I greet you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The title for this morning's sermon is Kingdom Greatness. And our text is taken from Matthew chapter 18, verse one to 14. We're looking at three subheadings. The first one is the childlikeness of believers. The second one is tumbling blocks in the way. and the third one is the value God placed on the least. So let's go to the text Matthew chapter 18 verse 1 to 14. I read, At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Then Jesus called the little child to him, set him in the midst of them, and said, Surely I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you would by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses, for offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes. If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast into hellfire. Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven, their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred ships and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly I say to you, he rejoices more over that ship than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. Even so, it is not the will of your father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Here ends our scripture reading. Last week, during our morning sermon, we looked at the temple tax. This tax is collected from Jewish males above the age of 20. and the money collected is used for the maintenance and upkeep of the temple. God instructed Moses to collect this tax at the time of the census taken in the wilderness. In other scriptures, it seems that this tax was paid annually and collected in one of the Jewish festivals. In this text, we saw that Jesus has total knowledge He knows everything and has power over all creation. With all that, he humbled himself, the Bible says, and became obedient unto death. Today, we're looking at the kingdom greatness. What does it actually take for one to be great in the kingdom of God, which leads us this morning to our first subheading, the childlikeness of believers, verse one to four. I read. At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying, who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Then Jesus called the little child to him, set him in the midst of them, and said, As shortly as I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you would by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself at this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In this text, we see Christ using the innocence of a child as an example of greatness in the kingdom of God. The disciples came up with a question, who then is the greatest in the kingdom of God? At this time, they were thinking of earthly honors and privileges instead of thinking about the kingdom of God and the spiritual graces that God has given to them. and how best they can use those to serve the purposes of God. Instead, they were thinking of respectability, honor, pageantry, and splendor. In response to the question of the disciples, Jesus called a little child to him and placed the child among them and said, truly, I tell you, unless you change, and become like little children, you would never enter the kingdom of heaven. Now, what does that mean? Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child in my name receives me. Now, this is an example from the innocence of a child. From the innocence of a child, I'm not talking about their vulnerability or their lack of intelligence. That is not what the text is drawing from. It's drawing specifically from the innocence of a child. As the way up in the kingdom is the way down, If you want to be great in God's kingdom, like a child, the Bible says, seek the modesty in children. And in addition to that, your faith must be modest. Why? Because children don't have ambition. They don't have pride and healthiness. They are humble and teachable, easily forgives. and therefore a good example for us. Children are not prone to pride and hypocrisy. James 4 verse 10 scripture says, humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you up. Jesus said, let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to shelters these. I remember yesterday coming to the church to take some audio bibles for our evangelism at one of the surrounding villages with the Grace Charity members. And when we opened the door, these two children, about three to four years of age, rushed in. They were so excited. Just their pants. And they were so happy, they were playing with the books, they don't know what. It's written in those books, but they were just looking at the books. They were playing with the books. They were moving up and down. And one of the guys that is living in the compound said to the children, come out from the store, come out from the store. Don't disturb these men, they are busy. They want to do something important. I said to the guy, please leave the children. I want them around, let them be around. And I said to the pastor that was there, the Bible says, unless we be converted and be like these children, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God. They don't have pride, they don't have ambition. They came with just their panties and they were free hearted and humble and open hearted. An elderly person would say, let me go and put on my clothes. I cannot look like this in front of this man. They would ridicule me. But those children were just simple. They were just humble. That is one thing I love about children that excites me anytime I see them. It's because of their openness and their humbleness. Say, humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up. Give a gift to a child and see how they will respond to you. Go buy a bar of chocolate or a nice biscuit or a pair of shoe and give to a child and see how they will burst into spontaneous praise and adoration of the one who gives the gift. It just comes spontaneously. I remember giving someone a new pair of crepe that my mother bought for me from the UK while she was here on a visit. I took the crepe and gave it to someone. And the next day, just on my phone, the guy sent an insulting message to me. Instead of appreciating me for giving him the crepe, he insulted me that I gave him the crepe in front of other people. How hypocritical I can be. I just want to show off in front of those people that I have things to share. Nobody has ever did that to me, but I felt overwhelmingly discouraged. I think I've had those opportunities by the grace of God and nobody has ever said that to me, but that was the first. Somebody insulting you in front of your kindness. No child on earth will do that. because they are free-hearted and free-spirited. And that is why the Bible says, unless you are converted and be like these little children. I remember another scenario where someone was given a gift. And you know, people who are elderly, they have a lot of things going on in their heads. They normally assume for people and begin to assume what is not the reality. Someone went to the market and bought things out of hand money and came and distributed those things. And someone that was recipient of those gifts came back and said, I need more. You did not give me the way you are supposed to give me. I need more. In her mind, she was thinking that the person who is distributing those gifts had received them from one of our friends in Europe. And so she has been giving less, not knowing that this is the generosity of this woman, taking her own money, going to the market, buying those things. Nobody gave her money for that. And she was just doing it out of love. You see how Why the Bible says we should become like children? Because children will not be thinking all these kind of thoughts that are coming into our minds. When you give a child a gift, the child would spontaneously accept the gift. With gratitude and praise and adoration, he would come and thank you. Yesterday, during the time of evangelism, I met a child that was playing football. Just the mere fact that the child was playing the football and I was looking at this child, I was just looking at him like this. And when the child was kicking the ball, he was kicking the ball and I was clapping for him while our brother was preaching. I was having fun with the child. because our brother was preaching in the local language. I don't know Madinka, so I just find the pleasure of concentrating on that child. And we became friends instantly. without thinking that who this man is, whether he's one of those kidnappers that is going to take me and kidnap me from my parents. The child just became my friend. He was laughing and chatting with me. Even while he was going, when the mother called him, he was turning to me and making like this, oh, you go like this. What an amazing encounter. That is how children are, free hearted, free spirited. They don't have no pride, no thoughts. Whether you are going to kidnap them or kill them, once you are a friend with them, they are ready to be a friend with you. The Bible says, unless we be like these little children in their humility, in their open-spirited life and free-heartedness to receive people, we cannot receive the gift of salvation that God has freely given to us. Children would respond to a gift with joy, with openness, with honesty. They will not think that you are giving them a gift to show off. Or they will not think that some European friends have given you money to share. That is why you are sharing the gift. They will not have time to think about all that. They will just receive it with gladness. This is how we should respond to God's gift in Christ. The humble, honest faith of believers is seen as an example of the innocence of a child. And that is how we must respond. Receive God's gift with open hands, full of joy and appreciation. This kind of thinking and behavior is prevalent in the life of children. Look at them, study their behavior, and you'll learn how to be a true Christian. And that is why Jesus used the example of a child to illustrate humility. The innocence of a child as an example of a humble, honest faith in God. The child-likeness of believers is in their innocence and joyful reception of God's gift to them. It is not referring to their tendency to be easily fooled and to be led astray, no. That is not what the text is referring to. Based on the context, it was an example of humility and openness of the children. As the question is about who is the greatest in the kingdom of God, the answer, of course, is the most humble and open-hearted towards God and his gift to us. Those who come to Christ must do so in childlike humility. They must do so in childlike faith and simplicity. The believer is like a child because he trusts that whatever happens to him, his father will take care of him. He trusts in his father's care and protection, even when life is terrifying. This is what makes a believer like a child. You know, children don't know when their parents are struggling financially. They don't know what happens in the home in terms of the financial struggles and challenges. They wake up in the morning, mommy, I want bread. They don't know where you're going to get it, but you must get it. It must be on the table. Their faith is superb. And that bread must come. The father will go Elche, Skelter, Ukline, and Sinka to look for the bread and bring it. The child does not get depressed in the morning. They look, they come to you, they want something, I want to eat. They don't know where you're going to get the money, they don't worry. They just know that there is breakfast, there is lunch, there is dinner. My father and my mother, they are going to provide it. That is a childlike faith. Believers are called to believe in the care and protection that God provides for them, for us. Bible says, do not worry about tomorrow. Live tomorrow in the hands of providence. God will provide. Bible says, he will meet all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Children believe that when it comes to their parents. Believers should also believe that when it comes to our Almighty Creator and God of all the earth. Now to our second subheading, Stumbling Blocks in the Way, verse five to nine. I read, whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives me. Whoever causes one of these little ones to believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses, for offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offenses come. If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Stumbling blocks in the way. Now, true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ are referred to as little ones. Whether young or old, you are identified by your childlike trust in God. The stern warning that Jesus gives comes to anyone who causes one of these little ones, those who believe in me, to stumble. The Bible says, it would be better for them to have a large milestone on around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Now this is graphic and horrific. Why is that? There are grave consequences for whosoever causes one of these little ones, those who believe in Christ, to stumble. Hence we have this graphic image of a man with a millstone hung around his neck and being drowned in the depths of the sea. Those who believe in Christ to stumble as a result of your own carelessness or carnal behavior is a serious offense against God. Jesus gives us severe and graphic consequences to those causing true believers to stumble. It would be better, the Bible says, for a person to have a large millstone all around his neck and to be drowned. in the depths of the sea. What is a millstone? I think I need to bring that to your attention so that you can see the graphic image. In ancient times, a millstone is used to grind grain into flour. It's just like our local milling machine here in the Brikama market. The difference is in ancient times, they used a stone. You have a bed stone and a runner stone. The bed stone is down, it's stationary. The runner stone goes round like this. And it is carried by a donkey or an ox. Ox or a donkey. So they are the ones pushing the runner stone while the grain on the base stone is crushed into flour. The only difference is that modernization have lifted up the differences. The one we have in Rikama is made out of iron, and it is powered by electricity. The one in ancient time is stone, both the running stone and the bed stone, and it's powered by an ox or a donkey. to make flour from which they have the living and the unliving bread. So this is a call to be warned. The graphic image of a millstone hung around your neck and drowned in the depths of the sea is a serious warning not to let any believer seen by our actions. Shot on offense will not go unpunished or unnoticed. The punishment will be so terrible that it will be better for one to be drowned in the sea than to face such a severe punishment. Causing a child of God to sin brings severe judgment. All of us should think twice before tempting a child of God. And we must watch our actions very carefully because our actions can negatively impact others, especially those in the household of faith. We should be positive influence in the lives of other Christians and the world around us. Helping others to grow spiritually instead of encouraging them To come to church, some of us sit around them and gossip about the church and other members, discouraging others to come. Anything that will cause your fellow believer to sin, the Bible says, avoid it. Remember what Jesus said about his disciples in Matthew 10, verse 42. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, I surely I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward. Now Jesus is referring to the least amongst us in the kingdom of God. The Bible says, even if you give a cup of water to them, God is very pleased and notices your action. Again, Jesus calls them little ones or little children because they are little as compared to our almighty God of creation and all the earth. Assuredly, Jesus said, you will not lose your reward for doing kindness to the least of the believers in the church. A believer in Christ is always a child of God. We are referred to as children of God, whether old or young. See how, really, Jesus treasures his own. He promises to never leave them, nor forsake them. And no one would ever snatch them away from his hands, in the book of John. They are a treasured possession, a royal priesthood, a people belonging to God. Just as there are positive rewards for showing kindness to them, so also we have grave consequences for whosoever causes one of them to fall. Those who believe in Christ are God's treasured possession. The punishment is severe, so I ask you, are you doing anything in public that is derogatory to the growth and testimony of Christ in the church? Have you driven or poisoned one or two believers to run away from the church of the Lord? Or is your carnal, sinful example discouraging a believer from the fellowship of God's people? If you have done that, or presently doing that, I urge you to confess your wrongdoing and seek forgiveness, both from God and the ones you have wronged, as a demonstration of a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you are living an unrepentant life, you have not come to terms with your sinful, evil, and disobedient life before our holy God. Now is the day of salvation. The Bible says, if you do not repent, you would likewise perish. Turn away from your sins and put your faith in Jesus Christ alone to save you from the wrath of a holy God, from a sinful world, and to reconcile you to God through his atoning sacrifice on the cross. Now to our third subheading. the value God placed on the list. Verse 10 to 14. Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the 99 that did not go astray. Even so, it is not the will of your father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Now, if we look back at the scripture, it says if your right hand causes you to sin, you cut it off. If your right, if your eye causes you to sin, you pluck it out. If what you are doing is an hindrance to the growth of the church and encouragement of new believers in Christ, remove it from your life. Disease from it, that is the cutting of and plucking out of our eyes, is to live a sanctified and holy life before God, is to put our bodies under the subjection of the Holy Spirit, is to resist the devil and he would flee. and to submit to God. The value God placed on the least, this is spoken to the disciples, not to Inder, the young, the least member of the church, for they are all part of the body of Christ. If he so cared for the least among his sheep, then the great are no exception. For both are part of the redeemed Church of Christ. If you are striving in the Church for power, be warned that in your struggle, do not trample on the faith of the little ones. This can also refer to weak believers who are like newborn babies. As newborn babies, the Bible says we should desire the pure milk of God's Word. And we must encourage them and nurture them and not be like the disciples who at some point drove the faith of the ones that were coming to Christ and pleading for mercy. We must encourage and nurture the young believers amongst us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We must not provoke them or think less of them. We must not despise or maltreat them. Our conduct must be an example of good works before them. Spur them up and give them a good reason to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the one walking in the lives of all believers, sanctifying them and making them holy. We should be very careful not to despise them. Let us see the beginning of new faith and appreciate the work of God in them. Matthew Hendry commenting on this verse says, I quote, let not art despise those whom heaven respect. See how God values the souls of his beloved that he will leave the 99 who are in his care and protection and go after to seek the one that is lost. How precious your soul is before a holy and a righteous God and how precious we must consider each other belonging to the family of God. Let not art despise those whom heaven respects. See the importance God attached to them. The text goes on to say in verse 10 that in heaven their angels always see the face of my father who is in heaven. Angels are privileged to attend to these ones, the least amongst us. They seek the face of God. As to what mission they should carry out on behalf of God's children. They seek God on their behalf. This is a great privilege, and we must not abuse it or take it for granted. God cares for His Church to such a degree that even the least ones are highly protected and cared for. Therefore, we all need to be respected and cared for. by the whole body of Christ. The angels have a command to minister to their good. In Hebrews, chapter one, verse 14, they bear them up in their hands, lest they dash their foot against the stone. In the book of Psalms, this is not only for the least, but every saint in God, in the covenant of grace, can have a God of angels to come alongside them when it is needed by God, when it pleases God to do so. But it speaks particularly of the least ones, as they are the most despised. The heavenly host is theirs. They can look to God in heaven for the attendance of angels on their behalf. And why must you despise them? Why must you ridicule them or look down upon them? Which makes it even more dangerous to despise them who in heaven are attended by angels. and on earth are tended by them too. They have God as their God, hence they have the angels of God to back them. They behold the face of God as they are full of eyes within and without, both in God's presence and in service to the least of the saints. They receive orders from God as to what to do for the good of these little ones. Christ, the Bible says, he came to seek and to save that which was lost. If you are not part of that mission, if you are not supporting that mission, if you are not encouraging that mission, then I want to ask, who are you in the church? That is the mission that Christ came into this world for, to seek and to save the lost. And may we all put our hands together for this mission, encouraging one another as we all look forward to the glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The angels, they attended to and cared for these little ones. And that is the more reason, because Christ came to seek and save the lost, and that is the more reasons why angels attend to them, and why we must also attend to them. If you are not attending to them, you are not supporting his mission. You are helping to destroy and not to build. You are not helping to secure the ship, but to scatter. That is why in verse 12, Jesus talks about the shepherd who leaves 99 ship in the fold to go in search of one that had wandered away. Because God is a father, a shepherd that cares and takes care of his ship. The 99 are already safely in the hands of God. He does not abandon them. He only goes in search of the one that goes astray. Everyone's soul is important before God. Jesus refers to himself as the good shepherd in John chapter 10 verse 16 to 17. That he has all the sheep that he must bring into his sheepfold as they belong to him. He knows the flock is not Complete, the flock is not complete without the one. Us all are equally important to him. We were once lost sheep and God pursues us and brought us in. Why wouldn't we do the same as we show care and concern for one another? we are to support the mission of Christ who came to seek and to save that which is lost. Let us, the 99 in the church, support the rescue mission of Christ. Join us today as we go out to seek the lost in our communities. And when they do come, encourage them to stay and be a good example to them. Let us pray. Our most gracious and everlasting Father, we thank you for your word this morning. We ask for grace to take you of all your commandments, warnings, promises, and good examples to follow. Give us today our daily spiritual bread and give us grace to forgive at all times, and to join in the mission of Christ to care for the sheep, show good example to them, and to encourage them. These and many other masses we ask through your son's name and for his sake.