There is something special about kids. Children see the world differently. They see imaginary worlds and dream of what could be. They have that childlike wonder and belief. Adults see a bed; kids see a trampoline. Adults see a bath; kids see an ocean. Adults see an empty paper towel roll; kids see a telescope or a bazooka. We all have something to learn from the childlike faith of kids.

In today’s Scripture, we’ll hear Jesus lift up the example of little kids. Jesus says that children have a quality that is very important for everybody to have. In fact, if anyone wants to participate in Jesus’ kingdom and be included in his people, they must have something that little kids have.

Here’s our main idea for today: Childlike faith is required to enter God’s kingdom. We must have childlike faith in Jesus to be included in God’s people and on His team.

Kids version: We should trust in Jesus like babies trust their parents. What do little babies need their parents for? Everything! They need food, baths, clothing, warmth, protection, and comfort.

On July 10, 2017, our twins, Isaiah and Amos, made their debut appearance. I had to dress up like a doctor to welcome them into the world. Hadley got to wear a silly hat. They were each born about 6 pounds a piece. They needed us for everything! If we didn’t give them what they needed, they would let us know. They were good communicators. They depended on us for everything.

All of us enter the world this way. Naked and needy. Turn to your neighbor and say, “You were once naked and needy.” We had to depend on others to give us life and sustain our life.

Jesus wants us to trust God, as babies depend on their parents. We should look to God to give us life and sustain our life.

Do you trust in Him and depend on God like little babies depend on their parents? For those who consider themselves believers already, are you continuing to live in daily childlike dependence on Jesus to sustain you as a follower?

People were bringing infants to him so that he might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, invited them: “Let the little children come to me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Luke 18:15-17

First, see that Jesus welcomes the little children. People were bringing kids to Jesus for blessing. Two different words are used to describe the little ones. One word means infants, and another means little children. These little ones may have needed healing for some sickness, or perhaps the parents wanted to secure God’s blessing and favor. People know that Jesus is powerful and has done many miracles, so parents want Jesus to touch and bless their kids. By the way, that’s our simple job description as parents: bring our kids to Jesus.

The disciples didn’t like this and were turning the parents and kids away. They thought Jesus had better things to do. Culturally, kids weren’t as highly valued as they are today. These disciples were thinking with worldly values and not God’s values. The disciples saw needy, snotty-nosed, unimportant little kids. Certainly, this great, miracle-performing Savior has better things to do than tend to children. But that’s not what Jesus saw and not how He thought.

Jesus interrupts his disciples and corrects them. The word invited in verse 16 means to call over or summon. He calls the kids back. “Hey! Come over here!” He beckons them closer. Don’t miss the repeating action verbs here: he invited them, told his disciples to let them come, and said don’t stop them. So, in three different ways, he said kids are welcome here!

Notice what type of leader Jesus is. He’s not too busy for kids. He’s gentle and lowly. He welcomes the meek and the little ones. He’s got time for them. This world’s big, important leaders would have better things to do. But Jesus is a different type of King. He’s a humble and compassionate King. What is foolish to the world is important to Jesus. See Christ’s goodness.

But this passage is more than just an affirmation that Jesus loves and welcomes kids. Jesus wants to teach all of us, kids included, a valuable lesson about His kingdom and who belongs to His kingdom.

Look at the second half of verse 16: “Let the little children come to me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Jesus wants us to know that there is a connection between children’s childlike faith and belonging to His kingdom.

What is the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God involves belonging to King Jesus and being on His team. Think of two teams in a basketball or soccer game. Belonging to the kingdom of God is being on the same team with Jesus. Jesus has His kingdom, and the world has an opposing kingdom. In the kingdom of God, Jesus is the King, and His kingdom is good. But, there is also another kingdom, the kingdom of the world which includes everyone who doesn’t love God and doesn’t follow Jesus. We belong to one of these two kingdoms. Not everyone automatically is in the kingdom of God. Belonging to the kingdom of God means being on the same team as King Jesus.

Childlike faith is required to enter Jesus’ kingdom. Everyone say required. Feel the weight of that for a moment. It’s not optional. Verse 17 says, “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Jesus says here that until we have childlike faith, we don’t belong to the kingdom of God. Sin separates all of us from King Jesus’ kingdom and places us as enemies. We’re over in the kingdom of the world. Sin is how we all rebel against God and willfully choose our own way. When we sin, we are separated from God’s kingdom. So, in order to come back to King Jesus’ kingdom, we must change. We must humble ourselves. Jesus says, we must receive the kingdom of God like little kids. In fact, Jesus says if we do not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, we will never enter it.

In a few weeks for spring break, we are going to Universal Studios. We are excited about a fun family trip. We’re going to get to ride all these fun rides and see all these fun things–Minions, Transformers, Superheroes, and a Harry Potter world. But to get inside Universal Studios theme park, something is required. What do we need to get inside? Tickets! Without tickets, there’s not entrance. They won’t let us inside. Similarly, Jesus is saying, to enter His kingdom, we must have childlike faith. We must humble ourselves and trust in Him like little babies trust in their parents.

Notice in verse 16 that Jesus says the kingdom of God belongs to “such as these“. Jesus is pointing to the example of the infants and the little kids. They have something that grants them access and allows them to enter and take possession of God’s kingdom. What do kids have that we need to have to enter His kingdom? The quality that kids have is childlike faith.

What is childlike faith? Childlike faith is depending on Jesus.

Everyone, please stand up for a moment. Do you believe your chair is strong enough to hold your body? Do you trust that that chair will hold you up and not collapse? If you are willing to depend on that chair, simply sit down. You have just expressed faith in that chair. You depended on it to hold you up. Faith is your trust and dependence on that chair.

Similarly, childlike faith is depending on Jesus as your Savior. It’s believing He is strong enough to save us and sustain us. We place ourselves in His capable hands and depend on His cross and resurrection to hold us up.

In our passage, these parents brought these little helpless children to receive a touch from Jesus. The children had nothing they brought to the table. They were needy and weak. But their simple faith in Jesus was everything. Their simple faith in His touch to heal and bless them was what allowed them to belong to His kingdom. They were weak, but He was strong.

The old children’s song is true and helpful for us to remember today. Everyone, if you know these words, sing them with me: Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus love me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so. Do you believe that today? Adults, it’s that simple truth that we too easily forget.

Childlike faith is turning to Jesus first. When we’re sick and hurting, we go to Jesus first. When we are confused and stressed, we turn to Jesus first. When we sin and mess up, we turn to Jesus first. When we have conflicts in our relationships, we turn to Jesus first. As parents, when navigating so many decisions, we turn to Jesus first. As students navigating school and relationships, we turn to Jesus first. We depend on Him for everything. Childlike faith is turning to Jesus first.

Kids have no problem expressing their needs and depending on others. I’m currently coaching my boys’ soccer team, whose ages range from 5 to 7 years old. They depend on me as their coach in several ways. For example, Abigail is a sweet young girl on the team. It’s her first time playing team sports. She’s quiet but fierce. She approached me during practice on Tuesday night because her shoe was untied. She needed my assistance. She wasn’t embarrassed about this. She knew she couldn’t do it on her own. She needed help and simply asked for it. Childlike faith is having the humility to ask for help.

There’s another kid on the team, Nathaniel. It’s also his first time playing team sports. During our practice, another kid kicked the ball and it hit Nathanial hard in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. I was standing right there and I knew it hurt really bad. It was one of those moments when it hurts so bad that there is a moment of silence and shock before the tears and the emotion hits. I was right there beside him and he looked to me to help him. He didn’t hesitate. He took two steps towards me and collapsed into my side. He needed my help to comfort him and to help him work through the pain. Kids have no problem showing dependence and trusting others to help them in their times of need.

Similarly, we should be like children who humbly ask God for help and depend on Jesus daily. We need to look to Jesus and trust Him to rescue us. We need to fall into His arms when we are hurting. We need to run to Him with our need for forgiveness. We need to believe that He has everything we need.

Also, notice the word “receive” in verse 17. Underline that word. If we’re going to enter God’s kingdom, we have to receive God’s free gift of help. We don’t earn. Childlike faith receives salvation as a gift.

John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name,

Ephesians 2:8-9 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.

Can you earn a gift? No! The moment you earn something, it’s no longer a gift. Salvation can’t be earned. It’s a gift that can only be received through faith. We have to be humble and depend on God’s free gift. It’s not a trophy to be earned or a certificate we accomplish because we’re somehow better than the real bad people. No! We all need God’s free gift and must receive it like children.

This is what’s amazing. Jesus has prepared an amazing gift of salvation for us each. He did all the work through His cross. He paid the penalty our sins deserve. We deserve to be punished for our sins. We deserve death. But He offers us eternal life as a free gift. He offers us reconciliation. He offers us rescue and freedom. He offers us a brand new start! But to receive it and belong to His people, we must have childlike faith.

If it’s that easy–a free gift to be received, what keeps people from entering His kingdom?

Pride keeps us from entering the kingdom of God. We are all tempted to be self-reliant and self-justified. We think we’re not that bad—or at least not as bad as those people—the real sinners. We love to judge others while giving ourselves a passing grade. We struggle to be dependent on God. We don’t want to be needy. It’s humbling and makes us feel weak.

Look at the story right before today’s passage. In the story before our passage, Jesus teaches and warns us about pride and trusting in our self-righteousness.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18:9-14

The Pharisee in this story is so prideful and self-reliant that he prays, “Thank you, Jesus, that I’m not like other people.” Do you hear his arrogance? He is blind to his own pride and blind to his need for a Savior. He thinks he’s better than others. He doesn’t realize how far away he is from the kingdom of God.

How did he become like that? He started like all of us start. A little baby–naked and needy. But as he grew up something changed.

Here’s what happens. As we grow up, we strive for independence and put our trust in things other than God. We buy nice clothes to look good and put our trust in our appearance. If we look good, then we’re secure and important. We get a car which allows us to go wherever we want. We don’t need anybody to drive us around anymore. We get a phone which allows us to Google any question we have. We trust in the internet to answer all our questions. We get a college degree and job, and put our trust in our performance. We open a bank account and an investment account and we trust in our money. We build up our independence so that we don’t need anybody or anything–even God.

How do we become like little children to enter the kingdom of God?

To have childlike faith, we have to let go of trusting in the wrong things. We have to humble ourselves and stop being so self-reliant. We must become spiritually naked and needy before God. Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. We have to become like that second person in the story. I’m not hiding behind all this stuff. I need Jesus, and He is everything I need!

Is that you? What are you tempted to hide behind? What are you building your identity around?

I’ll end with this story. One day, my kids built a blanket fort in our playroom. It was cool. They incorporated our foosball table as the castle and built it around it. They called to me, “Dad, come see our fort. Dad, come inside our fort.” To enter their kingdom, I had to change. I had to humble myself and get down on my knees and crawl like a little kid.

To enter the kingdom of God and join Jesus’ team, we must become like little kids. We must let go of our pride and everything we trust other than God. We have to depend on Jesus and receive His free gift of salvation.

Reflect: what is keeping you from childlike faith in Jesus? What are you depending on for your security and identity?

If you’ve been following Jesus for a while, are you daily depending on Him to sustain you and carry you through life? Are you turning to Him first with your challenges and needs? Trust in Him to sustain you and empower you for all of life.

The kingdom of God belongs to those with childlike faith. Is that you? Are you trusting in God or in your own strength? Are you willing to admit that you need a Savior? Are you willing to receive the free gift of salvation? Unless we become like children, we will never enter the kingdom of God.