Verse 6. Our Lord has just spoken
to His disciples in the first few verses of Matthew 18, rebuked
and taught them as they were discussing who would be greatest
in the kingdom of heaven among them. The Lord Jesus called a
little child, a little child. We talked about that. He uses
this little child to illustrate what He's teaching them. And
in a word, as we see in verse four, he's teaching them humility. Whosoever therefore shall humble
himself as this little child. Humility, we need to learn humility.
And the Lord teaches us that. He does that every day in different
ways. Causes us to remember what we
are, what we deserve. that we might rejoice all the
more in his love and grace, Christ. And as we said, we don't know
the exact age of this child. And I hate to even suggest to
you the age of him because it may stick in your mind and it
may not be right. I don't know for sure. I think
he was a toddler, a little child. And the reason I think that is
because pretty early on, children get that willfulness about them. This is a little child that just
in their face all you could see was wonder and innocence. We know that little babies and
little children aren't innocent, but the poison of sin hadn't
had its full effect yet. And you know what I'm saying,
there's a change that comes into the countenance of a child at
a certain age, and it's a very young age. And so he uses this
child here, but we have to notice a key phrase in verse six. It says, who so shall offend
one of these little ones, which believe in me, it were better
for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that
he were drowned in the depth of the sea. That's a strong statement. And we'll talk about that Lord.
Well, But notice, first of all, this key phrase, which, believe
in me, it shows a progression of thought in what our Savior
is saying now. In the early verses here, He
takes a little child, just a little child that happened to be there
with its parents probably, listening to the Lord as He taught, as
He, perhaps they had been following Him a while, and they had their
little children with them. He called that little toddler,
likely, over to him and taught him and it was just a child that
just happened to be there an earthly child to illustrate what
he's teaching but when he referred to that little child he's referring
to him simply as a little child but the word little ones and
it's one word in the original in verse six is something more
than that you're not just talking about a child anymore he's talking
about his children now, which believe in me. He's talking about
those who had humbled themselves as that little child. So as to
enter into the kingdom of heaven, verse three, that's what we're
talking about is entering into the kingdom of heaven. Our Lord
didn't even address the issue of who's going to be greatest
except to rebuke them about it. What the issue is, who's going
to be in his kingdom? Who's going to enter into his
kingdom? That's the issue. And that's what he's talking
about there. And here in verse six, he's talking about those
who had humbled themselves as that little child. So as to enter
into the kingdom, because you're not going to enter in, he said,
unless you become like that, unless you're just full of wonder
and a desire to learn and hear and not worried about who's going
to be greatest in this. Now that we've identified who
he's talking about, his little children of any age, of any age. This is who you do not want to
offend. And I don't either. And we see
the reason in verse five. Look at verse five. And whoso
shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. And there he's also talking about
these little children who are like Those little children, his
children, whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name
receiveth me. And so the implication is clear
that whosoever offends one of these little ones offends him. You don't want to do that and
I don't either. Think about having a millstone
hanged around your neck, tied by a rope around your neck. and
being cast into the sea. That would be a horrible, horrible
way to die. But our Lord said that's preferable.
That's the choice to make among the two here. We don't know what
is horrible. We don't know what horrible is
until we've made an enemy of one of Christ's sheep. To be
an enemy of one of Christ's sheep is to be an enemy of all of his
sheep. And to be an enemy of his sheep is to be an enemy of
their Lord, their shepherd. That's what our Lord's teaching
here. There is in that, now think about this, when our Lord said
it would be better for a millstone to be hanged around your neck
and you'd be cast into the sea, I know you've had the same thought
I have. Boy, anybody offends me, that's what's gonna happen
to them and good enough for them. There is that in us which wants
to see our enemies suffer. But I think Stephen had a better
understanding of our text this morning than we do. When as they
were stoning him to death in Acts 7 22, it says he kneeled
down as they were hitting him with rocks and tearing his body
up so that he would die. He kneeled down and cried with
a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And I think
if we knew what our Lord was saying in verse six of our text
this morning, we'd feel the same way. And when Stephen had said
this, he fell asleep. A true understanding of this
won't cause us to say, yeah, good enough for him, but it'll
first of all, cause us to examine ourselves. Since our Lord said
this to his disciples, He wasn't saying this to the Pharisees.
He said to his disciples, except ye be converted and become as
little children. And it ought to cause us to examine
ourselves, just like when he said, one of you is going to
betray me. And the 12 had good enough sense to all of them say
within themselves and ask the Lord, some of them, if not all
of them, Lord, is it I? Is it I? And then secondly, I
believe this, I believe if we understand this, it'll cause
us to pray for our enemies. Our Lord taught us to do that.
In Matthew 5, 44, he said, I say unto you, love your enemies.
Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you.
You say, boy, that's hard to do. No, it's not, it's impossible.
It's impossible. It's going to take grace. We
don't have that in us by nature. We don't love those that hate
us. We don't do good to those that curse us. We're just not
going to do it. And even as believers, it's hard
to let it go. It's still impossible without
His grace. Do good to them that hate you and pray for them, which
despitefully use you and persecute you. He didn't ever say be like
them or become one of them, but were to pray for them. Saul of
Tarsus was a terrible, terrible enemy of God's people. He went
about killing them, putting men, women, children in prison, and
putting many to death, simply for professing or preaching the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those that they said were of
this way, which meant they loved the Lord and worshiped him and
followed him and believed him. He put them to death, many of
them, and it says that he wreaked havoc upon the church. You reckon
anybody ever prayed for him? Those that he was hunting down
and killing? You think anybody ever prayed
for him? I know somebody that did. Acts chapter 7. Turn there
with me. Acts chapter 7. Verse 54. Act 754, when they heard these
things, the mob of people that were gathered around to listen
to Stephen preach the gospel, when they heard these things,
the truth of God and His sovereign grace towards sinners in Christ
and how the deeds of the law, you look at the message that
Stephen preached, it's the gospel we preach. If not, we got no
business preaching what we preach. He preached that by the law of
Moses, by the By the deeds of the law, no flesh can be justified
in God's sight. The justification is by the free
grace of God, through the righteousness and the precious blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And when they heard these things,
they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their
teeth. But he, being full of the Holy
Ghost, in other words, he by grace, by the grace of God, because
Christ was in him, the hope of glory. He looked up steadfastly
into heaven and saw the glory of God, even Jesus, standing
on the right hand of God. You say, that says and Jesus.
Look it up. It can be either. You know why
I know it says even Jesus, the glory of God, even Jesus? Because
Paul said, the Lord Jesus Christ is the brightness of God's glory.
That's what Stephen saw. That's who He saw. He saw the
glory of God, even Jesus, standing on the right hand of God and
said, Behold, I see the heavens opened. And what do you see,
Stephen? Well, I see gates of pearl and
streets of gold. No, I see somebody. Oh, have you ever seen Him in
His glory? And the Son of Man, the heavens
are opened so that I might see Christ. That's what happens when
the Holy Ghost comes in. That's what happens when God
has mercy and grace upon you and reveals Christ in you. You're going to see his son.
You're going to glorify his son. You're going to praise him for
his son. You're going to believe on his son. You're going to trust
his son. You're going to fall in love
with his son. That's what the Holy Spirit does. standing on
the right, and then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped
their ears and ran upon him with one accord and cast him out of
the city and stoned him. There's another horrible way
to die. Can't even imagine that. And the witnesses laid down their
clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul. In other
words, Saul of Tarsus was in charge of this stoning. He was
the one that oversaw this whole thing and gave the order. He
talks about it later with great, deep, deep repentance and regret. He said, I was injurious. I'm
not worthy to be called an apostle, less than the least of all saints. And they stoned Stephen, but
they didn't just stone Stephen. They stoned Stephen calling upon
God. and saying, Lord Jesus, can't
wait to live in that mansion. Receive me. I just want to be
with you. I want to be where you are. Receive me, Lord Jesus. Receive
my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried
with a loud voice. Lord, lay not this sin to their
charge. And when he had said this, he
fell asleep. And you know, in the case of Saul of Tarsus, if
not others, the Lord answered that prayer with a yes. Pray
for your enemies. Do good to those that despitefully
use you. Love them that hate you. May
God keep us from ever offending one of his little ones. And may
he give us grace to pray for those who do. Now in verses eight
and nine, let's look back at our text. Verses eight and nine,
our Lord teaches a sobering truth here. Look at it. Wherefore,
if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off and cast them
from thee, it is better for thee to enter into life, halt or maimed
rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting
fire. And if thine eye offend thee,
pluck it out and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to
enter into life with one eye, into life with one eye, rather
than having two eyes to be cast in hell fire. Our Lord teaches
here the sobering truth that we must sever Ourselves and this
is of course figurative and spiritual language. It's not a talking
about a physical mutilation of the body But we are to sever
ourselves from every earthly thing That offends us with regard
to the kingdom of God. We're still talking about entering
into the kingdom of God This is what's going to happen if
you're going to enter into the kingdom of God And it's important
here that we see this word and understand this word offend It
means primarily to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way
upon which another may trip and fall. Sever from yourself anything
or anybody that's going to be an impediment to you to entering
into the kingdom. The Lord used the same teaching
now in chapter 5 verses 27 through 30 with regard to adultery. He's talking about the sin of
adultery there and of course Spiritual adultery is included
in that and we'll talk about that just just now in a minute
So we know that he's talking about our own lusts when he says
there in chapter 5 If you look at a woman to lust after her
you've already committed adultery in your heart And then he says
if you're right eye Fendi pluck it out It's clear what he's saying
there that that that there is within ourselves that which must
be cut off And that's what circumcision pictured, the cutting away of
the flesh, the doing away of the flesh, that prideful thing
that caused them to argue about who's going to be the greatest.
Cut it off in all of its manifestations. So we know he's talking about
our own lusts. He's talking about what Paul
said in Romans 13, 14, when he said, put ye on the Lord Jesus
Christ and make not provision for the flesh. to fulfill the
lust thereof. Don't even give your flesh a
chance. Don't even give it an opportunity. Don't even encourage
it. Don't even, don't make any provision
for it. Cut it off to fulfill the lust
thereof. In Romans 8, 13, he said, if you live after the flesh,
you shall die. But if ye through the spirit
do mortify, put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
He's talking about ourselves. In other words, whatever it is
about yourself that will be a stumbling block to you in the matter of
trusting Christ alone and serving and worshiping Christ alone,
putting yourself in the dust before him and casting all of
your hope and care and trust. Like Paul, I've committed myself
unto him, my very soul, and he's able to keep it. Whatever is
an impediment to you in that, kill it. mortified, put it to
death, cut it off, do away with it. And this is not just what
are considered to be the sins of the flesh. Although they are
certainly a consideration here. Clearly from his teaching in
chapter five, nor is it only yourself that's to be considered
here. And here's why I say that our Lord had just spoken of those
who will fend his little ones. Think with me. He just said,
those who offend my little ones, it'd be better for them to die
a horrible death than to offend one of my little ones. And now
he says, cut off whatever offends you. Is that a coincidence? It's the same word death. Whoever
is an impediment, is a stumbling block to one of my little ones
is a goner. Listen to Galatians 5, 7. Listen
to this verse carefully. You did run well. Paul talking
to the Galatians about They're hearing of the gospel and at
least outwardly embracing the gospel. He said, you did run
well. Who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? It's not just about lustful sins
of the flesh. Who did hinder you? That word
hinder there is not the same word as our text, but it has
pretty much the same meaning. And it is teaching exactly the
same thing. It means there in that who did
hinder you, that you should not obey the truth, that you should
be removed from the simplicity that's in Christ, that you should
not obey the gospel. That word hinder there means
to impede one's course by cutting off his way. Exact same teaching. Who did offend you? Who did cause
you to stumble? Who did impede you in the gospel
of Christ? And this is used in regard to
those who teach error and deceive others concerning the gospel,
the truth. Paul teaches this very clearly in the context of
that verse I just quoted in Galatians 5. Turn there with me, please.
Galatians 5, 7 through 13. I believe this will be very instructive
now with regard to our Lord's teaching in our text. Galatians
5, 7. Remember the word offend and
the word hinder. Whosoever shall offend Whatever
and whoever offends you, cut them off. Cut them off. All right. Galatians 5, 7. Ye did run well. Who did hinder you that you should
not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of
him that calleth you. You didn't learn this from Christ
with the way you're acting now, where you're going now, what
you're doing now, what you're teaching now. what you're believing
now. You didn't learn it from him.
A little leaven, leaveneth the whole lump. He uses one of the
teachings of our Lord that we've looked at in our study to remind
them, just a little error. The leaven didn't have anything
to do with bread, our Lord said. He talked about the doctrine
of the Pharisees when he said a little leaven, leaveneth the
whole lump. And that's what Paul is referring
to here. The doctrine, the evil, wicked doctrine. Christ died
for everybody. Well, that sounds real pleasant.
It's wicked, evil, leaven. It's heresy. And the whole lump
is gone. If Christ died for every sinner
in this world that's ever lived, you and I have no hope. That's how corruptive that leaven
is. God loves everybody. If he does,
we're all goners. Because his love can't save.
So what are we gonna do? We got no hope. If the love of
God for sinners not a secure refuge then we have no refuge
but look at what he said in verse 10 I have confidence in you through
the Lord that you will be none otherwise minded but he that
trouble if you shall bear his judgment whosoever he be they
don't matter who he is don't matter if he'd been preaching
everybody says he's preaching the truth for years just a little
bit 11 he says a lot of good things You're gonna bear his
judgment if he don't say what Christ said, if he compromises
the gospel just a little bit. And I, brethren, listen to, he
said, if I preach circumcision, if I preach what you're believing,
if I preach obedience to the law for salvation, why do I yet
suffer persecution? Everybody loves to hear that.
If you give them something to do, name it, if he'd have given
you some great thing to do, you would have done it. And said,
I'm as sure for heaven as if I was already there. Singing,
oh, how I love Jesus all the way. Then is the offense of the
cross ceased. The cross is offensive because
it renders you hopeless and helpless and utterly vile before God and
you can't do anything about it. All of your good works just make
you worse in the sight of God because your righteousnesses
are as filthy rags in his sight. That's offensive until you hear
it. And then you rejoice. The bones
that he has broken shall rejoice. He said, I would, they were even
cut off, which trouble you. For brethren, you have been called
unto liberty. Only, there's one caution, use
not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve
one another. This word cut off, I would that
they were even cut off, which trouble you. Again, this word
is akin to the word that our Lord used when he said, cut it
off. Cut them off. Whoever or whatever
it is that causes you to stumble, that's an impediment to you,
in the truth, in believing Christ, in worshiping Christ, in serving
Christ, in submitting to Christ, cut them off. Cut it off. Pluck it out. The word here,
cut off, what we just read means to amputate, as you would a gangrenous
hand or arm or whatever. that gangrene will kill you unless
you cut off that limb. I don't particularly want to
cut my right arm off. I kind of like my right arm.
I'm kind of attached to it. But if there's gangrene in it,
I don't have any choice. There's not any decision to make,
is there? I got to cut it off. That gangrene will spread into
my body and I'm dead. I'd rather be alive with one
arm. That's what our Lord, that's the illustration he's using here.
with regard to spiritual things. Cut it off. It's going to be
painful. It's not just physically painful. You don't want to lose
that limb, but you got to. The false doctrine of man's free
will and salvation by a decision and not by free grace is a gangrenous
poison. And those who teach universal
atonement that any for whom Christ died, any, If they teach that
one for whom Christ died is or ever will be in hell, or any
such anti-Christ heresy, they're to be cut off, amputated, even
if they are as your own right hand or your own right eye. Let it sink in. It's better,
he said. It's better. It's not all things
being equal what you would want, but it's better. And then look
at verse 10 in our text. And this will be, I pray a comfort
to us. Verse 10, take heed that you
despise not one of these little ones. And we know now who he's talking
about. For I say unto you that in heaven, their angels do always
behold the face of my father, which is in heaven. When our
Lord says, take heed, you would do well to listen up. I would
do well. He said in Luke 8, 18, take heed
how you hear. Faith comes by hearing. And without
faith, it's impossible to please God. Take heed how you hear. He said in Matthew 16, 6, take
heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees,
the doctrine, the false doctrine, that God loves everybody, that
Jesus died to save everybody, that just make your decision
for Jesus and he'll save you. Beware. Sounds good to the flesh. It makes God an impotent beggar.
and puts the sinner on the throne. Take heed. Matthew 24, 4, he
said, take heed that no man deceive you. Take heed that you despise
not one of these little ones. Notice the word there in the
text, T-H-E-I-R, their angels. Does that comfort you? Angels
themselves are not a comfort to me. Particularly. But angels beholding the face
of my father. That's a comfort. They do the
Lord's will. They wait on his word. And they're
powerful. The Lord is all powerful. If
the angels can't get done what the Lord needs to have done,
then he'll do it himself. He sends his angels to do what
they're able to do. Their angels. Do you remember
what our Lord said in Matthew 26? I want to be brief this morning,
but let me, let's turn there. It won't take but a minute to
read that. Matthew 26, just a few pages over. Look at verse 47. This is such a blessing to me.
I think it'll become clear how this is relevant to the verse
that we're looking at. Their angels behold the face
of my father. His father is our father. Matthew
26, 47. And while he yet spake, the Lord
speaking to his disciples, he said, you sleep on. And he let
them sleep for a little while, understanding what they're made
of. And then he said, rise, let's be going. Behold, he is at hand
that doth betray me. And while he yet spake, lo, Judas,
one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude, with
swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever
I shall kiss, that same as he, hold him fast. And forthwith
he came to Jesus and said, Hail, master, and kissed him. And Jesus
said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they
and laid hands on Jesus and took him. And behold, one of them
which were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword
and struck a servant of the high priest and smote off his ear. And then Jesus said unto him,
Put up again thy sword into his place, for all they that take
the sword shall perish with the sword. Listen to this now. Thinkest thou not that I cannot
now pray to my father, and he shall presently give me more
than twelve legions of angels? That's a bunch of angels. We
don't even know the power of one angel. more than twelve legions
of angels. That would probably get the job
done. They're standing there waiting for the word. If that's
the Lord's will, the Lord Jesus said that's what they'll do.
They'll come deliver me. It won't take them long. But
how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must
be? What must be? Our Lord Jesus
cannot be delivered because you and I, those who are his sheep,
must be delivered. Those angels there, those more
than 12 legions of angels, they were beholding the Father's face,
waiting for the word, just say the word. But the Lord Jesus
said, how then will the covenant that I made with my people be
honored and fulfilled without the blood of that covenant? God
Almighty has said from his throne, I will have mercy. How's he going
to do that without the redeeming blood of Christ being spilled
upon the altar of God's justice for the sins of his sheep? How's
he going to have mercy? Now, let me ask you this. If
this Savior, who said that, what we just read, if He died to redeem
you, if God spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for
us all, you think He's ever gonna allow you to perish? You didn't
know you had angels, did you? They're your angels, my angels. I don't know if particular ones
are assigned to each of us or not. I'm not sure about that,
but that's what it sounds like. You remember what our Lord said
in Isaiah 43, listen to this. But now thus saith the Lord that
created thee, oh Jacob, that's his people, Israel. Jacob, he
changed his name to Israel, but he still called him Jacob sometimes
to remind Still calls us Jacob sometimes, doesn't he? He won't
let us forget what we are. Thou worm, Jacob. But here's what I'm saying to
you that created you. The one that created you, here's
what I've got to say to you, you worm, Jacob. And he that
formed thee, O Israel, fear not. Is that what he's saying here?
Their angels do behold the face of my Father. Fear not, for I
have redeemed you. Not I've done all I can and now
it's up to you. There's not much comfort in that
for a sinner. But you know what causes me to
fear not? When my Lord says to me, you're a worm, but I have
redeemed you. I have called you by your name
and you're mine. That word there in Romans 8 when
it says those he predestinated him, them he also called. You
know what that word called there means? Same thing here, named. I've called, I've named you.
You are mine. You are mine. When you pass through
the waters, I'll be with you. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire,
you won't be burned. The three Hebrew children could
have told you something about that. What saved them? There's somebody in there with
them. Isn't that what he just said? I'll be with you. I'll
be with you. You won't be burned, neither
shall the flame kindle upon you. Why? Well, because you're living
the Christian life. No, for I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt for your
ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for you. Since you were precious
in my sight, you have been honorable. That's the only way you can,
the only reason, the only cause for any good in me, for God to
be able to say, you're honorable. For him to be able to say to
me, well done, thou good and faithful. So why is that? Because
I was precious to him. Because of his love for me, his
dying love. Because he shed his precious
blood for me. Since you were precious in my
sight, you have been honorable and I have loved you. Therefore
will I give men for thee. Don't you put a stumbling block
in the way of one of them. Don't do that. May God help me
to never do that. And people for your life. Fear
not, for I am with you. I will bring thy seed from the
east and gather thee from the west. I will say to the north,
give them up. and to the south, keep not back. He's not going to lose a war.
Bring my sons from far. We were far, but now we're made
nigh unto God. How? By the blood of Jesus. That's
what Paul said. You're made nigh by the blood.
And my daughters from the ends of the earth, even every one
that is called by my name, my name, my name. He called us by
our name. What is our name? His name. The
Lord our righteousness. For I have created him for my
glory. How did Paul say God's going
to display his glory to this entire universe and everybody
in it? On the vessels of mercy that he has preordained unto
life. He's going to have mercy on them. that He might display the riches
of His glory. I have created Him for my glory.
I have formed Him, yea, I made Him. Oh, He's promised us that
no weapon formed against us will ever prosper. Not even a dog
can wag its tongue at us. Our Lord and Savior said, listen
to what He said in Luke 21 15, He said, I will give you a mouth
and wisdom. If I say anything worth hearing
this morning or ever do or ever have, it's because he gave me
a mouth and some wisdom. I don't have any. I will give
you a mouth and I'll give you some wisdom so that it can come
out of that mouth, which all your adversaries shall not be
able to gainsay nor resist. Does that encourage you here
in this ministry? This ministry doesn't rest on
my shoulders. Oh no, no, no, no. We're trusting
and resting in the promise of our invincible God who said,
I gave you your mouth. I gave you your wisdom and none
of your adversaries, all your adversaries won't be able to
refute what you say and they won't be able to stop you. They
can't gainsay nor resist. And you shall be betrayed both
by parents and brethren and kinfolks, and friends, and some of you
shall they cause to be put to death. And you shall be hated
of all men for my namesake." But. That's frightening, isn't
it? And the experience of it sometimes,
though we experience very little physical outward aspect of this. Physically, the harm of our actual
bodies, we don't experience any of that. We experience a little
hatred, and that hurts. That hurts sometimes more than
physical pain. But there shall not hair of your
head perish And the final verse that we'll look at in our text
this morning. I'll close with this without comment really For
the Son of Man verse 11 in Matthew 18 for the Son of Man has come
to save that which is lost Come on now If you can't fall asleep
tonight and rest, thinking about that, thinking about Him, and
you're just not going to have any rest. The Son of Man, the
One that said what He said, the One that we've seen in this study,
the Invincible, Almighty Son of God, that shed His precious
blood for us, that lived for us and died for us, He said,
I am come to save you. I'm come to save you, not to
give you a chance. A chance won't help me. It won't
help you. Thank God he came to save me.
Think about who it is as you fall asleep tonight, as you lay
down on your bed. Think about who it is that has
come. And think about why he came. And think about what he
accomplished when he came. And think about where he is right
now. He's where Stephen saw him. He's the glory of God at the
right hand of the throne of the majesty on high. And he said,
I came to save you and you'll never perish. Think about all
that and rest. Let's bow in prayer.