S4 E7 - A Drawing for Jesus

My son went flying past me with a piece of paper he looked proud of. When I asked him what he had there, he said it was a drawing for Jesus that he planned to give to him when he saw him in heaven. Doesn't that just melt your heart? It's not about the picture (which was amazing by the way, it was a bunch of crowns) - it's about the heart behind it. 

Before the throne of God in John's Revelation, the 24 elders cast down their very crowns at the foot of the Almighty. But in reality, they presented the same gift to God as my son: they gave their everything. The question that remains for us is this: are we willing and ready to do the same? Because that's all God truly wants from us, the only gift that matters, our heart. 

#SetYourMindAbovePodcast

Transcript

What if I told you that God could be seen in the most ordinary things every day? 

What if I told you that every day, ordinary events could teach us extraordinary eternal truths?

Would you believe me? 

 Welcome back to season 4 of the Set Your Mind Above Podcast! My name is BJ Sipe, and I am a Christian, a preacher, a husband, and a father. And I’m excited to share a few moments together with you learning some important lessons from the simplest things. Thanks for tuning in! 

Thanks for your patience as the podcast never did finally drop last week. Between the gospel meeting that week, a sick kiddo, and then me getting pretty sick as well it got a little crazy over here. Although, I’ve got to say, I’m really glad it got postponed – because after something happened last Saturday morning, I completely scrapped what I was originally going to record and have a different podcast for you. So, one of the daily occurrences that I absolutely love as a parent is getting home from work and seeing all of the different drawings that my kids have made over the day. They love their crafts, but they especially love making different notes and pictures for others. Nearly every time we are going somewhere – be it worship, someone’s home, anywhere really that we know people where it is we’re going – my kids have pictures ready to give to someone they’ve drawn for them. Our nightstands and our refrigerator are revolving doors of different pictures each day. But that morning, oh man does that morning take the cake. I had just gotten the kids down from breakfast and was enjoying my third cup of coffee when Dane comes running past me with a piece of paper. “What’cha got there, son?” I asked. I was not prepared for his answer back to me. “I drew this picture for Jesus. I’ll give it to him when I get to heaven,” and off he scampered towards his room. This was one of those proud dad moments, I’ve gotta tell you, and this picture I absolutely had to see. I followed him into his room and saw the picture he had placed on his nightstand. I couldn’t quite make out what it was supposed to be, but it was a bunch of the same basic shape drawn over and over again. I asked him what it was, and he told me they were crowns. Love it – very fitting for the King of kings. We went about the rest of our day and the picture came up a couple more times. The first one was hilarious. Dane had gotten into trouble for something and Kylie had sent him to his room. When she went in to talk to him, she had moved the picture from the edge of the bed so she could sit down and talk to him when he goes, “Be careful! That’s for Jesus!” Obviously, this picture was very important to him. Alright, fast forward to that evening as he is going to bed. I tuck him in and look down at the picture still placed neatly on his nightstand next to his bed. As I told him goodnight, I looked at him and said, “Son, what made you want to draw a picture for Jesus today?” “Well,” he said with his little voice, “It’s just, I don’t get to see him that often, so I wanted to draw a picture for him.” Now if that’s not the most precious thing you’ve ever heard, I don’t know what is. I had half a mind to ask him when was the last time he saw Jesus, but I decided not to ruin the sweet moment. Out of the mouth of babes – he just wanted to draw Jesus a picture because he loved him. He has every intention of presenting Jesus with his crowns the moment he gets to heaven. 

As I closed his bedroom door and made my way back down the hall, the throne scene of God recorded in the Revelation of John flooded my mind. It is a lengthy reading, but I believe it is well worth our time. The text begins in chapter 4 and vv. 2: “Immediately I was in the Spirit, and there was a throne in heaven and someone was seated on it. The one seated there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald surrounded the throne. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white clothes, with golden crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder came from the throne. Seven fiery torches were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. Something like a sea of glass, similar to crystal, was also before the throne. Four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back were around the throne on each side. The first living creature was like a lion; the second living creature was like an ox; the third living creature had a face like a man; and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings; they were covered with eyes around and inside. Day and night they never stop, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come. Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one seated on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the one seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne and say, Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you have created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.” 
 
 There is so much that we could focus on in this text, but for the purposes of this podcast I just want you to draw your attention to the response of those who surrounded God’s throne, particularly the 24 elders. They did not stand before the presence of God, proud of their position or glorying in such a wonderful honor. They fell down on their faces before the throne, and they cast down at his feet their most prized possession: the very crowns upon their heads. As they approach the presence of the almighty, they cannot help but present him with all they have: all their praise, all their honor, all the glory, and all they possess. 
 
 This all left me wondering…what will I give to Jesus? What am I ready and willing to give to him? As I ask this question, your initial thought might be much like my own: what could I possibly give to him that would mean anything? He is the creator of all things, is he supposed to be impressed by me presenting parts of his creation back to him? I thought more about my son and what he was so proud of drawing for Jesus, and I thought about why these pictures mean so much to me. It’s not about the picture, is it? It’s about the heart behind it. That my son wants day in and day out to present me with the best that he can do for no other reason simply than that he loves me, and he wanted to do the same for Jesus. 

Friends, is this not exactly what the Lord is looking for from you and me? When asked what was the greatest commandment by an expert of the law, Jesus would teach in Matthew 22:37 the following: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command.” In Romans 12:1, Paul would write, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.” My friends, Jesus wants the same thing from us all: he wants our heart. He wants us to be moved in love to fall down at his feet and hold nothing back from him in our lives. Perhaps I have no golden crown to lay down at the foot Jesus. I have no lofty piece of art, no song to sing, and no talent to showcase. I have no gold, frankincense, or myrrh like that of the wise men who honored Jesus as his birth. But in fact, I can present before the throne of my Savior the very same gift that the 24 elders and my son have prepared for him: and that is my everything.

This has been the Set Your Mind Above Podcast, season 4 episode 7 – and I’m so thankful that you decided to tune in today! A new episode is dropped most Fridays, so be sure to listen in again next week! Also, if you’re able to, go ahead and like and subscribe to the podcast, as well as share it with someone else – it would help me greatly in trying to reach others. And more than anything, always remember the following: know that I love you, that God loves you, and may we all each and every day set our minds above.