Bring More Kids - Sermon Series

Bring More Kids - Sermon Series

Topic 1 - Losses when youth are absent

Loses when youth are absent

Topic 2 - Joys when the youth are present

Topic 3 - Praises perfected in the company of youth

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

SERMON SERIES AIM: Create an insatiable appetite for adults to bring more kids more often to church

Sermon Series Title

SERMON SERIES TITLE: The Missing Link Are Kids

SERMON SERIES SUBJECTS:

Losses when the youth is absent

Joys when the youth are present

Praises perfected in the company of youth

PART 1

Who Loses With Youth Absenteeism?

Matthew 18:2–6 KJV 1900

And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

7 Scary Questions:

Might this illustration be lost if no child present

Might the child lose if not exposed to Jesus’ loving arms

Might adults lose if no child present to remind us to be child-like

Might the church lose if no generational dynamic present

Might society lose if no children in church

Who among us is comfortable with these potential loses

Who among us is willing to face a related indictment from God

Suicide, teenage pregnancy, school violence, depression, hopelessness, abandonment, abuse, bullying, … This is their world!

The children need to be introduced to someone who will never leave nor forsake them.

Someone who would go to any extreme to save them even if it required a cross, three nails, a spear, death, and a tomb.

For He who was dead is alive and will return for His children. The children must include your children, your nephews, nieces, grandchildren, friend’s children, neighbor’s children.

Let’s bring them to church that they may experience the warm embrace of Jesus.

Tell someone, “Bring them, … I am!” [repeat]

PART 2

A Happy Church

Psalm 127:3–5 KJV 1900

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: And the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; So are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: They shall not be ashamed, But they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Children come from God and are the product of the womb

Like arrows, strengthen the mighty man so are children of the youth

The Pulpit Commentary: Psalms (Vol. III) Psalm 127

Happy the man whose quiver contains many such arrows, and who is thus sure of abundant protection.

“Happy” sometimes translated “blessed”

“Happy” sometimes translated “bless”

The presence of the youth, should embolden us.

Permit me to flex my spiritual imagination

Not proposing we rewrite Scripture, but what if “man” is replaced with “church” then we read, “Happy is the church that hath its quiver full of them.

-OR- Happy is the church that has plenty of children.”

Want a happy church, then fill the quiver with the children

There’s another reason to fill the quiver in the church

We’re commanded to bring the children to Christ

Part 3

Mark 10:14 KJV 1900

But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Happy is the church that has its quiver full

Imagine the Happy church blessed by a youth choir worshipping God in spirit and truth

Imagine Sunday School with gleeful giggles and wide-eye wonderment. Classes full with maturing minds,

An old child song comes to mind, “Do you see what I see?”

Imagine the children growing up and now their children is the next generation of opportunity. Do you see what I see?

Imagine Jesus looking on and declares, “Well done thy good and faithful servant. You have been mindful of the little things, the little ones. COME UP. Experience your reward.”

PART 3

When Children Praise God

Matthew 21:15–16 KJV 1900

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Jesus was approaching the close of His 3+ years of ministry

Excitement was building, the healer is coming

The Savior of the Jews was approaching

The Messiah, the anointed One - quick strip the trees of their branches

Shed your cloaks and garments to form the carpet runway. He is coming!

Tell your person sitting next to you, “He is coming!”

As excited as the people were then, we should be also today

He who promised I will return and receive you unto Myself - IS COMING

We may be on the edge of this season and about to tip over into the eternal one to come

In the passage we find the audience includes adults and children

Jews and likely strangers

Those seeking to worship and those seeking to destroy

Some were sore displeased, very much pained, very much resentful, highly upset

WHY? in prior verses Jesus overturned the money tables and chased out the merchants who were cheating the people

Jesus said, “As it is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

The merchants had taken the sacred and turned it into evil profit

Next, Jesus began healing the people

Matthew 21:15 KJV 1900

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

Even the children were praising the Lord; it is a natural response to healing; the proper response to God’s favor; the right thing to do when God has rescued you; what you do when joy fills your heart, when God delivers and rescues; touches and relieves; comforts and assures; provides and sustains;

This joy I have the world didn’t give it and the world can’t take it away!

Tell person sitting next to you, “God gave it. World can’t take it! It’s mine!”

Nevertheless, some were sore displeased and got in Jesus’ face to deal with this too. You dealt with the money changers, how about silencing all this commotion? Do you hear what they are saying?

As it to say, “Where is the silent, reverence for the temple?” The quiet meditation and fervor prayer? After all, this is the house of prayer.

Jesus response reminds them and us of what is written in Psalm 8:3.

Do you hear what they are saying?

Matthew 21:16 KJV 1900

And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings. out of the mouth of the infant, the child, the baby

The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament 3516. νήπιος nḗpios

By implication, a minor, one not yet of age (Gal. 4:1).

Adults praising, adults sore displease, but children shouting, “Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed be the name of the Lord!”

Perfected praise, not pretense, not self- motivated, rather innocent, genuine!

What a tragedy to worship and silence the children

And the children are silent if they are not present

Let us go and get the children that they may compliment the praising and the worshiping experience

This is not a request to invite the children, rather a plea to say let’s go and get them

The nieces and nephews, the children and grandchildren, the babes, the infants, the youth. WE NEED THEIR PRAISE

Together we celebrate the God who declared, “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.” (Mt 18:5)

He who declared, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of heaven. ()

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If you don’t bring them, then who will. Let us not lay this at the foot of another. God is speaking to us NOW.

I care too much. Love too hard. Yearn too deeply. I must move. You must move. We must move.

The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), .”

Let us Bring More Kids, beginning next Sunday. So our praises may mingle and bombard heaven. Better than a symphony, and certainly music to the ears of God.