Matthew 18 for the Spiritually Carnal Notes

Opening Remarks

• Speaker: Captain Zakar
• Key Themes: Understanding Matthew 18 from a spiritual standpoint; relearning our ways to align with God.

Foundational Scriptures

Romans 15:4

• "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
• Importance of relearning history and living according to God's ways.

Ecclesiastes 7:29

• God made man upright, but they sought many inventions (sins).
• Refers to the Israelites in a broader sense.

Wisdom Dwells with the Upright

• Sarak/Ecclesiasticus 24:1, 11: Wisdom praises itself and dwells in Jerusalem among the upright Israelites.
• Proverbs 28:6: Importance of walking in uprightness rather than wealth.
• Proverbs 11:4: Riches do not profit in the day of Wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

Major Themes and Righteousness

How We Deal with One Another

• Our righteousness includes how we treat our neighbor.
• Matthew 22:34-40: Christ summarizes the law into two commandments: Love God and Love your neighbor.
• Deuteronomy 6:4-5: Christ references existing Old Testament teachings.
• Leviticus 19:17-18: Neighbor refers to fellow Israelites.
• Emphasis on how loving God and our neighbor encapsulates the entire law.

Importance of Wisdom and Uprightness

• Genesis 1:26-27: Man created in God's image refers to upright living intended for Israelites.
• 2 Esdras 6:54-55: Israelites were chosen to represent God on earth.
• Isaiah 43:21, 41:8-9: Israelites formed to show God's praise.

Impact of Losing Knowledge of God

• Hosea 4:1-7: Loss of God's knowledge leads to swearing, lying, killing, and other societal ills.
• Zechariah 7:8-12: Declining to execute true judgment, show mercy, and compassion results in imagining evil against one another.

Practical Application of Matthew 18

Grudges and Corrections

• Bearing grudges is against God's teaching—defined as feelings of ill will or resentment.
• Proverbs 29:1: Pride leads to destruction; it often starts with being corrected.
• Proverbs 13:10: Only by pride comes contention.

Spiritual Growth and Humility

• We are reborn as spiritual babies and need correction and guidance.
• John 3:1-3: Must be born again to see the kingdom of God.
• Proverbs 22:15: Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; the rod of correction drives it away.
• 1 Peter 2:2: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word for spiritual growth.

Wisdom Over Age

• Job 32:6-9: Wisdom is given by God’s inspiration, not by age. Younger individuals can have greater spiritual wisdom than older ones.
• Wisdom of Solomon 8:1, 7-10: Wisdom brings virtues and gives honor among elders even if one is young.
• Psalms 119:97-100: Keeping God’s precepts makes one wiser than teachers and the ancient, regardless of age.

Application and Forgiveness

• Matthew 18:15-17: Steps to reconciliation - go to the brother alone, then with witnesses, and lastly, involve the church if unresolved.
• Matthew 18:21-35: Importance of forgiveness; parable illustrating how unforgiving servants are punished.

Conclusion

• The importance of loving one another, showing mercy, forgiving trespasses, and applying righteousness as outlined in Matthew 18.
• Emphasizes the need for humility and correction to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Closing Remarks

• Encouragement to apply Matthew 18 before one shuts themselves out of the Kingdom of Heaven and blots their name out of the Book of Life.
• Final reminder on the importance of both commandments: love God and love your neighbor.