Jesus
Blesses Little Children – Mark 10:13-16
7/16/06
CFC
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Then they brought little children to Him,
that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14
But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly
displeased and said to them, "Let the little
children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of
God.
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Assuredly, I say to you, whoever
does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter
it."
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And He took them up in His arms,
laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
One of the things that fascinates me about
children is their straightforward honesty. They just say what’s on their minds
without thinking or worrying about what anyone will think about what they say.
I would like to read some of the things children have said.
When we were driving through Pennsylvania Dutch country, my
seven-year-old grandson, Michael, couldn’t get over all the Amish buggies.
"Grandpa, why do they use horses instead of cars?" "Because they
don’t believe in automobiles," his mother explained. It was quiet for a
minute, then Michael said, "But can’t they see them?"
One day, one of my first-grade students, Taylor, asked his
grandmother if he was a child of God. "Why, of course you are,
Taylor," she replied. He looked puzzled, then responded, "Well I
better get home and tell Mom and Dad—they think I’m theirs!"
92% of children who grow up in Sunday schools with all the puppets
and high-powered entertainment, leave 'church' when they leave their parents'
home?
Probability
of accepting Christ, segmented by age
(Barna)
Jesus loves our children.
He wants to touch our kids' lives.
So we need to get our kids to Him!
But you might ask, "HOW? How can we get our
children to Jesus?"
The first thing that I would say is be
an example. Charles Spurgeon, once
said, "... the force of example, whether for good or bad, is very powerful,
and especially is it so with parents upon their children...."
Second,
pray for your kids. Prayer is the lifeline
of hope, comfort, release and peace for all parents.
Third,
take your kids to church. This is important
because at church they will be exposed to Christ through teachings about Him,
through songs and music about Him, and through leaders who know Him. Parents,
give your whole heart to getting your children to Jesus. He loves your child
and wants the very best for your child!
And
what will Jesus do for our kids? The same thing that He did with those kids on
that day: Jesus blesses our children.
Let's get our kids to Jesus and allow Him to
touch the hearts of our children. I want to
encourage parents with this truth: Those who have been touched by Jesus know one
touch from Him can do more than a lifetime of anything else!
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What the Bible says about children including:
WhoWho is supposed to
teach children about God? Parents
are to teach their children about God.
The church can help, but the ultimate responsibility falls on the parent. Deuteronomy 6:4-9“Hear,
O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord
your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And
you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving
you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about
them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are
lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a
reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts
of your house and on your gates. Proverbs 22:6 Teach your children to choose the right path, and
when they are older, they will remain upon it. What What should children
be taught? They should be taught
stories, truths, commandments, laws, regulations, parables, and the
ability to choose the right path. Essentially, they are to be taught the Word of God.
How How do we teach
children? Repetition,
repetition, repetition! Use
stories, parables, and environmental reminders that make them ask
questions. Effect What is the effect of
this teaching? The
effect will be that each generation will be renewing the hope that we
share in Christ -
the parents will teach their children, their children will teach their
grandchildren, their grandchildren will teach their great grandchildren,
etc. Furthermore, instead of raising children who are stubborn,
rebellious, and unfaithful, they will instead raise children who give
their hearts to the Lord and remain on the right path. What awesome
promises from God! BlessingHow are those who
teach children blessed? It’s an
honor to serve children. Jesus said those who serve a prophet receive a
prophet’s reward and those who serve children will in no wise lose their
reward. The Word tells us that God
Himself will pay those who minister to children.
Matthew 10:40-42 He
that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him
that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall
receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the
name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And
whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold
water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in
no wise lose his reward. ChurchHow does the church fit in? The church is the altar, the reminder, the question starter, and the storyteller. The church provides help, resources, and Godly counsel to parents and is the second voice in the ear of each child, reinforcing what they have already heard from the parents. Conclusion: "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." He not only affirms the value of children, but that he receives all the children who come to him. He says, "The kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Our heart needs to be childlike
in its simplicity. Our heart needs to be childlike
in its teachability. Our heart needs to be childlike
in its trust. Our heart needs to be childlike
in its forgiveness. Finally, our heart needs to be childlike
in its responsiveness. Do you have these
childlike qualities? Jesus said, "I
tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a
little child will never enter it." When you come to Jesus in simplicity, with a teachable heart, trusting in him, forgiving others and responding to his invitation, then the door of the Kingdom is wide open to you and to all who have a childlike heart. ============================================================= Extra notes not covered in the sermon: The
Bible makes it very clear that children are very special to God. If you
examine what the Bible says about children, you will notice a great number
of perspectives: • Children are a gift
from God. He gives children to parents as special sign of love and
personal fulfillment (Deut. 7:13; Ps. 127:3). If children matter this
much to God, then they should matter as much to us, too. Jesus’
Great Commission is: “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
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am
with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19, 20). Surly,
this includes making disciples of children and leading them to make a
personal commitment to Jesus. |
I hope today's message ministered to you.
We hope to have sermons in Audio Format soon!
You may E-mail Pastor Jim at:
jim@communityfellowshipofkane.org