Matthew 89
(Chapter 19)
Jesus loves the little children
Good morning church!!
Today!
· Jesus loves the little children!
o Parents of young children should be listening today
o As should grandparents!
o There is much to be learned from these 3 short verses!
· If you are a parent this might just sting a little!
Matthew 19:13–15 (NIV)
13Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.
14Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Smart parents!
13Then people brought little children to Jesus
· I started to touch on this a little bit last Sunday
· Parents, it’s time to make Jesus a priority again
· Church, fellowship, worship, following God’s word, being a part of the body of Christ is only ever going to be important to your kids if they see you make it a priority!
o Part of the larger societal issues we have today is lack of values in our kids
o It takes a village to raise kids
o And it takes parents who understand the word NO
· It takes parents who are not selfish, but selfless
· Who put their kid’s eternal well-being ahead of their wants right now!
We need to teach our kids delayed gratification!
· That what they want right now may not be the best thing for their future
· That we must do things right now to secure eternity
o Like go to church
o Read your bible
o Be active in church
o Be obedient and repentant
o Just to name a few
We need to set an example!
· Parents, when you show up, and worship, well sometimes
· And you live in the world the rest of the time
· Do not be shocked when you have, rebellious, rule-breaking, kids with all kinds of moral and ethical issues!
· They are just following your lead
And do not expect the worldly school systems to raise them for you!
· Have you seen what they are teaching your kids?
· Have you cared enough to even see what they are teaching your kids?
· It is not good!
It’s time to start taking an active role and stop being passive when it comes to raising your kids
· We have been passive for too long and it shows
· Stop trying to be your kids’ best friends, and start directing their way
· And the best thing you can or ever will do for your kids is to bring them to JESUS!
Better an ounce of prevention than a pound of cure!
13b for him to place his hands on them and pray for them
· These parents sought out Jesus for no other reason than to have Him pray for their kids
o To bless them
o To touch them
· We don’t know how far they traveled
o Or how inconvenienced they were
o But I bet they walked a good bit
o Lost some wages just to be around Jesus
· And frankly some of the reasons I hear why parents are not bringing their kids to church is shocking
o It’s too early
o It's our lazy day
o It’s my only day to sleep in
o It’s hard getting the kids out of bed
o BLAH BLAH BLAH it goes on and on
· You either put the work in now or suffer later
o Trust me on this, there will come a day when you want your kids in church
o When you want your kids to be in a relationship with Jesus
o And they are looking to you to figure out what is important
o To figure out what that relationship looks like
· Kids need Jesus
o How we shape and mold our kids will have a lasting impact on them as adults
o What we plant today will grow tomorrow
o And we will not always be there for them
o They are going to need Jesus and the body of Christ!
· Matthew Henry:
· Therefore, they should be brought to him. We cannot do better for our children than to commit them to the Lord Jesus, to be wrought upon, and prayed for, by him. We can but beg a blessing for them, it is Christ only that can command the blessing.[1]
So why is a solid relationship with Jesus so important for our kids?
I found this study to help explain it:
Why Religion Matters: The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability
When policymakers consider America's grave social problems, including violent crime and rising illegitimacy, substance abuse, and welfare dependency, they should heed the findings in the professional literature of the social sciences on the positive consequences that flow from the practice of religion.
For example, there is ample evidence that:
· The strength of the family unit is intertwined with the practice of religion. Churchgoers are more likely to be married, less likely to be divorced or single, and more likely to manifest high levels of satisfaction in marriage.
· Church attendance is the most important predictor of marital stability and happiness.
· The regular practice of religion helps poor persons move out of poverty. Regular church attendance, for example, is particularly instrumental in helping young people to escape the poverty of inner-city life.
· Religious belief and practice contribute substantially to the formation of personal moral criteria and sound moral judgment.
· Regular religious practice generally inoculates individuals against a host of social problems, including suicide, drug abuse, out-of-wedlock births, crime, and divorce.
· The regular practice of religion also encourages such beneficial effects on mental health as less depression (a modern epidemic), more self-esteem, and greater family and marital happiness.
· In repairing damage caused by alcoholism, drug addiction, and marital breakdown, religious belief and practice are a major source of strength and recovery.
· Regular practice of religion is good for personal physical health: It increases longevity, improves one's chances of recovery from illness, and lessens the incidence of many killer diseases.
Religious practice appears to have enormous potential for addressing today's social problems.
As summarized in 1991 by Allen Bergin, professor of psychology at Brigham Young University, considerable evidence indicates that religious involvement reduces "such problems as
· sexual permissiveness,
· teen pregnancy,
· suicide,
· drug abuse,
· alcoholism,
· and to some extent deviant and delinquent acts,
· and increases self-esteem, family cohesiveness, and general well-being...
· More generally, social scientists are discovering the continuing power of religion to protect the family from the forces that would tear it down."
It turns out that the practice of religion has a significant effect on happiness and an overall sense of personal well-being.
Religious affiliation and regular church attendance are near the top of the list for most people in explaining their own happiness and serve as good predictors of who is most likely to have this sense of well-being.
Happiness is greater and psychological stress is lower for those who attend religious services regularly.
Those pursuing a personal relationship with God tend to have improved relationships with themselves and with others.
To read the entire article here is the link:
The church and the kingdom rest in our kids!
But the disciples rebuked them.
14Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
· Jesus loves the little children
· And he rebuked the disciples for keeping him from them
· Parents it's your Job to bring your kids to Jesus
o God entrusted you with his creation
o And he expects you to look after them
o Not just their physical needs but the spiritual needs as well
For Jesus to bless our kids we must put them in front of him
15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
· For Jesus to live in the hearts of our kids we have to teach them about him
· We have to place them in His presences with his people
· It takes a village to raise them
· And if we train them up right, they will stay the course
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)
6Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
We all have a huge responsibility when it comes to our kids, and parents the burden is laid on your shoulders to get them in front of Jesus and to lead them toward him. The church is depending on you, and your kids' eternity is depending on you to make sure Jesus is a priority in their lives!
[1] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1711). Peabody: Hendrickson.
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