I invite you to turn now to Matthew chapter 18 as we continue in the gospel of Matthew. Love preaching the words of Jesus, what powerful words He gives. And we're going to look at verses 5 to 10 as we begin this morning. If you will follow along in your Bible. Whoever receives one little child like this, in my name receives me. But 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 depths 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 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. 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 Join me in prayer. Heavenly Father, I thank you for the words of Jesus, and I pray, Lord, that you will empower me by your Holy Spirit to preach these words, to expound its truth. And I pray for each one that's listening, whether in person or on television or the Internet, I pray, Lord, that you will take these words and speak to our hearts, Lord. Help us to receive them, help us to believe them, help us to act upon them, and we pray and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. In our last message, we talked about the fact that we need to repent or turn from our sin and humbly trust in Jesus as our Savior. But once you become a Christian, then one thing we need to do is live a holy life. A life as free from sin as much as we can. And this morning, we're going to see how temptation can cause us to fall. into sin and hurt our relationship with God. You know, I and some others still preach against sin. There's no place for sin in the Christian life, but, you know, sometimes we think of sin as like murder or stealing or maybe just like adultery, things like that. But you know, in this text of Scripture, we see another kind of serious sin, and that is leading someone else to sin, causing someone else to stumble into sin. You know, it's one thing to be a thief, but to entice someone to join you in stealing is even worse. And you know, when you tempt someone to sin, you are becoming like the devil and there's nothing worse than that. And so this morning, I'm going to share with you a message about temptation and about the problem of being a source of temptation. in someone else's life. And so let's see first of all this morning the fact that we need to recognize the certainty of temptation. Jesus says in verse 7, Woe to the world because of offenses, for offenses must come. Jesus says here that as long as you're living in this old sinful world, there will be offenses, there will be temptations, because that is just the nature of this world in which we are living. You know, we not only have our own sin nature to deal with, but we've got the environment in which we live to deal with. And Jesus says, woe to the world because of offenses, because of temptations. You see, this world, the Bible says, is lying in the lap of the wicked one. And this world is full of evil. And we need to be careful that we do not become part of the problem. But I want to point out to you in verse 7 that word translated offenses. It literally refers to the bait in a trap. You know how an animal will be walking by and see the bait. In fact, I think somewhere in this building we've got a trap. for mice and there's bait on that trap and the mice sees the bait and starts eating it and disturbs it and it springs and it kills the mice. Maybe we're a little bit more familiar with the fishing lure. It looks like food, it looks so tempting and the fish goes after and discovers there's not food, there's a hook and I'm the one that just got hooked and become someone else's meal. Yes, there are a lot of enticements to sin, causes of people to stumble all around us. And so, because of that reality as a Christian, since the world is so full of temptation, We need to be careful about temptation. We need to be on our guard against temptation, which is so much a part of this world. Watch out, because Satan in this world is out to cause you to stumble into sin. Yesterday our granddaughters were with us and they were going into the garage and I was standing there right at the steps and I was actually on the rail side of the steps and so they were having to go down the garage on their own, and Briley had something in her hand, and I said, watch out, be careful. Why? Because if she stumbled, there's concrete down there at the bottom of the steps, and I wanted her to not stumble, and not get hurt, and not fall. And even so, there's so many temptations in this world by which we will stumble and fall, and we need to be on our guard. But secondly this morning, we also see the fact that we should not become a source of temptation. Because Jesus addresses this in verse 7 as well. He says, "...woe to the world because of offenses, for offenses must come." But here it is, "...but woe to that man by whom the offense comes." Jesus is preaching like a prophet here in the Old Testament. He's pronouncing woe to the world. Woe to that man through whom the temptation comes. Woe to that man or woman who causes someone to stumble into sin. And that is why we need to be careful about our attitude toward this world and the temptations of this world. And 1 John 2.15 and 16, John says, do not love the world or the things in the world. All that is in the world, and notice these avenues of temptation. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world. And so again, the world is full of temptation, and the world is full of tempters, people who will cause you to fall into sin. Now you cannot avoid all temptation, but you know, we shouldn't become part of the problem, should we? This world has sickness, contagious sickness. And of course, we're all very much aware of the coronavirus going on right now. but to knowingly spread the sickness would be something that would be unconscionable, that would be wrong of us. And so we need to be careful in this world that we not only avoid temptation, but that we become a source of temptation in someone's life. One time there's a story of a minister who was looking for a parking place, and he ended up parking in a no-parking zone. And so he put on the windshield a note in case the police officer came by and the note said, Officer, I have circled this block ten times and haven't been able to find a parking place. And if I don't park here, I'll be late for my meeting. And then he quoted from the model prayer where it says, Forgive us our trespasses. And then, He came back to his car after the meeting, and the officer, sure enough, had left a ticket with a note that said, �Sir, if I don�t give you a ticket, I could lose my job.� And then he quoted from the model prayer, �Lead us not into temptation.� And we need to be careful that we do not become sources of temptation in someone else's life. And so let's think about some of the ways that people can become a temptation to others, a source of temptation. One is by setting a bad example. And this is the contextual reason that we find here. Why did Jesus even bring this up? Well, remember back in verse 1, the disciples, according to Mark's gospel, had been arguing among themselves, not just discussing, but literally in a big conflict over who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. So here were certain disciples who were expressing prideful ambition about being great in the kingdom of God. Now, I don't know who started it. Was it Peter? Was it James or John? Was it Judas? We don't know who started it, but whoever started it calls the others to join in and likewise say, hey, you know what? I think I will be the greatest and let me tell you why. And so, they spread this sinful, prideful ambition by a bad example. And of course, we can think of other obvious examples how people become a source of temptation, a stumbling block in someone's life by their example. you know, children looking to their parents to set good examples. And we have too many parents today that are not setting good examples for their children. In fact, they're setting just the opposite kind of example for their children. And there are so many parents someday are going to answer to God for the fact that they led their children down the wrong path. That by their example, their children followed them in doing things they had no business doing. whether it's immorality or whether it's drug or alcohol abuse or what have you. I was at a driving range some years ago and there was a 9 or 10-year-old kid that was uttering profanity. Now, where did he learn that? probably from his parents as well as other sources. And so, when we set a bad example, we can cause someone to stumble into sin. In Romans chapter 14, Paul even talks about this issue of whether to buy meat that had been sacrificed to an idol perhaps, that was for sale in the marketplace and whether Christians should do that. And he was arguing the point that, you know, you don't want to do anything that would cause another believer to stumble and to violate their conscience. And so, you need to be mindful of the example that you are setting. And so, by our bad example, we can cause someone to stumble. You know, you need to always think about what kind of example you're setting for good or for bad. But also, obviously, another obvious example are the alcohol and drug pushers of our society. And folks, the problem is just getting worse. It's getting worse and worse and worse. All the drug dealers. who are enticing others to take these drugs and to get hooked on drugs because if they can get them hooked on drugs, they know they're going to come back and buy more and more and more. The same thing with the alcohol industry. Do they really care about all the harm that their drink is causing, especially to certain people and to certain homes? You know, alcohol is a legal drug. And with every other drug that's on the market, if it comes out and causes bad effects, you know what they'll do with that drug? They'll yank it off the market. Yet, they continue to sell this drug in the population. You know, Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 15 says, Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk. And so, Jesus says, don't ever cause someone else to stumble into sin. Woe to you if you do, Jesus says. And of course, down through the years, there have been men who have gotten their girlfriends drunk. And you know why? To take advantage of them. That's causing them to stumble, and there's a serious consequence for that. And that leads, of course, to another area of seduction that is so common in our society today, and that's sexual seduction. And yes, of course, there's always that where men try to seduce women, but you know, we're living in a day where the women oftentimes are just as forward and aggressive in sexual seduction today. And it used to not be like that. Only very certain few girls would be actively seductive, but times have changed, haven't they? Oh yes, it's one thing to yield to temptation, it's another thing to be a cause of temptation in someone else's life. And then I think about the pornography industry. And then, oh man, the internet makes it so easy to disseminate that and make money off of that. And it's become a serious source of temptation in people's lives. Dr. James Dobson was able to have an interview with Ted Bundy, the rapist and serial murderer who was on death row and was about to be executed. And in that interview, Ted Bundy admitted that pornography is what got him started down the road. that led to so much death and destruction. And he also commented it was his grandfather's pornography that he first began to view. Yes, those who seduce others and lead others down the pathway of sin and, you know, the music industry today. Music industry is full of glorification, of immorality, and all kinds of sin. It's not just some forms of music that we normally associate with such seduction, but even like good old country music has some of its share of bad lyrics that would lead people down the path. Man, we've gone from songs like I Want to Hold Your Hand to, you know what, I'm not even going to name. And so, what has happened today with television and movies and everything, according to a 2015 Gallup poll, a positive acceptance of sex outside of marriage has grown from 53% in 2001 to 68% in 2015. Might I address another area in this realm and that has to do with how we dress. You see, Jesus said in Matthew 5, 28 that whoever looks upon a woman for the purpose of lusting after her has committed adultery in his heart. And this is why Job, a righteous man, said in chapter 31, verse 1, I made a covenant with my eyes, then why should I look, no doubt with lust, upon a young woman? Folks, this is an area that even Christian men battle. Lust. Lust with our eyes. And so Christian women should not do something that's going to contribute to the problem. It says in 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 9, in like manner also, I desire that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel with propriety and moderation. And if you look at the previous verse, you know what it talks about? Men, males, gathering in worship and lifting holy hands in prayer to the Lord. And so, verse 9 is spoken in a context of worship. That when we gather for worship, of all places where modesty should be practiced, certainly in worship it should be practiced. You know, it's one thing to dress nicely. It's one thing to look pretty. You know, it says in 1 Corinthians 11 that the woman is the glory of the man, and the glory of the woman is her hair. And God who created the beauty of flowers has created the beauty of womanhood. And so it's one thing to look nice, to dress nicely. to be attractive, but when you cross that line into where it's actually looking seductive, then obviously you need to take a look at verse 7 and what Jesus warns about there. And so Jesus says, listen, don't become a source of temptation. But then he also says that we should consider the seriousness of temptation. The seriousness of temptation. There are those that say, you know, it's no big deal. It's no big deal about the example that I set. Well, Jesus says it is a big deal. It is a big deal when you cause someone else to stumble into sin. And so Jesus teaches here that yielding to temptation will bring God's judgment. Let's talk about temptation in our lives and how we respond to it. Jesus said in verse 89, 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 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 and to be cast into hell. Jesus warns. that the consequence of a failure to repent of your sin, to hold on to that sin, is nothing less than eternal fire in hell. Sin, unrepented of, unforgiven by the blood of Jesus, will surely lead, Jesus says, not I, Jesus says, to eternal hell. eternal destruction. You need to be careful about yielding to temptation and holding on to that sin and not being willing to repent of it. There was kind of a gruesome discovery in the Florida Evergrades. It turns out that 23... By the way, there's no sin that is worth hell. Keep that in mind. In the Florida Everglades, there was a 23-foot python that found an alligator and decided that that would be its next meal and began to consume that alligator. Well, it was able to swallow about half of it evidently, but then what happened was that somehow that python exploded in the middle. Whether it was the alligator fighting its way out or whatever, listen, what looked like a tempting meal ended up being its own death and destruction and that's the way it is. Be wiser than a python don't eat an alligator, you know, unless it's cooked. I've done that before. Make sure it's cooked. Make sure it's already won't fight back, you know. But that's the way sin is, Jesus warns. And then furthermore, tempting others will bring greater judgment into your life. Again, Jesus says in the last of verse 7, but woe to that man by whom The offense comes. Again, it's one thing to yield the temptation. It's another thing, even worse, to lead someone else into sin and stumbling. And so Jesus warns of greater judgment. Notice what He says in verse 6, But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me, Oh, to lead a child astray, to lead a young believer, a teenager astray. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. And when he talks about a millstone in the original language, it's literally the millstone of a donkey. You see the top stone would be turned as the donkey went around and it would mill or crush the grain. And that stone there has a hole in the middle of it and it would weigh about a hundred pounds And we are told that perhaps in Greek and Syrian society, one method of execution was literally to tie a millstone to someone's neck and to cast them into the depths of the sea. Now folks, that's some way to die, isn't it? Jesus said it would be better if you could just die like that and that be the end of it. It would be better for that to happen to you than for you to lead one of these little ones astray. And yet we have so many people who are leading the precious children of our society astray by their example, by their pushing these destructive things, leading them astray. Amy was telling me, Amy Brink was telling me before during Sunday school about some well-known Christian leaders that have abandoned their faith. And you know, it's one thing to abandon your faith, but then to turn around and encourage others to abandon their faith. They're going to answer to God, folks. And hell is going to be a lot hotter. for people that do something like that. Yes, and you know, have you heard about Netflix and the executives that allowed the making and distribution of this film sexualizing 11-year-old girls? See that millstone around that guy's neck? It'd be better. It'd be better than to lead our precious children down the wrong path. Look at our kids today, folks. I mean, we've got 9- and 10-year-old kids that have been so confused by our society, they don't understand what gender they are. They're being led down the wrong path. There's a lot of folks that say, that's fine, that's fine. Folks, we're going to have to find more millstones for all the people that are leading people down the wrong path if they're going to take the better option. Folks, it's a very serious thing to lead a child or youth into sin. Now Jesus makes this very clear. If you cause one of these little ones You cause one of these children, you cause one of these precious young people, you cause one of these new believers to stumble away from God into sin. It's a very serious thing and yet some people say, our kids, they're young, they're insignificant, they'll get over it. Is that what Jesus says? Notice what he says in verse 10. Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones. Literally, think down upon. So many adults think that kids are inconsequential. Folks, they are our future generation. As they go, so America goes. As they go, so the world goes. It is very consequential. Don't think low of them. Don't think that they don't matter. For I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. Jesus says, listen, children are so important to God because of their vulnerability, He's assigned angels to watch over them. And not only to help protect them, but also to send reports to the Father about what people are doing to lead them astray. You know, the president is an important person and so he has a secret service to watch over him. Well, Jesus says, Though a child is dressed in rags, they are attended to like princes and princesses because they have angels watching over them. It's very important. Yet how many times have adults put themselves, their careers, their lust ahead of what's best for their kids. Jesus says they are important to God and they should be important to us. And He says in verses 12 to 14, the parable of the lost sheep, that as one sheep that goes astray, what's the shepherd going to do? He'll leave the 99 and bring the one lost sheep back. One lost sheep. because that sheep is important to God. It's not your Father's will. Verse 14, Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. America and a whole lot of adults in America are going to answer to God someday for how they've led kids astray. Finally, this morning, Jesus also says we need to deal decisively with the sources of temptation. Again, going back to verses 8 and 9, He talks about the consequence, but He also says, if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. Verse 9, if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. Now, what is Jesus saying here? Is He telling you you should literally cut off your hand? You should literally pluck out your eye? Well, first of all, it could be using hyperbole, which is a legitimate figure of speech, an obvious exaggeration to grab someone's attention and to make a point. that we need to deal decisively with temptation. On the other hand, he could be using an illustration. And let me explain it. Let's say you're not feeling well, you go to the doctor, they run tests, they do x-rays, and they come back and say, I'm sorry, it looks like you've got cancer. They do a biopsy and confirm, that you have cancer. And the doctor says, now listen, we need to cut that cancerous part out of your body to save your life. And I want to ask you a question. If your doctor said that to you, to save your life, vast majority of us would say, do the operation. Do the operation. Cut it out. And that's the essence of what Jesus is saying in verses 8 and 9. You know, that thing that you enjoy, that temptation that you relish, is it more important to you than your eternal destiny? It's not. Cut it out. Eliminate it from your life. And of course, we can give examples of what we're talking about here. If the television is a big source of temptation in your life, you know, do something about it. It might even mean get rid of it. If the computer or now we have all these computerized devices today, if they become a source of temptation, if Facebook becomes a source of temptation to you, if TikTok is a source of temptation. There's a bunch of videos and a lot of them. I got it off of my phone, but I saw enough to know that there's a lot there that's not good. Get rid of it. Get rid of it, Jesus says. And that's what we need to do. Maybe you have a problem with impulsive spending. You need to get rid of that credit card. Whatever the source of temptation is, be willing to eliminate it from your life. You know, Paul said in Romans chapter 8 verse 13, If we live according to the flesh, we shall die. If we, through the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body, we shall live. That's our attitude. Put it to death. True repentance is dying to self, dying to sin, dying to whatever tempts us. taking decisive action to get rid of it. And so until Jesus comes again or until we go to heaven, folks, we're going to live in a sinful world and we're going to be surrounded by all kinds of temptation. And Jesus says you need to deal with it. You need to pray, lead us not into temptation. Avoid temptation. Eliminate sources of temptation. But Jesus also says, Don't ever become a source of temptation. That's even worse than falling for temptation. And yes, Christians, by our example, can lead others into stumbling in their relationship with God. And let us not do it. Would you bow with me in prayer? Heavenly Father, we commit Your Word to us this morning. Lord, help us to respond to it in our daily lives. Help us to remember what we heard as we encounter temptations in life. And so we commit this message to you. Do your work. May your Word not return void, but accomplish the work for which you sent it. And Lord, if there's anyone that needs to repent of their sins and be saved, help them to choose life over death. If there's any people who are causing others to sin and have heard this message, help them to stop it. Help us to truly follow Jesus. And we ask this in His name. Amen.