Sermon for Sunday August 27th, 2006
Matthew: RED ALERT! WARNING! DANGER AHEAD! by James Drake
Matthew 23:1-23:12
August 2006
SWORD N SPIRIT
www.swordnspirit.com
RED ALERT WARNING--DANGER AHEAD!
STATING THE SCRIPTURES:
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and
the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe,
[that] observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do
not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay [them] on
men’s shoulders; but they [themselves] will not move them with one of their
fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad
their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the
uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings
in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called
Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are called brethren.
And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is
in heaven. 0 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [even]
Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever
shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be
exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12)
SETTING THE STAGE:
Many unbelievers try to identify Jesus with the occult, or with other Religions.
I remember one particular home in India where I saw pictures of the Hindu god’s
lining the walls. There, mixed in with Krishna and Vishnu --- lined up between
Ganesh, an elephant-headed god, and another god with multiple arms --- was a
picture of Jesus Christ.
But you don’t have to travel to India to see people trying to fit Jesus in with
false religions. We have a proliferation of cults and “New-Age” kinds of
religions right here in the USA. (Actually, New Age is just an updated term for
Old Witchcraft and paganism.)
We see a revival of the ancient religion of Earth-Worship (usually with an
Environmental focus), and a cleaned-up kind of Witchcraft (sometimes called
Wicca or “white magic”) which is growing in popularity.
Many people have gravitated toward some kind of vague belief that involves using
Crystals and Magnets and harnessing cosmic energy. Also, more and more people
are consulting Astrologers or calling the Psychic Hotline
Leaders of cults or new age religions, often try to include Jesus in the mix.
They may present him as a great Guru or a powerful Spirit Guide. People with all
sorts of false beliefs like to throw in some misquoted scriptures and attempt to
remake Jesus in their own image. It’s the same kind of SLANDER Jesus suffered
when the unbelieving Jews said He is demon-possessed. (John 10:19-21).
As the Scriptures foretold, "...the Spirit explicitly says that in later times
some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and
doctrines of demons." (II Tim. 4:1).
INTRODUCTION:
In order to understand what is happening in this passage, it is helpful to
recall the events which led up to it. It was still Tuesday of Jesus’ last week
on earth. On Sunday, just two days before, He had been escorted into the city by
teeming thousands proclaiming Him to be the Messiah. On Monday He had cast out
the money changers and those who were doing business within the temple walls.
Following these two dramatic events, He had taken upon Himself the right and
authority to teach and heal within the temple. Naturally the governing leaders,
both religious and civil, were upset and angered by what was happening. More to
the point, the leaders felt threatened by Christ, fearing the people might rally
around Him as the Messiah and rise up against the Romans. Such action, of
course, would cause the Romans to march against Jerusalem and blame the Jewish
leadership for not maintaining order. Then after putting the insurrection down,
Rome would remove the present Jewish leadership from office. In the minds of the
leaders Christ was a threat to their position, power, wealth, and security. They
were forced to discredit Jesus before the people.
They sent group after group to challenge Christ, attempting to trip Him up. Each
time He answered brilliantly, teaching a much needed lesson not only to those
standing around, but to men of all generations. Finally, the leaders were
baffled and silenced. But Christ did not give up trying to reach them. He
reached out once more, trying to lead them to the truth: the Messiah is not only
Man, He is also Lord, the Son of God Himself.
What was the result? Again, the leaders refused to open their minds and hearts.
They remained closed to the truth, obstinately so. They rejected Christ and
turned and walked away. They began the final plot—not to challenge Christ in
argument again, but to kill Him.
As the present passage is studied, it is helpful to keep in mind the major
reason these leaders opposed Jesus so violently: they feared the loss of all
they held dear and possessed in this world: position, power, livelihood, wealth,
and security. In their minds, as long as Christ was alive He was a threat to
them and to their nation.
The great tragedy was that they were supposed to be the godly teachers and
leaders, God’s very own representatives and messengers to the people. Yet, they
were so far removed from God that they were unable to recognize God’s very own
Son. Despite appeal after appeal and proof after proof by Christ Himself, they
still refused to believe and follow Him. They deliberately chose to be obstinate
in their unbelief and chose to follow the way of the world by plotting to kill
Him.
This background lies behind the present chapter—the most severe attack Christ
ever spoke against a people. The true nature of these religionists, the Scribes
and Pharisees, is clearly seen as Christ opened up the hypocrisy of their lives
and religion point by point. In this particular passage Christ warned against
their religion—a religion which stands as a symbol of the false religions of the
world.
In this particular passage Jesus spoke to the multitude and to the disciples,
not to the religionists, not "TO" the Pharisees and Scribes. There are at least
four reasons why Christ warned the multitude and disciples at this point. These
same reasons make this passage extremely applicable to every generation.
First, everyone needs to know what is true and what is false in religion.
Man-made religion always includes some truth and some error. And unfortunately
even the true religion, God’s revealed religion, is sometimes added to or taken
away from by men. This is what had happened to the Pharisees and Scribes, the
religionists of Jesus’ day. They were staunch followers of God’s Word, the Old
Testament Scriptures, but they added to the Scripture. Therefore, Christ needed
to teach what was true and what was false in the present religion.
Secondly, everyone needs to have the hypocrisy and sin of religion exposed. When
men add to or take away from God’s revealed truth, it creates and causes
hypocrisy and sin within religion. When men add rules and regulations to
Scripture, self-discipline is demanded and super-spirituality results. When men
deny or take away certain portions of Scripture, it creates and causes the
exaltation of man and his rationality, making gods out of man and his ability.
Again, pride and vain glory result.
Thirdly, everyone needs to be warned against following the error of religion.
Just being religious is not enough. A person must follow the truth. If a person
follows false religion, he is doomed!!
Finally, everyone needs to have his false ideas about Christ corrected. The
false teaching and attacks of the religionists had influenced the people.
Unbelief and false ideas about the Messiah were running rampant. Christ needed
to declare the truth.
The warning concerning false religion was directed primarily to the public and
the disciples because there is always more hope for them. It is always difficult
for a leader who teaches error to repent and change. Why is this the case?
Because he fears embarrassment in admitting that he has held to error and taught
error; he fears the ridicule and rejection of his peers; and, he fears the loss
of position, power, and security.
False religion is a religion that claims to "sit" in the truth, that is, in
Moses’ seat. Moses was the great teacher and interpreter of God’s law and Word.
Christ said that the Scribes and Pharisees "sit in Moses’ seat." They were
responsible for teaching and interpreting God’s Word just as Moses had been. The
application is clear: all religions, false and true, "sit in ’Moses’ seat"—all
religion is responsible for teaching the truth of God’s Word. As shall be seen,
all teachers shall be held accountable for how they "sit in Moses’ seat," how
they sit in their position as teachers and interpreters of God’s Word.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke
6:46).
"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for
wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest
doest the same things" (Romans 2:1).
"Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest
thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as
it is written" (Romans 2:23-24).
The place of religion in the world has been set and ordained by God. Just
because bad men may sit in places of leadership does not mean that all religion
is bad nor that all religion is to be invalidated or ignored. Hypocrites within
the church, even within positions of leadership, do not mean that the church is
evil and can be neglected and avoided. We are to test the spirits, distinguish
between the true and the false, and we are to go on worshipping God and edifying
those who follow the truth.
False religion is a religion of hypocrisy. However, there is a fact that must be
noted: not all religion is false, even when it is taught by a false teacher.
Christ says, "Observe, obey the truth of what they say, in so far as it is God’s
Word (Matthew 23:2); but do not follow after their works."
What did Jesus mean when He said, "observe, obey...but do not follow after their
works?" Jesus is condemning false religion and teachers, but not the truth.
False teachers can and do teach some truth. The truth is to be obeyed, no matter
who teaches it. The truth and our duty to obey it are not invalidated just
because a hypocrite teaches it.
Jesus is saying that teaching the truth does not mean that a person is
acceptable to God. Being acceptable to God depends upon one thing and one thing
alone: living the truth. A man may teach the truth yet be unacceptable to God.
He is unacceptable because he is a hypocrite and does not obey the Lord. He
simply does not live the truth. A man is not acceptable just because he
proclaims and professes the truth—even if he is a teacher. He is acceptable
because he walks in the truth day by day.
This may be a bit difficult to grasp at first, but the point is this: We must
separate the office from the officer, the ministry from the minister, the church
from the people, the truth from the teaching, the doctrine from the practice.
The spirits must be tried. As John wrote in his first general epistle, "Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because
many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1).
Jesus is saying that the claims of religion and of men must not be allowed to
lead us. The doctrine, morality, and discipline of religion and men may be
commendable; on the other hand, both religion and men may be false. This is the
precise point that Paul is making to Titus when he wrote, "They profess that
they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient,
and unto every good work reprobate" (Titus 1:16).
Preaching and practice must always be separated. There is always some
difference. Every man is human, and every man comes short, but God’s Word is
perfect.
Jesus said that false religion and teachers impose heavy burdens upon men, and
there are four ways in which this weight is realized. First, God’s Word and law
can be imposed upon men in such a strict and severe way that mercy is lacking.
Secondly, religion and men can add to God’s Word through rules, regulations,
rituals, observances, and traditions. Such tends to become more important than
the truth.
Third, religion and men can deny and take away from God’s Word, leaving men to
stumble around searching for the truth within themselves and other imperfect and
frail men. And finally, religion and men can exercise undue authority, lording
it over people, insisting that tradition and ritual and other man-made burdens
be kept.
In discussing rules and regulations, many are willing to impose the rules upon
others, but not upon themselves. Some teachers and laymen fail to lift a finger
to practice the burden themselves. They are strict in laying the burden upon
others, but lax in bearing the weight themselves. They will not be bound by such
rules themselves, at least not strictly, but they will preach and teach the
rules to others and bind them to keep the rules. The shoulders of others are
weighed down ever so heavily, yet they will not lift their own fingers to carry
the weight of the rule or restriction.
Some teachers and laymen fail to lift a finger to ease the burden for the weak
and heavy laden. This is another possible interpretation of what Christ is
saying. Some just will not show mercy; they will not help those who need help in
practicing the burden. Some teachers are so strict and assuming that they know
little of the love and mercy of God, and they know even less about Christian
liberty.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye
again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in
bondage?" (Galatians 4:9).
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be
not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1).
"Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as
though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?" (Col. 2:20).
There is the possibility of terrible pride in imposing burdens upon men. The
right to impose burdens sets a person up as lord over others. Of course, there
is a place for authority in proclaiming and exercising God’s Word, but not for
imposing man-made rules (legalistic conservatism) and human rationalizations
(liberalism). Both weigh man down ever so heavily. Both force man to secure the
approval of God by keeping rules through a person’s own strength. Both know
little if any of the mercy and discipline of God’s Spirit. God’s Word is fully
adequate for both faith and practice. God’s Word is all man needs to direct and
govern his life. We do not have to add to or take away from God’s Word.
False religion is a religion of show. Christ points out three things these
teachers did to be seen by men. They changed their appearance, dress, and
clothing to draw attention to themselves. They wore phylacteries. These were
little leather type boxes which contained a piece of parchment with four
passages of Scripture written on it. The use of the phylacteries seems to have
arisen from a literal translation of Exodus 13:9 and Proverbs 7:3. The true
meaning of these two passages seems to be that we are to have the word of God in
our minds just as clearly as if we had them before our eyes.
The great fault of the religionists was that they interpreted these passages
literally and they enlarged the little leather boxes to draw attention to
themselves as being religious.
They also enlarged the borders of their garments; that is, they wore tassels on
their clothing. God had instructed the Jews to make fringes or tassels on the
borders of their outer robe. When a person noticed them, he was to be reminded
to keep God’s commandments. Again, the error was that the religionist changed
his appearance from others; he enlarged his tassels, drawing attention to the
fact that he was more religious than others.
A person can wear clothes that expose the body, that actually attract attention
to certain parts of the body. A person can wear clothes that are too tight, too
low cut, too high cut, too thin. A person can wear too little clothing, and
clothing that fails to cover enough of the body. Jesus said to beware of
dressing to attract attention. The religionists did it to appear righteous.
Others do it to appear worldly (appealing).
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"Neither yield ye your members [bodily parts] as instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Romans 6:13).
"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with
shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or
costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works"
(1 Tim. 2:9-10).
"[Women] whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the
hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the
hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of
a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (1 Peter
3:3-5).
False religion is a religion of position: Positions that honor and exalt men.
The false religionists of Jesus’ day loved the positions of honor, special
seats, and places of recognition. They love the preeminence (3 John 9). Yet note
what is condemned: not being in these positions and places, but the love of
them. Someone has to hold the upper positions and fill the major places of
responsibility. It is the love of such, the love and the feeling of pride
because of the place and position that is wrong.
False religion is a religion of titles: Titles that honor and exalt men. The
people Jesus was talking about loved the titles that honored and exalted them.
The title was simply "Rabbi" which meant teacher or master. It carried with it
the modern idea of Doctor or My lord. It was a title that took a man who was
supposed to be God’s messenger and said, "Here he is; this is he." It honored
the man and not the Lord.
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble
himself shall be exalted" (Matthew 23:12).
"For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend
after him" (Psalm 49:17).
Too often men change their clothing and seek the upper places, positions, and
titles to draw attention to themselves and their abilities. They are honored and
not the Lord. There is nothing wrong with living holy and godly lives, with
being religious. But it is wrong to draw attention to oneself instead of to the
Lord. We should not overdo or remake our outward being (appearance, position,
titles) to draw attention to ourselves. We should always walk humbly among men,
walk as one of them, walk pointing them to Christ by our lives.
God has no favorites among men. Why should we seek to appear as a favorite? Why
should we seek appearance, position, and honor that would point toward us as
being special?
If there is anyone who should walk humbly before men and point them toward God,
it is the man who professes to serve God. He, of all men, should not love the
appearance and positions and titles and honor that point toward him instead of
his Lord.
CONCLUSION
Believers are brothers. and one is not above or more exalted than another. Each
stands as an equal before God and one another. Each is to serve and help the
other. Greatness is measured by service, not by earthly honor. The Christian
faith is a faith of oneness; there is no room for pride or divisiveness, neither
for the love of position, honor, or title.
The transformation that results from enjoying a relationship of intimacy with
the risen Jesus, is that we are changed from "consumers" into "contributors."
Interestingly, Jesus concludes this portion of Scripture with the real test of
kingdom greatness (as compared to man’s self-perceived greatness), and that is
being a servant unto all men in the unconditional and self-sacrificing love that
Jesus declared and displayed when He came to live among men.
You may be in a very hostile environment--yes, even prison. There is evil all
around you, yet Christ wants to shine in and through you...He is seeking your
service within His kingdom even on the yard.
When some one arrives he may need some articles of necessity, he may need to be
"shown the ropes"---he certainly could be invited to the next Chapel service--as
you stretch out your heart and your hand in Jesus’ Name and for His glory alone.
Don't let Satan rob you of this joy and privilege of grace. You are the Lord’s
Ambassadors, even though the brick walls are high and the razor wire is sharp.
Finally, remember this: You shall know them by their fruit. Our Father does not
want us to be ignorant of the devices of the adversary, nor of the deception and
seduction that comes byway of false doctrine and false religion. Continue to
test all things, and hold to the truth, for only the truth shall set and keep us
free.
MARANATHA
JD