Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Children’s Sermon Matthew 19:13-15 “To Such as These”
June 14, 2020
This is Children’s Sunday. Thank you to all the children of the church for participating in this service. I am certain that God and the church are very proud of all that you are doing today. I want to assure you that Jesus loves you very much. And Jesus has something for you today, a precious gift. But before I tell you what it is, let’s pray.
Father in heaven I ask for blessings on the children of the church today. Fill them with your Spirit. Help them to learn more and more about Jesus. And give them a life-long faith. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Here is our memory verse for today. Say it with me.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” (Matthew 19:14)
Let me tell you a story. One day a bunch of families, mothers, and fathers, brothers and sisters, probably some grandparents, aunts, and uncles all came to Jesus to hear him teach. Jesus taught them about what means to be a family - all adult stuff.
At the end of Jesus’ teaching, the parents brought their children to Jesus for prayers and blessings. But some of Jesus’ disciples knew that Jesus was tired and hungry. They figured that Jesus had no time for the children. So they told the parents to take the children home.
But Jesus heard what they were saying and told the parents that he really wanted to talk with the children. Why did Jesus want to talk with the children? Jesus loves children. We sing, “Jesus loves me. This I know for the Bible tells me so.”
And when the children came forward to talk with Jesus he gave them a very precious gift. What did Jesus give the children? He gave the children the Kingdom of Heaven. So the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to you.
Let me show you something very precious that belongs to me. When I was a kid my Dad took me to see the Senators play baseball in Washington DC. I always loved going to the ballpark. For the last few years, my Dad and I have been going to Nationals games in Washington. I get the same thrill every time I go to the ballpark.
Last year the Nationals won the World Series. So to always remember this, I bought two hats with the National’s World Series insignia. I gave one to my Dad. The other belongs to me. Then next time we go to a game, we will be wearing these hats.
This hat will always belong to me. It is a precious gift. So I will always take care of it. I will put it in a special place. I will protect it. I will never lose it. That is what you do with precious gifts.
Jesus has given you the most precious gift. He has given the Kingdom of Heaven to you, the children of the church. What are you going to do with such a precious gift? You will always take care of it. You will put it in a special place in your life. You will protect it. You will never lose it. That is what you do with such a precious gift.
Usually, you get to play with gifts. Right? How can we play with the Kingdom of Heaven? We do that by coming to Sunday School every Sunday. And we go to VBS. And we pray every day. And we say grace before meals. And we talk about Jesus with our friends. And we always love Jesus just as Jesus loves us.
The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to you, the children of the church. This is a precious gift from Jesus who loves you so much. Enjoy this gift with your friends in church. And love Jesus as much as Jesus loves you.
Let us pray. Lord Jesus, we thank you for the gift of the Kingdom of Heaven. This is such a precious gift. We will always take care of it. And we will enjoy it every time we pray with our families and come to church. Thank you Jesus for loving us so much. We love you too. Amen.
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