Free Sermons

Matthew 18:1-9

Who, What, When, Why and Where. These are important foundational questions to use in Bible Study. They are especially important in Matthew 18.

Matthew 18 is one of the most miss-interpreted texts in the Bible.

Reading the text in its context will give you the foundation in which God will use to bless your soul.

1. Who
   1. Disciples
   2. Tax collectors
   3. A little Child/Gods Children
   4. What
      1. Issue of greatness in Heaven
      2. Conversion/Faith
      3. Dependant Believers/Humility
      4. Entering the Kingdom of Heaven
         1. Living as a Kingdom ambassador
         2. When
            1. After prophesy of His (Christ’s) own death and resurrection
            2. During a time of teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven
            3. Why
               1. To teach the truth about saving faith
               2. To teach the truth about living in Christ/Surrendered and dependant
               3. Where
                  1. Capernaum

A.     Miss-Use of Texts

1. We can become childish and not be mature in decision making
   1. We Need to be Child-like, not childish
2. Hurting children will cause us to be sent to the lake of fire
   1. Hurting children is certainly bad. However, this is not the context of this passage.
      1. This passage speaks of Believers in Christ (see vs. 6) “Believe in me”. Including all believers is good, but especially young ones.
      2. Offence here is not physical harm
         1. The offence here is false teaching/especially neglecting the right teaching of scripture to children.
         2. The offence is leading new converts to the sin they repented from
         3. The offence here is ridiculing and judging those who come with what seems to be dumb questions desiring to know Christ more intimately

1. Christ Builds on the Text
   1. Building on Faith
      1. Getting rid of sin
      2. Denying Self/Denying flesh