’m like “uh…turn it off!!!!!”
So I don’t get it. They have this gift. I think it’s a superpower. I just don’t have it. I can’t drown out the noise.
It’s hard to find silence in a world full of distractions.
It’s hard to find silence in a world full of distractions.
A physician named Luke described a scene in which Jesus is at a home visiting his close friends, Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus.
She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said.
But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”
The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things,
Singer/Songwriter and Poet Meg Hutchinson recently said,
“My next record should be 45 minutes of silence because that’s what we’re missing most in society.
JAB 3
I agree with her…and if it’s not
loud sirens...
loud machines or
loud voices
loud children screaming at the top of their lungs...
it’s T.V. or radio personalities...
it’s someone’s or everyone’s social media posts...
it’s netflix or hulu and pretty soon Disney Plus...
it’s other people’s opinions...
it’s good things that are keeping us from great things and ultimately drowning out the voice of God.
In a world full of loud noises and voices it is important to remember there is a time for silence.
In a world full of loud noises and voices it is important to remember there is a time for silence.
There’s an ancient story found in The Bible about a Priest named Aaron. It’s a sad story with a profound lesson. There’s a whole lot to unpack in this story concerning Israel, God’s character, and the role of the priesthood in the Old Testament, but I don’t want to focus on those things this morning. I want to focus on four words that are incredibly relevant to the world we live in today.
Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his own firepan, put fire in it, placed incense on it, and presented unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them to do.
Then fire came from the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.
Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has spoken: I will demonstrate my holiness to those who are near me, and I will reveal my glory before all the people.” And Aaron remained silent.
Imagine the noise.
Imagine the noise.
Aaron just lost two of his four sons because of their unwise decision to disobey God and irreverently approach Him.
Aaron still had responsibilities to look after. Aaron still had two other sons performing priestly duties. Imagine his concern. Imagine the fear. Imagine the worry!
Aaron’s brother came to him and started quoting Scripture!
Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has spoken: I will demonstrate my holiness to those who are near me, and I will reveal my glory before all the people.” And Aaron remained silent.
Have you ever been struggling to drown out the noise? Have you ever been barely keeping your head above water and someone comes along and says, “Well, you know the Bible says...” And ya just wanna smack em...
I mean, you know their heart. You know they probably mean well.
You know what they’re saying is true.
But the noise! It’s too loud!
You’re hurting.
You’re confused.
You’re angry.
You’re in shock.
You’re distracted.
You’re wandering aimlessly.
You’re lost.
And all you want to do is fight back!
And all you want to do is retort with bible verses of your own.
And all you want to do is lash out with your words like a piercing sword...
And while being bombarded with the all raucous noises of life, Aaron remained silent.
Imagine the emotions coarsing through Aaron’s veins!
In the heat of the moment Aaron remained silent.
There’s a time for silence. One of the greatest lifehacks God has given us that can improve the quality of your life today is this...
In the heat of the moment, choose to remain silent.
It’s wise to choose silence in the heat of the moment.
It’s wise to choose silence in the heat of the moment.
It’s hard to be silent when you’re hurt...
It’s hard to be silent when you’re angry...
It’s hard to be silent when someone says something to you that you don’t want to hear or that you’re just not ready to hear...
It’s hard to be silent when someone disappoints us...
It’s hard to be silent when life disappoints...
It’s hard to be silent when we disagree with someone’s point of view...
It’s hard to be silent when we feel God has let us down...
It’s hard to be silent when you think you know better than your parents or your boss...
But there’s a time for silence!
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he got up, went out, and made his way to a deserted place; and there he was praying.
Jesus knew better than anyone the noise of life’s disappointments...
Jesus was well acquainted the noise of life’s betrayals and burdens...
Jesus wasn’t a stranger to the angry voices of the self-righteous or the immature voices of the self-centered...
He knew that in the midst of all the noises and all the voices he needed to choose a quiet place where he could focus on the voice of God.
And Aaron’s story shows us that it’s possible for us too, to choose silence when we want to add to the noise.
Silence is wise in the heat of the moment because it allows God to soothe the soul.
6 Reasons to choose silence in the heat of the moment.
1. Choose silence to demonstrate faith in God.
Faith is often expressed in words through prayer & praise but it’s also exhibited wordlessly through silence.
In the heat of the moment we most often wield our mouths like swords and slash wildly without thought of where they might land or what damage they might do. We may even pick up our mouths like a sledgehammer and pound them down on whatever is in our path ultimately bringing pain and regret…but there’s a better way.
There’s a story about a time when Israel was scared and began to wonder loudly where God was and why God had led them to this point only to face certain defeat. Their leader, Moses said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Stand firm and see God’s salvation.” He continued with these powerful words, “The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet.”
In the heat of the moment, Aaron remained silent. Perhaps out of shock, but either way it was a wise move that allowed the voice to calm his soul and direct his next steps.
2. Choose silence as an expression of worship to God.
Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
Scripture is full of phrases like “Be silent before the Lord...” That’s the silence of worship. BEfore the Lord. THere are times to speak, but there are also times to simply recognize that He is God in Heaven and I am here on earth, so I’ll let my words be few.
George Whitefield once recorded in his journal that
“God was pleased to pour into my soul the feelings of love, joy, humility…that I could at last only pour out my heart before him in silence. I was so full that I could not speak...”
Worshiping God in silence may occur this way when your heart like Whitefield’s is so full taht words can’t express your love for Him.
BUt think of Aaron. When he remained silent. He must have felt just the opposite. Not full, but empty, depleted, confused…at times we all feel like that, so passionless that any words might seem hypocritical.
And so he remained silent. HE worshipped in silence.
3. Choose silence to regain perspective.
In the heat of the moment things can seem unfair, our closest friends and family can feel like enemies, life can seem meaningless…but choosing to remain silent can help us refocus and recenter our minds on a picture that’s bigger than our current situation.
4. Choose silence to seek the will of God.
Jesus did this.
During those days he went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God. When daylight came, he summoned his disciples, and he chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles:
He went to the Father and specifically asked for direction and the next day chose 12 disciples.
5. Choose silence to to be physically & spiritually restored.
He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
Life can be so busy!
Life can be extremely brutal.
But we can find soul rest when we choose to remain silent.
6. Choose silence to exercise control of your words.
We talked in detail about this last week, but this is so important. Even a fool is considered wise when he holds his tongue!
Prepare for the heat of the moment by developing the skill of silence.
Like any skill, it takes practice. So practice silence before game time!