Title: "The King's Itinerant Ministry Chronicled"
Text: Matthew Chapter 18
I. The King's Definition of Greatness in the Kingdom of
Heaven
18:1-6 c/f Mark 9:33-42 & Luke 9:46-50
A. The Occasion of the Discussion
Verse 1 c/f Mark 9:33-34 , & Luke 9:46-47
B. The Master's Object Lesson
Verses 2-4 c/f Mark 9:35-36 ; & Luke 9:47-48
1. Greatness is Found in Childlike Humility .
Verse 4
2. Greatness is Not Found in Our Positions of Prominence but in
Our Service to Others .
Mark 9:35
C. The Secondary Sermon - Peripheral Lessons we Learn
Verses 3-6
1. Entrance Itself Into the Kingdom Requires a Conversion of
the Heart to Humility .
Verse 3
2. The Receiving of His Little Ones in His Name is the Same as
Receiving Him .
Verse 5 c/f Matthew 25:31-40
*** Red or Yellow, Black & White, they are Precious in His
Sight , --- and they Need to Be Precious in Our Sight Too !
3. Mistreatment of the King's Little Ones will Bring About Very
Stiff Penalties .
Verse 6 c/f Matthew 25:41-46
II. The King's Strong Warnings About Offenses
18:7-9
A. The World is a Place of Misery (Woe) because of Offenses,
because there are Stumbling Blocks Everywhere.
Verse 7
B. Offenses (or Occasions of Stumbling) " Must Needs Be."
Verse 7 -- Their Existence is Necessary.
C. Jesus Pronounces Woe (Misery) Upon the Individual that Casts
a Stumbling Block in Another's Path.
Verse 7
D. Anything that Causes Us to Stumble Should be Cut Out of Our
Life.
Verses 8-9
III. The King's Expression of Concern for His "Little Ones"
18:10-14
A. He Commands His Audience Not to Look Down On ( or Des-
pise ) His Little Ones.
Verse 10
B. He Explains His Care for the Little Ones by Stating His Mission
in Life , which was to Come to Provide Salvation for their Lost
Souls.
Verse 11
C. He Describes His Great Joy at Finding these " Sheep ... gone
Astray " as being Greater than the Joy He has Over the Ones
Already In His Flock.
Verses 12-13
D. Jesus States that the Father Doesn't Want Even One of these
Little Ones to Perish.
Verse 14
IV. The King's Instructions Regarding Church Discipline
18:15-20
A. The Steps Church People Should Follow in Dealing with an
Offending Brother
Verses 15-17
1. Individual Confrontation to Win the Brother Over
Verse 15
2. Confrontation of the Offender Who Won't Listen with One or
Two Witnesses
Verse 16
3. Confrontation of the Offender by the Church Body as a
Whole
Verse 17
B. The Way to Deal with an Unrepentant Offender who Just Won't
Listen
Verse 17 -- As an Unsaved Man
C. The Church's Authority in Judgement in Accordance with
Christ's Word & the Basis of that Authority
Verses 18-20
V. The King's Response to a Question About Forgiveness
18:21-35
A. The Disciple's Question
Verse 21
B. The Master's Reply
Verses 22-35
1. The Short Answer to Peter's Question
Verse 22
2. A Parable About Forgiveness toward Our Fellow Servants
from the King's Point of View
Verses 23-35
a. We are All in Debt to the King so Deeply that We Can
Never Pay Him Off.
Verses 23-25
b. When we Acknowledge Our Indebtedness & Ask for His
Mercy, He Freely Forgives Us & Sets Us Free.
Verses 26-27
c. If we then Turn Around as Forgiven Men and will Not be
Forgiving Toward Others, it will Greatly Displease Our King.
Verses 28-34a
d. If we Refuse to Forgive Others who Have Done Us Wrong,
we will Find Ourselves Being Tormented, Until we are Will-
ing to Forgive those Others as We Have Been Forgiven.
Verse 34-35