Presenting the Gospel to Children II

We’re diverging from our series on the influence of the Puritans on the Great Awakening (US) and the Evangelical Revival (UK) and focusing on God’s work of regeneration in children.

We’re looking at the sermon for children by Robert Murray M’Cheyne called “Reasons Why Children Should Fly To Christ Without Delay.” Read the full sermon here. M’Cheyne begins this sermon talking about the Countess of Huntington.

The Countess of Huntington was converted under the preaching of the Wesleys. She was very supportive of the evangelical revival and aligned herself with Calvinistic doctrine. The countess also supported Whitefield as her official chaplain and helped to establish evangelically-minded churches. 

M’Cheyne begins his sermon with the Countess’ childhood memory. At the age of 9, she vividly remembered seeing a girl her own age buried. This is what first awakened her to her need of a Savior.

M’Cheyne uses the theme and imagery of Psalm 90 throughout this sermon. Psalm 90 is a prayer written by Moses.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were born
Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
You turn man back into dust
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,
Or as a watch in the night.
You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep;
In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew.
In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew;
Toward evening it fades and withers away.

For we have been consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have been dismayed.
You have placed our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
For all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a sigh.
As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away.
Who understands the power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You?
So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

Do return, O Lord; how long will it be?
And be sorry for Your servants.
O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the years we have seen evil.
Let Your work appear to Your servants
And Your majesty to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.

M’Cheyne draws four points from this psalm in his sermon for children:

  1. Run to Christ now because life is short.

    It is urgent to run to Christ now because death is near.

    Don’t scare your children into heaven. Don’t emotionally manipulate them. Give them truth, but in a wise and balanced way.

  2. Run to Christ because life is uncertain.

    The only thing that is certain is that death will come for all of us.

    “I’m healthy.” Many die even in good health.

    “I’m from a good home.” Rich people die as suddenly as the poor.

    “I’m not ready to die.” Most people who die are not ready for death. 

    “I’m too young to die.” Young and old alike die.

  3. Run to Christ because most that are ever saved fly to Christ when young.

    This doesn’t mean that God is incapable of saving adults. It simply means that God is just as able to save a young person as he is to save an older person. Don’t waste your children’s younger years thinking these aren’t as important as the later years.

  4. Run to Christ because it is happier to be in Christ than out of Christ.

    What a blessing to know Christ in your younger, vital years.

    The pleasures in Christ are sweeter than the pleasures of sin. Sin will bring you pleasures for a season, but Christ will bring you pleasures that never end.

M’Cheyne ends his sermon with these words: “‘My little children, of whom I travail in birth again till Christ be formed in you,’ if you would live happy and die happy, come now to a Saviour. The door of the ark is wide open. Enter now, or it may be never.”

 

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly updates, or listen / subscribe on: iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify

 
Behold Your God PodcastCourtney Brewer