Lowly yet great
Introduction: Upside Down Kingdom…
Jesus would say peculiar things, counter-cultural things, paradoxical things.
He ushered in the Kingdom of God and with it an ethos and expression that would often run in contradiction with prevailing thought, praxis, and experience.
Find life, you need to lose it…
What did Jesus fully mean…
This is what we want to look at today, sit at the master’s feet.
Today, we want to look at the subject of lowly, yet great/strong/wise
Story: Dean Gallagher, what had happened to my heart? God wanted to soften my heart again so I could receive all that God had for me.
Jesus tells us a story of the posture that we need to have to both enter in and experience life in his kingdom.
Matthew 18:1-4
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change (turn) and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus uses very clearly the example of children, to help portray how we can both enter into a relationship with God but also experience life in his kingdom, as he would have it.
I really, really appreciate the disciples. They often, and very particularly Peter, would blurt out what a lot of people were thinking, but they actually just let it out.
1. Helps us all to identify with them and the story and realize okay so we are not so crazy
2. We can actually feel better about ourselves, but heck we didn’t say it, just thought it.
What did they say:
Matthew 18:1
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
The quest for fulfillment, purpose, greatness, satisfaction is age-old as humanity.
What’s kind of funny is that you would think, that after walking with Jesus for 2-3 years, watching his ways, observing his attitude, listening to his teaching, being corrected multiple times that they would have got it by now. But alas, as is similar to me, it takes awhile for our species, homo sapiens, to get it.
This quest is entirely wrapped up in our own security and identity… while this question, who am I is age-old, in this particular era, it has taken on new significance. The chief end of man is to love God and enjoy him forever, the current chief end in the popular zeitgeist is self-discovery. The challenge with this, pursuit of greatness it doesn’t end.
The desire for power is exhausting… but allusive, the more control you want the more you have to take and the more you realize you don’t have…more, more, more
Quest for prestige is unending…How many more youtube followers ,or insta followers, accolades, just a few more. Some of you may have noticed that I am not particularly involved on social media right now…before some of you nominate for sainthood or demonize me, the primary reason is…I ain’t got time or motivation at the moment. That said, for those of us who have….including me, we have all had the quest for the perfect pic #hashtag reallife #nofilter #neverbeenhappier
#ifthisisreallifewhyiamworkingsohardtofindtheperfectpicture
Just joking… I realize that social media is the new realm of marketing… thus the search goes on
But our pursuit to find this greatness, identity, through power, prestige, position, or pay is inexhaustible.
Remember… the disciples said, I didn’t say… who’s the greatest…
He calls a child, the child came to him. The child felt comfortable with him.
Matthew 18:2-4
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change (turn) and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
You need to change and become like one of them… otherwise, you can’t enter into the kingdom of heaven. You need to become like a little child.
We see this beautiful posture of a child:
Why does he use this metaphor… what do you think of?
Yes, there is an innocence, but let’s differentiate that from perfection. Children are also born with a sin nature. But still there’s:
An Openness, a curiosity,
Forgiving nature…
Responsiveness to love, tenderness, and kindness
Trusting nature
Illustration:
picture of girl dancing in a crowd to the song in her head…not a care or concern of those around – freedom to move and respond to God’s leading without the care of those around
Young lad or lass walking hand in hand with mom and dad… not thinking of who might be watching, or this is not cool… walking stridently and confidently, knowing that dad and mom are there by their side.
However, we know that there is a problem…
Creation with all her perfection, goodness, beauty, experienced pain when sin entered the world: Through the fall
Pain, striving, enmity, mistrust entered in.
Cynicism…because we live in a fallen world
Fear –
Resignation
Selfishness – living more and more for self…and endless pursuit of self.
Distraction – idolatry of misplaced affection
Striving to gain something from God
Matthew 18-2-4
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change (turn) and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
There is the invitation to become like little children again… and through this we can not only enter his kingdom but we can experience his kingdom in the here and now….
John 1:9-13
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
While we cannot become literally little children again, God does make us new and invites us to receive him so that we can become children again.
There is the invitation to turn to him…and he makes us new and continually renews
October: Ecclesia Reformata, Semper Reformanda
I don’t know about you but I need ongoing renewal in my heart. I am a new creation, I have entered into the Kingdom of heaven having been made a child of God, but I need ongoing, consistent renewal…just ask my wife, and I guarantee that Janine can bear witness to this:
Illustration: The old nature, the old man, that old man has some serious resurrection power…he keeps coming back,
But God keeps renewing…and we not only enter into the kingdom, but we can experience his kingdom in a new way:
While the Kingdom is vast, Paul alludes to a few aspects that I want to highlight:
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
They were worried about doing everything exactly right and yet Paul realigns them to focus on the attributes of the kingdom
Righteousness – God’s righteousness…we enter into that space through faith by grace (Maybe you are here today and have questions, struggles, you want that childlike faith, let me tell you there is nothing childish about faith in Christ. Is rooted in substantive sound reasoning, history, testimony, and experience, that said, it is only a child like faith that is necessary to receive his free gift of grace. Father hold us in his righteousness
Peace – An internal peace not with a condemned heart or a life of fear… becoming a child again, means with feel confident with our heavenly father… he has this.
Joy in the Holy Spirit – restoration of that freedom in him.
So how do we respond?
Matthew 18:4
4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Through the power of Christ, we want to assume the position the posture of that child
We accept this invitation to intimacy, son-ship/daughter-ship/relationship with a heavenly father and for ongoing renewal:
I John 3
3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
Humility – Admission and acknowledgement that you need a Savior and that He is truly Lord of all
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time (I Peter 5:6 NIV).
Favor comes on those whose hearts respond in humility.
Who doesn’t want to access the favor of God?
Receptivity - Willingness to be made new. And openness…
He can take our cynicism and give us a trust in him.He can take our resignation and gives us a confidence that he is leading.
He can take our desire for self-discovery and reveal his plan and his purpose. Reveal that true discovery is to discover the author’s intent, the creator’s design.
He can take the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh as it says in Ezekiel:
Softness
Expectancy
Where once hope was soured, hope can be renewed.
Hope that God still is working. Belief that God can answer prayer. Belief that just like the child walking arm and arm with the parent and the world is going to be okay… that we can trust God amidst pain and broken world.
While Jesus entered into our space to bring redemption, and he also offered the hope of present, partial restoration and a futuristic full restoration.
Luke 11:9-13
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”Your father wants to breathe life into you through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 18:4
Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.Perhaps your hear and you have never placed your simple trust in Christ for salvation, the one who gave us all of your you can do that.
Perhaps, you heart has been hardened by the pain of the years, God says, how much more will I give my Spirit…and his spirit gives life and renewal. What is the area do you need to allow the Spirit to work? How do you need the Holy Spirit to work in your life today to become like a little child?
Ending: Your greatness is ultimately not defined in what you do…let us pursue to do good, something noble, the right, and just., but our true greatness it is ultimately defined in who you are in relationship with, a great God who loves you and gave himself for you. Let us enter into and enjoy the kingdom of heaven like little children.