Childlike Trust Luke 18:15-17

Good morning.

Welcome to Faith Bible Church.

If you'd like to turn in your bulletins to the announcements, tonight at

6 p .m. is a prayer meeting.

Biblical counseling course will be again on May 25th

at 930.

Missionary of the month is Penny Harden.

Penny serves in Vallejo with BMW Deaf Ministry.

Please pray for her team as they work with churches in Vallejo and the Bay

Area, and pray also for the people she ministers to within the deaf

community.

And it's a baby shower.

Ladies, please mark your calendars for Saturday, June 1st at 11 a .m. in the fellowship hall.

And it's a time of gathering to encourage Ramaya and rejoice in the blessing.

Looking forward to the Chukwabuka's baby girl.

Okay, there will also be lunch there, so don't eat too much before you go.

So Lord, Father, thank you for this morning, this time of worship and

celebration and learning of your word.

Pray that you just bless it.

In Jesus' name, amen.

And now for all you children younger.

Than me.

Jesus loves the little children.

You're younger than, yep.

Most of them will beat me today, but we thank the Lord that he does love the little children.

Gives you.

An indication of what pastor's going to be preaching on today, right?

Scripture

relief.

Was one is Matthew chapter 19, verses 13 through 15.

Then the children were brought to him that he might put

his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.

But Jesus said, let the little children come to me and do not forbid them for such is the kingdom

of heaven.

And he laid his hands on them and departed from there.

May the Lord bless you.

To read his word.

This song that we're going to sing next, Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy was written

just a couple of years ago, 1750, somewhere around there.

And it just fascinated me with the doctrine that's in it.

And I wanted to have Dave turn to verse three so you can read it with me.

Let not conscience make you linger, nor a fitness fondly dream.

All the fitness he requires is to feel your need of him.

And what he's saying is some people say, well, I can't come to the Lord until I get better.

Right?

And that's what he's saying there.

You think you got to get better.

You got to get your act together for it before you can come to the Lord.

And what he's saying is you don't need to get your act together.

All you.

Need is to know that you need him.

And that's there's a lot of doctrine in this song.

Children.

Of the heavenly father might be newer to you.

It's another older him thinking that not only the.

Little children, but I'm also a child of the heavenly father.

Turn to Luke chapter 18 verses.

15 through 17.

Luke chapter 18 verses 15 through 17.

Then they also brought infants to him that he might touch them.

But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

But Jesus called them to him and said, let the little children come to me and do not forbid them

for of such is the kingdom of God.

Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by

no means enter it.

This is the word of the Lord.

Let us pray.

Father, we're grateful that Jesus loves

all the little children, and we're grateful that not only he loves them, we have to be

trusting like them in order to belong to him.

Help us to develop this childlike faith, knowing that it's only Jesus

alone who can make us well.

Nothing that we bring to the table.

Help us to have a complete dependence on Christ in

Jesus name.

In these short few verses, we continue

Jesus teaching on the kingdom mindset.

What does it mean for the followers of Christ to

behave?

Not only behave, but their attitude.

What do their attitude, their hearts look like?

What characteristics do we see in Jesus' disciples?

While the last passage, the one of the text collector and the Pharisees, both,

they're both praying in the temple.

The last passage showed the disciples humble, trust in God's mercy.

This week, we see the importance of the disciples' complete dependence on

God.

And this same lesson will be taught through a negative example next week,

in which the young rich ruler refuses to completely depend on God

because of his dependence on wealth.

Rather than fully relying on God, the rich man wants to continue relying on his

money.

Now, this is an important message for us today.

First, children, babies, infants are

often looked down upon.

There is a reason why the Western world is

struggling with keeping the rate of

population increase at a steady rate.

At this rate, Western Europe and also the United States

and Japan also included, people are not having many kids.

And at the core of it is a wickedly low view

of children.

It's unbiblical.

Everywhere in the Bible, children are a blessing.

They're a gift from God.

They're never described as a burden, although our culture seems to think so.

They're described as an obstacle in our culture to a successful

career.

But biblically, there's really no calling greater

than raising up children in Jesus Christ.

And this is both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, right?

Be fruitful and multiply is the first command to all of creation in Genesis

1.

Not only that, the New Testament adds another layer that the kids are

to be discipled in Christ.

They're supposed to be.

Our parents' job, their primary job, is to raise them up, not

necessarily for college, but so that your children become brothers and sisters in

Christ in the future.

And at Faith Bible Church, we consider every child a blessing.

Doesn't matter whether they're screaming during the worship service or laughing.

Doesn't matter.

We'd rather have them here than elsewhere.

And I know all these older saints who have children, grandchildren, great -grandchildren,

I know that they personally pray for your children and your marriage, because

we know that that is crucial, and it's often a text

spiritually.

So that's the first reason.

The second reason why this message is important is because dependence

is not culturally favorable, especially even among the conservatives,

right?

Now this is not to say that it's virtuous to depend on the government, and you all know my view on that.

In fact, such a relationship can even become idolatrous as well, to depend on the government

to provide everything for you.

Rather, we cannot make independence or self -reliance the ultimate virtue,

because when it comes to our relationship with

God, we are not to depend on our own strength.

Yes, we have to be responsible with the duties that God has given us, right?

And yes, we are individually going to stand before Jesus, but at no

point do we ever operate independently from God's grace and his providence.

At no point are Christians ever called to be Lone Rangers.

Christians need to rely on God's power, wisdom, and spirit to obey his

will daily.

In this sense, self -reliance is not a virtue, but rather an obstacle to our faith

in God.

And self -reliance, when it comes to salvation, will prevent

us from being saved.

We cannot rely on ourselves to be saved.

And today's passage shows what kind of reliance we must have when it comes to our faith in God.

Although the world looks down upon the helpless, Jesus' kingdom is

characterized by those who are aware of their helplessness, that they completely depend

on him alone.

The main point of today's text is, although the world looks down upon the helpless, Jesus'

kingdom is characterized by those who are aware of their helplessness,

that they completely depend on him alone.

First, the world finds no worth in the helpless

who need to depend on others.

The world finds no worth in the helpless who need to depend on others.

Verse 15 starts with the setting of this lesson.

Then they also brought infants to him that he might touch them.

This interaction with children and Jesus is also depicted in Matthew 19, which was read today,

and also Mark 10.

Only in Luke, we see the emphasis on the age of

the children.

They're infants.

They're little.

They're the itty -bitty children.

The word for infants has been used by Luke prior to describe

the baby John the Baptist inside his mother's womb, right?

The Bible considers the baby in the womb as a baby, not a clump of

cells.

Leaping for joy upon hearing Mary's greeting.

Same word was used for John the Baptist inside the womb.

The last time this word was used was in Luke 2, 16, which described

baby Jesus lying in the manger.

So, the children, the little children that these parents brought to Jesus

in this text, they are really little.

Now, what are these parents doing with their infants?

Remember, Jesus' popularity has been growing.

He has been undoing the effects of sin.

He is healing the lepers, raising the dead, casting out the demons.

Not only that, he's preaching and teaching the good news of God's

kingdom that far surpasses the quality of teaching

and preaching of the scribes and the Pharisees.

So, these parents, they naturally can sense that Jesus is

a great authority, and they want Jesus to bless these children,

right?

Traditionally, parents would bring babies to be blessed by the elders and scribes

before the day of atonement.

And then these elders and scribes would lay their hands upon all the babies and say a word of

blessing.

And considering Jesus' fame has skyrocketed, it makes sense that they also want their

babies to be blessed by someone like Jesus.

He's an important figure at this point.

He outshines the religious authority.

So, they're excited when Jesus comes to their town, and they just bring their infants.

Now, the second half of the verse actually shows the disciples' response to the parents bringing

their babies.

But when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

To the disciples, the infants were rather out of place.

They had no business disrupting Jesus' ministry.

The infants were a hindrance.

This is why when they saw this act happening where the parents are bringing the babies to

Jesus, their immediate response is rebuke.

What are you doing?

Can't you see his busy?

Jesus cannot be bothered with them during this event.

Please just step aside.

Maybe if he has time after, but not right now.

That may be all too common in the world where children are set

aside.

There's something more important.

Can't you see mama's busy?

Can't you see dad can't hang out with you right now?

Or especially, uh, even sadder in the church.

Ma 'am, we gotta ask you to leave the auditorium

with the baby.

The rebuke comes from their misplaced view of themselves.

Their rebuke stems from their over -inflated self -importance, and

unfortunately from it, they assume Jesus too would agree with them.

Ah, they're just such a bother right now.

We gotta, we got some more important things to do.

At one level, this shows the world hasn't changed much regarding its view on babies and children.

We often try to attribute our worth to our function, and that's the reason.

We think that what we can do affects who we are.

After all, why is our society, why are the media,

politicians so obsessed with people's net worth, right?

Even the term net worth is misleading, isn't it?

Their worth is dependent on how much they own.

We want to put a number on the value, on their value, dependent on their performance.

And when we do that, when we either explicitly or implicitly view people that way,

babies and children who really cannot contribute to society are looked down

upon.

They're devalued.

They're seen as a hindrance, a burden, worthless.

And it was true then, and it is true now.

We live in a nation in which baby's worth is not inherent, as in they're not born or

they're not conceived with inherent value, but dependent on who

desires them.

And that's the foundation of the pro -abortion agenda.

Babies in the womb don't have something called personhood.

It's a term that's been created to argue for abortion.

If they're not persons, they don't have the right to live.

That's their argument.

Yes, they're humans, but they're not persons.

And if they're not persons, they don't have the right.

If they don't have the right, then they can be killed, and it's morally okay.

That's the view.

That's the argument.

That is not our argument.

That's their argument.

And they attach personhood to some sort of function.

Are they conscious?

Do they have a heartbeat?

Do they have a brain?

Can they show connection?

Can they talk?

And depending on whom you ask, you will get a different answer,

as if a development of an organ adds more to a value of a human.

And they sugarcoat it by calling it abortion.

But we all know what abortion is.

What are we aborting?

We're aborting a human being.

It's murder.

Abortion is baby slaughter.

And this is still legal in this state because our state does not honor the worth of each

baby that's given to us by God.

And that's something we need to mourn over and pray about

every single day.

We too live in society that does not value little

infants.

And this is the danger of deriving our worth from our function.

If you can't work, then you don't have worth, right?

That's the idea.

If you can't talk, then you don't have worth.

If you can't walk, then you don't have worth.

However, biblically, that is the opposite order.

The Bible tells us that every human being is worthy because of their relationship to God.

Whether they're saved or not, even unbelievers are worthy because they're made in God's

image.

God made Adam and Eve in His image before they did anything right.

They didn't have to work to be worthy.

The imago Dei, that's the Latin word for the image of God, is inherent in all humans,

regardless of their age, regardless of their function,

regardless of their accomplishments.

Our worth as human, each human being, comes from God.

Therefore, we do not earn our worth.

We receive our worth from our Creator.

It's a gift.

Whether you can talk or not, you're worthy because you're made in God's image.

Whether you can walk or not, you are worthy because you are made in God's image.

Whether you have bettered society or not, you are worthy because you're made in God's image.

If we lose this view of humanity, which the disciples

were kind of operating without this, we lose

so much of the correct biblical ethics.

We have to have the right view of other human beings in order to love

God and love others.

Now, what is Jesus' view of the helpless?

Jesus' kingdom welcomes the helpless who completely depend on God.

Jesus' kingdom welcomes the helpless who completely depend on God.

Upon seeing Jesus' disciples' response to the babies, he intervenes.

But Jesus called them to him and said, let the little children come to me and

do not forbid them.

There are two commands here.

He states it positively first, let them come to me.

What does this mean?

Jesus is not at all bothered by the little children.

They're not too trivial for his ever tender care.

Even if the disciples may look down upon these little children, Jesus will

receive them.

Not only that, the second command further clarifies Jesus' heart toward the children.

Do not forbid them.

Don't prevent them from coming to Jesus.

Don't be an obstacle.

You get out of the way.

This word forbid was used to actually warn the religious

establishment, do not hinder other people from coming to God.

Ironically, now the disciples were hindering the infants from coming to God.

That's why Jesus is teaching them not to.

Now, what's the reason for Jesus receiving these children?

For of such is the kingdom of God.

At one level, it is true.

Just as we're saying this morning, Jesus loves the little children.

He will receive them at any time.

No, it's not because there were cameras around to make sure they get the right moment in which he kisses the head of the

baby.

It's because he loves them.

They're made in his image.

They're from him.

The little ones are no burden to Jesus.

He is absolutely accessible to the little ones,

whether they add any value to him or not.

He loves them because he loves them.

Children are valuable to Jesus.

At another level, it's not just the children, but anyone who are like the children, hence the term of such.

Of such means people who are like children.

What type of people are like children?

Well, Jesus does not mean here childish people, you know, immature people, self -centered people.

That's oftentimes that's how we describe children.

People who pout and shout when they do not get their way, even when they're fully grown.

That's not the context here.

After all, children here are viewed favorably, not as rats.

What Jesus means are the people who are childlike in their relation to God.

Consider the infants.

They have to depend on their parents for everything.

In fact, their lives completely depend on the care of their parents at every single moment.

Even an hour away from the parents could get the infant killed.

There is something crucial about the infant's relationship with

their parents.

So those who are like children, those who are like little children in the kingdom of God,

would mean those who depend on God as infants depend on their parents.

These are the people who have the childlike faith, a type of faith that

completely relies on the Heavenly Father.

A type of faith in which they need

everything and anything directly from the Heavenly Father,

or else they don't make it.

This makes sense in the context of the whole chapter 18.

We just saw a tax collector completely humble himself before God,

and next week we will see a rich man who will fail to surrender all and

totally trust God.

The childlike faith is characterized by the total dependence on God.

Childlike faith means those who rely on God because they cannot rely on themselves

like little infants.

Childlike faith means those who cannot possibly live without God's careful care because they

have nothing else going on for them.

They are fully aware that even at their best, that is

completely insufficient.

That's childlike faith, and they know that they have to depend on God alone.

The kingdom of God here means the reign and authority of the King, Jesus.

What this means is becoming a part of Jesus' kingdom requires every citizen to

completely trust Him rather than themselves.

That's what characterizes the kingdom citizens, not by how marvelous they look,

not by how powerful they are, not by how much they are filled with wisdom,

although they may be true at one point or another.

Jesus' disciples' distinguishing mark is that of a total trust in

their Savior, their King.

That's what marks the disciples apart.

Not the wisdom, not the power, not their glory,

but their trait is that they completely depend on

God because they are fully aware that they cannot depend on themselves.

Hence, Jesus concludes his teaching with this.

Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no

means enter it.

In fact, the total trust in God is not a recommended trait,

but a requirement.

No one can belong to the kingdom of God unless they receive it as a little child.

No one can enter the kingdom of God without the complete trust

in the King who died for His little

children, not just the infants, but anyone who trusts in Jesus'

death, sacrifice on the cross for our sin, and rose from the dead.

Unless that is your only hope, unless that's the only thing you're hanging on

to enter the kingdom, you can't

enter the kingdom of God.

And when we think about that, we have to ask the question, how does a little child receive anything?

And the obvious answer is not by earning.

The kingdom of God cannot be earned.

You cannot buy yourself into the kingdom of God.

You might be able to get into a special

elite secret meeting through power and influence and money.

You might get to stand before the sitting president of the United States if you have enough

influence.

But this kingdom, you can't earn that.

The kingdom of God cannot be entered through your good deeds.

The kingdom of God must be received only through your complete reliance on the King.

You trust what the King has done for you so that you may enter the kingdom.

You believe wholeheartedly only through Jesus' death on the cross and him suffering

wrath for your sin and the fact that he rose from the dead.

That's the only reason that you can enter the kingdom of God.

That is the only thing that you're depending on.

Not how many times you've read the Bible, not what kind of ministry you're a part of,

not how many poor people you've served, and not how many people you've led to Christ.

Just as an infant cannot add to the care that he receives from his parents,

you cannot possibly add a single thing to your own salvation.

And this is how you can tell false religions apart from the true teachings of Christ.

What must you do to be saved?

It's an easy question.

What must you do to be saved?

If they say good works, you know it's false.

Some may say, they get tricky.

Some may say you have to do a combination of

faith and works, right?

That's tricky because we would say, yes, amen, faith.

But then if they had and works, that

becomes problematic.

Because when you do this infant test, well, do any of the infants

pass that test?

Does an infant feed himself, or does an infant share the workload when changing

the diaper?

Is it a cooperation between the mom and the infant?

The answer is, of course, not.

This is why your salvation does not depend on your works, even if it's a partial

work.

You're not justified through works.

That's not a childlike faith.

That's saving yourself.

And that's idolatry, because if you're saving yourself, then you're thinking you're God.

And nor are you justified through faith and works.

That's the Catholic belief, and that's the Jehovah's Witness, Mormonism, you just name it.

As if God needs your help to do his job.

That is an inflated view of yourself.

In the end, childlike faith means you're saved only through your complete

trust in Christ Jesus alone.

All of you who belong to his kingdom are helpless infants who need to only

depend on Jesus, your Savior.

That's what this means.

Which means if you're overwhelmed by the weight of your sin, well,

you can go to Jesus for that, to whom you can

unload every ounce of your sin.

And he won't make you carry a single ounce.

Are you anxious that you're not good enough to be saved?

Well, you made the correct evaluation of your capacity.

The next step is to fully surrender to Christ, knowing none of your goodness will add to

his complete atoning sacrifice.

In fact, I was going to end there until this morning, in which Victor and Bar prepare that ancient hymn,

that come ye sinners, poor and needy, which

captures this concept of total dependence on God so well.

I will read from the third verse as Victor had.

Let not conscience make you linger, nor of

fitness fondly dream.

All the fitness he requireth is to feel your need of him.

The only requirement to coming to Christ, to totally trust him, is

the knowledge, the acknowledgement that you can't do it yourself.

There's not even a single thing that you can do right

to save yourself, in which you have to go to him like

an infant who totally depends on his father.

Let us pray.

Father, we are grateful that such a burden is lifted from our shoulders, that any burden

that we ourselves have anything to offer is gone.

We don't even have to pretend that we're good enough.

Help us all to go to Christ as quickly as possible,

knowing that he knows and we know

that it is not dependent on our works, but his complete work on the cross that we

enter into his kingdom.

May we not even linger.

May we not even wait.

May we jump at the opportunity to go to Jesus who receives

infants and his little children at all times without questions.

In Jesus' name, amen.

As we leave this morning, let's remember.

That as this hymn says, that Jesus is our source

of blessing.

Parents presented their children to Christ for blessing.

We also go to Jesus for all the blessings that we have.

So stand together and sing with me.