Live with Lon - Having Childlike Faith

Well, hello everybody, and welcome to Live with Lon. We are so glad that you're with us today, and here on Live with Lon, you know what we do.

Say it with me. We study what? The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, and then we apply it to our lives. And that's exactly what we're going to do today. We're in a series in the Gospels, but let's pray first, okay?

Let's bow our heads. Dear Heavenly Father, as we pray every week, may the Holy Spirit illuminate our hearts and our minds that we might understand and comprehend his word in all of its power and all of its meaning. And then, Lord, may the Holy Spirit give us the strength and the capacity that we need spiritually and supernaturally to apply to our life. Lord, forgive our sins this week.

There are many for all of us. Forgive us even this day. Lord, fill our heart.

May it burn with your presence. And use your word in our life today, we pray in Jesus' name, and everybody said, amen, and what? Amen.

That's right. Okay, today we are in Luke's Gospel as we study the Gospels. Remember, Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, and he's going to be crucified there, rise from the dead, and ascend back into heaven. And our passage for today is probably a very familiar one for many of us who know the Bible, particularly if we've taught Sunday school. Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.

Yeah, you know the song. Okay. And indeed he does. And today we come to the passage in Luke chapter 18 where he demonstrates this once again.

So without any further ado, let's pick up. We're in Luke chapter 18 and we begin at verse 15. The Bible says, and they also brought infants to him that he might touch them. But when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. Now, I'm not quite sure why the disciples rebuked them. There's another passage in Matthew's Gospel where the disciples do the same thing. Matthew chapter 19 verse 13.

Let's put it on the screen. Then little children were brought to him that he might put his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. And Jesus said, let the little children come to me and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them and departed from there. Now, why would the disciples rebuke people coming to have Jesus bless their children?

I don't know. Most probably because in their mind, Jesus had big things to do, big adult things to do, and he didn't have time to mess with a bunch of little children. But Jesus made sure they understood that he loved little children and that he always had time for little children. Look with me, if you would, in Matthew's Gospel verse 18 verse 3. It says, and Jesus called a little child to him, verse 2, and said him in the midst of them and said, assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me. Now, this goes along with what Jesus says right here in Luke chapter 18. Let's go back Luke chapter 18. After the disciples rebuke the people that were bringing these little infants, verse 16, but Jesus called the disciples to him and said, let the little children come to me and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. Now look at verse 17. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter in.

Wow. Now that's an amazing statement. Whoever doesn't receive the kingdom of God and receive Christ, which is what in Matthew chapter 18.

Let's go back and look at that real quick. Jesus said the same thing here. He says, assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become like little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. All right, so there's something about little children and the way that they believe and the way that they come to Jesus that is supernaturally magical, if I could use that word, that is supernaturally powerful, that is supernaturally efficacious, that supernaturally turns into saving faith, the kind that gets you into heaven. Something about the way little children believe that is, like I say, results in saving faith. Would we all agree that's what the Bible says?

Yes, of course. Okay, now our question is, what is it about the way little children believe? What is it about their childlike faith that activates salvation faith, that activates the plan of salvation for us and then also endears us to the heart of God? I just want to say before I go on and we answer this question that we need to understand how endearing little children are to the Lord Jesus Christ.

They were endearing to him when he was here on earth and they're still endearing to him to this day. What is it about them that is so precocious and so attractive and so sweet and so winsome that the living Christ made it clear that he loves little children? All right, we're going to answer that question, but don't forget Jesus loves everyone who is childlike in their behavior and I want to say this because it relates to people like my daughter Jillian Solomon and to people who we care for at Jill's house who have mental disabilities and to people around our neighborhood and our world that are intellectually disabled.

Listen, these sweet children who in their minds will never be anything more than childlike, their whole existence is childlike. Jesus loves these children and these young adults and these people in a special way. It doesn't matter what their age is physically, in their mind they're still little children and therefore they are beloved of God in a special way. And they are only capable of relating to God in a childlike way, which is perfect because relating to God in a childlike way is how we unlock salvation, eternal life and go into heaven.

So I just want to challenge you, don't ever in any way diminish or look down upon people who are intellectually and mentally have those disabilities friends. They are beloved of God in a very special way, just like little children physically in their age are. And I always love to say that people like my daughter Jill and like the people that we care for in Jill's house, that they are near and dear to the heart of God and they are. And remember what Jesus said, that anybody who receives a child in his name receives him. Well, anybody who receives one of these people regardless of their physical age and receives them and loves them and cares for them and shows mercy and kindness to them. And Jesus says, as much as you show kindness to the least of these, you show kindness to me.

And my friends, this is a precious thing. I do believe that these children, these people who are childlike in their intellectual development, that God is going to take them to heaven if they're not able to trust Christ, if they don't understand and are not capable of making that decision. I believe that because Christ died for all, including these people, 2 Corinthians 5 and David's child, who was probably a year and a half to two years old when he died. Remember what David said? David said, I will go to him. Well, we know David was going to heaven from the Bible, but he cannot come to me.

So, yes. Now, I want to tell you with my daughter, Jill, I lay down with her every night that I'm home in bed and I pray with her before she goes to sleep. And about once a month, if not more often, I lead her in a salvation prayer. I say, Jilly, in your mind, repeat after me so that you can go to heaven. And I lead her in a salvation prayer. And sometimes she'll make noises, which is she can't speak, but she'll make noises as we're going along.

And I wonder if she's trying to pray with me. I don't know what Jill knows, what she can understand about the plan of salvation. But if she's old enough to get it, I believe that she's done it. And if she is not capable of getting it old enough mentally to get it, I believe God's taking her to heaven as an expression of his mercy to people who are mentally little children and can't understand. And I do believe little children, before they're old enough to understand the gospel, go to heaven. And children that have been aborted go to heaven.

I believe that and expect to see them there. So having said all of that now, let's go back to our basic question, which is what is it about the faith of a child, about childlike faith, that opens and unlocks the plan of salvation and salvation faith for them? And may I point out the word that's used here in the Greek New Testament is not for older children like preteens. Jesus does love them.

And it's not for 10 and 12 year old people. Jesus does love them. But the word here, and you even heard it translated in Luke 18, translates it infants. In Matthew's gospel, Matthew 19, it's translated young children.

Why? Well, because by the time a child is 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 years old, there's something that often happens in their life where they lose this childlike faith. And that we're going to talk about. So Jesus is talking about the faith of very young children, because that's where the beauty is.

And that's the kind of faith he wants you and me to have. Now, before we answer that question, we got to ask another question. You know what that question is. Are you ready? Here we go. Come on now. Are you ready? Come on.

One, two, three. So what? Yes. What does this passage have to do with you and me? Well, that's what we're going to talk about as we study the word of God together today. How great is it to be studying God's word? And I just went to my cardiologist this past week and I'm doing great. But I was reminded once again how close to death's door I was back in September of 2020.

I mean, I was swirling the drain and and my doctor agrees. So to be here teaching the word of God like this today with strength and excitement. What do we say? What do we say? You thought I was going to leave this out, didn't you? You thought I was going to skip this.

Not on your bottom dollar. OK. Are you ready? Come on now. Say it with me like Jackie Gleason. How sweet it is.

You bet. Now, to answer our question, what is it about a child, a young child? Well, friends, very simply, a young child showing child life like faith. That kind of faith is the kind of faith that takes people in authority at their word and believes it. Pure and simple. By people in authority, I'm pretty much speaking of their parents who take what their parents tell them. And and they don't question it and they don't try to figure it out and they don't try to debate it and they don't try to analyze it. They just believe it. If someone in authority says it, they believe it with all of their heart. And and look, for example, if a parent comes to a little child who's three or four years old and they're ill and says, I have this antibiotic, I have this medicine for you and I need you to take this medicine and it'll make you better.

You'll get well. A little child will take it and won't argue. A little child will say, well, now, you know, what are all the warnings that are on the package and what are some of the side effects?

And, you know, for how many people does this cause an allergic reaction and therefore maybe I shouldn't take it or blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. No, they just take their mommy or daddy's word and they take it. Could it be Sinai that their parents are giving them?

It could be. And the child would still take it because there is this beautiful ability in a child to take the word of someone in authority over them and simply believe it. They don't question it. They're happy to rely on somebody else to care for them like their parents. They don't they don't reject this and they don't rebel against this.

This is normal to them. They understand that these people over them in authority over them, they consider them reliable and trustworthy and they don't doubt them. And they just simply rely on them to put the food on the table. They rely on them to so they have clean clothes every day.

They rely on them to medically make sure that they're taken care of with their shots or vaccines and all the things like this. A child just has that beautiful faith where you tell them something and they and you're in authority over them. They believe it. Now, that's the kind of faith that the Lord Jesus Christ says gets you into heaven. You say, what do you mean? I mean, when someone in authority over us and I mean the Bible, I mean the Lord.

Right. When someone in authority over us tells us something, when God tells us something, childlike faith simply believes it. We consider him reliable. Who told us? We consider him trustworthy. Who told us? We consider him dependable. Who told us? And we don't question it and we don't subject it to a microscopic analysis.

We just trust him. That's childlike faith. Now, that works for salvation. Let me read you some verses. We'll put them up on the screen.

Are you ready? OK, let's start with John three sixteen and you know it, but let's put it up on the screen for God. So love the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Now, what does a little child do with this? He believes God loves the world because God says it. He believes God sent his only son because he loved the world because God says it. And he believes that if he puts his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he will not perish. He'll have everlasting life because God said it. That's childlike faith.

All right. How about another verse? How about John three thirty six?

Look at this. He who believes in the son, meaning, of course, Jesus has everlasting life. A little child says, OK, and he believes it and he puts his faith in the Lord Jesus and believes that as a result, God's going to give him eternal life. He also believes the second half of the verse. He who does not believe in the son will not see life. But the anger, the wrath, the judgment of God abides on him. A little child believes that, too. How about John five twenty four? It says, most assuredly, I say to you, Jesus talking, he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment from a holy God against our sin, but has passed from death into life. A child believes that just at face value. I believe in the Lord and I will not come into judgment.

How about one more? And this is this is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. John six forty seven.

Look at this. It says, most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me has present tense eternal life. First of all, folks, how in the world could Jesus possibly say it more simply than that? Even a little child can understand that. And a child believes it.

You believe in Jesus, you give him your heart and you have eternal life. And a child doesn't argue with that. And they they they don't question it.

Now, that's great, right? That's childlike faith for salvation. And if you haven't shown that kind of childlike faith in the Lord Jesus for your salvation, now, then I want to challenge you to do that. You see, when we get older, what happens is we get educated beyond our intelligence.

And and that's right. And that even happens to children 10 and 11 and 12 years old as they learn about in school and they have teachers talk to them about evolution and all this other stuff. And they begin to question what God says and the Bible and even as adults being taught to be analytical with everything. You know, God says, hey, John 647, most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me has everlasting life. We begin to say, well, now, how exactly does God do that? And what about all the other people in the world? You know, who are religious leaders, Buddha and Mohammed and Confucius and Joseph Smith, the Mormons and all this other stuff. What about them? You know, and don't all roads lead to God and not just Jesus, even though Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father but by me. But we question that. We analyze it. We we're suspicious. We're jaded.

We're we're inclined to subject this to all kinds of analysis. No, no, that's not childlike faith. And Jesus said, when you try to show that kind of a response to what God's telling you, you're not getting into the kingdom of heaven. That's what he said. It's a child who's willing to say, OK, you said it, God, I believe it. And that settles it. So if you've never done that, my friend, don't be educated beyond your intelligence.

OK, don't do that. You'll miss heaven that way. Just take God at his word and rely on him. A child doesn't mind relying on somebody else to get his food, to get his clothing, to get his medical needs. And he doesn't mind relying on somebody else to get him into heaven. Now, this is childlike faith. This is saving faith where you've got to rely on Christ to get you into heaven.

You can't do it. You understand what I'm saying? Now, for those of us who are Christians, this childlike faith needs to continue. It doesn't stop with our salvation.

No, no. We should have this kind of childlike faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in his word every day of our Christian life till we step on the shores of heaven. You don't get into heaven with childlike faith and then live the Christian life with adult questioning, analyzing jaded faith.

No, that's not how it works. It's childlike faith to come to Christ and it's childlike faith to live the Christian life and walk with Christ. You say, what do you mean? I mean, there are all kinds of promises God makes us in the Bible that he doesn't want us questioning. He doesn't want us arguing with him. He doesn't want us trying to figure it out. He doesn't want us trying to be analytical. He just wants us to believe it because he said it.

You say like what? All right, let me give you some. Romans Chapter eight, verse twenty eight. Let's turn there. Romans eight, verse twenty eight says this. It says, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose, meaning that we're saved, that we're in Christ, that he called us and we believed. Now, friends, this doesn't say everything is good.

No, no. It says all things work together for good. The good, the bad and the ugly work together for good. And no matter what's happening to you or me right now, God is going to step in. This is his promise. And he's going to flip flop it and turn it into good. Now, what do we do when we read this?

We go, yeah, but how's he going to do it? Yeah, but I don't see any way this can happen. Yeah, but you know what? This is such a mess.

This is never going to be able to turn into good. Yeah, but you know, I've got so much opposition and how in the world is God going to? And see, you're educated beyond your intelligence, my friends. It doesn't matter. A little child doesn't question all those things.

He just says, OK, God says he's going to turn it into good. He is. Look, with my daughter, Jill, she's twenty nine years old. She'll be 30 in January. And, you know, she has severe disabilities. Listen, I hung on to this verse and and I didn't let my flesh ask those questions about how is that ever going to turn her into disabilities and the good and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

In the early years, when she was in the hospital all the time and in the ambulance all the time and in intensive care all the time. Of course, it looked like there was no way to ever turn this into good. But I believed God anyway with childlike faith. And you know what? Now at twenty nine, look at what God's done. Not only is he used Jill in my life and Brenda's life and my family's life to make us better people, make me a better pastor, make me a better father, make me a better husband.

Just make me a better person. But look at Jill's house and all the children that we minister to. Forty five beds every night of children with disabilities that we hope they take care of and give their parents a break and give them light at the end of the tunnel. And we have Jill's houses now. I don't even know how many states they're in. It used to be six or seven.

I don't even know anymore how many it's in. My wife would. She's on the board of Jill's house. I'm not anymore. And I haven't been for years. But Brenda's on it. And and you want to know why?

Can I tell you the truth? Because when we were both on the board, we were always arguing with one another. And I thought, this isn't good to have the pastor and his wife arguing. So I got off and and Brenda was usually right about it about it anyway. So anyway, what I'm saying is God came all that came out of Jill's life. Oh, it's amazing. OK. Did God do what he said?

Yes. And simple childlike faith is what he wanted me to show in that promise. I got more promises for you. What about Jeremiah 33, verse three? I love this verse. Call unto me, says the Lord. And I will answer you and I will show you great and mighty things that you know not. Hey, you in trouble?

You in a tough spot? What is what does God say? Call unto me and I'll answer you. And I'll I'll deal with it and show you great and mighty things you can't even imagine. Well, I believe that if I'm in a tough spot, I just pray and say, God, help me. I'm relying on you, God. You promised you to answer me and do great and mighty things that I can't even conceive of to help me. And I believe it like a little child, Lord. I don't have to understand how you're going to do it, when you're going to do it.

Where are you going? I just I trust you, Lord. I believe what you tell me. You know, I I think in the Old Testament of King Asa, he was he was in Second Chronicles Chapter 14. He was surrounded by a massive army that he couldn't defeat.

There's no way he could have defeated them. The King of Judah, verse 11, Second Chronicles 14. Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, Lord, there is no one besides thee to help in this battle between the powerful and we who have no strength. So help us, O Lord, our God, for we trust in thee and in thy name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, thou art God. Let not man prevail against us. And the next verse says, So the Lord routed the Ethiopians, the enemy before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.

What did he do? He came to God and trusted him to do great, mighty things that he knew not. Now, the interesting thing is that in Chapter 16, Asa did not do this. He went to the king of Syria to get help in a battle instead of coming to the Lord. And the prophet at the time, a fellow named Hanani, says, Second Chronicles 16, verse 8, Were not the Ethiopians an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord moved to and fro throughout the earth that he may show himself to be strong on behalf of those whose heart is completely his. You have acted foolishly in this, says the prophet. Well, my friends, the point is that when Asa just took God at his word like a little child, God moved. But then when you started figuring it out and going, well, you know, we don't have that, you know, let's go to Syria.

Maybe together we could. No, no, no. That's not childlike faith.

Now, a couple more. How about First Corinthians 10, 13? No temptation has taken you except that which is common to man. And God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will make a way of escape that you may be able to endure it.

Even in the worst days of of trying to to survive, all that was happening with Jill and all the illness and the sickness and oh, it was just terrible. God kept saying to me, Lon, I made you a promise that I have not given you something that you can't endure with my help. Second Corinthians Chapter 12, verse nine, my grace is sufficient for thee. We either believe that like a little child or we don't. With God's help, we can make it through no matter what it is, because God's already inspected it and made sure it's not beyond what we can bear.

Can I just believe that like a little child? How about Hebrews 13, verse five and six? God said, I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you. You say, well, I don't feel like God's with me.

Doesn't matter. He promised he would be. So we take that as a little child by faith. Therefore, I may boldly say I will not fear. What can man do to me?

How about one more? Matthew Chapter six, where Jesus says, So do not worry about what you should eat or what you shall drink or what you shall put on. For God knows that you need these things, but seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you. So do I believe that God will meet all my needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus? Philippians Chapter four. Do I believe that like a little child? And no matter how bad it looks, I believe God's going to come through. Yes.

Yes. I remember when Brendan and I first moved over to Virginia in 1980 to take over the senior pastor role at McLean Bible Church. It was in the summer and we'd come over looking for a house to buy. Brenda was pregnant with my son, Justin, my my second son, my first son, Jamie, was a little child. And it was 100 degrees that day, literally.

And Brenda was miserable being like pregnant. And so we just made a quick decision and bought a house there in McLean, Virginia. And we bought it and we didn't put any kind of of condition on it. It was an unconditional contract. And we just assumed that our house in Crofton, Maryland, would sell.

No contingencies on the contract. Well, it didn't sell and it didn't sell and it didn't sell. And finally, we came up. We were scheduled to settle on a Monday in in September of 1980.

And it was Friday. And our house over there in Crofton had not sold. And we needed the equity in that house in order to be able to make the sale in Virginia work. And without that equity, we were going to have to default on our contract.

Now, how great would that have been? Brand new pastor at McLean Bible Church. And the first official act of this brand new pastor is he defaults on a real estate contract. And I went to the Lord and I said, Lord Jesus, I've been praying before, but I mean, we were down to like three days. And I said, Lord Jesus, I don't want to disgrace you. I don't want to disgrace the gospel. I don't want to disgrace the church.

I don't want to disgrace my testimony. But, Lord, what am I going to do? I know I got myself in this mess, Lord. And maybe, you know, I maybe I should have waited and prayed longer before I put this contract down.

I've learned maybe don't be in such a hurry. But that doesn't change the fact, Lord, I'm in a mess right now. I don't even know what to do. I don't even know what to ask for, Lord.

This house is not going to sell in two days. Lord Jesus, I throw myself at your feet and I say, Lord, you promised to provide all my needs in Christ Jesus. Lord, you promised to take care of my needs in the Sermon on the Mount, which we just talked about. And Lord, I'm just relying on you. I'm in simple childlike faith, Lord. I'm just trusting you.

Please help me. You know what happened? The next day, Saturday, Brenda's mother called up and she said she knew we were in this fix. And she said, you're not going to believe what just happened. And we said, maybe we will try us. She said, well, Brenda's grandmother, Brenda's mother's mother, who was quite well off, called up her mom, Brenda's mom, on Saturday morning and said, you know, I've got a bunch of CDs that are coming to fruition on Monday, the day we were going to settle.

And this is back in the day where CDs paid any money, paid money. And she said, I've got these funds coming up for renewal. She said, but in praying, she was a godly woman. She said in praying about it, she said, God just kind of laid it on my heart. She said, do Lonnie and Brenda have a financial need?

I just have this sense from the Lord that maybe they do that I can help them with. And Brenda's mom had never said word one to her mother, to Brenda's grandmother about this, nothing. And she just discerned it in prayer. And Brenda's mom said, OK. And she told her what was going on. And Brenda's grandmother took a huge chunk of money out of her CDs that were coming due and wired it down to us on Monday morning so we could complete the real estate contract on the house in McLean.

Now, we don't live there anymore, but we did not default on the contract. And she said, you just tell Lonnie and Brenda that when their house in Crofton sells, they can just pay me back. No interest, no nothing.

I'm just doing it as unto the Lord. Friends, where does that happen? When does that ever happen?

I've never had that happen before or since. That's amazing. And well, I still am amazed when I tell that story. And childlike faith, this is what the Lord wants.

This is what the Lord honors my Christian friend, whether it's in money or whether it's in finding a house or selling your house or whatever it is or finding a parking space. You're like, oh, no, come on now. Does not do the parking space. Well, listen, that's what I do when I drive into a parking lot.

In fact, I was just at National Airport the other day. I had to I had to fly somewhere. And I remember I was running late and I drove in the parking lot, the parking garage. And I said, now, Lord Jesus, you know, I'm running a little behind, please.

I need a really great parking space and I need it quickly, Lord, if you don't mind, please. And I'm just going to trust you. And my faith was like a little child's faith. I just knew I believe the Lord was going to do it for me.

Drove around for about a minute or I don't know, or so. Beautiful space. Right in it. You say, Lon, come on now. That's just coincidence. Well, friends, let me tell you something. If you believe that's coincidence and you don't pray like that, no wonder you don't get any good parking spaces.

Come on. When I lose my keys, when I lose my phone, which happens all the time, I pray and I say, Lord Jesus, you know where that phone is. Please lead me to it. And I know what you know, where those keys are. This childlike faith. This is what the Lord wants from us as believers.

And again, don't be educated beyond your intelligence, my Christian friend. Just believe God like a little child does. And you will see great and mighty things that you know not. I promise you.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, if there's someone out there today listening who has never just trusted you for his or her salvation, for their eternal life, like a little child, help them to do it, Lord. Help them just throw themselves on your promise. He who believes in me has eternal life. And help them, Lord, transfer their trust off of anything they will ever do, any human work, any religious activity, and put it on what you did for them on the cross. And then simply believe you that the person who does that has eternal life. And Lord Jesus, I pray for us as believers that you would forgive us for how often we complicate things.

We make them so complicated and so difficult. Lord, just help us trust you like little children and all your promises. We don't have to know all the answers. It doesn't matter whether we understand.

It doesn't matter whether we can figure it out. And Lord, it is not above us to humble ourselves and depend on you for everything we need. So, Lord Jesus, teach us that great truth and help us as followers of Christ. Walk like a little child with our hand being held by you as we walk down the street of life. And we pray this in Jesus' name. And everybody said, Amen and Amen. Now, brother, that's preaching. Yes, sir. And I hope that that'll really challenge you and me to walk with Christ in a way that unlocks his great power and mercy and benevolence in our lives. God bless you. And Lord willing, in the creek don't rise. We'll see you next week on Live With God.