Please remain standing. Our scripture text comes from Luke, starting in verse 15. We'll seek the Spirit's guidance as we look into the Book of Life. Our Lord and our God, as we open up your Book of Life, Let it illuminate our minds, Lord. Let Your Spirit flow through the words of Scripture into our heart. Lord, we seek to do Your will. I pray that You give me the proper words to speak and give us ears to hear what You would have us to hear in this message. Amen. Luke 18, starting in verse 15. Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples sought, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them. For to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. You may be seated. Now, as we continue on in our study of Luke, we come to what appears to be a very short lesson given by Jesus. However, when we dissect it, we see the heart of the gospel message. and those who qualify for salvation. Now this has been the overwhelming theme since the later part of chapter 17 when the Pharisees asked Jesus concerning the kingdom of God. Jesus told them that the kingdom was among you. Jesus was walking among them. The Word incarnate. And they didn't recognize it. As we looked at the catechism question, why didn't they recognize it? It was because of their own presuppositions concerning the Messiah. What they thought the Messiah should be instead of what the Scriptures told He would be like. They were adding to and taking away from the Word of God. Exactly what our catechism, our confession of faith says. People who add to or take away from the Word of God are in a false religion. So it's nothing new. It was happening then. And it is what Jesus was addressing. Because this, where he's talking about coming to faith and how to come to faith, is just an extension of the parable before it concerning the Pharisee and the tax collector. Did you ever wonder why our Lord rebuked the Pharisees so harshly at times? You are the sons of your father, the devil. You make twice the converts of hell as you are." Those are loving acts on Jesus' part. Harsh rebukes are necessary at times. He was trying to wake them up to the truth. He was telling them, you got it wrong. And our heart's desire was that none should perish, even those who would persecute Him. What did He cry on the cross? Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Our Lord's heart was that none should perish, even these Pharisees. That's why such harsh rebukes. He wanted them to be jilted out of their false beliefs. But our Lord, at this stage in His ministry, was getting more and more intense on telling of the blessings of true believers, like the woman who continually prayed. And even got her prayer answered, or her request answered from a wicked judge. How much more God, a just judge, will give us. That's a privilege of believers that He's reminding. were privileged people, a royal priesthood. But also, he told the Pharisees concerning that, remember that one? What did he say about that Pharisee? He said he was the one that wasn't saved. Tax collector was saved. The Pharisee wasn't. It was to try to wake them up. The Pharisee did not come like a child to Jesus. The Pharisee came proud and arrogant. Look at what I did. Look at what I can do. Jesus, you should be glad I'm coming into your kingdom. But that's not what God says. He says, the kingdom of God belongs to who? Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. So this short lesson was directed at the Pharisees. The Pharisees who were dogging Jesus, looking for a reason to convict Him. And we know the crowd was large because this is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. And in Matthew 19, it says right before this, a large crowd followed Him and He healed them there. And we know when it says large crowds, they could be very large in the thousands. Because each time He fed them miraculously, the crowds were in the thousands or tens of thousands. So this was directed at the Pharisees, but many others heard it as well. He wanted the Pharisees to have another reason to consider their future. This was right after he told them, I tell you, this man went down to us all justified rather than the other. The other was the Pharisee who stood up in the parables shortly before this, bragging how good he was. I'm not like other men. But Jesus used an everyday event to teach parents bringing their children to be blessed. And that's what they were doing. When they wanted Jesus to hold them and lay hands on them, it was to bless them. It's the same as we do today in ordinations When we bring in new church officials, we lay hands on them. It's an outward demonstration of blessing. And that's what the parents wanted. But isn't that a natural thing? For anybody of faith? That you want your child to come up in faith as well? You want your child to be blessed with the same faith? That's what these parents were doing. Now they were bringing even infants to Him that He might touch them. Now notice it's infants. The Greek word is nursing children. It implies to young children. But that is a natural reaction even in cults or false religions. You want your children to follow after you. I'm sure all of us want our child to come to faith. Our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. It's only natural. But what about our neighbors? What about our enemies' children? What about our relatives' children who do not know the faith? Do we pray for them? Is our heart concerned for them as well? Notice, Jesus was welcoming these children. He said, don't hinder them. Let them come. Let them come to me. I want them." Now, were all these parents truly saved? No, I doubt it. Just like the church today, they were part of the body, the physical body, but they were not transformed. The weeds and the tares grow together. The sheep and the goats grow together. Those are all pictures of the church. The same is here too. And we know in a short few days or weeks, some of these people would be crying, crucifying Him, rejecting Him. But yet Jesus wanted even the children of those who were not saved to come to Him and be blessed. It demonstrates our Lord's heart toward children. These people knew from the Old Testament that they should bring their children to be blessed. We have to remember that this was a theocracy. Even though they were under Roman rule, the Romans would let the people under their rule keep their own religion. They found out that it was a lot more peaceful that way. So these people were brought up under the instruction of the Old Testament, and it was far more stricter than we have in church, I believe. The teachings. They would be familiar with Isaiah 44. But now hear, O Jacob, my servant Israel, whom I have chosen. Thus says the Lord who made you, who formed you from the womb, and will help you. Fear not, O Jacob, my servant. Jeshurun. whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon your offspring and my blessings upon your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. The older we get, we all realize that we're not going to last forever. And the only way the Christian faith will be carried on in our lineage is if our children do it. They are to be arrows shot into the next generation to be effective for Christ. These people knew it. They knew the blessing was for them and their children. So it's a natural desire to have your children come to faith. To follow in the faith which you believe in. And again, even if these Jewish parents never came to saving faith, they were still exposing their children to the One who gives saving faith. And we know these children were blessed. Jesus wanted them brought to Him. He wanted to bless them. He didn't want any of these children to be hindered. Even by His own disciples who were still struggling between our Lord's teachings and the teachings they grew up with. But you know, it's even true today. We see those in the church, or who say they're in the church, who may not attend for years, but when they have a baby, what do they do? They call the pastor and say, I want to have my baby baptized. And they bring that infant in and it's baptized. And then you may not see those parents until they have their next child. But you know what? That child is still blessed. Because they are doing what God had prescribed. And it's not a blessing that is not grace, not saving grace. It is yet a form of common grace. I guess we could call it directional grace. Because each blessing that is according to God's Word directs a child or anybody closer and closer to saving faith. Children of believers are more blessed. But even children of those who attend church and aren't believers are blessed. Because they are hearing the Word of God. And in this case, these were infants and they were blessed. Even though they could not comprehend the Word of God. Yet Jesus wanted them brought to Him. Our Lord has a special place for children. Should that surprise us? What did it say concerning Nineveh and Jonah 4.11? And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left? Our Lord was willing to delay judgment on a wicked people, a wicked city, wicked parents, For their children's sake. 120,000 who didn't know their right hand from their left. Our Lord truly does care about His creation. But should that surprise us? Weren't we all children rebellious against God at one time? And He loved us while we were yet sinners? Now this had to be Another point of contention with the Pharisees. Because what were the Pharisees teaching? What were the Pharisees demonstrating? A prideful, man-centered religion. Look what I can do. Ring a little bell when I drop my coins in so everybody can watch. Walk around with a long face when I'm fasting so everybody knows that I'm fasting. Have the highest places of honor at every banquet. Make up superficial rules beyond Scripture to try and gain greater blessing from God. Jesus said they did all their works for man. Works-based. How much giving could a little child do? How many prayers in the public street could a little baby be crying out? How many alms could they drop in? None. They were babies. They couldn't do anything to earn salvation. So this was going completely contrary to what the Pharisees were teaching. How could Jesus be accepting these little children? Our Lord said you had to accept them with that type of attitude. That type of faith. Faith like a child. Do you know what that is? A child had nothing to offer Jesus. The child is fully dependent on the parents. And when you come to our Lord for faith like a child, that you're fully dependent on Him, you come with nothing in your hands. Nothing to offer Him. Completely contrary to what the Pharisees were teaching. What did the Pharisees say in that last message? Luke 18.11, standing by himself prayed thus, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes to all that I get. I, I, I, I. Pride, pride, pride, pride. Lord, you should be glad that I'm coming to you. These little children could not impress Jesus, but they did. He was pleased to bless them. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God, like a child, shall not enter it. Again, this was directed at the Pharisees, because they were not accepting it like a child. But as we know, most in Israel were not. Jesus was walking among them. The kingdom of God is among you. And they did not recognize it. You know, the man who came humbling himself, the tax collector, was the man who was welcomed into the kingdom. We're going to resort back to last week's message of the week before in Luke 18, 14. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. The one who comes like a little child, saying, Lord, I'm completely dependent on You. There is nothing I can offer to You. What can a baby offer their parents? When they're still nursing? Other than the joy and the love that you get from them? They can't work for anything. That's how Jesus wants us to come, realizing that nothing we do, we are helpless, that our works are filthy rags. We humbly come to Him and He will build us up. It is the humbled ones who are justified. They know that they cannot purchase salvation with anything they do. Our Lord says, truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it. You know, our Lord keeps making that distinguish. Distinguish. You know what I mean. Some are not going to enter. And some will. And it all goes back to what we looked at in the confession of faith. There is false churches, there is false beliefs. Satan is the great counterfeiter. What does a counterfeiter do with money? He wants it to look exactly or as close to the real thing as possible. So the people who have it, who obtain it, think they have the real thing. But you know what? When they go in and turn it in, and there's a trained person at a bank or something, they're going to say, this is worthless. What does Jesus say about false religion? Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you. Even though it is those who thought they had the real thing for salvation. Now this isn't just directed at the Pharisees, it's directed at all of humankind. All of us who are the sons of Adam. Because our Lord says that anyone who does not come to me like a child, a childlike faith, will not enter his kingdom. He is not saying here that all these children are going to enter into his kingdom. They, just like us, when they reach the age, when they know what's going on, will still have to come to the Lord like a child, or they will waste the blessing they have received. You know, all of us must be like the tax collector coming humbly to God. So what other lessons is our Lord trying to give us in these few verses? We know we have to come humbly. But we also see our Lord has a special heart toward children. How about you? Do you pray for the neighbor's children? Maybe you have some wicked neighbors or wicked relatives. Do you pray for their children? Do you pray that God will save their children? We should be. God prayed for those concerned about the wicked children of Nineveh. The wicked parents. Nor does it say these children were not sinful. We know we're sinful from the womb. That God demonstrated great love toward children. We should be praying for those also. Do we receive them as Jesus did? It's hard. Some of my brothers and sisters are in there into some pretty nasty stuff. I should have been praying for their children all along. We also see in these verses a strong evidence for child baptism. Our Lord wanted them to bring the children to Him so He could bless them. Just like circumcision. The children of faith, the children of parents of faith bring them to be circumcised. They didn't know their right hand from their left when they were circumcised. Why would we not bring our children if we know there is a blessing in it? It's not a saving faith. But if our children are blessed, why would we withhold that? It's just like parents of believers. Why would we withhold bringing our children to church knowing that they also are blessed because we are coming here according to God's prescribed method? Who knows when God will move in anyone's heart? He can move in the heart of a child, just like He can move in the heart of a man dying on a cross next to him. The increase is of the Lord. But we should expose our children to the blessings available to them. just as we expose ourselves to the blessings tonight of coming to worship. We can't go by our feelings. Oh, I feel they're too young, it doesn't pay. We may not feel like coming to church. We may not feel like we got anything out of coming to church. But that does not mean we were not blessed for following God's command. We know Jesus accepted the parents. They received grace. Children receive grace, just like in baptism, grace is given. But that, too, is not a saving grace. And that is not what we teach. That also, I would call, is an addrectional grace. They are far better off than children who are not blessed and receive that grace, but it does not mean that that gift may not be wasted. That's why children of believers are far more likely to receive faith than those who have non-believers as parents. And I think these verses also bring comfort to those who have lost infants. Our Lord has a special concern for those who do not know their right hand from their left. For such belongs the kingdom of God. You know, we must remember our Lord's attributes. His loving kindness. His justness. His forgiveness. He is a loving God. He loves the children. He wanted the children to come to Him. And I think this gives A lot of assurance that children of believers can say like David did, that my child cannot come to me, but I can go to my child. David knew he would see his child in eternity. And this is a blessed hope for all who have lost children. But mostly our Lord wants us to come to Him as helpless babes, claiming no right of salvation other than the atoning work of Jesus Christ, the atoning work of somebody else. A humble and a contrite spirit will be transformed by the power of God. and it will raise up a church that will be effective in the land. Because if you are in Christ, the Lord has chosen to use you for a work prepared in advance to do. You may come humbly to God, and we all should, And we may feel worthless in His sight. Broken. The base things of the earth. But He will raise you up to do mighty works when we mature. When we stop drinking milk. When we feed on the solid food of His Word. That is his desire. Yes, he loves all of us as babes as we come, but he doesn't want us to stay in diapers. He wants us all to be mature Christians. Mature believers who desire to advance his church, because that is a privilege. for us as believers, a royal priesthood, a holy people belonging to God, saved to do the works prepared in advance for us to do. Let us all pray that after receiving the faith-like babes, that we mature and are effective for His kingdom. Amen. Please bow. Our Lord and our God, we thank You for Your Word. And we pray, O Lord, that we fulfill our part in the body of Christ. That we seek out as believers to do that particular work that You would have us to do. Give us the wisdom and the guidance to do it. In Jesus' name, Amen.