How to Care for New Believers | Matthew 18:10-14
Series: All!
Jesus has all authority,
So that all nations
Might pledge all allegiance to him.
Title: “How to Care for New Believers” (Darien Gabriel)
Scripture: Matthew 18:10-14 NIV
Bottom line: Because he values them so, it’s our (the Church) responsibility to intentionally care for new believers with focused urgency so that they will persevere in their faith.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
OUTLINE & NOTES
REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Discussion questions for group and personal study.
Reflect and Discuss
1. What does it mean to become like children in verse 3? What is the difference between having childlike faith and being immature in your faith?
2. How does the requirement of humility in verses 1-4 compare with our culture's view of greatness?
3. Explain how a biblical view of the church goes against a culture that prizes independence?
4. How should the parable of the Lost Sheep in verses 10-14 inform our view of church discipline?
5. Respond to the following objection to church discipline: If our church disciplines members, then unbelievers will be turned off and discouraged from coming.
6. What is the ultimate goal of church discipline?
7. What does Matthew 18 have to add to our view of church membership?
8. List things that should and should not be matters of church discipline.
9. What is the main point of the parable of the Unforgiving Servant (wv. 23-35)?
10. If you aren't showing mercy to others, how might that be an indica tion that you are not being shaped by the gospel?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Weekly questions I answer in preparation for the sermon:
Q. What do I want you to know?
A. That God values “little ones” or new believers greatly!
Q. Why?
A. Because they are no longer enemies but his family.
Q. What do I want you to do?
A. That we’re to care for new believers with the same intensity that an angel from God does.
Q. Why?
A. Because He “is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” We have a responsibility to disciple and shepherd them on his behalf.
OUTLINE & NOTES
Our oldest grandson is almost 2-1/2 years old. He trusts his parents and grandparents right now. He has an implicit faith in us. When we tell him something, he just believes us. You might call him innocent. He is not! You might call him naive. But for now he trusts us implicitly and humbly. He just knows he doesn’t know near as much as we do.
This is what I think Jesus was trying to communicate to his 12 earlier here. To know that you’re a son off the king, you must humble yourself and turn and become like a 2-3 yr old trusting your Heavenly Father in all he says.
Context
Matt. 18:1–20:34 The Community of the Messiah Revealed.
This is the fourth of Jesus’ five major discourses in Matthew’s Gospel
As his earthly ministry draws to a close, Jesus has spent considerable time clarifying his identity and mission (chs. 14–17).
He instructs his disciples on the nature of his covenant community, explaining the kingdom community’s characteristics (18:1–35),
its implications for the sanctity of marriage (19:1–12), and
its value (19:13–20:34). ESV Study Bible note
Introduction
Let’s review 1-9
Jesus is speaking to his disciples who presumably are already in the kingdom. But Jesus cautions, not so fast?!
He shows them that they are not citizens of the kingdom until they are sons of the king. First things first.
Context shows this isn’t about evangelism but discipleship. This whole chapter is about how believers are to interact with one another.
Only second time “church” is used in Matthew in this chapter. (See 18:17)
Jesus reminds the 12 how to become a son/citizen—humble faith.
Uses 2-3 yr old as object lesson
They have implicit faith—they just believe because they trust their parents (Lincoln is 2-1/2)
RC Sproul wrote:
Then there’s the warning about causing them to stumble.
“Little ones” = new & naive believers
Better not be one who causes them to stumble!
Then we get to 10-14
Because of this context, we see that while Luke is coming at this from angle of evangelism, Matthew is more like discipleship.
But what this really shows is that evangelism is discipleship happening before conversion.
“The man” (Shepherd, parent, teacher, church member) pursues the wandering lamb until he brings it home or is unable to bring it home.
God greatly values “little ones” as seen in his assigning angels to minister to them specifically.
God’s will…
His will of decree (“Let there be light” and there was light)
His will of precept (It is God’s will that his people have no other gods before him. Exod 20:3)
His will of disposition (Ezekiel 33:11 God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked)
God wants us to know that he values new believers greatly!
God doesn’t want them to perish! But since they can,…
God wants us to care for them with focused urgency so that they will persevere in their faith until the end.
Conclusion
End with Andy Stanley story
Bottom line: Because God values them so, it’s our responsibility (the Church) to care for new believers with focused urgency so that they will persevere in the faith.
God wants us to know that he values new believers greatly!
God doesn’t want them to perish! But since they can,…
God wants us to care for them with focused urgency so that they will persevere in their faith until the end.
Let’s pray.
Church discipline -various levels by warren wiersbe
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Darien Roger Gabriel<no-reply@evernote.com>
Date: Wed, Dec 3, 2014 at 9:47 AM
Subject: Church discipline -various levels by warren wiersbe
To: darien.gabriel@gracetoday.net
Various levels of church discipline
Personal differences between Christians (Matt. 18:15–18; Phil. 4:1–3).
If a brother or sister sins against me (either deliberately or unknowingly), I should go to that person privately and seek to get the matter settled. Only if the person refuses to settle the matter should I bring anyone else in; and the problem must not go to the church family until every other means has been exhausted.
Doctrinal error.
Determine first of all why the person is teaching wrong doctrine. Perhaps it is because of ignorance and lack of Bible knowledge. In that case, patiently teach him the truth (2 Tim. 2:23–26). If he persists, rebuke him (Titus 1:10–14). Paul had to do this to Peter (Gal. 2:11ff). If the error continues, avoid him (Rom. 16:17–18), and then separate yourself from him (2 Tim. 2:18ff; 2 John 9ff).
A believer overtaken by sin (Gal. 6:1–3).
Even the great Apostle Peter denied the Lord. And David yielded to lust and committed adultery. When a Christian is caught in known sin, the spiritual members of the church must seek to restore him with gentleness and love. The word restore here means “to set a broken bone”—and that takes tenderness and patience. Too often the church quickly passes judgment on a believer who has sinned, and the damage done causes problems for years to come.
A repeating troublemaker (Titus 3:10).
The word heretic does not refer to doctrinal error, but to a proud attitude of one who gets people to “take sides” in the church. The Greek word means “to make a choice.” This leads to divisions and cliques in the local church (see Gal. 5:20 where heresies ought to be translated “sects, parties”). There is hardly a church that does not have its parties for or against anything—the pastor, the building program, even the color of the kitchen walls. Usually these “heretics” are people who like to be important; they want a following. Often they have deep emotional problems that Satan can use to create spiritual problems in the church. Perhaps they are frustrated at home or on the job; or perhaps they have, in the past, been hurt by some pastor or church.
These “factious people” should be given two official warnings. If they repeat their sin of dividing the church, they should be given a third warning and rejected. “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” (Titus 3:10–11, niv).
It is my conviction that such people should not hold office in the church. It is also my conviction that, if they leave the church “in a conviction that, if they leave the church “in a huff,” they should be restored to fellowship only twice. The third time—they are out!
Open immorality (1 Cor. 5).
The church must mourn over the sinner (the same word is used for mourning over the dead) and seek to bring him to repentance. If he refuses, the church collectively should dismiss him (1 Cor. 5:13, where the Greek word means “expel”). If he repents, he must be forgiven and restored to fellowship in the church (2 Cor. 2:6–11).
In the case of the “lazy saints,” Paul told the believers to exhort them, warn them, and if they did not repent, withdraw intimate fellowship from them. This probably meant that these believers were not permitted to share in the Lord’s Supper, and that the church members would not invite them to their homes. Second Thessalonians 3:14 does not apply to every case of discipline. It applies only to the matter of saints not working for a living.
“Have no company” literally means “do not get mixed up with”; the same word is used in 1 Corinthians 5:9. There is a difference between acquaintanceship, friendship, and fellowship; for fellowship means “to have in common.” For obedient saints to treat disobedient Christians with the same friendship they show to other dedicated saints is to give approval to their sins.
However, Paul (knowing the tendency of human nature to go to extremes) cautioned them not to treat the offenders like enemies. “They are still your brothers in Christ,” he added. Lot was out of fellowship with God and Abraham because he lived in Sodom; yet Abraham rescued Lot from the enemy because Lot was his brother (Gen. 14, and note especially v. 14). It requires much patience, love, and grace to help an erring brother; and this is why Paul added a final motive for earning a living.
Church Discipline Notes
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Matthew 18:1
The rest of the chapter is a response to that question. -God's Search and Rescue Plan: Church Discipline by David V. Edling, p. 6
See various levels by Warren Wiersbe
From John Stott in "Christian Counter-culture":
"The addition of the words as we also have forgiven our debtors is further emphasized in verses 14 and 15 which follow the prayer and state that our Father will forgive us if we forgive others but will not forgive us if we refuse to forgive others. This certainly does not mean that our forgiveness of others earns us the right to be forgiven. It is rather that God forgives only the penitent and that one of the chief evidences of true penitence is a forgiving spirit. Once our eyes have been opened to see the enormity of our offence against God, the injuries which others have done to us appear by comparison extremely triffling. If, on the other hand, we have an exaggerated view of the offences of others, it proves that we have minimized our own. It is the disparity between the size of debts which is the main point of the parable of the unmerciful servant. It's conclusion is: 'I forgave you all that debt (which was huge)...; should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'" pp. 149-150
REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“CSB Christ Chronological,” Holman
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible (ESVSB)