"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is one of the most read all-time classic children's books. I don't really know this to be a fact...but it has lasted since I was a child until now reading it my children. So with that being the case, I'd say that it is. While our kids seem to enjoy the book, does it hold deeper life lessons that we can take away from it?
If you recall the story, there was a caterpillar who had a hunger that could never be satisfied. He crawled around eating anything he could find. He ate healthy fruits like apples, pears, and strawberries. But he also ate junk like cake, ice cream, and pie. In his attempt to fulfill his desire, he was consuming everything in sight. Many of us have gone through similar stages where we pursued the next girl, the next drink, the next high, or the next big deal. But often, we found that it wasn't fulfilling and we still chased on to the "next" again.
But one day, that all changed for the caterpillar. He no longer felt that intense hunger and he no longer had to crawl around on the ground searching for food. He had changed and become a completely new creature! He was now set apart from the bugs that are forced to crawl on the ground. Once this change took place, his true purpose became crystal clear. He was not created to stay a caterpillar - he was destined to fly!
Set Apart
In this world of trying to fit in and the have more followers, friends, or likes - what does it really mean to be set apart? 1 Corinthians 6 sheds some light on the subject.
Vs. 9-11: Don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God's kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God's kingdom. And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
A couple weeks ago, we studied about how God is holy, set apart - on a totally different level, than everything and everyone else. But God is not the only one who is holy. When he calls us his children, we too are to become holy and set apart. When we come to Christ, BOOM, everything changes! We are now set apart and free from sin.
Paul described three things that happen when we come to Christ:
1. We are washed, cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ.
2. We are sanctified, set apart by God and declared holy.
3. We are justified, considered righteous because the righteousness of Christ is attributed to us.
And the best part, that's just the beginning! Justification is a one-time event, but sanctification is a daily process and continues throughout our lives.
Set Free
Freedom - we all want it, we all desire it, we all love it. And with the lockdowns and restrictions that we have been under recently, I think many of us have learned that we have actually been taking it for granted.
V. 12: "Everything is permissible for me," but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me," but I will not be mastered by anything.
The Corinthians Paul was addressing has misinterpreted the freedom they had been given. Christ has set us free from sin, not to sin. He was breaking the bond sin had on our lives, not becoming our get of jail free card. For Christians, the question should never come down to whether something is lawful or right, but rather if it is beneficial.
The people then were confused with the Gnostic belief that what they did with their bodies had no impact on their spirit. They believed that the only thing that mattered was their spiritual beliefs and not their physical actions. But we know how intertwined our bodies, mind, and spirit truly are. When we get physically sick, we're more irritable and don't think as clearly. When we are mentally or emotionally exhausted, it begins to impact our attitude and even our physical health.
"We cannot separate body and spirit. Our physical bodies belong just as much to Christ as our spirits do." And now I feel bad for having that bowl of ice cream last night...even if it was a kiddie bowl.
Set Up
Vs. 18-20: Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God with your body.
When Paul says to flee from sexual immorality (and all sin), he doesn't mean just casually stroll away. Flee means to run, get the heck out of dodge, and to do it now. For the generation who was raised when spankings were still normal, flee like the school called today and Dad just got home and you need to find Mom to be an agent of grace and mercy.
Because that's the other part of fleeing - where do we run to? If we run from sin aimlessly, we will likely wander into another mess or end up right back where we started. When we turn from sin, we should run directly towards Christ. Practical step - if you're in a bad situation, start praying, call a mentor, go to the church, get your Bible out. Do whatever you can to bring God into the situation.
It also helps us resist temptation and sin to remember the price that God paid for us. The writer of this week's lesson shared this: "We take better care of things when we pay a lot of money for them. Many of us spend weeks, even months, selecting a house and securing a way to buy it. On the other hand, we buy a snack at the convenience store without much thought. On an infinitely greater scale, God chose to purchase you and me and it cost Him greatly; the death of His Son. We are wise to take special care of what belongs to God."
You think you're worthless? Look at your price tag! My dad has always taught me that an object is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. God paid the price of His Son. There are a lot of people in this world that I like and some I love. But let me be clear, I am not sacrificing my child for any of you. I'd sacrifice myself for my kids, but I'm not giving them up. Now do you see your value the way God does?
Closing
We were never designed to remain caterpillars. God has created us, designed us, and set us apart to be something far greater. But the only way we break out of the cocoon, the dark, lonely, difficult place, is by continuing in the process. The caterpillar didn't become a butterfly by building the cocoon or by even just getting in the cocoon. The caterpillar became a butterfly by staying in the cocoon. He built the strength to fly by struggling to break free from what he was trapped in. If we never go through the trials, we never fully develop the strength we need to fly. The process may often be difficult, it may often feel lonely, but it will always be worth it.
If you recall the story, there was a caterpillar who had a hunger that could never be satisfied. He crawled around eating anything he could find. He ate healthy fruits like apples, pears, and strawberries. But he also ate junk like cake, ice cream, and pie. In his attempt to fulfill his desire, he was consuming everything in sight. Many of us have gone through similar stages where we pursued the next girl, the next drink, the next high, or the next big deal. But often, we found that it wasn't fulfilling and we still chased on to the "next" again.
But one day, that all changed for the caterpillar. He no longer felt that intense hunger and he no longer had to crawl around on the ground searching for food. He had changed and become a completely new creature! He was now set apart from the bugs that are forced to crawl on the ground. Once this change took place, his true purpose became crystal clear. He was not created to stay a caterpillar - he was destined to fly!
Set Apart
In this world of trying to fit in and the have more followers, friends, or likes - what does it really mean to be set apart? 1 Corinthians 6 sheds some light on the subject.
Vs. 9-11: Don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God's kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God's kingdom. And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
A couple weeks ago, we studied about how God is holy, set apart - on a totally different level, than everything and everyone else. But God is not the only one who is holy. When he calls us his children, we too are to become holy and set apart. When we come to Christ, BOOM, everything changes! We are now set apart and free from sin.
Paul described three things that happen when we come to Christ:
1. We are washed, cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ.
2. We are sanctified, set apart by God and declared holy.
3. We are justified, considered righteous because the righteousness of Christ is attributed to us.
And the best part, that's just the beginning! Justification is a one-time event, but sanctification is a daily process and continues throughout our lives.
Set Free
Freedom - we all want it, we all desire it, we all love it. And with the lockdowns and restrictions that we have been under recently, I think many of us have learned that we have actually been taking it for granted.
V. 12: "Everything is permissible for me," but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me," but I will not be mastered by anything.
The Corinthians Paul was addressing has misinterpreted the freedom they had been given. Christ has set us free from sin, not to sin. He was breaking the bond sin had on our lives, not becoming our get of jail free card. For Christians, the question should never come down to whether something is lawful or right, but rather if it is beneficial.
The people then were confused with the Gnostic belief that what they did with their bodies had no impact on their spirit. They believed that the only thing that mattered was their spiritual beliefs and not their physical actions. But we know how intertwined our bodies, mind, and spirit truly are. When we get physically sick, we're more irritable and don't think as clearly. When we are mentally or emotionally exhausted, it begins to impact our attitude and even our physical health.
"We cannot separate body and spirit. Our physical bodies belong just as much to Christ as our spirits do." And now I feel bad for having that bowl of ice cream last night...even if it was a kiddie bowl.
Set Up
Vs. 18-20: Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body. Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God with your body.
When Paul says to flee from sexual immorality (and all sin), he doesn't mean just casually stroll away. Flee means to run, get the heck out of dodge, and to do it now. For the generation who was raised when spankings were still normal, flee like the school called today and Dad just got home and you need to find Mom to be an agent of grace and mercy.
Because that's the other part of fleeing - where do we run to? If we run from sin aimlessly, we will likely wander into another mess or end up right back where we started. When we turn from sin, we should run directly towards Christ. Practical step - if you're in a bad situation, start praying, call a mentor, go to the church, get your Bible out. Do whatever you can to bring God into the situation.
It also helps us resist temptation and sin to remember the price that God paid for us. The writer of this week's lesson shared this: "We take better care of things when we pay a lot of money for them. Many of us spend weeks, even months, selecting a house and securing a way to buy it. On the other hand, we buy a snack at the convenience store without much thought. On an infinitely greater scale, God chose to purchase you and me and it cost Him greatly; the death of His Son. We are wise to take special care of what belongs to God."
You think you're worthless? Look at your price tag! My dad has always taught me that an object is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. God paid the price of His Son. There are a lot of people in this world that I like and some I love. But let me be clear, I am not sacrificing my child for any of you. I'd sacrifice myself for my kids, but I'm not giving them up. Now do you see your value the way God does?
Closing
We were never designed to remain caterpillars. God has created us, designed us, and set us apart to be something far greater. But the only way we break out of the cocoon, the dark, lonely, difficult place, is by continuing in the process. The caterpillar didn't become a butterfly by building the cocoon or by even just getting in the cocoon. The caterpillar became a butterfly by staying in the cocoon. He built the strength to fly by struggling to break free from what he was trapped in. If we never go through the trials, we never fully develop the strength we need to fly. The process may often be difficult, it may often feel lonely, but it will always be worth it.
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