Masks we wear--Part 2

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Intro

last week we talked about trying to fool God with our masks..which is just a terrible idea. IT NEVER WORKS!
-Have you ever seen the tv show leave it to beaver.
-Eddie haskell was nice to beavers parents and then a jerk when they weren’t around
- Have you ever known anyone like that?
- I like to call these people chameleons
- you never know who they truly were.
- The Bible has some interesting things to say about these kinds of people
and thats what we’re going to be talking about tonight

Pharisees had a false concept of righteouness (v.2-3)

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

They assumed an authority not their own
“scribes and pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ seat”
God never assigned any authority to this group
True authority was from God’s word, but not from man made rules
v. 3 says to do what they tell you from Gods word, but don’t practice the other
Do you know anyone like this?
Someone who says one thing but does another.
What’s the word for this?
HYPOCRITE
To the pharisee, righteousness meant outward conformity to the law of God
Not inward change
They ignored the inward condition of the heart
Religion meant obeying a lot of rules
The pharisees said the right words, did the right ceremonies, but had no inward change.
They were eddie haskell
God wants us to have inward change

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,

and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

God is more concerned with our inward desires than what people think of us
As church kids, it’s easy to be consumed with what people think of you
How can we move away from being consumed with changing how people perceive us
Search your own heart. Do you hide who you are so that others will think you are more righteous or “better”?
Realize righteouness isn’t in words we say or don’t say, rather in a change of heart.
Find accountability in parents, friends, or someone close. Someone to help keep you accountable in putting on a face
Ask God for constant Help. Obviously God wants to change your heart, so if you allow him to do it, He will do it.

They had a false concept of ministry (v.4)

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger

Pharisees ministry was handing down laws and adding to their burdens
Pharisees were harder on others than they were on themselves
How does this apply today?
Do you hold others to a higher standard
Parents?
Friends?
Enemies??
Do you pretend to be more spiritual than you really are?

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

True religion is others focused and also clinging to personal purity.
personal purity is not a set of rules, but rather loving what God loves and hating what God hates.
i think a lot of times we think of the Bible as a set of ruels and we think of God as the mean keeper of rules waiting for you to step out of line.
God didn’t give us these commandments so our lives would be terrible, but rather he gave them to us to show us how much better life can be with him
If you try to find satisfaction in sex, you’ll never be able to do it.
God is saying choose me over these other things because i’m way better. Don’t let these things cloud your view of me.
True religion is protecting and un-obstructing our view of God.

They had a false concept of greatness

5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 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. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

These people used their position to glorify themselves rather than glorifying God.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twenty: The King’s Denunciation (Matthew 23)

“Phylacteries” were small leather boxes into which the Pharisees placed portions of the Scriptures. They wore these boxes on their foreheads and arms, in literal obedience to Deuteronomy 6:8 and 11:18

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Twenty: The King’s Denunciation (Matthew 23)

They also increased the size of their “tassels” on the hems of their garments

They loved being bedazzled
Not only was their look important, but also their position
They sought the best seats in the synogogue and at dinners
“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”
Titles were important
Jesus forbad them using rabaii because He was to be their teacher
Jesus said it was wrong to call a spiritual leader “father”
God has placed spiritual authorities in our lives, but they must never replace God
A true spiritual leader leads his people into freedom and a closer relationship with God, not bondage to ideas and beliefs
The pharisees didn’t understand true greatness comes from serving others, not forcing them to serve us.
True greatness comes from God when we obey him, we can’t manufacture it.
If we exalt ourselves God will humble us, if we humble ourselves, in due time, God will exalt us.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

An important caution

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

i think it would be very easy for us to try to hide who we truly are
Like the pharisees, we try to impress people with our wisdom
Go higher by pushing others down
Try to produce or manufacture greatness
or even exalt ourselves and ignore God.
Tonight, are you wearing these masks.
False righteousness (thinking what you do is more important than heart change)
False ministry (Do you hold others to a different standard than you do yourself)
False greatness (God resists the proud, but gives grace to the Humble)
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