WEBVTT 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:10.960 This morning though, Matthew 18, verse 1. 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:18.640 At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:34.399 Calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:39.359 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:43.359 Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me. 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:57.600 Whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:02.640 This is the word of God, and I pray that we would feast from it this morning. 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:06.319 There is a perennial debate among the disciples. 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:10.239 It is arguably their favorite conversation. 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:14.959 Who is going to be greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:17.359 Man, they loved this topic. 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:30.480 This is a conversation that is difficult for us to, as Americans, to understand, but believe me, this conversation fits right at home in the Jewish culture of Jesus' day. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:44.879 This was a topic, this was a concept, the ranking of people, the greatness of people that is laid over every social event in a way that's very literally and figuratively foreign to us. 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:55.760 In the Jewish world, you have every wedding, every funeral, every formal meal, to use the American parlance, every retirement ceremony. 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:03.359 You have a seating structure that is laid out that is not arbitrary and it's more than just honored guests. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:06.879 It is laid out to demonstrate a person's greatness. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:11.360 The host of the feast sits at the head of the table. 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:20.639 And at his left and his right are his number one and number two guests, the two greatest people who are there after the host, of course. 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:24.879 That is followed then in rotating fashion back and forth across the table. 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:30.159 So there's a very clear and evident ranking of somebody's greatness as they gathered there. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:39.599 Then you start to get into the arbitrary world where is it better to be like the eighth greatest person at the first table or to be the head of the second table? 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:43.439 And there's a competition around this. 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:47.520 This takes place at, as I mentioned, every wedding, every formal gathering. 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:50.879 It takes place particularly at every Sabbath meal. 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:56.560 Usually on the Sabbath, the families would get together on Friday afternoon. 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:59.919 You'd journey to somebody's house and you'd be there before the sun sets. 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:02.080 The meal would already be prepared. 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:05.520 The meal itself would go well into the evening. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:12.400 If you were in Jerusalem, you might go home after the meal, but everywhere else you would spend the night at that person's house. 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:21.199 You would eat that way on Saturday as well, and you would spend the day together with that family or a group of families until Saturday evening. 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:24.800 And this is the this is one of the favorite things about the Jewish culture. 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:27.120 We do this like once a year at Thanksgiving. 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:30.800 In the Jewish culture, that is every Saturday. 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:36.879 And the people sit around the table, and like I said, there's a ranking in there. 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:43.199 You know, at your Thanksgiving meal, you might honor the oldest person there, or the patriarch, or the matriarch of the family. 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:45.759 You wouldn't say, oh, since you're oldest, you can sit here. 00:03:46.479 --> 00:04:00.000 Like you recognize this is the family's patriarch, or this is the family's matriarch, and there's a certain amount of respect, and maybe the patriarch might pray, or maybe the matriarch might uh go get her food first or be served first, or whatever it is. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:06.960 Every family does it differently, but you have this concept, but in our world, it's just at that level, and then everybody kind of sits wherever you want to. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:10.240 That would not happen in the Jewish world of Jesus' lifetime. 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:12.879 No sit wherever you want to, you've got to be kidding me. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:18.319 Like this stuff is mapped out ahead of time, and there's an order to it. 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:20.879 You are prioritized by greatness. 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:26.480 And remember, these Jewish meals, you are you're laying on the person next to you. 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:32.319 So if you're the host, the guy at your left is leaning against you, his head is on your chest. 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:38.560 These meals you sit, you eat kind of sitting on the floor, and they go for hours. 00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:42.560 So you're relaxing or reclining on top of each other. 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:44.800 The host might lean to the person on his right. 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:51.680 And so, you know, in our world, there's a lot more at stake here than in the Jewish world than in our world. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:59.360 Like you would care more about who you sat next to at the wedding if you had to, you know, put your head on their chest for a significant amount of time. 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:03.759 We do have some of this concept, don't we? 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:06.079 At weddings, there might be the numbered tables. 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:09.759 But really, like all that matters is the family tables at the front. 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:12.319 After that, you know, it doesn't really matter. 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:15.199 Difference between table 10 and 30, who cares? 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:17.439 Believe me, they cared. 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:21.439 And so it's a constant debate. 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:22.959 A constant debate. 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:25.279 We have fantasy football. 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:29.360 They had fantasy greatness in Heaven League. 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:33.279 Now, that's what they're talking about. 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:36.000 The disciples were not immune from this conversation. 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:37.360 They had it often. 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:44.639 In fact, judging by the lack of shame in their discussions of it, I don't think they viewed it as something to be ashamed of. 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:57.600 In Mark's telling this event, they didn't want to tell Jesus what they were arguing about, but it is not because they were embarrassed about talking about who the greatest is, it's because they were arguing about it. 00:05:57.920 --> 00:05:59.519 Why would they be arguing? 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:01.680 Isn't this kind of set in stone? 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:04.000 They've been with each other now for a few years. 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:05.439 They know where people are sitting. 00:06:05.600 --> 00:06:08.800 Obviously, Peter and John are the two greatest apostles. 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:11.519 They're the ones sitting at the right and left of Jesus. 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:16.399 Peter was the loudest, he was the leader of the twelve. 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:18.879 John is the one Jesus loved more. 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:22.319 You can just ask John, he tells you that like several times. 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:27.680 So you could get the debate as it relates to Peter and John. 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:32.639 Why are they discussing it again? 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:36.800 Well, something happened about five minutes ago, if you recall. 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:39.680 Maybe five days ago. 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:45.839 Jesus told Peter that you are acting like the devil. 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:50.160 Get behind me, Satan, he told Peter. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:54.319 That's a pretty serious rebuke, isn't it? 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:59.120 For the other eleven, that represents what you might consider an opening. 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:03.360 Who is the greatest in heaven? 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:08.560 If Jesus tells Peter you're talking like the devil, does that mean the number one spot is open? 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:11.120 Is there a reordering, a re-ranking? 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:14.800 James has an outside shot at this. 00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:16.560 James is the son of thunder, also. 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:18.560 He's, oh, he's the brother of Peter. 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:20.639 He's over the top. 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:25.920 He's one of those boisterous voices that fills the room, a charismatic personality. 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:27.839 He's always right next to Jesus. 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:31.680 And again, these numbering systems are not arbitrary. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:38.079 When all the gospels rank the 12 apostles, they're always presenting them in more or less the same order. 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:44.000 Maybe it's James now. 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:46.399 So that's their debate. 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:51.360 If you think about it, Peter had just been rebuked a minute ago, in fact. 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:52.000 He comes in. 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:56.959 Remember, the tax collectors asked Peter, does your teacher, does your rabbi pay the taxes? 00:07:57.519 --> 00:07:59.279 Peter did not ask Jesus about it. 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:00.560 It was a very complicated question. 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:01.680 We looked at this last week. 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:05.920 Peter just cut through the the all the intricacies of it and just said, Of course he does. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:08.319 And then he's not even going to tell Jesus about the conversation. 00:08:08.480 --> 00:08:14.079 He shows up at his house, they're staying at Peter's house, remember, in Capernaum, takes off his jacket and is getting ready to sit down. 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:17.199 And Jesus says, Peter, is there something we need to talk about? 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:20.000 In fact, he calls him Simon, do you remember? 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:21.519 Going back to the old name. 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:24.639 Simon, I have a riddle for you. 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:31.279 And so the conversation renews itself again. 00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:38.960 To be clear, Jesus never rebukes the desire to be great in heaven. 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:43.279 It is good to desire greatness in heaven. 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:45.360 That's a virtue. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:47.200 That's a virtue. 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:56.000 In fact, the New Testament says, whoever aspires to the work of an elder, an overseer, it's a noble work you aspire to. 00:08:56.159 --> 00:08:58.639 It is good to have godly aspirations, it's good. 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:13.120 And think about it this way: if greatness in heaven is seen in proximity to Jesus or in passionate worship or in responsibilities in the kingdom, however, you parse out greatness in heaven, it is all good things. 00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:16.000 It's all good things. 00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:19.600 You would want those things. 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:39.440 But my wife, when she was subbing for me, she assigned it to the students as extra credit. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:41.360 As extra credit. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:08.559 No, if a teacher offers extra credit, it becomes a virtue to want extra credit. 00:10:08.799 --> 00:10:15.039 And it would be the worst kind of teacher who would offer extra credit and then rebuke the students for desiring it. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:23.360 And so Jesus says consistently that you can store up for yourself treasure in heaven. 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:40.399 He says consistently, whoever leaves houses or lands or family for the sake of following Christ will get more houses and more lands and more family in this life and in the life to come. 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:44.879 So don't say it's wrong to want those things. 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:47.360 And do you remember what Peter says as soon as Jesus says that? 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:50.879 Peter's like, oh Lord, I've left all kinds of stuff. 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:56.639 And Jesus pats him on the head and says, I know you have Peter. 00:10:56.960 --> 00:10:58.240 I know you have. 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:06.480 So now they're arguing about who is going to be the greatest in heaven. 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:09.759 You would have thought Peter until the Satan thing. 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:11.440 But you remember what else happened? 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:18.240 They walked up on the Mount of Transfiguration and they saw Moses and Elijah glorified. 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:22.320 Whoa, those were candidates for the conversation I hadn't even thought of. 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:26.080 They were all fixated on the 12 of them. 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:29.679 Now you got Moses and Elijah interstaged left. 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:31.039 They're glorified. 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:33.039 Can you compete with them? 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:35.840 However, don't forget about John the Baptist either. 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:38.879 In your fantasy league, you might want to draft John the Baptist. 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:43.279 Jesus said, Among those born of women, no one's greater than John. 00:11:44.559 --> 00:11:55.120 But then he followed it by saying, in the kingdom of heaven, the least of the Christians is greater than John, because the most immature believer knows more about Jesus than John the Baptist did. 00:11:55.279 --> 00:12:05.200 In other words, the lowest in the kingdom of heaven, the lowest in the church, the lowest believer in Christ is greater than the greatest Old Testament saint because we know Jesus. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:08.399 So that's an argument back for Peter again, I guess. 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:10.320 That's their debate. 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:10.960 You can see why. 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:13.440 This would be a fascinating debate that would keep you going for days. 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:16.399 I feel like I've overstayed my welcome on it already. 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:19.679 Jesus knows the debate. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:26.559 In verse 1, Matthew just says, uh the disciples came to Jesus saying, Mark, let you know kind of the backstory of that. 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:28.080 They were arguing. 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:30.559 And Jesus said, What are you arguing about? 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:32.480 And they're like, We're not telling you. 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:37.840 Apparently, one of them did fess up and say, and Matthew just says, They told Jesus. 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:43.200 Jesus responds in verse two by calling to him a child. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.279 He put the child in the midst of them. 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:52.240 This child is, so the Greek word is a little child, like a toddler, would be the English word. 00:12:53.039 --> 00:12:54.720 Don't picture like a seven-year-old here. 00:12:54.879 --> 00:12:57.759 Picture a child that is old enough to walk but not old enough to talk. 00:12:57.919 --> 00:12:59.120 You got that window there? 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:02.240 That's what Jesus calls. 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:08.879 Old enough to know his name and come when called, not old enough to engage in conversation. 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:12.320 Jesus calls that kind of child to him. 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:15.279 And the child toddles through the room. 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:18.960 Jesus calls to him, verse 2, it's the word for summons. 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:23.039 Jesus calls a child by name, would be the idea, summons him to himself. 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:24.080 The child responds. 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:26.960 Jesus puts the child in the middle of the group. 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:31.600 He takes him up into his arms and then puts him on display. 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:38.080 This is not the expected answer to the question, who's the greatest in heaven? 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:44.399 Remember, there's a good debate to have between Peter and John with an outside shot at James, and it's fun to talk about John the Baptist. 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:47.840 And Jesus grabs some wandering toddler in the room. 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:52.559 Probably Peter's nephew, I would guess, from without Peter's house. 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:56.720 There's not some, you know, Jewish families were bigger and more hospitable. 00:13:56.799 --> 00:14:05.840 Probably it wouldn't be odd to walk into a neighbor's house like it would be in our world, but still, it's a child whom Jesus knew. 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:09.919 It's out of left field. 00:14:11.200 --> 00:14:20.480 And Jesus says, Truly I tell you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:24.720 So Jesus answers a question that was not asked. 00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:29.759 The question that was asked, who's the greatest in heaven, is not what Jesus answers first. 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:34.399 What Jesus answers first is, how do you get to heaven to begin with? 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:36.559 This is not a bait and switch thing. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:39.840 When you understand the first question, you can reason to the second. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:47.200 They were starting with the second question, who's the greatest in heaven, without understanding what it takes to get to heaven to begin with. 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:53.679 So if you don't come through the front door, you're not going to understand the seating arrangements in the house, in other words. 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:58.960 So Jesus starts with what it takes to get to heaven. 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:02.480 You will never even enter it, it says in verse 3. 00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:08.960 This is similar to his rhetorical repertoire with Nicodemus. 00:15:09.039 --> 00:15:09.360 Do you remember? 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:16.559 Nicodemus has one question about Jesus' capacity as a teacher, and Jesus answers a different question. 00:15:16.720 --> 00:15:20.720 He says, unless you're born again, you won't even see the kingdom of God. 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:23.600 Forget ranking teachers there. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:26.320 It's the same principle here. 00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:29.679 I'll borrow this for an outline here. 00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:31.919 How childlike faith is born. 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:33.919 How childlike faith is born. 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:38.080 There's really a first will be last, last will be first kind of vibe to this exchange here. 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:44.480 Remember, if the first or last, in the last or first, that means that everybody ties, is the idea. 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:48.320 So there is a system of greatness in heaven. 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:51.200 There are rewards in heaven, but that's not what Jesus starts with. 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:55.200 Jesus starts with everybody getting the same wage. 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:56.639 Everybody getting to heaven. 00:15:56.720 --> 00:15:58.159 That's where he starts. 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:05.759 He begins this way Salvation comes by turning or repentance. 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:09.039 That's where he starts. 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:10.480 So he calls the child. 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:13.519 And notice what Jesus says. 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:14.399 The child comes to him. 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:17.519 Now Jesus is explaining what they just saw in verse 3. 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:21.519 Truly I say to you, unless you first turn. 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:23.759 See the word turn there? 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:26.159 That's where this begins. 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:34.399 For you to enter the kingdom of heaven, you have to first turn from your sin. 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:37.919 You have to turn from your old way of living. 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:41.759 That's why Jesus draws attention to that word. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:46.879 It's an odd facet of this exchange to draw attention to, isn't it? 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:50.720 You call a child over to you and the child comes to you and you put the child on display. 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:52.399 It's odd to draw attention to that. 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:54.399 First, the child had to turn. 00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:00.799 But that's what Jesus draws attention to. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:03.200 Why did the child turn? 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:06.559 Like just put yourself in the room there. 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:09.599 Why do you think the child came when Jesus called him? 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:12.319 Well, children are dependent, aren't they? 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:15.119 Children generally come when called. 00:17:15.440 --> 00:17:25.039 And, you know, if you can really imagine the room, children come when called by, you know, an older guy in the room because they're expecting to get something. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:27.759 They're like seagulls in that sense. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:30.960 Children and seagulls are very, very similar. 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:35.039 You know, children need everything. 00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:38.400 Everything they have has been given to them, hasn't it? 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:41.920 They can't even, at this age, they can't even dress themselves. 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:43.759 They can't feed themselves. 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:47.519 They can't, they can't put themselves to bed at this age. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:50.000 You know, not the Jewish world, the American world. 00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:51.359 We have cribs and everything, right? 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:56.160 And you gotta stuff the child in there at this age, put them in, and you might even patrol to make sure they don't get back out. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:18:00.079 And then you see them crawling back up and they can escape those cribs. 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:02.000 And that is a long fall, isn't it? 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:07.440 You would think they would just learn that lesson one time, but no, they will repeat that lesson many, many times. 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:15.599 They can't dress themselves, they can't feed themselves, they can't soothe themselves, they can't put themselves to bed. 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:19.119 They're utterly unable. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:26.240 And so they come when they're called, expecting food or a diaper to be changed or whatever. 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:31.279 And that's the image of childlike faith. 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:39.119 It begins with you recognizing your utter dependence on the Lord for all things, that you cannot work your way to God. 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:45.039 You cannot be good enough to earn heaven. 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:47.839 You cannot work hard enough to go to heaven. 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:50.640 You can't be the right kind of person to go to heaven. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:52.240 You can't work your way to God. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:53.519 You're in desperate need. 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:56.720 Children don't even know what they're going to do the day they wake up. 00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:58.720 They don't even know what day of the week it is. 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:04.960 Recognize that spiritually speaking, you are like that child. 00:19:05.119 --> 00:19:07.440 You do not know what it takes to get to heaven. 00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:10.160 You only know that you are not good enough to get there. 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:15.279 You know that you want to go to heaven, but you don't have what it takes to get there. 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:20.799 You have to turn from your wicked ways and you have to turn from trusting in your own goodness. 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:30.720 And this is the classic, I mean, this is true in every culture probably, but it is exceptionally true in the American culture that our default position is to think that we're good enough to go to heaven. 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:45.519 I mean, it is classic Americana thinking that I'm not entirely sure if God exists, but if he or she does exist, when I die, I'm gonna go to heaven because God will know that I tried my best. 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:59.359 That is the default American thinking that we think if we tried our best, if we lived up to who we wanted to be, if we just made our best effort, that would obviously be good enough because you can't ask or expect more than my best. 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:05.359 Now set aside for a moment, just briefly, set aside for a moment the fact that it's not true. 00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:07.599 Like nobody actually does their best all the time. 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:08.880 So stop it. 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:24.319 But set aside that objection and just roll with this idea that people have trained their minds to think that if they are going to die and stand before God, if God exists, they will go to heaven because God will know that we've always done what is right in our own eyes. 00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:30.319 But what if your best is not good enough? 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:32.720 I mean, that really is the heart of the problem. 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:37.200 That your best effort is still sinful. 00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:42.000 Your best effort is not acceptable to the Lord. 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:45.759 The Lord is holy and perfect and cannot entertain sin before him. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:49.839 Because the Lord is a righteous judge, he will judge sin. 00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:59.759 And if our best consists of sinning, then there is no hope for salvation based upon our work or our own efforts. 00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:01.039 There's none. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:07.920 And so the first step of salvation is turning from trusting yourself, turning from your sin. 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:14.319 Let the wicked person forsake his ways, let the unrighteous person forsake his thoughts and call out to the Lord. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:19.200 The Bible refers to people who are living for themselves as lost. 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:21.759 Let the lost be found by turning to the Lord. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:25.519 The Bible calls them dead, but let the dead live by turning to the Lord. 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:29.680 The Bible calls them blind, but the blind can see by turning to the Lord. 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:31.039 The Bible calls them deaf. 00:21:31.119 --> 00:21:32.400 They don't hear the word of God. 00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:38.160 But the scripture also says that they can hear and have their ears unstopped by turning to the Lord. 00:21:39.519 --> 00:21:44.480 It's worse than being dead and blind and deaf because we're also contagious. 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:47.359 In our natural condition, we have spiritual leprosy. 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:50.559 So it's not just that we're dead, but we are rancid. 00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:52.319 We infect others. 00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:59.200 But the leper can be healed by turning to the Lord. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:02.319 And so this is really the divine call. 00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:07.680 God calls the human heart, and the human heart responds by repenting from sin. 00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:10.559 That's the initial part of childlike faith. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:13.839 That is followed by being born again. 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:20.799 Jesus says you have to turn and then become like children. 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:23.279 Children are the image of new life. 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:26.400 I mean, this is the most obvious part of the childlike analogy here. 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:34.960 The most obvious analogous feature of children to being saved is that children are born. 00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:46.799 And Jesus makes this obvious feature even more drawn out and explicit from John chapter 3, where he says to remember to Nicodemus, you want to go to heaven, you can't even get there. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:51.839 You can't even see it unless you are born again, born from above. 00:22:52.799 --> 00:23:02.319 The child comes to Jesus and is received by Jesus and is put on display, and Jesus extrapolates from that display to becoming like a child, to being born again. 00:23:02.559 --> 00:23:08.960 Your old heart was dead, and through responding by turning from your sin, your new heart is made alive. 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:18.799 You place your faith in the Lord, you receive the word of God, the word of God is implanted in your heart, and by faith it grows through grace, and you are born again. 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:25.519 You place your faith in the Son of God, the Son who is given for you, and when you believe in Him, you can be lifted up with Him. 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:29.359 As Jesus lifts the child up, you believe in Jesus, you will be lifted up with him. 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:31.519 This is new life. 00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:37.680 The word of God is implanted in your heart and grows and produces spiritual life. 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:40.559 This is the work of the Lord. 00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:45.200 If repentance is the human response, the new birth is the divine initiative. 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:50.880 When a baby is born, you don't say, good job, baby. 00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:57.759 Good job thinking about it and choosing to breathe. 00:23:58.240 --> 00:24:00.240 Like you're happy when the baby is born to breathe. 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:02.000 There's like a moment of suspense there, you know? 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:04.880 When the baby breathes, you don't tell the baby that was just such a good decision. 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:06.880 I'm glad you weighed the pros and cons. 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:11.839 Because breathing better than not, and I'm glad you sorted through that. 00:24:12.319 --> 00:24:14.480 Alright, let's just even go further upstream. 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:18.640 Good job deciding that you want to be alive, choosing to be born. 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:19.599 That great choice. 00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:20.559 This world's amazing. 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:22.079 Great choice to decide to be born. 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:23.920 High five to you, baby. 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:26.720 No, the baby didn't choose to be born. 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:31.519 You'll even hear that and proclaim it later in life, normally in a temperatantrum in Walmart. 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:34.000 I didn't ask to be born. 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:38.160 Well, I didn't ask for you to have a meltdown at Walmart, but here we both are. 00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:43.839 The new birth is a gift. 00:24:43.920 --> 00:24:46.240 It's something that happens to you. 00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:52.640 God works on the human heart and causes people to be born again. 00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:58.799 And when you come to faith, there's a sense in which your life starts over. 00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:03.119 If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. 00:25:03.359 --> 00:25:06.880 Behold, the old is passed away and the new has come. 00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:11.599 Salvation is not only a new start, but it's a new heart. 00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:18.319 You don't just, you know, you sin this week and you're like, next week I'm going to try better to do good or not be a sinner or whatever. 00:25:18.799 --> 00:25:19.759 I won't do that again. 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:22.240 And of course you'll fall into sin over and over and over again. 00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:25.119 Salvation is not just getting a new week to have a new start. 00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:27.599 Salvation is having a new heart. 00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:42.079 Having the record of your sins canceled, nailed to the cross of Christ, crucified with Christ, so that when you place your faith in Christ and you're born again, you can say it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives through me. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:44.319 It's a new life with a new nature. 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:48.720 You even get a new name, the book of Revelation says. 00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:52.000 That's what it means to be born again. 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:54.559 Third. 00:25:55.839 --> 00:25:58.000 You have a rest in salvation. 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:01.839 The divine work coincides with the human response. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:05.440 The divine work here of regeneration coincides with the human response. 00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:07.039 You rest in your salvation. 00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:09.039 The child is now on display. 00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:11.680 You turn and become like children. 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:18.000 Then you enter the kingdom of heaven and you are resting at this point in your salvation. 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:27.039 You are not working to maintain your salvation, you are resting in the gift of grace that God has given to you. 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:30.799 The child is held by Jesus. 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:32.000 That's his contribution. 00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:34.720 He is lifted up, that's his contribution. 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:41.359 He heard his name, he came, he was lifted up, and he's the model of what it means to be born again. 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:42.400 That's his contribution. 00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:48.960 Do you notice that children, they're not, it's not that they don't contribute anything to the family, it's that they're not even expected to. 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:55.680 Like you bring the baby a gift at the baby shower and you don't expect the baby to reach for his wallet. 00:26:56.720 --> 00:26:58.160 Let me pay you back. 00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:04.640 You know, you buy the two-year-old the kid's meal and you don't expect him to say, Oh, can I split that with you, Dad? 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:06.799 Like, I'll cover the tip, Dad. 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:08.480 You got the last one, I'll cover the tip. 00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:13.759 No, he the kid doesn't you don't expect him to go get a job at two years old. 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:15.279 Just try your best. 00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:16.960 You know, knock on doors, see what happens. 00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:20.079 He's not expected to contribute anything to the family. 00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:24.000 What a picture for salvation. 00:27:25.279 --> 00:27:26.720 You're saved by faith. 00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:28.960 Through grace. 00:27:29.119 --> 00:27:30.880 You're saved by grace of God through faith. 00:27:30.960 --> 00:27:32.640 It's a gift from God to you. 00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:35.440 You can't earn it and you don't deserve it. 00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:36.400 You receive it. 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:37.599 That's all you can do. 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:39.440 That's all you can do. 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:51.519 You know, Dieter and I used to send our kids to the Dollar Tree or a store like that with a couple bucks to buy each other gifts as Christmas time was approaching. 00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:55.279 Because we were trying to teach them like, you know, Christmas is not about just receiving gifts. 00:27:55.359 --> 00:27:57.119 You got to give gifts to your sisters and stuff. 00:27:57.200 --> 00:28:00.640 And, you know, start to get them thinking on the other person kind of thing. 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:05.519 But ultimately you realize, like, at the end of the day, it's just Dieter and I buying more gifts for our kids. 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:08.559 Like it's our money they're using. 00:28:09.759 --> 00:28:11.680 That's what the Christian life is like. 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:15.519 You're just living off of the grace that God has given you. 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:22.000 Salvation is a gift, and we are beggars who cannot do anything in return. 00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:24.559 That is the resting of faith. 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:26.240 You live like that. 00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:27.839 You live like that. 00:28:28.160 --> 00:28:30.960 Once saved, you don't start earning your salvation. 00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:43.440 I read a book recently on that had a chapter on kids that were adopted like around seven or eight, um, especially those adopted from orphanages and other countries. 00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:54.720 And this book pointed out that one of the most difficult things for a kid at that age psychologically is it takes him a couple years before he can have any sense of security in the new family that he's part of. 00:28:54.960 --> 00:29:04.000 And then for several years, there's still something in the kid's mind that if he sins or he misbehaves or he breaks something or he does something wrong, he might get kicked back out of the family. 00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:07.119 Just because that's the only world he he's been familiar with. 00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:14.559 You know, so there's there's a sense in which that's almost even a better illustration of salvation than somebody who's born into a family naturally. 00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:19.359 Because there's this sense hanging over you that what if I mess up, I could be gone. 00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:29.200 And it's only until it finally clicks to you, which might take several years, where it finally clicks to you, no, these are my parents now, and they love me because they're showing me grace. 00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:30.960 They adopted me. 00:29:32.799 --> 00:29:38.799 I don't want to burn down the house or anything, but I recognize like I'm safe and secure in my parents' arms. 00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:42.240 That's the picture of salvation. 00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:51.200 You recognize the Lord chose you, the Lord saved you, so you can rest in the sureness of your faith. 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:54.240 You could map this out this way. 00:29:54.400 --> 00:30:03.680 There's the call of the Lord, there's the human response of repentance, there's the divine work of the new birth, and there's the resting of faith. 00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:05.920 That's not a chronological order. 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:08.960 You would make a mistake if you saw these things as chronological. 00:30:09.119 --> 00:30:12.000 There's this is just the sequence they are in this passage. 00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:14.240 I might even order them logically. 00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:19.359 If I was trying to teach the logical order of this, I would probably move the divine work forward on the list. 00:30:19.519 --> 00:30:23.279 There's the external call, and there's the divine work of opening the human heart. 00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:25.440