According to Luke: Faith Like A Child

According to Luke: Faith Like A Child

Opening Illustration:

Growing up is hard. When you are a kid, you make a lot of mistakes. Thankfully, I had a built in safety net. Now understand that not every kid has this safety net. Do know what this net is called? 

Parents!

That’s right. With all the mistakes I committed as a kid, my parents were always there. Who am I kidding. I needed my parents when I was 34 as much as I did when I was 4. Now I love my Mother, but there is something special about the relationship between a Father and his son. My Dad taught me a lot over the years and as I got older, my thoughts and feelings changed about my Father. 

4 years old: my Dad can do anything

7 years old: my Dad knows a lot, a whole lot

9 years old: my dad doesn’t know quite everything

12 years old: Oh well, naturally Dad does not know that either

14 years old: my Dad is so out of step with reality

20 years old: my Dad is so hopelessly old-fashioned

25 years old: Dad knows a little about it, but not much

30 years old: I may ask what Dad thinks about it

35 years old: Before we decide, let’s get Dad’s opinion

45 years old: I wonder what Dad will think about this

55 years old: my Dad knows something about literally everything

65 years old: I wish I could talk it over with Dad just once more.

You see, every kid needs their Dad. Boy I really leaned on that man, in many ways I still do. 

You see, I had...no...I have faith in my Dad. I believed...no I believe in him. This past Wednesday I turned 42 years old. I’m 42 and I still depend on my Dad. I ask him questions. I listen to his advice. I try to follow his example. 

What about you? Do you listen to your Father? Do you listen to His advice? Do you follow example? Of course I am not talking about your earthly Father, I’m talking about your Heavenly Dad. Scripture tells us that if we put our faith in God, follow Him wholeheartedly, with complete trust, that there is a tremendous reward. What is the reward? Oh just a little think called “The Kingdom of God”.  You see faith in Christ, complete faith like a child has in their Father, punches your ticket to the ultimate Kingdom. God’s Kingdom!

Point:

There is another sort of faith. You can have faith like a child, a child like faith or you can have a childish faith. God if you don’t answer my request, if you don’t give me what I want when I want it, if you don’t bow to my wishes, then I am out. Sounds silly right? 

Friends, just Tuesday night I read an article produced by the Barna Group that stated that 1-3 professing Christians have stopped church. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 1-3 believers have given up on church. They are not going. They are not giving. They are not tuning in. They are not listening. They have abandoned the church. When things got tough, they got going. Instead of praying, instead of remaining faithful, instead of deploying a faith like a child, their faith was revealed as childish. 

May it never be said of us. May we exhibit a childlike faith instead of a childish faith. 

So, answer me this question this morning, is your faith childlike or childish?

Is Your Faith Child-like or Childish?

Background and Context:

Just last week we heard the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. If your remember, Jesus’ last words were “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted”. The next thing we know children were being brought to Jesus to be blessed. What is more humble than a child? Jesus takes this moment and decides to teach His disciples, His followers and important lesson about those who inherit the Kingdom of God. It is a great lesson for us today. So, let’s check it out. Let’s read from Luke 18:15-17. I’m reading from the English Standard Version this morning. 

Luke 18:15-17 ESV

[15] Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. [16] 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. [17] Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

3 Ways To Feature Faith Like A Child

I. Childlike Faith Is Harmless vs. 16

Luke 18:16 ESV

[16] 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.

Point:

So what is really going on in this story and what do I mean that childlike faith is harmless? First, what is going on. In the introduction to this short story, we have parents bringing their children to Jesus. Scripture tells us that they were wanting Jesus to specifically touch their children. In Jesus’ time, blessings were given through both word and touch. Essentially, if you wanted to bless a child, you would have to touch that child and transfer the blessing in that mode. 

Do you remember the story of Jacob and Esau? Jacob was able to steal Esau blessing by pretending to be Esau. Jacob and his mother plotted against his father Isaac and brother Esau. They developed a scheme where Jacob would dress like Esau, smell like Esau, even sound like Esau to convince his blind father that he was indeed Esau. When Esau was absent from the camp, Jacob entered the tent where he discovered his father on his death bed. Jacob went in with a prepared dish that only Esau served. He served it to his father and his father reached out, touched him and gave Jacob Esau’s birthright. What was done could not be undone. Jacob not only had stolen Esau’s birthright and blessing, but he had also stolen the touch of his father. 

You see in ancient times, touch was very important. It was important who you touched and who you did not touch. You could convey blessing by touching someone but you could convey cursing by refusing to touch someone else. Scripture tell us in Leviticus that if one were to touch a dead body or a leper that you would be physically unclean. 

Point:

These parents were bringing their children to Jesus so that Jesus could touch them and deliver to them an eternal blessing. Can you imagine? What an amazing opportunity! How many of us would stand in line for days so that Jesus could touch our children and give them a blessing. The word translated "touch" is Greek hapto, "to make close contact, ‘to touch frequently," though in our passage the word may also convey the idea of "to hold”. Do you see the picture now? In this incident they were little children. The word translated "babies" is Greek brephos, "a very small child, 'baby, infant.' 

So quite literally, Jesus is holding babies. Young children whose parents are seeking a blessing from Jesus! 

If you notice, we do quite a few baby dedications here at Eastern Shore Baptist Church. It is one of my most favorite traditions here at the church. I love seeing young families grow and expand. I love children and I love being their pastor. When I conduct an infant dedication I usually take the child in my arms. I hold the child. When I pray I give the child back to the parents and I place my hand on the child’s head. I do this to convey blessing. I want to quite literally transfer a heavenly blessing from God to this innocent boy or girl. It really is a picture of what Jesus did in Luke 18. 

Now, let’s answer the second question. What do I mean when I say that childlike faith is harmless? Possessing a childlike faith means having an innocent faith. 

Point:

Have you ever heard the phrase that children are to be seen but not heard? Well in Jesus’ day, children were not to be seen and not to be heard. Children in the days of Christ were seen only to carry on the family line and to basically be the retirement plan for mom after dad had died. They were loved and were not to be abused, but the societal norm was to keep children in their place. Children were not to be listened too, nor were their feelings really considered. Most children could not even choose for themselves a mate, it was their parents who determined their partner for life. Children were to do as they were told. 

We see this in the response of the disciples. As these infants were being brought to Jesus, the disciples rebuked these desperate parents. The Master does not have time for this. Get out of here. 

Jesus uses this event as a teachable moment. You see the disciples thought that the Kingdom of God was theirs. Jesus upends their notions. You cannot have a part of the Kingdom of God unless you approach it with the innocence of a child. Not just a any child but a baby!

Babies are defenseless and totally dependent on their parents. 

Babies needs are few. Food. Water. Shelter. Get changed from time to time. Babies need someone else to take care of them. 

Babies are innocent. Babies have committed no crimes. They are not evil. Babies are not corrupt.

Babies bring joy. When loving parents who have been bonded together through marriage have a child, it brings joy into the family. 

Babies are innocent and it is the spirit of innocent that we receive God’s Kingdom. 

Jesus is showing the disciples that entering the Kingdom is not going to happen on some show of force. Access to Heaven is not dependent on strength, on wealth, on power, or by good deeds. 

Disciples, if you want to take part in God’s Kingdom, be like this baby! Be innocent. 

Mark 9:37 ESV

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

3 Ways To Feature Faith Like A Child

I. Childlike Faith Is Harmless vs. 16

II. Childlike Faith Is Humble vs. 16

Luke 18:16 ESV

[16] 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.

Point:

Angela and I are blessed to have our children. While they may share our DNA, Angela and I are keenly aware that our children do not really belong to us. They belong to Jesus. We are to care for them and point them to Christ. We are stewards of our children for a very short period of time. Eventually they will leave our home and enter the world where they will have to take hold of their faith and live for Christ on their own. 

Point:

I learned something important early on in my parenting. My children own nothing. My children think that they own things but they don’t. Everything they have ultimately belongs to me and Angela. Everything that we have belongs to God. What my children have is on loan to them from me. They are given material things out of necessity like food, clothing, shelter. The laws of the land proclaim that I have to take care of my children. They are not to be abused so basic fatherhood means that I have to meet those needs. They are also given material things out of blessing. When our children consistently and continually do good, they are rewarded. As their father, I go over and beyond my legal duties as their father. I not only give food, clothing, shelter, but I also give gaming systems, take them on trips, and pay for athletic endeavors. What little money my children do make I could take and it would be fine. Why? Because my children are in debt to me. My children do not pay rent, buy their food, and help pay for gas to take them places. Neither do they pay for all the counseling sessions, or the emotional trauma they have put me and Angela through. 

Of course what I am saying is in jest. My children are not in debt to me because I love them and I welcome them in my home. We love our boys. Yet, the point of the earlier statements holds true. Children do not own anything. What they have has been given to them and if a parented wanted to, it could be taken away. 

Children by their very nature are humble in their station. Children, by their nature, do not usually get great high paying jobs. It is children who you often find doing the lowest paying jobs. They are paid pennies on the dollar until they are educated and gain experience. 

For the record, that is one of the problems of my generation and the current generation. These children believe that they should be able to skip the humble phase of life and be directed to the good life. They don’t want to wait tables, they want to own the restaurant. They don’t want to clean the neighbors pool, they want to lay by the pool. They want CEO pay with a high school degree and no life experience. Friends, that is just not the way life works. Life’s greatest teacher is humility. 

In Jesus’ day, children did not own anything either. They could not run for office. They could not own land. They could not speak unless they were spoken to. Yet Jesus loved children. Not once in Jesus’ life did He rebuke children. He never raised His hand to them. He never refused them. He never worried about His reputation when it came to being with children. Jesus celebrated children, called children, gave them compassion, cared for them, and He was committed to children. He healed children. He raised them to life after they died. 

Why? Why did Jesus take some much time with kids? What was it about kids that Jesus loved?

The answer is of course that children were humble. They were not demanding, they were dependent. They were not demeaning, they were devoted. Kids never tried to trap Jesus, they just wanted Jesus to touch them. 

Point:

If we want to take part in Jesus’ Kingdom, we need to embrace humility. We need to own less and give more. We need to see people for their eternal souls and not their ethnicity. Have you ever noticed that young children never seem to care about the color of our skin? Racism is something that we pick up as we get older. It is something that is sown into us by our families and friends. 

Disciples, if you want to take part in God’s Kingdom, be like this baby! Be humble. 

I Peter 5:5 ESV

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

3 Ways To Feature Faith Like A Child

I. Childlike Faith Is Harmless vs. 16

II. Childlike Faith Is Humble vs. 16

III. Childlike Faith Is Honest vs. 16

Luke 18:16 ESV

[16] 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.

Point:

Christian, are you open? Are you available? Are you teachable? Are you usable? Oh friends, there have been to many times in my life where I thought I knew it all. You could not give me advice. No sir. I had it figured it on my own. Time and time I have gotten myself in trouble because I was not willing to listen. 

Inheriting God’s Kingdom requires a silliness to be used. It takes honesty. It is an attitude that demonstrates that whatever God has given to me, God can use. 

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about the little lad with his fish and loaves. It comes from Matthew 14:13-21. 

Matthew 14:13-21 ESV

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Do you notice some things about this young man? I see innocence. I see humility. He didn’t have much. In the world’s eyes, he did not have anything. Lastly, he was honest. He was available. He was open to be used by God. What about this story that comes from I Samuel 17. 

I Samuel 17:38-40 ESV

38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.

I think that we know the rest of the story. Do you notice some things about this young man? A mere child?  I see innocence. I see humility. He didn’t have much. In the world’s eyes, he did not have anything. Lastly, he was honest. He was available. He was open to be used by God. 

Are you seeing the pattern? God’s Kingdom is not given to the proud, it is given to the unpretentious. The reason why Jesus so loved kids, babies and children is because they were willing to be used. They had faith that Jesus was going to take their little and to big things. He was going to take their small and bring about some big results. 

Conclusion:

So friends, where is this sermon going this morning? Where am I trying to take you? I want you to look at your faith today and ask where you stand in the Kingdom of God. Is your faith like a child? Is your faith innocent? Humble? Is your faith willing to be used? You may not have much and what you have may not make any sense. In the world’s eyes it may appear that you have nothing. Remember, Jesus wants to install within your heart a childlike faith. A faith that is dependent on Christ. 

One more thing, when is the last time that you asked Christ to touch you? Maybe you think that Jesus would never want to touch you. You have done to much, you are to far gone, surly Jesus would not want to touch you and change your life. Let me remind you that Jesus touched the beaten and broken. He touched the deaf, the mute, the blind. He touched the unclean and the diseased. He touched the life of the prostitute and the politician. He spoke to the homeless and ate with royalty. Trust me, if Jesus is willing to touch those lives, He is willing to touch yours. You just have to ask for His touch. Seek it out. Seek Him out. 

Lastly, when is the last time that you brought someone to be touched by Christ. Yes, these parents brought their children to Christ, but who have you brought to Christ? When is the last time you spoke His name to your friend, your co-worker, the stranger? Remember, people are more willing to hear about Jesus than we are to tell them about Him. 

Remember, the Kingdom of God belongs to the child. The Kingdom of God belongs to the innocent, the humble, and the one who is open and willing to be used by God. 

Speaking of available to the Lord, live out Paul’s words in Romans 12:11.

Romans 12:11 ESV

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Trust Christ and Follow Him As A Child!