Suffer the little children to come unto me.

Q: What does the Bible say about children coming to Jesus?

The Bible emphasizes the importance of children coming to Jesus, as seen in Matthew 19:14 where Jesus says to let the little children come to Him. Matthew 19:14 captures a significant moment where Jesus expresses His love and concern for children by urging the disciples to allow them to come to Him. He sees children not just as small individuals but as exemplars of the humility and trust required in the Kingdom of Heaven. In a cultural context where children were often marginalized, Jesus elevates them as models of faith and dependence on God. This reflects a larger biblical theme that recognizes the intrinsic value and potential of children in God’s plan.

Q: Why is it important for parents to teach their children about God?

Teaching children about God is crucial as it shapes their understanding of faith and their relationship with Him, as instructed in Ephesians 6:4. Parents hold a divine responsibility to nurture their children in the knowledge and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 highlights this by commanding fathers to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This teaching is not merely about imparting facts; it is fostering a relationship with God that provides children with a moral and spiritual foundation. As children grow, understanding their heritage in the faith is essential for their spiritual development and helps prevent them from drifting into worldly ideologies that oppose God.

Q: How does Jesus view children in terms of the Kingdom of Heaven?

Jesus views children as essential to the Kingdom of Heaven, exemplifying the humility and faith necessary for all believers. In the teachings of Jesus, particularly in passages like Matthew 18:1-6, He uses a child to illustrate what it means to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He emphasizes that unless one becomes like a little child—humble, trusting, and dependent—they cannot see the Kingdom. This sentiment turns conventional understanding upside down, showing that greatness in God’s Kingdom values characteristics such as humility and trust over societal measures of success. By inviting children to Him and warning against leading them astray, Jesus underscores their importance and the need for guardianship and guidance within the faith framework.

Q: What role does prayer play in the spiritual upbringing of children?

Prayer is vital for the spiritual upbringing of children, invoking God's favor and guidance in their lives. Prayer serves as a powerful tool for parents and guardians in the spiritual upbringing of children. It is through prayer that we invoke God's blessing, guidance, and protection over our young ones. Jesus's actions of laying hands and praying for children (as discussed in the sermon) exemplify the importance of seeking divine intervention in a child's life. This is not just about physical health but encompasses their spiritual well-being, fostering their journey towards faith in Christ. Additionally, encouraging children to pray cultivates their relationship with God and instills the importance of seeking Him in all aspects of life.

may be helped to consider a little this evening, verse 14. And Jesus said, suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

I think a couple of weeks ago David was preaching at Wivells Field and he had the privilege of receiving in for the first time to the service a little baby and I think this is the verse that he spoke from. It's a great privilege, isn't it, to see children being brought into the house of God and it is a great privilege to have them prayed over as they grow up, as they are taught the word of God, whether it be in the Sunday school, whether it be at home with their parents or with their grandparents or great-grandparents or uncles and aunties all have that role in having that godly influence upon the children. it's lovely, this verse is such a great encouragement that the Lord Jesus Christ also saw that great need for the little children to be brought to him as his disciples tried to protect maybe the Lord Jesus with the extra workload that he was experiencing, the multitudes that followed him wanting to be healed, wanting to listen to what he had to say and then parents or whoever bringing these children to the Lord Jesus, wanting them to bless them, wanting them to pray over their children, and it seems that the disciples were trying to usher away these parents or these adults that were bringing these children, but the Lord Jesus Christ turns and we see that compassion and concern for the children. And so he says, suffer the little children, to suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

And so it was the desire of the adults to bring their little ones to the Lord Jesus Christ. They wanted him to bless them. They wanted him to pray over them. and it was in their culture and as it is in many cultures that those who have children desire those in the church or those who are elder to bless the children. It was in Kenya when you went to an elder man's house and he would often lay his hands upon the children's head and he would pray over them and it was something that they liked to do and it was something that was an encouragement obviously to to the parents, and same with Jewish culture. They took their children to the rabbis, to the teachers, and asked them to pray over their children.

It's a natural thing for people to do, to desire that their children would have the favour of God rest upon them throughout their life, to, as it were, invoke the favour of the Lord upon the life of the child. that they would be given, you know, long life, that they would be given health and guidance and a blessing and a protection. But not only was it to lay hands, but also to pray for them, to put his hands on them and pray.

What better person, there's no better person to come to than to the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that he is the great high priest and mediator. We know that he was in constant communion with the Father and no doubt as people witnessed his miracle, as they wanted this man to pray over their children, asking for maybe salvation. Please, please bring my children to salvation. Do watch over them.

Maybe it was that they were unwell, just like the others that came to the Lord Jesus, bringing their sick. Maybe it was that they brought their sick children to the Lord Jesus, asking him to touch them, asking him to pray over them. And it is a command of God that people raise their children in the knowledge of the Lord and we see right at the beginning of scripture as the children of Israel are brought out of Egypt. And after that last play, which was the destruction of the firstborn child and animal, then there was the ordinance of the Passover was brought into being, the Passover supper.

And it was specifically directed by God that the children be taught what is taking place you remember that as Joseph was taken into Egypt and all that took place in his life, we read that there rose a king that did not know Joseph. I've always thought that that is because he was not taught about Joseph. No one passed on that historical account about how Joseph was raised up to be at the right hand of Pharaoh and how his wisdom given to him by God saved the nation and made Egypt a very prosperous land. And so the Bible is very clear that there was a failure there on teaching the children. And so God makes it clear that when the children of Israel leave Egypt, the Israelite children are to be taught exactly what they are doing and why they are doing it.

In Exodus chapter 12, verse 26. says and it shall come to pass when your children shall say unto you what mean ye by this service that you shall say it is the sacrifice of the lord's passover who passed over the houses of the children of israel in egypt when he smoked the egyptians and verse 29 and it came to pass and i'm sorry yes 27 then if you turn over to chapter 13 and verse 8 and that thou shalt show thy sons in that day saying, this is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And verse 14, and it shall be when thy sons ask thee that in time to come saying, what is this?

That thou shalt say unto him, by strength of hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out from Egypt, from the house of bondage. And so the Lord made preparations for the children to be taught. The adults were to continue in the Lord's Passover And the children, as they looked on, as they asked the questions, they were to be told the reasons why, by the strength of the Lord, we were delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. God never wanted that to be removed from their minds.

We know that children are born into this world as a blank slate. they are shaped by their parents, by their upbringing. And the scriptures make it clear that we as fathers, we as families, we as a church are to raise children in the knowledge of the Lord. Ephesians 6, it tells us children or young people those under the authority of their parents.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honour thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayst live long on the earth. And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

In other translations, it writes a discipline and instruction that we are to cultivate the minds of the children in the fear of God, to teach them the word, to teach them about God, to teach them about the Lord Jesus Christ, about the principles of Christian living, to raise them with that knowledge of God, just as God commanded the children of Israel, tell them why you are doing these things.

Tell them that it's me that delivered you from the land of Egypt. Tell them, this is how I did it. These are the plagues which I brought upon the gods of the people of Egypt. And so as the New Testament church, we are called to raise our children in the discipline and instruction of God.

And so it was a good thing for these adults to do, to see this godly, righteous son of God, and then to bring their children to him and ask him to bless them, ask him to pray over them, to keep them from Satan, keep them from the allurements of the world, to keep them walking in obedience to the instruction and discipline of their parents. And that was their desire. And anyone who has any influence over any children, who loves children, who loves the Lord, always has that desire that they would come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their saviour. And so I don't need to tell you, pray for your children. Pray for them, because we know it's a natural thing. We do pray for our children and for those children that are in our circles. but also Christ's desire.

So the desire of the adults in bringing the children to Jesus, the disciples were pushing them away, saying, no, no, Jesus is too busy. He's above dealing with children. But then Jesus says, no, suffer the little children. Suffer doesn't just mean permit. Sometimes in the Bible it can say permit the children. It's more than permit.

It is send them forth. Yield them up to me. Encourage them to come to me. Don't cast them away. Don't put barriers in the way. Don't hinder them but send them forth. It's very easy for us, isn't it, to put barriers in the way. We can put barriers in the way by our behaviour. by maybe our un-Christian behaviour. We can put barriers in the way by not listening to them. We can put barriers in the way by saying, you know, you don't know anything, you're just a child, you need more experience, you need this and you need that. And we can put obstacles in the way.

When I was young, I can't really remember it myself but I must have been about 10 years old and I asked to go to the service on a Wednesday and I was quite sensitive. I did used to pray and I did believe that I was saved. I asked to go on a Wednesday but I said I don't want to wear my chapel clothes. And my mum said, oh, that's fine. And so I went to the service. And afterwards, I said, I don't want to go again. They were all looking at me funny. And it put me off. It was a hindrance that was put in my way. It was like a little flame that was quenched just because I didn't wear the right clothes.

And there were some younger people who were baptized at the chapel that we were attending. I think they were 16. And I asked my mum, saying, well, why are they being baptized? And she said, well, they believe that they've had their sins forgiven and they want to follow Jesus. And I said to her, you know, well, I've had my sins forgiven. And she said, well, you know, this chapel, you're too young.

And I can look back at that, and you know, I went right out into the world. Though my grandma would say to my mum, you know, if he's the Lord's, the Lord will bring him back. But all that sin that I committed, if maybe they dealt with it in another way, if they had, like Jesus, suffered the little children, come to me, but forbid them not, for such is the kingdom of heaven. Maybe I may not have gone far out into the world and committed all the sin that I now regret, which is ingrained in my mind.

So we have to be careful how we deal with children. to nurture, just like Jesus. He doesn't quench the smoking flax. He raises it to a flame. And so Christ's desire was that the children should be sent forth to him. they should be yielded up to him so that he could bless them, so that he could pray over them and seek the favour of God upon their lives. And he uses these children that are coming to him as an example.

He says, for such is the kingdom of heaven. These humble children, these weak children, these helpless children, these dependent children were to him an example as to how his apostles, his disciples should be. they should be more like these children, not that these children are, not that everybody in the church should be behaving like children, but we should have the demeanour, that childlike trust in our heavenly father, that humble, dependent attitude that children have, that when they are afraid, they run to their father and to their mother. And so Jesus says, for such is the the kingdom of heaven. In chapter 18 from verses 1 to 6, the Lord Jesus uses a child again to rebuke his disciples.

They're fighting about who is going to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and so Jesus calls a little child unto him. and set him in the midst of them and said, verily I say unto you, except you be converted, except you be changed, turn around from your selfish adult-like self-promotion and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. and who shall receive one of such little child in my name shall receiveth me.

But who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me? It were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck and that he were drowned in the depths of the sea. And so Jesus has some challenging words to his apostles. They are arguing who is going to be the greatest.

He calls a little child. The little child obeys, comes to him, is obedient to him, and humbles himself before the Lord Jesus Christ. And Jesus says, look, this is what I expect. Not arguing and fighting amongst you, but I expect you to be like this little child who I call, and they come. They respond. to me. It's what we need, isn't it? We need to have that humble spirit that when Christ calls us, we obey. We humble ourselves under his voice, under his word.

Our desire, our desire is also that the little children will come to the Lord Jesus Christ. A while ago, I think it was at the prayer meeting, we prayed that the Lord would provide us with a family and the Lord did answer our prayer and sent Richard and Gift and Richard and Jessica to us.

We know we can continue to pray that the Lord would provide children for our Sunday school, not just physical children for the Sunday school, but also spiritual children, those who are born again of the spirit, that people would come and be born again and to be saved.

In 1780, there was a man called Robert Rakes, And he is the founder, really, of the Sunday school movement. As he saw the children working six days a week in the factories, uneducated and growing up in poverty, he decided to do something about it. And so he started up the Sunday schools where he would teach them maths and English, and on their only day off in the week, on a Sunday, they would come to these Sunday schools and they would be taught how to read, they're taught how to read the Bible. But his desire ultimately was to bring them to the Lord Jesus Christ. He wanted to see them saved and he knew that if they were saved, then even though they lived in poverty and difficulty, that their soul was secure in Christ Jesus. And so he had that desire and he did something about it.

I wonder if we, although we don't see the poverty that he saw and the children are forced to work six days a week, yet they are still held captive. They are bound by the kingdom of darkness. They are raised in a school system that teaches them that God doesn't exist, that we are descendants of apes and that there is evolution and there is no God. they're just being shaped to turn their back on anything that is spiritual. And so the scripture says, whom the God of this world has blinded the minds, their parents don't teach them about God. Maybe their grandparents don't teach them about God.

And Jesus says, suffer the little children, encourage the little children, send them forth to me. Although we can't literally go out and grab them, we can't literally twist the minds of their parents, but we know a God who is able and has the ability to change the hearts of all men.

And if we bring the little children to the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer, and if we take opportunity to encourage others to come in, we may see a spiritual growth, we may see physical growth. So I would like to encourage you this evening and as we continue on to bring the little children to the Lord Jesus Christ. And though we have our youth meeting, we pray for the Lord's favour and blessing upon that and the opportunities that are given to speak and we pray that the Lord indeed would draw these little children, these young ones, to himself and may he help us then to be like these children, for such is the kingdom of heaven. Give us that humble childlike faith to trust in our Heavenly Father that he can do all things but with With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

May the Lord add his blessing. Amen. So turn together once again to hymns for worship, hymn 131. Be with me, Lord, where'er I go. Teach me what Thou wouldst have me do. Suggest whate'er I think or say. Direct me in the narrow way. Assist and teach me how to pray. Incline my nature to obey what Thou abhorrest. Let me flee and only love what pleases Thee. Hymn 131. Oh whate'er I did forsake, guide with me in the narrow I have. ♪ Teach me how to pray ♪ ♪ Incline my nature to the rain ♪ ♪ Mother of all, rest then with me ♪ ♪ And only love what pleases thee ♪

Suffer the little children to come unto me.

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about children coming to Jesus?

Why is it important for parents to teach their children about God?

How does Jesus view children in terms of the Kingdom of Heaven?

What role does prayer play in the spiritual upbringing of children?

Sermon Transcript

About James Gudgeon

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Suffer the little children to come unto me.

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about children coming to Jesus?

Why is it important for parents to teach their children about God?

How does Jesus view children in terms of the Kingdom of Heaven?

What role does prayer play in the spiritual upbringing of children?

Sermon Transcript

About James Gudgeon

Comments

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