Title: And He Called A Child
Bible Book: Matthew 18
Author: John Bisagno
Subject: Children; Salvation, Early; Pride; Faith, Barriers to
Objective:
[Editor's Note: This is more of an outline than a full sermon, but there is message here that is very much needed in today's church. One can easily find thoughs here to help develop a full sermon regarding winning children to Jesus.]
Introduction
Matthew 18:
Why did Jesus say one should come to the Lord while young?
I. Sin Begins Early
Sin is getting into the heads and hearts of young people, at younger and younger ages. With the various media, Internet, television and social networking, there are more ways for sin to begin at an earlier age..
Homosexuality is now being taught as an acceptable lifestyle in the first grade forward in the schools in California.
In New York teachers are being taught to look for signs of drug addiction from children beginning in kindergarten forward.
By the time children are seven years of age, they have already begun to love sin and be obsessed with sin. Statistics show that if you have not been saved by the time you are eleven or twelve, there is about one chance in a hundred that you will ever be saved.
II. Faith Can Begin Early
Because children have faith - they trust what they are told. Children can and do understand things like sin, repentance and salvation. What do you think you have to know to be saved? You have to have two things.
A. Conviction of Sin
You have to have a conviction of sin. You have to know that you are a sinner and that sin violates God's will for your life.
B. Faith In Christ
One must have faith in Jesus Christ in order to repent of sin and be saved. With adults you don't have to worry about the knowledge of sin. Adults have to worry about their faith. You see, adults want to see and feel it. However, with children it is the opposite. What you have to worry about with a child is the awareness of and conviction of sin. Children do know what they are doing when they come forward, but the adult who deals with the children sometimes doesn't know what he is doing. You have to help the child understand that he is a sinner. That doesn't mean that he/she disobeyed Mommy or Daddy. It is a sin and a sense of guilt and remorse that one has sinned against God.
This is where you start with a child. If they have that, then the faith will come easy. It is important for those who talk with children to know that the child needs knowledge, conviction of sin and faith in Jesus Christ. That is the path to salvation and eternal life.
III. Age Brings Pride
When you become older, you develop a lot of pride. Pride will keep you from Jesus Christ more than anything else in the world. Children are not intimidated and they are not proud. They don't care what you think. Children don't hold grudges. They act on what they feel is right. So, if they feel a conviction of sin, and sense that Christ will forgive and save the, they will come to Him. Later, however, when they are older, pride can get in the way.
Let me share another reason we need to reach children...
IV. Children Have Less Excuses
Adults come up with all kinds of excuses for why they do not believe. Children simply do not have excuses.
Let's look at one more reason to bring children to Jesus...
V. Jesus Said Let The Little Children Come To Me
Jesus said to let the children come and be saved. A child has his whole life to give to Jesus Christ.
[Editor's additional note: There are those who complain that children should be deterred from coming to faith in Christ till the are older. As Dr. Bisagno points out in this text, holding children back from faith in Christ is disobeying what Jesus told us to. Christ told us to "bring" the little children to Him.]
