Moving From Pride To Pursuit

Secular -

A young, ambitious man had just started his own business and rented a fancy office in downtown. He wanted to look like a "big deal," so he spent a lot of money on mahogany furniture and expensive suits.

As he was sitting there, he saw a man walking toward his door. Wanting to look incredibly busy and important, he quickly picked up his desk phone and started talking loudly.

"Look, Bill, I don't care about the $5 million contract! Don't call me back until it’s $10 million! I’ve got the CEO of Google on the other line! I’m a busy man!"

He slammed the phone down, leaned back, and looked at the visitor with a smug smile. "Can I help you, my man?"

The man looked at him and said, "Yeah, I’m from the phone company. I’m just here to plug that thing in."

Historical/Cultural Context -

This Gospel is written by Matthew, also known as Levi who was a former tax collector. It was most likely written between AD 50-60. Matthew left everything behind to follow Jesus. Matthew wrote primarily to Jewish believers—people who knew the Old Testament well. Matthew had one goal: to prove that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, the King of Kings, and the fulfillment of God’s promises. Connecting the Old Testament prophecies to the life of Christ, proving that every word God spoke was coming true in Jesus. The key themes of the Gospel include Jesus as King, The Kingdom of Heaven, Fulfillment of Prophecy and discipleship.

Biblical Text -

Matthew 18:1–14 NKJV

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set 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. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire. “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - To Pursue God We Must Demote Ourselves, Declare War On Our Sin & Deepen Our Reach For The Lost.

Life Point- Demote Yourself

Exegetical -

Matthew 18:1–5 BSB

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me.

Homiletical -

When looking at this block of text it corresponds to a text in Mark which gives us a little more insight as to what this question is about. You see the disciples were arguing about who amongst them will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus to show how utterly selfish, self-centered and self-serving they were being takes a child and says. Hey you gotta be like little children to even enter into the kingdom of heaven. Which would have been a hard pill to swallow.

In their minds children don’t even have the sophistication to understand complex things. How is that a small child is who we have to emulate?

Think about this. When you tell a child something they just believe you. They believe what you tell them until you give them a reason not to.

As we get older and promises are broken we become more cynical, less trusting. Jesus is saying you need to trust Him like when you were a child.

To do this takes great humility and denying our selfish impulses

James 4:6 BSB

But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

You cannot come to God in pride and expect Him to show up or to prove Himself to you.

We are nothing. He is everything. He has nothing to prove to us. We are His creation, not the other way around. All things start and end with God.

If you can walk in humility, which is talked about all over the Bible, then you will be lifted up.

1 Peter 5:6 BSB

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.

Then He says if you welcome a child in His name you welcome Him.

Children are often overlooked and placated.

But Jesus says to not overlook children to welcome them as you would Jesus.

Our Children are very important, they are the future and the enemy knows if He can get to the children and brainwash them then he can get a generation, indeed a whole country. You see he plays the long game. He puts his plans in place years, sometimes even hundreds of years in advance of his goals.

Some people have asked me when I think that this country started to turn. I can say without a shadow of a doubt it was when we kicked God out of schools and tried to teach morality without Jesus. Because if you can get rid of the person who we are accountable too, then you no longer have to follow their morals and come to whatever seems right to you.

Proverbs 14:12 BSB

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

All people will eventually be held accountable for their morality, their sin. The difference comes to the one who comes to Jesus in humility and truth and becomes a born-again believer. This person’s sin is forgiven. Past, Present, & Future.

Illustration -

In the 19th century, an evangelist named D.L. Moody was known for his childlike faith. One day, while speaking to a large crowd, he noticed a little girl in the front row. She gazed up at him with wide eyes, hanging onto every word. After the service, he approached her and asked, 'Do you believe in Jesus?' She nodded eagerly. In simple honesty, she reminded him that the kingdom of God belongs to those who can embrace faith without the complexities of adulthood.

Life Point - Declare War On Your Sin

Exegetical -

Matthew 18:6–11 BSB

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands and two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.

Homiletical -

Now Jesus isn’t done there. He continues.

If anyone causes one of these to stumble they better watch out for the punishment that will come on them.

anyone who puts their selfish ambitions and self-centeredness before these children and causes them to stumble he says “Woe to the person through whom they come!”

The word translated stumble could be translated as a snare. Don’t snare others in sin.

How many times has the church itself been selfish and has turned people off from God?

People ask why our young people are leaving the church in droves. It is because we aren’t doing our jobs in preparing them for the snares the world has to offer them. If they don’t know, then they don’t know. They can easily get caught up in what the world has to offer.

Somehow we think that they will just catch on by being around us. When what they need is not just that, but something more. Something that is purposefully teaching them what it means to be a Christian.

Folks that something, is you. It is up to you to pour into the young people. It is up to you to pour into people in general. You don’t take a new Christian and then not disciple them. To just throw them out to the church and hope they stay on board is not a discipleship program. It is a program for failure.

Let’s make sure we pour our Christian lives into other people.

Jesus employs some good ole Jewish Hyperbole, but the point is not lost. Go to extreme lengths to stay away from sin. Whatever it takes even beyond what seems reasonable to stay away from sin.

I once read about a Christian man in the book called Every Man’s Battle that was an airline pilot. He had trouble staying away from things he shouldn’t watch. So went to the length of asking the hotels to remove the television from his room. If they wouldn’t, he would unplug it and put it in the hallway.

You might say that is extreme, and it is. But it is what he did to fulfill God’s command to be Holy as He is Holy.

Jesus also reiterates in this passage to not look down on the children.

Again why? Because God cares for the weak and the helpless and if we are children of God, then so should we.

Illustration -

In ancient Rome, there was a man named Ignatius who lived during a time of great moral decay. So disturbed by the sinful behaviors around him, he chose radical measures to uphold his faith. Ignatius would refuse to attend the lavish games that celebrated vice, even when it cost him friendships and STATUS. His commitment tells us that sometimes we must take extreme steps to safeguard our faith.

Ignatius is known now as a great early church father. But what if he hadn’t done what needed to be done? His contributions to faith and theology maybe wouldn’t exist and we would be the less for it.

Life Point - Deepen Your Reach

Exegetical -

Matthew 18:12–14 BSB

What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Homiletical -

Jesus now explains with a teaching about lost sheep. They were an agrarian society so they would have gotten this illustration immediately.

In this time if you had a sheep go astray you would go get it. Lead it back to the rest of the herd.

The father is like this when one of these little ones go astray.

Jesus is showing that the least in society are not abandoned but are important to God The Father and should be taken care of.

When we help those that can’t help themselves we are doing God’s kind of work.

Why do we do this? Because Jesus asked us to do this.

It is all about God, not about us.

I was talking with a pastor once and he shared a story with me. He was called to a church, he started a children’s ministry because they didn’t really have one and then the deacons came to him and said, “Pastor it’s great that you are bringing in the neighborhood children. However, they are leaving their hand prints on the glass doors and dirty finger prints in the hallways. We just want a quiet church for older adults.”

Folks if this ever becomes a church’s attitude you may as well fold it up and go home because that aint a church. That’s a social club.

Furthermore we are called to help the poor and needy

1 John 3:17–18 NKJV

But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Why does he call us children here?

Because to be a Christian we come as that little child, we come to be ministered to by God and in turn minister to others. If we aren’t doing that, then are we really Christians? Or are we just Christians in name only?

Life Principle– To Pursue God We Must Demote Ourselves, Declare War On Our Sin & Deepen Our Reach For The Lost.

Call to Action – altar call….