Sermon Tone Analysis

*Matthew 18:1-4.

Humble Yourself in Childlikeness, Servanthood, and Brokenhearted Boldness*

Everton Community Church.

Sunday December 9th 2007

 

One of the *greatest joys of the Christmas season* is *experiencing it with Children*.

*Children* have *an awe* and *expectation* that *goes above* *any distraction*.

Many of us *adults get bogged down* in *so many plans* and* engagements* *this time of year* that it is *often the children* who *remind us of the joy* and *wonder of Christ in Christmas.*

We saw it *last week* with the *Bothwell family advent leading* and with the *kids club presentation during the Christmas dinner.*

Scripture describes and identifies *the people of God by many names*.

But *more frequently than anything else* we are *called children*-children *of promise*, children *of the day*, children *of the light*, *beloved* *children*, *dear children*, and *children of God.*

 

*As believers* we can *rejoice in the wonderful truth* that, *through Christ*, *we have become God’s own children*, *adopted through grace*.

Consequently, *we bear the* *image of God’s family *and are *joint heirs* *with Jesus Christ of everything God possesses.*

*We enjoy* *God’s love, care, protection, power, and other resources in abundance for all eternity.*

But there is *another side to our being children*, and in Scripture believers are also referred to as *children in the sense that we are incomplete, weak, dependent, undeveloped, unskilled, vulnerable, and immature.*

*Matthew 18* *focuses on* those *immature, unperfected, childlike qualities* *that believers demonstrate* as they *mutually develop* *into conformity to the fullness of the stature of Jesus Christ.*

*This chapter* is *a single discourse* or *sermon* *by our Lord* *on the specific theme of the childlikeness of the believer*, *speaking directly to* *the reality that we are spiritual children* with *all the weaknesses that childhood* *implies*.

It is also essential to see that *the chapter teaches the church, as a group* *of spiritually unperfected children* *how to get along with each other*.

There’s an old joke in regards to *preaching on the topic of humility:*

*Joke*: *The Humble Minister*

Did you hear about *the minister who said he had a wonderful sermon on humility* but was *waiting for a large crowd before preaching it?*

(Galaxie Software.

(2002; 2002).

/10,000 Sermon Illustrations/.

Biblical Studies Press)

 

*The key to Humility is* *1) Childlikeness 2) Servanthood & 3) Brokenhearted Boldness*

 

*1) The key to Humility is* *Childlikeness: **Matthew 18:1 *

* *

*The setting for the sermon* is indicated by the phrase *at that time*, which refers to a *period* *soon after Jesus told Peter to go to the Sea of Galilee and retrieve the corn from the fish’s mouth* (17:27).

*While* Peter was paying the tax with the coin *or*, more likely, *just after he returned*, *the rest of* *the disciples came to Jesus*, *possibly at Peter’s house in **Capernaum**.*

The two scenes are closely connected in time and in thought.

*On the same day* the *disciples received the lesson on being citizens of the world* they were given a series of *lessons on the issues related to being children of God.*

 

*The Lord’s teaching was prompted* *by the disciples themselves*, who *asked Him a very selfish question* that *betrayed their sinful ambitions*.

We learn *from Mark and Luke that the question*, *Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?* *resulted from an argument* *the Twelve had been having among themselves* “as to *which of them might be the greatest”* (Luke 9:46; cf.

Mark 9:34).

Although *Jesus omnisciently knew* what had happened, *He asked*, “*What were you discussing on the way*?” *The disciples* were *so ashamed of their attitude* and* conversation *that “*they kept silent*” (Mark 9:33-34).

*Please turn to 1 Peter 5*

* *

*Their embarrassed silence* shows *they knew that what they had been doing was inconsistent with what their Master had been teaching on humility*.

But the fact that they nevertheless were arguing about their relative ranks in the kingdom *shows they were making little effort to apply what they had been taught.*

They were as proud, self-seeking, self-sufficient, and ambitious as ever.

In light of what they had been discussing and the way they phrased the question to Jesus, it is obvious they expected Him to name one of them as the *greatest*.

*1 Peter 5:5-6*   [5]Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders.

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with *humility* toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

[6]*Humble yourselves*, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may *exalt you*, (ESV)

* At *year’s end* we tend to undergo *goal setting* endeavors.

If it is *reasonable, rational and specific,* it can be a *fruitful exercise.*

* The challenge we have being Christians is *applying what we believe.*

*We show what is truly important* by how we act.

We show *what we value* *by the time we spend* and *the nature of our action.*

* *Year end* can be *a fruitful time* to *take serious stock* of *our lives* and determine if the various* thoughts and actions* in our life are *positively congruent to what we believe.*

* *When these two things are in harmony*, *we grow* and *show the true nature of the **Kingdom** of **Heaven**.*

* *

*Illustration:** **Leonard Bernstein*

*Leonard Bernstein*, the *late conductor of the **New York** Philharmonic orchestra*, was *once asked* *to name the most difficult instrument to play*.

*Without hesitation, he replied*, “The *second fiddle*.

*I can get plenty* *of first violinists*, but *to find someone who can play the second fiddle with enthusiasm—that’s a problem*.

And *if we have no second fiddle*, *we have no harmony*.*”*

Today in the Word, January 3, 1997, p. 8

* *

This is *the failure of the Disciples*.

Just as they had *heard but not really accepted* what *Jesus had been teaching about humility* they also had heard but not really accepted *what He had been teaching about the* *kingdom*.

*They obviously still expected Jesus* *soon to set up an earthly kingdom*, and *each of them was hoping to have a high rank* in that dominion.

They were *especially competitive about being number one.*

*Perhaps it was earlier that same day* (see 17:22-23) that *Jesus had told them* (for the third time) about *His impending suffering and death*.

Although *they did not fully understand what He was saying to them *(Mark 9:32), *they should* *have sensed its gravity* And even though *they were afraid to ask Jesus what He meant* (v.

32b), it would seem they would have been discussing /that/ issue rather than which of them was to be the greatest.

* *For the kingdom of God* there is *a cross before a crown*:

 

*Please turn to Matthew 10*

 

*Remember the first message in this series:*

*Matthew 16:24-25*   [24]Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would *come after me*, let him *deny himself* and *take up his cross* and follow me.

[25]For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

(ESV)

* This is the *essence of humility* and *the calling of the **kingdom** of **Heaven*.

* Let me *put together everything we have heard* *last week*

1)      *Humility begins *with *a sense of subordination to God* in Jesus (*Mt **10:24*)

2)      *Humility does not* *feel a right to better treatment than Jesus got* (*Mt.

**10:25*)

3)      *It speaks truth* *as a service to Christ and as love to the adversary* (*Mt **10:27**-28*)

 

*The Disciples were so caught up in their own desire* *for prestige, glory, and personal aggrandizement* that they were *impervious to much of what Jesus said-even about His suffering, death, and resurrection.*

*As Christ was contemplating His death*, *one author remarked on the story of the Christ’s triumphal entry into **Jerusalem**,** before His death*:

*Quote:** It’s the Lord!*

When I saw *Sadhu Sundar Singh* *in Europe*, he had *completed a tour around the world.*

*People asked him*, Doesn’t it do harm, your *getting so much honor?”*

The *Sadhu’s answer was:* “No.

*The donkey went into Jerusalem*, and *they put garments on the ground before him.*

*He was not proud*.

He knew *it was not done to honor him, but for Jesus, who was sitting on his back*.

*When people honor me*, I know it is *not me, but the Lord, who does the job.*”

(Corrie Ten Boom, /Each New Day/)

 

* This is why *this lesson* is *so valuable this time of year*.

*We can assume* so much about *the nature of the Christmas message* *that we don’t really hear what Christ is saying to us.

*

* The danger is getting *so wrapped up in personal pursuits* and *fail to hear and see what is before us.*

*The Disciples demonstrated** no concept of* *humility*, *very little compassion*, and *certainly no willingness to take up their own crosses and follow Christ to death as they had been taught* (Matt.

10:38-39; 16:24-26).

*Several months after this lesson in Capernaum*, *their selfish ambition was still very much evident*.

Probably at her sons’ instigation, *the mother of James and John* *asked Jesus, *“Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left” (*Matt.

20:20-21*).

*The other disciples* were *indignant at the two brothers*, but *their indignation* was *not* *righteous* *but envious* (v.

24).

It must have been especially painful to Jesus that, just as on the occasion recorded in chapter 18, *this self-seeking request came immediately after* He had *predicted His suffering and death* (20:19).

There is *no indication of sympathy*, *consolation, or grief concerning what their Lord was about to endure on their behalf* and on the behalf of His elect.

And *on the night before He died*, while He was *eating the Last Supper* with them, *they were still arguing about their own greatness* (Luke 22:24).

*Their insensitivity and selfishness* is thus demonstrated as all the more sinful because it *occurred at times when Jesus was speaking of His own suffering and death*.

*The rest of the disciples may have been jealous of **Peter*, knowing that *he was the most intimate with Jesus* and was always *their chief spokesman*.

Peter was one of the three privileged to *witness Jesus’ transfiguration*, and only Peter had *walked on the water* or *had his **Temple** tax miraculously provided*.

But it was also *only Peter who had been told by Jesus, *“*Get behind Me*, *Satan*” (Matt.

16:23), and *perhaps the other disciples* *thought the number one position was not yet finalized*.

* In *this time of year* it is particularly challenging to *consider others before ourselves.*

*Quotes:** **The Test of a Truly Great Man*