Great in God's Eyes

Introduction

Matthew 18:1 NIV

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Matthew 18:1–2 NIV

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.

Prayer

I wonder what prompted the disciples to ask, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?” It could have been pride or competition among them. Maybe they were arguing amongst themselves about who would be the closest to Jesus in His Kingdom. Or maybe it was just simple curiosity about how Jesus would set up His rule as the Messiah.

Whatever the reason…Jesus’ answer in chapter 18 flips common thinking about greatness on it’s head. This chapter is an intriguing picture of Jesus teaching His disciples. They asked questions…and He opened up powerful truths to them (and us).

This teaching was all about personal relationships among God’s people and is foundational to the way Christians ought to live. Internal relationships in the church between fellow believers can make or break a church.

As we observe this conversation in , we find a powerful collection of qualities required for greatness in God’s eyes.

Big Idea: True greatness is found when Christ transforms your heart into a reflection of His heart

True greatness is found when Christ transforms us into servant’s after His own heart

Transitional: Jesus uses the life of an innocent child to illustrate the kind of heart that is great in God’s eyes

A Humble Heart (18:1-4)

Exposition:

He called a little child to His side — “See this little one? Become like him if you desire to enter my kingdom…if you desire true greatness”

He called a little child to His side — “See this little one? Become like him if you desire to enter my kingdom…if you desire true greatness”

Be humble like a little child

Welcome little children…they have God’s heart!

Children were of little value in antiquity, yet Jesus chose a child to demonstrate true greatness to His disciples

The Message of Matthew Humility (18:1–4)

We can be fairly sure that when Jesus called the little lad to him, he came promptly, and stayed where he was put. That child was accounted great by Jesus. Is that not a clue to what real humility means? It means coming when Jesus calls us and staying where Jesus puts us. So humility is not a matter of suppressing our drive and hiding our gifts. Humble people are quite unself-conscious about it all, like the lad. They claim no right from others, or from their Master. They follow where Jesus calls and stay where Jesus puts them. That is humility.

A humble heart seeks to serve others

A humble heart seeks to serve others

Mark 10:44–45 NIV

and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:28 NIV

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

A humble heart is a mark of Christianity

Matthew 17:22–23 NIV

When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

Since the Son of God willingly faced this fate because of His love for mankind, shouldn’t His followers seek to reflect this same kind of humble, self-sacrificial love?

Michael P. Green...

Application

Michael P. Green...

The Message of Matthew Humility (18:1–4)

We can be fairly sure that when Jesus called the little lad to him, he came promptly, and stayed where he was put. That child was accounted great by Jesus. Is that not a clue to what real humility means? It means coming when Jesus calls us and staying where Jesus puts us. So humility is not a matter of suppressing our drive and hiding our gifts. Humble people are quite unself-conscious about it all, like the lad. They claim no right from others, or from their Master. They follow where Jesus calls and stay where Jesus puts them. That is humility.

If the Son of God willingly faced this fate because of His love for mankind, shouldn’t His followers seek to reflect this same kind of humble, self-sacrificial love?

Transitional: A humble heart will welcome the weaker ones among us

A Welcoming Heart (18:5-6)

Matthew 18:5–6 NIV

And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Jesus’ words equally apply to the little ones among us…children and also to the “unimportant people”

Welcome the “insignificant” ones

The church should be a place where children and seemingly “insignificant” people are honored and loved deeply…welcomed

Welcome the visitors, the strangers, the poor, the elderly, the “odd”

If we treat one group of people better than another simply because of the money, influence, or resources they have…we are in a dangerous place with God

Application

God will speak to us more often than not through these people

Do we welcome them?

Do we look for Jesus in them?

Do we love them like Jesus does?

Transitional: How we welcome and treat others is a serious thing in God’s eyes — we must take it seriously...

A Humble Heart Pleases Christ

A Sold-Out Heart (18:7-9)

Exposition

Those that are not sold-out, wholehearted in following Christ, could easily cause others — weaker ones — to stumble

Matthew calls this an “offense”

When you misrepresent Christ, others might follow your lead

Take this seriously — serve God wholeheartedly, sold-out, every part of you

When something causes you to sin…cut it off

Application

Michael P. Green

The Message of Matthew Wholeheartedness (18:7–9)

Does your hand cause you to sin—the hand raised in anger or grasping at money? Does your foot cause you to sin, taking you to places where you should not go, and declining to undertake Christian service? Does your eye cause you to sin—the never-satisfied eye of the consumer society? Be single-minded! Deal ruthlessly with whatever causes you to stumble in your walk with Christ in the body of his church.

Transitional: A heart sold out to Jesus will be drawn to others in love

A Caring Heart (18:10-14)

Matthew 18:10 NIV

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

The shepherd of the 100 will leave the 99 in order to rescue one lost sheep — and he rejoices when he finds it

Matthew 18:10–14 NIV

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

It is not God’s will that even one of His children would perish

Care for the lonely, lost, sick, and discouraged

Be a shepherd to them

Jesus had told them not to cause the little ones to stumble

Jesus had instructed them to be ruthless with the sin in their own lives

Care for them relentlessly

Transitional: If we truly love and care about one another, let us follow Jesus’ open heart policy

An Honest & Open Heart (18:15-20)

Exposition

We all fail at times…and people are not afraid to criticize us. But it is a fact of life

How do we handle our failures and offense towards others?

How do we handle when others offend and hurt us?

Matthew 18:15–17 NIV

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Matthew 18:15–20 NIV

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

When offense happens…work it out in love

Matthew 18:15–17 NIV

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Mt. 18:

When offense happens…what next?

When offense happens…follow Jesus’ blueprint

Why do we need to do this? Can’t we just allow it to blow over?

If you are the one that has been offended, you can choose to overlook the offense

But if the offense is too destructive and causes great pain and/or anger within you, you must go

The person that has offended another, according to God’s plan, should repent to God of their sin and apologize to their brother or sister, with a sincere heart.

Application

Go to the brother or sister that has offended you…be honest and open about the offense.

Keep it confidential

If they don’t listen, take one or two and try again

If they still don’t listen, go before the church leadership

If they still don’t listen, ask them to leave the fellowship until they come to repentance

Transitional: When you go to a brother or sister and openly deal with the offense in a Godly way…the result we are looking for is...

A Forgiving Heart (18:21-22)

Matthew 18:21–22 NIV

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Jesus didn’t leave a loophole…forgiveness is His will

We are not allowed to hang on to our anger and unforgiveness

Transitional: When you truly forgive, from the heart, you will be rid of resentment

A Resentment-Free Heart (18:23-35)

Exposition

A king was settling up his accounts - one of his servants owed him 10,000 talents (insurmountably large amount)

The king was going to sell the man’s wife, kids, and possessions to get his money back…but the man pleaded for another chance and the king forgave his debt

That man had a servant that owed him a hundred denari (much smaller amount)

He threw his servant into prison…even though he also begged for another chance.

Because of his selfish and resentful heart…the first man was thrown into prison

Matthew 18:33–35 NIV

Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Matthew 18:35 NIV

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Allow Christ to Make Your Heart Open & Honest

Challenge

True greatness is found when Christ transforms your heart into a reflection of His heart

Allow Christ to Make Your Heart

The heart that reflects Jesus heart is:

Humble

Welcoming

Sold-out

Caring

Honest & Open

Forgiving

Resentment-free

There is a lot to digest in — it teaches us how Jesus wants us to live the life of one of His followers. Our inner man…our heart, will be revealed in our outer actions and words.

As we close and move toward the Lord’s table…I want to focus on the fact that Jesus has called us to both ask forgiveness and give forgiveness when it comes to offenses that may exist between us and a brother or sister in Christ

Matthew 5:23–24 NIV

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Jesus talked about this subject quite clearly — if you have unforgiveness in your heart or if you have offended someone and tried to pretend it didn’t happen…Jesus says that we need to work these things out.