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Mathew 18
Good evening and welcome to tonight Bible study by Pastor Josiah Shipley of Wynton Baptist Church. Obviously, I am at my home this time. We're pre recording this one for or tomorrow for Sunday I'm gonna do this Bible study on Matthew chapter 18, and then I will be out of the country for a couple weeks.
It'll be a couple more weeks when we get another one of these. Do me a favor guys before I continue, please like share and subscribe these videos we don't get any money off of them, but or anything like that the purpose is to share the message get the word out there of who we are as church here in Memphis and Try to get the gospel as many people as possible.
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All right, Matthew chapter 18. Let's get to work. So This is after a transfiguration. This is after the temple tax and at that time the disciples came to Jesus said who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Jesus's answer is a kind of a double meaning here. He calls a child to him Patty on yes, that is where George Lucas got the phrase pad one. One who's in training he put him in the midst of him said truly I say to you unless you turn and become Like children, you will never enter the kingdom of God.
Excuse me kingdom heaven. Whoever hums himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Humbles himself like this child not the point that children are humble, but you humble yourself to where you are like a child Before the throne room of God.
Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me. So verse 4 shows us we have a double meaning of the word child. We have we're using a Jesus is using a physical child as.
His.
Object lesson to talk about new believers coming to Jesus whoever humbles himself and becomes like this child. Not child's attitude, but in other words the child's demeanor. Towards totally dependent on another whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
So Jesus has a physical child sitting there. But he's using that child as an object lesson. Talk about the spiritual humility of which someone has to enter the kingdom of God. There's no such thing as I'm my own man or I'm an independent woman.
Come the fourth room. God you are like a child saying.
Help me.
So a child here is a double meaning. Yes, there's a physical child from Jesus, but he's talking about new believers. So whoever received one such child not just a literal physical job, but a new believer in my name receives me.
Whoever causes one of these little ones again not referring to simply physical children though that that is in view because there's a physical child from Jesus, but also a new believer a Child in the faith whoever causes one of these ones to sin.
Or to stumble it would be better for him to have a great millstone. A great millstone fast around his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea going to turn on. Details you can see what I found here.
Yeah a great millstone. I found this the other day. Mulas that's that's the mill millstone. Onyx is a donkey. So a donkey millstone in other words the millstone that's so big that a donkey had to pull it.
There was there were other millstones that a man could push. This is the one that was so big a donkey had to push it a man couldn't do it. So it'd be better for him to have the donkey millstone the big one.
Fasten on his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea if this doesn't fit with your view of Jesus change your view of Jesus. Jesus so serious about people who cause other people to sin particularly new believers.
He said be better for him to have a great millstone faster than I can be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin for it's necessary to temptations come. But what are the one who by whom the temptation comes it is necessary for temptations to come.
Please don't think that temptations or state of the world is not part of God's plan. God doesn't change his plan. He's have the same plan from the get. And someone someone once home. Well his plan changes, but his purpose never does.
That's not true. His plan doesn't change. It's necessary for temptations to come as it was in the days of Noah. So we'll be in the coming of the Son of Man. I just watched Documentary called what is a woman?
Someone from the Daily Wire named Matt Walsh. Let me tell you something y 'all need to watch it. It can be a little vulgar at times because it's true interviews with true people. It was I opening it was I upbringing how far we have fallen.
No, Matt Walsh goes to New York City University psychologist Therapist. And asked can a man be a woman and people say yeah, he goes to a tribe in In Africa want to say it was Nambia, but I think that's right.
He asked can a man be a woman and all the people to try when the translator says it looking like no. I've never heard of such foolishness. It's amazing. We have to go to universities and spend $60 ,000 to learn something that no human being Would have agreed with five years ago.
I'm not trying to be mean I'm trying to show you we wake up. You're living in a fantasy and you hear it so much That you don't you're not shocked by it anymore. Or say and if your hand or your foot caused you to sin cut it off and throw it away.
It's better for you to enter life crippled or maimed than two hands and feet and be thrown in internal fire. So Jesus is using the most extreme hyperbole the most extreme Analogy. To talk about what you need to do to get rid of sin.
Obviously, he's not literally talking about cutting off your hand or foot. But that is because but that is the idea of how serious you should take Sin in getting rid of it. It's pretty for inner life in the words heaven crippled or lame than two hands or feet be thrown Into eternal fire and if your eye caused you to sin tear it out the way it's better you in your life with one eye.
And then two eyes and be thrown into the hell of fire.
It is an.
Historic.
Example he says.
I.
Wrote here to see if we can get what we can read it in the most graphic analogy possible. Jesus tells us how to deal with our sin. Or even the temptation to sin while Jesus is not literally referring to cutting your hand off or tearing your eye out.
That is a serious in which Jesus is talking about how we should crucify our sin. Josiah I can't get a flip phone because we can't stop living together because I know it's wrong, but. Guys, if you are serious about the kingdom of God growing in Christ and becoming more in tune with what God's.
With what purpose God has for you then murder your sin. Do not think that unresolved sin will stay as the same quote. Small sin you think it is it spreads like cancer. Does not say in the same spot if you're not crucifying that sin it will grow.
See that verse 10 you do not despise when these little ones. New believer or physical little child if I tell you that heaven their angels always see the faces of my father who's in heaven. Their angels being I'll show you.
So their angels being plural. Not like each one of these has an individual angel as some people think. It's plural meaning the groups angels. In other words angels serve believers including new believers.
They they serve them. They send messages. They they watch over them. They come as guests in their homes. Sometimes Hebrews 13.
And.
They see them as creating the image of God the Father. They are eternal servants not eternal and in the sense, but they are always available. And they ate us more than we realize. Verse 12. What do you think if a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray?
They should not leave the 99 on the mountains and go and search for the one that went astray. Of course he does. He leaves them safely on the mountains not wandering but he leaves the 99 and goes finds that one that was astray.
When he finds it truly I said to you he rejoices more over it than the 99 that never went astray. So it is not the will of my father who's in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Amen. All right, here is the passage dealing with.
You can call it conflict resolution, but really this is the passage doing the church discipline. If your brother sins against you go ahead and tell him his fault between you and him alone. Ma manu if he listens to you you have gained a brother.
If he does not listen take one or two others along with you that every charge may be Established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. That's of course the medical law. If you refuse to listen to them tell it to the church.
Ecclesia. The cauldrons if he refuses to listen to even the church. Let him be as a Gentile and a tax collector. In other words remove him from the church so Let's look at this again. If a brother sins against you you go tell him his fault.
Don't wait for him to come to you. He may not even be aware that he's wronged you. If a brother we're talking about a believer here Adolphus Sins against you you go and tell him his fault because he might not even be aware of it between you and him alone.
I would add.
If you have a mediator to help you with your words, I would still consider that you and him alone. If he listens to you, you've gained a brother and don't bring it up again. If he does not listen take one or two brothers along with you.
That every charge may be established from the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the person says Hey, give me a couple days to think about it that is not refusing to listen. But if he says and you know forget you I'm gonna do me.
I don't care who it hurts. You bring it before the whole church. If he refuses to listen to even the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. So there's four steps here. Step one you go alone to this person who wronged you.
That person refuses to listen. You take two or three witnesses. If that person refuses to listen You take it before the whole church. If he still refused to listen then you have him removed. You treat him as a Gentile and Tax collector.
You basically treat him as if he's an unbeliever. It becomes an evangelistic thing. I mean you always do that with the hope of reconciliation. You've had this happen in my church here at Whitman. We had this exact thing happen step one step two step three step four.
I don't remember how long it was, but I think it was a several month process. We had that person removed. We didn't see them for years. That person later came back and said I was in the wrong when I asked for forgiveness.
It was beautiful. Verse 18 truth I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. God honors that if a local church Does a local church does it in that format God honors that whatever you loose.
Whatever you bind will be bound in or loosed in heaven. Again, I say to you if two of you agree about anything to ask it'll be done for them. By my Father in heaven where there are two or three gathered in my name there.
I am among them. It's amazing. We use this passage most of the time to refer to Prayer or things like that. It's in reference to churches where two or three gathered together in my name there. I am in the midst of them almost at the end of a chapter.
Then Peter came up and said Lord how often will my brother sin against me. And I.
Forgive him.
Afeso I.
Wrote this down as our Greek of the week Afema to forgive to release. To let go to leave alone. It is used as release as in they release their fishing nets. That's the idea of forgiveness here to release to let it go.
That is the the idea here Forgiveness. I said we were almost done. We're not really Lord how often will my brother sin against me. I forgive him. I release him as many as seven times. You said I'll tell you seven times but 77 times.
Maybe you could read this 70 times seven. Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with the servants. When began to settle one was brought to him who owed him 10 ,000 talents.
A Talent was worth 20 years wages with my footnote says so Lifetimes worth of money is what he owed him. Since he could not pay his master ordered him to be sold and his wife and children all he had him to be made.
But the servant fell to his knees Imploring him have patience with me. I'll pay you anything. I'll pay you everything out of pity form the master of the servant released him. And forgave him the debt released him of a loose him and a faking Forgave him.
But when the same servant went out he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii a few months worth of money. And seizing him he began to choke him saying pay me what you owed. So the fellow servant fell down and plead with him have patience with me.
I will pay you. He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servant saw what he had taken place They were greatly insured and went reported to their master quarry a their Lord all that taking place.
And when his master is courteous summoned him and said you wicked servant. I released you. I forgave you all that debt because you plead with me. Why should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant as I have mercy on you and In anger his master delivered him to the jailers and please should pay all his debt.
So also my Heavenly Father will do to every one of you if you now forgive your brother listen from.
Your.
Heart.
For you Ladies and gentlemen forgiveness is not an option. It is a choice and it is a command. Colossians chapter 3 says just as the Father forgives you so you must also forgive not when you feel like it.
Guys, we have no right and I've said this before some of the members of my church. I've had some horrific wrongs done to them. Unspeakable things that I will not say on this format. The scripture does not say oh, well, they don't have to forgive because wrong done to them.
There is no wrong ever done to any human on this earth. There have been some Unspeakable wrongs done. There is no wrong that compares to the wrong that we have done to Jesus. You know people sometimes will say amen to that but in the heart actually don't agree with but there is no wrong.
That has ever been done to me or to anyone else that I have not done worse to Jesus. He is the sovereign universal ruler and we have committed cosmic treason against him. So we forgive not just in word, but from our heart.
Josiah how do I do that? I think first and primary recognize how much you've been forgiven by God. That's what the point of this analogy of this parable was. When you recognize that you realize you don't have a right.
You don't have that right, so if it's not your right it it shouldn't. It shouldn't even be something you hold over someone's head. You don't even have the right. Secondly, I think you recognize a level of mercy and grace that can only come from the Holy Spirit.
Thirdly, I think you realize that. It's healing for your soul. Not just theirs. All right, I know that was quick that's Matthew chapter 18. Love you guys. I hope this has been official to you. We'll do chapter 19 next time pray for us as we go to Puerto Rico on our mission trip.
We're taking 50 people. Out of the church of only what? 180. Something like that. So Love you guys very much. I hope y 'all have a great rest of your evening. And I will talk to y 'all next time.
Bye.