Suffer the Little Children

Matthew 19, 13, then were there brought unto him little children that he should put his hands on them and pray. And the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me. For of such is the kingdom of heaven. He laid his hands on them and deported Vince.

Let's pray. Lord, thank you for your precious word. Make our hearts, Lord, attentive to your word tonight. Teach us of our Lord Jesus. May we find again in him all that we need and all that we want. Give us rest to our souls and our Savior. Give us the grace and blessing to remember you, Lord, in our hearts, the precious blood that you shed for our sins. Thank you for all your blessings in Christ and his precious name. Amen. Now, I want to mention before we start at verse 13, there was one verse in our text this morning that I just want to mention briefly.

Verse 12, when the Lord had done speaking regarding marriage and the putting away of a wife, His disciples in verse 10 asked him, or really just made a statement. They said, if the case of the man be so with his wife, it's not good to marry. It's better just to not marry at all if it puts you in danger of adultery. But the Lord said, all men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

For there are some eunuchs which were born from their mother's womb. There are some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men. and there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." So he used their words. It's better to not marry. This is the word eunuch here. In the sense that it's used regarding those who willfully and voluntarily are eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake, it's talking about the choosing to not marry, not what you might think of normally as a eunuch.

Now, there are some eunuchs, made eunuchs of men. There are some born that just don't have that ability or And some who are made eunuchs of men, they did that for different reasons. Some armies were made into eunuchs for, so that they could dedicate themselves to the fighting for their country and things like that, servants, so that they could dedicate themselves to the service that they were given. But then there are some who make themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake.

And the reason the Lord used their words, of course, orchestrating this whole situation, was because it was teaching exactly what he was teaching to begin with about marriage and about it being a commitment, a forever commitment, and talking about how Marriage is a type of Christ and it's a spiritual teaching regarding Christ and his church. Also with a man who would willfully make himself a eunuch or choose to abstain from marriage that would do so for the kingdom of heaven's sake, that's the same thing. It's commitment, it's devotion to the Lord, to the exclusion of earthly things. And so, just a moment or two on that.

Now, religion teaches all kinds of things about children. It's, of course, not being according to the Word of God. It's all foolish. They sprinkle babies with water. They baptize young children without any profession of faith on their part, without any reason to think that they know the Lord. And the scriptures are clear about that. If you believe with all your heart, you may be baptized. They have confirmation, they have the age of accountability, all these things. regarding children, none of which are taught in the Bible.

What is taught is very simple. It's what we just read. Our Lord teaches four things here about children that we would do well to remember, and I pray that He will sear upon our hearts. First of all, it says they were brought to Him. Then we have a word of teaching from the Lord about that. It says to suffer them, allow them, don't impede them, don't prevent them. And then the Lord does something for them.

So in these simple four clear Things that are addressed. We learn a lot about how the Lord deals with children. Simple, clear teaching. Impossible to misunderstand unless you add something to it or infer something, imply something. Lean on human understanding. If you just take what the Word of God says, it's very simple.

So what happened here in our text? First of all, these children were brought to the Lord. They weren't brought to a confession of faith. They weren't brought to the front of the church. They weren't brought to repeat some things. They weren't led to the Lord.

When religion talks about leading someone to the Lord, they're talking about getting them saved. I've been in the big middle of it for many years in my youth, and I know what they're talking about. What they mean by that is not what happened here, and it's something that should never be done anywhere, anytime. We don't get people saved. They don't coerce children. Children are easy to coerce.

If you ask them to repeat after you and then declare them saved, they'll do it without thinking twice about it. Most adults will, too, if they're there to begin with. But they love to say, I led somebody to the Lord today. We led somebody to the Lord. The Lord said, they'll make merchandise of you. They'll count you like quarters. They'll count you like chips on a poker table. They will make numbers out of you. They'll take pride in leading you astray. We got somebody saved. They ask some leading questions, some questions that nobody would say. Do you want to go to heaven when you die? Who's going to say no to that? No, I think I'd prefer hell. And then they have them read a scripted, pre-written prayer, and they say, now you're saved, and don't let anybody tell you different. It's anti-Christ. It's not what happens in our text, and that's worth pointing out, because that's religion. That's man's way. God's way is much simpler and more powerful.

Bringing your children, or anyone else for that matter, to the Lord is doing everything you can to make sure they hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. as our Lord plainly stated in scripture, that it pleased him by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

We don't get people saved, but if God's gonna save somebody, he's already told us how he'll do it. So what's our part in that? Well, whatever he gives us grace to do, and that will be bring them to the Lord. Where has the Lord promised that he will be? In His church, among His people, He feedeth among the flocks. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Where are you going to lead somebody if you're going to lead them to the Lord? Not to a religion, not to a set of principles or doctrines. Where is the Lord today? Well, He's on His throne, and so we teach them concerning the sovereign Savior. We witness to them and we have them hear the gospel. Where are we gonna find the Lord?

We can't ascend to his throne, in prayer we do, but in a practical way, we come where he is, and he comes where we are, in the church. He loved the church and gave himself for it, and it's where he communes with his people, just as he did upon the mercy seat, in the Old Testament.

Do we want our children to be saved? Well, we can't save them and we can't get them saved. It's not up to us. It wasn't up to you regarding you and it's not up to you regarding them. But we want to bring them to the one it is up to and see if he'll save them.

I think he'll save them. I believe he'll save them if we bring them to him. He delights to show mercy. He delights to show mercy. We don't know if God's going to save our children or those that we love, but we know, and may we never forget that if he does, he'll do it by the preaching of the gospel of Christ. It's answering their questions with the truth of Christ. Children ask a lot of questions. Probably notice that if you have children. You might remember it if you were a children. I suspect you were. And we have children in this church that have questions about God. Some of you tell me about that.

They ask questions of God and his son and how sinners are saved, about the gospel, about the Bible. Listen to what it says in Exodus 12, 26. This was a long time ago, long time ago, regarding the worship of the Son of God, the Lamb, the Lamb whose blood, when seen by God, was equivalent to the freedom of his people, the redemption of his people, the safety of his people, the salvation of his people. In Exodus 12, 26, with regard to the Passover, the scripture says real plainly, Christ, who is our Passover, It says, it shall come to pass when your children shall say unto you, what mean ye by this service?

It's just a matter of time. If you bring them to church, you know, when they're just little babies and then they grow up and, you know, they get two or three years old and they, they get a little bit older and they're able to stay in here with us without being a distraction, then they're going to ask, what is this all about? Why do we go to church? What are we doing here? What is this? What's going on? Why do we do this? Here's what you say. And this is so interesting. I should have had you turn there. The wording of this is so beautiful and so simple and so clear.

Turn with me to Exodus 12.26. I want you to see the way this is arranged.

Exodus 12.26. The scriptures are so clear like this. How many times have we seen this type of arrangement of language in the scriptures. It shall come to pass when your children shall say, why do we do this? Why do you go through these motions?

Why is there wine and bread on that table right there? What's that doing? What is that all about? What does that mean? Here's what you say. It is the sacrifice. It's Christ crucified. That's what it is. All of our teaching needs to start with that. It begins with that, it ends with Christ, and everything in between is Christ. It is the sacrifice.

Well, that brings up other questions, doesn't it? Why do we need a sacrifice? Well, I'm glad you asked, son. I'm glad you asked, daughter. It begins and ends and everything in between. He is the alpha. The crucified risen Christ said, I am the Alpha, and I am the Omega, the beginning and the end. That's the truth with regard to what this service means.

And may we ever understand and never forget and never get confused or stray from the fact, what are we doing here? Why do we do this? Why do we have a church? Why do we spend money on this building and make it nice? Why do we bother with any of this?

It's the sacrifice. It's Christ crucified. The Son of God came down here and gave Himself a ransom for sinners. That's why we do this. He's why. It's the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover. And tell them the story of the Passover. The curse of God was upon the land, and it is. But the Lord in mercy gave instruction regarding his lamb and his precious blood.

He said, when I see the blood, when I look to your house and I see the blood, I'll pass over you. No plague, a thousand will fall at your right hand, ten, left hand, ten thousand at your right, but it won't come near you. No, not you, because you're in Christ. Blood has spoken for you. The blood has covered your sins. The blood has put away the curse, Christ being made a curse for us.

You'll say it's the son who passed over the houses of the children of Israel when he smote the Egyptians, when his wrath was poured out on man for their sin and rebellion. And remember who represented All of Egypt in its sin and the reason why God poured out His wrath upon them? Pharaoh. And what was Pharaoh's problem? He thought he was God. That's what his problem was. That's what your problem is too. That's what my problem is.

And he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses. Look what happened. When God saved us by His precious blood, the blood of His Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, we bowed our heads and we worshipped. We worshipped. And we still are. We haven't stopped by His grace. We haven't stopped. This world hasn't pulled us away completely from the worship of God.

What do you say? What you do say when they ask is of critical importance. Not because you're supposed to, not because you're supposed to go to church, because it's the right thing to do. It's the sacrifice. And be ready now. Expect it. Expect the questions from friends. Why do you do things that way? Why don't y'all have an invitation? That's a good start right there, isn't it? Why don't you have an invitation?

Well, because we don't get people saved. We preach the gospel like the Lord in the scriptures instructed, and God's going to have to save people if they're going to be saved, not us. We're not going to get them saved. We're not going to coerce them to do things that makes them think they did something and got saved. We're going to do what the Lord gave us and told us to do, simply. We get our marching orders from the captain of our salvation.

Where do you get yours? Stop being mean as I am. Don't be mean as I am. But 1 Peter 3.15, sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.

Turn there with me too, please, 1 Peter 3.15. We may never get through these notes tonight, but I want us to see this.

1 Peter 3.15. but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.

It's got to start right there, doesn't it? You're going to help somebody. You're going to have to help yourself first. That's a simple principle. If the Lord hadn't done nothing for you, you're not going to be able to do anything for anybody else. Sanctify, set apart, revere, and exalt the Lord God in your heart. And once that's the case, once you know that Christ is all, once you understand that every answer you give has to point whoever it is that asked to one place, behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Once your heart is in that place, now be ready. Be ready, be ready. It's just a matter of time. It's just a matter of time. Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you, a reason of the hope that is in you.

With meekness and fear, not arguing with them, not railing on their false religion. Make it clear that it's false religion. But some save with fear as if you're pulling them out of the fire. Have compassion. If the Lord God is not the all-consuming love, hope, and revered sovereign of your heart, then you're not ready. You're not ready. You'll be no good to your children or anybody else. It's not about memorizing some answers in advance so you can, you know, deliver those answers when the time comes. It's not about that. This is a heart thing. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, not your memory. That'll come, that's a consequence of it, but don't just memorize scripture answers to people's questions.

Love the Lord God and love those who ask. This is about being somebody by God's grace, someone who is able and willing to bring their little children, any little child, whoever else they can to Christ. Bring them to Christ by the word, by the preaching, by the gospel, by all the means that the Lord has plainly and exclusively laid out in his word. It's not just any means that he uses, it's specific ones. The preaching of the gospel, the witness of someone who knows the Savior. There's only one way a Savior's saved, and that's by the blood of Christ.

Why would these parents, now think about this, Romans 5, 12, let's look at that. Romans 5, 12. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, or that all have sinned. We begin with our condition before God, don't we? Why is there bread and wine on that table? Well, it's because of our sin, isn't it? It's because of sin. The Lord sent his son to deal with the sins of his people, to put them away by the sacrifice of himself.

For until the law was in the world, For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there's no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man, Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many.

So the Lord taught them here to come to him. They need to come to Christ. Suffer the little children to come to me. Suffer them to come to me. There's a lot of things that they can't be suffered to do. But coming to Christ is not one of them. Suffer them to come unto me. Why would these parents or whoever bring their children to Christ to pray and to lay his hands on them?

Why would they do that? Well, they knew there was a need. These parents understood. They had some understanding. I don't know how much. It doesn't matter. It's between them and the Lord at the time. I don't know. But they knew that the Lord could do something for their children. So they brought him to him, not to the disciples, not to the synagogue, not to the Pharisees, not to the religious, to the Son of God. Well, that's a good thing to imitate. Bring him to the Savior. And it may not seem like there's a need with little children.

They may seem innocent, but we know better, don't we? We have to bring them to the Savior, because we know they need the Savior. They've got to have the Savior. We want other things for them in life. Every parent does. Different things, different parents. But the one thing needful, the Son of God is. And they had some understanding of that. And here's what it is to bring someone to Christ. Turn to Mark 2. Mark chapter 2. Verses 1 and 2. And we'll read further than that, but Mark 2. And again, the Lord Jesus entered into Capernaum after some days, and it was noised that he was in the house.

And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them. No, not so much as about the door. And he preached the word unto them. Everybody came and packed themselves in there like sardines because they knew that the Lord was in the house. I wish it was that way now, don't you? The Lord's promised where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am. When they knew the Lord was in the house, they couldn't miss it. And they packed in there.

And you know the story, how that those friends brought their sick loved ones, sick of the policy, paralyzed. They bore him, four of them bore him, in verse three, and when they could not come nigh unto him, verse four, for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was, and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. They lowered him down at the feet of God's Son.

You see how simple The instructions in scripture are with regard to bringing sinners to Christ. Bring our children, when we bring our children to Christ, when we bring a friend, a coworker, whatever, somebody that we care about. If we care about them at all, care for their souls, may the Lord give us opportunity to bring them to the Savior. They saw a need, they obviously loved that person. and they brought him. Second thing is they are to be suffered, allowed, not hindered. Well, this is important for several reasons. If children are answered when they ask, they're given an answer, they're given a scriptural answer, a gospel answer and taught the truth, taught the truth of God concerning his son, they're trained up in the way they should go. The scripture puts it that way.

Ephesians 6 for you fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. There's a conflict. There's always a conflict between children and their parents. That's why it says don't provoke them to wrath because that's our tendency to do to make it worse to make it a I hate you situation. No, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Love them enough to discipline them, to make there to be consequences for rebellion and disobedience. the nurture and admonition of the Lord, explain to them why that's necessary.

It's for their good, it's for their good. So many parents give their children, it seems like no choice but to hate them. They don't ever do anything but rail on them and demean them. That's not how discipline is to be administered. They're suffered, they're suffered to come to the Lord And when they're coming to you, they should be coming to the Lord in a sense, because you are the Lord's leadership. You're the Lord's authority in the home, moms and dads.

Well, my children are just so strong willed. I know they are. I know they are. Pretty much all of them are to one degree or another. You know what the answer to that is? The nurture and admonition of the Lord. That may include a butt-whipping every once in a while. That's in the scripture too. Is it okay to say butt-whipping? I think it's too late if it's not.

But loving, tender, compassionate teaching, admonition, explain to them why it's necessary. to prevent them from ruining themselves and being a nuisance to everybody around them and a menace to everybody around them. Make sure that they know that there's nothing in the world you wouldn't do for them, up to and including whatever's necessary, to see that they respect the authority of God in the home and God himself, to reverence him, brought up in the fear of the Lord, the respect, the reverence of the Lord. And I say, if these things are done, then how do you make your children, how do you make sure they're saved?

Stay out of the way. Be an example to them always, of course, always impose the fear of God, the admonition of God, And then the Lord just says, don't hinder them. Suffer them. Just stay out of the way. He said, my sheep hear my voice and they follow me. They follow me.

We don't know when or even if the Lord will speak to our children in such a way and give them ears to hear his voice. But I don't want to be in the way when he does, do you? I don't want to be a hindrance to that. We do what the Lord teaches us to do, and then don't mess that up. Suffer them to come to the Lord Jesus without you getting in the way of that.

I think there's a lot more to that than we'll ever be able to say tonight. The third thing the Lord teaches here, what he taught before in chapter 18, He's in chapter 19 now, he teaches the same thing. It takes childlike faith and trust and obedience and dependence on Christ to enter the kingdom.

So why not a child? Why can't a child do that? He told his disciples, unless you become like them, you can't enter. So why can't they enter? They're already like them. Our Lord is saying here, not only should they not be hindered, but we have to come just like they did. He's teaching us here by blessing these children, by receiving these children. I hesitate to say saving them. I don't know if every one of them were saved. You would have thought all of the 12 apostles were saved, unless the Lord told you better. There's only one type of faith, and it is childlike. The faith that God gives is childlike faith. It's simple and unassuming. And there's one object, and it's never wrong to come to the Savior.

How could it be wrong? They got mad about it. They rebuked them for coming to the Lord. Imagine that. There's a lot of self-righteousness in that, isn't there? to rebuke these little children for coming to the Lord. The Lord, what a great thing he taught them. He said, unless you come the way they did, you're not coming into my kingdom. It's a self-righteous thing. Our Lord rebukes their rebuke. How many of our rebukes need to be rebuked?

I know many who have a gospel that can't save little children. I know many who have a so-called gospel that little children could never understand. They could never understand it. All of the conflicts and contradictions in religion, it's confusing to anybody, much less a child. They're not gonna understand it. The gospel's not that way. It's so simple and plain and clear. God is God. The reason His name is God is because He does as He pleases. He never fails. He's never thwarted. He never tries and fails. He never wants to and is not able.

And the Lord has revealed that His desire, His very glory, is tied to the saving of sinners. And that's what we are. We deserve his wrath. We so richly deserve his wrath. And yet he delights to show mercy to sinners. And the way mercy is had is by coming to him for mercy, acknowledging our sin and our guilt and our depravity and our hopelessness.

We've got to admit, I've spent everything, and I'm worse than I was when I started. We've got to come to that place. And when these parents brought these children to the Savior, they were acknowledging that, the need, weren't they? They were acknowledging that the Lord could do something for them that they couldn't do for them. And then I love this fourth thing, and this is the last point. He laid His hands on them. He laid His hands on them. And you know, I've wondered, and you've probably maybe wondered before or are wondering now, what happened when He did that? What happened when the Lord laid His hands on these children?

And you know what the best answer is after you think about it for a little bit? This is the best answer. What happened was exactly what he wanted to happen. You think about that. This is God. This is God. He's a God of mercy and grace. His throne is a throne of grace.

Do you need to know anything more than that to be taught to bring your children to him? that if he's pleased, he can say the word and they'll be healed. He has power on earth to forgive sins. Sins can't be forgiven any other way. Let's bring them to him.

And it says in another place that he blessed them. He blessed the little children. He prayed for them. What do you think the Son of God prayed for those children? And the Lord said, the Father heareth me always. He always hears me. I can't account for every soul that was brought to him that day, but I know that whatever the Lord laid his hands on them to do is done.

It's done. And I know that he delights to show mercy, and I know there's nowhere else to bring him. So many things I could say about that, and I don't blame people for bringing their children to different places in this world to try to fix what's wrong, but none of it's going to fix what's wrong. It's just not. And it may help in some temporal way, and we can maybe be thankful for that, but if you don't bring them to the Savior, they have no hope. They have no hope. What a child needs is to hear of the Savior, to be brought to the Savior, to be cast upon His will. Lord, if you will, you can. You can.

We're responsible for them. David was held accountable, wasn't he? Others are held accountable in the scriptures. It says their children were rebellious and they did nothing about it. The consequences were very, very grim. They brought them to Him to pray for them, to intercede for them. And whatever He prayed for them was done. Here they are, Lord. Will you lay your hands on my children and intercede for them?" His hands are the same hands that he held out to Thomas and said, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands. Without him was not anything made that was made. His hands created the universe. May we ask the Lord and seek that he might lay his hands on our children and on those that we love. We know that when he does, then all will be well.

Look at Mark chapter 10, verse 13. and they brought young children unto him, that he should touch them, and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.

I pray the Lord would give us a heart, that heart we read about, when He's magnified in our hearts, when He's exalted in our hearts. And then, Lord, make us ready. make us ready to give a reason for the hope we have. There's just one hope. We have found Christ to be a sure hope. And if he gives this opportunity, I pray he'd use us when he's pleased to have mercy on those that we love.

Suffer the Little Children

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Suffer the Little Children

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