Table of Contents
Date: SUN 7:00pm 15th February 2026
Preacher: Rev. Grahame Middleton
Bible Reference: Matthew 19:14
Podcast
Sermon Summary: The Importance of Children’s Work: A Reflection from Matthew 18–19
The sermon drawn from Matthew chapters 18 and 19 offers a profound meditation on the spiritual significance of children, and on the moral and evangelical duty of the church to nurture their faith. Rooted firmly in the Reformed tradition and drawn from the King James Bible, it highlights Christ’s example, exhortation, and expansion of teaching concerning the young. In doing so, it delivers a call both timeless and pressing: to value the spiritual formation of children, to lead them faithfully to the Saviour, and to guard them from harm or neglect.
The Biblical Foundation
The sermon opens with the words of Matthew 18:1–6 and 19:13–15, passages that reveal Christ’s tender regard toward children and His sharp warning to those who would hinder or harm them. When the disciples asked who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Christ answered not with theological abstraction but with a living example. He called a little child to Himself, set him in the midst, and said, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
This single act overturns human assumptions about greatness and humility. In a culture—and indeed a world—that prizes importance, intellect, and status, Christ centres a small child as the very image of what it means to enter His kingdom. The child’s trust, honesty, and lack of pretension stand in contrast to adult pride. The kingdom, then, is not won by achievement but received in simple dependence and sincerity.
When, later, parents brought their children to Christ that He might bless them, the disciples rebuked them. But again, Christ rebuked the disciples: “Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” In this dual scene—first the example, then the exhortation—the Saviour reveals His heart. The kingdom of God welcomes the humble, the teachable, and the trusting.
The Example: Humility and Simplicity
Children embody natural humility. They are quick to believe, slow to pretend, and willing to depend. While adults often stumble over pride or intellectual rationalisation, children possess an open heart. In this lies a spiritual secret: salvation requires us to abandon the illusion of self-sufficiency.
The preacher warned that as people grow older, pride rears its head. The difficulties of adult conversion lie not in God’s unwillingness to save, but in the human heart’s reluctance to humble itself. The child’s moral simplicity—the ability to trust, to accept, and to confess wrong—mirrors the faith God requires.
Christ’s act of calling a child was no sentimental moment but a deeply theological statement. He revealed not only the need for humility but also the seriousness of leading others astray. To offend or corrupt one of these “little ones which believe in me”, He said, is worse than death by drowning with a millstone tied about the neck. This imagery, harsh as it sounds, underscores His protection of innocence and His wrath toward those who exploit or obstruct the vulnerable.
The Exhortation: Bringing Children to Christ
In Matthew 19, the preacher noted the contrast between two groups: the faithful parents and the misguided disciples. The parents desired spiritual blessing for their children. They understood, however dimly, that to bring their little ones to Christ was to bring them to the source of eternal life.
The disciples, on the other hand, rebuked the parents, perhaps thinking they were preserving the Lord’s time for more “important” matters. Yet the Saviour rebuked them instead. His command—“Suffer… and forbid them not”—is written in the imperative. It is not an optional courtesy, but divine instruction. Parents and churches alike are to allow, bring, and facilitate the approach of children to Christ.
Today, the sermon observed, many parents fail in this basic duty. In earlier generations, children were taken to Sunday School; now, too often, they are asked if they wish to go. This inversion—placing religious responsibility on the child’s whim—is a mark of spiritual negligence. Children cannot be expected to desire what they have never been properly taught or led to love. Parents and the church must take the initiative, for attendance at the means of grace is not a matter of preference but of necessity.
The preacher recalled from personal memory the blessings of faithful adults who brought him to children’s meetings and Sunday Schools. They likely had little idea how deeply those experiences would shape his later ministry. Yet the fruit of such labour often ripens long after the seed is sown.
The Expansion: Encouragement and Warning
In both chapters, Christ expands the teaching beyond the immediate scene. In chapter 18, He pronounces a solemn warning: to harm, mislead, or discourage a believing child is a grievous sin. The term “offend” here translates a word meaning to cause to stumble. The punishment described—a millstone tied about the neck and drowning in the depth of the sea—symbolises the total condemnation awaiting those who bring spiritual ruin upon the innocent.
This passage is not merely metaphorical. It reflects God’s heart for justice and His protective jealousy over the young. As the sermon rightly put it, the church must not only teach children but guard them from all forms of harm, moral or physical.
In Matthew 19, Christ’s response to the disciples’ rebuke expands upon the positive duty of believers. We are not simply to avoid hindrance—we are to encourage. The command “forbid them not” could equally be rendered “hinder them not”. To hinder may mean neglect, distraction, hypocrisy, or coldness; any of these can drive children away from Christ. Conversely, faithfulness, warmth, and consistency can draw them near.
The Modern Application
The preacher vividly reminded his hearers that today’s children face challenges “that would give us older ones nightmares.” From digital corruption to moral confusion, they are assaulted on every side. As secular culture works tirelessly to capture their imaginations and destroy their innocence, the church must work just as tirelessly to bring them to Christ.
Evangelising the young is not secondary work. It is not beneath the adult ministry of preaching or doctrine. It is foundational. The faith of future generations depends upon the planting of truth in tender hearts. And often, the spiritual trajectories of entire families shift because one child brought to faith later leads others to the Saviour.
To those already engaged in children’s work, the preacher gave strong encouragement: continue; do not grow weary. To those who have never participated, he issued a challenge: begin. For in serving the young, believers follow the example of the Lord Himself. He took children in His arms and blessed them; He gave no greater model of divine tenderness.
A Call to Faithful Service
True Christian service is not measured by applause but by obedience. Christ’s command remains plain: “Suffer little children to come unto me.” The teaching is practical, not symbolic. It demands action. Churches should prioritise ministries that instruct, protect, and inspire children in the knowledge of God.
The sermon’s closing appeal—both to workers and parents—is a plea for urgency and stewardship. The devil, it warns, is busy seeking to wreck and ruin our children. This recognition mirrors biblical realism: evil does not rest, and neglect is never neutral. Every hour that the world indoctrinates unopposed is ground lost by the church. Thus, believers are duty-bound to engage wholeheartedly in the spiritual nurturing of the young.
Even small incentives or moments of warmth, such as the recollection of a childhood prize scheme that kept children returning to meetings night after night, demonstrate how creativity and care can sustain engagement. Encouragement, structure, and joy have their rightful place in gospel work.
Conclusion
The sermon concludes with a vision of blessing. When the children were brought to Christ, Mark’s Gospel records that “He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.” This image encapsulates the entire ministry of children’s work: bringing the young to the embrace of the Saviour.
Christ’s affection for the humble, His warning to offenders, and His command to the faithful together form an unbroken moral and pastoral argument. The church that forgets its children forgets its future. The family that neglects spiritual duty forfeits its greatest legacy. But those who labour, teach, and pray for the young partner with Christ in His continuing mission to bring souls to life.
