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Suffer the Little Children

Let's begin by looking at the life of Jesus as recorded in Mark 10:13-16, when the disciples didn't want Jesus to be bothered by children.

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Jesus wanted the little children to come to him, and did not want the adults to stand in their way. So why is it that children leave the church? When congregations grow old, does anyone stop and realize that this means children are leaving the church in greater number than they are being born?

When asked why this is, adults will typically respond that the children are being rebellious towards God or rebellious towards the church. Could it be that the adults are creating stumbling blocks for the children and placing themselves in disfavor with Jesus and the Father?

This is not a message about changing faith in any way. What we are commanded we must observe. There are many practices that are maintained that are not commanded. Could we interact with our children in a different way that in the end will lead them to a relationship with Jesus and the Father?

As Sabbath-keeping Christians, we typically move from the hectic pace of the week ending on Friday to the bliss of the Sabbath. For me, the Sabbath was not delightful until I was in my thirties. By that time, most of my friends that I had grown up had left the faith. Here comes the difference between a child and an adult. When I was well into my thirties, my energy level dropped and I could finally enjoy resting on the Sabbath. Before that, my energy level was much too intense to rest. For me when I was a young person with way too much energy to rest, the Sabbath was a burden when I had to rest like an adult. I couldn't wait until the Sabbath ended to burn off some extra energy.

The Sabbath is a day of rest and that is why adults like to rest on the Sabbath. Children rest in different ways than adults. Children with normal energy levels play. Sermons and fellowship are important on the Sabbath. Could the length of the sermon and time spent in fellowship be too much for children? There is nothing I can find in the Bible about how long a sermon or time spent in fellowshipping should be. If a practice that we maintain leads children away from Jesus and the Father, we are on dangerous ground whenever that practice is not a command we have in the Bible.

Those who contend that children should not play on the Sabbath and sit through long sermons and fellowship sessions, are on dangerous ground with Jesus and the Father. Look at Matthew 18:6.

Matthew 18:6
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Sabbath-keeping Christians must observe what we are commanded to do, and we must never allow our practices to offend a child and lead that child away from Jesus and the Father.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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