Bringing Children to Jesus

Mark 10:13-16

What does it mean to bring children to Jesus? Today, I believe we bring children to Jesus by bringing them into the presence of Jesus; which I believe is in the house of God. Bring them under the teaching and preaching of the Word of God and the Gospel of the grace of God that they might learn of Jesus and be saved. Bring them where the Holy Spirit is manifested, the Comforter that we spoke of last Sunday morning, peradventure He would grant them repentance toward God, and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Bring them to Sunday school where they will hear all about the mighty works of God. Where they will hear about creation; about His mighty deliverance of His people; about His Son the Lord Jesus Christ and all the mighty works that He did during His public ministry, and about His great salvation on the cross of Calvary.

Bring children to Jesus also by speaking of Him to children in our lives, by teaching them about Him in the way, and by living Jesus before them in our lives. Bring them to Jesus in prayer; by praying for them and with them. Bring children to Jesus by everything that we do with them. What an awesome responsibility we parents, and adults in general, have to the children in our lives, and within our sphere of influence.

1. Pray that parents will see the need to bring their children to Jesus (verse 19). Oh, beloved, where are parents bringing their children today? What is the only hope for the future of our children; and of our nation?

2. Pray that our church will see the need to bring children to Jesus (verse 19). What is the hope of our churches without the younger generation? What is the state of many Baptist churches today? The disciples were against bringing children to Jesus! Thank God Jesus gave us this lesson! Our ministries need to focus on children as much as on adults.

3. Jesus is displeased when we discourage children from coming to Him (verse 14). As parents when we fail to teach our children about Jesus and to bring them to church. As Christians, church members, and preachers when we neglect to lead them to Christ (Matthew 18:1-6 READ). As churches by excluding children by the design of our ministries and evangelistic efforts.

4. Jesus exhorts adults to receive the kingdom of God with a child-like faith (verse 15). Can we adults learn from little children? We can learn from children to cast off our pride and self-sufficiency, and humbly come to Jesus and trust in Him for all things necessary for this life and the life to come? We can learn from children our total dependence on Jesus for salvation. We can learn to simply trust in Jesus for all things as a child trusts its parents.

5. Jesus loves young children and blesses them (verse 16). Jesus is no respecter of persons, including a persons age. Jesus loves young children, and He clearly showed it in our text. Jesus took them up in His arms. Don’t tell me Jesus isn’t a loving, feeling, compassionate Savior! Jesus blesses children. I don’t know all what this may imply, but Jesus doesn’t bless anyone in vain. No doubt there is saving grace implied here!

Conclusion:

What are we as parents doing to bring our children to Jesus?

What is our church doing to bring children to Jesus?

What are our ministries doing to bring children to Jesus?

May we make this a serious matter of prayer for the future of our church!