Keep sharing good news without ads.
Mathew 23
All right, y 'all. Matthew 23, if you can only stay for a minute stay for a minute at least. Listen if you can't. Can't go wrong. If you can't follow along what we're gonna encounter is probably Jesus's harshest words in all the Bible.
No, not the harshest words. I mean from the mouth of Jesus himself. And it's reserved for the religious elite of the day. I said this at the ordination for those of you who were in Memphis last week at Witten.
I said this at the ordination last week and some of you pastors that watch this. From other countries or from here Mercedes. I need you to listen what I'm about to say hone in right here. Just hold your hallelujahs and praise God's for a minute and hone in right here.
I Heard a pastor recently saying and I took this and this is what I taught on At the ordination for Pastor Christian and Pastor Jeremiah. If you want to be afraid for someone on Judgment Day, don't be afraid for the prostitute of a drug addict be afraid for pastors.
Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 11 and now once I said that I can't remember for the 2nd Corinthians or 1st. It's got to be 2nd Corinthians. 2nd Corinthians 11. That he intends to present them as a pure virgin to Christ.
You see the church, which is of course the people of God are called the bride of Christ. Well, the groom is Jesus Christ and he left to prepare a place for us. He's coming back to get his bride he has left his bride in the hands of under shepherds of caretakers of stewards and Ladies and gentlemen when he's when he comes back and And sees though he already knows now what those pastors have done with his bride.
While he's been gone. There will be a reckoning to pay for that. I have a healthy fear of God. That fear of God increased when I became a pastor because the responsibility that I have to stand before God one day increased dramatically.
But one thing I will not be able to be accused of is not preaching the Bible. So if what is said offends you I praise God for that because when I read the Bible I am offended. You can read the Bible. How did that happen?
Did y 'all hear that? If I mute that one mute we all can't hear me, I don't know. I'm gonna leave it on Guys if I Lost my train of thought a little bit. That's okay. I guess what I'm getting at is You should be afraid of God if you can read the Bible and never be offended.
You can't be reading it with spiritual eyes. It is meant to change you. All right, very good, let's get to work Matthew 23 and watch this. Oh Lowell set me up watch this you ready. Boom, and now you can see what I see.
But look there. I am down in there in the corner. That's so cool. All right, let's get the word and then I'll just when I want to look at the comments I can just go back to this and you guys can't see me going to Facebook.
I'm looking at the comments. Look at that Matt McGraw. You're right pastor. You're better hunter see even Matt agrees. Right there in writing. All right, let's get to work so if you remember from last week because I'm sure everyone went back and watched last week's video, of course.
If you remember from last week, I can remember to look at that camera. Jesus refuted all the objections that came to him all the traps and tricks that The Herodians and the disciples of the Pharisees and Sadducees and the Pharisees tried to bring Adam.
He refuted all of them and they didn't question him no more. He made him look like fools. In fact the last verse of chapter 22 says. And no one was able to answer him a word. Nor from that day than anyone dare ask him any more questions.
Now. Jesus is in the last week of his life. Now he's going on the offensive. So he's defended all the attacks from the Pharisees the Sadducees the Herodians the disciples of the Pharisees now He's going on the attack with the scribes and Pharisees time to get to work.
And he's in the temple and he says this then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples the scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses and so do and observe whatever they tell you but don't but not the works they do.
For they preach but they don't practice. Y 'all realize how many of the sayings in English come from the Bible. Even unbelievers say things like this. Practice what they preach. They don't practice what they preach.
Look comes directly from the Bible for they preach but they do not practice here again. They tie up heavy burdens hard to bear and lay them on people's shoulders. They themselves are not willing to move them with a finger.
They won't lift a finger. All these sayings come from the Bible. All these things come from the Bible. Our cultures and our language are inundated with it. They Love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplace and being called rabbi by Others they like being called rabbi.
But you are not to be called rabbi for you have one teacher and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth for you have one father who's in heaven neither be called instructors for you have one Instructor the Christ you have one instructor here.
It is in Greek over here. Take a look Christos. Right here. I even got a highlighted. Look at that Christos the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word Messiah or Messiah. Messiah and Christ are the same word and remember Christ is not Jesus's last name Christ.
Christos is His title. When someone calls Jesus the Christ they're saying he's the promised Messiah from the Old Testament. So they like to sit on Moses seat they like to have the authority Moses had.
When in reality they were never given that level of authority from God. They love to tell others what to do, but they won't do it themselves. They won't practice what they preach. It is amazing to think about.
And I wrote it right here. Switch to this they. These verses in verses 6 through 12 speak about how the religious leaders love the places of honor and titles used of them. You ever met a pastor who was named pastor bishop reverend doctor.
They love the titles. They love the titles. Someone's calling me can wait. I love the titles but not the responsibility that comes with those titles. Whenever I meet someone who's named Apostle bishop reverend interceder brother and they have names this long on a piece of paper and their name appears 27 times in an order of service like All right.
Who are you really trying to impress? And what are you really trying to promote yourself or God? The scribes and the Pharisees should have recognized that Christ is the true instructor and verse 12 says Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted man.
If that is not true in our lives today There's a reckoning coming people. Whoever Exalts himself will be humbled. Whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Alright. Let's read verse 16 through 22. I'll put it back on this.
Oh, excuse me verse 15 right here. What do you scribes and Pharisees? Woe is a judgment pronunciation. What do you scribes and Pharisees? Hypocrites pretenders actors. For you travel across sea and land to make one proselyte one convert and when he becomes a convert a proselyte you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
When you convert someone to your religious ideals and not God's Word you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are Jesus saying to them you guys know the truth and are teaching them something else.
They think that's the truth so they're twice as much a child of hell as you are. Why. Because. Now to get them saved that to unlearn all the bullcrap that you told them and just learn God's Word. Jesus calls them in this section blind guides blind fools and blind men.
They're not only blind to the hypocrite hypocritical nature. They're teaching but also for the impending judgment. They rejected the revelation they needed to no longer be blind. And we go into the whole letter of the law not the spirit of all.
They say you can swear by this but not by This. You can swear by this and not by this. But watch this verse 23. What do you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you tithe mint and dill and cumin which are supposed to the small things you tithe on.
And I've neglected the weightier matters of the law justice mercy faithfulness. Look here at the corresponding Greek word for faithfulness. My face in the way now y 'all can see it. Piston. This dust is faith or faithfulness in the Bible it for those of you who have ever heard of the word epistemology.
Why do we believe the things we believe? Pissed us is the Greek word of piston is a Greek word for faith so he's saying. You do the little parts of the law, but not the most important things like justice mercy faithfulness.
Those you ought to have done without neglecting the others. Jesus isn't saying the small parts of the law don't matter. He's saying you should do those in addition to the bigger parts of all that matter the most.
You should have done the small commandments while not neglecting the others. You blind guides straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel. Straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel so since gnats. Neither gnats nor camels.
They were allowed to eat since gnats. Right are unclean animal. Sometimes when they poured their drinks. They would have a filter or strain there so that no gnats were getting a drink so that they want to Accidentally eat a gnat and break the law.
Of course the heart of the law is what mattered not accidentally doing it. He said you'll strain out the gnat to do the little thing, but you'll swallow a camel. So you miss the whole purpose, you know, they're looking at the tree and missing the forest.
Verse 25. What do you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you clean the outside of the cup and plate? But inside are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee first clean the inside of the cup in the plate.
Then you may also be able to clean the outside. Remember what Jesus said back in Matthew 7. Take the log out of your eyes. You can get the speck out of your brothers. Verse 27. What do you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for you're like whitewashed tombs which inwardly appear beautiful.
But within are full of dead people's bones. Hmm and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. There would have been few words that would have insulted them more than the word lawless, so Notice they're not answering him a word anymore.
They're still there we we assume. Because he just repeated them now. He's talking to the crowds. But they're not defending themselves at all because he's already shut them up from chapter 22. I was making sure there wasn't a comment.
I need to reply to you. So keep on moving on. What do you scribes and Pharisees you hypocrites for you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate monuments of the righteous? Saying if we had lived in those days of our fathers.
We would not have taken part in the shedding of the blood of the prophets now. You are witnesses of yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets so in other words are saying. We would have accepted the words of Elijah.
The words of Jeremiah the words of Haggai and Zachariah and Malachi and Jonah. Well Jonah went to somewhere else, but we would have accepted their words the irony. That they say they would not have killed the prophets God sent when the Son of God.
The ultimate prophet if you want to think about that the Son of God is standing right before them and they are currently planning his murder. Painful irony is that the currently planning the murder of the Messiah of whom the prophets spoke about Jesus not only condemns their current state.
But also their future sins of rebellion, let's read 33 through 36, I'll put it back on the screen so you can follow along with me 33 through 36. You serpents you brood of vipers, how are you gonna escape being sentenced to hell?
Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes some of whom you will kill and crucify Star set day and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town. So that on you may come all the righteous blood.
Shed on earth from the blood of righteous able to the blood of Zachariah the son of Barak. I am Whom you murder between the Saints around the altar true. Let's say to you all these things will come upon this generation.
Hmm the verse 33. You serpents you brood of vipers. How are you going to escape being sentenced to hell? They would have been thought of as the most safe to go to heaven and let me just stop here for a minute.
Hmm. Since they thought righteous came by obedience to the law. As they put the cart before the horse since they thought righteous came by obedience from the law. You can never have assurance of salvation if righteous comes by the law.
Because at what point are you obeying it enough to be saved or disobeying enough to be damned? Jesus says if you've broken the law in one spot, you're guilty of all of it. That's what look at James says if you're guilty of it one spot.
You're a lawbreaker. Righteous does not come by the law but by faith in Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ alone. Now the Demonstration look at me the proof. Wait, I'm saying look at me and I'm on screen only let's do this.
I should have told me that now the demonstration the proof. That you really are believing and repenting in Jesus is a changed life. Are you more obedient to God now than you were last year? If not, you should be afraid.
I Can't declare with any confidence. But I don't have to read people's hearts. I look at the fruit. They're producing. Right now are you more obedient to God you were ten years ago five years ago one year ago.
Are you gonna be more obedient to God not perfect five years from now than you are now one year three months tomorrow? What is your attitude of obedience? Righteousness does not come by the law. It comes by faith in Jesus, but true faith in Jesus Produces more obedience to God's work.
We said again righteousness does not come by obeying Jesus. Righteousness comes from the work of Jesus having faith in what Jesus has done for you and That faith if it is true faith is Demonstrables demonstrated is shown by you being more obedient.
So it doesn't go obedience then faith equal salvation. Faith equal salvation to the grace of God faith equal salvation and the result of that is obedience. That's the setup. That's how it works. And I doubt anything's gonna be said today more important than what was just said not by me but by God's Word, of course.
That's it. Mike. It really is. Are you being a Jesus tree as Mike said? Are you being a Jesus tree? I like it. I'll look y 'all can see now. Look at all this stuff I got going on so and and I'll repeat that as many times y 'all need me to repeat that.
That's the most important thing in the world. It really is Me so, you know, I am gonna do it again. Obeying does not make you saved. Obeying God loving God and obeying him which are synonymous in the Bible and first John The Apostle equates obeying God and loving God is the same thing.
Obeying God does not make you a Christian faith in what Jesus has done makes you a Christian. But okay obeying God is proof that you are. Everyone catch that. It's proof that the faith is real if you want to know am I really believing in Jesus?
Do I really have faith? Show me your works. Am I sure that I'm actually a Christian. Show me your works them works that obedience never saved you never. Can you can never obey enough to be a Christian?
Faith and the finished work of Jesus is the only thing but that faith is shown is Demonstrated by obedience down. All right. Let's see. What else we got. Yeah, okay, yeah from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah from the beginning to the end.
It's all coming on you. Now 40 years after Jesus says these next words Jerusalem is destroyed by General Titus and the Roman armies. So let's listen when he says Oh Jerusalem. Jerusalem the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent by it how often I would have gathered your children Together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.
But you were not willing see your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you you will not see me again until you say blessed as he comes in the name of the Lord. That this comment there's a couple things here and we're almost done.
I Would have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing. It's almost like he's talking to the religious leaders still. But He's not if I remember right the parallel account has some looking over the city when he says this.
I'm trying to remember but At any rate the the phrase your children Makes me think to the trial that's coming in two or three chapters where pilot says If if I allow y 'all to put him to death if I put him to death, excuse me I'm innocent of his blood and they say his blood be on us and our children.
The guilt of of them killing the Son of God is 40 years later. This city is going to be destroyed. But I tell you you will not see me again until you say blessed as he comes in the name of the Lord. You see a couple little ironic parts here.
In reference to his final time seeing the city for he would die that very week. Jesus says they do not see him again until they say blessed as he comes in the Lord. Note, they said this at the triumphal entry a couple days ago.
But Jesus is noting that it will be said of him at his return. See they quote that song. I think it's Psalm 102 if I remember, right? They quote that thinking that was about his first coming but it's about his second coming.
He's saying Jesus is about to die and leave Jerusalem and he won't be coming back in person to Jerusalem. Until he's coming back to rule there and that's what I wrote right here. What is incredible about this particular lament is after this week of Jesus's torture and death in Jerusalem.
The next time he will see that city will be when he's coming to rule the planet from it as King. In the millennial reign, which I believe is a literal millennial reign. Sure, I could be wrong. I don't think I am Jesus will be ruling from Jerusalem.
So as he's about to die in Jerusalem, he's saying the next time I come here I'm coming back as King. Powerful scene powerful scene so. Yeah Jesus not playing around. You know, it is amazing. I Believe and I think I'm right about this.
I believe that if I were to show these words and Not say they were from Matthew 23 and not say that Jesus said them. Most Christians would say these words are too harsh to tell somebody. How will you escape the damnation of hell.
You brood of vipers. You make one convert making twice as much a child as hell as you are. Those are all words from Jesus. I Want to remind everybody of something. Um Vodie Bauckham, he's a man I respect a lot.
I've got one of his books. I haven't read yet, but I have listened to him speak much on the internet. He said We treat the Ten Commandments like the Eleven Commandments. You know the Ten Commandments.
Y 'all know the gods before me. Not make idols. Not take my name in vain. Honor Sabbath. See if I can do all of them. I don't know honor Sabbath. Keep it holy. Honor your father and mother. You shall not steal.
You shall not murder. You shall not bear false testimony. You shall not covet. You shall not commit adultery. Get them all. Hey, I do. We treat the Ten Commandments like the Eleven Commandments. The Eleventh Commandment is you shall be nice and the other ten don't matter.
We think that being nice is More important than declaring the Word of God first off the Bible don't tell you to be nice. The Bible tells you to be kind. Nice makes someone feel good. Kindness is with a merciful heart full of love for a person.
Telling them what they need to hear even if sometimes I don't want to hear it. That's the kind thing to do. Sometimes it is unkind to be nice. I'm gonna say that again. Sometimes it is Unkind to be nice.
I know that sounds strange, but just listen to me for a minute. Sometimes when you love someone you tell them the truth even when they don't want to hear it. I'm gonna say that one again. Sometimes when you love somebody you tell them the truth even when they don't want to hear it.
You don't say it in a overly harsh overly mean overly aggressive way. You just tell them the truth. You just tell them the truth. Sometimes they don't want to hear it, but they need to. I know I do. I know.
I do. Maybe I'm just different you guys sometimes I need to hear the truth and when I don't want to hear it. Maybe that's just me. But it seems like I got a lot of examples in the Bible that would agree with me on that.
So guys I Think that's all I got. Yeah, we got Matthew 24. Whoo. I got Matthew 24 next time.