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Mark 10:13-16
Stephen Caswell © 2005
Lauren And David in the Bath
About 11 years ago, Sandy was bathing Lauren and David when the phone rang.
She left them for a moment in the bath together while she went to answer it.
A moment later Lauren shut the door and came down to see Mummy.
But for some reason she locked the latch and shut the door behind her.
Sandy rushed down to the bathroom but was unable to get in.
David was about 10 months old and playing in the bath on his own.
Sandy didn't know how to get in to the bathroom.
So she rang some friends who had the same type of doors in their house.
Our friends explained how to use a knife to move the latch across from the outside.
After Mummy got David out of the bath, she explained to Lauren why she shouldn't lock the doors and leave David in that situation.
She explained how David could have drowned.
/Lauren replied, full of confidence,/ */that's all right mummy, Jesus can make David alive again.
/*We had taught Lauren how Jesus healed people and even raised the dead.
She believed it without reservation.
In fact Lauren asked Jesus into her heart when she was very young.
/ /
Introduction
/ /
/What Can We Learn From Children?/
A great deal.
*/The expression, out of the mouth of babes is so true./*
Today we will learn something about eternal life from children.
*/The Bible says that we need to have child like faith to enter the kingdom of God./* /If there was one point that Jesus made over and over again, it was this, that no one is able to save themself.
Everyone must come to Christ and in simple child like faith receive the free gift of salvation that he offers./
Jesus had been inside a house, instructing the disciples in greater detail concerning divorce and remarriage.
It was at this time some parents came on the scene bringing their children to the Lord.
This morning we will learn three lessons from Jesus and these children.
*1.* *The Parents Request 2.
The Disciples Rebuke/ /3./ /The Lord's Response *
1.
The Parents Request
*Mark 10:13* says this: /Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; /
While the disciples were talking to Jesus about these things some parents brought their children to Him.
Luke’s account reveals that there were some infants among them.
The word */brought/*/, /*προσφέρω* means/ to bear or bring near /or /to present/.
The reason for this was that He might touch them.
No doubt these parents thought very highly of Jesus and believed that He would bless their children.
Perhaps these parents had believed in Jesus Christ themselves and wanted their children to meet Him.
Their actions are certainly to be praised.
/Bringing little children to the Saviour is something very commendable./
Christ didn’t reprimand them for this, and in fact granted them their request.
The Custom of Jewish Rabbi's
In middle eastern culture it was customary for parents to bring their children unto respected Rabbi's that they might receive a blessing.
This is what these parents were doing.
Luke's account says that they brought/ infant/s to the Lord that He would touch them.
The desire of these parents, was that Jesus might pray for them and bless them.
Matthew's gospel brings this out more clearly.
*Matthew 19:13* says:/ Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray.
/The parents recognised that the Lord Jesus was a special person, perhaps some knew He was the Messiah.
/Our prayers, our instruction and love are all important.
*Yet our personal faith in Christ and example are even more important.*/
Will Your Children Go to Heaven?
One congregation found that where both parents were faithful to the Lord, including active interest in the local congregation’s programs, 93 percent of the kids remained faithful.
On the other hand, if only one of the parents was faithful, that figure dropped to 73 percent.
Where the parents were only what we would call reasonably active in the Lord’s work, only 53 percent of the young people maintained their faith.
Now here comes the shocker: In those cases where both parents attended only infrequently, the percentage of their children who remained faithful to the Lord dropped to 6 percent.
Want your children to go to heaven?
Then make certain you are leading them.
Application
We do well to follow these parent’s example.
Children are important and should be brought to the Lord while they are young and have soft hearts; before sin can spoil and harden them./
Are you teaching your children about the Saviour?
Do you bring them to Sunday School?
Do you pray with them?
Have you encouraged them to ask Jesus to save them from their sin?/
These things are so important.
Children are only soft to spiritual things for a while.
This morning I would like to encourage you to follow the example of the parents in Mark chapter 10: */Now we have seen the Parents Request, let's see the /*
2.
Disciples Rebuke* *
* *
*Mark 10:13b*/ /says:/ but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
/
The disciples rebuked the parents for doing this.
The word */rebuke, /**ἐπιτιμάω**,* has the idea of /reprimand, chide/ or even /censure./
They probably thought that Jesus was too busy to be troubled by children.
He just didn't have the time for people who were not important.
/Why were these parents wasting Jesus’ time?
After all, how could children be interested in spiritual things anyway?/
So they stepped in and escorted them away.
They probably scolded the parents for not being more considerate, since Jesus was such a busy person.
Illustration, No Children Please
*/No Children please!/*
These words are seldom voiced, but they're often assumed when we are invited to hear a prominent speaker, teacher, or leader.
The assumption is that children wouldn't know what's going on and that they might annoy the speaker.
Many years ago, missionary Robert Moffat learned the importance of not overlooking children.
Only a few people had come to one of his meetings because of bad weather.
Although disheartened, he preached his message, not noticing a small boy who was operating the bellows of the organ.
Before Moffat was finished, that boy had decided to become a missionary.
*/His name was David Livingstone, who grew up to become God's pioneering servant in Africa.
/*
*/ /*
The Disciples Motives
*/Humanly speaking the disciples response is understandable./*
They had Jesus well being at heart.
Jesus was so busy.
He was always healing the sick, counselling the broken hearted and preaching to people.
He was far to busy to be bothered with children.
After all, they were too young to believe in Him.
They were just a waste of time.
It seems the disciples forgot very quickly the importance Christ placed on children's ministry.
Jesus had just taught them of His concern for children.
*Mark 9:36-37 & 42 says this:* /Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them.
And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me. /
* *
*Verse 42*/ But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea./
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