“Cut Off Sin”
Pastor Tim delivers a sermon from the Gospel of Matthew, focusing on Jesus' teachings regarding greatness in the kingdom of heaven and the gravity of sin. He explains that true greatness involves childlike faith, characterized by deep trust in God and an understanding of one's place within divine authority.
Deep Dive Podcast
The Radical Teachings of Jesus: Greatness, Stumbling, and Sin – A Study Guide
I. Core Concepts & Themes
This sermon series focuses on controversial teachings of Jesus, specifically from Matthew 18, and explores what it means to live under the authority of Jesus in the Kingdom of God.
A. Reorienting Greatness (Matthew 18:1-5)
The Disciples' Question: The disciples asked, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" implying a prior discussion about status or hierarchy.
Jesus' Counter-Cultural Response: Jesus does not dismiss the desire for greatness but reorients its definition. He calls a little child to him as the example.
Childlike Faith vs. Childish Faith:Childlike Faith: Characterized by deep trust in God, an understanding of one's place within God's authority structure, and an acknowledgment that one is not the "boss." It is about surrendering control.
Childish Faith: Implies immaturity, pettiness, or acting inappropriately for one's age/status. This is explicitly not what Jesus advocates.
The Kingdom of Heaven's Definition of Greatness: Greatness is found in humility, taking a lowly position, and welcoming those who are considered insignificant (like children). It contrasts with earthly ambitions of power, prestige, and self-exaltation.
Implications for Leadership and Life: Modern society often values strength, independence, and the "will to power" (as per Nietzsche's Übermensch concept), which directly opposes Jesus' teaching on childlike humility. The sermon challenges listeners to consider which kingdom they are truly living for.
B. Causing Others to Stumble (Matthew 18:6-7)
The Warning: Jesus issues a severe warning against causing "little ones who believe in me" to stumble. The consequence is metaphorically worse than being drowned with a millstone.
Spiritual Stumbling: This refers to causing others to lose faith, become disillusioned, or depart from their walk with Christ, rather than literal physical stumbling.
Hyperbole in Scripture (Hermeneutics): Pastor Tim explains hyperbole as an extreme example used to drive a point home, emphasizing the seriousness of the teaching without necessarily requiring a literal interpretation of the action (e.g., millstone around the neck). The intensity of the warning should not be diminished.
Examples of Stumbling Blocks (Modern Context): The sermon highlights numerous contemporary examples of prominent Christian leaders falling due to moral failures (sexual abuse, drug use, illicit behavior, hypocrisy). These falls cause many followers to question their faith or walk away from the church.
Personal Responsibility: The sermon emphasizes that anyone, regardless of platform size, can cause others to stumble through their actions and testimony. "Younger eyes are watching."
Guards Against Stumbling:Spending consistent time in God's Word.
Being connected to deep, real Christian community beyond superficial Sunday attendance.
C. Eliminating Sin from One's Own Life (Matthew 18:8-9)
Radical Obedience and Self-Examination: Jesus calls for a radical approach to sin in one's own life, using the hyperbolic imagery of cutting off a hand or foot, or gouging out an eye.
The Root of Sin: The true issue is not the body parts themselves, but the sinful desires and intentions of the heart from which actions flow.
Seriousness of Sin: Pastor Tim emphasizes that Jesus' hyperbolic language is meant to convey the extreme seriousness of sin, challenging common underestimations of its gravity. He uses an excerpt from Don Ever's book The Smell of Sin to illustrate this point.
Definition of Sin:Greek word hamartia (to miss the mark) is re-explained: it's not just a near miss, but a complete departure from the target (God's perfect standards).
Sin is "cosmic treason" (C.S. Lewis).
Sin is loving oneself more than God.
Sin is calling God a liar or claiming to know better than God.
Sin is siding with an enemy instead of the "lover of our souls."
Sin is "drinking poison."
"Be Killing Sin or Sin Will Be Killing You" (John Owen): This Puritan quote encapsulates the urgent need for active engagement against sin.
Motivation for Killing Sin: It's not about earning salvation, but because sin breaks God's heart.
Practical Application ("Kill It"): The sermon provides an example of a friend struggling with pornography who physically removed his internet access as a radical step to "kill" that sin.
Making War Against Sin (John Piper):Vigilance: War sharpens senses and keeps one vigilant against the enemy.
Enemy Identification: The "violence" is not against other people (Muslims, Hindus, atheists, family members, etc.).
True Enemy: The enemy is our "false, sinful selves" and anything that makes peace with sin. This includes lust, enslaving desires (food, caffeine, sugar, chocolate, alcohol, pornography, money, praise of man, approval, power, fame).
Empowerment: Jesus went to the cross to empower believers to destroy sin in their lives. The seriousness of sin is underscored by the cost of Jesus' sacrifice.
II. Quiz: Short Answer Questions
Answer each question in 2-3 sentences.
What question did Jesus' disciples ask him at the beginning of Matthew 18, and what did this imply about their prior conversations?
How did Jesus physically illustrate his answer to the disciples' question about greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven?
Explain the difference between "childlike faith" and "childish faith" as presented by Pastor Tim.
What does Jesus mean by causing "little ones" to stumble, and why is this warning so severe?
How does Pastor Tim use the concept of "hyperbole" to help the audience understand Jesus' radical teachings about stumbling?
Provide two examples of how prominent Christian leaders' moral failures have caused others to stumble in recent times, as mentioned in the sermon.
According to Pastor Tim, what are two practical things believers can do to guard themselves from stumbling and causing others to stumble?
When Jesus speaks of cutting off a hand or gouging out an eye, what is the spiritual point he is trying to make about dealing with sin, beyond the literal interpretation?
Explain the re-interpreted meaning of the Greek word hamartia (sin) as "missing the mark" in the context of the sermon.
According to John Piper, what is the true target of the Christian's "war" against sin?
III. Quiz Answer Key
The disciples asked, "Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" This question, particularly the phrase "who then," implied that they had likely been discussing greatness or their own positions within the kingdom prior to asking Jesus.
Jesus physically illustrated his answer by calling a little child to him and placing the child among the disciples. He then stated that unless they change and become like little children, they would never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Childlike faith is defined as a deep, foundational trust in God and an understanding of one's subordinate place within God's authority structure. In contrast, childish faith implies immaturity, pettiness, or acting inappropriately for one's age, which is not what Jesus promotes.
Causing "little ones" to stumble refers to leading believers, especially new or vulnerable ones, away from faith or into disillusionment through one's actions. Jesus uses the severe imagery of a millstone and drowning to emphasize the profound seriousness and negative consequences of such an act.
Pastor Tim explains hyperbole as using an extreme example to powerfully drive a point home without necessarily requiring a literal interpretation. He clarifies that while Jesus doesn't literally want people to maim themselves, the intensity of the exaggerated statement underscores how serious sin is.
Two examples mentioned are Robert Morris, accused of sexual abuse, and Michael Tate, connected to illicit drug use and sexual assault. Other examples included Carl Lentz, Brian Houston, Tony Evans, and Ravi Zacharias, among others.
To guard against stumbling and causing others to stumble, Pastor Tim suggests spending consistent time in God's Word. Additionally, he advises being connected to deep, real Christian community, rather than just superficial Sunday attendance.
Beyond the literal interpretation, Jesus is making a radical claim to obedience and emphasizing the extreme seriousness of sin. He implies that avoiding sin is so crucial that even seemingly essential "body parts" (metaphorical sources of temptation) pale in comparison, highlighting that the true issue is the heart.
While hamartia means "to miss the mark," Pastor Tim clarifies that it's not a slight miss like an arrow hitting near the bullseye. Instead, in Jesus' mind, it's a complete failure to meet God's perfect standards, akin to shooting an arrow into the Pacific Ocean when the target is on a wall.
According to John Piper, the true target of the Christian's "war" against sin is not other people, but rather one's "false, sinful selves." This violence is directed against internal impulses, lusts, and enslaving desires (e.g., for food, pornography, money, approval) that make peace with sin.
IV. Essay Format Questions
Analyze how Jesus redefines "greatness" in the Kingdom of Heaven compared to conventional worldly understandings. Discuss the implications of this redefinition for individual ambition and societal values, drawing on specific examples or philosophical ideas mentioned in the sermon.
The sermon uses the concept of "hyperbole" to explain Jesus' teachings. Discuss the rhetorical function of hyperbole in Jesus' statements about causing others to stumble and eliminating personal sin. How does understanding hyperbole help a listener grasp the seriousness of the message without taking it literally?
Pastor Tim identifies two key safeguards against stumbling and causing others to stumble: engagement with God's Word and deep Christian community. Elaborate on why these two practices are crucial for spiritual health and for maintaining a consistent Christian witness in a world where prominent leaders often fall.
Examine the sermon's portrayal of sin, moving beyond a simple definition of "missing the mark." Discuss how the various descriptions of sin (e.g., "cosmic treason," "drinking poison," "siding with an enemy") contribute to a more profound understanding of its nature and gravity from a Christian perspective.
The sermon concludes with a call to "make war" against sin, drawing on John Piper's insights. Discuss the nature of this "war" – what it is against, what it is not against, and how it connects to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. How does this call to active combat against sin challenge typical modern approaches to personal failings?
V. Glossary of Key Terms
Matthew 18: The specific chapter in the Gospel of Matthew where the sermon's core passages are found, focusing on teachings about the kingdom of God, greatness, stumbling, and sin.
Kingdom of God/Heaven: The reign or authority of God, often synonymous with the eternal spiritual domain where Jesus' authority guides and rules lives.
Passion of Christ: The final period of Jesus' life, including his arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Childlike Faith: A deep, foundational trust in God, characterized by humility, dependence, and an understanding of one's place under God's authority. Distinct from childishness.
Childish Faith: Implies immaturity, pettiness, or acting inappropriately for one's age or spiritual status.
Friedrich Nietzsche: A well-known German philosopher mentioned in the sermon; associated with the concept of "God is dead" and the "will to power."
Übermensch (Superman): Nietzsche's concept of a superior individual who transcends conventional morality and creates their own values, often driven by the "will to power."
William Barclay: A Bible commentator quoted in the sermon, emphasizing that a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven aims for service, self-forgetting, and self-obliteration, rather than personal ambition or prestige.
Stumble/Stumbling Block: In the biblical context, causing someone to fall away from faith, become disillusioned, or engage in sin. It refers to spiritual rather than physical impediment.
Millstone: A large, heavy stone used for grinding grain, metaphorically used by Jesus to describe the severe punishment for causing "little ones" to stumble.
Hermeneutics: The theory and methodology of biblical interpretation, or the art of studying scripture.
Hyperbole: A rhetorical device involving extreme exaggeration used to emphasize a point or create a strong impression, not meant to be taken literally.
Don Ever (The Smell of Sin): Author of a book quoted in the sermon that challenges readers to reconsider the true seriousness and offensive nature of sin.
Hamartia: The Greek word for "sin," often translated as "missing the mark." The sermon re-emphasizes that this "miss" is a complete failure to meet God's perfect standards.
Cosmic Treason (C.S. Lewis): A metaphor used to describe sin as an act of rebellion or disloyalty against the rightful ruler of the universe (God).
John Owen: A great Puritan preacher quoted in the sermon with the famous line: "Be killing sin or sin will be killing you."
John Piper: A contemporary theologian whose teachings on "making war" against sin are quoted at the end of the sermon.
Vigilance: A state of keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties; in the context of the sermon, maintaining spiritual alertness against sin.
