Thank you. Turn with me now, if you would,
to 2 Corinthians chapter 11. 2 Corinthians chapter 11. I feel led to bring a message
tonight specifically to our children. Very specifically to our children.
We've done this a couple of times. And I feel led to do it again.
We are not having our Bible classes, our Sunday school classes right
now. It's been a while since the kids
have been able to be in their classes, so I feel led. to bring
a message tonight that I pray will be on their level. And I
understand we have a lot of different levels here, but I pray that
this will be understandable to all of the children, on the level
and understandable to all of the children. If it is, I believe
it'll be even that much more of a blessing to us adults. If
the Lord will truly make it understandable to a child, then I believe he'll
bless it to us. But let's read verse three together. 2 Corinthians 11, verse three. It says, but I fear, lest by
any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so
your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ. Now, kids, I want you to remember
two words tonight, all right? I want you to remember this,
these two words. Adults, I want you to remember
the same two words, but specifically, I'm addressing the kids, okay? Kids, I want you to remember
these two words. In Christ. All right, those two
words. In Christ. Can you remember that? In Christ. It is very important
that you remember those two words. In Christ. I'm gonna tell you why it's important. In this message, I'm gonna tell
you why it's important. And then I'm gonna try to really
explain to you so that you can understand. It'll help you understand
what it means. What does that mean? In Christ. So you can really understand
what it means. I'm gonna tell you why being
in Christ is important. And then I'm gonna try to really
explain to you what being in Christ means. We're gonna read
a few verses, and I know that some of these verses are gonna
be a little over some of our heads. But my prayer is that
the Lord will plant a seed. That's my prayer now and throughout
this ministry. I pray that the Lord will plant
a seed, he says. And one day, I pray he'll reveal
to you what these verses mean. Truly reveal it. All right, now
why is it important to be in Christ? Why is it important to
be in Christ? First, let's turn over to 2 Timothy
3. 2nd Timothy 3. And let's read verse 15 together. 2nd Timothy 3, verse 15. It says, and that from a child
thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise
unto salvation, through faith, which is in Christ Jesus." Did
you see those two words? In Christ. In Christ. That from a child thou hast known
the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation. through faith, which is in Christ
Jesus. This is why it's so important
to be in Christ. It's because all salvation is
in Christ. All salvation. We all need to
be saved from the punishment for our sin. I hope we all know
that we all need to be saved. I hope even the children know
that we all need to be saved from the punishment for our sin.
Just like whenever you're disobedient to your parents, you have to
be punished for it, right? When you're disobedient, you
have to be punished for it. Well, we have all been disobedient
to God. All of us. We've all been disobedient
and God has to punish us for that. God has to punish us. When you disobey punishment comes,
that's what happens. If you disobey punishment comes. Well, we have all disobeyed all
of us. We've all disobeyed God. What
that means is God has to punish us. That's a fearful thought,
isn't it? Just that thought, that's a fearful
thought. We've all disobeyed God. Is it fearful if you disobey
your parents and you know you're gonna get in trouble for it?
You're gonna be punished for it. Well, we've disobeyed God. And God has to punish us for
that. And God's punishment is very severe. Very severe. But listen to this, all right?
There is one place where we can be saved from that punishment. There's one place where we can
be saved. One place that we can be where
the punishment will not come to us. It will not. And do you
know where that is? Two words. In Christ. In Christ. Alright, turn with me over to
Romans chapter 8. Romans 8 verse 1, it says, There is therefore now no condemnation
to them which are in Christ. In Christ. In Christ Jesus. No condemnation. That means no
judgment. No punishment. No punishment. None. Where? In Christ. In Christ. It is very important
to be in Christ. We adults realize that. We take
this so seriously. It's why we are here time and
time again to hear about Christ and being in Christ. It's so
important to be in Christ. It is the only place of safety. It is the only place that a sinner
against God can be and be safe. It's the only place. The only
place to be saved in Christ. Now why is that? Why is there
safety in Christ? Why is that? Turn with me over
to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians 2 verse 13, and I'm
going to read these verses here, and I understand that these can
be a little hard to comprehend, a little hard to understand,
but let's read these and we'll try to see if the Lord will open
it up to us. It says, but now in Christ Jesus,
in Christ, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ." We've heard of Christ dying for His people. Christ shedding His blood, giving
His blood for His people. Why did He do that? Well, He
did that to bring those who had sinned against God bring them
back to God and pay their punishment for them, pay their debt for
them. Verse 13 says, but now in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes
were far off are made nigh, you're brought back by the blood of
Christ, for He is our peace. He is our peace. Who hath made
both one, who are the both? Him and the one who's in Him. He'd made both one and He's broken
down the middle wall of partition between us. Having abolished
in His flesh the enmity. That's that rebellion. That's
that disobedience. Even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances for to make in himself of twain one
new man. So making peace, that means he
united himself with us and he united us with him. And we're
going to see that he suffered for us, suffered with us for
us. that we might have peace with
Him. Verse 16, and that He might reconcile both unto God in one
body by the cross. That's why He died on the cross.
That's why He gave His body, why He gave His blood. It was
to make peace back with God. That He might reconcile both
unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity there
by all that rebellion. and came and preached peace to
you which were far off and to them that were nigh. For through
Him, through Christ, we both have access by one Spirit unto
the Father. I know that's hard to understand,
but this is what it means. It means we are safe in Christ. That's what it means. It means
He protected us from our punishment. The punishment that we were owed
because we did the disobeying. We were owed that punishment.
We were supposed to get that punishment, but He took it for
us. He gave Himself and He gave His life protecting us from our
own punishment. He protected us from our own
punishment. Had He not taken that, had He not taken our punishment,
then we would have to take it ourself. But because He took
it for us, we're safe. Totally safe. All right, now
here's what He did. Turn with me over to Philippians
chapter 2. Here's what He did, and here's
the result of what He did. Philippians 2, verse 5, it says, Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought
it not robbery to be equal with God." The Lord Jesus Christ is
God. He's God. Equal with the Father. But it says, He made Himself
of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant and
was made in the likeness of men. He left heaven. He left heaven. All of the perfect place of heaven. He left His throne and He came
down here to where we were. Down here into our trouble. We
were down here in trouble. He took upon Him the form of
a servant and He was made in the likeness of men. Verse 8
says, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself. He didn't have to do this. We were the ones who were owed
the punishment. We were the disobedient ones. But he willingly humbled
himself and he became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross. He put himself in the place of his people. Now
verse 9 says, Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and
given him a name which is above every name, that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things
in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. Because He did that for us, God
the Father has highly exalted Him above everything that is,
every person that is, every name that is. All glory goes to Him
because of what He did willingly. He sacrificially, He sacrificed
Himself. He gave Himself. Therefore, all
glory from the Father, all glory from heaven, all glory from his
people is given to him. Every knee bows, every tongue
confesses. Now in salvation or later in
judgment, but every knee, every tongue, he is Lord. He's Lord
for what he's done. So do we see why it's so important
to be in Christ? Do we see that? That is the only
place that we can be safe. That's the only place. All salvation
is in Christ. All right, now, let me ask you
a question. Christ saved people, didn't He? He saved sinners. You know He saved sinners, those
who disobeyed. Here's a question. Did He save
everybody? Did He save everybody? Did God
choose to save all people? I want you to turn with me to
Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians 1 verse 3, it says,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places,
look at those last two words, in Christ, according as He hath
chosen us in Him. Did God choose to save everybody?
No, God chose to save the people who are in Christ. That's who God chose to save.
the people who are in Christ. Turn with me over to John 17.
John 17. All right, verse one, it says,
these words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,
father, the hour is come. Glorify thy son, that thy son
also may glorify thee as thou has given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal life. That means that he should
save. that he should give eternal life to as many as thou has given
him, whoever the father gave to him. Look down at verse nine. He said, I pray for them. I pray not for the world. But
for them which thou hast given me, they are thine." Every person
that the Father gave to the Lord Jesus Christ and put in the Lord
Jesus Christ, that's who He chose to save, all right? That's who
Christ saved. Here's another question. Does God love everybody? Turn with me over to Romans chapter
8. It's a blessing in my heart that
these kids are shaking their heads in the right way. Romans 8, verse 38. Romans 8, verse 38. It says, I am persuaded that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord." It's in Christ. Where is God's love? Who does God love? Here's the
answer. The people who are in Christ. That's it. That's where salvation
is. That's who God chose to save,
the people who are in Christ, all right? So do we see how important
it is to be in the Lord Jesus Christ? Now, I wanna try to explain to
you what it means to be in Christ. We've seen that it's very important.
It's very important. I want to try to explain to you
what it means. As you hear that, have you ever
wondered, what does that mean? What does it mean to be in Christ?
Here's a story that will show us what it means to be in His
safety, in His salvation, in His choice, in His love. I believe most of you have heard
this story before. I believe most all of you have
heard this story before. But I'm going to tell it to you
again because this very plainly tells us what it means to be
in His salvation. Okay? This will explain what
it means to be in Christ. A long time ago, a long time
ago, there was a one-room schoolhouse. And what that means is all the
kids, they went to school in the same room. They didn't have
different grades. They were all in the same room. And they had all different ages
and all different sizes of kids, all in there together. And there
was this real big kid in there named Big Johnny. Everybody called
him Big Johnny. And one day when lunchtime came,
Big Johnny realized that his lunch had been stolen. So Big Johnny went up to the
teacher and he was very upset about this. He was very mad about
it. He went up to the teacher and he said, somebody stole my
lunch and I want to find out who it is and I want them to
be punished for it. That's not right. It's not right
to steal somebody's lunch. And I want to know who it is,
and I want them to be punished. So the teacher said, all right,
you're right, that's wrong. That's wrong, you can't do that.
You can't steal somebody's lunch and eat somebody else's lunch.
So the teacher said, we're going to find out who it is. I'm going
to ask questions, I'm going to question the kids, and we're
going to find out who it is. But the teacher said, before
we find out who it is, we're going to need to establish what
the punishment will be. What are we going to do? The
teacher said, Johnny, the crime was committed against you. So why don't you establish the
punishment, Johnny? Whatever you say the punishment
ought to be, then that's what we'll do. Johnny said, OK. Whoever it is, I want them to
have to come up to the front of the class. and I want them
to get 10 licks across the back with your rod, teacher." The teacher said, well, that's
a pretty steep punishment. 10 licks with my rod across the
back? Well, that's a pretty steep punishment,
but okay. That's gonna be what it is. 10
licks across the back with my rod. So the teacher started asking
all the kids questions until the teacher found out who did
it. Teacher found out who stole Big Johnny's lunch. It turned
out to be the smallest, scrawniest kid in the class. His name was
Little Billy, just small. Little Billy, he was the one
that took Johnny's lunch. The teacher said, did you really
do it, Billy? Did you really do that? And Billy
said, yes, I did. The teacher said, why, Billy?
Why would you steal Johnny's lunch? Why would you steal somebody
else's lunch? Why would you do that? Billy
said, it's because we don't have any food at my house. And I haven't eaten in days.
And he said, I was so hungry. I just had to. I was just so
hungry. I've had nothing. And the teacher said, well, stealing
is not the answer. That's not the answer to that.
And the teacher said, take your coat off. You're going to have
to come up here and get your legs. So Billy took his coat
off, and when he did, everybody could see that he was just skin
and bones. He's just nothing there. And
it was clear that he was telling the truth. He hadn't eaten. He
was so, so starving, just so scrawny and just so frail. The teacher said, come on up.
As he was walking up to the front of the class, Big Johnny's heart
went out to him. Big Johnny was sitting there
looking at this kid. And his heart went out to him. He felt
so sorry for him. And he said, it's OK, teacher.
He said, no, no, it's OK. I don't mind that he stole my
lunch. It's all right. He doesn't have to take the legs.
And the teacher said, yes, he does, Johnny. Yes, he does. A crime is a crime. He should not have committed
a crime. That's not the answer. And he said, a crime has to be
punished. Well, Billy walked on up past
Johnny, and Johnny saw his rib bones, just how small he was.
And Johnny said, please, teacher, please don't do it. Please don't
do it. The teacher said, Johnny, crimes
cannot go unpunished. They just can't. The judgment that you gave, Johnny,
that's the judgment that's going to be dealt. That's what's going
to come to little Billy. So little Billy got to the front
of the class and he put both of his hands on the teacher's
desk. And the teacher raised the rod up in the air and Johnny
cried, wait! And big Johnny got up from his
desk and he came to the front of the class and big Johnny wrapped
his arms around him, wrapped his whole body around him. Wrapped
around him so far you couldn't even see little Billy anymore.
And with little Billy tucked safely up inside of Big Johnny,
Big Johnny said, OK, teacher, give him his legs. One, two, three, four, five. They hurt. Oh, they hurt. Big Johnny cried. Suffering the
pain of those licks. When it was all over, little
Billy came out from under big Johnny. And the teacher said,
OK Billy, you're free to go. Do you see how little Billy was
saved from his own punishment? You see that? It was his own
punishment and he was saved from it in Big Johnny. He got his
punishment in Big Johnny. That teacher was punishing Billy,
punishing Billy in Big Johnny. Do you understand that? Big Johnny was the one who was
willing to suffer that punishment for Billy. And do you see how it was not
Billy's love for Johnny, but Johnny's love for Billy that
saved him? Do you see how Billy didn't come
to Johnny? Johnny left his place and he
came to Billy where he was in his trouble. Johnny was the one who chose
to do that for Billy. That's how it is for every person
who is in Christ. The only way we can be saved
from our own punishment is by being in Christ. God's choice and God's love to
us is in Christ. Now I want us to understand this.
Did Billy put himself in Johnny? Or did Johnny put Billy there? Johnny put Billy there. If any
person is going to be in Christ, God has to put the person there.
God has to do that. That has to be God's willing
choice and work. And if God puts a person there,
that person will know that God has put him there because God
will give that person a love for. And God will give that person
thankfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ. How do you think little
Billy felt about big Johnny? How do you think he felt about
him? Don't you know he loved him? Don't you know he wanted
to be wherever he was? Can't you see him following him
wherever he went? Can't you hear him constantly
saying, thank you, Johnny. Thank you. Thank you for what
you did for me. Thank you. That's all we say. Thank you. Thank you for what
you did for me. Thank you for putting me in you.
Thank you for suffering my pain and my punishment and the torture,
the beating, the wrath. Thank you. All of God's people
just want to follow Christ wherever He is. They just want to be with
Him wherever He is. Do you think little Billy went
around telling everybody else at school, well I helped big
Johnny do that. You think that's what he did?
No, this is what he told everybody. He loved me and he came to me
where I was and he wrapped himself around me. He put himself in
my place for a crime that I committed against him. And he took all my suffering
and all my punishment for me. And now it's over and I'm free
to go. Totally free to go. That's exactly
what we say about the Lord Jesus Christ. We didn't help him do
anything. He loved us. He came to us. He put himself in our place and
he suffered all our punishment for him, for us. And in him,
we're free. In him we're free. What that's
called is faith in Christ. That's what it's called. If God
gives us that heart to say that, that's called faith in Christ.
This is my prayer for each one of you. I pray God will put that
in you. Pray God will put it there. I
pray God will give you a love for Christ. I pray God will give
you a thankfulness for Christ. Your parents have you here because
they love Christ and they love you. And I pray that the Lord
will give you the same love that He's given to your parents. If
He does, if He gives you a love for Him and a desire to be with
Him, then that's the evidence that He has put you in Him. That's
the evidence that He has. So, now you know why it's important. And hopefully you understand
a little bit about what it means to be in Christ, all right? Remember those two words, in
Christ. Let's close this message with
this verse of scripture. Go with me over to 1 Peter 5. First Peter 5, look at the last
line of verse 14. It says, Peace be with you all
that are in Christ Jesus. May God's grace and God's peace
be given to you children. I pray it is. I pray it is. In
the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 14 says, Amen. All right, Brother Eddie, you
come bring a closing hymn.