WORSHIP THE LORD IN
SPIRIT AND TRUTH
Matthew 23:2-12, Mark
12:38 -44
TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED
Matthew 23:2-12
V:2-3. " The scribes and the Pharisees have the
authority of Moses;
3 All things, then, which they give you orders to do, these
do and keep: but do not take
their works as your
example, for they say and do not."
A. The Scribes and
the Pharisees exercised the authority that God gave Moses.
a. God never gave
them any authority.
b. The synagogues
were established during the Babylonian captivity as a place of
worship and
teaching of God's law.
c. A number of
religious sects were established to teach God's Law while
of the
Law.
B. Since there was
no temple in Babylon , no animal
sacrifices for atonement of sins
were made.
1. After the
seventy year captivity ended and Israel
was returned to the promise
land, the temple was rebuilt.
2. During the
post exile period there was a dual system of worship.
a. The Synagogues was the place where the
Pharisees and Scribes taught the law.
b. The Chief
priests should have been the spiritual arm of God's Word.
3. However, The Chief Priest and teachers of
the Law were in conflict with
Jesus and
His teaching.
C. Jesus instructed
His disciples to follow the teaching of the Law, but not the examples
set by the
teachers who did not follow God's Word.
1. They taught
one thing, but did another .
2. They taught
the Word. but disobeyed the Word.
D. God made the Law
and He made the Law keepers.
1. God allows
man to be governed by His Laws.
2. We should
obey the laws of our government, as long as they do not violate God's
commands.
a. Our laws
allows for a divorce, but God says He hates divorce. Matt 19:3-6
b. Our laws
allows for same sex marriages, but God says that is sin.
V:4. " They make hard laws and put great weights on
men's backs; but they themselves
will not put a finger to them."
A. There are some
church folk who use the Word of God to condemn others but
do not apply
the same standards to them selves.
1. The Pharisees
and the Scribes add their traditions to the burden of the Law.
2. For example,
"Remember the Sabbath and Keep it Holy" is the command
a. The
Sabbath was designed as a day of rest for man and his animals.
b. The Law
keeper applied unreasonableness to it.
c. The Law
keepers saw the disciples of Jesus breaking corn from corn stalk
and
eating it on the Sabbath.
d. In there
interpretation breaking the corn from the corn stalk was work
and a
violation of the Law. Matt 12:1,2
B. The Pharisees and
the Scribes considered healing a person on the
Sabbath
a violation of
the Law. Matt 12:10
1. God made the
Law for man, not Man for the Law.
2. The Pharisees
and the Scribes made up rules to add to the Law to favor their views.
a. They made
up a rules that allowed them to lie to the parents to keep from
supporting them.
b. It was the
rule of Corban. Mark 7:11-13
C. We should judge ourselves by the same standards we judge
others.
1. We should not
expect others to do what we are not willing to do.
2. We must
remember that all unrighteousness is sin.
3. Even what we
consider to be a small sin carries the penalty of death.
4. It is the blood
of Jesus that covers our sins.
PRIDE IS THE DOWNFALL OF MAN
V:5-7. " But all their works they do so as to be seen
by men: for they make wide their
phylacteries, and
the edges of their robes,
6 And the things desired by them are the first places at
feasts, and the chief seats in the
Synagogues,
7 And words of respect in the market-places, and to be named
by men," Teachers
A. There are some who pretend to be religious for pride and
prestige ,
rather than
service and humbleness.
1. Being a
Christian is not about How we look, but about what we are.
2. Outward
appearances is no indication of what's in the heart.
3. There are some
who want to appear religious, but who are rotten on the inside.
B. Clothes don't make the man., The man makes the clothes,
1. The Pharisees
and the scribes wore pieces of scriptures on their soldiers and
forehead to
show the pride of their position and their pretend righteousness.
2. The bigger the
piece of scripture, the more religious they felt.
C. The children of Israel
was required to put ribband of blue on the borders of their
garments.
1. The Pharisees
made theirs larger than the average person to appear more
righteous.
2. The larger the
border the more prideful the heart.
3. The Lord
hates the proud.
4. Those who
pump themselves up, God will bring down.
D. Respect is earned from how you treat people and what we
do for others.
1. Words of
respect are easy from the mouth.
2. Real respect
comes from the heart.
3. You can demand
a person to say what you want to hear, but you can't demand
truthfulness.
4. The Pharisees
demanded respect because they had the backing of the Roman
government.
5. If you are
seeking the applause of men, that will be your reward on earth.
ONE TEACHER, JESUS
V:8. " But you may not be named Teacher: for one is
your teacher, and you are all
brothers."
A. The truth is, we
only have one true teacher and that is Jesus Christ.
1. The Word is the
guide to our feet.
2. The steps of a
good man are ordered by the Lord.
B. Jesus, our elder
brother is Lord of us all.
1. All believers
are brother through the blood of Jesus Christ.
2. We are adopted
sons of the God the Father.
ONE FATHER
V:9. " And give no man the name of father on earth:
because one is your Father, who is in
heaven."
A. We have earthly
biological fathers, but only one heavenly Father.
1. God our
Father is the provider.
2. God our
Father is the protector.
3. God our
Father is our keeper.
4. God our
Father is our redeemer.
B. No man on earth
can fill the shoes of our heavenly Father.
1. No man on earth
deserves the honor of our heavenly Father.
2. No man on earth
deserves the praise of our heavenly Father.
3. No man on earth
is the truth of our heavenly Father.
4. No man on earth
hold our eternal life in his hands.
ONE GUIDE, THE WORD
V:10. " And you may not be named guides: because one is
your Guide, even Christ."
A. The Word of God
is our guide.
1. In the Word
is everything we need to know about life.
2. The Word is
our comforter in troubled times.
B. The Word never
changes. It is the same today as it was yesterday.
1. In the Word is
the righteousness of Christ.
2. In the Word is
the truth about every situation.
3. In the Word is
the solution to every situation.
C. No man on earth
can guide us because he does not know the path that
God the Father as
set for us.
1. If you going to
follow someone, you ought to follow the one who always
knows the end
from the beginning.
2. Jesus is the
only who can serve as our guide
HOW GOD DETERMINES GREATNESS
V:11,12: " But let the greatest among you be your
servant.
12 And whoever makes himself high will be made low, and
whoever makes himself low
will be made
high."
A. The key to being a good steward for Jesus is making
yourself servant of others.
1. God has gifted
all believers with talents and gifts to be used in the Gospel
of Jesus
Christ.
2. I think God
puts in our mist things we can do to serve others in need.
3. To serve you have to put the needs of
others above your desires.
4. Along this walk with Jesus, He will show
us ones in need we can serve.
a. It may be a
family member.
b. It may be a
stranger.
5. We have see a
person in need and take it upon ourselves to help.
B. God does not define greatness in our personal
accomplishments.
1. Greatness is
defined in our devotion to God and as a result, our devotion
to other
believers.
2. To be great we
have to humble ourselves and see others as equal children of
God.
THE EVIL AMONG US
Mark 12:38-44
V:38,39. " And in his teaching he said, Be on your
watch against the scribes, whose
pleasure it
is to go about in long robes and be
respected in the market-places,
39 And to have the chief seats in the Synagogues and the
first places at feasts."
A. The Word "scribe"
is like our English word for lawyer.
1. Lawyers know
how to persuade others that wrong is right.
2. Lawyers know
how use the Law to their advantage and at the same time the
disadvantage
of others.
3. Some are like
the devil masquerading as an angel of light.
B. The Lawyers should
be working for the good of the public.
1. Oftentimes,
they are working the public for their personal gain and enrichment.
2. That is why
the Lord tells us to beware of the Lawyers because they may look
good while
doing you harm.
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
V:40. "Who take away the property of widows, and before
the eyes of men make long
prayers these
will be judged more hardly."
A. The evidence of unrighteousness
shows up in how we treat others.
1. The Pharisees
and the Scribes were enemies to the Cross and to man.
2. They stole
from the poor and the helpless and justify it using the Law.
3. They prayed to
God as if they have no sin.
4. For show, they
made long prayers and were not convicted of their sins.
B. It may appear at times that we get away in our sins.
1. But the truth
is, God is always watching.
2. The text
indicates that when we know to do right and do wrong, we will be judged
more harshly
by God.
3. In other words
God is saying that what goes around comes around.
a. What you do
to others will revisit you.
b. I have
learned, that God does not play fair when it comes to sin.
TRUE LOVE
V:41,42." And he took a seat by the place where the
money was kept, and saw how the
people put money into the boxes: and a number who
had wealth put in much."
42 And there came a poor widow, and she put in two little
bits of money, which make a
farthing."
A. How we treat God with our money is the evidence of our
love for God.
1. The Bible says,
that love of money is the root of all evil.
2. Everyone can
look at themselves and determine if God is more important than
money.
3. Will you give
God your money when you have something more pleasurable to do
with it.?
4. Will you follow
God's commands when it comes to giving in the offering?
B. Notice in the
text, God watch what you give to His Church.
1. Jesus keeps
track of how much you give.
2. Jesus keeps
track of why you give.
3. Jesus knows
weather your giving is for show or for love.
V:43,44" And he made his disciples come to him, and
said to them, Truly I say to you,
This poor widow has put in more than all those
who are putting money into the box:
44 Because they all put in something out of what they had no
need for; but she out of her
need put in all
she had, even all her living."
A. Jesus identifies the widower as poor and making a life
threading sacrifice.
1. The money she
gave was all she had.
2. The money she
gave she needed to for a meal for herself.
3. The widower
valued her love for the Lord more than her life.
4. Her poor
offering was truly sacrificial.
B. Jesus valued the poor offering of the widower above all
the other offerings
combined because
hers was sacrificial and the others were given out of habit or
just following
God's commands to the letter of the Law.
1. God commands a
tithe and an offering.
2. True love gives
God all of ones self.
3. I urge you
brothers to offer yourself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,
which is your
reasonable service. Rom 12:1
GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON
CAN WE LOVE GOD ENOUGH TO GIVE HIM OUR BEST.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor of Greater Macedonia
Baptist Church
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