Matthew 18:1-6 – Another Step Down – Bible study

Matthew 18:1-6 Another Step Down This past week, our nation and our world took another step down actually, we may have taken more than one, but one is all I will focus on this morning. I want to give you several Bible verses this morning so you may want to get a pen and paper out to write some down. Notice this Bible passage – It is about children and pronounces blessings and cursesfrom God the Creatorrelated to them. I count four of these pronouncements. \#3\ If you become like a child and are converted, you can enter the kingdom of heaven. \#4\ If you humble yourself like a child, you can be the greatest in kingdom of heaven. \#5\ If you receive a child, you are receiving Christ. \#6\ If you offend a child, it would be better that a millstone were hanged about your neck and you were drowned in the depths of the sea. The first two are based on our mimicking the nature of a child. The last two are based on how we treat a child. Lets focus on the last one. The Greek word for offend is the word "skan-da-liz-o." It is the word from which we get scandalize. In this context, it means to use or abuse a child, to entice a child to sin or to turn from God. If a person does this to a child, it would be better for the perpetrator to have a millstone, the huge rock used to in olden days to grind meal, tied around their neck and dropped into the depths of the sea. Now consider a current event – In a very public and ceremonious fashion, on Tuesday, January 22, in recognition of the 45th anniversary, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into effect the Reproductive Health Act, which legalized the murder of a child (as I understand it) up to the time of birth. https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2019/january/a-sad-and-evil-day-new- york-legalizes-abortion-up-to-babys-birth-day-on-anniversary-of-roe- v-wade I am supposing that means the child is not safe until it is completely out of and separated from the mother. While I am sure many of us have some thoughts on that, I will reframe from sharing mine right now. Connection between the Bible verse and the current event – While the Bible text we are looking at does not describe the murdering of a unborn or being born child, it is my belief that a person who murders a child has done something worse than to scandalize a child. If a person who scandalizes a child would be better off with a millstone around his neck and being cast into the sea, what must God have planned for those who murder children? I. The lost dont get it. A. It seems that those who want to kill unborn babies actually think they are fighting for something that is right. 1. I watched a bit of the video of the signing. 2. The room was packed with people who began to applaud the governors signing of it. 3. If they knew and believed what I know, they would not be doing that! 4. They just dont get it. In fact, they cannot get it. B. The Bible gives us many verses that describe the inability of the lost world to comprehend. 1. John 16:2 John 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. a. Jesus emphasize was on the killers "thinking" they were serving God WHILE they were killing His people. b. The unregenerate mind doesnt get it. 2. 1Cor 3:19-20 1Cor 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. a. God said their wisest thoughts are foolish. b. The unregenerate mind doesnt get it. 3. Matthew 13:14 Matthew 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: a. The people of our day are like the people of Jesus day. b. They hear but they do not understand. They see but they do not perceive. c. The unregenerate mind doesnt get it. 4. And there are many more verses which reveal this truth. C. We need to understand that the human mind cannoton its own discern right from wrong or good from bad. 1. Throughout the Bible it warns that one of the most serious conditions for mankind is to be left to his own reasoning. Deuteronomy 12:8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes. Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. 2. By the way, we need to understand that our understanding of right and wrong/good and evil is no better than theirs. a. We are ALL dependent upon the written Word of God and the Holy Spirit of God to show us what is right and wrong/ good and evil. b. That is the reason that you and I do not have to understand or agree with the Word of God to obey it. c. We obey it because it is the Word of God. d. We will let God explain it and convince us later. II. The demonic spirits of stupor and evil have arisen. 1Tim 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; A. These verses prophesied three events all happening because of due to the same cause. 1. \#1\ Many will depart from the faith. a. That is happening now. b. There are actually leaders in religion who stand for abortion. c. I am sure that they have their reasons and that they think they are just for their standalthough I doubt that they are saved by the blood of the Lamb. 2. \#2\ Many will be hypocrites, speaking lies. a. That is happening now. b. There is hypocrisy in all of us, but how anyone could care for a seal, an eagles egg, or a child separated from parents and NOT care for a defenseless, human baby is rivaling the Pharisees hypocrisy. 3. Many will have their conscience seared. a. That is happening now. b. I know many who have had abortions even in the early stages of their pregnancy have terrible guilt. If you are in that situation, I do not want to add to what you already feel. But how could anyone carry a baby to birth then have it executed? 4. But notice the one cause for all three of the actions: they have given heed to seducing spirits! B. In order for these things to be happening, the demons ARE blinding their minds to reason, opening their hearts to evil, and increasing their reach and control over the human race. 1. Stand back and look at the progression. a. In the 1960s and following, God was removed from our public society. They used the excuses that there was no God and separation from church and state. In time, it became a violation to even mention God. But now they say our kids need to understand the cultures of other nations and brought the idols of Islam, Hinduism, and even Satanism into the schools. b. Sodomy as gone from being a wicked sinful act to a "Dont ask. Dont tell" tolerance to a constitutionally protected freedom. That was and is a major shift which indicates the rise of demonic control over people. c. Maternity has gone from being a blessing from God to to an undesirable inconvenience to murder 5 minutes before birth. That was and is a major shift which indicates the rise of demonic control over people. 2. Paul said that the Holy Spirit "expressly" warned us that these things were coming. a. The word "expressly" refers to the emphasize that the Holy Ghost was revealing this to Paul. (1) It means that the Holy Ghost was clearly, loudly, definitely making this prophecy known to Paul. (2) There was no question, no doubt, no misunderstanding what the Holy Spirit was saying. b. Well, those days are here. (1) Demons are strongly influencing if not outright possessing a huge number of people. (2) And they are not going away. (3) The book of Revelation makes it clear that demonic activity increases not decreases. (4) We have not even gotten into the tribulation and look what they have people doing. III. Throughout all of this, God is in control. A. Dont get me wrong. 1. It is not the desire of God that evil would reign. 2. It is not the desire of God that babies should be killed. 3. It is not the desire of God that marriage should be perverted. 4. It is not the desire of God that people should reject Him. 5. It is not the desire of God that Satan should be glorified. 6. But in all of this, God has not lost control. B. Some wonder, "If God is in control, why are things so bad?" 1. That is a good question that really bothers some people. 2. They suppose that if things are bad AND God is in control then a. God must be a very WEAK God or b. God must be a very BAD God. 3. Actually, the opposite is true. God is a good God and a powerful God. How so? a. In His goodness, God has given to mankind the gift of freewill. (1) God does not want man to sin, but it is Gods gift of freewill that has made all of mens sins possibleincluding abortion. (2) But despite the evil man has chosen to do, God has not and will not take back His gift of freewill. b. But because God is so powerful, He will make sure that everyone is held accountable for the chooses they makeboth in this life and in the life to come. 4. So a. Do not conclude that God is bad. b. Do not conclude that God likes the sins we commit. c. And do not conclude that God has lost control. 5. Rather a. Know that God is good. b. Know that God does not like sin. c. And know that God is in control despite the direction things are going. C. Because God is in control 1. We can expect things to get worse. a. We are in the 1Timothy 4 days. b. But there are some Revelation days ahead. 2. We can respond correctly. a. These are not days for us to physically fight against evil. Rather, we are to spiritually fight against it. 2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) b. We do not use bombs, bullets, fists, or even hurtful words. c. Rather we use our knees, our witness, our love, and the blood of the Lamb. d. God wants the people to have a choice. (1) He wants them to know the consequences, but He also wants them completely free to make whatever decision they wish. (2) This is the plan of God for this age. (3) This is one of the most free of all dispensations. (a) The first was the most free. It had no written commands and no abiding Spirit. (b) The second was one of the most restrictive. There was no abiding spirit, but a lot of written commands. (c) We are living in the dispensation when there are no written commands but the abiding Spirit. (d) It appears that the millennial will be a dispensation of the abiding Spirit and written commands. (4) But right now, God wants them free to make their own choice. 3. We can trust implicitly. John 14:29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. a. We do not have to worry or fret. b. We may suffer in this life for Jesus but God will reward us when we get home. As a nation, we have legally approved the open killing of viable, healthy babies. That is another major step downward. It angers God and at some point, God is going to do something about it. If the Holy Spirit is dealing with you and you are not obeying, I suggest you quit putting God off and get things right.