Sermon Tone Analysis

May 3, 2015

*Intro* – (Read Lu 11:43-44).

Jesus has a message in this passage.

He’s teaching that many people put on a façade of godliness to fool others, then end up believing it themselves – but all the while what is inside is destroying them.

They are like Pete who had an appendectomy.

Bill asked how he was doing.

Pete replied, “I’m fine, but the doctor did leave a sponge inside me.” Bill asked, “Have you got any pain?”

“No – but boy, I sure get thirsty.”

All seemed fine on the surface, but a killer lay within.

People trying to earn their way to God may look great outwardly.

Pillars of the community.

Oblivious to the killer who lurks within.

For to those who reject Him, Jesus is saying, “You’re just a well-dressed corpse.”

People like this are moralists or religionists, doing all the right things outwardly, but without any inward reality.

Paul says of them in II Tim 3:5 they are “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

Avoid such people.”

In this passage Jesus defines 7 ways that people dress up death.

Christians can fall into the same trap – putting on an outward show for the benefit of believing friends but living like the world the rest of the time.

So there is warning here for all of us.

What characterizes moralists?

*I.

Exhibitionists of Externals (37-41)* – This is the umbrella category.

The chief characteristic or moralists is that they are focused on the external.

They believe their standing with God can be summed up in this creed: “I don’t smoke and I don’t chew and I don’t go with girls who do.”

To the moralist it’s all about what you do; to God it’s all about who you are!

*II.

Trivializers of Truth (42)* – Moralists get hung up on trivialities.

For the Pharisees it was all about tithing.

That was their ace in the hole.

We don’t go for that one so much today.

We’re more about getting our kids to SS, or working for a charity or getting to church at least on Communion Sunday or some other little tid-bit we count on to get us in God’s good graces.

Something that keeps us from looking deep into our heart to see what’s there.

*III.

Passionate About Position (43)*

Outfit # 3. Pride of position.

People look up to me for my leadership.

I must be okay with God.

V. 43, “Woe to you Pharisees!

For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.”

These guys were consummate ladder-climbers, the higher the better.

Somehow believing the more forward their position, the more “in” they were with God.

When I was in seminary, we had daily chapel.

The faculty sat behind the speaker facing us in the audience.

Now, I’m not saying they were Pharisees, altho those selected to give class sermons no doubt thought so, but that’s the idea here.

In the synagogue someone would read Scripture, then sit down and deliver a sermon.

High ranking community elders would also sit facing the audience.

Men vied for a lifetime for that privilege.

They loved it, Luke tells us.

And if you weren’t in one of those seats, you wanted to be as far forward in the audience as possible.

And they loved “greetings in the marketplaces.”

Matt elaborates in 23:6-7: “and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.”

These guys reveled in recognition.

They loved it.

They thought it was a sign of their righteousness and would get them to heaven, but it wouldn’t.

Not unless their heart was clean.

They loved being called Rabbi – teacher.

Great, but that didn’t save them.

Titles are meaningless to God.

People can call you Pastor, Elder, Doctor, Bishop, Cardinal, Pope.

It doesn’t matter.

It won’t get you to heaven.

You know what?

The titles come off at the door.

You can’t sneak one in.

The only one that counts is “child of God.” That’s the only title any of us should ever want or need.

People ask me occasionally what to call me.

I tell them, “Dave” is great.

It’s worked all my life.

They say, “Not pastor?”

Sure, if you want.

Some of you do for your kid’s sake, to teach respect for the position.

And, may I say that I love being your teaching pastor.

I do.

But that doesn’t make me any better than anyone else.

Dave is great.

I’ve been called a lot worse!

It’s so easy to get pride of position, thinking it somehow speaks to our spirituality.

In Lectures to My Students Spurgeon warned of the danger of trusting in positions and symbols of importance.

He said, “I know brethren who, from head to foot, in garb, tone, manner, necktie, and boots, are so utterly parsonic that no particle of manhood is visible.

One young sprig of divinity must needs go through the streets in a gown, and another of the High Church order has recorded it in the newspapers with much complacency that he traversed Switzerland and Italy, wearing in all places his biretta (a stiff, clerical cap, different colors for rank); few boys would have been so proud of a fool’s cap.”

They’re still with us.

I had a friend in seminary who was asked to speak at an Easter Sunrise service at the Hollywood Bowl.

When he agreed, the committee asked, “Where can the helicopter pick you up?”

He answered there wasn’t room on his street for a helicopter to land.

They responded, “But the man who spoke last year had to have a helicopter!”

He was offered a police escort but turned that down too saying he’d get there on his own.

When he arrived he noticed another participant dressed in T-shirt and Levis.

That seemed a little casual even for LA, but not to worry, just as the service was ready to start the guy put on a robe of multiple colors that my friend said would have made the Queen of Sheeba blush.

Strutting ecclesiastical peacocks we don’t need.

I’m not against robes or title or anything else, but look out.

They often cover an unrepentant heart.

Chief seats.

Grand regalia.

Special privileges.

Exalted titles.

We’re all susceptible, aren’t we?

I saw one folder advertising an “All-Star Worship Band.”

I’ve known people to get all bent out of shape and refuse to serve because they were not given a leadership role.

We’d do better to worry about our character as opposed to reputation, right?

Reputation is what people think you are; character is what God knows you are.