“Jesus Loves The Little Children”
Matthew 18:1-6, 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16
INTRODUCTION: Tonight, we begin our Vacation Bible School!
This week, our church will be filled with the sounds of CHILDREN … laughing, crying, yelling, eating, praying, singing …
V.B.S. is always an exciting time. It takes a lot of work, preparation, money, praying & sacrifice. Is it WORTH it?
What did Jesus think about children? Maybe that should act as an example in our preparation for V.B.S. this morning.
Let’s take a look at 2 examples of Jesus dealing with children: Matthew 18:1-6, 19:13-15 – all turn.
Let’s FIRST look closely at 19:13-15.
1.- Children Were Brought To Jesus - 19:13
NOTICE that it doesn’t specifically that they were brought by their PARENTS … although that may have been the case with SOME of the children.
Not every parent is interested in the spiritual well-being of their children. As CHRISTIANS, we are to be sensitive to the spiritual needs of ALL children … not just our own.
Some parents:
o Don’t know Jesus … aren’t raising their children in a Christian home.
o Don’t care about the spiritual condition of their children … will drop them off at V.B.S. so we can “baby-sit” them … so they can have a night “free”.
o Don’t understand the importance of teaching them about Jesus. They want them to wait until they are old enough to decide for themselves about spiritual things … or go to church. YET … they don’t let them wait until they are old enough to decide for themselves if they should go to school, visit the dentist, or clean their room.
ILL.: A preacher wanted to show off his garden to a man who wouldn’t let his children attend church … he wanted them to wait until they were old enough to decide for themselves. When they walked into he garden, it was full of weeds, which were choking out his squash, beans & okra. The man said: “This is a pitiful excuse for a garden!” To which the preacher replied: “I just wanted to wait until the vegetables had a chance to decide for themselves what they wanted to do!”.
The children were brought to Jesus. That’s what Jesus wants YOU to do this week … He wants YOU to bring them to Him. If YOU don’t bring them, they might never come.
2.- Jesus Wanted To Bless Them – 19:13
It was a common thing in Bible times for people to bring children to a prophet or priest for them to bless their children … like a “Child Dedication Service”.
As a prophet of God, they wanted Jesus to pray for the child, to tell them how much God loved them, and give them a special blessing from God. They knew that Jesus was anointed by God, and wanted their children to share in God’s anointing.
Jesus has a special blessing He wants to share with the children this year at V.B.S. For some it might be to let them hear for the FIRST TIME that Jesus loves them. For others it might be that to let them experience a Christian environment … around those who love them and love Jesus. For others it might be to plant the seed of the gospel, that later will be ripe unto harvest. For still others, it might be to touch their heart to trust Jesus as their personal Savior.
I don’t know HOW Jesus is going to bless His children this week. BUT – I DO KNOW, that Jesus WANTS to bless the children.
3.- There Were Hindrances To The Children – 19:13
The Disciples rebuked those who brought the children to Jesus! They thought that Jesus was too important to mess with little children. They thought that they were a bother, a nuisance, trouble. “Can’t you see that Jesus is busy with more important things than children? He’s got work to do … leave Him alone! He’s busy teaching US … He doesn’t have time to waste on little kids!”
The Disciple tried to keep the children away from Jesus.
Sometimes, WITHOUT REALIZING IT, we provide HINDRANCES to the little children.
1.- The Hindrance Of Neglect – Children often get overlooked in ministry.
We have a tendency to view children differently:
o Some people may not prepare themselves in teaching their lessons … like we would if we were teaching adults. (tho not HERE!)
o Some people might treat Sunday School, Wednesday Night Youth & Children’s Church like a time to “occupy” the children to keep them from interfering with “adult” worship. (tho not HERE!)
o Some people might ignore the children of our church because they can’t contribute to the church … they are a liability and not an asset … an expense and not a source of revenue. (tho not HERE!)
Let’s not HINDER our children by NEGLECTING our children … Jesus didn’t!
2. The Hindrance Of Example – The Disciples sure weren’t being very good examples, WERE THEY?
BY EXAMPLE, they were teaching the little children that they weren’t important to Jesus.
What kind of LESSONS are we teaching our children … What kind of EXAMPLES are we … WHEN:
o We don’t bring our children to Sunday School … or V.B.S.?
o We only come to Sunday Morning Worship Service … occasionally … if nothing else comes up?
o The only thing they hear about Church is negative?
o They don’t see that Jesus is important in YOUR life?
The WORLD is full of HINDRANCES for our children … drugs, sex, violence, TV, movies, bad influences, peer pressure, etc. Let’s be a POSITIVE ENCOURAGEMENT to our children … not a HINDRANCE to them.
The Disciples didn’t want the children to come to Jesus.
4.- Jesus Teaches The Disciples Humility & Grace
The Disciples must have thought they were pretty important … MORE IMPORTANT than a group of children. They thought Jesus was more interested in THEM … after all, THEY were the ones who did all the IMPORTANT things … tithed, taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, m owed the grass, kept the nursery …
They thought they were more important to Jesus than the children … 18:1
Mark gives us a little more description of what had gone on – Mark 9:33-35
They thought they were pretty important … SURELY more important that CHILDREN! After all, they were ADULTS … and they could DO SO MUCH MORE than children could!
Jesus has a great LESSON to teach them … it’s a lesson of GRACE. Jesus’ love for you isn’t based on what you DO … it’s not based on PERFORMANCE … it’s not based on ACTIVITY. It’s based upon GRACE.
The Disciples were trying to out-do each other to earn favor with Jesus … so He would promote them to a high position when He set up His Kingdom on this earth. They were trying to EARN favor with God.
Sometimes we think that we DESERVE God’s blessing … DON’T WE? After all, look at what we do for Him! God owes us! “Look at me, God … see how great I am?”
Jesus then does something very HUMBLING for the Disciples benefit – 18:2
What had this child DONE to DESERVE the love of Jesus? Had he sacrificed to put money in the offering plate? Had he taught a Sunday School class … or practiced to sing the choir special?
NO! Jesus shows them a living picture of GRACE … unmerited favor. Jesus shows them LOVE for a little child who hadn’t DONE anything to EARN it. Jesus shows them what His GRACE is all about.
LISTEN to what Jesus says to them … 18:3-6
Jesus put them in their place … BENEATH the children! Jesus tells them: “You don’t receive THEM … you don’t receive ME!” (18:5)
THEN … Jesus talks about the HINDRANCES … 18:6
You thought they would have learned their lesson … 19:13
5.- Jesus Rebuked The Disciples – Mark 10:14 – all turn
“much displeased” – GK. – ‘moved with indignation’
The Disciples were saying: “Jesus doesn’t have time for your children … take them to McDonalds … they’re not welcome here … take them to somebody who cares!”
Jesus was livid, enraged, furious … like when He drove the money changers out of the Temple. He was NOT going to stand for this!
The Disciples had “rebuked” those who brought the children … Jesus “rebuked” them!
Jesus is telling us that … “The way you treat a child is the same way you are treating Me! Children are what the Kingdom of God is all about!”
What we are doing this week in V.B.S. … is about the Kingdom of God. It’s not just about songs … it’s not just about fun … it’s not just about your time … IT’S ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
When we INVEST in our children, we are investing in the Kingdom of God. AND … WHAT we invest in our children, we are investing in the Kingdom of God.
o 83% of those who come to know the Lord, do so before the age of 18.
o Only 17% are saved after age 18.
NOW you see why children were such a priority with JESUS … NOW, you see why children ought to be OUR priority!
Children are an INVESTMENT … an ETERNAL investment. Where will this church be 20 years from now if we don’t invest in our children TODAY?
o We invest in HOUSES that will get eaten by termites, burn, or blow away in a hurricane.
o We invest in CARS that will rust, break down, and get crushed for scrap metal.
o We invest in CLOTHES that go out of style, get too small, and we throw them away.
o I won’t be able to take my HOUSE with me to Heaven … I already have one there waiting for me.
o I won’t be able to take my CAR with me to Heaven … I will travel at the speed of thought.
o I won’t need any CLOTHES in Heaven … I will be clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
The things I spend my time and money on here on earth won’t mean SQUAT in Heaven. BUT … what we invest in our children this week in V.B.S. will count for ETERNITY.
CHILDREN are our HERITAGE … they are an ETERNAL investment. V.B.S. is an INVESTMENT in the Kingdom of God. We need to see the IMPORTANCE of that.
6.- Children Are An Example – Mark 10:15
“as a little child” … What CHARACTERISTIC is Jesus talking about here?
Jesus isn’t talking about their:
o Humility … children are full of pride & selfishness … just teach our Pre-school children 1 Sunday!
o Innocence … children can be quite devious … looking for trouble.
o Obedience … children aren’t the most obedient creatures known to man!
What is Jesus talking about? Jesus is talking about TRUST … children are very TRUSTING.
They have to TRUST adults for their very existence … their food, clothes, welfare, protection, education, etc. They are DEPENDENT on us.
As adults, we earn money, buy our needs & necessities, look to our talents & abilities. Children have to TRUST.
This is the EXAMPLE Jesus wants to give us here. How do you enter into the Kingdom of God? You have to TRUST Jesus … to do for you what you can’t do for yourself.
Children are powerless and dependent. That’s what God wants to see in us … our total DEPENDENCE on His POWER … to forgive us of our sins and give us eternal life. You can’t get to Heaven in your own strength … on your own goodness … in your own power.
7.- Jesus Blessed Them – Mark 10:16
Jesus loves children … He made them His top priority … He made them our example.
This is what we need to do this week in V.B.S. We need to do what Jesus did … take them into our arms and into our hearts … pray for them … and bless them with the best that we have to offer them.
Jesus blessed them with HIMSELF … we need to bless them this week by giving them Jesus. Only Jesus can bless them with eternal life … with a HOPE for the future … with a FAITH that will sustain them in times of troubles … with a PEACE that will calm them when they hit rough waters … with a LOVE that will embrace them for all eternity.
CONCLUSION:
What an OPPORTUNITY we have before us this week! Let’s not trivialize it … let’s not minimize it … let’s not waste it.
Let God use you this week to take a child … and lift them up … and place them into the loving arms of Jesus.
STAND – PRAY
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“Jesus Loves The Little Children”
Matthew 18:1-6, 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16
INTRODUCTION: Vacation Bible School is upon us!
1.- Children Were Brought To Jesus – Matthew 19:13
- Not all parents are interested in the spiritual well-being of their children … we need to take on this responsibility.
- If you don’t bring them, they might not come.
2.- Jesus Wanted To Bless Them – Matthew 19:13
- Jesus has a special blessing for children this week.
- Some might hear about Jesus’ love for the first time … some seeds of the Gospel might be planted … some souls might be saved.
3.- There Were Hindrances To The Children – Mt. 19:13
- The Disciples thought the children were a problem.
1.- The Hindrance Of Neglect – They are IMPORTANT!
2.- The Hindrance Of Example – Children look to YOU as examples of the importance of Jesus in their life.
- We need to be a positive encouragement to children.
4.- Jesus Teaches The Disciples Humility And Grace – 18:1
- Mark 9:33-35 – They thought they were more important than children because of their ability to do … activity.
- 18:2 – This child had done nothing to deserve the love of Jesus … a lesson of GRACE.
- 18:3-6 – Rejecting children means rejecting Jesus!
- 18:6 – Don’t hinder the children from coming to Jesus.
5.- Jesus Rebuked The Disciples – Mark 10:14
- “much displeased” = ‘moved with indignation’
- Jesus rebukes those who had rebuked those who brought the children to Him.
- V.B.S. is all about investing in the KINGDOM OF GOD.
6.- Children Are An Example – Mark 10:15
- “as a little child” – Jesus is talking about TRUST.
- You enter the Kingdom of God by trusting Jesus to do for you what you can’t do for yourself … pay your sin debt.
7.- Jesus Blessed Them – Mark 10:16
- Jesus made children His top priority … and so do we.
- Only Jesus can give them eternal life, hope, faith, peace, and love.
CONCLUSION: Let’s use the opportunity that God has given us to bless the little children by giving them Jesus.
