Can A Child Really Be Saved?

And we are going to begin with Reese. And I was a sinful human being deserving of hell.

That night I trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. I wanted my sins to be forgiven. Just like Jesus opened Bartimaeus' eyes, he opened mine to my sin.

And I am glad that he chose me to be one of his followers. John says in 1 John 1, 9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

I am so glad that he saves us from all our unrighteousness and all our sins. Not one or two, but all our sins. This verse really encouraged me and has helped me in my spiritual growth.

But I still have a lot of growing to do. I am so glad that the Holy Spirit is helping me to do what is right and to help me to battle against my desire to sin. Over the past couple months, I have been working on taking the initiative to work without being told.

I also have been working on putting others first. Ever since my family and I moved to Bremen, God's word has been clearly taught and my faith is growing. I am thankful for the friendships I have made at Grace Fellowship Church.

When I was about four after Sunday school, I talked to my mom and wanted to ask God to forgive my sin and have me into his family.

When I was eight, I didn't know if I was saved. I couldn't remember when I was little. I kept listening to pastor's sermons and reading 1 John in my Bible and asking God to show me if I was saved or not.

One night, I asked Dad if he thought I acted like I was a Christian because I didn't know. We talked a little and he said we could talk more before you went to work in the morning.

I went to bed, but I couldn't go to sleep. After a little while, Dad came back in and showed me a few verses. Then Mom came in too. I told him I wanted to be sure that I was a Christian.

I prayed and asked God to forgive my sin and bring me into his family, to teach me what is right and to help me love him. I thanked him for saving me. Then I went to sleep in peace. I don't know exactly which time I was saved, but I do know that I deserve to go to hell for my sin and that I need a Savior, who is Jesus, who died for me on the cross.

Over the last year, God is teaching me many things I need to learn. I've been working on working hard and obeying cheerfully. I'm thankful for Grace Fellowship Church because I'm learning to be a girl that loves the Lord.

I was raised in a Christian home and was taught from the Bible almost every day. Even though I was raised in this way, I personally did not care about what would happen to my soul or where I would go after death.

I liked my life, and I thought adding Jesus into the picture would just ruin everything. I told myself, when I get older and it becomes more necessary to be in the faith, then I'll put my trust in God.

Or even when I get into high school, then I'll surrender myself to him. One day during our Bible study, we were talking about salvation. I remember my dad told me that if you put your faith in Jesus Christ and believe on his name, I would be saved and have eternal life in heaven.

So I would try praying, but it was very hard for me, and I found it extremely difficult to talk to someone you cannot see. But God was working in me, and I began to see how some of the stuff I did was wrong, my behavior towards others, lying, stealing, and my attitude.

I was really selfish, and it always had to be my way. I do not know the date or the time, but God came into my heart and saved me. Over time, I would talk to friends that were strong in the faith, and they helped me with struggles and encouraged me to keep running the race with my head up high, looking to Jesus.

Also, other people at church helped me with the hard task of witnessing to unbelievers and loving those who are hard to love. God continues to work in my life to increase my faith in him.

He uses different trials, events, books, the Bible especially, and even some people I run into to help me grow in Christ. He has been teaching me to love and to serve others and not to be served.

I will always be amazed at how God would save someone as unimportant as me. I know that the Lord saved me from eternal damnation and an eternal separation from himself. I am now forever grateful and could not imagine a life without him.

God's word says, For by grace I have been saved through faith, and this is not of myself, but it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. God loved me first, and Jesus Christ saved me by taking upon himself my sins and all the sins of the elect to the grave.

And when Christ arose, he conquered my sin and death for me, and I arose with him in newness of life. I am now and forever a child of God through faith in Christ.

I am still a sinner, but I am a sinner saved by grace. I am now and forever a child of God through faith in Christ.

I grew up in a Christian home with Christian parents, and at a young age they told me all about God and Jesus.

I didn't like it. I hated going to church every Sunday I didn't want to hear about God I called at one point I called going to church God stuff I mocked my parents calling them God lovers I would not believe in God I would not listen to my parents or the one or two hour sermons I even said I won't believe God until I saw him in real life I was a total atheist but I knew that I was going to hell and I knew it was a real place I was afraid of going to hell I knew that hell was a place we would suffer forever so I tried to be saved I said the words but I didn't really mean them I didn't really repent of my sins and I kept trying to be saved over and over again

I thought if I could just do good works and keep on being good then God will forget all my sins and I'll be saved that solution failed many times I lost count of how many times I asked to be saved and tried with my own works in Titus 3.5 it says he saved us not because of the righteous things we had done but because of his mercy his mercy he saved us through the watching of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit every time I went to church I tried really hard to look like a Christian does I didn't want them to think I wasn't saved I hid my spiritual state because I was delirious that you would get revenge afterwards and it also was my pride that kept me from confessing my sins and telling the truth in 1 John 1.9 it says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness in January 2011

I was enrolled to a Christian school in Elkhart it was called Elkhart Christian Academy I believe that God existed through creation but not but I didn't believe that Jesus would save me Romans 1.20 it says for since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen being understood from what has been made so that people are without excuse so as I said before I didn't really confess of my sins I was still in the dark still unsaved in school I was doing good academically in 7th grade but 8th grade was a steep steep downhill slope my grades were falling fast my stress level flew off the roof my counselor principal and special needs teacher filled me with hurtful words

I thought to myself this is so impossible how is everybody doing so well I can't do this on myself at that moment God opened up my eyes to the fact that I can't do this by myself but with God I can and so I asked Jesus to come into my heart again and repent of all my sins and meant every word in 2012 I knew that my imperfect works will not satisfy the perfect God in 2012 I didn't choose to be saved but God went to my heart with Jesus and the Holy Spirit I knew that I was truly saved and my salvation will never be lost it will never go away I still had another grade to go through in Alcar Christian but it was not hopeless

God was now on my side there are still people that haven't been saved in this church I'm not going to say who isn't saved but to you who haven't been saved yet I ask of you if God were to ask why should I let you in my heaven how will you answer how will you answer I really suggest talking to your parents or to your friends or your pastor you need someone not to give you just a little help but full and complete salvation not trying to be judgmental or say that I'm better than any of you but I'm here to warn you that the day is going to come when you're going to need to give account to your sins and I have another question is all the fun of sin now worth misery forever in hell being a Christian it's not for just adults only kids of any age can be saved and it doesn't matter how awful your sins are

Jesus can clear them away and that's all I have to say Psalm 149 5 says you hem me in behind in the fold and lay your hand upon me this film describes what God did in my life I was born on June 29 2000 into an unsaved family my parents were saved a year later in the symbol of 2001 and were baptized thereafter they had regular Bible studies and memorized scripture and attended church I was about five when I was around these studies and memorized scripture and had scripture explained to me by my father I was beginning to learn about the world of God he was hemming me in I was exposed to the gospel weekly and I was beginning to understand sin I was five and a half years old when I was convicted of sin

I don't remember events leading up to my conviction but I know it was during the Christmas sermon which was being preached by Pastor Charles Kim Landrum at the Chilts of Faith Christian Chapel during the message I suddenly shouted I'm a sinner and began to cry but I was not convicted yet about one year after my conviction I don't remember what month I was alone after a sermon and was thinking about the message then my conviction reentered my mind and God made known to me my need for a savior then I prayed to God and asked for him to forgive me of my sins and to come into my life after my conversion my faith has grown in Christ I understand that Christ died for my sins that the sinless son of God made himself sin for me that I might be righteous before God because of what Christ did on the cross and because God gave me a heart to repent of my sin and trust Jesus as my savior

I can say like Paul I have been crucified of Christ it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me in the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me I continue to study his world and trust and depend on him for my needs Psalm 139 13 through 18 talks about God's constantly knowing and caring for me for you created my inmost being you knit me together in my mother's womb I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made your works are wonderful I know that full well my flame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place when I was woven together in the depths of the earth your eyes saw my unfurled body all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be how precious to me

I know your thoughts oh God how vast is the sum of them while I recount them they would outnumber the grains of sand when I awake I am still with you there are many challenges I face daily obeying my parents witnessing to unsaved friends and reading my Bible my dad encourages me to get into the Bible and reading the world gives me strength to witness to my unsaved friends God has been very gracious to me throughout my life he keeps me safe throughout my days and he also helps me to obey him I know he will now and forever because in Hebrews 13 5b God says I will never leave you nor forsake you well no one does what our God does amen well Molly and Will have asked to be baptized upon the profession of their faith and baptism is a sign and a seal of the new covenant in baptism we confess certain things and we make promises about certain things to Jesus Christ and so

Molly and Will would you please stand up here now and make your commitment to the Lord Jesus known do you confess that you are a hell deserving sinner whose only hope of mercy is found in Jesus Christ and what he has done for helpless sinners I do do you trust only in his blood and righteousness to save you and realize that the waters of baptism do nothing to wash away sin and merit favor with God I do and then do you desire tonight to publicly identify yourself as a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and purpose by his grace to turn from your sins and to follow him in faith and obedience for the rest of your life I do well may the grace of God help you to keep those commitments now would you please join

Molly and Will up here at the front in the New Testament the pattern was that those who were baptized were then added and joined to the church it says those who believed were added to the number there were people who were a part of that number and there were people who were not a part of that number and so membership is not just a good idea it's not just our idea this is God's idea that we join ourselves to a body and so to join a local church is a most serious commitment so you are joining the body that you see here expressed in these people and you've committed yourself in private but we want to ask you now to publicly make your commitments formally to your brothers and sisters here so do you acknowledge

Jesus Christ as Lord and commit to follow his word in every area of your life I do do you agree to submit to the discipline of this church and the oversight of its elders and commit yourself to support the ministries of the church by your faithful attendance and by serving in it according to your talents spiritual gifts and God given responsibilities I do do you agree to cooperate in the outreach of this church to the world by bearing witness to Christ praying for the spread of the gospel and giving of your financial resources do you understand that the 1689 confession of faith is the doctrinal statement of this church and agree for the sake of unity not to spread among us doctrines contrary to this confession I do then do you then commit yourself to this body of believers to love them and seek their good to work and live with them in harmony all to the end that Jesus

Christ may receive glory in this church well members of Grace Fellowship would you please stand and make your commitments to these five do you welcome these five into membership of this church and thereby commit yourselves to them and to one another as you have to one another to pray and labor for their building up and growing in grace to encourage and watch over one another in the Lord and to esteem them in love as brothers and sisters in Christ all that Jesus Christ may be glorified if so say we do we do well please be seated and we will now prepare for baptism well will has come a long way well you have come a long way used to say

I will not believe God until I see him in the flesh you used to make fun of your parents for believing in that God but you knew there was a God and you knew there was a hell for sinners like you and you did what almost every sinner does and I would say every sinner does you tried to work and work to save yourself and it didn't work it didn't work but then finally God brought you to the end of yourself and you knew that you needed him and you cried out to him and he heard you and so now you confess that you're a hell deserving sinner but Jesus Christ is a great savior and his life and his death is your only hope and so therefore upon the profession of your faith in Jesus Christ I baptize you my brother in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit buried in the likeness of his death raised in the likeness of his resurrection amen you did it

Molly what a blessed life you've had from infancy you've known the scriptures that were able to make you wise unto salvation and yet it wasn't enough was it you needed someone else and that someone else was Jesus wasn't it and Jesus said to little children come and you came and you were saved and it makes me so happy but seeing as you've put your faith in him it's my pleasure to baptize you my sister in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit buried in the likeness of his death raised in the likeness of his resurrection amen well children teenagers

Jesus saves he saves and he saves people like you and so can I encourage you to think and to come to Jesus Christ for life and if you do he will save you amen can little children really be saved that's a question that some might be thinking when they hear the testimonies of young people especially those who claim to have been saved at a very early age Charles Spurgeon held that a child of five if properly instructed can as truly believe as an adult can little children really be saved I would suggest that perhaps a better question for us to ask tonight is can adults really be saved and I put it that way because one day the Lord

Jesus himself called a little child and had him stand among them and then Jesus said to the adult hearers around him I tell you the truth unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven adults you must become like them to get in so children and young people your young age is no hindrance at all to being saved in fact the older folks have got to become like you in some ways in order to be saved saved now how's that for an intention grabber as our Lord begins to teach on salvation if you want to open your Bibles our text is found in Matthew chapter 18 we're going to look at one section in Matthew one in Mark and one in Luke all dealing with little children and here in Matthew 18 and verse 3 the context is that

Jesus disciples were having their ongoing disagreement about who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven this argument was like a dormant disease that kept breaking out from time to time and then it would be pushed down and then it would come up again and here they are arguing they can't agree among themselves so they bring the question to the Lord Jesus verse 2 who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven how's that for a question to the!

they're wanting to know what defines importance and greatness in the kingdom of God and this is when the Lord Jesus called this little boy and had him stand among them now the word that he used for little boy is a word that could be used of an infant all the way up to 12 year old boy this little guy at least is old enough to stand because he's standing among them beside Jesus so there's the apostles adults leaders in the church and standing beside Jesus in the midst is this little boy now our Lord then knows that what he's going to say would be like a bomb on their eardrums so he introduces it as he often did with his well known formula whenever he had something very important to say and that would probably be shocking and so he says

I tell you the truth or the King James verily I say unto you or verily I say unto you now children Jesus always and only told the truth so why did he need to say I tell you the truth well he didn't need to but he was stooping to his disciples level realizing that they were going to have problems really believing what he had to say and so before he says it he says now what I'm saying I know you're going to have a hard time believing but it's true and then he said it that unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven now that's the surprise for these disciples that was the thing hard to believe because that was just the opposite of what they were used to thinking in that society a child a young child was often viewed as a person of little importance not taken seriously except as a responsibility oh sure it's an important responsibility as one commentator put it one to be looked after but certainly not one to be looked up to too young to even think for himself much less to do for himself and so the prevailing attitude toward little children was children you have to grow up first to become like adults before you're important enough to come to

Jesus and be saved and Jesus says you've got it exactly wrong rather you adults need to grow down and become like little children or you will never enter the kingdom of heaven he uses a double negative there you will never ever enter it's the strongest way of putting it so not only will you not be great in the kingdom you won't even be in it unless you become like a little child a radical change of attitude is required for enter any to enter the!

kingdom of! so instead of that proud attitude that seeks to know who's the greatest in the kingdom and boasts about their knowledge and wisdom and strength they must take the status of little children utterly weak and helpless absolutely dependent upon another totally unable to make it on their own!

you must accept insignificance like little children in the eyes of society in order to come into the kingdom your pride and self sufficiency must die if you're to trust entirely on Christ to save you as Jesus goes on to say in verse four therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven so the question is not so much can little children be saved but can adults change and become like little children for only in that way will they ever be saved and enter the kingdom of heaven now over to Mark chapter 10 the next passage on little children that we want to look at it's sometime later but we see the same attitude in the disciples and it came out when parents were bringing their little children to

Jesus and the disciples scolded them telling them not to bother the master chapter 10 verse 13 and following don't bother the master as if Jesus doesn't have time for little children as if little children are a waste of energy to the master as if only grown ups are important to him and that the kingdom of heaven well it's it's not something to concern little children with just yet let them grow up a bit and then let them be concerned about Jesus now what does Jesus think of such an attitude verse 14 says he was indignant and children that means he was really upset he was indignant and he rebuked his own disciples and he told them let the little children come to me and do not hinder them perhaps even stop hindering them because that's what they were doing for such for the kingdom of

God belongs to such as these let the little children come to me don't hinder them because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these children you are important to Jesus at the age at which you are presently you are important to him you're not supposed to wait until you grow up you're to come to him right now as little children now it's important to notice that Jesus is not saying that all children are saved that's not what he says here that all children are in the kingdom of God not at all what he is saying is that the kingdom of God is made up of people such as these people of this kind who come to Christ who whether young or old have this childlike mark about them and then he spells it out in the very next verse

Mark 10 15 and we notice that introductory statement again I tell you the truth you're going to have a hard time believing it's true brace yourself here it is anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it well that's a little different before he says you must change and become like little children or you'll never enter the kingdom now he says I tell you the truth anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it you've got to receive it like a little child how do little children receive something that's offered to them you've seen it they simply reach out and take it don't they that's the way little children receive things that are given they don't even think of saying oh no no thanks but I just can't take it freely I've got to earn it or pay for it or do something to deserve it they don't even think like that do they kids do you know anybody that any little children who would say that when a birthday gift is offered to them let me quick run and see if I have enough pennies in my piggy bank to buy this as if they've got to earn it no they don't children receive gifts by holding out an empty hand and taking what was offered to them there's none of this rigmarole and the point is this that

Jesus is offering you entrance into the kingdom of God as a free gift a free gift he met all the requirements for entrance he kept God's commandments perfectly he was without sin he paid the price of admission with his own precious blood shedding that in death as he laid down his life for guilty sinners and now he freely offers you the kingdom of God but you must receive it like a little child you must receive it like a little child that is with the empty hand of faith nothing in your hands to bring to offer to God as to why you should be in his kingdom no thought of deserving or earning it not doubting not wondering oh I can't take it because I really am questioning whether you're sincere in your offer of it to me just you're offering me that I'll take it trusting him trusting his goodness believing that he means it and then just taking him at his word and receiving the kingdom by faith because anyone who does not receive the kingdom of

God like a little child will never enter it Jesus says it's a free gift received by faith alone without works so that no one can boast yes the kingdom of God belongs to such as these such as these who receive this gift freely like a little child oh but that's too easy oh now there you go thinking like an adult you must receive it like a little child with nothing good to say for yourself just receive it freely as Jesus is offering it we've seen Matthew we've seen Mark now over to Luke chapter 10 and here the 72 disciples that had been sent out on a preaching tour have just returned they're all excited about what happened on their preaching tour and it's at that time Luke 10 and verse 21 at that time Jesus full of joy through the

Holy Spirit said I praise you father lord of heaven and earth because you've hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children yes father for this was your good pleasure so here's the Lord Jesus and he's rejoicing!

in God's selection of those to whom he reveals his saving truth I thank you Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children and Jesus is rejoicing in this way of God revealing saving truth to men notice he does not reveal it to those who are wise and learned now if you're an educated man or woman that doesn't mean you're out the idea here is he does not reveal his truth to those who are clever and wise in their own eyes those who think that they know it all like the scribes and Pharisees the smarty pants of the day who knew it all they spent a lot of time studying the law of God teaching the Bible and they were proud of their knowledge weren't they and they looked down on the know nothing masses the people the common people they leaned on their own understanding they leaned on their own reasoning their own worldly wisdom and so when they came to

Jesus it was not to be taught by him but to sit as critic and critique him and to judge what he said to try to catch him at something that he was saying to make him look foolish in front of the others they came with their proud thoughts that set themselves up against the true knowledge of God and where Jesus words did not fit in doesn't fit with tradition and the rabbis and what I've been taught their great knowledge had made themselves sufficient and arrogant they were far from an advantage to them being learned their worldly wisdom was rather a hindrance to them that they would have to shed if they would ever enter the kingdom of God and it's this self confident attitude that kept them from coming to Jesus with a humble heart to be taught so they were ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth for

God hides his truth from proud know-it-alls instead God reveals his gospel truth to little children is what Jesus says like your little three-year-old boy sitting on your lap and you're teaching him and he's soaking up every word that you say as truth and so you say Billy in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and he doesn't say but mommy that just doesn't fit in with my views of evolution!

he to to!

his feet like little children. They're not there to criticize. They're not there to judge and argue. They're there to learn. And when the Bible condemns them as a sinner who's come short of the glory of God, they don't say, no, that's not me. I'm a good little girl. No, they say, I am a sinner.

And they confess their sins freely. They believe what Jesus says. And when Jesus is giving them truth, they're not picking and choosing what fits in with their preconceived ideas. No, the children of the kingdom are poor in spirit. They're meek. They're humble. They're teachable.

They soak up every word that Jesus says simply because it is Jesus saying it. My sheep hear my voice and they follow me, Jesus says. And they sit at my feet like little children as the word of God is taught.

Yes, they come to Christ with simple childlike faith, prepared to believe and accept whatever he says. So can little children really be saved? Jesus says, yes, yes. None will ever enter the kingdom of heaven unless they change and become like little children and own their helplessness and their utter dependence upon Jesus to save them. None will ever enter the kingdom unless they receive the kingdom of God like a little child receives a free gift. It's with the empty hands of faith that anyone gets into the kingdom, not by their own deservingness. And unless like little children, they humbly believe the truths of the gospel with a childlike faith, they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Well, we've seen it tonight and heard of it in the testimonies that were given. They were saved just in this way. But don't think for a moment that all children are saved. No, they must believe. They must receive. That's what Jesus is saying. The kingdom belongs to such as these who receive gifts like little children, who believe, who receive my word with that childlike simple faith and trust. And neither is Jesus saying that children are in the kingdom of God simply because they are children. There's not one way to be saved if you're a child and another way to be saved if you're an adult, is there? There's but one way to be saved for the young and for the old. So children, what do you need to know in order to be saved?

Well, first, you've got to know you're a sinner. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Young and old have sinned. That's you. You've broken God's commandments.

And because of that, you're guilty. You're a sinner. The second thing you need to know is that you deserve to go to hell forever. The wages of sin is death.

And that wage goes for old sinners and young sinners. In fact, Revelation 21.8 says, all liars will have their place in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

All liars. Old liars. Young liars. Big liars. Little liars. All liars.

Will have their place in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. You see, there's no free pass for children who lie. Not at all. They sin against the same God that adults sin against.

You know, it's one of the joys of pastors. And it's not just ours. You could do the same. But as we read the testimonies, we have the opportunity then to sit down with these young people and to talk with them about what they wrote in their testimonies.

And to draw out what they mean by what they've written. And we found that all of these, you even heard it in their testimonies tonight, they all confess that they deserve to go to hell for their sins.

Did you hear that? That's encouraging because you have to know that you're a sinner who deserves to go to hell. You're under judgment.

There's something wrong. There's a God to fear. And how encouraging that is to hear these young people confess their sin and deservingness of hell.

I think every time that they, that we've talked to them, we've asked, do you mean to tell me that your sin as a five-year-old deserved hell? Do you mean to tell me that your sin as an eight-year-old, as a 12-year-old, deserved eternal punishment?

Yeah. Why? What is there? What is so bad about sin that a young child's sin deserves eternal punishment?

Oh, well, we're disobeying God. We're rebelling against our maker. We're putting ourself in front of him.

And they freely have confessed that they deserved to go to hell. You see, whether we are old or young sinners, it's the greatness of the God that we sin against that makes our sins so serious.

It's not the size of the sinner, but the size of the God that we all sin against that makes sin so serious for us, whatever our age.

You need to know you're a sinner and you deserve to go to hell. Thirdly, you need to know that you cannot save yourself. You need to know what Will found out, that after all that trying, he could not save himself.

You need to know that. And whether it takes you a moment to learn it or a long time with other children, you need to know that you cannot save, you are so lost, you can't save yourself.

And then lastly, you need to know that Jesus, God's Son, came into the world to save hell-deserving sinners. That's the reason he left heaven. That's the reason he lived a perfect life.

That's the reason he went to the cross and died on the cross. He was taking the punishment that hell-deserving children, sinners, adults, young people, whatever age, he was taking the punishment that they deserved.

Now, he then rose from the dead and never lives to save completely all who come to God through him. Yes, you need to know that you can't save yourself, but Jesus can save you.

He's God's authoritative Savior, and he will save you. But you know, you can know all that. You can know all four of those things, that you're a sinner, you deserve to go to hell, you can't save yourself, but Jesus can.

You can know all of that and still be lost, just as you can know that this medicine would cure me of this disease and still refuse to take it.

And so I must tell you, it's not just knowing these four things, children. There's something you must do. Remember what the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas?

What must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. That's what you need to do.

You need to believe on Christ. You need to throw the weight of your soul upon Christ to save you. You need to come to him with nothing in your hands and say, Lord Jesus, save me.

I am a sinner. I do deserve to go to hell. I can't save myself, but I've read in your word that you save sinners. Save me. And you throw yourself into his arms.

That's believing. And then you receive. You receive what he's promised, eternal life as a free gift. You say, Father, I have read that you have promised eternal life to all who trust in your son.

But the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and you with empty hands. Receive what he has promised.

Yes, you need to know those four things. There's much more to know in the Bible. but what you need to know to be saved, well, that is plainly revealed in such simple terms that even little children can understand and believe with the aid of the Holy Spirit.

You come to him and receive him by prayer. That's how you come to Jesus. You talk to him in prayer.

You receive him as your Lord and Savior. You simply take him at his word when he says, whoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

You simply take him at his word when he says, whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. You take him at his word when he says, whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

the facts are children are coming to Jesus Christ. You've seen it tonight and we're continuing to hear of it.

Young ones calling on the Lord to save them and you know what? When they call on the Lord he is saving them. I wonder if you have called on the Lord to save you.

these promises are just as true for you as they are for the rest of us. And if you come you will be saved.

You trust in him. Turn in your hymnal to number 648. We're going to sing a song that just summarizes these things that we've spoken of tonight.

648. Can Little Children Be Saved? This hymn reflects the teaching of the Bible when it says in verse 1 that around the throne of God in heaven thousands of children stand.

Children whose sins are all forgiven a holy happy band and they're singing glory glory glory be to God on high. And look at them they're wearing flowing robes of spotless white they're living in everlasting joys that never fade.

So children are there in heaven lots of them but be careful not to draw the wrong conclusion. We need to go on and ask this question verse 3 what brought them to that world above that heaven so bright and fair where all is peace and joy and love how came those children there?

How'd they get there? That's the all important question isn't it's not they're not there simply because they're children as if all children go to heaven when they die not at all no they're there verse 4 because the Savior shed his blood to wash away their sin and bathed in that pure and precious flood behold them white and clean they're there because verse 5 says on earth before they died they sought the Savior's grace on earth they loved his name and so now they see his blessed face and stand before the lamb yes they're children in heaven but they're there because on earth they trusted in the Savior and their sins were washed whiter than snow they came to him they were saved by him and none who came were ever turned away and that's why they're in heaven and that's why they're singing but why are they singing glory glory glory be to God on high because they know as every ransomed sinner knows that all the glory for our salvation belongs to

God alone if you haven't been saved call on him to save you even as we sing this happy song of salvation let's stand and sing 648 we're going to close in prayer and then ask that the young people all five move to the back and you'll have the opportunity to greet them there let's thank the Lord for his great salvation our father when we see your word and see how simple you have revealed the gospel to us in terms that are so small and easy we know that it is not because we're too unintelligent that we reject the gospel we rather are just too wise in our own eyes you put it so low so even children can hear and believe on the son of

God and be saved thank you for that thank you for revealing the gospel to these five at an early age that they have a whole life to lay down in service to you and we pray for them we thank you that your promises are yea and amen that when they came and called on you you saved them and now you said that the good work you have begun in them you will continue oh continue it in these young people make them to be bold for the savior make them courageous make them unashamed of the Lord Jesus pour out your spirit upon them cause them to be holy young people in an unholy world cause them to walk closely to you to treasure the Bible to treasure your smile in their lives so make them trophies of your grace help us as a church to be encouragers to them make them an encouragement to us by their zeal and by their lives and so help us as we go to heaven together to be spurring one another on to love and good deeds and we do pray for any who have not come to

Christ even the youngest children who can understand something of what has been said tonight we pray that before they pillow their heads they would cry out to this Jesus to save them hear us exalt your great saving name we ask for Jesus sake amen young people