I just love Pre-Schoolers! Aren’t they great? Ask them a question and you never know what will come out of their little mouths. No inhibitions – they just tell it like it is! That’s why, for us parents, they can be both loveable, adorable and scary at the same time! No editing! No review. No checking the facts of what they’ll say – they just say it!
Four-year-old, Jenny, was telling her Dad about the Bible story she heard in her Sunday school class. It was the story of Jesus healing the blind man. When she got to the part where the Pharisees questioned the healed man, she said, "Oh boy, were those Ferris Wheels jealous of Jesus!"
It’s funny what they believe they’ve heard for us as we try to teach them. I’ll bet you never prayed: "Our Father who art in heaven Harold be thy name." Or "forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who throw trash in our trash baskets." Pre-Schoolers have!
One family as they were driving home from church, were happily talking about friends in the church whose child was presented for baptism that day. As they were about it, their 3-year-old daughter Elizabeth asked, "What does it mean to be baptized?" Her 5-year-brother Joshua spoke up, "Oh, baptism—that’s when the preacher washes all your senses away."
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her class of five year-old’s. After explaining the commandment to honor your father and your mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, "You shall not kill."
But then, pre-schoolers at times can say some things that are truly, deeply profound. Four-year-old Jonathan was trying to learn the Lord’s Prayer. He learned by listening at church each Sunday. On one Sunday as the family was praying the Lord’s Prayer, he could be heard above all the others, praying, "Our Father who art in Heaven, I know you know my name." "I know you know my name!" And He does! He knows me by name and He knows you by name; and our children know that He knows them by name too!
We’re here today to celebrate a special "Pre-School Sunday" -- to offer our God our worship and our praise, and to thank Him for how wonderfully He has worked in the lives of our children and used the great teachers and staff we have here at Our Savior to bring a deeper knowledge to them of all that He’s done and still does for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. And because our God is a God who loves to do new things, we worship Him also in anticipation of the changes that He wants to work in us – having an open and receptive heart – the heart of a child to hear His voice and to come to Him!
Our theme today is: "Let the Children Come.." It’s from the words we just read, where Jesus says: "Let the little children come to Me..." And when we think of that invitation of Jesus we have to understand that it’s not just for "children" in the strict sense of the term – but His invitation goes out to children of all ages whether you’re 2 or 102 – the invitation is to come to Him, the Lord of Life! So really, it’s Jesus Himself who’s standing right here among us today, personally calling each of us, inviting us to come close to Him. Through His Word He wants to speak to us and through us. He longs for an opportunity to work in each of our hearts – to melt us, mold us, and shape us into the men and women, boys and girls that He wants us to be.
Today the invitation for you to come to Jesus is a personal one. You might be saying to yourself, "Well, I come to church regularly – I even usher on Sunday mornings." Or you might be thinking, "I have my children enrolled in Sunday School." "I do read my Bible now and then." He’s not talking about having a casual acquaintance with Him. His invitation is for you this day to take a new step and come even closer to Him than you have before. He wants you to come right up to Him so that through His grace He can put His powerful arms of love around you and hold you tight.
Did you ever notice how some people just seem to radiate the love of God. Their attitude is right. They have an unmistakable sense of peace about them in the midst of trying situations. People noticed that about the followers of Christ after His resurrection. They noticed the boldness and conviction, and it says in Acts 4:13 "...they were amazed and realized what being with Jesus had done for them!" (TLB).The invitation’s there – and the opportunities for you to grow close to Jesus are plenty! I pray that God will give you a desire to grow close to Him and have Him come and fill your life and begin – as He always loves to do – a new thing in you!
God’s Word to us today tells us not only about the invitation of Jesus, but it also tells us about the grace of Jesus. Listen to it again: "People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them."
Did you get that? Jesus wants to personally touch you! He wants to reach out to you with His amazing grace and (1) touch you with forgiveness, hope, healing, and new life so that He can claim you as His own child, and (2) to touch you in ways that help you to grow and mature in your faith and in your walk with Him.
Let me ask you a question. When did Jesus first touch you? Most of us, I think, would probably say that we first experienced His saving touch the first time when we were baptized into the family of God. Our parents heard the invitation of Jesus to "Let the little children"...(Luke’s Gospel uses the word "babies" here) "come to Me.." and there God us His promises in Holy Baptism. The apostle Peter on that first Pentecost gave the invitation of God to people when he said: "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39).
As I think back on my own life, I don’t remember, as I’m sure the majority of us don’t – remember my baptism. I was only 8 weeks old, but I know that it happened! And I guess what’s really important is not that I need to actually remember the day, but rather to remember the promise that God extended to me there. I know that it was then, on September 21st, 1952 that Jesus laid His powerful hand of salvation and blessing on me and made me His own. That was the day He began a good work in me and He promised, on His part, to be faithful to carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. What He wants me to do now is to keep myself close to Him so that He can touch me over and over again with His forgiveness and grace.
A lot of people don’t understand that! When it comes to Holy Baptism, they have this notion that it’s nothing more than just a mechanical exercise. You’re brought up to the baptismal font, God waves His magic wand over you, and "presto chango" You’re a Christian for the rest of your life – and then it doesn’t matter whether you stay close to Him or not. The fact that you’re baptized is all that matters! There’s a Hebrew word for that: Baloney! Your baptism, friends, my baptism – Jesus’ touch on our lives – means anything only as we remain connected to Him in faith, and more specifically, a life of faith! Peter writes: "Baptism is not a removal of dirt from your body; it is an appeal to God from a clean conscience" (1 Peter 3:21 NLT). The Great Commission of Jesus bears that out. Listen: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (and here it comes) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." That last part, "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" means that we haven’t just been taught once, but that we’re in the on-going process of being taught. And thirdly, that we’re living a life that seeks to be obedient to Him. That doesn’t mean that we don’t sin and screw up anymore. No sir! It means instead, that we have a desire for Jesus to touch us. Life isn’t what it should be without His touch. We know it and we live it!
And although Jesus’ desire is to come and touch us in ways that bless us now and for eternity, the world – along with our own sinful motivations and Satan’s influences – has its desires too, and its desire is to rebuke us or in other words, "to restrain us" or "to keep us away from Jesus and all that He has for us — just as the disciples did to the parents who were bringing their children to Jesus. Now why in the world would those 12 men try to keep people, anyone, regardless of age from Jesus? Well, as simple as I can put it, they had their own ideas of religion and they had their own ideas on how to get into the Kingdom of God. The world around us, likewise, has its own ideas on how everything got here to begin with; its own ideas – which is no idea – of what happens after death. It has its own ideas on how to find fulfillment and meaning in life and none of them have ever worked! You see, the Bible even talks about how Satan tries to rebuke us – to keep us away from Jesus with "wisdom " (that) does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil" (James 3:15-16). And when we buy into it, we begin dancing to Satan’s tune.
Secondly, the world tries to hinder us. The world, let me tell you, will try to make it as difficult as possible for us to be faithful followers and disciples of Jesus Christ. It will try anything and everything to keep you out of worship, out of a small group Bible study, out of using your gifts to serve God, and men, for you to neglect the spiritual leadership of your families, and many times it succeeds! It’ll tempt you with all sorts of activities that will try to get you to misplace your spiritual priorities. The world will force you to work more hours so that you have less time at home. It will get you to occupy your mind and fill your hours with things that don’t matter in this life or the next. It will get you to think that your purpose in life is to chase a silly white ball around half the day and make you believe that when you finally pick the right numbers in the lottery you’re life will then be complete and you’ll be fulfilled!
Man, are there a lot of voices out there calling us – trying to draw us away from our Savior and His grace! But Jesus says, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:26-28). Today is a call and an invitation for you – children of God of all ages – to once again concentrate on the voice of Him who gave His all for you. He’s the One who though He knew no sin, became the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. He died on the cross so that we might experience His grace for our misspent years, our misplaced priorities, and for our wilful and wayward actions. This is the day the Lord has made, my friends! A day to give it up and to let Jesus touch your life anew!
His promise to us, His children, is that He’s got great things in store for us. If your trust and confidence is in Jesus, then He’s already touched you with His salvation and grace and He says, "Let the children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." The Kingdom of God! -- to be heirs of His eternal riches in heavenly glory through all eternity! That’s the promise! That’s the goal!
The goal is not wealth and prosperity! I saw a T-shirt at Six Flags one teen was wearing that reminded people to keep their focus straight. It was a take-off on the saying – "He who dies with the most toys wins." This one read: "He who dies with the most toys still dies!" We brought nothing into this world and it is most certain that we will take nothing out!
The goal isn’t just to do your own thing and whatever pleases you; to act as if you’re responsible to no one; to be your own person. Jesus gave Himself up – humbled Himself – made of Himself nothing, in order to bring you to Himself. He gave His all – His life so that you might have life. Don’t reject it! Don’t ignore it! The writer to the Hebrews said, "What makes us think that we can escape if we are indifferent to this great salvation that was announced by the Lord Jesus himself?" (Heb. 2:2-3 NLT). Instead, take this day to rejoice in the hope of heaven that Jesus Christ freely gives you by His grace. His promise is that "Whoever believes in Me shall not perish but have eternal life." What a hope! What a victory – that no one, not even death can take away from you! And it’s all because Jesus Christ laid His hand upon you and touched you.
Someone has said: "Faith is an area where growing up means we must become more like a child." Forget about your pride and your self-sufficiency and remember that your sufficiency is in Him. Trust Him even as you see how a little child trusts Him without inhibitions. Consecrate yourself and your family to come closer to Jesus. Take advantage of all the ways that Jesus works through the ministries of Our Savior church to help you experience His touch again and again. Because, let me make it as clear as I can possibly put it: It’s Jesus who invites you to enroll your children in a Christian Pre-School. It’s Jesus, children, who invites you to come to Sunday School. It’s Jesus who says to you parents – "Let Me nurture you and help you in the vital responsibility you have in raising your children in the faith and knowledge of their Savior, Jesus Christ." It’s Jesus who says to all of you adults – "Come and let me feed you with My Word; let Me heal your life; come and experience the joy of fellowship and encouragement. Come, put your hands to use – I’ll strengthen them as you serve to my glory."
That’s the bottom line, you know. That after Jesus has touched us with His grace, He gives us whatever we need to fulfill our purpose in life right where we are in whatever opportunities are laid before us. In the Gospel of Matthew’s telling of the story, he says
that, "When he had placed his hands on them, He went on from there" (Matt. 19:15).
God has placed His hand on you and me, my friends. He saved us and He’s commissioned us with great things to do – individually and also as a congregation that will help many others come into His Kingdom. The invitation’s been given and heard. We, His children have come. We bathe ourselves in His forgiveness and life. And now having received His touch we move onward and outward to extend His touch to others. We go on from here – not standing still and stagnating, but growing, moving ever forward!
And so, my friends, having received the invitation -- "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever!" (2 Peter 3:18) Amen.
