June 15, 2025 • 33 mins
Jesus demonstrates the true meaning of ministry by welcoming children when His disciples tried to turn them away, revealing that life's interruptions are often God's divine appointments for meaningful connection and service.
• "Let the little children come to me" challenges our tendency to prioritize tasks over people
• Jesus is never in a hurry despite having the most important mission in history
• The prayer "Lord, give me the right interruptions today" has a 100% success rate
• True kingdom faith resembles childlike dependence, not self-reliance
• Our interruptions are not disruptions to ministry but the ministry itself
• Psalm 131 depicts spiritual maturity as having a soul quieted like a child in a mother's lap
• VBS offers opportunity to welcome children just as Jesus did
As VBS week approaches, prepare to open hearts and doors wide, saying "let the little children come" regardless of interruptions, knowing that even one child coming to faith makes every moment worthwhile.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:23):
1st Baptist, baptist El Dorado.
Will you join me now inlistening to our sermon from
this week, matthew 19.
We'll be looking today atverses 13 through 15.
I'll give you just a second togo to Matthew, chapter 19.
And I will read these versesover us, beginning in verse 13.
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Then children were brought tohim that he might lay his hands
on them and pray.
The disciples rebuked thepeople, but Jesus said let the
little children come to me anddo not hinder them, for to such
belongs the kingdom of heaven.
And he laid his hands on themand went away.
(01:09):
Let's pray together.
Lord Jesus, thank you for yourword.
By your spirit, would you teachus your word, give us your word
, transform us by your word.
We are dependent on your spiritfor that.
We ask this in Christ's name.
We are dependent on your spiritfor that.
We ask this in Christ's name.
Amen.
Throughout the gospel, so oftenJesus is trying to get places.
He's in one place and sometimesneeds to get to another,
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another ministry opportunity,whether it's a different
location in Galilee, on theother side of the lake, or
whether it's from Galilee downto Judea and Jerusalem, he's
trying to get places.
Sometimes I'm trying to getplaces as well, just last week,
leaving after church Sunday,driving between this location
and trying to get to Texarkanaand over to Dallas, we were
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driving and driving and we gotto Magnolia and, because of a
lot of the rain the night beforeon the highway there, part of
it was underwater.
But that's okay because we canhandle it, because we've got GPS
we're good with maps we canfind the back roads that no one
else knows anything about.
We don't need your fancy road,we can weave and go around.
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And so we go about 20 minutesout of the way.
We find this back road that noone else is on, because no one
else knows about it, only us andwe go down and realize that at
this one point that if on thehighway there was a creek
crossing the road, here it's araging river and so we have to
go back the 20 or 25 minutes outof the way.
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We have to get back, basically,to Magnolia, go all the way up
to Hope and then over, adding alittle bit of time to our trip
when all I'm trying to do is getto where I'm going.
For Jesus, water was never whatgot in his way.
He handled water just fine.
He could calm the water.
He could walk on the water.
What often happened with Jesusas he was trying to get
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different places are people,people that wanted his time,
people that wanted his touch,people that wanted his energy.
And yet for Jesus, that wasnever an interruption, that was
never an issue.
For Jesus, that was theministry.
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As we come to Matthew 19, 13through 15, the disciples are
just trying to get Jesus down toJerusalem.
In chapter 17, jesus made thepoint that I'm about to go be
offered up.
I will die.
I'm about to go be offered up.
I will die.
Three days later I will risefrom the dead.
All of that has to take placein Jerusalem, and so, from that
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point on, jesus is trying to getto Jerusalem, but a lot of
things get in the way.
He goes over to Capernaum andsome men want to ask him about
how we pay taxes.
There's disciples that want toask him about who's the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven.
There's parables that Jesuswants to tell.
We get to chapter 19, and inverse 1, we see that now, when
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Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and
entered the region of Judeabeyond the Jordan.
So he's heading south.
We're getting closer toJerusalem.
But then all of a sudden thePharisees come, come and they
want to ask Jesus aboutdifferent details about divorce.
And what are your teachings ondivorce?
Jesus can't seem to get down toJerusalem, but he finishes this
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talk with these individuals andsurely we're about to get there
.
Surely the disciples can run alittle interference for Jesus
and we can help Jesus where heneeds to get to Jerusalem, the
disciples can help him get there.
And then verse 13 comes.
Then children were brought tohim that he might lay his hands
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on them and pray.
And look at the response here.
The disciples rebuked thepeople.
The disciples, jesus'sfollowers, rebuke these parents
or grandparents that are justwanting their children to just
have any minor encounter withJesus.
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We know the teacher, the rabbi,the Savior, is walking through
town and if I can just get mychild there, everything's going
to be all right.
I'll tell you, if Jesus waswalking through El Dorado today,
james and Olivia would be firstin line.
I'd say just get them, jesus.
If you could just touch them,that'd be great.
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I think they're already closeto perfect, but Jesus could help
them cross the line.
Jesus, just to have an encounterwith him changes everything.
And so these parents just say,hey, I want to bring my children
to Jesus.
And the disciples rebuke them.
You read between the lines ofscripture and we probably know
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why.
Jesus, these are children.
When the Pharisees come,they're the elite.
We can give them the time ofday when other men and women
certainly when the Roman soldierneeds his servant to be healed
I mean, he's a man of greatauthority.
Jesus, these are children.
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Give them time.
They'll grow up one of thesedays and they can come sit at
the big kids table.
They can come into the roomwith the adults and then you can
give them the time.
Also, this Jesus, we're justtrying to get to Jerusalem.
If we stop for every child thatjust needs to be prayed over
Jesus, we're never going to getthere.
And I'm sure the disciples mayhave looked at these and said,
hey, here's what you can do.
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You can't see the teacher now,but if you'll grab a ticket, if
you'll shoot us an email, we canfind a date in the future on
the calendar.
We can set up an appointment.
There's ways to go about this.
There's a process that we useto get to Jesus.
You don't just walk over.
That's what the disciples, I'msure, are thinking and they
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rebuke those who would bringtheir children to Jesus.
Why?
Most of all because of thisBecause this was an interruption
into their previously scheduledprogramming.
Jesus, we just need to get toJerusalem and these children
right now are an interruption.
I want to ask you a question howdo you deal with the
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interruptions of life,specifically thinking of those
spiritual interruptions, thosedivine interventions, those
ministry moments that God putsin your path?
How do you deal with thosequote-unquote interruptions of
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life?
Because here's what I imaginewe're tempted to say that, holy
Spirit, we ask for your movement.
Lord Jesus, by your spirit,would you put divine
interventions in my path?
Would you give me ministrymoments?
Would you put those people inmy path that I can help and
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serve?
And, holy Spirit, could you doit between the hours of 8 and 4
30 on Monday through Friday?
If you could do it that way atthat time, holy Spirit, I want
to see a movement of God, but Ialso know I've got this calendar
.
If you could consult mycalendar before you put that
divine intervention in my path,you'll see that Monday's not
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good but Tuesday will be fine.
How do you deal with thoseministry interruptions in your
own life?
Have you noticed in your ownlife that those ministry moments
that God puts those people inyour path, it never seems to
happen on days when you've gothours to spare, but sometimes
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those ministry moments come whenyou've got a hundred things
going, when you've got to behere at this time, when you've
got.
Moments come when you've got ahundred things going, when
you've got to be here at thistime, when you've got everything
scheduled out, and in thatmoment God puts someone or
something in your path and it'sin that moment that the parents
start bringing their children toJesus and saying Jesus, if you
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could just touch them and prayfor them.
How do you deal with theinterruptions of life?
Well, how do the disciples dealwith it?
Clearly, they rebuke those whobring the children.
Jesus doesn't have time for you.
I'm so sorry.
But then how does Jesus dealwith it?
In a very different way Verse14.
But Jesus said let the littlechildren come to me and do not
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hinder them, for to such belongsthe kingdom of heaven.
Isn't that just a beautifulverse?
But Jesus said let the littlechildren come to me and do not
hinder them, for to such belongthe kingdom of heaven.
Matthew in his gospel takes ita lot easier on the disciples
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than Mark does in his gospel.
In Mark's version of this storyit says, before that quote, it
says and Jesus was indignant,jesus was upset, angry at his
disciples that they would havethe audacity to rebuke those who
were just bringing children toJesus.
Matthew lets them off the hooka little bit easier, but they
are not off the hook.
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Jesus says let the littlechildren come.
Have you ever noticed in readingthe gospels that Jesus is never
in a hurry?
That's not to say that Jesusdoesn't have plenty going on.
When you read the Gospels yousee quickly, jesus has plenty
going on.
There's always something.
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There's even things that happenwhile other things are
happening.
While Jesus is on his way withJairus to heal Jairus' daughter
back at Jairus' house, it'swhile they're on the way that
this woman with an issue ofblood comes to him and is
seeking healing.
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In that moment Jairus isprobably sitting there like
Jesus.
We've really got to get to myhouse, but Jesus stops even
there for this interruption toheal this woman.
And yet all throughout this,and he gets to Jairus' daughter.
Jesus is never in a hurry.
There's so much going, but noone ever has to get a ticket to
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get to Jesus.
No one ever has to set up anappointment.
He's never in a hurry.
When Jesus is having aconversation, he's never looking
over your shoulder thinkingabout the next conversation he
needs to have.
His mind is never goingelsewhere, thinking about the
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next thing he has on his agenda.
Jesus is never in a hurry.
And in this moment, when Jesustoo needs to get to Jerusalem,
he doesn't need to get there asbadly as he needs to minister to
these little children who arecoming to him.
And so Jesus says let thechildren come to me.
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But it is fascinating that hedoes this for children Because,
again, children in this society,I mean, they're not adults.
They've got time to grow, likewe said a minute.
I mean in the future they cancome sit at the adult table, but
they're not there yet.
And yet Jesus has time for thechildren.
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When he's selecting disciplesearly in Matthew, he has time
for the tax collectors and thefishermen.
When he's preaching the Sermonon the Mount, he has time for
the meek and the lowly in heartand those hungering and
thirsting for righteousness.
In Matthew 8, he has time forthe leper who's on the outskirts
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of society.
He has time for the servant ofa Roman soldier in Matthew 9,
like we talked about the uncleanwoman in Matthew 15, the
daughter of a Canaanite woman.
He has time for everyone whosesociety would say he doesn't
have time for.
In fact, sometimes he has somuch time for the outcast in
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society he probably has to tellsome pharisees not now, because
he's busy ministering to thosewho realize their need for him.
And so he says let the childrencome to me and do not hinder
them.
And so the fact that we need tosee in this moment, as we think
about how we handle theinterruptions of life for for
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Jesus, these are notinterruptions to ministry, but
the interruptions are hisministry that in each one of our
lives, the interruptions to ourlives so often are the ministry
that God is calling us to.
I want to fill you in on asecret today.
I know a prayer, and I can onlyspeak for my own life.
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I know a prayer that, at leastin my own life, has a 100%
success rate.
I kid you not, and I know youwant to know what this is
because you want to pray it too.
Be careful now.
A 100% success rate and I'm notexaggerating, that's not
hyperbole.
Whenever I have prayed thisprayer.
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The Lord has always answered itexactly as I prayed it.
And that prayer is this andevery once in a while I pray it.
Sometimes I know I need to prayit because sometimes I've got
my day all planned out and Iknow I need to pray it and I
pray this Lord, give me theright interruptions today.
100% success rate that Ipromise you.
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Every time I pray that prayer,without fail, an interruption
will come my way.
That if I'm not in the rightspirit, I'll tell myself this is
an interruption to mypreviously scheduled plans, this
is an interruption to mycalendar.
But if I'm in the spirit and inpartnership with the Holy
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Spirit, I'll know this that Godhas brought ministry to me, that
I had something going in thisday.
But here comes a quote-unquoteinterruption that God knows this
is the ministry for today, thatthere are some things on my
schedule that are going to beleft undone at the end of the
day, and that's okay because theLord has this for me.
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Lord, give me the rightinterruptions today.
I think about VBS this week.
I am so beyond excited.
I've almost made it through allof my firsts here at First
Baptist El Dorado.
I've got one left and it's VBS.
I couldn't be more excited.
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It's been planned so well by anamazing leadership team.
It's planned out, it's ready.
It's been planned so well by anamazing leadership team.
It's planned out, it's ready,it's scheduled.
But I'm also going to say thisAt some point this week
something's going to go wrong,so we're going to get off
schedule in some way.
Something's going to get off.
There's a kid that's going tolittle Billy's going to spill
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something and that's going totake some time or this or that.
Something's going to get off.
And it may just be this weekthat the interruptions are the
ministry.
That little Billy spilled hisdrink on the carpet and little
Billy just needed someone toknow that they have time for
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little Billy.
He just needed to see thatthere's someone here that cares
for me and that I can spillsomething.
And it's not the end of theworld In fact, it's not even
close and the interruption isthe ministry.
I believe that'll happen thisweek.
And why does Jesus say let thelittle children come?
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He ends verse 14 like this forto such belongs the kingdom of
heaven, let the little childrencome.
Why?
Because to these belong thekingdom of heaven.
Now, what does that mean?
Well, what does it not mean?
He doesn't mean by that someuniversal idea that every
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eight-year-old is automaticallyin the kingdom of heaven, every
10-year-old, 12-year-old, no, no, as we see so often in our
baptistry, as even children cometo know him, those children
come to saving faith.
What it does mean is thissaving faith?
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What it does mean is this Justlike Jesus talked about one
chapter earlier in Matthew 18,the disciples are asking who's
the greatest in the kingdom ofheaven?
Every disciple hoping thatJesus would say well, actually
you guys are.
But Jesus says this truly I sayto you, if you don't become
like children, you will neverenter the kingdom of heaven.
What Jesus is saying is thosewho know and take hold of the
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kingdom of heaven are those whocome to the Lord like children.
That doesn't mean we have achildish faith.
It means we have a childlikefaith.
And what does it mean to bechildlike?
I believe it means this itmeans ultimate dependence.
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That even in our own world,every one of us, if you're a
parent or a grandparent, we areall imperfect parents and
grandparents.
All we see around us, we seebeautiful pictures of it.
Don't get me wrong, but we'reall imperfect at some level.
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But as you think of evenimperfect parents trying their
best on this earth, what you seeis a picture of a child, lord
willing, that can have fulltrust and dependence on their
parent, that every need I havewill be met.
A child that doesn't worry whenbreakfast, lunch and dinner are
rolling around because mom anddad, I know they've got me
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covered.
A child that doesn't worry evenwhen the storms come or things
get dark in the evening I knowmom or dad has me covered.
They are dependent on theirparent, just like that.
Us as believers, we have achildlike faith that is, look at
this, dependent on our heavenlyfather, that I don't know
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what's coming.
I don't have every detailfigured out, but I do know I
have a Father in heaven who hasall things in control, all
things are in his hand.
And if you want a picture ofwhat the opposite looks like, I
don't think Matthew mistakenlyputs the rich young ruler right
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after this story, verse 16through 30, what do you see?
You see a man who does not havethat childlike faith, a
dependence on God.
Instead, what he has is adependence on his own wealth.
He wants to know how I come toknow the Lord how I enter in the
kingdom of heaven.
Jesus, basically, in his ownwords, says you've got to break
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down some idols in your life.
Go, sell everything and give tothe poor.
And this man walks away.
Sad why?
Because he has great wealth.
This man is not living life,his faith, like a child.
He is depending on his ownincome, his own wealth.
Yet right before this, jesussays for to such to, these
children, belong the kingdom ofGod.
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I love Psalm 131.
As you think about a childlikedependence on the Lord, I'm
going to ask you to do something.
I'm not trying to be goofy orfunky, but would you just close
your eyes for a second.
It's only three verses.
Close your eyes and let me readyou Psalm 131.
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O Lord, my heart is not liftedup, my eyes are not raised too
high.
I do not occupy myself withthings too great and too
marvelous for me, but I havecalmed and quieted my soul, like
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a weaned child with its mother.
Like a weaned child is my soulwithin me.
Oh Israel, hope in the Lord,from this time forth and
forevermore.
You can look up Psalm 131.
Did you see that picture inverse 2, of how the psalmist
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David describes his spiritualcondition.
I've calmed and quieted my soul.
Look at this Just like a childin his mother's lap, just a
child in his parents' lap, withfull dependence, no worry, no
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care, no bills are due for thatchild, no dinner has to be
prepped, the big presentation atwork isn't coming up.
He, I've stilled and quiet inmy soul, just like a child in
his mother's lap.
And we too, with our HeavenlyFather, can learn a lot from
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these children that come toJesus about what it means to
live in dependence on ourHeavenly Father.
We see verse 15.
Simply this.
And he, jesus, laid his handson them and went away.
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Jesus continues his triptowards Jerusalem, but not
before laying his hands on thesechildren, not before he has
time for the least of these,because for Jesus, the
interruptions of life, those arethe ministry.
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I'm so excited for the weekahead where, as a church, we are
opening our doors and we arequite literally saying let the
little children come to me For afew hours on Monday through
Friday, excuse me, let thelittle children come.
And here's what I know, here'swhat I know for sure when we
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walk back into this room, intothis church, one week from today
.
Here's what I know for certain.
I know something's going to bebroken that is not broken right
now.
I know there is going to be astain in this church somewhere
that is not stained at thisexact moment.
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I know there's probably goingto be some furniture moved
around and when we come Sundayit might still be moved and it's
where it's supposed to be rightnow, but maybe something got
moved and it's still like that.
I know those things are going tohappen, but also know this that
I do believe this that when wewalk in next Sunday morning,
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there will be a child who isdestined to spend eternity in
heaven that right now is headingtowards eternity in hell, but
Christ Jesus has awoken him fromdeath to life over these next
five days.
I believe that.
I believe it.
Why will that happen?
Because I believe we are achurch and has been for years
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and years and years and will beover these next five days and
next five decades.
That says this let the littlechildren come.
I'm so excited for what's ahead,but the reality of this story
in Matthew 19 is not just, itdoesn't just exist for VBS week.
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It exists for every area of ourlives, in your own life, right
now, this afternoon this week,at work, this week, maybe as you
head out on vacation, maybe asyou head back to your job, maybe
as you head to this or that,whatever it may be, can you
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reorient the way you look atyour time, your energy?
Can you reorient and rethinkthe way you look at those
interruptions Not asinterruptions to life,
interruptions to ministry, butinstead, like Jesus has modeled,
as the ministry itself, becausethere may be someone along the
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way in the midst of thatinterruption that needs to know
that there is a Savior that hasdied for them, there is
forgiveness that they can know,there is life that they can have
, and I pray that will be thecase for each child that doesn't
know him that walks throughthese doors.
I pray that will be the casefor those you come into contact
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with.
You may be in the room and youdon't know him yet, and I pray
it'd be the case even thismorning that maybe this sermon
was an interruption into yourday-to-day life, but you want to
know the Jesus we're talkingabout even now.
Maybe today's your day and I'llbe down front in a few moments
and I'd love to introduce you toJesus, but right now I want to
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spend some time as we close.
I want to spend some time inprayer, praying for the next
five days here at this church,and so, if you'll just bow your
heads right where you're at,we're going to spend just a few
minutes in prayer as we thinkabout, over these next five days
, opening wide the doors andsaying let the little children
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come.
Would you begin just there, inyour own heart?
Would you pray for every childthat walks through the door of
this church this week?
Would you pray that they wouldjust have the time of their
lives, that they would walk inwith joy and walk in with
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excitement for all that's aheadfor them?
Pray for each child now.
Would you pray for those thatwalk through the doors of this
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church, those children thatcurrently don't know Jesus?
Would you pray that this weekthey would see Jesus clearly,
they would clearly learn of hisdeath, his resurrection, the
forgiveness of their sins, andthat they would that do know
Jesus, that have a relationshipwith him?
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But would this be a week thatthat relationship grows, that
they learn more about him, theyfall deeper in love with him,
grow in their relationship withhim and even maybe that they're
the ones that tell a friendabout him this week.
Would you pray for thoseleaders, pray for their energy,
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their strength.
Five days in a row it's a lot,but pray that the Lord would
just fill them with an extradose of energy and an extra dose
of His spirit, that they wouldserve well, that they would
share their faith well, thatthey would teach well, that they
would have a blast.
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Would you just pray for just aweek overall, just for,
certainly, safety as we bring145 kids and 100 leaders and
just so much going on at thechurch.
Pray for our safety, pray thatit would go smoothly, pray that
all in all, this would just besuch a special week here at
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First Baptist Church.
But Jesus said let the littlechildren come to me and do not
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hinder them, for to such belongsthe kingdom of heaven.
Lord Jesus, thank you for whatyou've taught us even now, about
ministry, about service, aboutcaring for those around.
I pray for the week ahead.
I do pray that you would movemightily, that there would be
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children that don't know you,that by the end of this week
they know you.
There'd be children that doknow you, that by the end of
this week they would know you atan even deeper level, that
there would be leaders that leadand serve well, with excitement
and energy and just a desire toinvest the gospel into young
people.
I just pray it would be a safeweek, a special week, a week
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that we would remember for along, long time.
And, lord, in our own power wecan't do it.
In our own power we can't savea soul.
In our own power all we can dois try our best and probably get
worn out by the end of it.
But, god, in your power,there's no telling how eternity
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could be impacted by whathappens on this campus this week
.
So would you use us mightilyand Lord, not just here this
week.
So would you use us mightilyand Lord, not just here this
week, but Lord, give us a heartfor service and for ministry in
every walk of life.
Let us know those interruptionsof life.
They are the ministry You'removing and you're working.
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Let us not hold so tight to ourown control that we don't walk
in step with the Spirit.
And Lord, if there's anyone inthis room now that needs to meet
you for the first time, lord,would you give them a boldness
to just come?
Let me talk to them about it.
There's someone that needs tojoin this church.
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What a great day it would be todo that.
There's someone that needs tojoin this church.
What a great day it would be todo that.
There's someone that needsprayer.
Would you meet them right wherethey're at, or they need to
come down front and have me oranother pray over them.
I'd love nothing more.
Whatever response needs to takeplace, would that take place
now?
I ask this in Christ's name,amen, would you stand as we
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worship?
If you need to respond, I'll bedown front.
1st Baptist, baptist El Dorado.
Will you join me now inlistening to our sermon from
this week, matthew 19.
We'll be looking today atverses 13 through 15.
I'll give you just a second togo to Matthew, chapter 19.
And I will read these versesover us, beginning in verse 13.
(00:49):
Then children were brought tohim that he might lay his hands
on them and pray.
The disciples rebuked thepeople, but Jesus said let the
little children come to me anddo not hinder them, for to such
belongs the kingdom of heaven.
And he laid his hands on themand went away.
(01:09):
Let's pray together.
Lord Jesus, thank you for yourword.
By your spirit, would you teachus your word, give us your word
, transform us by your word.
We are dependent on your spiritfor that.
We ask this in Christ's name.
We are dependent on your spiritfor that.
We ask this in Christ's name.
Amen.
Throughout the gospel, so oftenJesus is trying to get places.
He's in one place and sometimesneeds to get to another,
(01:36):
another ministry opportunity,whether it's a different
location in Galilee, on theother side of the lake, or
whether it's from Galilee downto Judea and Jerusalem, he's
trying to get places.
Sometimes I'm trying to getplaces as well, just last week,
leaving after church Sunday,driving between this location
and trying to get to Texarkanaand over to Dallas, we were
(02:00):
driving and driving and we gotto Magnolia and, because of a
lot of the rain the night beforeon the highway there, part of
it was underwater.
But that's okay because we canhandle it, because we've got GPS
we're good with maps we canfind the back roads that no one
else knows anything about.
We don't need your fancy road,we can weave and go around.
(02:22):
And so we go about 20 minutesout of the way.
We find this back road that noone else is on, because no one
else knows about it, only us andwe go down and realize that at
this one point that if on thehighway there was a creek
crossing the road, here it's araging river and so we have to
go back the 20 or 25 minutes outof the way.
(02:43):
We have to get back, basically,to Magnolia, go all the way up
to Hope and then over, adding alittle bit of time to our trip
when all I'm trying to do is getto where I'm going.
For Jesus, water was never whatgot in his way.
He handled water just fine.
He could calm the water.
He could walk on the water.
What often happened with Jesusas he was trying to get
(03:07):
different places are people,people that wanted his time,
people that wanted his touch,people that wanted his energy.
And yet for Jesus, that wasnever an interruption, that was
never an issue.
For Jesus, that was theministry.
(03:29):
As we come to Matthew 19, 13through 15, the disciples are
just trying to get Jesus down toJerusalem.
In chapter 17, jesus made thepoint that I'm about to go be
offered up.
I will die.
I'm about to go be offered up.
I will die.
Three days later I will risefrom the dead.
All of that has to take placein Jerusalem, and so, from that
(03:54):
point on, jesus is trying to getto Jerusalem, but a lot of
things get in the way.
He goes over to Capernaum andsome men want to ask him about
how we pay taxes.
There's disciples that want toask him about who's the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven.
There's parables that Jesuswants to tell.
We get to chapter 19, and inverse 1, we see that now, when
(04:14):
Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and
entered the region of Judeabeyond the Jordan.
So he's heading south.
We're getting closer toJerusalem.
But then all of a sudden thePharisees come, come and they
want to ask Jesus aboutdifferent details about divorce.
And what are your teachings ondivorce?
Jesus can't seem to get down toJerusalem, but he finishes this
(04:36):
talk with these individuals andsurely we're about to get there
.
Surely the disciples can run alittle interference for Jesus
and we can help Jesus where heneeds to get to Jerusalem, the
disciples can help him get there.
And then verse 13 comes.
Then children were brought tohim that he might lay his hands
(05:00):
on them and pray.
And look at the response here.
The disciples rebuked thepeople.
The disciples, jesus'sfollowers, rebuke these parents
or grandparents that are justwanting their children to just
have any minor encounter withJesus.
(05:22):
We know the teacher, the rabbi,the Savior, is walking through
town and if I can just get mychild there, everything's going
to be all right.
I'll tell you, if Jesus waswalking through El Dorado today,
james and Olivia would be firstin line.
I'd say just get them, jesus.
If you could just touch them,that'd be great.
(05:43):
I think they're already closeto perfect, but Jesus could help
them cross the line.
Jesus, just to have an encounterwith him changes everything.
And so these parents just say,hey, I want to bring my children
to Jesus.
And the disciples rebuke them.
You read between the lines ofscripture and we probably know
(06:06):
why.
Jesus, these are children.
When the Pharisees come,they're the elite.
We can give them the time ofday when other men and women
certainly when the Roman soldierneeds his servant to be healed
I mean, he's a man of greatauthority.
Jesus, these are children.
(06:31):
Give them time.
They'll grow up one of thesedays and they can come sit at
the big kids table.
They can come into the roomwith the adults and then you can
give them the time.
Also, this Jesus, we're justtrying to get to Jerusalem.
If we stop for every child thatjust needs to be prayed over
Jesus, we're never going to getthere.
And I'm sure the disciples mayhave looked at these and said,
hey, here's what you can do.
(06:51):
You can't see the teacher now,but if you'll grab a ticket, if
you'll shoot us an email, we canfind a date in the future on
the calendar.
We can set up an appointment.
There's ways to go about this.
There's a process that we useto get to Jesus.
You don't just walk over.
That's what the disciples, I'msure, are thinking and they
(07:13):
rebuke those who would bringtheir children to Jesus.
Why?
Most of all because of thisBecause this was an interruption
into their previously scheduledprogramming.
Jesus, we just need to get toJerusalem and these children
right now are an interruption.
I want to ask you a question howdo you deal with the
(07:35):
interruptions of life,specifically thinking of those
spiritual interruptions, thosedivine interventions, those
ministry moments that God putsin your path?
How do you deal with thosequote-unquote interruptions of
(07:56):
life?
Because here's what I imaginewe're tempted to say that, holy
Spirit, we ask for your movement.
Lord Jesus, by your spirit,would you put divine
interventions in my path?
Would you give me ministrymoments?
Would you put those people inmy path that I can help and
(08:17):
serve?
And, holy Spirit, could you doit between the hours of 8 and 4
30 on Monday through Friday?
If you could do it that way atthat time, holy Spirit, I want
to see a movement of God, but Ialso know I've got this calendar
.
If you could consult mycalendar before you put that
divine intervention in my path,you'll see that Monday's not
(08:39):
good but Tuesday will be fine.
How do you deal with thoseministry interruptions in your
own life?
Have you noticed in your ownlife that those ministry moments
that God puts those people inyour path, it never seems to
happen on days when you've gothours to spare, but sometimes
(09:01):
those ministry moments come whenyou've got a hundred things
going, when you've got to behere at this time, when you've
got.
Moments come when you've got ahundred things going, when
you've got to be here at thistime, when you've got everything
scheduled out, and in thatmoment God puts someone or
something in your path and it'sin that moment that the parents
start bringing their children toJesus and saying Jesus, if you
(09:22):
could just touch them and prayfor them.
How do you deal with theinterruptions of life?
Well, how do the disciples dealwith it?
Clearly, they rebuke those whobring the children.
Jesus doesn't have time for you.
I'm so sorry.
But then how does Jesus dealwith it?
In a very different way Verse14.
But Jesus said let the littlechildren come to me and do not
(09:48):
hinder them, for to such belongsthe kingdom of heaven.
Isn't that just a beautifulverse?
But Jesus said let the littlechildren come to me and do not
hinder them, for to such belongthe kingdom of heaven.
Matthew in his gospel takes ita lot easier on the disciples
(10:10):
than Mark does in his gospel.
In Mark's version of this storyit says, before that quote, it
says and Jesus was indignant,jesus was upset, angry at his
disciples that they would havethe audacity to rebuke those who
were just bringing children toJesus.
Matthew lets them off the hooka little bit easier, but they
are not off the hook.
(10:30):
Jesus says let the littlechildren come.
Have you ever noticed in readingthe gospels that Jesus is never
in a hurry?
That's not to say that Jesusdoesn't have plenty going on.
When you read the Gospels yousee quickly, jesus has plenty
going on.
There's always something.
(10:51):
There's even things that happenwhile other things are
happening.
While Jesus is on his way withJairus to heal Jairus' daughter
back at Jairus' house, it'swhile they're on the way that
this woman with an issue ofblood comes to him and is
seeking healing.
(11:11):
In that moment Jairus isprobably sitting there like
Jesus.
We've really got to get to myhouse, but Jesus stops even
there for this interruption toheal this woman.
And yet all throughout this,and he gets to Jairus' daughter.
Jesus is never in a hurry.
There's so much going, but noone ever has to get a ticket to
(11:33):
get to Jesus.
No one ever has to set up anappointment.
He's never in a hurry.
When Jesus is having aconversation, he's never looking
over your shoulder thinkingabout the next conversation he
needs to have.
His mind is never goingelsewhere, thinking about the
(11:56):
next thing he has on his agenda.
Jesus is never in a hurry.
And in this moment, when Jesustoo needs to get to Jerusalem,
he doesn't need to get there asbadly as he needs to minister to
these little children who arecoming to him.
And so Jesus says let thechildren come to me.
(12:16):
But it is fascinating that hedoes this for children Because,
again, children in this society,I mean, they're not adults.
They've got time to grow, likewe said a minute.
I mean in the future they cancome sit at the adult table, but
they're not there yet.
And yet Jesus has time for thechildren.
(12:38):
When he's selecting disciplesearly in Matthew, he has time
for the tax collectors and thefishermen.
When he's preaching the Sermonon the Mount, he has time for
the meek and the lowly in heartand those hungering and
thirsting for righteousness.
In Matthew 8, he has time forthe leper who's on the outskirts
(13:01):
of society.
He has time for the servant ofa Roman soldier in Matthew 9,
like we talked about the uncleanwoman in Matthew 15, the
daughter of a Canaanite woman.
He has time for everyone whosesociety would say he doesn't
have time for.
In fact, sometimes he has somuch time for the outcast in
(13:26):
society he probably has to tellsome pharisees not now, because
he's busy ministering to thosewho realize their need for him.
And so he says let the childrencome to me and do not hinder
them.
And so the fact that we need tosee in this moment, as we think
about how we handle theinterruptions of life for for
(13:47):
Jesus, these are notinterruptions to ministry, but
the interruptions are hisministry that in each one of our
lives, the interruptions to ourlives so often are the ministry
that God is calling us to.
I want to fill you in on asecret today.
I know a prayer, and I can onlyspeak for my own life.
(14:11):
I know a prayer that, at leastin my own life, has a 100%
success rate.
I kid you not, and I know youwant to know what this is
because you want to pray it too.
Be careful now.
A 100% success rate and I'm notexaggerating, that's not
hyperbole.
Whenever I have prayed thisprayer.
(14:31):
The Lord has always answered itexactly as I prayed it.
And that prayer is this andevery once in a while I pray it.
Sometimes I know I need to prayit because sometimes I've got
my day all planned out and Iknow I need to pray it and I
pray this Lord, give me theright interruptions today.
100% success rate that Ipromise you.
(14:57):
Every time I pray that prayer,without fail, an interruption
will come my way.
That if I'm not in the rightspirit, I'll tell myself this is
an interruption to mypreviously scheduled plans, this
is an interruption to mycalendar.
But if I'm in the spirit and inpartnership with the Holy
(15:18):
Spirit, I'll know this that Godhas brought ministry to me, that
I had something going in thisday.
But here comes a quote-unquoteinterruption that God knows this
is the ministry for today, thatthere are some things on my
schedule that are going to beleft undone at the end of the
day, and that's okay because theLord has this for me.
(15:41):
Lord, give me the rightinterruptions today.
I think about VBS this week.
I am so beyond excited.
I've almost made it through allof my firsts here at First
Baptist El Dorado.
I've got one left and it's VBS.
I couldn't be more excited.
(16:02):
It's been planned so well by anamazing leadership team.
It's planned out, it's ready.
It's been planned so well by anamazing leadership team.
It's planned out, it's ready,it's scheduled.
But I'm also going to say thisAt some point this week
something's going to go wrong,so we're going to get off
schedule in some way.
Something's going to get off.
There's a kid that's going tolittle Billy's going to spill
(16:24):
something and that's going totake some time or this or that.
Something's going to get off.
And it may just be this weekthat the interruptions are the
ministry.
That little Billy spilled hisdrink on the carpet and little
Billy just needed someone toknow that they have time for
(16:45):
little Billy.
He just needed to see thatthere's someone here that cares
for me and that I can spillsomething.
And it's not the end of theworld In fact, it's not even
close and the interruption isthe ministry.
I believe that'll happen thisweek.
And why does Jesus say let thelittle children come?
(17:06):
He ends verse 14 like this forto such belongs the kingdom of
heaven, let the little childrencome.
Why?
Because to these belong thekingdom of heaven.
Now, what does that mean?
Well, what does it not mean?
He doesn't mean by that someuniversal idea that every
(17:29):
eight-year-old is automaticallyin the kingdom of heaven, every
10-year-old, 12-year-old, no, no, as we see so often in our
baptistry, as even children cometo know him, those children
come to saving faith.
What it does mean is thissaving faith?
(17:50):
What it does mean is this Justlike Jesus talked about one
chapter earlier in Matthew 18,the disciples are asking who's
the greatest in the kingdom ofheaven?
Every disciple hoping thatJesus would say well, actually
you guys are.
But Jesus says this truly I sayto you, if you don't become
like children, you will neverenter the kingdom of heaven.
What Jesus is saying is thosewho know and take hold of the
(18:15):
kingdom of heaven are those whocome to the Lord like children.
That doesn't mean we have achildish faith.
It means we have a childlikefaith.
And what does it mean to bechildlike?
I believe it means this itmeans ultimate dependence.
(18:36):
That even in our own world,every one of us, if you're a
parent or a grandparent, we areall imperfect parents and
grandparents.
All we see around us, we seebeautiful pictures of it.
Don't get me wrong, but we'reall imperfect at some level.
(18:57):
But as you think of evenimperfect parents trying their
best on this earth, what you seeis a picture of a child, lord
willing, that can have fulltrust and dependence on their
parent, that every need I havewill be met.
A child that doesn't worry whenbreakfast, lunch and dinner are
rolling around because mom anddad, I know they've got me
(19:18):
covered.
A child that doesn't worry evenwhen the storms come or things
get dark in the evening I knowmom or dad has me covered.
They are dependent on theirparent, just like that.
Us as believers, we have achildlike faith that is, look at
this, dependent on our heavenlyfather, that I don't know
(19:42):
what's coming.
I don't have every detailfigured out, but I do know I
have a Father in heaven who hasall things in control, all
things are in his hand.
And if you want a picture ofwhat the opposite looks like, I
don't think Matthew mistakenlyputs the rich young ruler right
(20:04):
after this story, verse 16through 30, what do you see?
You see a man who does not havethat childlike faith, a
dependence on God.
Instead, what he has is adependence on his own wealth.
He wants to know how I come toknow the Lord how I enter in the
kingdom of heaven.
Jesus, basically, in his ownwords, says you've got to break
(20:25):
down some idols in your life.
Go, sell everything and give tothe poor.
And this man walks away.
Sad why?
Because he has great wealth.
This man is not living life,his faith, like a child.
He is depending on his ownincome, his own wealth.
Yet right before this, jesussays for to such to, these
children, belong the kingdom ofGod.
(20:48):
I love Psalm 131.
As you think about a childlikedependence on the Lord, I'm
going to ask you to do something.
I'm not trying to be goofy orfunky, but would you just close
your eyes for a second.
It's only three verses.
Close your eyes and let me readyou Psalm 131.
(21:12):
O Lord, my heart is not liftedup, my eyes are not raised too
high.
I do not occupy myself withthings too great and too
marvelous for me, but I havecalmed and quieted my soul, like
(21:34):
a weaned child with its mother.
Like a weaned child is my soulwithin me.
Oh Israel, hope in the Lord,from this time forth and
forevermore.
You can look up Psalm 131.
Did you see that picture inverse 2, of how the psalmist
(21:57):
David describes his spiritualcondition.
I've calmed and quieted my soul.
Look at this Just like a childin his mother's lap, just a
child in his parents' lap, withfull dependence, no worry, no
(22:18):
care, no bills are due for thatchild, no dinner has to be
prepped, the big presentation atwork isn't coming up.
He, I've stilled and quiet inmy soul, just like a child in
his mother's lap.
And we too, with our HeavenlyFather, can learn a lot from
(22:44):
these children that come toJesus about what it means to
live in dependence on ourHeavenly Father.
We see verse 15.
Simply this.
And he, jesus, laid his handson them and went away.
(23:05):
Jesus continues his triptowards Jerusalem, but not
before laying his hands on thesechildren, not before he has
time for the least of these,because for Jesus, the
interruptions of life, those arethe ministry.
(23:27):
I'm so excited for the weekahead where, as a church, we are
opening our doors and we arequite literally saying let the
little children come to me For afew hours on Monday through
Friday, excuse me, let thelittle children come.
And here's what I know, here'swhat I know for sure when we
(23:53):
walk back into this room, intothis church, one week from today
.
Here's what I know for certain.
I know something's going to bebroken that is not broken right
now.
I know there is going to be astain in this church somewhere
that is not stained at thisexact moment.
(24:14):
I know there's probably goingto be some furniture moved
around and when we come Sundayit might still be moved and it's
where it's supposed to be rightnow, but maybe something got
moved and it's still like that.
I know those things are going tohappen, but also know this that
I do believe this that when wewalk in next Sunday morning,
(24:36):
there will be a child who isdestined to spend eternity in
heaven that right now is headingtowards eternity in hell, but
Christ Jesus has awoken him fromdeath to life over these next
five days.
I believe that.
I believe it.
Why will that happen?
Because I believe we are achurch and has been for years
(24:59):
and years and years and will beover these next five days and
next five decades.
That says this let the littlechildren come.
I'm so excited for what's ahead,but the reality of this story
in Matthew 19 is not just, itdoesn't just exist for VBS week.
(25:19):
It exists for every area of ourlives, in your own life, right
now, this afternoon this week,at work, this week, maybe as you
head out on vacation, maybe asyou head back to your job, maybe
as you head to this or that,whatever it may be, can you
(25:44):
reorient the way you look atyour time, your energy?
Can you reorient and rethinkthe way you look at those
interruptions Not asinterruptions to life,
interruptions to ministry, butinstead, like Jesus has modeled,
as the ministry itself, becausethere may be someone along the
(26:04):
way in the midst of thatinterruption that needs to know
that there is a Savior that hasdied for them, there is
forgiveness that they can know,there is life that they can have
, and I pray that will be thecase for each child that doesn't
know him that walks throughthese doors.
I pray that will be the casefor those you come into contact
(26:27):
with.
You may be in the room and youdon't know him yet, and I pray
it'd be the case even thismorning that maybe this sermon
was an interruption into yourday-to-day life, but you want to
know the Jesus we're talkingabout even now.
Maybe today's your day and I'llbe down front in a few moments
and I'd love to introduce you toJesus, but right now I want to
(26:50):
spend some time as we close.
I want to spend some time inprayer, praying for the next
five days here at this church,and so, if you'll just bow your
heads right where you're at,we're going to spend just a few
minutes in prayer as we thinkabout, over these next five days
, opening wide the doors andsaying let the little children
(27:10):
come.
Would you begin just there, inyour own heart?
Would you pray for every childthat walks through the door of
this church this week?
Would you pray that they wouldjust have the time of their
lives, that they would walk inwith joy and walk in with
(27:31):
excitement for all that's aheadfor them?
Pray for each child now.
Would you pray for those thatwalk through the doors of this
(28:05):
church, those children thatcurrently don't know Jesus?
Would you pray that this weekthey would see Jesus clearly,
they would clearly learn of hisdeath, his resurrection, the
forgiveness of their sins, andthat they would that do know
Jesus, that have a relationshipwith him?
(28:59):
But would this be a week thatthat relationship grows, that
they learn more about him, theyfall deeper in love with him,
grow in their relationship withhim and even maybe that they're
the ones that tell a friendabout him this week.
Would you pray for thoseleaders, pray for their energy,
(29:47):
their strength.
Five days in a row it's a lot,but pray that the Lord would
just fill them with an extradose of energy and an extra dose
of His spirit, that they wouldserve well, that they would
share their faith well, thatthey would teach well, that they
would have a blast.
(30:32):
Would you just pray for just aweek overall, just for,
certainly, safety as we bring145 kids and 100 leaders and
just so much going on at thechurch.
Pray for our safety, pray thatit would go smoothly, pray that
all in all, this would just besuch a special week here at
(30:54):
First Baptist Church.
But Jesus said let the littlechildren come to me and do not
(31:21):
hinder them, for to such belongsthe kingdom of heaven.
Lord Jesus, thank you for whatyou've taught us even now, about
ministry, about service, aboutcaring for those around.
I pray for the week ahead.
I do pray that you would movemightily, that there would be
(31:42):
children that don't know you,that by the end of this week
they know you.
There'd be children that doknow you, that by the end of
this week they would know you atan even deeper level, that
there would be leaders that leadand serve well, with excitement
and energy and just a desire toinvest the gospel into young
people.
I just pray it would be a safeweek, a special week, a week
(32:06):
that we would remember for along, long time.
And, lord, in our own power wecan't do it.
In our own power we can't savea soul.
In our own power all we can dois try our best and probably get
worn out by the end of it.
But, god, in your power,there's no telling how eternity
(32:30):
could be impacted by whathappens on this campus this week
.
So would you use us mightilyand Lord, not just here this
week.
So would you use us mightilyand Lord, not just here this
week, but Lord, give us a heartfor service and for ministry in
every walk of life.
Let us know those interruptionsof life.
They are the ministry You'removing and you're working.
(32:55):
Let us not hold so tight to ourown control that we don't walk
in step with the Spirit.
And Lord, if there's anyone inthis room now that needs to meet
you for the first time, lord,would you give them a boldness
to just come?
Let me talk to them about it.
There's someone that needs tojoin this church.
(33:16):
What a great day it would be todo that.
There's someone that needs tojoin this church.
What a great day it would be todo that.
There's someone that needsprayer.
Would you meet them right wherethey're at, or they need to
come down front and have me oranother pray over them.
I'd love nothing more.
Whatever response needs to takeplace, would that take place
now?
I ask this in Christ's name,amen, would you stand as we
(33:39):
worship?
If you need to respond, I'll bedown front.
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