Matthew 18: 6-9 Lift Up, NOT Trip Up 扶導，而非絆倒

The Heartbreaking Stumble

The Heartbreaking Stumble: I am also hopeful that we do not wish upon others such a heartache – To stumble and to miss out on the prize/ finishing the race

The Heartbreaking Stumble: “To stumble絆 倒” = TO SIN Jesus has such strong words when it comes to act of stumbling because he knew it is not only heartbreaking but also LIFE BREAKING

Mt 18: 6-9 6 If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!

Mt 18: 6-9 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Mt 18: 6-9 6 凡 使 這 信 我 的 一 個 小 子 跌 倒 的 ， 倒 不 如 把 大 磨 石 拴 在 這 人 的 頸 項 上 ， 沉 在 深 海 裡 。7 這 世 界 有 禍 了 ， 因 為 將 人 絆 倒 ； 絆 倒 人 的 事 是 免 不 了 的 ， 但 那 絆 倒 人 的 有 禍 了 ！

Mt 18: 6-9 8 倘 若 你 一 隻 手 ， 或 是 一 隻 腳 ， 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 砍 下 來 丟 掉 。 你 缺 一 隻 手 ， 或 是 一 隻 腳 ， 進 入 永 生 ， 強 如 有 兩 手 兩 腳 被 丟 在 永 火 裡 。9 倘 若 你 一 隻 眼 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 把 他 剜 出 來 丟 掉 。 你 只 有 一 隻 眼 進 入 永 生 ， 強 如 有 兩 隻 眼 被 丟 在 地 獄 的 火 裡 。

Lift-giving truth of Mt 18: 6-9: As followers of Jesus Christ, we must safeguard against stumbling the little ones of Jesus Christ, ourselves included 身為耶穌基督的門徒，我們得謹慎防範，不絆倒包括我們自己在內、耶穌基督的小子們

The Great Little Ones

Mt 18: 3-4 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 3 說 ： 我 實 在 告 訴 你 們 ， 你 們 若 不 回 轉 ， 變 成 小 孩 子 的 樣 式 ， 斷 不 得 進 天 國 。4 所 以 ， 凡 自 己 謙 卑 像 這 小 孩 子 的 ， 他 在 天 國 裡 就 是 最 大 的 。

The Great Little Ones: “You 你 們” = the disciples The life of a disciple is to be characterized by the vulnerability and humility of a child

I don’t want to go somewhere If I know that You’re not there ‘Cos I know that me without You is a lie ~Avalon, I Don’t Want to Go

The Great Little Ones: These little ones believe in Jesus as their only salvation and are therefore committed to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus for all of life – dependent on HIS guidance, dependent on HIS provision, dependent on HIM

The Great Little Ones: Vv. 6-7 – God loves His own and will enact His justice on those who do no good toward His own Vv. 8-9 – True disciples must and will be vigilant against Sin, such is the demonstration of our humble dependence on God

Great Responsibility Toward the Great Little Ones

Mt 18: 6-7 6 If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!

Mt 18: 6-7 6 凡 使 這 信 我 的 一 個 小 子 跌 倒 的 ， 倒 不 如 把 大 磨 石 拴 在 這 人 的 頸 項 上 ， 沉 在 深 海 裡 。7 這 世 界 有 禍 了 ， 因 為 將 人 絆 倒 ； 絆 倒 人 的 事 是 免 不 了 的 ， 但 那 絆 倒 人 的 有 禍 了 ！

Great Responsibility Toward the Great Little Ones: TAKE SIN VERY, VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY …For God is “holy, holy, holy!” (Isa 6: 3a)

Great Responsibility Toward the Great Little Ones: “Causes… to stumble” = not a one-off incident but persistent, continuous

Great Responsibility of the Great Little Ones

Mt 18: 8-9 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Mt 18: 8-9 8 倘 若 你 一 隻 手 ， 或 是 一 隻 腳 ， 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 砍 下 來 丟 掉 。 你 缺 一 隻 手 ， 或 是 一 隻 腳 ， 進 入 永 生 ， 強 如 有 兩 手 兩 腳 被 丟 在 永 火 裡 。9 倘 若 你 一 隻 眼 叫 你 跌 倒 ， 就 把 他 剜 出 來 丟 掉 。 你 只 有 一 隻 眼 進 入 永 生 ， 強 如 有 兩 隻 眼 被 丟 在 地 獄 的 火 裡 。

Great Responsibility of the Great Little Ones: God will not excuse Christians who precariously dance with sin either; such carelessness toward sin brings near the reality of Hell

Great Responsibility of the Great Little Ones: “If your hand, foot, eye” = There is discernment by the Christian of the SOURCE through which the evil comes through

Great Responsibility of the Great Little Ones: “Cut, throw x2, gouge” = There is the required action by the Christian to ROOT OUT the source and have nothing to do with it

Great Responsibility of the Great Little Ones: I am in no way different from someone who does not believe in God; I may carry the “title” of a Christian but not the life of one… evidentially still dead in transgressions and not alive to Jesus

Jesus’ Precious Great Little Ones

Jesus’ Precious Great Little Ones: It is part of the maturation of our faith to esteem ourselves as God esteems us, when we place our humble dependence on Him for all of life

Jesus’ Precious Great Little Ones: Let us not incur the righteous wrath of God by becoming the channels through which the temptations of the world enter into our fellowship with one another

Jesus’ Precious Great Little Ones: It is only righteous that we should desire our faith in Jesus Christ – this trust and commitment we have in the words and works of Jesus Christ – be refined and shown to be authentic by our lives