Jesus loved the little children and often would welcome them. The disciples were always a bit put off by it. That’s what happened in Matthew 19. But verse 14 tells us, “Jesus said, Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them…” I’m often like the disciples and want to dismiss the importance of our ministry to the children. But that’s not only displeasing to Jesus, it’s a huge mistake.
The future of the church rests more solidly in the hands of our children than in my hands. I’m getting old and tired. I don’t have much time left. But our children that fill our Sunday school rooms and run around the Awana circle every week may well be the future leaders of the faith throughout the country. We have no idea how God will lead in their lives. D.L. Moody was once asked how many people came to faith during one of his revivals. He said “2 and half people.” The questioner then asked, “2 adults and 1 child?” Moody said, “No! 2 children and 1 adult.” The life of the adult was more than half over, the children’s lives were just beginning. I don’t think we can invest too much of our resources in ministry to the children of Blair.
Bruce Larson tells this story: Edward Kimball, a shoe store assistant and a Sunday school teacher in Chicago, spent hours of his free time visiting the young street urchins in Chicago’s inner city, trying to win them for Christ. Through him, a young boy named D. L. Moody got saved in 1858. Moody grew up to be a preacher. In 1879, Moody won F. B. Meyer to the Lord. Meyer became a preacher and won J. W. Chapman to Christ. Chapman became a preacher and brought the message of Christ to a baseball player named Billy Sunday. Sunday held a revival in Charlotte, North Carolina, which was so successful that evangelist Mordecai Ham was invited to Charlotte to preach. Under Ham’s preaching, a teenager named Billy Graham gave his life to Jesus. It all started with winning one child to Jesus.
Chuck
“but Jesus said, Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them…” Matthew 19:14