Discipling our Children

Introduction

More Perfect Illustrations: For Every Topic and Occasion Youth: Children: The Church’s Future

Forty years ago a Philadelphia congregation watched as three 9-year-old boys were baptized and joined the church. Not long after, unable to continue with its dwindling membership, the church sold the building and disbanded.

One of those boys was Dr. Tony Campolo, author and Christian sociologist at Eastern College, Pennsylvania. Dr. Campolo remembers:

Years later when I was doing research in the archives of our denominations, I decided to look up the church report for the year of my baptism. There was my name, and Dick White’s. He’s now a missionary. Bert Newman, now a professor of theology at an African seminary, was also there. Then I read the church report for ‘my’ year: “It has not been a good year for our church. We have lost 27 members. Three joined, and they were only children.”

Grace makes no man proud.

-Charles Spurgeon

It is never too early to introduce children to Jesus.

300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon Don’t Be Afraid to Teach Your Children (Proverbs 22:6; 24:30–32)

Have you ever heard of a man who said he did not teach his children the ways of God because he thought they were so young that it was very wrong to prejudice them, and he would rather leave them to choose their own religion when they grew older? One of his boys broke his arm, and while the surgeon was setting it the boy was swearing all the time. The good doctor said, “I told you what would happen. You were afraid to prejudice your boy in the right way, but the devil had no such qualms. He has prejudiced him the other way, and pretty strongly too.”

Don’t just read over the descriptive word in this passage.

These were not just children.

These were little children.

The proper use of the greek word would describe an infant or other very small child.

Like the paralyzed man that was let down through the roof, these children depended on someone else to bring them to Jesus.

It is doubtful that these little kids could understand any or most teaching.

They did not bring their kids to learn from Jesus.

They brought their kids to blessed by Jesus.

It is doubtful that these little kids could express a desire to go see Jesus.

This encounter was thought of, planned, and executed by the parents of these children.

Children need to be exposed to the practical and spiritual aspects of a relationship with Jesus.

We see this in the their desire to have Jesus first lay hands on them and also to pray for them.

This is the practical and the spiritual.

They want Jesus to have a tangible touch or influence on their children's lives.

Children need to learn about Jesus the same way they learn about everything else, through the 5 senses.

This food we are eating came from God.

This music we are listening to magnifies God.

This tv show we are watching (the Chosen) teaches us about God,

This hug is only my feeble attempt at loving your the way that Jesus loves you.

These smells as we walk through God’s creation will attach to your memory better than any other sense.

This makes Jesus a real part of their lives.

They also want a spiritual investment into their children.

Every parent that is honest will admit that they are lacking in their ability to give their kids what they need.

The more kids you have and the longer you parent them, the more you are confronted with your inadequacies.

We need something that will over rule our failings.

We find that power in prayer.

These parents wanted Jesus to pray for and bless their kids.

Obstacles to your children’s faith will come, but their source may surprise you.

For these parents, the obstacles to Jesus came from other followers of Jesus.

Sometimes, people who claim to follow Jesus can cause more problems than those who don’t.

When you are speaking to someone that is an unbeliever you typically have your defenses up because you know they don’t believe like you do.

But, when you are speaking to someone who is a believer you are more open to accepting what they say, even if it’s wrong.

As parents, it is our responsibility to stand up for what’s right for our children regardless of where the obstacles come from.

Teacher

Coach

Church worker

Grandparent

Any influence on our children should be filtered through the Bible.

We should be careful that we don’t become an obstacle to our kids’ faith ourselves.

Hypocrisy at home.

Tearing down spiritual influences.

Minimizing the priority of spiritual things.

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Lonely Children

Bishop Joseph R. Kennedy told the story of giving a schoolboy a ride in Omaha. The youngster was depressed and immediately said, “Are you going a long ways, mister? If you are I wish you would take me along!” “Why?” asked the bishop. “I don’t want to go to my house. (He didn’t call it ‘home.’) There won’t be anyone there when I get there unless Clara, the cleaning woman, hasn’t left. Mother is at a social. My dad won’t be home until after I am in bed, and he leaves before I get up in the morning. I tell you, mister, big houses are awfully lonely for little kids.”

The bishop declared that he stopped to let the boy out before one of the most beautiful houses in Omaha.

In a display of grace, Jesus directs His disciples to remove any and all obstacles that would prevent children from coming to Him.

That is what His command to them means.

Suffer means leave them alone.

The disciples are to get out of the way.

They are not to hinder the children from being brought to Jesus.

Opposing children from coming to Jesus is the opposite of what an adult follower is to do.

Notice to whom the command is given.

It’s not the parents.

It’s the disciples.

You may not have children in your home any more, but that does not mean you are excluded from Jesus’ desire to receive children to himself.

There are many children in our city that have no godly adult influences.

Who will carry them to Jesus?

The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott Receiving Children No One Else Will Touch

“We receive children whom no other charitable institution will touch,” said Dr. Barnardo. “Children in the last state of lingering disease; children who are lame, halt and blind; children who, as a result of a long course of neglect and suffering, can be admitted only to die. The only condition of eligibility … is destitution.”

All of us have a responsibility to do whatever we can to remove any hindrances or obstacles that might prevent a child from coming to Jesus.

Jesus stepped in to clear the path for these children.

We are emulating Him, when we make a way for children today to come to Jesus.

Jesus knows that the kingdom of heaven is not made up of children who became like adults, but rather adults who became like children.

This is an interesting thought in the conversation about discipling our children.

Our goal is not to make their faith like the majority of adults’ faith.

Our goal is to prevent their faith from becoming like the faith of the majority of adults.

Once, Martin Luther came upon Anasthasia, his four-year-old, prattling away about Christ, angels, and heaven. Whereupon the noted churchman said, “My dear child, if only one could hold fast to this faith.” Quickly she replied, “Why, Papa, don’t you believe it?” Luther was shocked and later wrote, “Christ has made the children our teachers.”

G. Curtis Jones, 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1986), 130.Yes, we want them to learn more about the Bible and increase in their knowledge and experience of God.

But, we don’t want them to lose the child-like faith that all of us must have if we are going to come to Jesus.

Let’s not transfer our cynicism and doubts to our children.

Let’s not transfer our coldness and hard-heartedness to them.

Instead, let’s work to keep them pure, tender, and believing in God.

The world will do its best to tear down their faith.

As parents we should try our best to build up and protect it.

Jesus honors and fulfills the desires of these parents.

This is an important part of this passage.

It shows Jesus’ follow through on what the parents of these kids so desperately desired.

They came to Him for the sake of their children.

They went up against the disciples when they opposed their approach.

They were rewarded by receiving from Jesus what they had sought.

Jesus lays hands on the children and prays for them before He departs.

It would be misleading to try and tell you tonight that you can’t have the same thing for your children.

Your kids can have the same experience that these kids did.

As I believe each of the parents here would desire the best for their children, let us learn from what Jesus demonstrated in this passage.

In order for our children to become disciples of Jesus, we must realize that is never too early to invest in their spiritual lives.

We must endeavor to introduce them to Jesus on a practical and a spiritual level.

We must tear down any obstacles that stand between them and discipleship.

If it prohibits their spiritual growth, it is the enemy.

You, as the parent, need to take action.

You, as the parent, need to avoid being or causing obstacles yourself.

Our children need to keep the goal in mind.

We are trying to preserve and nurture their faith.

We are not trying to transfer our own cynicism, anxiety, fear, and doubts to our kids.

We must remember and trust that Jesus loves our kids even more than we do.

We have to have faith that Jesus will honor and fulfill the godly desires that we have for our kids.

We must believe that, if we bring them to Him, He will reveal Himself to them.