Hope For Struggling Christians

Translation Philosophy and the Korban Rule

So again, today's going to be a bit of an excursus a stepping off. We spent a couple weeks into into this particular text. Unpacking the little details of the core bond rule. That's actually really clearly explained here in the HCSB the way you have translations, by the way.

Just so you know the difference in translation you have translations on the spectrum that can be very literal word-for-word. Most literal and then you have dynamic translations where you're getting the gist of the statements.

So many of you guys might have in your laps right now or on your phone. You might have the King James Version. Excellent, very old translation that follows more of a literal Translation word-for-word.

New King James is great English Standard Version. We love Holman Christian Standard Bible. Very very good. And then you get to the middle where you have translations that are more Paraphrased or dynamic it's the authors trying to tell you the intention the intention of the thoughts.

What is it what's it trying to get across and that would be like NIV and I would really encourage you really to stay away from the modern NIV. It takes too much Liberty. And then you get the spectrum on this side.

It's more of complete paraphrase. Translations if you're going to read an English translation from the Hebrew or Greek you got to decide like what kind of translation works best. We would recommend staying on the literal side of the spectrum you get over here to this side more of the periphrastic.

Mostly dynamic translations. You have translations like a new living translation. I wouldn't recommend that and you have translations like the message which isn't a translation at all. It's makes excellent kindling for fires on trips and things like that.

Or for the bathroom, and I'm not speaking about reading it. So that's how the spectrum works and you'll notice that in this particular text if you looked in your text. Maybe you have King James or you have the English Standard.

You'll notice that here in this text the HCSB says. Whatever benefit you might have have received from me is a gift committed to the temple. That's the translator telling you this is what the Korban rule meant so you get a better understanding there.

Jesus Confronts Man-Made Tradition and Empty Piety

But we've been unpacking this text talking about Jesus confronting their man-made tradition. That they saw as divinely inspired they were using that Tradition to slam Jesus as a rabbi what they were saying to Jesus.

We've talked about this is they were saying you're not a very good rabbi. You couldn't be the Messiah. Why because your followers your disciples who are supposed to reflect the teacher? They're not very pious.

They're not very righteous. They're not following our code. They're not following what it looks like to be a Christian right now. Christians supposed to behave a certain way. Look a certain way. Maybe your hair is supposed to be cut this way or that.

Women are supposed to wear this kind of clothing. You're supposed to do this kind of ritual. So they had essentially run alongside the Bible all these traditions and commandments that they saw as true piety.

This is how you're really righteous living in community with each other. You look a little squinty eyed at people who don't act like Christians and for them. Acting like Christians being the people of God meant that you had to do certain rituals and if you say where's that come from?

The Bible they would have said well, no not from the Bible, but it comes from this tradition over here. They've all been carrying the whole time and you got to do this to be truly godly and truly pious in this life.

And so they're slamming Jesus for not following a man-made tradition, it's not actually in the Bible and They have the Bible in this day you got to mark this down in this day. These Jews did have the Bible.

They actually had the biblical text all of the Old Testament text. Laid up in the Jewish temple revered. They know what they knew what the Word of God was the most famous translation of Jesus day was the G was the Greek Septuagint it was the translation of the 70 scholars.

It was a Greek translation from the Hebrew text. It was like their King James Bible of the day. It was the most well-known the most quoted from Greek Septuagint so it's not as though they didn't know what the Bible was and they were just guessing.

How do we do this relationship with God thing? They knew but they had divine tradition running alongside the Bible and when they had that conflict Jesus confronts him. How come your followers aren't doing this thing that makes you truly pious and righteous and Jesus says essentially.

Well, how come you contradict the Word of God because of your tradition? And so what he does is he brings it right to him. He goes for the jugular he says God says fundamentally this honor your father and your mother and He even gives a penalty for someone who's the perverse Perpetual criminal offender against parents.

He says it's even this issue of justice and then he says and yet Knowing God's Word. You've set up a divine tradition that says that you can manipulate that that you can just say well I don't really have to take care of my parents and honor them and care for them.

Because everything I've got is given to the temple. Isn't that righteous and pious and Jesus says you've voided the Word of God. You're a pretender. Hoopa Crete. Hoopa Crete was from the world of Greek actors.

They were wearing masks on stage. You knew they were faking. It's hard not to be sort of like out of that catharsis because you can see the mask. They knew you're a hypocrite. You're a pretender. You're an actor.

Jesus says fake pretender. You're an actor. You're an actress. You're not even really what you say you are. So he says this and this is where we get to the meat of it. He says this people Honors me with their lips you talk a good game.

You sound so Christian you sound so religious right you just sound like you're Christian. He says but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

The Heart as the Source of Sin and the Need for a New Heart

I'm not going to unpack all the little details we've done over the last couple of weeks. But I will point to this today in the purpose of the message today this excursus in terms of growing in our Relationship with God with new hearts and that tension we feel you notice what Jesus does.

He says this where it comes from it comes from the heart it's not these Cleansing rituals. It's not what goes into your mouth that makes you holy. It's what comes out of you that reveals the revelation.

It gives you the revelation of what's there. It's from the heart that all these things come murderers sexual adultery lies everything comes from within. Eating with unwashed hands makes nobody unclean.

Jesus says but you notice when he confronted them. What'd he go for? It's a jugular again. He says you're pretending. You don't mean what you say. You talk a good game. You sound so Christian with your lips you use Christian language.

You talk about piety you talk about holiness. You sound so religious and yet he says but your heart. Your heart is far from me. Now I've mentioned over the last couple of weeks that one of the things that draws me to Jesus other than of course the sovereign grace of God in that sovereign grace of God what compels me to adore Jesus and really love him is The fact that Jesus confronts me where I most want to fake it.

Jesus goes right for the heart and all of us every human being in this world. That's fallen is Satisfied with faking it. Man-made religions fine with all the externals. They're fine with it that's why when you go and you participate in a communion that is a cult or a Legalistic religion and organization you'll notice that everybody is very very fine.

They have solace about the way things are in terms of the person who looks like they're following the rules. So if you come to church dressed in the proper attire if your hair is cut a certain way if Your movie shelf looks a certain way if you're practicing certain Christian practices and rituals.

Bible studies. Whatever as long as you look on the outside. Like you're pious. Every religion is fine with that. They see Jesus cuts right to the heart of all of us and that he doesn't accept the externals.

He says this go ahead and do it and God isn't satisfied. Why. Because your heart isn't in the wrong is in the wrong place man-made religion. Could care less if your hearts in the wrong place because it's only man-made.

It's only for the praise of men. And if you read the gospel according to Matthew you can see that Jesus has already taken the legs off of man-made religion. Over and over again in the Sermon on the Mount.

He confronts the religious establishment of his day for their piety.

They're.

Praying they're fasting they're Giving all the externals that made the Pharisees and the religious leaders look so dang good in his day. The Pharisees were seen praying on street corners these amazing Prayers to God and everybody applauded them.

Why. Because they look so Christian. They're praying regularly in public. So everybody sees them. What could be wrong with that Jesus. And Jesus says It's people who pray on street corners and love to have people hear them with their long prayers.

Jesus says Don't be like them. They've already received their reward. Now that's got to challenge you to your core if Jesus goes for the heart here and he says with their lips They do this but with their heart it is far from me.

It's got to cut us because he says all your prayers that are fake.

Useless.

Meaningless prayers. It means nothing. All the praise you got from men in that little Bible study where you had this amazing prayer to God and you did It really so they would hear you praying really good to God and think that you have such a deep Spiritual relationship to God with God.

All that fake false. God's not buying it. God says you've got your award. Or When we give in such a way so that people see that we give to God and people applaud us for it. Jesus says you've received your reward enjoy it because that's it.

Or when we fast Jesus says so that people see us fasting. Jesus says Congratulations, there was your award. I hope you enjoy it because God's not buying it and Jesus.

Confronts.

Humanity at the place we most want to hide and. That is with just the externals. And Jesus says your heart your heart is far from me. Your heart is far from me and you see. Listen if you know God and you've been forgiven in Christ and God has actually reshaped your heart.

You know. You know.

Your.

Desperate cry to God that he would actually change it. You see and this comes to the heart of really the excursus. Today in Christ we learn that our heart is what's wrong. The heart is deceitful of all things and desperately wicked.

Who can know it. Jeremiah 17 9 Jesus says out of the heart the mouth speaks. And as believers were focused in upon our hearts. That's the foundation of our being the launching pad for all of our actions and behaviors and thoughts and speech.

We look to the hearts and we have to as believers recognize that now that we're in Christ. Now that Christ has lived a righteous life and died for the sins of his people and he's conquered that death and he's ascended and seated.

On his throne.

Saving his people having victory in the world. We're drawn to God and what do we experience? Ezekiel 36 What's the promise. God says I'll sprinkle clean water on you and you'll be clean. He says I will cleanse you from all of your idols.

Praise God for that because most of our sin is just pure unadulterated. Idolatry, he says I'll cleanse you from all your idols. He says this he says I will put my spirit within you. I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh and this is a beautiful promise at the very end.

He says this he says I will cause you to observe my statutes. God saying in a new covenant. He's gonna cause his people with new hearts with the presence of him there. He's gonna cause us to obey his statutes.

So that internal working that's happening inside you as a believer right now that struggle that war with sin the desire for delight in God and joy in God and intimacy with God the Hatred for the old life that struggle that mixed-up collision that's happening daily.

That's a promise from God. That's a promise from God and I want to say this in this room right now. This is important and please take this the right way in the spirit that I want to give it in this room right now.

Considering the size of this audience. There are there has to be people in this room that have truly experienced a Changed heart from God by his grace. You didn't do it. He did it you truly experienced the gift of repentance and faith.

You truly experienced reconciliation and peace with God and you're in that place now where your heart is new and you want more of God. You want less of the old life? You want it to go away and you want more discipline to be with God?

Constantly in your thoughts in your heart you desire all of that. It's real God's there. He did it but there are also with a room this size people in this room that had never truly experienced a Changed heart you never truly experienced repentance from sin and faith in Jesus.

Maybe you were coming to Jesus for wrong motives. You just wanted to escape from hell or maybe you buy into what one of the big word of faith churches out here Has on their website. Jesus wants you to be happy.

Healthy and wealthy if you want that pray this magic prayer. Maybe your reason for coming to Jesus was not quite in accord with the gospel or. Maybe you've never even heard the good news of Jesus or maybe you were raised in a Christian home.

Raised going to youth group with Bibles on your shelf. Raised with family worship happening in your house. That's you. But yet you've never actually considered the weight of your sin before God and your true need for peace with God and reconciliation.

With God there are two groups of people in this room. There's the saved and the unsaved. The unsaved had never heard of Jesus or resistant and it's on their sleeves or they're deluded. You think you know God, but you don't you never actually contemplated the heart issue.

My hope is is that as we consider what God says he does in Sanctification you would meet Jesus today if even for the first time. But I recognize something this is so important if that's you if you're the one right now with a new heart.

He did it again. It's his glory. You didn't do it if you're trusting in Jesus now then that means that now there's this new hatred for the old life because your heart is new and. Yet, don't we all have this moment?

Tell me if this is like you you experience the gospel you experience the promise of Jesus in eternal life right, you're walking with him now and can you can you recount can you remember when you first came to Jesus and you heard the good news and You learned about his love for you and you just trusted in him.

It was simple faith. Amen. It was just joy. I am saved. I'm forgiven. I love God. He loves me. This is crazy. And there's just the delight. It's sort of this careless delight, right? Like I don't even care about the conflicting thoughts and the war going on.

All I know is I know Jesus and it's glorious your world shifts and change. Changes, I remember I was talking to Matt last night and he was telling me about how when he first got saved. He said that's um, he looked like a weirdo in the park because he said that he used to go to the park and he would just sit there and he would just stare at the birds and.

Just be like.

Right after like a whole life not knowing Jesus and now God saves you and changed your heart now. You know the God that made all this right down to the blades of grass and the dirt and me and then the birds and he Said people probably staring him.

I thought he was a nutcase. He's walking up. Whoa Whoa, right and he said that there were the moments where he just stopped and he stared at his hand. Just looking at his hand thinking this is crazy. Look everybody right, right?

Just look at your hands it right you you know what I'm talking about. It's just this bliss and delight and then something happens. If you've been a believer for a while, you know what I'm talking about something happens.

Where you start listening to the inner monologue? Right the things that you lie to yourself about God is not here. God is far off. He's an Absentee landlord. He's busy doing something else or this God is ticked at me.

Why because I'm fail. I'm a failure. I fall short. I'm failing as a husband. I'm failing as a father. I'm failing as a woman as a man. I'm feeling as a child you you feel like I'm failing I'm I know your holiness God.

I know your standards I love and I long for you. But I know who you are and I know who I'm not and now you start struggling with that war with sin. And what it have happens to believers is you start getting discouraged you start falling into despair.

You start falling into loneliness. Why because now you're believing and I'm believing our own inner monologue above God and his voice his promises. And so what happens is you've got somebody who knows Jesus who has given who has given the Righteousness of Jesus whose sins are washed away and God says I will never count your sins against you.

And we walk around as children of God.

Sulky.

Sulky in the very presence of the one who says I sing over you I've washed your sins away. You've been given the gift of eternal life. You are not coming into condemnation. God promises all of that and we stand in his presence with our heads down.

Why?

Here's why? Because we've been given a new heart. Because we don't have the old heart anymore because now we have a new heart that God has put there and he sits there and He causes us to hate our sins.

And so what do we do with that hatred for sin is we? Misinterpret. God causing us to hate our sin for God hates me. He's sick of me. He's tired of me. He's tired of my failures. But the truth is is if the source of our sin is our hearts and Jesus comes in to take his throne there He's changed me and given to me his righteousness.

He's washed my sins away I hide before the Father in the robes of Jesus. God calls me his son. That's the truth. But now this war going on we hate our sins and so we so we feel so far from God and this is what's vitally important for us to get is That the foundation of our joy and our delight and our hope the foundation of our sanctification is.

Not.

Ever.

Not now not ever your inner Monologue, it's not the story you tell yourself. It's not your daily battle. It's not your daily failure. It's not in all the ways you convince yourself that God is not there and that he's far from you.

Your hope and my hope and our being changed and transformed and having delight and joy in God and that our Sanctification will make it to the end is in the words of the living God. It's in what he says not in what you believe.

It's not in your circumstances. It's not in all of the ways you interpret your circumstances. It's in God's promises. So with new hearts that God has put there with Jesus there. Something happens within me where I hate my sin and I want to say something.

This is very very important. I sat in front of new believers every day. For years as a chaplain at a hospital and it was one of the greatest joys of my life to see somebody that had just Been in a hospital because they had a needle in their arm and they were found almost dead in a bathroom.

To see them turn to Jesus and then a week later be sitting in front of me weeping.

Why?

Over the fact that they were still having conflicting thoughts and they hated those thoughts and they only wanted Jesus. And why am I still like this pastor Jeff? I love Jesus. I don't want to think those thoughts.

I don't want to go to those places. I only want Christ and I used to just sometimes burst out in laughter. They would say things like why are you laughing or why are you smiling at me? And I would say because this right here is the evidence that you now know Jesus your heart is now new and transformed.

I'd say stop for a second and think about something. Were you ever thinking like this? Two weeks ago three weeks ago. Were you ever longing for Jesus and desiring holiness and hating the idol and Wanting to throw out the heroine.

Were you ever thinking like that three years ago three weeks ago. They would say no. No, and I would say that's because. Now that God is in you there's a war going on in your heart. God causes me to hate the old life.

God causes me to love and to long and desire for him. That's the work of God and sanctification in our lives. And I want to say this as the main banner over our struggle and war over Against our sin consider this Romans chapter 1.

This is so important. You know Romans 1 many of you guys been here for years, you know it like the back of your hand. But I want you to consider it in terms of now new hearts. We know the source of it.

Jesus says with your lips you honor me. But your heart is far from me and we know that that's what Jesus focuses on and that's what God does in me. He changes me from the inside out new affections new desires.

Romans chapter 1 says this 118. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For that which is known about God is evident within them for God has shown it to them.

What's that mean? What's what John Calvin said? He said all of us all of humanity whether you know Jesus intimately personally or not. All of us have a census divinity Titus all of us have a knowledge of God as creator.

Not necessarily as Redeemer, but as the God the real God the only God. So what do we do even Paul says with creation shouting at us about God? We say I don't want to know you it says they don't want God in their knowledge.

They profess to be wise they become Fools and it says they exchange the glory of the immortal God For the creature and so what happens is this and this is the important point listen closely. It has everything to do with our sanctification.

It's the foundation of how we can work through the struggle and war with sin with joy and hope. Paul says this they know God they switch God for idols. They don't want God in their knowledge. And so therefore.

God.

Gave.

Them what? Over. God gave them over to do what to do what was against nature. What's not even natural? They distort their own sexuality. Men with men women with women. And Paul says that's not all. It says they're haters of God.

Disobedient to parents. And it starts naming all these ways that we sin and humanity. And listen. It says repeatedly therefore God gave them over. Therefore God gave them over. Therefore God gave them over.

So what's that mean? Believers who know God who have new affections and new hearts for God. That struggle with their sin. That is the indication that God is not Through with you. He's not just not through with you.

He is intimately acquainted with your struggle and he is listen. Causing the struggle he's causing the hatred for the old life. He's causing the deep satisfying desire to know God. Where should you be frightened.

In which Situation environment should you and I be frightened. Is it because we sin? No, Jesus came to save the sick. Right the unrighteous. He didn't come to seek and save the righteous but to seek and save that.

Which was what?

Lost.

We shouldn't say God is not there because I hate my sin. You have to say God is primarily there because you hate your sin. We know that we are under listen closely the disciplining and judgment hand of God when Romans 1 We've been handed over to our sin to do it to love it to embrace it.

We are under God's discipline and judgment when God lets us sin with impunity. When you and I see somebody who is lost and they just can't see it. They can't understand The true broken condition that they're in when they love their sin when they long for their sin.

That's the indication. This person does not know God. They need him. They need the gospel. When you and I as believers read a text like Matthew 15, you can go one in two directions. Jesus says from the heart are the issues of life out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks from the heart come false witness blasphemy sexual morality.

As believers loving Jesus Wanting him longing for him. I know we do we embrace a text like that and we hurt. Why? Because we're challenged to our core. We're like the tax collector in Jesus Picture of the Pharisee and a tax collector.

We're the ones in that moment beating our chest saying God have mercy on me a sinner. And you can go one in two directions. When you read a text like this recognizing your own brokenness. One of two directions you can delight in God and Worship him clinging to his promises in Christ that you are forgiven and washed and given the gift of eternal life.

Or You can sink into a dark deep depression Thinking that God is far from you because now you see your sin listen. People do not say I trust in Christ. People do not say Jesus is Lord. People do not say I hate my sin and Mean it apart from the sovereign grace of God apart from God being present within them.

Living there at work and changing, but you see here's what we struggle with isn't it? Isn't it the plight of the Christian? I? Want it now. I? Want to have joy in Jesus now. I want to have all my idols gone now on freedom now I want it all over with.

I just want sanctification to be done the Right and the problem is is that that is just not how the Bible talks about it. Is it true that when God saves you you change?

Yes from the heart up.

From the bottom now. I don't want the old life now.

I love Jesus.

But does it mean that as a believer now save that I no longer sin or struggle or war with sin? That is just not how it works. That's not how God says sanctification happens. We want to take the big drink out of the bucket.

I Want the big drink? I want the unending stream. I want that living water. I want the big bucket of water that big Bucket of water to quench my thirst. I want it now. And the only problem is the way that God describes the process of sanctification is that buckets underneath a faucet?

Right and it's getting water and it's gonna fill up. God says he's going to finish it. He that began a good work, and you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. It's happening. Guaranteed. Jesus says what I know my sheep and they what know me.

They're in my hand and nothing can snatch them from my hand. They're in my father's hand and nothing can snatch him from my father's hand. I give him eternal life. Jesus says so he's never losing us or forsaking us and yet the Bible promises us That we are being conformed to the image of Christ.

He's making us like Jesus. And we get so frustrated because that bucket isn't filling up fast enough. But it is filling up with water and God promises to fill it up. It's getting there. We are being transformed.

We're being renewed and The struggle that we have to have is this who are you gonna believe in? Your war with sin. Who are you going to believe? Are you gonna believe your inner monologue? Are you gonna believe your circumstances?

Are you gonna believe some other conflicting voice or are you gonna believe God because watch this. Let's take it back to the foundation and please come right back here because this is where it really gets Nitty-gritty and it starts to cut each of us.

When I was talking the last three weeks three weeks, right? About the Jews of Jesus day that set up a standard next to the Bible that was divinely inspired stuff, right? You got to do this to be right with God to be righteous and the Bible was over here.

Like all good reformers and Protestants all of you guys were like, that's right. Man-made religion and tradition not me. I'm not with Rome. I Don't follow Trent you guys were like secretly. Right, right.

You just did you're digging deep and you're like, you know, you're good little Protestant hearts and convictions. You're like I got it pastor Jeff. I see what Jesus did there. The Bible is the ultimate standard.

This is not this is the real voice of God. That's not the voice of God if I. We're living in Jesus day. I Had a purposely showed my dirty hands to those Pharisees, right? I just showed him right off and looked over at Jesus and be like right that's right.

Well, you know. That's what we do. And here's the problem is that it's quite easy for me to read the text of the Bible and to find out who the bad Guy is in the story and for me to start heaping scorn upon the bad guy in the story.

Until I.

Actually start looking in this mirror and I see myself in the reflection and what I mean by that is that you and I recognize that when I have the Bible as the standard and a conflict a Conflicting voice comes in.

I'm to believe this above that a Mormon a Jehovah's Witness comes to my door. I open the door on a Saturday morning at 730 and.

They say hi.

Jesus is Lucifer's brother. Jesus is Michael the Archangel. Your goal is to become a god or goddess of your own planet one day. My first response is not to buy it. It's to lean on this to reject the false Witness about God and to reach the lost person.

This is the word false standard. This is the word of God false claim and yet as believers daily. Daily every day as believers you and I Have a standard a separate voice. Running alongside the Bible every day God says watch Romans 3 28 therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

Abraham believed God it was credited to him as righteousness. To the one who works his wage is not credited as a gift. But as what is due. But to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly.

His faith is credited as righteousness. Just as David speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven. Blessed are those whose sins have been covered.

That's the Word of God and then my standard daily comes running alongside of it. No, no, no, but I'm a failure as a father. No. No, I just sinned against my wife. No. No. No, I just I just had that lust in my heart.

No. No. God must be far from me. No, I must be better and climb my way back to God through my good deeds so that my father will once again receive me. You see we lie to ourselves. And we believe the lie over God's Word.

We are the first century Jews. Who have the Word of God right there in front of them and yet they make void the Word of God for the sake of their tradition. We set up standards our own standards our own traditions in terms of our personal relationship with God.

We're warring over our sin we hate our sin and rather than leaning on God's promises and seeing that I hate for hatred for sin has come straight from God and It's evidence that he's there. We go off course and we stop trusting in Jesus promise for eternal life.

We start depending upon our own righteousness. How many of you guys? Daily it's a daily struggle. You're in Christ. You hate your sin. God is there. He's been changing you. But you fall into sin. At 10 a .m.

And then the rest of the day in terms of intimacy with God is blown. Because you believe somehow that God is so ticked with you and so tired of you and so done with you. That you've got to demonstrate to him somehow through your own good deeds that you're worthy of his love again.

And so you start trying to climb your way back to God not really talking to him so much because he's mad. And so you try to climb your way back to him through your good deeds or through your performance in some way.

Rather than at 1001. Leaning on the cross. Trusting in the righteousness of Jesus recognizing that if I hate my sin, it's because my father isn't done with me. Recognizing that in Christ I have the righteousness of Jesus.

To stand before the father's throne in perfection, and I didn't get that through my good deeds and I won't keep it. They're my good deeds. It's through the gift of God the redemption of Jesus. You see as a believer that war within your heart in my heart is There it's actually a war because God has saved me.

Because he's there because he's forgiven me because he's washed me of my sins and so my question to you today is this is do you have a.