THESIS: CANCER has inherent characteristics of the Devil, deception and destruction, and just as physical body cancer occurs, so spiritual cancer operates from the same negative principles of "deceive and destroy."

But remember we agreed! JESUS CAN HEAL CANCER!

Jesus gave us the antidote for spiritual cancer in Matthew Chapter 18 – the entire chapter equals the healing protocol.

At that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who is the greater in the kingdom of Heaven? (Matthew 18:1).

Notice, THIS was the ORIGINAL cancerous question that Lucifer started in Heaven in the beginning of his rebellion.

How you are fallen from the heavens, O Lucifer, shining star, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart, I will go up to the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will go up above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High (Isaiah 14:12-14).

Notice the incredible self-focus that Lucifer began to have! He BECAME THE ULTIMATE ORIGINAL “SELFIE” OBSESSED DEMON! Notice 5 times it was “I” will.

The Spiritual Cancer of Pride and self-seeking that leads to seeking power and control in the place of God, is what Matt 18 is all about.

And He, the very One who “created all men equal, and endowed them with certain unalienable rights” addressed this most serious spiritual cancer…

And Jesus called a little child to Him and set him in their midst, and said, Truly I say to you, Unless you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore whoever shall humble himself like this little child, this one is the greater in the kingdom of Heaven. And whoever shall receive one such little child in My name receives Me. But whoever shall offend one of these little ones who believes in Me, it would be better for him that a millstone were hung around his neck, and he be sunk in the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:2-6).

Providentially, on Pathfinder Sabbath 2015, we set many a child in the midst of our church, similarly as Jesus did when He gave us the cure for spiritual cancer 2000 years ago. We need to soberly consider the message of Matthew 18 and the ramifications of continuing to allow Spiritual Cancer to grow inside our lives, our families, our church.

I believe Jesus came on that Pathfinder Sabbath, with children set in our midst, just as it happened with His disciples 2000 years ago. He wished to confront all of us with our true condition just as He does now: We have spiritual cancer – the cancer of pride and self-seeking. There are families, marriages, and the body of Christ that are being destroyed. In order for us to survive, for our church to be whole and cancer free, we need healing …. Desperately! And the correct response to this thought should be in every heart just now – “Lord is it I?”

Jesus provides 3 Miraculous Curing Antidotes for Spiritual Cancer of Pride and Self-Seeking:

1. Matthew 18:7-14 is the first dose of medicine from Jesus: Offending and creating stumbling blocks, despising little ones, CONCERN FOR THE LOST.

Woe to the world because of offenses! For it is necessary that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! (Matthew 18:7).

Don’t be a stumbling block to others! By harsh words, harsh attitudes, quick tempers, critical spirits!
True Humbleness: Webster Dictionary “Humble” = not proud not thinking of yourself as better than other people: given or said in a way that shows you do not think you are better than other people.
Don’t feel spiritually superior and look down on the weaker, younger members of the church. We need to stop judging people because they sin differently than you or I do.
A great cure for spiritual cancer is becoming sincerely concerned for the Lost. This takes a new and converted heart.

For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, does he not leave the ninety and nine and go into the mountains and seek the straying one? And if it happens that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety and nine which did not stray. Even so it is not the will of your Father in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish (Matthew 18:11-14).

Churches at work alongside Jesus, to seek and save the lost, have no time, energy or will to fight and bicker and argue with one another. Churches at work for Jesus stop causing others to stumble by subduing their critical haughty spirits, by refusing to participate in the work of negative division and destruction that are so inherent in all cancers. Churches at work for Jesus are SAFE PLACES to invite friends and interests to. What about your church?

2. Matt 18:15 – 20 is the second dose of medicine from Jesus to cure spiritual cancer: CONFLICT RESOLUTION.

There are massive conflicts everywhere at this time, across the world, in our nation, in the home, at school, at work, and in the church. To live above with the saints we love, O that will be glory; But to live below with the saints we know, why that’s a very different story!

Fact: Let’s tell the truth about church: More folks leave the SDA Church over interpersonal relationship conflicts than over doctrine. This is a serious relationship cancer problem.

Curing spiritual cancer in relationships by resolving conflicts is work. It’s hard work. Why? Because we all have to swallow our pride and self-seeking and become intentionally humble and set about repairing broken relationships. Listen to Jesus!

1 on 1:

Proverbs 16:28 A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. Satan’s modus operandi up in Heaven that caused all of this mess.
Seriousness Reminder: Gossiping and fault-finding and being a busybody are specifically Bible-listed sins that exclude folks from Heaven. Frankly, they had enough of that up there to last an eternity!
This rule of conflict resolution applies to all aspects of church life including board meetings, elders meetings, nominating committee, Sabbath School council, Pathfinders, etc. There is never an excuse to by-pass Matt 18’s Jesus-commanded conflict resolution protocol. Doing so can, has, and will destroy a church.

2+ on 1

Tell the Church
Quarantine away from the church, and attempt to redeem again.

Brothers, if a man is overtaken in a fault, you the spiritual ones restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so you will fulfill the Law of Christ (Galatians 1-2).

Resolving conflict is necessary so that the church can focus on the work of the gospel.

Lord Nelson (British Naval officer who defeated Napoleon) once came on deck and found two of his officers quarreling. He whirled them about, pointed to the enemy ships, and exclaimed, “Gentlemen, there are your enemies!”

We need to remember that the enemy is out there, the evil prince of darkness, who wants nothing more than to divide God’s people into quarreling factions so that lost people do not hear the good news that Christ the Savior has come. Quarreling church members are not witnessing church members. Resolving conflicts is absolutely the necessary first work, so that the church can focus on the work of the gospel!

3. Matt 18:21-35 contains the third miracle dose from Jesus that cures Spiritual Cancer like none other: FOREVER FORGIVENESS!

Then Peter came to Him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? esus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times; but, seventy times seven! (Matthew 18:21-22).

Q: How many times do you hope that the Father in Heaven will be willing to forgive you? Me? Have you ever stopped to think that Heaven has an actual account and number of how many times God has had to forgive us! It’s an amazingly LARGE number. Massive forgiveness from God.

Q: What amount of forgiveness do we owe one another then?

How many of you know who Benjamin Watson is?

Currently New Orleans Saints tight end – Super Bowl winner with New England Patriots.
University of Georgia football star, graduated with degree in Finance.
#32 in first round of NFL draft picks in 2004.
Led his SC high school team to state championship. He was also high school academic student of the year. Smart + super athlete.
Has 3rd highest intelligence test of all players in NFL history.
Runs a 22 second 200 meter dash! That was close to a world record run from the 1950s. He’s just 2 seconds and change behind world record holder Usain Bolt of Jamaica.
Most important thing about Ben Watson is he loves Jesus Christ.
I just saw him as guest on Fox News this week and he talked very straight about the ever-dividing conflict ridden “United States of America”. He said, “It’s scary to be honest, scary to be vulnerable, scary to just tell the truth about all our condition, but here it is: We do not have a SKIN problem in America, we have a SIN problem." No amount of regulations, laws, quotas, social justice activism, no civil rights marches and voting for your color will ever solve the race and conflict problems we have. Why? It’s not a skin problem, it is a sin problem. We must have new hearts, be born again, be converted.

Conclusion

So here we sit in church, with divisions and conflicts in our nation at large, in our families at home, in our marriages, in our church family. And while it’s scary we must be bravely honest. We must tell ourselves the truth! We have a SIN problem! And the very word SIN has “I” in the middle of it. I am the problem. It is self, self-seeking, and pride that has set us all up for this fatal spiritual cancer that divides and deceives and destroys.

For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out or you will be consumed by one another (Galatians 515-14).

What can we do, church family?

And Jesus called a little child to Him and set him in their midst, and said, Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:2-3).

We must run quickly to Jesus, personally, each one of us. We must ask Him to save us from ourselves and from this spiritual cancer which has metastasized within our midst, dividing and conquering us. We must, with full sincerity, ask Jesus to take the “I” in sin and replace the I with an O…and therefore turn us from SIN to the SON. Let the "I" become more interested in Others. Remember from Pathfinders JOY = Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last = JOY!

Concern for the Lost + Willing to Resolve All Conflicts + Accept and Give Forever Forgiveness!

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. As I have loved you, you should also love one another. By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another (John 13:34-35).

Every soul saved will be saved through love, which begins with God. True conversion is a change from selfishness to sanctified affection for God and for one another.--1SM 114, 115 (1901). {LDE 191.2}