Caring For God’s Children | Matthew 18:10-14

Scripture

• Matthew 18:10–14

About this sermon

Introduction: We said at the outset of our study of Matthew 18, that this is a chapter that focuses on the children of God. How does God regard His children? How do those children regard each other? How do we live as a child of God on this side of eternity? We said that the chapter can be divided in the following way: Verses 1-4 — The Kingdom belongs to God’s children. Verses 5-9 — The King identifies with God’s children. Verses 10-14 — The children of God are to be cared for. Verses 15-20 — The children of God are to be corrected. Verses 21-35 — The children of God are to be forgiven. We have seen that the kingdom belongs to God’s children and that God identifies Christ’s disciples with His Son. Tonight, we focus on the care and concern that God has assigned to His people. And if we wonder what the connection is between this parable and the preceding verses, it seems clear that what our Lord is saying is that our CONCERN ABOUT STUMBLING BLOCKS needs to match OUR FATHER’S CONCERN ABOUT HIS PEOPLE. If it is the Father’s will that NOT ONE of these little ones should perish, then WE are concerned with respect to these little ones) for their PRESERVATION, THEIR BLESSING, THEIR STRENGTH, THEIR CONTINUANCE, and would NEVER want to get in the way of their progress. Again, we are reminded that what our Lord is teaching is FOR DISCIPLES. These are WARNINGS that REGISTER with genuine children of God. If you are a child of God, you are not just concerned for yourself. You LOVE THE BRETHREN. ESV 1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. SO, WE ARE BEING TESTED WHEN WE HEAR CHRIST TALK ABOUT THE CHILDREN OF GOD. My status as a child of God is demonstrated by MY CONCERN for fellow disciples. I CAN’T LOVE THE FATHER AND THE SON AND HAVE NO CONCERN FOR MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHOM HE LOVES. If God is precious to me, and if my Savior is precious to me, then YOU — child of God, my brother or sister — must be precious to me. • THE CARE FOR GOD’S CHILDREN DEMONSTRATED BY THE ASSIGNMENTS OF THE FATHER (vs.10) Our Lord begins with a clear directive. He forbids an attitude on our part. • THE COMMAND And it is a command that is to be taken heart regarding EACH AND EVERY child of God. This is not something that we can be selective about. This is something to be applied universally. WHAT ATTITUDE DOES JESUS FORBID? He commands that we do not look down on a fellow child of God. καταφρονέω ① to look down on someone or someth. with contempt or aversion, with implication that one considers the object of little value, look down on, despise, scorn, treat with contempt It is a great sin to treat a child of God as if they are of very little value. It is a GREAT sin to treat a child of God dismissively. Or to put positively. We must see each child of God as having great importance and worth. Now, let the universal nature of this sink in. THIS IS TRUE WITH THE MOST COMMON CHRISTIAN. Those who have little influence. Those who have (in some cases) minimum education. Those who have little means. THIS IS TRUE WITH THE QUIRKIEST CHRISTIAN. THIS IS TRUE WITH IMMATURE CHRISTIANS. THIS IS TRUE WITH STRUGGLING CHRISTIANS. THIS IS TRUE WITH DISOBEDIENT CHRISTIANS. This is true with ALL Christians.

Topics

• Parenting