Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19961208.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part X. Christ's Messianic Kingdom Postponed
L. Christ's Edification Of The Disciples In View Of His Rejection As The King
5. Characteristics In Truly Great Christians According To Jesus Christ
(Matthew 18:1-35)
  1. Introduction
    1. We are to grow and mature as believers according to God's commands in 2 Peter 3:18 and Matthew 5:48.
    2. However, what is the end result of such maturity so that we know when we have arrived? After all, unless we have a goal, how do we know what we are striving for?
    3. Matthew 18:1 records the disciples asking Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and His response in verses 2-35 of that chapter answers our question in a very revealing way as follows:
  2. Characteristics In Truly Great Christians According To Jesus Christ, Matthew 18:1-35.
    1. When Jesus was asked by the twelve who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus did a very unusual thing: he called a little child unto himself and put the child right in the midst of the twelve grown men, Mtt. 18:2. This woul d have made such a toddler feel overawed and unpretentious in their midst.
    2. With the little toddler overawed and unpretentious in the midst of these twelve grown men, let alone in the presence of the Messiah, Jesus revealed the following five qualities of really great believers:
      1. Just as that little toddler was very humble in their midst, Jesus noted that truly great believers are as overawed at others and unpretentious in relationships as was that toddler at that moment, Mtt. 18:3-4.
      2. Jesus went on to note that truly great believers sense a deep accountability to GOD in how they treat those considered the least with whom they relate, Mtt. 18:5-6.
        1. Jesus noted that great believers view the least with whom they relate as those who are so valuable to God that relating to them is viewed by God as one would relate to Himself, Mtt. 18:5.
        2. Thus, such great believers do their best not to cause such least-considered people to be misled into sin, or to be offended by our sinning against them, Mtt. 18:6.
      3. Accordingly, truly great believers try to reconcile their relationships that are hurting as they must give an account to God for how they try to reconcile to the least of men, Mtt. 18:7-14.
      4. Truly great believers will try to reconcile, but they are not afraid of excommunicating from those who are intentionally evil and unreconcilable as the issue of righteousness takes precedence over human relati onships, Mtt. 18:15-20.
      5. Truly great believers are always prepared to forgive repentant people, Mtt. 18:21-35. The balance of this truth is found in Matthew 3:5-8 where a lifestyle change is the litmus test whereby we can tell if one is truly repentant, not just a spur-of-the-mome nt act or confession!
Lesson: As the world views it, greatness is promoting SELF and SELFISH interests. God views maturity as one's capacity to shift from SELFISH interests and promotion to minister to the needs and interests of OTHERS and GOD! The greater that shift, the greater the maturity.

Illustration: A large man was witnessed one day in a barber shop getting into a conversation with his barber in which the barber poured out his troubles to him. Sitting in the waiting chair was President Woodrow Wilson who did not know who the lar ge man was, and the President was awed at how concerned the man was in seeking to help the barber. Soon the whole shop atmosphere changed and became silent as the large man, a Christian, began speaking on how Christ was the answer for the barber's deep nee ds. After the hair cut, he paid the barber and the large man left. Awed at the great concern of the large man for the lowly barber, President Woodrow Wilson asked who he was, and was astonished to find it was the renowned Evangelist, Dwight L. Moody who had taken such a deep interest in the barber's troubles! Truly GREAT Christians, like Dwight L. Moody, have learned to see the needs of others as a priority over their own selfish interests! Even a President of the United States could see true greatness, the kind of greatness God sees!