Matthew 19:13-15 - Sanctity of Life

Intro

This is the story of many women.

Feeling overwhelmed by the unknown and massive responsibility of having a child.

Feeling the guilt, the weight, the shame that comes with making the decision to have an abortion.

Feeling the pressure to keep it quiet, locked in the deepest parts of their hearts and minds.

Living life in hiding and trying to go undetected in fear of anger and judgement.

Our culture has tried to normalize and justify these feelings, but the feelings don’t change.

We hear that the solution to unplanned pregnancy “quick and easy,” but the problem is that choice carries repercussions that are long lasting and difficult.

Even if it’s subconscious, the feeling of loss, grief, and regret are carried throughout the rest of their lives.

If you or if you know someone who has had an abortion, I want you to know it’s not the unforgivable sin.

No matter how long ago, no matter how it went down, no matter where you’ve gone, there is healing and restoration in Jesus.

I praise God for Kirsten’s story, the woman who she found on Facebook who connected her to the Bible study, and for Luke.

They heard her story and did not cast her out.

They pulled her near.

Jesus does the exact same thing for us.

He knows our deepest darkest secrets. He knows the things about you don’t want other people to know about.

He doesn’t run.

He doesn’t write you off.

He doesn’t cast you out.

In fact, He said, John 6:37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

We want to be a church that no matter where you been, what you’ve done that welcomes you and points you to Jesus where you can find redemption, healing, and forgiveness.

Turn in your Bibles Matthew 19.

What we’re celebrating today transcends political stances.

I don’t know where you stand politically, pro-life or pro-choice, but I think we let the babies live.

Now, this doesn’t mean requiring women to keep children they cannot support and nurture financially or emotionally.

This is where we need to step up in varieties of ways

Counseling, discipling, supporting financially

Adoption and fostering.

Graceland gave $35k last year to places like Choices.

But we are able to celebrate our mother’s today because they chose life.

We are in the sermon series The Difficult and Unexpected sayings of Jesus.

Stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Matthew 19:13–15 ESV

13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away.

This is God’s Word written down for you and for me

Thanks be to God.

Jesus loves children

Jesus had just taught on the grounds for divorce.

The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus (Go figure)

Jesus takes them to school (Of course)

And immediately after this teaching, parents were bringing children to Him.

There was a Jewish custom of bringing children for a blessing on the day of atonement

This is an exception—Usually children are kept out of the way of adults and we find that based on how the disciples reacted.

The disciples were trying to prevent children from being brought to Jesus.

Jesus is different—He realizes this and makes it a point of welcoming them.

Jesus rebukes His disciples: No, let the children come here.

Children, in their weakness and simple trust, are role models for believers.

This is Jesus’s point when He says, “for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven”

This narrative is highly useful; for it shows that Christ receives not only those who, moved by holy desire and faith, freely approach to him, but those who are not yet of age to know how much they need his grace. Those little children have not yet any understanding to desire his blessing; but when they are presented to him, he gently and kindly receives them, and dedicates them to the Father by a solemn act of blessing

John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 389.

Children have blind trust and absolute dependance.

Children show us what it means to rely on the Lord.

The Holy Spirit has used my son, greatly to sanctify me.

2AM playing session turned into a lesson on prayer.

Our heavenly Father doesn’t pull His hand away.

In our passage, Jesus lays his hands on the children for a blessing.

He knows the beauty of God’s design in creating these little ones.

He knows the power of God in raising these children.

He knows that these little babies are created in God’s image and because of that hold a beauty that deserves honor.

Babies do not burden Jesus.

They shouldn’t burden us.

Much culture views children as burdens, hindrances that hold back, and nuisance to be avoided.

“I want to live life before children take it from me.”

Jesus views children as treasure.

Jesus calls for the children to come to Him

Abortion prevents that because it completely eliminates the ability to live, much less the opportunity to know Jesus.

Evangelicals have become champions for combating abortion, but there’s so much more work to be done.

The Pro-life movement is a wholistic movement.

It’s more than just ending abortion in the Supreme Court last year.

That’s merely the beginning.

It’s coming alongside pregnant mothers and fathers

To help with parental training, counseling

Foster care, adoption

Adoption gets misunderstood.

Some people have said things like, “We’d like to have children of our own and then adopt.”

Their understanding is that the children brought about by birth is best and adoption is second best.

This is so far from the truth.

Adoption is not a consolation prize for people who cannot have biological children.

Adoption is best and biological is best, because what truly matters is that this child is brought into a family to love, nurture, and seek their flourishing.

“Well I don’t know that I would love an adopted child as much as I would love a biological child”

Well, there may be problems with your understanding of the gospel.

What do I mean by this?

Christians are usually good with our understanding of justification

Where we are right before God.

We understand law and order and love justice.

Understanding that Jesus died for our sin is not complicated for us.

I have no righteousness of my own before God, my righteousness is found in Christ alone.

I was guilty of sin and Jesus took my punishment on the cross.

Got it.

One thing we struggle to understand though is the doctrine of adoption.

We’ve heard it said and common belief is that all humanity are children of God, but that’s not true.

We are all creation, yes. But we are not all children.

John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.

Somethings up here.

There is a higher truth in the gospel than just being made right with God.

We need a better understanding of adoption to rightly understand the beauties of the gospel.

“Adoption is the highest privilege that the gospel offers: higher even than justification.. . To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater.”

JI Packer

It is good to be declared right before God the Judge, it’s even greater to be loved by God the Father.

The doctrine of adoption

Theologically, the act of God by which believers becomes members of God’s family with all the privileges and obligations of family membership.

In the New Testament the familial relationship between God and humanity is developed significantly.

Believers are born again

This is biological imagery

We who were once separated from God by sin and selfishness, we are not reconciled in Christ to the Father and become brothers and sisters in God’s divine family.

Galatians 4:4–7 ESV

4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Our adopted status means that in and through Christ God loves us as He loves His only-begotten Son and will share with them all the glory that is Christ’s now!

Here and now, believers are under God’s fatherly care and discipline and we live in light of the knowledge that God is our Father, not just our judge!

John 1:12-13 “12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

As children, we trust Him, we depend upon Him, we follow Him!

If you’re here and you’re not a Christian, you can be adopted in the family of God!

A Christian is a person who has God as Father!

That can be your new story!

How can I be brought into God’s family?

Believe in Jesus’s death on the cross to forgive your sin

Believe in Jesus’s resurrection from the grave to give you eternal life in Him!

Receive the gospel and believe in His name and you will be called a son or daughter of God!

God sent His Son so that we might receive the position of sons

God sent His Spirit so that we might experience the privileges of sons

Our understanding of our adoption in Christ defines our understanding of the sanctity of life.

God could have easily checked out on us because of our sin.

He could have ended you. But He didn’t.

He did not cast you out. He brought you near.

We go to Walk for Life, and picket abortion clinics.

Good and right things, but those are just the pregame.

As the church, we come alongside single moms, young parents, and pregnant women for the flourishing of little children.

Application

What do we do in light of this passage

Be adopted into God’s family

Perhaps God has called you to pursue adoption or fostering.

It’s not second best. It’s actually the highest blessing in the life of the believer in the gospel.

Our heavenly Father has adopted us into His family

How great of a privilege to we have at our finger tips to bring the fatherless into our home and give them the family name just as we have been given in heaven.

Worship with those within your home

Psalm 78:4 ESV

4 We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

Read your Bible, pray with you family, and sing together.

Jesus tells us, just as He did the disciples, “let the little children come to me and do not hinder them.”

Men, come pray for the women

Slides needed:

Matthew 19:13-15.

Leader: This is God’s Word written for us.

Group: Thanks be to God.

This narrative is highly useful; for it shows that Christ receives not only those who, moved by holy desire and faith, freely approach to him, but those who are not yet of age to know how much they need his grace. Those little children have not yet any understanding to desire his blessing; but when they are presented to him, he gently and kindly receives them, and dedicates them to the Father by a solemn act of blessing (John Calvin)

“Adoption is the highest privilege that the gospel offers: higher even than justification.. . To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater.” (JI Packer)

Galatians 4:4-7.

God sent His Son so that we might receive the position of sons

**same slide** God sent His Spirit so that we might experience the privileges of sons

Psalm 78:4.