INTRODUCTION

1. Matthew 19:13-14, Mark 10:13-14, and Luke 18:15-16 all record an event in which Jesus rebuked His disciples for attempting to prevent children from coming to Him.

   1. Consider Mark's account:

      ¹³And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.  ¹⁴But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

   2. Notice that Luke's account says the people were "bringing even their babies" to Christ.

   3. Jesus indicated that it was the children's right to come to Him when He said that the kingdom of God belongs to "such as these."

2. Presently, let us consider our responsibility for bringing our children to Jesus and our failure if we prevent them from coming to Him.

    

PERMIT THE CHILDREN TO BELIEVE

1. Let us first establish that children are capable of believing in Jesus.

   1. Jesus once referred to some children as "these little ones who believe in Me" (Matt. 18:6).

      1. When He said this, the Lord had called a child to Himself to use as an example of humility to His disciples (Matt. 18:2-4).

      2. Jesus said that conversion into the likeness of humble, little children is necessary for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.  If children could not believe in Jesus, then this example would be invalid.

   2. When the Lord went into the temple after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, some children demonstrated their belief by shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matt. 21:15-16).

      1. The chief priests and the scribes were angry about this, but Jesus asked, "Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself'?"

      2. These children were fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 8:2 because they believed in Jesus.  They knew better who Jesus was than even the chief priests and scribes!

   3. The point here is not that children can have a full understanding of Jesus and His gospel, but rather it is simply that they are capable of believing in Him on their own level.  Therefore, do not disregard their ability and need to believe in the Lord.

2. It is our responsibility to bring our own children to Jesus so that they can believe in Him.

   1. Our children are brought to Jesus by teaching them to believe in Him by His word.

      1. Children's capacity for learning is tremendous, and it is their parents' responsibilities to fill their minds with the word of God.  This is just as Moses told Israel in Deuteronomy 6:7 concerning the words He gave them from God:

         "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."

      2. Today, it is the primary responsibility of parents, especially fathers, to teach their children about the Lord, just as Ephesians 6:4 says, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

      3. Are you teaching your children the discipline and instruction of the Lord?

   2. Children are brought to Jesus also by the example of parents living by the word of Christ.

      1. "Like father, like son" is a saying that indicates not only heredity but also imitation.

      2. In John 5:19, Jesus was speaking of Himself, but He invoked a principle that is generally true among all parents and children.  He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner."

      3. What do your children see you doing?

   3. Children are brought to Jesus by being in the assembly of His church for collective worship.

      1. Consider the example of ancient Israel and the presence of children in their assemblies for the giving of the covenant, the reading of the Law, or the worship of God (Deut. 29:11-15; 31:11-13; Josh. 8:33-35; 2Chron. 20:4, 13; Ezra 10:1; Joel 2:15-17).  There were "nursing infants" (Joel 2:16) and "little ones" (Josh. 8:35; 2Chron. 20:13). No one was excluded from these assemblies regardless of age.

      2. Today, children of all ages should likewise be present in the assemblies of God's people in the church.  They need to worship God in the assembly just as adults do.

      3. Are you bringing your children to Jesus through His church and its assemblies?

   4. If we are responsible for children, and we are not bringing them to Jesus by teaching and exemplifying His word and bringing them into the assembly of the church, then we deserve to be severely rebuked by the Lord.

       

DO NOT CAUSE THE CHILDREN TO STUMBLE

1. Children are born blameless and innocent without the knowledge of good and evil.

   1. At birth, children have "not done anything good or bad" (Rom. 9:11).

   2. Notice that Philippians 2:15 says that "children of God" are to be "blameless and innocent."  This passage uses the figure of little children and their character (blameless -- without fault; innocent -- without guilt) to exemplify the character that should be in Christians.

   3. Little children are described in Scripture as having no knowledge of good of evil (Deut. 1:39; Isa. 7:16).  In this way, they are like Adam and Eve before they sinned (Gen. 2:17; 3:5; 22).

2. Rather than bringing children to Jesus, many people cause children to stumble into evil.

   1. The judgment of children is immature, and they are easily swayed.  In this way, we are not to be like children (Eph. 4:14).

   2. When bad influences and opportunities to do evil are placed before children, they are often enticed to do evil deeds and thus made to stumble from their innocence.

   3. Consider again Matthew 18, and notice what Jesus says about causing a child to stumble in verses 5-7:

      ⁵"And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; ⁶but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.  ⁷Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks!  For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!"

      1. As the Lord said, "it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come," for sin is epidemic in Adam's race (Rom. 3:23; 5:12), and "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (1John 5:19).

      2. However, "it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish" (Matt. 18:14).

      3. Therefore, those who defy God's will and are responsible for causing children to stumble will be worthy of severe punishment.

      4. "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks," for it is by the world that children learn "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life" (1John 2:16).

      5. "Woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes," for he will be accountable for robbing a child of his or her innocence.

          

CONCLUSION

1. Bringing children to Jesus will not only keep them from stumbling, it will also teach them what to do when they do stumble.

   1. John wrote this message to Christians in 1John 2:1:

      My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

   2. Likewise, children should be taught not to sin through Christ's word, but they should also know when they do become guilty of sin, they can have an Advocate to appeal for their forgiveness.

2. Thus, the Lord now speaks to parents and all of us, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" (Mark 10:14).