Now, I would like for you to
open your Bibles to the book of Matthew, chapter eighteen. Matthew, chapter eighteen. Now,
I'm going to read fourteen verses in just a moment, but I want
to call your attention to a phrase which our Lord used over and
over again in these fourteen verses. He says in verse five, And whoso
shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. And then in verse six, But whoso
shall offend one of these little ones which believe in And in
verse ten, take heed that you despise not one of these little
ones. For I say unto you, in heaven
there are angels who always behold the face of my Father. And then
in verse fourteen, even so, it is not the will of your Father
which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
The title of this message is These Little Ones. These Little
Ones. Now let's read these 14 verses
and see if we can get some understanding of what our Lord is teaching
here. I hope when we leave here tonight
that we have some understanding of what He's saying, because
you listen to the way He says it. There's some tremendous and
vital issues dealt with here, some very heavy teaching. of an important subject. Now
look at verse 1, chapter 18. At the same time, came the disciples
unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
And Jesus called a little child unto him. The child evidently
was old enough to come to him, and yet young enough to be a
very little child. He called the child unto him,
and set the child in the midst of these men, and said, Verily
I say unto you, except you be converted and become as little
children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same
is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Now then, he's been talking, pointing to
this little child. He set this little child in their
midst, and he said, Whosoever shall receive, shall humble himself,
and become as this little child, shall be called great in the
kingdom of heaven. Now he no longer is talking about
that little child, but he's talking about those who have humbled
themselves and become as the little child. The little ones
he's referring to now, are not the children, but God's children. God's little children. That's
what he's talking about. Now watch it. But whosoever shall offend
one of these little ones, he's not talking about offending this
child now. He's talking about offending these children of God,
these little children. These who have humbled themselves.
Which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone
were hanged about his neck, and that he would drown in the depth
of the sea. Worn to the world because of
offenses. but must needs be that offense
is come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh. Wherefore,
if your hand or your foot offends you, cut them off, cast them
from thee. It is better for thee to enter
into life halt or maim, rather than having two hands or two
feet to be cast into everlasting fire. If your eye offends you,
pluck it out, cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter
into life with one eye, and have two eyes to be cast into hellfire.
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones. For
I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold
the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of Man
is come to save that which was lost." He'll talk about his little
ones, his sheep. I think if a man have a hundred
sheep, one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the night here
nine, and goeth into the mountains, Seeketh that which is gone astray,
if so be that he find it. Verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth
more of that sheep than of the ninety and nine, which went not
astray. Even so, it is not the will of your Father which is
in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." Now, Mark says, when Mark wrote
on this same passage in Mark 9, he says, that these disciples
had been disputing about this matter of who was going to be
greatest in the kingdom of heaven. They were coming down to Capernaum,
to the house where our Lord was and where Peter was, and on their
way down they'd been discussing who was going to have the post
highest in the kingdom of the Messiah, the one nearest to the
Messiah. And they were really getting
into it, disputing over this matter, and when they came in,
The Lord, Matthew doesn't report it, but Mark does. The Lord called
him even before this had a word and said, what were you disputing
about on the way over here? He embarrassed them. But this
is when they asked, well, who's going to be the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven? An interesting thing here is
they did call it the kingdom of heaven. And I think they called
it the kingdom of heaven because that's what he called it. Our
Lord called it the kingdom of heaven. But they didn't mean,
when they said, who's going to be greatest in the kingdom of
heaven, they didn't mean the kingdom of glory and the new
heaven and new earth. They meant the kingdom of the
Messiah right down here on this earth. That's what these boys
were talking about. That's what they were arguing about. See,
they were looking for a return to the glories of David and Solomon. They wanted to be the Joabs and
Abners and the captains and the princes They had their hearts
set on power, recognition, prestige, authority, influence, honor,
and glory for themselves. That's what they were talking
about. So when they said to our Lord, who's going to be the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven? They weren't talking about the
kingdom of our... I'll show you in a minute what
we mean by the kingdom of heaven. I know there are a lot of men
who start arguments over the difference in the kingdom of
God and the kingdom of heaven. You're going to see in a moment
the real kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom
of Christ. But that's not what these fellows were thinking about.
They weren't thinking about the kingdom of glory and the messianic
rule and reign. They were thinking about an earthly
kingdom, an earthly kingdom. And they wanted some power and
prestige. Now, watch. And we who teach, you who and
myself who teach can learn something here. And we who, who even, all
of you who, who discuss with your loved ones and relatives
spiritual matters, you can learn something here. Notice the Lord
didn't light in on them. He didn't light in on them about
their wrong ideas about the kingdom. That's the first thing we would
have done. We'd have straightened them out on this kingdom business.
They wouldn't have been helped one bit. That wasn't a problem. Our Lord didn't spend time correcting
them on their views of the kingdom. There's plenty of time for that
later, when they were prepared for it. Of course, our Lord is
the infinite, superior, supreme teacher. He meets men where they
are, and He knows how to deal with us, when to deal with us
on particular matters. He didn't jump on them and say,
you fellas are not even going to be in a mess in a kingdom. We're going to have a kingdom
of righteousness and peace and holiness. No. When they presented
this dispute, he called a little child over, probably Robbie's
age, five or six, brought him over and sat him in the midst
of these strong, proud men that give them an object lesson. You
see, what they needed was a change in attitude and spirit. That's
what they need. They didn't need theology on
aspects of the kingdom. They needed a heart work. They
needed something done in here. That's what they needed, and
the Master knew what they needed. You see, what he says here now
in the next verse, he says, Verily, verily, I say unto except you
be converted. These men not only didn't understand
the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God, but in their
present frame of mind and heart, they weren't even fit to be a
part of the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. That was
the problem. They were sitting around discussing
who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom in Christ. Let
them know that they weren't even in their present frame of mind
in the kingdom. What Jotaro said one time, or
one of the fellows in a message, he said, there's something worse
than being lost, and that's being lost in thinking you're saved. And our Lord said, Verily I say
unto you, except you be converted, changed. Except you be changed. Not just in doctrine. Not just
in understanding of the kingdom. not just in habits, but in heart
and spirit, except you be converted and become humble and broken
as a little child, you're not going to enter the kingdom of
heaven. That's the problem. You're not even going to enter
the kingdom of heaven. I know there are multitudes of
religionists today who talk about heaven, talk about the kingdom
of God, and they're partying. When in reality, now listen to
me, in reality the kingdom of God, the kingdom of Christ and
the kingdom of heaven is not a realm, it's a reign. When we think of a kingdom, we
think of the kingdom of Great Britain and North Ireland. That's
not the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is not a realm
or a territory, it's a reign and a rule, is what it is. Wherever
it is, wherever it is, spiritual or whatever, He reigns. You see
what I'm saying? Now turn to Luke 17. Let me show
you something. Luke 17. I tell you, people at Luke 17,
20, people who get their minds and their thoughts on On a materialistic
kingdom, I'm missing this thing of the kingdom of heaven, the
kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God. It's not a realm. It's
a reign. And here in Luke 17, 20, and
when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should
come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not
with observation, signs, outward show, prompt and ceremony, glitter
and gold. Neither shall you say, Lo, here
it is, but there it is. Behold, the kingdom of God is
within you. Oh, there's the kingdom of God. I hear people sitting around
saying, Well, do you think I'll go to heaven? Will this person
go to heaven? Will this person be in heaven?
You'll go to heaven when heaven comes to you. That's when you're going to heaven,
when heaven comes to you. It doesn't matter whether you
hear that, if Christ is in you, if Christ is in you, the kingdom
of God is in you. That's what I'm saying. It's
not a matter of getting fixed up for a place, it's getting
indwelt by a person. And if he reigns over you, it
doesn't matter if you're a little widow lady in a two-room house
somewhere with a wood stove and pours a church mouse. If Christ
reigns in her and she loves Christ and he's her Lord, that's the
kingdom of heaven. And they may build their cathedrals
as high as the mountains gold domes and the crosses and crucifixes
and the pomp and ceremony. But that's the devil's kingdom.
It's the devil's kingdom. Our Lord's kingdom is not a realm,
it's a rule. It's a reign. And He reigns where
He dwells, and He dwells where He reigns. That's what these
fellows were missing. And that's what He's saying.
And it's fearful, fearful, fearful, fearful that so many preachers
and religious people, too, are missing this whole thing. And
it's going to be said of them what he said in Matthew 7 over
here. Listen. This is what our Lord is saying
in Matthew 7, verse 21. It's not everyone that's happening
to be Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord. Lord, Lord, praise the Lord.
Hallelujah. Glory to God. Lord, Lord, shall
enter the kingdom of heaven. And He that doeth the will of
my Father, They said, well, what shall we
do that we might work the works of God? He said, this is the
works of God. You believe on Him whom God sent. You love Him. You believe Him. You walk with
Him. There's the kingdom of heaven.
There's the kingdom of heaven. No, sir, they not only didn't
understand the kingdom of heaven, but in their present frame of
mind and heart, our Lord is saying they're not even fit for the
kingdom of heaven. Now let's look at verse four. He refers back to this child,
and he says, Whosoever therefore by the grace of God, we realize
that anything is done is by the grace of God. Whosoever therefore
by the grace of God shall humble himself. Come down. Come down. God resisteth the proud. He gives
grace to the fellow that's come down. Humble. humble himself
and come down in thought and attitude and spirit with a love
for Christ and a love for others. Whosoever therefore shall come,
their children are on a level. You can go in that nursery tonight, and sometimes there are fifteen
or twenty of them in there, and while they have different names,
and while they have some are girls and some are boys, Some
a little older, some a little younger, some been there longer
than others. But there's no chief in there. There's no jostling for position
or power or name or recognition. They're just kids. They're all
the same. Just kids. Just kids. Just lowly children. Just lowly children, that's all.
And that's what he's saying to these disciples. He said, Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself like this little child, or as
a little child, the same shall be greatest in the kingdom of
heaven. Not greater than others in the
kingdom of heaven, but greatest in the kingdom of heaven, because
everybody that's in the kingdom of heaven is great. You understand
that? That doesn't mean there's going
to be degrees of reward and degrees of glory and degrees of power
in heaven. Anybody that's there is going to be great. He's going
to be like Christ. Great! That's nice. That's high
as you can get. And anybody there is not low.
They're high. They're greatest. Greatest, greatest.
That's what he's saying. Greatest. Paul knew something
about this. You know, I was saying to children
on the level, they're all low. They all jump when one of you
snaps your fingers. on a second snap sometime. Paul learned this. He said, I'm
the chief of sinners. He says, I'm not worthy to be
called an apostle. This great and revered man says
I'm less than the least of all the saints. That's what our Lord
said. Just come on down. Come on down. Now look at verse 5. Here, now
he has, I hope you see what I'm saying here. Now here, he's talking
to these disciples, and he said, now, you've got to come down. We've got to be stripped and
broken and in attitude and spirit and heart brought low at the
feet of Christ, like this little child. Now then, he turns his
conversation to these who are humble, and broken in spirit
and heart. He healed the brokenhearted and
who have become his little children. And he says, and whosoever shall
receive, whosoever shall receive or aid or encourage or help or
comfort one of these little children of mine who has by the Spirit
of God and the grace of God been broken and brought to Christ
he received me." You see what he's saying? He says it. He sets this little child here and
he says, now, in my kingdom, in the kingdom of God, all are
great. They're great because they're
like Christ, but they're humble. He humbled himself. Let this
man be in you which was in Christ Jesus, who thought it not robbery
to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. took
on him the form of a servant, became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. He said, if a man by the grace
of God can humble himself. Somebody said, well, people will
walk all over me, or I won't have my due, or this and that.
Wait a minute now, he's going to tell you how he's going to
care for and protect these little children. They're his little
children now. And he often says something about you being a parrot
and being evil, know how to give good things to your children,
you take care of his children. And he says, if you become as
a little child in meekness, not weakness, meekness and humility
and submission, then whosoever receives you and honors you and
blesses you and helps you receives me, your father. That's what
he says. Let me show you a reference in
Mark 9, 41. Hold the place there in Matthew
and turn to Mark 9, 41. For whosoever shall give you
a cup of water to drink in my name because you belong to me, verily I say unto you, he will
not lose his reward. He will not lose his reward.
You think about that. That's what he's saying about
his children. Now, there isn't a parent here tonight that doesn't
know what I'm talking about and how it blesses you when someone
is kind to your children. They have a kind word for your
children, and a kind act for your children, and a kind feeling
toward your children. It just warms your heart. You
stand there and smile at somebody that's good to your children.
That's what our Lord's saying here. My little children, my
little children. He said, anybody who receives
them, receives me. Anybody honors them, honors me.
Anybody gives them a cup of water because they belong to me, He
won't lose his reward. But, but, look at the next verse. But, and here is an angry father. But, whosoever shall offend one
of these little ones. Now he's not talking about that
little boy or girl he had spent, but he's talking about these
little ones of his. See that, Bob? That's who he's
talking about. Whosoever shall offend him. hurt him and make
the way more difficult, miserable for him, one of my little children.
Why, he said it would be better for that person that a millstone
were hanged about his neck. He was drowned in the depth of
the sea. I believe that. The wheels of
God's providence and justice turn slowly, Charlie, but they
turn. They turn. I know a pastor who went to a
certain place and they didn't have anything. I've known that
situation for many years. They didn't have anything. He went in there and labored
and God blessed him, blessed the church. Crowds tripled or
quadrupled. Bible conferences, visits, preaching. It just wasn't the same place
in two or three years. It just got evident the blessings
of God. And I know the man. He's a humble
man. He's one of these little children. I've known him for
years. He's one of these little children.
But here's a couple of men in that church. Got it in for him
over something. Got their backs up over something.
I know what it is. It's that authority business.
They want to be the chief, you know, run the show. They wanted
to tell him who to have in the pulpit. They wanted to tell him
what to do, when to do it, and all this sort of thing. They
wanted to run the church. So what did they do? They went
out and got some people. I'm not telling you hearsay.
I know this church. They went out and got one man
who hadn't been in church in three years. They went out and got
another one that had been married two or three times. He dropped
him about once every six months. They went out and got all the
dead wood they could. It was still on the road. Just
one reason to keep a clean road. And brought them in, and had
a meeting, and got that preacher fired. Now, I boldly declare
that God is my witness. Ain't nobody gonna get away with
that. That's what he's saying, right?
Whoso, and they hurt that man, they hurt him deeply. I've been
with him several times. He'd been hurt. been wounded,
like our Lord wounded in the house of his friend. Now, let
me tell you, if God, by his grace, brings a person to himself, and
they become a little child, they're a little child and they don't
defend themselves. They can't because they're humble people.
They don't draw swords with you and they won't fight with you
because God has given them a humble spirit, a kind spirit. He's giving
them a kind spirit. And when men jump on Him, you
know who's going to take their part? God will. God will. But He'll do it in His own time.
He'll do it in His own time. I just... I know judgment's going
to fall. I don't know when, don't know
how, I just know it will. Because whoso shall offend one
of these little ones, it were better for him He's got a millstone
hanged around his neck, and he's cast into the sea. One of these
whom God is humble. And taken down are his natural
defenses. We don't have natural defenses.
We don't fight our battles or defend ourselves. But God will. I'll show you something stronger
than that in a minute. And that's what he says in verse 7. He says,
Woe unto the world because of offenses. It must needs be that
offenses count because we're in an unfriendly world. You're going to have persecution. Natural men don't understand
Christ. They don't understand you. They don't love Christ.
They won't love you. Those men you work with on the
job. They don't understand your personality. They don't understand
your faith. They don't understand your humility.
They don't understand your way of doing, your principles. And
they'll wound you. They'll offend you. They'll hurt
you. They'll do their best to make life visible for you. They'll
mock you, persecute you. Those offenses must come, and
they will come. And pastors are standing in pulpits,
and they have to preach them the Word, and they have to say
things that upset natural men, natural religious men especially,
and they're going to shoot back. And those offenses are going
to come. But listen, woe to that man by whom the offense is coming.
There's going to be They're going to be instruments of Satan, but
woe to the instruments. That's right. They're going to
be folks that are going to hurt God's children, because they're
in a natural world. But woe to that man. He picked
on God's son. He picked on God's little child.
And he's got him a fight now, because he's taken on heaven.
That's what he's done. That's right. I'd revert back
to your parents. Your parents. I know there are a lot of men
here, you could fuss with them all day, but don't touch one
of their kids. Don't touch my, you know what, don't touch my
kid. And that's what God's saying here. He said offenses are going
to come, and woe to the man by whom they come. That's the reason
he said in verse 8, if your right hand put a finger, if you've
got a quarrel with one of God's children, you better just cut
it off. You'd better just cut it off.
It'd be better to go through life without a foot than to go
to hell with two. That's what he said. It's just
better not to get in this battle. Don't dabble with God's kingdom
and God's people. Just don't do it. And verse 5
and 9 says, if your eye offends you, if you've got a crooked
eye, if you've got an eye that can't see the way God's children
see or act like God's children act, just pluck it out. It's
better to go through life with one eye than have two to go to
hell. Verse 10, take heed now, take heed, listen to this preacher,
that you despise not one of God's little ones. Don't despise him,
don't hold him in contempt. And he gives you another reason.
He said, "'Cause they're angels, they're angels." What are you
talking about, they're angels, preacher? Talk about just what I'm talking
about. You know, the people of God have ministering angels and
guardian angels. Do you know that? I'll show you
that. Turn first of all to Psalm 34.
I'll show you two or three places. Two or three places. Psalm 34.
Now look over here a minute. Psalm 34, verse 7. The angel of the Lord he encampeth
round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." That's
what I'm talking about. That's what the Word says. Turn
to Psalm 91. I don't know if you want to turn here. I could
quote it, but let's turn so you can mark it. If you take notes,
you can go back and refer to it. Psalm 91, 11. He shall give his angels Well,
let's go back to verse 9. Because thou hast made the Lord,
which is my refuge, even the most high of thy habitation,
there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come
nigh thy dwelling, because he gives his angels charge over
thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. You mean we've got angels
stationed outside the house? That's what it says, doesn't
it? We've got angels stationed outside the house, all those
little ones, those little ones. Turn to Hebrews, chapter 1. Here's
another reference to the angels. The angels caring for God's little
ones. Hebrews, chapter 1, verse 13. Now to which of the angels said
he at any time, Sit on my right hand, and I make thine enemies
thy footstool. Are they who? Angels. Are they
not all ministering spirits? sent forth to minister for them
who shall be heirs of salvation." And what he's saying in our text
here, verse 10, take heed now. Be careful. Be careful how you
deal with God's little ones. Be careful. Don't despise them. Don't hold them in contempt.
For I say unto you that in Their angels do always behold the face
of my Father. They get their orders there.
They stand before the throne. And they get their orders, and
they go as God sends them. Wouldn't it be dreadful to God
to put one of His angels on your trail? That's what I'm talking
about. Like He did Sodom and Gomorrah?
He sent His angels down there to burn that city. He sent His
angels down there. They delivered His people. And
then they wiped out Sodom. His angels. Our Lord said to
His disciples, I could call on my Father and He'd send me legions
of what? Angels. I don't have to worry about what
men do to me. I've got in every one of His little ones, those
that have been brought to Him in submission, humility, got
angels up there. And God says you better not despise
one of them. because they're angels up there
taking orders from glory. That's what it says. For the
Son of Man, verse 11, came to save that which was lost. Lost
what? Lost sheep, lost children. They're His children. He's got
saved sons and lost sons. Here tonight, He's got some saved
sons and daughters, and here tonight Maybe that somebody sitting
out there is one of His sons, but you're not saved yet. You're
lost. You're still out in the wilderness. You're still in darkness.
But He came to save you, for He said, I thank you if a man
have a hundred sheep. He has a hundred sheep. They're
His. They're His children. They're His sheep. They're His
little ones. And ninety-nine of them are in the fold, and
one's gone astray. He leaves the ninety-nine and
goes and hunts the one. That one's important to Him.
God wouldn't deal with me for picking on That fellow would. Oh, yes, he would. Oh, yes, he would. You might
have twelve, and you're not careful one of them, but God cares for
all of you. All of you. Yeah. You leave that ninety-nine
and go into the mountains and seek that which has gone astray,
and if so be that ye find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoices
more in that sheep than the ninety-nine that went not astray. I don't
care how frail And thick on that sheep is, he's his sheep. Yeah, but you say that little
one, he's got some weaknesses. A lot of his sheep's got some
weaknesses. In fact, all of them, to some
degree or another. Yeah, he needs a little jacking
up. You better let God jack him up. You better not do it. That's
what he's saying here. You see, the frail sheep, you
go out in the wilderness, the lost sheep, the wandering sheep,
and there's more rejoicing over that one than the 99 that didn't
go astray. See what I'm saying, Charlie?
They're His little ones. And if there's any correcting to
be done, He'll do it. He'll do it. That's not your
business. Not my business. If they're His. And verse 14 said, even so, it's
not his will, it's not the will of the Father in heaven, that
one of these little ones should perish. Not a one of them is
ever going to be lost. God bless you all. And that's
where if you return to 2 Peter 3, that's what he's saying over
here in 2 Peter 3, that verse that everybody that thinks he knows
something about the Bible quotes all the time. God is not willing
that any should perish. Let's see what it really says.
And what did that verse just say I just read? It is not the
will of your father that one of these little ones should perish.
Know what it says? All right, look at 2 Peter 3,
verse 8. Beloved, don't be ignorant of
this one thing. One day is where the Lord is
a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day. The Lord is
not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness.
But his longsuffering to whom? To usward, to the sheep, to the
little one. Not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance. That's exactly what he's saying
here in Matthew 18. Matthew 18. He says, even so,
it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of
these little ones should perish. Now, that's an instructive passage
and a comforting passage. great blessing to me, and I thought
it might be to you tonight, to know that he defends his people
and considers any affront or resistance against them to
be personal, that he that despises them despises me. He that receiveth
one in my name receiveth me. All right, let's bow and pray. Our Father, we love Thy Word. What a blessing the Word is to
us. What a comfort, what a joy, what
encouragement. And it's such a great encouragement
because we know that it's true, that our God cannot lie, that
He is able to perform all that He promised. And in thy good
time, in the fullness of time, it shall all come to pass. And
all who love Christ and believe the Lord Jesus and rejoice in
Him shall be made just like Him, conformed perfectly to His image.
Thank you for the promise of Christ in the Word. Thank you
for the comfort that it gives us. Lord, strengthen our faith. increase our faith. Lord, teach
us to love. As this man said in the letter,
Lord, teach me to love and to believe and to rest in Thee. And Lord, teach me humility,
submission. Give me a contrite, broken spirit
and heart. We pray tonight for all whom
you brought this way. We know that it's not by accident
that we met together in this place. According to your divine
will and purpose, make the message and the word to be a strength
and a help and a blessing to all who've heard. And Lord, give
us ears to hear. May the object of our affection,
the object of our faith, be Christ alone. And we pray, all of us,
in a covenant together, in a unity of spirit, we trust for your
glory alone, but we pray for one another. There are burdened
hearts, there are broken hearts. There are heavy burdens and trials,
being endured and will be endured. Lord, give us strength. Help
us. Be merciful. heal the bodies, comfort the
hearts, save the rebellious, bring back the lost, work your
will and your way for your glory. We pray for Christ's sake. Amen.