Deep Discipleship-Lessons in Humility
Notes
Transcript
Into: I’m going on my 3rd year living in the South—6 years total if you count my years here in college.
One lesson I’ve learned is that you can’t live long in the South without talking about college football. Even before we moved I was already asked if I’d wear orange or the other color.
In the life of discipleship you can live long with talk about humility—-and long talks of humility
—Mt Ch 17 ends with the themes of death and taxes…the two things no one can avoid
**Disciples cannot avoid teaching on humility either
Illus: When the church father Augustine wrote a letter to a friend, he mentioned 3 things that are top-priority for life in Christ:
Humility, humility, humility
https://theoldguys.org/2019/07/05/augustine-humility-humility-humility/
—Mt 18 is thick in personal relationship—how church life should work
—This teaching is promoted by a question; a presumptuous one (18:1)
“Who is the greatest”
—We could think this is the wrong question…but that would be incorrect. It’s the right question….what was wrong was the motives
Jesus answers in a way that shows these disciples need to be enrolled in the school of humility, and have a lot to learn!
Illus: Some of us, our pride can be so strong that God requires that we take a few elective courses
The deeper we want to go in our discipleship, the deeper we will need to go into humility
*Though this passage does not say everything on humility, it has some vital lessons for us to grow in our understanding and application of humility
LESSON OF THE LITTLE CHILDREN (1-5)
LESSON OF THE LITTLE CHILDREN (1-5)
The disciples are pretty straightforward: who is the Greatest in the Kingdom?
Now to be fair, Jesus taught there would be distinctions in the Kingdom—(Mt 5:19); but their question seems to really come from a spiritual immaturity and heart of pride.
An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest.
**This was very ugly pride
The way Jesus responded was not doubt shocking and surprising—pulls a little child in front of them.
Can you imagine the response? Is this a joke?
It’s a picture how how God evaluates greatness
Now surely the child is not an example of selflessness or even modesty. Spend enough time around children and they can be very selfish and rude. Children definitely have a “me-first” mentality.
—I never see children fighting to get at the back of the line.
So how exactly is a child an example of humility??
Children are not moved by social status; it’s not on their radar of concern.
—Children could not fight in war, earn living, gain wealth, lead anything....
Therefore, In Jesus’s day, they were the lowest of the low as far as social status went
The NIV—(v4) “Whoever takes the lowly position of this child”
Apply:
Children did not have a social standing so their main identity was wrapped up in the love of their parents.
Since they were unmoved by their social status, they were free to delight in their main identity—being loved by their Father
**Jesus did not use a household slave, but a child
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
We see this playing out:
At conversion (v3) — At the point of conversion, things need to change—especially our thinking.
—We change from chasing status to pursuing humility.
In relationship (v5)—Is a call to receive all true disciples.
One such child=anyone with childlike faith.
—The world would suggest: Welcome those who have high social standing; Receive those you can “network” with.
I was having lunch with a friend once who tends to see things from the perspective of the world. He just hired someone for his sales team, and was excited by how many followers this guy had on social.
—Jesus says: receive people not based on how “big” they are—welcome people into your life simply because they believe. Make room for the “little ones”
Just like the principle “no man left behind” in warfare, so disciples should live: no little ones overlooked.
If someone has genuinely linked faith with Jesus, then I can humbly link arms with them in relationship
Apply: So this is call to turn from all any any sort of pride that sees and sets people according status.
It can be disguised in language of platform, influence, networking....but God knows our hearts and what greatness strive after.
But there is also another basic application:
Without a genuine dose of humility, it’s impossible to ever make it into the Kingdom!
LESSON ON STUMBLING BLOCKS (6-9)
LESSON ON STUMBLING BLOCKS (6-9)
*Humility is tied to careful living
Careful living in the Bible is to avoid tripping an falling
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
If we are looking carefully, we will avoid stumbling blocks—
1) Avoid being the stumbling block (v6-7)
Now in according to the law (Lev 19:14)—it was a lawless & loveless action to place a stumbling block in front of another—especially if they were vulnerable.
Probably what’s in mind here is intentionally driving away or excluding other disciples…since what’s being addressed in context is pride—
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Apply: Who do we pay attention to, and who do we neglect/pass over?
**If cause or participate in partiality, then I need to repent!—
the warning is blunt and graphic (v6)—that a horrific death of drowning would be considered an act of mercy.
2) Avoid things that make you stumble (8-9)
Jesus is not suggesting this literally, but figuratively. Root out all the things that cause to stumble.
Apply: Connected to the original question (v1)—Jesus is most likely pushing against his disciples pride
“Jesus’ disciples must deal as radically with pride as they were earlier commanded to deal with lust”
Carson, D. A. (1984). Matthew. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 399). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
One of my pastoral mentors early in ministry-- it was said of him that he could chew you out without you really knowing he was doing it.
That seems to be what’s happening here-- Jesus is confronting the rotten attitude his disciples had. At the root is pride.
If it went unchecked, the disciples would continue to strive after greatness…and not learn the value of humility.
**Imagine the mess the church would have been in if Jesus let the foundation (apostles) go on in pride.
***Imagine the mess our discipleship will be in if the Lord does not deal with our pride.
Apply: Are you willing to let the Lord deal with pride and ugly attitudes? Can Jesus be the faithful friend who wounds deeply, so that you will be a better person?
Don’t let pride be the stumbling block in our discipleship
LESSON OF THE SHEPHERD (10-14)
LESSON OF THE SHEPHERD (10-14)
Isn’t this such a powerful story that moves us to have a heart for lost souls? We picture the shepherd leaving the 99 sheep, searching eagerly—diligently to find that one lost astray
But what is the direct application?
(V10)—A lesson of humility: Do not despise one of these little ones
Again, the “little ones” are true disciples with childlike faith—
There are two reasons
1) Angelic concern (v10)
While I don’t think this supports that each believer has a specific guardian angel, it is true that angles have the concern of God over disciples
Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
This is a humbling thought. If Angels—who have existed way before us, are put in care for disciples…even the least…so should we.
2) The Shepherd-Father’s love
The Father never despises his sheep, but has compassionate concern from them all
A wondering sheep is probably a disciple who has drifted from fellowship, and possibly obedience.
Apply: Takeaway (maybe even hit the guy of the disciples, or maybe our own) Instead of seeking greatness, seek sheep the Father loves.
Seek to include, and never exclude
That was Jesus’s parting words to Peter: Tend my sheep (Jn 21:16)
Conclusion:
Finally, what’s most obvious is how off target the question really was.
The disciples already had the answer. Who is Greatest in the Kingdom—The Lord Jesus!
That’s the greatest lesson in humility—capture in John’s Words
He must increase, but I must decrease.”
May we want more of Christ
May we live so that one name is Great..the Name of Jesus