The Lamb, A Child and A Kingdom
The Lamb, a Child, and the Kingdom
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Min. Brooke Gillum
Matthew 6:25-33 (ESV) “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Unexpected Provision
Small in status, central in the Kingdom
Matthew 18: 1-4 (NLT) “About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” 2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
The Kingdom of heaven is not like the kingdoms of this world. It’s not about human power and status like it is down here. To enter you must die to yourself, pick up your cross, and walk in humility before God.
Luke 22:25-27 (NLT) “Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 26 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.”
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
The Least in Society: Children in Biblical Times
They were under authority and not admired.
Mark 10:13-16 (NLT) “One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering Him.14 When Jesus saw what was happening, He was angry with His disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 16 Then he took the children in His arms and placed His hands on their heads and blessed them.
You don’t come into God’s Kingdom with pride, status, or self-importance—you come low and humble just as a child. Its not thinking low of yourself, its thinking less of yourself
Jesus took the most overlooked person in the room and made them a model of greatness.
Turn and Become:
Turn=changing direction, shift your way of thinking, inner/outer reversal.
Turning also includes repenting. We know that to enter into Gods Kingdom we must first repent of our sins, we were going down the road of destruction but we must turn onto the road of righteousness
Luke 13:3 “…and you will perish too, unless you repent of your sins and TURN to God”
Matthew 3:2 “Repent of your sins and TURN to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
2 Chronicles 7:14 “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and TURN from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”
Become=inward transformation, heart change, renewal.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV) “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
In order to become you must also let go
Ephesians 4:22-23(NLT) “throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirt renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God-truly righteous and holy.”
1 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT) “And I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.”
Peace in His Arms
Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT) “You will keep in perfect all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” 4 Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.”
When things feel out control- trust Him
When anxiety rises-trust Him
When you don’t have all the answers-trust Him
Walk by Faith
Nature of a Child:
C-Cling [Psalm 63:8]
H-Humble [1 Peter 5:6
I-Imitation [Ephesians 5:1]
L-Lowly [Proverbs 29:23]
D-Dependence [John 15:5]
Jesus embodied what He preached. Our King in all His sovereign glory chose lowliness, serving instead of being served, dependency and total trust in the Father. He is our perfect example.
He never told us that our goal was to be the most powerful or impressive but to become like a child: trusting, dependent, humble, lowly, honest, forgiving, not keeping score, affectionate, not overly stressed out about the future and quick to run to their parents.
As adults we can be so quick to try to hide our mistakes so we don’t look bad in front of others, we boost ourselves up and try to glamorize our life when in reality we are faking it till we make it.
Psalm 51:6 (ESV) “But You desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.”
Humility
Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV) “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Psalm 25:9 (ESV) “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.”
John 3:30 (ESV) “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV) “Do nothing nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Servanthood:
Matthew 20:28 (NIV) “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 9:33-37 (NLT) “After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked His disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” 34 But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to Him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”36 Then He put a little child among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf[a] welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”
Matthew 18:2 “Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. “
Mark 9:36 “Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms….”
Mark 10:16 “Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.”
Jesus truly loves the little children.
The Lamb is the Greatest of all
The One who told us to become like children, chose to be known as a lamb.
Revelations 7:17 (ESV) “For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” – the Lamb is also our Shephard! We really got it made good
1 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV) “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
Exodus 12:6-7 (NLT) “Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. 7 They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal.
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.
Jesus wasn’t weak; He was willing
John 1:29 (ESV) “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Revelations 5 “Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” 14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
The Lamb is no longer slain-He reigns forever!
His strength is not diminished by His gentleness; it is revealed through it.
His scars do not reveal weakness- they are the reason He is worthy to open the scroll.
He is the definition of greatness and worthy to be praised!
You are a child of God
The One who laid down His life as the Lamb made a way for us to be redeemed to God—as His children. How beautiful that the victory of the Lamb was not just accomplished, but accomplished for us, so that we might be called sons and daughters of God.
1 John 3:8-10 (NLT) “But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So, they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”
John 1:12-13 (NLT) “But to all who believed him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”
Child of God
Galatians 3:26 (NLT) “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
A child of God has a desire to live a life that pleases the Father
Your old sinful nature is replaced with a new nature - a new identity
We have access to the throne of grace
We have eternity in heaven guaranteed – Jesus paid your entry fee!
We have a Helper
Lavished with grace
Co-heirs with Christ
Agape; a love that is: unconditional, sacrificial, initiating, steadfast, perfect, forgiving
Agape love is God choosing to give Himself for us so that we can belong to Him.
The Spirit Confirms it
Romans 8:14-16 (NLT) “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children
Galatians 4:6-7 (NLT) “And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir”
Entering the Kingdom
Jesus shows us that the way we enter is not through strength and being the greatest on earth, but through surrender and humility
To become like a child is to lay down the need to be seen, to be first, to be in control—and to trust the Father instead. And from that place of humility, we don’t strive for greatness—we become servants, just like the Lamb who gave His life.
The Beatitudes
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,[b] for they will be satisfied.7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Greatness is not about rank; it’s about humility and dependency
