WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.060 This morning, our scripture reading comes from Matthew chapter 18, and there it is on the screen. 00:00:07.379 --> 00:00:08.580 Listen to God's word. 00:00:10.179 --> 00:00:13.560 At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying, 00:00:14.300 --> 00:00:16.179 Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 00:00:17.080 --> 00:00:20.600 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, 00:00:21.120 --> 00:00:26.400 Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, 00:00:26.400 --> 00:00:29.560 you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 00:00:30.339 --> 00:00:35.939 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 00:00:37.240 --> 00:00:41.659 Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me. 00:00:42.600 --> 00:00:47.079 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:52.600 it will be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck 00:00:52.600 --> 00:00:55.179 and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 00:00:56.579 --> 00:00:58.939 Woe to the world for temptations to sin. 00:00:58.939 --> 00:01:01.759 For it is necessary that temptations come. 00:01:02.359 --> 00:01:05.899 But woe to the one by whom temptations come. 00:01:06.939 --> 00:01:11.859 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. 00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:18.459 It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet 00:01:18.459 --> 00:01:21.060 and to be thrown into the eternal fire. 00:01:21.060 --> 00:01:25.680 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:32.439 For it is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. 00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:36.959 See that you do not despise these little ones. 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:42.799 For I tell you that in heaven, their angels always see the face of my father who is in heaven. 00:01:43.919 --> 00:01:44.659 What do you think? 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:50.039 If a man has a hundred sheep and if one of them has gone astray, 00:01:50.679 --> 00:01:55.539 does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain and go in search of the one that went astray? 00:01:55.540 --> 00:02:03.140 And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than the ninety-nine who never went astray. 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:11.280 So, it is not the will of my father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:18.979 If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:21.259 If he listens, you have gained your brother. 00:02:22.259 --> 00:02:26.099 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you 00:02:26.099 --> 00:02:31.840 that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:36.020 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. 00:02:36.020 --> 00:02:42.900 And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 00:02:43.939 --> 00:02:47.719 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. 00:02:48.160 --> 00:02:51.480 And whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:57.340 Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, 00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:00.379 it will be done for them by my father in heaven. 00:03:01.219 --> 00:03:05.740 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. 00:03:06.380 --> 00:03:07.219 This is God's word. 00:03:07.219 --> 00:03:07.320 Amen. 00:03:21.320 --> 00:03:21.880 All right. 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:22.760 Thanks, Alfie, for reading. 00:03:22.920 --> 00:03:23.379 That's great. 00:03:23.820 --> 00:03:25.480 It's nice to meet Alfie this week. 00:03:25.980 --> 00:03:28.520 But, yeah, let's come and meet someone more important. 00:03:28.820 --> 00:03:32.040 Let's meet with God as we listen to his words. 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:33.240 Let's pray. 00:03:33.240 --> 00:03:38.680 Our Father, thank you that you are the speaking God, the living God. 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:43.379 Please speak to us now through these words, through my words. 00:03:44.340 --> 00:03:48.300 Would you show us Jesus and make us the church you want us to be? 00:03:48.780 --> 00:03:49.960 In Jesus' name. 00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:50.820 Amen. 00:03:52.520 --> 00:03:52.920 Great. 00:03:53.340 --> 00:03:56.000 Well, the Christian life is all about Jesus, right? 00:03:56.020 --> 00:03:56.740 That's what we believe. 00:03:56.740 --> 00:03:59.560 If you're a Christian, come to Jesus. 00:03:59.879 --> 00:04:02.560 And you have a relationship with Jesus. 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:03.640 Jesus saves you. 00:04:04.140 --> 00:04:07.980 Although you can be forgiven when you then meet a Christian to think it's all about the 00:04:07.980 --> 00:04:08.659 church, right? 00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:09.420 Become a Christian. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:09.980 What do you do? 00:04:10.060 --> 00:04:11.379 Well, you join a church. 00:04:11.460 --> 00:04:12.500 And you start going to church. 00:04:12.580 --> 00:04:13.560 And you meet with the church. 00:04:13.620 --> 00:04:14.660 And you serve at church. 00:04:15.460 --> 00:04:16.780 It's all about the church, it seems. 00:04:16.779 --> 00:04:20.459 And sometimes you meet people, well, can I be a Christian and not go to church? 00:04:20.559 --> 00:04:23.239 And they say, well, you say no. 00:04:23.979 --> 00:04:24.979 Church is essential. 00:04:25.919 --> 00:04:28.659 But that's, of course, what is the church really, right? 00:04:28.679 --> 00:04:29.579 It's not that surprising. 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:31.739 Where do you hear about Jesus? 00:04:32.159 --> 00:04:33.079 Well, here in the church. 00:04:33.699 --> 00:04:35.059 Where do you grow in Jesus? 00:04:35.359 --> 00:04:36.199 In the church. 00:04:36.259 --> 00:04:38.839 Because this is the family of God. 00:04:38.919 --> 00:04:42.839 This is Jesus' followers coming together, meeting together. 00:04:42.839 --> 00:04:48.539 No wonder that is where you meet Jesus, where you hear about Jesus, right? 00:04:48.599 --> 00:04:50.779 It's almost like the church is a bit of an embassy. 00:04:51.539 --> 00:04:52.779 You know, I want to go to Cambodia. 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:53.659 How do I get there? 00:04:53.979 --> 00:04:55.439 Through the Cambodian embassy. 00:04:56.120 --> 00:04:57.359 You know, I want to come to Jesus. 00:04:57.479 --> 00:04:58.139 I want to grow in him. 00:04:58.819 --> 00:04:59.759 It's through the church. 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:05.559 But then it's so sad sometimes when you hear stories when, well, the church isn't what it's 00:05:05.559 --> 00:05:06.299 supposed to be, right? 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:07.359 People come to church. 00:05:07.959 --> 00:05:09.239 They need help. 00:05:09.379 --> 00:05:10.539 And they need Jesus. 00:05:10.539 --> 00:05:12.579 And instead, they get hurt. 00:05:13.399 --> 00:05:14.299 That's so sad, right? 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:16.939 It turns people away, not just from the church, but from Jesus. 00:05:17.819 --> 00:05:22.919 And so, as a church, we want to be, you know, the church that God wants us to be. 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:24.759 Matthew wants that. 00:05:25.179 --> 00:05:26.879 I mean, we've been going through Matthew's gospel. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:28.819 And, of course, Matthew, it is a gospel. 00:05:28.979 --> 00:05:30.079 It's all about Jesus. 00:05:30.939 --> 00:05:33.799 And yet, there's so much for his disciples here, right? 00:05:34.259 --> 00:05:36.219 Matthew regularly, he has all these stories. 00:05:36.219 --> 00:05:39.339 And then he interrupts it and gives us a block of teaching. 00:05:39.539 --> 00:05:41.500 How to live as one of Jesus' disciples. 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:42.399 How to be church. 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:46.699 And, well, as we're going into chapter 18 today, that is what is happening. 00:05:47.219 --> 00:05:50.979 We're breaking up the stories and we have a chapter of teaching. 00:05:51.599 --> 00:05:54.099 And this one especially about the church. 00:05:54.239 --> 00:05:56.099 What should we be like in the church? 00:05:56.100 --> 00:05:58.939 You know, it fits in a way. 00:05:59.640 --> 00:06:03.320 The past few chapters, we've seen Jesus starting the church, right? 00:06:04.100 --> 00:06:05.180 Israel's rejected him. 00:06:05.420 --> 00:06:06.540 I'm going to do something new. 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:08.300 I'm going to build my church. 00:06:08.379 --> 00:06:09.640 Well, what is that church like? 00:06:09.639 --> 00:06:13.060 Let's listen to what Jesus says. 00:06:13.060 --> 00:06:14.319 I hope we want that, right? 00:06:14.360 --> 00:06:16.139 We want to be Jesus' church. 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:20.079 We want to be his ambassadors here, his embassy. 00:06:21.039 --> 00:06:22.740 Well, let's listen. 00:06:23.079 --> 00:06:26.680 And as you won't be surprised, it's all about Jesus. 00:06:26.860 --> 00:06:27.719 What are we going to hear today? 00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:27.800 Okay. 00:06:29.060 --> 00:06:34.400 Now, from this chapter, I'm saying, okay, it's how we treat each other, how we treat each 00:06:34.400 --> 00:06:35.020 other as a church. 00:06:35.100 --> 00:06:37.960 So, actually, the first few verses is slightly different, right? 00:06:38.840 --> 00:06:40.220 Where does Jesus start? 00:06:40.520 --> 00:06:42.080 He starts almost with ourselves. 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:49.019 Because, as usual in the Bible, how we live is based on who we are. 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:54.579 And so, Jesus starts with, look, we need to see the church as Jesus does. 00:06:54.699 --> 00:06:57.479 See ourselves as he sees us. 00:06:59.620 --> 00:07:02.120 And maybe, you know, I don't know how you see yourself. 00:07:02.839 --> 00:07:06.560 The disciples, they came to Jesus with quite a high view of themselves, right? 00:07:06.919 --> 00:07:08.439 As usual, they don't get it. 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:09.539 Verse 1. 00:07:09.540 --> 00:07:15.540 At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 00:07:16.060 --> 00:07:16.980 Who is the greatest? 00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:19.480 In Greek, there's a kind of so then. 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:22.939 In light of what we've seen in the past few chapters, who is the greatest? 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:26.480 Because, you know, it can be great to be the church, right? 00:07:26.500 --> 00:07:31.920 The past few chapters, if you are the church, if you're Jesus' disciples, you are, you know, 00:07:32.180 --> 00:07:33.820 one of the followers of the Messiah. 00:07:34.840 --> 00:07:37.280 You're going to be rewarded when he returns. 00:07:37.279 --> 00:07:41.299 The disciples, they were there on the mountain with Jesus. 00:07:41.539 --> 00:07:43.199 They share in his ministry. 00:07:44.059 --> 00:07:46.759 Last week, Peter didn't need to pay any temple tax. 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:48.500 Jesus paid it for him. 00:07:48.619 --> 00:07:49.899 Peter is now his son of God. 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:51.399 Isn't that exciting? 00:07:51.599 --> 00:07:53.139 Isn't it so great to be the church? 00:07:53.539 --> 00:07:55.679 You know, shouldn't the church be really impressive? 00:07:57.139 --> 00:07:59.659 And Jesus says, no, you don't really get it. 00:08:00.039 --> 00:08:00.979 What does Jesus say? 00:08:00.980 --> 00:08:08.540 Well, verse 2, and calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, truly, 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:14.340 I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom 00:08:14.340 --> 00:08:14.939 of heaven. 00:08:15.700 --> 00:08:20.759 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:23.200 You need to become like a child. 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:24.740 That's what Jesus says. 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:26.259 And you've heard it through the whole passage, right? 00:08:26.259 --> 00:08:29.560 A child like this, one of these little ones. 00:08:30.439 --> 00:08:33.039 Jesus thinks we should see each other as children. 00:08:33.220 --> 00:08:36.299 And of course, children, what does that mean, right? 00:08:37.319 --> 00:08:37.960 I don't know. 00:08:38.319 --> 00:08:40.100 Children are different to different cultures. 00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:42.519 Does it mean we all need to be very cute? 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:46.539 Does it need to be, we need to be innocent? 00:08:47.399 --> 00:08:48.840 You don't know children very well. 00:08:49.340 --> 00:08:50.600 Do we need to be carefree? 00:08:51.419 --> 00:08:52.659 Do we need to be childish? 00:08:53.779 --> 00:08:54.259 No, right? 00:08:54.259 --> 00:08:56.039 What does Jesus say? 00:08:56.279 --> 00:08:58.399 Whoever humbles himself like this child. 00:08:59.620 --> 00:09:02.700 Because children, they don't really have anything to offer, right? 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:05.179 Children, they're not impressive. 00:09:06.220 --> 00:09:08.299 They had a very low status back then. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:09.519 Children have nothing to offer. 00:09:09.620 --> 00:09:11.080 And children are weak. 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:12.340 They're powerless. 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:13.700 They're needy. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:16.340 They're so dependent on their parents. 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:21.340 And in a way, that's the kind of people Jesus has been saving, right? 00:09:21.340 --> 00:09:24.800 You read through the gospel, what kind of people come to Jesus? 00:09:26.019 --> 00:09:28.000 Well, they're weak and powerless. 00:09:28.259 --> 00:09:30.440 They have a loved one they can't save. 00:09:30.500 --> 00:09:32.759 And they come to Jesus and they have nothing to offer. 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:34.780 They just say, Lord, have mercy. 00:09:35.040 --> 00:09:36.080 I need your help. 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:43.200 And this woman from the Gentile woman, this last week, the man with his son. 00:09:43.800 --> 00:09:44.759 I can't do anything. 00:09:44.920 --> 00:09:45.680 Please help me. 00:09:46.300 --> 00:09:47.620 That kind of attitude, right? 00:09:47.620 --> 00:09:50.620 That is the kind of people that Jesus then loves. 00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:52.740 And he heals the children. 00:09:52.980 --> 00:09:54.840 And, you know, he welcomes them. 00:09:55.580 --> 00:09:59.560 That is, you know, the kind of people that Jesus saves. 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:05.239 And so, in a way, that is how we, how he says, well, that's what you should be like. 00:10:05.559 --> 00:10:12.339 People who come to Jesus needy, humbly, nothing to offer, just, Jesus, I need you. 00:10:13.339 --> 00:10:16.459 And, you know, I know I don't deserve it. 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:17.399 I'm unclean. 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:18.579 I'm not acceptable. 00:10:18.739 --> 00:10:20.459 But, Lord, you have mercy. 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:23.859 That's how Jesus sees us. 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:25.899 Not the greatest, right? 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:28.219 Weak and humble sinners. 00:10:28.220 --> 00:10:30.360 That's who we are. 00:10:31.240 --> 00:10:32.220 Knowing you're like that. 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:34.180 And then Jesus says, well, that's the greatest person. 00:10:34.259 --> 00:10:37.340 The person who really knows how weak and sinful they are. 00:10:38.180 --> 00:10:39.420 It's very different, right? 00:10:40.620 --> 00:10:42.000 But that is how we should see the church. 00:10:42.139 --> 00:10:44.660 And Jesus says, well, start, first of all, with yourself, right? 00:10:44.940 --> 00:10:49.360 Unless you become like a child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven, right? 00:10:49.940 --> 00:10:53.220 We need to, Jesus points the finger, how do you see yourself? 00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:56.480 As weak and needy, hopefully. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:10:58.620 Needing Jesus. 00:11:00.680 --> 00:11:01.920 It sounds weird, right? 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:03.899 You'd think, oh, no, Jesus is building this kingdom. 00:11:04.060 --> 00:11:05.000 He wants great people. 00:11:05.100 --> 00:11:07.399 He wants powerful, independent people. 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:07.720 No. 00:11:08.840 --> 00:11:09.820 Jesus doesn't want it. 00:11:09.899 --> 00:11:11.840 He wants people who depend on him. 00:11:12.039 --> 00:11:12.960 Weak and needy. 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:18.420 In fact, if you are so great, Jesus says, well, you won't enter the kingdom of heaven. 00:11:19.019 --> 00:11:20.500 Unless you humble yourself. 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:23.500 And if you think, Jesus, I don't need you. 00:11:23.560 --> 00:11:24.160 I'm so great. 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:25.680 Well, Jesus says, sure. 00:11:26.139 --> 00:11:27.100 You won't need me then. 00:11:27.280 --> 00:11:27.960 You won't have me. 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:30.980 Now, weak, needy sinners, right? 00:11:31.220 --> 00:11:32.940 That is the kind of people Jesus loves. 00:11:33.060 --> 00:11:40.180 Jesus, you see the gospels and he's so compassionate and loving to the weak and needy, to the sinful. 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:41.280 All right? 00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:44.340 The tax collectors and the prostitutes and all those people. 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:45.620 That is Jesus' heart. 00:11:46.980 --> 00:11:48.480 And that's the people he loves. 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:50.940 So, yeah, how do you see yourself? 00:11:51.659 --> 00:11:52.820 Yeah, as a child. 00:11:54.019 --> 00:11:54.420 Humble. 00:11:54.940 --> 00:11:55.840 Nothing to offer. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:59.139 Because maybe, no matter how, you look on the outside. 00:11:59.940 --> 00:12:02.000 As Jesus has been saying, what's your heart like, right? 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:04.159 Deep down, so full of sin. 00:12:04.820 --> 00:12:05.920 Full of idols. 00:12:06.120 --> 00:12:09.300 Full of things that we love more than Jesus. 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:11.680 Now, if we're honest, yeah. 00:12:12.379 --> 00:12:13.480 We're not really anything. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:16.340 Not that all the other stuff isn't true. 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:17.960 Not that we're not children of the king. 00:12:17.960 --> 00:12:20.780 Not that we're not holy and blameless in his sight. 00:12:20.920 --> 00:12:24.040 Just if we're really honest about who we are in practice. 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:25.400 Weak, needy sinners. 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:27.680 And not just us, right? 00:12:28.340 --> 00:12:29.220 Others as well. 00:12:30.019 --> 00:12:33.900 The people here in the church, actually, they look great. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:37.900 But if we know each other, really, then we're weak and needy. 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:38.800 All of us. 00:12:39.400 --> 00:12:40.240 Including me. 00:12:40.460 --> 00:12:41.120 Including Kevin. 00:12:41.500 --> 00:12:42.379 All of us. 00:12:42.900 --> 00:12:43.700 Even my wife. 00:12:43.800 --> 00:12:44.879 She's a weak and needy sinner. 00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:45.720 You wouldn't know it. 00:12:45.720 --> 00:12:48.200 But that's what we are like. 00:12:49.240 --> 00:12:51.279 And in a way, that's then how we should see each other, right? 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:55.940 And seeing other people as sinners. 00:12:56.060 --> 00:12:57.980 That can sound like I'm looking down on them, right? 00:12:58.019 --> 00:12:59.080 They're all sinners here. 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:01.580 But hopefully, you see, that's not the case, right? 00:13:01.620 --> 00:13:02.980 It's a level playing field. 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:04.600 We're all in the same boat. 00:13:04.680 --> 00:13:05.720 We're all just children. 00:13:06.620 --> 00:13:08.019 All weak and needy sinners. 00:13:08.019 --> 00:13:12.199 And I don't have to prove that I'm better to you. 00:13:12.299 --> 00:13:14.960 Because we're just both weak and needy. 00:13:15.340 --> 00:13:17.860 I don't need to pretend to be someone I'm not. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:19.419 Because it's okay. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:21.759 The church is just weak and needy sinners. 00:13:21.860 --> 00:13:23.159 Because that's who Jesus loves. 00:13:24.659 --> 00:13:24.879 Right? 00:13:25.579 --> 00:13:27.019 And that's how we should see ourselves. 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:28.659 That's why we do things like confession. 00:13:28.840 --> 00:13:30.799 Remember last week, we did a time of confession? 00:13:31.439 --> 00:13:33.139 It's just to help us keep seeing ourselves. 00:13:33.259 --> 00:13:35.139 We are weak and needy sinners. 00:13:35.139 --> 00:13:37.439 And that's it. 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:38.519 That would be a good church. 00:13:39.460 --> 00:13:40.960 But then what should we do? 00:13:41.019 --> 00:13:46.059 If that's how we should see ourselves, how should we then behave? 00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:53.120 And Jesus says, well, if we see each other as Jesus does, then we care for each other as Jesus does. 00:13:53.980 --> 00:14:00.679 And because when he then talks about how we should treat each other, there's so much connection between Jesus and us, right? 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:02.519 And in a way, we're supposed to be followers. 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:05.019 So, of course, we're going to do what Jesus says. 00:14:05.799 --> 00:14:06.819 How about verse 5? 00:14:07.480 --> 00:14:10.319 Whoever receives one such child in my name. 00:14:11.080 --> 00:14:15.179 You're receiving someone in Jesus' name, like Jesus, because of Jesus. 00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:15.899 Right? 00:14:16.059 --> 00:14:17.259 It's like he does. 00:14:18.299 --> 00:14:20.159 He tells the parable of the lost sheep. 00:14:20.699 --> 00:14:24.679 And he says, well, this is the father's heart, to go after the one and leave the 99. 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:26.720 And he, well, that's what you need to do. 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:27.039 Right? 00:14:27.139 --> 00:14:28.759 Do like the father does. 00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:34.600 In that last section about sin, again, you know, where two or three are gathered, I'm with you. 00:14:34.980 --> 00:14:36.639 You know, you're doing this in my name. 00:14:36.700 --> 00:14:37.620 You're doing this with me. 00:14:38.340 --> 00:14:39.200 Be like me. 00:14:39.980 --> 00:14:40.519 In a way. 00:14:40.519 --> 00:14:44.199 Well, but what does that then mean, caring for the church? 00:14:44.259 --> 00:14:46.220 And there's lots of stuff I could say about that. 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:48.699 You know, love one another as I have loved you. 00:14:49.379 --> 00:14:53.600 But there are some particular things that Jesus singles house here that all have to do with him. 00:14:54.379 --> 00:15:05.440 And I think the first thing that we should really work hard at is, well, if people need Jesus, if we know we all need Jesus, don't leave people away from Jesus. 00:15:06.700 --> 00:15:07.840 That's what Jesus says. 00:15:07.900 --> 00:15:09.420 Don't leave people away from him. 00:15:09.420 --> 00:15:14.020 If Christians need Jesus, you know, help them come to him and don't leave them away. 00:15:14.620 --> 00:15:17.559 I think that's verses like 5 to 10 or so. 00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:18.600 All right? 00:15:19.259 --> 00:15:21.659 Now, you may wonder, where do I get that from? 00:15:22.679 --> 00:15:27.939 Verse 6, whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin. 00:15:29.539 --> 00:15:32.139 Now, of course, you don't want to get people to sin, right? 00:15:32.340 --> 00:15:34.899 You know, Jesus came to die for sin. 00:15:34.939 --> 00:15:35.860 Of course, we don't want that. 00:15:35.860 --> 00:15:37.679 But there's something particular here. 00:15:37.779 --> 00:15:39.519 It's not just any sin. 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:41.860 It's talking about making them stumble. 00:15:41.860 --> 00:15:49.759 Whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble, to kind of trip them up, to hinder them, to obstruct them. 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:53.259 And it seems to be a contrast with verse 5, right? 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:57.879 Verse 5, whoever receives one such child in my name receives me. 00:15:58.620 --> 00:16:03.860 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin causes them to stumble. 00:16:04.800 --> 00:16:06.399 And so it's the opposite of receiving. 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:10.879 As a church, we should be welcoming, receiving. 00:16:12.059 --> 00:16:14.299 And to trip people up is the opposite. 00:16:14.939 --> 00:16:20.639 And I'm not now talking about welcome gifts and how friendly the ushers are. 00:16:21.259 --> 00:16:22.879 That's not really what I'm talking about. 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:26.980 You know, what does it mean as a church to receive someone? 00:16:27.699 --> 00:16:29.399 You know, you accept them as a Christian. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:31.340 Yeah, you're a follower of Jesus. 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:32.939 We are Jesus' family. 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:34.199 Come and join us, right? 00:16:34.200 --> 00:16:35.520 You receive them. 00:16:35.580 --> 00:16:36.300 You accept them. 00:16:37.400 --> 00:16:41.580 But then to not receive them is almost to not accept them, right? 00:16:42.360 --> 00:16:45.240 To say, well, you can't be part of us. 00:16:45.480 --> 00:16:47.620 Maybe because, well, you're not like this. 00:16:48.140 --> 00:16:49.340 Or you don't do like this. 00:16:49.400 --> 00:16:50.960 Therefore, you are not welcome here. 00:16:52.759 --> 00:16:57.920 And if we are Jesus' community, and if we're the access to Jesus, that's a serious thing, right? 00:16:57.920 --> 00:17:02.879 You're almost saying, well, if you can't come to church, well, basically, you can't come to Jesus. 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:05.240 You can't come to Jesus because you're not like this. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:07.660 You can't come to Jesus because you don't do this. 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:15.839 I mean, to give a very clear example, maybe the letter of Galatians written about Judaizers, right? 00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:23.440 There were people in the Jews who came to the churches in Galatia who said, well, if you want to be a real Christian, you need to be circumcised. 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:28.900 Sorry, Gentile Christians, you know, you need to be circumcised if you want God to accept you. 00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:31.920 Now, you're a Gentile. 00:17:31.980 --> 00:17:36.380 You want to come to Jesus and you say, sorry, you're not circumcised. 00:17:36.740 --> 00:17:38.759 Then you're blocking access to Jesus, right? 00:17:39.600 --> 00:17:40.799 You're tripping people up. 00:17:40.860 --> 00:17:41.720 You're obstructing them. 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:44.660 That's a terrible thing to do, right? 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:47.320 I mean, you hear how angry Paul is. 00:17:47.319 --> 00:17:54.859 You block people from Jesus or you kind of lead them into trust something else. 00:17:55.099 --> 00:17:57.059 Then maybe, okay, I'm going to get circumcised. 00:17:57.139 --> 00:18:00.019 And now, you know, I can come to God because I'm circumcised. 00:18:00.119 --> 00:18:01.759 Then you've stopped trusting Jesus. 00:18:02.299 --> 00:18:04.179 You've started trusting your circumcision. 00:18:04.879 --> 00:18:06.019 That's the thing, right? 00:18:06.579 --> 00:18:12.139 Instead of people coming to Jesus, needing Jesus, you're making them trusting something else. 00:18:12.200 --> 00:18:13.639 You're pushing them to something else. 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:17.960 I think that is the stumbling that he's talking about, the opposite of receiving. 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:21.940 Now, we don't do that. 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:23.680 You don't have to get circumcised here. 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:24.800 I'm very thankful for that. 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:27.900 Some churches, they do that. 00:18:27.940 --> 00:18:34.840 Yeah, we have certain ways of dress, certain ways of, you know, you need to, you can't have a TV and you can't drink alcohol. 00:18:35.259 --> 00:18:37.120 And you need to wear like this. 00:18:37.700 --> 00:18:39.160 Of course, we're not like that. 00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:43.360 But, you know, do we give a certain impression sometimes? 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:47.000 You can just put people off implicitly. 00:18:47.819 --> 00:18:51.439 Imagine, I'm not saying this is true, but this could happen, right? 00:18:51.919 --> 00:18:53.519 Imagine, you know, sons and daughters. 00:18:53.679 --> 00:18:56.819 We reach out and this woman becomes a Christian. 00:18:57.079 --> 00:18:58.139 And that's wonderful, right? 00:18:58.219 --> 00:19:01.939 And while you, you know, you're from Watermark, you invite her, please come to Watermark. 00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:05.679 And she starts coming on Sunday, joins the CG. 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:07.279 CG, that's great. 00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:09.920 But how welcome do we make her feel? 00:19:10.900 --> 00:19:17.000 I mean, she'll be in the CG and she is from some developing country, speaks poor English. 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:25.400 And then everyone else in the CG, they're wealthy and they have this great job and they're all sorted and they're so educated. 00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:26.619 And she is struggling. 00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:31.880 And before CG, they go to this expensive restaurant that they can't, that she can't afford. 00:19:32.380 --> 00:19:33.500 How will she feel? 00:19:33.500 --> 00:19:38.859 I think she slowly gets the message, well, I'm not sure if this is for me. 00:19:38.900 --> 00:19:45.319 I don't really belong with Jesus because Jesus' community, that's all, you know, people who are sorted and with good jobs. 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:46.140 And I'm not. 00:19:46.220 --> 00:19:46.740 I'm a mess. 00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:48.920 That's terrible, right? 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:51.960 Again, I'm not saying we are like that. 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:54.759 But it can happen with some churches, right? 00:19:56.680 --> 00:19:59.559 No, I mean, I hear other stories. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:05.799 I hear someone who's just new here and so many people come in and welcome them and say, hey, can I help you? 00:20:05.900 --> 00:20:06.500 That's great. 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:08.319 But that would be so sad, right? 00:20:08.340 --> 00:20:16.600 If someone or maybe a domestic helper, they come here and because we just, you know, church is really geared towards this kind of people. 00:20:17.319 --> 00:20:20.620 And if you're not like that, well, sorry, you're excluded. 00:20:21.960 --> 00:20:23.420 I mean, Jesus hates that, right? 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:35.600 This woman who he has saved, who he wants to come here to church and receive him and, you know, receive all the help and everything from this family and actually we exclude her. 00:20:35.740 --> 00:20:36.799 That would be terrible. 00:20:37.600 --> 00:20:40.240 I mean, you can see how strong Jesus' language is, right? 00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:50.220 Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck 00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:53.440 and we will be drowned in the depth of the sea, right? 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:57.880 Jesus thinks this is really important, that we just, we welcome people. 00:20:58.240 --> 00:20:59.079 We receive people. 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:04.100 Someone's a Christian, whoever they are, they should be welcome here because they're part of the family. 00:21:04.920 --> 00:21:08.440 They should be joined, yeah, in this family here, they should be so welcome. 00:21:09.059 --> 00:21:11.140 Jesus says be ruthless with that, right? 00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:11.700 He goes on. 00:21:11.700 --> 00:21:18.860 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off, throw it away. 00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:26.360 It's better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 00:21:27.220 --> 00:21:28.819 Now, Jesus says those verses a lot. 00:21:28.940 --> 00:21:32.779 He also says them, like in chapter 5, about lust and those kind of things. 00:21:32.779 --> 00:21:40.639 But in context, I think, yeah, this is the sin of kind of putting stumbling blocks before people, obstructing people from Jesus. 00:21:41.619 --> 00:21:47.559 You know, being as a church, just not receiving people because they're different from us or something like that, or they don't do something. 00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:51.359 We need to be just really so inclusive as a church. 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:53.079 That's what Jesus wants. 00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:56.139 Jesus is so inclusive, he welcomes everyone who comes to him. 00:21:56.920 --> 00:21:58.639 That's what we should be like as a church. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:03.660 What it looks like in practice, yeah, that's something for us to work out. 00:22:03.759 --> 00:22:05.060 But I think that's the idea here. 00:22:05.640 --> 00:22:06.880 You know, people need Jesus. 00:22:07.100 --> 00:22:12.040 And so as a church, we want to be a community that keeps no one from Jesus. 00:22:15.080 --> 00:22:17.240 But of course, what then? 00:22:19.520 --> 00:22:20.740 What's the other side of that? 00:22:20.800 --> 00:22:21.860 Because Jesus goes on. 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:24.400 It's not just we want people to come to Jesus. 00:22:25.060 --> 00:22:28.580 Well, if people really need Jesus, we don't want them to leave Jesus, right? 00:22:29.180 --> 00:22:31.860 We want to pursue those wandering away from Jesus. 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:36.340 If people need Jesus, of course, that's what you do, right? 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:37.860 And Jesus tells this parable. 00:22:38.280 --> 00:22:41.600 Look, there is this man, and he has this hundred sheep, and one of them wanders off. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:44.920 And of course, the man will go out and pursue that sheep. 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:48.180 He leaves the ninety-nine and rescues the one sheep. 00:22:50.040 --> 00:22:54.300 And, you know, it shows the really individual care, right? 00:22:54.660 --> 00:22:56.360 This man cares about every single sheep. 00:22:56.359 --> 00:22:58.740 He doesn't say, oh, I've got ninety-nine sheep left. 00:22:59.079 --> 00:23:00.299 It doesn't matter about the one sheep. 00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:03.039 I'm going to buy ten more sheep next week. 00:23:03.079 --> 00:23:03.500 Who cares? 00:23:04.119 --> 00:23:04.319 No. 00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:06.819 My one sheep is walking away. 00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:08.299 I'm going to get that sheep. 00:23:09.259 --> 00:23:12.059 And that is what God is like, right? 00:23:12.599 --> 00:23:13.619 Verse 14. 00:23:13.619 --> 00:23:19.079 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. 00:23:19.619 --> 00:23:22.579 God doesn't want any of them to perish because that's the problem, right? 00:23:22.659 --> 00:23:24.919 A sheep wanders away, they perish. 00:23:25.579 --> 00:23:29.419 They meet a wolf or the bear or they fall off a cliff or whatever. 00:23:29.420 --> 00:23:34.480 Same with the Christian who leaves Jesus, right? 00:23:34.940 --> 00:23:35.820 You're in church. 00:23:35.900 --> 00:23:37.900 You're following Jesus, except you wander away. 00:23:37.980 --> 00:23:38.620 You walk away. 00:23:39.360 --> 00:23:41.680 You're going to die in your sin, right? 00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:43.300 We don't want that to happen to people. 00:23:43.400 --> 00:23:45.519 And so we want to get them back. 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:46.920 That's what Jesus wants. 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:48.440 That's what the Father wants. 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:50.560 And what does that then look like? 00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:51.980 Well, verse 15. 00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:57.339 If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, right? 00:23:57.380 --> 00:24:01.200 If someone sins, well, that's a problem that needs addressing. 00:24:02.140 --> 00:24:04.099 Because, yeah, well, sin is a problem, right? 00:24:04.140 --> 00:24:05.220 Sin is deceitful. 00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:07.460 Sin enslaves us. 00:24:08.339 --> 00:24:10.420 Someone is caught in sin. 00:24:10.420 --> 00:24:13.700 That sin can lead them away from Jesus, right? 00:24:13.740 --> 00:24:18.180 So if you see that, if someone does that to you, you want to act on it. 00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:21.960 You want to pursue that person and talk to them and try to win them back, right? 00:24:21.980 --> 00:24:24.920 If they listen to you, you will have gained your brother. 00:24:25.019 --> 00:24:25.539 That's the aim. 00:24:25.620 --> 00:24:26.480 You want to gain them. 00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:27.460 Get them back. 00:24:28.059 --> 00:24:29.000 Get them back to Jesus. 00:24:30.380 --> 00:24:33.120 Now, that sounds like every single sin. 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:35.360 Do you do this for every single sin? 00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:36.259 Of course not. 00:24:36.740 --> 00:24:38.880 I mean, we just said, right, we're all sinners. 00:24:39.640 --> 00:24:40.559 Christians still sin. 00:24:40.660 --> 00:24:42.319 It's normal that Christians sin. 00:24:43.120 --> 00:24:47.099 I guess there are sins that you expect and sins that you don't expect. 00:24:47.099 --> 00:24:57.619 You know, there's the one-off selfish action versus this real pattern of ongoing selfishness or ongoing temper problems. 00:24:58.359 --> 00:24:58.539 Right? 00:24:58.639 --> 00:25:00.740 Or it's just a really serious sin. 00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:03.359 Very serious, clear sin. 00:25:03.359 --> 00:25:06.579 I'm not talking about someone who is a bit anxious. 00:25:06.919 --> 00:25:09.019 And, of course, you know, you should trust God. 00:25:09.139 --> 00:25:12.379 But we wouldn't really, okay, you're really too anxious. 00:25:12.579 --> 00:25:13.139 Watch out. 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:19.500 If someone's having an affair, right, then we're having a serious, clear sin that seems to be a pattern. 00:25:19.819 --> 00:25:20.859 And, right, something like that. 00:25:22.299 --> 00:25:25.119 Where every sin falls, that requires wisdom. 00:25:25.219 --> 00:25:27.459 But still, sin is deceitful. 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:29.059 So you want to talk to them. 00:25:29.379 --> 00:25:32.259 As he says, go and show them his fault, just between the two of you. 00:25:32.740 --> 00:25:34.200 You know, go humbly. 00:25:34.419 --> 00:25:37.339 And, you know, hey, you did that last week. 00:25:37.779 --> 00:25:38.879 Can we talk about it? 00:25:39.859 --> 00:25:41.980 Can we, I don't know what you think of your action. 00:25:42.059 --> 00:25:42.980 Do you think it's okay? 00:25:43.619 --> 00:25:44.879 You want to ask questions? 00:25:44.980 --> 00:25:46.639 Maybe you didn't understand the situation. 00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:47.679 Maybe it's just a misunderstanding. 00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:51.759 And, you know, I think it's a sin. 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:54.599 I want to look at the Bible with me and just look at it together. 00:25:54.599 --> 00:26:00.339 And, you know, if we agree it's a sin, then, yeah, maybe we should do something, right? 00:26:00.980 --> 00:26:01.759 Just humbly. 00:26:01.980 --> 00:26:04.299 Not proud, not, hey, you're a sinner. 00:26:04.399 --> 00:26:05.039 I'm going to get you. 00:26:05.199 --> 00:26:05.419 No. 00:26:05.819 --> 00:26:06.740 You want to help them. 00:26:07.879 --> 00:26:09.699 And it sounds very uncomfortable, right? 00:26:10.980 --> 00:26:12.659 Some cultures find it easy. 00:26:12.759 --> 00:26:14.879 But here in Hong Kong, people are so independent. 00:26:15.840 --> 00:26:19.160 Really, people, you know, I can survive by myself. 00:26:19.800 --> 00:26:24.800 And to confront others or to just want to talk to them about something they did, that feels so uncomfortable. 00:26:26.100 --> 00:26:28.440 Especially because I'm a fellow sinner, right? 00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:33.920 Who am I to talk to this person when I'm sinful, maybe even more sinful deep inside? 00:26:35.920 --> 00:26:37.760 Well, we need to overcome that. 00:26:37.980 --> 00:26:40.120 Of course, we don't come with any pride, right? 00:26:40.120 --> 00:26:41.340 We know the first point. 00:26:41.660 --> 00:26:43.220 We're all humble, needy sinners. 00:26:43.220 --> 00:26:45.220 But we should come. 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:47.660 Because they're perishing, right? 00:26:48.819 --> 00:26:49.440 I don't know. 00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:50.860 I find my phone so addictive. 00:26:51.259 --> 00:26:54.259 I find myself regularly missing an MTR stop. 00:26:54.620 --> 00:26:58.220 I'm on the MTR, and I'm just reading something, and then, oh, man, I missed my stop. 00:26:59.579 --> 00:27:02.220 And sometimes you see people walking on the street, and they're so engrossed. 00:27:03.680 --> 00:27:07.759 And you see that person, and they're walking on the street, and they're going to cross a road, and there's a bus coming. 00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:12.519 You're not going to just, well, that's their business. 00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:13.500 They're okay. 00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:16.420 No, you want to talk to them. 00:27:16.819 --> 00:27:18.400 You want to shout and grab them, right? 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:19.440 You care. 00:27:19.660 --> 00:27:21.420 That's caring about this person. 00:27:22.279 --> 00:27:24.299 Caring and saving them from perishing. 00:27:25.319 --> 00:27:26.900 Again, ultimately, that's what Jesus did, right? 00:27:26.940 --> 00:27:28.839 Jesus, he saw us perishing. 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:30.740 He came into the world, died for us. 00:27:30.839 --> 00:27:32.460 He wants to have us back. 00:27:32.579 --> 00:27:35.400 So we want to stop this person, right? 00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:38.700 It's not punishment to then warn them and grab them. 00:27:38.980 --> 00:27:39.780 It's love. 00:27:40.740 --> 00:27:46.900 Talking to someone about sin, ongoing sin in their life, is love, not punishment. 00:27:48.540 --> 00:27:51.060 I mean, this passage will go on to church discipline. 00:27:51.059 --> 00:27:54.319 What happens if he doesn't listen and if he still doesn't listen? 00:27:55.059 --> 00:27:57.000 But all of that ultimately is love. 00:27:57.619 --> 00:27:58.919 Love for the sinner. 00:27:59.960 --> 00:28:03.019 And, of course, love for the rest of the church, that you want to protect them. 00:28:03.139 --> 00:28:04.819 Love for the world and Jesus' witness. 00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:06.619 But here, love for the sinner. 00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:08.459 And so you don't give up. 00:28:08.959 --> 00:28:09.899 Jesus doesn't give up. 00:28:09.959 --> 00:28:10.559 You don't give up. 00:28:10.619 --> 00:28:15.899 So if they don't listen, well, verse 16, if he does not listen, take one or two others 00:28:15.899 --> 00:28:19.959 along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three 00:28:19.959 --> 00:28:20.379 witnesses. 00:28:21.339 --> 00:28:22.979 You want to get some backup. 00:28:23.219 --> 00:28:24.959 Hey, it's not just me saying this. 00:28:25.619 --> 00:28:28.399 It's not just me who thinks that the Bible says this is sin. 00:28:28.500 --> 00:28:30.359 Look, these others think so as well. 00:28:30.539 --> 00:28:31.199 Bring an elder. 00:28:31.959 --> 00:28:33.000 Bring your CG leader. 00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:34.779 Maybe they will listen to them. 00:28:34.779 --> 00:28:40.240 And if they still don't listen, well, yeah, maybe the elder should get the whole church 00:28:40.240 --> 00:28:44.819 involved so that the whole church can call this person, look, you're going down the 00:28:44.819 --> 00:28:45.500 wrong path. 00:28:46.220 --> 00:28:48.379 You're walking away from Jesus. 00:28:48.579 --> 00:28:49.059 Come back. 00:28:51.460 --> 00:28:52.480 That's what you want. 00:28:52.859 --> 00:28:55.480 You're going to do anything you can to stop them leaving Jesus. 00:28:56.779 --> 00:28:58.379 And so this is quite a long process. 00:28:58.379 --> 00:29:04.379 Yes, it ends in discipline, but it is long, patient, persistent, prayerful, loving, pleading. 00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:08.660 Of course, ultimately, there's an end point. 00:29:08.779 --> 00:29:14.859 If they don't even listen to the church, then you have to wonder, well, how do these people 00:29:14.859 --> 00:29:15.460 see themselves? 00:29:15.660 --> 00:29:17.259 How does this person see themselves, right? 00:29:17.319 --> 00:29:21.859 If the whole church says, look, this is a sin. 00:29:21.940 --> 00:29:22.859 You need to change this. 00:29:22.879 --> 00:29:23.680 And they don't want to. 00:29:24.680 --> 00:29:30.099 Well, Jesus says, if they don't even listen to the church, let them be to you as a Gentile 00:29:30.099 --> 00:29:31.099 and a tax collector. 00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:35.359 Those who are not part of the community, not part of the family. 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:37.339 Treat them like that. 00:29:37.539 --> 00:29:39.679 That sounds like punishment or exclusion. 00:29:41.219 --> 00:29:43.459 But just to say, who was Jesus? 00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:45.139 Jesus was the friend of tax collectors. 00:29:45.899 --> 00:29:46.959 Jesus loves Gentiles. 00:29:47.059 --> 00:29:48.279 Doesn't mean you stop loving them. 00:29:48.679 --> 00:29:50.339 Doesn't mean you stop interacting with them. 00:29:50.899 --> 00:29:53.079 It's just you see them differently. 00:29:53.079 --> 00:29:56.439 You don't see them as a brother or sister wandering away. 00:29:57.500 --> 00:30:03.139 But at some point, if they really refuse to listen, you know, so many people have told 00:30:03.139 --> 00:30:05.639 them that they need to stop this sin and they refuse it. 00:30:06.199 --> 00:30:08.639 Ultimately, you have to say, are they a humble, weak sinner? 00:30:09.419 --> 00:30:11.139 Are they one of Jesus' little ones? 00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:16.659 Or are they ultimately a hard-hearted, yeah, someone who is just not a Christian? 00:30:16.660 --> 00:30:21.080 Yeah, because the Christian life is about repentance. 00:30:21.519 --> 00:30:24.300 It's not about a standard of holiness, but Christians are those who repent. 00:30:24.800 --> 00:30:29.100 We know we are weak, needy sinners who constantly need to repent. 00:30:29.860 --> 00:30:31.279 Someone refuses to repent. 00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:32.640 That's not a good sign. 00:30:33.800 --> 00:30:40.440 And so ultimately, you might have to say, sorry, I can't treat you as a Christian anymore. 00:30:40.860 --> 00:30:41.900 Please come on Sunday. 00:30:42.140 --> 00:30:45.160 Please come and hear the Word of God with me. 00:30:45.160 --> 00:30:48.240 But, you know, you can't be a signed member. 00:30:48.560 --> 00:30:49.720 You can't have communion. 00:30:49.960 --> 00:30:50.820 Please come to CG. 00:30:51.320 --> 00:30:54.000 I'd love you to be there, but you can't lead it. 00:30:54.460 --> 00:30:54.840 Huh? 00:30:55.080 --> 00:30:58.160 Because I'm going to treat you as someone else. 00:30:58.200 --> 00:31:00.000 I'm going to love you not like a fellow Christian. 00:31:00.100 --> 00:31:02.180 I'm going to love you like a non-Christian. 00:31:02.840 --> 00:31:04.440 I think that that's where this passage ends. 00:31:04.540 --> 00:31:08.259 And it's just your hope and prayer that they will see that. 00:31:09.279 --> 00:31:11.300 Now, that sounds like a very big thing, right? 00:31:11.299 --> 00:31:15.720 Because we just talked about welcoming and, you know, letting everyone come to Jesus. 00:31:15.940 --> 00:31:18.019 And this then seems different. 00:31:19.659 --> 00:31:21.819 Are we hindering people from coming to Jesus? 00:31:23.180 --> 00:31:24.200 Well, I don't think so. 00:31:24.319 --> 00:31:26.940 This is, first of all, this is a real church thing, right? 00:31:26.940 --> 00:31:28.480 It's not something you do as an individual. 00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:33.779 This is about a whole church deciding something about a person. 00:31:33.779 --> 00:31:36.359 And Jesus assures us he is in it. 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:39.899 Verses 18 to 20, they're a bit weird, but they make sense, right? 00:31:40.460 --> 00:31:45.639 Verse 18, truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:49.079 And whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 00:31:49.899 --> 00:31:56.480 Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 00:31:56.920 --> 00:32:01.399 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. 00:32:01.400 --> 00:32:05.080 Now, we love that last verse, but do you hear the context? 00:32:05.220 --> 00:32:12.960 This is a church, well, binding and loosing, making a decision about, you know, this person who just doesn't want to repent. 00:32:13.880 --> 00:32:15.380 How should we treat this person? 00:32:15.980 --> 00:32:17.700 And Jesus says, I'm with you. 00:32:17.900 --> 00:32:20.200 You know, what you decide, it's done in heaven. 00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:21.620 That's what it reflects. 00:32:21.820 --> 00:32:22.780 I'm with you. 00:32:22.779 --> 00:32:30.480 And so, yeah, the church has this serious responsibility if that's needed. 00:32:31.220 --> 00:32:36.519 You lovingly, carefully pursue someone, but ultimately, yeah, you might have to do this. 00:32:36.920 --> 00:32:39.000 You're seeing the person as Jesus does, right? 00:32:39.039 --> 00:32:45.019 If there's no repentance, then, yeah, Jesus probably doesn't see them as one of his little ones. 00:32:45.559 --> 00:32:47.319 So maybe we treat them differently. 00:32:47.460 --> 00:32:48.599 I hope you can see the principle. 00:32:48.599 --> 00:32:51.899 There's lots of case studies we could talk about and details and nuances. 00:32:52.199 --> 00:32:53.959 I hope you see it in the context, right? 00:32:54.019 --> 00:32:56.299 You love someone like Jesus does. 00:32:56.879 --> 00:32:58.079 But who is this someone? 00:32:59.699 --> 00:33:02.799 But again, this is only a very last resort, right? 00:33:02.819 --> 00:33:05.879 If we're a good church, it never comes to this stage. 00:33:06.719 --> 00:33:09.679 If we're a good church, it never gets beyond stage one. 00:33:09.799 --> 00:33:10.039 Why? 00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:12.259 Well, that first point. 00:33:12.379 --> 00:33:14.939 We see each other as Jesus does. 00:33:14.939 --> 00:33:17.399 We see each other as humble, weak little sinners. 00:33:18.599 --> 00:33:20.019 I think that's the problem, right? 00:33:20.059 --> 00:33:25.059 If someone comes to you and, you know, why would I talk to you about your sin? 00:33:25.139 --> 00:33:27.819 Because I think you're a needy sinner. 00:33:28.379 --> 00:33:31.019 Because I know that, like me, you're weak. 00:33:31.439 --> 00:33:32.459 And so I want to help you. 00:33:33.779 --> 00:33:35.799 The problem is when I think, oh, you're okay. 00:33:36.339 --> 00:33:37.919 You probably know the better Bible than me. 00:33:38.659 --> 00:33:40.839 You can sort this out. 00:33:40.899 --> 00:33:42.139 I don't need to talk to you about this. 00:33:42.159 --> 00:33:42.719 You'll be fine. 00:33:42.720 --> 00:33:45.380 That's when I don't talk to people, right? 00:33:45.420 --> 00:33:47.160 If I don't see them as Jesus does. 00:33:48.440 --> 00:33:53.140 Or if someone comes and talks to me and I think, oh, I'm okay. 00:33:53.579 --> 00:33:54.519 I can sort this out. 00:33:54.600 --> 00:33:55.440 I don't need help. 00:33:57.059 --> 00:33:58.299 That's when I don't listen, right? 00:33:58.660 --> 00:34:00.880 It's when I don't see myself as Jesus does. 00:34:01.559 --> 00:34:04.000 That is when I will not listen. 00:34:04.120 --> 00:34:05.819 And that's when things start going the wrong way. 00:34:05.819 --> 00:34:14.059 So, again, if we want to love each other like Jesus does, let's see ourselves as his little ones. 00:34:14.699 --> 00:34:17.759 Humble, weak, dependent sinners. 00:34:19.579 --> 00:34:21.000 It goes back to the gospel. 00:34:21.139 --> 00:34:22.099 How do you see yourself? 00:34:22.199 --> 00:34:22.799 Are we okay? 00:34:22.940 --> 00:34:23.579 Are we great? 00:34:23.659 --> 00:34:24.279 Are we strong? 00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:31.179 Or, yeah, are we people who are so weak and powerless that the Son of God had to die for us? 00:34:31.179 --> 00:34:35.019 And has to keep looking after us every day of our lives. 00:34:35.059 --> 00:34:36.359 Otherwise, we will not make it. 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:37.859 That's who we are. 00:34:38.539 --> 00:34:40.440 And that's wonderful that Jesus does that. 00:34:41.059 --> 00:34:42.879 Let's make sure we do the same thing. 00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:46.159 Let's love each other as Jesus does. 00:34:46.819 --> 00:34:48.039 As Jesus' little ones. 00:34:48.039 --> 00:34:48.099 Let's love each other as Jesus does.