Preciou s S e e ds Children Dedication www.esyf.org
Children Dedication JESUS BLESSES LITTLE CHILDREN Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them -- Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these -- When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there (NIV) Matthew 19:13-15 A service whereby anything is dedicated or consecrated to the service of God, to consecrate, to devote, to appoint for any use or purpose, God's purpose. In other words a presentation of your child to God, is an act of thankfulness and faith, a petition for the divine blessings of God to mark or designate your child to the ways (path) of God. Dedication is adoration to God. Recognition and dependency of God. The children are the recipients (the ones that receive in the dedication). Anything that is consecration is holy to the Lord. Leviticus 27:28 But nothing that a man owns and devotes to the Lord whether man or animal or family land may be sold or redeemed ; everything so devoted is most holy to the Lord (NIV) What happens when you make decision to dedicate your child to the Lord: 1. You bring your child before the presence of God to recognize that He is the giver of life and thank him for the precious gift you have received. 2. Recognizing that as representatives of God in your home you are responsible to provide all the elements required for your child to grow in wisdom, in stature and grace in the eyes of God and men. 3. You invoke blessings and protection from God over your children. All this, in one word, is called: COMMITMENT You make a commitment before God and the congregation, to raise your child in the way of the Lord. BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF CHILD PRESENTATION Hanna s vows and dedication of Samuel: 1. 1 Samuel 1:11, 20-22 And she made a vow, saying, O LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head. So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel saying, Because I asked the LORD 1
Children Dedication for him. When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow, 22 Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before of the LORD, and he will live there always. (NIV) IT WAS THE COSTUME OF THE JEWISH MOTHERS TO BRING THEIR S ONS TO THE RABI TO BE BLESSED. 2. In the New Testament we read that Jesus was presented when he was eight days old. Luke 2:21-23, 38-40 On the eight day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord. (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord ). Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew, and became strong; he was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him (NIV) CHILDREN ARE A GIFT FROM GOD Psalm 127:3-5 Sons are a heritage from the Lord; children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gates (NIV) GOD'S COMMANDS TO PARENTS ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN: RESPONSIBILITIES FOR FATHERS AND MOTHERS Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it (NIV) Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. ( NIV ) Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring then up in the training and instruction of the Lord (NIV) PROMISES FROM GOD WHEN FOLLOWING HIS C O M M A N D M E N T S C O N C E R N I N G YO U R CHILDREN: 2
Children Dedication Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul (NIV) Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it (NIV) Psalm 103:17 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children's children (NIV) WHY NOT BAPTIZE YOUR CHILD IN WATER It is our duty to tell you why as believers we do not practice the water baptism with infants: 1. A c c o r d i n g t o t h e N e w Testament, the candidate at time of baptism should have repented of all his/her sins. Acts 2:38 Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (NIV) 2. Have believed in Jesus Christ Mark 16:15 He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (NIV) 3. These requirements cannot be met unless you are old enough to comprehend these conditions. 1 Peter 3:21 And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (NIV) God's word indicates that an individual must understand (be conscious), to comprehend these principles. For this reason we present the children to the Lord, and we do not baptize infants. OUR COMMITMENT AS A CHURCH (CONGREGATION) Our Children's Ministry is a spiritual aid in the life of your child. Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers (NIV) PRAYER OF CONFESSION OVER YOUR CHILDREN We recognize our responsibility to educate, teach and exhort our children in the respect and obedience of God's Word We compromise, and will do all effort, to provide proper direction and instruction and to create the necessary enviroment in order our son/daughter will develop a disciplined and correct life and that the Holy Spirit will nurse them with the Word of God, interceding over our children and that their souls will prosper in statue, wisdom and God's grace In the name of the Lord, Amen. 3
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