March 29, 2020 - Sunday Service

As a pastor one of the most common reasons that people give me for not wanting to be a follower of Jesus or to attend church is that Christians are hypocrites? AAA this is a difficult clean dandruff you for a couple of different reasons. Number one. There are many people who call themselves Christians because of where they live or it's because that's what they grew up being talked, but they don't have a personal or life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ Church has an obligation something to be checked off their weekly. To-do list number two for those who do take their relationship with Jesus Christ. Seriously, we are endeavoring to be like a sinless god man. And as people who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, we constantly come up short in this antenna. The truth is no matter how you look at it. The church has quite honestly filled with Hypocrites. There's but there is a very big difference between those who are striving to be like Christ and those who are just filling a seat Billy Sunday puts it this way going to church doesn't make you any more of a Christian than standing in a garage makes you a car. Today. We're going to look at the beginning of Jesus's final sermon in the gospels interesting ly enough. It's not about salvation not about heaven or hell. It's not about Godly living it deals entirely with the topic of hypocrisy. How did we get here while we've been working our way through the Book of Matthew over over the last few months and we've been looking at the last week of Jesus is ministry here on Earth. We told he entered into Jerusalem to Great Fanfare. He clears out the temple and repurpose. Is it for the for the use of healing and preaching the Good News the religious leaders of Jesus's time describes the Pharisees the Sadducees and the Sanhedrin decided that Jesus was no friend of theirs and set traps for him. They brought up questions about Taxation and the resurrection and come in but as we seen in the Book of Matthew not only did Jesus refute those questions. He turn them back on the religious leaders over and over again. Today we're going to be in Matthew chapter 23 were going to be looking at verses 1 to 12 as Jesus preaches his final sermon here in the gospel of Matthew directly about the religious leaders who he calls Hypocrites over and over again is open up the Matthew chapter 23, we're looking for trouble God's word says then Jesus said to the crowds and to the disciples the teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you but do not do what they do for they do not practice what they preach they tie up heavy cumbersome load and put them on other people's shoulders but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels on their garments long. They love the place of honor at Banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues. They love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called Rabbi by others. So you are not to be called rabbis for you at one teacher and you are all brothers and do not call anyone on Earth father for you have one father and he is in Heaven nor are you to be called instructors for you have one structor the Messiah the greatest among you will be your servant for those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Let's pray Heavenly Father Lord as we come into your presence today, whether that's at our couch or as we listening as we drive wherever it is that that we are here hearing your word we ask for your holy spirit to guide us and directors. Florida wisdom comes from you. You are our father and instructor the Lord instruct us today that we will be people who do what we say. That we would not be Hypocrites, but we would be followers of your son Jesus Christ with all this in Jesus name. Amen. Every word in the temple and ashamed religious leaders in attendance. Jesus launches into his final sermon here in the gospel chapter 23, we get a brutally honest Jesus and he spends his time explaining this at the expense of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and ultimately what its end result would be in versus 1 2 3 Jesus explains why the message is retarded Lee focused on the scribes and Pharisees look at vs103 again, then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples the teachers of the law and the Pharisees and Moses to see so you must be careful to do everything that they tell you but do not do what they do for they do not practice what they preach. The term seat of Moses means that they had ruling Authority in Israel while the Pharisees had no official claim as the ruling body of Isreal. They were the largest and most vocal of the religious leader groups in Israel. The scribes and Pharisees had risen to power after the Israelites had returned from the Babylonian captivity. The leadership in Israel had to come fixated on not breaking the law of Moses and bringing about a second Exile God and told them through the prophets in the Old Testament that they've been sent to Babylon because of their inability to obey God's command. And the Pharisees and scribes came to power with the fear of then going back into Exile the second time by the time Jesus was on the overbearing Focus. Not just on the Mosaic law, but there are thousands of additions to it while they were experts in the law. Sadly. They were not experts in the one who created the first three Jesus state to listen to what they say. But you're not do what they do. What exactly does this mean? Will that work do comes from the Greek word, which is the rarest imperative tense. In other words. It's in a means that demand an immediate response. The word practice comes from the Greek to Rio and that's in the present imperative tense, which means it's an ongoing action. In other words. Jesus is point in this passage was that people should do immediately. But God commands them but do not follow or follow in an ongoing way the actions of the scribes and Pharisees and other word do what God is telling you to do even if he's speaking through the Pharisees and scribes, but do not live the way they live. Zombies from this statement and the passages that follow the will look at it over the next few weeks. Then Jesus saw the scribes and the Pharisees as false teachers. They have set themselves up in the seat of Moses, but they were far from the leaders that God had sent into place in the Old Testament receive reference to this Jeremiah. 14:14 says this but the Lord said to me the prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you in full vision divinations idolatry and delusions of their own mind. And Isaiah 30 verse 9 we read this for these are rebellious people deceitful children children unwilling to listen to the Moon.

After pointing out that the scribes and the Pharisees are not God's true representative. Jesus point out several areas of hypocrisy that prove that point. Look at the three areas of hypocrisy that Jesus points out that are going on with the scribes and Pharisees. The first was an unwillingness to help others look with me in person for Jesus says, they tie up any cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger. to move I need the point in the past but I think it's well worth bringing up again. God never asks us to do anything that he first wasn't willing to do for us 1st. John 4:9 said this we love because he first loved us Ephesians. 4:32 says this be kind and compassionate to one another forgiving each other as Christ forgave you James 1:17 every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the father of the Heavenly lights, but does not change like the shipping sure. Why do we love as followers of Jesus Christ or Christ first loved us? Why do we forgive as followers of Jesus Christ? Because Christ first forgave us, why do we give as followers of Christ? Because God first gave to us? God doesn't just ask us to do these things. He shows these things to us. He was first willing to do that for us. No matter what it God as he demonstrates at first, but the same could not be said for the scribes and Pharisees in Jesus's time. Judaism was no longer a belief based in feet, but it has become one of them works. The Jews of Jesus's time talk back and if they're good outweigh their bed, they would receive eternal life. Well, this isn't biblical or correct. Theology. Jesus makes the point that if if they actually believe These religious leaders should be helping people do more good. Not only do they have bad theology fambam practice as well. If the only way that these Jewish people could get by doing more good than bad. Then why weren't the religious leaders out there helping them do good instead their bad theology put burdens on people and they did nothing to help relieve those worth. What are the great things in life is that we can learn from both good and bad examples the scribes and Pharisees give us examples of hypocrisy while Jesus gives an example of what life that lives out truth. Looks like because through Christ. We are set free from the burden of sin and he's the one who helped us be set free Galatians 5:1 says this it is for Freedom that Christ has set you free stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the Yoke of slavery. In Matthew 11, 28 to 30. Jesus says this come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden

are the scribes and Pharisees gave us an example of hypocrisy not willing to help others who are in need. Jesus does nothing but help. Like I said, we learn from both good and bad examples. Here's an example of a man who decided not to be a hypocrite but decided to help someone who is in need. Leslie from Washington shares the story when the supermarket clerk tallied up my groceries. I was $10 short of what I had on me. I began to remove items from the bag when another shop or standing behind me handed me a $20 bill. I said, please please don't put yourself out. He stopped me. He said let me tell you a story. My mother is in the hospital with cancer. I visit her every day and bring her flowers. I went this morning and she got mad at me for spending my money on more flowers. She demanded that I do something else with my money. So here please accept this. for my mother's flowers We have the opportunity to do good. This don't have to be great and amazing things. They can be small everyday things that can change a person's life. Another area where the scribes and Pharisees struggled with apocracy are found in versus five to seven their actions were done for themselves. Let's look at these verses. Jesus says everything they do is done for people to see they make their flattery's wide and their tassels on their garments long. They love the place of honor and banquets and the most important in the synagogues. They love to be greeted with respect in the marketplace and to be called Rabbi by others ask you a question. Why do we do good? Now normally if I had a congregation full of people, I would say here and I wait for an answer but no one could answer. But you're at your home Nobody's around your urine social isolation right now.

That that was a good one. That is a good thought what the Bible actually gives us a lot of insight on why we do good Ephesians. 2:10 says this for we are God's handiwork created in Christ. Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. Why else do we do good? Will Matthew 5:16 says in the same way. Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in Heaven in these vs. And in many other places in the Bible. It makes the Clear Point that doing good is not just for our benefit but it is for the glory and the purpose of God that leads but this was not the reasons that the scribes and Pharisees were doing good and Matthew 6:5 he says this about then he says and when you pray don't be like the hypocrites how to pray standing in the synagogues in on the street corners to be seen by others truly I tell you they have received their reward in in June 1st, nineteen the right Jude rights list. These are the people who divide you who follow me or Natural Instincts and do not have the spirit. We're told Jesus tells us that they're phylacteries were wide and their tassels were we saw a couple weeks ago phylacteries or these small boxes that many Orthodox Jews would tie to their head into there left any pieces of the normal size flag trees. They would have these huge boxes that would take up the vast majority of their forearms the tassels usually on the prayer shawl Zoran on the clothes that the Pharisees would wear and the Pharisees would not have normal sized tonsils infected the longer that Affair Disturbed the larger his tassels got Jesus says these are outward adornment things that are done not for others. But so that people would look to you. again We have a choice. We can do good. So people think better of us, but we can do good. So people will know and put their faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible is very clear on why it believes that we should be doing good not so people that will look at us and be impressed, but they wouldn't be impressed with the god that we serve. A doctor from Gainesville, Florida shared this story as I walk through the parking lot about was the dire diagnosis. I just had to get my patient Jimmy pancreatic cancer. Justin I noticed an elderly gentleman handing tools to someone working under a stalled car and that someone was Jimmy Jimmy I said what what are you doing? Jimmy does office pants my cancer didn't tell me that I can't help others doc. He said many wave to the old man to start his car the engine roared to life in the old man. Thank Jimmy and drove off Jimmy waved when we got into his car and left as well.

Hypocrisy is when we do things so people will think more of us. Truth and a life that lives the truth. We do good, but we do good for others and we do good. So others can know God. The final area of apocracy that Jesus deals with when it comes to the scribes and Pharisees was found in versus 8 to 10. What they did looking to gain recognition book these last verses. But you are not to be called Rabbi for you have one teacher and you are all brothers and do not call anyone on Earth father for you have one father and he is in Heaven Nor you to be called instructor for you have one instructor the Messiah the final area of hypocrisy that Jesus points out that the scribes and Pharisees was that they use their position to make a name for themselves. This is a tough one for up for us because we live in a society that is focused on making a name for ourselves you go on YouTube. There's a million different people who are trying to get you to know who they are and care about the things that they care about. For the most part this may seem harmless. But the Pharisees use their place of power to gain recognition today in authority and Power. But God had a different vision for what the religious leaders of Israel could have been for his people 1st Peter 5 2 and 3 says this Shepherds of God's flock that is under your care watching over them. Not because you must but because you are willing as God wants you to be not pursuing dishonest game, but not lording it over those entrusted to you but being examples to the flock.

I'm like the Pharisees Jesus had every right to make a name for himself. But he came with a very different attitude Matthew 20:28 shows us Jesus's attitude just as the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. What Jesus who God gave a name that is above every name we are called to trust in God to take care of our needs to seek others needs before your own and like he did for Jesus. God will provide for those who don't just look out for their age. But look out for the interests of others 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 12 and 13 sainted now, we ask you brothers and sisters to those who work hard among you who care for you in the Lord and who admonishing hold them in the highest Regard in love because of their work and live in peace. with one

we Endeavor not just to take care of ourselves. But God has asked us to care for others not to use positions of authority to make a name for ourselves, but the naked name. Rob Lord and savior One Last Story to share with you leaving the store Clarence from Kentucky right? I returned to my car only to find that I'd locked my keys and my cell phone inside a teenager riding his bike. Show me kick the tires on my car and say a few unsavory words what's wrong he asked and I explained to him my situation. Even if I could call my wife she couldn't bring me a car key since this is our only car. He handed me his cell phone and said call your wife and tell her I'm coming to get your key. But that's a 7 mile bike track. That's too much.

The teenager said don't worry about it and an hour later he returned with the key. I offered him some money, but he refused he said I just needed some exercise and then like a cowboy in a movie he rode off into the sunset.

we can spend our time making a name for ourselves or we can make Do something better we can do something that is even more.

What one of the things that Jesus points out in these passages for the scribes and Pharisees in all these areas of hypocrisy is that they had received their reward in for the Pharisees Jesus states that they had already received all that they were going to get for their acts of righteousness. All these good things. They did what they were living in life. Well that was it Matthew 6:1 says this be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by then. If you do you will have no reward from your father in Heaven. I know in this life. There's some pretty wonderful stuff. But I don't want to be rewarded here on Earth as far as a follower of Jesus Christ, and hopefully you two as a follower of Jesus Christ. You want to be rewarded by our heavenly father. I desire as followers of Jesus is not for Treasure here. But don't wait for something. That's far better Revelation chapter 22 verse 12 senses. Look, I am coming soon Jesus. My reward is with me and I will give to each person according to what they have done. encourage you to live a life of Truth not to say one thing and to do another but to live the light that we've been caught just strive for what matters most what's closing prayer? Father Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to consider your word and help us not to be hypocrite. But to be people who live what we say, we believe. To love others to serve others not to lift up our name but to lift up yours. But we thank you for loving us even in this trying and difficult time. We know that you are with us you guide us and directors. Who are we thank you for the opportunity to spend time in your world today. It's in Jesus name we pray amen.