Sermon Tone Analysis
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Last week, Pastor Autumn talked about how childlike dependence produces
kingdom expansion.
I want to follow up with a similar theme today because Jesus
says that a childlike dependence on Him is what allows us to enter His kingdom
(we’re saved), receive His kingdom (His kingdom power, benefits, and life), and
proclaim His kingdom (the expansion of His kingdom rule and reign).
We’ll be in
Luke 18 today.
Let’s pray before we jump into the Word.
PRAY.
We must be willing to be dependent on God so we can enter, receive, and
proclaim His kingdom.
I think it’s difficult for adults to learn dependency because
as we grow, we tend to learn the opposite.
We learn independence and
self-sufficiency.
We learn how to fend for ourselves, and we grow in expertise in
different areas and figure out how to ‘do life’ in this world.
That’s not all bad, of
course.
Much of that is growth unto maturity.
Growth isn’t bad, but the problem is
that no matter how ‘good we get at life’ without Jesus, it doesn’t matter.
In other
words, growth is good, but we never outgrow our need to be dependent on Jesus
for true life, for true spiritual healthiness, and in order to advance God’s kingdom.
Jesus uses little children (babies) to model for us what kingdom life is like.
And His point is that they are completely dependent on adults for everything, just
like we, ultimately, should be completely dependent on the Lord for everything.
Kids depend on their parents for food, clothing, and shelter.
Depending on how old
a child is, the parents make all of the decisions for them - where to go, what to eat,
how to interact with friends and family; the child just has to trust that their parents
are acting in their best interests and obey.
And no young child really ever questions
their parent's intentions, even if they don’t always obey because of selfishness.
They usually know when they’re disobedient and don’t like it, they feel ashamed.
But Jesus uses this image, this example of young children to demonstrate
how we’re supposed to operate with Him and in His kingdom.
Childlike Dependence | 1
Trusting dependence on God brings us into God’s kingdom, allows us to
have His healing, wholeness, and other kingdom benefits, and leads us to bring
others into His kingdom.
Jesus talks about being child-like and the kingdom of
God.
Luke 18:15-17 NKJV Then they also brought infants to Him that He
might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
16 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. 17 Assuredly, I say to you,
whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means
enter it.”
Luke uses the word infants here to tell us what’s going on.
Your version
might say, ‘babies.’
If you read this story in Matthew 19, he uses the word ‘little
children.’
People bring their babies to Jesus because they want Him to put his hand
on them and pray for them.
They want Him to bless their kids.
It was actually a custom at that time for mothers to bring their children to
some famous or distinguished Rabbi on their first birthday to be blessed.
They
wanted their kids to be protected and taken care of by God.
The rabbi would place
his hands on the child’s head and then speak the prayer or blessing, which was
probably from:
Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV “The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD
make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His
countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
’
This blessing is similar to baby dedications we see today.
We bring babies to
the church to be dedicated to the Lord because we want them to follow the Lord
and be blessed throughout their lives.
This is what all parents want, for God to
keep their children safe, healthy, and peaceful.
So people are bringing their babies to Jesus, and the disciples rebuked them.
Childlike Dependence | 2
I’m not sure if they said that Jesus was too busy, or too tired, or whatever,
but Jesus couldn’t do it.
The disciples didn’t want them to them bring the kids to
Jesus.
When I read this in the past, I always thought the picture being painted here
was that we’ve got some mean and nasty disciples who are just in a bad mood and
don’t like kids, so they tell them to ‘get outta here!”
Disciples making little kids
cry because following Jesus is “serious business.”
Some people still act that way,
unfortunately.
Maybe you’ve met them.
I don’t think that’s what’s actually happening here, though.
The disciples
have walked with Jesus for a while now, and they most likely have allowed people
to bring their children to Jesus before.
They probably thought they were being kind
to Jesus and helping Him by rebuking these people and turning them away.
If that sounds strange, at this time, Jesus is headed to Jerusalem to die on the
cross.
The disciples may have been able to tell that Jesus was carrying this heavy
burden.
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