Matthew 18-10-14
He will hold me fast!
Scripture introduction and contextPrayer for illuminationSermon introductionThere are certain people in our culture that everyone loves to despiseBully’s
Racists
Child Molesters
Terrorists
Male chauvinists
Rapists
Meth dealers
People involved in the child porn industry
People that beat their kids
Etc…
We all despise these people.
To despise someone means to look down on them or hold them in contempt. When we despise someone
we think we are better than them. For better or worse, most of us think we are better than Meth dealers.
According to our passage this morning there is one group of people we must never ever despise. We
must never despise other Christians.
Matthew 18:10 (ESV) — 10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones…”
Let’s step back and look at the wider context. In Matthew 18 we see a description of the community of
the kingdom of God.
It is a humble community (Matthew 18:1-9)
It is a non despising community (Matthew 18:10-14)
It is a disciplining community (Matthew 18:15-20)
It is a forgiving community (Matthew 18:21-35)
This morning’s passage has one point- We must never despise other Christians.
No problem… I have never done that. Are you sure?
When we gossip about Christians we despise them.
When we think we are better than other Christians we despise them.
When we refuse to pursue wondering Christians we despise them.
The examples are legion.
Jesus gives us three reasons to never despise the saints.
Why must we never despise the saintsThe angels watch them
The shepherd pursues them
The father preserves them
First, we must never despise the saints since the angels watch them!
Matthew 18:10 (ESV) — 10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in
heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
First question… Are these guardian angels??? Maybe.
Here is what the Bible says about Angels.
Angels are created beings (Neh. 9:6, Ps. 148:2,5, Col 1:16-17).
Angels assist God (Acts 7:53, Gal 3:19).
Angles worship God day and night (Isa. 6)
Angels will assist God on the day of Judgment (Mat. 13:39, 24:31)
Angels are God’s messengers (the word angel literally means messenger)
Angels are described as ministering spirits (Heb. 1:14)
Angels watch the affairs of mankind (1 Peter 1:12)
Angels are sometimes put in charge of watching over nations (Dan 10:13, 12:1)
Angels sometimes talk with humans (Gen. 18:1-5, 19:1-3)
The Bible has much to say about Angels (mentioned 191 times) but no where does the Bible state that
we have guardian angels. When Jesus says “their angels always see the face of God” some think this means
that we all have a guardian Angel. But the text does not say this. One angel could be watching over 5 people,
20 people, or 3 people. We just don’t know.
Grudem, “To use an athletic analogy, the angels may be playing zone rather than man on man defense.”
(Grudem, 400)
Here is what we know for sure. Angels care for the saints (God’s little ones).
Second question… What do these angels have to do with you not despising the saints? Allot!!!
Matthew 18:10 (ESV) — 10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in
heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
If the father sends angels to care for the saints, it means that he really cares for the saints. As a result,
we should really care for the saints.
The saint’s angels are with the father in heaven, probably awaiting his commands to specifically care for
their saints.
Remember that Angels are incredibly powerful beings. Furthermore, according to verse 10, these angels
spend time in God’s presence. In other words, they are incredibly privileged meaning they are very important.
Yet, God assigns these angels to watch over his little ones. Which means he cares deeply for them.
We must not despise the saints because they are important to God. So important that Angels leave his
presence to watch over them.
Illustration- Many of the world’s uber wealthy hire retired Navy Seals to work their security details
often paying them 2-3 time what they made working for uncle Sam. They are willing to pay this much because
they are incredibly well trained.
Imagine that you are friends with a member of this uber wealthy club. Your wealthy friend wants you to
come and visit him but he lives in dangerous country. Because he cares so much about your safety he sends the
best members of his security detail to escort you to his palace. In other, words, he has his ex navy seals leave
his presence to be in your presence in order to bring you safely back into his presence.
What would this communicate to you? My friend really cares about me.
There are currently angels in God’s presence. He sends them out of his presence to care for you. Why
because he cares deeply for you.
Do you remember that time when you just barely escaped that tragic car accident on the freeway? That
was not luck… there were probably angels watching over you. Do you remember the time that your child had
a blood infection and almost died but didn’t? It is quite possible that Angels were responsible for her recovery.
If God cares so much about the welfare of his little ones we should too. Instead of despising the saints
we should care for the saints.
Which means wePray for them
Encourage them
Call them
Give generously to them
Watch what we say about them.
First, we must never despise the saints since Angels watch them.
Second, we must never despise the saints since the Shepherd pursues them!
Matthew 18:12 (ESV) — 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has
gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?
This shepherd has 100 sheep (a large flock) and one wonders off. The shepherd is so concerned for the
one that he leaves the 99 to find the one.
This illustrates tremendous care and concern for the one sheep who strays. This also illustrates that
every single sheep is loved by the shepherd.
Shepherds in the ANE treated their sheep like children.
One commentator writes.
“He (the shepherd) was… an expert at tracking lost sheep, and love for this defenseless and utterly
dependent flock would not allow him to give up until he had found and rescued the one that was missing. The
loyal shepherd would fight off wolves, bears, lions, thieves, or any other threat to the sheep. When an errant
animal was found, the shepherd would pour olive oil over any wounds or scratches and he would bind up a
broken leg. He would then tenderly place the sheep on his shoulders and carry it back to the fold.” (MacArthur,
120)
In the gospel of John we learn that Jesus is the great shepherd.
John 10:11–14 (ESV) — 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and
leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand
and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
Jesus pursues the sheep that stray. Every single sheep matters to the great shepherd. Yes, even you,
matter to God. You did not get in on the group plan…
Jesus pursues the lost sheep with vigilance. And when he finds the lost sheep there is a huge party.
Matthew 18:13 (ESV) — 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the
ninety-nine that never went astray.
IllustrationA few years back I walked outside of my garage with my three older boys. My wife was inside with our
youngest. We walked down the street to the end of the cul-de-sac. My fourth child, Andrew (age 3), was
playing in the garage with the garage doors opened. Every once in a while I would look up at the garage to
make sure that Andrew was still in the garage. Roughly 20 minutes went buy and I walked back towards the
garage with my three older sons. Andrew was not in the garage so I assumed he was in the house. When I went
inside the house I realized he was not there…
At this point I was concerned but I did not panic. I went outside and figured he was just around the
corner of the garage. He was not there. I walked around the other corner of the house. He was not there
either… at this point my heart rate increased and I started to sweat! I stopped walking and starting running.
While running, I yelled to Heidi and the other boys to fan out and search for Andrew. I ran 300 yards up the
street looking around every corner, every bush, every fence. Andrew was no where to be seen.
My imagination ran wild. Maybe someone snatched him… maybe he wondered off and got hit by a
car. Maybe we will never know what happened.
I ran back down the street praying like crazy. 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 9 minutes and still no Andrew.
Finally, someone found him. It turns out that he wondered off to the woods across the street.
When Andrew wondered off I pursued him with vigilance. I’m nothing special, any parent would do the
same. When Jesus little ones wonder off Jesus, the great shepherd pursues us with vigilance.
ApplicationThe opposite of despising the saints is pursuing the saints, especially the ones that wonder.
But how specifically does the great shepherd pursue us? Through the church.
What does this look like? If a saint is wondering you pray for them, you ask to spend time with them,
you are exceedingly patient with them. But you must pursue them.
Do you have a friend who has wondered? Why not call them this week?
It often takes a team to pursue a wondering saint. This is where small groups come in. If you are not in
a small group who is going to come after you when you wonder? If you are not in a small group who even
knows if you are wondering.
Jump into your small group. Go for yourself and go for others. Go to encourage others.
Maybe you are the one that needs to be pursued. In other words, maybe you have wondered away
from God.
We often drift away from God very slowly over time. The scary thing about drift is that it often goes
undetected for a while.
Like the space shuttle traveling towards planet earth. If you are off by one degree it may not seem like a
big deal at first but eventually that one degree means you will miss planet earth by thousands of miles.
You miss church once. Not a big deal… you think.
3 months later you miss two Sundays in a row.
6 months later you are not attending small group at all.
You are only going to church once a month. But its ok, you think, I’m saved by grace not going to
church.
Things that used to bother your conscience don’t bother you at all any more.
You have stopped reading your bible and you are hanging out more and more with your non Christian
friends from work.
You are watching things you never used to watch and saying things you never used to say.
You still believe, but just barely, you are hanging on by a thin thread.
Oh that will never happen to me… Are you sure??? I have seen it happen to many over my short life
time.
It is very subtle.
Here is the good news… if you are truly one of God’s sheep he will pursue you and he will not let you
go but he may allow you to experience massive amounts of pain and suffering as you wonder.
Run back to the shepherd today… he is waiting for you with open arms.
First, we must never despise the saints since the Angels watch them.
Second, we must never despise the saints since the Shepherd pursues them!
Third, we must never despise the saints since the Father preserves them!
Matthew 18:14 (ESV) — 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little
ones should perish.
This is an amazing statement. Not one of God’s little one’s will perish. In other words, all of God’s
sheep will make it to heaven. God the father is totally committed to this. It is his will.
The father cares deeply for the saints. He will preserve them until the end.
But Dave what about the people I have known who have totally and utterly rejected the faith? I know
similar people. Three responses. First, this is tragic. Second, they may have never been saved in the first
place. Third, if they were saved God will bring them back to the fold or Jesus is lying in Matthew 18:14.
Here are some encouraging parallel passagesPhilippians 1:6 (ESV) — 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to
completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:37–39 (ESV) — 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who
loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to
come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We just sang about this. “He will hold me fast”
Verse 1
When I fear my faith will fail,
Christ will hold me fast;
When the tempter would prevail,
He will hold me fast.
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path;
For my love is often cold;
He must hold me fast.
Verse 2
Those He saves are His delight,
Christ will hold me fast;
Precious in his holy sight,
He will hold me fast.
He’ll not let my soul be lost;
His promises shall last;
Bought by Him at such a cost,
He will hold me fast.
Verse 3
For my life He bled and died,
Christ will hold me fast;
Justice has been satisfied;
He will hold me fast.
Raised with Him to endless life,
He will hold me fast
‘Till our faith is turned to sight,
When He comes at last!”
Application:
The Father promises that his little ones will not perish. He will preserve the until the end. He sends his
angels to hold you fast, he sends the great shepherd to hold you fast, and he promises to hold you fast.
This is meant to be a great encouragement to you.
So should I just sit back and do nothing? No he preserves us so that we can persevere but we must
persevere.
We must never despise the saints since God the father will preserve them.
So Dave why should I pursue the saints who wander when God will hold them fast? Because you are
often the means he uses to hold them fast.
SummaryJesus gives us three reasons to never despise the saints.
First, we must never despise the saints since the Angels watch them.
Second, we must never despise the saints since the Shepherd pursues them!
Third, we must never despise the saints since the father preserves them!
The ultimate reason we should never despise the saints appears later in the gospel of Matthew when
Jesus the son of God was despised in our place on the cross.
This was promised in the OT.
Isaiah 53:3–6 (ESV) — 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with
grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has
borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he
was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that
brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—
every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
We despise others all the time.
Because we despise others we deserve to be despised by God. We deserve to be punished by God.
But Jesus was despised in our place on the cross.
If you are looking to Jesus, you are no longer despised by God. Instead God loves you. He will never
ever despise again. Instead he will pursue you and preserve you.
If god no longer despises us for our despising of him how can we ever despise anyone else? We
shouldn’t but we will. We will because we forget the gospel. But God forgives! And gives us grace to change.
The more we gaze at the cross where Jesus died the less we will despise others.
Lets pray…