Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
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Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Tone of specific sentences
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Anger
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As Disciples of King Jesus…
We are Citizens of His Kingdom
His Kingdom is Very Different Than the Kingdoms of the World
Jesus’ Kingdom is Often Referred to as the “Upside-Down Kingdom”
Because, Compared to the Ways of the World…
Everything About Jesus’ Kingdom Seem to Be Flipped
In Our Text, We’ll Be Looking at the Idea of “Greatness”
What Does the World Value, Honor, or Aspire to Be?
What are the Qualities that Make Someone Important/Significant?
What Does the World Consider Great?
Riches
Power/Strength
Wisdom/Knowledge
Influence
These are the Qualities of Greatness to the World
But in Jesus’ Upside-Down Kingdom…
Greatness Looks a Lot Different
The Greatest aren’t Those Who are Rich…
But Those Who are Generous
The Greatest aren’t Those Who are Powerful…
But Those Who are Gentle/Humble
The Greatest aren’t Those Who are Wise…
But Those Who are Foolish By Worldly Standards
The Greatest aren’t Those Who are Influential…
But Those Who Make Themselves Insignificant
In Jesus’ Kingdom, the Values of the World are Turned on Their Head
Greatness/Importance Looks Very Different
And Jesus is Going to Show that to Be the Case in Our Text
Matthew 18:1-4
As I’ve Mentioned Many Times…
One of the Ways that Matthew has Structured His Gospel Account…
Is Around 5 Major Teaching Discourses of Jesus
Chapters 5-7: Sermon on the Mount
Chapter 10: The Limited Commission
Chapter 13: The Parables
Chapter 18: Relationships in the Kingdom Community
Over the Next Few Weeks, Jesus is Going to Teach Us…
How We are to Interact with Each Other as Citizens of His Kingdom
It’s Difficult to Split Up this Discourse…
Because Everything Jesus Says is Connected
Each Teaching is Linked to the Next…
So that the Whole Discourse is a Single Masterful Sermon
But, So that We can Dive in to Each of These Principles…
I’ve Divided it Up the Best I Know How
So Let’s Jump into the Text
Matthew 18:1 (NASB95)
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
I Think to Understand the Disciples’ Question…
Requires an Understanding of the Kingdom
What is “the Kingdom of Heaven”?
I’ve Talked About this Before…
But a Misunderstanding of the Kingdom…
Has Been so Deeply Ingrained in Many of Us…
That it Probably Wouldn’t Hurt to Repeat it:
The Kingdom of Heaven is Not the Church/Community of Believers
The Church is the Collective Citizens of the Kingdom
But the Kingdom is More Than Just its Citizens
Among Other Things, a Kingdom Refers to:
The King, Himself
The Territory He Rules Over
The People He Rules Over
The Laws He’s Established
The Privileges He Offers His Subjects
“Kingdom” = “the Reign/Rule of a King”
The Disciples Aren’t Just Asking Jesus, “Who is the Greatest Disciple in Your Church?”
They’re Asking, “Who is the Highest Ranking Official in Your Kingdom/Empire?”
“Who is the Most Important to Your Kingdom Mission?”
“Which of Us is Going to have the Most Honor and Authority?”
“Which of Us is Going to Be Sitting at Your Right Hand…”
“When You Take Your Throne?”
They’re Looking at “Greatness” the Way the World Does
But Jesus is About to Flip Their Value System on its Head
Matthew 18:2–3 (NASB95)
2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus Answers Their Question with an Object Lesson
It was Common for Rabbis to Do this
They would Often Use Men of Great Morality or Heroic Behavior…
As Examples for the for Their Disciples to Imitate
But Jesus Doesn’t Use an Example of:
A Person of Great Morality
A Brave War Hero
A Wise Rabbi
A Faithful Leader
He Uses a Small Child as the Example
“Truly I Say to You”
Jesus’ Way of Saying, “You Better Listen Closely, Because this is Important!”
“Unless You are Converted and Become Like Children”
“Converted” = To Turn
Jesus is Telling Them to Turn From Their Way of Thinking
In Their Pride and Self-Centeredness…
The Disciples were Desiring a Position…
Of Great Importance, Honor, and Authority
Jesus Says, “That’s Got to Change!”
What Does it Mean to Become Like Children?
Jesus Isn’t Referring to Taking on Childlike Qualities
He’s Talking About Taking the Lowly Status of a Child
Little Children in the Ancient World were Low on the Social Scale
No One in the Ancient World Considered Children…
To Be Great or of Any Importance
They had No Authority
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