Childlike Trust Luke 18:15-17

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Good morning.

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Welcome to Faith Bible Church. If you'd like to turn in your bulletins to the announcements, tonight at 6 p .m.

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is a prayer meeting. Biblical counseling course will be again on May 25th at 930.

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Missionary of the month is Penny Harden. Penny serves in Vallejo with BMW Deaf Ministry.

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

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

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And it's a baby shower. Ladies, please mark your calendars for Saturday, June 1st at 11 a .m.

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

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Looking forward to the Chukwabuka's baby girl.

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

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So Lord, Father, thank you for this morning, this time of worship and celebration and learning of your word.

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Pray that you just bless it. In Jesus' name, amen. And now for all you children, younger than me.

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Jesus loves the little children. You're younger than, yep. Most of them will beat me today. But we thank the

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Lord that he does love the little children. Gives you an indication of what pastor's going to be preaching on today, right?

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All righty. Spiritual relief for this morning is

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Matthew chapter 19, verses 13 through 15. Then little children were brought to him that he might put his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.

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

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And he laid his hands on them and departed from there. May the Lord bless you to read his word.

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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.

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And it just fascinated me with the doctrine that's in it. And I wanted to have

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Dave turn to verse three so you can read it with me. Let not conscience make you linger, nor a fitness fondly dream.

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All the fitness he requires is to feel your need of him. And what he's saying is some people say, well,

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I can't come to the Lord until I get better. Right. And that's what he's saying there.

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

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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.

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And that's, there's a lot of doctrine in this song. Come ye sinners poor and needy, with sin and sorrow.

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Jesus spread his hands to save you.

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

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All the fitness he requires is to know

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Jesus. He will embrace thee in his arms.

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Children of the Heavenly Father. Might be newer to you. It's another older hymn, thinking that not only the little children, but I'm also a child of the

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Heavenly Father. turn to Luke chapter 18 verses 15 through 17

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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

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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

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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

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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 in these short few verses we continue

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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

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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 upon there is a reason why the

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Western world is struggling with keeping the rate of population increase at a steady rate at this rate on Western Europe and also the

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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

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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

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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

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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 in 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 and I know all these older Saints who have children grandchildren and great -grandchildren

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

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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

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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

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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

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John the Baptist inside his mother's womb right the

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Bible considers the baby in the womb as a baby not a clump of cells leaping for joy upon hearing

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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

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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

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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 so these parents they naturally can sense that Jesus is a great authority and they want

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Jesus to bless these children right traditionally parents would bring babies to be blessed by the elders and scribes before the

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Day of Atonement and in 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 they also want their babies to be blessed by someone like Jesus he's an important figure at this point he he outshines the religious authority so they're excited when 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

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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

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Jesus cannot be bothered with them during this event please just step aside maybe maybe if he has time after but not right now that 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 even sadder in the church ma 'am we got to 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

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Jesus to would agree with them how they're just such a right now we got a 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 why is why is our society what 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 are devalued they are 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 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 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 sugar coat 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 and that's something we we 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 driving our worth from our function if you can't work then you don't have worth right that's 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

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Bible tells us that every human being is worthy because of their relationship to God whether they are saved or not even unbelievers are worthy because they're made in God's image

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God made Adam and Eve in his image before did any they did anything right they didn't have to work to be worthy the imago

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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

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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 of the correct biblical ethics we have to have the right view of other human beings in order to love

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God and love others now what is

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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

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Jesus disciples response to the babies he intervenes but Jesus called them to him and said let the little child 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

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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

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Jesus will receive them not only that the second command further clarifies

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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 right this 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

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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 saying this morning

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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's 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

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Jesus does not mean here childish people you know immature people self -centered people that's 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

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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 there is something crucial about the infants relationship with their parents so those those who are children 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

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Heavenly Father a type of faith in which they need everything and anything directly from the

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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

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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

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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

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

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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 as Jesus concludes his teaching with this assuredly

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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

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King who died for his little children not just the infants but anyone who trust 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 their power and influence and money you might get to spit stand before the sitting president of the

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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

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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

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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 it's it's 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 when you do this infant test or 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

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God and nor are you justified through faith and works that's the

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Catholic belief and that's the Jehovah's Witness Mormonism you just name it as if God need 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

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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 if 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

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I was gonna end there until this morning in which Victor and Barb prepared that ancient hymn that come ye sinners poor and needy which captures this concept of total dependence on God so well

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I will read from the third verse as Victor head let not conscience make you linger nor a 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