Today, on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Every single one of us here. Can be great in the kingdom of God if we do what Jesus says: whoever humbles himself, verse 4. Like this child is the greatest. in the kingdom.
Of heaven and hell. Welcome to The Verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. Our world values money, power, and prestige. and many people spend their lives trying to attain this kind of success. But today on the verdict, we'll see that being great in the eyes of God is something completely different.
Humility is key. and we're going to learn more about this important countercultural truth.
So now, let's join Pastor John Monroe. John at the beginning of his gospel reminds us that the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Jesus personifies the perfect balance of grace. and truth.
Some people superficially seem gracious. But they're so focussed on not offending anyone that they don't speak the truth. On the other hand, sometimes people speak the truth, but it's harsh, lacking compassion, and comes over as very judgmental. Today, as we learn from the teaching of Jesus, we will see this perfect balance. Jesus is going to remind us of the importance of humility.
And then he's going to speak of those who will experience eternal Punishment. You can't pick and choose what you want to accept from the teaching of Jesus. Let's learn from the master teacher today. Does everyone enter the kingdom of heaven? Does everyone, as it were, make it to heaven?
Do you think you're going to be in heaven? And if so, on what basis do you think that you will enter the kingdom of heaven? Also, here's another question. Who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Here's another question.
How should we treat those who are in the kingdom. of heaven. These very, very important questions are dealt with in this compelling passage today. And I ask you to open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 18. And today we come to the first 10 verses of Matthew chapter 18.
Chapter Eighteen. Matthew 18 verse 1. At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And calling to him a child, he put them in the midst of them and said, Truly, I say to you. Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, It would be better for him. to have a millstone fastened round his neck. and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
Woe to the world for temptations to sin. For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes. And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you. to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet.
to be thrown into the eternal Fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. Verse 10, see that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you That in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in.
Heaven. What an amazing. Passage of scripture, isn't it? You say, That's a very tough passage, yes. Here Jesus is talking about the eternal fire.
He's talking about the hell of fire, and we'll think of that. But before we get there, What is Jesus saying about being great? He's saying this. Those in the kingdom of heaven are not to seek personal greatness. Do you get that?
Those in the kingdom of heaven are not to seek personal greatness. That's very opposite from what the world tells you, isn't it? The disciples, like most of us, focus on Personal greatness, verse 1. At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Mark, as he gives us the parallel passage in his gospel, says that the disciples were arguing who is the greatest.
Perhaps some of them are a bit envious. In a previous chapter, Matthew 17. Remember, Jesus had called three of them, Peter and James and John, and taken them to the Mount of Transfiguration. And there they saw something of the glory and majesty of God. And you can imagine, I think I would have felt like this if I was Thomas or Philip.
Not being called, say, well, you know, they think they're really good, don't they? They think they're special. Why wasn't I called? to go up the mount. And perhaps Peter and James and John, when they came down, thought, well, there we are, we're the inner circle.
We really are great. And so you can well imagine. with these twelve men cancher. Talk about male ego, right? Arguing, well, who is?
Number one. In the kingdom of heaven, yes, there are different callings, but that does not constitute greatness in the eyes of Jesus. Jesus does not say, wait a minute, I made it very, very clear. Peter, James, and John, they're great. I call them to the Mount of Transfiguration.
Uh Philip and uh Thomas and the rest of you, not you. You you're you're second class. Not at all. Different callings, that's true. Different gifts, different abilities, but that is not the measure of greatness in the kingdom of heaven.
Who is number one? That attitude? Wanting to be first, wanting to be the best. Wanting always to be right, that destroys relationships, doesn't it? That leads to disunity, to arguments.
Think of that in a marriage. Who is the greater? Who is the best? Who is number one? Think of that in the business, in partnership.
Business partnerships. I was a partner in a law firm, and law firms are notorious for falling out. Who's the greatest? Who's the best lawyer? Who's number one?
Bye-bye. What about boards? What about committees? What about elder boards? What about pastors' meetings?
What about Life in general. If we're not careful, who's number one? Who's the greatest? Why does my view not It's deadly, isn't it? Try it.
Of course, has entered the ranks of the disciples. They're asking the wrong question. Our Lord Jesus, if they had been listening, had been teaching them about suffering and the cross. But their focus is not on the cross. Their focus is not on self-denial and following Jesus.
Their focus is on themselves. Who's the greatest? After Argentina beat Brazil in the Copa America, with apologies to my Brazilian friends.
Some people, there was a debate after the game, said that Messi, the brilliant Argentinian soccer player who plays for Barcelona, they said he was the goat. Goats, the greatest of all time. Do you notice how this is now in sport? Who is the goat? Who is the greatest of all time?
Is it messy? I personally I don't think so, but no one has asked my opinion. But you could argue who is the greatest Soccer player in the world. Who is number one? One.
The disciples, you see, are seeing greatness in terms of power and position, prestige, status, and significance. It's all about me. It's so easy, isn't it, for followers of Jesus? to be like the disciples, isn't it? to pursue personal affirmation.
To do things, good things in ministry for recognition to be important. to get applause from others. Trying to be known as the most spiritual, trying in a Bible study to be known as the person who's got all the answers, who really is the best Bible. A person with all of the knowledge. Trying to be The greatest.
Such self-serving And self-promoting attitudes and conduct, and who among us would say that we are immune from that? They are totally alien to following Jesus. You remember that wonderful passage in Matthew chapter 11 where Jesus had said, Come to me. All you who are laboring and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and learn of me.
What did he want us to learn from him? That I am. The greatest? Of course he's the greatest. He's the living God, he's God incarnate.
But he said, I am meek. I'm gentle and lowly in heart. That is what I want you, my disciples, to learn. You're to be like me. You're to be gentle and lowly in heart.
Peter writes in his first letter that God is always opposed to the proud and gives grace to the humble. You say, well, but they're so proud, they need God's grace. Yes, but they don't recognize that, they won't receive that, they think they're all right. God is opposed to the proud.
So if you're proud, God is opposed to you. You're fighting against God. That is a great, deadly sin of pride. It will wreck everything that you are. And do.
It's deadly. And there's no place in the kingdom of heaven. God gives what? Grace. Summable.
Don't you want God's grace? Don't you want God's grace on your life? God's grace on your marriage. Humble. ourselves.
And the key to entering the kingdom of heaven is humility. Look at verse 2. calling to him a child. Think of the brilliant teaching of Jesus. Imagine this.
A little girl, a little boy coming. Calling a child He put in the midst of them. These men who are consumed with being number one. And said, truly I say to you, Unless you Turn. and become like Children.
You will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. That's convicting, isn't it? Turn Repent. and become like A child, humble.
I think there's a lot of misunderstandings about humility. Humility is not a particular personality type. It's not some kind of individual with an insipid personality that wouldn't say boo to a goose. But it's very humble. No, it's not very humble.
Uh he's actually as mean as the rest of us. Um but he has He really wants everyone to think he's nice. He he's proud.
Some of you will remember from your school days, as I do, reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Any of you read that? I don't know what you read here, but Eliza's an Englishman, and in Scotland we even read Englishman. Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, he paints a beautiful character sketch of this man called Uriah Heap. Remember Uriah Heap?
And he kept saying he was a very humble man. He was very humble. And he was very obsequious. And he gave this appearance, very unctuous, kind of a syrupy, slimy kind of individual, and he kept saying he was humble. In England they they drop sometimes the edge.
So he's a very humble man. But as it as the plot continues, it's obvious that Urahib is far from that. He's a nasty, deceitful person. No, the humble person doesn't go around saying he or she is humble. Think of our Savior.
Our Savior was the humblest of men. He came from the glories of heaven and came down, down, down, became a man, became a servant, became obedient to death, even death on the cross. Paul says in the Philippians 2, he is the humblest of men, but he's the strongest of men. Humility. What will help us?
Jesus tells us, learn from a child. This is a small child. Small ch children are helpless. and they're totally dependent on others. See, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven by your own efforts.
By your own accomplishments. You think you're pretty well accomplished, you're well educated, you're a talented individual, and you've done pretty well in life. That may well be the case. Give thanks to God for it, but you will never enter the kingdom of God that. Wait.
Listen to Jesus as he begins. His public ministry. Matthew tells us, Matthew 4, verse 17, when Jesus comes preaching, what does he say? Repent. For the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
What am I to do? I'm to turn. I'm to repent. Repent of what? Repent of my sin, repent of my ego, repent of my pride.
I repent of my rebellion against God. Repent of this attitude that wants to do things my way rather than choosing to bow. I'm to repent. You're to repent. Matthew has the words of the Lord saying in Mark chapter 1: repent and believe in the gospel.
That is, I'm to look at this child.
Now in that culture Unlike ours, Children had no status. They were the laws of the law. They were to be seen and not heard. Very different from children. In our Culture.
In many homes, sadly, children run the home and become the center of the home. I remember Goody and I a few years ago, certainly not a home in church, this would never happen here. We're invited to this home for dinner and the the couple have a number of children. Five or six, and the youngest has five. And we're sitting waiting for dinner and chatting about platitudes.
And this little boy comes and he starts kicking me. I've been kicked many times through playing soccer, and there you kick back when the ref is not looking. But I thought, I can't really kick this five-year-old. I mean, clearly, he's a little monster. And I'm waiting for mom or dad to say, stop kicking John.
Oh, no, this is funny. No, it's not funny. Um and it became clear that this little five-year-old Was head of the home. That was not the case in the Greco-Roman world. That's not the picture.
The picture is, in the status of society, adults were honored. Children seen and not. Perd. become Mike. The child.
Children then were regarded as unimportant, insignificant, no status. I'm to learn from a child. I have to enter the kingdom of God by humbly being repentant and asking Christ to save me. I'm to continue in the kingdom of heaven, growing in the kingdom of God. serving in the kingdom of God through humility.
And that being great, and this is good news for all of us, being great in the kingdom of heaven is not dependent on your gifts, your talents, your ability, your education, your social status, the amount of money you have. Your achievements. Being great in the kingdom of God is nothing like that. Every single one of us here. Can be great in the kingdom of God if we do what Jesus says and said, whoever humbles himself, verse 4.
Like this child is the greatest. in the kingdom. of heaven. Gemelady. It's the key.
of entering. the kingdom of heaven. and of growing in the kingdom of heaven. You say, well, how will I know? John, if I have achieved this humility.
Well, it's not just achieved just once and for all, is it? This is a daily thing, isn't it? But The Lord is telling us: number one, don't seek personal greatness. Stop always seeking. The limelight.
Start always seeking to be the center of everything. Stop that.
So how about you? It's following Jesus. That was a problem with the disciples. They're arguing who's the greatest. Don't do that.
Don't do that. Some of that. Don't seek. Personal greatness in terms of your own achievements. But here's another test.
The humble person Obeys the word of God. Listen to Isaiah 66. The end of verse 2. But to this one, this is the one to whom I will look. Here's the one that God looks to and is going to put his grace on.
You want that, don't you? He who is humble and contrite in spirit. This is not changing your personality.
So it's not that we become a church of non-entities. Not at all. But to be humble and contrite in spirit, and here it is. trembles at my word.
Now there's a test. Do you tremble at the word of God? When did you last tremble at the word of God at our leadership meeting? on Monday night. Uh I read the the passage in Joshua 7 about the sin of Achan.
And of what happened to him. And I challenge their leaders as I was challenged myself. Is there something that we are doing that could have such a negative impact on the church? It was very convicting. In a sense, we trembled.
At the word. Of God. Do you take it that seriously? That God is speaking to you today. Yes, you, His living word, comes to you if you're.
Heart is opened, if you've ears to hear, and that you tremble at it, and you think, Yes, that is me, that is my ungodly attitude, my selfish self-assertion, and you tremble at it so that when God speaks, You say, Speak, Lord, for your servant. Here's pride. is self-assertion. Pride is the root. The path to greatness is not up.
But down. The path To greatness is in serving. Others Matthew 20.
Next page in your Bible, Matthew 20 verse 26. Jesus says, whoever would be great among you must be your Servant. Do you prefer to serve or to be served? Personally, I prefer to be served. Am I honest?
Truth. I love being served. I've got a wife who's a great servant. It's wonderful living with a person like that, isn't it? Yeah.
Whoever would be great among you, Must be your servant. Whoever would be first among you must be your Slave. Even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. That is the supreme motivation and example of greatness, is like Jesus Christ, who came not to be served, but to serve.
So when there's a crisis, A domestic crisis in the life of Jesus. And no one was there to wash the feet of the disciples. And there's no child, there's no slave, there's no woman. There's no young person to take care of their dirty feet. Who's the one who's going to come and serve them?
The Lord of glory. Our Saviour, he's the one that takes the towel. and washes the feet. a very dirty, selfish, Argumentative. Man.
And I think the angels in heaven must have been amazed. are the one that they serve. This is God incarnate. This is showing what God is like. That when he comes, the mighty God, the eternal God, the great God, when he comes to us, in our brokenness, in our darkness, in our rebellion.
that he comes. To serve. What about you? You you serving your servant. Looking for Status or serving In the shadows.
Greatness in the kingdom of heaven, then, is not being number one. It's not being first, but it's being willing to serve particularly the lowest. This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever.
but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at theverdict.org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry.
Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam. It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website. Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? I have to ask you if you've entered the kingdom of heaven. This does not come about by being born into a Christian home or being baptized or being a good person. Have you humbly repented of your sin and trusted Christ alone for salvation? Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?
One of the characteristics of authentic followers of Jesus is humility.
So, are you humble? How are you showing that humility in your relationships? God is opposed to the proud.
What gives grace to the humble? Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
